1. Office Name:
Member Services
2. Office Term (Date: Ex. 2002-2003): 2003-2004
3. How do you plan to help committees address the four NMRT goals? (If it does not apply, put N/A.)
Member Services
committees actively provide a variety
of sponsored activities and resources to assist, encourage, and educate those who are new
to the profession (goal 2). We will
improve the Mentoring program by determining if a year-round program is best
for the membership and I will provide a perspective on what relevant and
pertinent information about professional development should be addressed at the
Membership Meeting/Program. Further,
the Resume Review and Mentoring committees both provide opportunities for new
members to speak with experienced members of the profession. Encouraging involvement in and use of NMRT
programs and services (such as resume review and mentoring) is achieved by
increased support of the Publicity Committee (publicizing via the NMRT
listserv, among others), by making NMRT information available via our website,
and by showcasing these in Footnotes.
4. How do you plan to create a positive committee experience? What type of support do you plan to provide to chairs and committee members, and how often do you plan to provide such support?
Each Chair seems to have a strong understanding of what
needs to be done and a commitment towards achieving the goals of the committee
they serve on, so I have taken a hands-off approach thus far. I will facilitate, recommend and/or seek
assistance on committee issues as necessary.
I am always available for Chairs to contact me via email < mnochoa@ufl.edu > or by phone for support,
and since communication is crucial to establishing good working relationships
and thereby getting work done, I plan to contact the Chairs at least twice per
month, subject to deadlines or questions raised.
5. What future directions do you see your office or NMRT needing to take this year or the following year? What kind of strategies do you envision for addressing projects that affect committees outside of your supervision?
Mentoring and Resume Review, which offer opportunities for new librarians to learn from more experienced people in the profession, will continue to flourish as guidelines are fleshed out. The emphasis on electronic communication is noted and the Web committee will work on improving various parts of the website to meet the needs of users as well as providing documentation for web liaisons and committees.
Early communication is necessary since committees need to work together—such as Footnotes, Web and Archives to deal with the electronic editions of the newsletter, or the President's Program and Membership Meeting/Program (this year). I suggest that meeting at MidWinter is appropriate to lay the groundwork, and that affected committees should have each other's contact information. Overall, I will help to facilitate communication and give committees the heads up on overlapping issues.
6. Date of report: 10/20/03
7. Submitted by: Marilyn N. Ochoa