with apologies for cross-posting

Dear Colleagues:
CASLIS Atlantic is currently participating in a national strategic planning process being undertaken by the CASLIS at the national level. We are seeking input both from CASLIS members, and from people who may be in special libraries and information services, but who are not currently CASLIS members. We would very  much encourage those of you who may have been CASLIS members in the past, or who have never been CASLIS members, to tell us through this process, how CASLIS could become an organization that would serve your needs. Help us broaden our input as much as possible by joining the focus group -in person, or by teleconference. Complete information follows below.

CASLIS has recognized the need to address emerging issues and trends that affect both the association and its members. With this in mind, CASLIS created a Strategic Planning Task Force and has embarked on a strategic planning process to help guide our association over the next three to five years.

An exciting opportunity to participate in this process has been offered to our chapter as part of the ongoing CASLIS Strategic Planning Process, and I ask you to consider participating and providing your input on behalf of the Atlantic chapter.

Through the entire strategic planning task force process CASLIS seeks to better understand the members, the issues you face and how the association can help you succeed.

Your time is valuable - the time you invest in participating in the focus group session/s, will help strengthen our association and our profession.
Please, help build a better CASLIS.

As part of the development of the new CASLIS Strategic Plan, The CASLIS Strategic Planning Task force is requesting that each chapter plan and organize at least one focus group to provide chapter input in the development of our new strategic plan.

The  Atlantic chapter has decided to hold their chapter focus group
on:

Date: Thursday, October 24, 2002
Time: 5:30 -7:30 PM
Location: Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women - board room
6169 Quinpool Road, suite 202
Halifax.
[Note, complete directions will be provided to group participants. Free parking is available at this location.]

The maximum size of any one focus group should be 15 persons (there is no minimum number). If we have more than 15 interested participants, we will open up another focus group at an alternative time.

We would like to ask interested participants to email Christine Corston ([log in to unmask] ) to express your
interest in attending the focus group.

We are also asking for volunteers to take on the roles of moderator and recorder. The responsibilities of these positions are attached to this email. If you have difficulty in reading or opening the attachments, please see the guidelines on the CASLIS Atlantic web site:
http://www.caslisatlantic.ca/strategicplan.htm

If you are a CASLIS  member who is too far away from Halifax to participate in person, but you would like to contribute to the focus group process, a teleconference option will be made available. If you would be interested in participating via teleconference, please contact Anne Chesnutt: [log in to unmask]

When a moderator has been selected, the local task force representative (Anne Chesnutt)
will provide him/her with:

1     Focus Group Ground Rules
2     Moderator Responsibilities
3     Focus Group Questions
4     Preamble to present at the beginning of the focus group outlining the
process and purpose

When a recorder has been selected, the local task force representative will
provide him/her with:

1     Recorder Responsibilities

All of the draft strategic planning documents will be made available to the moderator before the focus group and if possible, prior to the focus group the moderator should also meet with the local task force member assigned to
the chapter.

We appreciate your assistance with this crucial part of the development of the new strategic plan, and look forward holding our local chapter focus group/s.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at [log in to unmask]
(902) 424-5828


Regards,
Christine Corston
President, CASLIS Atlantic
[log in to unmask]