sept05b.indd ACRL Board of Directors’ actions, June 2005 Highlights of the Board’s Annual Conference meetings During the 2005 ALA Annual Conference in on June 25 and 28 and took the following Chicago, the ACRL Board of Directors met actions. Strategic Area: Higher Education and Research Goal Area: Learning—ACRL and its members are recognized as collaborative leaders in teaching lifelong learning skills, improving techniques for assessing learning outcomes, and in creating environments for discovery. Approved a revision to the criteria and Approved the curriculum and proposal description of the Instruction Section Innova­ for an ACRL Immersion “Track 3” concept tion Award to promote a broader defi nition (Professional Renewal Track). of information literacy instruction. Goal Area: Scholarship—ACRL and its members are recognized as authorities on knowledge man­ agement, and the creation, collection, preservation, access, and exchange of information. Approved the “Guidelines for university library services to undergraduate students,” which supercedes “The mission of a univer­ sity undergraduate library: Model statement” (1987) and “Guidelines for university under­ graduate libraries” (1997). Rescinded the “Guidelines for branch libraries in colleges and universities,” which was superceded by the “Standards for libraries in higher education” approved in 2004. Approved a declaration encouraging institutions to explore sister libraries partner­ ships, to build relationships with libraries in other cultures that can help us learn, understand, and better serve our own com­ munities. Goal Area: Advocacy—ACRL has greater infl uence on the higher education and research en­ vironment. Ap pr o v ed th e “in n am e o nly” co­ sponsorship by ACRL’s Law and Political Sci­ ence Section of the Undergraduate Education Committee’s reception at the Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association. Approved a number of policies for the Council of Liaisons, including a revised charge, core purpose, process for identify­ ing organizations with which to establish a liaison relationship and criteria for selecting organizations, and criteria to be used for selecting individuals to serve as a liaison on behalf of ACRL at organizations identifi ed by the Council of Liaisons and approved by the Board. Approved the creation of an ACRL blog, to be overseen by a separate Blog Advi­ sory Board chaired by the blog coordinator. September 2005 581 C&RL News ACRL Board 2004–05 (l to r): (back) Mary Ellen Davis, Nancy Allen, Rita Jones, Pamela Snelson, Dorothy Ann Washington, Susan Allen, W. Bede Mitchell, Patricia A. Kreitz, Lynne King; (front) Elaine K. Didier, Camila Alire, Frances Maloy, Tyrone Cannon. Not shown: Lori A. Goetsch. Approved a 2007 Best Practices in Mar­ identification of a sponsor. keting @ your library award, pending the Strategic Area: The Profession Endorsed a REFORMA resolution in sup­ The Board further instructed that the resolu­ port of immigrants’ rights to free public library tion be forwarded to the ACRL Advocacy access and instructed the ACRL Councilor to Coordinating Committee so that it may be share that endorsement with the ALA Council. added to the ACRL advocacy agenda. Goal Area: Continuous Learning—ACRL Goal provides continuous learning opportunities en­ abling members to strengthen their effectiveness and achieve recognition as valued contributors to their academic and research communities. Approved ACRL’s cosponsorship of the 6th Living the Future Conference, to be held April 6­8, 2006, in Tucson, Arizona. Appr oved workshop pr oposals for “Assessment in Academic Libraries: Using the ACRL Standards for Continuous Evalua­ tion,” “Thinking Outside the Library: Build­ ing Collaborative Partnerships with Student Services,” “Assessing Information Literacy Learning Outcomes,” and “Strategic Market­ ing for Academic Librarians” for presenta­ tion January 20, 2006, at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Approved preconference proposals for “Assessment and Beyond: Starting It Off, Pull­ ing It All Together, and Making Decisions”; “Tak­ ing Your Library Liaison Program to the Next Level: Strategies for Outreach and Integration”; and “Federated Search: How Do We Teach It?” for presentation June 23, 2006, at the ALA An­ nual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Approved a two­day virtual conference, to be offered in spring 2006. Approved 23 conference programs for the 2006 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. C&RL News September 2005 582 Approved ACRL’s co­sponsorship with the Scholarly Communications Institute, to be the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) of held for the first time in summer 2006. Goal Area: Leadership—ACRL members achieve recognition as leaders and advocates for academic and research libraries. Approved a revision to the “Guidelines for academic librarians.” the appointment, promotion and tenure of Goal Area: Information Technology—Academic and research librarians are leaders in using information and academic technologies to create and manage information resources and to deliver library and information services. Approved the establishment of the Information Commons Discussion Group. Strategic Area: The Association Goal Area: Membership—ACRL’s membership growth builds on retaining core membership while recruiting from new and diverse communities. Approved a revised mission statement and goals for Chapters Council. Goal Area: Sustainability—ACRL will have the fiscal resources, staff expertise, and organi­ zational structure to advance the association’s strategic plan. Approved the minutes of the ACRL Board of Directors 2005 Midwinter Meeting. Approved a revised composition for the Institute for Information Literacy Executive Committee. Approved a revision to chapter 8.4 of the ACRL Guide to Policies and Procedures to bring the policy regarding the schedul­ ing of meetings at times other than at ALA conferences in line with ALA policy. Approved a revised charge for the Budget and Finance Committee to include review of all ACRL revenues (including Friends of ACRL donations and the long­term in­ vestment fund) and expenses and to make recommendations as to how resources can best be allocated to support the strategic plan. Approved the dissolution of the Friends Fund Committee as a standing committee of the Board and moved its work to a subcom­ mittee of the Budget and Finance Commit­ tee. Current members of the Friends Fund Committee will be added to the Budget and Finance Committee as members of the Friends Subcommittee. Approved the transitions of the Professional Development Committee to a Profession­ al Development Coordinating Committee and of the Publications Committee to a Publications Coordinating Committee and established a new Advocacy Coordinating Committee. Note: As part of the current ACRL strategic planning process, the Board identified structural changes to the association intended to coor­ dinate the work of units throughout the organization, reduce duplicative efforts, and allow the organization to conduct work more quickly and effectively. One such change to the association’s structure is to link com­ mittees that have similar or related missions under the umbrella of a Coor­ September 2005 583 C&RL News ACRL Board 2005–06 (l to r): (back) Mary Ellen Davis, Nancy Allen, Rita Jones, Dorothy Ann Washington, W. Bede Mitchell, Elaine K. Didier, Lynne King; (front) Susan M. Kroll, Camila Alire, Frances Maloy, Pamela Snelson. Not shown: Janis M. Bandelin, Lori A. Goetsch, Karen Williams. dinating Committee. It is the intention Planning committees. The Publica­ of these actions to create Coordinat­ tion Coordinating Committee in­ ing Committees with organization­ cludes the Blog, C&RL, C&RL News, wide responsibilities to coordinate CHOICE, CLIP Notes, New Publi­ a broadly defined range of efforts cations, Publications in Libarian­ in each committee’s respective area ship, RBM, and Resources for Col- throughout ACRL and organize the lege Libraries editorial and advisory efforts into a coherent and effective­ boards. ly implemented set of programs and initiatives that more closely align Approved criteria for the appointment to the strategic plan. The Advocacy of Coordinating Committee chairs and members. Coordinating Committee includes the Copyright, Council of Liaisons, Approved the concept of a meeting time­ Government Relations, Intellectual slot for each Coordinating Committee to Freedom, International Relations, hold its meetings in conjunction with that Marketing Academic and Research of all of its component committees. Libraries, Standard and Accredita­ tion, and Status of Academic Librar­ Approved a revision to the name, charge, ians committees. The Professional and composition of the Leadership Re­ Development Coordinating Com­ cruitment and Nomination Committee mittee includes the ACRL/Harvard (formerly the Nominations Committee) Leadership Institute Advisory, Con­ to provide a framework for aligning the ference Program Planning, Effective leadership selection process with the stra­ Practices, and President’s Program tegic plan. C&RL News September 2005 584 Approved the recommendations of the Long­Term Investment (LTI) Fund Task Force, including: • Designate a specific sum for addition to the long­term invest­ ment fund, to be communicated to ALA, and consider actual transfer of that sum or a portion of that amount within the reality of both the current fiscal and future budgets and the near and long­ term strategic initiatives of the association. The task force rec­ ommends $100,000 as the minimal amount. Actual transfer of this sum or a lesser amount would be linked to the current fi nancial situation. • Since ALA policy requires a two­ year advance notification of sums to be transferred to the LTI, it is recom­ mended that the maximum amount possible always be shown in the bud­ get; the amount to transfer can always be reduced by a Board action at the Annual Conference as ALA makes the transfers at the end of the fi scal year (i.e., August). • A growth plan linked to an his­ torical milestone of the organization provides a framework for articulating a specific LTI target amount. Consid­ eration of the 75th anniversary as that historical marker should be reviewed. A targeted amount of $2 million is suggested • Continue spending interest earned from the general LTI fund on strategic initiatives as identifi ed by the ACRL Board. Returning funds to the operating budget to support current initiatives gives credence to its importance to members and the association. • Once the desired principal level ($2 million) is achieved, also spend 50 percent of the fi ve­year moving average of the appreciation of the LTI fund on strategic initiatives. Approved the FY 2006 budget. Approved guidelines for external com­ munication to guide the Executive Direc­ tor and President when they are asked to make official statements or send offi cial letters to external groups. Approved a policy stating that the Board will inform ACRL committees, sections, and chapters that are in full compliance with ACRL policies that they are eligible to submit strategic initiative action plans. Chapters are limited to submitting action plans address­ ing the ACRL strategic objectives in the goal area of membership: • Increase the number of academic and research librarian members. • Increase ACRL’s membership of underrepresented ethnic and racial academic and research librarians. • Increase the appeal of ACRL membership to broader communi­ ties. September 2005 585 C&RL News