NMRT Board Member 2002-2003 Planning Report

1. Office/name: NMRT Councilor/Stacey Shoup

2. How you plan to help committees address the four NMRT goals (if it does not apply, put N/A):

Increased communication about Council activities and discussions will make NMRT members more aware of the overall ALA structure and activities. I believe that my responsibility is to communicate to members via the NMRT-L listserv, web page, and in-person meetings, and that by sharing my knowledge and experiences from Council with the general membership of NMRT I can help empower, encourage and assist them in their Association involvement. Understanding more about important Association issues will give NMRT members the knowledge and confidence to serve in leadership roles and network both inside and outside of NMRT.

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 plan to involve committee chairs and members in discussions regarding topics being addressed by Council. It is essential that I know the needs and desires of the round table so that I can raise relevant questions and issues at Council meetings and list discussions.

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:

The Councilor needs to find consistent and effective ways of leading discussions and disseminating information about Council issues. I plan to write articles for Footnotes and begin discussions on NMRT-L. Once the NMRT membership becomes more familiar with Council and its activities, I think a section of the NMRT web site should be created for Council information.

I also think that NMRT needs to do a better job of explaining the ALA structure to it's members. This would fit in well under the position of NMRT Councilor. Things like governance and committee structures are foreign to the majority of our members.

5. Date of report: November 20, 2002

6. Submitted by: Stacey Shoup