NCSLA President,
Eliza Robertson

Letter from the President,
October 2005

So much has been happening in SLA land recently! Topping the list are the announcement of the SLA Scholarship competitions for students; the important online vote you can make for the dues restructuring BY FRIDAY, OCT. 7; and the always excellent SARC III conference that just ended in Williamsburg.

Students, for the latest news on the SLA 2005-2006 Scholarship Program, please see the SLA Website at http://www.sla.org/content/learn/scholarship/index.cfm. The deadline for applications is Oct. 31, 2005.  We've had many winners of these scholarships in our North Carolina schools of library and information science - maybe you'll be next!

My brief and unofficial synthesis of the dues restructuring is this: 

 The SLA board proposes a dues restructuring to bring our finances in line with our needs.  Over 20 years, our dues increases haven't even kept up with inflation. Additionally, membership is requesting upgrade of the Website and Click University, and the creation of services for our expanding international membership, such as a worldwide salary survey and international promotion of the organization. Bottom line, for members making over $35,000, the membership fee would rise to $160, and for those under $35K it would fall to $99. Casting our votes electronically will allow us to change the section of the bylaws that currently holds us to another fee structure. 

  On the technical side of this e-voting, there seems to be a problem with some e-mails sent by headquarters to each member for whom an e-mail address was on record. Some members' messages were trapped in their spam filters. The message contains your SLA PIN number, which you need to access the ballot. If you have not received the message, or if you don't know your PIN number, telephone the Bylaws Information Center Hotline at (703) 647-4950, or e-mail bylaws@sla.org.

  You can vote at http://www.sla.org/evote2005 and can find a lot more information and background by looking at the links on the SLA home page, especially under the Headlines sidebar.

  I've long since cast my vote in favor of this measure and encourage you to join me. Not only will it enable SLA to grow on our behalf, but it will also encourage membership growth among entry level specialized librarians and information specialists by charging a lower membership rate than we currently offer.

Take care,
Eliza