While the library economy continues its downward slide, the cost of attending the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting seems as high as ever. That is the price of professional participation. These days it seems a bit too high and tends to limit involvement in the old association to librarians in the higher echelons of the field. Many of them are subsidized by their employers, but the young from the lower ranks are not. It does cost a lot to participate in and to attend conferences like ALA's Midwinter Meeting. One must decide for himself/herself whether he/she can justify it as part of the price of being a library professional. This article discusses the services offered by ALA for its meeting's participants and offers information on member registration fee, conference hotel rates, and transportation.