NMRT Board Member 2002-2003 Planning Report

1. Office name: Vice President/President-Elect

2. How you plan to help committees address the four NMRT goals (if it

does not apply, put N/A):

In planning for my Presidential year, I hope to provide programs that will encourage, educate, and build the leadership skills both of those people who are new to the profession and those nearing the end of their NMRT tenure. Additionally, through the committee appointment process, I will provide formal opportunities for interested individuals to become involved with NMRT, whether they are library school students or seasoned professionals.

3. How you plan to create a positive committee experience, including the

frequency and type of support you plan to provide to chairs and committee

members:

I believe in sharing goals with a group, and then letting them run with the ideas that they produce to meet those goals. It is vital that no committee or individual be given tedious work that will amount to nothing: every project a group undertakes should be a valuable addition to NMRT, or it is not worth doing. It is equally vital that while latitude is given to allow creativity to the group, a leader is there to help guide the group to the next step in the process; this is why I will always suggest a concrete, realistic deadline for an activity, and then have an application for the work that the committee or individual has done. I will always make myself available to committee chairs and NMRT colleagues if they need input on a project, or simply a sounding board. Finally, by providing positive feedback and constructive criticism on the ideas they produce, I hope to help NMRT leaders see the big picture and apply what they know to their committee experiences.

4. Future directions you see your office or NMRT need to take this year or

the following year, including strategies on how to address projects that

affect committees outside of your supervision:

As is to be expected, the time I spend on NMRT projects for the most part revolves around planning for my upcoming year of leadership. To that end, I would like to see a guide or tip sheet produced that would assist the President-Elect through the committee appointment process from beginning to end.

In addition, I am very interested in seeing the NMRT Hotel Project come to fruition. By developing an inclusive and unique environment at Conference, we are more likely to draw and retain members to the organization.

Also, for NMRT as a whole I see the need to renew the energy and commitment of its members in the coming year. By building on our strengths--the strongest of which are NMRT members who welcome others into the profession--we can create a positive, successful, and fun NMRT experience.

5. Date of report: November 21, 2002

6. Submitted by: Beth Kraemer