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Executive Commitee and Assembly
August 26, 2009
Call for Nominees
The California Library Association welcomes your suggestions for nominees to run for office in CLA's Fall 2009 Election. You are encouraged to nominate yourself or your peers for the following positions:
- Vice President/President Elect (21k PDF)
- Treasurer (22k PDF)
- Board Member (22k PDF)
If you are interested in serving your Association in one of these positions, you may either nominate yourself using the Self-Nomination Form or nominate one of your peers using the Member Nomination Form. Please submit your completed form(s) to the CLA office by September 4th. Potential nominees will be contacted for more information.
Nominees must be current CLA members with experience in governance, leadership, state projects and/or public policy. They should also possess the ability and resources to participate in meetings and committee work as well as commit to supporting membership in CLA.
If you have any questions, please contact Monique LeConge, Chair of the 2009 Nominations Committee or the CLA office.
Serving in an elected position is rewarding, professionally and personally. We hope to hear from you soon!
Posted by claadmin at 12:20 PM
June 18, 2009
Executive Committee Meeting Highlights
June 12, 2009
The CLA Executive Committee (EC) conducts a minimum of four meetings per year and one leadership-training meeting. EC Highlights are provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered official actions of the EC. Approved EC minutes can be obtained by requesting a copy from Richard Berta at rberta@cla-net.org. The EC highlights are produced within one week of each meeting and are made available to help keep our members and the public informed of EC actions and policy discussions.
The following summarizes the meeting:
President's Report
CLA President Barbara Roberts reported that Cindy Mediavilla accepted the permanent editorship of the Clarion. In keeping with the CLA theme of "going green," CLA will, in the future, be offering an electronic version of the magazine to members and limited paper copies. The next issue will be dedicated to the "New CLA."
She also reported on her involvement in the ALA National Legislative Day, noting that California had over 40 members attending. Meetings, stressing continuation of LSTA funding, were held with the staff of Senators Boxer and Feinstein as well as each person's Representative.
She advised members that over the past month, CLA and the CLA lobbyists were working to insure that we had a representative appointed to the California ICT Digital Literacy Leadership Council and ICT Literacy Advisory Committee. She reported that the Governor’s office has added CLA representation to both bodies. A letter recommending Stephanie Sterling Brasley, Manager of Information Literacy Initiatives, CSU Office of the Chancellor, was forwarded to Joe Camicia, the Chief of Staff to the Chief Information Officer, who will be handling the processing of appointment requests.
Consent Agenda
The EC approved Minutes for meetings and/or mail ballots of April 14, May 5 and May 22nd and the Treasurers report for the first quarter and through May 2009.
Action Items
Nominations for VP/President Elect: In the absence of the Immediate Past President Monique le Conge, Barbara Roberts reported that the Nominations Committee has selected two candidates to run for the 2009 VP/President elect: Kim Bui-Burton, Monterey Public Library and Julie Farnsworth, Pleasanton Public Library. The election will run from approximately June 22 to July 13, 2009. Barbara Roberts advised that she will spend time with the VP/President Elect to help orient her to the position. No action was necessary.
Resolution for Judith Krug: The EC approved a resolution recognizing Judith Krug for her contribution to the library community. The resolution will be forwarded by Les Kong to ALA for inclusion in a national recognition of her contributions.
Association Management Company RFP proposal: The committee discussed and approved the RFP to obtain an Association Management Company to manage CLA operations, noting that it was complete in content, direction and timeline. They gave further direction to the Interim Executive Director on suggested outreach, including the search for nationally certified California Association Management firms. The Interim Executive Director advised the committee that she would provide electronic copies of the document and attachments to interested parties and have them distributed starting Monday June 15, 2009.
Program Updates and Reports
Cindy Mediavilla, Chair of the Conference committee provided a report by telephone. She advised that the committee is adhering to their timeline, highlighted the things that will make this a greener conference and the strategies for obtaining sponsorships.
The committee discussed the recommendations of the ROI Task Force and agreed that the report should be provided to the new ED with direction to meet with the State Librarian to determine if there is value in developing this further as part of the library statistical measurements. The Interim Executive Director will include this report in the Executive Director briefing binder with a notation to report his/her findings to the EC.
Les Kong gave a brief ALA update and agreed to complete and return the ALA Assessment Survey completed by the President and Interim Executive Director and include his Chapter/Councilor input. He will also forward the Resolution on Judith Krug to ALA.
Executive Director Interviews
The EC continued their interviews of potential Executive Director Candidates.
Final Announcements
Executive Director Search: The committee announced that it has placed the search for an Executive Director on hold until CLA has successfully contracted with an Association Management Company.
E-newsletter update: Richard Berta, Membership and Marketing Associate provided a report on the status of the development of a monthly E-Newsletter. He presented the EC with an issue memo that identified the work completed to date in evaluating numerous software companies and obtaining satisfaction information from three associations. Based on his review, he recommended that CLA use MailChimp. With the consensus of the EC, he will continue development over the next month with a planned launch date of mid July 2009.
The next Executive Committee Meeting Date is set for October 30, 2009, Pasadena. This will be the last meeting of the Executive Committee. At the conclusion of the 2009 Conference, the new CLA Board of Directors will become operational.
Posted by claadmin at 3:37 PM
December 16, 2008
CLA Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, 12/04/08
President Barbara Roberts called the meeting to order at 2:14pm. Barbara announced that the committee was considering only one agenda item today, i.e. to hire a part-time Meeting Planning Manager to coordinate all meeting planning activities for CLA over the next 12 months with the major assignment being the 2009 Conference. For expediency the Finance Committee was asked to join the discussion and provide input to the decision.
Introductions:
Present: Barbara Roberts, President; Ken Haycock, VP/President Elect; Monique le Conge, Past President; Annette Milliron, Treasurer (joined the meeting at 2:20pm), Les Kong, ALA Chapter Councilor; Ellen Fusco; Lisa Rosenbloom (joined at 2:10pm), Claudia Foutz, Interim Executive Director, Laura Fisher, Administrative Director. Gail McPartland, Finance. (Lynn Price joined after the meeting was officially adjourned.)
Absent: Barbara Quarton, Finance Committee, Donna Corbiel, Finance Committee, Karen Burnett (Finance), Mark Smith (Finance)
Discussion:
Claudia Foutz reviewed the issue memo dated December 2 and reiterated her recommendation to hire a Meeting Planning Manager through Association Resource Center (ARC) on a 1/3 to 1/2 time basis in the amount of $21,000 to $41,000 for a 12 month period. There was some committee discussion about the proposal and comment was made that the Issue memo was clear. Annette advised that the Fiscal policy did not require a quorum of the Finance Committee for decisions and advised that the fiscal impact was within the $150,000 transition costs identified previously.
MSC: (Ken Haycock/Monique) To approve the recommendation contained in the Issue Memo. A roll call was made: (Les, yes, Ellen, Yes, Monique, yes, Ken, yes, Lisa yes, Annette yes)
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:30pm.
Minutes prepared by Claudia Foutz, December 4, 2008.
Posted by claadmin at 11:39 AM
CLA Assembly Meeting Minutes, 11/17/08
President Barbara Roberts called the meeting to order at 2:03 pm. Hilary Theyer was appointed to take the minutes.
Present: Barbara Roberts, President; Ken Haycock Vice President/President Elect (arrived at 2:36pm); Monique le Conge, Past President; Annette Milliron Debacker, Treasurer; Stephanie Beverage; Keri Botello; Donna Corbeil; Anthony Costa; David Dodd; Deborah Doyle; Elaine Franco; Ellen Fusco; Darla Gunning; Patty Hector; Sigrid Hudson; Susan Kantor Horning; Susan Lynn; Paymaneh Maghsoudi; Louise Mazerov; David McFadden; Cindy Mediaville; Julie Moore; Greg Mullen; Heather Pizzuto; Lynne Price; Barbara Quarton; Cathy Sanford; Hillary Thayer; Kit Willis.
Absent: Alan Bern; Julie Passalacqua; Mark Smith; Merry Luskin; Penny Peck; Les Kong; Lisa Rosenblum;
Guests: Sandra Vella; Linda Wilson.
Announcements:
Barbara Roberts advised that Claudia Foutz, the Interim Executive Director, could not be at the meeting today. She stated that many of the members had met Ms. Foutz at other Governance meetings and other meetings throughout the conference. Claudia has been hired to maintain office management and to conduct a Business Assessment of the Organization and make recommendations to the board on whether to maintain in house staffing and at what level, or to consider obtaining staff support from an Association Management firm. Roberts mentioned that CSLA recently completed a review of their operations and had chosen to contract with an Association Management firm.
Adoption of Agenda:
Item 6.1 was removed from the agenda, having been accomplished at the 2008 Assembly meeting on Friday.
MSC: Agenda adopted as corrected (L. Price, S. Beverage)
Reports
President Barbara Roberts announced that this will be a transitional year for CLA as they implement the new bylaw changes. The new bylaws created a "Leadership Development Committee" and Board of Directors. Sections and Roundtables can become interest groups under this new organizational structure. All are encouraged to do so. Roberts announced that she has created two task force groups to help lead the transition; a Transition Task Force, who will develop a transition tool kit for becoming an interest group, and an Information Technology Task force to help identify the technology infrastructure needed to help make CLA more virtual, relevant and exciting for members. Over the next 60 days Sections and Roundtables should contact her with any questions or suggestions concerning the transition.
Past President Monique le Conge commented that she was getting very good feedback on the relevance and quality of this year's program. She mentioned that she has appointed a task force that will work on the idea of an ROI calculator for California and will continue the project throughout this next year. She was asked to try to complete the project in time to use the information on Legislative Day.
Treasurer Annette Milliron-Debacker reported on the 2008-09 budget noting that there will be significant transition costs this year which will be reported as a footnote in future budget displays. She commented that CLA reserves are strong so that these expenditures can be easily covered. The finance committee will meet in December to review the complete portfolio with the CLA financial advisor to determine how best to cover these expenses. The conference is well attended and every indication from pre-registration and on-site registration shows that we have had a strong turnout and will meet projected attendance.
Les Kong was not present to provide an ALA report but had provided it to the 2008 Assembly on November 14, 2008.
Haley Motiey, 2008 Conference Chair, was not present to provide a conference report.
President Barbara Roberts advised the assembly that this will be a transitional year for them and reviewed the By-laws changes which provide for a Board of Directors consisting of officers and 6 - 10 members elected by the membership and Standing Committees: Leadership Development, Finance and Working Committees that are appointed by the Board. The major role of the current Assembly is to assist roundtables and sections to transition to interest groups. The Assembly will meet for the last time on April 13th, the day before the Legislative Day and should report on their efforts.
She advised that Sections and Roundtables should work toward becoming interest groups under the new governance by-laws and participate in the forum on the CLA website. Interest groups provide for the vehicle to network and continue the work members do for CLA for their personal and professional development. Interest groups may have a formal structure if they choose or non-traditional informal groups with an identified leader for purposes to continue services to members and CLA or your organization of choice. She encouraged new interest groups as well, such as a Diversity Group. A task force has been selected to prepare an “Interest group” tool kit to help transition from a formal Section/Roundtable. The tool kit will be available within the next two months.
The Leadership Development Committee will consist of the immediate past president and 9 other members. The committee shall be appointed by the President and reflect the association’s geography, diversity and interest groups. The purpose of the committee is to maintain and promote a pool of potential leaders and provide mentoring and leadership development activities and make recommendations to the Board of Directors of members to serve on committees, task forces and other work groups.
Members questioned whether there should be some concerted effort to reconcile or offer a merger opportunity to CSLA, CARL and other library groups. Barbara advised that in addition to appointing two task forces, that she will call a Summit and invite library organization leaders to explore collaboration and coalition opportunities to help develop a platform of unity and support for libraries throughout California.
Concern was raised about holding the 2009 Conference over Halloween weekend. Barbara will look into whether there is any possibility to move this date. Many dates are set to obtain better hotel rates for attendees and we compete with other events for Convention Center space.
Ken Haycock encouraged members to strongly get behind the transitional plan and provide leadership to the library community to work more closely together. He believes a strong Strategic Planning process will help add structure and direction to CLA and provide for a platform to bring library organizations in California to the forefront and infuse excitement in supporting organized library constituents.
There were vibrant discussions about the way CLA charges for membership and whether they are due to conduct a complete review of the membership structure. There was discussion about whether lobbying was permitted by a 501c3 and members were advised that paying a portion of dues for lobbying activity is permitted under California Law. If, however, CLA were to get behind a major initiative, they would need to form a PAC to support those activities.
There were no items requiring action.
There was no unfinished business.
New Business
Barbara encouraged members to get involved in the transition. Ken Haycock re-emphasized the creation of a strong strategic plan. Members were encouraged to contact Natalie Cole to get involved in the Spring Fling project which will bring visibility of CLA to the community. She also emphasized that planning in the next year will also look at developing an integrated Public Relations plan into CLA activities which will raise community and statewide awareness of the services libraries contribute to the well being of the community.
The last meeting of the 2009 Assembly will be April 14th, in Sacramento, the day before Legislative Day.
Minutes prepared by Hillary Theyer, November 25, 2008
Posted by claadmin at 9:53 AM
CLA Assembly Meeting Minutes, 11/14/08
Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order by President Monique le Conge at 1:30 p.m. She made opening remarks of welcome.
Present: Monique le Conge, President, Barbara Roberts, Vice President/President Elect; Margaret Donnellan Todd, past President; Annette Milliron, Treasurer; Les Kong, ALA Chapter Councilor; Lisa Bartle; Alan Bern; Keri Botello; Stephanie Beverage; Anthony Costa; David Dodd; Deborah Doyle; Elaine Franco; Ellen Fusco; Kathy Headtke; Patricia Hector; Sarah Houghton-Jan; Susan Cantor-Horning; Les Kong; Merry Luskin; Susan Lynn; Paymaneh Maghsoudi; Louise Mazerov; David McFadden; Gayle McPartland; Cindy Mediavilla; Nancy Messineo; Julie Moore; Julie Passalacqua; Penny Peck; Lynne Price; Barbara Quarton; Lisa Rosenbloom; Kathy Sanford; Mark Smith; Kit Willis; Claudia Foutz, Staff.
Appoint person to take minutes:
Past President, Margaret Donnellan Todd was appointed to take the minutes.
Introductions and Announcements:
President le Conge introduced Claudia Foutz who will serve as interim CLA Executive Director.
Adoption of Agenda.
MSC (Stephenie Beverage/Louise Mazerov) to adopt the agenda as presented.
Appointment of the Minutes Review Committee
CLA operates its meetings under Roberts Rules of Order. Because the Membership meeting is held annually and will not meet again in its current form, three CLA members are appointed to serve as the Minutes Review Committee. Their task will be to review and approve the minutes of the meeting. Kathy Sanford, Paymaneh Maghsoudi and David McFadden agreed to serve in this capacity.
Approval of Minutes:
The minutes of April 15, 2008 were approved as amended.
MSC (Gayle McPartland/Kathy Stanford) to approve the agenda.
Reports:
President, Monique le Conge
Election of two members to serve on the 2009 Executive Committee
President le Conge asked members of the assembly to vote for two assembly members to serve on the Executive Committee. The following were nominated: Mark Smith, Heather Pizzuto, Hilary Theyer and Lisa Rosenblum. Mark Smith and Lisa Rosenblum were elected.
President le Conge announced that she was in the process of appointing a committee to study the issue of Return on Investment (ROI) for libraries.
Treasurer, Annette Milliron DeBacker
The Treasurer reported that CLA's tenant has filed for bankruptcy. CLA has received no rent payments since July 2008. The CLA interim Executive Director is investigating legal options. Current financial reports were discussed.
ALA Chapter Councilor
Les Kong provided a written ALA Councilor report.
Conference Report
President le Conge stated that she had a great conference committee and thanked the conference committee members for their hard work. She also expressed gratitude to INFOPEOPLE for providing the major speakers.
Report on CLA Second Life Project
Sandra Vella reported on the Second Life Project. President le Conge requested that she return in January with a report discussing how CLA can make effective use of a presence in Second Life.
Legislative
Melinda Cervantes outgoing Chair of the Legislative Committee reported that Senator Simitian may introduce a new library bond measure in 2010 for the 2012 ballot. The Legislative committee is discussing leading an initiative measure to reduce the threshold for passage of local library bonds to 55%. TBR and PLF are at risk.
Items requiring action:
Appoint motion makers for, CLA Membership Meeting
President le Conge appointed Lisa Bartle and Barbara Quarton as motion makers at the Membership meeting.
Susan Negreen Resolution
Paymaneh Maghsoudi moved and Barbara Quarton seconded that the Assembly approve a resolution for Susan Negreen. The motion passed unanimously.
New Business
Transition Planning and discussion of issues surrounding sections and roundtables
President elect, Barbara Roberts reported on the transition. Mark Smith, Lynn Price and Cindy Mediavilla volunteered to assist her in preparing the toolkit which will go out to all committees, sections and roundtables in January 2009. A discussion ensued regarding how the transition will take place. The Executive Director of ALA, Keith Fiels stated that ALA will work with CLA to ensure that the new interest groups keep their affiliate status.
Recognition of outgoing Assembly Members
President le Conge recognized and thanked outgoing Assembly Members.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m.
Minutes prepared by Margaret Donnellan Todd, on November 25, 2008.
Posted by claadmin at 9:43 AM
CLA Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, 11/14/08
President Monique le Conge called the meeting to order at 9:00 am. The agenda was reviewed and accepted by consensus with one change: Under "Other Business", replace 'good' with 'great' as 8.4, and 8.5 to Committee Visits.
MSC. (Les Kong/David Dodd) to approve the agenda of 11/14/08 with this change
Lynn Price was appointed to take minutes.
Introductions and Announcements:
Present: Monique le Conge, President; Barbara Roberts, VP/President Elect; Margaret Donnellan Todd, Past President; Annette Milliron, Treasurer; Les Kong, ALA Chapter Councilor; David Dodd; Ellen Fusco; Penny Peck; Lynne Price; Claudia Foutz, Interim Executive Director
Guests: Keith Fiels, Executive Director, ALA
Monique le Conge introduced Claudia Foutz, the Interim Executive Director.
The Agenda was reviewed without any additions or changes.
The minutes of the September 26, 2008 meeting were reviewed.
MSC (Margaret Todd/Barbara Roberts) to approve the minutes of 9/26/08.
Reports
Monique le Conge reported that CA Connect To Collections will take place at the Huntington Library. Monique provided a brief update regarding the Day of Planning. David Dodd attended and lunch was provided by Drexel University. State Librarian Susan Hildreth is scheduled to welcome Drexel's MA program, slated for January 2009 with the outcome to have a liaison to the various MLIS school programs for greater interchange. Further discussion took place by the Board. Monique is in discussions with Jane Fisher/San Jose State University regarding the creation of a special project class to create advocacy opportunities for the students and to help them learn more about lobbying.
Monique advised that Susan Gallagher and Jean Hoffackit will co-chair a Task Force for ROI; they will look at geological difference and other concerns; the estimate for the project is 6 month.
Vice President/President Elect Barbara Roberts spoke about the CLA transition; she will ask members to volunteer in various areas to ensure a good transition.
Treasurer Annette Milliron provided a Budget Update
She reviewed the current Financial Reports noting that CLA is on target for budgeted allocations. She reviewed the current Edna Yelland Financial Reports. She also provided an update on the tenant and the side notes for 2008-09 budget. The tenant situation is not yet resolved but should be resolved in the next month. The Treasurer, then, advised that the personnel transition costs and lack of building rent may total $150k which the Accountants have advised can be handled in the budget with a side note. Discussion by the committee regarding the future of the building took place.
MSC. (Margaret Todd/Barbara Roberts) to authorize the sale of investment funds to raise up to $150,000 by December 29, 2008. Funds to be sold will be selected by Judd Kroplin, CLA Investment Advisor; will be reviewed by Annette Milliron prior to sale. The proceeds of the sale will be used to cover the unanticipated expenses of organizational transition, and the revenue shortfall from the rental property. Motion passed.
Annette spoke of the discussion that took place regarding the Begun scholarships. There was discussion about the fund and Annette advised she will continue discussions with Ann Marie Gold to clear up any ambiguity about the funds.
Finance Committee request to survey members: Annette noted that during the committee meeting a comment was made that we need to survey members to determine what motivate people to attend conference; speakers, location, date, cost, etc. This will be incorporated into the current survey of Conference attendees and evaluated to determine if a broader survey would be appropriate for future conference planning.
ALA Chapter Councilor, Les Kong provided highlights and ALA activity: Currently, ALA meetings are scheduled as follows:
- ALA 2011: Midwinter in San Diego, CA
- ALA 2012: Annual in Anaheim, CA
- ALA 2014: Annual in Las Vegas, NV
- ALA 2015: Annual in San Francisco, CA
- ALA 2018: Midwinter in Los Angeles, CA
Several questions were raised about the impact on conference attendance when ALA holds their meetings in California or whether we ultimately benefit from their presence. It was recommended that we review past years to determine what the benefits may have been and using that information to properly forecast attendance and impact on future CLA meetings.
Lastly, discussion took place about the ALA President's Task Force on Graduated Dues Study and the corresponding costs of nearly $500,000 spent for research by consultants and whether that kind of investment got the information anyone needed to make decisions on dues.
2008 Conference Report was not provided in Haleh Motiey's absence.
Sandy Vella provided a report on the CLA Second Life Project (SL) and recommended that the project be continued. She gave some specific feedback on the project noting that ACTSS is excited about an In World Party, taking place on November 22, 2008 from 7-9 pm. SL is really 'cutting edge', but one problem is that many can't access it due to firewalls and other issues. It was suggested that CLA add SL to the webpage, and print brochures used to advocate its use in libraries. The fee would be $1,000 annually. There may be an option of working with SJS/Jeremy Kemp asked Sandy to 'join'; it may be feasible to do so at the end of the year. Ida Rosa, President of ACTSS and Sandy have been doing SL trainings.
MSC. (Les Kong/Penny Peck) to continue exploring CLA presence in Second Life; Make SL a member benefit, with the outcome to be the showcasing of SL at the 2009 Conference. Sandy Vella will bring an assessment and recommendations to Executive Committee in January 2009.
There will be additional brainstorming about SL at the 2009 Executive Committee meeting in January.
Keith Fiels, Ex. Director of ALA was introduced to the Executive Committee.
Legislative Committee Report. Melinda Cervantes reported that the legislative Committee recommended supporting the approval of the Construction Bond Act.
MSC. Part 1: (Margaret Todd/Annette Milliron) CLA Executive Committee supports the approval of the Construction Bond Act measure, but move to 2012. In addition, stimulus packages to include libraries in local projects. Part 2: Direct the Legislative Committee to pursue any economic stimulus packages to ensure that libraries are part of project at the state and federal level. Both parts passed.
ITEMS REQUIRING ACTION
Awards: The voting results for the Annual Awards were announced, and were accepted as written. Monique will be available to present awards.
Drexel University Partnership Proposal was discussed. The Committee decided that this proposal should not be handled in isolation. Other California library schools should be considered in such a proposal so they held decision until the 2009 Executive Committee.
Development of Transition Toolkit: Barbara asked to table this discussion until the Assembly Meeting on November 17, 2008. Barbara asked that any specific questions regarding the toolkit be forwarded to her. She would like a subcommittee to work on the creation of the Toolkit.
Susan Negreen Resolution. Recommended that the Assembly approve the resolution.
MSC. (Margaret Todd/Les Kong) to approve the resolution for Susan Negreen. Motion passed.
Other Business
Set dates for future meetings: January 13th, (possibly location, Ontario library) April 14, 2009 - the day before Legislative Day, Sacramento, June 16th, Ontario, September TBD and October 30th, Pasadena.
There being no further business, the Executive Committee moved into Executive Session at 11:57 am.
The Board adjourned to discuss personnel items and reported out that the administrative assistant has resigned and will be moving out of state. Laura Fisher had also tendered her resignation to begin a private business but has agreed to stay on with CLA during the transition but no later than the end of April. Laura's pay grade will be increased to reflect the additional duties she will be performing during this transitional period.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:14 pm.
Minutes prepared by Lynne Price, November 26, 2008
Posted by claadmin at 9:07 AM
March 19, 2008
CLA Governance Boards to Meet
The CLA Assembly and the CLA Executive Committee will be meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at the Sacramento Public Library, 828 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, in the west meeting room of the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria. The Assembly meeting will begin at 10:00 am and will run until 12:30 pm. The Executive Committee will be meeting from 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm in the same room. The meetings are scheduled to allow CLA leaders to participate in Library Legislative Day on April 16.
This is your opportunity to submit agenda items for these meetings on the attached form. All agenda items need to be submitted to the CLA office no later than April 1, 2008. Agenda items may be submitted via email to info@cla-net.org, or by fax to 916-447-8394. All CLA meetings are open to members who wish to observe. Contact Sue Negreen, Executive Director, if you have questions.
Posted by claadmin at 2:13 PM
October 24, 2006
Come See Your CLA Leaders At Work
Have you ever wondered who makes decisions about CLA programs and services? We elect our leaders each year, and the annual conference gives us a chance to see them at work!
All CLA members are invited to sit in on the upcoming CLA governance meetings. The Executive Committee will be meeting on Friday, November 10, 2006 from 9:00 am - noon. The Assembly will be meeting in the from 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm. The Assembly will meet again on Monday, November 13, 2006, from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. All three meetings will be held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, Bataglieri Room, Sacramento.
CLA's annual membership meeting will be held on Sunday morning, November 12, 2006 at the Sacramento Convention Center, Room 307. The meeting will begin promptly at 9:15 am, and Nancy Amidei, Director of the Civic Engagement Project, University of Washington,is scheduled to speak. The membership meeting is an opportunity to hear from CLA leaders about the association and its plans for the future.
All these governance meetings are planned in conjunction with the 108th Annual Conference and Exhibition. Contact the office if you would like more information.
We hope to see you in Sacramento in just a few weeks!
Sue Negreen, CAE
Executive Director
Posted by claadmin at 6:04 PM
June 22, 2006
Executive Committee meets in Plumas County
In order for CLA leadership to understand the true "nature" of rural librarianship, the CLA Executive Committee's June 2 meeting was held in Plumas County, where President Margaret Miles is County Librarian. After meeting up Thursday afternoon in the small town of Graeagle, the committee went on a short hike through Plumas-Eureka State Park, where Cheryl Gould was lucky enough to see a real live bear!
Budget
During the meeting, the Executive Committee adopted the 06-07 budget, which includes funding for:
- possible new special initiatives tied to the second year of the long range plan
- board training and development
- re-design of the CLA website
- sponsorship of National Library Legislative Day
- two issues of Clarion magazine
Because conference fees have not increased since 2000, the budget also reflects a small increase in registration and adds an incentive for early registration.
Public Relations Campaign
Based on a survey taken at the Library Director's Forum, the Executive Committee discussed next steps for implementing a Public Relations campaign based on PLA's "Smartest Card" campaign. The CLA Public Relations Committee will be asked to participate in the development and promotion of online resources to assist libraries with promotion; CLA will also partner with InfoPeople to provide training in marketing.
Management Services
With the skills of our Executive Director, CLA is in a position to offer management services to other library-related organizations. The Executive Committee agreed that we should pursue this as a potential for non-dues based revenue.
Scholarship Critera
The Executive Committee agreed to change Edna Yelland and Begun scholarship criteria to allow applicants to attend any ALA accredited library school as long as they are permanent California residents and intend to work in a California library upon graduation.
The Executive Committee will meet again on September 11 in conjunction with the Leadership Retreat.
Margaret Miles, 2006 President
margaretmiles@countyofplumas.com
Posted by claadmin at 6:29 PM
May 30, 2006
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 by claadmin at 2:25 PM
March 7, 2006
Executive Committee Meeting Highlights
CLA's Executive Committee met in Sacramento on January 30, 2006, and took action on a number of items.
CLA supports Bond Campaign
The Executive Committee received a request for a $25,000 contribution from the Bond Act Committee. The Library Bond Act of 2006 will be on the June 6th statewide ballot, and will provide $600 million for library construction. First priority will be given to eligible applications not funded in the 3rd application cycle of Proposition 14.
Ann Cousineau, Campaign Chair, reported to the Executive Committee that campaign infrastructure costs are estimated to be between $150,000 and $225,000, and the Committee has so far raised around $100,000.
As one member of the Executive Committee so aptly stated, a new library building is the best public relations campaign there is. Ultimately, we voted to give the Bond Committee $30,000, since our 2005 conference brought in more revenue than anticipated.
I encourage all CLA members to visit http://yesforlibraries.com/ to see how they can make a personal contribution.
Long Range Plan Accomplishments
All Committees and Sections were asked to report on their progress made so far on CLA's long range plan (see http://www.cla-net.org/aboutcla/threeyearplantest.php - for the plan approved by Assembly.) Highlights of progress made so far include:
Student Round Table recruited a student member for the 2006 Conference Planning Committee, and is planning several programs to help attract and expand student participation at our next conference. Round Table members have also recruited school liaisons to "carry the CLA message."
Legislative Committee has sent regular updates to Calix and the CLA webblog, and used Calix to generate interest in Day in the District.
Finance Committee developed charts that graphically illustrate CLA's financial picture which are now posted on our website at httphttp://www.cla-net.org/weblog/mt/archives/cat_insidecla.php#000182.
Conference Planning Committee has had several meetings to organize our next statewide conference in November.
Financial reports
Independent Auditor Edward Pierini presented the results of his audit of CLA records for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005. The audit was conducted in accordance with US generally accepted auditing standards. In his opinion, the financial statements present CLA's financial position fairly. His report was a standard, unqualified opinion. He noted CLA continues to run a very lean organization. Treasurer Annette Milliron noted the association is meeting budget projections for the current fiscal year.
The Executive Committee will be meeting again in Sacramento on April 27, following Library Legislative Day. The Assembly is scheduled to meet that day as well. All CLA governance meetings are open to members. Contact CLA's Executive Director, Sue Negreen, snegreen@ cla-net.org, for further information.
Margaret Miles, CLA President, 2006
Posted by claadmin at 12:55 PM
February 14, 2006
ALA Council Report
Submitted by Jackie Griffin, California Chapter Councilor
Mario Gonzalez from Greenwich Public Library, CT, Terri G. Kirk, from Reidland High School, Paducah, KY, and Roberta Stevens from the Library of Congress were elected to the Executive Board.
Gerald Hodges
Gerald was a special friend to ALA Chapters and to the membership. He was a longtime ALA staff member and many of us knew him and his winning smile. Gerald died shortly before ALA. He will be sorely missed.
Certified Public Library Administrators Program (CPLA)
The CPLA program is up and running. This provides an ALA certification to public library administrators who already have a master's degree from an ALA accredited library school and at least 3 years of supervisory experience. Applications to participate in this program are now being accepted by ALA and providers of the required courses were approved at this conference. Contact me for additional information.
Leslie Burger's Presidential Initiative
Leslie Burger will become president of ALA in June. She has chosen as her theme: Libraries Transform Communities. It will focus on leadership development, policy development, salaries and education, tips for transforming libraries, and expansion of the library advocacy network.
Group Call-In to Congress
On Wednesday morning between during a council meeting break, we had a group call-in to Congress - literally. President Michael Gorman led us, while being filmed, in calling his Congress person and asking for support of revisions in the USA Patriot Act.
ALA COUNCIL MEETINGS
ALA council met three times for many hours. It considered both issues of interest and concern to the entire profession and somewhat arcane issues related to the operation of the association.
Here are the major resolutions we considered, how I voted, and the outcome of the discussion.
Resolution on the Instructional Classification of School Librarians. There is a movement around the country for state legislatures to pass a law under the general title of "65% solution." Background on this issue can be found at http://www.schoolmatters.com/pdf/65_paper_schoolmatters.pdf.
I'm sure if you just search Google under "65 percent solution" you can find additional information. In summary, this "solution" says that 65% of each dollar should go to classroom activities. School libraries are not officially so defined as classrooms by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), which is the official federal agency that defines educational activities. These are used primarily for the collection of statistics but impacts also how money is allocated. We have been told, but again I've not verified this, that NCES has issued an interpretation of their definitions that says that school libraries are indeed classrooms but that they cannot officially change the definition until NCES goes through a reauthorization process.
Here is a summary of the resolves:
ALA communicate regularly with state Governors about the "critical need for them to demonstrate their commitment to quality education for every child by including school libraries in all state education priorities and rejecting publicly any policy that would dismantle school libraries and reduce or eliminate the staffing of those libraries by state-certified school librarians."
Inform state legislators that school libraries should be included in any definition of classroom Work with NCES to change the definition
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Dues increase
ALA Treasurer Teri Switzer gave a brief presentation.
She said it had been 11 years since last dues increase. The recent strategic planning effort at ALA, ALA Ahead 2010 had over 20,000 members providing input. Members told ALA that they wanted more programs and more support for their favorite causes at ALA. They want more support for local advocacy to improve funding and for advocacy training. In order to provide all of these services, ALA needs a strong foundation on which to build. ALA's Executive Board and leadership endorse this dues increase. ALA is barely holding its own now. There has been a 30% reduction in purchasing power since 2000. Budgets have been flat for 5 years. ALA has reached its financial limit. ALA cannot be all we need it to be and want it to be without stepping up to the plate and contributing more to our dues.
ALA members will be asked to vote on the dues increase this spring.
Here is the proposal in brief.
- Regular membership up $10 per year for 3 years.
- Library support staff members raises $3 per year for three years.
- Trustee and Associate members raises $5 the first year, then $4, then $5 for a total of $11 Student members (limited to 5 years) raises $3 the first year, then $2, then $3 for a total of $8.
- Other members (which includes retired) raises $4 the first year, $3 the second and $4 the third for a total of $11.
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Treasurer's Report
ALA had a fairly good year LAST year due to holding positions open. This was a one-time saving and led to the ability to pay off some long term loans. However, to move forward with long term goals and plans, more revenue is desperately needed. Treasurer Teri Switzer shared this information with us:
$1.00 in 2000 is worth $1.25 in 2005.
Revenues of $43 m should really be $50 m to keep growing programs. In 2000, ALA significantly invested in technology - it is now time to replace the equipment and software. ALA payroll has decreased by $500,000. ALA needs people to continue to offer programs that ALA members say they want. Reserves are ½ of what they were in 2000. At the same time, the ALA Washington Office, and ALA members, are being asked to deal with significant issues: Patriot Act and privacy; CALEA that requires telecommunications carriers to enable law enforcement's legitimate wiretapping requests; Digital TV bills; E-rate; LSTA and other library funding; Social legislation ALA's continuing priorities are: Diversity; Equitable access to information and library services; Education and lifelong learning; Intellectual Freedom Advocacy for libraries and the profession; Literacy; Organizational excellence. All of this leads to the same conclusion: the dues need to be increased as well as economies continued.
Resolution on a Graduated Dues Structure. There was also a resolution recommending a study of a graduated dues structure, and other funding alternatives, with a report due in 2007. Before it could even be discussed, it was moved to refer the resolution to BARC (The Budget Analysis and Review Committee). There were several reasons for the referral. First, we had just passed a resolution for a dues increase. The Membership Committee had studied this issue already. Second, while there was agreement that other sources of funding ALA should be studied, this seemed to come too soon after a potential dues increase. The hope is that there will be a full discussion at the annual meeting in New Orleans. Right now, it is hoped that the new dues increase request will pass and ALA can move forward on implementing ALA Ahead 2010.
I voted for the referral. The referral passed.
Committee on Legislation (COL)
COL brought several resolutions to Council. Here they are with a summary of their content. If you would like to see the full resolution with all its whereas and resolves, I'll be happy to send it to you.
Resolution on the USA PATRIOT Act Reauthorization asks Congress to:
- amend USA PATRIOT ACT in a manner that "safeguards the privacy rights and constitutionally protected civil liberties of all library users, library employees, and U.S. persons"
- amend to show that law enforcement officials have to be specific about who they are investigating with evidence that an investigation is warranted (i.e. no fishing expeditions)
- require FISA Court to make a finding that these facts are sufficient to warrant an investigation
- allow a recipient of a FISA records search order to consult with an attorney, to challenge the search and gag order
- asks that Section 215 have a sunset date of no more than four years
- urges Congress to "intensify its oversight of the use of the USA PATRIOT Act as well as other government surveillance and investigation"programs
- reasserts ALA's "commitment to the rights of inquiry and free expression" of everybody.
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Resolution on OMB's Guidance to Agencies Pertaining to the Implementation of Section 207(d) of the E-Government Act of 2002
- asks for timely hearings on this Act with librarians as witnesses instead of just posting on the web and asking for comments
- asks that Congress provide oversight that the recommendations of the Categorization of Government Information Working Group be implemented (basically that government documents be cataloged in a way that the public can actually find them)
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Resolution on Protecting the Toxics Release Inventory Program
- opposes the Environmental Protection Act's proposal to reduce the frequency and threshold requirements for Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reporting
- urges Congress to stay with the original intent to "make information, including off-site consequence analysis information, publicly available on a timely basis"
- urges Congress to "direct the EPA to maintain the current TRI reporting thresholds and frequency."
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Resolution on the Changes to the IRS Tax Forms Outlet Program asks that ALA work with the IRS to "reconfigure the Tax Forms Outlet Program to meet the needs of the participating libraries and the public they serve." Basically, the IRS isn't sending enough forms and wants librarians to help everybody get the forms online. Some libraries and people would like to actually get the forms.
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Resolution Affirming Equity of Access Through Universal Service, E-Rate and Advanced Broadband Services
- asks Congress "assess and review the impact of regulatory changes on the public interest, including libraries, educational institutions, and state and local governments"
- asks for "open access and interoperability as well as for prohibitions against control of access by only a few"
- continue the E-rate or a similar program.
I voted yes. The resolution passed.
Opposition to Judge Samuel Alito as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice. The Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship (COSWL) proposed a resolution to oppose the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito as associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and communicate this opposition to the U.S. Senate.
Posted by claadmin at 2:10 PM
February 14, 2005
CLA Executive Committee Meeting Highlights
CLA's Executive Committee met in Sacramento on January 12, 2005. Committee members completed the next step on the association's long range plan, heard a report from the auditor on 2004 finances and took action on a number of issues.
Auditor Ed Pierini, Pierini Accountancy, reported CLA's total liabilities and net assets for 2004 were $1,101,010. Unrestricted net assets for the year were $415,140. $118,750 has been designated a temporarily restricted net asset, as the funds are to set up a scholarship program for children's librarians. The change in net assets for the year was $17,768. Treasurer Annette Milliron reported the 2005 conference was successful financially, easily meeting and probably exceeding, budget projections.
A draft of the Long Range Plan was reviewed with Committee Chair Gail McPartland, and the time table for completing the planning process was modified. A draft of the plan has been circulated to Assembly members, and the plan for FY 2006-09 will be presented to the Assembly for adoption in April. The plan will be available for use at the September 2005 leadership retreat.
Support for the Library Bond Campaign in 2006 was discussed. A statewide public education campaign on libraries is needed, and it was agreed the association will fundraise to support this campaign. $5,000 from the current association budget was allocated to support this education campaign.
Further steps were taken to implement the recommendations that came out of the Communications Task Force recommendations. A $1,000 an issue stipend for a magazine editor was approved, and there was consensus that the Vice President should serve as the facilitator of communication within the organization, so a stipend for a weblog editor was not needed. The Research and Publications Committee will be screening applicants for the magazine, with a goal of printing one issue in 2005 and two issues thereafter.
The situation in Salinas related to the announced closure of all three libraries in the community was discussed. The President was asked to write an open letter to the Salinas City Council and others to confirm CLA's commitment to equitable access to library services for all California communities.
Finally, a report from the Organization and Bylaws Committee resulted in several actions. A modification of the CLA Bylaws that will clarify current language related to "subgroups" in sections will go to the members with the CLA ballot in July. The model section bylaws were revised to allow for a write-in candidate for section elected offices if two candidates are not identified for certain positions, and the Assembly will be asked to consider modification of the standing rules to clarify current language related to "discussion groups."
The Executive Committee will be meeting again in Sacramento on April 21, following Library Legislative Day. The Assembly is scheduled to meet that day as well. All CLA governance meetings are open to members. Contact CLA's Executive Director, Sue Negreen, snegreen@ cla-net.org, for further information.
Posted by claadmin at 1:11 PM
January 4, 2005
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Posted by claadmin at 6:00 PM