Invitation to Online Forum sponsored by Special Task Force on Sustainability

CHICAGO — In 2016-2017, the ALA Executive Board appointed a Special Task Force on Sustainability, charged with developing a white paper and recommendations for the ALA Executive Board, with the intent of increasing the adoption and implementation of sustainable practices by the Association, the profession, libraries and the communities they serve. 

In its Midwinter 2018 report to the ALA Executive Board, the Task Force co-chairs noted they have focused on two questions to create a vision for the future and to translate that vision into action:
 

1. What does it look like if libraries are successful in helping create sustainable, resilient, regenerative communities?
2. What needs to happen, that is not already happening, to support the Association, profession and libraries realize this vision?

The Task Force on Sustainability now seeks broad input from the ALA community.  To that end, the Task Force will be holding a series of online forums targeting certain populations and capped with a general forum for those who have not had an opportunity to contribute.

The four sessions are all at the following times:  11 a.m. - Noon Pacific/noon - 1 p.m. Mountain/1 - 2 p.m. Central/2 - 3 p.m. Eastern time.

• Monday, April 16: SustainRT Membership 
  To attend this event please register at:  http://ala.adobeconnect.com/esvakkahp4cg/event/registration.html
• Monday, April 23:  Academic Library focus 
  To attend this event please register at:  https://ala.adobeconnect.com/elfh3ghvwao8/event/registration.html
• Thursday, April 26: Public Library focus  
  To attend this event please register at:  https://ala.adobeconnect.com/e25qohvz7jns/event/registration.html
• Monday, April 30: Open Session 
  To attend this event please register at:  https://ala.adobeconnect.com/erpt24m8bs3m/event/registration.html

Each forum will be facilitated by a member of the Task Force.  Attendance at each forum will be capped at 100.  The facilitator will have a set of guiding questions, but discussion is otherwise open.  The conversation will be recorded.  These forums will provide critical guidance for the Task Force report to the ALA Executive Board at the 2018 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans.

If you cannot make any of these dates the Task Force welcomes your input via this online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ALAsustain

For additional information, see the Midwinter 2018 report of the Task Force, which is available at: http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/ebd5_2_Task%20Force%20on%20Sustainability_MW18Report.pdf

Please contact Task Force co-chairs Rebekkah Smith Aldrich (rsmith@midhudson.org ) and Rene Tanner (rene.tanner@asu.edu) if you have questions.