ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 779 L ibraria n s a s L e a d e r s 1 9 9 6 - 9 7 A n n u a l R e p o rt A s s o c i a t i o n O f C o l l e g e & R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i e s A d i v i s i o n o f t h e a m e r i c a n l i b r a r y a s s o c i a t i o n A C R L ’s M ission T he Association o f College and Re­search Libraries (ACRL) provides leadership fo r development, pro­ motion, and im provem ent o f academ ic and research library resources and services to facili­ tate learning, research, and the scholarly com­ munication process. ACRL promotes the highest level o f professional excellence fo r librarians and library personnel in order to serve the users o f academic and research libraries. http:/ / www.ala.org/arcl.html http://www.ala.org/aaihtml 780 Message from the President W i l l i a m M i l l e r ACRL’s 5 8 t h P r e s i d e n t M ost of ACRL’s activity this year involved Goal 1 of our Strategic Plan— providing professional development opportunities for academic and research librarians— and quite properly so. ACRL chapters sponsored 32 programs this year, and sections and com m it­ tees held 14 programs at ALA in San Francisco— a planned reduction from previous years, in part because six sec­ tions cosponsored the President’s Program. An obvious highlight of our development opportunities this year was the 8th National Conference in Nashville, attended by 2,973 individuals. From its Web page and preconferences to its several days of dynamic keynote speakers and many fine individual papers and discussion opportunities, this conference fulfilled many needs. Yet it was only one of many avenues w e offered our mem bers this year; our publications, discussion groups, and other activities also afforded excellent growth opportunities. The most progress on the Plan this year occurred in William Miller the area of Goal 2, collaborating with other professional organizations in higher education to prom ote mutual interests. Largely through the leadership of our executive director, ACRL resumed a level of interaction with nonlibrary associations not seen since the Bibliographic Instruction (BI) Liaison Project of the 1970s, but our approach now is much broader than the one-note samba of BI. Members participated in programs at meetings of the American Association of Higher Education, the National Association of State University and Land Grant Colleges, the American Council on Education, and many other organizations, including several regional accrediting agencies. Goal 3, increasing our role in planning and decision-m aking to influence national information policy, is the newest and most ambitious part of the Plan, and we spent the year learning to crawl in this area before we could walk. The Government Relations Committee did valuable preparatory work on a legislative netw ork of state and chapter representatives and discussed with the ALA W ashington office how to contribute m ost usefully in this area w ithout duplicating effort. W e endorsed the Higher Education Reauthorization Act and are negotiating the learning curve towards heavier future involvement in this arena. Regarding Goal 4, operating efficiency, I am proud to say that ACRL continues to provide a full array of services while charging low er dues than any other division. The staff was realigned for greater effectiveness, and the Board is engaging in systematic self-assess­ ment. 781 Message from the President Through my w ork this year, including visits to chapters across the nation, publication of articles in College and Research Libraries and the Chronicle o f H igher Education, attendance at Board m eetings, and other venues, I have m et m any w onderful people, learned m uch m ore than I have taught, and gained m uch m ore than I have contributed. M y thanks to all who lent their tim e and talents to AC RL this year— the A ssociation is a reflection of your collective effort. W hat A C R L m em bers v alue ACRL connects me to a group of colleagues working to enhance the role of academic libraries in higher education and articulates a national voice on higher education issues as they involve libraries. ACRL supports programs and discussions that provide vital continuing education for my own professional practice. ACRL helps me surmount institutional isolation and gives needed context to my local work as an academic librarian. — Randall B. Hensley, University o f Hawaii I have continued to be involved with ACRL for 20 years be­ cause, first and foremost, it has made me a better academic librarian. I have borrowed ideas; shared problems; even found solutions in discussions with my colleagues at ACRL and through formal programming. Being active in ALA and ACRL for me is part of my commitment to academic librarians as a crucial element in student’s education. It is where I renewed my sense of professionalism and wonder at all we do. Bottom line, it is also fun. —Mary Reichel, Appalachia State University 782 Message from the Vice-President W . L e e H is l e V ice- P r e s d e n t / P residen t- E lec t I n 1997–98, the association will move ahead vigorously as it continues to implement its strategic plan. My president’s theme for the year is “Facing the Millennium: Values for the Electronic Information Age.” Activities that implement the Strategic Plan and highlight the theme are planned throughout the year. Celebrating the diversity of member interests in ACRL and emphasizing the values of librarianship, the ALA Annual Conference in Washington D.C. will feature some 17 programs presented by ACRL sections and committees. The ACRL President’s Program will focus on “Values for the Electronic Information Age,” with an exploration of the traditional values of librarianship under challenge and new values that are evolving. A lively and thought-provoking program is anticipated. A major area of emphasis this year will be in the legislative advocacy arena. The ACRL office has assigned a program officer the responsibility for coordinating ACRL grassroots activities in the higher education legislative W. Lee Hisle and policy arenas. Working with the ACRL executive director, the Chapter’s Council Legislative Network, the Government Relations Committee, and the ALA Washington office, the program officer will assist members in drafting responses to legislative initiatives, organize and coordinate the flow of information to Washington, and track the success of our efforts while working to improve our methods. Other activities related to legislative advocacy will occur this year. The Government Relations Committee will develop the first ACRL Legislative Agenda to be adopted by the Board at Midwinter in New Orleans. This will give structure to our advocacy efforts. Also, next summer at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., a preconference entitled “ From Ivory Towers to Halls of Power: Advocacy Training for Academic Librarians” will be offered. Designed to build the skills and develop the confidence to carry out advocacy activities, the workshop will help academic librarians recog­ nize and use the power we have. The ACRL Board has authorized two other important initiatives this year. An advisory committee was established to the National Information Literacy Institute (NILI) allowing ACRL to take the leadership role in planning for instruction in the use of information in an electronic age. Also, ACRL and the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) will sponsor a forum for representatives of higher education associations during the summer of 1998. Attendees will develop action strategies, to help address critical issues facing their respective memberships and constituencies. 783 Message from the Vice-President It will be an exciting year in which we lay the groundwork for significant legislative advocacy and continuing education initiatives while offering members many opportunities for professional improvement. We will also explore the traditional and em erging values of librarianship. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead such an energetic association. A C R L M e m b e r s h i p S t a t i s t i c s ACRL Personal Organizational/ Aug. 1997 Aug. 1996 % increase/ Sections Special Total Total decrease ACRL 9,745 1,034 10,779 10,592 1.77% AAMES 375 69 444 454 -2.20% AFAS 264 26 290 274 5.84% ANSS 539 82 621 607 2.31% ARTS 788 101 889 887 0.23% CJCLS 892 241 1,133 1,151 -1.56% CLS 1,981 303 2,284 2,225 2.65% EALS 607 14 621 447 38.93% EBSS 1,129 188 1,317 1,326 -0.68% ECLSS 892 55 947 847 11.81% IS 3,811 442 4,253 4,176 1.84% LPSS 656 99 755 764 -1.18% RBMS 1,622 182 1,804 1,771 1.86% SEES 232 56 288 283 1.77% STS 1,644 228 1,872 1,860 0.65% ULS 5,669 340 6,009 5,907 1.73% WESS 665 59 724 719 0.70% WSS 830 66 896 879 1.93% 784 Letter from the Executive Director A l t h e a H. J e n k in s E x e c u t iv e D ir e c t o r I t is with great pleasure that I share with you some highlights of ACRL’s activities during fiscal 1996-97. This was a very active year for both AC RL members and headquarters’ staff. (A detailed report of the past year’s activities can be found on the ACRL W eb site; I invite you to go there and read them at http: / / w w w .ala.org/acrl.htm l.) As you know, over the last two years w e have been redefining and fine- tuning our activities and operations within the framework of the Strategic Plan, w hich provided some very specific focus areas that we pursued. I am pleased with the progress we have made. We could not have made such progress without the com m itm ent and support of our dedicated members. Each brings a comm itm ent to the work of the association, w hich results in the successes that we all celebrate. I am also proud of the excellent staff team; they are a class-act. They are talented, com m itted, and very hard-working professionals who bring enthusiasm and creativity to lthea H. Jenkins ACRL’s programs, services, and products. Finally, we are also deeply appreciative of our corporate sponsors who make many of the programs and activities possible for our members through their generous contributions. M eeting m e m b e rs ’ needs One of the w ays that ACRL determ ines what program s, services, and products are needed to meet the changing needs of its mem bers is through surveys and focus groups. We conducted several postcard surveys and focus groups during the year. Members told us that their roles were changing and expanding on their campuses and that support to meet these new challenges was needed. W e m ade some strategic decisions about the governance and m anagem ent of ACRL’s sections in order to im prove their operating environment and their ability to deliver quality program m ing to members. By removing restrictions from the “basic services” funding and by increasing the amounts allocated, the Board strengthened the sections’ ability to respond m ore broadly to the needs of their membership. We agreed to mount som e section listservs and Web pages on the ALA server and to expand the Initiative Fund criteria to include proposals from the sections that seek out liaison relationships with learned societies. For academ ic libraries, standards and guidelines have been corner­ stones of the planning and evaluation process. Recognizing that institutional assessment had becom e outcomes-focused, the ACRL Board established the A http://www.ala.org/acrl.html 785 Letter from the Executive Director Library Outcomes Assessment Task Force to study ACRL’s standards and guidelines process and to develop a framework for more outcomes-focused standards and guidelines in the future. The task force conducted a hearing at the Annual Conference and a discussion group during the Midwinter Meeting to ACRL Council o f Liaisons ■ American Association of Com­ munity Colleges ■ A m erican A ssociation o f Higher Education ■ American Council on Educa­ tion ■ Association of American Col­ leges and Universities ■ A ssociation o f Educational and Communications Tech­ nology ■ Council o f Independent Col­ leges ■ National Association o f State University and Land Grant Col­ leges ■ National Forum on Informa­ tion Literacy ■ University Continuing Educa­ tion Association collect information from members. A final report of the task force will be submitted to the Board at this year’s Annual Conference. Building partnerships Partnership could have been ACRL’s theme for 199 6 -9 7 . In carrying out one of our highest strategic goals, we put a lot of time and effort into building partnerships in many areas. Of particular importance was our relationships with other higher education associations— the American Association of Higher Education (AAHE), the American Council on Educa­ tion (ACE), and the National Association of State University and Land-GrantColleges (NASULGC)—to develop relationships and explore topics of mutual interest. ACRL members presented several programs at conferences of higher education organizations. We participated in policy discussions, and the national conference had several teaching faculty and aca­ demic administrators presenting on its program. I think that we had remarkable success in building stronger and more productive relationships with other organizations in the past year. Focusing on legislative and policy issues We looked for ways that ACRL could influence and focus attention on legislative and policy issues of importance to academic libraries. Our exploration in this area brought us in closer communication with the ALA Washington office staff and two higher education working groups: NASULGC’s Information Technology Commission and the Title 44 Federal Depository Library Program working group. We worked with the ALA Washington office to identify the best mechanism for ACRL to give input to the legislative process. The Board approved a legislative and policy initiative, which will be carried out by the ACRL staff and member groups in cooperation with the ALA Washington office. The purpose of the initiative is to identify legislative and policy issues of importance to academic libraries and provide grassroots input to the ALA Washington office. Throughout next year, we will solicit the support of our members to help us meet our goal in this area. 786 Continuing Our Mission P r o f e s s i o n a l D e v e l o p m e n t A CRL responded to a trend in higher education where taking the information to the student (rather than “ build it and they will come”) has become a common and important mode of instructional delivery. This year’s President’s Program, “ Imagining the Learning Library,” a collaborative effort of six ACRL sections offered at ALA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco attended by a standing-room only audience, made history as the first ACRL President’s Program offered as a teleconference. Members in Kansas, Massachusetts, Alabama, and Utah were able not only to listen to the program, but also to call in with their questions. Another exciting departure from past President’s Programs was the creation of “ A Showcase of Ideas” that complemented the President’s Program content. Twenty academic institutions exhibited ways that they have incorporated the learning library concept into their A b o u t A C R L ’s 1997 N ational Conference I love this conference and will always plan my schedule around it. See you in Detroit! So many good sessions, I have trouble deciding which ones to attend. —Jill Powell, Cornell University I have attended several professional conferences over the years in a couple of subject specialties. This was one of the best and most helpful. Keep up the good work. —Rob Krapohl, Baylor University own institutions using dramatic presentations, poster session formats, and audiovisual displays. Additional programming by member units through­ out this year included A n n u a l C o n fe re n c e pro g ram s, d iscussion group sessio n s, and chapter meetings with ACRL leaders as speakers. The pinnacle of ACRL’s professional development program is its National Conference, held every two years. As indicated by the enthusiastic responses above, this year’s 8th National Conference, April 11—14, 1997, continued ACRL’s string of successes. Nearly 3,000 participants attended the conference which broke ground in several ways thanks to the vision of the conference chair, Carla Stoffle, who used technology to initiate a dialogue prior to the conference and to broaden the conference to engage nonlibrarian teaching faculty and administrators. First, it included an interactive scenarios component that encouraged participation both before and during the conference, and second, the Web was used to facilitate interaction among librarians before the conference and to inform people about conference details. A virtual dialog about major themes of the conference happened prior to the conference as readers could post their opinions to the Web after reading the papers posted there. Research papers posted after the conference comprised an electronic proceedings. 787 Continuing Our Mission National C onference, Detroit, 1999 Plans are well underway for ACRL’s 9th National Conference in Detroit. The Executive Committee selected a theme, “Racing Toward Tomorrow,” and suggested moving the conference dates back one day so that the conference will end on a Sunday (April 8– 1 1 , 1999). This committee plans to introduce the “Conference-within-a-Conference” segment which would encourage teams of librarians and faculty and administrators to attend the conference together. Preconferences 1997 In addition to the ten preconferences held at the National Conference, ACRL offered several preconferences prior to the 1997 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco which were both programmatically and financially successful. Evaluations of the preconferences were positive with most receiving high marks for being well organized and helpful. 1 997 A n n u a l C o nferen ce P rogra m s and P reco n feren ces ■ ACRL, “ Effective Leadership: A Training Seminar”; preconference—“Telecommunications 101 for Librarians” ■ ACRL President’s Program, cosponsored by: Instruction Section, College Libraries Section; Community and Junior College Libraries Section; Education and Behavioral Sciences Section; Extended Campus Library Services Section; Asian, African and Middle Eastern Section;— “Imagining the Learning Library” ■ ACRL Anthropology & Sociology Section—“The Cold War: Social Science Research, Scholarly Communication, and the Development o f New Information Resources” ■ ACRL Arts Section, Theatre Library Association— “From Documentation to Access: Library Collaboration in the Performing Arts” ■ ACRL Copyright Committee— “Sex, Lies and Electronic Reserves: Fair Use or Not?” ■ ACRL Instruction Section, preconference— “Learning to Tench: Workshops on Instruction” ■ ACRL Intellectual Freedom Committee— “Freedom of Access: Internet and Intellectual Freedom Issues Briefing for Academic Libraries” ■ ACRL Law and Political Science Section; LIT A Imagineering Interest Group— “Politics of the Information Future” ■ ACRL Rare Books and Manuscripts Section, English and American Literature Section— “Production of the Text and Publishing: The View of Fine Press Publishers in the San Francisco Bay Area“; and 38th preconference— “Rereading the Past: New Methodologies and Approaches to the History of the Book” ■ ACRL Science and Technology Section— “The Scientific Researcher: Hardwired for Re­ trieval or Wedded to Print” ■ ACRL Slavic and East European Section— “Slavic Area Studies Consortia and Cooperative Ventures” ■ ACRL University Libraries Section— “The New Generation of Scholars: Do They Really Need Us? Maybe, Maybe Not” ■ ACRL Western European Specialists Section—preconference— “European Links: Sources of Information in Western European Studies for Academic Libraries” ■ ACRL Women’s Studies Section; ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table; Gay‚ Lesbian and Bisexual Task Force; Feminist Task Force— “HIV/AIDS Information for Women: From the Archive to the Street” 788 Continuing Our Mission National Inform ation Literacy Institute Due to the growing recognition in higher education that information literacy is a critical curriculum component and the lack of coverage of information literacy in the graduate library degree programs, the ACRL Board approved a proposal to provide funding and support for a National Information Literacy Institute. The purpose of this program is to provide an immersion training program for librarians in information literacy, to offer opportunities for librarians and educational administrators to work together, and to train librarians to inform external organizations about information literacy. ACRL AWARD WINNERS 1997 ■ ACRL Academic or Research Librar­ ian of the Year Award (Donor: Baker & Taylor Books) James G. Neal, Johns Hopkins University ■ A C R L /A L C T S /L A M A / L I T A H u gh Atkinson Memorial Award William Gray Potter, University of Georgia ■ D octoral D issertation Fellow ship (Donor: Institute for Scientific Informa­ tion) Diane Worrell, Texas Woman’s University ■ Samuel Lazerow Fellowship for Re­ search in Acquisitions or Technical Services in an Academic or Research Library (Donor: Institute for Scientific Information) Linda Marie Golian, Florida Atlantic Uni­ versity ■ K. G. Saur Award for best C&RL ar­ ticle (Donor: R. R. Bowker) Stephen P. Harter and Hak Joon Kim, Indiana University ■ EBSCO Community College Learning Resources Leadership Award (Do­ nor: EBSCO Subscription Services) Leadership: Gretchen H. Neill, DeKalb College, Georgia ■ Distinguished Education and Behav­ ioral Sciences Librarian Award Nancy P. O’ Brien, University o f Illinois, Urbana-Champaign ■ Miriam Dudley Instruction Librar­ ian Award (Donor: Mountainside Pub­ lishing Co.) Patricia Senn Breivik, Wayne State Uni­ versity ■ Instruction Publication of the Year Award Gloria /. Leckie, University of Western Ontario ■ Instruction Section Innovation in In­ struction Award Debra L. Gilchrist and Kyzyl Fenno-Smith, Pierce College, Tacoma, Washington ■ LPSS Marta Lange/CQ Award (Do­ nor: Congressional Quarterly) Grace W. “Betty” Taylor, University of Florida ■ Rare Books and M anuscripts L i brarianship (RBML) Award Henry F. Raine and Laura Stalker ■ Katharine Kyes Leab and Daniel J. Leab American Book Prices Current Exhibition Catalogue Awards Expensive: “ From Jackson to Lincoln: Democracy and Dissent,” Pierpont Mor­ gan Library; Inexpensive: “ The Ardent Image: Book Illustration for Adults in America, 1920–1942,” Ward M. Canaday Center at the William S. Carlson Library, University o f Toledo ■ Oberly Award fo r Bibliography in the Agricultural Sciences Wallace C. Olsen, Cornell University ■ Martinus Nijhoff West European Spe­ cialists Sttidy Grant Sem C. Sutter, University o f Chicago WESSWeb, the Web service o f the Western European Specialists Section (WESS) was named one o f 67 key sites in the emerging digital library in the German publication, Die Zeit. 789 Continuing Our Mission P u blic atio n s A CRL’s publications program continues to fulfill the goals of the Strategic Plan of “promoting study, research, and publications relevant to academic librarianship.” ACRL leads the academic library profession in providing opportunities for members to gain new knowledge or share their research or experiences. Five new monograph titles were published in the past year (see sidebar p. 791). ACRL journals College & Research Libraries sported a new look this I n te rn e t R eso u rce year— featuring the articles and authors on the topics in C & R L N ew s outside front cover. Beginning in January 1997 readers could access on the Web an abridged version ■ election information (9/96) of each issue, which includes article titles and ■ American and international abstracts and the complete text of the editorial and studies (10/96) book reviews. Guidelines for potential authors, the ■ gay and lesbian studies (11/ index for the previous year’s articles, and 96) subscription information is also on the site. ■ chemistry (12/96) C&RL News noted its 30th anniversary with a ■ ready reference (1/97) year long celebration that featured special articles ■ journ alism /com m un ication s about the past, remembrances of important leaders, (2/97) anniversary quizzes, and a forecast of the future. ■ environment (3/97)Two new columns were also launched: “Partners in ■ classical studies (4/97)Higher Education,” which highlights ACRL’s activities with other associations and “ ACRL ■ grants and foundations (5/97) Strategic Plan in Action,” which focuses on ■ disasters (6/97) activities undertaken in support of the Strategic Plan. C&RL NewsNet, the abridged version of C&RL News, is available to readers two to three weeks before the printed edition and includes hypertext links to Internet resources reviewed. The editor of Rare B ooks & M a n u scr ip ts C&RL News is the number one place to look for jobs in Librarianship (RBML) has academic libraries and I always make sure it is the first place announced that he will step we advertise to attract the best applicants. down after his term ends in —Don Riggs, Vice President, Information Services and July 1999, and a search for a University Librarian, Nova Southeastern University new ed ito r has been initiated. A new editor will be named at Annual Conference 1998, permitting a one-year internship for the editor-designate. 790 Continuing Our Mission http:Ww w w .ala.o rg \a crl.htm l Communications and information dissemination among ACRL’s members is becoming easier and more frequent as electronic offerings expand. ACRL’ Web site continues to be enhanced to increase ease of access to information and visual appeal. The Web was used extensively for ACRL’s 8th National Conference, including the creation of a site that included all supporting documents such as the Call for Papers, the Preliminary Program, and, following the conference, the complete text of all contributed papers. And as noted by Library Journal, ACRL “put a new twist on the term interactive. Not only did [conference] participants get the expected face-to-face interaction with colleagues and vendors, but they were able to read ACRL Journals scenarios for the future of academic libraries on the Web before the conference.” Major expansions in the ■ Choice—Book review jour­ past year have included links to all ACRL sections that nal of ACRL; 11 issues per have Web sites, summary versions of C&RL, and the full year(July/Augustcombined). text of all standards and guidelines. The Web site now http://www.ala.org/acrl/ includes a link to the new Choice Web site and links to choice/home.html reports and activities of ACRL committees and task forces. ■ College & Research Librar­ ies—Official journal of ACRL; Choice six bimonthly issues peryear. During 1996–97 fiscal year Choice made significanthttp://www.ala.org/acrl/ progress on a number of fronts with the goal ofc&rl.html positioning itself to launch a full-fledged electronic ■ College & Research Libraries publishing program. That goal has now been realized. News—Official news maga­ The year’s highlights include:zine of ACRL; 11 issues per year (July/Augustcombined). Product Development http: / / www.ala.org/acrl/ • Choice published a special supplement containing c&rlnew2.html reviews of 190 Web sites and a variety of other ■ Rare Books & Manuscripts material— including just under 20 ad pages. “The Web Librarianship—A journal of issue” was distributed free to current subscribers, and theory and practice covering more than 300 additional copies were sold within the all aspects of special collec­ first 60 days. tions librarianship; two issues • Following a several month search, Choice enteredper year. negotiations with Doody Publishing of Oak Park, Illinois for a 1998 beta-test of a Choice Web Review service. • Choice received over half a dozen licensing inquiries and proposals for its databases. While many of these were problematic from Choice’s perspec­ tive, a SilverPlatter request to extend its existing agreement to encompass Web delivery was approved. Discussions began with Amazon.com, which are expected to lead to an agreement in early 1998. Marketing & Promotion • Choice contracted with ResearchUSA to conduct its first readership survey since 1990; the final report delivered in January 1997 has proven useful as both an ad sales tool and source of editorial ideas. s http://www.ala.org/acrl.html http://www.ala.org/acrl/ http://www.ala.org/acrl/ http://www.ala.org/acrl/ 791 Continuing Our Mission • An expanded Outstanding Academic Books (OAB) promotional effort, featuring a newly designed OAB seal and OAB booklet, was conducted in January/February. Revenues from short-term license arrangements with book vendors interested in mounting the Choice OAB file on their Web sites helped offset the cost of this program, which we believe can New Titles from ACR L in 1997 ■ Directory of Curriculum Materials Centers, edited by Beth Anderson ■ CHOICE Women’s St udies Reviews, edited by Helen MacLam ■ InPrint: Publishing Opportunities for College Librarians, edited by Lynn Livingston ■ Displays and Exhibits in College Libraries, CLIP Note #25, compiled by Jane Kemp and Laura Witschi ■ Documenting Cultural Diversity in the Resurgent American South, ed­ ited by Maggie Dittemore and Fred Hay become self-funding in the future. A utom ation • A new Internet access system featuring a 56K frame relay link and Netscape software was installed in March. Organizational & Administrative • The Choice Selection Policy was revised in collaboration with the Choice Editorial Board and the new version was approved at the Annual Conference in San Francisco. • The Choice Editorial Board completed a self-review as mandated by ACRL policy; its final report was submitted to the ACRL Publi­ cations Board in San Francisco. 792 Continuing Our Mission T a k i n g C a r e o f B u s i n e s s A CRL’s committees and task forces completed another productive year of work which resulted in a number of improvements to our association, specifically in the fields of leadership, faculty rewards, and ACRL bylaw changes. Leadership development and training are essential to every academic librarian’s future. Some of ACRL’s ad hoc committees that have been involved with leadership made their final reports to the ACRL Board. A task force charged to look at ways of involving past leaders in ACRL’s work recommended that the Board establish a senior leadership council; create mentoring opportunities between leaders, new members or aspiring leaders; use past leaders as ACRL representatives to higher education; and continue to bring past and present leaders together at ACRL National Conference. Another ad hoc committee, the Leadership Advisory Committee, changed its name to the Leadership Development Committee and has changed its charge to: “ Develop leaders for the academic and research library profession and for the broader higher education community; to develop a coordinated array of programs and services sponsored by various entities which, collectively, would comprise an ACRL Leadership Center.” Keywords such as tenure, promotion, merit, and reward system are dear to every academic/research librarian’s heart. The Institutional Priorities & Faculty Reward Task Force defined and described the scholarship and activities academic librarians perform so that the range of activities recognized by academic institutions in their reward systems might be extended. The task force’s statement will be submitted to the ACRL Board for approval at the 1998 Midwinter Meeting. This initiative is part of a larger movement established by the Syracuse University’s Center for Instructional Development. The Academic Status Committee requested that its name be changed to the Committee on the Status of Academic Librarians to eliminate any confusion about its purpose. The Board approved revised charges for two committees. The Professional Enhancement Committee charge was changed to include recruitment to the profession and to represent ACRL on the ALA Recruitment Assembly. The Research Committee expanded its charge to include activities of coordinating and communicating with other committees and groups within and outside ACRL that focus on research. The Constitution and Bylaws Committee has been working to combine the ACRL Constitution and the ACRL Bylaws into one document entitled “ACRL Bylaws.” The committee presented its draft to the ACRL Board at Annual Conference and a second draft to the ACRL Executive Committee’s fall meeting. The Board will vote on the bylaws revisions twice before they are placed on the 1998 spring ballot for a vote by the membership. 793 ACRL Board of Directors, 1996-97 (I to r): (back row) Jill Fatzer, Frances Maloy, Linda Muroi, Mary Reichel, Carol Pfeiffer, Victoria Montavon, and Maxine Reneker; (front row) Bernard Fradkin, W. Lee Hisle, Althea Jenkins, William Miller‚ Patricia Senn Breivik, and Ray English. A C R L B oard o f D irectors, 1 9 9 6 -9 7 ■ P resid en t: William Miller, Florida Atlantic University ■ Vice-President/President-Elect: W. Lee Hisle, Austin Community College ■ Past-President: Patricia Senn Breivik, Wayne State University ■ Budget & Finance Committee Chair: Ray English, Oberlin College ■ A CRL Councilor: Maxine Reneker, Naval Postgraduate School Directors-at-Large: ■ Jill B. Fatzer, University o f New Orleans ■ Bernard Fradkin, College o f DuPage ■ Frances J. Maloy, Emory University ■ Victoria A. Montavon, Wright State University ■ Linda S. Muroi, San Diego State University ■ Carol M. Pfeiffer, University o f Virginia ■ Mary Reichel, Appalachian State University ■ Executive D irector (ex-officio): Althea H. Jenkins, ACRL /ALA 7 94 Financial Report R ay E n g l is h B u d g e t a n d F in a n c e C o m m it t e e C h a ir A CRL substantial] y improved its financial position during the1996-97 fiscal year. A combination of strong conference revenues (particu larly from the Nashville National Conference); advertising income from publications; and efficiencies and cost containment produced a budget surplus of $512,884— the largest such surplus in ACRL’s history. As a result, the ACRL operating fund balance increased from $1,060,765at the end o f 1995–96 to $1,573,649 at the end of 1996–97. Choice exceeded its budget by $106,345, finishing the fiscal year with a fund balance of $1,024,306. A CRL’srev en u es(n otin clu d in g Choice)w ere $185,194 more than budgeted for the year. The ACRL National Conference in Nashville was especially successful, attracting registrations well above budgeted levels. Total revenues from registration fees, including the national conference and all of ACRL’s preconferences and institutes, was $163,415 more than planned. ACRL’s adver tising revenue was also substantially more than projected. Ray English Advertising income for C ollege and Research Libraries and C & R L N ew s was $53,091 above budget, while C hoice’s advertising revenues were $114,730 more than budget. Revenues for exhibit space at the national conference, for nonperiodical publications and for Choice subscriptions and miscellaneous sales, were significantly below expected levels. As has been the case in recent years, ACRL realized substantial cost containment in several areas, including expenses for the national conference, staff costs, and printing and postage. ACRL expenditures (not including Choice) were $197,984 less than budgeted for the year, while Choice expenses were $97,701 less than budget. Managing A C R L ’s assets ACRL’s long-term investment portfolio includes the ACRL general Endowment, the C hoice Endowment, and three award endowments (Oberly, Leab, and Atkinson). At the end of the fiscal year, the total portfolio value of all ACRL endowment funds was $349,306, an increase of $62,187 (or 17.8%) over the total value at the end of 1995–96. Values for each of the endowments as of August 31, 1997 were as follows: ACRL Endowment, $84,240; Choice Endowment, $120,598; Oberly Award, $17,466; Leab Award, $24,395; Atkinson Award, $102,607. During the year, the ACRL Budget and Finance Committee reviewed ACRL’s finances and recommended to the ACRL Board a new approach to managing the association’s assets. The primary feature of this approach involves 795 substantial transfers of funds from operating reserves into the ACRL and Choice endowments. These transfers will be carried out during the 1997–9 8 and 1998–99 fiscal years. The Budget and Finance Committee is confident that this new approach to asset management will enable ACRL to build its financial resources with investment income while improving its ability to carry out strategic objectives (see C & R L New s, June 1997, p 393). 1997– 98 budget The ACRL Board, following a recommendation from the Budget and Finance Committee, has approved a 1997–98 ACRL budget with expenditures that are $373,345 above anticipated revenues and a C hoice budget with expenditures of $110,622 above revenues. The ACRL budget includes advance expenses for the Detroit National Conference (which are projected to be more than recovered when the conference is held); increased expenses for new initiatives relating to library and higher education legislation and policy; and a plan for a National Information Literacy Institute. The C hoice budget includes new expenditures and revenues for a beta test version of the magazine in Web format. The 1997–98 budget shows projected revenues, expenses, and fund balances as follows: ACRL C hoice beginning fund balance $1,573,649 beginning fund balance $1,024,306 total revenues $1,093,557 total revenues $1,833,915 total expenditures $1,466,902 total expenses $1,944,537 net ($373,345) net ($110,622) endowment transfers $200,000 endowment transfers $100,000 ending fund balance $1,000,304 ending fund balance $813,684 T hanks I wish to express thanks to the ACRL Budget and Finance Committee, the ACRL staff, and the National Conference Committee for all their work in insuring such excellent budget results for the 1996–97 year. Members of the Budget and Finance Committee were: Nancy Allen, David Brink, Rena Fowler, Cathy Henderson, Janice Kemp, John Popko, Gloriana St. Clair, Lynn Sutton, Sharon Walbridge, and Juana Young, as well as ex officio members W. Lee Hisle and Altheajenkins. Everyone involved with ACRL can feel justifiably proud of our association’s financial strength, the superb budget performance in 1996–97, and ACRL’s increased ability to carry out its highest priority programs. 796 Financial Report Executive Summary 1996– 97 F Y 1997 FY1997 P E R C E N T LA S T YEAR S O U R C E S OF REVEN U E B U D G E T A C TU A L O F B U D G ET A C TU A L Ending R eserve Operating Fund (ACRL) $1,060,765 $1,573,649 148.35% $1,060,765 Endowments (ACRL) $190,517 $228,708 120.04% $190,515 Operating Fund (CHOICE) $1,028,399 $1,024,306 99.60% $1,030,809 Endowment (CHOICE) $96,604 $120,598 124.83% $96,604 S ubtotal $2,376 ,2 85 $2,947,261 124.02% $2,378 ,6 93 M em be rs hip dues and other Dues $359,631 $354,066 98.45% $352,397 Standards and Other $2,000 $5,157 257.85% $700 Donations $0 $8,129 0.00% $30,631 Awards $6,400 $4,450 69.53% $4,802 Sec. Newsletters $0 $1,750 0.00% $1,770 Subtotal $368,031 $373,552 101.50% $3 90,300 Publications CHOICE $1,759,587 $1,768,231 100.49% $1,625,084 C&RL $136,666 $154,877 113.32% $136,616 C&RL News $297,925 $359,615 120.70% $322,822 RBML $26,404 $29,259 110.81% $30,560 Nonperiodical Pubs. $182,000 $113,852 62.55% $162,914 S ubtotal $2,402,582 $2,425 ,8 34 100.96% $2,277 ,9 96 Education National (97) $843,483 $988,315 117.17% $7,818 Pre-& Postconferences $58,890 $89,123 151.33% $70,258 Continuing Education $10,000 $0 0.00% $0 S ubtotal $912,373 $1,077,438 118.09% $78,076 Total R evenue $3,682,986 $3,876 ,8 24 105.26% $2,746,372 C H O IC E R evenue $1,759,587 $1,768,231 100.49% $1,625 ,0 84 Total Rev. W /O C hoice $1,923,399 $2,108,593 109.62% $1,121,288 National C o n fere nc e Rev. $843,483 $988,315 117.17% $7,818 Total Rev. W /O Ntl. Conf $1,079,916 $1,120 ,2 78 103.73% $1,113 ,4 70 797 Financial Report FY 1997 FY 1997 PERCENT LAST YEAR OBJECT OF EXPENSE BU DGET A C TU AL OF BUDGET ACTUAL M em bership A ctivities Membership Servs. $83,511 $57,066 68.33% $64,317 Exec. Comm. & Board $85,253 $73,125 85.77% $125,505 Advisory $8,509 $15,032 176.66% $22,148 Standards distrib. $3,520 $5,132 145.79% $7,753 Discussion Groups $3,040 $2,504 82.36% $2,589 Awards $20,147 $20,645 102.47% $22,731 Chapters $54,262 $46,846 86.33% $46,738 Committees $37,719 $36,059 95.59% $47,239 Sections $63,556 $55,576 87.44% $67,274 Section Newsletters $27,356 $25,051 91.57% $23,931 Chapter Topics $5,734 $3,498 61.00% $7,771 C&RL $15,173 $0 0.00% $1,287 Leadership Center $31,194 $2,595 8.31% $0 Council of Liaisons $29,447 $38,261 129.93% $0 Subtotal $468,421 $381,390 81.42% $439,283 Publications CHOICE $1,870,025 $1,772,324 94.77% $1,566,254 C&RL $136,666 $144,083 105.42% $136,616 C&RL News $295,352 $281,803 95.41% $246,028 RBML $26,334 $27,217 103.35% $24,571 Nonperiodical Pubs. $133,977 $112,124 83.68% $142,133 Subtotal $2,462,354 $2,337,551 94.93% $2,115,602 Education National (97) $627,104 $553,107 88.20% $112,479 Pre & Postconferences $58,792 $88,519 150.56% $75,468 Continuing Education $47,047 $0 0.00% $0 National (99) $0 $7,466 0.00% $0 Subtotal $732,943 $649,092 88.55% $187,947 Special Program s Information Literacy $0 $0 0.00% $8,963 CIO $0 $0 0.00% $8,644 EASI $0 $0 0.00% $1,242 Subtotal $0 $0 0.00% $18,849 UN A LLO C A TED ADMIN. $359,168 0.00% TO TAL EXPEN SES $3,663,718 $3,368,033 91.92% $2,761,681 CH OICE Expenses $1,870,025 $1,772,324 94.77% $1,566,254 TO TA L EXP. W/O CH OICE $1,793,693 $1,595,709 88.96% $1,195,427 CHOICE Net ($110,438) ($4,093) 3.70% $58,830 Net w /o CHOICE $129,706 $512,884 395% ($74,139) 799 Meet the ACRL Staff Many o f you have had phone and/or e-mail contact with ACRL’s staff, o f which there are 12.95 ALA-approved FTE positions at headquarters. Here’s your chance to put a face with that voice or e-mail signature. On these pages, w e present current ACRL staff (including two o f ACRL’s C hoice staff) with som e in­ formation about their responsibilities. Take a minute to “meet the staff!” W e’re looking forward to hearing from you. JACK BRIODY, design/pro­ duction assistant, coordinates ACRL Awards program. He also m anages page layout for C&RL and RBML-, maintains section newsletters; handles stand ard s p ro d u ctio n ; and maintains selected W eb site files. P h o n e : (312) 280-2516; e-m ail: jbriody@ala.org. MARY ELLEN K. DAVIS, se­ nior associate executive di­ rector, is responsible for na­ tional conferences and is the C&RL News editor. She also w orks with the leadership development committee and h a n d le s d iv isio n p r e c o n ­ fe re n c e s, institutes, w o rk ­ shops, and mentoring pro­ grams. Phone:(312)280-2511; e-mail: medavis@ala.org. FRANCINE GRAF, manag­ ing editor o f Choice, man­ ages all editorial aspects of the m agazine, review s-on- cards, and electronic data­ bases; coordinates the work o f C h o ic e ’s editorial staff; plans the editorial calendar; and handles C hoice’s busi­ ness and economics sections. P h o n e : ( 8 6 0 ) 3 4 7 - 6 9 3 3 ; e-m ail: fgraf@ala-choice.org. DARLENA DAVIS, a d m in i­ strative secretary , coo rd in ates Midwinter and Annual Confer­ ence meetings; oversees all ACRL special functions at ALA Midwin­ ter and Annual Conference com ­ m ittee m eetings; p ro cesses all section and chapter reimburse­ ments; and prepares the chapters ro s te r an d th e ACRL b a llo t. P h o n e : (312) 280-2519; e-m ail: ddavis@ala.org. MICHAEL GODOW, program officer/special assistant to the ex­ e cu tiv e d irecto r, c o o rd in a te s ACRL legislative initiatives; main­ tains division rosters and ap­ pointments; and develops grant proposals. P h o n e : (3 1 2 ) 280- 2510; e -m a il: mgodow@ala.org. mailto:jbriody@ala.org mailto:medavis@ala.org mailto:fgraf@ala-choice.org mailto:ddavis@ala.org mailto:mgodow@ala.org 8 0 0 Meet the ACRL Staff JACK HELBIG, classified ad manager, is responsible for C&RL News classified adver­ tising and posting to C&RL NeivsNet. P h on e: (312) 280- 2513; fa x : (312) 280-7663; e-mail: jhelbig@ala.org. TANGA MORRIS, adminis­ trative secretary for publica­ tions and professional devel­ opment, provides support for all ACRL publications, main­ tains and distributes ACRL standards, manages database o f manuscript submissions, and assists with professional d e v e lo p m e n t a c tiv itie s . P h on e: (312) 280-2514; e- mail: tmorris@ala.org. IRVING ROCKWOOD, edi­ tor o f C hoice, is responsible for C h oice and other prod­ uct ad vertising sales, s u b ­ scription services, and mar­ k e t i n g a n d p r o m o t io n s . P h o n e : (860) 347-6933; e- m ail: ir o c k w o o d @ a la choice.org. ALTHEA JENKINS, executive di­ rector, is an e x officio on the b o a rd o f d ire c to rs / e x e c u tiv e com mittee. She handles budgets and planning, Council o f Liai­ sons, government relations, and ACRL c o lleag u es/ fu n d raisin g . P h o n e : (312)280-3248;e -m ail: ajenkins@ ala.org. LINDA SEARCY, ACRL o ffic e ad m in istrative assistan t/office m anager, o v ersees day-to-day operations o f the ACRL office; plans fo r B oard o f D ire cto rs ’ m e e t i n g s ; m a i n t a in s B o a r d records and files; facilitates bud­ get transactions; maintains finan­ cial records; coordinates ACRL’s on -site operations at Midwinter and Annual conferences. Phone: (312) 280-2521; e-mail: lsearcy@ ala.org. mailto:jhelbig@ala.org mailto:tmorris@ala.org 801 Meet the ACRL Staff MICHAEL STERLING, data­ base manager and registration coordinator, inputs preconfer­ ence and conference registra­ tion, maintains ACRL listservs on the ALA server, maintains ACRL W eb Hom e Page, pro­ cesses fees for preconference and national conference reg istration, and implements the membership prom otion and retention plan. Phone: (312) 280-2515; e-mail: msterling@ ala.org. HUGH THOMPSON, direc­ tor o f publications, handles nonserial publications and the production and distribu­ tion o f C&RL and RfíML He a ls o p re p a re s th e ACRL Guide to Policies and Proce­ dures, the University librar­ ies statistics survey, and the A C R L W e b H o m e P a g e . Phone: (312) 280-2517; e- ail: hthompson@ala.org. ANN-CHRISTE YOUNG, production editor o f ACRL journals, coordinates p ro­ duction for C&RL News and RBML-, manages page lay­ out and writes columns for C&RL News; and copy edits RBML an d C&RL News. Phone: (312) 280-2524; e- mail: ayoung@ala. org. m ELISA TOPPER, director o f mem­ ber services, is the primary con­ tact for chapters, sections, and discussion groups. She coordi­ nates the ACRL Annual Confer­ ence programs; assists with the President’s Program; and handles membership promotion and re­ tention. Phone: (312) 280-2523; e-mail: etopper@ala.org. mailto:hthompson@ala.org mailto:etopper@ala.org 802/C& RL News Structure Bookmarks 779 1996-97 Annual Report Association Of College & Research LibrariesA division of the american library association ACRL’s MissionThe Association of College and Re­search Libraries (ACRL) provides leadership for development, pro­motion, and improvement of academic and research library resources and services to facili­tate learning, research, and the scholarly com­munication process. ACRL promotes the highest level of professional excellence for librarians and library personnel in order to serve the users of academic and research libraries. http:/ / www.ala.org/arcl.html 780 Message from the PresidentWilliam MillerACRL’s 58th PresidentMost of ACRL’s activity this year involved Goal 1 of our Strategic Plan—providing professional development opportunities for academic and research librarians—and quite properly so. ACRL chapters sponsored 32 programs this year, and sections and commit­tees held 14 programs at ALA in San Francisco—a planned reduction from previous years, in part because six sec­tions cosponsored the President’s Program. An obvious highlight of our development oppor William Miller the area of Goal 2, collaborating with other professional organizations in higher education to promote mutual interests. Largely through the leadership of our executive director, ACRL resumed a level of interaction with nonlibrary associations not seen since the Bibliographic Instruction (BI) Liaison Project of the 1970s, but our approach now is much broader than the one-note samba of BI. Members participated in programs at meetings of the American Association of Higher Education, the National Association o 781 Message from the PresidentThrough my work this year, including visits to chapters across the nation, publication of articles in College and Research Libraries and the Chronicle of Higher Education, attendance at Board meetings, and other venues, I have met many wonderful people, learned much more than I have taught, and gained much more than I have contributed. My thanks to all who lent their time and talents to ACRL this year—the Association is a reflection of your collective effort. What ACRL members valueACRL connects me to a group of colleagues working to enhance the role of academic libraries in higher education and articulates a national voice on higher education issues as they involve libraries. ACRL supports programs and discussions that provide vital continuing education for my own professional practice. ACRL helps me surmount institutional isolation and gives needed context to my local work as an academic librarian.—Randall B. Hensley, University of HawaiiI have continued to be 782 Message from the Vice-PresidentW.Lee HisleVice-Presdent/President-Elect In 1997–98, the association will move ahead vigorously as it continues to implement its strategic plan. My president’s theme for the year is “Facing the Millennium: Values for the Electronic Information Age.” Activities that implement the Strategic Plan and highlight the theme are planned throughout the year.Celebrating the diversity of member interests in ACRL and emphasizing the values of librarianship, the ALA Annual Conference in Washington D.C. will feature some 17 programs presented by ACRL sections a W. Lee Hisle and policy arenas. Working with the ACRL executive director, the Chapter’s Council Legislative Network, the Government Relations Committee, and the ALA Washington office, the program officer will assist members in drafting responses to legislative initiatives, organize and coordinate the flow of information to Washington, and track the success of our efforts while working to improve our methods.Other activities related to legislative advocacy will occur this year. The Government Relations Committee will dev 783 Message from the Vice-PresidentIt will be an exciting year in which we lay the groundwork for significant legislative advocacy and continuing education initiatives while offering members many opportunities for professional improvement. We will also explore the traditional and emerging values of librarianship. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead such an energetic association. ACRL Membership StatisticsACRLPersonalOrganizational/ Aug. 1997 Aug. 1996 %increase/ SectionsSpecialTotalTotaldecreaseACRL9,7451,03410,77910,5921.77%AAMES37569444454-2.20%AFAS264262902745.84%ANSS539826216072.31%ARTS7881018898870.23%CJCLS8922411,1331,151-1.56%CLS1,9813032,2842,2252.65%EALS6071462144738.93%EBSS1,1291881,3171,326-0.68%ECLSS8925594784711.81%IS3,8114424,2534,1761.84%LPSS65699755764-1.18%RBMS1,6221821,8041,7711.86%SEES232562882831.77%STS1,6442281,8721,8600.65%ULS5,6693406,0095,9071.73%WESS6655972 784 Letter from theExecutive DirectorAlthea H. Jenkins Executive Director It is with great pleasure that I share with you some highlights of ACRL’s activities during fiscal 1996-97. This was a very active year for both ACRL members and headquarters’ staff. (A detailed report of the past year’s activities can be found on the ACRL Web site; I invite you to go there and read them at http: / / www.ala.org/acrl.html.) As you know, over the last two years we have been redefining and fine-tuning our activities and operations within the framework of the Strategic Plan, which provided som 785 Letter from theExecutive Director Library Outcomes Assessment Task Force to study ACRL’s standards and guidelines process and to develop a framework for more outcomes-focused standards and guidelines in the future. The task force conducted a hearing at the Annual Conference and a discussion group during the Midwinter Meeting to ACRL Council of Liaisons■ American Association of Com­munity Colleges■ American Association of Higher Education■ American Council on Educa­tion■ Association of American Col­leges and Universities■ Association of Educational and Communications Tech­nology■ Council of Independent Col­leges■ National Association of State University and Land Grant Col­leges■ National Forum on Informa­tion Literacy■ University Continuing Educa­tion Association collect information from members. A final report of the task force will be submitted to the Board at this year’s Annual Conference.Building partnershipsPartnership could have been ACRL’s theme for 1996-97. In carrying out one of our highest strategic goals, we put a lot of time and effort into building partnerships in many areas. Of particular importance was our relationships with other higher education associations—the American Association of Higher Education (AAHE), the American Council on Educa­tion (ACE 786 Continuing Our MissionProfessional Development ACRL responded to a trend in higher education where taking the information to the student (rather than “build it and they will come”) has become a common and important mode of instructional delivery. This year’s President’s Program, “Imagining the Learning Library,” a collaborative effort of six ACRL sections offered at ALA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco attended by a standing-room only audience, made history as the first ACRL President’s Program offered as a teleconference. Members in Kansas, Massach About ACRL’s 1997 National ConferenceI love this conference and will always plan my schedule around it. See you in Detroit! So many good sessions, I have trouble deciding which ones to attend.—Jill Powell, Cornell UniversityI have attended several professional conferences over the years in a couple of subject specialties. This was one of the best and most helpful. Keep up the good work.—Rob Krapohl, Baylor University own institutions using dramatic presentations, poster session formats, and audiovisual displays. Additional programming by member units through­out this year included Annual Conference programs, discussion group sessions, and chapter meetings with ACRL leaders as speakers.The pinnacle of ACRL’s professional development program is its National Conference, held every two years. As indicated by the enthusiastic responses above, this year’s 8th National Conference, April 11—14, 1997, continued ACRL’s string of 787 Continuing Our Mission National Conference, Detroit, 1999Plans are well underway for ACRL’s 9th National Conference in Detroit. The Executive Committee selected a theme, “Racing Toward Tomorrow,” and suggested moving the conference dates back one day so that the conference will end on a Sunday (April 8–11, 1999). This committee plans to introduce the “Conference-within-a-Conference” segment which would encourage teams of librarians and faculty and administrators to attend the conference together.Preconferences 1997In addition to 1997 Annual Conference Programs and Preconferences■ ACRL, “Effective Leadership: A Training Seminar”; preconference—“Telecommunications 101 for Librarians”■ ACRL President’s Program, cosponsored by: Instruction Section, College Libraries Section; Community and Junior College Libraries Section; Education and Behavioral Sciences Section; Extended Campus Library Services Section; Asian, African and Middle Eastern Section;—“Imagining the Learning Library”■ ACRL Anthropology & Sociology Section—“The Cold War: So 788 Continuing Our Mission National Information Literacy InstituteDue to the growing recognition in higher education that information literacy is a critical curriculum component and the lack of coverage of information literacy in the graduate library degree programs, the ACRL Board approved a proposal to provide funding and support for a National Information Literacy Institute. The purpose of this program is to provide an immersion training program for librarians in information literacy, to offer opportunities for librarians and educ ACRL AWARD WINNERS 1997 ■ ACRL Academic or Research Librar­ian of the Year Award (Donor: Baker & Taylor Books)James G. Neal, Johns Hopkins University■ ACRL/ALCTS/LAMA/ LIT AHugh Atkinson Memorial AwardWilliam Gray Potter, University of Georgia■ Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (Donor: Institute for Scientific Informa­tion)Diane Worrell, Texas Woman’s University■ Samuel Lazerow Fellowship for Re­search in Acquisitions or Technical Services in an Academic or Research Library (Donor: Institute for Scientific Information)Linda Marie G Patricia Senn Breivik, Wayne State Uni­versity■ Instruction Publication of the Year AwardGloria /. Leckie, University of Western Ontario■ Instruction Section Innovation in In­struction AwardDebra L. Gilchrist and Kyzyl Fenno-Smith, Pierce College, Tacoma, Washington■ LPSS Marta Lange/CQ Award (Do­nor: Congressional Quarterly)Grace W. “Betty” Taylor, University of Florida■ Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarianship (RBML) AwardHenry F. Raine and Laura Stalker■ Katharine Kyes Leab and Daniel J. Leab American Bo European Specialists Section (WESS) was named one of 67 key sites in the emerging digital library in the German publication, Die Zeit. 789 Continuing Our Mission PublicationsA CRL’s publications program continues to fulfill the goals of the Strategic Plan of “promoting study, research, and publications relevant to academic librarianship.” ACRL leads the academic library profession in providing opportunities for members to gain new knowledge or share their research or experiences. Five new monograph titles were published in the past year (see sidebar p. 791).ACRL journalsCollege & Research Libraries sported a new look this Internet Resource year—featuring the articles and authors 790 Continuing Our Mission http:Wwww.ala.org\acrl.htmlCommunications and information dissemination among ACRL’s members isbecoming easier and more frequent as electronic offerings expand. ACRL’Web site continues to be enhanced to increase ease of access to informationand visual appeal. The Web was used extensively for ACRL’s 8th NationalConference, including the creation of a site that included all supportingdocuments such as the Call for Papers, the Preliminary Program, and,following the conference, the complete text of all contribu 791 Continuing Our Mission • An expanded Outstanding Academic Books (OAB) promotional effort, featuring a newly designed OAB seal and OAB booklet, was conducted in January/February. Revenues from short-term license arrangements with book vendors interested in mounting the Choice OAB file on their Web sites helped offset the cost of this program, which we believe can New Titles from ACRL in 1997■ Directory of Curriculum Materials Centers, edited by Beth Anderson■ CHOICE Women’sSt udies Reviews, edited by Helen MacLam■ InPrint: Publishing Opportunities for College Librarians, edited by Lynn Livingston■ Displays and Exhibits in College Libraries, CLIP Note #25, compiled by Jane Kemp and Laura Witschi■ Documenting Cultural Diversity in the Resurgent American South, ed­ited by Maggie Dittemore and Fred Hay become self-funding in the future.Automation• A new Internet access system featuring a 56K frame relay link and Netscape software was installed in March.Organizational & Administrative• The Choice Selection Policy was revised in collaboration with the Choice Editorial Board and the new version was approved at the Annual Conference in San Francisco.• The Choice Editorial Board completed a self-review as mandated by ACRL policy; its final report was submitted to the ACRL Publi­cations Board in San Francisco. 792 Continuing Our Mission Taking Care of BusinessACRL’s committees and task forces completed another productive year of work which resulted in a number of improvements to our association, specifically in the fields of leadership, faculty rewards,and ACRL bylaw changes.Leadership development and training are essential to every academic librarian’s future. Some of ACRL’s ad hoc committees that have been involved with leadership made their final reports to the ACRL Board. A task force charged to look at ways of involving past leaders 793 ACRL Board of Directors, 1996-97 (I to r): (back row) Jill Fatzer, Frances Maloy, Linda Muroi, Mary Reichel, Carol Pfeiffer, Victoria Montavon, and Maxine Reneker; (front row) Bernard Fradkin, W. Lee Hisle, Althea Jenkins, William Miller‚ Patricia Senn Breivik, and Ray English. ACRL Board of Directors, 1996-97■ President:William Miller, Florida Atlantic University■ Vice-President/President-Elect:W. Lee Hisle, Austin Community College■ Past-President:Patricia Senn Breivik, Wayne State University■ Budget & Finance Committee Chair:Ray English, Oberlin College■ ACRL Councilor:Maxine Reneker, Naval Postgraduate SchoolDirectors-at-Large:■ Jill B. Fatzer, University of New Orleans■ Bernard Fradkin, College of DuPage■ Frances J. Maloy, Emory University■ Victoria A. Montavon, Wright State 794 Financial ReportRay English Budget and Finance Committee Chair ACRL substantial] y improved its financial position during the1996-97 fiscal year. A combination of strong conference revenues (particu larly from the Nashville National Conference); advertising income from publications; and efficiencies and cost containment produced a budget surplus of $512,884—the largest such surplus in ACRL’s history. As a result, the ACRL operating fund balance increased from $1,060,765at the end of 1995–96 to $1,573,649 at the end of 1996–97. Choice exceeded its budget by $106,345, fi Ray English Advertising income for College and Research Libraries and C&RL News was $53,091 above budget, while Choice’s advertising revenues were $114,730 more than budget. Revenues for exhibit space at the national conference, for nonperiodical publications and for Choice subscriptions and miscellaneous sales, were significantly below expected levels.As has been the case in recent years, ACRL realized substantial cost containment in several areas, including expenses for the national conference, staff costs, and print 795 substantial transfers of funds from operating reserves into the ACRL and Choice endowments. These transfers will be carried out during the 1997–98 and 1998–99 fiscal years. The Budget and Finance Committee is confident that this new approach to asset management will enable ACRL to build its financial resources with investment income while improving its ability to carry out strategic objectives (see C&RL News, June 1997, p 393).1997–98 budgetThe ACRL Board, following a recommendation from the Budget and Fina 796 Financial ReportExecutive Summary 1996–97 FY1997 FY1997 PERCENT LAST YEAR SOURCES OF REVENUEBUDGETACTUALOF BUDGETACTUALEnding ReserveOperating Fund (ACRL)$1,060,765$1,573,649148.35%$1,060,765Endowments (ACRL)$190,517$228,708120.04%$190,515Operating Fund (CHOICE)$1,028,399$1,024,30699.60%$1,030,809Endowment (CHOICE)$96,604$120,598124.83%$96,604Subtotal$2,376,285$2,947,261124.02%$2,378,693Membership dues and otherDues$359,631$354,06698.45%$352,397Standards and Other$2,000$5,157257.85%$700Donations$0$8,1290.00%$30,631Awards$6,400$4,45069.53%$4,802Sec. 797 Financial Report FY 1997 FY 1997 PERCENT LAST YEAR OBJECT OF EXPENSEBUDGETACTUALOF BUDGETACTUALMembership ActivitiesMembership Servs.$83,511$57,06668.33%$64,317Exec. Comm. & Board$85,253$73,12585.77%$125,505Advisory$8,509$15,032176.66%$22,148Standards distrib.$3,520$5,132145.79%$7,753Discussion Groups$3,040$2,50482.36%$2,589Awards$20,147$20,645102.47%$22,731Chapters$54,262$46,84686.33%$46,738Committees$37,719$36,05995.59%$47,239Sections$63,556$55,57687.44%$67,274Section Newsletters$27,356$25,05191.57%$23,931Chapter Topics$5 799 Meet the ACRL Staff Many of you have had phone and/or e-mail contact with ACRL’s staff, of which there are 12.95 ALA-approved FTE positions at headquarters. Here’s your chance to put a face with that voice or e-mail signature. On these pages, we present current ACRL staff (including two of ACRL’s Choice staff) with some in­formation about their responsibilities. Take a minute to “meet the staff!” We’re looking forward to hearing from you. JACK BRIODY, design/pro­duction assistant, coordinates ACRL Awards program. He also manages page layout for C&RL and RBML-, maintains section newsletters; handles standards production; and maintains selected Web site files. Phone: (312) 280-2516; e-mail: jbriody@ala.org.MARY ELLEN K. DAVIS, se­nior associate executive di­rector, is responsible for na­tional conferences and is the C&RL News editor. She also works with the leadership development committee and handles division precon­ferences, institutes, work DARLENA DAVIS, admini­strative secretary, coordinates Midwinter and Annual Confer­ence meetings; oversees all ACRL special functions at ALA Midwin­ter and Annual Conference com­mittee meetings; processes all section and chapter reimburse­ments; and prepares the chapters roster and the ACRL ballot. Phone: (312) 280-2519; e-mail: ddavis@ala.org.MICHAEL GODOW, program officer/special assistant to the ex­ecutive director, coordinates ACRL legislative initiatives; main­tains division rosters and ap­pointments; a 800 Meet the ACRL Staff JACK HELBIG, classified ad manager, is responsible for C&RL News classified adver­tising and posting to C&RL NeivsNet. Phone: (312) 280-2513; fax: (312) 280-7663; e-mail: jhelbig@ala.org.TANGA MORRIS, adminis­trative secretary for publica­tions and professional devel­opment, provides support for all ACRL publications, main­tains and distributes ACRL standards, manages database of manuscript submissions, and assists with professional development activities. Phone: (312) 280-2514; e-mail: tmorris@ala.org.IRVI ALTHEA JENKINS, executive di­rector, is an ex officio on the board of directors/executive committee. She handles budgets and planning, Council of Liai­sons, government relations, and ACRL colleagues/fundraising. Phone: (312)280-3248;e -mail: ajenkins@ala.org.LINDA SEARCY, ACRL office administrative assistant/office manager, oversees day-to-day operations of the ACRL office; plans for Board of Directors’ meetings; maintains Board records and files; facilitates bud­get transactions; maintains finan­cial recor 801 Meet the ACRL Staff MICHAEL STERLING, data­base manager and registration coordinator, inputs preconfer­ence and conference registra­tion, maintains ACRL listservs on the ALA server, maintains ACRL Web Home Page, pro­cesses fees for preconference and national conference registration, and implements the membership promotion and retention plan. Phone: (312) 280-2515; e-mail: msterling@ ala.org.HUGH THOMPSON, direc­tor of publications, handles nonserial publications and the production and distribu­tion of C&RL and RfíML He also pr ELISA TOPPER, director of mem­ber services, is the primary con­tact for chapters, sections, and discussion groups. She coordi­nates the ACRL Annual Confer­ence programs; assists with the President’s Program; and handles membership promotion and re­tention. Phone: (312) 280-2523; e-mail: etopper@ala.org. 802/C&RL News