American Library Association Action Goal for Continuing Education
ACTION GOAL: By 2005, ALA will be a leader in continuing education for librarians and library personnel
- ALA will have the allied professional association structure essential for certification, as well as the ALA policy framework, and have launched one or more certification programs.
- ALA will use computer/communications technologies effectively to provide a variety of continuing education programs for members.
- ALA will have an effective structure for coordinating continuing education across the breadth and diversity of the Association and its units.
CONTEXT / CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS
- Current implementation of 1st Congress on Professional Education recommendations focuses on values and competencies, the accreditation process and employment issues. Recommendations with policy implications and/or fundamental infrastructure impact are anticipated by 2001.
- A 2nd Congress on Professional Education will be held in Fall 2000, focusing on continuing education for the profession. Recommendations will be received by Summer 2001.
- The Office for Human Resources Development and Recruitment (formerly OLPR) will implement the recommendation of the OLPR Advisory Committee to establish a Continuing Education Clearinghouse, including both ALA and non-ALA information, accessible on the website. To support initial steps, .5FTE additional staff was added to HRDR in FY2000.
- PLA/LAMA/ASCLA are completing development of curricula for the [Certified] Public Library Administrator program.
- Structural changes in the ALA Annual Conference will enable more effective use of annual conference for delivery of continuing education by 2001.
- AASL continues to offer web-based training to school librarians, students and parents through its ICONnect Initiative.
- Related organizations are offering web-based continuing education courses (e.g. Special Libraries Association) and post-masters credentialing (e.g. Medical Library Association). Recent data – Executive Director informal survey, American Libraries reader survey – demonstrated both high member demand for good continuing education and the need for significant improvements.
- Three divisions offer biennial national conferences including intensive continuing education (ACRL, AASL, PLA); three divisions offer a joint national institute (RUSA, ALSC, ALTA), one division offers an annual national forum (LITA) and one a biennial national symposium (PLA). Two divisions offer a broad, continuing array of institutes (LAMA, ALCTS).
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
- Agility in content development
- Strong quality control
- Diversity in delivery format
- Utilization and coordinating of existing strengths
- Mechanism for identifying needs / gaps
SOURCES OF SUPPORT
- All ALA divisions
- CLENERT
- ALA Committee on Education (standing, Council)
- ALA Chapters / ALA Chapter Relations Committee (standing)
- ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (formerly OLPR)
- ALA Conference Services
- ALA affiliates
- LIS programs
- Libraries
Relation to ALA Mission/Roles
- Better educated library staff and trustees are more effective in policy arenas.
- Better educated library staff and trustees provide better service to society.
Year-One Requirements [and Likely Sources]
- Establishment of allied professional association to enable certification [FY2001 budget proposal]
- ALA/division "co-investment" in major internet/web-based continuing education initiative [FY2001 budget proposal
- Development of proposal for cross-association coordination of continuing education [FY2002 budget proposal]
Main Responsibility for Managing Goal(s) to Success:
- Member Programs and Services Team – particularly ALA divisions, Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment
Measurable Outcomes – Year 1 / Year 2:
Certification: Spring 2000 – Budget proposal / allied professional association
Fall 2000 – 1st post-MLIS certification program launched (with PLA/LAMA/ASCLA)
Internet/web-based Continuing Education:
Spring 2000 – Budget proposal / ALA-division co-investment
Fall 2000 (FY2001) – Test module development
2001 – Initial offering
Cross-Association Coordination:
Summer 2000 – MPS proposal development
Fall 2000 (FY2001) – Proposal for review
12/20/1999 mg/draft
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