[aisle] Are you an AISLE member?

Wed Oct 23 11:15:50 CDT 2019

I'd be down for paying a bit more if it leads to increasing overall
membership and lowering costs for those who are non-certified or library
assistants.

Jason McCoy
Dee-Mack CUSD No. 701

On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 11:06 AM Roxanne Price via AISLE <
aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:

> Thank you Lauren.  I will see what some of my peers down here think,
> before I send an email to the membership function rep.
>
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 8:04 AM Lauren Ochs <lochs at ms.k12.il.us> wrote:
>
>> Hi Roxanne,
>>
>>
>>
>> I, in no way, thought you were trying to demean the profession, and I was
>> totally unoffended. It is a great question! The board wants our members to
>> ask questions that help us guide our work. As a board member, I had
>> knowledge about what goes on behind the scenes, and since the question was
>> asked on the listserv, I thought I would share my own personal thought
>> process. Even though it might seem super easy to offer cheaper membership
>> option, there are actually a lot of things to think about before making a
>> decision like that. I am more than happy to listen to dialog about any
>> issues that come up!
>>
>>
>>
>> If you or others think that this is something the board should pursue,
>> you can email our membership function rep at membership at aisled.org to
>> bring up at a future board meeting.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>>
>>
>> Ms. Lauren B. Ochs
>>
>> Mahomet-Seymour High School Library
>>
>> lochs at mscusd.org
>>
>>
>>
>> AISLE Board Member – Budget
>>
>> boardbudget at aisled.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Roxanne Price <rrprice at marionunit2.org>
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, October 22, 2019 9:50 PM
>> *To:* Lauren Ochs <lochs at ms.k12.il.us>
>> *Cc:* AISLE-Share: Association of Illinois School Library Educators
>> discussion list <aisle at list.railslibraries.info>
>> *Subject:* Re: [aisle] Are you an AISLE member?
>>
>>
>>
>> *External Email*
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> My intention, when suggesting a reduced rate for library assistants, was
>> in no way meant to demean our profession or the services we provide.  I am
>> fortunate that my district supports libraries and our library staff.
>> However, in my area, there are many libraries that do not have certified
>> librarians. Some libraries are either staffed with an assistant or kept
>> closed.
>>
>>
>>
>> There are few opportunities in my region for PD for school librarians and
>> their staff.  The closest PD is 2-3 hrs away.  I was not aware that
>> reducing the rate would equal requests from districts for PD.  I wish there
>> were closer opportunities for PD by ISBE approved providers.  It is hard to
>> go to conferences, not just due to the cost (fees and travel), but also the
>> scarcity of subs.
>>
>>
>>
>> I pay for my membership out of pocket.  My library assistants start out
>> at minimum wage.  That can be a hardship for some.
>>
>>
>>
>> I just hoped providing a reduced rate would allow more library staff to
>> get involved with our organization.  I have a great working relationship
>> with all of my library assistants.  They go above and beyond and provide a
>> great library experience for the students.
>>
>>
>>
>> Well, those are my thoughts on my suggestion.  I hope I didn't offend
>> anyone.
>>
>> On Tuesday, October 22, 2019, Lauren Ochs <lochs at ms.k12.il.us> wrote:
>>
>> This has come up for discussion a couple of times before I was on the
>> board. I think it is great to continue having this discussion. Officially,
>> this change would need to be proposed through our Membership Function
>> Representative who you can contact at membership at aisled.org. I believe
>> that the final decision would change bylaws and therefore must be approved
>> at the membership meeting at conference or during our spring election of
>> officers.
>>
>>
>>
>> If this topic were to come up again, these are my own thoughts and
>> opinions that I would express during the discussion. To be honest, I
>> struggle with whether or not this would be a good decision for our
>> organization.
>>
>>
>>
>> It sounds simple to offer a reduced rate for library assistants because
>> they work REALLY hard and make less money, but the request for a reduced
>> rate also typically comes with requests from districts for an increase in
>> PD specifically for library assistants to train them how to do the work of
>> a licensed school librarian. In my opinion, it does not make fiscal sense
>> for our organization to receive less money for memberships only to expend
>> more money creating unique professional development opportunities for
>> library assistants at a time when the organization is bringing in less
>> money through membership and conference. Districts are paying library
>> assistants thousands of dollars less than licensed school librarians and
>> should have no trouble paying for a $65 membership to our organization on
>> behalf of their library assistants, they just don’t want to do so. I’m not
>> sure we would gain enough new members through a library assistant
>> membership to make the category make fiscal sense. Maybe a survey would
>> prove differently (although we have trouble getting members to do surveys).
>> FYI, paraprofessionals do receive a discounted conference rate.
>>
>>
>>
>> My biggest difficulty with the decision to offer a reduced rate to
>> library assistants is that I do understand that a lot of people (including
>> me) pay for AISLE membership out of their own pocket, and I don’t want
>> people to struggle financially to pay for a membership. In my opinion,
>> AISLE membership is cheap compared to what I have gotten out of being a
>> member over the course of the last 12 years. However, I totally understand
>> that if I was making half (or less) of my salary, it would be a struggle to
>> come up with $65 for a membership out of my own pocket.
>>
>>
>>
>> I also struggle with how it looks to place the value we do on licensed
>> school librarians and the effort we put into our advocacy efforts to get
>> licensed school librarians in buildings across the state while offering
>> districts the perk of a reduced membership fee for library assistants. What
>> price do we put on our services? How much cheaper would membership need to
>> be for more assistants to join? Is that going to provide AISLE with enough
>> money to continue covering increased services to these new members?
>>
>>
>>
>> Again, just my own thoughts. This is definitely something that would
>> require some thought and planning to implement.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you,
>>
>>
>>
>> Ms. Lauren B. Ochs
>>
>> Mahomet-Seymour High School Library
>>
>> lochs at mscusd.org
>>
>>
>>
>> AISLE Board Member – Budget
>>
>> boardbudget at aisled.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* AISLE <aisle-bounces at list.railslibraries.info> *On Behalf Of *Roxanne
>> Price via AISLE
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, October 22, 2019 8:18 AM
>> *To:* AISLE-Share: Association of Illinois School Library Educators
>> discussion list <aisle at list.railslibraries.info>
>> *Cc:* Roxanne Price <rrprice at marionunit2.org>
>> *Subject:* Re: [aisle] Are you an AISLE member?
>>
>>
>>
>> *External Email*
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> I understand that we are stronger in numbers.  Have you provided a
>> discounted membership fee for library assistants?  Some assistants do the
>> job we do for a lower pay.  I believe they would benefit, as would we, from
>> a membership to AISLE.  We are all here to serve the students and support
>> the curriculum and teachers.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you,
>> Roxanne Price
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 21, 2019 at 6:10 PM Membership AISLE via AISLE <
>> aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:
>>
>> AISLE continues to work on positively impacting Illinois students and
>> schools. Did you know that our very active listserv has almost 1100 members
>> but only about 400 are current members of AISLE?  Right now, the listserv
>> is a FREE public service offered by AISLE <http://www.aisled.org> to
>> provide opportunities for librarians across the state to cultivate valuable
>> networking connections and find opportunities to volunteer
>> <https://docs.google.com/a/islma.org/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdOvXGGrLNX2tliQNA-OaZMVRJWdREe0J6QkD_zwrUnWeJicg/viewform?c=0&w=1>
>> their talents but we need your support! If you are using the listserv and
>> are NOT an active member of AISLE, we are inviting you to become a member
>> of AISLE.
>>
>>
>>
>> Our association is only as strong as our membership and we need you more
>> than ever! In addition to our advocacy work across the state for students
>> to have quality school library services, our partnerships with EveryLibrary
>> and other critical organizations, AISLE sponsors the Monarch, Bluestem and
>> Lincoln readers' choice awards, offers academic grants and offers
>> professional development to our membership and organizes a conference every
>> year.  Please visit https://www.aisled.org/membership.htm  for more
>> information about membership benefits.
>>
>>
>>
>> We hope you choose to become a member of our organization this year and
>> join our efforts to positively impact Illinois students and schools.  If
>> you have any questions, please feel free to contact membership at aisled.org
>> .
>>
>>
>>
>> [image: Image removed by sender.]
>>
>> Christine Pulgar
>>
>> Membership Function rep
>>
>> membership at aisled.org
>>
>>
>>
>> MAILMAN_MIMEDEFANG
>> _______________________________________________
>> AISLE mailing list
>> AISLE at list.railslibraries.info
>>
>> For list archives and subscription options, visit:
>> http://list.railslibraries.info/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aisle
>>
>> To unsubscribe, send a message to:
>> aisle-leave at list.railslibraries.info
>>
>> https://www.aisled.org/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> *Roxanne Price*
>>
>> *Lincoln Elementary School*
>>
>> *Marion CUSD #2*
>>
>> *rrprice at marionunit2.org* <rrprice at marionunit2.org>
>>
>>
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>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> *Roxanne Price*
>>
>> *Lincoln Elementary School*
>>
>> *Marion CUSD #2*
>>
>> *rrprice at marionunit2.org <rrprice at marionunit2.org>*
>>
>>
>> Confidentiality Notice
>>
>> If the information in this email relates to an individual or student, it
>> may be private data under state or federal privacy laws. This individual
>> private data should not be reviewed, distributed or copied by any person
>> other than the intended recipient(s), unless otherwise permitted under law.
>> If you are not the intended recipient, any further review, dissemination,
>> distribution, or copying of this electronic communication or any attachment
>> is strictly prohibited. If you received this email in error, please notify
>> the sender immediately and permanently delete this email. Thank you for
>> your compliance.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *Confidentiality Notice: This message and any attachment thereto is for
>> the sole use of the intended recipient(s), and is covered by the Electronic
>> Communications Privacy Act (18 USC 2510 et seq). It may contain information
>> that is confidential and legally privileged within the meaning of
>> applicable law. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is
>> prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the
>> sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message. *
>> *Confidentiality Notice: This message and any attachment thereto is for
>> the sole use of the intended recipient(s), and is covered by the Electronic
>> Communications Privacy Act (18 USC 2510 et seq). It may contain information
>> that is confidential and legally privileged within the meaning of
>> applicable law. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is
>> prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the
>> sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message. *
>>
>
>
> --
> *Roxanne Price*
> *Lincoln Elementary School*
> *Marion CUSD #2*
> *rrprice at marionunit2.org <rrprice at marionunit2.org>*
>
> Confidentiality NoticeIf the information in this email relates to an
> individual or student, it may be private data under state or federal
> privacy laws. This individual private data should not be reviewed,
> distributed or copied by any person other than the intended recipient(s),
> unless otherwise permitted under law. If you are not the intended
> recipient, any further review, dissemination, distribution, or copying of
> this electronic communication or any attachment is strictly prohibited. If
> you received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and
> permanently delete this email. Thank you for your compliance.
>
> MAILMAN_MIMEDEFANG
> _______________________________________________
> AISLE mailing list
> AISLE at list.railslibraries.info
>
> For list archives and subscription options, visit:
> http://list.railslibraries.info/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aisle
>
> To unsubscribe, send a message to:
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>
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