VRT strategic plan

Approved Midwinter meeting, February 1, 1999

The Video Round Table has spent two years developing its first strategic plan. We anticipate that this plan will be revised every three years. The plan will be the basis for creating annual action plans for the round table.

Mission
The Video Round Table (VRT) provides leadership within the American Library Association (ALA) on all issues related to video collections, programs, and services   in libraries. The VRT supports video advocacy within ALA, within the profession, and within our libraries. We understand ‘video’ to include all formats, analog and digital; multimedia that includes video content; and the network delivery of digital or digitized video. The VRT will work with other organizations within ALA to promote video collections and services in all types of libraries. The Video Round Table is committed to forging strong alliances and relationships with the film and video production and distribution community to ensure the continuation of a diverse, high-quality universe of video programming.

Vision
We envision an organization that offers information and support to everyone who provides video collections and services in libraries and to the vendor community that supports this endeavor. The VRT will strengthen the ability of members to provide superior collections and services to all library users. We will work to achieve the following conditions within libraries, within ALA, and within VRT:

• Video collections, programs, and services receive the same support as print and other library collections and services.
• Library education involves the necessary components to prepare its graduates for collecting and managing video collections or other video content accessible in the library.
• Libraries recognize the specialized skills needed to be an effective media librarian.
• Librarians provide access to diverse collections through resource sharing and available technologies.
• Libraries recognize the significance and value of moving image media as historical, cultural, and educational artifacts.
• ALA will recognize VRT as the broadest-based organization within the Association that represents video librarianship and video vendors and as such, contact us for advice and support on issues that relate to video collections and services in libraries.
• VRT will provide information and support to all members, both active and inactive, and ample opportunities for involvement for librarians and vendors who want to participate in the work of the organization.

GOALS

Goal 1. Improve communication within VRT, among the Executive Committee and among the membership at large.

Strategic Directions

• Create the VRT Handbook with a collection of documents that will be distributed to incoming officers and committee chairs each summer following the Annual Conference.
• Create an email majordomo for the Executive Committee to facilitate communication between meetings.
• Assign responsibility for maintenance of the VRT Web site.
• Develop a plan for the Web site, including goals and objectives and desired improvements or changes.

Goal 2. Provide professional development opportunities for media librarians and other librarians with responsibility for video collections and/or services.

Strategic Directions

• VRT will support activities, including publications and programs, that enhance professional knowledge for librarians just entering media librarianship, mid-career librarians, and the most experienced librarians.
• VRT will use a variety of means to provide professional development for media librarians. These means include conference programs, pre-conferences, publications, the VRT News, Videolib listserv, and the VRT Web site.
• VRT will focus its attention on two areas for professional development, new technologies and collection development.

Goal 3. Establish channels of communication with related groups within ALA.

Strategic Directions

• Create a committee of representatives that meets at the Midwinter meeting and Annual Conference to plan continuing education opportunities, advocacy activities, or other ways in which we can improve our effectiveness in meeting the VRT mission.
• Partner with other groups within ALA to provide the continuing education opportunities described in 2.1. Provide better coordination with related video groups within ALA, such as the Public Library Associations Audiovisual Committee, in developing programs and activities.

Goal 4. Advocate for policies and legislation that will enhance access to video content within libraries and throughout society.

Strategic Directions

• Establish liaisons with organizations within ALA that follow policy issues and advocate for libraries on legislation and information policy.
• Disseminate information about national policy that affects the work of video librarians through a variety of channels, including conference programs, the VRT News, and Videolib listserv.

Goal 5. Recruit new members and increase the level of participation among existing members.

Strategic Directions

• Establish a goal for number of new members.
• Charge the Membership Committee with developing a recruitment campaign.
• Establish goals for member participation and create a plan for achieving those goals.
• Assign responsibility for 5.3. to a member of the Executive Committee.

Goal 6. Improve VRT relations with vendors and video producers.

Strategic Directions

• Establish a Vendor Relations Committee or a Vendor Relations Discussion Group to improve our ability to work effectively on a variety of issues, including what the vendors want from the organization and what librarians need from vendors.
• Exhibit at the ALA Annual Conference, preferably with the Video Expo booth.

Kristine Brancolini, Chair
Ad Hoc Strategic Planning Committee
1996-1998
brancoli@indiana.edu

Please direct comments and questions to Eric Pasteur at multimedialibrarian@yahoo.com