The ALIA National Advisory Congress 2006

Brisbane Regional Meeting Report

1. Attendance:

Michelle Alcock, Elizabeth Bell, Liz Blumson, Rachael Browning (director), Denise Cadman, Rachel Crowe, Claudia Davies, Deirdre Gibb, Clare Glanville, Joy Goldsmith, Kathryn Harding, Sharan Harvey, Wendy Horwood, Julanne Neal, Emma Nelms, Helen Partridge (director), Robyn Sanders, Kate Watson, Paul Watts.

2. Selected representative to attend Canberra NAC

Name: Clare Glanville

3. Celebrating success

A number of celebrating success stories were outlined:

• Clare Glanville won the Metcalf award
• Kate Watson and Chelsea Harper won the Ray Choate Scholarship
• Tom Cochrane was a recipient of the distinction of Fellow of the Australian Library and Information Association
• The 3rd International Evidence Based Librarianship Conference (EBL) conference was a success. A fourth conference will be held in the United States next year using seed funding provided from the Brisbane conference.
• Trivia night during LIW was a success again. The profits from it will fund Quorum's contribution to next year's Careers Expo stand.
• ALIA hosted a stand at the Brisbane Careers Expo to promote careers in the library and information sector. This was very successful, and a stand has been booked for the 2007 Expo.
• Children's and Youth Services Group ran a workshop on running a children's book club. The workshop was so successful that the Curriculum Corporation has published it online.
• Gillian Hallam was president of ALIA for the past year. Queensland has produced representatives on the ALIA board of directors in Helen Partridge and Rachel Browning.
• New Grads Group:
  • Profits from the Brisbane trivia night partially funded library week activities and workshop at Central Queensland University which Gillian Hallam and Sue Hutley attended. It was good to have a Brisbane group support the beginning of a new group in a regional area.
  • There are 3 new graduates groups in the state which reflects the vibrancy of the LIS sector in Queensland.
  • The New Grads Group suggested that ALIA create an Aurora scholarship, which has happened.
  • The New Grads Group also recommended to ALIA that a resume review service is created. ALIA is investigating

4. Planning - achievements in 2006, forward planning for 2007

Goal 1: Membership growth through retaining existing members and attracting new members.

Membership retention issues:

• Where are we loosing members?
  Are there any patterns or demographic data indicating characteristics of members who drop their membership?
  Institutional membership numbers aren't growing, and members aren't maintaining their membership once they retire. There was some discussion about membership fees for retired people.
• Why aren't baby-boomers retiring and seeing ALIA as a valid voluntary occupation?
  There is data that suggests that baby boomers are the generation who are most likely to volunteer. There was discussion about the general perception that volunteers aren't welcome in libraries. The Volunteers Australia website is currently advertising a number of library positions in Brisbane.
• What can ALIA do to encourage people who retire to be an active part of ALIA?
• New Graduates will join ALIA while they are studying because it is beneficial, but if they have difficulty finding a job, they become disheartened and drop out of attending events. They are concerned with 'What's in it for me'.

Membership attraction / recruitment issues:

• The services/activities that members value changes over the life of the career. Early in the career, people value opportunities to network. Later in their career, people value the advocacy, and policy, information and research on topics such as workforce planning, decision making and filtering.
• The idea of creating a matrix of service (and promotion), requiring different strategies and services across the career was discussed. It was felt that the one-size-fits-all model of ALIA service/activities delivery and promotion doesn't work well.
• ALIA needs a clear and accessible sales pitch which staff can use when promoting membership of ALIA to co-workers and staff members. There is a need for some guidance information/sheet that helps members develop a pitch when discussing ALIA membership with non-members.
• Valuable activities included the career mentoring scheme, Teacher Librarian mentors and the Course reference board.
• Networking opportunities were valued.
• ALIA is a Library and Information Association, yet very few people maintain ALIA membership once they move from the library to the information field. Could we tap into the information workers market?
• While ALIA accredits library courses in Australia, there is no legislative imperative to accredit librarians in Australia.
• ALIA should work more closely with other information bodies such as records management and archivists, holding joint events or networking opportunities.

Goal 2 - Empower and support groups.

The question How can groups, members and National Office best communicate the activities and contributions of groups? was discussed.

• The ALIA website needs redevelopment - it is not a good example of our key professional skills of information organisation and online presentation. For example, it is easier to find Quill (Qld newsletter) using Google than the ALIA site search function. The front page isn't attractive. A link on the home page to a local news section was suggested.
• Quill needs to be more prominent. It contains local, interesting information. Some Qld members don't know what Quill is, yet it is our regional newsletter.
• Sharing documentation between members is an issue because the e-lists strip attachments. Some groups are setting up alternative e-lists because of this.
• ALIA could explore free collaborative tools such as WIKIs.
• ALIA needs to embrace modern technology, especially pod casting. It would benefit all members who can't attend events, especially in large states such as Queensland. National office needs to provide the platform on the website, as well as the enabling material/resources/technologies for groups, rather than expect groups to raise funding themselves.
• The Executive Director's blog is a good addition to the website. It is hidden though off the bottom of the screen. It needs to be updated more regularly.
• Many members do not go to ALIA group meetings because they are not personally invited. To improve this, the Local Liaison Officer needs to be able to put new members into contact with existing (active) members very quickly. New members lists must be up-to-date and accurate.
• It should be really easy to update personal and institutional membership details.
• When meeting invitations are emailed out, they should include standard information asking new members to email a designated contact e.g. the RSVP contact, so that a 'buddy' can be organised. The buddy can introduce the person to others, answer any questions about the group or meeting and generally make the new member feel more welcome.
• Where new members work at institutions, can we support them by emailing existing members who also work at that institution requesting that they meet the new member to encourage networking? (Privacy issues of concern.)
• When people join groups, they tick a box indicating interest in the group. Are they sent any information about the group?
• There is very little communication about groups for people in regional areas, which can be disengaging for people outside of Brisbane.
• It was questioned whether you needed 25 people to form an ALIA group. It could be very difficult to get these numbers in regional areas.

Do people value inCite?
Those at the meeting generally answered 'yes'.

• Some people enjoy reading it because it comes in paper format, so can be read over breakfast or on public transport, others prefer the online format.
• Once inCite arrives through the post, the dates of some advertised events have passed.
• The format looks the same every year; it needs a little 'oomph' to make it interesting.
• Can we opt in to receive inCite electronically or in print?
• We need more personal stories in inCite which promote the profession while keeping it personal.
• inCite is glossy. Can it be changed into a newsletter?
• The advertising pool has been reduced because some suppliers have merged. Alternative advertisers were discussed, based on:
  • the profession's demographics: wine, cars, banks, coffee, optometrists, clothes suppliers;
  • events: WA tourism ahead of CLICK06 etc.
• Members like the format and content of FreePint (http://www.freepint.com/). Articles are short and sharp.

Goal 3: Provide leadership in professional education and workforce planning

How can members and groups contribute to increasing participation in ALIA's PD program?

• If we are serious about a PD program, we need to create value for librarians. ALIA needs to promote the scheme, its outcomes and its value to employers.
• Not all current PD participants include this in their CVs.
• Can institutions and ALIA support each other - share events?
• ALIA needs to build communication strategies with learning and development officers in institutions.
• National office needs to make CPD more attractive to employers, both in terms of employing certified practitioners and in providing employees with time off to attend events.
• It was generally agreed that the CPD scheme compliance is too complex, time consuming and difficult. This put most people off joining the scheme:
  • The onus of proving participation in CPD events is on the practitioner rather than the organisation. Can it be made easier by having a sign up sheet at events which are collected by the LLO/organisation and entered into the members' PD record by ALIA? Then if the individual wants to accrue points at events/PD activities that are not run by ALIA, they can do so using the current recording system.
  • There are electronic forms and a database, but the database counts for nothing in the audit/recognition process. Why would you bother with the database?
  • Provide certificates of PD participation including points earned e.g. from booths at conferences - no other proof should be required.
  • Record of learning was generally disliked - attendance should be only requirement, in line with other schemes e.g. solicitors' PD scheme.
• What can we do to make it easier to hold CPD events?
• Develop a list of 'experts', especially from the retired population who might be willing to share their knowledge, accessible on the ALIA website. Can we tap into the 'grey nomad' population and ask them to take a CPD activity in the region when they pass though it?
• There are problems developing an 'expert' or 'mentor' database database. It would involve a lot of trust and generosity to put yourself up there.
• Podcast or make CPD events electronically available for people who can't make the event because of distance or other commitments.
• Create kits so that we don't need to re-invent the wheel each time we run an event (kits contain information about what worked when setting up an event)
• Promote non-alia events e.g. IT events
• Have a regular schedule for events e.g. WIT has lunchtime sessions and a regular social networking event.

Workforce planning

• Can ALIA create a survey to go out with membership renewals asking:
  • How many people are planning to retire in the next year?
  • How many people want to work less hours
  • How many people want to work more hours
• Organisations need to plan for retiring employees and begin to hire staff from the other end of the market (job seekers)

Goal 4 Ensure good governance and management of the association

• Helen explained that ALIA is examining the governance structure with a view to developing a more stable working and reporting environment for the Executive director and ALIA staff.
• Rachel also explained that in the first year of being elected to the board, you are responsible for achieving the priorities that the previous board decided upon. In the second year you are deciding the priorities for the future board.
• The makeup of the board is currently 'hit and miss' and dependant on the skills of the people who are elected. The board needs experts with marketing and communications experience and with financial qualifications.
• Expert board members could playing an advisory role rather than being voting members.
• The meeting was encouraged to read the draft paper on this subject that is being released shortly.

Goal 5 Financial sustainability, including a financial plan for ALIA

• Rachel explained ALIA's investments and the financial sustainability of the organisation are being examined with the help of a financial planner.
• Most members don't read or understand the Annual report. Members wanted the information in a more accessible form using dot points describing key information, such as:
  • What is the bottom line?
  • What does it mean for me?
  • Membership numbers, demographics, trends over time (graphical)
  • Forthcoming issues that members should be aware of
  • KPIs

5. Local issues

• Event planning - many students study at night, but others work during the day and may not be able to get time off. Need events at different times.
• Plan events more regulary rather than ad-hock. Hold events at regular intervals on regular days.
• Create a networking night when new members and prospective members could be welcomed.
• The same people seem to be organising and attending every event.
• Target events at groups matching the matrix described in the beginning of the meeting, eg students, managers,...
• Convenors need to be in contact with each other so that groups support each other.

6. Evaluation

Ranking scale: from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent)

• Opportunity to participate in, and contribute to, discussions: mean 4.6 (7 responses)
• Program and content: mean 4.3 (7 responses)
• Organisational aspects: mean 4.1 (7 responses)

Members reported that the most valuable aspects of the regional meeting were:

• The opportunity to have a say
• The opportunity to hear direct from Board members and group execs.
• Hearing about plans for improvement
• Sharing opinions
• Being part of the process
• Hearing discussions relevant to institutional members

Members reported that improvements to regional meetings could be achieved by:

• Limit discussion on each point to set time
• Wider advertising. Earlier finishing time

7. Any other comments from the meeting?

The directors thanked Softlink for their sponsorship of the regional NAC meeting and their continuing support of the association in Queensland and Australia.