ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

ACRL President’s report

By Joanne R. Euster ACRL’s 49th President

ACRL’s past year in perspective.

Energetic, creative, fruitful: these are the words which characterize ACRL’s 49th year. It was a year which saw many “firsts.” Among the highlights:

•Our first overseas conference, “Shared Re- sources, Shared Respon- sibilities,” was held in Florence, Italy, in April, organized by the Western European Spe- cialists Section and chaired by Assunta Pi- sani.

Joanne R. Euster

•We have con- tracted with Nancy Van House to develop an out- put measures manual for academic libraries. This extensive project was developed by the ad hoc committee on Performance Measures for Academic Libraries chaired by Virginia Tiefel, and will be completed in 1989.

•A very successful workshop for Historically Black Colleges and Universities was conducted in October with support from the Mellon Foundation, under the chairmanship of Beverly Lynch. Further workshops and other activities are planned.

•A nationwide teleconference on CD-ROM technology was presented in April, cosponsored by the Community and Junior College Libraries Section, and AECT/CCAIT.

•A new award, sponsored by ACRL, LAMA, LIT A, and RTSD, was established to honor the life and accomplishments of Hugh C. Atkinson. The 1988 recipient was Richard M. Dougherty.

•A new award, sponsored by K.G. Saur for the best article of the year appearing in College and Research Libraries, was presented to Robert Boice, Jordan Scepanski and Wayne Wilson for “Librarians and Faculty Members: Coping with Pressures to Publish.”

•Following up on adoption of the Strategic Plan in June 1986, the first annual Operating Plan, developed by executive director JoAn Segal and the Planning Committee, chaired by Carolyn Dusen- bury, was approved, as well as the planning cycle and calendar for succeeding years.

•In order to bring programmatic and budgetary planning together, a Five-year Financial Plan is being developed by the Budget and Finance Committee, chaired by Patricia Wand.

Fostering creativity and innovation

This was the first time to my knowledge and in recent memory that the ACRL President announced a theme for the year. “Fostering Creativity and Innovation,” was announced in C&RL and in C&RL News, followed by a new column in the News, titled “Innovations,” which sparked submissions from members and will be a continuing column. During the year, I focused on creative leadership in my visits and talks to chapters. At Midwinter, ACRL Board leadership development was expanded to a half day of presentations, group discussion and learning exercises designed and presented by fellow Board members. As the concluding event of the year, my President’s program “Creativity in the Workplace: From Conception to Application,” featured Scott Isaksen, director of the Center for Studies in Creativity in Buffalo, New York, as keynote speaker, and Susan Jurow, program officer for training of the Association of Research Libraries’ Office of Management Services, who led the group in creative problemsolving techniques.

New initiatives

While the bulk of the work of ACRL is carried out by the sections and standing committees, ad hoc committees and task forces are the means for prompt response to short term and immediate needs which are not covered by standing groups. This year a number of such groups were appointed:

•The Task Force on Awards is considering an overall awards philosophy for ACRL and a future “awards agenda.” Joan Chambers chairs the task force.

•The Task Force on Extended Campus Library Service Guidelines will develop appropriate guidelines, and is chaired by Mary Joyce Pickett.

• The Task Force on ACRL and Social Responsibility, chaired by Karyle Butcher, will make recommendations for any needed changes in the Strategic Plan related to social issues.

•The Task Force on Professional Ethics is charged to consider and make recommendations for Association action. The chair is Doug Stewart.

•The ad hoc Faculty Workshops Committee, chaired by Sharon Rogers, along with members of AAUP, is working with representatives of other higher education associations to plan a joint librarian-facuity workshop.

•The National Conference Executive Committee is hard at work planning the 1989 ACRL National Conference in Cincinnati, which will celebrate 100 years since the founding of the College Library Section of ALA and 50 years since the founding of both ACRL and College and Research Libraries. Martha Alexander Bowman and Evan Ira Farber are co-chairs.

Values and investments

As I reported at the end of 1987, many of ACRL’s recent activities have focused on questions of values. Nowhere are values more concretely expressed than in how an organization allocates its resources, as we know all too well from our own libraries! ACRL has for several years had the goal of a reserve fund equalling 50 % of the annual operating budget (exclusive of Choice). This reserve, the so-called “fund balance,” has reached its goal, and has enabled ACRL to make major investments in significant large-scale projects. Preparation of Books for College Libraries, third edition, has been supported in this way, for example. The Output Measures Manual for Academic Libraries, approved at Midwinter, is being similarly funded. At Midwinter the Board approved an additional $20,000 for Special Grants to sections, committees, and chapters for one-time projects not included in regular budgets, and adopted guidelines for proposals drawn up by a special committee chaired by Bob Carmack.

By means of this sort of management of ACRL’s financial resources, we are able to support programs and projects which are beyond the scope of the annual budget, and which are indeed investments in the future well-being of academic libraries.

Standards and guidelines

The values of a profession are also expressed in the standards which the members set for themselves and for the conduct of the profession. ACRL standards and guidelines which received final approval by both ACRL and the ALA Standards Committee during 1987-88:

•Guidelines on the Selection of General Collection Materials for Transfer to Special Collections.

•Mission of a University Undergraduate Library: Model Statement.

•Guidelines for Audiovisual Services in Academic Libraries.

•Guidelines Regarding Thefts in Libraries.

In addition, the University Library Standards, developed in cooperation with the Association of Research Libraries, was ready for comment at an open hearing at the New Orleans Annual Conference. The Academic Status Committee also held hearings during the New Orleans Conference on Guidelines for Academic Status for College and University Librarians and on the Statement on the Certification and Licensing of Librarians.

Just as much of ALA’s program is the sum of the programs and activities of its component parts, so ACRL’s accomplishments depend heavily on the ideas, efforts and dedication of committees, sections, discussion groups, and chapters. A complete report of all of their activities is beyond the scope of this brief summary. College and Research Libraries News chronicles the month-by-month plans and accomplishments of ACRL units, and the growing size of the News is testimony to the vitality of our association and the deep involvement of the membership in it.

The last two years as President-elect and President, coinciding as they have with my transplantation to the East coast and Rutgers University, have been exciting, provocative and fruitful. I am grateful for the opportunities, experiences and satisfactions which have come from working with so many competent and dedicated members, committees, sections and chapters, our outstanding Board of Directors, and our superior central staff.

I am looking forward to turning the Presidential responsibilities over to Joseph C. Boissé, who I know will lead ACRL well, and assuming the traditional past president’s role of organizational memory and conscience!