ALIA 2013 Candidate Profile: Damian Lodge

To continue our coverage of the 2013 ALIA elections we have the responses from Damian Lodge

 

How can ALIA appeal to students and people entering the industry/profession?

 

ALIA staff do a great job in getting out to students at universities and TAFEs and promoting what ALIA does.  I think the main problem in the appeal stakes has always been that ALIA struggles to show real value for money for the fees you pay. 

What are some of the advocacy issues you would like to see ALIA address?

ALIA already covers a huge range of advocacy issues which I believe in many cases are over looked by members.  The day to day workings of the ALIA Executive Director and senior ALIA staff revolves heavily around advocacy work.  I have seen this first hand when I did a previous board term a few years ago.  I want to see ALIA have a stronger voice when it comes to important advocacy issues.  How do we have a stronger voice?  See my answer to your next question below. 

How can ALIA reach out and engage with people working in special libraries or other areas where they feel better served by other associations? (eg law librarians with ALLA, teacher librarians with ASLA).

Here in Australia we have too many little library associations that would be far better served by coming under the ALIA banner and utilising the administration team that ALIA head office have.  Better structures need to be put in place that allow these smaller associations to come under ALIA and still retain a voice but also where that voice now becomes a larger unified voice for the library and information profession.  If ALIA has better structures in place for these associations and can show real value for money to those new members then it’s a no brainer.  



For more information about the ALIA 2013 elections head over to the ALIA web site 
-Amy