ACRL 2008-2009 Annual Report

(also published in the December issue of C&RL News)

ACRL’s Core Purpose
The core purpose of the Association of College & Research Libraries is to lead academic and research librarians and libraries in advancing learning and scholarship.

Message from the President
Message from the Vice-President
Letter from the Executive Director
Year in Review
Meet the Staff
Board of Directors
Financial Report
Executive Summary

   Message from the President

Erika Linke
ACRL’s 70th President

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as 70th President of ACRL. The year has flown by as the ACRL Board of Directors addressed association goals and responded to emerging challenges. This brief report aims to highlight some achievements of the association and honor and thank the Board, the staff, and all members of ACRL.

As president, my stated interests lay in the area of advocacy for academic and research libraries. Our story must be told, for it is a story of change, not status quo. To some, the word library does not evoke the place it is today—vital, vibrant, active, educational, a place of connection and collaboration, where ideas met in books continue in dialogue.

Advocacy must encompass the local, institutional, regional, and national outreach that is fundamental. The economic crisis in 2008, and the resulting reductions and cuts that most have experienced, make effective advocacy a necessity. ACRL will continue to aid academic librarians in articulating the value of academic libraries.

Members wanted the association to take additional steps to help in their pursuit of advocating the value of academic libraries. So we decided to convene a think-tank shortly before annual conference; its purpose was to help ACRL engage in preliminary analysis in this area in order to take next steps that would benefit the academic library community—research, college, and community college.

The member survey completed in the spring corroborated our decision to take steps in that direction. The top two needs identified in that survey were 1) helping members to articulate the value of academic libraries and 2) a need for technology. This second finding is being refined and explored in the coming year.

A priority in my presidential year was to build continuity in leadership and to enhance ACRL’s impact through a stronger link to standing committees. To achieve the former, I included the president-elect in weekly conversations with the executive director. To build continuity from year to year, I thought it was strategic to develop a deeper relationship to the standing committees of ACRL. Their mission ultimately is to make ACRL a stronger, strategic-driven organization. Intentional and closer ties to the Board were outlined and are set in motion for 2010 under the leadership of Lori Goetsch, the new ACRL president. Initiating change in this way is made easier and potentially lasts longer when shared broadly by leadership. The Board also played a crucial role in moving this agenda forward.

Speaking of the Board – there is none finer. The call to service and the manner in which Board members execute their role is stellar. ACRL members owe a great deal to these individuals who set aside a portion of their personal time to serve the association. Board work has never been limited to the Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting alone. Work continues year-round outside of regular meetings aided by technology, phone, e-mail, and now ALA Connect.

One of the greatest pleasures of serving as president of the association is the opportunity to meet ACRL members—at national conference, at association and section events or when bestowing awards. 2009 was an important year for two sections celebrating 50 years of service to their constituencies. It was a distinct pleasure to attend the 50th RBMS preconference in Charlottesville, Virginia, a return to the site of their first preconference in 1959. Another notable and rewarding occasion was the recognition of the 50th year of the ACRL Arts Section. This was a year of milestone events. 2009 was also marked a new beginning for CHOICE, with the official opening of the new CHOICE offices in Middletown, Connecticut.

Mary Ellen Davis and ACRL staff under her leadership are superb. My deep appreciation and thanks to them for their insight, expertise, and support. Lastly, I thank the ACRL members who help make serving the association worthwhile and who I admire for their commitment and connection to ACRL.

   Message from the Vice President

Lori Goetsch
Vice-President/President-Elect

As I ended my year as Vice-President/President-Elect at the annual conference in July, I was amazed at how quickly it had gone! It was an exciting one for me, filled with both the “nuts and bolts” of being Vice-President as well as opportunities to meet and work with ACRL members and leaders.

First, I’d like to thank many individuals who assisted me this year. The Appointments Committee, headed by Stephen Bell, with Kenley Neufeld and Dorothy Washington as members, tackled—with grace and persistence—the daunting task of matching interested members to ACRL committee vacancies. The Leadership Recruitment and Nomination Committee, led by Pat Kreitz, prepared another outstanding slate of candidates for 2010 elections. Last but not least, hats off to the ACRL Board of Directors, a fantastic team of creative and committed individuals. And we could not do our work without the support of the terrific ACRL staff under the leadership of Mary Ellen Davis. It is a pleasure working with you all.

I also had the pleasure of visiting two ACRL state chapters this year. My experiences in North Dakota and South Carolina confirmed the value that chapters bring to their states. I also enjoyed speaking at my own state chapter’s annual luncheon as part of the Kansas Library Association conference.

One of the changes on the horizon is a new, compressed conference schedule for Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference. This effort to reduce costs to both the association and the membership by ending a day early presented some interesting challenges this year when it came to planning for the many ACRL programs and meetings that will take place in 2010. ACRL member leaders did a great job of providing feedback and ideas during last Midwinter’s Leadership Council on how we can adapt our needs to this new schedule.

One of the programs affected by this schedule change is the 2010 ACRL President’s Program. To reduce the conference program footprint, this program has become an experiment in cross-divisional collaboration. I’ve joined my counterparts Gina Millsap (LLAMA) and Brenda Bailey-Hainer (ASCLA) to host a joint Presidents’ Program on leading through crisis to affect positive change, with a focus on the current economic situation and its impact on libraries.

Speaking of the economy, an effort begun under the leadership of ACRL President Erika Linke will continue in the coming year—promoting the value of academic libraries and librarians to the teaching and research missions on our campuses. The ACRL Board of Directors is all too aware from our own institutional challenges that the economic climate has had a significant impact on our members. We will work diligently this year to be responsive to member needs for tools, resources, and best practices that document our value.

And one last thanks to you for your membership in ACRL! As your 2010 ACRL President, I recognize that we must also continue to provide value to you during this time when you are faced with choices about where to invest in your professional development. I welcome the opportunity to lead ACRL and would be happy to hear from you about how we can meet your needs as members.

   Letter from the Executive Director

Mary Ellen K. Davis
Executive Director

Despite a roller coaster year marked by the near collapse of the economy, a recession, and ensuing financial fallout in higher education (and associations), ACRL continued to deliver quality programs and services.

ACRL excelled in addressing its strategic goal of providing continuous learning opportunities enabling members to strengthen their effectiveness and achieve recognition as valued contributors to their academic and research communities. The 14th ACRL National Conference in Seattle was both a programmatic and financial success—no small feat in these challenging economic times! The increase in virtual attendance offset a slight decline in face-to-face registrants to set a new combined registration record!

The greatly expanded virtual conference allowed both attendees and their colleagues on campus to benefit from the presentations. One librarian successfully used the virtual conference as an opportunity to increase the recognition of the value of libraries and librarians on her campus. She invited librarians, teaching faculty, and administrators to brown bag lunches throughout the summer to hear presentations and discuss the issues affecting their library. By inviting those from outside the library, she was able to provide professional development for the librarians and staff while enhancing the library’s visibility by providing a discussion forum for current issues including copyright, scholarly communication, and information literacy. I encourage you to “share the wealth” with your own campus community.

Recognizing the cutbacks many of you are facing, ACRL launched its Scholarly Communication Roadshows, underwriting the costs to send expert presenters on the road to five campuses to discuss new methods of scholarly publishing and communication, open access, copyright and intellectual property, and economics. The program was so popular (46 institutions applied) that the ACRL Board provided funding for an additional five roadshows in 2010.

Read about the many other face-to-face and virtual professional development opportunities offered by ACRL on pages 682–84.

What else has ACRL been doing this year? Here is a sampling:

• ACRL redesigned its new Web site, based on our Web usability study. Thank you for helping us to develop a more useful site—and letting us know that it works! Six new interest groups were formed, providing you with more ways to connect with a community of practice related to your interests.
• ACRL moved into ALA Connect, ALA’s online community, using it to post notices, Board agendas and documents, and vote electronically. Many ACRL committees and sections are using this space to work virtually year-round. Any member can create a new online community in ALA Connect. If you haven’t logged in, give it a try.
• ACRL joined the Library Copyright Alliance to have a larger presence in the challenging arena of copyright and intellectual property and made extensive comments on the Google Book Search settlement.
• Another exciting milestone was the purchase and the move into Choice’s new office space at Library Square in Middletown, Connecticut. After a multi-year search for the right space, CHOICE staff now have a better work space and ACRL’s assets are more diversified.

Thanks to all of you for choosing to join ACRL. I especially want to thank ACRL President Erika Linke and the ACRL Board for their leadership in advancing the strategic plan. I also want to acknowledge the generous support provided by ACRL’s many corporate colleagues, libraries, and Friends. Finally, thank you to the ACRL staff who, in partnership with ACRL members, enabled ACRL to deliver the many fine programs and services described in this report. Read on!

   Year in Review

This report highlights the activities undertaken to advance “Charting Our Future: ACRL Strategic Plan 2020” in FY2009 and is organized by three broad categories—higher education and research, the profession, and the association.

2008–2009 Highlights

ACRL 2009

More than 4,300 library staff, exhibitors, speakers, and guests from every state and 22 countries met from March 12 through 15 in Seattle for the ACRL 14th National Conference. Combined with the more than 350 people participating online in the ACRL 2009 Virtual Conference, the Seattle conference had the highest combined registrant participation ever for an ACRL National Conference, with 3,263 face-to-face and virtual attendees.

ACRL 2009 offered more than 300 programs that explored the changing nature and roles of academic and research libraries and librarianship. Keynote presentations by Sherman Alexie, Ira Glass, and Rushworth Kidder inspired and challenged attendees. Poster sessions and the second offering of the Cyber Zed Shed proved quite popular, as well. Recognizing that travel budgets for academic librarians are tight due to the tough economy, ACRL enhanced its 2009 Virtual Conference to include dynamic screen captures (audio of the session synched with PowerPoint) of more than 80 conference sessions, live and interactive Webcasts, Second Life library tours and speaker materials. The virtual conference is also provided for free to all ACRL conference registrants for one year.

The conference was very well received by attendees. When asked to rate their overall conference experience, 89% rated “very positive” or “positive,” the two highest ratings. When asked if they would recommend the conference to a colleague, 89.4% would recommend the ACRL conference to a colleague. Comments included, “As a new librarian, the ACRL National Conference provided the perfect orientation into a wonderful profession. The experience was incredible! I can’t wait to attend the next one in Philadelphia,” “I always come away from the ACRL National Conference feeling energized and excited about new possibilities, and now the virtual conference means that I can continue this learning and share it more fully with others at my institution,” and “For academic librarians, this is THE conference to attend!”

Strategic Priorities

The ACRL Board of Directors has adopted a set of six strategic priorities designed to continue the association’s forward progress over the next five years. At the ACRL 14th National Conference in Seattle, the Board reviewed the Charting Our Future: ACRL Strategic Plan 2020 document, taking into consideration progress to date, member needs, and external factors. As a result, the Board identified six strategic objectives as priorities for 2009–2013. The adoption of these strategic priorities allows ACRL to further position academic and research librarians and libraries as indispensable in advancing learning and scholarship. The ACRL committee leadership worked to develop multi-year plans with measurable outcomes to translate the priorities into action during the 2009 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.

The ACRL strategic priorities for 2009–2013 are:

1. Strengthen ACRL’s relationships with higher education organizations that are important to faculty and administrators in order to develop institutional understanding of librarians’ roles in enhancing teaching and learning.
2. Enhance ACRL members’ understanding of how scholars work and the systems, tools, and technology to support the evolving work of the creation, personal organization, aggregation, discovery, preservation, access, and exchange of information in all formats.
3. Increase ACRL’s influence in public policy affecting higher education.
4. Increase recognition of the value of libraries and librarians by leaders in higher education, information technology, funding agencies, and campus decision making.
5. Support members in their exploration, research on, and implementation of new and emerging information technologies and their application for library services in educational environments.
6. Increase ACRL’s membership from professionally underrepresented ethnic and racial groups.

Complete information on the 2009–13 strategic priorities, along with the complete Charting Our Future: ACRL Strategic Plan 2020, are available online at www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/about/whatisacrl/strategicplan/index.cfm.

New ACRL Web site

An updated, user-centered redesign of the ACRL Web site went live in April 2009. The update is the result of an extensive planning and redesign process to better serve the information-seeking needs of the ACRL membership and general public. The results of a usability study with ACRL members informed the redesign process, with many suggestions incorporated into the final design. The redesign integrates the ACRL Web presence with the September 2008 update of the ALA Web site. The new site design features a variety of enhancements, including updated site organization for ease of navigation, direct access to committee and section information, and eye-catching highlights of upcoming events and services. The new site additionally features dynamic content updates to keep information current and relevant. A variety of RSS feeds for content such as upcoming events provide an additional means for visitors to stay up-to-date with ACRL activities.

Strategic Thinking Guide for the New Economy

“Brother Can You Spare a Dime? ACRL 2009 Strategic Thinking for Academic Librarians in the New Economy” was released in March 2009 to spur strategic conversation, planning, and action in academic libraries. The report was the focus of a panel session at the 14th National Conference in Seattle and received favorable attention from ARL, EDUCAUSE, IFLA, and other associations along with generating discussion after Seattle in blog posts, Twitter, and other online activities. Discussion continues through an online community in ALA Connect.

Scholarly Communication 101 Roadshow

The ACRL Scholarly Communication Committee selected five sites from 46 applications to host the “Scholarly Communication 101: Starting with the Basics” workshop during the summer of 2009. Recognizing that scholarly communication issues are central to the work of all academic librarians and all types of institutions, ACRL underwrote the cost of delivering this proven content by sending expert presenters on the road to focus on new methods of scholarly publishing and communication, open access and openness as a principle, copyright and intellectual property, and economics. The selected host institutions were ACRL Louisiana Chapter, at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; Auraria Library, Denver; State University of New York–Buffalo Libraries, Buffalo (jointly sponsored by the Western New York/Ontario Chapter of ACRL); University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez, Mayagüez; and Washington University in St. Louis (co-hosted by the University of Missouri and Southern Illinois University–Carbondale).

ACRL extended the reach of the workshop by adding related materials to the Scholarly Communication Toolkit. Now librarians can make use of these tools, including short videos, presentations templates, and handouts to enhance their own knowledge or adapt them to offer related workshops on their own campuses. The Scholarly Communication Toolkit is available online at www.acrl.ala.org/scholcomm/.

50th Anniversary RBMS Preconference

The ACRL Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) held its 50th anniversary preconference, Seas of Change: Navigating the Cultural and Institutional Contexts of Special Collections, June 17–20 in Charlottesville, Virginia, the site of the first RBMS preconference. More than 460 attendees gathered for the program, making it the largest event in RBMS history. As the 50th anniversary of the preconference, this year represented an important moment in the history of RBMS and its affiliated professions. Programming looked broadly at how special collections librarianship has evolved over the past half century with respect to changes in social, cultural, technological, economic, and academic environments, and—more importantly—the need to respond to such changes in the future. The ACRL Board of Directors issued a congratulatory resolution in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the preconference and RBMS’ ongoing commitment to professional development.

Springboard Event

The second annual ACRL Springboard Event, a free live, interactive Webcast for ACRL members, was held June 3, 2009. Approximately 300 ACRL members participated in the event featuring Clifford Lynch, director of the Coalition for Networked Information, discussing cultural memory in the age of economic instability and also speculating about the implications of the migration of vast amounts of personal history and activity to the digital environment. By providing this Springboard Event, the ACRL Board of Directors is responding to member feedback that professional development is one of the most important services that ACRL provides and that members want additional online learning opportunities. An archived recording of the Webcast is available on the ACRL Web site at www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/events/springboard.cfm.

The event was again well received by attendees, with 89.4% of survey respondents rating the Webcast as “excellent,” “very good,” or “good.” Comments include, “It is very helpful to be able to hear good speakers at low to no cost except our time in attending. It encourages me to look for similar presentations by the same speakers in other venues and it saves a great deal of time,” and “The best aspect about this Webcast is it cost me nothing to attend such a worthwhile professional development session.”

New Choice building

On February 20, 2009, Choice took possession of the new Liberty Square office condominium unit in downtown Middletown, Connecticut. The new three-story building has retail space on the ground floor, office rental space on the second floor, and Choice occupying the entire 7,635 square-foot third floor. See the sustainability section on page 694 for a discussion of the green building principles incorporated into the design. Visit the ACRL Flickr site (www.flickr.com/photos/acrl/) to see updated pictures of the new building and Choice office space.

Choice hosted an open house on June 24 to celebrate their new offices. Approximately 60 guests attended the open house, including ACRL Executive Director Mary Ellen Davis, ACRL President Erika Linke, ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels, and ALA Associate Executive Director Greg Calloway; publisher representatives; area academic librarians; and Choice reviewers. Complete details on the open house, including a link to pictures from the event, are available on the ACRL Insider blog at www.acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/2009/07/01/choice-open-house/.

A special article in Choice’s June 2009 issue traces Choice’s presence in Middletown from its beginnings in 1963 to the present day. Titled “Choice in Middletown … A Long Tradition,” the article features an interview with Richard Gardner, Choice’s founding editor, who recounts Choice’s early years, and concludes with a section by Choice Editor and Publisher Irv Rockwood on the quest for new office space and the eventual purchase of the Liberty Square condo.

Google Book Search Settlement

ACRL maintained an active role in the ongoing response to the Google Book Search Settlement this year. Under the proposed settlement, Google and the American Association of Publishers and Authors Guild would resolve their legal dispute over the scanning of millions of books provided by research libraries. Many librarians have raised questions about the settlement’s impact because of the complexity of the agreement, its potential long-term impact on libraries and users, and the enormity of the book collection involved.

Members of library community discussed the implications of the Google Book Search settlement in a meeting hosted by ACRL, the ALA Washington Office, and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) on February 9, 2009, in Washington, D.C. Following the meeting, ACRL joined with ALA and ARL to file comments with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on the proposed Google Book Search Settlement. The associations asked the court to exercise vigorous oversight of the interpretation and implementation of the settlement to ensure the broadest possible benefit from the services the settlement enables. The filing received notable media coverage, including stories in the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times.

The associations then sent a letter to William Cavanaugh, deputy assistant attorney general of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division, requesting that the division advise the court to carefully supervise the implementation of the settlement, particularly the pricing of institutional subscriptions and the selection of the Book Rights Registry board members. The letter, which was sent following a meeting between the library associations and DOJ, also recommended that the Antitrust Division actively monitor the parties’ compliance with the settlement’s provisions.

The associations submitted a supplemental filing in early September to address developments that have occurred since their initial filing on May 4. While the library associations’ position did not change, the groups believed that recent activity should be brought to the court’s attention and called upon the court to address concerns with pricing review, to direct Google to provide more detail on privacy issues, and to broaden representation on the Books Rights Registry. Additionally, the groups submitted testimony for the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee’s hearing on “Competition and Commerce in Digital Books” on September 10. The court postponed the October fairness hearing. ACRL will continue to monitor and react to the settlement.

Advocacy in Today’s Environment

The ACRL President’s Program at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago featured advocacy guru Stephanie Vance. Vance discussed why advocacy matters, how to develop a strong message, and how librarians can advocate effectively for policy changes. Vance was joined at the program by Prue Adler of ARL, Emily Sheketoff of the ALA Washington Office, ACRL visiting Program Officer for Legislative Advocacy Michael McLane, and Tony Driessen of law firm DeWitt Ross & Stevens. A detailed summary of the well received session appears on page 438 of the September 2009 issue of C&RL News.

Higher Education and Research

ACRL advocates for a strong role for librarians in learning and scholarship, as well as for the value of libraries in the higher education, legislative, and regulatory communities.

Learning

ACRL strives for its members to be recognized as collaborative leaders in teaching lifelong learning skills, improving techniques for assessing learning outcomes, and creating environments for discovery. Specific objectives call for ACRL to expand adoption, use, and development of information literacy standards and to increase members’ ability to teach and assess lifelong learning skills.

Information Literacy Standards

The ACRL “Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education” continue to be widely cited as a benchmark in information literacy instruction. This year, the standards were cited in numerous books, journal articles, and blog posts along with ACRL’s own publications. The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology published by EDUCAUSE on October 21, 2008, focused on three questions based on the ACRL “Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education.” “Learning and Assessment: Trends in Undergraduate Education,” a 2009 study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, showed that 59% of institutions include information literacy as an “intellectual skill/ability” addressed by their learning outcomes, demonstrating the impact our information literacy efforts have had on higher education. Since September 1, 2008, 1,369 print copies of the standards, which is also freely downloadable, have been distributed.

Information literacy-related standards and guidelines approved and published this year include “Standards for Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians and Coordinators: A Practical Guide.”

Information Literacy Immersion Program

ACRL offered the most recent addition to the popular Immersion program, “Immersion Assessment Program—Assessment in Practice,” from December 4–7, 2008, in Nashville. The program provided a learning opportunity for librarians active in teaching and learning and those with leadership roles for information literacy program development who want to improve their knowledge and practice of both classroom and program assessment. The new program was very well received by the 44 attendees.

To help librarians and institutions develop and implement information literacy programs on their campuses, the national Immersion Program was offered in St. Petersburg, Florida from July 26 to 31, 2009. The program provided two tracks of intensive training and education for the 83 attendees. The Teacher Track focused on individual development for librarians interested in enhancing or extending their individual instruction skills, while the Program Track focused on developing, integrating, or managing campuswide and programmatic information literacy programs.

Immersion Program “A great program. Well organized—excellent leadership. A very respectful and trust-filled learning environment was created. Strong teaching methods were modeled. Congratulations on another excellent contribution to the profession!” “Great experience. I could never have advanced to this degree of an understanding of assessment without this time to immerse myself with like-minded colleagues to stretch my mind around the concept. Great job. And wonderful, knowledgeable faculty!” “I’ve felt really good about this program – it was an enormous amount of info, but I actually feel empowered rather than hopeless or too overwhelmed.” “I’m impressed by the generosity of the faculty, and their willingness to share expertise and time.”

Professional Development

Five e-learning seminars and Webcasts provided opportunities to learn more about information literacy-related topics. Topics of the e-learning opportunities included instructional design and implementation for online teaching and learning, teaching portfolios, and the role of librarians in combating student plagiarism. ACRL continues to publish a variety of information literacy and learning titles. Academic Library Research: Perspectives and Current Trends, edited by Marie L. Radford and Pamela Snelson; Gaming in Academic Libraries: Collections, Marketing, and Information Literacy, edited by Amy Harris and Scott E. Rice; Informed Learning, by Christine Susan Bruce; Library Rx: Measuring and Treating Library Anxiety by Martina Malvasi, Catherine Rudowsky, and Jesus M. Valencia; Teaching Literary Research: Challenges in a Changing Environment: ACRL Publications in Librarianship #60, by Kathleen A. Johnson and Steven R. Harris; and The Library Instruction Cookbook, edited by Ryan L. Sittler and Douglas Cook, were all released during the fiscal year.

“Instructional Design for Librarians: The What, Why, and How of ID,” a preconference session, and programs “Closing the Gap: Making Information Literacy Seamless Across K–16” and “Bringing the Immersion Program Back Home” at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, provided additional focus on information literacy issues.

Sections

The ANSS Instruction and Information Literacy Committee continued its work on a repository of information literacy materials for social sciences courses. The committee continues to add information and tools to the ANSS Information Literacy Web page (www.lib.utexas.edu/subject/ss/anssiil/). The STS Information Literacy committee created the STS IL Wiki, launched in March 2009. The wiki (wikis.ala.org/acrl/index.php/Science_Information _Literacy) provides teaching tips for the Science and Engineering/Technology Information Literacy Standards, and includes a list of tutorials that address components of these standards.

Scholarship

ACRL is working to support and develop new scholarly communication models; play a leadership role in promoting research and publication in academic and research librarianship, thereby creating and disseminating tools and a body of knowledge for the field; and strengthen ACRL’s relationships with learned societies.

Scholarly Communication

An updated version of the popular Scholarly Communication Toolkit was released in October 2008 in a new format and with updated content. The toolkit continues to provide context and background by summarizing key issues to offer quick, basic information on scholarly communication topics. It also links to examples of specific tools, including handouts, presentations, and videos for libraries to adapt and use on their own campuses. The ACRL Scholarly Communication Toolkit is freely available at www.acrl.ala.org/scholcomm/.

The updated toolkit serves as a resource for scholarly communication discussions inside the library, in outreach programs to faculty and administrators, and for library school students seeking to incorporate these issues into their course work. The new ARL/ACRL Institute on Scholarly Communication guide “Developing a Scholarly Communication Program in Your Library” provides additional background information and outlines steps for libraries interested in developing scholarly communication programs. The guide is available online at www.arl.org/sc/institute/fair/scprog.

ACRL and ARL continue to cosponsor the Institute for Scholarly Communication. The groups organized a workshop in conjunction with the ACRL National Conference. “Scholarly Communication Outreach: Crafting Messages that Grab Faculty Attention” drew 70 attendees March 11–12 in Seattle. Jon Wergin, professor of educational studies, Antioch University, facilitated the first program session and focused on researcher communication practices and skills for interviewing and listening. The ARL/ACRL Institute on Scholarly Communication held its fifth immersion event and second regional event in Portland, December 1–3, hosted by the Orbis Cascade Alliance. The event drew more than 90 participants in teams from dozens of institutions with a diverse mix of librarians, teaching faculty, and academic administrators.

Four pioneers from the Open Educational Resources community offered their insights into “The transformative potential of Open Educational Resources (OER)” at the 18th biennial SPARC-ACRL Forum, held during the 2009 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Denver. The forum, hosted by SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) and ACRL, introduced OER and the philosophy behind them to the wider library community, highlighted examples of how different constituencies are currently advancing OER on campuses, and offered suggestions for how libraries can further engage to support OER. The 19th biennial forum, held at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, addressed “Rough waters: Navigating hard times in the scholarly communication marketplace.” The forum was covered by Library Journal as a conference highlight (www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6671431.html?q=neal). Presentation materials from both forums are available online at www.arl.org/sparc/meetings/forum.shtml.

ACRL additionally worked with SPARC to create a new set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) covering key details about the SCOAP3 innovative proposal to change the dynamics of publishing in High-Energy Physics. SCOAP3, the Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access in Particle Physics Publishing, currently depends on expressions of interest from the U.S. library community before the experiment can move ahead. The proposal is currently supported by more than 100 U.S. libraries, by the Canadian Research Knowledge Network, and by libraries, consortia, and funding agencies in 18 other countries. ACRL and SPARC both urged members to consider joining the SCOAP3 effort and issuing expressions of interest. The complete FAQ is available online at www.arl.org/sparc/publications/papers/scoap3_09april.shtml.

The ACRL Board of Directors endorsed the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education, developed to offer guidance to educators at all levels that use copyrighted materials to teach media literacy skills. The document assists librarians in understanding the needs of teaching colleagues and providing consistent guidance in fair use issues.

Standards and Guidelines

The development and dissemination of standards and guidelines for all areas of academic and research librarianship is a core service ACRL provides to the profession. Members look to ACRL for these standards and see them as a key contribution to the profession. Standards and guidelines revised, approved, and published this year are listed in the accompanying table.

Standards and Guidelines actions in 2008–09 • “A Guideline for the Screening and Appointment of Academic Librarians” (July 2009) • “ALA-SAA Joint Statement on Access to Research Materials in Archives and Special Collections Libraries” (July 2009) • “Guidelines for Curriculum Materials Centers” (January 2009) • “Standards for Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians and Coordinators: A Practical Guide”

Relationships with Learned Societies

ACRL worked at all levels to develop and create new partnerships within higher education. Work in the areas of information dissemination, legislative advocacy, and scholarly communication is described on pages 675, 678, and 681-82.

Several sections have also established liaison relationships with scholarly societies. For example, CJCLS has a strong liaison relationship with the National Council of Learning Resources and RBMS has established liaison relationships with the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America; the Bibliographical Society of America; the Society for the History and Authorship, Reading, and Publishing; and the Society of American Archivists. LPSS maintains active relationships with the American Association of Law Librarians, ALA’s Government Documents Round Table, the International Studies Association, and the American Political Science Association. IS created a working group with ALISE to gather information on effective practices for preparing students for careers in information literacy and instruction.

An ACRL task force worked with the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) to complete revisions to academic library position descriptions included in surveys covering salaries, benefits, and other benchmarks. CUPA-HR released the results of the 2009 Administrative Compensation and Mid-Level Salary surveys, the first surveys conducted using the updated position descriptions, in spring 2009.

ACRL continues to partner with a number of other higher education organizations, including the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), in sponsoring a special leadership institute for women in higher education.

ACRL Executive Director Mary Ellen Davis met with a number of higher education organizations while in Washington, D.C., for the ACRL Spring Executive Committee meeting, including the American Association of Community Colleges, Council of Independent Colleges, American Educational Research Association, and American Sociological Association. Several possible initiatives were identified with each group and shared with the Council of Liaisons. Davis also attended meetings of EDUCAUSE, Coalition for Networked Information, Council of Library and Information Resources, and Council of Higher Education Management Associations.

Irving Rockwood, Choice editor and publisher, agreed to serve as the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) liaison to a newly formed joint librarian-publisher initiative, the Chicago Collaborative. Sponsored by the American Association of Health Science Libraries, the collaborative brings together representatives from publisher, editor, and librarian organizations to discuss challenging issues, educational efforts, and recommendations that highlight commonalities and shared purpose that focus on broad issues of scholarly scientific communication.

ACRL currently maintains liaison relationships with ten professional associations. A complete list of ACRL’s Council of Liaison organizations is in the accompanying table.

ACRL liaison relationships • American Anthropological Association (AAA) • American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) • American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) • American Educational Research Association (AERA) • American Political Science Association (APSA) • American Sociological Association (ASA) • Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) • Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) • National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition (NRC-FYEST) • Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE)

Advocacy

In support of its advocacy goal, ACRL aims to increase its communication on major trends and issues in libraries and increase its influence in public policy affecting higher education. ACRL’s work this year in the scholarly communication arena, especially with the Google Book Search Settlement (see page 675 in the highlights section for details), has helped us to meet these objectives.

Legislative Advocacy

Public policy issues affecting higher education remain an essential focus of the strategic plan. Each year, the ACRL Government Relations Committee, in consultation with the ACRL Board of Directors and staff, formulates an ACRL Legislative Agenda. Drafted with input from the ACRL Scholarly Communication and Copyright Committees, along with additional committees, ACRL leaders, and the ALA Washington Office, the legislative agenda is prioritized and includes objectives for legislative action at the national level on issues that may affect the welfare of academic and research libraries. The 2009 Legislative Agenda focuses on eight priorities, including government information, public access to federally funded research, LSTA reauthorization, orphan works, Section 108 of the US Copyright Act, Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, network neutrality, and fair use. The complete legislative agenda, including details on each priority, is available on the ACRL Web site at www.acrl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/washingtonwatch/legagenda.cfm.

As part of the Open Access Working Group, ACRL joined ALA and eight other library and public interest groups in sending a one-page overview, “Public Access to the Published Results of Publicly Funded Research Will Benefit the Economy, Science, and Health,” to President-elect Obama’s transition team. The position paper highlights and expands on an issue listed in “Opening the ‘Window to a Larger World,’ Libraries’ Role in Changing America,” the December 2008 ALA report to the transition team. The association also joined ALA, ARL, and other library and research organizations renewing opposition to the Fair Copyright in Research Works Act, reintroduced in Congress as H.R. 801. The legislation would reverse a mandate by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that all research funded by NIH grants be made freely available in PubMed Central within one year of publication.

In May 2009, ACRL Executive Committee members and staff participated in ALA’s 2009 National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) in Washington. ACRL hosted a special luncheon during the May 11 briefing day at the Liaison Capitol Hill hotel. David E. Shulenburger, vice president for academic affairs of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, discussed “Higher Education in Today’s Legislative and Policy Climate.” The luncheon was attended by 49 NLLD participants, making it the most successful ACRL NLLD event in the past five years. The association awarded $250 travel grants to 11 ACRL Legislative Advocates to attend the two-day event.

ACRL joined ALA, ARL, the Organization for Transformative Works, and the Right to Write Fund to file an amicus curiae brief asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to reverse the Federal District Court judge’s ruling in Salinger v. Colting. In July 2009, the District Court ruled in favor of author J. D. Salinger, who claimed that Fredrik Colting, the author of 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye, infringed his copyright on Catcher in the Rye. The District Court’s preliminary injunction prohibits the publication and distribution of the book, which the groups believe implicates free speech rights of authors, publishers, and the public protected by the First Amendment. In their “friend of the court” filing, the groups also assert that the judge applied too narrow an interpretation of the “fair use” doctrine, which permits new, transformative works into the marketplace.

In late June 2009, Senators Lieberman and Cornyn reintroduced S.1373, the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA). This much-anticipated bill (which was previously introduced in 2006) would ensure free, timely online access to the published results of research funded by 11 U.S. federal agencies. The bill would advance and expand the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Public Access Policy — which requires public access to taxpayer-funded research — to additional agencies. ACRL strongly supports FRPAA and distributed a call for members to ask their Senators to demonstrate their support by cosponsoring the bill.

ACRL members and staff worked with the ALA Washington Office and the American Association of Community Colleges to have an amendment including “community college libraries” added to the bill text of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3221). H.R. 3221 would establish two new competitive grant programs providing states and junior and community colleges the opportunity to apply for funds to launch initiatives to improve graduation and employment-related outcomes. The original bill language did not explicitly include community college libraries as potential recipients of the grants. The added language highlights the important role libraries play in preparing students to successfully obtain and retain employment and encourages community colleges pursuing the grants to invest in their libraries and the services and resources they offer.

ACRL became an active partner in the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) during the fiscal year, joining ALA and ARL, to work toward a unified voice and common strategy for the library community in responding to and developing proposals to amend national and international copyright law and policy for the digital environment. Over the course of the year, LCA issued a statement on Limitations and Exceptions for Libraries and Archives at the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights Eighteenth Session in Geneva, Carrie Russell of ALA OITP testified at a hearing called by the U.S. Copyright Office and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on the topic of copyright exceptions for the blind or other persons with disabilities, and provided testimony offering evidence in support of the expansion of exemptions to the anti-circumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act at the Library of Congress.

The Profession

Continuous learning, leadership, and information technology define ACRL’s strategic goal area of the profession.

Continuous Learning

Continuous learning is important to every individual, and ACRL has initiatives to increase professional development opportunities focused in the areas of advocating the value of the library and information technology. ACRL is working to provide cutting-edge content and delivery formats for programs and publications.

A variety of opportunities

ACRL continued to provide a wide array of professional development opportunities this fiscal year. As noted in the highlights section, the second Springboard Event provided a free opportunity for ACRL members to discuss cultural memory in the age of economic instability and speculate about the implications of the migration of vast amounts of personal history and activity to the digital environment with Clifford Lynch, director of the Coalition for Networked Information.

ACRL promotes continuous learning through preconferences, workshops, and e-learning Workshops @ ALA Midwinter Meeting ACRL workshops provide participants with an opportunity to engage an issue, learn a new skill, or develop an action plan or other activity where hands-on learning is integral. ACRL workshops continue to be well received, with more than 100 individuals attending in Denver: • Bring it on Home! Creating Custom Search Plug-ins for Your Library • Do You Q? Looking at Your Users in a New Way! • Nobody Told Me I’d Have to Teach! Strategies for the Accidental Librarian Preconferences @ ALA Annual Conference ACRL preconferences continue to provide academic and research librarians with tips, tools, and new ways of thinking. Three sold-out preconferences were held before the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago: • Discovering Digitization: Defining Your Path to Digital Access • Instructional Design for Librarians: The What, Why, and How of ID • The Not-So-Distant Librarian: Online Library Instruction to Engage Students and Faculty e-Learning Seminars and Webcasts Delivered through Moodle, online seminars provide participants with a dynamic and flexible approach to continuing education. Offerings in 2008–09 were: • Copyright and the Library, Parts 1 and 2 • Designing Web Sites for Academic Libraries, Parts 1 and 2 • Electronic Collection Development for the Academic Library • Implementing Online Teaching and Learning • Instructional Design for Online Teaching and Learning • Introduction to Website Usability • Teaching Portfolios for Academic Librarians • Virtual Reference Competencies • Virtual Reference Competencies, Parts 1, 2, and 3 • Web Design and Construction for Libraries, Parts 1 and 2 The association also expanded its offerings of Webcasts, using an online community hosted by LearningTimes, to deliver real-time, interactive programming over the Web. Offerings in 2008–09 were: • Academic Librarianship by Design • Cyber Zed Shed: Facebook, Twitter, and Sprout • Influence without Authority • Information Commons 101 • Keys to Innovation • Learning Management Systems for Libraries • Librarianship By Design • Life-Work Balance • Next Generation Information Commons • Podcasting for Libraries • Program Review for Academic Libraries • Text Messaging Reference • Thinking Like a Designer • The Role of the Librarian Combating Student Plagiarism

The ACRL OnPoint chat series continued this fiscal year with offerings on licensing; student learning outcomes, the culture of assessment, and accrediting agencies; legislative advocacy; the “greening” of ACRL 2009; connecting with funding sources; finding innovation in the library; ACRL 101; and the future of reference desks. The 30- to 45-minute chat sessions, held in a Meebo chat room, are free and open to the public. ACRL OnPoint provides an opportunity for librarians to connect with colleagues and experts to discuss an issue of the day in academic and research librarianship. Chat archives are available on the ACRL Web site at ww.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/events/onpoint/index.cfm.

Due to popular demand, the Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books) workshop presented at the 2008 RBMS Preconference in Los Angeles was repeated December 12, 2008, at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library in New Haven, Connecticut. Through lectures, visual aids, and in-class exercises, workshop participants, led by Deborah J. Leslie of the Folger Shakespeare Library, were introduced to and gained practical experience in using Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books) (DCRMB).

ACRL offered a variety of face-to-face professional development opportunities at the ALA Midwinter Meeting and ALA Annual Conference, in addition to continuing to provide e-Learning offerings. ACRL offered 17 Moodle-based online seminars and 18 Webcasts, as well as the popular Online Information Literacy Seminar Series, cosponsored with TLT Group (see chart on page 683 for a full listing of events). More than 1,500 participants took part in ACRL e-Learning activities this year.

To help academic and research librarians maximize their professional development dollars during the challenging economic downturn, the association launched a new e-Learning Frequent Learner Program this year. Starting September 1, 2009, individuals or groups that register for three ACRL e-Learning courses or Webcasts receive complimentary registration to one additional course or Webcast of equal or lesser value to the lowest cost-paid e-Learning opportunity.

Publications

ACRL’s publications program was very active during 2008–09, publishing 11 new books, which are listed in the accompanying table. The publications program continues to experiment with new publishing models and technologies. Informing Innovation: Tracking Student Interest in Emerging Library Technologies at Ohio University (A Research Report) by Char Booth was simultaneously released as a free digital download along with the print edition. A template library/technology survey instrument, adaptable to customize a local environmental scan similar to the one performed in the book, was also made available as a free download. The Kaleidoscopic Concern, an annotated bibliography on racial and ethnic diversity in librarianship by Kaetrena D. Davis-Kendrick, was released as a free digital-only download.

ACRL PUBLICATIONS ACRL Insider • Blog keeping the world current and informed on ACRL activities, services, and programs. ACRLog: Blogging by and for Academic and Research Librarians • The official blog of ACRL featured more than 127 posts on current issues in academic and research librarianship from the blog team. ACRL Podcasts • Podcasts on the issues and events in academic and research librarianship. New Publications in 2008–09 • 2007 Academic Library Trends and Statistics • Academic Library Research: Perspectives and Current Trends, edited by Marie L. Radford and Pamela Snelson • Design Talk: Understanding the Roles of Usability Practitioners, Web Designers, and Web Developers in User-centered Web Design, by Brenda Reeb • Directory of Curriculum Materials Centers, 6th edition, compiled by the Curriculum Materials Centers Directory Ad Hoc Committee of the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section • Emergency Response Planning in College Libraries (Clip Note 40), compiled by Marcia Thomas and Anke Voss and edited by Marcia Thomas • Gaming in Academic Libraries: Collections, Marketing, and Information Literacy, edited by Amy Harris and Scott E. Rice • Influencing without Authority (ACRL Active Guide #2), by Melanie Hawks • Informed Learning, by Christine Susan Bruce • Informing Innovation: Tracking Student Interest in Emerging Library Technologies at Ohio University (A Research Report), by Char Booth • Library Rx: Measuring and Treating Library Anxiety by Martina Malvasi, Catherine Rudowsky, and Jesus M. Valencia • Teaching Literary Research: Challenges in a Changing Environment: ACRL Publications in Librarianship #60, by Kathleen A. Johnson and Steven R. Harris • The Library Instruction Cookbook, edited by Ryan L. Sittler and Douglas Cook ACRL Magazines and Journals • College & Research Libraries—Official scholarly journal of ACRL; six bimonthly issues per year • College & Research Libraries News—Official news magazine of ACRL; 11 issues per year (July/August combined) • RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage—A journal of theory and practice covering all aspects of special collections librarianship; two issues per year Choice Publications • Choice magazine—Book review journal of ACRL, includes special editorial features and reviews; published monthly • Choice Reviews on Cards—Choice reviews, and just the reviews, on cards; published monthly • ChoiceReviews.online Version 2.0—The current Web version of Choice magazine; provides 24/7 access to all of Choice’s editorial content, including all reviews published since September 1988 (more than 120,000) plus a customizable monthly e-mail bulletin (www.cro2.org/).

Association members continue to receive College & Research Libraries News, ACRL’s news magazine and publication of record, and the scholarly journal, College & Research Libraries, as a perquisite of membership. Both serials are also available by subscription. ACRL also publishes RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage twice yearly. RBM is available through subscription.

ACRLog is now heading into its fifth year of operation. The blog, which discusses the issues of the day in academic and research librarianship, continues to receive between 4,000 and 5,000 visits each weekday. This year, ACRLog included the voices of two first-year librarian bloggers, Olivia Nellums and Suzanne Smith. Together they contributed 19 posts covering their experiences as new librarians, receiving quite a few comments. In addition, two new bloggers, Maura Smale of City University of New York and Laura Wimberly of the University of California–San Diego, joined the ACRLog team in FY2009. Smale contributes regular posts and Wimberly provides monthly summaries of issues raised on faculty blogs.

The ACRL Insider blog continued to distribute information on publications, events, conferences, and other association activities to the membership and beyond. There were 118 posts to ACRL Insider during the fiscal year. The Member of the Week feature continues to highlight the diversity of the association and remains one of the most popular features of the blog.

The ACRL Podcasts series continued to grow during the past fiscal year. Podcasts released in 2009 include discussions of publications such as The Library Instruction Cookbook, Library Rx, and The Desk and Beyond, along with C&RL News articles “The beauty of ‘some rights reserved’,” “Clever outreach or costly diversion?” and “Job of a Lifetime: Brian Mathews.” A series of podcasts hosted by National Conference Virtual Conference Committee Co-Chair Scott Walter provided a preview of ACRL 2009. These podcasts included interviews with contributed paper author Craig Gibson, panelists Mollie Freier and Ann Campion Riley, invited speaker and 2008 ACRL Academic/ Research Librarian of the Year Peter Hernon, panelists Steven J. Bell and John Shank, and Green Conference Planning Committee members Juliet Kerico and Karen Munro.

An interview with ACRL 2009 invited green speaker Robin Chase was released during the conference. An interview with the candidates for ACRL Vice President/President-Elect candidates was also produced before the 2009 ALA/ACRL election.

The IS Instruction for Diverse Populations Committee recently released the latest versions of the “Multilingual Glossary” and “Library Instruction for Diverse Populations Bibliography.” These two publications are intended to promote equal access to instructional services, materials, and technologies. The “Multilingual Glossary” supports both English as a Second Language library users and the librarians who assist them. The glossary contains terminology and definitions for 85 commonly used library terms in six different languages. “Library Instruction for Diverse Populations Bibliography” is an annotated bibliography beginning with a section of general resources on instruction for diverse populations and then addresses instructional issues and techniques for a variety of different groups. Both publications can be accessed from the publications section of the IS Web site (www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/about/sections/is/projpubs/index.cfm).

Choice published in excess of 7,000 reviews for the third consecutive year in FY2009. Volume 44 (September 2006 through August 2007) contained 7,183 reviews. Volume 45 (September 2007 through August 2008) contained 7,093 new reviews. Volume 46 (September 2008 through August 2009) contained 7,148 reviews. This increase in Choice’s review output has been achieved with no increase in staff.

Choice now offers five free e-newsletters—“Forthcoming Titles,” “Editors’ Picks,” “Hot Topics,” “ShelfLife,” and “Internet Resources”—to highlight key print and electronic resources currently available on the Choice Reviews Online (CRO2) Web site. “Editors’ Picks,” “Hot Topics,” and “ShelfLife” contain all of the reviews from the CRO2 Web exclusive features. “Forthcoming Titles” has samples from the list with links back to CRO2 to view the Forthcoming Titles list in its entirety. The “Internet Resources” e-newsletter features all the Internet resources reviewed by Choice each month and is compiled by the editorial staff. The e-newsletter is the only place to receive all of the monthly Internet resource reviews in one location. Visit the CRO2 Web site at www.cro2.org for additional information and to sign up.

“Resources for College Libraries: Career Resources” is the most recent addition to the Resources for College Libraries family of products for the undergraduate curriculum. Jointly developed by Choice and R.R. Bowker, the new resource contains a core list of nearly 5,000 essential books and online resources for community, vocational, and technical college libraries in fields such as Allied Health, Building and Construction Trades, Engineering and Technology, and Graphic and Apparel Arts.

Scholarships

ACRL’s scholarship program continues to support the continuous learning goals in ACRL’s strategic plan, as well as reflect the association’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in the profession.

The association awarded more than $89,000 in scholarships to 154 individuals during FY2009. Scholarships worth $58,880 in five categories—librarian, support staff, student, Spectrum Scholar, and virtual conference—were awarded to 110 recipients for the ACRL 14th National Conference. Two scholarships for the Harvard Leadership Institute were awarded to individuals from Historically Black College and Universities and/or Tribal Colleges and Universities consisting of program tuition ($2,400 value) and a $750 travel stipend. The Immersion ’09 Teacher Track awarded 21 scholarships worth $12,000 and an additional 25 awards worth $15,485 went to attendees of the 50th RBMS Preconference, including four “Golden Scholarships” for retired section leaders. As noted in the advocacy section, 11 travel grants were awarded to first time attendees to the National Library Legislative Day in Washington, DC.

Leadership

ACRL seeks to empower members to communicate the value of their contributions to learning and scholarship and to increase recognition of the value of libraries and librarians by leaders in higher education, information technology, funding agencies, and campus decision-making.

Awards

Gloriana St. Clair receiving Academic/Research Librarian of the Year Award from 2008/2009 ACRL President Erika Linke, ACRL Executive Director Mary Ellen Davis, and Mark Kendall of YBP Library Services

Through its awards program, which recognizes the achievements of academic and research librarians and libraries, ACRL provides a platform for librarians to bring notice of their work to their broader communities. Since 1923, the ACRL Awards Program has recognized and honored the professional contributions and achievements of academic libraries and librarians. This special recognition by ACRL enhances the sense of personal growth and accomplishment of our members, provides our membership with role models, and strengthens the image of our membership in the eyes of employers, leadership, and the academic community as a whole.

In 2009, 22 outstanding individuals and institutions received ACRL awards recognizing their accomplishments. ACRL’s top honor, the Academic/Research Librarian of the Year Award, was presented to Gloriana St. Clair for her contributions to academic and research librarianship, in particular her record of scholarship and scholarly contributions. The award, sponsored by ACRL and YBP Library Services, was presented during the opening keynote session of the ACRL 14th National Conference in Seattle.

ACRL AWARD WINNERS 2009 Division Award Winners • Academic/Research Librarian of the Year Award (Donor: YBP Library Services) Gloriana St. Clair, Carnegie Mellon University • Excellence in Academic Libraries (Donor: Blackwell’s Book Services) University: University of Minnesota Libraries–Twin Cities College: Wyndham Robertson Library at Hollins University, Roanoke, Virginia Community College: Moraine Valley Community College Library, Palos Hills, Illinois • Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award (ACRL, ALCTS, LAMA, LITA) Ray English, Oberlin College • Samuel Lazerow Fellowship (Donor: Thomson Reuters) Sara Marcus, Queensborough Community College, for her research project on the change of terms and terminology over several editions of the Sears List of Subject Headings • Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (Donor: Thomson Reuters) Krystyna K. Matusiak, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Libraries, for her proposal, “Use of Digital Resources in an Academic Environment: A Qualitative Study of Students’ Perceptions, Experiences, and Digital Literacy Skills” Special Presidential Recognition Award Founding members of the Institute for Information Literacy Steering Committee and Immersion faculty. Members of the founding Steering Committee are Louis Albert, Lori Arp, Esther Grassian, Thomas Kirk, Cerise Oberman (chair), Shelly Phipps, Loanne Snavely, Mitch Stepanovich, Julie Todaro, Karen Williams, and Lizabeth “Betsy” Wilson. Founding faculty members are Eugene Engeldinger, Debra Gilchrist, Randy Hensley, Joan Kaplowitz, Sharon Mader, Mary Jane Petrowski, and Karen Williams. The faculty has grown to include Craig Gibson, Carol Hansen, Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, John Holmes, Mary MacDonald, Megan Oakleaf, Tiffani Travis, Dane Ward, Beth S. Woodard, Susan Barnes Whyte, and Anne Zald. Section Award Winners • CJCLS Awards (Donor: EBSCO Information Services) Learning Resources/ Leadership Award: Kenley Neufeld, Santa Barbara City College Library Program Achievement Award: Diana Fitzwater, College of DuPage • CLS ProQuest Innovation in College Librarianship Award (Donor: ProQuest) Bruce Connolly and Gail Golderman, Union College Schaffer Library • DLS Distance Learning Librarian Conference Sponsorship Award (Donor: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group) Jack E. Fritts Jr., Benedictine University • EBSS Distinguished Education and Behavioral Sciences Librarian Award (Donor: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) Gary Lare, formerly of University of Cincinnati • IS Ilene F. Rockman Instruction Publication of the Year Award (Emerald Publishing Group Unlimited) Carolyn Radcliff, Mary Lee Jensen, Joseph A. Salem, Jr., Kenneth J. Burhanna, and Julie A. Gedeon, Kent State University, for their book, A Practical Guide to Information Literacy Assessment for Academic Librarians • IS Innovation Award (Donor: LexisNexis) Abby Clobridge and David Willson Del Testa, Bucknell University for the “Bucknell University World War II Poster Project” • IS Miriam Dudley Instruction Librarian Award (Donor: Elsevier on behalf of its library and information science program) Trudi E. Jacobson, University at Albany State University of New York • LPSS Marta Lange/CQ Press Award (Donor: CQ Press) Lynne M. Rudasill, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign • RBMS/Leab Exhibition Catalogue Awards (Donor: Katharine Kyes Leab and Daniel J. Leab Endowment) Category 1 Winner (Expensive): “China on Paper: European and Chinese Works from the Late Sixteenth to the Early Nineteenth Century,” submitted by The Getty Research Institute; Category 1 Honorable Mention: (Expensive) “The Proper Decoration of Book Covers: The Life and Work of Alice C. Morse,” submitted by The Grolier Club; Category 2 Winner (Moderately Expensive): Stanford University Libraries’ Department of Special Collections, for their piece entitled “Experiments in Navigation: The Art of Charles Hobson”; Category 3 Winner (Inexpensive): Scottie Fitzgerald: “The Stewardship of Literary Memory,” submitted by the Rare Books and Special Collections department at the Thomas Cooper Library, University of South Carolina; Category 4 Winner (Brochures): The Book Club of California’s brochure entitled, “The Book Art of Edward Gorey”; Category 5 Winner (Electronic Exhibitions): Modern Books and Manuscripts unit at the Harvard University Houghton Library for Public Poet, Private Man: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow at 200, (hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/houghton/exhibits/longfellow/) • STS Oberly Award for Bibliography in the Agricultural or Natural Sciences (Donor: Oberly Endowment) The International Rice Research Institute’s Rice Database • WESS Coutts Nijhoff International West European Specialist Study Grant (Donor: Coutts Information Services) Gordon Bruce Anderson, University of Minnesota, for his proposal to work toward the completion of a long-standing project, the Svenskamerikanska Bibliografi [Swedish American Bibliography] • WSS Achievement in Women’s Studies Librarianship Awards — Career Achievement (Donor: Greenwood Publishing Group) Sandra (Sandy) Linda Krikos, Ohio State University Libraries; Significant Achievement (Donor: Routledge) Sandra (Sandy) Ken Middleton, Middle Tennessee State University.

ACRL continues to present the Excellence in Academic Libraries Award to recognize the staff of a community college, a college, and a university library for exemplary programs that deliver outstanding services and resources to further the educational mission of their institution. This year’s recipients were the Moraine Valley Community College Library, Palos Hills, Illinois, in the community college category; Wyndham Robertson Library at Hollins University, Roanoke, Virginia, in the college category; and the University of Minnesota Libraries–Twin Cities, in the university category. The award, sponsored by ACRL and Blackwell’s Book Services, includes a presentation ceremony on the campus of the award-winning library.

ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute

Once again, ACRL partnered with the Harvard Graduate School of Education to offer the Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians. The program, held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, August 2–7, 2009, is designed for academic librarians with significant administrative responsibility, such as library directors, their associates, and direct reports. This year’s institute was again well received by the 76 participants, who commented, “The highest quality instruction I’ve ever experienced,” and “I have never attended a library-related learning opportunity with more impact. Usually I come home with a key idea or two, but this time I’ll go home with a new and improved mindset that will benefit my current institution, and any future institutions. I am grateful for the opportunity and the learning.”

Women’s Leadership Institute

ACRL collaborated with six higher education associations (ACUI, NACUBO, NASPA, ACPA, APAA, and NAEP) to offer the 2008 Women’s Leadership Institute. The program brought together mid-level administrators from across campus functions to share experiences, develop a better understanding of the campus as a workplace and culture, and create new networks and networking skills. Thirteen ACRL members participated in the institute, held December 7–10, 2008, in Amelia Island, Florida. The institute proved so successful that it will be offered again in December 2009.

Information Technology

ACRL remains committed to supporting the development and recognition of academic and research librarians as leaders and experts in information technology applications in libraries. To this end, the association offered a variety of programs on technology-related issues, including e-learning on topics such as Web site design, construction, and usability; Virtual Reference Competencies; podcasting; online tools and social networks; and text message reference.

The ACRL Board of Directors took a leadership role in beta testing the new ALA Connect online community in early 2009. The Board was the first group to participate in a virtual vote through Connect, demonstrating its commitment to virtual participation and information technology priorities. As a result of beta testing, the Board recommended several enhancements to Connect, including distribution of calendar items across all ALA areas. The Board encourages all ACRL members to use ALA Connect as a virtual workspace.

ACRL Publications published Information Literacy Programs in the Digital Age, edited by Alice Daugherty and Mike Russo, Library 2.0 Initiatives in Academic Libraries, edited by Laura Cohen, and The Desk and Beyond, edited by Sarah Steiner and Leslie Madden, during the fiscal year, all of which contain a wealth of information on technology issues.

The Association

To thrive as an association, ACRL must continue to grow its membership and maintain its financial stability. ACRL strives to retain and build on its core membership, while recruiting from new and diverse communities. ACRL must have the fiscal resources, staff expertise, and organizational structure to advance the association’s strategic plan.

Membership

In the third year of a three-year ALA dues increase, ACRL experienced a 0.02% decrease in the number of members. As of August 31, 2009, ACRL membership decreased slightly from FY2008, declining from 12,782 to 12,780 members. This very small drop reflects the stabilizing influence of the 14th National Conference in a rough economic environment in which the American Library Association lost 2.67% (1,781) of its members.

Membership Highlights

The 2009 membership survey received a 23.3% response rate from ACRL personal members in May, and reflected high levels of satisfaction with benefits and performance. The association welcomed more than 600 first-time attendees with special orientations at the 14th National Conference and the ALA Annual Conference. These programs help to educate members on the wide range of ACRL activities and opportunities for participation.

On November 19, 2008, ACRL hosted an OnPoint chat for members, “Finding Your Niche in ACRL” featuring ACRL President Erika Linke and Executive Director Mary Ellen Davis. The session focused on how to get involved in ACRL and find the right niche. Participants were able to share ideas about working with ACRL to create the community, the network, and the connections needed to enhance one’s career.

The launch of ALA Connect this year provided ACRL members new options for online networking. A wide variety of ACRL committees, sections, and other groups have established presences in ALA Connect. In addition, as of August 2009, the ACRL Facebook community contained more than 2,600 fans, 1,050 people follow the association on Twitter, and the ACRL LinkedIn community has grown to more than 900 members. Several ACRL sections, including AFAS, Arts, CLS, IS, LES, LPSS, and WSS have Facebook pages or groups for their members and other interested parties. The ACRL presence on ALA Island in Second Life continues our outreach in new areas. These online presences provide avenues for information dissemination and connection with, and between, members.

The ACRL Insider Weblog (www.acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/) continues to keep readers current and informed on the activities, services, and programs of the association and features weekly profiles of ACRL members. The biweekly ACRL Update e-newsletter converted to HTML e-mail format in January 2009. The format change allows for more appealing distribution of information about ACRL activities and trends. Publications and e-Learning course announcements are also being distributed through HTML e-mail to increase awareness of offerings in those areas.

Sections

ACRL provides special connections for members, both virtual and personal. ACRL sections offer 17 vibrant and dynamic communities that nurture individual development and foster a deeper connection to the profession. Section discussion lists reported more than 12,800 subscribers as of August 31, 2009. Sections also hosted 21 special events (socials, dinners, receptions, anniversary celebrations) at the ALA Midwinter Meeting, Annual Conference, and National Conference to create community among new and continuing members. In addition to the 50th anniversary of the RBMS preconference (see highlights section on page 673), the Arts section celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. The Board of Directors issued resolutions congratulating both sections on their accomplishments.

Interest Groups

This year, the ACRL Board of Directors approved the formation of the association’s first six interest groups. The new interest groups are Academic Library Services to International Students, Health Sciences, Image Resources, Residency Programs, Universal Accessibility, and Virtual Worlds. Approved by the ACRL membership in the 2008 ALA/ACRL election, interest groups provide a way to easily create a “home” within ACRL for topics and issues that are currently underrepresented in the organization.

Sustainability

ACRL integrates sustainability into all aspects of the life of the association.

The ACRL 2009 National Conference was the most environmentally friendly event ever held by ACRL. Eighty percent of conference attendees signed a “Green Pledge” that committed them to put sustainable ideas into practice while at the conference, and more than 240,000 pieces of paper were saved through green initiatives such as digital handouts posted to the Virtual Conference Web site; bags and badge holders made of recycled materials; program books printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink; electronic press kits for the media; a green-themed opening reception; and donations of surplus food and promotional items to local charities. The National Conference Virtual Conference Committee encouraged all conference presenters to post documents for distribution to the Virtual Conference to facilitate attendee access and decrease the production of paper handouts.

The new Choice building is ALA’s first “green” building project. Designed in accordance with “green building” principles, Liberty Square features a prefabricated exterior wall system that provides excellent insulation, a high-efficiency heating and cooling system, insulating windows, and a recycled steel building frame. The Choice office unit is equipped with energy efficient lighting and switches, low volatility paint, green window treatments and furniture, and makes use of natural lighting whenever possible. More details on Liberty Square are available on page 674 in the highlights section at the beginning of this report.

A free ACRL OnPoint chat entitled, “Seattle Green: Lessons Learned from Greening the ACRL 14th National Conference,” took place April 29. Charles Forrest, Karen Munro, cochairs of the ACRL Green Conference Component Committee, joined Tory Ondrla, ACRL conference supervisor and Green Conference liaison, to convene the chat. Attendees discussed specific sustainability event strategies, lessons learned from ACRL 2009, and ideas for future conferences and events.

Several ACRL sections, including CLS, EBSS, LPSS, SEES, and WESS, explored ways to reduce their carbon footprint during the fiscal year. Many section newsletters are now available only online, further reducing the association’s use of paper and other resources.

Organization Vitality and Effectiveness

ACRL seeks to acquire the fiscal resources, staff expertise, and organizational structure necessary to advance the association’s strategic plan.

ACRL Staff

There were no changes to the ACRL staff during the fiscal year with the exception of hiring two student interns, Patrycja Pietrzak and Erica Wilfong, to provide assistance to staff working on membership promotion, recruitment programs, and Board support.

Many of you have had phone and e-mail contact with ACRL’s staff, of which there are 15.75 ALA-approved FTE positions at headquarters. Here’s your chance to put a face with that voice or e-mail signature. Below is a listing of current ACRL staff members (including two of ACRL’s Choice 22.5 FTE staff) with information about their responsibilities. Take a minute to “meet the staff.” We look forward to hearing from you!

ACRL’s office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (CST), Monday through Friday. All ALA staff have direct telephone lines. All prefixes are (312) 280-, followed by the four-digit extension. If you use the toll-free number (800-545-2433) you will be instructed to enter the extension of the person with whom you wish to speak.

Meet the Staff

ACRL Sponsorships for 2009 ACRL expresses its sincere appreciation to the following sponsors for their generous donations to the various programs and events we have offered throughout the year. Thanks to your support, ACRL members benefited from enhanced programs and services this year. Colleagues Summa cum laude ($25,000 and up) EBSCO Information Services Elsevier ProQuest Cum laude ($15,000–$19,999) McMaster University Library Thomson Reuters Mortar Board ($10,000–$14,999) Alexander Street Press Blackwell’s Book Services CHOICE Gale Cengage Learning Taylor & Francis Group Dean’s List ($5,000–$9,999) Ex Libris LexisNexis OCLC Springer Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium Swets University of Maryland at College Park Libraries University of Pittsburgh Libraries University of Virginia University of Washington Libraries YBP Library Services Honor Roll ($750–$4,999) AAAS ABC–CLIO Adam Matthew Publications Alliance of Library Service Networks Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America Appalachian State University– C. G. Belk Library Association of Research Libraries Athena Rare Books Atlas Systems Aux Amateurs de Livres International Between the Covers Rare Books Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia Bonhams & Butterfields Brigham Young University Libraries Brown University Library Carnegie Mellon University Libraries Casalini Libri Columbia University Libraries CQ Press Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois Cornell University Library Coutts Information Services Dartmouth College Libraries Duke University Libraries E. Wharton & Co. ebrary Emerald Group Publishing Limited Georgetown University Greenwood Publishing Group Harvard College Library IEEE IGI Global IOP Publishing Jean Touzot Librairie Internationale John Wiley & Sons Johns Hopkins University Libraries JSTOR Kansas State University Libraries L & T Repress Books Marquette University Libraries MIT Libraries Morgan & Claypool Publishers Oklahoma State University Library Oregon State University Library Princeton University Library Puvill Libros Rice University–Fondren Library Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group Rutgers University Libraries Safari Books Online Stanford University Libraries The State University of New York Centers– University at Albany The State University of New York Centers– University at Buffalo The State University of New York Centers– Stony Brook University Syracuse University Library Temple University Libraries University of British Columbia Library University of Chicago Library University of Cincinnati Libraries University of Kansas Libraries University of Louisville Library University of Massachusetts Libraries University of Minnesota Libraries University of Nebraska Libraries University of New Mexico Libraries University of Notre Dame Libraries University of Pennsylvania Libraries University of Rochester Libraries University of San Francisco Libraries University of Wyoming Libraries UPA/CIS/LexisNexis Washington State University Libraries Wayne State University Libraries Whitman College Library Wiley-Blackwell Willamette University Library Winston-Salem State University Library Yale University Library Donor (up to $749) Aquinas College Library Ars Libri Auburn University Libraries B&L Rootenberg Rare Books Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Bartleby’s Books Better World Books Bibliographical Society of America Bludeau Partners International The Book Broker The Bookpress Bookworm and Silverfish Bowdoin College Library Bruce McKittrick Rare Books Buddenbrooks Central Michigan University Libraries City College of New York Libraries Colby College Libraries Colorado State University Libraries Creighton University–Reinert-Alumni Memorial Library CTW Consortium Dickinson College Libraries Earlham College Libraries Florida Atlantic University Libraries Franklin & Marshall College Library Franklin Gilliam :: Rare Books Fulton Montgomery Community College Library Furman University Library Georgia Southern University Library Heartwood Books Hollinger Metal Edge Hudson Valley Community College–Marvin Library Ian Brabner, Bookseller Illinois State University Library Jefferson Community College Library Jerry N. Showalter, Bookseller Jett W. Whitehead Rare Books John Waite Rare Books Johnnycake Books The Kelmscott Bookshop Kenneth Karmiole, Bookseller Knovel Kuenzig Books The Lawbook Exchange Lux Mentis LYRASIS (formerly PALINET) Macalester College Library Marc Selvaggio, Bookseller Marshall University Libraries Michael Brown Rare Books Michael R. Weintraub, Inc. Northeastern University Libraries Northern Illinois University Libraries Northern State University–Williams Library Oak Knoll Books OCLC Research Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries Palinurus Antiquarian Books The Philadelphia Rare Books & Manuscripts Company PraXess Associates Principia College–Marshall Brooks Library Priscilla Juvelis Purdue University Libraries Robert W. Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University Center Rulon-Miller Books Schenectady County Community College Library St. Edward’s University Library St. Lawrence University Libraries SUNY–Brockport SUNY–Cortland SUNY–Empire State College SUNY–Fredonia SUNY–Geneseo SUNY–Genesee Community College SUNY–Maritime College SUNY–New Paltz SUNY–Oneonta SUNY–Orange County Community College SUNY–Oswego SUNY–Plattsburgh-Feinberg SUNY–Purchase College SUNY–The College at Old Westbury Tavistock Books Ten Pound Island Book Company University of Arkansas Libraries University of Baltimore University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries University of Connecticut Libraries University of Hawai’i–Manoa Library University of Louisiana Lafayette Libraries University of Manitoba Libraries University of North Carolina–Greensboro Libraries University of North Dakota Libraries University of Utah Libraries University of Victoria Libraries Vanderbilt University Library Vassar College Libraries Wesleyan University Libraries William Reese Company Wittenberg University Library

   ACRL Board of Directors

ACRL Board 2008–09 (l to r): (back) Mary Ellen K. Davis, John A. Lehner, Michael J. LaCroix, Mary M. Carr, Karen A. Williams, Linda A. Kopecky; (front) Elizabeth A. Dupuis, Erika C. Linke, Debbie L. Malone, Theresa S. Byrd, Lori A. Goetsch. Not shown: Locke J. Morrisey, Janis M. Bandelin, Julie B. Todaro.

   Financial Report

Theresa S. Byrd
Budget & Finance Committee Chair

The 2008–09 budget was carefully monitored by the ACRL Board of Directors, the Budget and Finance Committee, and the Executive Director. The ACRL budget is based on the fiscal year September 1, 2008– August 31, 2009.

2008–2009 ACRL Performance - Updated 1/5/2010.

Factors Influencing Budget Outcomes

The fiscal year 2008–2009 has been a difficult financial year for higher education and the country. While the ACRL Board and staff were worried for many months that the Association would end the year with a deficit, a number of positive factors came together to allow the Association to end the year with net revenue, and it was even better than projected. ACRL’s net revenue (without CHOICE) of $556,570 exceeds budget due primarily to three factors: 1) at the request of the ALA Executive Director, ACRL deferred its planned $100,000 transfer to the ACRL Long Term Investment; 2) expenses (without CHOICE) were $732,622 or 16.19% less than budgeted (due to both strong management to contain expenses and savings from deferred major publishing expenses); and 3) revenues exceeded budget for the 2009 ACRL National Conference, non-periodical publications, advisory services, and membership dues.

ACRL generates the funds to lead academic and research librarians in advancing learning and scholarship from three major revenue streams: publications (including subscriptions, advertising, and book sales), membership dues, and educational events. For the 2008–2009 fiscal year, explanations of ACRL’s income in these areas are given below.

Publications
Traditional revenue streams such as classified and product advertising and subscriptions are down. The largest loss in this area is in classified ad revenue. Classified ad revenues were $146,842 or 41.08% below budget. Because C&RL News deferred investing in a digital archival project, it ended FY2009 with a deficit of $47,700 which is $42,330 or 47.02% better than budget. This is a significant shift from previous years; in FY2007 C&RL News contributed net revenue of $189,727 and in FY2008 C&RL News contributed net revenue of $144,759. Classified ad revenues are not expected to recover in FY2010 or to return to the levels previously experienced due to the poor economic climate and the variety of ways institutions can advertise positions without cost.

Gross revenues from non-periodical publications for FY2009 are $257,691, which is $117,491 or 83.80% better than budget. Non-periodical publications exceeded budgeted revenue due to the release of more titles than planned and overall higher sales than budgeted thanks to the timeliness of topics. While this trend indicates ACRL is publishing materials that are in demand, the challenge for small publishers like ACRL is generating sufficient revenues to cover all of the costs associated with editorial, production, storage, marketing, and distribution of books.

Membership Dues
Although ACRL membership decreased by 0.02% in 2008-09, the membership dues revenues are $36,086 or 5.69% better than budget, owing to both timing and to the variety of membership dues categories available (regular, retired/student). ACRL membership at the close of FY2009 totaled 12,780 (down from 12,782 members in FY2008) and this is the first time that ACRL membership has ever declined in a National Conference year. However, given the recessionary environment in which ALA lost 2.67% of its members (1,781 members), the successful 2009 National Conference appears to have had a stabilizing effect on membership.

Education
The 2009 ACRL National Conference gross revenues of $2,120,018 were $345,721 or 19.48% better than budget and included more than $300,000 in donations. This success in light of the challenging economic environment may be attributed to the high quality of the conference programming and the strong brand the ACRL National Conference has developed.

Gross revenue from ACRL’s Web-CE course offerings came in below budget due to lower enrollment than budgeted and competition from free vendor Webinars. However, ACRL controlled costs and this project ended the year with more net revenue than budgeted. Gross revenues for some professional development activities were slightly down, but by controlling expenses many of the projects generated more net revenue than budgeted.

CHOICE
During FY2009, the CHOICE staff moved into the Liberty Square office space and as a result there were a number of one-time expenses. Thanks to today’s much lower interest rates, it appears that CHOICE’S ongoing Liberty Square expenses will be slightly lower than anticipated over the next year or two. CHOICE’s gross revenues were $3,292,467, which is $166,603 or 4.82% less than budget. Similarly, total CHOICE expenses were $3,202,446 which is $433,944 or 11.93% less than budgeted. Therefore, CHOICE ended FY2009 with positive net revenue of $90,021 which is $267,341 or 150.77% better than the deficit budgeted. In FY2009, CHOICE contributed $100,000 to ACRL’s operating balance; however, it is not clear if CHOICE will be able to maintain this contribution in the future. There is no question that the FY2009 CHOICE financial results were adversely affected by the current economic downturn, and that the impact will linger for some time.

Investing for the Future

The value of ACRL’s Long-Term Investment Funds (LTI), which includes award endowments, declined since 2008 but ended FY2009 with a balance of $1,801,184. To maintain the financial health of ACRL, the Budget and Finance Committee has traditionally recommended to the Board of Directors to annually transfer money to the ACRL Long-Term investment to continue building interest income to fund ACRL’s strategic initiatives. Because of the uncertain economic times, the ACRL Board discussed several recommendations regarding the transfer of funds to the LTI. However, this year, at the request of ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels, ACRL did not make its planned transfer. Keeping the funds in the net asset balance improves ALA’s cash liquidity and helps meet the terms of the agreement with the Bank of America for the loan on the CHOICE property.

Despite the challenging economic environment, the successful 2009 National Conference combined with expense savings allowed ACRL to end the year with a healthy bottom line. While ending with positive net revenue is welcome in this environment, the membership must be aware that the organization continues to see a substantial decline in revenue streams that have traditionally supported programs and services. This downward trend in revenue streams must be monitored. In addition, new revenue streams must be cultivated and traditional services may need to be rethought to maximize the strategic use of ACRL’s resources to benefit the membership. Due to the careful stewardship of its resources over time, ACRL’s net asset balance will provide a financial cushion in the coming years while ACRL adjusts programs and services taking into account the new financial reality.

With the submission of this budget report, I end my term as chair of the Budget and Finance Committee. While I will no longer be a member of the Board and Budget and Finance Committee, I will continue to work on behalf of ACRL. I encourage you to support ACRL, too; join the Friends of ACRL today!

   Executive Summary 2008-2009

Notes: ACRL's fiscal year runs from September 1 through August 31. Actual numbers shown are rounded from two decimal places. Therefore, subtotals may not precisely represent column totals due to rounding. Salaries and operating costs are allocated to each budget project and are not presented as a seperate line item. The individual project expenses above were updated on January 5, 2010, to  allocate salary and operating expenses in accordance with the actual FY2009 time study. Previously reported numbers were based on budgeted salary allocations. Individual project totals will vary slightly, but total expenses and net revenues remain unchanged. The project expenses will vary slightly from ALA’s report because this change was made after the close of the fiscal year.

+The $54,867 in Membership Services expenses includes a $100,000 contra-expense, transferred from the CHOICE net assest balance (i.e. a contribution from CHOICE) to support ACRL initiatives, programs, and services.