Top Technology Trends

Charge

To organize the Top Technology Trends events held at ALA conferences, select participants to name the trends, manage online discussions and meetings, finalize results, and help with follow-up activities. The Top Technology Trends will be used to plan programs and publications.

The Top Technology Trends Committee was formed in 1998 and held its first meeting at the 1999 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia.

Chair Responsibilities

  • Create Doodle Polls and Schedule Meetings
  • Correspond with current and potential panelists
  • Work with Vice Chair and Appointments committee to select new members based on volunteer form applications

Vice Chair Responsibilities

  • Work with Chair and Appointments committee to select new members based on volunteer form applications
  • Shadow/Observe Chair for entire year

 Committee Member Responsibilities and Tasks

  • Find a place for Panelist Meetup the Saturday evening before Program
  • Monitor Social Media throughout year
  • Panelist Selection (Entire Committee) – See submission guidelines
  • Take Minutes during meeting
  • Work with Web Coordinating Committee to update TTT Webpage

Assignment of Committee Tasks on Day of Program

  • Be at Top Tech Trends program 1/2 an hour early
  • wrangles the speakers to make sure their comfortable and ready to go
  • monitor the twitter feed for questions
  • take notes during program for summary to be place on TTT webpage after the Program
  • We are not streaming, but there will be an automatic audio recording 
  • Take a count of the audience

Tools and Platforms

  • Adobe Connect (Ask Mark Beatty to set up for TTT Committee Meetings
  • Google Docs – at the end of term transfer ownership of any Google Docs over to LITA Google Docs (contact Mark Beatty)

Resources

Composition

The Top Technology Trends Committee typically consists of about 10 members, appointed from the membership. Committee members serve 2-year, staggered terms.

LITA Connect

View the Top Technology Trends Committee’s group on LITA Connect.

About this Committee

Deliverables

  • Reviews nominations for the Top Tech Trends panel
  • Selects panelists based on a rubric
  • Communicates regularly with the moderator and panelists
  • On the day of the program at the ALA Midwinter Meeting (January) and ALA Annual Conference (June), onsite group members wrangle panelists, monitor the Twitter feed, take notes during the program to summarize the trends, take an audience count
  • Monitors social media throughout the year for the hashtag #ALATTT
  • Works with the Web Coordinating Committee to update the TTT website
  • Works with Communication and Marketing Committee for announcements and call for panelists.

Expected Time Commitment

  • Holds 7-9 virtual meetings and 2 face-to-face meetings each year
  • Group members work an average of 2 hours per month
  • April, May, September, and October are the busiest months

Desired Skills, Knowledge, and Experience

  • Forward-thinking, tech savvy with the ability to identify technology trends that will impact libraries
  • Organization and time management skills
  • Familiarity with Twitter
  • This Committee benefits from a diverse set of backgrounds which include library types and fresh perspectives to recognize trends and panelists.
  • Leadership experience and someone with a passion for technology demonstrated through previous involvement, employment, or even academic work are the top experiences needed.

Timeline

July

  • Committee: Meeting
  • Chair: Submit Committee Report and post on ALA Connect from Annual
  • Committee: Announce call for panelists for next Midwinter Program with a deadline of Sept 30th

August

  • Committee: Contact those who have been nominated by someone else and invite them to apply for panel
  • Committee: Send out reminder to LITA and ALA channels about open call for panelist nominations

September

  • (Registration and Housing opens for ALA Midwinter)
  • Committee: Contact those who have been nominated by someone else and invite them to apply for panel
  • Chair: Submit Committee Report and post on ALA Connect
  • Committee: Book/Reserve a venue (bar or restaurant) for Saturday panelist meetup during Midwinter
  • September 30th deadline for ALA Midwinter Panelists.

October

  • Committee Meeting: Decide on panelists nominations for ALA Midwinter

November

  • Committee: Announce call for panelists for ALA Annual program with a deadline of Jan 31st
  • Chair/Vice Chair: Meet with ALA MidWinter moderator/panelist to discuss program and have them prepare trends/discussion points
  • Committee: Get bios and headshots from ALA Midwinter panelists
  • Website: Work with WCC to update website with MidWinter panelists headshot and bios

December

  • Chair: Submit Committee Report and post on ALA Connect

January

  • Committee: Contact those who have been nominated by someone else and invite them to apply for panel
  • Committee: Send reminder out to LITA channels about ALA Annual panelist nominations
  • Chair/Vice Chair: Last Online meeting for Midwinter Panelists
  • Saturday at Midwinter: Committee Meeting – Discuss responsibilities during program
    • Saturday Evening at Midwinter: Panelist Meetup at a restaurant or bar
    • Sunday at MidWinter: TTT Program
    • Website: Work with WCC Committee to update with MW Summary of trends
  • January 31st deadline for ALA Midwinter Panelists.

February

  • (Registration and Housing opens for ALA Annual)
  • Committee Meeting: Decide on panelists nominations for ALA Annual
  • Committee: Book/Reserve a venue (bar or restaurant) for Saturday panelist meetup during ALA Annual
  • Chair: Submit Committee Report and post on ALA Connect

March

  • Chair/Vice Chair: Meet with ALA Annual moderator/panelists to discuss program
  • Committee: Get bios and headshots from ALA Annual panelists
  • Website: Work with WCC to update website with ALA Annual panelists headshot and bios

April

  • Chair: Submit Vice Chair volunteer from existing committee members to nomination committee

May

  • Chair: Submit Committee Report and post on ALA Connect

June

  • Last Online meeting for Annual Panelists
  • Saturday at ALA Annual: Committee Meeting – Discuss responsibilities during program
    • Saturday Evening at ALA Annual: Panelist Meetup at a restaurant or bar
    • Sunday at ALA Annual: TTT Program
    • Committee: Announce Call for Panelists for next Annual Program with a deadline of September 30th
    • Website: Work with WCC committee to update with summary of Annual program trends