General Membership Meeting Minutes - 2008 Annual

From WESSWeb

Jump to: navigation, search

WESSWeb > WESS Discussion Groups > General Membership Discussion Group > 2008 Annual Minutes


Monday, June 30, 2008 8:00-10:00 am, Anaheim Hilton, Palisades Room

Attending

Gordon Anderson (Univ. of Minnesota), Eileen Bentsen (Baylor Univ.), Laura Dale Bischof (Univ. of Minnesota), Paula Carns (University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign), Paloma Celis Carbajal (University of Wisconsin, Madison), Daisy Cheng (Univ. of Mississippi), Brigitte Doellgast (Goethe-Institut), Michelle Emanuel (Univ. of Mississippi), Adán Griego (Stanford Univ.), Dick Hacken (Brigham Young), Dan Hazen (Harvard Univ.), Sarah How (Cornell), Tom Izbicki (Rutgers), David Lincove (Ohio State Univ.), Thea Lindquist (Univ. of Colorado, Boulder), Dora Loh (UCLA), Beverly P. Lynch (UCLA), Colin McCaffrey (Washington Univ.), Heidi Madden (Duke), Rebecca R. Malek-Wiley (Tulane Univ.), Jon Marner (Texas A&M), Timothy Shipe (Univ. of Iowa), Bryan Skib (Univ. of Michigan), Jeff Staiger (Univ. of Oregon), Caroline Szylowicz (Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Paul Vermouth (Harvard College Library), Brian Vetruba (Washington Univ.), Kizer Walker (Cornell Univ.) Sarah Wenzel (Univ. of Chicago), Lisa Wettleson (Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison)


Minutes

Jon Marner, Member-at-Large, convened the meeting at 8:05 a.m.


GENERAL REPORTS


1. Introduction of attendees and officers

Attendees introduced themselves and signed an attendance sheet. WESS officers were pointed out.


2. Coutts-Nijhoff Award (Skib)

Skib noted the longstanding support by Coutts-Nijhoff for travel research grants to by Western European specialists. The Coutts-Nijhoff Award selection committee encourages WESS members to turn in applications at any time. Skib acknowledged the work of the selection committee.

Michelle Emanuel (Univ. of Mississippi) received this year’s award. She was presented with a check by Coutts-Nijhoff for $ 3,000. Emanuel will be surveying major film libraries in the Paris region in order to analyze and evaluate the collections and services provided to visiting scholars.


3. Acknowledgment of retiring WESS members (Skib, Wenzel)

Skib and Wenzel read the tributes from WESS Executive Committee for Barbara Walden (Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison) and Stephen Lehmann (Univ. of Pennsylvania) which were sent to their respective institutions on behalf of WESS members.


4. Report from the Chair (Sarah Wenzel)

A. ACRL National Conference will be held March 12-15, 2009. There’s still time to submit proposals for poster session and roundtable discussions. See: http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlevents/seattle/seattle.cfm


B. ACRL has approved the formation of interest groups which are to focus on topic and interest which may not fall under one particular section. See also: http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/aboutacrl/whatisacrl/intgrpfaq.cfm


C. Changes to By-laws

By-laws for sections, which required a sections-wide vote of any changes, will no longer be required by ACRL. The Publications Committee will be changing WESS’ current by-laws into “policies and procedures” which can be modified through a vote of the WESS Executive Committee.


D. No endorsements of or statements about political candidates

Due to ALA’s 501(3) c status as a non-profit, members are reminded that they should refrain from endorsing or speaking about any political candidates at ALA-sponsored sessions or in ALA-sponsored email discussions. Discussions about political issues are allowed. A statement about this will be distributed to the WESS listservs.


E. Collaborative Initiative for French and North American Libraries (CIFNAL)

Previously, an ad-hoc committee of WESS, CIFNAL is now officially part of the Center for Research Libraries’ Global Resources Network. CIFNAL will be holding a conference in Montreal before the IFLA conference in Quebec City. http://www.crl.edu/grn/cifnal/index.asp


F. WESS Directory

Members are reminded to update changes or add contact info to entries on the WESS directory on the WESSWeb Wiki: http://wess.lib.byu.edu/index.php/WESS_Membership_Directory


G. WESS Newsletter

The deadline for the next issue of the newsletter is coming up in August. Contributions are encouraged. Two members have taken on editing responsibilities: Jeff Staiger (Univ. of Oregon) as general editor; Jerry Heverly (NYU) as features editor.


H. Thank our sponsors

Members are encouraged to thank our financial sponsor on the exhibit floor.


I. Action Plan 2010

Sarah How, incoming Vice-Chair/Chair Elect, will be submitting a plan to ACRL for scholarships or stipends for European librarians to attend the WESS 2010 International Conference in Spain and for American librarians with 5 years or less of professional experience to travel and present at the International Conference.


J. Extra-funds for travel

WESS may have extra funds available which can be used for a travel grant to a WESS member. It probably only will be a few hundred dollars. The money will need to be spent before Sept. 1, 2008. Preference will be given to members who have never received grants or funding previously from WESS.


DISCUSSION GROUP REPORTS


1. Cataloging (Cason Snow, convener)

Caroline Szylowicz reported. Cataloging and Romance had a join meeting. Marsha Reed from the research library of the Getty Institute provided an overview of their collections. Reed also posed some questions to the attendees, specifically about approval plans.

Attendance: 25

There was a call for volunteers for conveners for Cataloging and Romance Languages DG.


2. Classical, Mediaeval & Renaissance (Paula Carns)

Topic was library instruction with ten-minute presentations by four librarians on government documents, Lady Chimene and Medieval Illuminations, Libguides for history and medieval studies, and Wikipedia vs. the Oxford Classical Dictionary.

More info with links to the libguides at: http://wess.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Classical%2C_Medieval_and_Renaissance_Discussion_Group_Minutes_-_2008_Annual

Attendance: 22

Colin McCaffrey (Washington University in St. Louis) will be taking over as convener.


3. College & Medium-sized Libraries (Michelle Emanuel)

With low attendance over the past years, discussion centered on what a medium-sized library is and whether this group should be disbanded or not. There is a Medium-Size libraries discussion group in the College Libraries section. See: http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/aboutacrl/acrlsections/collegelibraries/collprogdisc/discussiongroups.cfm

Attendance: 3


4. Germanists (Kizer Walker)

Focus of the session was on publishing and publishing initiatives in Germany. Margo Bargheer and Dr. Birgit Schmidt from Göttingen University Press, Göttingen State and University Library provided a prerecorded slide presentation on university presses in Germany and their close relationships to the university library. Michael Seadle, Director, Berlin School of Library and Information Science, Humboldt University in Berlin talked about publishing efforts with regard to electronic theses and dissertations. Knut Dorn and Regina Lichti from Harrassowitz gave an informal presentation on the changing landscape of publishing in Germany.

Minutes: http://wess.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Germanists_Discussion_Group_Minutes%2C_Annual_2008_%28Anaheim%29

5. MLA Task Force (Shawn Martin)

Sarah Wenzel reported. ALA has begun appointing official liaisons to learned societies. Liaisons will receive $1500 for liaison-related expenses.

Due to this initiative, WESS and LES formed a joint task force to investigate establishing a formal relationship with the Modern Languages Association (MLA). The task force has not met.

Interest has also been expressed in the MLA International Bibliography Discussion Group (ACRL) for establishing a formal body relating to libraries within MLA. See: http://www.lib.washington.edu/MLAIBDG/ and the Anaheim minutes in particular: http://www.lib.washington.edu/MLAIBDG/minutes/a08.html


6. Romance Languages (Caroline Szylowicz)

See Cataloging DG report.


7. Scandinavian (Anna Sveinbjornsson)

Did not meet in Anaheim.


8. Social Sciences & History (Gordon Anderson)

Discussion centered on Reference Reviews Europe and how Reference Reviews Europe Annual (RREA) and the online version Reference Reviews Europe Online (RREO) should continue since Informationsmittel (IFB), the source for German-language reviews will most likely soon cease.

Conclusions:

  • Publish the reviews and abstracts online as soon as possible.
  • Continue to publish a later print version.
  • Expand the original review section.

Attendance: 14

Minutes: http://wess.lib.byu.edu/index.php/SSH_Minutes_2008_Annual


9. Special Topics (Louis Reith)

Had no attendees.


COMMITTEE REPORTS


1. Fundraising (Tom Izbicki)

Izbicki noted the vendor sponsors of WESS social events.

Some extra money may be available to travel stipends of WESS members [See also: Notes from the Chair, point J].

The WESS International Conference in 2010 will be the priority for the next two years. An action plan for 2010 will be submitted to ACRL to fund travel of newer US librarians and European librarians to attend the International Conference [See also: Notes from the Chair, point I].


2. Membership (Paula Carns)
Membership: There has been a six percent decrease in WESS membership from 2007 to 2008 (639 members in 2007; 593 in 2008). Much of this decrease can be attributed to a decrease in corporate members. Eight new members have joined WESS in 2008.

Reception/Cruise/Happy Hour: The reception at Annual 2008 was held at the Disneyland Hotel. Attendance decreased from last year with only 65 attendees The Committee had budgeted for 100 attendees, but additional funds from vendors covered the shortage.

Membership will again organize a Friday happy hour (open bar) at Midwinter.

Membership will look into various options including a lake cruise or an architectural canal tour for Annual 2009. The Committee will also take the section’s priorities (i.e. International Conference) into consideration with budgeting.

Buddy Program: The program of matching up new WESS members with members of the Membership Committee has met with some success and it was decided to continue this. A long-term mentoring program was felt too to be too laborious.


3. Nominating Committee (Rebecca R. Malek-Wiley)

On behalf of the Committee and WESS members, Malek-Wiley thanked all candidates who ran in the 2008 election. The following members were elected: Sarah How as Vice Chair/Chair Elect; Brian Vetruba as Secretary; and Anne Oechtering as Member-at-Large. Malek-Wiley also thanked WESS members for the high voter participation: 35 percent. Lastly, Malek-Wiley thanked the other members of the Nominating Committee.


4. Program Planning: 2009 (Gordon Anderson)

The working title for the 2009 program is “Situating Area-Studies Librarianship in a Globalised World: New Directions, New Collections”. The planning committee is looking at inviting two academics and one librarian to participate on a panel.

Committee Minutes from Annual 2008: http://wess.lib.byu.edu/index.php/2009_Conference_Planning_Minutes_for_2008_Annual_Conference%2C_Anaheim


5. Program Planning: International Conference, 2010 (Adán Griego)

Griego reported on progress in planning for the International Conference in Madrid, Spain. Griego met with a number of Spanish officials, all of whom have verbally promised support in the form of providing a venue and/or hosting a coffee or cocktail reception. A coffee break at the Prado Museum was discussed. Griego passed around a Google map noting locations of institutions and hotels. Griego also noted that Spanish librarians were also interested in possible professional internships in the US and was hoping WESS could act as a clearinghouse.

Conference dates in either March or end of May were discussed. March is generally favored since this would not conflict with ACRL’s preparation for Annual in June. The working theme of the conference is “convergences of identities”. The focus should be European-wide and general about librarianship. Poster sessions were suggested as one way of attracting newer librarians to participate.

At the ACRL Board meeting, ACRL asked for the following from WESS and the Planning Committee: a survey of WESS members’ interest in attending, letters of support from Spanish institutions, a detailed contract with the hotel, and a promotional plan.


6. Publications + WESSWeb Editors (Shawn Martin, Dick Hacken)

Dick Hacken reported.

A. WESS Newsletter The newsletter has two new co-editors: Jeff Staiger (Univ. of Oregon) as general editor, and Jerry Heverly (NYU) as features editor. The co-editors will determine the deadline for newsletter submissions. The deadline for the WESS flyer is Oct. 6. It was also noted that the newsletter is shorter now due to the fact that much of the information previously included is now on WESSWeb.

B. WESSWeb Wiki Transferring and wikifying the files from Dartmouth to WESSWeb Wiki has been a gradual process. All area studies pages, the Index Guide to Western Periodicals, and the WESS membership directory are all done. The archive page of the WESS newsletter has been wikified. If needed, contact Dick Hacken about passwords for the wiki. There was also discussion about redesigning the WESSWeb, especially the front page. The Committee decided to see if it would be possible to get professional or perhaps in-kind donations to fund a user study of the website and then a redesign of parts of it. A suggestion from the floor was made to look into submitting this as a project for ALA’s Emerging Leaders’ group.

C. WESSWeb domain The Committee decided to submit a resolution to WESS Executive to fund registration of a domain name for WESS: wessweb.info and to secure space at a neutral commercial server as opposed to at a university or college.

Hacken was thanked for his considerable help with wikifying WESSWeb pages and the newsletter issues in particular.

Committee Minutes from Annual 2008: http://wess.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Publications_Committee_Minutes_-_2008_Annual


7. Recruitment to the Profession (Brian Vetruba)

The public website for recruitment has been redesigned and transferred to WESSWeb: http://wess.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Academic_Librarianship_%26_Foreign_Languages_Recruitment_Page . The header, toolkit, and flyer still need to be updated and/or edited.

ACRL funding for WESS members to give recruitment presentations: ACRL will fund two WESS members to give recruitment presentations at learned societies. Presenters will receive $500 from ACRL and $100 from WESS. A selection sub-committee has been formed to vet applications. Details about the funding and how to apply will follow on WESS-L.

Recruitment will soon be launching a job shadowing initiative which would allow parties interested in academic librarianship to shadow a WESS member. See: http://wess.lib.byu.edu/index.php/WESS_Job_Shadowing_Program

There was also discussion about advertising our new public website and the job shadowing program to librarian-related groups and learned societies.

Committee Minutes: http://wess.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Recruitment_Committee_Minutes_-_2008_Annual


8. Research & Planning (Tim Shipe)
Two presentations were given: “After the Deluge: Long-Term Responses to Library Disasters with Some Lessons for the Future" by Mark Peterson which focused on library responses to flooding in Eastern Germany and the Czech Republic. Kathleen Smith presented “Madmen, Hypocrites, and Degenerates: Readers and Their Books in the Late-Eighteenth-Century German Novel.”


Respectfully submitted, Brian Vetruba, Acting WESS Secretary


WESSWeb > WESS Discussion Groups > General Membership Discussion Group > 2008 Annual Minutes

Retrieved from "http://wess.lib.byu.edu/index.php/General_Membership_Meeting_Minutes_-_2008_Annual"