ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C&RL News ■ N o v e m b e r 20 00 / 933 C o l l e g e & R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i e s ACRL Statement on Professional Development Approved by the ACRL Board of Directors on July 8, 2000 by th e ACRL Professional D e v e lo p m e n t C om m itte e Executive sum m ary P rofessio nal d ev elo p m ent is an im portant manifestation o f the academ ic librarian’s com ­ mitment to personal e x ce llen ce. It is a n e c ­ essary response to a rapidly changing envi­ ronment. Although professional developm ent is an individual responsibility, it thrives on partnership with the associations and the in­ stitutions that share com m on goals and val­ ues with academ ic librarians. T h e ACRL State­ m ent o n Professional D ev elopm ent is both d eclaration and m andate. Throu gh it, the m em bers and staff o f ACRL declare our c o l­ lective intent to strive for professional ex ce l­ len ce through rigorous programs o f lifelong learning and personal growth. The Statem ent on Professional Developm ent T h e A ssociation o f C ollege and Research Li­ braries (ACRL) is the professional organiza­ tion for librarians and other information sp e­ cialists in academ ic and research institutions throughout the world. Central to ACRL’s mis­ sion is the responsibility to promote the “high­ est level o f professional e x c e lle n c e ” am ong its m em bers. This Statement on Professional D ev elopm ent is designed: • to raise aw areness within the com m u­ nity o f academ ic and research librarians o f the shared nature o f that responsibility; • to foster dialog b e tw een ACRL mem­ bers and the institutions w hich provide c o n ­ text and support for the w ork and growth o f academ ic and research librarians; and • to raise the bar against w hich ACRL m embers and staff measure their commitment to professional ex ce llen ce through continued learning. Librarians com m it them selves to a pro­ gram o f continual growth that anticipates and com plem ents the evolving information needs o f our institutions and o f society. T hey co m ­ mit them selves— organizationally and indi­ vidually— to lifelong learning and professional developm ent. At the sam e time, the professional devel­ opm ent o f academ ic and research librarians is a shared responsibility. Graduate schools recruit and educate candidates for the pro­ fession. Institutions hire librarians and b e n ­ e fit from their c o n tin u e d m atu ration and grow th. P ro fessio nal d ev elo p m en t is sus­ tained by the enduring activities o f organiza­ tions such as ACRL. In many ways, profes­ sional developm ent is the em bodim ent o f an ongoing process o f personal m astery aided by organizational interest in, and support for, learning through partnerships. W hile each partner plays an important role in sustaining professional growth, the foundation for d e­ velopm ent must b e personal com m itm ent to closely held and clearly articulated values. Context fo r change T echn ology is reshaping the world o f learn­ ing and o f scholarly com m unication, and the effects o n academ ic and research librarians are profound. Librarians are challenged to m anage an exploding body o f information, w eaving electronic, print, and nonprint re­ sources into a seam less fabric o f services for constituents. Unlike their predecessors w hose skills evolved along with scholarly comm u- 934 / C&RL News ■ November 2000 Developing the Statement Periodically, ACRL's Professional Devel­ o p m en t Committee has struggled to define its role w ithin the organization. Because the entire organization serves its m em bers’ pro­ fe ssio n a l d e v e lo p m e n t, th e c o m m itte e charge has not always b e en clearly distin­ guishable from the m ission o f the organiza­ tion. M em bers during the late 1990s even seriously c o n sid e re d re co m m e n d in g the com m ittee be abolished. It w as then that they d ecid ed to em bark on a journey of discovery to clarify the com m ittee's role within ACRL and to give direction to future O ver the course of the next two-and-a- half years, com m ittee m em bers surveyed ACRL m em bers, co n d u cted form al focus groups, and h eld informal discussion ses­ sions in an attem pt to learn ho w m em bers defined professional developm ent a nd what they believed ACRL’s role in the professional developm ent process should be. In the course of this Inform ation gather­ ing, the com m ittee d eterm ined that a d ocu­ m ent formalizing our collective beliefs about professional developm ent w as needed. The “ACRL Statem ent on Professional D evelop­ ment" is th e result o f their work. O v e r th e c o u rs e o f th is w o rk , Lee Ketcham-Van Orsdel, Eastern University Ken­ tucky, chaired the committee from 1998 to 2000. O ther comm ittee m em bers w ho par­ ticipated w ere Jo h n Collins III, Harvard Col­ lege; David Dow ell, Cuesta College; Jan Fortier, Marylhurst University; Geri Bunker Ingram, University of Washington; Sally Kalin, Pennsylvania State University; Johnnieque Love, Texas A&M University; Sandra Ready, M in n e so ta S tate U n iv e rsity , M a n k a to ; Jemmifer Dorner, Ball State University; and Juapa Young, University of Arkansas. Maty Ellen Davis served as ACRL staff liaison. F u r t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t th e com m ittee’s current initiatives may be ob ­ tained by contacting Geri B unker Ingram, current com m ittee chair, at the University of California San Diego, UCSD Libraries, 9500 G ilm an D rive #0175, La Jolla, CA 92093. nication—gathering, organizing, storing, and retrieving— librarians now find themselves on the leading edge in the delivery of scholarly information. The availability of information resources m arketed directly to the end-user is unprecedented. Never before has the respon­ sibility for an informed citizenry seem ed so central to the mission of librarians, nor its suc­ cess so elusive. The strategic p o sition of librarians has n ever b een m ore prom ising. Yet the chal­ lenges they face are staggering. While the great core of principles, practices, a nd val­ ues they e sp o u se rem ains relevant, the skills and know ledge required to perform their jobs are constantly changing. Increasing diversity brings increased d em and for interpersonal skills. The fragility of traditional m aterials threatens their future a n d hinders their use. Digital reproductions, m aterial “b orn digi­ tally,” and ephem eral m aterial are at risk of obsolescence, d ue to shifting standards and racing technology. T hese developm ents re­ quire increased technological skills to ensure a p p ropriate a nd effective action on the part of information professionals. Academic librarians can play a key role in managing these issues, but only through a thor­ ough an ongoing commitment to continually learning new concepts and skills. Providing leadership for the academ y will dem and that w hole library organizations commit to build­ ing com petence in team w ork and in system­ wide thinking. Only through close, working alliances with administration, faculty, students, and information technology professionals will librarians develop the perspective necessary for leadership. Responsibilities of academic and research librarians Professional excellence is an individual, rather than a corporate, characteristic. Although or­ ganizations can b e described as “professional" or “excellent,” their collective excellence re­ sults from the w ork o f individuals w ho prac­ tice the highest principles of the profession. Learning, w hich is the key to acquiring and C& RL N ew s ■ N o v e m b e r 2000 / 935 m aintaining individual e x c e lle n c e , is ulti­ mately the responsibility o f the individual. O ver a lifetime, e a ch librarian develops along parallel growth paths o f career exp e ri­ en ce, personal developm ent, contextual u n­ derstanding, and in-depth expertise. Learn­ ing is the event that drives the librarian fur­ ther along e a ch o f these continuu m s. For maximum effectiveness, learning n eeds to be thoughtfully m anaged. It is the responsibility o f e a ch acad em ic librarian to identify the professional and personal skills and know l­ edge n e ed ed for current and anticipated re­ sponsibilities; to continuously assess the skills, aptitudes, and kno w led ge they p o ssess; and to c a n o n iz e that aw aren ess into p erson al learning strategies. Librarians sh ould aggres­ sively se e k opportunities to learn from a va­ riety o f sou rces in related professions and in professions that have no t traditionally b e e n associated with libraries. Partners in information m anagem ent have m u c h to o f f e r . T h e N a tio n a l R e s e a r c h C ouncil’s (NRC) Comm ittee o n Inform ation T echn ology Literacy, for exam ple, has co d i­ fied the co m p le x array o f know led ge and skills, w hich constitute inform ation fluency into a ta x o n o m y o f th re e d ev elo p m en ta l groupings: contem p orary skills, foundational co ncep ts, and intellectual capabilities. T hey distinguish b e tw een intellectual and co n c e p ­ tual foundations o f understanding, w hich are tim eless, and skills, w hich ch ang e continu ­ ously throughout a lifetim e.1 A cadem ic and research librarians have a responsibility to share what they have learned through writing, speaking, m entoring, and m odeling, in order to facilitate the learning o f their co lleagu es and the advancem ent o f the profession. In addition, they should ar­ ticulate professional developm ent needs to their em ployers, to ACRL, to library ed u ca­ tors, and to o th er professional organizations w hich have relevant know led ge and skills to share. R esp on sibilities of ACRL ACRL has a leadership role in setting high exp ectation s for its m em bers relative to c o n ­ tinuous learning. M em bers e x p e ct ACRL to com m it substantial resou rces to creating af­ fordable, accessible, dynam ic and relevant ed u catio nal o p p ortu n ities, exp lo itin g new m odes o f delivery as th ey em erge. Although it can provide only a portion o f the pro fes­ sional developm ent needs o f its m em bers, ACRL supports its m em bers in systematically identifying and participating in innovative professional developm ent programs. ACRL plays a role in facilitating self-di­ rected learning am ong its m em bers. ACRL’s elected leaders, in co n cert w ith association staff, should en h an ce opportunities for pro­ fessional e x ch a n g e am ong the m em bership by exp anding ven ues w here ideas can be e x c h a n g e d , su ch as c o n fe r e n c e s , ch a p te r m eetings, publications and electronic forums. With advice from the membership, ACRL lead­ ership and staff should d evelop assessm ent tools to assist m em bers in evaluating their learn in g styles, skills and k no w led g e and exp lores opportunities to define co re co m ­ p etencies w h en appropriate. ACRL should continue to em phasize c o l­ laboration with its partners in higher ed u ca­ tion, with graduate sch oo ls o f library ed u ca­ tion, and with oth er organizations that share the interests o f acad em ic librarians, for the exp ress pu rpose o f increasing learning o p ­ portunities for its m em bers. T h e association’s leaders should monitor and/or research trends in higher education relative to acad em ic li­ braries, changing professional expectations, w o rk p lace needs o f the m em bership, and oth er relevant issues. These findings should b e regularly disseminated to the m embership, to graduate sch ools, and to o th er partners as appropriate. R esp on sibilities of professional educators Educators in graduate sch oo ls o f library ser­ vice, inform ation scien ce, and inform ation studies play a critical role in the lifelong d e­ v elopm en t o f acad em ic librarians. T hey c o n ­ struct graduate curricula that prepare students for a continuum o f personal and professional learning experiences throughout their careers. Such curricula might include assessm ent o f learning styles and personal aptitudes; skill- building in leadership, team w ork, critical thinking, and decision-m aking; and repeated em phasis on the necessity o f lifelong learn­ ing in the care er o f an inform ation profes­ sional. Library educators nurture the growth o f their graduates and o f the professional co m ­ m un ities w ith in w h ich th ey resid e. T h ey 936 / C&RL News ■ Novem ber 2000 should disseminate scholarly research and facilitate growth in ways that support the pro­ fession. They should continually assess the professional development needs of librarians, offering opportunities for learning in venues and modes that are accessible to career librar­ ians. Responsibilities of academic institutions Through enlightened self-interest, academic institutions should appreciate the importance of-and materially support-professional devel­ opment for academic librarians. Colleges and universities should demonstrate their com ­ mitment to personal mastery and continuous learning, e.g., through financial support, ad­ ( “Acquiring a 9-millionth book” continued from page 892) overworked and romanticized, they project sense o f immediacy that is almost unnerv­ ing. We w ere all very pleased with the Ab­ original Port Folio, but it clearly needed con­ servation work. We consulted with Gillian Boal and Nancy Harris in the Library’s Con­ servation Laboratory. Boal would have to deal with repairing the binding and Harris would have to fix the tears in three plates that had been clumsily mended with adhesive tape, m inistrative leav e, and/or fle x ib le w ork schedules for academic librarians engaged in learning activities. They should also measure, recognize and reward exceptional individual and team performance. Institutions have a further responsibility to create, sponsor or offer learning events for their professional staff. Note 1. Being Fluent with Information Technol­ ogy (http://www.nap.edu/books/030906399X/ html/) (1999), Executive Summary, p. 4. Pro­ duced by the National Research Council’s Com­ mission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications. Print edition available from Na­ tional Academy Press, Washington, D.C. ■ as well as some other less difficult problems. Working together, we laid out a plan o f co n­ servation work and a timetable for its comple­ tion. The Aboriginal Port Folio had its first pub­ lic viewing on Cal Day, April 15, and was very much admired. This fall it was promi­ nently featured in the exhibition “Images o f Native Americans” in the Bancroft Gallery and runs from September to early December. It’s displayed in company with McKenney and Hall, Catlin, Bodmer, and a wealth o f other depictions o f Native Americans. ■ A p p lic a tio n s /n o m in a tio n s in v ite d fo r C&RL e d ito r Applications and nominations are invited for the position o f editor o f C ollege & R esearch L ibraries ( C&R£ ), the bimonthly, scholarly research jour­ nal o f the Association o f College and Research Libraries (ACRL). T he editor is appointed for a three-year term, w hich may b e renew ed for an additional three years. Applicants must be a mem­ b e r o f ALA and ACRL. Qualifications include pro­ fessional ex p erie n ce in acad em ic libraries, a record o f scholarly publication, editing experi­ en ce, an ability to m eet publication deadlines, an understanding o f the scholarly com m unica­ tion process, and a broad knowledge o f the is­ sues confronting academ ic libraries. Som e funding for editorial assistance and travel to relevant co n feren ces is available, and there is a small honorarium for the editor. Appointment will b e m ade by the ACRL Board o f D irectors at th e 2001 Annual C o n feren ce upon the recom m endation o f th e search co m ­ mittee and o f the ACRL Publications Commit­ tee. T he incom ing editor will serve a one-year internship w ith th e current ed itor be fo re as­ suming full responsibility for C&RL in Ju ly 2002. Nom inations o r resum es and letters o f applica­ tion, including th e nam es o f three references, should b e sen t to: C&RL Search Committee c/o Hugh T hom pson , D irector o f Publications ACRL 50 East Huron Street C h icag o , IL 60611 h th o m p so n @ ala.o rg The deadline f o r receipt o f applications is December 6, 2000. Finalists will be interviewed at the Midwinter Meeting in January 2001. http://www.nap.edu/books/030906399X/ mailto:hthompson@ala.org C&RL News ■ N o v e m b e r 2000 / 937