TITLE: Chairperson, Professional Development Committee

MISSION STATEMENT: To enhance library service to Montanans by ensuring that library personnel and trustees can participate in high quality continuing education opportunities.

GOALS and OBJECTIVES:

To lead the committee in meeting its responsibilities, including:

• Developing and publicizing guidelines for the award of such grants, including award timeline and criteria for selection to receive a grant. The current grant guidelines arelocated here.
• Preparing and submitting the committee’s annual budget request.
• Publicizing grant availability via Focus, Wired, Facebook and other venues as appropriate.
• Working with the ED to administer grants according to guidelines.
• Regularly reviewing committee information on MLA web site for currency.
• Maintaining committee records.

TIMELINE:

June

• Send committee membership roster and contact information to MLA Board and ED.
• (Odd years) Solicit PNLA Leads grant applications.
• Advertise for July 1 Professional Development grant application deadline (if funds are still available)

August/September

• Advertise for October 1 Professional Development grant application deadline (if funds are still available)
• Advertise for MLA Fall Retreat grant application deadline
• Review mission statement, goals and objectives for review and input.
• Submit paperwork for committee meeting slot at annual conference.

October

• Review and award MLA Professional Development Grants (review applications from July 1 and October 1 deadlines)
• Review and award MLA Fall Retreat Grants (Due: one month prior to event)
• Submit award information to MLA Board, ED, and share via Focus, Wired, and Facebook (and other MLA social media sites).

November / December

• Advertise for January 1 Professional Development grant application deadline (if funds are still available)
• Advertise for Offline grant application deadline

January

• Review MLA Professional Development Grants (Due: January 1)
• Review Offline grant applications (Due: one month prior to event)
• Submit award information to MLA Board, ED, and share via Focus, Wired, and Facebook.

February

• Advertise for MLA Annual Conference grant application deadline.
• Advertise for Jane Lopp New Trustees MLA Conference grant application deadline.
• (Even years) Solicit MPLA Leadership grant applications.
• Determine committee vacancies; begin soliciting replacements.

March/April

• Advertise for April 1 Professional Development grant application deadline (if funds are still available)
• Review MLA Conference Grants.
• Review and award MLA Professional Development Grants (review applications from Jan 1 and April 1 deadlines)
• Submit award information to MLA Board, ED, and share via Focus, Wired and Facebook.
• Committee meeting at MLA Annual Conference.

May

• Consult with ED to verify that all grant recipients have submitted receipts and/or reports and have been paid.
• Next year’s budget request to ED by May 15.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Chair meets and communicates with the members of the Professional Development Committee as needed; assigns duties to committee members as needed to accomplish the work of the committee; represents the committee at meetings of the MLA Board; submits the new committee budget to the MLA Board for approval; submits information and deadlines about committee grants to the MLA membership via Wired-MT, FOCUS, Facebook and other means; collects grant applications and distributes copies to the other committee members for their consideration and recommendations; submits the committee’s recommendations for grant awards to the MLA Executive Board for its approval; notifies grant recipients and the Executive Director; and checks with the Executive Director in May to make certain that all grant recipients have submitted receipt or reports and have been paid.

Updated September 15, 2000
Updated May 5, 2017
Updated July 23, 2017
Updated January 2018