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Dear ARLIS/NA members, I hope you are all well, and that you are looking forward to the ARLIS/NA Virtual Conference later this week. These last few months have been busy ones for ARLIS/NA, and I am writing on behalf of the executive board to share updates on several ongoing endeavors. ARLIS/NA 2020 Virtual Conference The virtual conference planning committee has done a tremendous job of coming together and, within a very tight time frame, planning a robust virtual conference. Thanks to all the members who've played a role on the committee, including Laura Schwartz, Past President; Carol Ng-He, chair, Professional Development Committee; Claire Payne, chair, Education Subcommittee; Skye Lacerte and Andrea Degener, St. Louis Conference co-chairs; Heather Slania, Education Liaison; Lindsay King, Advancement Liaison; Lora Farrell, Website Coordinator; Meredith Hale, Learning Portal Coordinator; Stephanie Grimm, past-chair, Professional Development Committee; Mark Pompelia, Vice President; and Nancy Short, ARLIS/NA Executive Director. Thanks also to all the speakers, moderators, and presenters who adapted their conference programs for the virtual conference. I also want to thank Diversity Committee Chair Natisha Harper and the members of the committee for organizing--again, within a very tight time frame--the Diversity Forum, "Collaborative Solutions: Are We Doing Enough?," that will take place this Friday as part of the virtual conference. Unlike the other programs on the schedule, the session is not what they were planning for the St. Louis conference. That session, a Diversity Forum on accessibility, will be postponed to the 2021 conference. Instead, Friday's session is a new session that will help further ARLIS/NA's commitment to listen to members' concerns and to take proactive and supportive measures in the fight against racism. Plans for the session include small, moderator-led discussion groups that will offer a forum for meaningful exchange, but that also necessitate a cap on attendance in order to ensure enough moderators for all the discussion groups. If you will miss out on the forum, please know that there will be more opportunities to engage in discussion and to participate in related opportunities via further initiatives from the Diversity Committee and the forthcoming ARLIS/NA task force described below. Addressing Systemic Racism Through further discussion with Diversity Committee chair Natisha Harper, Strategic Directions Committee chair Emilee Mathews, and the board, we determined that a task force to develop a long-term plan to address systemic racism was the best way to carry this work forward. The ARLIS/NA Anti-Racism Task Force will be co-chaired by myself and Education Liaison Heather Slania, and it will include representatives from the Diversity and Strategic Directions Committees. We will also be putting out a call for additional task force members, open to anyone in ARLIS/NA. A year can seem like a long time, but in the life of an organization it goes by quickly. A long term plan will build a framework that sustains initiatives beyond the tenure of any of us in our present roles. Look for more on the task force and the call for volunteers soon after the conference. If this is work that you are passionate about, please consider volunteering. 2021 Conference Planning The Montréal Conference Planning Committee continues to adapt its timeline and planning efforts to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic. Whatever form the 2021 conference takes, there will be an ARLIS/NA conference in May of 2021 that will offer all of the opportunities for professional development, networking, and engagement that are the defining characteristics of the annual conference. Look for the call for papers later this summer, and, if you attend the virtual conference, be sure to complete the post-conference survey. Virtual conferencing will continue to be an important part of future ARLIS/NA conferences, and the comments and feedback from the survey will help with plans for virtual conference options for the annual conference in 2021. Management Company Search Task Force The board has approved the Management Company Search Task Force and this group is convening to begin the search process. Co-chairs Laura Schwartz and Rachel Resnik will share news as the work progresses. The other task force members are Vice President/President Elect Mark Pompelia, Kristen Regina (former ARLIS/NA president), Matthew Gengler (former ARLIS/NA treasurer), and myself. Finally, I want to be sure and acknowledge that the success of this organization depends on the varied ideas, skills, and experiences that ARLIS/NA members contribute to it. This is a challenging year on many fronts, but I continue to be inspired by ARLIS/NA members' commitment to the organization and to the profession. Best, Amy --------------------------------------------------- Amy Trendler President, ARLIS/NA and Architecture Librarian University Libraries Ball State University 765-285-5858 Muncie, IN 47306 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> she/her/hers The University Libraries provide services that support student pursuits for academic success and faculty endeavors for knowledge creation and classroom instruction. www.bsu.edu/library<http://www.bsu.edu/library> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about joining ARLIS/NA see: http://www.arlisna.org/membership/join-arlisna Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance: http://lsv.arlisna.org Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~