FAQ Conference Speaker Fees and Reimbursement Policies
Long-standing TLA policy states that “No personal expenses or honorariums shall be paid by TLA for TLA members and other Texas librarians presenting at Annual Conference, Annual Assembly, or District meetings with the exception of Executive Board members representing the Association at District meetings and TLA members and other Texas librarians who speak at District Meetings other than their own.” All program planners are asked to submit a formal agreement with each speaker, including individuals who are not eligible for payment, to ensure that there is no misunderstanding. There are many reasons for the policy—some of which are value-based and some are financial. Texas Librarians: A. Librarians in Texas are usually paid by state or local governments to perform work that is the basis of their presentations; therefore, they are asked to make the content available to colleagues within the state without a charge. B. Some Texas librarians are prohibited from accepting honoraria; any payments they receive must be returned or paid to the employer. C. Many Texas libraries will reimburse travel expenses of a staff member presenting at the TLA conference. D. Many librarians in Texas receive direct benefit as a result of a TLA presentation, including merit pay, credit for promotions and job advancement, etc. E. Librarians often "test and perfect" their presentations first on state colleagues before offering the content in other states and at other associations for fees. F. All librarians and library workers benefit from the state organization's endeavors to improve libraries, library services, and working conditions on their behalf. Helping to strengthen the organization occurs when individuals serve on committees and boards, volunteer to plan and carry out the conference, write articles for the journal, contribute personal time to develop new services, and present programs. TLA does not pay authors of articles, surveys, reports, and other content-rich deliverables, for example. G. State conferences generally do not pay honoraria or reimburse travel expenses for colleagues within the state. In 2007, there were 319 speakers from Texas libraries (some of whom were not TLA members). If the average honorarium and travel expense reimbursement were $300 per person, the cost to TLA and its units would have been $95,700. H. Paying honoraria and travel expenses for non-members would treat non-members better than members, thus offering a disincentive for membership in the professional organization. Therefore, every effort is made to avoid giving non-members preferential attention over members. I. Speakers have no obligation to speak at the conference. The terms are clearly indicated "up front" in the negotiation phase which is why TLA has been insistent that all speakers sign agreements.
J. ALA and its divisions (AASL, PLA, and ACRL) do not pay honoraria or travel expenses for librarians attending their conference, regardless of membership status. They do pay outside speakers. K. The provision in the Standing Rules only applies to district meetings and annual conferences (which includes preconferences). It has been assumed by staff that speakers at fee-based workshops and training events outside of conference and district meetings can receive contracts with honoraria and expenses. Out-of-State Librarians and Other Speakers: 1. It is not required that out-of-state speakers be given an honorarium and/or expense reimbursement for travel and meals. Such negotiations are between the unit or committee within TLA and the speaker and depend on credentials, priority of the program, and special circumstances. 2. TLA will reimburse travel and provide housing and a small allocation for meals, if specified by the unit or committee.