Update: 2020 Chapter Leadership Institute

May 26, 2020

Greetings Fellow ALA Leader:

As promised, I am writing with an update from the ALA Board of Directors regarding the 2020 Chapter Leadership Institute. Earlier this month, the Board requested your participation in a survey to help determine whether to proceed with the event. Those results — along with several other factors, including the health of our members, potential limited attendance due to travel restrictions, and contractual obligations — prompted a difficult conversation among Board members.

With all that in mind, the Board has determined it’s not in the best interest of ALA or its members to proceed with CLI in person this year. This decision was based on all the information we’ve collected and the willingness of the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch to reschedule our event for 2021 without any financial penalty to the Association. It wasn’t an easy decision — CLI is an event that we look forward to each year. But given the uncertainty and fluidity of the current situation, it’s what the Board feels is best.

So what happens now?

We are focused on continuing to provide chapter leaders with the tools and resources they need to manage and lead chapters effectively. The Board has assembled a task force whose goal is to provide content similar to what we are accustomed to experiencing as part of CLI — but in a virtual format. Submissions to the earlier call for presentations are being reviewed as part of that effort. Additional details on these endeavors will be shared in the near future.

Meanwhile, chapter leaders are encouraged to engage in conversations via the Chapter Leaders Discussion Forum and participate in sessions offered as part of the Chapter Leader Educational Series. These resources are available to all chapter leaders, as is the Chapter Resource Team (CRT) — they are available to provide guidance and assistance on chapter leadership matters at any time. Click here to request assistance and a CRT member will be in touch with you.

Thank you for being patient as we worked to arrive at this decision. We know it is not the news many of us had hoped for; however, with any luck, we will all be together again very soon!

Stay strong, stay steady, stay healthy,

Debra L. Elsbury, CLM
ALA President