Section Council Goals and Objectives 1999/2000

Who, Expertise Needed: Standards Committee.
Time Needed: Between July and May.
Resources Required: None.
Product Outcome: Continued development and maintenance of a referral resource to assist in answering questions related to standards.
Evaluation: None .

Objective 2: Monitor progress of the committee’s recommendation that "Process for
Developing Standards for Sections' be mounted on MLANET.

Goal 2: Advocacy

d. recruits qualified individuals into the profession;

Objective 3: Work with the MLA Membership Committee, Sections and other units of MLA on techniques to recruit new members, and develop methods that encourage the retention of the current MLA membership.

Who, Expertise Needed: Communications Committee and MLA Membership Committee
Time Needed: June to May.
Resources Required: None.
Product Outcome: Increased membership for MLA and Sections.
Evaluation: Number of new MLA members and new Section members.

Goal 3: Organization

d.Develops, evaluates, and enhances programs and services responsive to members' needs.

Objective 4:Collaborate with MLA Bylaws Committee and MLA Headquarters in implementing the new structure for Section Council.

Who, Expertise Needed: Council and Council members.
Time Needed: Between July and May
Resources Required: None
Product Outcome: Streamlined governance resulting in improved efficiency in carrying out the consultative mission to the MLA Board.
Evaluation: Feedback from Section Council members, Section Council Chairs, MLA Board and MLA Headquarters.

Objective 5:Annual review and revision of the Section Council and Section Chairs' procedure manuals and the completion of updates to the Web versions.

Who, Expertise Needed: Chair, Vice Chair, Webmaster and Communications Committee.
Time Needed: Between July and April
Resources Required: Printing and postage for distribution of manuals; $300 for printing, postage is included in mailings in objective 9.
Product Outcome: Continue to reduce the number of procedural questions at orientation sessions by addressing frequently asked questions in the manuals available in a variety of formats.
Evaluation: Maintain archives of email questions, list of questions asked at the Orientation Sessions and throughout the year to determine effectiveness of manuals as a reference tool.

Objective 6: Provide information and advice to groups involved in seeking Section or SIG status. Review, establish, revise and monitor criteria for the establishment of new Sections or SIGS and submit recommendations to Council as appropriate:

• formation of the Corporate Information Services Section
• formation of the following new Special Interest Groups:
  • The Internet SIG
    
  • The Voyager SIG
    
• transition of the Mental Health Section to SIG status

Objective 7:Completion and distribution of the SIG's Procedure Manual developed by the SIG Review Committee.

Who, Expertise Needed: Section/SIG Review Committee, Communications Committee, and MLA Headquarters.
Time Needed: Between July and April
Resources Required: Printing and postage for distribution of manuals; $200 for printing, postage is included in mailings in objective 11.
Product Outcome: The establishment of guidelines to assist SIG conveners in planning their activities and working collaboratively within the MLA Association governance structure.
Evaluation: Communication with SIGS regarding the effectiveness of the procedure manual in the clarification, explanation and interpretation of MLA policy issues.

Objective 8:Coordinates section programming identifies papers for general sessions, and schedule business meetings for the Annual Meeting.

Who, Expertise Needed: Chair, NPC liaisons and paper reviewers
Time Needed: Between September and May.
Resources Required: None.
Product Outcome: Continuing expansion of membership options to participate in MLA and professional development.
Evaluation: Program evaluations at annual meeting. Percentage of contributed papers accepted for the annual meeting.

Objective 9:Collaborate with the National Program Committee to explore and make appropriate recommendations regarding issues associated with Section Programming at the Annual MLA Meetings.

Who, Expertise Needed: Section Program Planners Issues Committee, Section Program Planners, National Program Committee Liaison, National Program Committee.
Time Needed: Between July and April.
Resources Required: None
Product Outcome: Articulation of the issues surrounding annual program planning and the incorporation of a methodology to promote communication, collaboration and effective programming at the annual meetings.
Evaluation: Annual Meeting evaluations completed by the MLA membership.

Goal 3: Organization

e. Fosters effective communication within the association and with external constituencies.

Objective 10: Maintain consistent communication with Council members, Section chairs and Board members through listservs, fax and the distribution of three or four Council informational mailings each year.

Who, Expertise Needed: Chair with assistance from the Communications Committee.
Time Needed: August, November, February, and April.
Resources Required: Postage, printing and supplies; $1500.
Product Outcome: Communicate, clarify and interpret the goals and functioning of Section Council to appropriate internal and external constituencies.
Evaluation: The level of professional involvement and timely responsiveness to action items, deadlines and issues associated with Section Council functioning in its' mission as a representative body of the membership to the MLA Board.

Goal 6: Information Technology

a. uses technology to improve communication among members and to enhance remote access to association services and programs:

Objective 11: Provide for the continuing development and maintenance of the Section Council
web pages and housing of the Section Council web site.

Who, Expertise Needed: Communications Committee, Webmaster
Time Needed: June to May
Resources Required: Storage space on server of host site.
Product Outcome: Identify an institution willing to provide space at no charge on their server to host our site. Recommend to Chair and Council members a process by which Section Council web pages will continue to be developed and maintained. This may mean the creation of a new committee, or finding an existing committee to accept these responsibilities.
Evaluation: Acceptance of recommended host, and page development/maintenance process by Section Council members at the next annual meeting.

Objective 12: Provide for the collaborative development of MLANET and MLA Section Council Web pages as a means of promoting MLA membership access to effective, organized web page information resources and services.

Who, Expertise Needed: Chair, MLANET Liaison, MLA Headquarters staff and Webmasters.
Time Needed: June to May
Resources Required: None
Product Outcome: Improved communication between Council and MLA Headquarters, among the membership and promotion of the MLA Association in the national and international communities.
Evaluation: Ongoing membership evaluation through surveys and statistics on web page access.

Send comments or questions to Webmaster Melissa De Santis at desantis@uthscsa.edu

Last updated on: December 5, 2001.