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| ISSN 1483-9288 © SLA WCC |
Wired West: Volume
7, no. 2
Chapter Participation 2004/2005by Patricia Cia. Do you want to share your talents, give back to the chapter or learn new skills?! Are you wondering: Why Seek a Leadership Position?
These are all two year commitments except for President-Elect which is a three year commitment. All candidates should be WCC members. The current President-Elect appoints Chair positions on the Board. If you are interested, contact Keith Low. But, don't wait to be asked! Contact me if you have questions, would like more information or are interested in any of the board positions.
Testimonials & ReflectionsBelow are brief comments from members currently holding positions on the board. More details are also available in our Procedures Manual. These will help guide you at a general level while your enthusiasm and interests will direct what you bring to the position. PresidentIt is very rewarding to be the Chapter President for a group like the SLA Western Canada Chapter. I get to work with dedicated volunteers on the executive who work towards ensuring that you get the most out of your SLA membership. There is some paper work involved in this position including annual reports, financial reports and requests for grants. Thanks to the other members of the executive, I don't complete these alone, it is a group effort. As President, I am also fortunate to host functions such as the Canadian Reception at the New York conference as well as programming activities in my area. I was also able to attend SLA's Leadership Institute this year where I met with other Chapter and Division leaders from North America and overseas. This is a great position if you want to meet and partner with others with your special interests. While the position is a three year term, president-elect, president and past president, this does afford you the opportunity to learn about every aspect of the association. It is always gratifying to me to see how involved our membership are. Who knows, one day I could be sending out a letter of appreciation to your employer informing them of your participation in the association. Our association is only as strong as its volunteers...so think about joining us on the Executive. (Current Procedures) Claudette Cloutier, President, SLA Western Canada Chapter 2003-2004 President-ElectAs suggested by the chapter procedures, the position of President-Elect is an opportunity to learn more about the structure, workings AND personalities of the chapter and of SLA itself. Officially, you will be supporting your current President, but in practice you will be "dabbling" in all aspects of the chapter's work. In this respect, I've found myself participating in a variety of committees, e.g. virtual programming and public relations. It's best if you're able to get a good idea of what your fellow officers/directors are doing! Aside from the ever-important Chapter bylaws, strategic plans, etc., the President-Elect will also spend time reviewing documents and issues that are of interest to the Association as a whole. For example, in preparation for observing/participating at the Association Board and Chapter Cabinet meetings during the summer and winter conferences, I found myself reading about: alternative fee structures, terminal degrees and association branding/name issues. You needn't worry that President-Elect will be confined to thinking only of Western Canada issues! In most SLA chapters, the President-Elect plans and delivers the professional development and social programs which are at the heart of the benefits of SLA membership. WCC, of course, has its team of regional directors who do the hands-on programming. I've found the President-Elect position to be an opportunity to provide new programming ideas, overall programming direction, for coordinating chapter-wide initiatives and for assisting in the distribution/planning of virtual programs. If you've ever done programming for SLA WCC or any other library association, I think you will find the position of President-Elect to be especially rewarding. There is no "typical" week for the President-Elect. You will definitely have a lot of email to process, a few phone calls to take and even fewer meetings to attend, but you will also have great opportunities to network. Because you are constantly in touch with members (new, old and prospective), with your fellow board members and with other chapter presidents/president-elects, you will become one of the "faces" that helps shape the future of the profession and of the Association. (Current Procedures) Keith Low, President-Elect, SLA Western Canada Chapter 2003-2004 SecretaryThe primary responsibilities of the SLA WCC Secretary centre around the bi-monthly chapter Board meetings. After consultation with the Chapter President, I send out e-mail communications to Board members preparatory to the meetings, attend the meetings and take the minutes, prepare the minutes and a compilation of reports submitted for the meeting, and distribute them to the Board membership. The majority of this work occurs in an approximately four-week period around the time of the Board meetings, and just after the AGM, when new members join the Board. Other aspects of the job involve keeping Board members informed of any contact changes that may occur, and assisting the President as needed. During my tenure, I also worked on the survey committee and assisted with the annual chapter information distribution to members. The Secretary position provides an excellent opportunity to be an integral part of the SLA WCC Board, with a well-defined but not too onerous role, as the virtual nature and structure of the chapter facilitates the Secretarial tasks, and Board connections. I have created a manual to provide guidance on job requirements and examples of the various kinds of communications which may be needed. The Secretary position provides an interesting, manageable way to participate on the SLA WCC Board, and an opportunity to work with a cross-section of other committed professionals in the special library community across Western Canada . The connections formed, and lessons learrned, through working on the SLA WCC Board for the past two and half years have been invaluable. (Current Procedures) Diane Walker, Secretary, SLA Western Canada Chapter 2002-2004 TreasurerAs the Treasurer during 2002-2004, my duties included maintaining accurate operating and reserve financial accounts using Quicken software; issuing reimbursement and operating expense payments; submitting Mid-Year and Year-End financial statements to SLA headquarters; and providing feedback to SLA WCC Directors on the financial health of the Chapter and its professional development programs. Being an SLA WCC board member was an excellent opportunity to work for a not-for-profit organization. It provided a forum to learn about board governance and its operating procedures. Participating on the SLA WCC board allowed me to forge valuable professional relationships and importantly, to lend service to the special library community. (Current Procedures) Darren Hamilton, Treasurer, SLA Western Canada Chapter 2002-2004 Communications DirectorAs Communications Director I was responsible for the website and for our initiatives related to communications. From 2002-2004, my highlights included redesigning the website to allow for easier, more flexible navigation, implementing WCC member surveys on the web, working on the redesign of the membership brochure, and filling in for the discussion chairs. My regular tasks were updating the website, usually weekly, and providing a Chapter & SLA News page for every issue of Wired West. Being part of the SLA WCC Board gave me the opportunity to understand the complexities of operating a professional association chapter, a new respect for the efficiency of teleconferences and email, and the chance to work with many special librarians who are leaders in our profession. I joined the Board as a new librarian, and participating gave me the opportunity to truly become a part of the special library community. (Current Procedures) Christina Zeller, Communications Director, SLA Western Canada Chapter 2002-2004 Calgary DirectorAs Calgary director of the SLA WCC I have been responsible for the local SLA programming. Thanks to assistance of a great planning committee, we have had some very interesting presentations during the past two years including some virtual seminars. Our goal was always to find relevant and timely topics of interest. As well I have participated in the quarterly SLA board meetings by teleconference thus getting a chance to meet other committee members. One of the highlights for me was being able to help and participate in last year's Virtual AGM. Overall what I enjoyed most was supporting and networking with our professional community. (Current Procedures) Lorraine Bedet, Calgary Director, SLA Western Canada Chapter 2002-2004 Edmonton DirectorAs Edmonton Director I represented local interests as well as brought SLA programming to Edmonton . This involved working with my colleagues to budget for, coordinate, and market programs. We participated in our first virtual annual general meeting, encouraged greater student participation at local events, hosted virtual programs, and attended virtual Board meetings. Working with the SLA WCC Board was very rewarding personally and professionally. It provided an opportunity to develop skills, meet new people, and develop a greater understanding of the workings of the local chapter. I appreciated the opportunity to work with a group of librarians who are so very committed to special librarianship. (Current Procedures) Debbie Hunter, Edmonton Director, SLA Western Canada Chapter 2002-2004 © All articles are copyright by the authors. |