GETTING STARTED: Ideas and Procedures for starting a School Library Association or Section

Prepared by Beatrice Anderson

If you are desirous of forming a School Library Association or School Section within your local Library Association, here are some pointers to help you along:

OBJECTIVES

Identify the purpose(s) of such an Association/Section which may be:

• to serve as a forum for the discussion, solution and promotion of special issues relative to school libraries, media centres, specialists in the field, etc.
• to foster a closer rapport among school librarians and other professionals connected with youth library work, through meetings and all other forms of activities that will further such efforts to develop and strengthen the body or group.

RESOLUTION

A brief but well worded resolution should then be tabled to the parent association for permission to form a section or for intent to do so.

NAME

If a parent association exists, then you would be the school section of that body. Otherwise, choose a name that best identifies with your country or region.

MEMBERSHIP

A minimum of 15 persons who are already paid-up members of the parent association can form the nucleus of this new body. From this group a Steering Committee for the formation of a Section can be appointed.

Such a committee would work with representatives from the Executive Committee for the purpose of drafting proposals concerning the operating regulations and sectional matters for the section or for the new association. You could do the following:

• send a short circular to schools, etc. informing them of intent and inviting participation through membership.
• set guidelines for a Constitution (copies of American Association of School Librarians, School Library Association, Australian School Library Association, or other exising ones could be useful).
• specify categories of membership, fees etc.
• propose a programme of activities.

CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP

Categories of membership could be:

• Individual (Those in School Libraries, School Media Centres, Junior Centres, Youth Libraries);
• Corporate (Schools, Colleges, Service Organisations, Booksellers);
• Associate (students in training for school librarianship and all those persons who are interested in library service for school children and young adults).

REPRESENTATION

Officers should include:

1. President (New Association) or Chairman;
2. Vice-President / Vice-Chairman;
3. Secretary / Treasurer.
   There may need to have a Recording Secretary as well as a Corresponding Secretary, depending on workload.
4. An Executive Committee which comprises a number (to be determined), of Representatives of each interest group, with the President and Secretary as Exofficio members.

TERM OF OFFICE

This should be one year and, where applicable, coincide with that of the parent association.

FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS

Regular meetings may be held once per term, but monthly for the Executive with a proviso for emergency meetings.

REPORTS

You will ned to document all your activities and programmes so that they can be reflected in seasonal reports as well as the Annual Report which should be prepared for the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

LOGO

Invite proposals for a logo from within the immediate membership. Have the design ready for the official launching.

OFFICIAL LAUNCHING

• Identify a convenient date and time.
• Inform and invite the following to give greetings:
• Ministry of Education officials
• Local Teachers Association
• All Library Associations and Libraries identified in your country or region
• Choose an interesting Guest Speaker (provide briefing where necessary).
• Invite media representatives.

FROM NOW ON YOU WILL BE ON YOUR OWN
Smooth Sailing!

LET IASL KNOW HOW YOU ARE GETTING ON
We exist to help.

A SUGGESTED PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES

• Submit timely Reports and, where necessary, appropriate Recommendations to the Ministry of Education, School Boards and any other relevant authorities regarding development of school libraries.
• In-service training, seminars, discussions, etc.
• Co-operation among Library services, schools, etc. via newsletters which may be informal at first, and as the Section grows can be formalised.
• Closer ties with other school libraries and their Associations (local, national and international).
• Arranging visits, meetings, courses, conferences, etc.
• Publicity via competitions and the media.
• Research.

This document was originally prepared as a print brochure, by Beatrice Anderson, then IASL Director for the Caribbean, in around July 1992.

IFLA (the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions), Management of Library Associations Section, has prepared a series of brochures that provide advice about establishing and managing a library association. The brochures are available on the IFLA web site in English, French, Russian and Chinese:

• Developing Policies and Procedures for the Library Association
• Guidelines for Association Programs and Services
• Guidelines for Financial Management of Library Associations
• Guidelines for Governing and Leading Library Associations
• Guidelines for Library Association Operations
• Guidelines for the Organizational Structure of Associations
• Expanding Advocacy in the Library Community: Guidelines for Developing Government Relations Without Borders

Last Updated 12 May 2006 (KSB)