FOLUSA Likely To Join ALA After 12-Month Agreement with ALTA

Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 9/14/2007

The American Library Association (ALA) and Friends of Libraries USA (FOLUSA) announced this week that "FOLUSA will provide executive management for the Association of Library Trustees and Advocates (ALTA) for a period of 12-months ending August 31, 2008, with the expectation that FOLUSA and ALTA will seek to combine into an expanded division of the ALA on August 31, 2008." In the interim period, ALA leaders, along with those of FOLUSA and ALTA, will discuss how that expanded division might work. Sally Reed, FOLUSA executive director, is providing administrative services for ALTA for now.

The news, which American Libraries Direct described as "ALTA and Friends of Libraries USA agree to merge," drew some consternation from the parties. "We carefully avoided the word 'merge' and we certainly did not indicate it was a done deal," Reed said in a message to board members, library marketers, and corporate sponsors.