ALSC Committee Work Plan Template
In challenging times we strive to focus on our core purpose and our strengths. To that end, our work as an
association should align with our core purpose and values. All associate work needs to align with this purpose and
values to be of relevance to our members. Value to our members is our single most important indicator of our
continued success. The following information is meant to be a template for our committees to consider when
meeting together to think through their next steps, projects and requests for information.
Our core values are collaboration, excellence, inclusiveness, innovation, integrity
and respect, leadership and responsiveness.
Our core purpose is: Creating a better future for children through libraries.
Our envision future: Libraries are seen as vital to all children and the families
that support them.
Committee
work
Core
Values
Core Purpose
All committee work should be seen in the context of our core purpose and core
values. This illustration shows how this synergy informs our work in the large
scheme.
Below is an illustration of a process to assist committees in answering the
following vital questions when discussing their charge, membership, functioning,
and collaboration with other committees, ideas and proposals for projects,
programs or services.
What is most
helpful to know,
have access to
or learn?
What is our
value to
members?
Who can help
us with this
work?
Creating a
better future
for children
through
libraries.
Examples:
Committee
Charge
Ideas/Proposals
Process
What is of
greatest use to
our members?
Collaboration
with other ALSC
Committees
Delegation
Time line
Resources
needed
Communication
Sample: EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Charge: To review the elements considered essential to the formal academic and
continuing education of children’s librarians. To inform the ALSC board of
members needs and concerns regarding continuing education and to assist in the
initiation of programs and new publications to meet these needs and concerns. To
represent ALSC at appropriate ALA committees, councils and assemblies and to
serve as a liaison to these bodies as directed by the ALSC board. To be responsible
for periodic review of ALSC competencies’.
Central question: What is of greatest use to members given our core purpose?
Ample supply of well trained and empowered children’s librarians to work with
children and families in a changing information environment.
IDEA: Broaden focus of the committee from continuing education (lots of
competition) to a recruiting a more diverse work force. A potential initiative for
paraprofessional library employees by working with Spectrum initiative and
surveying our members and SLIS programs.
Collaborate: Managing Children’s Services (what do they need, hope for, have
trouble finding and what do they need on the job), Public Awareness (message for
students of educational programs, community colleges), AASL/ALSC/YALSA
Interdivisional Committee (need is important to all).
Resources needed: surveys for members (Survey Monkey or other),
marketing/recruitment materials (once campaign is determined)
Delegation: members divide work into steps and assign tasks
Timeline: measurable benchmarks that can be addressed by the committee (By
next Annual we would have proposal of initiative before the Board for a vote)
Communication: We believe this aligns very well within our Education Objectives:
Goal Area: Education
ALSC will innovatively expand its educational opportunities for all library workers
serving children.
Objective (3): Expand educational and training opportunities that reflect our core
competencies and values.
Objective (4): Ensure that our educational and training opportunities reflect and
reach our increasingly diverse communities.
RELATIONSHIP OF WORK PLAN TO QUARTERLY COMMITTEE REPORT:
Used appropriately, the work plan template will help committees work more
effectively and be more responsive to the quarterly reports in helpful and timely
ways. The committee work plan should feed into the questions that appear on the
report. A copy of relevant questions from the report is included below as an
example:
Work accomplished since last scheduled
meeting.*:
Summarize discussion, decisions reached, and
follow-up action needed (objectives,
timetable, and assignments) since your last
meeting.*:
Please describe the activities or resources the
committee has created since the last report
Edited Competencies to reflect
identified skills needed due to
changes in technology.
Developed 2 yr plan for
assessing continuing
educational needs of members.
Contact Managing Children’s
Services committee for input on
competencies needed by next
month.
Update Membership Committee
on plans and seek their input for
recruiting at membership side
from possible new groups.
We believe this aligns very well
that have specifically supported and furthered within our Education Objectives:
ALSC’s Strategic Plan?
Goal Area: Education
http://www.ala.org/alsc/aboutalsc/stratplan*:
ALSC will innovatively expand its
educational opportunities for all
library workers serving children.
Objective (3): Expand
educational and training
opportunities that reflect our
core competencies and values.
Objective (4): Ensure that our
educational and training
opportunities reflect and reach
our increasingly diverse
communities.
Technology is component of ALSC core
competencies. Please describe how your
committee has incorporated or adapted
technology into the committee work that you
do and resources/information you have
developed.:
Plan to better use existing
publications/blogs to promote
partnerships and ways to
connect to each other and share
ideas, best practices,
commonalities.
Please list other ALSC committees you think
you could be collaborate with on issues or
projects to help further your work::
Membership, Managing
Children’s Services, Organization
and Bylaws
Do you have any suggestions for future
education topics, publications, or resources
We propose a future program
that highlights successful
(such as toolkits) to be developed based on the recruitment plans implemented
committee’s work? Please be as detailed as
in libraries which include
practical information for
possible.:
retention and ongoing skill
building. Also we recommend
considering a program on
building collaboration skills as
leaders since so much of this
work is built on the ability to
connect across priorities and
areas of expertise. Collaboration
skills are a critical piece of virtual
committee work which is
invaluable to our members.
\
Has the committee recently reviewed the function statement to ensure it meets
the responsibilities of the priority group area and facilitates the implementation
of the ALSC Strategic Plan? Note: Recommendations should be submitted to
Organizations & Bylaws. *:
We have determined that to best serve our members, we should broaden our
scope of work to focus on the competencies as a method of recruitment. By
collaborating with the Spectrum Initiative we hope to make some important
recommendations to the Board for support of a recruitment plan that focuses on
increasing diversity in our profession