|
1. Our
Association membership is stagnating. Efforts to alter this shift have not produced the
desired results.
2. This
Task Force believes that continued growth in membership is essential to our continuing
leadership in knowledge management and further, that the Association must act decisively
and imaginatively to attract new members while supporting veteran members.
3. We
recognize several professional, cultural, social, and educational trends emerging that
affect our Association’s recruitment and retention of members.
Internet and related technologies
·
growth of end-user dominance in
search and retrieval of information and data
·
rise of e-commerce
Corporate restructuring
·
loss of “bricks &
mortar” libraries and emergence of “virtual” libraries
·
shift from librarians as
“answer people” to info professionals capable of being competitive analysts,
strategic planners, knowledge managers, intranet architects, digital trainers, database
designers and much more.
·
globalization of markets and
drive toward 24 hour/7 day a week service
New information careers
·
“librarians” work in a
variety of venues under a bewildering array of job titles and descriptions
·
non-MLS/MIS degree people are
increasingly working in corporate information and research centers
·
special librarians are
increasingly seeking advanced degrees, such as MBAs, and technical certification (in KM,
C++, interactive web design), to advance in the corporate world
·
melding of librarians and IT
tasks
LIS curricula changes
·
increase of undergraduate
“information majors/minors” programs
·
new engagement in strategic
partnerships or mergers with non-library schools and departments
·
growth of distance learning
degree programs and continuing education programs
·
introduction of new degrees or
certificate programs reflecting interdisciplinary studies
·
rise of demands by students,
employers, graduates, and professional associations for graduate competencies
Competition from newly emerging
professional associations
·
SCIP (Society of Competitive
Intelligence Professionals)
·
IT (information tech
associations)
4. This
Task Force believes that if the Association can realign its membership categories and dues
structure to more closely follow the anticipated needs of potential members, our
membership ranks will grow. This proposed “restructuring” will feature:
·
a new, more inclusive membership
definition
·
offering full access to
Association digital information to all member categories (e-membership to everyone)
·
selectively offering print
publications at additional costs to base membership dues (a “cafeteria” rate
selection model)
·
attracting increasing
international members via accepting dues payable in local currency and offering free
affiliation with up to five SLA units
·
offering reduced rate memberships
(for limited time periods)
o to
first & second year members,
o student
members,
o part-time
& temporarily unemployed members
5. This
Task Force believes that building a “portal site” on the Association’s web
page for all members to access daily new information offered from news, journal and
research sources, will be a compelling attraction. In short, this resource will be our
Association’s showcase. We don’t just “talk” about knowledge
management, we demonstrate how it is done and done well.
6. Acknowledging
this report and moving toward implementing these recommendations will involve substantial
effort. This Task Force has not accumulated all the information needed to design a project
nor has it calculated the impact of the proposed changes on the Association’s
membership revenue stream. We are aware of the following:
·
that further study is needed and
further a budget for undertaking such research must be assessed
·
that Association’s revenue
might be negatively impacted, especially if factored into the financial picture are such
elements as undertaking a bylaws revision (for a new definition of membership, new
membership categories and new dues rates), adding the new transaction costs of accepting
international currency for membership, offering discounted rates, building a portal site,
and who knows what else
·
that there is no indication that
implementing our Task Force proposals will assure membership increase, but that if we do
nothing we can predict that our Association’s stature and influence will be
diminished.
.
|