PLA Committee Chair Checklist for Success

Mary K. Chelton

Send an introduction of yourself, the committee’s charge, a roster of committee members, and a summary of ongoing work (if there is any) to all members, ideally all at once, but as appointed if necesary.
Try to communicate with committee members at least once a month in between conferences.
Welcome new members with either the above packet or a postcard, followed by the above packet.
Invite suggestions from members. Do not present everything as a fait accompli. Offer a negative response option: “If I don’t hear from you by ________ date, I will assume that you agree with this idea/plan of work, etc.”
Delegate work with deadline. Don’t do everything yourself, but accept up from that you will do a disproportionate share of the work.
Don’t waste people’s time. Have an agenda at committee meetings and ask for agenda items ahead of time.
Don’t do stuff at conference that is better done in between conferences by one or two committee members and then reviewed by the entire committee at conference.
Don’t overschedule meetings. Inform ALA’s Conference Arrangements office immediately if you are able to release some of your time.
Tell members immediately when you have requested meetings so that they can plan. With the cheapest airfare being nonrefundable, people need to know ahead of time when they should be at the Midwinter meeting and Annual Conference.
Make being on your committee fun. Bring treats to meetings and thank people for their contributions. Send farewell letters of thanks to departing members.
Make being on your committee a learning experience, not only on how a good chair performs, but also how the board and larger ALA operate.
Keep the PLA office informed of what you’re doing. Don’t depend on them to bail you out because you have missed deadlines or because you didn’t take the time to read how to do smeting in this guide.
Don’t expect each query to the PLA office to be treated as if it were an emergency, but if it is one, say so when you call.
Ask committee members to tell you ahead of time if they cannot come to conference. Report committee deadbeats so that they don’t get recycled back to other committees.
If you can’t do the work, save everybody’s time and resign, in writing please.
Pass on your files to your successor as soon as that person succeeds you.
Don’t ask permission to do things, but feel free to consult a few “warhorses” if you want to know how to do something, either bureaucratically or politically. Lobby PLA officers and board members with your ideas, or ask their advice in advance. Both PLA and ALA have an organizational culture. Learn it.
Attend PLA functions and report back relevant activities and ideas to your committee. Seek collaboration with other committees if a mutually interesting activity arises. Be aware of other potential stakeholders in your activity.
Don’t feel as though you have to do a program if you don’t have an idea.
Don’t ever solicit vendor financial support. Ask the PLA executive director or the current chair of the PLA Partners Committee to solicit vendor support instead.
Don’t undertake a major writing project or original research without a lot of preliminary advice.
Remember to alert the Publications committee or the Public Libraries editor of possibly publishing program material. They have first refusal rights on all PLA publishable material.
Remember that PLA is a type of library division that encompasses content limited to one type of library. Your committee activities should reflect the PLA Charge from Council, Mission Statement, and Goal