Initial Publication Date: October 8, 2024

Developing and Disseminating CLASP Products and Services Meetings Synthesis

This synthesis reflects participants' small group discussions during the Summer 2024 CLASP GRANTED convening.

Participants of the summer 2004 CLASP Granted convenings discussed the current state of the Collaboratory and virtual professional development as well as opportunities to strengthen both. They identified that, while the Collaboratory is a vast source of information, including job descriptions, policy samples, and links to recordings, it is also difficult to navigate. They suggested that it could be strengthened through better discovery (e.g. a content management system with a directory structure, or otherwise organized so it's easier to navigate and search) and through developing a quick-start guide for those new to it. In terms of content, participants identified that it was important for the information to be kept up to date. Suggestions to crowdsource documents or resources from CLASP members may be a way to help make content more robust as well as to keep it up to date, with the caveat that this may also require vetting/standardization, and potentially relies on a team of volunteers. Another suggestion was to utilize connections from other organizations such as NCURA and NORDP, to help bolster the collection of resources. In terms of moving this forward, suggestions were made to explore possible solutions in creating a website or platform and to investigate logistics such as cost and how to maintain it, including whose responsibility it would be to maintain it.

Current virtual professional development opportunities include Coffee Chats, webinars, and the listserv. Participants agreed that these programs are strong due to the broad array of topics, including content that is responsive to community needs, the opportunity to disseminate expertise through the community, and frequent opportunities to engage. In addition, these are opportunities to build community by getting to know other members who present or participate. It was noted that these opportunities were not always captured for those who were unable to be at them in real time and that some of the topics covered could be more 'evergreen' to broaden the reach and longevity of the content. If captured through recordings or summaries, resources could be made available through the website and can be utilized as easy entry points for engagement for new members-allowing for a self-regulated increase in engagement over time.

In terms of prioritization, participants identified short (1-2 year) and long (5 year) priorities, which encompassed three themes: building a website, formalizing the organizational structure, and strengthening professional development offerings.

Develop a CLASP Website

The short-term priority for the website is simply building one, ideally with a public-facing side and a private, password-protected members-only area. The public-facing site could help institutions, funders, and recruiters understand what CLASP does, thereby documenting its value to institutions and funding agencies and could be used to advocate for resources. The private side of the website could be used to house the Collaboratory and its resources in an organized, searchable format. This would provide a stable, centralized location for materials and could be helpful from a management perspective by allowing multiple people to manage it rather than relying on a single Google Drive.

Formalize the Structure of CLASP

In terms of formalizing the structure of CLASP, in the short term, suggestions included putting together a steering committee, determining the leadership/management model for the organization and how they might be compensated for their work, putting together policies and a code of conduct, and exploring various models of organization and funding (e.g. LLC, nonprofit, membership dues, professional development registration fees, paid staff + volunteer, etc.). If a membership dues model were to be adopted, membership fees could be used to pay speakers and acquire tools (e.g. a Zoom account, association management system, and a website). This could also help CLASP down a path of intentional and permanent development rather than being organic or ad-hoc.

In the longer term, the group could organize committees for aspects such as managing professional development, managing the Collaboratory, monitoring the listserv, and more. Finally, communities of practice could be formed around particular important topics, identified by membership.

Strengthening Professional Development (PD) Opportunities

CLASP is already recognized as a leader in PD by and for SPOs. In addition to continuing the successful programs such as Coffee Chats and webinars, participants brainstormed about expanding to include more formal PD programming with formal speakers, with the potential to bring in external expertise. Value was placed in providing ongoing, frequent opportunities for newcomers to get mentoring and orientation, resources for new SPOs, and offering PD opportunities for faculty around important topics. In addition, there is an opportunity to have members develop programming wishlists, frame out resources, and for there to be guidance on best practices for running PD as well as how to develop new resources alongside a peer-review network to assess them.