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Task Force Membership -- May 19, 2000; Carol Williams
TO:
Board of Directors
FROM:
Task Force on Membership
DATE:
May 19, 2000
RE:
Membership
Recommendations:
1. SLA
Membership be defined as:
Any
person:
who embraces the vision, values, and
mission of our Association as stated in the Visionary Framework for the Future;
who further subscribes to the
professional and personal competencies of information professionals as stated in the
Association's "Competencies for Special Librarians of the 21st Century;
who follows the fundamentals of ethical
professional conduct;
be accepted as a qualified member entitled
to all the privileges of membership upon receipt of the designated membership dues.
2. Offer
6 membership categories of members with the option of full payment or partial according to
the options chosen (as per chart attached), all payable in U.S. dollars or native
currency:
Full
Open to the full range of working
information professionals, providing:
§
Access to all print and
digital products and services
§
Full voting privileges and
the right to hold any appointive office or run for elective office at any level
§
Affiliation with one
Division and one Chapter as "primary" units, plus three "secondary
Association units.
§
Additional member services:
employment and career services, professional development, annual conference programs and
exhibits, scholarships and awards, research grants, Information Resource Center, discounts
on publications, reduced rates for continuing education programs, annual conference, and
information products.
Student
Available to students enrolled in a full-
or part-time educational program, either MLIS, MLS, or related discipline, providing:
§
the biannual print
publication, "The Student Union";
§
access to one each primary
Chapter & Division, plus 3 free additional choices of "secondary" units.
§
virtual access to job
networks and employment/career services
§
virtual access to Who's Who
and annual conference program and any other Association digital publication
§
reduced rate for annual
conference registration
§
eligibility for student
fellowships and scholarships
§
access to mentors from
selected Chapters and Division
§
offer of reduced rate (same
as part-time) for one year following graduation for those who have been student members
Part-time
Open to part-time and unemployed members
for one year only, providing
§
access to one each primary
Chapter & Division, plus 3 free additional choices of "secondary" units.
§
virtual access to job
networks and employment/career services
§
virtual access to Who's Who
directory and annual conference program and any other digital publication
§
Reduced rater for annual
conference registration
§
Designated mentors from
selected Chapters and Divisions
§
Applications for
fellowships and scholarship
Retired
and Honorary
§
free membership
§
access to one each primary
Chapter & Division, plus 3 free additional choices of "secondary" units
§
virtual access to Who's Who
directory and annual conference program and any other digital publication
§
reduced rate for annual
conference registration
Sustaining
Available to a firm, organization, or
individual desiring to support the objectives and programs of the Association, providing:
§
access to all print and
digital products and services
§
full voting privileges, and
the right to hold any appointive office or run for elective office at any level
§
affiliation with one
Division and one Chapter as "primary" units, plus 3 free additional choices of
"secondary" units
§
employment and career
services, annual conference programs and exhibits, scholarships and awards, research
grants, Information Resource Center, discounts on publications, reduced rates for
continuing education programs and information products
Virtual
Open to any person who qualifies as a
member, but who does not wish to take advantage of the full range of services and
benefits, providing:
§
access to all digital
products and services
§
full voting privileges, and
the right to hold any appointive office or run for elective office at any level
§
affiliation with one
Division and one Chapter as "primary" units, plus 3 free additional choices of
"secondary" units
§
reduced rates for
continuing education programs and information products
3. Conduct
a survey of membership to establish future services and benefits:
§
Send electronic
notification of survey which can be completed either by email or at the SLA Website
§
List current services and
benefits and ask members to rate usefulness
§
Provide future options and
ask members to rate usefulness.
4. To
facilitate member retention, conduct exit surveys for all non-renewing members.
5. To
facilitate recruitment
§
Prepare membership benefits
brochures and packages for Chapters and Divisions to distribute at meetings and to
colleagues.
§
Advertise SLA functions to
a broader audience by using News Wire services.
6. In
recognition of the changing focus on skills and competencies, rather than on location; and
acknowledging the need to attract all professionals working in the information delivery
field
§
Investigate a change of
name for our organization.
Background:
The SLA Task Force on Membership was charged with 4 tasks:
1. Prepare
a membership definition;
2. Create
a virtual member category;
3. Redesign
the student category to offer virtual membership to all qualified students at no charge;
4. Design
a flexible payment plan;
As well, the following goals were targeted:
§
Identify members of the
future
§
Expand SLA globally
§
Determine why people belong
to SLA and what they want from their membership
§
Treat members as
individuals
§
Creat membership benefits
to be relevant to new professionals and changing professionals
§
Broaden SLA's recruitment
efforts
§
Attract people who are
attracted to e-commerce
§
Focus on mentoring
§
Retain student members
after they graduate
§
Adopt a certification
process.
The Task Force
identified a number of issues, assumptions and trends.
The profession and association have been impacted by professional, cultural,
social, and education trends, such as:
§
the Internet and
related technologies;
§
the growth of
"virtual" libraries;
§
the changing roles of
corporate librarians;
§
the new information
careers, the non-MLS/MIS degree people working in corporate information centres;
§
competition from newly
emerging professional associations such as SCIP and webgrrs.
There was a consensus
that our definition of membership be focussed on what we do, rather than where we do it.
This will make it easier for librarians in non-traditional roles to justify their
membership and will be a more welcoming environment for persons with education and/or
experience in information science but not having the MLIS or MLS degree. The Competencies
Document provides the framework for such a definition.
The categories of
membership have been revised, with the most notable changes being the elimination of the
associate member category and the addition of the virtual member. The virtual category provides more flexibility and
demonstrates the emphasis of SLA on keeping up-to-date with new directions and
technologies. As well, an alternative to full
membership in these categories is provided by the "shopping cart" list of
options.
Attracting student
members necessitates communicating the value of association (particularly SLA) membership;
breaking down systemic barriers (such as the perception that SLA is for senior corporate
librarians and managers); and getting a "buy in" from professors. Mentoring only works when students take advantage
of the opportunity presented. Free virtual
membership is one step in encouraging student participation. Several other ideas have been presented such as:
annual visits by Chapter Boards to Library Schools to promote the benefits of membership
and the importance of developing leadership and other "soft" skills; attendance
at graduation ceremonies. [The Western Canada
Chapter initiated a "Stars Among Us" program to celebrate ISLD, and nominated
the Student Chapter President as a star. The
Director of the Library School was very pleased, a fact which might encourage the much
needed "buy in" from professors.]
To recognize the
"international" nature of the organization and encourage a more global approach,
the Task Force recommends payment in native currency.
It is difficult to
separate membership issues from marketing, promotion, and branding. In order to determine what current members
consider valuable about SLA membership, SLA needs to conduct a survey member survey. This should be done before deciding upon the
addition of significant new services (such as the portal).
There may be current services no longer valued by members, which can be
eliminated. As well, there may be ideas for
service that have not been considered by SLA. In
consideration of "branding", SLA needs to reconsider its label "Special
Libraries Association".
Financial Impact Statement:
Costs will be incurred to:
§
Prepare membership benefit
brochures
§
Prepare and conduct surveys
Payment in domestic currency will impact the Chapter allotments.
It is anticipated that these costs will be offset by increased
revenue from a growing membership.
Prepared by: (Carol Williams)
Reviewed by: (Unit/Unit member/Committee)
Produced by: (Unite leader)
|
Task Force Membership (revised) -- June 6, 2000; Bill Fisher
TO:
Board of Directors
FROM: Task Force on
Membership
DATE:
May 19, 2000
RE:
Membership
Recommendations:
1.
SLA Membership be defined as:
Any person:
§
who embraces the vision,
values, and mission of our Association;
§
who further subscribes to
the professional and personal competencies of information professionals and;
§
who follows the
fundamentals of ethical professional conduct as stated in the appropriate Association
policies and documents;
be accepted as a
qualified member entitled to all the privileges of membership upon receipt of the
designated membership dues.
2.
Offer 6 membership categories of members with the
option of full payment or partial according to the options chosen (as per chart attached),
all payable in U.S. dollars or native currency:
Full
Open to the full
range of working information professionals, providing:
§
Access to all print and
digital products and services
§
Full voting privileges and
the right to hold any appointive office or run for elective office at any level
§
Affiliation with one
Division and one Chapter as "primary" units, plus three "secondary
Association units.
§
Additional member services:
employment and career services, professional development, annual conference programs and
exhibits, scholarships and awards, research grants, Information Resource Center, discounts
on publications, reduced rates for continuing education programs, annual conference, and
information products.
Student
Available to students
enrolled in a full- or part-time educational program, either MLIS, MLS, or related
discipline, providing:
§
the biannual print
publication, "The Student Union";
§
access to one each primary
Chapter & Division, plus 3 free additional choices of "secondary" units.
§
virtual access to job
networks and employment/career services
§
virtual access to Who's Who
and annual conference program and any other Association digital publication
§
reduced rate for annual
conference registration
§
eligibility for student
fellowships and scholarships
§
access to mentors from
selected Chapters and Division
§
offer of reduced rate (same
as part-time) for one year following graduation for those who have been student members
Part-time
Open to part-time and
unemployed members, providing
§
access to one each primary
Chapter & Division, plus 3 free additional choices of "secondary" units
§
full voting privileges and
the right to hold any appointive office or run for elective office at any level
§
virtual access to job
networks and employment/career services
§
virtual access to Who's Who
directory and annual conference program and any other digital publication
§
Reduced rater for annual
conference registration
§
Designated mentors from
selected Chapters and Divisions
§
Applications for
fellowships and scholarship
Retired and Honorary
§
free membership
§
full voting privileges and
the right to hold any appointive office or run for elective office at any level
§
access to one each primary
Chapter & Division, plus 3 free additional choices of "secondary" units
§
virtual access to Who's Who
directory and annual conference program and any other digital publication
§
reduced rate for annual
conference registration
Sustaining
Available to a firm,
organization, or individual desiring to support the objectives and programs of the
Association, providing:
§
access to all print and
digital products and services
§
full voting privileges, and
the right to hold any appointive office or run for elective office at any level
§
affiliation with one
Division and one Chapter as "primary" units, plus 3 free additional choices of
"secondary" units
§
employment and career
services, annual conference programs and exhibits, scholarships and awards, research
grants, Information Resource Center, discounts on publications, reduced rates for
continuing education programs and information products
Virtual
Open to any person
who qualifies as a member, but who does not wish to take advantage of the full range of
services and benefits, providing:
§
access to all digital
products and services
§
full voting privileges, and
the right to hold any appointive office or run for elective office at any level
§
affiliation with one
Division and one Chapter as "primary" units, plus 3 free additional choices of
"secondary" units
§
reduced rates for
continuing education programs and information products
3.
Conduct a survey of membership to establish future
services and benefits:
§
Send electronic
notification of survey which can be completed either by email or at the SLA Website
§
List current services and
benefits and ask members to rate usefulness
§
Provide future options and
ask members to rate usefulness.
4.
To facilitate member retention, conduct exit surveys
for all non-renewing members.
5.
To facilitate recruitment
§
Prepare membership benefits
brochures and packages for Chapters and Divisions to distribute at meetings and to
colleagues.
§
Advertise SLA functions to
a broader audience by using News Wire services.
6.
In recognition of the changing focus on skills and
competencies, rather than on location; and acknowledging the need to attract all
professionals working in the information delivery field
§
Investigate a change of
name for our organization.
Background:
The SLA Task Force on Membership was charged
with 4 tasks:
1.
Prepare a membership definition;
2.
Create a virtual member category;
3.
Redesign the student category to offer virtual
membership to all qualified students at no charge;
4.
Design a flexible payment plan;
As well, the following goals were targeted:
§
Identify members of the
future
§
Expand SLA globally
§
Determine why people belong
to SLA and what they want from their membership
§
Treat members as
individuals
§
Create membership benefits
to be relevant to new professionals and changing professionals
§
Broaden SLA's recruitment
efforts
§
Attract people who are
attracted to e-commerce
§
Focus on mentoring
§
Retain student members
after they graduate
§
Adopt a certification
process.
The
Task Force identified a number of issues, assumptions and trends. The profession and association have been impacted
by professional, cultural, social, and education trends, such as:
the
Internet and related technologies;
the
growth of "virtual" libraries;
the
changing roles of corporate librarians;
the
new information careers, the non-MLS/MIS degree people working in corporate information
centres;
competition
from newly emerging professional associations such as SCIP and webgrrs.
There
was a consensus that our definition of membership be focussed on what we do, rather than
where we do it. This will make it easier for librarians in non-traditional roles to
justify their membership and will be a more welcoming environment for persons with
education and/or experience in information science but not having the MLIS or MLS degree.
The Competencies Document provides the framework for such a definition.
The
categories of membership have been revised, with the most notable changes being the
elimination of the associate member category and the addition of the virtual member. The virtual category provides more flexibility and
demonstrates the emphasis of SLA on keeping up-to-date with new directions and
technologies. As well, an alternative to full
membership in these categories is provided by the "shopping cart" list of
options.
Attracting
student members necessitates communicating the value of association (particularly SLA)
membership; breaking down systemic barriers (such as the perception that SLA is for senior
corporate librarians and managers); and getting a "buy in" from professors. Mentoring only works when students take advantage
of the opportunity presented. Free virtual
membership is one step in encouraging student participation. Several other ideas have been presented such as:
annual visits by Chapter Boards to Library Schools to promote the benefits of membership
and the importance of developing leadership and other "soft" skills; attendance
at graduation ceremonies. [The Western Canada
Chapter initiated a "Stars Among Us" program to celebrate ISLD, and nominated
the Student Chapter President as a star. The
Director of the Library School was very pleased, a fact which might encourage the much
needed "buy in" from professors.]
To
recognize the "international" nature of the organization and encourage a more
global approach, the Task Force recommends payment in native currency.
It
is difficult to separate membership issues from marketing, promotion, and branding. In order to determine what current members
consider valuable about SLA membership, SLA needs to conduct a survey member survey. This should be done before deciding upon the
addition of significant new services (such as the portal).
There may be current services no longer valued by members, which can be
eliminated. As well, there may be ideas for
service that have not been considered by SLA. In
consideration of "branding", SLA needs to reconsider its label "Special
Libraries Association".
Financial Impact Statement:
Costs will be incurred to:
§
Prepare membership benefit
brochures
§
Prepare and conduct surveys
Payment in domestic currency will impact the
Chapter allotments.
It is anticipated that these costs will be
offset by increased revenue from a growing membership.
Prepared by: (Carol Williams)
Edited/Reviewed by: (Bill Fisher)
Produced by: (Bill Fisher)
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