Library School Outreach Committee

Charge
As the primary professional association for serials specialists in North America, NASIG has a mandate to foster strong relationships with library science schools and recruit the next generation of serials specialists. To this end, NASIG will establish a Library School Outreach Committee, which will be charged to:

• Increase the overall visibility of NASIG to library school students, faculty, and staff
• Recruit new members to NASIG
• Promote our awards, particularly the Student Grant Awards
• Partner on Continuing Education opportunities offered by the schools
• Arrange for guest lecturers (NASIG members in the area) to discuss serials in library school classes
• Facilitate development of the next generation of serials specialists
• Help faculty understand what NASIG is and how it can help them in their teaching
• and the list continues...

NASIG members have had contact with library schools for years, but not necessarily in a coordinated effort. For example, Awards and Recognition contacts the schools every year to publicize our awards. NASIG members at institutions with library schools may already be promoting NASIG, but these efforts depend on individuals and lack a cohesive message. And while one Committee may be doing a great job, another Committee may be having trouble making contact at a school. The goal of this Committee is to find a way to coordinate the efforts of all relevant NASIG Committees, as well as individual members, so that our efforts are professional and efficient.

A&R has already done a considerable amount of work in thinking about their Award Ambassadors. As they see it "NASIG volunteers would supplement official NASIG announcements by acting as liaisons with schools in which they have a direct association (e.g., graduate, employee, etc.), make the committee aware of additional advertising opportunities, offer NASIG testimonials, and recruit potential award candidates from all types of organizations."

The Committee will prepare a Library School Outreach Plan with specific action items for review by the Executive Board at their May 2006 meeting. Questions for the Committee to consider include:

1. What role would an Ambassador from Awards & Recognition play?
2. What role would an Ambassador from CEC play?
3. What role would an Ambassador from Membership Development play?
4. What role would an Ambassador from any other NASIG Committee?
5. Finally, how would those efforts and roles be coordinated into a cohesive stream of communication from the organization to the library schools?

Members:
Awards & Recognition: Sarah Sutton - Chair (Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi), 07/08
Continuing Education: Steve Oberg (Obergs), 07/08
Membership Development: Linda Griffin (Louisana State University), 07/08
Publicist: Denise Novak, (Carnegie Mellon University), 07/08
Carol Green, (University of Southern Mississippi) 07/08

Board Liaison: Kim Maxwell