ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 124 / C&RL News ■ February 2002 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 Cannon and Popko share plans for ACRL Prepare to cast your vote in the election this spring E d note: C&RL News offered ACRL candi­dates for vice-president/president-elect, Tyrone H. Cannon and Jo h n Popko, this o p ­ portunity to share their views with the mem­ bership. Although many o f the issues facing ACRL are discussed informally at meetings, w e w ant to use this venue to provide a na­ tional forum to all members. We ho p e this will assist you in making an informed choice w hen you receive your ballot this spring. TYRONE H. CANNON Theme What an honor it is to stand for the presi­ dency o f ACRL, an association acclaimed for its continued dedication to the service of aca­ demic institutions and information profession­ als. As one w ho has grown with the changes in the library and information field for more than 20 years, I see an imperative to embrace the new resources revolutionizing the co o p ­ erative sharing and equitable availability of information. At the same time, I feel a commitment to safeguard the association’s historical strides in communications, diversity, instruction, and leadership—services inherent for continued improvement in the proliferation of informa­ tion literacy—throughout the academic and community environments using both tradi­ tional and technological means. I am a firm believer in respecting the reward of past re­ search w hile planning the approach to future Tyrone H. Cannon John Popko research. As president of ACRL, I w ould stand committed to preserving the past and pro­ jecting the future. Preparation My experiences in library service, including m y ac tiv e m e m b e rs h ip in ACRL, h a v e eq u ip p ed me to address the issues of librar­ ians and their relationship with the academic community. I currently serve as chair of the Research Com mittee and have served on many ACRL committees over the past 11 years, including Paraprofessionals in Academic Li­ braries Task Force, Policy and Planning Com­ m itte e , C o m m ittee R e c ru itm e n t o f th e U nderrepresented Task Force, AFAS Chicago Program Planning Committee, Choice Edito­ rial Board, Ninth National Conference Invited P apers Subcommittee, ACRL Nom inations Committee, and the Appointments Commit­ tee. About the authors I Tyrone H. Cannon is dean o f university libraries a t the University o f San Francisco, e-mail: cannont@usfca.edu; John Popko is university librarian at Seattle University, e-mail: jpopko@seattleu.edu mailto:cannont@usfca.edu mailto:jpopko@seattleu.edu C&RL News ■ February 2002 / 125 ACRL membership represents a widely diverse group of professionals from educa­ tional institutions and informational associa­ tions. These professionals serve an equally diverse group of users. My background in clinical social work and as head of the social work library at Columbia University, as well as my ALA services on the Standing Council on Minority Concerns and Cultural Diversity, M em bership Committee, BCALA, RASD, LAMA, and NMRT committees, has prepared me to anticipate and address the information needs of disparate groups. I support the establishment of innovative, versatile programs to perpetuate the partici­ pation and professional development of these disparate groups we serve; programs that will encompass the broad interests of information specialists and their communities, yet provide within those realms distinct programming that targets the individual needs of library profes­ sionals. ACRL programs must develop mem­ bers’ roles both within their own academic communities and within the bounds of the association. I have served libraries since 1981 at sev eral levels, from social sciences librarian at the University of Texas at Arlington to head of the social sciences division at Oklahoma State University. Because of these posts, as well as my various roles from head of refer­ ence to senior associate university librarian to acting university librarian at Boston Col­ lege, I appreciate the concerns of all levels of administration and staff, educators, and learn­ ers. I realize the magnitude of a librarian’s role as scholar, as teacher, as leader, and as advocate of continuous improvement and life­ long learning. All of my experiences in information ser­ vice, but especially my activities at the local and state level, confirm the necessity of con­ stant evaluation of an organization’s perfor­ mance. Because of my services to the ACRL New Program Planning Committee, NELINET Reference Services Advisory Committee, my office as treasurer of the ACRL New England Board, membership on the CAL/PALS Execu­ tive Board and last year’s Statewide Califor­ nia Electronic Library Consortium Executive Board, I recognize the benefit of establish­ ing, reviewing, and re-establishing bench­ marks. I have also benefited from other af­ filiations, including service on the OCLC ­ We must preserve the past, its service to propel us into the present, and project the future of the library's role in information transmission, integration, and dissemination. Reference Services Advisory Committee and the Blackwell Customer Service Advisory Board. My association with other educational and in fo rm a tio n -re la te d o rg a n iz a tio n s has strengthened my conviction regarding the value of diverse affiliations. As a member of American Association for Higher Education, National Association of Social Workers, Acad­ em y o f C e rtified Social W orkers an d EDUCAUSE, I realize the benefit of collabo­ ration between librarians and other organi­ zations committed to the values of learning, teaching, and research. Because of my varied past positions, and my current position as dean of the university libraries at the University of San Francisco, I understand the apprehension, the anticipa­ tion, and the application of blending tradi­ tion and technology. However, I also under­ stand the urgency to affirm the status of ACRL’s role as the global leader and the exigency of the academic librarian’s involvement in aca­ demic research. I also know that higher edu­ cation demands the influence and expertise of information professionals to channel and champion the ubiquity of electronic resources. Goals For lifelong learning to exist, we must set goals to support the availability and accessi­ bility of resources to both instructional and non-instructional institutions. We must en­ sure the propagation of information literacy. We must direct the integration of local, re­ gional, national, and international library resources to form an interrelated, globally available virtual library. To achieve these goals, we must foster and expand the liai­ son between ACRL and other organizations devoted to the same end. We must collabo­ rate with communities to perpetuate the es­ tablished liaisons. 126 / C&RL News ■ February2002 Emphasis I su p p o rt th e existing strategic p la n and, as p resid en t, I w o u ld stress th e im portance o f th e library in th e instructional aren a and in crease th e aw aren ess o f th at im p o rtan ce to o th e r m em b ers o f th e academ ic co m ­ m unity. As aw aren ess in creases, libraries can m ore effectively en h a n ce teaching and learning. I w ould emphasize the importance of con­ tinued data docum entation, collection, and assessm ent of ACRL actions and interests, both past and present. With know ledge of the needs and interests o f its approxim ate 11,000 m em bers, ACRL can m ore effectively p rep are m em bers as leaders to further the educational grow th o f learners in the com ­ munities surrounding higher education in­ stitutions and inform ation organizations. I w ould encourage the active pursuit and inclusion o f librarians from diverse p o p u la­ tions, as well as advocate supplem entary docum entation regarding inclusiveness. As our m em bership grows m ore diverse, so do our opportunities for outreach to those previ­ ously overlooked. I w ould underscore the continued trainin and developm ent of academic librarians a communicators, instructors, and leaders. As li brarians gain confidence as communicators instructors and leaders, they can equip other to generate interest in higher education. Vision I w ould prom ote the developm ent o f strate gic plans beyond the next ten years, beyon our achievem ents o f increased awareness reestablishment o f the library’s role, and th creation o f the virtual library. W e must envi sion the needs of the new students w ho ar accustomed to electronic instruction and cybe reference. We must envision the training fo the disparate leaders w e will have recruite to teach the virtual learner. We m ust preserv the past, its service to propel us into th present, and project the future o f the library’ role in information transmission, integration an d dissemination. g s ­ , s ­ d , e ­ e r r d e e s , JOHN POPKO An ecological analogy From an ecological perspective of the natural world, scientists have recognized the exist­ ence o f an ecotone, a transitional zone be­ tw een two adjacent ecosystems or com muni­ ties, w hich contains species characteristic of b oth as well as other species occurring only within the zone. Thus, w here two ecological zones, o r com munities, converge— for ex­ ample, w here fresh w ater and salt mingle in a marsh or w here m eadow meets forest— there often emerges a n ew zone, or com mu­ nity, characterized by diversity and com plex­ ity that exceed either o f the originals. In our professional worlds, w e live and w ork at just such convergences of com peting and com plem entary ecosystems. The num ­ ber and variety o f adjacent zones is many, but w ould certainly include: • the scholarly communication system and inform ation marketplace; • the pedagogical community, committed to the art and science of instruction, esp e­ cially n ew m odes o f teaching, learning, and assessment; • educational institutions seeking to re­ vitalize or re-invent themselves to remain mar­ ketable, respected, and productive in the face o f com petition from the for-profit sector; • professional associations struggling with dem ographic, economic, an d occupational trends that threaten to dilute mission, reduce m embership, and minimize influence; • an increasingly complex and contentious legal and legislative environm ent in w hich principles and issues of access and privacy, of national security and personal liberty, of contract law and copyright law, of intellec­ tual property and intellectual freedom com ­ pete for advocacy, support, or protection; and • a technological environm ent of acceler­ ating developm ents and increasing sophisti­ cation, offering both great prom ise and some peril. A rich fabric of relationships binds together the diverse interests, needs, and aspirations of ACRL and its members. Their convergence has resulted in a complex, healthy associa­ tion that is creating and shaping these com ­ plex environments. The challenge: build capacity, unleash potential In this integrated, highly evolved system, what might be the needs and aspirations of the C&RL News ■ February 2002 / 127 association and its m em bers for the near fu­ ture? It is tem pting to cite our high-profile or high-value accomplishments, affiliations, and initiatives, to declare support for current ac­ tivities, and to try to predict the most signifi­ cant topics on the horizon. We can be proud of o ur principles or our accomplishments in the areas of information literacy, diversity, pub­ lic policy advocacy, scholarly communication, and leadership developm ent. H owever, as potential president of the association, I tend to approach its future agenda from a slightly broader, conceptual perspective, considering the context in which these individual initia­ tives emerge and the means by which we might continue to succeed. Such an approach will prepare us to act assertively wherever w e iden­ tify the greatest need and to respond effec­ tively to any challenge presented to us. My view o f our challenge? To perpetuate the current successes o f ACRL, to survive in an d to continually enrich the many zones of convergence in w hich academic and research librarians operate, w e n ee d to build our ca­ pacity and unleash our potential. The dynamics and power of membership We all share serious concerns about the m a­ turing o f our profession, eroding applicant pools, com petition from the non-library tech­ nology sectors, and evidence o f a declining interest in librarianship am ong high school and college students. W hat can w e reasonably hope to do about these conditions? In the absence o f any sig­ nal event that might stimulate general public interest in the roles and value of librarianship, perhaps w e can only expect m odest incre­ m ental gains in entrants to the profession. These gains are likely to result from individual, personal contacts, the influence of current li­ brarians o n potential ones. In this context, form er president Larry Hardesty’s efforts to prom ote job-shadow days am ong academic librarians and president-elect Spalding’s ef­ forts to recruit ALA Spectrum Scholars to ACRL are w orthy and necessary. We can look optimistically to the w ork of tw o n ew ALA special task forces o n librarian status and salary to make o ur profession more visible and respected an d our salaries more attractive. Imaginative joint degree programs betw een our accredited library and informa- My view of our challenge? To perpetuate the current successes of ACRL, to survive in and to continually enrich the many zones of convergence in which academic and research librarians operate, we need to build our capacity and unleash our potential. tion schools and other graduate programs in those institutions might draw individuals with strong academic credentials and orientation to our professional ranks. More am bitious internships and field experiences among those programs and the w ide variety o f academic libraries in their geographic regions could convince new graduates to pursue the rewards of applying their skills in the evolving aca­ dem ic library setting. O u r o w n asso ciatio n m em b ersh ip , al­ though large, has not grown appreciably over the past decade, fluctuating in cycles linked to our national conferences. We n eed to work w ith ALA in its investigation o f alternative m odels o f m em bership an d benefits. Many o f our colleagues have found a primary pro­ fessional hom e in other associations or other ALA divisions. We n ee d to explore creative and persuasive m ethods to bring those librar­ ians, their experience and their interests, to ACRL through a shared and mutually benefi­ cial relationship with those other ALA divi­ sions. New m em bers help build our capacity for action, and ACRL can help those librar­ ians develop and unleash their potential. If w e ’re successful in increasing the num ­ b er an d diversity of ACRL personal members, w e must make additional efforts to keep them. We’ll be successful in retaining mem bers if w e consistently deliver top-quality program ­ ming and publications they can’t get anywhere else, provide exceptionally cordial and re­ w arding experiences w orking w ith associa­ tion colleagues, and offer multiple o pportu­ nities for them to flourish by living out their professional potential. O ur publication p ro ­ gram must integrate with our educational pro­ gramming and professional developm ent ef­ forts, encom passing print, audio, video, elec­ 12 8 / C&RL News ■ February 2002 tronic, W eb-based, an d video-teleconferenc- ing. O ur organization, governance, an d com ­ m unications structures m ust maxim ize p ro ­ ductive an d rew arding opportunities for ev­ ery m em ber to contribute to, an d to benefit from, th e w o rk o f th e association. A larg e, d e d ic a te d , a n d ta le n te d m e m ­ b e rs h ip n e e d s fin an cial re s o u rc e s to re a l­ ize its h ig h e st as p ira tio n s . As a fiv e-y ear v e te ra n o f th e ACRL B u d g e t a n d F in an c e C o m m ittee, I h a v e h a d m o re o p p o rtu n ity th a n m o st m e m b ers to u n d e r s ta n d a n d to p la n fo r th e a s s o c ia tio n ’s fiscal c o n d itio n . ACRL is fo rtu n a te to o p e r a te fro m a p o s i­ tio n o f fin an c ial stren g th . M oney is o u r m e an s, n o t o u r en d ; w e m u st b e carefu l th a t w e d o n ’t m e re ly sit o n o u r assets. We c a n b u ild a n d m a in ta in a lo n g -te rm in v e st­ m e n t a c c o u n t su b sta n tia l e n o u g h to p r o ­ vide security for th e association in th e ev en t o f an em erg en c y . We c a n also d e v e lo p a s c h e d u le fo r w ith d ra w in g a p o rtio n o f th e lo n g -te rm in v e stm e n t p r o c e e d s to u se fo r asso c ia tio n in itiativ es o r o th e r p u rp o s e s . At th e sam e tim e, w e m u st also lo o k closely an d creatively at categ o ries o f m em bership, benefits, an d dues to en su re w e can fund regular association services an d activities from regular association revenues. A place to flourish Even as w e celebrate o u r active com m itm ent to the im portant them es th at have character­ ized ACRL, w e n e e d to think an d act b ey o n d them in order to integrate them even more powerfully for the perpetuation o f a strong association. W e should look tow ard an ecol­ ogy of academic and research librarianship in w hich those them es an d principles have b een wholly absorbed by o ur policies an d our prac­ tices, have becom e an inherent expression of o u r ethos. There should b e at least o n e place w here academic an d research librarians can turn to engage the important issues o f the day, to develop their expertise, an d to contribute to a rich and dynamic professional environment. That place should be ACRL. This is th e perspective I will bring to the position o f ACRL’s vice-p resid en t/p resid en t­ elect. ■ University of Oklahoma Libraries presents Electronic Resources and Collection Development March 7-8, 2002 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Speakers: Jay Jordan • Online Computer Library Center, Inc. Jennifer A. Younger • University Libraries of Notre Dame Barbara McFadden Allen • Committee on Institutional Cooperation Dennis Dillon • University of Texas at Austin Anne Marie Casey • Central Michigan University William J. Crowe • University of Kansas Mary E. Jackson • Association of Research Libraries Sarah E. Thomas • Cornell University Library Kevin Guthrie • JSTO R New York REGISTRATION DEADLINE: February 22, 2002 http://libraries.ou.edu/general/conf/2002/index.asp Contact for Information: Donald C.Hudson, University of Oklahomal Libraries, Norman, OK 73019-6030 Phone: 405-325-2611 http://libraries.ou.edu/general/conf/2002/index.asp