GAMERT (Gaming) Round Table

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The mission of the Games and Gaming Round Table is to provide the following:
  • A forum for the exchange of ideas and concerns surrounding games in libraries;
  • Resources to the library community to support the building and maintaining of library game collections;
  • A force for initiating and supporting game programming in libraries;
  • Create an awareness of, and need for, the support of the value of gaming and play in libraries, schools, and related learning communities.
  • Create an awareness of the value of games and gaming in library outreach and community engagement plans.
  • A professional and social forum for networking among librarians and non-librarians interested in games and gaming.

  • 1.  Financial Town Hall

    Posted Jul 12, 2024 01:00 PM
    Edited by Thomas Vose Jul 12, 2024 01:01 PM

    Hello, everyone - Several of us just attended the Financial Town Hall ALA held, and I wanted to give a brief summary of the main takeaways.  If I'm off on any of these, someone please correct me:

    • The main one - We do not have any savings.  The reports we have been receiving do not represent an actual balance of funds we can access - that money was absorbed into ALA long ago -  it's just a reflection of how well we have done over the years in keeping to budgets.  The $20,000 we thought we had never really existed, according to ALA - "One ALA, one checkbook."
    • New "sub-endowments" will be created going forward that will enable us to retain 25% of our net surplus each year - the remaining 75% will be clawed back to ALA's main fund.  There will be no penalty for not having a net surplus at the end of the year.
      • Donations can be earmarked for this endowment so we can retain them. 
      • Fundraisers must be earmarked for these as well, or else the money will just get swept into ALA as a unit.

    It's a lot, and people (including me) were pretty pissed off.  Budgeting, and using that budget to the fullest, will be all the more important in the years ahead.

    We'll post additional information as it comes to us.



    ------------------------------
    Thomas Vose
    Director
    Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County
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  • 2.  RE: Financial Town Hall

    Posted Jul 13, 2024 09:23 AM
    Hello everyone,

    Sorry that I wasn't at the last board meeting. I've been on the road for a couple of weeks until yesterday. I must admit that this news from the Financial Town Hall is shocking. Is this something we should've already known? 

    Best,

    LeeAnn McNabb
    Committee Chair, Game On! Grant Committee






  • 3.  RE: Financial Town Hall

    Posted Jul 13, 2024 11:58 AM
    Hi all, it's understandable that this new view of ALA assets can be hard to take in. To quote a Board colleague summarizing the Treasurer's presentation, "The surprise for most was that Net Asset Balance (NAB) does not equate to cash.  The CFO explained that it doesn't exist in the accounting world.  Only Roundtables with an endowment in place have savings." This has been a misunderstanding that has existed for decades, to be honest. The reexamination of how  ALA assets are explained to round tables, divisions, and similar units first began just prior to Covid, when ALA was facing a significant financial crisis that required significant effort to stay afloat. (Covid-related financial stress would make this crisis look smaller by comparison.) This repositioning also arose in the context of new leadership in the association - staff as well as member leaders.

    An FAQ is forthcoming which will address the excellent questions raised in the Town Hall.

    I believe I am continuing as your Executive Board liaison for 2024-2025. I had a conflict (another ALA meeting) for the July 11 GameRT Board meeting, but I will attend as many as possible this year. Fingers crossed �� that the ALA meeting I have just prior to the August 8 GameRT Board meeting ends on or close to time.

    Karen G. Schneider
    ALA Executive Board, 2019-2022, 2023-2025



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Financial Town Hall

    Posted Jul 13, 2024 12:08 PM
    Hello Karen,

    Thank you for your response and explanation. Since I'm not on the GameRT board, they may have known and I just did not.

    Best,

    LeeAnn



    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Financial Town Hall

    Posted Jul 13, 2024 08:08 PM
    Hi LeeAnn,

    No, this is not something that the board knew. This is something we all learned on Friday during this meeting. 

    Best,
    Molly Porter, MA, MLIS, CARST
    Adult Services Librarian,
    West Feliciana Parish Library
    (225) 245-3752
    (she/her/hers)


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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Financial Town Hall

    Posted Jul 13, 2024 09:29 PM
    Edited by Rebecca Strang Jul 13, 2024 09:35 PM

    At the RTCA meeting at ALA Annual 2023 we specifically discussed "nest eggs" that certain round tables had built up (largely as a result of not spending during the pandemic lockdown period), including GameRT, to make sure that we would be able to use those funds and no one said "hey, that's not actually money that you have access to, so don't plan on that" -- so yes, the information shared at the RTCA meeting at Annual this year and during the Financial Town Hall yesterday was "hard to take in" (which is putting it lightly). We've been making plans based on believing that we have a fund balance of $20,000+. The way ALA has handled this is pretty underhanded.



    ------------------------------
    Rebecca Strang (she/they)
    Children's Services Librarian
    Naperville Public Library

    President Emeritus, Games & Gaming Round Table (GameRT)
    Co-Chair, GameRT Program Planning Committee
    Chair, GameRT Game On! Grant Committee

    www.ToPlayIsHuman.com
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Financial Town Hall

    Posted Jul 14, 2024 05:52 PM
    Thank you for all the informative responses, everyone! I see I'm not the only one for whom this is new information.

    LeeAnn



    Original Message