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TASK FORCE GOALS
(musings of Barbara Semonche)
You will recall we were handed Ten Task
Force Goals in addition to our Charges. Well, we've not had a chance to discuss them yet,
but I'm listing them here to remind us of what we need to address before the conference.
Frankly, I don't see how we can do them all. However, we can at least account for what we
have done with them so that the next Membership Task Force will know where to pick up the
ball and run with it.
Perhaps we can have a chat later in the week. I'll call each of you if you'll give me
some idea of when you have time available.
Cheers, cherished colleagues!
Barbara P. Semonche, Library Dir. email: semonch@metalab.unc.edu
UNC-CH School of Journ. and Mass Comm Carroll Hall, CB# 3365
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365 USA
Phone: (919) 843-8300
FAX: (919) 962-0620
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TASK FORCE GOALS:
Goal #1. Identifying the members of the future
(Semonche's partial list. Need your additions.)
1. Non-SLA members currently working in information access and delivery
2. Non-MLS degree employees in special libraries
3. Undergraduate minors in information science
4. Information technology workers
5. Information science faculty
6. Others?
Goal #2. Expanding SLA globally
(Semonche's scant ideas. More credible ones from you coming?)
Offer SLA memberships payable in local currency.
Consider dues contingent on salaries in local economy.
Offer reduced membership rates if a virtual member.
Create "sister Chapters" with international member
groups (sort of "adopt-a-Chapter" program with certain Association financial
inducements).
Goal #3. Determining why people belong to SLA and what they want from
their membership
(Semonche's first reaction. Second thoughts from you all?)
This goal requires a full-scale marketing study and appears to beyond the scope of this
Membership Task Force.
Goal #4. Treating members as individuals
(Semonche's ruminations. More useful suggestions?)
Virtual connections are useful, but not enough to ensure deep and continued affiliation
with our Association.
Personal connections, "buddy" relationships, and
personal phone calls and letters along with friendly lunches, small support groups of all
kinds at the Chapter, Division, Caucus as well as the Association level are essential.
Goal #5. Creating membership benefits to be relevant to new professionals and
changing professionals
(Semonche's glittering (?) generalizations. Need sensational
specifics from you all.)
Low cost, high quality, variable formats along with continuing education are key
elements.
Goal #6. Broadening SLA's recruitment efforts
(Semonche's old-hat slogan. A better one is needed.)
Adopt the phrase "Each One Reach One" and put it into action.
Goal #7. Attracting people who are attracted to e-commerce
(Semonche's uninspired suggestions. Inspirational ones needed.)
Offer continuing education programs, virtually or otherwise. Certification in high-tech
skill sets is a possible avenue. Hold focus groups and caucus sessions on this topic
featuring key e-commerce players.
Goal #8. Focusing on mentoring
(Semonche is on a bit firmer ground here, but others are invited to
wade in.)
Mentoring is not just for students. (BTW, all students are not young twenty somethings.
Further, it is not unusual for students to enroll in library/information science programs
after successful careers in as many as two, three or even four different fields.)
To continue. Everyone at one time or another in his/her career
needs a mentor, coach, guide. To work through difficult career challenges requires a
professional focus with a personal delivery system.
There are a number of SLA units already involved in a variety of
mentoring programs, most of them informal. While recognizing the value of these efforts,
it is probably unwise to overemphasize their structure; keep mentoring efforts warm,
frequent, friendly is good to start.
A formal Association-level mentoring program might well require a
headquarters staffer busy signing up mentors, assigning them to mentees, keeping track of
progress, and filing reports.
Some guidelines would be useful, a few mentoring "success
stories" shared, and perhaps a few programs highlighting mentors and mentees.
Otherwise, our recommendation is to keep it simple, warm, frequent, and
friendly.
Goal #9. Retaining student members after they graduate (add a young members'
roundtable?)
(Semonche's suggestions)
Offer reduced rate membership, such as a First-Year Member rate, when student
memberships run out.
Urge Chapter members to attend graduation ceremonies or at the least send cards and
letters.
Spend time getting to know the students; offer support in job searches.
Distribute SLA career advisory material and contacts to other Chapters and Divisions.
Acknowledge and celebrate Student Group
Advisors with letters and certificates of appreciation.
Take photos and resumes.
Seek Fellows support.
Goal #10. Adopting a certification process
(Results of Semonche's initial research. More guidance is needed
here, please.)
Knowledge
Management Certification Board This KM Certification Board is an independent,
non-profit [applying for 501c(3)] professional certification.
KMCB is a member of NOCA, National Organization for Competency Assurance.
There are at least 3 certification levels ranging in cost from $3,750 to
$5,000 depending upon length of study and levels of proficiency.
Distance learning and with face-to-face and online follow-up conferences
are the educational format.
A Certified Knowledge Environment Engineer (CKEE) is a KM professional
with the skill set to analyze, design, and engineer the environment of organizations to
accelerate the rate of successful knowledge creation towards a substantial payoff for the
organization.
Enter into partnerships with academic institutions and other
organizations already engaged in offering certification and distance learning programs.
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Task Force Goals -- thoughts; Tom Rink
Date: Mon, 05 Jun 2000 14:55:20 -0500
From: Tom Rink <trink@ci.tulsa.ok.us>
Subject: [slataskforce] Re: Document for the Board
Greetings one and all!
I've been pondering our taskforce goals for a couple of weeks now, and still
feel as though my wheels are spinning without any traction. So many of these
goals are interrelated that by addressing one issue you can also address
multiple goals.
However, here are some of my thoughts on these issues.
I have also edited the Member
Benefits Table (added part-time/unemployed member, and eliminated a few
categories: vote in elections, all the holding of offices [elected and appointed], a voice
in formulating policy, and dues reduction when unemployed). The table is in word and
should be easily editable as required.
Goal #1. Identifying the members of the future.
Barbara's list of five seems pretty inclusive, but one group that is
suspiciously absent is the Graduate students of library/inform-ation science.
There are a lot of associations out there that will be competing for these
"student" members. I think that goals #2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9 are closely related
to this goal.
Goal #2. Expanding SLA globally.
I like the idea of "partnering" with similar international groups/ associations.
Global 2000 is a very good start. The One-Person Library (a Newsletter for
Librarians and Management) is making great headway in this regard. With
contributors from Austalia, Germany, South Africa, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the
Mideast, Judith Siess has certainly expanded the "solo" aspect of librarianship
on a global level. Goals #1, 3, and 6 are closely related to this goal.
Goal #3. Determining why people belong to SLA and what they want from
theirmembership.
I would concur with everyone else regarding the full-scale marketing study.
This goal ties in with goals #1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
Goal #4. Treating members as individuals.
Have some of our divisions and chapters gotten so large that no one feels
welcome? Do we get lost in the crowd? Mentoring is the most "individual" way
that you could treat a member (see goal #8) but a lot of the responsibility rests with the
individual. There are plenty of things that one can do to get more involved (at the
Association, Division, and Chapter levels) and to not forget that we are all individuals
with opinions. Serve on a committee, run for office, newsletter/bulletin editor. We need
to encourage involvement -- for personal as well as professional growth.
Goal #5. Creating membership benefits to be relevant to new professionals and
changing professionals.
Before we can address this goal, we must address goals #1, 3, and 6. I do agree with
Barbara that low cost and high quality are key elements.
Goal #6. Broadening SLA's recruitment efforts.
Quite similar to Barbara's "Each One Reach One," my undergarduate university has
a contest called "Member Get A Member" which awards prizes for recruiting new
members. This goal is closely related to goals #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9.
Goal #7. Attracting people who are attracted to e-commerce.
I can think of nothing to add regarding this goal.
Goal #8. Focusing on mentoring.
I agree wholeheartedly with Barbara. Mentoring is essential, but keep it
simple.
Goal #9. Retaining student members after they graduate (add a young members'
roundtable?)
Mentoring (goal #8) could be a great way to retain student members. I further feel that
the real responsibility for this goal is at the Chapter level -- the closest point of
contact with most students? Offer scholarships, stipends to attend annual conference, open
houses, invite students to attend meetings (be sure to feed them -- food always gets
attendance). Invest a little while they are still in school and perhaps we'll reap the
benefits once they graduate.
Other related goals: # 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
Goal #10. Adopting a certification process.
This will be tough due to the variety of job descriptions, skill sets, etc. of
the membership. I have no real input for this goal, sorry.
Again, I apologize for rambling, but as I stated earlier, I had quite a
difficult time getting a handle on some of these goals (the creative juices just
didn't seem to be flowing).
Officer Tom Rink
Tulsa Police Department
Training and Development Division
6066 East 66th Street North
Tulsa, OK 74117-1811
(918) 591-4528
(918) 699-3716 fax
trink@ci.tulsa.ok.us e-mail
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