Strategic Plan (2000)

Mission Statement

The Law Library Association of Greater New York (hereto referred to as “the Association”) mission is to increase the usefulness and efficiency of law libraries by promoting the interests of librarians and their staff. This is most often accomplished through the sponsorship of professional meetings, workshops, panel discussions and guest lecturers from various disciplines. Additional support is provided with the production of association materials including, but not limited to, membership directories, newsletters, and union lists.

There is a continuing need for the training and support of information professionals and specialists who work within and for a variety of legal institutions, corporate, government, private, public, quasi-governmental or subscription. As the individuals responsible for the organization, evaluation and dissemination of information, we are the foundation from which our institutions exist. Our level of competency must adapt to the ever changing, demanding environment of business. We need the tools to deal with challenges new technologies are creating for our industry. The Association’s goal is to support our activities and promote our value to our institutions.

This plan is to provide a framework to assist in the decisions for annual operations and in setting and achieving Association goals. An additional set of goals is appended as a companion document to this Strategic Plan.

Strengthening the Association

Administrative Services

• Seek part-time administrative assistance to ease the burden on volunteers for large scale projects (e.g., membership directory, union list)
• Seek a more permanent facility for board and committee meetings as well as an office facility, perhaps an association with one of the area legal associations (e.g., County Lawyers, City Bar) could be fostered with this in mind.
• Explore means to enhance member services we currently provide, such as potential new and better vendors to produce and maintain our website, membership database directory and listserv.

Financial Planning

• Increase the endowment fund.
• Become less dependent upon vendor contributions because of industry consolidation and ethical considerations.
• Develop initiatives for fund-raising programs (e.g., a web-based shared resource service such as a self-paced interactive training program, etc.).
• Continue the income generating activities (e.g., newsletter advertising, job hotline, etc.) as well as to be fiscally responsible by operating within our annual budget.
• Plan creatively to generate income from more of our educational and social events, and seek more co-sponsors among other library organizations, so that more of our programs pay for themselves (e.g., charging tuition for courses where we pay the instructor).
• Consider other investment vehicles.

Promotion of the Profession and the Association

Membership

• Efforts should be made to inform the directors of legal institutions about the benefits of membership.
• Efforts should be made to invite new members to the Association, including those in paraprofessional and nonlibrary professional positions at legal institutions.
• Efforts should be made to encourage our paraprofessional members to continue with their formal training.
• Efforts should be made to invite existing members to actively participate in the Association. Efforts should be made to allow for additional networking opportunities for Association members.
• Public Relations
• Efforts should be made to make the general legal population aware of our association and the benefits of membership. Press releases to legal publications announcing our educational programs are encouraged.
• Efforts should be made to make association members available as speakers or panel members to programs directed to those outside the library community.
• Consider having a booth or display at non-librarian conferences to promote the association and membership.
• Consider participating in MCLE programs, if not as a program provider, then as a valued program contributor.
• Efforts should be made to continue and foster new liaisons with other professional associations.
• Professional Development
• Efforts should be made to continue our continuing education programs and to expand our offerings of technical (e.g., computer and systems) education to members.
• Consider additional free programs to members.
• Consider budgeting funds on an annual basis for grants to programs where fees are necessary.
• Consider a standing series of continuing education programs (basic and advanced legal research), where members outside the law librarian community are invited to attend. Fees collected should cover the costs of the lecturers and facilities.
• Establish leadership training for members so that they are better equipped to serve both their own institutions and the Association.

Goals

Goal 1

• Association Board and Committee Chair members should continue to speak and participate in LLAGNY events

Goal 2

• Maintain the quality of programs and speakers
• Consider more diverse topics (e.g., Knowledge Management, professional development for Librarians in supervisory/management functions)
• Consider AALL resources
• Create standing course offering in legal research instruction

Goal 3

• Conduct analysis of membership to determine where growth potential exists
• Invite potential new members to social and educational functions
• Consider increasing benefits
• Recruit from a wider pool of people working and studying in legal and information technology fields

Goal 4

• Create a mentoring program
• Encourage participation in subgroup meetings (e.g., TS Roundtable)
• Create a grants program to help members, on a needs basis, to pay to attend programs

Goal 5

• Review vendor support of Association activities
• Keep ex-Officio financial advisory position
• Set guidelines for vendor participation
• Establish new, non-event-based, sponsor programs

Goal 6

• Update Procedures Manual with current information
• Include calendar, schedules, contacts
• Include some past history for various deals, arrangements
• Include more checklists
• Re-write some chapters to reduce the amount of information one needs to read