Leadership in TLA
Julie Todaro
One of the tenets of a profession is membership and activity in that profession's
association or associations. While this membership and activity for many may
be limited to attending conferences for professional development and reading
professional publications, the real professional benefits of belonging to our
association include members taking leadership roles in the association. In fact,
these leadership-role benefits are endless and include:
- benefits to the professional's personal development,
- benefits to the professional's local community,
- benefits to professional development,
- benefits for the professional's workplace,
- benefits for future professionals' work environments, and, finally,
- benefits that contribute to and thus perpetuate the success and ongoing
health of the association.
How does one take a leadership role in TLA?
General directions include:
- Acquaint yourself with what TLA does and can do by getting a copy of the
TLA directory and reviewing the membership structure and possibilities.
- Read the last two years of TLA publications (Journal and TLACast) and note
who is writing and doing what.
- Review last year's conference program to see who put on what programs and
sponsored what activities.
- Attend a District meeting, talk to the officers to find out what District
needs and goals will be for the next few years.
- Review a copy of the TLA Bylaws with committee charges listed to see what
general plans committees and groups have.
Serving on TLA committees is leadership.
Just attending a conference is, of course, the foundation of the association as
this meeting is designed to provide continuing education and development for members.
BUT, getting involved and having a say in future activities is exciting and part
of learning from others as well as sharing your expertise with others.
Members can read committee charges, attend and observe open committees, talk
to chairs and membership, and then follow up on possible membership by doing
the following things:
- review committee past activities such as projects, publications or programs,
read the goals, compare the goals to the charge and then match your interests,
specific expertise, education and/or experience with their upcoming tasks
and/or projects;
- tell current chair and members of the role that you could play in the committee
based on your self-analysis listed above (they can pass this information along
to those that will be assigning new members);
- tell the President-elect of the Association of the role you could play
in this process (this person appoints a certain number of members to TLA committees);
and
- ask the office for a committee or activity interest form and note the variety
of areas and then complete this based on your needs and interestscomment on
your specific strengthskeep a copy of itThese forms are distributed to those
people who will be recommending and appointing membersthey are used!
Joining and serving in division and roundtable committees
and activities is leadership.
Besides the general TLA committees referenced above, the association has divisions
by type of library and by interest or library function. These groups of people
can be "joined" and have their own committees and activities.
Anyone can join but if you want to serve on committees or join in activities
or service:
- observe business meetings of the group, note the officers, ask to see the
current goals, minutes;
- note what programs and activities are designed or sponsored by the group;
- attend committee meetings and social activities; and
- as with the committee/group suggestions above, contact officers, chairs
or members to note your interests, expertise and availability for servicetell
them what you can do for them in their future plans.
Running for Board or officer positions is leadership.
Every commitment we take on outside our workplace needs careful study and thought,
but many people don't consider running for Board or officer positions based on
inaccurate preconceptions. Some of the questions that need to be answered include:
- · What IS the time commitment of the officers or leaders of the
group? Just conference activities? Can the rest be done by phone or email?
- · What are the talents needed? Is public speaking required?
- · What are the activities? Do I have to take minutes? Send out newsletters?
Fill out forms? Or can someone do that for me, if that isn't my strength or
my workload won't allow me to.
Volunteering for conference activities such as
local arrangements or program committees is leadership.
Conference planners have committees and teams that work in advance and those that
work on site. Contacting the incoming officers or TLA office staff and giving
your availability and interests will often land you a role that will allow you
to meet others on your road to leadership or will allow you special access to
activities as they occur.
Publishing in TLA publications is leadership.
The Association provides rich opportunities for publishing. As suggested above,
read and review the last two years of publications, note the editor or guest editor,
and/or contact the office. Often you don't have to have an article in hand; rather,
you find out what the upcoming issue themes are and offer your talents.
Other publications within the Association include division or group newsletters,
and members publish these and articles in these. Different committees publish
brochures and handbooks (they may be noted in the charges and goals) and need
help in gathering data, writing, and editing.
Two additional areas of publication include presenting papers at conference
? where members present their research and writing to interested members ? AND
working with committees and groups to provide handouts for programs that enhance
program content and interest.
In addition, look for "poster sessions" in different areas or get involved
with a group and plan a poster session where your work can be displayed along
with other similar work for sharing your expertise.
Don't forget the new additional communication venue of the electronic worldhosting
listservs or email groups, designing or even maintaining content for web pages
for Association groups, or just being active in electronic environments provides
people with more instant visibility than ever before.
Activity in District Meetings is leadership and
is MUCH needed.
The 10 districts of Texas are designed to provide local and regional forums for
the design and dissemination of members for those areas. These 10 entities will
be pivotal in TLA in the next five years as local issues are brought more into
the spotlight through expanded activities, libraries working together to leverage
local and global activities and services, expansion of diverse district membership,
and telecommunications enhancing attendance throughout state district activities.
Districts need leaders for local planning and hosting roles at annual fall
district meetings, for ongoing legislative connections through TLA's legislative
network ,and for program presentations for District continuing education and
development opportunities.
Interested leaders and potential leaders should contact the district officers
listed in the TLA directory for meetings locally (email or phone), attend district
planning groups at TLA Annual or attend district meetings at the summer TLA
Annual Assembly.
Activity in legislative activities and Legislative
Day is leadership!
No one can express how important legislative activities are to the Association
and to library and information services in the state. This leadership activity
can take many forms including:
- · being part of the critical legislative email, phone and fax network
that spreads the word as to legislative issues and needs for action at critical
moments;
- · identifying yourself as knowing key leaders or their teams in
local areas so that you can contact (in person, phone, email or fax) in critical
times and in times when just networking for future action is possible;
- · identifying yourself as knowing key leaders or their teams at
the state level for contact (see above), testifying in Austin or locally;
- · being a catalyst for getting the legislative word out in
- your district;
- · joining TLA's legislative committee to assist in research, report
on activities, and plan for legislative action;
- · attending TLA's Legislative Day to learn about activities and
visit legislators in groups to lobby for the Association's and library and
information goals and interests; and
- · volunteering for TLA's Legislative Day local arrangements to assist
in training or planning.
The beauty of all this is that the benefits so far outweigh the activity and energy.
I've made some of my best friends through Association activities and, frankly,
had incredible opportunities and gotten some of my best jobs through the connections
and networks I've established through my Association work.
Being visible in the Association gives you a chance to enhance your current
job, learn new skills for advancement, gain experience to change from one type
of library to another or one job area or function to another.
Taking a leadership role assists you and provides you with the forum for planning
your own future. Just do it!
Julie Todaro, a mentor at the 1994 and 1999 institutes,
is a campus head librarian at Austin Community College and president-elect of
TLA.