ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 2 1 4 / C&RL News ■ A p ril 2004 CONFERENCE CIRCUIT News from the University Libraries Section Activities at Midwinter T he ULS Section Executive Committee is ad­dressing several im portant issues as w e grapple with changing economic times and reduced travel budgets. The section is anxious to assess the current two-conference attendance requirement for ALA com m ittee involvem ent. We will find out whether our membership supports the use of virtual meeting technology to handle routine busi­ ness, and w e w ill lo o k at w ays to ensure our yo u n g er profession als c an still participate in ACRL activities. We are also looking at ways to partner with other sections in ULS and will per­ haps use Sections Council as a forum for discus­ sion o f topics o f mutual interest. The ULS program in Orlando is designed to open up the issue of how to prepare and accultur­ ate our new library school graduates, while mak­ ing sure that w e older professionals fully reap the benefits o f their creativity and enthusiasm. See you there- G illian McCombs, Southern M ethodist Uniœısity, g mccombs@mail.smu.edu E x e c u tiv e C o m m it te e T h e University Libraries Section (ULS) E xecu ­ tive Committee, chaired by Gillian McCombs, met twice during the Midwinter Meeting. Discussions centered on the ACRL dialogue session on strate­ gic planning (the plan that will guide ACRL ac­ tivities and initiatives from 2006 to 2010) and the possibility o f producing the section newsletter, ULS Universe, in print, as w ell as electronic for­ mat, to reach more members. The committee also reviewed notable reports from several com m ittees and task forces. Lori Goetsch, chair o f the Standards and Guidelines committee, reported that work on the Standards for Libraries in Higher Education continues, but was hindered by poor attendance o f the hearings at the ALA Annual Conference in Toronto. Aca­ demic libraries that have recently undergone ac­ creditation reviews will b e surveyed to see if stan­ dards and guidelines would have helped with the process. The Undergraduate libraries Discussion Group is also reviewing the standards. Cheryl Middleton, m em ber o f the ACRL Task Force on Virtual Meetings, reported that commit­ tee chairs are being surveyed to determine how and w hen virtual m eetings are being held. The task force intends to have recommendations, based on ACRL policies, ready to present b y the ALA Annual Conference in Orlando. T he Program Planning Committee reported that the theme for the 2004 conference program is “B ey o n d the MLS: Today’s Graduates for Tomorrow’s Libraries.” Speakers will include J o ­ seph Lucia o f Villanova University on the topic of changing roles, professional competencies, and ch an g es in organizational cultures and Jo h n Unsworth o f the University of Illinois o n emerg­ ing roles for professionals and combining subject specialties with librarianship. D is c u s s io n g r o u p s ULS D iscussion G roups w ere active and well- attended at the Midwinter Meeting. The Current Topics Discussion Group presented a capstone dis­ cussion for its three-year lo ok at the “library as place.” “Promoting and Marketing the ‘Library as P lace’” featured a panel o f speakers o n various aspects o f library marketing. Bill Miller o f Florida Atlantic University discussed the importance o f marketing the library as place and promoting our unique services, resources, and role as a social and academic center o f the campus. Danuta Nitecki C&RL News ■ A p ril 2 0 0 4 / 215 discussed how Yale University libraries have mar­ keted the expanding role o f the library o n cam ­ pus— from cultural icon and sacred space to an evolved, technologically sophisticated p lace o f study and new learning commons. Mary Reichel o f Appalachian State University discussed h ow her library used marketing to gain support (finan­ cial and otherwise) for a new library building and information com m ons. Virginia Cherry o f Rich­ ard Bland College presented ideas for using the @ your library campaign to promote library events, activities, exhibits, and services to the larger cam­ pus community, and related specific campaigns that her library has used to gain greater visibility and support on campus. Finally, Kenneth Marks spoke about the history and development o f the @ your library campaign. T h e Campus Administration and Leadership D iscussion Group presented “First, Y ou ’ve Got to G et Their Attention! A Discussion About Bud­ get-Reduction Strategies That Wake Up Campus A dm inistrators (And T h o se T h at Put T h e m to Sleep ).” David Gleim o f the University o f C olo­ rado-Denver led a lively discussion about budget- ( “Campusp artnerships, ” continuedf rom p ag e 212) from each college is working on a Senate resolu­ tion. Its intent will b e to encourage information literacy learning opportunities to b e expanded across the curriculum o f the general education requirem ents and within each major. This is not to say that ea ch course will have an information literacy stand-alone component, but that care will b e given to ensuring that by graduation, students will have mastered all o f the agreed upon infor­ mation literacy standards. Finally, just as other librarian/faculty collabo­ rations have evolved out o f n ew cam pus initia­ tives, planning is now underway for collaboration among students, faculty, and librarians to provide a library-based learning experience within a resi­ dential experience. SJSU is currently constructing a residential housing facility for more than 6,000 students and faculty. The library’s Residential Life Proposal will go beyond the classroom to enrich students’ sen se o f community and nurture their intellectual and leadership interests by integrating library-related learning activities as a natural part o f their residential experience. C o n c lu s io n W hat have w e learned so far at SJSU from our collaborations w ith faculty? First and forem ost, cutting tactics designed to restore financial strength in libraries and absorb cuts w id e protecting user services and resources. The Public Services Directors of Large Research Libraries Discussion Group presented several top­ ics for discussion. Diane Strauss o f the University o f North Carolina-Chapel Hill facilitated a discus­ sion on consolidating libraries, service points, and branch libraries. Members o f the group provided examples o f what works and doesn’t work; the impacts on space, staffing, and financial resources; and how to m ake the transitions easier on library an d d ep a rtm e n ta l fa c u lty a n d staff. P aul Constantine o f the University o f Washington then led a discussion on staffing at reference and other service desks. Members discussed staffing mod­ els using professional and paraprofessional staff; how changes in numbers and length o f refer­ ence questions and digital reference are affecting staffing on desks; and training issues. A discus­ sion o f virtual reference services will b e contin­ ued until the Annual Conference in Orlando.— Leslie M adden, G eorgia Institute o f Technology, leslie.m ad den @ libraiy.gatech .edu ■ w e have experienced the pow er o f good library and classroom faculty relationships and the im­ portance o f supporting these relationships in prac­ tical ways, and second, that fostering such rela­ tionships is too important to leave to chance. With the appointment o f an outreach librarian, som e­ o n e is responsible for continuously monitoring emerging opportunities for collaboration, taking the lead in laying the groundw ork for th e new initiatives, and providing support for the ongoing outreach efforts o f the librarians. T h e ultimate winners are our SJSU students. N otes 1. Charge to the Work Group o n Information Competence, CLRIT Task 6.1. Information Com­ petence in the CSUA: Report Submitted to Com­ mission on Learning Resources and Instructional Technology, Work Group on Information Compe­ ten ce, CLRIT Task 6.1. Susan C. Curzon, Chair. D e c e m b e r 1995 Retrieved February 24, 2004, fro m www.calstate.edu/LS/Arcliive/info_comp_ report.shtm# Appendices. 2. Seewww2.sjsu.edu/depts/english/Infocomp. htm for the Information Competence "We b site. 3. Visit the University o f Texas System Digital L ib r a ry a t tilt.lib .u ts y s te m .e d u / y o u r tilt/ agreement.html. ■ mailto:leslie.madden@libraiy.gatech.edu http://www.calstate.edu/LS/Arcliive/info_comp_