Judy Nelson submitted written questions to Rod Hersberger. Here are his responses:
1. Please tell us a few ways in which you think division contributions are integral to the success of ALA financially.
a. Divisions pay overhead (indirect costs) on certain activities and programs.
b. Division publishing activities support ALA.
c. Division staff are also ALA staff and contribute to other ALA programs, but the division pays the salaries.
2. At times, it is hard to plan our programs and initiatives, as we are dependant on information from other departments within ALA. How would you help facilitate reporting and communication between departments such as PIO or Publishing and the divisions they work with?
a. The first approach, naturally, is for your Executive Director to try to obtain more timely information. If these kinds of issues cannot be handled within the ALA organizational structure, there may be serious, underlying problems that need to be escalated up the chain of command.
b. For financial difficulties, you can ask your BARC liaison and the ALA accounting staff for assistance.
c. As Treasurer, I would want to be sure other avenues have been exhausted before trying to intervene. I would take only the most serious of problems to the ALA Executive Director.
3. What are some ways that ALA can reach outside of the library community to bring new revenues and initiatives to our organization and to divisions?
a. I would look for partnerships with vendors of youth life style products such as sports gear and apparel, skate boarding apparel and so forth.
b. Also, I think all the various makers of video games have a responsibility to youth to promote literacy, reading and learning, since their products compete with reading.
Don’t forget to vote! Polls open March 15th. For more information go to the ALA 2007 Election page.
-Beth Yoke
