AkLA Handbook Section IV:3&4
Chapters, Mini-Chapters

Updated: Tuesday, 09-May-2006 16:14:50 MDT

• Section IV: 3 Chapters of AkLA
• Chapter Responsibilities
• Report When Paying a Fee or Honorarium
• Section IV: 4 Minichapters of AkLA
• Minichapter Responsibilities
• Back to the Handbook

Section IV: 3 Chapters of AkLA

Revised June 2001

Article IV, Sections 3-4 describe the sections of AkLA – defined as chapters by geographical districts. “Each chapter shall form its own organization. It shall elect a chair and a secretary to take office by March. It shall elect a representative to serve a one-year term on the Executive Council.”

The strength of the Association comes from its individual chapters, and close liaison work cannot be stressed too much-communications in both directions!

The chapters of AkLA are incorporated through the statewide organization and have the same non-profit tax-exempt status. Be­cause of this fact, and the legal implications of incorporation and tax-exemption, non-profit status, chapters must coordinate closely with the state association on such things as size of treasury, legislative activity, etc. Chapters do not file annual non-profit corporation forms, these are filed by the state treasurer.

Membership dues to AkLA should be paid by members directly to the AkLA treasurer, rather than paying both local and state dues to the local treasurer and asking that person to send in the state portion.

For a while Chapters paid dues to AkLA as part of their chapter status to help defray travel costs for chapter representation at Executive Council meetings. At the fall 1989 face-to-face meeting the Executive Council voted that “Chapters will no longer be assessed by membership.” When a chapter has less than ten AkLA members annually, it reverts to minichapter status so long as it maintains seven paid members.

Chapter responsibilities

1. Elects a representative to sit on the Executive Council for a one-year term. This representative is most often the chapter chair, but this is not required in the bylaws. The representative is to represent the chapter to the Association and the Association to the chapter. Direct responsibilities of the representative are found under Chapter Representatives to Executive Council Section.
2. Supports AkLA projects, locally and statewide.
3. Encourages growth of membership of the Alaska Library Association. Contact each new librarian in their region to invite them to join both the chapter and the state association.
4. Hosts a state conference periodically. [See Policy 7]
5. Holds regular meetings.
6. Reports to Newspoke on chapter activities, new members, etc. See Publications of AkLA Section.
7. Notifies the Intellectual Freedom Committee of any local incidents of censorship, regardless of whether they require any action or response by that committee.
8. Have members serve on statewide committees and as contact people for committees, as requested by the AkLA President and Executive Council. See section on Committees.
9. Maintains files for the chapter’s business, and turn over as appropriate to Chapter or AkLA archives. See section entitled File Maintenance and Policy 99.
10. Clips local newspapers for articles on libraries and librarians for chapter or AkLA archives.
11. Forwards Financial Reports including photocopies of both sides of the December bank statement to the AkLA Treasurer by Jan 20 to be included in the annual report to the IRS. See Financial Report Form in Forms section.
12. Be aware of the responsibilities of the chapter in relation to AkLA’s non-profit tax-exempt status.
13. Be sure chapter bylaws do not conflict with Alaska Library Association Bylaws.

Report When Paying a Fee or Honorarium

Any chapter paying a fee or honorarium of $600 or more must obtain the following information from the recipient: See AkLA Report Form in Forms section.

First name, middle, & last
Address
Taxpayers Identification Number

This information, along with the amount paid, must be transmitted to the Treasurer in January, along with the Financial Report, so that the IRS forms can be submitted by the deadline in February.

Chapters May Want To Consider

Helping finance their Executive Council representative’s trip to conference if the representative needs assistance.

Section IV: 4 Minichapters of AkLA

Article VI, Sections 5 describes the sections of AkLA defined as minichapters by geographical districts.  Article VI, Section 7 says: "each … minichapter may form its own organization, and shall elect officers to assume office by March.”

The minichapters of AkLA are incorporated through the statewide organization and have the same non-profit tax-exempt status. Because of this fact, and the legal implications of incorporation and tax-exemption, non-profit status, minichapters must coordinate closely with the Association on things such as size of treasury, legislative activity, etc. Minichapters do not file annual non-profit corporation forms; these are filed by the AkLA Treasurer.

Membership dues to AkLA should be paid by members directly to the AkLA Treasurer, rather than paying both local and statewide dues td the local treasurer and asking that person to send in the AkLA portion.

Minichapters do not pay dues to AkLA as part of their minichapter status

Minichapter Responsibilities

1. Supports AkLA projects that the minichapter can handle.
2. Encourages growth of membership of the Alaska Library Association.
3. Holds regular meetings.
4. Have the minichapter representative attend AkLA Executive Council meetings to represent the minichapter to the Association
5. Reports to Newspoke on minichapter activities, new members, etc.
6. Have members serve on those committees that the minichapter can take on and serve as contact people for committees, as requested by the AkLA President and Executive Board. See Section on Committees and Policy 42.
7. Maintains files for the minichapter's business, and turn over as appropriate to AkLA archives. See sections entitled File Maintenance and Archives and Policy 99.
8. Forwards Financial Reports including photocopies of both sides of the December bank statement to the AkLA Treasurer by Jan 20 to be included in the annual report to the IRS. See Financial Report Form in Forms section.
9. Be aware of the responsibilities of the chapters in relation to AkLA's non-profit tax-exempt status.
10. Be sure minichapter bylaws do not conflict with AkLA bylaws.

Minichapters May Want To Consider

Helping finance their Executive Council representative's trip to conference if the representative needs assistance.

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