California Library Association: Leadership Manual

Tool Kit for Association Leaders

Overview of CLA

Established in 1895, under the title of "Library Association of Central California," CLA has enjoyed a rich and memorable history. Its first president was J.C. Rowell from the University of California. Ninety-seven CLA presidents have followed. CLA annual conferences have existed since 1897, and early meetings were hosted by the cities of San Francisco, Redlands, Oakland, Long Beach, Lake Tahoe, Pasadena and Santa Barbara, to name a few. In 1906, the organization changed its name to the California Library Association. Currently, CLA has nearly 3,000 personal, institutional and business members.

Leadership Manual

CLA Request for Agenda Item

CLA Calendar of Events
2009 Election - please check back

Transition

Interest Group Transition Tool Kit (21k)

Leadership

The Board of Directors, Interest Group Officers, and Committee Chairs are all listed on CLA's website. For current committee rosters, visit the CLA Online Membership Directory and search by committee.

Governance

CLA is governed by the Assembly and Executive Committee. The Assembly is responsible for setting broad policy for CLA and planning for its general direction. Its members discuss and vote on interim policies adopted by the Executive Committee of the association, review financial reports and provide guidance to the Executive Committee. The Assembly is composed of thirty-five members and includes the officers of the association (president, vice-president/president elect, immediate past president and treasurer), ALA chapter councilor, section representatives and Assembly members-at-large. Members serve a three-year term. The Assembly normally meets three times each year: for an orientation session on the final day of the Annual Conference, in the Spring at the time of Legislative Day, and on the first day of the Annual Conference.

The Executive Committee, made up of officers of the association and elected members from the Assembly, sets the interim policy of the association consistent with existing mandates and policies. The Executive Committee normally meets four times per year, in November, February, April and June.

The CLA Bylaws and the CLA Standing Rules are the formal documents that guide all association activities. CLA has policies that guide program and financial activities, as well.

Interest Groups

CLA members have an opportunity to network with others who share their interests through participation in special Interest Groups, formerly called sections and round tables.

CLA Interest Groups include:

Academic - Provides a forum for the interests and concerns of anyone employed by or interested in academic libraries.
African American Librarians - Supports efforts to eradicate inequities that affect minorities, functions as an ombudsman for African American librarians, promotes library and information services to African Americans, evaluates the quality of published materials concerning African Americans.
Chinese American Librarians - Promotes better communication among Chinese American librarians, and serves as a discussion forum for professional concerns among Chinese American librarians.
Collection Development - Provides a forum for the exchange of information, ideas, and experiences on any aspect of collection development and of collection management.
Literacy Services - Advances the practice and support of literacy activities in libraries.
Library Accessibility - Provides a forum for support and assistance to library professionals serving inmates; disabled community; shut-ins; bookmobile patrons; or any population restricted by physical or geographical barriers.
Library History - Generates interest in and appreciation of the roles Californians played in the development of the American library as a civic, cultural and educational institution, and in the establishment of librarianship and information science as recognized professions.
Marketing and Public Relations - Recognizes critical role of marketing and public relations in the success and survival of libraries and acknowledges the need to increase visibility.
Management Services - Promotes excellence in the management, administration and governance of libraries in California.
Reference Services - Stimulates and promotes the education and growth of reference and information personnel and supports the development of user-oriented library services.
Student Round Table - Provides formal and informal networking and professional development opportunities for current and recent library students.
Technical Services - Provides a forum for librarians and support staff to explore and discuss interests and concerns affecting the operation of technical services activities in libraries.
Youth Services - Provides a forum for all members interested in issues related to staff development and other children's services and young adult library services.

Standing Committees
A number of committees are organized to address issues that affect the whole CLA organization and membership. Committee member composition seeks to balance representation by type of library, experience relevant to committee's charge, new and veteran CLA members, ethnicity and gender. A few committees require that members be from the Assembly. Generally, the CLA President appoints members to committees.

Three committees in CLA include direct representation from CLA’s sections. These committees are:

Conference Planning - Coordinates program activities for the CLA annual conference.
Continuing Education - Identifies and develops the role of CLA in statewide continuing education. Expanded to include representatives from each Section.
Membership - Markets memberships, develops a plan for membership development and provides recruitment tools. Expanded to include representatives from each Section.

CLA's other committees include:

Beatty Award - Responsible for evaluating eligible books and selecting the winner of the John and Patricia Beatty Award.
Begun Scholarship - Responsible for awarding a scholarship to support continuing library school students who have demonstrated a commitment to becoming children's or young adult librarians in a California public library.
California Young Reader Medal - Representatives from four organizations (CLA, CSLA, CATE, CRA) sponsor the California Young Reader Medal which is awarded "to encourage California young readers to enjoy the recreational reading of good literature, and to honor favorite authors and books."
Cultural Diversity - Prepares specific recommendations about how the association can be more culturally responsive and sensitive.
Finance - Recommends an annual budget for CLA and considers all matters of a financial nature that are referred to the committee.
Fundraising and Development Committee - Develops and conducts an ongoing, sustainable, multi-pronged program to raise money, in the form of sponsorships, grants, fees, and bequests, for the continued support of the California Library Association.
Intellectual Freedom - Creates an awareness of the issues of intellectual freedom, investigates any controversial issue, provides resources for handling problems and prepares recommendations.
Legislative - Monitors California library-related legislation and directs the CLA lobbyist regarding support or opposition. Takes action, if needed, on legislation that impacts the association's ability to serve its members. Informs the executive committee at each meeting about legislative activity. Informs the library community about legislative matters.
Member of the Year Award/President's Award - Selects the recipients of the Member of the Year Award and the President's Award.
Mentoring- Provides organization and implementation for the Mentor Protégé Project and for leadership development activities.
Nominating - Proposes a list of candidates for the annual association elections.
Organization and Bylaws - Reviews the duties of officers; reviews the formation, charges and dissolution of committees, sections, round tables and other components of CLA. Makes recommendations for any needed revisions in the CLA Bylaws.
Public Relations and Information - Manages the annual PR Excellence Award.
Publications - Provides standards, guidelines, procedures and consistency to the CLA magazine. Suggests themes and identifies potential authors. Provides consultation to the editor as needed.
Reference Service Press Fellowship - Solicits applications from students pursuing a library masters degree and intending to study reference/information services and selects a winner.
Scholarship - Solicits applications from minority students pursuing a library masters degree and chooses recipients for the CLA Scholarship for Minority Students in Memory of Edna Yelland.