Leadership Opportunity: ASCLA Nominating Committee seeks candidates, gives you the inside scoop on serving ASCLA

The ASCLA Nominating Committee, chaired by ASCLA member Ray James, seeks applicants for vacant board positions to be elected early in 2014. Read on to learn more about the available positions and what each of them entails. To express interest in a position or ask questions about serving on the ASCLA board,  contact Ray at erayjames@gmail.com.

With apologies to the memory of JFK, “Ask not only what ASCLA can do for you, but also what can you do for ASCLA.”

Each spring, the American Library Association holds elections for various leadership positions throughout the association. ASCLA has five leadership positions available in the next election cycle with service to start after the end of the 2014 Las Vegas Annual Conference. If you are a current member of ASCLA and active with any of the interest groups with open board seats, then you are eligible for leadership roles in one ALA’s fastest growing divisions!

The positions to be filled are:

  • President-Elect 2014-2015 (a 3 year commitment–2014 through 2017–that includes the president-elect year, presidential year, and past president year);
  • Director-at-Large 2014-2016 (2 year term);
  • Designated Director, Cooperatives and Networks 2014-2016 (2 year term);
  • Designated Director, Special Populations 2014-2016 (2 year term);
  • and Designated Director, State Library Agencies 2014-2016 (2 year term).

As a potential candidate, the first two questions that may come to mind are “What do I have to do?” and “Do I have to go to conferences?”

The basic answer to the first question comes from a statement of responsibilities that goes to everyone who expresses an interest in serving of the ASCLA Board of Directors. In a nutshell for the Designated Directors:

  • Serves  on the ASCLA board as a representative of one of the following typesof library organizations, constituencies or agencies: state library agencies, library agencies and individuals which provide library materials and service to populations with special needs, library cooperatives, and library consultants or independent librarians.
  • Serves on the ASCLA Interest Group Coordinating Committee (IGCC)
  • Assumes other responsibilities as assigned by the president.

Directors-at-Large represent ASCLA as a whole rather than a particular interest group and do not serve on the IGCC. Service is for two years which begins at the close of the Annual conference in the year of election and ends at the close of Annual conference two years later. The Vice-President/President-Elect role is more expansive.

What does this all mean? At a bare minimum it means going to board meetings and staying awake. No one ever does just the bare minimum. Until ASCLA implements a virtual meeting standard, directors and other association officers need to attend the Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference during their term of service, though there may be virtual board meetings that take place outside of these twice annual face-to-face meetings.

The prestige of serving on ASCLA board is often impetus from a librarian’s workplace to provide financial support for attending these conferences. Some directors choose to fund the experience themselves. In my opinion, the real pleasure from serving as a director is interacting with other professionals from such diverse areas as correctional librarianship to those who provide service to people with physical or intellectual limitations to consultants to those who work in state libraries. By learning about the issues and solutions in librarianship from this multiplicity of backgrounds, every director expands his or her horizons. Think of it as networking on steroids.

For those in the profession for many years working on the ASCLA Board can be a reward for years of service and a chance to mentor younger members of the profession. For the younger members of the profession taking a leadership role is not just a resume builder but also an opportunity to learn, network, and influence the future of the profession.

For me personally, serving on the ASCLA board meant some of all of above plus travels to Chicago, Anaheim, Dallas, Denver, San Diego, New Orleans, and Seattle. It meant expanding my perceptions far beyond my job. It meant a sense of accomplishment from helping to guide changes in ASCLA, helping introduce new faces and ideas to ASCLA leadership, and taking part in expanding not only the membership numbers but also the perceptions of ALA members and non-ALA folks about ASCLA and its mission “to enhance the effectiveness of library service by advocating for and providing high quality networking, enrichment and educational opportunities for its diverse members, who represent state library agencies, libraries serving special populations, library cooperatives, and library consultants.”

Interested in throwing your hat in the ring, or at least exploring your options? Contact the Nominating Committee via Committee Chair Ray James at erayjames@gmail.com to get the ball rolling!

 

The Hero Project: Tell your story at the Annual Conference

ASCLA members: you are heroes.

Your work makes a significant difference in the lives of library users both locally and across the country.

We want to tell everyone how awesome you are, and we need your help to do it.

Throughout the Annual Conference, we’ll be collecting ASCLA members’ stories about why you are a hero–simple statements about why the work you do makes a difference. We’ll snap a quick picture, take a quick video or record your 1-2 sentence statement about your heroic efforts.

For example:

  • I am a library hero because I bring books behind bars.
  • I am a library hero because I make the library available to people who can’t read traditional print books.
  • I am a library hero because I connect people and resources through my consulting work.
  • I am a library hero because I fight for funding for public libraries.
  • I am a library superhero by day, and an ASCLA volunteer by night.

In addition to telling your story, this is an excellent opportunity to wear a superhero cape. Color options are “Heroic Blue” and “Sidekick Yellow”.

What’s that? You’re convinced you’re not photogenic at all? Here’s my promise to you: the process will be fun and (relatively) painless, and the end result will be amazing.

Together we’re going to help get the word out about the important and powerful work of ASCLA members. I hope you’ll set aside any fears you may have and come be a part of this inspirational project.

Now…ready to participate? We thought so!

Fill out this survey so that we can meet up at Annual and capture your hero statement: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/heroprojectac13

Even if you’re not going to Chicago, you can still participate! There will be an option to submit photos–we’ll follow up with you next month about the process. Fill out the survey accordingly and we’ll be in touch.

Do it for the libraries!

 

PS—If you know of an ASCLA member who is a library hero and should be participating in this project, please forward this message to them and personally invite them to participate!

Call for Proposals: ASCLA programs, preconferences and institutes for 2014

ASCLA is now accepting proposals for:

  • Institutes for the 2014 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia
  • Preconferences for the 2014 Annual Conference in Las Vegas
  • Programs for the 2014 Annual Conference in Las Vegas

Institutes and preconferences are ticketed events held on the Friday of the conference. Programs are held throughout the Annual Conference and are included as a part of conference registration.

You can access the online program proposal form here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ascla2014progpreconproposal

You can also download a PDF of the form in preparation for submitting the online form. Only online submissions will be accepted!

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, May 15 Saturday, June 1!

We have a limited number of slots available for each type of event, so put your best foot forward when submitting a proposal.

Who can propose a program, institute or preconference? Any current ASCLA member can propose one of these events, however we strongly encourage support and sponsorship from one of our interest groups! If you’re not an interest group member, consider joining one and using the group as a springboard for your conference event ideas. Check out the list of our interest groups, contact information for interest group leaders and instructions on how to join.

What sorts of topics are of interest? The best topics represent ASCLA’s core member areas–state library agencies, special populations librarians, independent librarians and library consultants, and resource-sharing librarians at networks and cooperatives–but are also of interest to librarians throughout the profession from all types of libraries. Keep in mind that topics should still be relevant in January and June 2014 when they are finally presented! You can browse our interest group list here for inspiration.

If my event is accepted and approved by ASCLA, what will I be responsible for? You will be responsible for recruiting and serving as a liaison to the event speakers, as well as being on-site the day of the event to help coordinate event details. You will work with the ASCLA office to set up the event details with ALA Conference Services. The ASCLA office will promote your event, and will give you the tools to help spread the word.

I’m not an ASCLA member, but I’d like to get involved with program planning. The best way to do this is to join ASCLA, and then join one of our many interest groups.

Anything else I should know? If you’re going to go through the trouble of planning an in-person event, we want to maximize the reach of that information! Consider offering a webinar or other online learning opportunity in conjunction with the in-person event that will enhance the learning experience! So for example, you might offer a webinar in early May as a teaser for the content that will be covered at your conference program in June. In late July, you might host a follow-up discussion using a tool like ALA Connect, Google Hangout or Blackboard Collaborate that brings program attendees together to continue the conversation about what you’ve discussed at the previous two events.

Questions about the program planning process? Please contact Liz Markel, ASCLA marketing & programs manager at lmarkel@ala.org.

We look forward to receiving your proposals!

How and Why to Volunteer for ASCLA

Dear ASCLA Members,

I invite you to volunteer for one of ASCLA’s committees or interest groups.

If you are already a committee or interest group volunteer, thank you for your service: you are so much appreciated!  Because of your contributions, our division accomplishes much. ASCLA, through its volunteers, has provided:

This is just a small sampling of what our volunteers plan and take part in, and what makes ASCLA a terrific place for opportunities for service, your professional growth, and networking with colleagues.

If you are not yet a member of any of our committees or interest groups, please join:

Committees: All current members may volunteer for ASCLA committees here: http://www.ala.org/cfapps/committee/volunteerform (you will be asked to login using your ALA login).

Second, write to the ASCLA vice-president, Sara Laughlin (saraglaughlin@gmail.com), our ASCLA president-elect, who will appoint the committees for 2014.  Tell her about your experience and why you can be of help to these groups. 

Interest Groups: To join a free interest group, all current ASCLA members may call MACS (ALA’s member services department) at the following number: 1-800-545-2433, x5 and request to have the interest group added to their membership; or send an email to membership@ala.org with your request to be added to the interest group with subject line: ASCLA free interest groups.

Second, write to the specific interest group leader below. Tell him or her about your experience and how you can be of help to the group: 

ASCLA Alzheimer’s & Related Dementias Interest Group

Leader: Mary Beth Riedner, mbried@comcast.net

 ASCLA Future of Libraries Interest Group

Leader: Peggy Cadigan, pcadigan@njstatelib.org

 ASCLA Consortium Management Discussion Interest Group

Leader: Sheryl Knab, sknab@wnylrc.org

ASCLA Collaborative Digitization Interest Group

Leader: Rhonda Marker, rmarker@rci.rutgers.edu

 ASCLA Interlibrary Cooperation Interest Group

Leader: Scherelene L. Schatz, slschatzie@aol.com

ASCLA Physical Delivery Interest Group

Co-Leader: Gregory Pronevitz, greg@masslibsystem.org

Co-Leader: Mr. James E. Pletz, jpletz1968@hotmail.com

ASCLA Library Consultants Interest Group

Leader: Jeannette Smithee, smithee@seflin.org 

ASCLA Library Services for Youth in Custody

Leader: Camden Eadoin Tadhg, Tadhg_C@cde.state.co.us

ASCLA Bridging Deaf Cultures @ your library Interest Group

Leader: Alec Mcfarlane, alec.mcfarlane@gmail.com

ASCLA Library Services to People with Visual or Physical Disabilities that Prevent Them from Reading Standard Print Interest Group

Leader:  Carli Spina, carli.spina@gmail.com

ASCLA Library Services to the Incarcerated and Detained

Leader: Diane Walden, diane.walden@doc.state.co.us

ASCLA Universal Access Interest Group

Leader: Marti Goddard, mgoddard@sfpl.org

ASCLA State Library Agencies – Library Development Interest Group

Leader: Gina Persichini, Gina.Persichini@libraries.idaho.gov  

ASCLA State Library Agencies – LSTA Coordinators Interest Group

Leader: Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, kpeiffer@njstatelib.org

ASCLA State LibraryAgencies – Youth Services Consultants Interest Group

Leader: Sharon Rawlins, srawlins@njstatelib.org

ASCLA Tribal Libraries Interest Group

Leader: Lillian Chavez, mescalero_library@yahoo.com

Thank you again to all our current, past and future volunteers – you are truly what makes ASCLA such a wonderful, and fun, place to be!

Best Wishes,

Susan Hornung

ASCLA Executive Director

shornung@ala.org