August 27, 2008
Dear ALTA Members,
In early September you will be receiving a special ballot about significant changes in our bylaws. As you have probably read in our spring and summer issues of The Voice, the ALTA Board made the decision this year to investigate the possibility of expanding our division to include Friends of libraries. Working with Friends of Libraries U.S.A. (FOLUSA), we set up a special task force to decide if this would be beneficial to ALTA and, most importantly, to America’s libraries.
It soon became clear to the task force that this partnership has tremendous potential for the growth of our division and for extending our reach to those who govern and those who raise money for libraries across the country. Together we are convinced that Trustees and Friends can make powerful advocates helping to ensure that libraries everywhere get the support they need.
Beyond advocacy, however, we know that Trustees and Friends play very different roles for their libraries. Trustees not only govern libraries but they have important fiduciary responsibilities. Friends, on the other hand, do not have such concerns. They do, however, raise thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for their libraries which helps make them stronger. While their roles are different, the fact that both groups are comprised of citizens who care about and support their libraries makes them natural allies.
We invite you to review the documents below that provide background on this new division, proposed membership and board structure, and the final proposed bylaws. If you have any questions, please email alta@ala.org or call (800) 936-5872 and ask to speak with Sally Gardner Reed, FOLUSA executive director and ALTA acting director.
We hope that you will join us and the entire Board of Directors in supporting this wonderful opportunity to grow our organization and increase citizen support for
Sincerely,
Peggy Danhof, President
Don Roalkvam, Immediate Past-President