RMRT (Retired Members Round Table)

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last person joined: 4 days ago 

The Retired Members Round Table (RMRT) shall exist to develop programs of particular interest to retired persons from all types of libraries and all forms of library services, including formal opportunities for continued involvement and learning; a variety of leadership training and opportunities for mentoring; lifelong professional involvement and networking; and active engagement in the American Library Association and the profession of librarianship.

Visit the Retired Members Round Table (RMRT) on the ALA website.

  • 1.  Retired Members Round Table - Upcoming Board meeting, Wednesday, April 17, 4 pm (ET)

    Posted 25 days ago

    There will be an RMRT Board meeting on Wednesday, April 17, 4 pm (eastern), 3 pm (central), 2 pm (mountain) and 1 pm (pacific) on Zoom. (Link below)

    All RMRT members are welcome to attend the meeting and find out what is coming up for the Retired Members Round Table and learn about our ALA Annual programs.  

    Board meeting minutes  from January 11, 2024 and the April 17th meeting agenda  are attached.

    Attachments - April 17th meeting agenda and January 11th meeting minutes. 

    Zoom Link 

    Topic: RMRT Executive Board Meeting

    Time: Wednesday, April 17 4pm et/3pm ct

    Join Zoom Meeting

    https://ala-events.zoom.us/j/93604734074?pwd=ZWRDUDdGalJ5NkZBR3o3T29LYWlsUT09

    Meeting ID: 936 0473 4074

    Passcode: 249203

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    Meeting ID: 936 0473 4074

    Find your local number: https://ala-events.zoom.us/u/abtxlGgb4p



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    Michele Lauer-Bader
    Library Trustee
    She/Her/Hers
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    Attachment(s)

    docx
    RMRT minutes January 2024.docx   15 KB 1 version
    docx
    RMRT Agenda,Board meeting, 4,17,24.docx   16 KB 1 version


  • 2.  RE: Retired Members Round Table - Upcoming Board meeting, Wednesday, April 17, 4 pm (ET)

    Posted 24 days ago

    Howdy RMRTers,

    Sorry I will not make the 4/17 meeting. Here's a high level look at a few ALA governancey thingumabobs:
    (wait, "thingumabobs" is a word and is spelled correctly on the first (and second!) try?! -- well, I'll be knackered)

    Anyway, here we go:

    • LibLearnX will run in 2025 -- but not in 2026
      (I suspect this means 2025 is the end of Midwinter/LLX as we knew it)
      • What? Why? -- Aaron's reading of the tea leaves suggests that a "second" national meeting (with less than  ~7,000 paying attendees) is financially unsustainable (i.e. a negative amount on the ROI statement)
    • ALA Policy Manual Revision Task Force (PMRTF or as I like to say "pmertiff" - say the p as in pterodactyl)
      • Policy Manual Revision is a fraught thing, I don't know why)
      • I was on the 2012 Policy Manual Revision Committee "pmerc" (the numbering system that everyone (except a few catalogers) dislikes is my fault, SORRY)
      • The policies have been reordered to align with the new Bylaws order (for easier cross referencing)
      • The Bylaws have Articles & the Policy Manual has Chapters (for easier differentiation)
      • There are many, many policy updates to align with the Bylaws (and after the broad policies are completed there will probably be referrals to various committees for updates to relevant sections of the policy manual to be sure the Manual reflects current practices -- 10 year old practices are likely inefficient -- and I'm sure those changes will also be fraught because governance a drama are like a hand and a glove... or maybe a glove and a hand, you can decide) :)
      • Note Bene: the timeline of reorganizing and updating the Manual says it will be completed by Jan 2025 -- pmertiff is barely through "Section A" (the internal-facing governance policies) and updating / changing Section B (the public facing ALA policy statements on various situations and events and the public good) will be even more fraught, since many are jot and tittle from the 1970s through the 2000-teens (with many people passionately invested in the exact phrasing and punctuation.
        • Re the NB -- I wasn't trying to be snarky, but Section B needs a good review, updating, and general housecleaning (and whoever does the work will not please everyone)

    Those are the two big things coming down the Pike in ALA governance that I see.

    PS I've been invited to be PMC Chair for 2024-2025 & I'm thinking it's time for PMC to review all the ALA Unit policies (Div, RT, Offices, etc.) and get them ready to update to align with the new Bylaws and the Policy Manual revisions.

    PPS If I suddenly disappear, I will likely be found hanging out with Jimmy Hoffa in the end zone of a stadium in New Jersey :)



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    Aaron W Dobbs (he/him)
    Library Support Staff Round Table, Chair, 2022 - 2023
    Library Support Staff Interests Round Table, President, 2021 - 2022
    ALA Council, Councilor for Small Round Tables, 2019 - 2025
    Round Table Member: GODORT, GNCRT, LearnRT, LHRT, LSSRT (formerly LSSIRT & SORT), MAGIRT, NMRT, RMRT
    Division Member: ACRL, Core (formerly LITA & LLAMA), RUSA, UNITED
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    Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
    Professor & Library Department Chair
    Scholarly Communication Librarian
    Librarian Liaison for Business
    Librarian Liaison for STEM
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    Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties
    Shippensburg University Chapter, President, 2022-2024; Vice President, 2016 - 2022
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    Original Message