One of the best ways to obtain leadership experience is by volunteering with a local community organization. Volunteering to be a leader is not easy especially without pay. Leadership takes time, energy, creativity, and enthusiasm and can equate to a full time job. On the other hand, volunteering to lead for a worthy cause is not only extremely rewarding, it is a great way to gain invaluable experience (not to mention the networking opportunities).
Now, take the above and throw in the fact that I was new to the State of Idaho (I moved to Boise from Canada in 2003 for a Library Assistant position) and relatively new to the profession (I had worked in public libraries as a Library Assistant and Program coordinator from 2003-2005) and then take on a volunteer position involving legislation, advocacy, and lobbying for all libraries in the state of Idaho. That was a steep learning curve.
Position: Legislative Chair, Legislative Committee, Idaho Library Association (ILA)
Term: October 2005-current
The responsibilities of the legislative liaison, or “Legislative Chair” for the Idaho Library Association is probably the most time and energy intensive position in the organization. Not only it is my responsibility to keep abreast of politics in our state which may directly or indirectly affect libraries (and if you are familiar with politics, that can be almost anything), but it is also the chair’s responsibility to keep the ILA Board, the association’s members, and the library community at large informed, active, and engaged.
In addition to these responsibilities, the legislative chair advocates and lobbies alongside our association lobbyist to raise awareness for libraries and library issues within the political realm and build positive and lasting relationships with our state and local government officials. This includes organizing an annual legislative breakfast at the State Capitol during the legislative session for legislators on behalf of ILA and organizing legislative panels and discussions at ILA’s annual conference in October.
During the legislative session (and throughout the year) the ILA legislative committee provides a proactive voice in support of statewide library services (whether those services fall into the public, academic, school, or special library domain) and a voice in defense of libraries when proposed legislative will cause harm to those services.
Accomplishments:
Over the past three years, during my term as legislative chair, hard work, determination, and carefully crafted strategy have paid off in more ways than one.
In 2006, despite being excluded for the Governor’s recommended budget, ILA lobbied for and won an ongoing state appropriation in the amount of $300,000 to fund LiLI-Unlimited: a statewide library catalog linking libraries throughout the state and providing unrestricted access to all residents in Idaho (an essential service for the many rural communities throughout the state).
In January 2007, at the onset of the legislative session, ILA took early action to form a strong partnership with the new Idaho First Lady Lori Otter who accepted the role of State Summer Reading Ambassador (see Intellectual). This partnership has led to amazing advocacy for libraries on behalf of the First Lady.
In 2008, the ILA legislative committee dedicated its energies to campaigning for and eventually winning an ongoing state appropriation in the amount of $330,000 for a statewide Read to Me program expansion. This appropriation was an amazing victory for the library community considering the political and economic climates during that time (see Intellectual).
In addition to these accomplishments, it is important to note the ongoing “small” victories that have taken place over the last three years regarding the defeat of proposed property tax bills which, although not targeting libraries directly, if passed would have direct and concrete impacts on library districts. Examples of such bills include: laws which would allow voters to “roll-back” the budgets of taxing districts (including libraries) through a voter petition; laws to decrease the amount of “new construction” money that is given to taxing districts to pay for new growth; and laws requiring expensive and ineffective notification measures for all taxing districts on any taxing issues (bonds, levies, etc) within their district.
Challenges:
This position has been one of my most challenging endeavors. One thing that I do know is that it sometimes it helps not to know exactly what you are getting into when large amounts of time, energy, knowledge, and enthusiasm are involved. The truth is, I didn’t know a lot about the American political system, taxing districts, library laws, library budgets, etc (I do now!). I was a newly established resident of Idaho and had only been working in the library field for two years. What I did know was that I loved libraries, had a growing interest in politics, and was willing to try something new.
What I have learned from this experience is that a willingness to learn combined with enthusiasm can make a big difference in any situation. Two things are fundamental in influencing others and being an effective leader:
- Knowledge: ask questions, acquire knowledge, and learn from the experience of others. The more you know, the more you understand, and therefore, the stronger your position.
- Communication and presentation are key: sharing your knowledge, experience, and position in an effective, clear, and dynamic manner is instrumental to the effective dissemination of information especially when that information is in favor of your cause.
The experience I gained through this position will continue to strengthen my abilities in future leadership roles not only in the professional world, but in my personal life as well.
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