Self Assessment to Better Serve Members of Chinese American Librarians Association

Abstract

Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) is an active affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA) and is one of the five ethnic caucuses of the ALA. This assessment used a membership survey as a tool to identify areas that CALA would need improvement in serving the needs of its members in order to carry out its long term objectives and short term strategic goals. The results of the survey have revealed CALA members’ high satisfaction level, especially its active leadership and involvement in library field at the global level. The results have shown the desire for professional development as the top reason for joining CALA and also have found reasons for lack of active participation from CALA members. The survey serves as a powerful roadmap to help CALA enhance services and improve communication to CALA members. It also provides a valuable reference for future strategic planning process to fulfill the objectives.