In response to the emails that have been hitting the ARLIS-L, we would
like to offer
suggestions, as the former and present presidents of AMLISS, the Art and
Museum
Library and Information Students Society at the University of North
Carolina, Chapel
Hill. There are 7 very active student groups at UNC-School of
Information and Library
Science (SILS), most of them bearing the name of a larger national
group. We have
student chapters of ALA, SLA and SAA. The national groups lend a natural
sense of
structure and organization to the student groups. Because most LS/IS
programs are under
two years in duration, students are off campus quickly, and strong
structures for these
groups need to already exist when students begin the program.
AMLISS is a new and energetic group of twenty-five members, in its
second academic
year. Miriam Intrator organized the group in 2001, answering an obvious
need in the
SILS community. Since the organization’s inception, we have had
speakers, a workshop
and now a “coffee talk” series. We are able to gain funding from the
University as a
formal student group, and continue to seek outside support from national
groups such as
ARLIS, the members of which are always very accessible and in support of
our activities.
We have two advisors, one SILS faculty member and UNC art librarian, Pat
Thompson.
In only two academic years we have been able to provide increased
awareness for
students to issues in art librarianship, while providing our members
with great
programming and budgeting experience.
In order to further support the professional development of AMLISS
members and other
student groups like us, we seek a formalized national affiliation with
ARLIS. There
would need to be some corresponding structure within ARLIS to promote
these activities.
To this end we would like to suggest the creation of a new roundtable,
the “Student
Affairs Roundtable.” The Roundtable would focus on student needs, but
would have open
membership for any ARLIS members interested in education and outreach. The
Roundtable could maintain records on any student groups, work towards
more student
scholarships and deal with a number of student issues. The format of a
roundtable’s loose
structure and flexibility may be beneficial in promoting continued
dialog between
students and ARLIS members. The Student Affairs Roundtable would
therefore promote
greater student participation in ARLIS and the annual conference, and a
mechanism for
the creation of new student chapters.
Through the structure of the Student Affairs Roundtable, student
chapters could apply for
monies to bring speakers and create workshops at their universities. If
promoted
correctly, such activities could be of great use to local ARLIS chapter
members. And
again, this gives students increased opportunities for networking and
professional
development.
Representatives from AMLISS will be at the New Members reception and
look forward
to discussing the future of groups such as AMLISS. Any students out
there interested in
forming their own group can contact present AMLISS officers and are
welcome to visit
our website www.ils.unc.edu/~amliss
Sarah Falls AMLISS president 2003
Marie Kennedy AMLISS president 2004
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