ALIA 2005-2006 draft plan

Draft for consultation, August 2004

Introduction

The ALIA Board of Directors invites ALIA members to discuss and comment on the draft plan for ALIA for 2005-2006.

The ALIA 2005-2006 plan sets out a strategic program for ALIA for the two years from January 2005 to December 2006. It works towards the realisation of the longer-term vision for ALIA expressed in ALIA: towards 2010, developed with the input of members through the 2003 NPC and endorsed by the ALIA Board of Directors in November 2003. In developing the plan for 2005-2006, the Board of Directors has considered the outcomes of previous National Policy Congresses and of major reports received by the Board over the past four years.

The plan builds on the initiatives and achievements of the Association in recent years. It aims to maintain and enhance ALIA's position as the national professional organisation for the library and information services sector.

Discussion points

Because the draft plan for 2005-2006 is built on the longer-term vision for ALIA set out in ALIA: towards 2010 and already endorsed by the Association, the Board of Directors suggests that, in this stage of consultation, members focus on the initiatives proposed for 2005-2006. The Board therefore seeks your comments on:

The initiatives proposed under each of the four themes of: Sharing the vision, Skilling members for the future, Promoting innovation, and Communicating well.

Are the proposed initiatives the right ones to achieve the vision for ALIA?

Are the suggested success measures appropriate?

ALIA: our vision for 2010 (from ALIA: towards 2010)

Our vision for ALIA is that in 2010:

• It will be the Association of choice for informational professionals and the library and information sector.
• Our members will have skills that are highly-valued and sought-after.
• Our members and the sector will be valued for innovation and creativity.
• Our members will be engaged with the Association and with the wider community.
• Australia's library and information services will be recognised and valued as a key component in the nation's information resources, contributing to equitable access to information and to the free flow of information and ideas and providing services of significant economic, social and cultural benefit to the Australian community.

Making it happen

Sharing the vision

We will:

• ensure that members and potential partners are informed about the key policy issues for the sector and will engage members in developing ALIA's policy responses;
• actively encourage the interest and engagement of member in policy formulation and governance of the Association; and
• develop accurate, timely and comprehensive data about the sector.

Proposed 2005-2006 initiatives

1. A lobbying and advocacy program focused on ensuring and enhancing access to information (Objects 1, 4), including:

• National policy issues on digital resources, including recommendations of the Senate 'Libraries in the online environment' report
• Advocacy for development of a national network for health information, as proposed by Health Libraries Australia
• Advocacy for the interests of libraries and copyright users in intellectual property legislation
• Working with strategic partners on issues of national significance
• Covering state, territory and local government as well as federal issues
• Continuing to developing information resources for members on policy issues

2. Facilitate involvement of members in policy development through revision of representation and consultation through the National Policy Congress (Member engagement review recommendation) (Objects 4, 5)

3. Research and report on the changing demographics and trends in employment in the sector (Objects 2, 3, 4)

Measures of success

• Recognition within and beyond the sector of ALIA's expertise and credibility.
• Information and advocacy resources for members are well taken up and are assessed by members as useful.
• Increased member participation in the National Policy Congress and other ALIA policy forums.

Skilling members for the future

We will:

• engage members (both personal and institutional), educators and employers in the education framework; and
• incorporate a comprehensive continuing professional development program into an educational framework that provides pathways for progression in professional careers.

Proposed 2005-2006 initiatives

4 Develop mechanisms for dialogue and co-operation between educators, employers and practitioners on education for the sector and the profession (Object 3)

5 A comprehensive continuing professional development (CPD) program (Object 3), including:

• developing a co-ordinated national CPD program linked to group CPD activities and taking up the priorities for CPD identified through the 2003 National Policy Congress;
• further developing and co-ordinating mentoring programs;
• Monitoring and reviewing CPD partnerships with external training providers; and
• Extending the involvement of institutional members in the CPD program

6 Promoting library and information services as a career (Object 3), including:

• focusing on new information professionals, new jobs, new employment opportunities and involving the New Graduates Group and New Generation Policy Advisory Group in promotional programs; and
• working in partnership with library and information sector schools and employers to market library and information sector careers in school and tertiary sectors.

Measures of success

• A range of CPD training courses offered by the end of 2006.
• Growth in participation by members in mentoring programs.
• Twenty per cent of Associate and Library Technician members registered for the CPD Scheme by December 2006.
• At least one activity or event held for educators and employers by December 2006.

Promoting innovation

We will:

• actively encourage library and information professionals to publish and share their experiences on projects in their workplaces that are designed to improve practice;
• use ALIA's conferences, symposia and the ALIA e-prints repository to capture, archive and share research reports; and
• identify ALIA stars - people who are making a difference to the library and information sector - and enable them to tell their stories in a variety of ways, through ALIA and external communication channels

Proposed 2005-2006 initiatives

7 Implement the ALIA stars program to recognise achievements by personal and institutional members (Objects 3, 5)

8 Communicate achievements and successes in the sector and ALIA and promote innovation and excellence through conferences and symposiums (Objects 2, 3, 5)

9 Through ALIA's publishing program address key issues of professional practice and promote innovation and excellence (Objects 2, 3, 5)

10 Encourage innovation in library and information services practice through research and use of research results (Objects 2, 3), including:

• implementing the Research Fund giving research awards;
• pursuing opportunities for research to be conducted in the priority areas identified at the 2003 National Policy Congress; and
• increasing participation in the Research Exchange and Partnership (REAP) program and the ALIA e-prints archive.

11 Provide training and support for ALIA members in their arrangements for acquisition of online resources, building on ALIA's work in 2003-2004 relating to purchasing and consortia (Objects 1, 2, 3)

Measures of success

• ALIA Stars program implemented.
• Participation in REAP increased by twenty per cent by December 2006.
• Successful sharing of knowledge and ideas through the conferences, symposiums and publishing programs.

Communicating well

We will:

• adopt a unified communications strategy to promote and showcase our initiatives and activities;
• ensure that the communications strategy is effective in supporting participation and engagement of members; and
• harness the expertise, knowledge and commitment of members and groups to engage and recruit new members.

Proposed 2005-2006 initiatives

12 Membership growth through recruitment and retention programs to cover all career stages and sectors (Object 5), including:

• continuing to develop services and marketing aimed at new professional members to strengthen participation in ALIA by those early in their library and information sector career;
• reviewing and redeveloping the membership pages on the ALIA website, including developing a webpage as gateway to ALIA services for new members (Member engagement review recommendation);
• promoting specific services for Associate and Library Technician members to increase recruitment and retention of these categories of membership; and
• promoting services for institutional members.

13 Implement members-only services and continue development of linking of services delivered through the membership database and the ALIAnet website (Object 5), including:

• developing further members-only content and services through ALIAnet, including: online events and conference management, online access to group membership information for office-bearers (Member engagement review recommendation) and integrated CPD Scheme services;
• developing e-commerce facilities beyond the existing online renewal process;
• offering web-based e-mail to all members; and
• maintaining a reliable infrastructure (both technical and otherwise) to support these services.

14 Support and increase the participation and engagement of members (Object 5), including:

• streamlining and improving the effectiveness of the management and administration of groups through implementing the recommendations of the Member engagement review;
• developing a model to support rural and remote members; and
• further development of the role of local liaison officers.

15 Strong and consistent communication through a unified approach to ALIA branding and web and print publishing (Object 5)

Measures of success

• Membership growth of six per cent from June 2004 to December 2006 and ninety per cent membership retention rate achieved by June 2005 and maintained;
• Increased take-up of internet-based content and services by members; and
• Increased participation by rural, regional and remote members.

Related documents

ALIA: Towards 2010

ALIA 2003-2004 plan: making the difference - Achievements and highlights to March 2004