Over the past few months, the Minnesota Library Association Board has considered options for strengthening the MLA office in an effort to better serve association members. During the Visioning process that Past-President Wendy Wendt organized in 2007 and 2008, several themes emerged that serve to help organize our thoughts. Members have expressed that they want MLA to be vibrant and to provide many things - from advocacy leadership to mentoring opportunities to online services. We understood that achieving these goals called for many skill sets from office staff. We were also aware of the financially precarious position from which the association was emerging -- and the difficult time libraries and library staff members would be facing in the current economic downturn.
For several months, we have known that our current office staff member, Alison Schaub, would be leaving Minnesota sometime this spring. We have also been made aware that our bookkeeper would prefer to surrender those duties. We saw these both as challenges - as we truly appreciate the staff we currently have -- and as opportunities to rethink how the organization operates.
For the past couple of meetings, we have been examining whether contracting with an association management firm will provide MLA the best set of services for its members. There were several steps in that process:
1) We discussed with a firm how such businesses are typically organized to provide office support for phone, web, financial, and planning services for associations.
2) We asked Board members to discuss with their respective constituencies the services they thought were needed from the MLA.
3) We designed a Request for Proposals and reviewed submissions from a number of firms.
4) An RFP review team selected a preferred vendor and, after checking references, recommended to the MLA Board at the last meeting that we enter into contract negotiations with that firm.
At the March 20, 2008 meeting, the negotiating team will enthusiastically recommend that we contract with Nonprofit Solutions for association management services. That company will provide staff support for everything from our financial procedures to assistance in conference and subunit event planning and website development. The agreement will provide some very basic services as well - like seeing that the phone is answered during the full range business hours and online membership directories. These are things we have recently been unable to afford in the current environment.
Pricing within this contract is proposed to be $3,800 per month for the balance of 2009 - and $4,000 per month for 2010. These fees will provide MLA with a range of services and skills that one or two employees could not reasonably be expected to provide. We will have the opportunity to shift MLA meetings, files and storage to the firm's St. Paul offices on University Avenue. Once the current contract for office space in the MELSA area expires in 2010, we will be able to capitalize on this saving.
If you have questions about this matter, please feel free to contact me - or any MLA Board member with your thoughts. I want you to know that see this as an opportunity to significantly improve the services and support that the Minnesota Library Association can provide to its members, subunits, roundtables, etc. Thanks for your support for the Minnesota Library Association.
-Ken Behringer, 2009 MLA President
Visioning Posterboard Responses:
What service/research/other do you wish MLA provided?
- Conference buddy for new members
- Online annual membership directory
- Website with interactivity for members
- Mentoring
- CEU training
- Free wireless at conferences
What current services should MLA continue to provide?
- Professional networking
- Lobbying
- Information website
What is your vision for MLA?
- Provide leadership opportunities.
- Defined plan for grorth.
- More involvement in the community.
- Help libraries and staff excel.
- More cooperating.
- Social networking.
What can MLA do to improve your professional life?
- Professional development information
- Web junction
- Advocate to restore State Library office
- More workshops
- Online networking communities
- Well-trained volunteers
- More networking opportunities