The executive board of the Association of Library Trustees and Advocates (ALTA) agreed at the 2007 fall planning session to work with board members from Friends of Libraries U.S.A. (FOLUSA) to determine whether and how a partnership might benefit both groups and, most importantly, America’s libraries. ALTA is one of the American Library Association’s (ALA) oldest divisions with its inception in 1890. FOLUSA, a younger organization, began within ALA in 1979 and became an independent organization based in Philadelphia in 1984.
“This is a bold new step for ALTA,” said President Don Roalkvam. “Our association developed a sweeping new plan for the future last year and this potential opportunity meshes well with our vision to grow membership, create new partnerships, and strengthen our voice for advocacy.”
During the next year, members of both organizations’ boards will work together to design possible governance structures that embrace both the Trustee and the Friends sectors, determine a viable dues structure that encourages continued and growing membership, and find ways to engage corporate members to join them in advocacy.
“This is certainly an idea whose time has come,” said Emily Sheketoff, executive director of ALA’s Washington Office. Our most powerful advocates for libraries are those that support them and use them – in other words, Trustees, Friends, and the library’s corporate community.”
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As the planning continues, the boards of both organizations are committed to ensuring that the distinctive and important roles both groups play in the library community are preserved and that benefits to Trustees and Friends will continue to grow. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with ALTA as interim director,” said Sally G. Reed, executive director of FOLUSA. “I honestly believe that libraries are strengthened when Trustees, Friends and members of the library corporate community join forces to enhance and preserve our libraries.”
Immediate plans are underway to work with the Public Library Association, the Library Administration and Management Association, and the Association of College and Research Libraries with the goal of bringing all trustee boards and Friends groups into the new partnership.
FOLUSA is a national organization with approximately 3,500 Friends group, Trustee, Foundation and individual members representing hundreds of thousands of library supporters. For more than 25 years FOLUSA has offered training, support, and idea sharing for library supporters around the country.
