ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


September 1 9 9 3 / 4 3 7

ACRL P re s id e n t K ir k  focuses o n  n e tw o r k in g

My them e is networking. O f course that con­
jures up a num ber o f thoughts. For one it sug­
gests the new  technology that has becom e a 

larger and larger part of 
our professional lives. 
For a n o th e r it re p re ­
sents a w ay of profes­
sional life. Networking 
is the sharing o f o u r 
strengths w ith others in 
ways that mutually en­
h a n c e  o u r a b ility  to  
achieve individual ob­
jectives. In times of fi­
nancial difficulty n e t­

T h om as K irk w o rk in g — e le c tro n ic , 
organizational, and per­

sona— offer trem endous opportunities to ad­
vance ACRL’s and your library’s goals. My theme 
provides a rem inder o f the priorities o f ACRL 
(See p. 457) and asks you as mem bers to inten­
tionally focus on how  you are networking with 
library colleagues, faculty colleagues, com puter 
center colleagues, other professional associa­
tions, and the political process to enhance aca­
demic library service to teaching, learning, and 
research communities.

Networking is the sharing o f 
our strengths with others in 
ways that mutually enhance 
our ability to achieve indi­
vidual objectives.

I w ould like to note several projects that 
will be (or have been) carried out in this year 
that are in addition to the strategies identified 
o n  page 459-

•  ACRL has successfully conducted four pre­
conferences at ALA’S Annual Conference in June. 
Two o f these conferences w ere jointly spon­
sored. One with the Coalition for Networked In­
formation (CNI) and another with UTA and LAMA.

•  The Bibliographic Instruction Section will 
cooperate w ith CNI to compile exam ples o f

instructional material for teaching Internet use 
and pedagogical issues that n eed  to be ad­
dressed.

•  For next Ju n e ’s annual meeting in Miami 
the sections and committees of ACRL are co­
operating to  create and ACRL Conference pro-

I  will measure ACRL ’s success 
in the next yea r by how well 
all o f  you have achieved yo u r 
goals a n d  objectives.

gram package on a broad range of networking 
issues to m eet the professional developm ent 
needs of our diverse membership.

I ask you to think about projects and activi­
ties in w hich you are involved that illustrate 
the pow er of networking to enhance achieve­
m ent o f the goals of your library or academic 
libraries generally. I w ould like to hear about 
those projects and activities. I will be looking 
for examples to use throughout my term as 
president to illustrate the creative talents of 
academic librarians. Please send me your ex­
amples.

You will read more about the particulars of 
ACRL’s activities for next year in ACRL publi­
cations over the next months. While I have a 
them e I do not have a program separate from 
that o f the board, committees, sections, and 
chapters o f ACRL. I will m easure ACRL’s suc­
cess in the next year by how  well all o f you 
have achieved your goals and objectives.

I w ant you to share with me any thoughts 
you might have about ACRL’s work. If you have 
concerns please be in touch. I offer no magic 
solutions for fixing things. I do offer an ear to 
listen and a prom ise to follow up w ith issues 
that need exploration. This is a form o f net­
w orking that w e can use within ACRL to make 
it a more effective professional association. I 
thank you for your w ork on behalf of ACRL in 
the past. I look forward to working w ith you 
in the year ahead.— Thomas Kirk, ACRL Presi­
d en t, H u tc h in s  Library, Berea, K Y  40404- 
bertgk@ukpr.uky.edu ■

mailto:40404-bertgk@ukpr.uky.edu
mailto:40404-bertgk@ukpr.uky.edu