Western Slope Interest Group

Purpose: To provide the opportunity to Western Slope CAL members to network, collaborate, and participate in the wider CAL community.

Need: Colorado’s Western Slope is a large and diverse section of the state that lacks representation on CAL Committees and Interest Groups due to the distance and travel difficulty to meetings that primarily take place on the front range. Western slope CAL members miss out on the benefits of in person meetings and events, including networking, idea sharing, and assuring rural library representation. The Western Slope IG would bring the needs of WS librarians to CAL and information from CAL to the Western Slope. 

Context: To address issues particular to the Western Slope and foster community among Western Slope library professionals.

Strategies: Arrange meeting locations convenient to WS professionals, use technology to create connections when a meeting is not taking place, include CAL West Region representative in all planning.

Guidelines: 

1. Formal, quarterly meetings 
2. Meet at varying locations throughout the Western Slope, logistics arranged by the closest WSIG member
3. If an in-person meeting cannot happen, a virtual meeting will occur in its place
4. Promote diversity in committee membership in terms of race, ethnicity, type of library, location, sexual orientation, gender identity, and physical abilities