GAMERT (Gaming) Round Table

Here's some notes about the first RTCA STF Bylaws meeting.

The proposed membership categories are:

Individual Type1
Individual Type 2
Supporter
Student

The current discussion for RT dues are for Individual Type 1 and Student membership categories.

Free Student RT dues were discussed with some vigor near the end of the dues conversation.

Here were the results of voting for both the Individual Type 1 RT dues and the Student RT dues:



Individual Type 1 Projected Changes

Moving from $10 to $15 GAMERT is projected to lose 10% of its membership and increase revenue by 35%.

Moving from $10 to $20 GAMERT is projected to lose 20% of its membership and increase its revenue by 60%.

Some of the revenue gains will be shared with ALA.

Student Membership Projected Changes

$5 and $10 were projected.

Moving form $10 to $5 GAMERT is projected to gain 10% membership and lose 45% revenue.

$10 is the current rate.

The bylaws template will ensure similarities between RTs, so members can more easily determine the RTs they are interested in.

There are 10 areas of the proposed template

Name
Purpose
Membership and Dues
Governing Body - Executive Committee
Committees and Working Groups
Meetings
Nominations and Elections
Finances
Parliamentary Authority
Amendments and Review of Bylaws

Name is perhaps the least descriptive. It covers not only the name and a direct mention of the round table's relation to ALA. It also covers approved acronyms, and a more detailed explanation of the connections with ALA, council, role of staff liaison, etc.

Much of what is covered in some current bylaws will be moved to handbooks to keep the bylaws streamlined and in accordance with the template.

The first meeting's slide deck

The Bylaws Template

------------------------------
Liam Whalen
Systems Librarian
Newfoundland & Labrador Public Libraries
------------------------------

Stats for projected changes at $15 and $20 for Individual Type 1 and $0 and $5 dues for Student Memberships have been published to a Google Doc:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z4IDc1YszApNMvIUYPdFs0Pjhsa3e8gs/edit

Stats for the other two membership categories are included as well.

Along with Staff Organizations Round Table (SORT), Sustainability Round Table (SUSTAINRT), and Library Support Staff Interests Round Table (LSSIRT) GAMERT is projected to lose membership at $15  (46).  At the $15 standard dues fee GAMERT is an outlier along with a few other RTs. Looking at RT membership as a whole at the $15 rate this is a 1% drop in members and a 3% drop in revenue from a current membership of around 17, 000 RT members (I am not sure if this represents unique members or the total number of members in all RTs.)

The gains of standardizing to $15 for admin purposes seem to warrant the minor changes to the RT membership and revenue as a whole at the $15 fee.

The changes become larger at $20 with an 8% drop in membership.

Should I stand by GAMERTs need for a $10 fee or vote for a standardized fee? The views above are strictly my own and represent my tendency to try and work towards compromise. If losing any members is unacceptable please let me know either here or privately. One option GAMERT might consider is some sort of dues grant for those who cannot afford an increase. This would have to be limited to a set number of memberships and an application process put in place, which could be as anonymous as possible. Perhaps the grant could be kind of like a blind peer review with ALA forwarding the applications and matching successful grants to  the applicants after the fact.


------------------------------
Liam Whalen
Systems Librarian
Newfoundland & Labrador Public Libraries
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Apr 18, 2022 05:04 PM
From: Liam Whalen
Subject: Bylaws and RT Dues

Here's some notes about the first RTCA STF Bylaws meeting.

The proposed membership categories are:

Individual Type1

1st Year Regular

2nd Year Regular

3rd Year Regular

Individual Type 2

Earning < $30,000

Support Staff

Retired

International

Supporter

Associate

Friends

Trustee

Student

The current discussion for RT dues are for Individual Type 1 and Student membership categories.

Free Student RT dues were discussed with some vigor near the end of the dues conversation.

Here were the results of voting for both the Individual Type 1 RT dues and the Student RT dues:

Individual Type 1 Projected Changes

Moving from $10 to $15 GAMERT is projected to lose 10% of its membership and increase revenue by 35%.

Moving from $10 to $20 GAMERT is projected to lose 20% of its membership and increase its revenue by 60%.

Some of the revenue gains will be shared with ALA.

Student Membership Projected Changes

$5 and $10 were projected.

Moving form $10 to $5 GAMERT is projected to gain 10% membership and lose 45% revenue.

$10 is the current rate.

The bylaws template will ensure similarities between RTs, so members can more easily determine the RTs they are interested in.

There are 10 areas of the proposed template

Name
Purpose
Membership and Dues
Governing Body - Executive Committee
Committees and Working Groups
Meetings
Nominations and Elections
Finances
Parliamentary Authority
Amendments and Review of Bylaws

Name is perhaps the least descriptive. It covers not only the name and a direct mention of the round table's relation to ALA. It also covers approved acronyms, and a more detailed explanation of the connections with ALA, council, role of staff liaison, etc.

Much of what is covered in some current bylaws will be moved to handbooks to keep the bylaws streamlined and in accordance with the template.

The first meeting's slide deck

The Bylaws Template

------------------------------
Liam Whalen
Systems Librarian
Newfoundland & Labrador Public Libraries
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 4/20/2022 10:52:00 AM
From: Liam Whalen
Subject: RE: Bylaws and RT Dues

Stats for projected changes at $15 and $20 for Individual Type 1 and $0 and $5 dues for Student Memberships have been published to a Google Doc:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z4IDc1YszApNMvIUYPdFs0Pjhsa3e8gs/edit

Stats for the other two membership categories are included as well.

Along with Staff Organizations Round Table (SORT), Sustainability Round Table (SUSTAINRT), and Library Support Staff Interests Round Table (LSSIRT) GAMERT is projected to lose membership at $15  (46).  At the $15 standard dues fee GAMERT is an outlier along with a few other RTs. Looking at RT membership as a whole at the $15 rate this is a 1% drop in members and a 3% drop in revenue from a current membership of around 17, 000 RT members (I am not sure if this represents unique members or the total number of members in all RTs.)

The gains of standardizing to $15 for admin purposes seem to warrant the minor changes to the RT membership and revenue as a whole at the $15 fee.

The changes become larger at $20 with an 8% drop in membership.

Should I stand by GAMERTs need for a $10 fee or vote for a standardized fee? The views above are strictly my own and represent my tendency to try and work towards compromise. If losing any members is unacceptable please let me know either here or privately. One option GAMERT might consider is some sort of dues grant for those who cannot afford an increase. This would have to be limited to a set number of memberships and an application process put in place, which could be as anonymous as possible. Perhaps the grant could be kind of like a blind peer review with ALA forwarding the applications and matching successful grants to  the applicants after the fact.


------------------------------
Liam Whalen
Systems Librarian
Newfoundland & Labrador Public Libraries
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Apr 18, 2022 05:04 PM
From: Liam Whalen
Subject: Bylaws and RT Dues

Here's some notes about the first RTCA STF Bylaws meeting.

The proposed membership categories are:

Individual Type1

1st Year Regular

2nd Year Regular

3rd Year Regular

Individual Type 2

Earning < $30,000

Support Staff

Retired

International

Supporter

Associate

Friends

Trustee

Student

The current discussion for RT dues are for Individual Type 1 and Student membership categories.

Free Student RT dues were discussed with some vigor near the end of the dues conversation.

Here were the results of voting for both the Individual Type 1 RT dues and the Student RT dues:

Individual Type 1 Projected Changes

Moving from $10 to $15 GAMERT is projected to lose 10% of its membership and increase revenue by 35%.

Moving from $10 to $20 GAMERT is projected to lose 20% of its membership and increase its revenue by 60%.

Some of the revenue gains will be shared with ALA.

Student Membership Projected Changes

$5 and $10 were projected.

Moving form $10 to $5 GAMERT is projected to gain 10% membership and lose 45% revenue.

$10 is the current rate.

The bylaws template will ensure similarities between RTs, so members can more easily determine the RTs they are interested in.

There are 10 areas of the proposed template

Name
Purpose
Membership and Dues
Governing Body - Executive Committee
Committees and Working Groups
Meetings
Nominations and Elections
Finances
Parliamentary Authority
Amendments and Review of Bylaws

Name is perhaps the least descriptive. It covers not only the name and a direct mention of the round table's relation to ALA. It also covers approved acronyms, and a more detailed explanation of the connections with ALA, council, role of staff liaison, etc.

Much of what is covered in some current bylaws will be moved to handbooks to keep the bylaws streamlined and in accordance with the template.

The first meeting's slide deck

The Bylaws Template

------------------------------
Liam Whalen
Systems Librarian
Newfoundland & Labrador Public Libraries
------------------------------

Yes, it is on May 5th.

------------------------------
Liam Whalen
Systems Librarian
Newfoundland & Labrador Public Libraries
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Apr 25, 2022 06:17 PM
From: Rebecca Strang
Subject: Bylaws and RT Dues

When is the next task force meeting? Is it before the next GameRT board meeting on 5/12?

Rebecca Strang (she/her)

Children's Services Librarian

Naperville Public Library

630-637-4984 | www.naperville-lib.org

Original Message:
Sent: 4/20/2022 10:52:00 AM
From: Liam Whalen
Subject: RE: Bylaws and RT Dues

Stats for projected changes at $15 and $20 for Individual Type 1 and $0 and $5 dues for Student Memberships have been published to a Google Doc:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z4IDc1YszApNMvIUYPdFs0Pjhsa3e8gs/edit

Stats for the other two membership categories are included as well.

Along with Staff Organizations Round Table (SORT), Sustainability Round Table (SUSTAINRT), and Library Support Staff Interests Round Table (LSSIRT) GAMERT is projected to lose membership at $15  (46).  At the $15 standard dues fee GAMERT is an outlier along with a few other RTs. Looking at RT membership as a whole at the $15 rate this is a 1% drop in members and a 3% drop in revenue from a current membership of around 17, 000 RT members (I am not sure if this represents unique members or the total number of members in all RTs.)

The gains of standardizing to $15 for admin purposes seem to warrant the minor changes to the RT membership and revenue as a whole at the $15 fee.

The changes become larger at $20 with an 8% drop in membership.

Should I stand by GAMERTs need for a $10 fee or vote for a standardized fee? The views above are strictly my own and represent my tendency to try and work towards compromise. If losing any members is unacceptable please let me know either here or privately. One option GAMERT might consider is some sort of dues grant for those who cannot afford an increase. This would have to be limited to a set number of memberships and an application process put in place, which could be as anonymous as possible. Perhaps the grant could be kind of like a blind peer review with ALA forwarding the applications and matching successful grants to  the applicants after the fact.


------------------------------
Liam Whalen
Systems Librarian
Newfoundland & Labrador Public Libraries

Original Message:
Sent: Apr 18, 2022 05:04 PM
From: Liam Whalen
Subject: Bylaws and RT Dues

Here's some notes about the first RTCA STF Bylaws meeting.

The proposed membership categories are:

Individual Type1

1st Year Regular

2nd Year Regular

3rd Year Regular

Individual Type 2

Earning < $30,000

Support Staff

Retired

International

Supporter

Associate

Friends

Trustee

Student

The current discussion for RT dues are for Individual Type 1 and Student membership categories.

Free Student RT dues were discussed with some vigor near the end of the dues conversation.

Here were the results of voting for both the Individual Type 1 RT dues and the Student RT dues:

Individual Type 1 Projected Changes

Moving from $10 to $15 GAMERT is projected to lose 10% of its membership and increase revenue by 35%.

Moving from $10 to $20 GAMERT is projected to lose 20% of its membership and increase its revenue by 60%.

Some of the revenue gains will be shared with ALA.

Student Membership Projected Changes

$5 and $10 were projected.

Moving form $10 to $5 GAMERT is projected to gain 10% membership and lose 45% revenue.

$10 is the current rate.

The bylaws template will ensure similarities between RTs, so members can more easily determine the RTs they are interested in.

There are 10 areas of the proposed template

Name
Purpose
Membership and Dues
Governing Body - Executive Committee
Committees and Working Groups
Meetings
Nominations and Elections
Finances
Parliamentary Authority
Amendments and Review of Bylaws

Name is perhaps the least descriptive. It covers not only the name and a direct mention of the round table's relation to ALA. It also covers approved acronyms, and a more detailed explanation of the connections with ALA, council, role of staff liaison, etc.

Much of what is covered in some current bylaws will be moved to handbooks to keep the bylaws streamlined and in accordance with the template.

The first meeting's slide deck

The Bylaws Template

------------------------------
Liam Whalen
Systems Librarian
Newfoundland & Labrador Public Libraries
------------------------------