Let’s Talk About Building Community

Abstract

In the ALISE 2020 Strategic Planning Survey, members were asked about their participation in ALISE Special Interest Groups (SIG). The survey results highlighted some important challenges, as approximately two-thirds of membership reported not being actively involved in SIGs, citing a lack of awareness of SIGs as an impediment to participation (Hirsh 2020). The Community Building Committee was created with the goal of addressing these challenges with SIG participation as a means to strengthen the overall ALISE community. Thus far, the Community Building Committee has hosted virtual listening sessions with SIG conveners to better understand current challenges. At ALISE 2022, we propose to host an interactive poster inviting all ALISE members to contribute thoughts, suggestions, and ideas that might engage members as part of our community within the organization and across the information professions. The poster will feature prompts to foster discussion around the theme of community building, but the body of the poster will be largely blank, as ALISE members will be invited to add their own thoughts with markers and post-it notes, as well as to respond to previous responses. For much of the Works in Progress session, a member of the ALISE Community Building Committee will attend the poster to engage participants in direct discussion about the questions posed on the poster.