The new ALA Connect has launched, and we want to make sure you’re aware of some things that will affect LITA members, even if you’ve never used the site.
LITA will not be using ALA Connect until July, but your member profile lives there so it’s very important that you log in, view the default privacy settings for your profile, and decide if you want to keep or change them. We’ve provided a LITA Connect FAQ that answers some basic questions about editing your profile, understanding your privacy settings, setting your email notification preferences, and using the LITA Member Directory.
I want to stress that while ALA has set the default privacy levels for your profile information, you have full control of what is visible and none of your contact information is available to anyone else unless you change that setting yourself.
There are four settings for each section of your profile: public, members only, your contacts, or only you. Filling out your profile and adjusting these settings will let you create a rich profile you can share publicly on your résumé or a minimal version for just those colleagues you add to your contacts in the system.
There’s a main ALA Connect site at http://connect.ala.org, and each division and round table also has its own Connect site. LITA Connect is at http://connect.ala.org/lita, but we will only be using the member directory functionality for now. You’ll have to log in to search for LITA (and ALA) members and use the new “My Networks” feature to find members who share your interests and job title.
In general, except for the main connect.ala.org address, all other URLs from the old Connect system no longer work.
Because of the way permissions work in the new system, some of the content previously posted as public has been changed to private, so you may not be able to access some of the discussions and documents you could in the past. If you have questions about a specific piece of content you’re trying to find, please use the contact form on the site.
As I hope you’ve heard via email, here on the LITA Blog, and other channels, LITA is considering creating a new division with the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) and the Library Leadership & Management Association (LLAMA).
Now that the new ALA Connect site is live, we’ll resume posting information and discussions in our joint ALCTS/LLAMA/LITA Alignment Discussion group. We encourage you to join the group to follow our progress and be part of the process. Of course, we will also share information through other channels and offer multiple opportunities and venues to provide feedback, and you can always submit a question anonymously through our online form.
We’ll be sharing more information about both ALA Connect and LITA Connect in the future, but don’t hesitate to contact me anytime you have a question or concern about the site or how it can improve your member experience.
Jenny Levine
LITA Executive Director
jlevine@ala.org