ARL News

image © Thomas HawkARL invites applications and nominations for participation in the 2013–2015 class of the Research Library Leadership Fellows (RLLF) Program. The RLLF Program is an executive leadership program that offers an opportunity for development of future senior-level leaders in large research libraries and archives. This will be the fifth iteration of the RLLF since its inception in 2004. To date, the program has involved almost 30 research libraries sponsoring almost 90 key staff in their development as an emerging cadre of ARL senior leaders.

image © ed_needs_a_bicycleOn May 10, the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) submitted comments (PDF) on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a trade agreement currently being negotiated between the US and the European Union (EU). While negotiations are still in their preliminary stages, LCA urges the inclusion of provisions to harmonize public access to the results of government-funded research. LCA also cautions against the inclusion of an intellectual property chapter in the agreement.

ARL IRDW Diversity Scholars 2013-15, photo by Molly MageeARL is accepting applications for the Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce (IRDW), a program designed to recruit master of library and information science (MLIS) students from traditionally underrepresented ethnic and racial minority groups into careers in research libraries. The IRDW includes a stipend in support of MLIS education of up to $10,000 over two years, leadership and career development training, a site visit to the Purdue University Libraries, financial support for skills development, and a formal mentorship program.

“Mrs. Duffee Reading Her Kindle,” © Mike LichtARL will host a Library Assessment Forum at the upcoming ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, featuring research on the value of e-books in academic libraries conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) as part of the LibValue project. The forum will be held on Friday, June 28, 2013, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. in the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place (Adler 24A-C). No registration is necessary to attend this event.

image © Bjørn MolstadThe Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) applauds the introduction in the US House of Representatives on May 9, 2013, of H.R. 1892, the Unlocking Technology Act of 2013, by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), and Jared Polis (D-CO). The bill guarantees that legitimate uses of digital works and technologies will not run afoul of copyright law, even if they require breaking digital locks. Prompted by the recent uproar over cell phone unlocking, the bill recognizes that issue as a symptom of a much larger problem and would fix that problem permanently.

Dogwood, image © tanakawhoSpeakers’ slides from the ARL Membership Meeting held May 1–3 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, are now on the ARL website. Available slides include:

SPEC surveysARL is seeking proposals for 2014 SPEC survey topics. For 40 years ARL has gathered and disseminated data through the SPEC survey program to assist libraries in the continuous improvement of their management systems. Each year, ARL works with librarians in the US and Canada to develop six surveys of the ARL membership on strategic topics related to research library policies and practices. (Survey authors do not need to work at an ARL member library, but only ARL libraries are surveyed.)

ARL today joined major sponsors Public Library of Science (PLOS), Wellcome Trust, and Google to launch the Accelerating Science Award Program (ASAP), which recognizes the use of scientific research, published through open access, that has led to innovations in any field that benefits society.

image © Thomas HawkARL has selected the sponsor cohort for the fifth iteration of the Research Library Leadership Fellows (RLLF) Program, an 18-month executive leadership fellowship designed and sponsored by ARL member libraries that helps develop future senior-level leaders in large research libraries. The program exposes library staff who have the desire and potential for leadership in ARL libraries to important issues, peer institutions, and professional networks that will enhance their preparedness to take on senior-level roles.

York, UK, © Mark Davis ARL is sponsoring a LibQUAL+ Exchange of Experience workshop on Monday, July 22, 2013, in conjunction with the 10th Northumbria International Conference on Performance Measurement in Libraries and Information Services, to be held in York, UK. The half-day event will feature opportunities for LibQUAL+ participants and other interested parties to share experiences and discuss strategic uses of assessment results. The program will also include an update on the first UK implementation of the ClimateQUAL survey.