Sarah Houghton-Jan's Page

Are you a member of ALA?

Yes

Are you a member of a division of ALA?

Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), Public Library Association (PLA)

Your personal website:

http://www.librarianinblack.net

What was the last book you read?

Vegan Freak

Do you use an RSS reader/aggregator?

Yes

How long have you been a member of ALA?

8 years

How many ALA conferences have you attended in person?

1

Do you read AL Direct when it arrives in your email inbox?

No

What can ALA do for you that it isn't already doing?

Have meetings, trainings, and networking events online. ALA is currently very "in-person, and only at conference" oriented. Many of us are at libraries that can't afford to give us the time off much less pay for our expenses to go. Investing $1,000+ for a conference is too much for many of us, as our salaries are pitifully low. And that is my second issue: ALA needs to do a lot more to promote salary increases for its members. We are masters-degreed professionals making less in most libraries than non-degreed workers in other departments and similar positions.