ACQNET v2n071 (July 28, 1992) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/acqnet/acq-v2n071 ISSN: 1057-5308 *************** ACQNET, Vol. 2, No. 71, July 28, 1992 ===================================== (1) FROM: Christian Boissonnas SUBJECT: ALCTS organization (175 lines) (1) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: July 28, 1992 From: Christian Boissonnas Subject: ALCTS organization Soon after the birth of ACQNET we debated the creation of the Acquisitions of Library Materials Section (ALMS) and other ALCTS organizational issues (see the back file ALCTSSTR.POS for the postings dealing with those debates.) I now have an exchange of letters dealing with the work of the current ALCTS Organi- zational Structure Task Force. I will publish these in the next issue (ACQNET 2:72.) So that we all know what these people are talking about, here is the text of the relevant document from ALCTS. Any errors in transcription are mine and I hereby apologize for them. ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ALCTS BOARD DOCUMENT 92.62 ALCTS ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE TASK FORCE SUMMARY OF WORK TO DATE The ALCTS Organizational Structure Task Force held an initial hearing at the 1992 Midwinter Meeting in San Antonio. Nearly 70 interested Association members attended and voiced their thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the Association. The Task Force members decided that before proceeding further, it was necessary to develop a vision and mission for the ALCTS of the 21st century. At a two day retreat held in Columbus, Ohio in April, the Task Force and the current President and President-elect engaged in a productive visioning exercise. This included identifying member needs, association strengths and weaknesses, external trends affecting ALCTS, and strategic issues. What emerged was the following vision and mission statements and conceptual organizational structure. ALCTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY (Vision Statement) We, in ALCTS, envision a world in which the complete spectrum of information is available to everyone in libraries, at home, and at work. In this world, librarians, creators, disseminators, and users of information will work collaboratively to achieve this vision. The role of ALCTS members in bringing about this vision is to utilize their special skills and training to organize, provide access to, and preserve information in all forms. ALCTS MISSIONS STATEMENT ALCTS provides its members, other ALA divisions and members, and the library and information community with a forum for discussion, research and development, opportunities for learning, and a program for action on the identification, acquisition, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information in a dynamic, collaborative environment. To achieve this mission, ALCTS has the following organizational goals: * To develop, support, and monitor standards to meet library and information needs. * To provide continuing education for librarians and library practitioners in a dynamic, technological environment. * To provide information exchange opportunities for its members. * To provide opportunities for member participation through research and publications and professional growth. * To promote the library and information science role in an information society. * To manage the association effectively and efficiently. PROPOSED ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE An Initial Outline We see an essentially flat organization chart that minimizes committees that are purely bureaucratic in nature and increases the opportunities for members to participate in productive and substantive professional activities. The current sections and the bureaucratic committees that facilitate section operations would cease to exist. The substantive work of the sections would be carried out through the structure proposed below. This structure is still in a formative stage and the purpose of the hearing and other meetings scheduled is to obtain feedback on this conceptual proposal. PROPOSED ORGANIZATION Executive Board =============== : ----------------------------------------------------- : : : : Standing Joint Task Focus Committees Committees Forces Groups 1. Executive Board or Council Composition: Elected by Association Members. Purpose: Manage the Association; Coordinate Activities of Committees, Joint Committees, Task Forces, Editorial Boards, Focus Groups. 2. Standing Committees Composition: Standing Committees are created by the Executive Board; committee appointments are made at the Executive Board level. Purpose: Standing Committees primarily involve the "management" of the association and might include such things as: Strategic Visions Committee Budget Committee Publications Committee Conference Program Coordinating Committee Continuing Education Committee Standards Coordinating Committee etc.......... 3. Joint Committees Composition: Joint Committees are appointed by the Executive Board level and are created through cooperative actions on the part of ALCTS and other associations both within and outside of ALA. Purpose: Joint Committees typically are involved with all types of activities from the preparation of programs to the creation or monitoring of standards. These include such groups as: AAP-ALCTS Joint Committee Atkinson Memorial Award Committee (ACRL/ALCTS/LAMA/LITA) Council of Regional Groups (Elected as before) MARBI etc...... 4. Task Forces/Editorial Boards Composition: Appointed at the Executive Board level. Purpose: To create a specific product and would include such things as: Editorial Boards Conference Program Planning Awards Selection Committees Standards Review/Preparation Committees Institute Planning Committees Publications Preparation etc...... 5. Focus/Study Groups: Composition: Anyone who wants to attend. Purpose: Focus/Study Groups are created to provide members with opportunities to discuss and/or focus on issues of concern. Includes all current discussion groups plus a great many of the existing committees that don't fit any of the above categories and that don't involve the management of current section business. Members could petition the Board to establish such groups or the Board could initiate them. Focus/Study Groups would include: Collection Development and Electronic Media Study Group Copy Cataloging Focus Group (Now CCS discussion group) Chief Collection Development Officers of... Focus Group etc....... ******* END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol. 2, No. 71 ****** END OF FILE *******