Become a Participating Member in the EAHN
Photograph: Mauro Bonetti
 

EAHN Introduces Membership Fees

At the 2010 EAHN Annual Meeting in Bologna, the EAHN Committee decided to start implementing membership fees for the organization.  Currently, all EAHN services and activities are open to anyone free of charge. Although the EAHN strongly believes that this openness and free access are some of its most important features, it also recognizes an urgent need to introduce some form of membership fee in view of the precarious financial situation of the network.

The EAHN Committee emphasizes that the EAHN remains a free network open to all people interested in architectural history and related disciplines.  It is not an academic institution nor does it represent any specific group.  The EAHN believes that architectural history as a discipline needs an international forum of exchange for scholars at all levels, from professors to students. The organization provides a common platform where these exchanges can take place. To operate as such, the EAHN needs its constituents to express their support for these services by paying a membership fee that produces specific benefits for them.

Up until now the EAHN has had no structural funding whatsoever, an untenable situation at this point of its development. Currently, several institutions and individuals sustain EAHN activities in different ways.  For example, the Technische Universiteit Delft supports the EAHN Secretariat, and many individual EAHN members contribute substantial volunteer labor. Yet these commitments are not structural; furthermore, the TU Delft has announced that it will not continue its support without a structural financial basis organized by the EAHN itself.

The EAHN Committee has concluded that a structural income for the organization is imperative, and therefore a preliminary annual membership fee must be introduced as of July 2010.  This paid Participating Membership will be necessary for members to participate in any future EAHN activities like conferences, symposia, tours, and activities of the Thematic Groups; simple free access membership, including the EAHN e-mail mailing list will, however, remain free.
For individual participating members the annual fee will be €25 and for institutional participating members €250; voluntary additional contributions would be greatly appreciated. A complete organizational financial plan including the membership fees will be announced at the EAHN First International Conference in Guimarães in June 2010.

Full details of the fee schedule and payment options (to the EAHN's Paypal account or by bank transfer) will be announced to the membership via the EAHN mailing list and posted on the EAHN website.