LTAIG Section Status Update

LTAIG, the BC Library Association's Library Technicians and Assistants Interest Group, is petitioning for section status! I am particularly thrilled to hear this news; this turn of events is long overdue. The petition has received enough signatures to be put to a vote at the upcoming BCLA AGM in May. All BCLA members may vote on it, and LTAIG wants to get the word out to increase the odds the resolution will be passed by a 75% majority.

What would section status mean for LTAIG? I asked Tamarack Hockin, LTAIG Convenor, for the scoop - here's what she said:

"If the LTAS [Library Technicians' and Assistants' Section] petition passes the vote at the BCLA AGM in May, the most concrete benefit to technicians and assistants in B.C. will be a designated representative on the BCLA Board.

Our current state as an “interest group” is not only a misnomer, but according to the terms of BCLA’s constitution precludes representation on the board. This doesn’t mean that there are no technicians or assistants holding positions on the board, but it does mean that there is currently no one to speak on behalf of the collective interests of technicians and assistants.

The vast majority of LTAIG members – and, I suspect, all BCLA members – are interested in professional development and networking opportunities as part of the benefits inherent to professional association. LTAS will work with the BCLA Board to ensure that these benefits of membership are relevant to technicians and assistants and the unique work that we do.

I also want to emphasize that the creation of LTAS will benefit BCLA as a whole. Technicians and assistants have a wealth of experience and abilities to bring to the association. This is evidenced in projects like the soon-to-be-launched BCLA Mentorship Program, contributions to The BCLA Browser, and our wonderful LibTech Soup blog. Through the creation of LTAS we will be growing and strengthening the association, and we will be redefining it as a more inclusive place for technicians and assistants."

(Emphasis mine.)

It's pretty plain to see what a boon an LTAS would be for BC library techs and assistants, as well as the BC library community in general. I encourage anyone who's a BCLA member to make their voice heard on this issue by voting (either in person or using the proxy vote form - more details are available on the LTAIG homepage).

You can also follow LTAIG on Twitter, and be sure to check out LibTech Soup, the group's blog, which is a great resource for anyone interested in library issues.

Good luck, LTAIG - I hope the LTAS vote succeeds!

Canadian Law Libraries - What Issues Are You Facing?

CALL is running a survey on behalf of conference plenary speaker Nigel Holloway to collect the profession's thoughts on issues facing Canadian law libraries. Holloway will present the findings at the CALL conference in Toronto this May, in a session called "Future Trends in Legal Information and Law Libraries".

Along with basic demographics, the survey asks about:

• The biggest opportunities and challenges for your library in the next year
• Staff time spent and billed on non-legal research
• Changing roles of non-firm law libraries
  
• Digital vs print collections - now and down the road
  
• Rating legal information vendors (quality of information & customer service)
• Consolidation of legal information purchases
• Salary and operating budgets

The survey takes about five minutes and all responses will be keep confidential. Take it here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/librarianissues