Financial Reimbursement for Regional Leadership

Concern: Financial reimbursement for travel to and from required national meetings for Regional Directors. As travel expenses rise, organizations that are run by volunteers are finding it harder and harder to find the volunteers. We understand that Regional Directors and Directors-Elect can be reimbursed up to $1000.00 per year if traveling to their Region’s conferences but reimbursed nothing for attending national meetings.

Action: The Affiliate Assembly Executive Committee approved this concern and sent it to the Affiliate Assembly body. The Assembly revised the concern and approved passing the revision on to the AASL Board.

Revised Concern: Being an AASL Board Member is a substantial time and financial commitment, especially for the Director-Elect/Director position, which is a four year position. It limited the pool of potential leaders.

Action: The AASL Board discussed this concern as part of the mega issue discussion "How should AASL change its volunteer structure to mazimize member value and more effectively conduct the association's work?" at the 2011 ALA Midwinter Meeting. The Board appointed a task force to examine the role of the Director-Elect and the Board structure as a whole will be examined at the ALA 2012 Midwinter Meeting.