Note: The initial posts for this group will be re-posts of messages, updates, and materials that were previously posted to the ALA Members Connect group and will include links to the original posts. This message was originally posted on February 2, 2019.
Dear ALA Members,A huge thank you to those of you who participated in our group update sessions and were able to provide feedback to the Steering Committee on Organizational Effectiveness (SCOE). We are finalizing the date for our SCOE virtual meeting for all members to attend and hear the presentation from Midwinter and have an opportunity to provide feedback. I will post as soon as that information is available.
For those of you who might not be familiar, SCOE has been charged with developing and recommending strategies and tactics to create an ALA with the agility to respond to current challenges and opportunities, and to focus energy and resources on its mission and members in the decades to come. We are looking to design a modern association for a modern profession in order to strengthen and improve our association for 21st century leadership and our 21st century libraries.
Attached are the slides that we shared with members at Midwinter. These slides outline the charge, scope, and process SCOE and our consultants from Tecker International went through to present some ideas to members to see what you thought about how ALA's Executive Board, Divisions, Round Tables, Committees, and Council might look in the future. I want to reiterate that these are all just ideas and that the charge of the committee is to put forth strategies and tactics. Members and members only will have a final say in how our association reshapes itself for the future by formal vote on future ALA spring ballots. SCOE is here to compile those ideas (from you all!) into potential models.Our timeline for putting forth strategies and tactics, as you will see, is fluid because we want to make sure we are getting as much feedback and guidance from members as possible. While we hope to bring some more solid possibilities to Annual, that will depend on the feedback we received at Midwinter and the feedback we are receiving virtually. Please feel free to comment with your suggestions, ideas, and, if you have other models you feel we should consider, we would absolutely love to hear those as well. I am happy to answer questions from you all, whether here on Connect or through email: lessalozada@gmail.comOur committee looks forward to further engaging our membership and our association to become the best it can be. We are striving towards our ideal ALA, an association that is strong because its members work together to create strong communities and a strong profession.All the best,Lessa------------------------------
Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada
ALA Executive Board Member
Chair, ALA Steering Committee on Organizational Effectiveness
Adult Services Assistant Manager, Palos Verdes Library District
she/her/hers
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