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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
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
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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)
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