Much has been happening behind-the-scenes to prepare for Core’s upcoming launch on September 1st, so we want to update you on the progress we’ve made.
At the 2020 ALA Virtual Conference Council meetings, the ALA Council approved the creation of Core, so we’re official! It’s been a difficult summer for everyone given the global situation, but this was a milestone we’re excited to reach.
What We’ve Been Doing
In May, the Core Transition Committee (the 9 division presidents plus senior staff) formed 11 working groups of members from all 3 divisions to make recommendations about how to proceed with our awards/scholarships, budget/finance, committees, communications, conference programming, continuing education, fundraising/sponsorships, interest groups, member engagement, nominations for 2021 president-elect, publications, and standards. These groups have done an amazing amount of work in a very short time period, and we’re grateful to these members for their commitment and effort.
We’re happy to report that each group will be submitting its final report in the next week. Throughout August, the CTC will direct the implementation of recommendations in the reports. We’ll document the implementation so that we can share the process publicly and transparently with members. We’ll send you another update when we start posting this information on the current Core website later this month.
Behind the scenes, Core staff members have been working with ALA staff to build new systems and structures so that we can start the day on September 1 as a (relatively!) organized Core community. So far work has been done on changes in the member database, budget lines, our new sections, membership dues, and the like. During August, staff will be working on our new website, Connect site, committee rosters, online learning setup, new communication channels, and other infrastructure pieces.
What’s Happening in September
On September 1, your current division membership(s) will automatically switch to a Core division membership. You won’t have to do anything: your ALA username and password won’t change, and your membership expiration date will remain the same. As the date gets closer, we’ll provide more information about how to access your existing groups and join new ones.
A Nominating Committee of the 3 division Past Presidents, led by member Ted Quiballo, issued a call for nominations for President-Elect last month. In September, we’ll announce and provide information about the two candidates who will be running for this position. The President ballot will include the 3 current Presidents of our divisions (the 2 not elected will remain on the Board).
We’ll run an election for President and President-Elect in October using our ALA Connect community. As described in the Core Proposal, this will provide us with the 17 members of the transitional Board of Directors (2020-21) who will begin governing in November. We’ll be announcing the election through email, on the website, on social media, and everywhere else we can to make sure you have a chance to vote, so watch for more details next month.
If you want to help shape the next phase of Core, you can volunteer to be on a working group to make recommendations for how we proceed with advocacy, content coordination, the Virtual Exchange, the in-person Forum, Leadership Development and Mentoring, Preservation Week, and Sustainability.
We fully expect that the first year of Core will be transitional, and for some areas the transition will continue into the second year. That’s expected and a part of the process, though it can feel uncomfortable at times. We’re on this journey together, and we can’t do this without you, so please reach out to us with any questions, suggestions, or concerns you have.
Sincerely,
The Core Transition Committee