PNLA Quarterly, Vol. 62 No.3 Spring 1998

Discussion Papers: Publications Plan / Communication

Prepared by: Barry Brown, Second Vice-President, and Sue Samson, Editor, PNLA Quarterly

VISION

Publications

Currently, a standing committee for Publications is responsible for the publication and distribution of the PNLA Quarterly, Checklist of Books and Pamphlets of the Pacific Northwest, Membership Directory and any other publications. Four members of the Association are appointed by the President with the approval of the Board with one member serving as Chair and Editor of the PNLA Quarterly.

The PNLA Quarterly serves as the major source of communication among members of the Association and, beginning with the fall 1997 issue, is available both in hard copy mailed to all members and in electronic format on the PNLA homepage, www.pnla.org.

Is this enough? General consensus of the Board and the recent PNLA membership survey is that PNLA does need a regular publication to communicate with its membership. Therefore, efforts should be made to stabilize the regular publication of the Quarterly and eliminate the monetary contingency of each issue. Simultaneously, continuing efforts will be implemented to reduce publication costs while maintaining a quality publication and to establish a base of advertising within the confines of the postal regulations.

Several ideas exist to strengthen the Quarterly. First, an emphasis should be placed on developing the Quarterly into a shared regional journal. Articles of regional interest and information about conferences and library events within the region should be highlighted. Contact with editors of state and provincial newsletters could strengthen this aspect. The PNLA Member Directory and the Checklist of Books and Pamphlets of the Pacific Northwest should appear as inserts in individual issues of the Quarterly. Second, the Editor in collaboration with the Representatives should submit PNLA information for inclusion in state and provincial newsletters on a regular basis.

The Listserv serves as a current newsletter. Job postings, both professional and paraprofessional, should be a key component. Communications from the Board should be posted in the listserv and general discussion should be maintained. Nonmembers should be welcome to encourage recruitment.

Content of the Web Site should be further expanded and include two levels of information. One level with general information could be accessible to nonmembers. A deeper level could include benefits to members, such as member directory, Checklist, etc.

Membership

Acknowledge all memberships. New members should be invited to participate with a letter from the President. This process needs to be streamlined and implemented with each change of President and 2nd Vice-President. Renewing members should also be acknowledged with a postcard membership card from the 2nd Vice-President. It is also recommended that a letter from either the Representatives or the President be sent.

Formalize and advertise our new policy of free mailing labels for groups wishing to notify our membership of library/information conferences for which PNLA members have a discounted registration opportunity.

PNLA Elected Officers and Chairs

Interest Groups and Committees suffer significantly from little activity and almost no communication among themselves or with the PNLA Board. Redefine the purpose and function of these groups, their members, and their chairs.

Conference program planning should be a similar process from year to year. Participation of members, Interest Groups and Board Members should be formalized.

Communication among Board Members should be consistent. The role of electronic mailing lists and quarterly meetings as well as discussions and decision-making could be clearly defined.

Communication between the Board and the members should be consistent. Specifically, board meeting dates and locations should be announced in advance and meeting minutes should be made easily available. This information could be posted on the web, in the listserv, and/or in the Quarterly. Dissenting views, currently accepted as letters to the editor, should be encouraged and published.

RESOURCES FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND MARKETING

All of these suggestions utilize current organizational structure already in place. The emphasis is on defining position responsibilities and expanding current capabilities.

Implementation of these ideas would in many cases be marketing. Stronger publications, acknowledgement of members, and more clearly defined communication among elected officers and between elected officers and members would encourage active participation.