Organizational Effectiveness (SCOE) Project: Discussion Forum

Dear Members,

We heard you. Members want an effective, nimble, inclusive, member-driven American Library Association. Maintaining the status quo with our 100-year-old governance structure will not allow ALA to be the leading library association that members demand. In order for libraries and librarianship to thrive in the future, we invite members to move ALA Forward Together.

Relying on input from thousands of members and data about ALA membership trends and finances, the Steering Committee on Organizational Effectiveness (SCOE) has worked since 2018 to develop and refine a package of recommendations to ALA members. Forward Together aligns with the streams of change already underway within ALA related to finances, real estate holdings, technology, and staffing.

Forward Together proposes a package of interrelated recommendations which are necessarily complex -- because ALA is large and complex. We recommend changes to the board and committees for more direct election and input by members. Forward Together streamlines ways for members to get involved, participate, and influence ALA.

The financial realities and advocacy needs faced by libraries calls for bold leadership. Share the excitement in moving ALA Forward Together. We invite you to review the attached document that details the input and refinement process, background information, rationale for recommendations, and some of the most important data reviewed related to membership trends and dues, ALA finances, and streams of change. 

Forward Together was presented to the ALA Executive Board at their Fall Meeting in October. Recognizing the multiple streams of change occurring in the association right now, the Executive Board decided to move forward with the next phase of Forward Together including a transition of the work from SCOE to a new member group. The details of this transition and move to the next phase are still being worked on and we hope to share more information with you all closer to Midwinter, as well as a new, extended timeline that will allow for continuous changes to our governance model and Forward Together, modeling the iterative, 12-month process with continuous checks and balances to increase member participation in not only Forward Together but also in our association. The linked document is the report as it was presented to the Executive Board in October. Forthcoming changes are not reflected except in the opening note.

We thank you for all of your input and feedback thus far and look forward to sharing even more information and details over the coming months. Stay tuned for participation opportunities both virtually and in person!

Sincerely,
Lessa