ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries In this issue: Draft Guidelines and Procedures for the Screening and Appoint­ ment of Academic Librarians . 87 ACRL Chapters..............................91 Proposed Amendment/Bylaws 91 Guidelines for Bibliographic In­ struction in Academic Libraries 92 ACRL Members Run for ALA C o u n c i l ......................................... 93 News from the Field . . . . 94 Perry-Castaneda Library 104 Publications........................................105 P e o p l e ............................................. I l l Classified Advertising . 1 1 5 ISSN 0099-0086 COLLEGE & RESEARCH LIBRARIES new NO. 4 • APRIL 1977 s Draft Guidelines and Procedures for the Screening and Appointment of Academic Librarians The following statement was prepared by the ACRL Committee on Academic Status. It will be considered for approval by the ACRL Board of Directors at the 1977 Annual Conference in Detroit. All comments and suggestions concerning the statement should be sent to Willis Bridegam, Librarian, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, before the Annual Conference. The Committee on Academic Status will hold an open hearing on the statement on Sunday, June 19, 1977, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Please check the ALA Conference program for the location of the meeting. Work on the development of the statement began at the 1976 Annual Conference in Chi­ cago and included, among other things, exten­ sive consultation and discussion with a wide range of academic institutions and librarians. The statement is an expansion and extension of the recommendations on appointment in ACRL’s “Model Statement of Criteria and Pro­ cedures for Appointment, Promotion in Aca­ demic Rank, and Tenure for College and Uni­ versity Librarians,” published in the September 1973 and October 1973 issues of College & Re­ search Libraries News and approved as policy, with minor revisions, in July 1974. I ntroduction In colleges, universities, and other institu­ tions of higher education, the selection and ap­ pointment of librarians rank among the most important and consequential decisions to be made. To improve these decisions many library administrators are turning to a consultative ar­ rangement in the selection process. In some cases the administrator chiefly responsible for the final decision simply requests comments and evaluations from the appropriate individuals. In others this process has been formalized by the establishment of a search committee.1 In either case the goals and benefits of consulta­ tion are similar. Consultation through a search committee solicits a breadth and range of opin­ ion, and it facilitates objective consideration of the candidates’ qualifications. It also promotes a sense of participation in the selection process by interested constituencies. Because selection is a two-way process, these goals and benefits apply to the candidates as well as to the institution. Candidates receive a clearer and more balanced view of the institu­ tion if they have the opportunity to be inter­ viewed by several representatives of the institution. Search committees provide the op­ portunity for discussion, for the development of consensus among the interviewers, and for the inclusion of varied representative view­ points. The advantages of using search committees for regular full-time appointments at the senior level have been recognized by many institu­ tions. Use of search committees for other professional library positions is now also en­ couraged. The following guidelines are provid­ ed for those institutions which choose to use search committees. Institutions recruiting with­ out search committees may also find that many of these principles will be useful. News issue ( B ) of College & Research Libraries, vol. 38, no. 2 88 The Guidelines I. Formation of Search Committees The ultimate objective of the search process is to select the best possible applicant in a fair, equitable, and open manner. Search committees may be elected or appointed. In either case the immediate goal in the formation of such com­ mittees should be to create a body representa­ tive of the constituencies affected by the position. II. Charge to Search Committees The administrator to whom the committee is responsible should instruct the committee in writing, at the outset of the process, as to the following: A. Approximate date for submission of a list of nominees and proposed date of ap­ pointment B. Number of finalists to be recommended C. Affirmative action/equal opportunity re­ quirements (In the absence of a clear understanding of these requirements, the committee should consult with the appro­ priate local officer at the outset of the search.) D. Arrangements for financial and staff re­ sources E. Responsibility for documenting committee actions and for preserving those records F. The need for confidentiality and discre­ tion G. Any unique concerns with respect to the position The committee should have the prerogative of discussions with the administrator to whom the committee is responsible regarding any of the terms of the charge. III. Developing the Position Description A written position description should be pre­ pared at the outset of the search and should function as the standard against which candi­ date qualifications are subsequently judged. It should include a full account of the academic impact and other responsibilities of the posi­ tion and should describe the educational back­ ground, experience, and competencies desired of the candidate. In the development of such a statement, care should be taken to ensure correlation among position requirements, committee and/or ad­ ministrative expectations, and salary range of­ fered. IV. Posting the Position The responsible administrator or the chair­ person should file notification of the position in the appropriate offices of the local institution and in appropriate publications, taking care that all groups which are protected by equal opportunity/affirmative action legislation are made aware of the vacancy. Notifications should include a brief description of responsi­ bilities, qualifications, and salary range. Such notifications should also reflect those criteria against which qualifications will be judged and should indicate the information to be provided about each nominee or applicant. All announce­ ments and invitations to apply for the position should be coordinated carefully. A closing date for receipt of applications and approximate ap­ pointment date should be specified in these communications. V. Ethical Considerations Committee members should be receptive to all staff and outside comments, but all state­ ments emanating from the committee should be stated or written by a designated spokes­ person for the committee. References should be solicited from individuals whose names are pro­ vided by the applicant, and the contents should be held in strict confidence within the commit­ tee. Additional professional references may also be consulted for those candidates in whom the committee is seriously interested. Should a visit to the candidate’s home institution be consid­ ered essential, it should be conducted in a pro­ fessional and discrete manner with adequate notification being given to all individuals in­ volved. At the time of the request referees should be advised as to whether or not the con­ tents of the references will be made available to the candidate in accordance with local legis­ lation and practice. Upon request the candi­ dates should be entitled to a full list of those News items for inclusion in C&RL News should be sent to John V. Crowley, Assistant Director of Libraries, Milne Library, State University College, Oneonta, NY 13820. Advertising (including classi­ fied ads) should be sent to Leona Swiech, A d ­ vertising Office, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. Production and circulation matters are handled by ALA Central Production Unit, at the above address. News editor: John V. Crowley, Assistant Director of Libraries, Milne Library, State University C ol­ lege, Oneonta, NY 13820. Associate news editor, W illia m B. Weiss, Assistant Librarian, Cataloging Department, Milne Library, State University C ol­ lege, Oneonta, NY 13820. Editor: Richard D. John­ son, Milne Library, State University College, Oneonta, NY 13820. President, ACRL: Connie R. Dunlap. Executive Secretary, ACRL: Julie A. Virgo. College & Research Libraries is published by the Association o f College and Research Libraries, a division o f the American Library Association, 17 times yearly—6 bim onthly journal issues and 11 monthly (com bining July-August) News issues—at 1201-05 Bluff St., Fulton, MO 65251. Subscription, $15.00 a year, or to members o f the division, $7.50, included in dues. Second-class postage paid a t Fulton, Missouri 65251. © American Library Association 1977. A ll material in this journal subject to copyright by the Am eri­ can Library Association may be photocopied for the noncommercial purpose o f scientific or educa­ tional advancement. 89 individuals from whom references have been solicited. VI. Initial Communication with Nominators and Applicants All nominations and/or applications should be courteously and promptly acknowledged. To ensure the individual’s right to privacy, persons nominated for the position should be promptly apprised of their nominations and permission requested and secured in writing before refer­ ences are contacted and credentials scrutinized. VII. Selection and Interview Procedures A. Selection Process Each committee should establish its own plan for screening and evaluating nominees and ap­ plicants. Selection policies and procedures should be consistent with those established on an institution-wide basis. Whatever procedures are employed, the entire committee is responsi­ ble for the legitimacy of the process. Every committee member in every stage of the search should have full access to the names and files of all persons under consideration. All applicants should be screened with refer­ ence to the qualifications and requirements stated in the position description. The function of initial screening is to identify and eliminate, early in the search process, nominees and appli­ cants who are clearly unqualified. The list of persons who remain under consideration after the initial screening should be those to whom the committee will be giving careful considera­ tion and about whom the committee may he seeking additional information. Responsibility for requesting such information should be clear­ ly designated and its form clearly specified. Fair, objective, consistent, and equitable pro­ cesses should be used to narrow the field of candidates to the desired number of finalists, who should be invited for interviews. B. Interviews Based on the candidate’s and the institution’s needs for information, the committee shall de­ termine the nature (breadth, depth, length, number, etc.) of the interview. Consideration for the candidate’s personal comfort should ex­ tend throughout the interview schedule. Ade­ quate travel directions should be given to external candidates. While maximizing the use of available time is important to both the insti­ tution and the candidate, interview schedules should acknowledge the personal needs of can­ didates. Whenever possible the interview schedule should be sent to the candidate several days before the interview occurs. Changes in the date(s) of a confirmed interview should occur only as a last resort and with notification to all parties concerned. While internal changes in the interview schedule may be necessary, these should be kept to a minimum. Both the candi­ date and the interviewers should recognize the constraints of time during the interview process and should follow the announced schedule as closely as possible. Adequate time should be ac­ corded the candidate to ensure that departure travel plans are fulfilled. C. Interview Expenses The cost of travel, meals, and lodging, if any, for candidates invited to the campus for inter­ views should be borne by the inviting institu­ tion. When this is not the practice, candidates should be so apprised before accepting the in­ terview invitation. If an off-campus site is se­ lected for the invited interview, the same financial arrangements should prevail. Excep­ tions should be considered for interviews which occur at conferences where both the institution­ al representative(s) and the candidate(s) are attendees. D. Fair and Uniform Treatment All candidates, whether they are external or internal to the institution, should be accorded the same treatment in the screening and inter­ view process. At the outset of its work the committee should decide the types of docu­ mentation (curriculum vitae, application forms, letters of recommendation, etc.) it will request of candidates. Likewise, interviews should be similar in length, scope, format, and personnel. Candidates should be judged in terms of the criteria delineated beforehand for the position in question. VIII. Recommendation of Candidates The committee should consider and evaluate with all deliberate speed the information gar­ nered regarding the candidate in order to select a final list of candidates. The final list of candi­ dates should be communicated by the chairper­ son to the administrator to whom the committee is responsible. The committee or the adminis­ trator may wish to schedule a meeting for mu­ tual discussion of the list. IX. Advanced Communications with Candidates All nominations and/or applications should be acknowledged courteously, and so far as possible candidates should be apprised prompt­ ly of elimination from consideration. In turn, candidates should report to the committee any change in status such as acceptance of another position or reconsideration of candidacy. This mutual reporting should be undertaken period­ ically throughout the search process with those candidates still active, particularly if the de­ liberative period of time becomes extensive. Once a decision has been reached to offer the position to a particular candidate, the chief ad­ ministrative officer or his/her designee should convey this information to the successful can­ didate. While the initial form of this communi­ 90 cation may be oral, the official offer should be in writing and should include the specifics of the offer, i.e., title, salary, date of appointment, et al. The successful candidate should be al­ lowed a reasonable period of time, acceptable to both parties and agreed upon beforehand, to reach a decision on the matter.2 X. Extending Searches All candidates should be notified of the in­ tention to extend the search and to readvertise the position should the committee be unable to reach a decision based upon the applications received or should desired qualifications be changed during the search process. XI. Announcement of Appointment Upon selection of a candidate and his/her formal acceptance in writing, the committee or its designee should notify all other active candi­ dates in writing of the appointment. Thereafter, an announcement of the appointment should be made locally and/or nationally as deemed necessary. XII. Records of Proceedings A. Filing of Affirmative Action Reports The responsible administrator (in collabora­ tion with the appropriate local officer) should instruct the chairperson of the committee as to what official reports are to be filed. The chair­ person should complete the necessary reports promptly and accurately. B. Preservation/Disposition of Files Promptly after the position is filled and all affirmative action reports are filed, but not until then, the chairperson should be responsible for reviewing all applicants’ files. After personal data are returned to the applicants or to other sources requesting them, the files should be stored or disposed of in accordance with laws, regulations, and practices currently applicable in the local setting. XIII. Conclusion of Searches After the work has been completed, com­ mittees of an ad hoc nature should be disband­ ed while standing committees should turn to other business? N otes 1. The term “search committee” as used in these guidelines designates any committee constituted for the purpose of performing any or all of the functions of compiling lists of candidates for vacant positions, screening (and eliminating) candidates in accord with agreed-upon selection criteria, and determin­ ing the slate of nominees for submission to the administrator responsible for the posi­ tion. 2. See "Model Statement of Criteria and Pro­ cedures for Appointment, Promotion in Aca­ demic Rank, and Tenure for College and University Librarians,” College & Research Libraries News (September 1973 and Oc­ tober 1973). 3. The ACRL Committee on Academic Status gratefully acknowledges the permission of the University of Minnesota to utilize some of the concepts and statements set forth in the document entitled "Senate Consultative Committee: Proposed Guidelines for the Es­ tablishment and Functioning of Search Com­ mittees for Filling Major Administrative Po­ sitions at the University of Minnesota.” ■ ■ EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLISH BOOKS The published proceedings of the 1975 ACRL Rare Books and Manuscripts preconfer­ ence on "Eighteenth-Century English Books— Considered by Librarians and Booksellers, Bib­ liographers and Collectors” are now available in a limited quantity from the ACRL office. The preeonference was held June 25-28, 1975, in San Francisco. The proceedings, entitled Eighteenth-Centu­ ry English Books, are an outstanding contribu­ tion to the field. Edited by Hendrik Edelman, assistant director of libraries at Cornell Univer­ sity and chairman of the ACRL Rare Books and Manuscripts Section in 1974/75, the proceed­ ings include eleven papers: “Eighteenth-Cen­ tury English Books: An Antirevolutionary Tract” by William B. Todd; “An Eighteenth- Century STC” by John W. Joliffe; “Short-Title Cataloging and Automated Bibliographical Control of Pre-1800 Books” by William J. Cam­ eron; “The Descriptive Bibliography of Eigh­ teenth-Century Books” by G. Thomas Tan- selle; “Eighteenth-Century Bibliography: Facts and Opinions” by Donald D. Eddy; “Problems of Editing Business and Trade Manuscripts” by Patricia Hernlund; “Seven Years Editing the Bowyer Ledgers” by Keith I. D. Maslen; “Prob­ lems in Editing the Eighteenth-Century Period­ ical Essay” by Donald F. Bond; "Addicted to Rarity” by Robert J. Barry, Jr.; “Eighteenth- Century English Books: The View of a Collec­ tor” by William P. Barlow, Jr.; and "Catesby, Curll, and Cook: Or, the Librarian and the Eighteenth-Century English Book” by Alexan­ dra Mason. There is also a “Summary” by Her­ man W. Liebert. Eighteenth-Century English Books is avail­ able for $5.00. Payment must accompany or­ ders. Make checks payable to: American Li­ brary Association. Send orders to: ACRL Office, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611.