MLA Visioning Task Force Meeting Notes

The MLA Board has pulled together a group of Board Representatives and Subunit Chairs to serve on the MLA Visioning task force. Minutes from the first meeting, including what purpose the committee will serve and some action items are posted below.

MLA Visioning Task Force
May 7, 2008
MLA Meeting Room
1619 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN

In Attendance: Wendy Wendt, Lynne Beck, Jody Wurl, Emily Mamun, Chris Beyerl, Mary Huismann, Tracy Hvezda, Melissa Brechon, David Pratt, Mark Ranum, Ken Behringer, Cecelia Boone, Kristen Mastel, and Jonya Pacey

Recorder: Emily Mamun

Responsibilities of the Task Force:

Guide the process of updating the MLA visions and drafting a strategic plan for organizational advancement, the goal of which should be to make MLA relevant, dynamic and useful.

Tasks/Assignments:

1. Research other associations – Jody, Chris and Mary.

The group will research associations on their own. Jody will collate and send to the group for review before our next meeting.

2. Find out who doesn’t join MLA and why – Kristen, Tracy and Melissa.

The group will identify opportunities to gain new members including identifying the categories of membership we already have and those we should go after (kinds or libraries, other professions that might have an interest).

The group will finalize the member survey drafted by the Communications Committee. After which time Mark and Emily will work to get the survey online and functional via SurveyMonkey.com.

The group will notify Emily if they require help from the Communications Committee.

3. Understand our current member breakdown – Wendy.

Wendy will ask Cynthia in the MLA office to send the membership summary to the VTF group.

4. Explore MLA’s relationship with the College of St. Catherine – Tracy.

Tracy will work to identify opportunities to gain visibility at St. Kate’s including but not limited to a speaker’s bureau, informational interviews and class visits.

Other Discussion:

A. Should MLA be restructured to match a new mission/vision?

Tentative yes. The group will move forward with the understanding that some restructuring may be necessary as we draft a strategic plan. That said, the group will work to leverage the strengths of the current structure going forward.

Before considering any new direction, the group will evaluate the mission and vision of MLA and give a recommendation about how to move forward. Jody, Chris and Mary will bring outstanding language from other associations to the group as they encounter it.

B. What is the value of Committees, RoundTables, Divisions (subunits in general)?

What makes each subunit a Roundtable, Division or Section? Some groups have bylaws and practice while others do not.

After membership survey data has been returned, the VTF will ask subunit leaders to poll their groups to better understand the value each provides. Additionally, The VTF will work with leaders to gather information on how each of their groups work in practice and compare their responses with what is written in the MLA Bylaws.

Timeline for the Task Force:

Member Survey to be distributed in Late August/Early September 2008 (to include academics who are now finishing their terms for the year).

VTF will draft a strategic plan based on the survey data and other committee work in October 2008.

The plan will be put up for member review at the Annual Conference in November 2008.

In December 2008, the member-reviewed and revised plan will be handed off to the incoming board for review and decision.

Next Meeting of the VTF:

1 pm July 9 in the MLA Conference Room (Wendy will book the meeting room).