The ALSC Board of Directors is beginning the process of updating our strategic plan, and we need your input!
A strong strategic plan is rooted in the needs of the community it’s meant to serve. In the case of ALSC, that means we need the input of folks who serve children through libraries. That definitely includes people who work directly with kids through age 14 in public and school libraries; but it also includes many other types of work that are part of the ecosystem of children and libraries–publishing, state libraries and consultants, and more. As a reader of the ALSC Blog, you probably are part of that ecosystem–and so we want to hear from you, whether or not you are currently an ALSC member.
Read more: We need YOUR input for the next ALSC Strategic Plan
As an association, we strive to engage communities to build healthy, successful futures for all children. You can see that is our vision as part of our current 2020-2023 Strategic Plan. As a first step to gather input to update our plan, we are holding a range of conversations to hear about the current concerns, interests, and priorities of library workers serving children. We also hope to hear aspirations for the profession and ALSC.
Each conversation will last 60-90 minutes and will take place on Zoom. You can find all of the session information with registration links here. Conversations will take place over the next five weeks.
ALSC has an ongoing commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion within our division. While some of these conversations will be open to general participation, others will take place in affinity groups to allow individuals from historically marginalized identity groups to share in an environment with peers. If you do not identify with any of the affinity groups, please participate only in a general conversation. Affinity sessions will be facilitated by an ALSC member leader who shares the affinity conversion identity.
The specific details of what is shared in these conversations will be kept private, while the themes and ideas that emerge will inform the next ALSC strategic plan. No personally identifying information will be connected to any of the comments or feedback. A doctoral student in education will be the notetaker in all sessions.
The ALSC Board of Directors will include the themes and ideas from these conversations in our year-long strategic planning process. There will be additional opportunities for member feedback as the plan comes together, including at the ALSC Membership Meeting to take place at ALA Annual Conference in June in Chicago, Illinois. The new strategic plan will take effect September 1, 2023.
We appreciate your input to be part of this process as we start down the road of updating ALSC’s strategic plan!