Membership Directory - American Guild of Organists

On February 1, Harris Connect, the authorized publisher for the 2016 AGO Membership Directory, began to receive telephone calls from AGO members verifying members’ information for the publication and offering the Directory for advance sale. Based on the experience of more than 2,000 calls received to date, here are some key facts you need to know about the project.

Harris Connect sent all members a postcard and an email over my signature inviting members to call in to verify the information to be published in the Directory. The number provided will connect each member with an operator in a call center. The operator is an employee of Harris Connect. The operator is not a member of the AGO staff and does not work at AGO Headquarters.
The purpose of your call is twofold: First, to verify the information that you wish to have published in the Directory. Second, to offer you the opportunity to purchase the Directory in any of six different formats. The six formats are as follows:

[table] Product,Price,Shipping & Handling,Total
Regional CD-ROM,$24.99,$9.95,$34.94
Softbound Album,$79.99,$19.95,$99.94
CD-ROM,$99.99,$11.95,$111.94
Collector’s Album,$99.99,$19.95,$119.94
Softbound Album & CD Package,$99.99,$19.95,$119.94
Collector’s Album & CD Package,$119.99,$19.95,$139.94
[/table]
We have provided the Harris operators with information from our database for all of our members so that the Membership Directory will have a baseline of accurate information. This information will be used only to create the Membership Directory. The information provided and the Directory itself will be available only to AGO members, no one else. It will not be provided to telemarketers.
Harris is continuously training their operators to ensure that they understand the work of AGO members, but some operators are inexperienced and unfamiliar with the world of church music. Their training is ongoing. Please be patient with the operators.
During the course of your conversation with a Harris Connect operator, you may be invited to purchase one or more magazine subscriptions. If you do not wish to purchase any magazines, simply but firmly decline the offer.
While we hope you will agree to have your full contact information published in the Directory, you are under no obligation to do so. You may include as little or as much information as you desire, from no listing at all to full contact information. You may also add a photo with a caption, an essay of up to 300 words, or even a link to a performance or promotional video of yourself.

Some people have pointedly asked why we are undertaking this project at this time. Here are ten reasons. The Directory:

Facilitates networking among members
Gives members a handy, portable reference tool that enables them to find contact information for any other member
Three distinct sections in the book provide three different ways to locate members: Biographical (alphabetical by last name); Geographical (State and City); Certification (AGO Certification(s) earned)
Provides members with an opportunity to include a personal color photo of their choice and a caption or essay of up to 300 words. Essay may include links to websites or videos
Provides essential information about the AGO, including our current Mission and Bylaws
Creates a permanent, historical record of the Guild’s membership in 2016
AGO National Committee on Membership Development and Support, Finance and Development Committee, and National Council have approved the publication
Directory is available only to AGO members who wish to own it; no one else
Information published in the Directory is protected by U.S. Copyright Laws from unauthorized reproduction or commercial use
The publisher, Harris Connect, bears all costs and risks; the AGO earns non-dues revenue from the publication and related sales

James Thomashower’s TAO column on the National Membership Directory

Don’t Miss Out: Renew Your AGO Dues Today

A Message from James Thomashower, AGO Executive Director on the 2016 AGO Membership Directory