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NJLA Professional Development Committee

Submitted by tagostinelli on Fri, 07/07/2017 - 4:30pm

This was a very productive year for the Professional Committee. Our main focus was on opening up communication about existing professional development procedures amongst NJLA members, clarifying procedures to make it easier for groups to offer professional development programs and events, and informing members and leadership of our findings throughout the year.

 

Professional Development Programming Guidelines

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzXAt_42WTzaTVZlUmxNVGZ0ajQ/view?usp=sharing

 

All NJLA members were made aware of professional development procedures through emails sent to all NJLA members and an in-person presentation at the orientation for incoming NJLA leaders. After making sure that all members were properly informed about the current procedures, our next priority was to gather feedback from NJLA members for the purpose of revising the professional development guidelines in a way that  would best meet the needs of our members. We achieved this goal through the following steps:

 

  • Producing and distributing an NJLA professional development survey. This survey received 249 responses with many valuable suggestions.

  • Hosting a meeting for leaders from every NJLA group to gather feedback on the professional development guidelines that were in place at that time. This meeting was attended by over thirty representatives from different NJLA sections, committees, and roundtables.  

  • Creating revised professional development guidelines based on the feedback that we gathered throughout the year. Key changes and additions include:

    • Changing the wording of the guidelines from NJLA requiring one professional development event from each NJLA group every year to strongly recommending that each NJLA group offer a professional development event every other year. This event may be co-sponsored with another group. Collaborations are strongly encouraged!

    • Designating $2,000 of NJLA funding for paying for speakers and/or supplies for NJLA professional development events. This will make it easier for groups to bring in outside speakers - a need that was expressed by many of our members.

    • Granting the Professional Development Committee the authority to make professional development funding decisions. This will hopefully eliminate confusion over which events can and cannot receive funding.

    • Adding the fee schedule with guidelines on registration and food costs.

 

Virtual Keynotes

 

The Professional Development Committee offered the following Virtual Keynotes for NJLA members:

 

  • NJLA Virtual Commons: How to Write an Elevator Speech for Advocacy, Kathy Dempsey, Libraries Are Essential

June 7, 2017, 10:30am to 12:30pm

 

  • NJLA Virtual Commons: Library Advocacy, Pat Tumulty, NJLA Executive Director

Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 10:00:00 AM - 12:00:00 PM

 

  • NJLA Virtual Commons: Creating Virtual Training Videos with Urban Libraries Unite

Wednesday, September 21, 2016, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

 

Since schedules do not always permit NJLA members to attend Virtual Keynotes during the scheduled dates and times, the Professional Development Committee made the archives of these Virtual Keynotes available to NJLA members this year.

 

Professional Development Website

 

The following content was added to the Professional Development Committee’s website this year:

 

  • NJLA Professional Development Programming Guidelines

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzXAt_42WTzaTVZlUmxNVGZ0ajQ/view?usp=sharing (link is external)

 

Professional Development Links

http://njlamembers.org/content/professional-development-links

 

NJLA Conference Programs

 

The Professional Development Committee sponsored and co-sponsored several successful programs at the 2017 NJLA Conference. Our main programs included:

 

Section/Committee/Taskforce: 
Professional Development
Goals for Next Year: 
Our main goal for the upcoming year will be to implement the revised professional development guidelines that were approved this year. We will continue to support NJLA groups in their professional development programming efforts by helping them to interpret the current guidelines, identify potential speakers and/or collaborators, develop relevant and valuable program topics, locate program venues, provide advice on publicity, and more. We will also be merging the Professional Development Programming Guidelines with the Professional Development Programming Document. This document will be made available on the NJLA Professional Development Committee website. We will also be expanding upon the current website content to make the site a helpful resource for program planning and development.
Other Notes: 
It has been our pleasure serving NJLA members this year.
Reporting Year: 
2016/2017
Report Submitted By:: 
Theresa Agostinelli, Reference & Instruction Librarian, Middlesex County College Co-Chair, NJLA Professional Development Committee