ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 444/C&RL News To see in new ways: ACRL’s Strategic Plan and you By William Miller Integrate the plan into your thinking O ne o f my favorite Star Trek episodes in­volves a primitive, warlike culture in which one o f the tribesmen ousts the reigning leader (called the “Tiere”) and takes over; after having done so, he unexpectedly finds himself shedding his more primitive urges and exhibit­ ing the behavior o f a statesman and leader. When he is taken to task by a friend for this change in his behavior, he thinks for a mo­ ment and replies, “Perhaps, to be a Tiere is to see in new ways.” There was a time when being a librarian meant being a follower, not a leader. However, that time has passed, as w e acknowledged last year by accepting the theme o f Patricia Breivik’s presi­ dency, “Every Librarian a Leader.” I suggest that it is crucial for the “tribe” o f academic and re­ search librarians to try to lead by thinking in new ways. One important way to lead, in the coming year, and to be innovative, is to look again at ACRL’s Strategic Plan (which you can find in the September 1995 issue o f C&RL News, and at http://www.ala.org/acrl.html). R eview in g the plan The plan is the product o f years o f consulta­ tion, focus groups, and consensus-building within ACRL. It thus represents what you, col­ lectively, have told us are the major priorities that ACRL should accomplish. The plan calls for the units o f ACRL to refocus and concen­ trate on several strategic areas (not all o f which are applicable to every unit). There are four main goals in the plan: 1) to provide developmental activities for academic and research librarians; 2) to collaborate with other professional or­ ganizations in higher education in order to pro­ mote mutual interests; 3) to become actively involved in informa­ tion policy at a national level; and 4) to ensure that ACRL operates efficiently. Each o f these goals is fleshed out with a number o f “Strategic Directions” which suggest specific kinds o f activities that the units can carry out to move the plan forward. The pu φ ose o f this plan is to position ACRL as a more central leader in higher education and as an important voice on national issues, while at the same time ensuring that w e con­ tinue to serve our individual members fully. I cannot stress strongly enough that this Strate­ gic Plan was not dreamt up in a dark room by half a dozen people; it is a compilation o f what you the members have told us is most impor­ tant for ACRL to concentrate on. Refocus y o u r activities T o concentrate on these four major goals re­ quires a refocusing o f thought and effort. While, in many cases, units o f ACRL will end up doing substantially the same things they now do, it does not necessarily follow that all units should just continue to do as they have always done, without reexamining their priorities. All units, if they have not yet done so, should engage in a process o f rethinking their goals and activi­ ties in light o f the Strategic Plan. Stretch your minds, exercise leadership, “see in new ways,” and consider activities that could extend your participation in the overall goals o f ACRL. (Plan cont. on page 452) William Miller is ACRL’s 59th president. He is director o f libraries at Florida Atlantic University; e-mail: miller@acc fau.edu http://www.ala.org/acrl.html 452/ C&RL News sponsored by the International Environmen­ tal Association (IEA). Topics covered include ecological agriculture, corporate environmen­ tal policy, environmental literature searching, and incorporating multidisciplinary environ­ mental topics into the curriculum. $30.00. IEA/ Kantaris-Hickey, Assumption College, 500 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01615. Le Co rb u sier: The C reative S e a rc h , by Geoffrey H. Baker (320 pages, March 1996), examines the formative years o f one o f the 20th century’s greatest architects and trans­ lates his letters and sketch notes into English to document how he developed his creative approach. Highlights o f his study tours to Italy and Eastern Europe are detailed, along with the many pencil drawings and watercolors he made, to show how these early experi­ ences contributed to his design concepts. A richly illustrated volume that should prove in­ structive to students o f architecture and design. $64.95. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 115 Fifth Ave., N ew York, N Y 10003- ISBN 0-442-02128-3. The Uncertain Retirem ent: Securing Pen­ sion Promises in a World at Risk, by James H. Smalhout (366 pages, 1996), offers some history, statistics, and suggestions on how indi­ viduals and businesses might cope with the worsening crisis in private pension plan fail­ ures. Opening with a summary o f the risks to workers that led to the Employee Retirement (Plan cont. from page 444) I urge you all not to simply plug what you are already doing into the goals and Strategic Directions, using the plan as the justification for all current activities; rather, you should look at the four major goals and see if you can use­ fully refocus your unit’s activities toward these goals— and perhaps even discontinue less im­ portant current activities. In this way, all the units will be moving in concert, and helping to move ACRL’s overall agenda forward. The Board has made a commitment to treat the Strategic Plan as a living document, with minor changes and additions made each year, and a major overhaul considered every five years. W e will focus on the four major areas o f the plan in this year’s C&RL News. Meanwhile, I urge all o f you to exercise leadership in your individual areas o f ACRL activity, and to inte­ grate the Strategic Plan into your thinking. ■ Income Security Act o f 1974, and why they were not completely addressed by this legislation, Smalhout discusses the differences between a plan’s actuarial soundness and its financial sol­ vency. He also looks at how other countries have secured private pension promises from the risk o f underfunding and termination, and provides a roadmap for policymakers to fol­ lo w to regulate businesses reasonably. The author’s points are well argued and the data presented with maximum clarity, but this book is still not for reading at the beach— unless you have just been laid o ff and cheated out o f your golden retirement years. $32.50. Irwin, 1333 Burr Ridge Parkway, Burr Ridge, IL 60521-0085. ISBN 0-78630-799-4. 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