Membership

The __Community/Membership Team__ shall:
 * Promote new and continuing memberships, determine membership eligibility, analyze fluctuations in membership, and provide the Administrative Secretary with the information needed to maintain membership records.
 * Uphold the precepts of the School Library Bill of Rights and support and assist school library media specialists who are faced with censorship problems.
 * Assess and recommend to the Board of Directors, or to the Executive Team, an appropriate response to situations involving professional rights or responsibilities which may be in question.
 * Highlight a website created by a school library media specialist and notify their administrator.
 * Encourage members to support the Governor’s Summer Reading Plan
 * Match experienced library media specialists with new members
 * Encourage members to submit exemplary programs, policies and procedures to the webmaster for publication on the website
 * Establish successful communication with university educational preparatory programs.
 * Encourage collaboration and networking with professional associations that share our mission
 * Develop, interpret and promote guidelines for certification
 * Support exemplary school library media programs
 * __MEMBERSHIP TEAM AGENDA__**
 * __Membership Team__: Bogel, Bourque, Candido, Lavoie (will not be at Board meetings), Speirs**

__Membership Team Agenda 07-08__
=1. Publicize the benefits of being a CASL member= = = =2. Publicize grant application and choose a recipient of the grant—1 grant for $1000 application due November 1=
 * Goal:** Actively pursue full participation by the entire school library media specialist community as well as other information literacy and technology literacy educators
 * Note: Membership in CASL and CECA is included in the registration for CEMA-CECA Conference 08.
 * Consider making list serv for members only now that it has caught on
 * List how CASL relevant to the day-to-day activities of LMS
 * Analyze how we spend out monies so we can state how we spend our money for our members. For example, we can say that we spend the most money on conference so having this wonderful professional development opportunity and networking opportunity is the main benefit of being a CASL member.


 * 3. Start an Emerging Leader Program to preparing members for leadership positions in CASL**
 * Have a president for each of the regions. These presidents serve on the Board. They are responsible for membership drive and workshops in their regions.
 * Vary where the conference is held so it is held in different regions.
 * When new members join, give them a checklist of areas they’d like to be involved in. Then have a Board members call them and get them involved in one of those areas.
 * Ask. Assign. Assist. Board members ask members, assign tasks, and assist the new folks in doing the tasks.


 * 4. Attracting LMS with under 5 years experience**
 * Have a special presentation about the many roles of the LMS at conference for LMS who have less than 5 years experience.
 * Have a special workshop for first-timers attending the state conference for the first time. Give the tips about how to get the most out of the conference, and a chance to network with others in similar situations.

=6. Attracting LMS in training/and establish successful communication with the university educational preparatory programs=
 * 5. Attracting professionals in other professional organizations which have goals / mission similar to CASL**
 * Letters to other associations from CASL President: Connecticut Reading Association, CECA, Connecticut Library Association, Connecticut Council of Teachers of English, Connecticut Science Teachers Association, Connecticut Education Association, State Library and iCONN
 * Mary Lou said: I have already contacted the Reading Teachers' Association, been in touch with CEA, invited and had their Pres. attend our last convention, invited the AFT President, CLC.
 * In the letter invite their members to attend and/ or present at our joint conference, to attend Saturday workshops, and to receive communications from CASL.
 * Scholarship in March
 * Encourage ARC participants to join CASL as students—Ask Meryl Menon to promote this.
 * Award for a program of a LMS with under 5 years experience
 * Liaisons with Fairfield and Southern encourage student membership in CASL
 * Create a PowerPoint for University classes about what LMS do
 * Ask school library media specialist teachers at Southern and Fairfield to require their students to attend either a state conference or some other activity being run either by CASL, or the state association where they live (if they’re taking the course online from out of state)

Matching people new to the profession with mentors
 * 1) **Mentoring Matters Program—Lisa Lavoie**