We often ascribe upward movement with positive signs – employment, pay raises, grades. So we hope you will keep a positive perspective as we announce that after 12 years of no increases, we must raise dues. While inflation has been low for the past decade, we all know that costs do not stand still. Beginning Sept. 1, personal member dues will increase by $7 to a new rate of $67. The rates for support staff, retired and non-salaried will be raised $3 for a new rate of $33. The $25 student dues rate remains unchanged as does the $80 organizational rate.
As we ask for your increased level of support we want to remind you of your member benefits. RUSA members benefit from a network of professionals with shared interests and with whom they interact for professional support. Members have access to professional development, webinars, courses, interest groups, and online discussions. National conferences bring members together to present their research and experiences, and to create useful resources. Members enjoy being part of an organization that is recognized nationally for its standards, guidelines, and its book and media awards. Our six sections, BRASS, CODES, ETS, History, RSS, and STARS, represent niches within librarianship that are not well represented across ALA. And you can belong to all sections with a membership to RUSA. Members new to the profession find RUSA an easy organization in which to become involved, and RUSA veterans embrace them.
At a time when some question the need for membership in professional associations, it is worth remembering that no other association is working the way ALA is, on the national level, for our professional interests, promoting the value of our chosen livelihoods, conducting ongoing discussions with publishers to improve library access to e-books, and addressing issues like the digital divide, information policy, copyright and fake news. Membership in RUSA and ALA gives us a platform and a voice for the things we value. You play your part through RUSA, and we will continue this advocacy with your support.
Thank you for being a member of RUSA.
Chris LeBeau, President