Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our first-ever virtual business meeting! For those unable to attend, I reported that, during fiscal year 2017-2018, the IOLUG board had to make some difficult decisions about our conference plans and goals after some of our officers resigned mid-year. However, we took this opportunity to improve our communication channels, explore partnership opportunities, and strategize on our future initiatives.
To further elaborate, as of the May business meeting, IOLUG had five vacant officer positions for fiscal year 2018-2019:
- President-Elect (now vacant for over one year)
- Secretary
- Director-At-Large
- Program Committee Chair
- News Editor
These vacancies comprise nearly 50% of the IOLUG board. We admittedly only recruited for two of these officer positions prior to our spring business meeting because we either did not know the other positions would be vacated or we had individuals in mind who, unfortunately but understandably, declined the officer positions. Still, we did not hear from anyone regarding our calls for nominations, which left us in a tricky position.
This situation compelled the board to think about the direction of IOLUG. New circumstances and environments have led to organizational challenges. Officers and members alike have had to deal with resignations, positions not being replaced after retirements, many service opportunities but competing priorities, and more. Challenges always beget opportunities, though, and that is where we turned.
In our board meetings, officers expressed their continued fondness and appreciation for IOLUG. As a result of these conversations, we presented the following proposal during the spring business meeting, which was ultimately approved:
- Defer officer positions for one year—current officers and motivated volunteers will instead form a working group
- The working group will plan a conference for spring 2019
- The working group will also explore additional networking and/or IOLUG-sponsored sessions at other conferences
- Re-examine IOLUG’s position in one year
This proposal pares down IOLUG’s focus to our core value proposition: Professional development and networking. During the business meeting, officers and members alike suggested additional corollaries to this proposal, including:
- Recasting the IOLUG website as a conference website
- Re-building membership through additional benefits
- Offering additional opportunities to earn LEUs and TLEUs
We are excited about the possibilities for us to reconnect with one another and continue learning so we can best serve our user communities. As an IOLUG member, your input will be vital to the success of these and other initiatives. Please do not hesitate to contact the IOLUG Working Group for more information.
Angie Pusnik
President, IOLUG
Associate Librarian
Digital User Experience Librarian
Indiana University Kokomo