The ALIA National Advisory Congress 2005
Report:Outcomes of ALIA's 2005 National Advisory Congress
A successful ALIA 2005 National Advisory Congress (NAC) was held in Canberra at ALIA House from 25 - 26 November. The congress was attended by representatives from twelve regional meetings from as far away as Nhulanbuy (700 km east of Darwin) Perth and Hobart and as close as Culcairn (three hours South West of the ACT) and Canberra, representatives of invited self-nominating groups and board policy and advisory groups, the ALIA Board of Directors, and key members of ALIA National Office staff. A full participants list is available on the ALIA website .
There was a lively air to the congress with each delegate presenting a success story about the association or their work. A number of these stories were supported by PowerPoint presentations which can be viewed on the ALIA website. There were plenty of opportunities for delegates to network, talk to ALIA directors and meet ALIA National Office staff, including a wine sampling and the congress dinner.
The program focused on five 'spotlights':
- Finance and management: provided a broad overview of the financial picture and the board's responsibilities in managing the Association.
- Linking people with ideas: involved small group discussion and brainstorming among delegates grouped by sector. Delegates felt this was a useful theme for the association and its members and could be used for future activities.
- Membership: a snapshot of ALIA's membership and the LIS workforce was given prior to delegates brainstorming ideas on membership recruitment and retention. The ideas and information gathered have been incorporated into the planning for ALIA membership recruitment and retention strategies for 2006 and will also be considered in the development of the ALIA 2007 - 2008 plan.
- Communication: delegates were provided with an overview of ALIA's existing communication channels. Delegates were then asked to work in groups and look at what was working in inCite and how they as members could contribute to inCite (or other communications) in 2006. The information from this session has been passed on to ALIA's managing editor to assist with the planning of inCite content for 2006. Delegates then considered the messages that need to be communicated by the association. This information has been compiled and circulated to the board and will be included in ALIA's communication strategy.
- Education and learning: explored issues around the take-up level of higher degrees by those working in the sector. Professional development issues and models of PD were discussed. The session finished with a group brainstorm on what topics delegates believed ALIA needed to incorporate into it's professional development program. This information will be provided back to the board and key national office staff for inclusion in PD planning for the association in 2006 and beyond.
The board would like to thank all the ALIA members who participated in the 2005 NAC at both the regional level and at the national meeting. Further information and reports from the 2005 NAC can be found on the website.
Planning is underway for the 2006 NAC which will incorporate an increased number of regional meetings and a large national meeting at the ALIA 2006 Biennial Conference: CLICK06. Keep an eye on inCite and the ALIA website for information about the 2006 NAC as planning progresses.
Georgina Dale, manager, member services and groups liaison
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