We're starting up a discussion series about the proposed new division. Join us here or on Twitter (#alanewdivision) to talk about it and share your feedback.
Question 2: What feedback do you have regarding the Values and Vision the Steering Committee has developed for the proposed new division? (See below). You may provide feedback directly in this thread or via Google Docs.
Values
- Shared and celebrated expertise
- Strategically chosen work that makes a difference
- Transparent, equitable, flexible, and inclusive structures
- Empowering framework for experimental and proven approaches
- Intentional amplification of diverse perspectives
- Expansive collaboration to become better together
Vision
Shared and celebrated expertise
Our new division will be the source for sharing and developing expertise among members, providing programming, publications, and other activities that support professional development in a wide variety of forms. We celebrate and recognize the achievements of our members and make sharing the core of what we do.
Strategically chosen work that makes a difference
Our new division will focus on work that provides valuable services and experiences for our members. We will work to understand member needs and continually evaluate how we use our resources to best meet those needs. We will be dedicated to maintaining a balance between agile and adaptable activities and strategic decision-making with the long-term health of the division in mind.
Transparent, equitable, flexible, and inclusive structures
Members of our new division will find it easy to understand what we do and how we do it. Our structure and activities will be welcoming to members – existing and prospective, new to the profession and seasoned – and process will never get in the way of access to resources and connections. Our new division will encourage sharing of opinions, openness to change, and inclusivity that is always respectful and collegial.
Empowering framework for experimental and proven approaches
Our new division will support different methods and approaches for getting things done, including methods we haven't even dreamed up yet. Excellence and expertise can come from anywhere in the division, regardless of tenure or experience. The framework of the new division exists to provide tools, resources and connection that let members accomplish what's important to them.
Intentional amplification of diverse perspectives
Our new division champions the belief that we are stronger – as individuals, as a division, and as a profession – when we ensure that our work includes diverse voices. We will allocate real resources toward ensuring that people from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives take active roles in the association. Diversity, equity and inclusion in our new division will be exemplified by activities that help members reach outside of their usual bubbles, including across different types of libraries, different kinds of library workers and different functional areas.
Expansive collaboration to become better together
Members of our new division will have ample opportunities to engage with colleagues and do valuable work, and those opportunities will meet our members where they are. Our new division allows for members to take part no matter their circumstances. Collaboration can be live or virtual, along a spectrum of time-frames from microproject to multi-year initiative, and the process of matching members with activities is friction-free for members, leadership and staff alike.
Scope
- Standards
- Creating an authoritative resource for best practices within the functional areas of the profession
- Creation and input on national and international policies, standards, and competencies
- Operations and Buildings
- Providing venues for sharing best practices supporting efficient unit operations and facilities
- Sharing ideas and knowledge to stay engaged on changing trends in organizational structures, services, staff operations, and facilities
- Collections
- Ensuring that libraries and library staff can meet user's needs
- Creation and input on standards and best practices for selection, acquisition, description, access, and preservation of information resources
- Technology
- Supporting the identification and adoption of best practices in libraries
- Making ALA information policy concrete for members and the profession by providing resources, tools, training, and community support for adoption and implementation
- Helping librarians to understand emerging technologies and translate them into actionable plans for library services
- Bridging the technology related needs and discussions across all types of libraries and operational areas
- Leadership
- Identify and develop leaders at every level
- Ability to grow and lead within our governance structure, growing micro-opportunities and virtual engagement
- Robust and diverse mentoring programs and leadership institutes
- Growing and maintaining cohorts from leadership programs to expand member networks
Guiding Principles for Creating the New Division
- We will build upon our existing strengths
- We will focus on professional development in new, more relevant and meaningful ways
- We will enable open, flexible, and easy member engagement
- We will simplify and streamline process
- We will ensure a governance and coordinating structure that enable members and staff to be effective, engaging in meaningful and productive work
- We will empower member engagement
- We will adopt a new mindset
- We will optimize use of division staff time
- We will experiment and try new approaches; we will learn from our experiences and be intentional about assessment
- We will be a model of innovation within ALA
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Joel Tonyan
Systems and User Experience Librarian
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
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