The PRINTED REPORT OF 1900 MEETING was approved as presented and distributed.
The AMENDMENT TO CONSTITUTION, as approved at the Montreal meeting was submitted for ratification, and was adopted. It provides that in section 17, line 10, of the constitution the words "of the association," shall be stricken out, thus making the final sentence of that section read as follows: "It may, by a two-thirds vote, promulgate recommendations relating to library matters, and no resolutions except votes of thanks and on local arrangements shall be otherwise promulgated."
F. W. Faxon presented his
During the 13 months since the Association met at Montreal the number of new members added has been 167.[C] Including with the new those who have rejoined (for they are practically new members), we have over 225, the largest year's increase in the history of the A. L. A. The system of giving to each person who joins an accession number, and after a lapse of membership for one or more years reverting to the old number when he again joins, is not to my mind quite fair to the regular continued membership. One of the charter members, to take an extreme case, may, after paying dues for 1876 only, come in again this year by paying for 1901 and yet appear on a par with the 1876 members who have faithfully kept up their membership for 25 years. Those rejoining members should be included with the total of new names added. There is a chance here for our statistician to devise a better system of accession. In March, 1901, the active membership reached the 1000 mark, an achievement which may well be recorded at the opening of a new century.
In January 4000 copies of preliminary announcements were mailed to members, and others supposed to be interested. The secretary compiled for this purpose a card catalog
of names, including in it members of all the state associations and local clubs.
In May a new handbook (68 pages and cover) 3-1/4 × 5-3/4 in., practically following the size of last issue, was sent out, giving list of members, officers and committees, statistical tables, lists of state and local library associations and state library commissions, necrology for the year, and other information of value to members and of use in extending the work of the A. L. A.
An edition of 4500 was printed at an expense of $160.60, and about half were mailed, in connection with circular no. 2 regarding the Waukesha meeting. The remainder should suffice for the coming year, with a small supplement to include the new members, and the by-laws to be passed at Waukesha, thus completing the new constitution.