LLAMA Members Vote to Approve Division Reorganization

For Immediate Release
Fri, 12/09/2016

Contact:

Fred Reuland

LLAMA Program Officer, Continuing Education

Library Leadership and Management Association

ALA

312-280-5032

freuland@ala.org

In an online election concluding December 8, Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) members overwhelmingly approved new bylaws to reorganize the division. The new bylaws will take effect immediately and the full reorganization will be phased in within a year. 

LLAMA President John Spears said, “On behalf of the Board and our Reorganization Task Force, I would like to thank the membership for their support. This will be an exciting time of transformation, and I hope our members will see a more innovative association that better serves their needs and the profession.”

Under the reorganization, the LLAMA structure becomes less complex. Members will more easily engage with each other and the division, and there will be new tools for virtual connections. The continuing education program will be expanded to support members at all points in their careers with targeted and easily accessible management education.

LLAMA’s eight sections will initially become Communities of Practice, and separate section memberships will no longer be required. The committee structure will also be simplified, and members will have access to more diverse volunteer opportunities, like short-term project teams and micro-projects. Acronyms across the division will be eliminated so that members can immediately understand the purpose and work of a group.

In line with association management best practices, the size of the LLAMA Board is being reduced from 15 members to seven, and will focus on longer-term strategy development while being more transparent in its work. Finally, with less time spent on process, LLAMA staff time will be devoted to adding value for membership, developing a stronger continuing education program, and assessment.

The reorganization process began two years ago, with then President Diane Bruxvoort asking the LLAMA membership about their experiences within the organization. It became clear from the conversations that many members felt disconnected and were confused by the division’s structural bureaucracy. In response, LLAMA Past President Jeff Steely appointed a Reorganization Task Force to explore a radical transformation of the division. Past ALA and LLAMA President Maureen Sullivan facilitated the discussions, and the Task Force presented proposed bylaws to the LLAMA Board at the 2016 Annual Conference. In August, the newly-seated Board approved final changes to the bylaws and the just-completed special election.

About the Library Leadership and Management Association
The Library Leadership and Management Association (www.ala.org/llama) advances outstanding leadership and management practices in library and information services by encouraging and nurturing individual excellence in current and aspiring library leaders. LLAMA is a division of the American Library Association.