Archives - Strategic Plan: Responses

• What do you see as the strengths of AkLA?
• What do you see as areas of improvement for AkLA?
• What recommendations or suggestions do you have to improve the organization?
• What do you see as the mission of AkLA?
• What is the future direction for AkLA?
• What goals should AkLA pursue?
• Are there any additional issues or concerns you would like to comment on?
• Back to Main Archives

What do you see as the strengths of AkLA?

At this time I am not sure what the strengths are. We have Newspoke and someone is aware that we, as an organization, have a problem and are trying to work through the issues. The home page on the Internet is also a strength.

One of the primary strengths is that it has brought all kinds of libraries together. We are all in the library business and have a lot to offer. We have talented and dedicated individuals, sometimes there is conflict between those who have positional power vs. younger energetic colleagues. 'Musk Ox' is one of our strengths. It evens the playing field especially for the rural libraries. AkLA List SERV is also a strength. We could use it better for communication purposes. We need more open discussion. I do support the reduction of dues. AkLA is now more accessible for support staff.

The strength is the support/network provided by having contact with other colleagues. It also provides a framework for Visibility of issues with the legislative entities. We have common issues and combining forces will lead to credibility. It Provides a vehicle for educational opportunities that may be unaffordable or inaccessible for some members.

As a professional organization, AkLA is really needed. It ties the libraries together - people who love and work in libraries as well as librarians. It helps us to move libraries forward in the state.

The strength of AkLA is in its members. We do have a close cooperation between AkLA and the State Library. We also set goals which is a strength.

AkLA helps the librarians within the state cooperate with each other.

Some strengths I see at AkLA would include: many past and ongoing interlibrary cooperation projects, conferences that rotate throughout the state, lobbying efforts, directory of state libraries and librarians, web page, newsletter, electronic list, and past continuing education efforts. All of these help make the high level of interlibrary cooperation possible despite our geographic separations. They also keep both professional librarians and ones with minimal train- ing somewhat abreast of what is going on in the larger world of libraries. In our state there is less separation between academic, public, school, and special librarians due in a large part to the many AkLA occasions, events and activities where we can interact. The lobbying is vital, especially when we have a legislature like the one we have now.

One of the major AkLA strengths is that it provides an opportunity to network across professional lines. Another strength is that AkLA has a very strong commitment to education which is important because of our geography as a state. We do have a strong commitment to scholarships and the overall profession.

The strengths of AkLA are the very dedicated people who get things done, however we are getting burned out. We represent types of libraries which get synergy going it but can cause fragmentation, especially with school librarians. In general we have a history of success. We have gained additional staffing for the State Library. SLED is a statewide recognized program.

The strength is that AkLA represents the whole state, especially the conferences which allow people to come together. Musk Ox allows us to communicate easier. There are still smaller libraries that don't have the technology. I get a lot from the conferences.

I have not recently been active in AkLA but it's a professional organization that allows people a place to discuss professional ideas.

The primary strength is that it's an association that manages - despite its problems - to keep all sections of the library systems together. We are able to foster cooperation and emphasize being a library in Alaska verses thinking about respective individual communities and libraries. Because of the cooperative spirit it's easier to implement a statewide program.

The principle strength is the cooperation of individuals in the institution. We don't overemphasize status as other states do. There is an organization which allows us to cooperate. We like each other and are supportive. We have a foundation which is regionally based. We also get things done, reaching consensus then "pulling the trigger" to act.

The networking and providing knowledge about library issues are the two strongest strengths. AkLA has been very supportive of open issues such as censorship throughout the state.

I see that the primary strength is to have excellent continuing education. It also provides a forum for networking with professionals. I really rely on my peers because of distances within the state and AkLa makes this networking happen.

The strengths are that we have a lot of talented people with a wide variety of ideas and operating styles. We have a lot of people who want the organization to succeed and a history of pulling together when needed.

One strength is being able to focus on the mission of libraries for all of Alaska. I feel we have had a strong State Library. The interdisciplinary nature, cooperation, and variety of libraries involved in AkLA is also a strength. I feel we have excellent communications and this is one of the reasons we no longer have a need to get together in a more formal structure.

Originally AkLA was the umbrella that brought all kinds of libraries together. I'd like to see this continued, but with growth and the complexity of technology we are getting more splintered as an organization. There used to be a spirit of cooperation that we needed to maintain.

I would say that one of the main strengths of AkLA is that the members enjoy each other. We are fiexible. We are able to do some things through the organization that we wouldn't otherwise get done. A chief strength is our lobbying efforts. Another strength is the E-mail system which enables us to communicate throughout the state.

I think it provides a structure for unifying the various chapters. It gives us a state umbrella. They do offer a conference and lobbying support for issues. This is probably the strongest point of AkLA.

We have a primary strength of being all in it together. We have many types of libraries and the variety of people and talent is a major strength.

The elected leadership has been great. There has been a lot of work done by grass roots efforts. We are an organiza- tion that is willing to tackle problems such as membership drives, structure, and declining membership. AkLA is willing to focus on all interests and types of libraries. All types are well accepted members. We don't focus on one special interest.

I am cut off geographically from my national peer group. I have few peers in my specialized field. I don't feel isolation from AkLA. I feel the people in the organization are committed to do a lot on their own time. I feel we were focused as an organization and committed to it.

What do you see as the areas of improvement for AkLA?

I wonder to what degree we are legally bound to do what the State Library wants us to do? We work long and hard on our legislative priorities and then they come in and rewrite them. They appear to have more control over AkLA than they should. We need to attract more members, but the 'dues' structure is an issue. We need to reach out to the para- professional and try to prevent the consolidation of positions by school districts because they feel they can hire less qualified individuals. When we meet, we focus too much on the budget and not on other issues. It's not a way to energize and encourage local chapters. We need to focus more on relevant issues of the chapters, such as technology, problems with intellectual freedom and professional development.

We talk about representing all the libraries. It's very difficult because of those on the council and the influence of the State Library. We need more grass roots efforts to attract members. We need a brochure and more publicity, yet it's so difficult to get things improved through the AkLA layers. We need to improve our newsletter. There are a lot of reasons why that can't happen.

AkLA needs a more practical focus for the nonprofessional attendees at the conference; set aside a time when folks can gather by interest, common concern, etc. Time that is NOT a 7-8 am breakfast. Having these right after an all-confer- ence event such as a keynote speaker or a luncheon would be good. A special session with a few special program topics that appeal to support staff in the area or region in which the conference is held would be good.

AkLA isn't meeting the needs of specialized librarians. AkLA could be quicker in announcing what's going on and we need more professional packaging of the organization. Most libraries are very busy and overwhelmed and we need to promote what AkLA offers to the members. AkLA activities need to be relevant to people's jobs.

I have not been an active member for about 10 years. 18 years ago I used AkLA to network and get my career started and become known in the community. Then I became a mother and my interests changed. Today the dues are too high. I feel the need to reconnect with my profession and AkLA is the potential vehicle to do this.

I've only attended two conferences but I didn't see much activity by interest groups. I don't understand this. Most organizations with interests groups get together and generate most of the programs for a conference. Under the struc- ture of the interest groups the conference would be more inclusive and strengthened if they plan the conference.

There is a lack of involvement from school and university libraries and this is really a crisis. We need to reach out beyond our current membership. Its difficult because of the size of the state. We aren't making good use of technology especially the AkLA list.

AkLA needs more communication between the DirLead group and other librarians. It seems to me that a lot of the energy, discussion, arid leadership that used to be focused in AkLA is now going on in the director's group. This doesn't always give a chance for wider participation in some areas of interlibrary cooperation.

I think we lack a strong commitment to communication despite the newsletter. I don't get a strong sense of mission from the leadership. The leadership doesn't reach out to the new members.

We need to involve a larger range of people in AkLA especially with the support staff who are more and more involved in libraries. Support staff only has access to the conference when it's in their geographic area. We need to somehow get them more involved. With two career families, people have less time to devote to professional organizations. We need to be less formal and more simplified. Maybe sending out an agenda by E-mail would help. It might encourage people to be more involved. The organizational structure could be streamlined. Perhaps integrating and consolidating duties and roles, i.e. federal relations coordinator and government documents coordinator. There seems to be general apathy within AkLA today.

If one doesn't go to the conference, the only tangible benefits are the newsletter and the directory. The directory always proves its worth. The newsletter ebbs and flows and there seems to be a controversy over it now. It would be good if it could be meatier; perhaps contain some photos of the librarians mentioned so that people in remote places have a face to associate with names.

AkLA needs better renewal billing. Putting more resources into the newsletter, including electronic bulletins or postings directly from the lobbyist, and separating it from the State Library would also be helpful.

We don't do a very good job of communicating. We are so busy that we don't want to get involved. There is a lack of direction and leadership. No one is willing to stand up and say 'this is the direction.

Pre-conferences for training, continuing education or special interests before conferences would be helpful. If they could include programs that tie in or continue the theme during the conference or allow others to benefit from the instructors or guest speakers would be of value also.

It seems everyone is so busy and pressured that its hard to get them to commit to the time needed, so we end up with a small group of people doing everything. It's the same people and same ideas. Our strength is our membership and diversity.

We have allowed ourselves to forget the smaller communities. Perhaps we rely too much on technology and not all members have the technology. There is a barrier within the organization now, leadership can get burned out, people are asked to do the same tasks. It's a danger when we don't get an infusion of new people. We need an external focus. One large Anchorage institution seems to not want to share their resources like they used to. There isn't as much encourage- ment or insistence that the support staff get professional development. We need to renew ourselves with more joint projects. There is a lot we can do together. There is a downside to having a professional lobbyist because we can rely too much on his expertise. We need to share in this responsibility so we don't lose our grass roots efforts.

AkLA needs better marketing of accomplishments and benefits to members. More aggressive recruitment of those new to the state and those who don't have degrees.

We need to schedule the conference so the majority of librarians can attend. The conference isn't pulling school librar- ians in, because there aren't topics of interest. The non professionals without a library background are seeing AkLA as not being representative of their needs. They are seen as being deadline oriented. The fee structure has priced members away from the organization.

Part of the reason that I'm not actively involved in AkLA was that a number of years ago I requested to be a part of the organization and sent in a request form to help. For two years in a row I never had anyone respond to my offer of help. The due structure needs to be even and fair, spread out more uniformly between local chapters which have minimal dues and the state which should not be on a sliding scale.

The fee structure needs serious revision. It's a barrier to maintaining and attracting new members. We need more activities outside the yearly conference. We also need more interaction between the local chapter and the state organization.

I'm concerned about the membership and the lack of professionalism of the new librarians. The old ones are tired and have little energy to devote to the organization.

Our organization is very poor. The business end is very poor. During the annual meeting we had no treasurer's report. We don't have good solid business practices, so we can't be efficient. We don't seem to have much interest in the organization. I see the two being connected because no one wants to join a nonprofessional, inefficient organization.

People don't know how to chair a meeting, by laws are not followed, and members' needs aren't being met.

There is a lack of leadership in the organization and one of the causes is that we are a small state and don't have a lot of people to draw on. Many people have already served. During the 1980's we had a lot of new blood, now because of a restructuring of state budgets, we have no real new blood. The type of person who is drawn into libraries as a profes- sion doesn't have the necessary leadership characteristics. We seem to not want to seize new initiatives. Having real vision is a problem and there is also a lack of creative thinking.

One area for improvement is to have an ongoing membership process; a way to introduce AkLA to non librarians and people who don't work for libraries. We need to recognize that not everyone will have active participation. There is a real division between rural and urban libraries and technology is the dividing line. There is an urban assumption that everyone is on the List SERV and not all rural libraries are on it. Dedicated people seem to challenge others who want to join the organization. The libraries around the state say they support AkLA, yet it's often lip service. Often the director attends the conference and the staff isn't allowed to. All too often at a state wide meetings we focus on the conference and budget. The conference is becoming the mission of the organization. We need to go beyond this because some members will never attend the conference.

The organization has tried through continuing education to meet everyone's needs. It's a problem trying to develop programs for everyone. AkLA needs to promote the organization and help recreate the organization we once were. We need more orientation for officers who come into the organization.

We need to improve our communication. We have the vehicle and we need to use it. We allow the State Library to do the heavy lifting. We need to shoulder some issues. The local Anchorage chapter is strong. We need to encourage strong local chapters. The E-Board needs to be evaluated because the meetings are perceived as nonproductive and energy draining.

One of the areas for improvement would be getting people who are willing to be members or volunteers for leadership roles. There is a lack of commitment by professional librarians. It's ironic that many of them wouldn't have jobs it if wasn't for AkLA.

We need to articulate the purpose of AkLA and how important it is to libraries and librarians. We need to provide more for the support staff, offering programs and training opportunities. We need to do a better job of communicating beyond E-mail, emphasizing print publications. Geography is a barrier and we have taken some steps of centralizing administration which helps.

What recommendations or suggestions do you have to improve the organization?

If an individual volunteers to help they need to be acknowledged and responded to. I would hope that those of us who took the time to be interviewed will hear about the recommendation for the two day meeting.

I would like to stress the idea of having more opportunities for interaction among librarians to 'talk shop' at the confer- ence (Public Library Roundtable meets for one hour once a year; AkLA usually holds a parallel and fairly separate conference; rural librarians have had virtually separate tracks at some conferences). If there were more occasions built in conference planning, I think there would be a good mix between the big picture, continuing education, and how-I- run-my-library (or why-can't-I-solve-this-problem-in-my-library) sessions. I think this would be an area to explore for the newsletter also.

I think we need better print communication. In the past it was one of our strengths. The same problems have been with the organization for years. I'd like to see the newsletter as a priority. Perhaps it's time to evaluate reintroducing our journal. We need all kinds of communication. It's especially important for rural libraries to get all of the information that urban libraries get.

AkLA needs to be flexible and be able to respond quickly to the perceived needs. Perhaps the president could act without having the full E-Board consent. This would allow for quicker resolution, reducing the length of the teleconfer- ences, and allowing more time for creativity and exploration of new areas and ideas that are more relevant to people working in the library. The teleconferences spend so much time on the internal workings of AkLA that it doesn't allow time for considering Strategic Planning or exploring other relevant library areas of interest.

We could possibly video tape key conference points and bring it back to the chapters. We need to encourage more involvement from Universities. If the directors supported AkLA then perhaps writing for Newspoke could count toward tenure. The State Library control over various AkLA functions and activities needs to be reduced. They are overstepping their boundaries and even censoring some information. We need a more open and free information exchange. The State Library should not censor Newspoke.

Marketing the association, especially among the school and academic librarians, would be a good idea. I think some of the newer librarians can't see all the contributions that AkLA has made in the past and don't see much going on now.

I'd like to see a team effort, incorporating the non professional component into AkLA. I want them to participate and I don't see the professionals leading the change. I think the directors need to encourage staff to join AkLA. They need to allow time and give them credit and recognition of working for AkLA. It's in everyone's best interests. The chapters are falling apart. I'd like to see stronger chapters where we will find future leaders and new ideas. The more people who get involved, the more commitment there is to AkLA. I'd.like to see more committee work. We need to have more specialized topics for the specialty librarians during our conference. We need some kind of publicity and press releases so people don't forget libraries. I'd like to see us share more resources because we are all on GNOSIS and Western Library Network. We need to have some mechanism for people to share their expertise and knowledge. We need creative ways to raise funds. We've been able to do this in the past and it allows people to get involved.

We need to include fun activities at AkLA meetings and we need to ensure that programs appeal to a lot of different people. There is a perception that AkLA power rests in the hands of a few. From the inside, it feels like a few are having to carry the organization because of a lack of leadership participation. This leadership group gets burned out. We need to find a better structure to work together. The sheer mechanics are difficult. We have made some serious efforts to get the notebooks together. We need to have a consensus on how organized we need to be. The round tables need to be less formal. They divided us more than was helpful or necessary.

Now that the State Library is going to be limited in its library development activities, we may need to take a more aggressive role in continuing education. I don t think any other institution will, certainly not the University of Alaska. I think we need to survey some of the people who choose not to join AkLA and find out why. Most of the participants in this exercise are pretty active in AkLA. What we find as strengths and benefits of AkLA membership may not be what others are looking for. Maybe we need to hear from others if expanding our membership is our prime concern.

We need more professional development activities. We need to meet all year round in more than one location. We need joint projects between local chapters at the state level. We need to deal with the fee structure. It would be an opportu- nity to build trust with members. People feel they aren't getting their money's worth. I pay a lot less dues for the national chapter than the local chapter.

AkLA needs to encourage, enhance, and excite its membership. We need to energize and expand our membership. The leadership should connect and contact new members. National AkLA does a very good job of this. There is a commit- tee set up to do this, and they do an excellent job. I recommend we do the same. The E-Board structure needs to be evaluated for the chairs of round tables don't have a vote which doesn't empower anyone to join or be active. Our organization must have more of a national visible impact. Nationally, I think we need to have more of a commitment to ensure that more Alaska Natives go into the profession. We should provide a scholarship for Alaska Natives. We also need to change the membership dues structure so it's fair to everyone.

AkLA needs to be perceived as a professional organization and find ways in which the association can allow non tenured professionals an opportunity to publish and get credit.

The interest groups need to be revitalized. They need to be reminded that they are the organization. A lot of people don't attend because it's difficult to get travel money, especially if the conference doesn't have value. Our conference needs broad themes so all interest groups can find a speaker and help build a conference for everyone. Interpersonal networking is where the real learning takes place. For rural librarians it's essential that we connect and identify re- sources and people to build a network for ourselves.

We need to enhance our political arm. We need to form a political action committee to disseminate information rapidly. We need to look at our training and workshops and ensure it appeals to a broad range of participants. We need to expand our staff membership.

We need to reevaluate the fee structure, conference scheduling and offer a wider spectrum of topics within the confer- ence. The network of school librarians has not worked well with AkLA. We need to improve the relationship.

I'd love to see a mentoring program because of geographic distances. There are two AkLAs, one is made up of older members who need no one and little support, and the other is made up of new members who need more support. There is little effort to reach out to new members. Many members are new to the profession and need mentoring and support. The context of the newsletter is very dull, uninteresting, and dictated by the State Library. The control of the State Library needs to let go. Volunteers loose energy when their efforts are denied. I would like to see more efforts for continuing education. These efforts have been successful in the past.

I think the E-Board needs to decide where AkLA is going. There are some terrific chapters that do wonderful work. We need to raise this energy up to the AkLA organizational level. We need to align ourselves and go in the same direction.

There is an impression out there that AkLA is only for professionals who work in a library. We do have members who are retired and who have never worked for a library. We need to encourage the administrative support people and para professionals to be the future generations of librarians. We need to tap into the smaller communities, perhaps have more statewide focus or work projects so that we do something for a library. We need to focus not on problems but on

solutions and less talk with more action. We need a project to pull us together and provide focus. Perhaps we should go to our constituencies, the library users, and see what they need.

I would like to clarify roles of AkLA in relationship to the State Library. We really try to support the state budget. We at the school district level, have not felt their support for our declining positions. The state has filled the school library medic coordinator, which is very positive. We could perhaps have a year long project with a theme that we could try and promote it state wide. Para-professionals and volunteers need to feel welcome and accepted so they don't feel their background is inferior.

We need to solicit more library support staff to the organization. There is an unspoken norm that if you don't have an MA in Library Science, you are deemed less professional. I'm amazed at this perception. We know the experience of those who work the front lines have very valuable experience and input. We also need to make sure that we have good documentation/orientation to AkLA so people understand our purpose and jargon. We want others to know what we are about.

I would recommend that the directors support the organization in some kind of measurable way, commit to the number of people to attend the conference and give staff administrative leave to attend. We need to focus on more frequent educational events, a product line to offer participants. We need to bring people from outside and have staff exchanges and internal training programs that could be utilized throughout the state. We need to offer more than the conference, directory, and newsletter. We need a mission, a project to focus us, then develop a campaign that we could deliver throughout the state; perhaps an advocacy or publicity campaign. Libraries need to be reintroduced to people. We are the gateway for technology. A state campaign would unify us and bring a lot of people back to the table.

We need to elect good leaders. Because of our geographic barriers we have tried various ways to deal with it. Local chapters allow for information sharing but we don't deal with substantive issues and intellectual ideas. One solution would be a teleconference system that is cost effective. The other solution is to intellectually challenge us so we think about the issue of librarianship. We need bright young people to challenge and energize us, people on the cutting edge with new ideas.

AkLA needs to make a decision about what its mission is. Is it education, lobbying, or is it to help the state libraries set priorities? It's difficult to be a state-wide ofhce because of a lack of support. This means only large libraries can partici- pate. A practical idea is a phone calling card for officers so smaller libraries can participate.

We need to develop continuing educational programs for the bush. Mentoring is an area for potential development. We need to focus on information sharing throughout the state, sharing resources like UAF's specialized Alaska collection.

What do you see as the mission of AkLA?

The mission is to promote the intellectual development of people in the association so they can better serve the institu- tion /communities where they work. We should prepare librarians so they can also provide education and recreational reading to the public. We need to get our members educated so they understand why the public reads what it does. The association also needs to be a political advocacy group and the source for providing programs that the state should fund. I don't feel we are accomplishing our mission in the political arena. If it wasn't for the skills of our lobbyist we would have lost real ground. I haven't seen a true initiative come out of AkLA since 1988-89. We seem to hang on to what we have and not rock the boat. In the areas of telecommunication and technology, AkLA has provided education. Perhaps running small workshops around the state is an area to improve.

The mission of AkLA is to protect intellectual freedom, to promote cooperation between libraries, and promote educa- tion for librarians. The commitment to continuing education has to be revitalized and restructured. Inter cooperation needs to be employed. SLED is a good example of this.

The mission of AkLA is to provide support to libraries so we can improve the quality of library services to our commu- nities. I do feel we are fulfilling our mission. I feel this because of what I have gained. AkLA has given me much in the way of resources, contacts, and education so I can do my job better. Despite the problems I can't imagine doing my job without it.

The mission of AkLA should be to support each other within the profession. We need to keep everyone informed and be very accepting of all people working in libraries. We need to be supportive of the delivery of services and the open access issues.

The mission is to promote library use and life long readers of all ages and to change with the times without losing traditional patrons. We need to integrate the technology with the traditional patron so they don't feel left out.

The basic mission is the continuing education of librarians and library workers. We need to make educational opportu- nities widely available to everyone within Alaska. We also support the library as an institution, lobbying for the State Library, yet we need to also focus on the smaller communities and libraries as a whole in Alaska. The lobbying effort at the grass roots level needs to be more focused. I feel we are accomplishing our mission to some degree. We do better at education than a few people who go to all the conferences, yet there are some who can't afford to and we need to also provide services to them. All efforts need to be at the local level. That is where the energy is.

The mission is to promote librarianship as a profession and to assist all people who are involved in the library, AkLA needs to serve all those who are employed. We are a public service organization and we need to provide continuing education and support so all people can do their jobs.

The mission is to provide lobbying effort from the state legislature and to provide educational opportunities to provide interaction between regions throughout the state. Currently the Anchorage region seems to get all the money and attention. AkLA is in a position to help integrate the regions.

I don't know what the mission is. We need a focus and it should change depending upon the needs of its members. An example may be to emphasize continuing education; at what levels and who should attend? It should compliment what the state does and not duplicate it. As a specialized librarian it doesn't meet my needs so I don't go. Perhaps another year we could focus on communication and technology. If we had a Web page people could sign up for membership.

The mission is to promote libraries and provide the structure for cooperation for all libraries in Alaska. I don't feel that we are currently accomplishing our mission. I wonder if we are going through a cycle and will eventually rejuvenate. It won't happen unless we give it a push.

The mission is either that we support individual librarians with education or we become the Alaska library network. I feel this is the role we should take on, building the library community through unification.

Our mission is to promote the libraries and librarians of Alaska. I don't feel we are accomplishing our mission due to the degree of apathy. Our membership is declining due to a lack of understanding of our mission. There is also a certain degree of suspicion on how AkLA goes about its business. There is more of an effort to tear down ideas than develop alternatives.

The mission is that we are a professional organization which educates, informs librarians, and offers state of the art programs. It's a forum to help with communication and education for librarians. We need to educate Alaska about the community of libraries and what we can do for Alaska.

At this time it's twofold. On one hand, it's a support system to the State Library through lobbying. They do provide a tremendous amount of support to us. The second part is the continuing education and training. I don't know if they can co-mingle happily together.

What is the future direction for AkLA?

I think that it should continue to provide educational support and networking. It should also provide a forum for libraries to keep up with the constant changes of technology because technological changes the delivery of library services.

I don't know what the future should be. It depends on what our mission will be. Will we focus on lobbying or profes- sional development for those in management. AkLA can represent both sides. Now people feel AkLA is only for management who have the time and money to pay the dues and go to the conferences. The organization needs to acknowledge changes to be made if we are going to bring new members into the organization. Currently those in power on the council run things the way that is convenient for them.

We need to be very conscious of the need for broad based memberships; individuals who can use AkLA to present ideas to vote and elect officials.

Our job in the future will be to protect libraries by supporting and training staff as well as protecting material budgets. We need to protect against the 'virtual' library which would keep patrons from using the library.

I'd like to see more cooperation among units. We have become very splintered. We need to think of ourselves as a library community and promote libraries in general no matter what kind of libraries they are.

Because the mission isn't clear, the goals aren't clear. The direction should change as the members' needs change. AkLA needs to be more on the cutting edge.

I feel we need more dynamic leadership. We need more choices. We need to revitalize the organization perhaps going back to former leadership. Large libraries need to actively involve AkLA and encourage them to join. Time is a major barrier.

We are going down hill. Our chapters are non existent. We have certified teachers who aren't librarians and don't have library training. We need to show new members what AkLA can do for them. We are competing for their time, energy and money. We need to provide some judgemental support.

I'm not sure what the future is. A lot will hinge on the outcome of this conference. Part of the problem is that we have not been going anywhere. We've been stagnant.

The direction is not clear to me. This is a major concern and issue for AkLA.

The future direction should be AkLA sponsoring something on TV like Reading Rainbow so that we are a force to be reckoned with. We need to increase our visibility and help the whole state. I hope that 5 years out we have an increased membership to assist those libraries who are struggling with education. We can help various libraries throughout the state with education and training.

We need to head toward becoming the Alaska Library network. We are small enough so it's not productive to divide our energies into several different library organizations. If we encourage an "in group" such as DIRLEAD it will dilute the energy and cause considerable breakdown because information goes to the 14 libraries and not to the whole State Library community.

The future direction of AkLA must continue to hammer away with the message that libraries are the gateway for technology. We need to widen our gates and include more people, such as non librarians.

If we don't involve and energize at the local level we won't have a large positive future. At times we have operated as an exclusive club. We need to plan and include all levels of people and input, especially the small libraries who can feel locked out. We need some set dates for committees so we don't always focus on the problems and so more people can provide input.

What goals should AkLA pursue?

We need to increase professionalism and promote libraries. Another goal is to strengthen our chapters and committees. We need to have more specialized topics and programs for our conferences.

The goals of AkLA should be good library support and service around the state. As a group we should pull together and support this. We need to ensure that there is more joint purchasing and governance of libraries around the state. We need to ensure there is more integration. Technology is helping in this area. If we don't have a sense of library in the community, there won't be an incentive to keep the libraries open. We have strong competition from the Internet and other technologies.

In the past we have had goals. We need to revitalize ourselves. In the past we supported budgets for libraries, legislative initiatives, and promoting the value of education to the general public. We need to identify goals and commit ourselves to them.

The goals should be more broad-based, so as an organization we would be heard and recognized as a source of infor- mation about libraries. We need to revamp our education and training. Our conferences need to be broad based. We need to reinvigorate our chapters to provide leadership for the future.

In the short term I'd like to focus on publicity materials. We need better record keeping. Our budgets are not accurate and detailed enough. Our line items are not in place and we lack basic structure and record keeping. We are expected to fill positions and roles but aren't trained to do the function.

We need to provide a forum for providing continuing education. It could be done at other times besides the conference.

The goals should be to support libraries through lobbying and education. Libraries are in great transition so AkLA is the logical forum to help with education and understanding new technology.

I want the E-Board to be more business like and have the annual meeting chaired by professionals. I'd like to see many reports representing the decisions made to ensure accountability. We need new members and we need to figure out a way to make them more active.

AkLA needs to provide more opportunities at the local level, pushing professional development and training. We need to push the lobbying efforts and have more integration of the local chapter. We could use more communication and updates from lobbyist during the session. We need to evaluate what we are providing for the membership fee. Does it give value to the members?

We need to develop a very active political advocacy group. We need to become active in promoting 1,2, and 3-day workshops. We need to come to terms with how to make AkLA successful in a state which has geographic barriers. Perhaps a goal is to restructure the association.

The goals should be to increase membership, to seek increased funding, and more funding of libraries at the local and state level.

We need to become more inclusive in our membership. I'd like to see a training degree or certification through distant education. This needs to be overed at many locations throughout the state. We need to push the university system to do this. We need to ensure that aides don't feel demeaned because of a lack of degree. We need to provide them with the professional development in whatever area they need.

We need to encourage some grants that apply to many different types of libraries. We need to promote continuing education and a coordinated publicity campaign to promote AkLA and libraries. We need a comprehensive member- ship program to bring people in at all levels and to include not just librarians, but also library users, trustees of libraries, and friends of libraries. We lack a round table or interest group to address the concerns of non librarians.

The goals should be short and long term. We need to put into action the recommendation from this meeting. A more long term goal is the advocacy for libraries to ensure outstanding library services by supporting library staffs.

Are there any additional issues or concerns you would like to comment on?

I'd like to see more opportunity for networking. We need to establish a better, more organized and detailed budget process and properly training and orientating anyone expecting to perform and function in a role for AkLA. This would include effective hands-off, putting proper systems in place, mentoring and support to ensure that the role and tasks get accomplished. I'd like to see the two day conference focus on identifying our mission and goals. We do put on a first rate conference, yet there is a lot of dissatisfaction. Perhaps we need to change our focus as the role of a librarian changes to be more para professional.

The fee structure issue is the real stumbling block. Without a reduced rate AkLA will not have the membership it needs to take a leadership role. The agenda should allow us to tackle the fee structure. We need to check into professional development opportunities that we can't get without going outside. We need to talk about state AkLA and discuss how not to make members feel so isolated.

We need to recognize that its OK to do things differently from our past as long as its within our by laws. In terms of agenda the focus needs to be to get everything on the table. We need to focus on how to solve the problems we have raised. Perhaps we need to develop incentives for new members, i.e. inexpensive programs delivered at a distance.

We need to evaluate the dues structure. Dues are too high and people drop out of the organization as a result. If the library institution won't pay, then individuals have to pay the dues out of their own pocket. If we did not send the telephone directory and newsletter automatically, it would reduce cost. Then maybe dues could be reduced and more people would join. The whole issue of due structure needs to be evaluated. Right now I have little incentive to join or go to the conference because I don't find much in AkLA relevant to what I do.

In terms of agenda we need to develop a consensus of problems, then develop ideas to resolve them. This could be a problem solving workshop.

There are educational problems, communication, and procedural problems. I am concerned with the procedural problems but this retreat shouldn't focus on this. The crux of the agenda should be on how we can focus on the sense of community, identifying a goal within the action steps. I'd like to see us come out with specific goals. We need to clarify the role of AkLA in relationship to the State Library. Many feel our lobbyist focuses too much on State Library issues. Frequently the goals are the same, but not always. We need to clarify roles.

I've felt for a long time that we began splintering ourselves in interest groups instead of focusing on the AkLA body. Unless we can bring the energy back to AkLA, the local chapters will remain the focus. We can't have this disparate organization that doesn't come together. The locals must support the statewide program. When I was new to Alaska and the profession, AkLA was very good to me. We need this kind of mentoring and we don't profit by letting the old timers run the organization. We need new energy and blood in AkLA, we must have a mentoring program. We need to revitalize our newsletter, but if we can't, we need to do more informed communication. We've hired an executive secretary but he needs direction so he can contribute to AkLA. This position is a link pin for communication. In terms of agenda, I have a major problem because I'm not a decision maker. I want the leadership to buy into the process for it to work. I want a director for AkLA. I want the leadership to be part of defining the future, and unless it happens, AkLA won't go anywhere.

The agenda should focus on how to solve these issues, prioritize the issues and then work on concrete, practical solutions so when we leave we know what each one of us has to do. I don't want to just talk, we need to take action.

The close association between AkLA and the State Library is a strength. It reduces conflict that you see in other states. The danger is that new ideas may not pop out. AkLA doesn't seem to have it's own identity. In terms of agenda we should look at the concept of leadership, discuss the importance of the association in the political arena. What is our role in educating Alaska? We also need to review the structure of the organization.

We could use E-Mail to a better advantage, however, communication and support issues are easier now. We can use E- mail to get information and to help support each other so people feel they have colleagues' support and don't feel so isolated. I hope the organization can become more personal. The people connection is important. The agenda should focus on resolving issues and not just identifying them. I hope we can think about issues in advance. I want to ensure that everyone is heard. We need to focus on practical solutions.

As we see the budget decline, people get more protective of their turf and less cooperative. The key agenda item is membership, we need to do something about this. The structure for our meetings needs to be evaluated. We need to develop an active publicity campaign for libraries.

There is a definite need to clarify the role of AkLA vs. the State Library. AkLA has become lazy and the State Library has control needs. If AkLA steps up to the bar and assumes more of a leadership role, the question is how will they do this. We need to develop practical ideas and tools to help AkLA determine its role. We need to make it easier for members to want to assume the leadership role.

The line between AkLA and the State Library is very blurred, especially in the money area. The State Library is enabling AkLA. It's doing too much. The State Library can't continue to provide the money and energy. AkLA needs to stand on its own. The agenda should help us shape a vision for AkLA and a couple of very concrete goals. We can achieve and move ahead. We are hungry for success. We need to find a way to bring in the school librarians and to evaluate the role of the State Library vs. AkLA.

In terms of agenda for the retreat, I want to make sure we have some real tangible goals that we can evaluate in six months. We need to set goals that won't lustrate us and we need to identify the action steps to get there. We need to make AkLA work for us. We become frustrated and can complicate things so we set ourselves up for failure. We need to address the relationship of AkLA with the State Library. It's a sensitive issue because of our respective personalities. There is some resentment by a few regarding the strong role the State Library plays in AkLA. We need to grow and mature so we don't rely too much on them. We need to cut the umbilical cord yet retain our relationship with them. This is critical. They are funding the workshop. In summary, AkLA needs to evolve, mature and grow up.

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