march08b.indd


Vote
yes
to
approve
changes
to


ACRL
bylaws

by the ACRL Board of Directors 

This spring there will be two important bylaws changes on the ACRL ballot: 
the first concerns creating “Communities 
of Practice” and the second addresses 
editorial/procedural changes designed to 
increase organizational effi ciency. 

Finding a “home” in ACRL 
Your feedback in recent surveys and focus 
groups has emphasized the need for more 
avenues for networking and discussion of 
issues related to your areas of interest. To 
meet that need, the ACRL Board is propos­
ing the creation of interest groups. These 
groups will be complements to discussion 
groups and sections under the umbrella 
term “Communities of Practice.” Interest 
groups are designed to be fl uid, fl exible, 
and easily formed and easily disbanded in 
response to environmental needs. 

The goal is to provide a more fl exible 
and dynamic system for members to form 
groups focused on important emerging 
issues and to increase opportunities for 
involvement within our organization. 

In the most recent membership survey, 
some members said that finding an ACRL 
group that aligns with their current needs 
can be challenging. Despite being able 
to select two sections without additional 
charge as part of ACRL’s annual dues, 
nearly 12 percent of ACRL members do not 
belong to any section. Of those who are 
currently members of sections and discus­
sion groups, 63 percent expressed interest 
in being more actively engaged with ACRL. 
Interest groups will provide leadership 
opportunities for more members, while 

offering another entry point for ACRL 
members who are seeking a good match 
for their interests. For example, members 
have expressed interest in ACRL supporting 
groups that would focus on management of 
digital resources, technology issues, sup­
port staff, libraries in for­profit schools, and 
technical services. The creation of interest 
groups would provide more opportunity 
for academic and research librarians to fi nd 
a home within ACRL and connect with col­
leagues around issues of mutual interest. 

The new groups can be formed simply 
by submitting a petition with 25 ACRL 
member signatures to the Board for ap­
proval. The Board will review all petitions 
to ensure that proposed interest groups 
do not duplicate existing groups. Interest 
groups will be reviewed every three years 
to ensure that each group remains active 
and relevant. Interest groups will be gov­
erned by a steering committee consisting 
of a convener, incoming convener, and 
past convener. Each interest group will 
determine the mechanism for selecting its 
conveners. 

The work of an interest group can be 
accomplished virtually and in face­to­face 
meetings at ALA Midwinter and Annual 
Conference, although attendance at ALA 
conferences will not be a requirement 
for participation. Electronic newsletters, 
discussion lists, online communities, and 
other electronic communications will be 
supported by ACRL. We want to create 
engagement opportunities for members 
who cannot travel long distances to con­
ferences. 

170C&RL News March 2008



A letter from ACRL President Julie Todaro 
January 27, 2008 

Dear ACRL members: 
We want ACRL to be an inclusive and 

dynamic association. We are excited and 
eager to open more doors, put out more 
welcome mats, and embrace the changing 
needs of the profession. To this end, we 
have been reaching out to the member­
ship in a number of ways that include 
—as you may remember—surveys and 
focus groups. 

We received some excellent feedback, 
and the following proposals address 
member feedback from these recent sur­
vey and focus group assessments. From 
this data, we understand that you want 
to find a “home” in ACRL, that you seek 
ways to easily get involved, and that you 
desire opportunities to add new groups 
that better address your interests. 

To achieve this, the ACRL Board of Di­
rectors is presenting a proposal to change 
the bylaws to allow the creation of inter­
est groups as complements to discussion 
groups and sections, under the umbrella 
term “Communities of Practice.” The goal 
is to provide a more flexible and agile 
system for members to form groups built 
around important emerging issues and to 
increase opportunities for involvement 
within our organization. 

I urge you to support the bylaws 
changes on the ballot this spring and 
let me explain these groups with a little 
more detail. 

Interest groups are intended to be 
very fluid and flexible. They could form 
easily and disband quickly in response 
to environmental changes. (Details about 
Interest Groups may be found at www. 
ala.org/ala/acrl/aboutacrl/election.cfm.) 
For these same reasons, many other ALA 
Divisions offer interest groups as a part 
of their division structure, including LITA, 
ALCTS, and LAMA. I urge you to embrace 
these changes and vote “yes.” 

The other important issue on the ballot 
includes numerous procedural and edito­
rial changes to the ACRL bylaws, which 
will increase organizational effi ciency and 
agility. For example, the change for Article 
V eliminates the responsibility of the imme­
diate past resident to serve on all ACRL edi­
torial boards. This level of specificity is best 
left to a policies and procedures document 
rather than being required by the bylaws. 
There may be other venues where the past 
president’s time and energy are needed as 
determined by the ACRL Board. Removing 
this requirement will enable ACRL to more 
efficiently deploy officers where they are 
needed at a given time. 

For more detailed information on the 
Bylaws changes in 2008, please visit www. 
ala.org/ala/acrl/aboutacrl/election.cfm. 

Your support of these changes will 
expand your opportunities to engage with 
your colleagues through ACRL . 

Sincerely, 
Julie Todaro 
ACRL President 

Increasing organizational efficiency 
The second bylaws issue on the ballot 
is a series of procedural and editorial 
changes to the ACRL bylaws to increase 
organizational efficiency and agility. For 
example, a change in Article VII elimi­
nates the requirement that the Budget 
and Finance Committee Chair have prior 

experience on the committee, thus open­
ing that Board position to members who 
have demonstrated their leadership and 
competence in other areas of ACRL. 

We urge you to vote “yes” on these 
changes so that ACRL can offer more op­
portunities for member engagement and 
enhanced organizational efficiency. 

March 2008  171 C&RL News