![One-Person Australian Libraries Special Interest Group [OPALS]](/sigs/opals/opal.gif){kind=small}
Strategic Plan
One Person Australian Libraries Special Interest Group Strategic Plan
(ratified August 1997)
To be reviewed May 1998. Any input, please contact Melissa Dyson, OPAL Strategic Planning Officer.
Mission
One Person Australian Libraries (OPAL) Special Interest Group, Australian Library and Information Association is a national forum that brings together people who work on their own to provide information to their clients. This forum, with the assistance of professional and commercial sponsorship, provides support and facilitates the exchange of information, ideas and experience for the benefit of its members. The group encourages a high standard of professional practice, recognising that one-person librarianship is a unique strand of the library profession.
Objectives
- To facilitate the exchange of information between our members
- To promote:
OPAL to the library and information community
the benefits of membership of OPAL - To encourage, support and provide professional development
- To maintain an organisational and financial infrastructure to support OPAL activities
| Objective goal |
Strategies responsibility | Deadline | Performance measure |
| To facilitate the exchange of information To encourage networking relationships between members |
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| Compile a directory of members | Georgina Dale and Toni Silson | July-October 97; to be launched by May 98 | Track membership numbers |
| Establish a listserv | Executive Committee and Listowner | October 97 | |
| Publish a regular newsletter | Editor and Executive Committee | May, August, November, February | Number of issues of newsletter published, actual/planned |
| Facilitate regular meetings on a regional, state and national level | State/regional co-ordinators to organise | Needs basis | Number of meetings per state/territory per year |
| Establish a mentoring/buddying program | Executive Committee | October 97-February 98 | |
| Maintain a Web page | Web editor | Review at least quarterly | Analysis of traffic as shown in ALIAnet monthly log |
| Conduct a survey of members | Georgina Dale to Design; Convenor to collate responses |
May 97; July 97 |
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| Establish a professional development programming group | Executive Committee | October 97-February 98 | |
| To monitor developments and trends in technology and the information industry as they affect OPAL members | |||
| Monitor listservs, published literature, forums | Membership | Ongoing | |
| Obtain feedback from OPAL meetings | State/regional co-ordinators and/or Executive Committee designate | When required | |
| To promote OPAL to the Library and information community To publish as widely as possible, and to encourage members to present at national and international conferences, workshops and seminars |
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| Encourage input by members via newsletter, FAQ, inCite, Australasian OPL | Executive Committee and State/regional co-ordinators | When required | |
| Send copy of OPALessence to international contacts | Secretary | When required | |
| Use Globe Subscription Agency's help, presentation skills (workshops/articles/mentoring) | Toni Silson | On a needs basis | |
| To promote the benefits of memberships of OPAL To market membership of OPAL |
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| Promote directory of members | Membership | May 98- | |
| Publish items in inCite and other Australian and international library and information publications | Editor | Submit at least twice a year nationally | Number of items published in Australian library and information publications |
| Submit at least twice a year internationally | Number of items published in international library and information publications | ||
| Organise lunchtime meetings, birds of a feather meetings at conferences, etc. | Executive Committee and/or designate | When required | |
| Network at other meetings | Membership | Ongoing | Track membership numbers and percentage of ALIA members who are OPAL members |
| Send mailouts to potential members | Executive Committee and Co-ordinators | End 98 | |
| Publicise activities, events, kudos for OPAL members | Listowner; Web editor; Newsletter editor | Ongoing | |
| To encourage, support and provide professional development To organise and promote seminars/ workshops/conferences that are specific to the needs of OPAL members |
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| Develop a professional development program | Program planning group | February 98- | |
| To encourage and support attendance at seminars/workshops/conferences/meetings | |||
| Publish articles on the advantages of attending professional development activities, eg by competition winner | Competition winner | November 97 | |
| Membership | Annually, or as appropriate | ||
| Advertise professional develoment activities in OPALessence, listserv, Web page etc. | State/regional co-ordinators and/or Executive Committee designate | When required | Track membership numbers and percentage of ALIA members who are OPAL members |
| To maintain an organisational and financial infrastructure to support OPAL activities To develop a knowledge and understanding of OPAL's governance |
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| Establish formal links from the Executive Committee to the membership by way of identifying state co-ordinators | Secretary and Convenor | August 1997 | |
| Develop a strategic plan and performance measures | Executive Committee with feedback from members | August 97 | |
| Design an organisational chart | Completed | ||
| Foster links with ALIA General Councillor, OPAL portfolio | Convenor | Ongoing | |
| To secure viable funding for the group | |||
| Satisfy ALIA grant requiremetns | Executive Committee | 31 January annually | Treasurer completes paperwork by ALIA deadline |
| Identify and liaise with potential sponsors | Toni Silson and Convenor | When required | |
| Solicit for advertising in the newsletter | Editor and/or designate | Ongoing | |
| Allocate funding to the membership base as equitably as possible | Treasurer | June 97 - December 98 | |
| Develop budgetary guidelines | Treasurer and Executive Committee | ||
