Membership Development

Development vs. Recruitment /Retention Recruitment and Retention is a measurement of numbers Membership Development impacts, and is impacted by, all program areas within the association Success of an association depends on a strong, informed, and active membership

Marketing Membership Development Article “Beyond Membership Marketing: Why Modernizing Your Recruitment Strategies is a Must” Full article included in handbook

Marketing Membership Development “When we focus on what members are and membership truly means in associations, we can only revel in the notion that our career is focused on helping people develop their inner-most lifelong dreams. And that what we do is quite special because no other occupation does what we do.” What associations do for members in many ways can relate to what you do as school librarians We won’t win the battle of “selling” membership instead we must focus on “’inviting’ members to become part of a distinctive community.”

Customers vs. Members If we “sell” membership then the association is treated like a company No different than other competition for their money Communication is seen as spam and not valuable Us against Them mentality

If we “invite” members into a community Customers vs. Members If we “invite” members into a community Asking for engagement that will be meaningful to them Products and services become resources and opportunities The cost is not an expense but an investment in their community

Everyone Is Special How are you inviting New to the profession Retired from the profession Urban/Rural/Suburban Are there large districts that have their own “community” and aren’t members- let them know you need them Are there solo rural librarians who don’t even know about you

The generations With every generation there is a new “crisis” that they are so different. We’ve seen that “digital native” is no longer an accurate definition of the millennials

Generational research Research shows younger generations are joining associations and indicates it will be at a much higher rate (full report included in handbook) Article summary- http://www.asaecenter.org/Resources/ANowDetailLeadershipIssue.cfm?ItemNumber=46898 Generation X and Y show a higher willingness than previous generations to join

Rethink Volunteer Involvement 5 steps to getting Millennials involved: Someone you admire invites you to attend or join. The energy is inviting, leadership is open to innovation and value is immediately apparent. The opportunity to do something influential and meaningful is immediately available. The outcomes of your work are apparent and contributions are appreciated. You are invited to be in a relationship with the association via new opportunities and steps 3-5 repeat. http://www.associationadviser.com/index.php/getting-gen-y-hard-think/

Not Takes Givers The “What’s In It For Me?” isn’t them asking for someTHING, but how will their talents be used to contribute. Ripe for the picking as upcoming leaders!

Leadership and Membership Development Does the association, and do the Affiliate leaders, create a culture that is inviting? Affiliate leaders should heighten awareness of business of the association among members An active member will stay longer and sell the association for you

AASL Initiatives

Share The Wealth “Refer a Colleague” Program (http://www.ala.org/aasl/join/STW) Monthly drawing for one-year free membership Biennial drawing for registration, airfare and housing to AASL National Members selling membership

Student Bridge Membership Student Bridge Scholarships (http://www.ala.org/aasl/awards/student) Significant drop rate for students Scholarship covers three-year gap in dues increases Automatically assigned to committee/mentor

Member Pins New Member and Anniversary Year Pins

New Member Packets Member Resources document in handbook Additional current flyers that are included Member pin Tchotchke (currently luggage tag, post it, bookmark)

Knowledge Quest Website knowledgequest.aasl.org

Knowledge Quest Website Updating the Knowledge Quest website is part of AASL’s current operational plan. Goal: to create an online community that is dynamic, responsive, and is a hub of activity for AASL membership and the school library audience. Updated site was launched in January 2015.

Knowledge Quest Website First toolbar allows readers to sort by content type: KQ Content (table of contents, online exclusives, surveys); News (association and school library/education news); and Blogs. Second toolbar points readers to pages where they can learn more about KQ, including writing for KQ and KQ archives.

Knowledge Quest Website Site allows us to feature several stories and posts at the top of the site, which rotate. The featured stories/posts are updated every few weeks to keep the site fresh.

Knowledge Quest Website Readers can also browse the latest posts by category (Blogs, Community, KQ Content) in the left sidebar.

Knowledge Quest Website Posts are listed chronologically. Posts include an author byline linked to their bio and the number of comments on the post. Each post can also include a featured image.

Knowledge Quest Website Right sidebar includes: The cover image of the current KQ issue, which is linked to the TOC post for the issue A search box The most popular posts on the site

Knowledge Quest Website Right sidebar also features: Recent Comments AASL’s Twitter feed Subscribe via E-mail

Knowledge Quest Website KQ Working Group approved 16 bloggers for 2015-2016. These bloggers will begin posting content in July. Other content include blogs from the DC office, the AASL President, and the AASL Executive Director.

To read and comment , visit: Knowledgequest.aasl.org