Report of the Strategic Planning Commitee
Presented to the News Division Annual Business meeting in Philadelphia June 2000

Strategic Planning Suggestions
(The SLA document adapted for News Division use by Charlie Campo)

The NEWS Division of the Special Libraries Association exists to fulfill the objectives of the Special Libraries Association as they pertain to news media libraries. A news librarian is an information professional who provides focused information and services to traditional and emerging news organizations.

NEED

Our clients recognize the value added to their enterprises by information professionals. The News Division must exist to provide a positive environment for networking, communications, research, skills growth, and other developmental opportunities for these professionals to develop and enhance their competencies, aptitudes and attitudes. This division ensures that its members are prepared and empowered to have a growing and significant international impact, through the application of knowledge and information strategies, for the benefit of their enterprises and their clients.

VISION

The News Division will be the leading organization for news media information professionals.

VALUES

The News Division fully endorses the shared values expressed by the Special Libraries Association:

• A need for continuous learning and professional development to maintain leading edge skills

• The leadership role of the Special Libraries Association and the Association's efforts to help its members become information leaders in our organizations and in our communities

• The role of the Association and the Division in the development of information policies

• A service ethic for our clients and our ability to respond to their needs by adding value to information services and products

• Commitment to the use of technology to enhance our jobs and our organizations.

• Creating new areas of information service and delivery and realizing the opportunities they provide for our continued role in the information economy

• Providing opportunities for networking - for News professionals to meet, communicate and collaborate.

MISSION

To advance the leadership role of News Division members in exploiting information for the benefit of all who work in the rapidly changing media industry

ENVIRONMENT

Information management is at the center of the media business in the 21^st century. This elevates the role of news librarians as change agents and leaders who provide the information needed to achieve the realization of the goals of their organizations. Specific conditions which will have an impact on our members' success and effectiveness include:

• Continued growth in the amount of, and demand for, relevant information

• Changes in the intellectual and economic value of information

• Global orientation of information

• Rapid and continuing technological change

• Partnerships between information professionals, information providers and clients

• Changing national and international information policies, laws, and infrastructures

• Changing economic models which create both challenges and opportunities for growth.

STRATEGIES AND TACTICS

In support of SLA's vision, mission, and priorities, the News Division recognizes the Strategic Plan as a visionary framework to enable Division officers, members and partners to make decisions that affect the future.

DEVELOPING PROFESSIONALS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

• Provide dynamic continuous learning and professional development to advance all levels of member experience and knowledge

• Provide leadership development opportunities

• Establish, communicate and update professional competencies

• Execute research pertinent to the changing needs of the profession

• Enhance networking and discussion opportunities for communication and collaboration through the annual conference, chapter meetings, electronic interchange and other learning formats

• Promote volunteerism on behalf of the profession and Division

• Recognize the diversity of members (levels, knowledge, needs, age) and provide services and programs that are targeted to meet these needs

• Recruit new member populations that enhance our capabilities as information professionals and knowledge leaders

• Retain members

• Influence curricula in graduate academic programs and in professional development and continuing education programs.

PROMOTING VALUE OF THE INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL

The Division will promote members:

• as valuable, proactive partners and leaders on cross-functional teams, task forces, and committees in their organizations

• in leadership roles in their organizations and society as the primary fact-based, value-added, content providers in their enterprises.

• to other decision-makers as key players in the information society, thus increasing the value of Division members to their organizations.

BUILDING THE VIRTUAL DIVISION

• Use technology to remove barriers to access to the Division’s services and programs

• Provide the means for members to communicate, learn, govern, organize and collaborate in a virtual environment

• Pursue global membership growth vigorously through retention of existing members and recruitment of new members, targeting those in the news profession who will benefit from membership.

PRIORITIES

While the Strategic Plan establishes the News Division direction over the long term, priorities will be reviewed and adjusted annually.

The current priorities are:

• Membership - Focus on membership recruitment and retention. Reach out to new constituencies to expand Division membership. Areas to explore include small media outlets, which may not have "libraries" or "news research centers"; new media outlets; international and global media companies. Find ways to include these new members in programs and projects to promote member involvement.

• Professional development - Expand professional development opportunities, with more regional activities. Provide support for regional news library organizations.

• Strategic partnerships - Form strategic partnerships with other media organizations, including ASNE, IRE and APME. This will enhance our visibility with the "decision-makers" within our organizations and will promote our professionalism. Also explore strategic partnerships within SLA and other professional library organizations.

• Financial security – explore ways to use our financial resources wisely and to rethink all spending strategically. For example, consider creating a Division position that focuses just on vendor sponsorships.

• Vendor relationships - Use our collective clout to spur vendors to improve their products to our benefit and theirs.

• Virtual resources - Exploit our presence on the Internet by promoting links to our web site from other media sites. Insure the smooth continuation of Internet-based resources (Newslib, The Division website) by looking at contingencies in case of loss of our host server(s). The Division Webmaster position might be expanded to undertake these tasks.

• Committees - Evaluate all committees and their missions. Decide if all committees are still relevant to the mission of the Division.