The group met 4-6 times this reporting period.
After reviewing the current PLA Strategic Plan, please tell us:
Describe the current work of this committee and how it supports our strategic goals. Include work accomplished, decisions made, and any recommended follow-up actions.
Following up on the Social-Emotional Learning webinar series planned and presented by the committee in fall of 2022,
Cornell University's Bronfenbrenner Center was contacted to discuss family engagement within the ecological system and potential webinar series. With four sessions focusing on the fundamentals of social-emotional learning (emphasis on the CASEL model) and practical applications of social-emotional learning including wellness and yoga, the webinar series supported the following areas of PLA's Strategic Plan: professional growth and transformation. With regards to professional development, we provided the latest social emotional research and real life application. Our work supports transformation by helping professionals translate social emotional learning within the community they serve and keeping libraries relevant in a post-pandemic world. Co-chair Zachary Stier became a liason an IMS Advisory Group for the Enriching Library Family Programming Using the Smithsonian Institution's Tall with Me Toolkits. Finally, Cornell University's Bronfenbrenner Center was contacted to discuss family engagement within the ecological system and potential webinar series.
Do you see opportunities to better align committee work with those goals?
One area we could see committee work better align with the strategic goals is advocacy and awareness. Specifically, it is important to continue to advocate for family engagement as a key foundation for PLA's role and responsibility in empowering librarians. We would like to see the committee focus on EDISJ more in the future as well. Multigenerational programming is an impactful way to reach a diverse community.
What recommendations do you have for in-coming committee members? Are there particular streams of
work in progress to be carried over into the new committee year? (January–June reporting period only)
This is a great time to begin working on new projects. In this reporting period, we wrapped up projects that began last year, and the committee is ready to move forward with new ideas and plans. We discussed some content creating ideas, with committee members providing content for social media posts, blogs, etc. For in-coming committee members it will be important for them to have an orientation about the committee. It might be a good idea to create a brief video welcoming them to the committee and discuss its goals and how they align with the PLA's strategic plan. In addition, it is recommended that the incoming co-chairs meet with new committee members to get to know them and what they envision for the committee moving forward.
What specific activities will this committee undertake over the next six months to support that alignment? (July–December reporting period only)
Are there other PLA or ALA committees whose partnership and collaboration would accelerate meeting PLA strategic goals?
We would like to see the committee continue to work with other arms of ALA, such as ALSC and YALSA to further the committee’s reach and expertise.
Is there anything else about your committee experience you’d like to share?
It has been a wonderful year and we look forward to what lies ahead for the committee and its members.
Submitted by Zachary Stier; Becky Shaknovich on 06/07/2023