The ALIA National Policy Congress 2002: Western Australia part two.

Report from the meeting held on 14 October

WA ALIA National Policy Congress Group for 2002 (WA NPC Group) report on ALIA information agenda.

WA NPC Group members for second report:

Deanne Barrett (ALIA Director), Camille Peters (WA Forum), Jeanette Hill (KISWA), Paige Luff (ARL WA), Carol Newton-Smith (WA Mentoring Group), Judy Smith (WA Library Technicians)

Ex officio: Lothar Retzlaff (National Library Technicians)

WA representative to attend the 2002 National Policy congress: Carol Newton-Smith (WA Mentoring Group)

Question 1: What broad agreement is there on content and direction of an information agenda?

The WA NPC Group is in broad agreement that it is very important for ALIA to have an information agenda. Our rationale for having an information agenda is to develop commitment in the community to maintain and enhance the services being provided by information professionals.

Content of the information agenda should:

• Support the elements of the ALIA mission statement.
• Be a short and powerful policy statement.

Neil McLean's paper forms the backbone of the information agenda 'a thriving culture, economy and democracy requires the free flow of information and ideas.' The headings McLean provides (see below) as emerging themes could be used to establish initial key themes of the information agenda. McLean's themes:

1. Collaboration
2. Rebuilding communities research and innovation
3. Providing access to Australia's research output and cultural heritage
4. Information literacy
5. The knowledge economy
6. E-learning networks
7. Developing value propositions
8. Access to global scholarly information.

Planning initiatives could then be linked to these themes as part of the annual planning cycle. Themes could be reviewed as part of the triennial strategic planning process.

Direction of the information agenda should be:

• Externally focussed - marketing the profession to the wider community using a range of techniques
• Achieved initially by linking to 2003-2004 strategic initiatives (and the Board to report on them).

Question 2: If an action plan is needed, how is to be developed and implemented?

• Need to engage our members to own the information agenda and support it's marketing
• The information agenda should provide the backbone of the ALIA "strategic marketing plan" (-Initiative E)

Question 3: What are the primary issues for ALIA?

• Ensuring members have ownership of the information agenda
• Making sure that the information agenda is a living document and meaningful to all sectors of the community
• Prioritising what can be achieved in one year (discussed annually at the NPC)
• Developing relevance of the Information Agenda across the membership of ALIA
• Internal and external marketing of the agenda

Report compiled by the WA ALIA National Policy Congress Group for 2002. Submitted Wednesday 16 October 2002