Advice in ALA Connect 2018

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Getting Started with ALA Connect.

What is ALA Connect?

It's a centralized space where official ALA groups can work together online. In addition, it's a place where any member can create new communities (unofficial ALA groups) so the site combines association work with communities of interest in one place.

Every active ALA working group has a space in Connect automatically, because we've pre-populated it with data from our membership database (iMIS). We synchronize roster information, so we'll always know which committees you're on and which other official ALA groups you're part of.

Both ALA groups and communities use the same types of tools. By default, each one has discussions, a file repository (that stores discussion attachments and uploaded files with Library Entries), event items, with more features to come in future phases.

There's no one "right" way to use Connect, and each group can use whichever of the tools it finds valuable.
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Executive Board Meeting Highlights

  • 1.  Executive Board Meeting Highlights

    Posted Aug 05, 2025 11:10 AM

    Executive Board Meeting Highlights:

    Highlights from the ALA Executive Board Meeting. For more detailed information, please refer to the Board Meeting Minutes.

     

    Annual Conference 2025:

     

    ALA Strategic Plan
    Board approved the ALA Strategic Plan and forwarded to ALA Council for approval

    Executive Director Report

    • ALA has a new Executive Director, Dan Montgomery, who attended the Annual Conference.  He will begin the position in November

    • Public Supporter program has brought in more than $62,000 in donations

    • ALA has initiated ALA Forward, which includes an organizational assessment around ALA internal operations and staff workflow

    Financial Update

    • For FY2025, ALA continues to operate at a significant deficit, which was at $8.4 million as of March 2025

    • Approved the revised FY2026 budget, which projects an $8.7 million deficit

    • Strategies are being implemented to reduce this deficit by a further $3.5 million

    • Approved the reduction in both the Presidential Initiatives and President-elect budget by $15,000 equally

    • Final budget will be presented at the Fall Executive Board Meeting

    Public Policy Advocacy (PPA) Update

    • Would like to move toward a National Legislative Library Day model for the spring advocacy event

    Conference Services Update

    • Annual Conference was successful with 7,904 paid attendees, of which $2,500+ were first-time attendees, and ALA is more than 100% to budget goal for this event

    • Planning has commenced for January events in Chicago, with plans to open registration in late Fall, as well as initial plans for Annual 2026

     

     

    Date

    Approved Board Actions

    Annual Conference

    Approve the ALA Strategic Plan to be forwarded to the ALA Council

    Annual Conference

    1. ALA Executive Board recommends discontinuation of Forums as a sub-group of divisions
    (Remove ALA Policy 9.9)

    2. ALA Executive Board recommends discontinuation of discussion groups as a sub-group of divisions
    (Remove ALA Policy 9.10)

    3. ALA Executive Board recommends aligning all Division Interest Groups as Member-Based
    (Revise ALA Policy 9.11)

    4. ALA Executive Board recommends aligning the elected Round Table officers with ALA elected officers
    (Revise ALA Policy 10.1)

    5. ALA Executive Board recommends all ALA, division, round table and office publications (including books and journals) are published by ALA Publishing & Media
    (Revise ALA Policy 9.5)

    Annual Conference

    The Executive Board charges the Board Effectiveness Committee with organizing an annual review of the Executive Board manual each fall, ensuring updates to the manual are in place ahead of the April orientation sessions for incoming Board members.

    Annual Conference

    The Executive Board requests the Governance Office to add to the April Board Meetings the requirement that all Board members affirm they have reviewed the manual in full.

    Annual Conference

    That all meetings of the American Library Association Executive Board be held in executive session except that prior to adjournment the meeting new business
    shall be conducted in open session for the purpose of adopting nonconfidential matters into the record.

    Annual Conference

    Any executive board meeting may be held in open session for specific purposes by majority vote of the American Library Association Executive Board.

    Annual Conference

    Approve the FY26 Revised Budget as reflected in Executive Board document #3.21

    Annual Conference

    Reduce the 2025-2026 Presidential Initiatives and President-elect budget by $15,000 equally.

    Annual Conference

    Reduce the 2025-2026 Presidential Initiatives budget from $75,000 to $60,000

    Annual Conference

    Name Melissa Walling Deputy Executive Director of the American Library Association.

    Annual Conference

    Appoint Melissa Walling as Liaison to the Executive Board in the interim period.

    Annual Conference

    Grant CFO Dina Tsourdinis signing authority in the interim period.

     

    For future governance meetings, including Board meetings - please visit here. Agendas, board documents and meeting information will be made available on the Executive Board Document (EBD) page (member log-in required).

     



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    Cory Stevenson
    American Library Association
    He/Him/His
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