RMRT (Retired Members Round Table)

What follows is a short summary of the ALA Planning and Budget Assembly: AC 2020 Virtual PBA/BARC/Division Leadership meeting, held on Friday, June 19. I was invited as the treasurer for RMRT. I'm keeping the summary short and hitting only the high points as I see them. Much more information can be found in various ALA documents available on the website.

1. The last accurate budget statements are dated January 30, 2020 because ALA outsourced its budget operations to India. Normally, this move would have worked well; but COVID 19 intervened and negatively affected the Indian firm. Efforts are underway to get more recent financial information.
2. President-Elect Julius Jefferson plans a virtual tour of eleven different library organizations as part of his presidential initiative. The stops are intended to reflect the diversity of the membership and various types of libraries.
3. Maggie Farrell, ALA Treasurer, and Peter Hepburn, BARC, outlined the current ALA financial situation and presented a very preliminary FY2021 budget. Current projections, hampered by the lack of accurate recent financial data, project an increased deficit for FY2020. The focus, however, was on budgeting for FY2021. Revenue is declining in all three major areas: membership, conferences, and publishing. Reasons include: cancellation of the ALA annual conference, the outdated operating agreement, increased operation costs from COVID-19, unanticipated spending for the headquarters move, and ongoing IT equipment depreciation. With multiple concrete steps planned for Summer 2020, ALA leadership is looking at multiple strategies to increase revenue, reduce expenses, and update financial data. The focus will continue to be to provide members with quality services and support. The very preliminary FY2021 budget requires an additional $5 million to balance a budget of just over $40 million. To do so, ALA staff will have 23 furlough days ($250,000). Two federal "loans" will provide $2.7 million. The ALA line of credit will be increased by $600,000, and $1.5 million will be borrowed from the budget. My personal concern is that, except for the furlough days, all the other strategies increase future obligations unless the government forgives the loans.
4. Revision of the current Operating Agreement (OA) was the final topic. In the simplest terms, the OA defines how much ALA sub-units pay for the indirect services they receive from central ALA according to a set of complex rules. The current agreement is 30 years old and is judged to require revision. A committee is being appointed to complete this task. The round tables will have representation. Currently, RMRT does not pay this overhead but is instead assessed 10% of its dues. Divisions are subject to the rules of OA but don't pay a percentage of their dues. The new OA will probably make the round tables, including RMRT, subject to the same rules as the divisions. While I make this projection with great hesitation, RMRT appears to me to have fewer activities that will be subject to OA contributions than some other round tables. RMRT officers will need to actively watch developments and provide input as needed.

What follows is a short summary of the ALA Planning and Budget Assembly: AC 2020 Virtual PBA/BARC/Division Leadership meeting, held on Friday, June 19. I was invited as the treasurer for RMRT. I'm keeping the summary short and hitting only the high points as I see them. Much more information can be found in various ALA documents available on the website.

1. The last accurate budget statements are dated January 30, 2020 because ALA outsourced its budget operations to India. Normally, this move would have worked well; but COVID 19 intervened and negatively affected the Indian firm. Efforts are underway to get more recent financial information.
2. President-Elect Julius Jefferson plans a virtual tour of eleven different library organizations as part of his presidential initiative. The stops are intended to reflect the diversity of the membership and various types of libraries.
3. Maggie Farrell, ALA Treasurer, and Peter Hepburn, BARC, outlined the current ALA financial situation and presented a very preliminary FY2021 budget. Current projections, hampered by the lack of accurate recent financial data, project an increased deficit for FY2020. The focus, however, was on budgeting for FY2021. Revenue is declining in all three major areas: membership, conferences, and publishing. Reasons include: cancellation of the ALA annual conference, the outdated operating agreement, increased operation costs from COVID-19, unanticipated spending for the headquarters move, and ongoing IT equipment depreciation. With multiple concrete steps planned for Summer 2020, ALA leadership is looking at multiple strategies to increase revenue, reduce expenses, and update financial data. The focus will continue to be to provide members with quality services and support. The very preliminary FY2021 budget requires an additional $5 million to balance a budget of just over $40 million. To do so, ALA staff will have 23 furlough days ($250,000). Two federal "loans" will provide $2.7 million. The ALA line of credit will be increased by $600,000, and $1.5 million will be borrowed from the budget. My personal concern is that, except for the furlough days, all the other strategies increase future obligations unless the government forgives the loans.
4. Revision of the current Operating Agreement (OA) was the final topic. In the simplest terms, the OA defines how much ALA sub-units pay for the indirect services they receive from central ALA according to a set of complex rules. The current agreement is 30 years old and is judged to require revision. A committee is being appointed to complete this task. The round tables will have representation. Currently, RMRT does not pay this overhead but is instead assessed 10% of its dues. Divisions are subject to the rules of OA but don't pay a percentage of their dues. The new OA will probably make the round tables, including RMRT, subject to the same rules as the divisions. While I make this projection with great hesitation, RMRT appears to me to have fewer activities that will be subject to OA contributions than some other round tables. RMRT officers will need to actively watch developments and provide input as needed.

What follows is a short summary of the ALA Planning and Budget Assembly: AC 2020 Virtual PBA/BARC/Division Leadership meeting, held on Friday, June 19. I was invited as the treasurer for RMRT. I'm keeping the summary short and hitting only the high points as I see them. Much more information can be found in various ALA documents available on the website.

1. The last accurate budget statements are dated January 30, 2020 because ALA outsourced its budget operations to India. Normally, this move would have worked well; but COVID 19 intervened and negatively affected the Indian firm. Efforts are underway to get more recent financial information.
2. President-Elect Julius Jefferson plans a virtual tour of eleven different library organizations as part of his presidential initiative. The stops are intended to reflect the diversity of the membership and various types of libraries.
3. Maggie Farrell, ALA Treasurer, and Peter Hepburn, BARC, outlined the current ALA financial situation and presented a very preliminary FY2021 budget. Current projections, hampered by the lack of accurate recent financial data, project an increased deficit for FY2020. The focus, however, was on budgeting for FY2021. Revenue is declining in all three major areas: membership, conferences, and publishing. Reasons include: cancellation of the ALA annual conference, the outdated operating agreement, increased operation costs from COVID-19, unanticipated spending for the headquarters move, and ongoing IT equipment depreciation. With multiple concrete steps planned for Summer 2020, ALA leadership is looking at multiple strategies to increase revenue, reduce expenses, and update financial data. The focus will continue to be to provide members with quality services and support. The very preliminary FY2021 budget requires an additional $5 million to balance a budget of just over $40 million. To do so, ALA staff will have 23 furlough days ($250,000). Two federal "loans" will provide $2.7 million. The ALA line of credit will be increased by $600,000, and $1.5 million will be borrowed from the endowment. My personal concern is that, except for the furlough days, all the other strategies increase future obligations unless the government forgives the loans.
4. Revision of the current Operating Agreement (OA) was the final topic. In the simplest terms, the OA defines how much ALA sub-units pay for the indirect services they receive from central ALA according to a set of complex rules. The current agreement is 30 years old and is judged to require revision. A committee is being appointed to complete this task. The round tables will have representation. Currently, RMRT does not pay this overhead but is instead assessed 10% of its dues. Divisions are subject to the rules of OA but don't pay a percentage of their dues. The new OA will probably make the round tables, including RMRT, subject to the same rules as the divisions. While I make this projection with great hesitation, RMRT appears to me to have fewer activities that will be subject to OA contributions than some other round tables. RMRT officers will need to actively watch developments and provide input as needed.

What follows is a short summary of the ALA Planning and Budget Assembly: AC 2020 Virtual PBA/BARC/Division Leadership meeting, held on Friday, June 19. I was invited as the treasurer for RMRT. I'm keeping the summary short and hitting only the high points as I see them. Much more information can be found in various ALA documents available on the website.

1. The last accurate budget statements are dated January 30, 2020 because ALA outsourced its budget operations to India. Normally, this move would have worked well; but COVID 19 intervened and negatively affected the Indian firm. Efforts are underway to get more recent financial information.
2. President-Elect Julius Jefferson plans a virtual tour of eleven different library organizations as part of his presidential initiative. The stops are intended to reflect the diversity of the membership and various types of libraries.
3. Maggie Farrell, ALA Treasurer, and Peter Hepburn, BARC, outlined the current ALA financial situation and presented a very preliminary FY2021 budget. Current projections, hampered by the lack of accurate recent financial data, project an increased deficit for FY2020. The focus, however, was on budgeting for FY2021. Revenue is declining in all three major areas: membership, conferences, and publishing. Reasons include: cancellation of the ALA annual conference, the outdated operating agreement, increased operation costs from COVID-19, unanticipated spending for the headquarters move, and ongoing IT equipment depreciation. With multiple concrete steps planned for Summer 2020, ALA leadership is looking at multiple strategies to increase revenue, reduce expenses, and update financial data. The focus will continue to be to provide members with quality services and support. The very preliminary FY2021 budget requires an additional $5 million to balance a budget of just over $40 million. To do so, ALA staff will have 23 furlough days ($250,000). Two federal "loans" will provide $2.7 million. The ALA line of credit will be increased by $600,000, and $1.5 million will be borrowed from the endowment. My personal concern is that, except for the furlough days, all the other strategies increase future obligations unless the government forgives the loans.
4. Revision of the current Operating Agreement (OA) was the final topic. In the simplest terms, the OA defines how much ALA sub-units pay for the indirect services they receive from central ALA according to a set of complex rules. The current agreement is 30 years old and is judged to require revision. A committee is being appointed to complete this task. The round tables will have representation. Currently, RMRT does not pay this overhead but is instead assessed 10% of its dues. Divisions are subject to the rules of OA but don't pay a percentage of their dues. The new OA will probably make the round tables, including RMRT, subject to the same rules as the divisions. While I make this projection with great hesitation, RMRT appears to me to have fewer activities that will be subject to OA contributions than some other round tables. RMRT officers will need to actively watch developments and provide input as needed.

What follows is a short summary of the ALA Planning and Budget Assembly: AC 2020 Virtual PBA/BARC/Division Leadership meeting, held on Friday, June 19. I was invited as the treasurer for RMRT. I'm keeping the summary short and hitting only the high points as I see them. Much more information can be found in various ALA documents available on the website.

1. The last accurate budget statements are dated January 30, 2020 because ALA outsourced its budget operations to India. Normally, this move would have worked well; but COVID 19 intervened and negatively affected the Indian firm. Efforts are underway to get more recent financial information.
2. President-Elect Julius Jefferson plans a virtual tour of eleven different library organizations as part of his presidential initiative. The stops are intended to reflect the diversity of the membership and various types of libraries.
3. Maggie Farrell, ALA Treasurer, and Peter Hepburn, BARC, outlined the current ALA financial situation and presented a very preliminary FY2021 budget. Current projections, hampered by the lack of accurate recent financial data, project an increased deficit for FY2020. The focus, however, was on budgeting for FY2021. Revenue is declining in all three major areas: membership, conferences, and publishing. Reasons include: cancellation of the ALA annual conference, the outdated operating agreement, increased operation costs from COVID-19, unanticipated spending for the headquarters move, and ongoing IT equipment depreciation. With multiple concrete steps planned for Summer 2020, ALA leadership is looking at multiple strategies to increase revenue, reduce expenses, and update financial data. The focus will continue to be to provide members with quality services and support. The very preliminary FY2021 budget requires an additional $5 million to balance a budget of just over $40 million. To do so, ALA staff will have 23 furlough days ($250,000). Two federal "loans" will provide $2.7 million. The ALA line of credit will be increased by $600,000, and $1.5 million will be borrowed from the endowment. My personal concern is that, except for the furlough days, all the other strategies increase future obligations unless the government forgives the loans.
4. Revision of the current Operating Agreement (OA) was the final topic. In the simplest terms, the OA defines how much ALA sub-units pay for the indirect services they receive from central ALA according to a set of complex rules. The current agreement is 30 years old and is judged to require revision. A committee is being appointed to complete this task. The round tables will have representation. Currently, RMRT does not pay this overhead but is instead assessed 10% of its dues. Divisions are subject to the rules of OA but don't pay a percentage of their dues. The new OA will probably make the round tables, including RMRT, subject to the same rules as the divisions. While I make this projection with great hesitation, RMRT appears to me to have fewer activities that will be subject to OA contributions than some other round tables. RMRT officers will need to actively watch developments and provide input as needed.

What follows is a short summary of the ALA Planning and Budget Assembly: AC 2020 Virtual PBA/BARC/Division Leadership meeting, held on Friday, June 19. I was invited as the treasurer for RMRT. I'm keeping the summary short and hitting only the high points as I see them. Much more information can be found in various ALA documents available on the website.

1. The last accurate budget statements are dated January 30, 2020 because ALA outsourced its budget operations to India. Normally, this move would have worked well; but COVID 19 intervened and negatively affected the Indian firm. Efforts are underway to get more recent financial information.
2. President-Elect Julius Jefferson plans a virtual tour of eleven different library organizations as part of his presidential initiative. The stops are intended to reflect the diversity of the membership and various types of libraries.
3. Maggie Farrell, ALA Treasurer, and Peter Hepburn, BARC, outlined the current ALA financial situation and presented a very preliminary FY2021 budget. Current projections, hampered by the lack of accurate recent financial data, project an increased deficit for FY2020. The focus, however, was on budgeting for FY2021. Revenue is declining in all three major areas: membership, conferences, and publishing. Reasons include: cancellation of the ALA annual conference, the outdated operating agreement, increased operation costs from COVID-19, unanticipated spending for the headquarters move, and ongoing IT equipment depreciation. With multiple concrete steps planned for Summer 2020, ALA leadership is looking at multiple strategies to increase revenue, reduce expenses, and update financial data. The focus will continue to be to provide members with quality services and support. The very preliminary FY2021 budget requires an additional $5 million to balance a budget of just over $40 million. To do so, ALA staff will have 23 furlough days ($250,000). Two federal "loans" will provide $2.7 million. The ALA line of credit will be increased by $600,000, and $1.5 million will be borrowed from the endowment. My personal concern is that, except for the furlough days, all the other strategies increase future obligations unless the government forgives the loans.
4. Revision of the current Operating Agreement (OA) was the final topic. In the simplest terms, the OA defines how much ALA sub-units pay for the indirect services they receive from central ALA according to a set of complex rules. The current agreement is 30 years old and is judged to require revision. A committee is being appointed to complete this task. The round tables will have representation. Currently, RMRT does not pay this overhead but is instead assessed 10% of its dues. Divisions are subject to the rules of OA but don't pay a percentage of their dues. The new OA will probably make the round tables, including RMRT, subject to the same rules as the divisions. While I make this projection with great hesitation, RMRT appears to me to have fewer activities that will be subject to OA contributions than some other round tables. RMRT officers will need to actively watch developments and provide input as needed.

What follows is a short summary of the ALA Planning and Budget Assembly: AC 2020 Virtual PBA/BARC/Division Leadership meeting, held on Friday, June 19. I was invited as the treasurer for RMRT. I'm keeping the summary short and hitting only the high points as I see them. Much more information can be found in various ALA documents available on the website.

1. The last accurate budget statements are dated January 30, 2020 because ALA outsourced its budget operations to India. Normally, this move would have worked well; but COVID 19 intervened and negatively affected the Indian firm. Efforts are underway to get more recent financial information.
2. President-Elect Julius Jefferson plans a virtual tour of eleven different library organizations as part of his presidential initiative. The stops are intended to reflect the diversity of the membership and various types of libraries.
3. Maggie Farrell, ALA Treasurer, and Peter Hepburn, BARC, outlined the current ALA financial situation and presented a very preliminary FY2021 budget. Current projections, hampered by the lack of accurate recent financial data, project an increased deficit for FY2020. The focus, however, was on budgeting for FY2021. Revenue is declining in all three major areas: membership, conferences, and publishing. Reasons include: cancellation of the ALA annual conference, the outdated operating agreement, increased operation costs from COVID-19, unanticipated spending for the headquarters move, and ongoing IT equipment depreciation. With multiple concrete steps planned for Summer 2020, ALA leadership is looking at multiple strategies to increase revenue, reduce expenses, and update financial data. The focus will continue to be to provide members with quality services and support. The very preliminary FY2021 budget requires an additional $5 million to balance a budget of just over $40 million. To do so, ALA staff will have 23 furlough days ($250,000). Two federal "loans" will provide $2.7 million. The ALA line of credit will be increased by $600,000, and $1.5 million will be borrowed from the endowment. My personal concern is that, except for the furlough days, all the other strategies increase future obligations unless the government forgives the loans.
4. Revision of the current Operating Agreement (OA) was the final topic. In the simplest terms, the OA defines how much ALA sub-units pay for the indirect services they receive from central ALA according to a set of complex rules. The current agreement is 30 years old and is judged to require revision. A committee is being appointed to complete this task. The round tables will have representation. Currently, RMRT does not pay this overhead but is instead assessed 10% of its dues. Divisions are subject to the rules of OA but don't pay a percentage of their dues. The new OA will probably make the round tables, including RMRT, subject to the same rules as the divisions. While I make this projection with great hesitation, RMRT appears to me to have fewer activities that will be subject to OA contributions than some other round tables. RMRT officers will need to actively watch developments and provide input as needed.