ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

ACRL wants you!

Are you interested in contributing to ACRL? There are opportunities for your involvement in ACRL sections, standing committees, and editorial boards. ACRL needs your sup- port to act best on the interests of its members. ACRL depends on members to volunteer for and serve on committees to accomplish its goals and objectives. With over 43 standing commit- tees and 165 section committees there are lots of opportunities for serving ACRL. This article gives you a brief description of how the ACRL appointment process works.

Appointments: The process

Appointments are made at both the section and division levels. The ACRL president is responsible for the committee appointments at the division level for the year he or she serves as president. Likewise, section chairs are responsible for committee appointments in their respective sections the year they serve as chair. Committee slates are usually completed shortly after the Midwinter Meeting during the year in which the individual serves as president-elect or chair-elect. The ACRL Appointments & Nominations Committee assists the president-elect in this process in an advisory capacity.

Factors influencing appointment

Although the emphasis in the appointment may vary from year to year according to the prerogatives of the president and section chairs, the same factors are considered. They include:

• evidence of potential committee member’s interest.Have you attended the meetings and introduced yourself to the chair? Do you have previous experience that relates to the work of the committee? Have you indicated your interest on the application?

• demographics and composition of committee.When making appointments an effort is made to keep the membership of a committee balanced with respect to type of library (community college, college, or university), geographic representation, ethnic diversity, and gender. In addition, some committees have special requirements. For example, one member of the Professional Education Committee must be a library educator; the Membership and Legislative Committees have strict regional representation requirements.

• the recommendation of the current committee chair.Current committee chairs are asked to suggest potential members. Although all of these factors are considered, the final appointment is the prerogative of the ACRL president-elect and the section chair-elects.

How to apply

1. Select the committees that interest you.The ALA Handbook of Organization lists all of ACRL’s committees and their charges. (ALA members may obtain a free copy of the handbook by calling 1 (800) 545-2433, ext. 4287.) Attend the committee’s meetings at the Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference to help you decide if those are the activities that interest you.

2. Introduce yourself.Talk with committee members. Express your interest to the committee chair. Explain how you might contribute to the work of the committee.

3. Submit a volunteer form.Complete the volunteer form that is printed each year in a fall issue of C&RL News. Be sure to cover all of the items asked for in background information. If you have attended committee meetings or programs, mention that. Fill out one form for ACRL division committees and a different form for each ACRL section you want to volunteer for. Send the division volunteer form to Pam Snelson at the address on the bottom of the volunteer form; send the section volunteer forms to the appropriate section chair- elects at the addresses given elsewhere in this article.

4. Volunteer again… and again.If you are not successful in being appointed one year, volunteer again the next year … and the next. Remember that a multitude of factors—the number of appointments made, the number of volunteers for each committee, the number of volunteers from your type of library or your geographic area—determine the actual appointment, and these factors change from year to year.

Ed. note: The ideas in this article are based on the work of the 1991-92 Appointments & Nominations Committee chaired by Marion Reid and on the article by Pat Rom,C&RL News, October 1990, pp. 885-86.

Commonly asked questions

1. What is the role of an intern on a committee and should I say that I am willing to be one?Internships were created to expand the opportunities for participation in ACRL. The only difference between an intern and a regular appointment is the term of service. Interns may only serve for one year.

2. If I am appointed as an intern will I automatically be appointed to the committee?Not necessarily. The purpose of the internship is to expose members to the work of ACRL. Serving as an intern can be a positive learning experience that can be applied to other work of the organization. Appointments are still the prerogative of the president-elect or section chair-elects and reappointment is not automatic.

3. What are my chances of being reappointed once I am serving on a committee?It varies. Committees need both continuity and new ideas and energy. Some president-elects opt for very few reappointments because of a desire for wider participation and greater diversity. Sometimes there is a need for specific projects to be finished and continuity is important.

4. Should I give up if I am not appointed the first time I submit a volunteer form?Absolutely not. Remember there are often more people willing to serve than there are places. Keep submitting your forms. A high percentage of members who submit forms are appointed to a committee.

ACRL section appointments

ACRL has 16 sections (their names are listed below). You will find a description of their areas of responsibility in the ALA Handbook of Organization, 1992-93-

The chair-elect of a section appoints the chair and members of all section committees. Most of these appointments are made in the spring for terms beginning immediately after the ALA Annual Conference. If you would like to be considered for appointment as chair or member of a section committee, fill out the ACRL Committee Volunteer Form and mail it to the chair-elect of the appropriate section listed below before December 15, 1992.

Afro-American Studies Librarian Section.Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: William C. Welburn, Di- versity/Special Services Librarian, University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, LA 52242.

Anthropology and Sociology Section.Vice- Chair/Chair-Elect: Kathryn L. Creely, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093- 0175.

Arts Section.Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: Madeleine Nichols, Curator, Dance Collection, The New York Public Library, 455 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10016.

Asian and African Section.Vice-Chair/Chair- Elect: Katharine K. Elsässer, Regional & Cooperative Cataloging Division, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20540.

Bibliographic Instruction Section.Vice-Chair/ Chair-Elect: Lori L. Arp, University of Colorado, Norlin Library, Campus Box 184, Boulder, CO 80309-0184.

College Libraries Section.Vice-Chair/Chair- Elect: Barbara J. Brown, 110 Rebel Ridge Road, Lexington, VA 24450.

Community and Junior College Libraries Section.Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: Margaret Holleman, Director of Library Services, Pima Community College, West Campus LRC, 2202 W. Anklam Rd., Tucson, AZ 85709.

Education and Behavioral Sciences Section.Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: Judith Segal, Director, Hollins College, Fishburn Library, Roanoke, VA 24020.

Extended Campus Library Services Section.Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: Lynn B. LaBrake, Associate Director, University of Central Florida Library, P.O. Box 25000, Orlando, FL 32816- 0666.

Law and Political Science Section.Vice-Chair/ Chair-Elect: Charles D. Spornick, 862 Brandlwood Way, Lilburn, GA 30247-4865.

Rare Books and Manuscripts Section.Vice- Chair/Chair-Elect: Jackie Dooley, Head of Collections Cataloging, Getty Center for the History of Art, Humanities Library, 401 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401-1455.

Science and Technology Section.Vice-Chair/ Chair-Elect: Janet Fore, Science Reference Librarian, University of Arizona Library, Tucson, AZ 85721.

Slavic and East European Section.Vice-Chair/ Chair-Elect: Leena Siegelbaum, Librarian, Michigan State University Libraries, East Lansing, MI 48824-1048.

University Libraries Section.Vice-Chair/Chair- Elect: Noreen Alldredge, Dean, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717-0332.

Western European Specialist Section.Vice- Chair/Chair-Elect: James Henry Spohrer, Librarian for Germanic Collections, University of California, University Library, Berkeley, CA 94720.

Women’s Studies Section.Vice-Chair/Chair- Elect: Betty J. Glass, Instructional Services Librarian, University of Nevada, Noble H. Getchell Library, Reno, NV 89557.

ACRL committee appointments

ACRL has about 30 standing committees to which appointments may be made. These include: Academic Library Statistics, Academic Status, ACRL Academic or Research Librarian of the Year Award, Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award, Audiovisual, Budget and Finance, Constitution and Bylaws, Copyright, Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, Government Relations, International Relations, Samuel Lazerow Fellowship for Research in Acquisitions or Technical Services, Membership, MLA Bibliography Scope and Overlap, Orientation, Planning, Professional Education, Professional Liaison, Publications, Racial and Ethnic Diversity, Research, K. G. Saur Award for Best College and Research Libraries Article, and Standards and Accreditation. You will find the committees listed with a description of their charges in the ALA Handbook of Organization.

Appointments to ACRL standing committees are made in the spring for terms beginning immediately after the ALA Annual Conference. The Appointments and Nominations Committee recommends to the president-elect of ACRL the names of members who might fill the vacancies. The president-elect makes the final appointments. If you are interested in being considered for an appointment to an ACRL committee, you should complete the ACRL Committee Volunteer Form included in this issue of C&RL News and mail it to Pam Snelson, Assistant Director, Drew University Library, Madison, NJ 07940; (201) 408-3635; fax: (201) 408-3770; internet:Psnelson@Drew .drew.edu.

Editorial boards

ACRL has six editorial boards:

• the Choice Editorial Board;

• the College & Research Libraries Editorial Board;

• the College & Research Libraries News Editorial Board;

• the New Publications Editorial Board;

• the Publications in Librarianship Editorial Board;

• the Rare Books & Manuscripts Librarian- ship Editorial Board.

Appointments to editorial boards are made during the spring for terms that begin immediately after the ALA Annual Conference. The editors recommend the name of a person to fill the vacancy. The Publications Committee must approve the recommendation, and the president of ACRL makes the appointment.

If you would like to be considered for appointment to an editorial board, contact the editor of the editorial board.

ChoiceEditor: Patricia Sabosik, Choice, 100 Riverview Center, Middletown, CT 06457.

College & Research LibrariesEditor.Gloriana St. Clair, Assistant Dean and Head of Information Access Services, E5O6 Pattee Library, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.

College & Research Libraries NewsEditor: Mary Ellen Davis, C&RL News, ACRL/ALA, 50 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611-2795.

New Publications Editor: Mary Taylor, ACRL/ ALA, 50 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 6O6ll- 2795.

Publications in LibrarianshipEditor: Jonathan A. Lindsey, Director of Corporate and Foundation Development, Baylor University, B.U. Box 7026, Waco, TX 76798-7026.

Rare Books & Manuscripts LibrarianshipEdi-tor: Alice D. Schreyer, Curator of Special Collections, The University of Chicago Library, 1100 E. 57th St., Chicago, IL 60637. ■

ACRL VOLUNTEER FORM

ACRL would like you to participate in its activities. To volunteer, please complete the form and return it to the appropriate individual.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

On a separate single sheet of paper briefly summarize your background and activities in the following areas:

• ALA professional activities;

• ACRL professional activities;

• state and regional offices held and committee appointments;

• educational background and/or other professional experience that will assist the committee in the appointment process;

• publications;

• express your professional concerns and the contribution that you can make toward strengthening ACRL;

• list any other professional organizations to which you belong. Please indicate those organizations (if any) for which you would be willing to serve as the ACRL liaison.

Note: Membership in ALA and ACRL is required. Attendance at Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference is required.

RETURN THIS FORM TO:(Use duplicate forms if you are interested in both a standing committee and a section appointment.)

ACRL Section Committees:If you would like to serve on a section committee, send this form to the appropriate vice-chair/chair-elect before December 15, 1992. You must be a member of the section to be considered for appointment.

Standing Committees:If you are interested in serving on one of the standing committees, complete this form and return it to: Pam Snelson, Assistant Director, Drew University Library, Madison, NJ 07940; (201) 408-3635; fax: (201) 408-3770; internet: Psnelson@ Drew.drew.edu. Forms must be returned by December 15, 1992, for you to be considered for appointment.

Be a PR Star! enter the1993

JOHN COTTON DANA LIBRARY PUBLIC RELATIONS AWARDS CONTEST

IF YOU'VE DONE an out- standingjob of making your community more aware of your library, the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Awards Contest can tell the world about your efforts.

Your entry will be consid ered among those from libraries of all types, sizes, and budgets. Entries are judged by a panel of your peers, and two types of awards are given.

The John Cotton Dana Award

This award is given for a librarys total annual coordinated public relations program, including publicity, programs, advertising, publications, exhibits, special events, promotions, and audio-visual presentations.

The Special Award

The Special Award is given in recognition of a part of your public relations program—a fund-raising campaign, a series of adult or childrens programs, or any other special project.

Contest Dates

Entries for the 1993 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Awards Contest can reflect any one of the following time frames:

• Calendar year 1992 (January-December)

• School Year 1991/92 (Fall-Spring)

• Special Project which ends in 1992.

The Deadline for entries is February 1, 1993.

Awards Ceremony

Official award citations will be presented to contest winners at the 1993 annual conference of the American Library Association, at a reception hosted by The H.W. Wilson Company.

Sponsorship

The John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Awards Contest is sponsored jointly by The H.W. Wilson Company and the Public Relations Section of the Library Administration and Management Association, a division of the American Library Association.

To Enter

To request an Information Packet containing contest entry forms, rules and regulations, questions and answers about the awards, a sample of the judges' evaluation form, names of the contest judges, and a list of previous winners, please write to: John Cotton Dana PR Awards Contest, The H.W. Wilson Company, 950 University Avenue, Bronx, New York 10452.