Operations Manual (Download and Print Doc)

Updated: February 2008

Minnesota Library Association

Academic and Research Libraries Division (ARLD) - Executive Board

Table of Contents

SECTION	PAGE
Archives – coming soon!
Board meetings	2
Board members	2
Elected members	2
Chair
Chair-elect/program chair
Past Chair
Secretary
Members at large
Member communications
Volunteer members	2
General info
Web coordinator
Legislative liaison
Other positions
Communication with members	3
Elections	3
Events	4
MLA Annual Meeting
ARLD Day
Moderator Tasks
Other ARLD-sponsored events	5
Finances	6
Legislative activities	6
Minnesota Librarian of the Year Award	6
Description, Nomination, Eligibility criteria
Nomination Form – Appendix A	11
Timeline & Procedures – Appendix B	12
MLA staff support for ARLD	7
Relationship with ACRL	7
Volunteer Opportunities	7
Calendar	8
Appendix A – MN Librarian of the Year Nomination Form	11
Appendix B – MN Librarian of the Year Timeline & Procedures	12

 

Board Meetings

The ARLD Board generally meets monthly, except in the summer, when there are usually 1-2 meetings, as needed. Times are determined by the schedules of the Board members. The MLA office is traditionally the site, and there are various conference rooms available in the building. ITV and conference calls are possible, so that members do not always have to travel to the Twin Cities.

Board Members

Elected members

All 7 elected members work on programs and other groups as needed.

Elected members serve two-year terms, with the exception of the Chair-elect. The Chair-elect serves a three year term (first as Chair-elect, then Chair, then Past chair)

Chair-elect – Main MLA annual meeting program planner for ARLD, and a member of the MLA annual meeting program planning group.

Chair –

• Prepares agenda for and chairs ARLD Board meetings
• Sets up Board meeting dates for the year
• Convenes the annual ARLD business meeting at MLA
• Sits on the MLA Board
• Appoints people for Board vacancies, as needed
• Submits a proposed budget to the MLA office
• In the dual role as Chair of the Minnesota chapter of ACRL:
• Monitors ACRL Chapter Council listserv
• Attends Chapter Council at ALA Annual and Midwinter, or designates a sub
• Submits an annual report to the ACRL Office, usually in August

Past Chair – Chairs the ARLD Day planning workgroup

Secretary

• Takes minutes at Board meetings and business meeting
• Submits them for posting on the web, once approved.

Member Communications

• Takes the lead on sending announcements about ARLD and MLA events to members
• Works with program planners to design registration materials
• Once a year, gets a list of ACRL members living in Minnesota (or works with MLA office to do that), and makes sure they are on the ARLD mailing list
• Serves as the liaison or correspondent to the MLA newsletter
• May be asked to write up news to contribute to ACRL’s Chapter Topics e-newsletter

Members at large – volunteer for projects, as needed.

Volunteer members

Appointments are generally for 2 years, ending in December, although it may depend on the nature of the job or project.

Web person – Maintain the Web site, work with Member Communications person and MLA office, solicit feedback as needed.

Legislative liaison – Gather pertinent info on legislative matters from various sources and communicate to ARLD members. Serve on the MLA Legislative Committee.

Other appointed members may include:

• ARLD Dialogues chair
• @ Your Library training coordinator
• MEMO/MLA Info list collaborative representative
• MLA leadership Institute representative
• Legislative volunteers
• MLA membership/recruiting liaison
• Library student liaison
• Chairs of interest groups such as instruction or 2-year colleges

Communication

The Member Communication person is mainly in charge of keeping the membership informed via the listserv and other avenues, but all Board members, especially the Chair, Chair-elect, and Legislative Liaison, are encouraged to be involved in these activities.

The ARLD listserv is maintained out of the MLA office, and is used to get the word out about items such as:

            ARLD activities

            Legislative info

            News about local training

            Job openings

            MLA activities

            News from ACRL

Other listservs that may be utilized include:

            MLA

            WAAL (WI Assn of Academic Librarians)

            MINITEX

            CLIC

            Other organizations, such as SLA, ASIST, HSLM, student lists

The ARLD Brochure is periodically updated and sent via MINITEX to all academic libraries in the state. It contains info on activities, Board positions, and applications for membership.

The ARLD Web page is maintained by a volunteer who is appointed and serves on the Board. Like the listserv, it is maintained out of the MLA office, and includes background info as well as updates and registration info for upcoming events.

Elections

Each fall ARLD holds elections for three offices – chair-elect, one member at large, and either secretary or member communications, whichever has a term about to expire.

Each elected person serves for two years, with the exception of the Chair-elect, who serves three.

When vacancies come up during the year among the elected officials, there is little documentation in the bylaws about how exactly to handle it. Recently, the Board has done its best to fill vacancies by either having the Chair send out a call and appoint an interested member, or adding a short-term position on the next ballot. An example would be electing a member-at-large for 1 year to fill out the term of someone who has moved.

A Nominations committee of two people is pulled together in October, and it is often made up of Board members. The outgoing member at large and the past chair are likely recruits.

In recruiting candidates, it is ideal to have a mix based on geography and type of institution.

The MLA office sends out ballots and receives the completed ones.

Jul/Aug – Name a Nominations Committee

Sept – Recruit, announce vacancies at MLA

Oct – Nominations committee finalizes ballot

Nov – Hold election, with results tabulated by Nov 30

Dec – New Board members are invited to the December Board meeting

Events

Goals:

·         Encourage member involvement:

·         Suggesting topics, proposing talks and posters, presenting

·         Plan programs that draw members and non-members to the meeting

·         Provide programs of interest to academic and non-academic librarians

MLA Annual Meeting

The Chair-elect serves as the main ARLD program planner for this event, and is a member of the MLA program planning group, which meets several times in the winter and spring.

Timeline:

Nov/Dec            Review previous ideas, plan how to get input from members

Jan                   First meeting of the MLA program planning group

                        Identify areas of interest to suggest to members

                        First call for program ideas/proposals

Feb                   Second call for program ideas/proposals

                        Deadline for proposals (including preferred day/time for ARLD business meeting)

Mar                   Rank proposals and decide which to send forward

                        Recruit or plan additional programs, if needed

                        Proposals due to MLA

April                 MLA committee selects programs

                        Notify submitters

                        Arrange to co-sponsor programs, when appropriate

May                  Listserv message about dates and ARLD-sponsored programs

                        Request equipment needs from presenters

June                 Final program info due to MLA

Jul/Aug Set session moderators (usually Board members)

                        Publicize program to ARLD members

                        Plan the business meeting

                        Correspond with speakers

                        Prepare evaluation forms

Sept                  Send e-mail reminder just before early registration deadline

                        MLA ANNUAL MEETING (sometimes in early October)

                        Send thank you to each presenter (usually done by moderator)

Oct                   Summarize evaluations (moderators often do their sessions)

                        Debrief

                        Prepare list of future ideas

Moderator Tasks:

o        Correspond with speaker before the meeting, obtain and prepare bio/intro

o        Arrive early to ensure room is properly set up and greet speaker(s)

o        Make sure technical connections are working and find assistance if necessary

o        Introduce speaker(s)

o        Keep the speakers to the time limits

o        Moderate the question and answer session at the end of the presentation

o        Hand out and collect evaluations

o        Tabulate evaluations

o        Write Thank You note to speakers

ARLD Day

Past Chair usually serves as the chair of this event.

Sometimes students are offered reduced or free admission for volunteering to work at registration, serve as tech support, or other volunteer tasks. Often music is included as part of the program, during registration or an early break.

Timeline:

Jul/Aug Arrange venue

Oct                   Review previous ideas, pick a theme

Nov/Dec            First call for program ideas/participants/posters

                        Contact outside speakers, if any

Jan                   Second call for program ideas/participants/posters

                        Set Board subcommittees – posters, food, entertainment, etc.

Feb                   Deadline for posters

                        Publicize program

Mar                   Registration begins

                        Prepare evaluation forms

                        Ask presenters about equipment needs

April                 Registration closes – about 10 days beforehand

                        ARLD Day – often the final Friday in April                

May                  Send thank you note to each presenter

                        Summarize evaluations

                        Debrief

                        Prepare list of future ideas

Other ARLD-sponsored events

• ARLD Dialogues

ARLD Dialogues are informal lunchtime gatherings around the state that focus on issues of interest to librarians interested in instruction.

The agenda usually includes introductions, a short talk on an instruction-related topic, and discussion about that topic or any others that interest the group. They usually happen over lunch, with MLA subsidizing part of the lunch.

Any ARLD member may host a dialogue. Details to work out include finding a room, figuring out the parking situation, and deciding how to order box lunches. ARLD will pay for the lunches.

Sponsors can work with a Board member to find a speaker, announce the session, and take RSVPs, or take care of those details by themselves. The MLA office can write checks for the lunches, take registration, and take care of other details as needed.

A group size of 16 or less seems to work out well.

• Luncheons with visiting ACRL or ALA officers

• Interest groups

Finances

ARLD has no budget responsibilities of its own. Each year in the late summer or fall, the Chair submits a proposed budget to the MLA office, noting possible costs for the MLA annual meeting, ARLD Day, and any other events, such as the ARLD Dialogues.

Events are expected to either break even, or bring in money, which goes to MLA. At any event, the cost should be less for MLA members than for others, although no set amount is specified.

There may be a small amount of money that comes to ARLD from ACRL, based on our number of members, and it must be used for very specific purposes. The ACRL office will send notices about this, as well as any special opportunities.

Legislative activities

ARLD members can participate in MLA/MEMO legislative events in several ways. MLA/MEMO Legislative Day happens in February or March depending on the start of the legislative session. Legislative Day offers librarians a chance to meet with state representatives and state senators to talk about library issues. The MLA/MEMO Legislative Forum occurs in June or July. The Forum begins the process of creating the MLA/MEMO Legislative Platform for the following legislative session. This platform is presented to the membership at the MLA Annual Conference.

Minnesota Academic Librarian of the Year Award

The Minnesota Academic Librarian of the Year Award was established in 2006 by the Academic & Research Libraries Division (ARLD) of the Minnesota Library Association (MLA).  ARLD is the Minnesota chapter of the national Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association. 

Award

This award recognizes an academic librarian who has made an outstanding contribution to academic libraries or librarianship in Minnesota.

Recognition of Award

The recipient of the Minnesota Academic Librarian of the Year Award is recognized at the Awards Banquet at the MLA Annual Conference and is presented with a plaque.

Criteria

Nominees should have notable and demonstrated achievements in one or more of the following areas:

·          Service to Minnesota libraries

·          Significant and influential academic library service

·          Leadership in the planning or implementation of a model academic library program or project

·          Contributions to academic librarianship through research and publication

Eligibility

Nominees must be a member of ARLD[1] and a member of MLA for the latest two years. 

Selection Process

The MLA/ARLD Awards committee receives and evaluates nominations from the ARLD membership. Individuals submitting nominations must submit the following:

• Nomination Form (see Appendix A)
• Letter highlighting the nominee’s eligibility and accomplishments in terms of the criteria listed above
• Current vita/resume of nominee (if possible)

Notification

The award recipient will be notified prior to the MLA Annual Conference. The recipient will be announced and awarded a plaque at the MLA Awards Banquet at the MLA Annual Conference held each fall. Announcements will also be sent to the ALA Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Chapter Topics Newsletter and to the MLA Newsletter, and will be posted on the ARLD Web site at http://www.mnlibraryassociation.org/ARLD%202005.htm .

 

MLA staff support for ARLD

The staff in the MLA office support the activities of ARLD in a variety of ways:

• Sending out mailings for events or elections
• Write checks for expenses related to ARLD Day, ARLD Dialogues, etc
• Formalize speaker contracts, make travel arrangements for speakers
• Supply registration materials
• Receive registrations, via e-mail or paper mail, for events
• Book rooms for Board meetings and other events
• Host listserv and Web site
• Set up and troubleshoot conference calls and ITV
• Answer MLA-related questions

Relationship with ACRL

ARLD serves as the Minnesota Chapter of ACRL, and ACRL members residing in Minnesota are automatically members of ARLD, whether they belong to MLA or not.

ACRL does not seem to communicate this to their members, so it falls to ARLD.

ARLD’s responsibilities to ACRL include sending someone to ACRL Chapter Council meetings at ALA Annual and Midwinter, monitoring the Chapter Council listserv, and contributing news to Chapter Topics, the Chapter Council e-newsletter.

The ARLD Chair submits an annual report to the ACRL office in August. ACRL will send the chapter $1 for each member, and $10 for each new member, if the chapter has incurred expenses that fall into the categories specified by ACRL.

Volunteer Opportunities

·         Special projects, such as the ARLD Recruiting brochure

·         Vendor Relations Coordinator

·         Library student and Library school liaison

·         MLA committee liaison, including Awards, Membership, Legislative, Intellectual Freedom,       Newsletter, and Nominations

·         Chairing special ARLD events, e.g. @ Your Library training

·         Events assistance including registration, assisting speakers, signage

CALENDAR

January

ARLD Day

• Second call for program ideas/participants/posters
• Set Board subcommittees – posters, food, entertainment, etc.

MLA meeting

• First meeting of the MLA program planning group
• Identify areas of interest to suggest to members
• First call for program ideas/proposals

ALA Midwinter

• ARLD sends representative to Chapter Council meeting at

February

ARLD Day

• Deadline for posters
• Publicize program

MLA meeting –

• Second call for program ideas/proposals
• Deadline for proposals (including ARLD business meeting)

MLA/MEMO Legislative Day (May be March - depends on when the session starts)

March

ARLD Day

• Registration begins
• Prepare evaluation forms
• Ask presenters about equipment needs

MLA meeting

• Rank proposals and decide which to send forward
• Recruit or plan additional programs, if needed
• Proposals due to MLA

April

ARLD Day

• Registration closes – about 10 days beforehand
• ARLD Day - The event! – often the final Friday in April

MLA meeting

• MLA committee makes decisions
• MLA meeting - Notify submitters

May

ARLD Day

• Send thank you note to each presenter
• Summarize evaluations
• Debrief
• Prepare list of future ideas

MLA meeting

• Listserv message about dates and ARLD-sponsored programs
• Request equipment needs from presenters

June

MLA meeting

• Final program info due to MLA

ALA Annual

• ARLD sends representative to Chapter Council meeting

MLA/MEMO Legislative Forum (sometimes on July)

Jul/Aug

ARLD Day

• Arrange venue

MLA meeting

• Set session moderators (usually Board members)
• Publicize program to ARLD members
• Plan the business meeting
• Correspond with speakers
• Prepare evaluation forms

Elections

• Name a Nominations Committee

September

MLA meeting

• Send e-mail reminder just before early registration deadline
• MLA Annual Meeting (sometimes in early October)
• Send thank you to each presenter (usually done by moderator)

Elections

• Recruit, announce vacancies at MLA

October

ARLD Day

• Review previous ideas, pick a theme

MLA meeting

• Summarize evaluations (moderators often do their sessions)
• Debrief
• Prepare list of future ideas

Elections

• Nominations committee finalizes ballot

Nov/Dec

ARLD Day

• First call for program ideas/participants/posters
• Contact outside speakers, if any

MLA meeting

• Review previous ideas, plan how to get input from members

Elections

• Hold election, with results tabulated by Nov 30
• New Board members are invited to the December Board meeting

APPENDIX A

Minnesota Academic Librarian of the Year Award

Minnesota Library Association, Academic & Research Libraries Division

Nomination Form

Nominee:       (Last name, First name, MI)

Nominee’s address:                 

                                    Building/Street

                                    City, State, Zip

Nominee’s telephone number:                   Work         Home 

Nominee's E-mail:      

Nominee’s employer:      

Nominee’s position title:      

Nominator:      

Nominator’s address:                 

                                    Street

                                    City, State, Zip

Nominator’s telephone number:                  Work         Home

Nominator's E-mail:      

All nominations should include:

 This nomination form

 A letter highlighting the nominee’s eligibility and accomplishments in terms of the       Criteria listed above, and

 Current vita/resume of the nominee OR a biographical sketch of the nominee's work and       educational background, not to exceed 250 words.

Please submit all nomination documents by Friday, September 12, 2008 to:  lle@umn.edu

APPENDIX B

Minnesota Academic Librarian of the Year Award

Suggested Timetable and Procedures

May
Formal call for nominations is distributed via the ARLD and MLA listservs.  Call includes application/nomination documents and a link to the ARLD website where materials are posted.  Nominations should be submitted to mailto:academic@mnlibraryassociation.org and forwarded immediately upon receipt to the chair of the Nominations Committee.
 
Mid-July
Call for nominations is distributed to ARLD, MLA, and MINITEX (?) listservs.
 
Late August
Second call for nominations is distributed to ARLD, MLA, and MINITEX listervs.
 
September 12, 2008
DEADLINE for nominations.  Nominations Committee chair ensures that all applications are complete and works with nominator to obtain missing documentation (e.g. CV).
 
September 12 - 31, 2008
 Nominations committee chair distributes nomination packets to nominations subcommittee, arranges review by the nominations committee, and committee votes to determine which candidate will be recommended as recipient.
 
September or October Board meeting
 Board approves recommendation from Nominations subcommittee.
 
October
 Board chair extends written email congratulations to the final candidate, notifying them of their selection and inviting them to accept their award at the MLA Conference Awards Banquet in October.  Request a written confirmation in return. 
 
After the individual accepts the award, Board chair sends an official Award letter and invitation to the MLA Awards Banquet to the recipient.  The letter is copied to the Minnesota State Librarian, the MLA Director, the director of the recipient's library or workplace, and their direct supervisor. [Nominations Committee chair drafts the letter and compiles the list of individuals to be copied].
 
If the individual does NOT accept the award, the Nominations Committee determines whether the pool of nominations includes a viable alternate recipient (???). 
 
October
Board chair works with MLA director to ensure award plaque is produced and award is listed as part of the MLA Awards Banquet in the official MLA Conference Program.
 
November (2008 MLA Annual Conference)
ARLD Board chair announces the award and presents plaque to the recipient.