ALCTS LLAMA LITA Alignment Discussion

  • 1.  Communications Working Group Information

    Posted Jun 12, 2018 02:50 PM
    The steering committee created a Communications Working Group in May, they are continuing their work.

    Committee Charge

    The Communications Working Group will develop a plan for communication with members about the potential creation of a new division. This communication plan should identify communication modes and timelines for specific messages. Additionally, it should identify key member/stakeholder groups and mechanisms for members to provide feedback and share potential concerns. An initial draft plan will be completed before June 15, 2018 for review by division leadership. The Communications Working Group will also work with each division to ensure that the tone and message of respective member communication is consistent with the vision for the project as a whole throughout its implementation.

    Members
    Lynn Hoffman, LLAMA President Elect (Chair)
    Erin Boyd (ALCTS)
    Maria Collins (ALCTS)
    Debbie Tenofsky (LLAMA)
    Joel Tonyan (LITA)
    Zara Wilkinson (LLAMA)
    Kyle Willis (LITA)



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    Keri Cascio
    Executive Director, ALCTS
    American Library Association
    kcascio@ala.org
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  • 2.  RE: Communications Working Group Information

    Posted Jun 29, 2018 07:03 PM
    To my colleagues on the communications group. I wanted to make sure a couple of the points that came up in the joint board meeting at ALA Annual were reflected in the discussion.

    Please include feedback opportunities for non members. This can be open and/or targeted at potential future members. An outside perspective would be very valuable if one of the goals is to attract new members. Another target may be people that have recently dropped membership in one of the three divisions.

    Also, please consider targeting and inviting feedback from those who may not self identify as someone who can contribute to the discussion. Think about who is missing and invite them to the discussion. You may be surprised at what they contribute. I am thinking especially of people that are not involved in committees or may not travel to conference. These people may be hard to identify, but I think they can help surface important issues around engagement.

    Finally, I hope you will also consider ways to engage people who are critical or even against this merger. Involving them in the discussion to shape this new group might help neutralize or even change their perceptions.

    Thank you for getting this committee together early and giving communication priority.

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    Erica Findley
    Cataloging/Metadata Librarian
    Multnomah County Library
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Communications Working Group Information

    Posted Jul 12, 2018 07:58 AM
    Thanks so much for this feedback, Erica (and apologies for the delay in replying).

    You're absolutely right about reaching out to people who aren't currently members of the existing divisions or of ALA, potential members of the new division, people who are critical of or against the new division, and people who may be members but who don't engage with us in the typical ways. I think we have some ways of reaching out to the first two groups, including doing some outreach at the ALA level and in library schools, and seeing if any of our state chapter organizations can help us gather feedback. And we can do some targeted outreach to people who are opposed to the idea based on responses to the recent survey to make sure we're hearing and considering everyone's concerns.

    As you point out, it's more difficult to identify people who are members but don't currently engage with volunteer and other division opportunities specifically because they *don't* self-identify. I'd love to hear any suggestions you might have for how to loop in that group, especially when it comes to the various working groups that will be spinning up over the next couple of months to move through our project plan.

    Please keep the thoughtful feedback coming!

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    Lynn Hoffman
    President, Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA)
    Director of Operations, Somerset County Library System of NJ
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Communications Working Group Information

    Posted Jul 12, 2018 10:48 AM
    Lynn,

    Thanks for the response. I can think of a few methods,

    1. Compare the current committee lists with the member rosters and dedupe. This should provide a list of people who aren't currently active in committees.
    2. Send a request for feedback to all members who have not attended a conference in the last three years. 
    3. Anyone who has cancelled their memberships to these 3 divisions in the past 3 years.
    4. Putting out a call for feedback on social media asking for responses from any of these three groups.

    In any of these ways I think the messaging is important. Not simply asking for feedback in a passive way, but making it clear that you want to hear from these individuals because they are not active in committees, attending recent conferences, or no longer members. Sometimes these groups may see general calls to attend feedback sessions at conferences or fill out a survey and think "That is not for me...". So, I think tailoring the message, and inviting these folks in is really important.

    Thank you for your consideration,

    Erica



    Original Message