Dear ARLIS/NA Colleagues,

 

I know we are all adjusting and readjusting to the changing circumstances we find ourselves in, and I hope this message finds you well.

 

There are some items of ARLIS/NA business that were in the works before the pandemic crisis unfolded, and the Management Review Task Force is one of them. As you will recall, Laura Schwartz announced in her “Fall 2019 Message from the President” that the task force would begin a management services review in anticipation of our current contract with AEG expiring in the first quarter of 2021. Since then, with Board support, we invited a consultant to conduct an independent review and assessment of the society’s organization management and our needs for the future. Bloch & Reed Association Advisors was selected based on the expertise they bring to the review, which includes deep knowledge of how volunteer professional organizations like ARLIS/NA operate and how they work with their management firms.

 

Bloch & Reed staff are conducting detailed interviews with sixteen current society leaders, including members of the board and members of the task force. And later this week, all ARLIS/NA members will be invited to take part in the assessment by filling out a short survey. Bloch & Reed will be preparing a report for the Task Force and  will deliver it in late May.

 

As part of this process we also have an opportunity to reflect on our successes as an organization and evolve, based on what we do well. These would be worthy endeavors at any time, and they seem especially fitting now as we approach the 50th anniversary of ARLIS/NA. We hope you will join us in this effort to gather information and stories that will help ARLIS/NA grow and gain new relevance for its members.

 

Thank you in advance for your participation. Look for an invitation to complete the survey soon.

 

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

 

Best,

Amy

On behalf of the Management Review Task Force: