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A Guide to CLA Dues Reimbursement for Your Employer
By Kit Willis, Chair, Membership Committee
If you're not the only one benefiting from your CLA membership, then why are you the only one paying for it?
Your CLA membership isn't just valuable to you, it's valuable to your library, too. As a CLA member, you know you receive top-quality professional publications, gain opportunities for essential continuing education, and have access to a unique set of resources to improve your own worklife. But is your employer aware of how these benefits can advance your entire library's mission and work?
By demonstrating how your CLA membership improves your work, and therefore your workplace, you can encourage your employer to pay your CLA dues. Here are 4 simple steps to help you build a compelling case with your boss, board, or library "Friends" group to pay for your professional memberships:
- Make a list of all member benefits that directly AND indirectly benefit your library. We've included some ideas at the end of this article to help get you started.
- Review your library's mission and strategic goals. Match up specific organizational or departmental objectives with CLA resources that help you meet those goals.
- Talk with your supervisor about why membership has been valuable to you, and go through the list of ways that CLA benefits 'match' your library's goals.
- Ask your supervisor to cover all or part of your CLA dues as an investment in your own professional development, and as a benefit to the entire library.
Don't be shy. Remember, for pennies a day in dues, your library gets a well-connected and informed staff member who is up-to-date on new trends around the library world and understands how the latest technology, legislative issues and new media affect your patrons. Plus, you get the personal bonus of an employer who understands and acknowledges this in a special way.
You know how important your membership is. Here are a few facts about membership benefits to share with your employer:
- Your membership will help you stay up-to-date with the latest news focused on the work you do every day through CLA's weblog and new bi-annual journal, Clarion and the list-servs for CLA's Sections.
- CLA offers a members-only discount on conference attendance. This discount helps the library stretch its budget for purchasing and continuing education.
- CLA offers scholarships and awards that can directly subsidize the library budget for conferences, continuing education and special programs.
- You are eligible to serve on CLA committees and work groups that set the course for the future of libraries. Boards and community leadership are proud of, and find added value in, staff members who are recognized by their peers for outstanding service.
- Your own staff development goals can be enhanced through the continuing education, skills training, and mentoring programs offered by CLA. Plus, you bring back new ideas to your coworkers from every outside training.
- Members have unique opportunities to contribute articles, propose new publications, become a reviewer and bring your library's best-practices to a new audience. This brings recognition to your library in the wider community of professionals.
- You and your library have networking opportunities through CLA's online members-only directory that enables you to share experiences, develop professionally, and interact with library leaders throughout California.
For more information on CLA member benefits, or to learn more about the opportunities described above, visit www.cla-net.org or call (916) 447-8541. We are glad that you are a member and support your efforts to gain the recognition from your employer that you deserve.
Posted on May 30, 2006 2:25 PM | Permalink