Visionary Framework for the Future:
APALA's Strategic Plan

History
The Asian/Pacific American Library Association (APALA) was founded in 1980 and became formally affiliated with the American Library Association in 1982.

A predecessor of APALA, the Asian American Librarian caucus (AALC), was organized in 1975, as a discussion group of the ALA office for Library Outreach Services. This organization reflected the interest in providing library services to minority communities and providing professional support to librarians of minority ancestry. APALA was organized by librarians of Asian Pacific ancestries committed to working together towards a common goal.

Mission
APALA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of leadership through informed dialogue and forum that would address the needs of Asian/Pacific American Librarians and those who serve the AP A communities. APALA will support and promote library services to the APA communities.

To advance the leadership role of APALA members in putting knowledge to work for the benefit of Asian/Pacific American Librarians and AP A communities as well as the shape of our information literacy and diverse society of our nation.
Commitment to the use of technology to enhance our jobs, our association and APA community. The creation of new paradigms of information service and delivery by using technology to enhance our jobs, our association and the APALA community.
Opportunities for networking- for APALA professional librarians to meet, communicate, and collaborate with ALA and other ethnic associations.

Vision
The APALA vision is founded in the shared values of its members. APALA will support and strengthen its commitment to professional excellence by:

A recognized need for continuous learning and professional development to maintain leading edge skills for our members.
The leadership role of the APALA to help its members become information leaders in our organization and in our committees.
A service for our community and our ability to respond to their needs by adding value to information services and products and vendor community that supports this endeavor.
ALA will recognize APALA as the ethnic association and fulfill the goals listed in ALA goals 2000, and contact us for advice and support on issues that relate to APA librarians communities and librarians.

Need
Our diverse society demands that Asian/Pacific American Librarians lead and guide various needs for library services of Asian communities.

APALA must exist to provide a positive environment for networking, communication, research, skills growth and other opportunities for Asian professional librarians to develop and enhance their competencies, aptitudes and attitudes.
APALA ensures that its members are prepared and empowered to have a growing and significant impact through the application of knowledge and information strategies for the benefit of the AP A community.

Environment
Information literacy and knowledge management is the center of our diverse society of the 21st century .The role of APALA as change agents and leaders who provide the information needed to achieve the realization of the goals of APALA. Specific conditions, which will have an impact on our members' success and effectiveness, include:

Rapid and continuing technological change.
Partnership between ALA, and other ethnic association.
Changing economic models which creates both challenges and opportunities for growth.

Goals
To create an organization that will address the needs of Asian/Pacific American Librarians and librarians who serve Asian Pacific American communities.

Goal 1: Improve communication within APALA, among the Executive Committee and the members at large.

Create a electronic handbook containing a collection of documents that will be distributed to incoming officers and committee chairs each summer following the annual conference.
Publish the newsletters four times a year and distribute in a timely manner to members of APALA.

Assign responsibility for maintenance of the APALA website, and develop a plan for desired improvements or changes to website.

Goal 2: Provide dynamic continuous learning and professional development opportunities to advance all levels of members' experience and knowledge by serving on APALA committees.

APALA will support activities, including publications and programs that enhance professional knowledge for APALA librarians of all experience levels: new librarianship, mid-career librarianship or the most experienced librarians.

APALA will use a variety of means to provide professional development for its librarians. These include conference programs, the APALA Newsletter, APALA listserv and the APALA web site. APALA will focus its attention on areas for professional development like leadership and management, technologies and collection development and services to the communities they serve.

Goal 3: Establish and enhance networking and discussion opportunities for communication and collaboration with ethnic affiliations and with related groups within ALA.

Create a committee of representatives that meets at the ALA Midwinter meetings and Annual conference to plan advocacy activities, or other ways in which to improve communication effectiveness in meeting APALA's mission.

Partner with other groups within ALA to provide continuing education opportunities. Provide better coordination to develop activities and programs with related ethnic groups within ALA, such as ACRL, EMIERT.

Goal 4: Recruit new members who enhance our capabilities as information professionals and knowledge leaders.

Establish a goal for number of new members.
Charge the Membership Committee with developing a recruitment campaign.
Establish goals and plans for member participation.

Goal 5: Improve APALA' s relationships with vendors.

Establish a Vendor Relations Committee to improve our ability to work effectively on a variety issues, including what the vendors want from the APALA and what librarians need from vendors.

Goal 6: Build a virtual APALA.

Use technology to remove barriers to access to APALA's services and programs.
Provide the means for members to communicate, learn, govern, organize and collaborate in a virtual environment.

In support of APALA' s vision, mission and priorities, this strategic plan is a visionary framework to enable current and future APALA officers and members to make decisions that affect the future. Annual operational plans, developed by the President in conjunction with a committee, will provide specific directions toward achieving APALA' s strategic goals. While the strategic plan establishes APALA' s direction over the long term, priorities will be reviewed and adjusted annually. The priorities are based on membership input, which will include a survey.