ALA Surveys Council on Travel

Staff -- Library Journal, 1/15/2001

Is it financially burdensome for American Library Association (ALA) Council members to attend ALA's annual conferences and Midwinter Meetings? A survey by ALA's Office of Research and Statistics (ORS) has begun to plumb that question. ORS Director Mary Jo Lynch reported that the 119 current members of Council who served in 2000 were invited to respond; 81 completed questionnaires. Of that group, 84 percent received help from some source -- mostly employers but also state chapters-to attend both meetings. The amount received in most cases was less than $1000 from any one source, and some received money from more than one source. However, respondents cautioned that Council membership is not necessarily the reason some people get travel subsidies. They also noted that travel subsidies are only part of the problem, as some people are given release time to attend ALA meetings while others must use vacation time.