AkLA Handbook Section IV:5
Roundtables

Updated: Tuesday, 11-Nov-2008 12:13:28 MST

• RT Responsibilities
• RT Report
• Academic
• Adult Readers
• Alaska Association of School Librarians (AkASL)
• Alaska Native Issues
• Authors to Alaska
• Cataloging
• Collection Development (pending)
• Government Documents
• Public Libraries
• Special Libraries
• Back to the Handbook

Article VI, Section 4 describes the units of AkLA identified as roundtables for the AkLA members sharing a common interest in a type of library or a library service. Article VI, Section 7 says: "each … shall elect officers to assume office by March. Each shall assume responsibility for handling its own funds."

The roundtables of AkLA are incorporated through the statewide organization and have the same non-profit tax-exempt status. Because of this fact, and the legal implications of incorporation and tax-exemption, non-profit status, roundtables must coordinate closely with the Association on such things as size of trea­sury, legislative activity, etc. A roundtable does not file annual non-profit corporation forms unless it maintains its own 501(c) 3 status. Otherwise, these are filed by the AkLA Treasurer.

Membership dues to AkLA should be paid by members directly to the AkLA Treasurer, rather than paying both roundtable and AkLA dues to the roundtable treasurer and asking that person to send on the AkLA portion.

Roundtables do not pay dues to AkLA as part of their roundtable status.

A list of current roundtable members is available upon request from the Executive Officer.

Roundtable Responsibilities

1. Supports AkLA projects that relate to the Roundtable.
2. Encourages growth of membership of the Alaska Library Association.
3. Holds regular meetings.
4. Roundtable chairs shall attend AkLA Executive Council meetings to represent the roundtable to the Association and vote if the roundtable has maintained 40% membership in AkLA.
5. Reports to the Executive Council should be posted to the AkLA Executive Council Listserv prior to each meeting. The AkLA secretary will include the report in the minutes of the meeting. The President may also call for the report to be given orally.
6. Reports to Newspoke on roundtable activities, new members, etc.
7. Maintains files for the roundtable's business, and turns over as appropriate to AkLA archives. See sections entitled File Maintenance and Archives.
8. Unless the roundtable maintains its own 501(c) 3 status forwards Financial Reports including photocopies of both sides of the December bank statement to the AkLA Treasurer by Jan 20 to be included in the annual report to the IRS. Financial Report Form in Forms section.
9. Be aware of the responsibilities of the roundtable in relation to AkLA's non-profit tax exempt status.
10. Be sure roundtable bylaws do not conflict with AkLA bylaws.
11. Type of Library Roundtables elect a nominee to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Libraries.

Report When Paying a Fee or Honorarium

Any roundtable paying a fee or honorarium of $600 or more must obtain the following information from the recipient. See AkLA Report Form in Forms section.

First name, middle, & last
Address
Taxpayers Identification Number

This information, along with the amount paid, must be transmitted to the Treasurer in January, along with the Financial Report, so that the IRS forms can be submitted by the deadline in February.

Roundtables May Want To Consider

Contributing to travel funds to send their roundtable representative to the conference Council meetings as the need warrants.

ACADEMIC ROUNDTABLE

Visit the Academic Roundtable website.

The Academic Libraries Roundtable (the Roundtable) is organized within the Alaska Library Association. The Roundtable is entitled to a voting representative on the Executive Council of AkLA.

Purpose

The purpose of the Roundtable is to:

1. Coordinates activities with other types of libraries.
2. Provides input into AkLA programs and consider sponsoring a program at the conference.
3. Elects a nominee to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Libraries.

Membership 

1. Membership on the Roundtable is open to any interested party. Roundtable members must be current members of AkLA.
2. The Roundtable currently does not charge dues.

Meetings

1. The major meeting of the Roundtable will be held in conjunction with the annual AkLA conference.
2. Officers consisting of a Roundtable Chair and a Chair Elect will be selected at this meeting.

ADULT READERS ROUNDTABLE

The AkLA Executive Council approved the formation of the Adult Readers Roundtable at its meeting March 11, 2001 at the March 2001 Alaska Library Association annual conference. It is organized within the Alaska Library Association and is entitled to a voting representative on the Executive Council of AkLA.

Purpose

The purpose of the Roundtable is to:

1. Serve as a forum for librarians and library staff who are interested in developing their readers’ advisory skills and in promoting reading for pleasure.
2. Encourage communication among librarians and library staff serving adult readers.
3. Provide input into and develop AkLA programs germane to adult reader services, including annual conference and pre-conference programs and Continuing Education courses.

Membership

1. Membership in the Roundtable is open to any interested party.
2. Roundtable members must be current members of AkLA.

Meetings

1. The major meeting of the Roundtable will be in conjunction with the annual AkLA meeting.
2. Officers, consisting of a Roundtable Chair and a Chair-Elect, will be selected at this meeting.

ALASKA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS ROUNDTABLE

The Alaska Association of School Librarians (AkASL) is a Roundtable of AkLA and is also affiliated with the American Association of School Librarians. The Roundtable is entitled to a voting representative on the Executive Council of AkLA.

Purpose

The purpose of the Roundtable is to:

1. To advance a high standard for the school library profession and the library/media program in the schools of Alaska.
2. To promote the development of continuing education activities in order to facilitate the development of professional skills and the extension of professional knowledge.
3. To encourage elected officials, administrators, teachers and library/ media specialists to provide the best possible library/media experiences for all students in the state of Alaska.
4. To promote public understanding of the importance of library/media programs and libraries in the education of all students.
5. To support the inherent right of the individual to have access to ideas and information.
6. To elect a nominee to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Libraries.

Membership

1. Active Members. Alaska school librarians/media specialists, as well as those who teach, direct, or supervise in the field of school library media services, and who are in agreement with the objectives of the Association shall become members of the Association upon payment of dues.
2. Honorary Members. Individuals who have served the profession with distinction shall become members for life with the approval of the Board of Directors.
3. Courtesy Members. Individuals who are actively promoting and advancing school library programs, and who are in agreement with the objectives of the Association shall become members upon payment of a reduced dues, and shall have all privileges of membership except the vote and the right to hold office.

Conferences and Meetings

There can be one or more meetings of the general membership annually, to be convened by the Board of Directors. The primary meeting is to be held in conjunction with the Alaska Library Association's Annual Meeting, if possible. The Board of Directors convenes twice annually and may meet as often as necessary via teleconference.

Publications

The official newsletter of the Alaska Association of School Librarians is the PUFFIN which is published quarterly.

Committees

Standing committees include:

• Awards Committee
• Battle of the Books Committee
• Constitution Committee
• Nominations Committee
• Membership Committee
• Publicity Committee
• Pre-conference Committee
• Library Standards Committee
• Continuing Education Committee
• Intellectual Freedom Committee

Awards

The following are awards presented by the Roundtable.

• AkASL School Librarian of the Year
• AkASL Linda K. Barrett Service Award
• AkASL Pat-on-the-Back Award for School Administrators

Dissolution

In the event that the Alaska Association of School Librarians should cease to exist or perform its constitutional function, any assets, be they monetary or material, shall be conveyed to the Alaska Library Association by the last existing Board of Directors.

ALASKA NATIVE ISSUES ROUNDTABLE

The AkLA Executive Council approved the formation of the Alaska Native Issues Roundtable at its meeting March 9, 2003 at the Alaska Library Association annual conference. It is organized within the Alaska Library Association and is entitled to a voting representative on the Executive Council of AkLA.

Purpose

The purpose of the Roundtable is to:

1. Foster and promulgate culturally appropriate library philosophies and practices in order to better serve Alaska Native library users and communities in the development of services, collections, programs, staff, and overall library environment.
2. Serve as a forum for librarians and library staff who are interested in raising awareness of Alaska Native issues and concerns within the library community and act as advocates for them.
3. Develop AkLA programs germane to Alaska Natives library issues, including annual conference and preconference programs and Continuing Education courses.

Membership

1. Membership in the Roundtable is open to any interested party.
2. Roundtable members must be current members of AkLA.

Meetings

1. The major meeting of the Roundtable will be in conjunction with the annual AkLA meeting.
2. Officers, consisting of a Roundtable Chair and a Chair-Elect, will be selected at this meeting .

AUTHORS-TO-ALASKA-ROUNDTABLE

Authors-to-Alaska Roundtable (A2A) was established at the 1991 annual conference. A2A had been a working group for several years sponsoring an Authors' Breakfast at AkLA's annual conferences. This annual event had proven to be so popular among the conference attendees that it was unanimously decided that a roundtable was needed to regularly review, monitor and program AkLA's interest in state-wide author visits.

Purpose

The purpose of the Roundtable is to:

1. To act as a clearinghouse of information to AkLA members keeping them abreast of authors coming to Alaska.
2. To publicize and coordinate author visits within the state, lending management support to smaller communities.
3. To work with AkLA and AASL to coordinate annual conference program activities, with the responsibility of organizing the annual author function.

Membership

Membership in the Roundtable is open to any interested party. Roundtable members must be current members of AkLA.

Meetings

1. The major meeting of the Roundtable will be in conjunction with the annual AkLA conference.
2. Officers consisting of a Roundtable Chair and a Chair Elect will be selected at this meeting

CATALOGING ROUNDTABLE

Visit the Cataloging Rountable web page.

Purpose  

The purpose of the Roundtable is to:

1. Foster improvement in the quality of cataloging throughout Alaska.
2. Provide input into AkLA programs for cataloging education in order to stay abreast of national standards. Included are continuing education courses, annual conferences, and pre-conference programs.
3. Encourage camaraderie and exchange of cataloging information between libraries and librarians within Alaska.
4. Promote knowledge and awareness of the importance of cataloging as a foundation of librarianship.

Membership

1. Membership on the Cataloging Roundtable is open to any interested party.
2. At least 40% of the Cataloging Roundtable members must be current members of AkLA.

Meetings

1. The main meeting of the Cataloging Roundtable is held in conjunction with the annual AkLA Conference.
2. The Roundtable may also meet via teleconference once a year.

Officers

1. Officers, consisting of a Roundtable Chair and a Vice-Chair, are selected/confirmed in December via an online election on the listserv. (The Vice-Chair automatically becomes Chair.).
2. New officers take office January 1 st and serve throughout the calendar year. Officers must be current AkLA members.