ALA Executive Board fall meeting 2011

After a full day of travel, also known as MRY-SFO-IAD-PIT-ORD, I arrived in Chicago for the ALA fall board meeting. Although I tried to limited telling my epic travel saga, I always ended it by making the point that I was still upright and smiling.

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Friday morning was the traditional board effectiveness session led by ALA's professional Parliamentarian Eli Mina. I always find this session useful and learn something new. I must admit it was kind of exciting to realize that I've learned a lot about being an effective board member and know what strategies we were talking about when. The first time the "two hats" idea was presented I was a bit confused, but I'm happy to say I now know it inside and out.

The afternoon was spent at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel for the Joint Boards meeting. The boards/executive committees of the ALA Divisions and the ALA Executive Board have lunch and meet together, usually in a facilitated session. This time we worked through the transforming libraries goal area of the strategic plan. The goal statement is

ALA provides leadership in the transformation of libraries and library services in a dynamic and increasingly global digital information environment.

During the first breakout session, we focused "on what short-term and longer-term changes we see happening within libraries in order to respond to the external challenges and opportunities libraries are facing."
The areas we explored included:

• Physical space
  
• Virtual space
  
• Library workforce
  
• Service portfolio
  
• Customer expectations
  
• External relationships
  
• Library Leadership expectations

We were assigned groups and each group was to consider the following questions based on one goal area:

• What are the key factors influencing/driving change?
  
• How do you see your area (breakout topic) transforming libraries in the short-term (1-3 years)?
  
• How do you see your area (breakout topic) transforming libraries in the longer-term (4+ years)?

In our second breakout session we focused "on what we believe are the implications for future programs and services offered by ALA and its Divisions" and considered two questions:

• What are the implications for collective ALA's programs and services (membership, partnerships, advocacy agenda, education programs, support to Divisions, etc.
• What are the implications for Divisions (membership, education programs, partnerships, networking, etc.)?

I think we had a productive session and ALA Executive Board and Division leadership are getting a better handle on how to work towards transforming libraries and the Association. Hopefully the round tables will be folded into these conversations.

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After the session was over I walked back to my hotel via Michigan Ave. I noticed that Lush products were being sold in Macy's, so I popped in for a bottle of The Olive Branch body wash. I also looked in various store windows and people watched.

That evening the majority of the board went to dinner together. I sat at the end of the table with Eli Mina and his lovely wife whom I'd met in D.C. in 2010. We enjoyed a good meal and lively conversation.

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Saturday and Sunday were packed meeting days. We had very full agendas, check them out here. We heard several informative reports and had really good discussion. I thought ALA President Molly Raphael did a really great job getting us through everything and keeping us effective as a board.

I had a late flight back to Pittsburgh. I picked up a bag of Garrett's popcorn at the airport. I'm not sure how I've not managed to buy some until now. It is delicious! I'm definitely picking up more the next time I head to Chicago.

ALA BARC fall meeting 2011

This was my third trip to Chicago this year. I was able to kick it off by having dinner with Peter Hepburn at Yoshi’s Café. Peter is more than a regular at Yoshi’s. If you’ve followed his food and travel blog and photos on Flickr, then you more than likely have experienced some food envy.


Me with my Wagyu Beef Berger with Wasabi Blue cheese

I attended the ALA BARC fall meeting. This is my second year on BARC, and with these fiscal oversight matters also in the purview of the Executive Board, I work with this information a lot. It means that I am really starting to feel like I know what is going on and how the ALA budget and budget process work.

There is always an orientation for new BARC members on the first day before the committee begins its work. I decided it would be a good idea for me to attend that meeting. I felt it would be helpful in reinforcing my knowledge and I knew I would learn something new. I want to do my best to be engaged fully in the process.

Our meeting agenda included a fiscal year 2011 budget review, a final fiscal year 2012 budget review, a new business development update (closed session), and ALA Council referrals. We also discussed and assigned liaison assignments. I'm pleased to be the liaison to the new Games and Gaming Round Table. We met for about forty-five minutes as ALA-APA BARC, now under the leadership of Lorelle Swader, to discuss the budget.

We also discussed moving forward with four BARC webinars. These will be available by the end of the year. I hope these create opportunities for increased member engagement around the ALA budget process. They are a step in the right direction for what I proposed at our spring 2011 meeting.

I had the good fortune to eat breakfast one morning with Trevor Dawes. He was at ALA HQ as a member of a search committee. Trevor is also becoming well known as Mr. August from the Men of the Stacks calendar. All proceeds for the sale of the calendar go towards the It Gets Better Project™ project.

ALA BARC spring meeting 2011

I attended the ALA BARC spring meeting. During this meeting we worked through the ALA budget and requests from all units (divisions, round tables, offices). A significant portion of this information I'd worked through during the ALA Executive Board's spring meeting two weeks ago. I'm glad it was somewhat fresh in my mind, This made what is still a somewhat new to me process a bit easier.

Another great part of being on this particular committee are the academic library leaders with whom I've had the privilege to serve. Committee members Winston Tabb, Joan Giescke, and ALA Treasurer Jim Neal are three of the most highly regarded deans in academic libraries. They really know their stuff.

I encouraged the committee to consider moving the Budget session to an online event. There is clearly a need for this type of training and refresher for all division and round table members with budget responsibilities. We noted some of the challenges included conflicts due to the compressed midwinter meeting schedule, a perceived lack of new information for experienced divisions/round table treasurers or budget administrators, and travel constraints (especially budgets and time) for members. As a result, I'm working with ALA Finance Office staff and the Treasurer to put together some modules we hope will be available by the fall. In my mind this supports the Association's 2015 strategic plan goal area of organizational excellence.

ALA Executive Board Orientation highlights

Patricia Hogan, Steven Mathews, I spent April 22 and 23 at the ALA Headquarters for our new ALA Executive Board member orientation. The three of us will be seated on the board at the end of the Annual Conference and serve a three-year term for 2009-2012. Not surprisingly, there is a lot of information we need to know as future board members. Check out the robust itinerary.

April 22
8:15 - 8:45 Welcome and Governance Office Overview
8:45 - 9:20 Budgeting Process
9:30 - 11:00 Memorial service to honor Judith Krug
11:15 - 12:00 Public Information Office / Campaign for America's Libraries
12:15 - 1:30 Open House Lunch with ALA Unit Managers
1:40 - 1:55 Member Programs and Services Overview
2:00 - 3:15 Division Update (with Division Executive Directors)
3:15 - 4:30 Offices and What They Do
4:30 - 5:00 Strategic Planning / Organizational Culture and Change

April 23
8:30 - 9:00 Board Operation and Logistics
9:00 - 9:30 Development Office
9:30 - 10:00 Information Technology & Telecommunication Services
10:00 - 10:15 Break
10:15 - 11:15 Communications and Member Relations
11:15 - 11:45 ALA-Allied Professional Association
11:45 - 1:15 Lunch with Executive Director
1:15 - 1:45 Publications
1:45 - 2:15 Conference Planning
2:15 - 2:45 Washington Office
2:45 - 3:00 Division Update
3:00 - 3:45 Building Tour

I loved every minute of it. It was definitely more information than I could handle, but I took good notes, met so many wonderful people, and am thankful for the nomination to run and my Council colleagues electing me to this position. It will be a lot of work, and at times hard work, but worth it. It is also a reminder that our Association is all about the people.