Programs/Continuing Education Committee




PURPOSE:  Plan and produce programs of topical and/or professional interest, including possible seminars and institutes designed for the Association's membership and that of the larger legal community as well, if appropriate. Responsible for planning and making arrangements for programs & facilities: scheduling sites for meetings; providing advance schedules of topics, speakers and sites; arranging for supplementary materials when appropriate, e.g. bibliographies, articles, etc.; for all regular meetings; and is responsible for notifying the membership two weeks prior to the meetings through the News and Announces.  AzALL Bylaws, Article II, provide the overall requirements for AzALL meetings.

COMPOSITION:  This Committee is composed of a Chairperson, an Executive Board Liaison, and two or more members at large who perform the following.

DUTIES:

        1) Meetings, in general:  Unless a conflict or problem occurs, AzALL meetings take place on the third Thursday of each month, except for the month during which the Annual AALL meeting is scheduled [there is no meeting during that month].  As recommended by the AzALL Executive Board, meetings with a speaker occur every other month, with a brief business meeting of announcements. AzALL will hold business meetings with committee reports and other lengthier discussions when an informal program or no program takes place.   Topics and formats of programs are the choice of the Committee, but the membership's input will be actively solicited.

        2) Schedule meeting locations and arrange for programs July - June of each year.  The following is a suggested schedule of meetings.  It is meant to be used as a guideline.

                Timeline:

                July- No meeting (because the AALL meeting usually occurs during this month.  If the AALL meeting is held during June, then June has no meeting.

                August- Brown Bag lunch.  AzALL Business Meeting.  Review of AALL Meeting Programs by those who attended.

                September- Breakfast meeting with program and/or speaker

                October- Brown Bag lunch; AzALL Business Meeting, informal program.

                November- Lunch with formal program and/or speaker

                December- Christmas party, held at AzALL President's home or another place as desired.

                January- Lunch with informal program and/or speaker

                February- Brown Bag lunch, AzALL Business Meeting, informal program.

                March- Afternoon/evening meeting with Tucson members at mutually agreeable spot with a program of interest to both groups

                April- Annual Business Meeting with election of new officers and Committee Annual Reports

                May- Annual Program & Luncheon

        3) If necessary, making arrangements can mean contacting restaurants, looking at facilities, reserving accommodations, preparing a budget for meeting, requesting approval of the Executive Board for expenditures of funds for program, arrangements, or speakers, gifts or honorarium, and contacting and making arrangements for speakers' accommodations.

        4) Send out meeting announcements by the 25th of the month prior to the month of the meeting (e.g., if the meeting is to be in November, the announcement should be ready by the 25th of October) to the AzALL News/Announces editor.  Two weeks prior notice of meetings to membership is required by AzALL Bylaws, Article II, Section 5.  Meeting announcements should include all pertinent data in a clear and understandable manner including, if needed, a statement that members must have exact change for the meal or write a check to AzALL, and/or that the meeting cost does not include alcoholic beverages.

        5) Advertise programs through all appropriate channels, for example:  AzALL Newsletter; ASLA Continuing Education calendar; DLAPR Continuing Education calendar; newsletters of groups such as the Special Libraries Association; meetings of the Area Reference Librarians Group.

        6) Manage the meeting when it takes place to see that the arrangements and program go smoothly ( a podium is in place if necessary, etc.)  including, if required, providing for collecting money for the meal, furnishing name tags or preparing them, announcing or making arrangements to announce the speakers and guests, and preparing an account for the Treasurer of the meeting with receipts, etc.

        7) Maintain the Committee file, to be passed on to the incoming Committee.  This will include recommendations for meal locations; programs needed or wanted or suggested by the membership; Committee Annual Reports; and general tips. 

        8) It is advisable that the Committee solicit ideas for programs through a questionnaire, through discussions at a business meeting and/or through the Executive Board via the Committee liaison at the beginning of the AzALL year or as needed.  Program topics can range from current topics and trends in the legal field, to library science issues, to local topics of interest to the general population.  It is advisable to have some of each during the year.

        9) Work with the President Elect and the Annual Program Meeting Chair on the program and arrangements for the Annual AzALL Luncheon which is held in May.

CHAIR:

        1) Call meetings of the Committee as necessary.

        2) Give progress reports on the Committee's activities at AzALL meetings. 

        3) Send all program and meeting announcements to the AzALL newsletter editor by the specified deadline.

        4) Establish liaisons with other library groups in the area (ASLA, Area Reference Librarians Group, Special Libraries Association) who have an interest in continuing education activities.

        5) Maintain a record of programs sponsored, with speakers' names, brief description of the program, and number in attendance, to be submitted as an annual report to the Executive Board at the end of the fiscal year. 

        6) Serve on the Special Committee to plan the Annual Meeting.

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