Communication

Working Group members: Beth Picknally Camden, Keri Cascio, Daisy Waters

Background: The communications group looked at the Seven Measures Survey comments related to communications and the web page. Additionally, we did an inventory of the methods that ALCTS currently uses for communications (below).

Areas of Concern

Transparency

• Members unsure of the structure of ALCTS and how it operates
• members are unsure about how to contact ALCTS staff and committees with questions
• Committee volunteer process

Communication with members outside of ALA conferences, especially for those members who can’t afford to attend

‘In-crowd’

• ALCTS leaders are a close-knit group and it’s hard to break into the group
• only ALCTS leaders are “in the know”

Communication between the sections

Collaboration with other ALA divisions, libraries and organizations outside of ALA

Communication with non-members

Positive Developments

• Ongoing redesign project for the website (though there were complaints about the speed of the transition)
• Some committees are doing work in ALA online communities, but these are still closed to the general membership
• Direct emails to members announcing programming like continuing education opportunities
• Creation of web-based workshops

Possible Next Steps

• Have a membership blog with regular postings about ALCTS business (this should be open to any ALCTS leader to have the ability to post and promote what their group is doing)
• Use more “push” technology (RSS feeds, direct emails) to inform members of ALCTS programs, events and volunteer opportunities
• Increase the number of committees using online communities to do business, and perhaps open these to the general membership
• Add a virtual member to every standing committee; update volunteer form to allow for this option
• Create a virtual volunteer forum for those members who can’t attend ALA
• Record ALCTS 101 session and make available on the web.
• Develop assessment tools to gather specifics about ALCTS and its members
• Increase the number of wikis where members can post and share ideas on everyday issues and work
• Create additional alliances with other ALA divisions to reduce duplication of efforts

ALCTS Communication Inventory

ALCTS website

• Sections
• Continuing education
• Conferences
• Division administration
• Website change project to highlight content created by sections and groups

ALCTS Newsletter Online

• Online publication
• Six times a year
• Members can sign up to get an email reminder when available

ALCTS@aGLANCE

• E-mail communication
• Bimonthly

AL Direct Newsletter

• Delivered weekly to personal ALA members with an email on file, ALCTS occasionally has articles in this publication

Library Resources & Technical Services

• Quarterly print publication
• Free with membership dues
• $75 per year for non-member subscription
• Some articles, abstracts, and tables of contents are available online

Publications

• Monographic series: http://www.ala.org/ala/alcts/alctspubs/catalog/catalog.cfm
• Web publications: http://www.ala.org/ala/alcts/alctspubs/pubswebpubs/webpublications.cfm
• Web resources: http://www.ala.org/ala/alcts/alctspubs/pubsresources/resources.cfm
• Membership brochure

ALCTS at ALA conferences

• Member reception
• ALCTS Forum
• President’s Forum
• Volunteer Forum
• Programs
• Pre-conferences
• Discussion groups and interest groups
• Committee meetings

Discussion lists (from http://lists.ala.org)

• ALCTS Catalog Form and Function
• ALCTS Duplicates Exchange Union
• ALCTS Networked Resources and Metadata Committee
• ALCTS Preservation Administrators’ Discussion Group
• Non English Access in Catalogs
• ALCTS Leaders (closed)
• ALCTS Board (closed)
• Members also use other discussion lists such as AUTOCAT , SERIALST, OCLC-CAT, and OLAC to announce programming at conferences

Blogs

• ALCTS Digiblog

Wikis

• ALCTS Website Redesign
• Serials Acquisitions

Private online communities: http://communities.ala.org

• AS Publications Cmte
• Board of Directors
• CCDA
• CCS Exec
• CCS Research & Pubs Cmte
• CETRC Mentoring Subcmte
• CMDS Coll Dev & Electronic Resources Cmte
• CMDS Policy & Planning Cmte
• Division Committee Chairs
• Education Cmte
• Esther Piercy Jury
• Leadership Development Cmte
• Membership Cmte
• Organization & Bylaws Cmte
• PARS Policy, Planning and Research Cmt
• PARS Prog Planning & Pubs Cmte
• Planning Cmte
• Program Cmte
• Publications Cmte
• SAGE Library Support Staff Travel Grant Jury
• Events Leaders
• Evolving Technologies TF
• Website Redesign TF