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American Alpine Journal now for AAC Members only
Chessler Books
www.chesslerbooks.com
info@chesslerbooks.com
July 20, 2011
Dear friends,
The American Alpine Club leaders have made a decision that will negatively
affect thousands of people around the world... they will no longer sell the
American Alpine Journal to non-members.
Since 1929 the AAJ has developed into perhaps the finest yearly chronicle of the
greatest climbs done in the past year. It is a historical document that is now
larger than the AAC itself. Now the club is treating the AAJ like it was a
newsletter for a local climbing club, that lists climbs and slide shows open
only to members. The AAJ is much bigger than that, and that is due mostly to the
efforts of its last three editors, John Harlin, Christian Beckwith and Ad
Carter.
In fact, one of these editors was fired because he refused to print articles of
club members' minor accomplishments, because they were not of major concern to
the greater climbing community.
This was decided a few months ago at an AAC board meeting, and although the
meeting's results were announced as a new strategic plan to increase members'
benefits, this little fact about the AAJ was not officially
announced until this week because it does not affect members, and would have
only produced a storm of protests that I hope will now start!
There are anywhere between 500,000 and 10,000,000 people in America who have
climbed at one time in their lives, but this is about a book, not a climb, so it
can and does appeal to people who read about climbing, not necessarily climbers
themselves. There are thousands, sometimes millions, of people who read about
climbing. Annapurna sold 12,00,000+ copies in 1950, Into Thin Air sold over
4,000,000 in 1997.
The "official" announcement was a small paragraph in the AAC's last newsletter,
"Speaking of Member Benefits..."
"Starting in 2011 (that's this year, for those of you that haven't been paying
much attention), The American Alpine Journal is now available in print only to
members. We're not selling any and neither is anyone else.
We just received our advance copies in the office, so expect your copy—along
with your copy of Accidents in North American Mountaineering—to arrive in the
mail very soon."
We are announcing this decision of the AAC for one simple reason..... they have
not and will not. It does not concern their members, so why open up a can of
worms by telling the climbing magazines, websites, their own Facebook page or
climbing shops and bookstores who have carried the AAJ?
The obvious reason for this decision is that the club has a membership problem.
Although it has grown from 1500 to 6000 members in the last 10+ years, most new
members do not renew their membership. They just don't see any benefit to
membership. The club membership is stagnant. This the club has publicly
announced.
So the club started a program with more benefits to members, mostly better
insurance, and have decided to call the American Alpine Journal a "benefit of
membership," which it is, but to make it more valuable, you
now cannot get the AAJ unless you join the club, for $75 a year. If you don't
climb and don't need the insurance, you would have been able to buy the AAJ for
$35.... but no longer.
(Oddly, two of the greatest beneficiaries of the terrific new climbing insurance
are a past AAC president and current club employee, both of whom needed major
rescues and hospital care this year!)
This episode shows that the American Alpine Club, like most clubs, has as its
primary purpose the continuing of it's existence. It is increasing "member
benefits" not because it is the right thing to do, but so fewer
members will quit, or that more may join. That is fine, but removing the AAJ
from the literature of mountaineering is a rash and selfish act that will
benefit nobody, and hurt many.
The club has also just deleted the names and e-mail addresses for all its
members from its website, so you cannot directly contact the people who made
this decision! I will list a few numbers and names below if you
wish to express your feelings about their decision.
Almost every action has unintended consequences. Some of the consequences of
this decision is that the club will print several thousand fewer copies than
before, so the 2011 issue will always be scarce, and the
only people who will ever have them will be the 6000 or so people who happened
to be members in 2011.
People who quit a while ago, or who join later, may never be able to get copies.
The club has a long history of selling very few back issues, under 100 a year of
each back issue, and starting in 1985 I essentially took over that task. Now
nobody will.
A day may come when some future AAC club leaders may decide to send their back
issues of the 2011 and later issues to the recycler. If I am not around to buy
them, and I am 66 years old, and will no longer buy
13,000 back issues at time like I did in 1995, who will? I have already rescued
(and paid for) many old AAJs and magazines that the club had slated for
disposal.
Also, it means that the 2011 and later issues will become very expensive. People
who do not wish to pay $75 for an issue by joining the AAC will have to find one
from one of the lucky 6000 people who have one. I
have sold the 1929-1939 issues for as much as $350 each because only a few
hundred were printed of each year, and few come to market. What will the 2011
AAJ be worth when none come to market? In fact, it
would now pay to join for $75 and sell your AAJ on eBay for $150 or more!
https://www.americanalpineclub.org
You can mail a letter to the American Alpine Club at:
American Alpine Club
710 Tenth Street
Golden, Colorado 80401
USA
Cheers,
Michael Chessler
AAC Member # 2958
info@chesslerbooks.com
303 670-0093
Chessler Books
www.chesslerbooks.com
info@chesslerbooks.com
July 22, 2011
Dear friends,
The American Alpine Club has finally made a public [not really public, just to
some AAC members] announcement that you cannot get the 2011 American Alpine
Journal unless you join the club for $75, and they will
never sell copies anymore to anybody if you are not a member by the end of July
31, 2011. Read the letter below carefully, because that's what it says.
This was E-mailed to members today, undoubtedly in response to my E-mail of 2
days ago announcing their incomprehensible decision that they will no longer
sell the finest mountaineering annual in the world to
non-members, after 85 years of publication.
This was done in an E-mail to members only... all of whom are not affected by
the new policy!
However, since most of Chessler Books' customers are not AAC members, and most
AAC members are not Chessler Books' customers, most of you will not have seen
their message.
Oddly, this message (re-printed below) was sent to all AAC members EXCEPT ME! I
think they took my criticism personally. Since I have been a member since 1987,
and always get their e-mails, somebody must
have gotten really pissed at my criticism of their new policy!
I had an E-mail exchange a week ago with the Erik Lambert who signed the E-mail,
so they knew I didn't like their policy, but I didn't speak to the club's policy
makers because the president is in the Himalaya, the
Executive Director is in the hospital, and I knew my lone opinion is meaningless
to them anyway. However, if enough of you contact them, that will get the
message across that they should sell the Alpine Journal to
non-members.
I know am not alone. In my previous e-mail I asked you to contact the club, and
many of you did and cc'd me, with 100% agreement of my observations. What is
more, some of the people who contacted me are
people the club solicited for ideas about how to improve the club, and yet
nobody heard of this policy until my e-mail. The club letter below is full of
lies and dissembling [a great word that mean "to conceal one's true
motives or beliefs"].
The simple fact is the American Alpine Club has financial and membership
retention problems, and this AAJ policy is one way they are trying to deal with
those problems.
The obvious thought is that I am publicizing the AAC's decision to not sell the
Journal because I make so much money by selling it. Okay, here are my sales
figures for the last three years:
AAJ 2008 17 copies; AAJ 2009 23 copies; AAJ 2010 16 copies
The above 56 copies over 3 years made a gross profit of $784 for me! After
expenses and taxes, I make under a hundred bucks a year off the AAJ! No, I am
doing this because I simply love the written history of
mountaineering, and hate stupidity, and I am lucky enough to have you, thousands
of people like myself, who also appreciate printed books about mountaineering.
Furthermore, the Directors of the American Alpine Club have violated the Charter
and By-Laws of the club by killing the AAJ. Twice in the wording the the AAC's
charter it says the purpose of the club is to create
publications about mountaineering and not just for members.
In the preamble to the AAC charter it says:
"[The AAC] shall for its primary work undertake the study of the high mountains
of the world... and shall publish a series of illustrated publications of these
mountains for the purpose of presenting a complete description of the alpine
mountains of the world." [NOT JUST FOR CLUB MEMBERS]
In article 2 of the AAC Charter, "Purposes and Provisions" the charter also
states that the AAC will:
"2... study the high mountains of the world, gather facts... and produce a
series of illustrated publications to present a complete description of the
alpine mountains of the world..." [NOT JUST FOR CLUB MEMBERS]
"5... and represent the interests and concerns of the American climbing
community." [NOT JUST CLUB MEMBERS]
Below is the dissembling message the AAC sent to all (some?) members today,
except Michael Chessler, member 2958.
PLEASE READ IT and contact the people below, plus Executive Director Phil Powers
and tell them what you think about keeping the AAJ as part of the literature of
mountaineering. ppowers@americanalpineclub.org.
I don't know Steve Swenson's E-mail (the AAC President, because they also killed
the list of member E-mails that until recently was on their website, and which
still says that the list is there, but I cannot find it!) but if
somebody sends it to me I will share it with my customers.
"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE"
July 21, 2011
American Alpine Journal Now Member-only Benefit
"GOLDEN, CO—The American Alpine Club (AAC) formally announces today that the
hard-copy version of the 2011 American Alpine Journal (AAJ)—and future print
editions of the AAJ—will be available only to AAC members. This change from past
policy was adopted by the AAC Board of Directors in February 2011."
"The switch in policy is part of a wide-reaching Five-Year Strategic Plan
developed from thousands of surveys and interviews with AAC members and
non-members."
“Our members come first,” says AAC Information & Marketing Director Erik
Lambert. “Member dues directly support AAC programs: publications, community
events, conservation, advocacy for climbers, grants, and more. Non-member sales
of the AAJ required significant up-front investment and little return. To ensure
that we’re giving back to the climbers who support us, we are optimizing the use
of Club funds — away from programs that do not benefit members and into more
forward -- thinking member benefits and technologies. Ever-improving online
resources will ensure that The American Alpine Journal continues on as the
world’s go-to record of significant climbs.”
"The new policy will not affect those who hope to conduct research using AAJ
online resources. Both members and non-members may access PDFs of 1929–2009 AAJs
at:
http://www.americanalpineclub.org/site/aajsearch. Significant portions of the
2009–2011 AAJs are also available for free at AAJ Online: http://aaj.americanalpineclub.org
."
"As usual, AAC members will have early access to full digital versions of the
most current Journal, accessed through their member profile on the AAC website."
"The 2011 AAJ has been printed; all AAC members who are active on July 31, 2011
will receive this 400-page book. Contributors and participating clubs and
libraries also will receive the 2011 AAJ in hard copy.
Members can expect their copies of the 2011 AAJ and 2011 Accidents in North
American Mountaineering to arrive in late August this year."
Contacts:
Erik Lambert
Information & Marketing Director
The American Alpine Club
elambert@americanalpineclub.org
(303) 951-4572
Luke Bauer
Content & Marketing Manager
The American Alpine Club
lbauer@americanalpineclub.org
(303) 384-0110 ext. 39
About The American Alpine Club
The American Alpine Club provides knowledge and inspiration, conservation
and advocacy, and logistical support for the climbing community. The AAC
advocates for American climbers domestically and around the
world; provides grants and volunteer opportunities to protect and conserve the
places we climb; hosts local and national climbing festivals and events;
publishes two of the world’s most sought-after climbing annuals,
The American Alpine Journal and Accidents in North American Mountaineering;
cares for the world’s leading climbing library and country’s leading
mountaineering museum; manages the Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch as part of a
larger lodging network for climbers; and annually gives $80,000+ toward
climbing, conservation, and research grants to adventurers who travel the world.
Learn about additional programs and become a member at americanalpineclub.org.
Join the AAC’s online community at facebook.com/americanalpineclub.
About The American Alpine Journal
Published since 1929, The American Alpine Journal is the premier annual record
of significant mountaineering and long rock climbing ascents worldwide.
By the way, they missed something. They didn't kill Accidents in North American
Mountaineering. We will have the 2011 edition next week, before the members have
it (unless they somehow cancelled my pre-paid
order for six copies.)
This is much more personal to me than it appears, and it isn't about money, or
ego, or anything obvious.
My relationship with the AAC started in the 1950s, when as a teenage boy I
started reading books about climbing, and I took the Lexington Avenue subway
from Brooklyn to the 96th Street station to visit the AAC at
their headquarters at 113 East 90th Street. I looked in the cases at the old ice
axes and nailed boots and hemp ropes, and saw the shelves full of old books with
exotic titles about Mount Everest, the Himalaya, the Alps
and Alaska, and it was partly from the dreams that started in that room, in the
second floor library in the old fire station, that my life's work began. And now
a bunch of people who were never in that room are trying to
destroy a part of my childhood fantasies, fantasies that all came true.
Cheers,
Michael Chessler
AAC Member # 2958
info@chesslerbooks.com
303 670-0093
Chessler Books
www.chesslerbooks.com
info@chesslerbooks.com
July 23, 2011
Dear friends,
If you agree that killing the American Alpine Journal for American Alpine Club
non members is a mistake, here is the most important person to E-mail:
Steve Swenson, AAC President: swenson.s@comcast.net
Please write to him. A short note is fine, don't be as wordy as I am! I am sure
he is a great guy and will do the right thing.
He is probably climbing in the Himalaya, which means he has plenty of time in
his tent during the storms to think about how to fix the problems of killing the
AAJ, a bean counter decision in a world of mountain literature lovers.
Cheers,
Michael Chessler
The rest of the story
American Alpine Journal Available to All Climbers
Posted on: October 19th, 2011 by Luke Bauer
The American Alpine Club is pleased to announce that The American Alpine
Journal—the world’s journal of record for notable climbs—is once again available
to the public.
In July the Club announced that the Journal in printed form would be available
only to AAC Members. More than 100 climbers commented on the policy. The remarks
ranged from supportive to irate, but every note reinforced the importance of the
AAJ to climbers around the world. As a response to this community outpouring,
the AAC has made the Journal available to everyone in the following ways,
effective immediately:
1. Journal for All: The printed American Alpine Journal is once again available
to all climbers, worldwide, at the price of $45. It is available only through
The American Alpine Club and can be purchased at shop.americanalpineclub.org.
2. Digital AAJ for All: All climbers may continue to access PDFs of 1929–2010
AAJs for free at americanalpineclub.org/site/aajsearch. Significant portions of
the 2009–2011 AAJs are also available for free at AAJ Online:
aaj.americanalpineclub.org. As usual, AAC Members get early access to full
digital versions of the most current Journal, accessed through their Member
profile on the AAC website.
3. Journal upon Joining: Every AAC Member gets The American Alpine Journal for
free. And now: no more months of expectant waiting for a printed copy! Every new
American Alpine Club Member—within weeks of joining the Club—will receive a
parcel that includes the current AAJ. As usual, all Members active in July also
will receive that year’s annual publications in August: The American Alpine
Journal and Accidents in North American Mountaineering.
4. AAJ Discounts: AAC Members who would like to purchase additional print copies
of the 2011 AAJ may do so at the exclusive rate of $36. This 20% discount is
available only through The American Alpine Club. AAJs can be purchased at
shop.americanalpineclub.org. (Members: log in at americanalpineclub.org to
access your discount code.)
Having listened to the climbing community’s diverse input, the Club has revised
its plan to meet the needs of both Members and non-Members:
• Break away from a model that does not provide a return on investment and move
to a model that raises more funds that directly support the AAC programs that
Members tell us they care about
• Support and encourage membership by offering immediate delivery of the current
year’s Journal
• Ensure the long-term well-being of the world’s most respected climbing annual
• Further the AAC mission by spreading knowledge, inspiration, and logistics to
climbers
“The AAC is in the midst of modernizing its products and programs,” said AAC
President Steve Swenson. “Based on what we have heard from you, these changes
will strengthen the AAC by enabling it to provide more and improved services to
the climbing community.”
The American Alpine Club has been supporting the world’s climbers since 1902 and
producing the AAJ since 1929. AAC Member dues and donations are a critical
source of funding for The American Alpine Journal as well as other AAC programs:
creating volunteer opportunities to protect and conserve the places we climb,
caring for the world’s leading climbing library, advocating for American
climbers here and abroad, hosting local and national climbing festivals and
events, and giving $80,000 in annual grants to expand possibilities in climbing,
conservation, and mountain research. These programs were chosen in large part by
the community thanks to a 2010 AAC Climber Survey. The Club is again asking for
input in a follow-up 2011 Climber Survey.
“We are a Club for climbers, by climbers,” said the Club’s Information &
Marketing Director, Erik Lambert. “We’ve heard that many of you want access to
the printed Journal, and we have resumed that access.” He added that the Journal
requires significant investment and resources to produce, and that joining the
AAC, which includes a free Journal, is still the best way to support the AAJ and
the Club’s greater mission.
For those who do not wish to become AAC Members, the Journal now is available
for purchase from the AAC website—which directly injects revenue into important
AAC programs, like the Journal.
“This is a new model for the AAC, and not all of these changes will please
everyone,” Swenson said. “We hope the climbing community will consider the
purpose behind these changes and address their concerns to the AAC in an honest,
positive, and productive way. We look forward to your feedback, patience, and
support during a time when the AAC is making numerous changes that will benefit
all of us.”
About The American Alpine Club
The American Alpine Club provides knowledge and inspiration, conservation and
advocacy, and logistical support for the climbing community. The AAC advocates
for American climbers domestically and around the world; provides grants and
volunteer opportunities to protect and conserve the places we climb; hosts local
and national climbing festivals and events; publishes two of the world’s most
sought-after climbing annuals, The American Alpine Journal and Accidents in
North American Mountaineering; cares for the world’s leading climbing library
and country’s leading mountaineering museum; manages the Grand Teton Climbers’
Ranch as part of a larger lodging network for climbers; and annually gives
$80,000+ toward climbing, conservation, and research grants to adventurers who
travel the world. Learn about additional programs and become a member at
americanalpineclub.org. Join the AAC’s online community at facebook.com/americanalpineclub.
About The American Alpine Journal
Published since 1929, The American Alpine Journal is the premier annual record
of significant mountaineering and long rock climbing ascents worldwide.
http://inclined.americanalpineclub.org/2011/10/aaj-available-to-all/
WARNING - *DISCLAIMER!*
Mountain climbing has inherent dangers that can in part, be mitigated
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