ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

ACRL executive summary

Executive Committee

The most significant event of the month was the meeting of the ACRL Executive Committee at Headquarters on November 2. At their meeting, the group took several key actions:

The Committee approved the request of CJCLS to sponsor (jointly with AECT/CCAIT) a Teleconference on CD-ROM Technology to be held in April 1988. Details may be found on p. 10 of this issue.

The Committee approved a proposal for allocating “surplus funds.” It is ACRL policy that each year’s budget revenues equal or exceed expenses. For several years, ACRL financial performance has been better than expected, and the Association has been building a fund balance as a reserve for special projects and emergencies. Recently the Board set as a goal the maintainance of a fund balance equal to 50 % of the average annual expenditures for the previous three years. At the end of the 1986-87 fiscal year, the fund balance was greater than that goal, and the Budget and Finance Committee suggested that a mechanism be established to allocate these “surplus funds.” Whenever there is a surplus, proposals will be solicited from ACRL units and a committee will award the funds. Further information will be sent to all unit heads soon.

The Committee approved the establishment of two new task forces: one on Professional Ethics and one on ACRL and Social Responsibility.

The Committee took three actions in connection with planning a project to serve libraries in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s):

• an effort will be made to seek funding for three annual accreditation workshops;

• funding will be sought for an NEH project targeted specifically at HBCU’s and their communities;

• staff will draft a proposal for a project to collect information about HBCU libraries for use principally in accreditation work.

Planning workshop

On the day following the Executive Committee meeting, the first planning workshop involving

ACRL staff and key members was held. Present were ACRL President Joanne Euster, President- Elect Joseph Boissé, Planning Committee Chair Carolyn Dusenbury, Budget and Finance Chair Pat Wand, six ACRL staff members, and consultant Sharon Pierce. The sessions focused on clarifying the process for annual planning, so that ideas and suggestions can be collected from all ACRL units, the ACRL President-Elect can be involved, the Budget and Finance Committee can consider fiscal implications, the staff can prepare the necessary documents, and the Planning Committee can coordinate annual and longer-range plans. Recognizing the complexity of the process, the group acknowledged the lengthy transition period needed to move to a plan-driven mode of operation and the importance of each others’ roles.

WESS Conference

3,000 packets were sent out inviting interested people to attend the WESS Conference in Florence, Italy, April 4-8, 1988. If you would like to receive one, please call Sheryl Stephens at the ACRL office for a copy.

Headquarters

Staff began the annual budget preparation process. Discussion of budget items occupied the Budget and Finance Committee at the Midwinter Meeting, although the final budget will not be approved until the Annual Conference.

Twenty Northern Illinois University students enrolled in an “Academic Libraries” course visited ACRL and the ALA Headquarters Library in October. Cathleen Bourdon and Mary Ellen Davis reviewed ACRL services and opportunities for professional development.

The ACRL staff has been receiving excellent advice in the use of computer equipment acquired over the past few months, both from ALA staff and independent consultants. The new office machines are being used for word processing, spreadsheet, database management, communications, and electronic publishing.

College & Research Libraries Newsfinished 1987 with a total of 748 pages—only 16 pages less than 1986, which included the very large Baltimore Conference issue. The expanded size is due to an increasing number of articles and columns as well as increasing number of advertising pages.— JoAn S. Segal. ■ ■

ACRL’s Fifth National Conference: A call for papers and programs

The Association of College and Research Libraries invites proposals for papers and programs to be held at its Fifth National Conference in Cincinnati, April 5-8, 1989. The conference theme, “Building on the First Century,” celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the College Library Section of the American Library Association in 1889. Papers and program proposals are sought on issues in higher education and academic librarianship that link the past with the future. The goals of the National Conferences are a) to contribute to the total professional development of academic and research librarians, and b) to promote study, research and publication relevant to academic and research librarianship.

Contributed papers are a major feature of ACRL conferences and are invited in the following two categories:

1. Research reports are to be descriptions of studies that utilize rigorous research methodology and that include identified hypotheses and a clearly stated conclusion. The maximum length for a manuscript is 2,500 words.

2. Position papers are to be presentations in which problems are clearly identified and solutions proposed. Descriptions may be of locally implemented experiences (successes and failures), theoretical models, or state of the art reviews. Although not requiring formal research methodology, these papers should be well organized, and should develop clear positions or concepts. The maximum length for a manuscript is 1,800 words.

Each contributed paper will be reviewed by at least two referees in a blind reviewing process. Criteria for selection include clarity, originality, relevance to the theme and suitability for oral presentation.

Accepted papers will be returned to the authors for final editing and preparation of camera-ready copy for the published conference proceedings. Authors will have fifteen minutes to present their papers, followed by fifteen minutes for comments and reactions from the audience. Papers may be scheduled for presentation more than once. Authors must attend the conference at their own expense. Additional instructions to authors will be mailed upon receipt of a notice of intention to submit a paper.

Potential contributors should send a 200-word description of their paper, the tentative title, the category (research or position), their name, mailing address, and work phone number. The deadline for sending a notice of intent to submit a paper is June 1,1988. The deadline for submitting the full paper is July 31, 1988. Send the notice to: ACRL Contributed Papers, c/o Jan Fennell, Georgia College Library, 231 W. Hancock St., Milledgeville, GA 31061.

Proposals for programs at the National Conference are also welcome. Possible formats include panel presentations, discussion group sessions, idea briefs, or poster sessions. Programs may be either 30 or 60 minutes in length. Presenters must attend the conference at their own expense. Additional information will be sent upon the receipt of a program proposal.

Program proposals should include a 200-word description of the program, the tentative title, and name, mailing address, and work phone number of the contact person. The deadline for submitting a program proposal is July 31, 1988. Send program proposals to: ACRL Program, c/o Jordan Sce- panski, University Library and Learning Resources, California State University, Long Reach, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840. ■■