Dear Moderators of ARLIS/NA Divisions, Sections and Roundtables
(DSRT's),
As most of you are aware, the Executive Board will be considering ways
to improve the administrative structure of the Society during the coming
year (as directed in the Strategic Plan 2000-2005, Goal IV, A: Provide
an efficient organizational structure that is responsive to the
membership.). The process of evaluating the DSRT structure will begin
with discussions during the upcoming Baltimore Conference Membership
Meeting, but it would also be helpful to the Board if you would include
time on your Baltimore meeting agendas to discuss the issue.
To spur further ideas for your discussion, I am taking the liberty of
reposting President Daniel Starr's recent ARLIS-L message on the
subject:
From: Starr, Daniel [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, February 23, 2003 1:06 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ARLIS-L] Reorganization of Divisions, Section, and Round
Tables
At last year's membership meeting I raised the issue of the Society's
structure. The Executive Board reviewed our committees at its mid-year
board meeting, and decided to restructure or eliminate all of our ad hoc
committees, recognizing that either their purpose was ongoing and should
be the charge of a standing committee, or that they had accomplished
their goals or that these goals would be better met by creating task
forces with specific charges and deadlines. This resulted in a more
efficient array of committees. Now I'd like to turn the discussion to
our organization into Divisions, Sections and Round Tables (DSRT's).
Why should we discuss the DSRT structure now? First, to respond to the
Strategic Plan:
"Goal IV - To strengthen and increase the effectiveness of the Society's
activities and operations,
A. Provide an efficient organizational structure that is responsive to
the membership."
Second, while not specifically mentioned in the Strategic Plan, we
should also examine the effect of the current DSRT structure on
conference planning, especially on the number of meeting rooms required.
The number of meeting rooms we require is the major factor limited where
and when we can hold the conference. If we had fewer groups guaranteed
meetings we would have more flexibility in conference scheduling, both
within the conference, and in the type of hotel (and therefore city)
that can host the conference. For example, we have hotel meeting rooms
reserved for 71 slots during the Baltimore conference, and still do not
have enough space to accommodate every group that wants to meet or
worthy session that was proposed. There are not many hotels that are
interested in hosting our conference, given our comparatively small size
combined with a requirement for many meeting rooms.
Finally, the mission statements of the DSRT's have not been updated
since the requirement that conference sessions be sponsored by DSRT's
was eliminated; our sponsorship model now is purely financial. Even
though this discussion will be slow, deliberative, and structured so as
to involve as much input from members as possible, I am confident that
the results of the discussion, whatever they may be, will lead to a
healthier Society.
I would like to begin the process by asking all moderators of DSRT's to
schedule some time during their business meetings to discuss the role
and goals of their own DSRT. I will also make this discussion the main
agenda item at the annual membership meeting. In order to help the
discussion I have prepared the following discussion paper, which I hope
will help raise the questions that need to be addressed and give further
background to the issue. The board will look forward to hearing your
views during the coming year.
What is the purpose of the DSRT's?
They are no longer required for sponsoring conference sessions, but they
can still help by giving their imprimatur to proposals, providing a
venue for discussing proposed subjects, and to help avoid duplication
among proposals. The conference program chair and conference planning
committee also fulfill these functions. The program chair in particular
has come to play a more active role in shaping individual sessions.
While one intention was that DSRT's would foster communication among
groups between conferences mailings were infrequent (as was any activity
in most cases). Use of ARLIS-L and e-mail fulfill the need for
communication without requiring any organization structure, e.g. ARLIS-L
by the use of subject lines can effectively communicate about an issue
of interest only to a particular group within ARLIS/NA. DSRT's do
currently have a role in selecting editors to provide columns for
Update, but these editors could just as well be selected or appointed by
the Update editor or the Publications Committee.
DSRT's define groups of members with expertise in particular areas, but
their membership is self-selected and not necessarily inclusive. In
theory, the Executive Board can go to the DSRT's for advice, or to ask
for nominees or volunteers for committees or task forces, but, in
practice, the executive board usually relies on existing committees or
on its own knowledge of members' strengths and interests.
One requirement of DSRT's is that they hold a business meeting and elect
officers. ("Select" may be a better word than "elect" since there are
very few contested elections for DSRT officers.) Running a meeting and
leading a group may be good experience, but that may not be enough of a
reason to perpetuate these groups. Service in these positions may be a
good way to cultivate future leaders, but experience at the chapter,
committee, or conference planning levels may be more valuable.
The business meetings may be a good way for new members to find others
who share their interests, but they are more likely to fulfill this
function if they are organized, with and agenda, and specific topics to
discuss. At that point they take on the nature of discussion groups,
rather than serving as an integral part of the organizational structure.
If primary rationale of the DSRT's is to provide the opportunity to meet
with other members who share the same interests and to discuss topics of
shared interest, perhaps the DSRT's should simply be replaced with
discussion groups. That proposition, "eliminate all DSRT's and replace
them with discussion groups" leads to a new set of questions.
1. Should every such group be formally established?
2. Should there be any criteria for the formation of a
group?
Number of members? Attendance records?
3. Should every such group be guaranteed a meeting at every
conference?
4. If each group is not guaranteed a meeting, who
determines
which groups get one? The conference program chair? The conference
planning committee? The EB?
5. How effective is the use of the self-scheduled room to
set
up this type of meeting? Would a greater amount of free time during the
conference make this option more attractive?
6. Should these meetings be required to have a theme,
topic,
agenda, or speakers to be approved?
7. Who runs the meetings? Are the leaders self-selected?
8. Who would be responsible for proposing the meeting?
9. Would this approach actually create more groups than we
have
now?
Since this is such a complex topic I suggest that we do not try to
discuss in on ARLIS-L. Please consider these questions so that we can
have a productive discussion during the conference. If you are unable
to attend the conference, please feel free to send your comments to me
or to any other board member or DSRT moderator. I look forward to
hearing from you, and seeing you in Baltimore.
Daniel
#####################################
Daniel Starr, President
ARLIS/NA
Manager of Bibliographic Operations
Thomas J. Watson Library
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028-0198
212-650-2582
212-570-3847 (fax)
[log in to unmask]
Allen K. Townsend
Vice President/President Elect, ARLIS/NA
Librarian
Amon Carter Museum
3501 Camp Bowie Blvd
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
Phone: 817 989 5073
Fax: 817 989 5079
All opinions are my own and not those of my employer
