CODES Section Review
In reviewing the reports from the committees of CODES, it is clear that the work of
CODES members supports the goals and directions of both the section and of RUSA
in a variety of ways. As in any organizational review, there are some obvious
strengths, areas for improvement, and recommendations for the future.
CODES Strengths
1. Members
a. It is clear that the passion and commitment of CODES members is what
makes the section’s work successful. Without a dedicated group of
members, who put time and effort into planning and carrying out the items
discussed below CODES would not exist. It will be important in the
coming years to look at ways to continue to recruit new members to
CODES and to make that membership experience a valuable and a valued
one.
2. Awards Committees
a. The CODEs awards committees are clearly one of the most important
aspects of the work that CODES does. The book and media awards and
the awards to individuals offer the section, RUSA, and ALA a prominent
place in the publishing media. ALA has expressed an interest in expanding
the prominence of the book and media awards in its marketing, and this
past year, RUSA staff worked with ALA marketing staff to promote
various reading lists to not only the library community but also to the
broader book-buying community. The awards committees also have a
high profile in the section and in RUSA, and support CODES’ efforts to
bring together public and academic librarians, and to offer resources that
support both these groups. Awards committee membership continues to be
valued by CODES members and to be sought after.
3. Programming
a. Another strength of CODES is the programming that comes out of the
committees. Over the past several years, there have been numerous
programs, workshops, and discussion groups put on by the committees of
CODES. These events again support the goals of both CODES and RUSA
to provide opportunities for professional development for members.
CODES programming is aimed at both academic and public librarians,
and again it serves to bring together these two groups adding to the value
of the programs. CODES programming also serves as a great recruiting
tool for both the section and for RUSA. Librarians who attend
programming at conference see the work being done by CODES members
and can be encouraged to join and be part of this work.
4. Publications
a. CODES committees are also recognized for their role in developing
guidelines, standards, and articles that support and further the needs and
interests of the profession. These publications offer librarians additional
professional development opportunities.
5. Collaboration
a. As is noted in the committee reports, CODES committees are expanding
their exploration of collaborative efforts. This is especially true in the
areas of collaborative programming. Collaboration allows CODES to both
better serve its members’ needs and at the same time to expand its reach
beyond CODES members. This will continue to be an essential tool for the
future.
CODES Areas for Improvement
As noted in the committee reviews, there are a range of concerns and issues that
CODES should look at as it makes future plans. In addition, issues have been raised by
members that warrant discussion.
1. Continuity of institutional knowledge
a. One of the challenges of a member organization is how to pass on
organizational structures as members move to new roles. One challenge
that CODES faces is how to make sure that incoming committee chairs
have the information that they need to keep committee work flowing
smoothly. Although there are handbooks for many committees
(particularly awards committees), these are sometimes not easy to locate
and use. CODES needs to be able to ensure that committee chairs are not
operating in a vacuum each new year.
2. Use of technology
a. A consistent problem over the past several years has been the difficulty of
making use of the ALA website by CODES. There have been a variety of
issues here, involving both the section and RUSA as well as ALA. Some
of these issues have been resolved, and now may be a good time for
CODES to look at how to make the best use its section of the RUSA
website as well as other tools available (particularly ALAConnect) as a
mechanism for preserving institutional knowledge as well as reaching
members (both current and potential).
3. Committee structures
a. At Midwinter 2011, concerns were raised about the roles of some CODES
committees. Although in the committee reports included here all the
committees indicated that they felt their work was valuable and that their
purpose was still important, it is also important to continue to evaluate the
roles of the committees outside the 5 year review structure and to ensure
that they are still meeting a need within the section.
4. Virtual participation
a. The concept of virtual participation is being looked at and discussed
across ALA, the divisions and the sections. Some CODES committees
have indicated an interest in doing at least some of their work virtually,
and some committees have already begun doing so. On issue here is the
challenge of setting up opportunities for virtual participation in meetings
and sessions, both at Midwinter and Annual as well as outside those
meeting times. There are some committees, particularly the awards
committees that need to meet face-to-face in order to make their decisions.
However, other CODES committees might be able to take advantage of
the opportunity to meet and work online.
Recommendations
1. CODES should work with RUSA staff to improve the use of the CODES section
of the RUSA website. This could include making sure all of the committee
handbooks are easily accessible and that other essential information for committee
chairs is available.
2. CODES should encourage all committees to work with RUSA staff to develop a
space for their committee work in ALAConnect. This would give a place for each
committee to share documents and resources with each other and to work
virtually. It would also be a place for new committee members and chairs to visit
to acquaint or refresh themselves with past committee work and procedures.
3. CODES should encourage committees to look for ways to use online tools to meet
virtually. CODES may wish to talk to BRASS executive committee members, as
BRASS has been the RUSA section that has been most forward in developing
online participation and meeting.
4. CODES should continue to evaluate the roles of the committees and to reestablish
clearer committee reporting structures to improve communication and
understanding of the roles of each committee.
5. CODES should review the process of committee chair appointments to make sure
that one year appointments make the most sense and meet the needs of both
CODES and the committees.
6. CODES should continue to explore collaborative efforts with other RUSA
sections as well as with groups and committees within other ALA divisions.
7. CODES should work with RUSA membership to continue efforts to recruit new
members to CODES and to RUSA, taking advantage of the strong CODES
programming presence and the award committees.