MEMBERSHIP INCREASE FOR 1998-1999

by Karen Buckley

There will be an increase in the cost of membership in the Archives Society for the 1998-1999 fiscal year. Although memberships have not increased since the rates were set over 5 years ago, the cost of general administration, production of the newsletter and courses have all gone up. In order to bring the ASA membership in line with those of other archival societies, and to offset some of the Society's expenses, the new rates as of April 1, 1998 will be:

Individual membership for students, seniors, volunteers working in an archives, or general supporters of archives:	$20.00
Individual membership for those working in an archives (salaried, wage, or contract positions):	$40.00
Associate Institutional membership (not grant eligible - replaces General membership):	$60.00

Institutional membership will be on a sliding scale based on the operating budget of the archives:

Less than $25,000	$75.00
$25,001 - $250,000	$150.00
$250,001 - $500,000	$300.00
Over $500,000	$400.00

The benefits of membership are considerable. The Newsletter is published four times a year and courses are offered at a subsidized rate for members at least 3 times a year. The Annual General Meeting provides a forum for instruction and information for all members, and travel to the AGM is eligible for subsidy. Members are also eligible for travel grants when attending Core Curriculum courses ($60.00 if travelling between Calgary and Edmonton, more id travelling from further away). Members can also apply for $500.00 towards travel, accommodation and meal costs when attending the ACA or conferences of related professions. It is therefore possible for individual members to receive close to $700.00 per year in travel grants while taking advantage of the ASA's educational and professional programs. Institutional members are also eligible for the ASA's Backlog Reduction grants (up to $5,000) and may also apply to the Canadian Council of Archives for further grants in Preservation Management and Control of Holdings.

If you have any questions regarding the increase in membership rates, please contact either Monica Ulbrich, Chair of the Membership, Nominations, Elections/Awards Committee (403) 492 1409, or Karen Buckley, ASA Treasurer (403) 289 6078