ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C & R L N e w s ■ F e b r u a r y 200 1 / 199 C o l l e g e & R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i e s n e w s Didier and Spalding share plans for ACRL Vote in the election this spring by Elaine K. Didier and Helen H. Spalding E d note: C&RL News offered ACRL candi­dates for vice-president/president-elect, Elaine K. Didier an d H elen H. Spalding, this opportunity to share their views w ith the m em bership. Although m any o f the issues facing ACRL are discussed informally at m eet­ ings, w e w ant to use this ven u e to provide a national forum to all m em bers. We h o p e this will assist you in making an inform ed choice w hen you receive your ballot this spring. ELAIN E K. D ID IER It is a great ho n o r to be invited to stand for the office of ACRL vice president/president elect in the spring 2001 election. ACRL is an organization that has provided significant leadership to and advocacy for academ ic li­ braries and librarians. It w ould be b o th a privilege an d a challenge to follow in the footsteps of so many ACRL leaders w h o are role m odels and valued mentors. There is w idespread agreem ent that aca­ dem e in general and libraries in particular are facing a time o f significant change. You can’t open an issue of the Chronicle o f Higher Education (or any other journal of higher edu­ cation) w ithout finding articles about new pro­ viders o f higher education entering the field, or the rise o f distance education and the d e ­ m ands of new audiences of learners for any­ w here/anytim e education and services. In ad dition, ch an g es in the p a tte rn s o f scholarly com m unication, intellectual prop- Elaine K. Didier Helen H. Spalding erty issues in the digital age, the rise o f e- everything, and the increasing challenge of teaching our users how to access the com­ plex array of information resources all add to the uncertainty o f w hat the academic li­ brary o f the new millennium will be like. W hile th e p a c e an d im p act o f th ese changes vary w ith the nature and size of our respective institutions, w e all have an enor­ mous n eed for information and education to help us anticipate issues and provide guid­ ance within our institutional environments. This is w here ACRL, through its chapters, sections, discu ssio n g ro u p s, com m ittees, taskforces, and liaisons to other associations, serves to provide a strong foundation and resource u p o n w hich all of us can rely and u p o n w hich w e can draw. Librarians in all types o f academic institu­ tions are in key positions to help their insti­ tutions m ake m ore effective use of informa- A b o u t th e a u th o rs Elaine K. D id ie r is dean o f the University Library at Oakland University, e-mail: didier@oakland.edu; Helen H. Spalding is associate director o f libraries a t the University o f Missouri-Kansas City, e-mail: spaldingh@umkc.edu mailto:didier@oakland.edu mailto:spaldingh@umkc.edu 200 / C&RL News ■ February 2001 tion resources and technology as tools for accomplishing the institution’s mission, goals, and priorities. As the world of libraries evolves from a focus on organizing and enabling ac­ cess to physical objects to an em phasis on teaching and facilitating access to content in any form o r location, the role of librarians will evolve, as well. As each o f our libraries struggles to address the fast-changing land­ scape, th e p resident an d o ther leaders of ACRL have a unique opportunity and respon­ sibility to provide leadership, advocacy, guid­ ance, and professional developm ent for all o f our members. Building on accomplishments ACRL’s organizational structure is a major strength, as it provides mem bers with mul­ tiple avenues for involvement, and belies the association’s status as the largest division of ALA. Each o f ACRL’s sections, discussion groups, committees, and taskforces offers the opportunity to develop a netw ork of profes­ sional connections that span size and type of institution and the nature of o n e ’s position. I continue to be am azed at the w ide array o f individuals from all types of libraries w ho I’ve come to know through service on vari­ ous comm ittees of ACRL and the University Libraries Section (ULS), on w hich I currently serve as chair. These talented professionals are a constant source of consultation and in­ spiration, as well as occasional comm isera­ tion, and I treasure these relationships m ade possible by the breadth of ACRL’s program ­ matic activities and the diversity of its m em ­ bers. If honored w ith election as ACRL’s vice president/president elect, I believe it is es­ sential to carry o n an d fulfill initiatives and commitments undertaken by preceding ACRL officers. As I learned during my term as presi­ dent o f the Association for Educational Com­ m unications and Technology, the p resident’s time in office is far too short to get many program s started, let alone fine-tuned and well established, so the first order o f busi­ ness w ould be to support programs begun by my predecessors and other ACRL leaders. These w ould include im plem entation of the Strategic Plan, extension of efforts to in­ crease diversity am ong academ ic librarians, continuation o f the new Institute for Infor­ m ation Literacy and mentoring program, sup­ port for the outstanding national conferences, an d enhancem ent o f the ACRL Council of Liaisons to develop partnerships w ith the broader higher education community. ACRL also must continue its advocacy for the role o f libraries in scholarly comm unica­ tion and information policy initiatives, m oni­ toring national developm ents such as UCITA, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, national assessm ent initiatives within the disciplines, and the changing criteria of the regional ac­ creditation agencies that threaten to dilute the quality and scope of library services. For ACRL to be effective, it is essential that w e maximize continuity and consistency across the changing leadership of the asso­ ciation, and plan in terms o f broad them es that several presidents and boards will sup­ p o rt in succession. Creating the future As president of ACRL, I w ould propose sev­ eral areas for new or ren ew ed /expanded ef­ fort to further extend the reach and influ­ ence o f the association. W orking in close collaboration with the ACRL Board, sections, chapters, and committees to review and re­ fine these ideas, I w ould advocate: • Development o f programs to enhance the visibility a n d credibility o f academ ic librar­ ies a n d librarians w ithin higher education a n d the larger public arena. I will urge ac­ tive ACRL participation in the ALA your library” Campaign for America’s Libraries to increase aw areness of and respect/dem and for the special expertise academic librarians have to offer users in the digital age. With the fast pace of technological change sw eep­ ing our campuses, the academic library is in danger of being marginalized if w e do not speak ou t to assert leadership for the future o f our profession by emphasizing that aca­ dem ic librarians provide the essential hum an touch in a dotcom world. • E nhancem ent o f ACRL’s recent leader­ ship a n d professional development initiatives to develop m ore options f o r delivering p r o ­ g ram s a n d to identify ways to reach m ore members, particularly via the chapters, to ex­ ten d o u r rich program offerings to those u n ­ able to participate in national conferences. Excellent initiatives have been undertaken in this arena, but there is much still to be done. It is imperative that w e provide librarians in C&RL News ■ February 2001 / 201 all types of academic institutions with the per­ sonal and professional com petencies and the vision to assum e broader leadership roles within their libraries, o n their cam puses, and within the association and the broader higher education community. In the area o f continuing education, w e must consider the unique learning needs of librarians in particular types o f settings or specific disciplinary roles, working collabora­ tively w ith the sections and chapters to plan special programs. Just as many of our institu­ tions are applying new tools to serve their constituencies, w e m ust expand efforts to apply the new technologies to offer profes­ sional developm ent via teleconferencing, the Web, or other means. We also should con­ sider extending the model o f the successful Leadership Institutes to plan one- or tw o-day regional conferences, replicating the program in two o r three locations around the country and perhaps abroad. • Expansion o f ACRL’s Institute f o r Infor­ m a tio n L iteracy to reach m ore librarians across the country’ a n d even international a u ­ diences. As academ ic librarians strive to re­ define their unique contribution to the p ro ­ cesses of teaching, learning, and scholarship, ACRL must help its mem bers develop new ways to w ork w ith and through their facul­ ties to reach learners at every level. The teach­ ing role o f academ ic librarians will be in­ creasingly im portant in the future, and w e must em brace the new opportunities p ro ­ vided by technology to reach ou t to our con­ stituencies in new ways. The evolving nature o f the information environm ent means that som e o f our tradi­ tional approaches to bibliographic instruction are inadequate and must be modified not only to incorporate n ew resources, but also to eliminate barriers o f time and place and ap­ ply new tools to maximize our effectiveness in reaching the new generation o f students entering our institutions. • Development a n d strengthening o f ACRL s strategic alliances within a n d beyond the higher education com m unity to advance the visibility a n d credibility o f the association a n d its m em ­ bers. We should build on the model o f the Council of Liaisons to other higher education associations to develop more substantive col­ laboration and cross programming. As president, I w ould advocate continua- While the evolution of my career has brought me extraordinary opportunities to move beyond academic libraries into the broader issues of university leadership, policy, and governance, my passion remains for the role of academic libraries as the heart and soul of an institution. tion of programs to engage provosts and other higher education leaders in a dialogue re­ garding the changing nature of scholarship, intellectual property, and other issues facing higher education in the new century. I w ould pursue the concept o f a periodic “summit m eeting” o f higher education leaders, as has b een discussed by the ACRL Board and the Council of Liaisons for several years. As a part of this effort, I propose that programs be developed to enable librarians to serve as “executive interns” o r “expert consultants” in the headquarters o f an association o r foun­ dation. This w ould enable individuals to ex­ plore issues in the broader w orld of higher education and, for those w ho may have spent most or all o f their career in one institution, it w ould provide an invaluable opportunity for professional growth. W hile the evolution o f my career has brought m e extraordinary opportunities to m ove b ey o n d academ ic libraries into the b r o a d e r issu es o f u niversity le a d e rsh ip , policy, and governance, my passion remains for the role of academ ic libraries as the heart and soul of an institution. The opportunity to serve as the president of ACRL offers tre­ m endous potential to advocate, advance, and enhance the role o f academ ic libraries on cam puses across the nation and beyond, and to w ork w ith the leaders o f ALA and other divisions to strengthen the role and influence of libraries o f all types w ithin our society. Change is a given in the first decade of the new millennium, and ACRL has the his­ tory, vision, leadership, energy, and m em ­ ber comm itment to prepare academ ic librar­ ies and librarians to move in new directions and thrive in the years to come. 202 / C&RL News ■ February 2001 HELEN H. SPALDING O ne o f the am azing characteristics o f ACRL is its ability to ad d ress so w ell th e diverse n e e d s o f its m em b ers a n d th e v ariety o f issues co n fro n tin g academ ic libraries. Like m an y n e w m em b ers, w h e n I jo in ed ACRL alm ost 30 years ago, I d id n o t hav e a clear u n d e rs ta n d in g o f th e significant w o rk b e ­ ing d o n e in v ery d ifferen t are n a s by the m an y com m ittees, sectio n s, a n d c h a p te rs o f ACRL. Experience As a m em b er o f b o th th e ACRL B udget and F inance C om m ittee a n d th e ACRL B oard o f D irectors, a n d as th e ACRL C ouncilor o n ALA C ouncil, I h av e b e e n p riv ileg ed to gain a p e rsp e c tiv e of ACRL as a w h o le an d in re la tio n to ALA. T he en erg y , intellect, creativity, a n d c o m m itm en t o f o u r m em ­ b ers are im pressive. T he g ro w in g m em ­ b ership, solid fiscal an d p lan n in g structure, exceptional staff, viable program s, an d new initiatives are te sta m e n t to th e ability o f ACRL to rem ain relev an t fo r a ch an g in g p ro fessio n . ACRL’s m issio n a n d strategic p la n set dynam ic d irectio n s fo r th e a sso ­ ciation, an d I will p ro v id e le a d e rsh ip in fa c ilita tin g th e ab ility o f ACRL u n its to a ch ie v e p ro g re ss to w a rd th o s e goals. P articular stren g th s I b rin g in clu d e my e x ten siv e e x p e rie n c e sin ce 1986 w o rk in g w ith th e ACRL an d C hoice b u d g e ts a n d o n th e ACRL B oard. I b e g a n serving o n the ACRL B udget an d Finance Com m ittee w h en ALA a n d its divisions w e re finalizing th e ir first O p e ra tin g A greem ent, a n d hav e se e n this fiscal c o n tract in a ctio n o v e r tim e as it is a p p lie d an d in te rp re te d . Since b e c o m ­ ing a m e m b e r o f th e ALA B u d g et A nalysis an d R eview C om m ittee (BARC) in 1998, I h av e g a in e d ad d itio n al p e rs p e c tiv e o f th e ACRL b u d g e t w ith in th e e n tire ALA b u d ­ get, an d th e fiscal issues w e face to gether. My e x p e rie n c e o n ALA C ouncil as th e ACRL C o u n cilo r h as e x p o s e d m e to th e g reat diversity o f ALA a n d g iv en m e an u n d e r s ta n d in g o f th e w id e ly d iv e r g e n t view s a n d n e e d s o f librarians th a t m u st be c o n sid e re d . All o f us h o ld p a ss io n a te v al­ u es a n d p e rsp e c tiv e s, a n d o u r ability to m arshal o u r collective e n e rg y a n d talen ts d e p e n d s u p o n o u r w o rk in g to g e th e r in g o o d faith to stren g th en o u r pro fessio n and to ach ie v e th o se in fo rm atio n a n d library service goals th a t all o f us d esire fo r a free society. If ele c te d , I alread y h av e e x p e rie n c e a n d fam iliarity w ith ACRL an d ALA b u d ­ gets, policies, a n d p ro cesses, a n d will co n ­ c e n tra te im m ed iately o n the n e e d s a n d a s­ p iratio n s o f ACRL units a n d o n specific ini­ tiatives. I h av e long-term , close w o rk in g re la tio n sh ip s w ith ACRL a n d ALA staff an d w ith m e m b e r lead ers, w h ic h w ill facilitate co m m u n ic a tio n a n d c o lla b o ra tio n w ith o u t th e u su al tim e to g et to k n o w e a c h o th e r an d adjust to e a c h o th e r ’s style. My e x p e ­ rie n c e as a h ig h sch o o l E nglish a n d jour­ nalism teach er, as an acad em ic librarian in an ARL library in a co lleg e to w n , a n d as an acad em ic librarian in a m id -sized u r­ b a n u niversity h av e m ad e m e a ttu n e d to the n e e d s o f b o th trad itio n al a n d n o n tra- d itio n al h ig h e r e d u c a tio n stu d en ts. A champion of ACRL I am a devoted mentor, take my commitments an d responsibilities seriously, an d do my hom ew ork. I am o p en to learning from oth­ ers, am a catalyst for discussion, and am a strong cham pion of ACRL. I do not have hid­ d e n o r p erso n al agendas, an d others can count o n m e being open and direct with them. I will help ACRL celebrate m ore visibly w hat its m em bers are doing well, facilitate m em ­ b e r initiatives, and solicit from m em bers and potential m em bers how w e can continue to im prove and provide exceptional leadership an d representation o f their interests in the higher education arena. V is ib ility fo r our role D ue in p a rt to b ro a d claim s o f o th e r “in ­ fo r m a tio n p r o v i d e r s ,” m y th s a b o u t th e c o m p re h e n s iv e n e s s o f c o n te n t av ailab le th ro u g h th e In tern et, an d g en eral m isu n ­ d e rs ta n d in g s a b o u t th e ro le o f acad em ic librarians, th e value o f academ ic librarians is b eco m in g b lu rre d in th e m inds o f som e o f o u r c o n stitu en cies. I will h e lp clarify th e c o n trib u tio n th at lib rarian s m a k e in h ig h e r e d u c a tio n , sch o larly co m m u n ic a ­ tion, a n d civic d ev elo p m en t. ALA is rolling o u t its n e w y o u r li­ b ra ry ” C am paign fo r A m erica’s Libraries, follow ed by “m ini-cam paigns” that will give ACRL th e o p p o rtu n ity to focus a p u b lic re ­ lations cam p a ig n o n acad em ic libraries. I am c o n c e rn e d w ith h o w acad em ic lib rar­ ies are fea tu re d in ea c h o f th e se cam p aig n efforts, a n d h o w visible a n d distinct they are in th e ALA P ublic In fo rm atio n Office and the ALA W ashington O ffice m aterials and efforts. O u r m em b ers n e e d training and m aterials to h e lp th em b e b e tte r aca­ demic library ad v o cates a n d cam p u s and com m unity p artn ers. The h ig h e r e d u c a tio n com m unity, let alone society at large, n eed s a better u n d er­ standing o f th e essential role academ ic li­ braries play in instruction an d in the collec­ tion, preservation, creation, and dissem ina­ tion o f scholarly com m unication, w hich is a different role than that o f school, public, or special libraries. Practical tools ACRL mem bers have do n e im pressive w ork in formulating guidelines, standards, guides, and reports, w hich provide practical guid­ ance for librarians as they strengthen local policies, practice, and com m unication with their constituencies. The developm ent o f the Institute for Inform ation Literacy, H arvard Leadership Institute, and ACRL/ARL/SPARC “Create C hange” cam paign are exam ples of the effort I w ould like to im plem ent on other fronts facing o u r members. How can w e help academ ic librarians b e ­ come better inform ed o n how pending leg­ islation and public policy will have an im­ pact on their w ork and the service their li­ brary users receive? H ow can w e gain a b e t­ ter understanding o f h o w our on-the-job b e ­ havior influences the creation, dissemination, availability, and cost of scholarly work? Con­ crete support and training through ACRL help librarians m ake a positive difference in local higher education institutions and com m uni­ ties, and in public policy. ACRL can be a leader in helping to solve the problem s facing higher education, and, in the process, develop solutions for prob­ lems facing academ ic libraries. We can d e ­ velop our partnerships w ith other groups to better mobilize o u r organizations’ consoli­ dated energy and talent to advance com m on goals. I will use my energy and leadership to help ACRL d o a better job o f dem onstrating the relevancy an d value o f our w ork in su p ­ porting the w ork of our academ ic colleagues. As our campuses are "re-inventing" themselves for the future, do we need to re-invent the structure of ACRL so more academic librarians can see a place for themselves in the organization? We n eed to w ork w ith them to develop collaborative scholarship, professional devel­ opm ent, assessment, and instructional tools and programs. Communication W ithin ACRL, w e also n eed to knit more closely the various units o f the association for their mutual benefit. The unit leaders have new sletters and the ACRLEADS electronic list by w hich they can share celebrations and concerns, but w e have not used these or other m eans to the extent that w e could to consoli­ date efforts beh in d com m on objectives. We n eed to explore the potential that evolving technology offers us to perform our w ork m ore successfully, an d to involve to a greater extent m em bers w ho cannot attend ALA or ACRL conferences. W hen I visit section meetings at ALA m eet­ ings, I always find discussions and plans for significant an d valuable activities in w hich the larger m em bership, if informed, w ould benefit and w ant to participate. As ACRL Councilor, I kept the ACRL m em ­ bership inform ed o f ALA Council discussions and decisions through their unit leaders, and I will strengthen two-way communication and strategic planning betw een ACRL an d ALA. G reater cohesion will result in a m obiliza­ tion o f resources and attention to concerns of particular interest to academ ic librarians. The recent election of more academ ic librar­ ians to ALA Council will contribute a broader perspective to issues of concern to all ALA mem bers. Certainly recruitm ent to the pro­ fession and im proving library school educa­ tion are of vital interest to all o f us. Recruitment ACRL dem onstrated its comm itment to diver­ sity w ithin academ ic librarianship and pro­ vided a strong start to the ALA Spectrum Ini­ C&RL News ■ February 2001 1203 204 / C&RL News ■ February 2001 tiative w ith a significant financial investm ent to provide library school scholarships to mi­ nority students. Although three classes o f stu­ dents have received scholarships, w e have not m ade a strong effort to expose them to the field o f academ ic librarianship an d to e n ­ courage them to consider it as a career. We should match academ ic librarians as m en­ tors with Spectrum Scholars and other library school students as soon as they begin library school. At the sam e time, w e need to be actively involved in library school education and ac­ creditation, changing and improving educa­ tion for the profession. I also w ould like to re-involve form er association leaders an d active retirees, w hose energy and w isdom can continue to inform and strengthen ACRL’s efforts on behalf o f academ ic libraries. Taking a fresh look We must take a fresh look at ACRL to deter­ mine if w e are responsive and relevant to current and potential members. As our cam­ puses are “re-inventing” them selves for the future, do w e need to re-invent the structure of ACRL so m ore academ ic librarians can see a place for them selves in the organization? Does the current organization of the ACRL sections allow all academ ic librarians to find a fit w here they can gain from and contrib­ ute to professional developm ent and netw ork­ ing? Are the motivations and expectations of new librarians different than those o f our past and current m em bers, requiring us to offer different kinds o f m em bership or organiza­ tional benefits? Does technology offer us new ways in w hich to comm unicate, offer p ro ­ gramming, and provide participation by those w ho formerly could not? Others hold many of the same values and goals as academic li­ brarians. Is there a way for them to contribute to and benefit from ACRL membership? The beginning of a new century is an inspiring time to re-imagine how w e might organize ACRL if w e w ere to do it all over again, positioning ourselves for the future w e foresee. I am h o nored by the confidence of the N ominations Committee and the colleagues w h o have encouraged m e to stand as candi­ d ate for v ic e -p re sid e n t/p re sid e n t-e le c t of ACRL. If elected, I look forward to w orking w ith ACRL mem bers o n advancing their strategic plan.