Throughout the course of Executive Board meetings and conference calls, the Board makes decisions and votes on various issues. These decisions and votes are referred to as “actions.”

The Executive Board actions from the 2009 ALA Midwinter Meeting are now available online as a pdf.

The next 36 to 48 hours is critical to get millions, maybe billions, of dollars for libraries in the stimulus package. We need every single library supporter to start sending messages and calling congressional offices so that we can keep important library provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). As you all know, libraries are a key source of free Internet access to look for jobs and so much more. Our libraries provide essential services that stimulate our local economies, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides crucial funding for libraries to continue and build upon them. This week, the Senate and House versions of the economic stimulus package will go to conference to reconcile these pieces of legislation, and your calls and e-mails will help protect this funding....

Read more, including what you can do to help, at the District Dispatch

What with the ALA elections being held entirely online voters will need to make sure their ALA email is getting through filters. More information and an idea of what types of communications you can expect to get is available here and you can find information on the election, the candidates, and keep up to date on the latest news here...

The 2010–2011 candidates for ALA President—Kenton L. Oliver and Roberta Stevens—have launched websites that describe their platforms and qualifications. Oliver is the executive director of the Stark County (Ohio) District Library, and Stevens is outreach projects and partnerships officer at the Library of Congress and project manager for the National Book Festival....

(cross posted to the ALA Student Member Blog)

Joint student members are members of ALA and one of 16 state chapters: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. Beginning Sept 1, 2008, these joint memberships are $35.00.

In addition, ALA has joint library support staff memberships with Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and New York. From September 1, 2008, to August 31, 2009, the joint support staff price will be $61.00; after September 1, 2009, it will be $65.00.

For more information, and to apply for joint membership, please find, print out, and fill out your appropriate application (PDF) at

http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/cro/chapters/jointmembership/jointmembership.cfm

Applications may be mailed (address is on form) or faxed to (312) 280-4392. At this time it is not possible to apply online for joint membership.