The 2002 ALIA National Policy Congress: A delegate's view

Philip Keane - South Australian NPC representative

The 2002 ALIA National Policy Congress (NPC) was conducted in two parts. The first part involved regional meetings. The second part of the NPC was held on 1-2 November 2002 at ALIA House, in Canberra. The Canberra meeting was held over two days: ALIA state/territory-wide and issue-based group delegates attending the first session on 1 November, and a larger group meeting was held on 2nd November. This second meeting included the eight representatives from the regional NPC meetings, representatives of ALIA issue-based groups with interests relevant to the NPC agenda, and representatives of external peak bodies. Represented were the Australian School Libraries Association (ASLA), the Australian Law Librarians Group (ALLG), the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL), the Records Management Association of Australia (RMAA), the Public Libraries Australia (PLA), the Federal Libraries Information Network (FLIN), the Council of Australian state Libraries (CASL), the National Library of Australia (NLA) and the Australian Society of Archivists (ASA). All members of the ALIA Board of Directors attended the full Congress, along with key ALIA National Office staff.

Day 1

On the first day, Christine Mackenzie, ALIA vice president, opened the proceedings by welcoming the state/territory and issue-based group delegates to the Congress. The issues discussed were the forthcoming Membership Database, ALIA awards, ALIA conferences, and group issues.

Membership database - Jennefer Nicholson

ALIA is planning the release of the new interactive membership database in first half of 2003. The web interface will allow members to check and edit their personal details; pay their membership and journal subscriptions online; register for conferences and seminars online, and log their CPD credits online; join groups and email lists online.

Office bearers will have access to member lists; be able to identify new members online; print mailing lists; update Vital Link data; and access registration records for group seminars/workshops. ALIA National Office staff will be able to better identify member needs; increase communication with members, and alert local groups to new members.

Potential members will be able to join online; register & pay for conferences and view teasers (where information is available to members only).

Delegates pointed out that ALIA needed to be aware of the balance between members-only areas versus information that needs to be available publicly (e.g. policy statements that reflect ALIA's position). Delegates also pointed out that not all members have e-mail access.

[A] 'renewal' function will be rolled out first and followed by the 'join' function. The system will be built around a live database, and will accommodate the low end users (eg old browsers, modems)

Awards - Jennefer Nicholson

ALIA had proposed introducing a 2-tiered system of excellence awards. Excellence awards would be presented in each state & territory and the winners would go forward for a national award. Alternatively, ALIA could offer a single tier national excellence award.

Delegates noted the complexity of administering a two-tiered system. The discussion favoured a single national approach, and comments would be sought from the state/territory-wide groups.

Conference - Jennefer Nicholson

Jennefer described the Board's view on conferences bearing in mind comments from the trade about the trade being overstretched, and falling attendance numbers. The current proposal is to conduct:

• Biennial conference with trade (policy conference) - even years
• Combined group conference with trade (practice conference) - odd year
• With groups having scope to run workshops/symposiums, etc

The exception to this format is the Online Conference, and ALIA is waiting to see how the conference goes in January 2003. One possibility is that the Online Conference becomes the umbrella conference.

The library technicians' delegate indicated that any umbrella conference as being biased against them as, particularly in smaller libraries, the librarians inevitably attend, reducing the prospects of technicians being able to attend. Smaller libraries often restrict the number of staff who can be absent at the same time, again limiting the technicians' prospects of attending. Jennefer replied that Board of Directors will review any submission by the technicians for a separate conference, indicating that future technicians' conferences are not ruled out.

Group issues - Georgina Dale

Georgina asked that those present list 3 issues that had the greatest effect on the wellbeing/functioning of groups. Issues highlighted included financial management (self-management of accounts, cash floats, no retention of surplus); Information about members, particularly new members; Fragmentation/splintering, leading to not knowing what other groups are doing; Need to recruit new members to be active members; Distance issue for national and regional groups.

The ALIA office-bearers (broadcast) list [aliaOBBL] was set up for 'cross pollination' among office bearers but has only been used from ALIA National Office to office bearers. Georgina strongly urged office bearers to use the list to alert other groups about their activities. By indicating in the e-mail subject line the nature of the content (eg for SA member only), the irritation factor by other office bearers elsewhere receiving e-mail not relevant to them would be minimised.

On matters of finance, Georgina emphasised the requirements of FBT and GST on ALIA, and the implications of these for group activities. For example, ALIA pays FBT on alcohol and so will not pay for invoices for alcohol.

The introduction of GST has meant ALIA cannot provide groups with their own cheque accounts. The administration of reconciling transactions for the ATO renders it unworkable.

Day 2

On Saturday, 2 November, the state/territory and issue-based group delegates were joined by the representatives of external peak bodies, the Board of Directors and key National Office staff. Joyce Kirk, ALIA president, opened the proceedings by welcoming participants to the Congress. The issues discussed were the National Information Agenda, LISEKA, Draft Planning Document, ALIA: Making the difference, and future NPCs.

National information agenda - Joyce Kirk

In a broad ranging discussion, the stakeholders in a NIA were identified as including archives, educational bodies, records managers, business and research institutions. The consensus was that ALIA as a national organisation, was already seen as being cross-sectoral and well known, and as such, could play a role in lobbying, coordinating and linking with its 'kindred' bodies such as those represented at the meeting.

Library and Information Science Education for the Knowledge Age (LISEKA) - Christine Mackenzie

Christine outlined the work in stage 1 of the LISEKA Project, and outlined the work done on stage 2, covering the conceptual framework.

Following general discussion by the delegates, ALIA will soon disseminate the stage 1 report to members for information. Delegates discussed the draft core knowledge statement. ALIA will amend the draft and disseminate it for comment. [Postscript: the LISEKA Stage 2 Working Group will meet by teleconference on 13 December to discuss the NPC comments and to finalise the draft for submission to the Board. PK]

Delegates also discussed CPD, the entry level statements, and work level guidelines, in relation to the career-long education framework. Delegates commented that members in regional and remote areas may not have the same opportunities to access CPD, particularly if CPD became a compulsory component of membership.

Draft planning document, ALIA: Making the Difference - Susan Magnay

The draft document was distributed prior to the regional NPCs. The reaction from the regional NPCs was of overall agreement, though many thought the plan ambitious. Most initiatives were considered important enough to commence in 2003, though, some are already under way and fairly well. The plan to conduct a lobbying event in parliament house was not considered as the best use of resources, and most delegates thought ALIA should have the flexibility to government issues as required.

The engagement of local presence officers was discussed, and the point made that at present there are clerical/admin officers engaged by groups - not local presence officers. The intended local presence would much more an advocacy and coordinating role, than local clerical support. ALIA will incorporate the comments and recommendations from NPC and the next draft will be distributed to all personal and institutional members for further comment (Dec 02 - Feb 03). The Board of Directors wants to endorse the document by March 2003.

Future NPCs:

This year the process was for each group to meet and 'elect' a representative to attend a regional NPC.

This was felt to be too narrow a process especially for sector/issues based groups (though, ALIA did issue invitations to various special interest groups to attend). ALIA will review the process for next year. Most delegates thought that the size of the 2003 group was productive.

[Footnote: I am grateful for the use of Melanie Kammermann's notes in compiling this report. PK]