ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 74 / C&RL News ■ February 2004 PARTNERSHIPSAND CONNECTIONS The tim e fo r sh arin g in fo rm a tio n exp ertise is now by Hannelore B. Rader E ducators in th e 21st century m ust p rep are stu­ d e n ts effectively for p ro d u ctiv e u s e o f infor­ mation, especially o n the postsecondary level. St dents will n e e d to graduate from higher education institutions w ith th e appropriate inform ation skills to allo w th e m to b e c o m e p ro d u c tiv e citizens in th e w o rk p lace a n d in society. Technology is hav­ ing a m ajo r im p a c t o n society; in eco n o m ics, e- b u siness is m o v in g to tire forefront; in com m u n i­ cation, e-m ail, th e Intern et, a n d cellular p h o n e s h a v e refo rm ed h o w p e o p le com m unicate; in th e w o rk e n v iro n m en t, c o m p u te rs a n d W eb utiliza­ tio n s a re e m p h a siz e d ; a n d in ed u c a tio n , virtual learning a n d teaching are beco m in g m o re im por­ tant. T h e se are a fe w ex a m p le s o f h o w th e 21st- century inform ation en v iro n m en t requires future m em b ers o f th e w orkforce to b e inform ation flu­ e n t so they: • h a v e th e ability to lo c a te in fo rm a tio n effi­ ciently. • evaluate inform ation for specific needs. • organize inform ation to address issues. • a p p ly in fo rm a tio n skillfully to so lv e p r o b ­ lems. • u se inform ation to com m unicate effectively. • u se information responsibly to en su re a p ro ­ ductive w o rk environm ent. Individuals c a n ach iev e info rm atio n flu en cy b y acqu irin g cultural, visual, co m p u ter, te c h n o l­ u ogy, research, a n d inform ation m anagem ent skills to en a b le th e m to th in k critically. ­ The h ig h e r e d u c a tio n e n v ir o n m e n t N e w te c h n o lo g y a n d electronic info rm atio n are h av in g a m ajor im p act o n h ig h er ed u catio n , a n d faculty are e x p e rie n c in g th e p re ssu re o f this im ­ p a c t strongly. T h e y h a v e to a c q u ire n e w sets o f skills to te a c h effectively in this h ig h-technology inform ation environm ent, w h e re students are of­ te n m o re technologically savvy th a n their instruc­ tors. N ew learning communities are evolving b ased o n th e necessity that learning m ust b e continuous o n all levels, at all ages, a n d m ust include resource- based learning. Additionally, faculty are being chal­ lenged b y higher education boards a n d accredita­ tio n g ro u p s to assess th e le a rn in g o u tc o m e s o f their students in a very specific a n d practical m an ­ ner, differently from past student evaluation m eth­ ods. E d u cato rs n e e d to lo o k closely a t th e b u s i­ ness w orld, w h e re strategic advantages are b a se d o n learning a n d teaching organizations to take ad ­ v antage o f evolving technology, d ie Internet, die global m arketplace, a n d d ie n e w econom y. L ib ra ria n s ' c o n trib u tio n s t o th e h ig h e r e d u c a tio n e n v ir o n m e n t In th e present, educationally challenging environ­ m ent, academ ic librarians have m an y exciting o p ­ About the author H a n n e lo re B. Räder is dean o f u n ive rsity libraries a t th e U niversity o f Louisville, h.rader@ louisville.edu ©2004 Hannelore B. Rader Building faculty-librarian p a rtn e rsh ip s to prepare students for information fluency mailto:h.rader@louisville.edu C&RL News ■ February 2004 / 75 portunities to w ork w ith faculty an d students in a variety of n e w and creative ways. Librarians have b e e n closely associated w ith developm ents in the digital environment and remain o n tire forefront of the technological information environment. Aca­ demic librarians have developed diverse technology skills and specialized expertise, which have enabled them to assume leadership opportunities in die higher education environment. They are building partner­ ships o n campus for faculty development, distance education, information technology, student support, and assessment of learning outcomes. They are mak­ ing the library the center for teaching, learning, and research o n die campus by providing die most invit­ ing an d accessible information environment. Above all, they strive to ensure diat all students leam a p ­ propriate information skills to help them achieve information fluency and becom e productive m em ­ bers o f die information society. To acco m p lish this, academ ic librarians are form in g vario u s types o f p artn ersh ip s w ith th e te a c h in g faculty to integrate info rm atio n skills in stru ctio n th ro u g h o u t th e u n d e rg ra d u a te a n d g ra d u a te curricula a n d to h elp faculty to assess s tu d e n t lea rn in g o u tcom es. T h an k s to th e d e ­ v e lo p m e n t o f th e “ACRL In fo rm atio n Literacy C o m p eten cy Standards for H igher E ducation,”1 le a rn in g o u tc o m e s for students in h ig h e r e d u ­ c a tio n r e l a t e d to th e five in f o r m a tio n sk ills stan d ard s, tw enty-tw o perform ance indicators, a n d eig h ty -sev en o u tco m e m easu rem en ts can b e effectively m easured. Informationfluency can be defined as the ability to navigate infonnation structures and to evaluate in­ formation retrieved through these information struc­ tures. Infonnation fluency includes library literacy, m edia literacy, com puter literacy, Internet literacy, research literacy, and critical thinking skills. L ib ra ria n -fac u lty partnerships Since stu d en ts n e e d to b e involved in m o re re- source-based learning activities and should assume responsibility for locating and assessing the m ate­ rials u p o n w hich they should base their learning, faculty have to acquire appropriate teaching m eth­ o d s to e n s u re su c h o utcom es. T h e TLT G ro u p (Teaching, Learning, an d Technology), formerly an affiliate o f the American Association for Higher Education, w orks w ith academic librarians to pro­ vide pro g ram m in g related to teaching inform a­ tio n skills. In p a rtn e rsh ip w ith ACRL, TLT c u r­ rently offers a series of online information literacy seminars that encourage participation by teaching faculty a n d librarians. T each in g in fo rm atio n skills in clu d es m u c h preparation, including such activities as develop­ ing teaching m odules for undergraduates, subject majors, an d graduate an d professional programs. It also involves customizing teaching to appropri­ ate stu d en t levels a n d stu d en ts’ existing k n o w l­ edge bases. Creating a successful learning environm ent is also crucial for success. This includes a user-friendly physical environment, diverse electronic informa­ tion access, appropriate state-of-the-art technol­ ogy classrooms, an d librarian-faculty cooperation a n d interaction. Additionally, librarians an d their faculty partners m ust w ork together to ensure that students receive gu id an ce a n d assistance at th e time o f n e e d in a collaborative learning an d pro b ­ lem-solving learning environment. Effects o f teach in g in fo rm a tio n skills Various accrediting agencies have recognized the importance of information literacy in tire curricula of colleges an d universities and tire important role librarians should assum e in the teaching-learning environm ent by including appropriate criteria for outcom e measurements regarding information lit­ eracy in tire accreditation requirements. Most note­ w o rth y for their w o rk w ith inform ation literacy in higher education is the Commission o n Higher Education, M iddle States A ssociation o f College a n d Schools. W o rk in g w ith th e ACRL a n d th e National Forum o n Information Literacy, the com ­ mission has surveyed 830 institutions nationw ide to explore th e status of initiatives regarding infor­ m ation literacy. T hey fo u n d that educational in­ stitutions in th e m iddle states are leading th e na­ tion in applying infonnation literacy strategies on cam puses. Several o f these institutions have d e ­ v elo p ed fonnal assessm ent strategies for m easur­ ing information literacy outcom es.3 In 1995 the California State Universities (CSU) Commission o n Learning Resources an d Instruc­ tional Technology issued a report entitled “Infor­ m ation C om petence in th e CSU,”4 w hich recom ­ m en d s policy guidelines for th e effective u se o f learning resources an d instructional technology. Information com petency is one major area identi­ fied for w h ic h reco m m en d atio n s are provided. Among tire m any factors considered are coopera­ tive ventures b e tw e e n tire universities, co m m u ­ nity colleges, an d primary an d secondary schools to help all students b eco m e inform ation literate. Also recom m ended w ere close collaborations b e­ tw e e n faculty a n d librarians. T he report provides a n u m b e r o f useful su g g estions to establish an 76 / C&RL News ■ February 2004 effective information com petence program within CSU: • U ndertake a system atic assessm ent o f stu­ d en t information com petence to develop b en ch ­ marks. • D evelop m o d el list o f inform ation co m p e ­ te n c e skills for stu d en ts en terin g th e university a n d g ra d u a tin g fro m th e university. E stablish agreem ent w ith K -14 o n these skills. • D evelop pilot information com petence p ro ­ grams o r courses o n several campuses. • D evelop a “teaching th e teachers” program so that faculty developm ent in inform ation com ­ petence can occur. • D evelop com puter software that enables the teaching o f inform ation com petence. • Work w ith the community colleges an d sup­ p o rt their on going inform ation co m p eten ce ini­ tiative. • Collaborate w ith textbook publishers to help w ith th e integration o f the concepts o f inform a­ tion com petence into textbooks. • Pilot a distance-learning effort w ith infor­ mation competence. T hese exam ples from higher education begin to d o c u m e n t concerns related to educating stu­ dents to beco m e effective in th e inform ation age by helping them gain information and critical think­ ing skills. N ationw ide academ ic librarians are re­ alizing th e im portance o f training students in the u se o f inform ation a n d th a t su c h training m u st E xa m p le s o f o n lin e m o d e ls fo r lib r a r y service an d in itia tiv e s • Kentucky Virtual Library, www.kyvl.org • California State University-San Marcos, library.csusm .edu/departm ents/ilp/ • University o f California-Berkeley, w ww. lib.berkeley.edu/TeaclringLib/ • Florida International University, library. fiu.edu/assistance/tutorials/index.htm l • U n i v e r s i t y o f L o u is v ille , w w w . louisville. edu/infoliteracy • University o f W ashington, Washington, edu/u w ired • U n iv e rsity o f W is c o n sin -P a rk sid e , o ld w e b . u w p . ed u /lib ra ry /2 0 0 3 /in tro / index, htm • U niversity o f M in n eso ta, tutorial.lib. umn.edu • W e s t e r n M ic h i g a n U n i v e r s i t y , w w w . w m i c h . e d u / l i b r a r y / s e a r c h p a t h / indexhtm l becom e integrated into the higher education cur­ riculum. This is the time for academic librarians to becom e actively involved in curriculum develop­ m en t o n their cam puses. This is also the tim e for a cad em ic librarians to w o rk w ith faculty in re­ thinking their teaching styles from lecture m o d e to interactive, resource-based, an d collaborative m o d es o f instruction. In m a n y ac a d e m ic institu tio n s, c e n te rs for teaching excellence are being created to help fac­ ulty reth in k their teach in g styles in term s o f the electronic environment and student learning needs. O ffen th ese centers are rightfully lo cated in the library a n d provide opportunities for librarians to fo rm partnerships w ith teaching faculty for cur­ riculum developm ent and n ew teaching initiatives. T he h ig h e r ed u c a tio n en v iro n m en t n o w offers academic librarians opportunities as never before to dem onstrate their expertise in information han­ dling an d user training an d to becom e involved in the teaching/leam ing process o n the campuses. E xpected outcom es o f teaching inform ation skills are to h elp students: • b eco m e lifelong learners; acquiring critical thinking skills. • b e c o m e effective a n d efficient users o f all types o f inform ation. • use information responsibly. • b e effective in doing research. • b e c o m e p r o d u c tiv e m e m b e r s o f th e workforce. A ch ievin g p ro d u ctive in fo rm a tio n use in th e g lo b a l e n v iro n m e n t The em ergence a n d rapid grow th o f the Internet have created m u ch interest a n d n e e d o n th e part o f students to gain access to electronic inform a­ tion and to becom e information literate. The n eed to find, organize, assess, an d apply information to problem solving is a national as well as an interna­ tional concern. G iven th e ease a n d s p e e d w ith w hich information can n o w b e shared, it is advis­ able that librarians an d educators cooperate a n d share their expertise an d experience n o t only lo­ cally a n d nationally b u t also internationally. To prepare both librarians an d teachers for educating students in the information age, the following fac­ tors n e e d to b e considered: • Information changes continually. • Learning an d teaching m u st b e interactive an d recognize diversity in learning styles. • Teaching a n d training m ust b e a process of facilitating an d sharing, rather than dispensing. (continued on page 80) http://www.kyvl.org library.csusm.edu/departments/ilp/ lib.berkeley.edu/TeaclringLib/ umn.edu http://www.wmich.edu/library/searchpath/ C&RL News ■ February 2004 / 77 80 / C&RL News ■ February 2004 w e lo o k e d a t w ay s to b rin g this p ro g ra m to o u r n e w institutions a n d c o n tin u e to im p ro v e u p o n the concept. A d a p tin g th e p ro g ra m T h e p ro g ram w e d e v elo p ed at D eP au w is ad ap t­ a b le to o th e r institutions. At o n e o f o u r p re s e n t institutions, S outheast M issouri State University, a g ro u p o f stu d en ts sim ilar to APAs called Com ­ m u n ity A dvisors (CAs) w a s easily identified. At Southeast, a cam p u s o f approxim ately 9,000 stu­ dents, CAs serve a very supportive role. A nd like m a n y o th e r institutions, m o st first-year stu d en ts at S outheast live o n cam pus. T he CAs are undergraduate students w h o live o n each residence hall floor a n d act as resources, facilitate stu d en t developm ent, a n d provide p ro ­ gram m ing “. . . for stu d en t education a n d interac­ tion.”3 Again this is a g ro u p o f influential students w h o are part o f the daily social sp h ere of students living in th e re s id e n c e halls. R e sid e n c e Life at Southeast w e lc o m e d interaction w ith the library. At ap p ro x im ately 75 students, th e size o f th e CA g ro u p m a k e s d e v e lo p in g a p ro g ra m a b it m o re challenging, b u t it w as still fairly easy to arrange a brief training a n d discussion session w ith th e CAs during their training w e e k in th e su m m er o f 2002 a n d to k e e p in contact w ith th em th ro u g h o u t the sc h o o l year. As w ith th e APAs at D e P a u w , th e CAs w e re also in tro d u ced to a n onlin e tool— the K ent Library W alking T our—th a t th e y co u ld u se a n d refer fellow stu d en ts to 7A/7. Benefits T a p p in g in to a natu ral stu d e n t social sp a c e a n d netw ork, such as cam pus living units, can o p e n u p n e w w ay s for librarians to integrate inform ation literacy in to o u r s tu d e n ts ’ daily lives a n d activi­ ties. C reating a relatio n sh ip w ith a g ro u p o f stu­ dents w h o are e n g ag ed in m entoring roles in resi­ d e n c e halls is o f particular value. T hese students are w ell-p o sitio n ed to influence o th e r students, from h o w they view th e library to w h a t resources they u se w h e n w orking o n class assignm ents an d projects. T hey serve dual roles, as b o th a p e e r an d a leader, particularly in relatio n to first-year stu­ dents, a n d have access to fellow students in w ays lib ra ry in stru c tio n p ro g ra m s sim p ly d o no t. Partnering w ith o th er cam pus units, su ch as Resi­ d ence Life, can enhance library integration o n cam­ puses large a n d small. T hey can help us in num er­ ou s w ays to un derstand o u r students, enabling us to sh a p e program s a n d activities to su it th e w a y o u r s tu d e n ts live. Notes 1. OCLC O n lin e C o m p u te r Library C enter, Inc., “H o w A cad em ic Librarians C an In flu en ce S tu d e n ts ’ W e b -B a se d In fo rm a tio n C h o ic e s ,” OCLC White Paper on the Inform ation Habits o f Col­ lege S tu d e n ts (Ju n e 2002), w w w 5 .o c lc .o r g / d o w n lo a d s/c o m m u n ity /in fo rm a tio n h a b its .p d f (accessed January 2004). 2. “A cadem ic P e e r Assistants,” (D eP au w Uni­ versity, Residence Life, 2003), w w w .d e p a u w .e d u / student/housing/apa.asp (accessed January 2004). 3. “W elcom e to living o n cam pus! C o m m u ­ nity A dvisors,” (S outheast Missouri State U niver­ sity, Office o f Residence Life, 2003), www 4.sem o. e d u /re s life /N o rth _ C A .h tm (a c c e s s e d J a n u a r y 2004). ■ ( “B u ild in g f a c u l t y ...” c o n tin u e d f r o m p a g e 76) • Information w ork is becoming m ore and more com petitive. • Librarians a n d teachers m u st m ark et th e m ­ selves aggressively as information experts. • In fo rm a tio n is a c o m m o d ity a n d m u s t b e h a n d le d like a valuable product. • T eachers a n d trainers m u st b e c o n tin u o u s learners. • Effective teach in g uses learning o u tco m es a n d behavioral goals. • G o o d teaching is b ased o n student need. • In fo rm atio n skills m u st b e in te g ra te d into th e curriculum a n d taught incrementally. • T eachers a n d librarians m u st w o rk w ith ac­ crediting a n d education agencies a n d curriculum planners to ensure that inform ation skills becom e a req u ired c o m p o n e n t o f th e curriculum . Conclusion This is a brief sum m ary o f th e chan g in g p h ilo so ­ phy, w h ich will predom inate in academ ic a n d re­ search en v iro n m en ts o f th e future. T h e future is h a rd to d efin e a n d p la n n in g is difficult b e c a u se chan g es are occurring rapidly. A cadem ic a n d re ­ s e a rc h libraries w ill c o n tin u e to b e th e c e n te rs w ithin universities if th e y offer u p -to -d ate infor­ m atio n environm ents a n d efficient access to an y k in d o f information, address u ser needs, a n d take a le a d e rsh ip ro le in training th e university co m ­ m unity in efficient a n d effective infonnation h a n ­ dling. This is n o t th e tim e for academ ic librarians to b e tim id o r to w a it p a tie n tly fo r n e w d e v e lo p ­ m ents. O n th e contrary, it is th e tim e for th e m to becom e aggressive and dynamic participants in the ( c o n t i n u e d o n p a g e 8 3 ) www5.oclc.org/ http://www.depauw.edu/ C&RL News ■ February 2004 / 83 ers a n d problem solvers early o n the first day. Even for a b u n c h o f g regarious library leaders, it w as simply amazing. Learn, re fle c t, an d a p p ly In the w ak e o f a w eek o f focused readings, guided discussions, a n d th e intentional interaction w ith p e e r colleagues, the institute e n d e d w ith an evalu­ atio n o f th e experience. H av in g sp o k e n w ith m an y participants w h o h a d a tte n d e d o n e o f th e fo u r earlier Institutes, it is c lear th a t in th e fifth year th e overall p ro g ram quality an d pedagogical dynamic not only had been su stained, earlier years, in fact, h a d built o n o n e a n o th e r, en rich in g th e latest iteration o f this re­ w ard in g professional opportunity. As w ith earfier in stitu te s, th e 2003 class s p o k e o f v a lu in g th e fluid n a tu re o f th e ex p erien ce; th e b a la n c e b e ­ tw e e n small a n d large group activities; th e o p p o r­ tu n ity to b e c e n te r stage w ith a g ro u p o f gifted instructors; a n d the often candid sharing a n d pal­ atable se n se o f collegiality evidenced am o n g the seven o r eight individuals w h o gathered early each m o rn in g in th e various small reflection groups. P e rh a p s th e on ly m inor criticism an y o n e h a d o f th e p ro g ra m w as th e m eag er tim e given o v e r to co ffee b re a k s. A sip o f coffee, p e rh a p s a q u ick p h o n e call o r e-mail check a n d w e w e re hustled b a c k into o u r high-tech fishbowl o f learning. As p la n n in g fo r th e n e x t in stitu te (A u g u st 8 - 1 3 , 2 0 0 4 ) c o m m e n c e s , it is a lre a d y c e rta in th a t f u tu re p a rtic ip a n ts w ill le a v e th a t e x p e r i­ e n c e , a s d id th e 2003 class, w ith a p r o f o u n d s e n s e o f th e im m e n s e c h a n g e s s h a p in g b o th o u r p ro fe s s io n a n d h ig h e r e d u catio n . As le a d ­ ers w e m u st m ak e increasingly com pelling cases ( “B u ild in g f a c u l t y ... ’’c o n tin u e d fr o m p a g e 8 0 ) c a m p u s com m unity’s teaching, learning, a n d re­ search agendas. They must share their information expertise w ith their cam pus community an d build p ro d u c tiv e p a rtn e rsh ip s w ith te a c h in g faculty. There aœ num erous examples in th e nation w here academ ic librarians have becom e leaders o n their cam puses. O n som e cam puses librarians have b e­ co m e cam pus information officers, o n other cam ­ puses they have becom e high-level administrators to foster information technology, assessment, an d faculty developm ent. O ther m odels can b e devel­ o p e d , a n d only th e lack o f im agination can stop academic librarians from becom ing leaders o n their campus. T h ere are n o limits for academ ic librarians in th e 21st century, there are, how ever, endless o p ­ fo r c h a n g e lo n g b e f o r e th e n e e d to d o so b e ­ com es desperately obvious. I call this strategic re­ silience. W ithin o u r in fo rm atio n o rganizations m u c h o f th e re s p o n s e to this n e e d fo r o rg an izatio n al resilience, sadly, has b e e n scripted: strands o f nos­ talgia fo r w h a t is ( a n d w h a t w a s), e le m e n ts o f denial regarding d e e p secular trends in o u r com ­ petitive environm ent, a n d a n arresting arrogance ro o te d in th e pow erfùl political constituencies o f legacy program s. Today, organizational renew al (in d eed transform ation) m ust b e a natural conse­ q u e n c e o f a n org an izatio n ’s in n ate resilience in the face o f ram p an t challenge. M any o f o u r cuiTent m o d els o f b o th c h an g e an d leadership focus o n working to g et better as op­ posed to w orking to g et different. I w ould argue that w e m u st b e a b o u t th e latter if w e are to h o p e to confront incipient trends a n d em brace em ergent o p p o rtu n ities for o u r stu d en ts a n d faculty. F u n ­ dam entally, th e ACRL/Harvard L eadership Insti­ tu te is a b o u t h e lp in g le a d e rs th in k a b o u t th eir organizations b y em ploying com pelling n e w lan­ g u ag e a n d m e ta p h o r as a m ean s o f fram ing a n d energizing organizational transformation an d gain­ ing facility in th e u s e o f te s te d te c h n iq u e s a n d strategies, ultimately to b e placed in o u r evolving m anagerial tool kits. Notes 1. Lee B. B o lm a n a n d T e rra n c e F. D eal, ReffamingOtganizatíons: Artistry, Choice, andLead- ership. 2 n d e d . (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1997). 2. Robert K egan a n d Lisa Lahey, H o w the W ay We talk C an C hange the W ay We Work. (San Fran­ cisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001). ■ portunities. “T he future looks bright for librarians w h o em brace their em ergent roles as teachers and scholars. In m any ways, technology is a vehicle for exp an d in g the librarian’s sp h ere o f influence a n d collaboration w ith teaching a n d research faculty is c e rta in ly o n e o f th e k e y e le m e n ts to th e profession’s future.”5 Notes 1. ACRL’s “Inform ation Literacy C om petency Standards for Higher Education.” (Chicago: Ameri­ can Library Association, 2000). Visit w w w .acrl.oig/ infolit. 2. For m o re in fo rm atio n o n th e TLT G ro u p visit: w w w .tltgroup.org. ( c o n t i n u e d o n p a g e 9 0 ) http://www.acrl.oig/ http://www.tltgroup.org 90 / C&RL News ■ February 2004 information literacy initiatives, such as the Institute for Information Literacy National Immersion Program; • th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f a n e w strategic p la n to reposition ACRL for a n e v e n stronger future; a n d • partnership with our m em bers to assure m em ­ b e r satisfaction a n d retention. Goals I w o u ld b e d e lig h te d to w o rk o n y o u r b e h a lf as ACRL P re s id e n t to c o n tin u e th e fin e tra d itio n s o f ACRL a n d to ex p lo re n e w av en u es to dev elo p a cad em ic librarians o f th e future. I w o u ld bring to this position a strong belief in th e im p o rtan ce o f com m unication; in getting rel­ ev an t a n d tim ely inform ation to m em bers; in th e h e a lth a n d g ro w th o f o u r association, inclu d in g anticipation o f n e w constraints o n a n d possibili­ ties fo r re v e n u e s a n d th e in creasing co st o f p r o ­ v id in g p ro d u c ts a n d services; in th e ex ercise o f reasonable care in m aking decisions; in sensitivity to d ifferin g view s; a n d in stro n g c o lla b o ra tio n am o n g m em bers a n d am ong external partners. T h e s tre n g th o f ACRL is its m e m b e rs. M em ­ b e r satisfaction a n d retention are critical. Building lasting relationships w ith o u r m em bers m u st b e a priority. We n e e d to d e m o n stra te a stro n g c o m ­ m itm e n t to th e co n tin u in g e x p lo ra tio n o f m e m ­ b e r priorities a n d n eed s, including h o w to attract n e w professionals to ACRL. O ngoing reconnection w ith m e m b e rs to c re a te a s h a r e d fu tu re th a t is m o re s e c u re th a n e ith e r c o u ld h a v e b u ilt a lo n e a n d creation o f additional incentives a n d benefits for m em b ers to retain their m em berships are criti­ c al fo r th e f u tu re o f ACRL. I w o u ld w o r k c lo se ly w ith th e ACRL B o a rd o f D ire c to rs a n d ACRL m e m b e rs , c o m m itte e s, sections, discussion groups, task forces, a n d chap­ ters to address m em b er concerns a n d issues a n d to stren g th en ACRL’s pro g ram s a n d activities, e sp e ­ cially tho se th at increase th e innovation a n d lead­ e rsh ip o f acad em ic librarians. ACRL m u st b e th e fo rem o st collaborative organization th a t inspires in novation a n d lead ersh ip a n d ex p lo res w ay s in w h ic h libraries c a n invent their future, su ch as an In v e n tin g th e F u tu re T h in k T an k . A th in k ta n k w o u ld b u ild o n th e reco m m en d atio n s o f th e cur­ re n t T ask F orce o f th e A ssociation o f th e F uture a n d id en tify im p o rta n t a re a s o f fu tu re e x p lo ra ­ tio n fo r th e a cad em ic enterp rise; p ro v id e a n in- d e p th e x p lo ra tio n o f fu tu re e v en ts, tren d s, a n d d evelopm ents sh aping th e enterprise a n d profes­ sion; a n d h e lp d ev elo p strategic implications. I w o u ld b rin g to th e le a d e r s h ip o f ACRL a c o n tin u in g e m p h a s is in c h a n g in g th e w o rld o f sc h o la rly c o m m u n ic a tio n . ACRL n e e d s to b e a leading player in ensuring that scholarly co m m u ­ nicatio n em b races w id e access, fair pricing, p e r­ m anence, a n d fair u se a n d in continuing to create n e w m odels for scholarly publishing through ed u ­ cation, advocacy, coalition-building, an d research. In furthering diversity a n d inclusion in o u r pro­ fession a n d o u r association, I w o u ld p ro p o s e an ACRL D iversity G ran t P ro g ra m th a t w o u ld h e lp academ ic an d research libraries foster a n environ­ m e n t th a t e n c o u ra g e s a s tro n g c o m m itm e n t to diversity in th e w o rk p lace a n d p ro v id e g ran t o p ­ portunities for a n international exchange/collabo- ration b e tw e e n ACRL m em b ers a n d international librarians to su p p o rt a tte n d a n c e at international library asso ciatio n m eetin g s a n d at th e ALA A n­ nual Conference. ACRL h a s a vital ro le to assist libraries w ith m axim izing their k n ow ledge assets. T he m ore w e can harness an d maximize these assets the greater a role w e can play in creating competitive advantage o n o u r cam puses. Teaching information literacy to e d u c a te future k n o w le d g e w o rk ers, learning for professional developm ent and growth, an d support­ ing standards an d outcom es measures to assess an d im prove th e effectiveness a n d future direction of academ ic libraries n e e d to b e ongoing priorities. Lastly, I w o u ld w o rk to build a n ev en stronger s e n se o f ad v o cacy to fight th e m a n y challen g es a h e a d for acad em ic libraries. It is critical th at w e advocate for public policy, legislation, a n d institu­ tional change that can en h an ce th e value a n d con­ trib u tio n w e m a k e to learning, teaching, a n d re­ search . It is esp ecially essen tial to p o sitio n a c a ­ dem ic libraries a n d librarians as critical educational, econom ic, a n d social forces to m a k e a difference in lifelong learning. T h e future for academ ic a n d research libraries is a n exciting a n d challenging one. I am h o n o re d to sta n d for this position a n d w o u ld b e delighted to serv e as ACRL P resid en t a n d to w o rk w ith all o f y o u . ■ ( “B u ild in g f a c u l t y . .. ’’c o n tin u e d f r o m p a g e 8 3 ) 3 . 0. M. T. Ratteray a n d H. L. Simmons. (1995) Infonnaticur Literacy mHigherEdiicationPP↓-^a.áe↓- phia: Comm ission o n H igher Education), 1. 4. Com m ission o n Learning Resources a n d In­ structional Technology (1995). Inform ation Compe­ ten ce in th e CSU. A R eport, 19-21. 5. D. R aspa a n d D. Ward, The C ollaborative Imperative, 2000 (Chicago: Association o f College a n d R esearch Librarians), 153-54. ■