ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

Letters

Leadership

To the Editor:

Apropos of Richard M. Dougherty’s letter in C&RL News (October 1989, p.799), may I comment for many librarians who have not found it possible to become active professionals? I happen to be a life member and was active before my retirement nine years ago. This is a luxury few can now afford.

Our first responsibility as a profession is to increase the salary scale of professional librarians. Secondly, we need to reduce the professional bureaucracy at the national level, and the proliferation of meetings. Thirdly, membership dues keep going up to where the average librarian cannot afford to join (other organizations compete for his or her membership dollars). Finally, put the cost of journal subscriptions at a level that the average librarian can afford.

Lower membership dues and less expensive journal subscriptions will attract more members, and future leaders, in our professional organizations. Only subsidized librarians can afford to attend national conferences that cost the individual between $500 and $1,000. I believe that most librarians would prefer a democratic ALA to one that appears to be elitist.—H. Vail Deale, Director of Libraries Emeritus, Beloit College. ■ ■