Board Minutes

 

Name of Group: New Members Round Table Executive Board

 

Type of Meeting: Midwinter Board Meeting

 

Date Submitted: February 1, 2006

 

Date and time: January 23, 2006; 1:40 to 3:35 p.m., CST

 

Place:   Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, San Antonio, TX, Room 007

 

Name of Chairperson: Nadine Flores*, President

 

Name of Recorder: Jeannette Ho, Secretary

 

Officers in Attendance: Amanda Roberts, Vice President/President-Elect; Sally Gibson, Past President; Catherine Collins, Treasurer; Nanette Wargo Donohue, Outreach Director; Laura Kortz, Leadership Director; Courtney L. Young, Councilor; Laurel Bliss, Member Services Director; Michelle Millet, Networking Director; Jeannette Ho, Secretary. 

 

Nonboard members: Kim Sanders (ALA liaison), Erin Ellis (Chair of the Nominating Committee), Aaron W. Dobbs, Amanda Bakken

 

Signature of Recorder/Secretary on Official Copy of Minutes: Jeannette Ho

 

*Since Nadine could not come to the Midwinter conference, Amanda Roberts presided over the meeting on her behalf.

 

Body of report:

 

I.        Call to Order and Introductions

 

The meeting was called to order at 1:40 p.m., CST, by Amanda Roberts.  All of the attendees introduced themselves.

 

II.     Approval of Minutes

 

A.     Annual Conference, 2005

 

Motion: Amanda moved that the Board review the minutes from the Annual Conference.  Catherine Collins seconded the motion.

 

Discussion: Some misspellings of names were pointed out.  It was requested that Laura's position at the time be corrected to “Membership Services Director”, instead of “Membership Director”. 

 

Vote: The Board accepted the minutes as corrected

 

B.     E-Board Meeting, 2006

 

Motion: Amanda moved that the Board review the minutes from the electronic board meeting that took place in January 2006.  Catherine Collins seconded the motion.

 

Discussion: Some misspellings of names were pointed out.  It was suggested that the date of adjournment be included at the end of the document.

 

Vote: The Board accepted the minutes as corrected.

 

III. New Business

 

  1. John Chrastka, Manager for ALA Membership Development

 

John Chrastka thanked the Board for approving the 50% NMRT membership discount for  first-year ALA members at last year's Annual conference.  He reported that since then, 85 new members have joined NMRT.  He stated that our membership has grown 8%, and that half joined through this discount.  He also reported the findings of a study examining the overlap of members of ALA units with other divisions.  It was found that NMRT had the highest proportion of members represented in other divisions, with the highest number in ACRL, followed by PLA and RUSA.

 

Amanda asked the Board whether it wished to take a stand on the ALA dues increase  proposal, which would increase the cost of personal membership by 30% over the next three years and be phased in annual increments of 10%. The ALA Council was scheduled to vote the next day on whether the proposal should be placed on the March ballot for the vote of the entire membership. Possible alternatives were discussed, including a salary-based structure.  According to John, the ALA Membership committee had investigated a salary-based approach and recommended against it.  Courtney added that privacy is an issue, and that according to the chair of the Budget Review and Analysis Committee (BARC), the report did not include salary information because people were reluctant to share their salaries.  Several Board members expressed concerns about the proposal, stating that it was not in the interest of new members who often struggle with membership costs.  Aaron Dobbs, a non-Board member, stated that members could benefit from an increase in the long run, since ALA would have more money to accomplish things.  The Board decided not to take a particular position at this time.  Sally suggested that instead of taking a particular position, it may be possible for NMRT to educate people about issues surrounding the proposal, so that people can make informed decisions about whether to vote for it this spring.

 

B. Midwinter Social Proposal

 

[See Attachment #1 in Supporting Documents]

 

This proposal requested an increase in the budget for the Midwinter Social Committee of $50, for a total of $250, rather than $200, to cover expenses.

 

Discussion: It was agreed that increasing the funding for the Social from $200 to $250 was reasonable.  Catherine suggested that the Board revisit this issue regularly, and that the committee should consider submitting another proposal to increase funding on an annual basis. 

 

Motion: Catherine moved to accept the Midwinter Social proposal. Laura seconded the motion.

 

Vote: The proposal to increase funding for the Midwinter Social from $200 to $250 was approved.

 

  1. Gerald Hodges Memorial Fund proposal

 

[See Attachments #2 and #3 in Supporting Documents]

 

Sally presented the proposal to donate $1,000 to the Gerald Hodges Fund.  Gerald Hodges, who recently passed away, served as the ALA staff liaison to NMRT from 1996 to 2002.  He helped many NMRT members become active in ALA.  Sally also distributed an additional handout of the Memorial Resolution for Gerald Hodges, which was scheduled to be presented at the ALA Council meeting the next day. 

 

Motion: Laura moved that the original proposal be amended to include the resolution.   This was seconded by Nanette.

 

Vote: The motion to amend the proposal to include the Memorial Resolution for Gerald Hodges was approved.

 

Discussion:  Sally said that although some of the younger NMRT members may not have known Gerald, he really impacted a lot of lives.  She described her memory of him speaking at the Mountain Plains Leadership Institute and at a meeting of the Nebraska Library Association's NMRT, where he helped to inspire its members.  Catherine added that Dora Ho (NMRT president from 2001-2002) and Bill Jenkins (Past Treasurer) have also expressed their support for the proposal.

 

Motion: Nanette moved that the Board accept the amended proposal.  This was seconded by Laura.

 

Vote: The motion to accept the amended proposal was approved. 

 

  1. Exhibitor Contact & Relations Proposal

 

[See Attachment #4 in Supporting Documents]

 

Catherine presented the proposal on behalf of Shannon Tenant, Chair of the Exhibitor Contact & Relations Committee, who could not attend Midwinter. The proposal addressed the future re-assignment of the duties of this committee, which will be dissolved after the 2005-2006 year.  The proposal requested that a new committee be formed to take over the Marshall Cavendish essay contest, and that it be overseen by the Leadership Director.  It also requested that the Networking Director take over the duties relating to vendor relationships.   

 

Discussion: Catherine said that NMRT would be more effective in establishing and maintaining vendor relationships if the same person served as the contact person for two consecutive years. Catherine suggested that this position could also be responsible for seeking fundraising opportunities.  The Board discussed whether vendor-related responsibilities should be assigned to the Networking Director or to a separate position.  Michelle Millet and Laura Kortz expressed concern about assigning vendor-related duties to the Networking Director.  It was mentioned that this may add a great deal to the existing workload of this position.  It was also noted that the proposal  assumed that the same person would stay in this position for two years when that may not always be the case in the future. According to Sally, an ideal scenario would be to assign this task to a liaison who would be overseen by a director. The director could take over the liaison's responsibilities if he or she left or could not fulfill them. Other possible positions suggested included the Outreach Director and Treasurer. It was decided to send the proposal back to the committee for further review.

 

Motion: Laura moved to send the proposal back to the Exhibitor Contact & Relations  Committee.  This motion was seconded by Catherine.

 

Vote:  The motion send the proposal back to the Exhibitor Contact & Relations  Committee was approved.

 

E. Loriene Roy, ALA Presidential Candidate

 

Loriene Roy, a professor at the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin, introduced herself and her campaign for the ALA presidency.  She distributed brochures and highlighted her major accomplishments, including mentoring library school students and conducting the first longitudinal study of the Spectrum Initiative.  She also answered questions from Board members.

 

F. Vice-Presidential Planning Committee Proposal

 

[See Attachments #5 and #6 in Supporting Documents]

 

Amanda presented the proposal for the creation of a peer-reviewed scholarly print journal within NMRT.  As Footnotes editor, she had received article submissions that addressed more in-depth topics than the news items typically published in Footnotes.  She pointed out the lack of a more substantive outlet in NMRT for its members to publish in.  She proposed that NMRT produce an annual issue for a two-year trial period.  Funds for the print issue of Footnotes could be re-allocated towards the development of the new print publication. Meanwhile, the $300 plus dollars for e-mail alerts could stay with the Footnotes Committee, which would continue to publish the online issues. 

 

Discussion: Catherine said NMRT has funds to support this publication as a one-time project, but may run into difficulty if it were made into a regular publication.  Amanda said that the $5,000 total under the “Annual Budget” section of the proposal was an estimate based on research.

 

Laura suggested that it may be possible for NMRT to seek partnerships with other ALA Divisions and have them include NMRT members in their publications.  She mentioned that it would look better on resumes to have published in journals that are already established.  Catherine suggested that this task could possibly be assigned to a position that oversees vendor relationships (previously handled by the Exhibitor Contact & Relations Committee), or to a separate position created for the purpose of fundraising. 

 

According to Amanda, the Footnotes Committee spends over $2,000 on the annual May print issue of Footnotes.  Many of its news and meeting announcements are no longer current by the time it gets distributed at the Annual conference. She suggested that instead of this annual issue, NMRT could produce a print publication with voices of NMRT members and distribute it at the Annual conference where it could be read by non-NMRT members. Sally replied that people still found it useful to read about NMRT activities and events in the print issue of Footnotes.  Kim Sanders agreed, saying that she often uses this issue to publicize NMRT to students at the Annual conference. She suggested that perhaps the proposed publication be issued as a supplement to the print issue of Footnotes.  Amanda replied that the Footnotes Committee had published a supplement last May, and had to refuse half of the submissions related to news about the conference due to lack of money and space.  She also mentioned that it is labor-intensive and time-consuming for the Footnotes Committee to continue publishing a print issue, in addition to the three online ones. She recommended that the print publication could be assigned to the Scholarship, Writing and Research Committee.  Catherine suggested that this committee could take over responsibility for all print issues of Footnotes and look for opportunities for NMRT members to publish with other divisions.

 

The Scholarship, Writing and Research Committee has also been investigating the possibility of creating an online scholarly journal, separate from the publication being proposed.  Nanette said it was important to be focused and not have two similar projects at the same time.  If the latter were the case, it may not be possible to give full attention to either one of them, which could weaken both efforts.   

Sally Gibson suggested that there be a new unwritten proposal to assign the responsibility of producing the annual print issue of Footnotes to the Scholarship, Writing and Research Committee, and to transfer the necessary funds to it.

 

Motion: Sally moved that the Board approve the Vice-Presidential Planning Committee proposal.

 

Vote: The Vice-Presidential Planning Committee proposal was defeated.

 

Motion: Sally moved to assign responsibility of producing the print issue of Footnotes to the Scholarship, Writing and Research Committee, and to transfer the necessary funds to it.

 

Vote: The motion to assign responsibility for the print issue of Footnotes to the Scholarship, Writing and Research Committee and transfer the necessary funding was approved.

 

  1. Executive Board Members Reports

 

Michelle Millet reported that the Booth Committee has been working on a proposal that was not on the Board meeting's agenda.  It asked for an increase in the budget for the Booth Committee to purchase an inline booth to ease set up and take down at conferences. Its estimated cost is $3,000.  The Board observed that this may be worthwhile, as it would give the NMRT booth a more attractive and professional appearance and benefit NMRT's outreach efforts.  Millet also reported that the local arrangements committee is hard at work putting together information for the upcoming Annual conference in New Orleans.

 

Courtney Young reported that at the ALA-APA meeting, it was announced that as of Sunday (January 22) there were 8,133 registrants and 10,377 exhibitors at Midwinter.

 

  1. NMRT 2006-2007 Budget

 

[See Attachment #7 in Supporting Documents]

 

Catherine presented a spreadsheet of the proposed budget.  She pointed out that it had been revised to reflect NMRT's new organizational structure and highlighted other major changes, summarized in a handout.  She asked Board members to examine the budget over the next few days to make sure that the amounts of funding allocated to the committees under their supervision were correct.  Catherine said she would send a revised version of the budget the following week for the Board to review before sending it to Kim Sanders.

 

IV. Adjournment

 

Motion: Sally moved that the meeting was adjourned.  Courtney seconded the motion.

 

Vote: The motion to adjourn was approved.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 3:35 p.m., CST.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Jeannette Ho

NMRT Secretary

 


Supporting Documents

 

 

Attachment #1—Midwinter Social Proposal

 

 

Proposal Form for NMRT

 

From (name and office/committee):

Date:

 

********************************************

 

Board action requested: 
Increase in the budget for the Midwinter Social Committee of $50, for a total of $250, rather than $200.

 

 

 

Background: 

[Per an email from Past-President, Sally Gibson] “A little history on the Midwinter Social. Prior to 2002 everyone was required to pay. It was getting quite [expensive –] about $25.00 a person and collecting the money was also an issue. NMRT wanted to make the Social more affordable for the students and members. 2003 was the first year NMRT provided $200 in the budget. The original intention was to cover the cost of room rental. So far everyone has been able to get space for free and use the money for food. With each year it has gotten more challenging…” 

 

 

C. Rationale:

The "free space" that we were "offered" by the hotel where we have aq block of rooms would not have worked out at all. We could not bring in outside food  -- not even through their restaurant (I erroneously reported in an earlier email to some Board members that the food would have had to come through the hotel restaurant, but in looking back through my emails with Kim Sanders, I realized that the room offered through ALA at the hotel where the NMRT block is would not permit food – period. The room would have been free if it had been for a meeting – a social just isn't the same thing.

 

Additionally, I did try contacting the hotel restaurant to see if we could have a portion of their space for the event since several NMRTers are staying there and it would be so convenient. There was no way that the restaurant could do this. In fact, they told me upfront that they have too much business on a Saturday night to set aside room or try to accommodate arrangements like we sought for this event.

 

Hard Rock Cafe was the only local place that I could find – and I contacted several restaurants in the River Walk vacinity – that would work with us at all on this.

 

This is what I discovered: MOST restaurants do not want to take the potential revenue loss that a group event like ours may create. $200 of appetizers is guaranteed, but that's it. Setting aside room and a designated server(s) for a group of 30+ for 2-3 hours with no guarantee of anything other than that $200 is a little risky. By starting the event at 5:30 this year, it is my hope that several people will order dinner there, too. The folks at Hard Rock have been absolutely wonderful and I would hate to see them not be tipped accordingly. And if we tip accordingly, then we'll be looking at about $160-$165 worth of food instead of $200 if we cannot increase the budget by about $50.

 

 

D. Impact on …

  1. Organization:

$50 additional monies – a slight increase to the budget; however the positive aspect of allowing an increase to the budget (we hope) will that the event can/will be used as a promotional tool to increase membership.

 

  1. Committee (issuing proposal):

Midwinter Social Committee – impact would be that we would have enough money to provide a tip PLUS pay for $200 worth of appetizers that we can offer to our NMRT members at the event.

 

  1. Other committees: 

N/A

 

  1. Finances (Please indicate amounts here with only brief descriptions. Detailed descriptions of costs should be supplied in “E. Supplemental information” below.)

 

 

    1. Itemized expenses:

Can provide a current copy of the Hard Rock Menu with recently-increased prices, if Board members so desire.

 

    1. Amount not covered by current allocations:

Estimating $50 for gratuity/tip for the evening's event.

 

 

E. Supplemental information (e.g. complete text of the report or policy; and for any proposal that requires additional funding, provide a description and justification for each item):

N/A

 


Attachment #2-- Memorial Resolution For Gerald Hodges

 

Whereas, Gerald Hodges, ALA Associate Executive Director, Communication

and Marketing passed away on January 10, 2006, and

 

Whereas, Gerald as a librarian, educator, and ALA staff member touched

the lives of thousands in the library community and beyond as a friend

and colleague by sharing his smile, enthusiasm, energy, wisdom, good

cheer, attention, positive attitude, wit and graciousness; and

 

Whereas, Gerald as a life member of ALA served the Young Services

Division (YASD) with distinction as a Board Member, in his role as ALA

Councilor from 1983-1987, and as YASD President/President-Elect from

1989-1990 while making time to mentor many new young adult librarians

and school library media specialists who are forever grateful; and

 

Whereas, Gerald during his 16 years at ALA as Associate Executive

Director and Director of Member Services and the Chapter Relations

Office worked tirelessly to help grow ALA membership from 46,000 in 1989

to over 67,000; and

 

Whereas, Gerald's innovative thinking, expertise, and cooperative

efforts led to increases not only in ALA membership but also in

membership in divisions such as ACRL, round tables, ALA Chapters, and

ALA Affiliates such as APALA, through joint membership programs and

other initiatives; and

 

Whereas, Gerald championed and facilitated the critical connectivity

between ALA and ALA Chapters; and

 

Whereas, Gerald's efforts in supporting the growth and development of

advocacy within ALA reached millions of library supporters and helped

them to obtain increased resources in their community and support from

their community at large; and

 

Whereas, Gerald's efforts on behalf of public awareness initiatives to

promote the value of libraries, librarians and library workers have led

to increased recognition of their importance and impact in the United

States and beyond; and

 

Whereas, Gerald supported and worked to advocate for libraries as

cultural centers and their unique role as a place where all are welcomed

and encouraged to participate; and

 

Whereas, Gerald provided unwavering support and leadership to the

research goals of the Association, and especially for long-range

research initiatives to improve services to members and to inform the

profession on the value of all libraries in the United States and around

the world; and

 

Whereas, Gerald served admirably with compassion and encouragement as

the staff liaison for the New Members Roundtable which often provides

the first-association-wide contact for members of the Association; and

 

Whereas, Gerald personified ALA's sensitivity and concern for member

issues including, but not limited, to those representing traditionally

underserved groups, i.e. members of color, with disabilities, small and

rural libraries, and serving adult and family learners; and

 

Whereas, library support staff are indebted to Gerald for his support

and efforts to increase their visibility at all levels of ALA, and for

spearheading the new member category for support staff; and

 

Whereas, Gerald was a true friend of associations of librarians of

color; and

 

Whereas, Gerald fostered collaboration with all departments and levels

of the association to improve ALA and its service to members; and

 

Whereas, Gerald was a lifelong supporter of Intellectual Freedom and has

set up a fund to support efforts of the Office for Intellectual Freedom

to defend Intellectual Freedom; and

 

Whereas, ALA staff will, as everyone else, sorely miss the influence

that Gerald had on their lives, professionally and personally; therefore

be it

 

Resolved, that the Council of the American Library Association recognize

and pay tribute to the contributions of Gerald Hodges as an ambassador

for ALA, and for libraries everywhere.

 

Moved by:

 

Ann Hamilton

Georgia Chapter Councilor

Chair, Chapter Relations Committee

 

Marcia Boosinger

Alabama Chapter Councilor

Chair, Membership Committee

 

Endorsers:

Chapter Relations Committee

Membership Committee

Intellectual Freedom Committee

Committee on Research and Statistics

Public Awareness Committee

Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee

Association of College and Research Libraries

Young Adult Library Services Association

Library History Round Table

Library Support Staff Interest Round Table

Library Research Round Round Table

New Members Round Table

 


Attachment #3-- Gerald Hodges Memorial Fund proposal

 

Proposal Form for NMRT

 

From (name and office/committee): Sally Gibson, Past President

Date: January 23, 2006

 

********************************************

 

A. Board action requested:  To make a $1,000 donation to the Gerald Hodges Fund.  The Gerald Hodges Fund will support intellectual freedom issues and legal challenges to legislation such as the Children's Internet Protection Act and the USA Patriot Act

 

 

B. Background: Gerald Hodges was the ALA staff liaison to NMRT from 1996 to 2002.  Many ALA members remember Gerald for his humor and wisdom.  Many NMRT members remember Gerald for his compassion and ability to make a new member feel special.  Gerald found ways for NMRT members and leaders to become active in the larger ALA organization.  He encouraged, advised, and supported NMRT leaders and assisted their desire to become active in the professional organization.  Gerald touched the lives of everyone that he worked with and was an outstanding role model for the future leaders of ALA. 

 

 

C. Rationale:  Over the past week several former NMRT leaders have expressed their appreciation for the help and guidance that Gerald provided.  In keeping with the wishes of his estate, I believe a donation to the Gerald Hodges Fund will serve as recognition of Gerald Hodges' outstanding service to NMRT.  

 

 

D. Impact on …

  1. Organization:

 

 

  1. Committee (issuing proposal):

 

 

  1. Other committees:

 

 

  1. Finances (Please indicate amounts here with only brief descriptions. Detailed descriptions of costs should be supplied in “E. Supplemental information” below.)
    1. Itemized expenses:

 

 

    1. Amount not covered by current allocations:

Since this is an unanticipated expense funds have not been allocated for the expense.  Money is available in the NMRT reserve.

 

E. Supplemental information (e.g. complete text of the report or policy; and for any proposal that requires additional funding, provide a description and justification for each item):

 


Attachment #4-- Exhibitor Contact & Relations Proposal

 

Proposal Form for NMRT

 

 

From (name and office/committee):

Shannon Tennant (ECRC Chair) and Catherine Collins (NMRT Treasurer)

 

 

Date:

01/05/2006

 

 

******************************************************************************

 

A. Board Action Requested:

·            Dissolve the Exhibitor Contact and Relations Committee (ECRC).

·            Assign the duties relating to the Marshall Cavendish essay contest to a new committee called the Marshall Cavendish Award Committee to be supervised by the Leadership Development Director.

·            Assign the duties of establishing new vendor relationships, maintaining current relationships, and requesting support from vendors to the Networking Director.

 

 

B. Background: The ECRC has been languishing for some time. For many years, this committee organized and administered the Friendly Booth awards. This was a large undertaking and required several committee members, as well as many volunteers, to make it work. With the elimination of the award, the committee's responsibilities have been reduced to requesting support from various vendors. For the last several years, this support has been bags for Orientation from EBSCO and pens for Orientation from Sirsi (this contact is no longer active).  ECRC also administers the Marshall Cavendish essay contest.

 

At the June 2005 NMRT Board Meeting in Chicago, the Board voted to continue the ECRC as an ad hoc committee for the 2005-2006 fiscal year and dissolve the committee after that period.  As the year is coming to a close, some action must be taken to ensure that the ECRC's remaining duties are reassigned.

 

 

C. Rationale:  There should be no question that maintaining and increasing NMRT's ties with vendors is of primary importance. The Exhibitor's Round Table expressed similar sentiments; the vendors are interested in reaching new, younger members. This proposal is not intended to eliminate vendor associations, but to make those links smoother and easier to manage.

 

It has been the experience of the last several chairs of ECRC that there is really not enough responsibility to occupy an entire committee. The necessary emails to vendors easily can be handled by one person. In fact, it is better to have only one contact person to eliminate duplication of requests and confusion on the part of the vendors and the committee.

 

Another challenge that recent ECRC chairs have faced is the impossibility of deepening any vendor relationships during their short, one-year tenure. Chairs only interact with the vendors at conference time, which is only twice during a term of office. Each new chair has to start almost from scratch, learning the vendors and the contact people. Just when the chair is beginning to feel comfortable, their time is up. The vendors are in the library business for the long-term. If NMRT had a longer-term officer handling vendor issues, this person would have the opportunity to get to know the vendors not just by email, but through multiple meetings at conferences. Requests for support could become more than isolated, one-shot deals. A request could initially be a small experiment, evaluated after the conference, and then expanded if it proved to be a successful project. No chair could accomplish this in only one year.

 

The Marshall Cavendish essay contest is exactly like the contests run by other committees, such as Shirley Olofson or Student Chapter of the Year. Marshall Cavendish gives NMRT several tickets to the Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder banquet at the annual conference. The committee advertises the contest, requests brief essays from the applicants, reads the essays, and awards the tickets. Since it is so similar to the activities of other awards committees, it should be administered like these other committees. The relationship with Marshall Cavendish is strong and likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

 

 

D. Impact on …

 

            1.  Organization: In passing this proposal, the NMRT will eliminate a no longer           
            necessary committee (ECRC); create a new, smaller, more specialized committee
            (Marshall Cavendish Award Committee); and improve the effectiveness of NMRT
            vendor relations by reassigning those duties to a two-year officer position.

 

            2.  Committee (issuing proposal): This proposal will eliminate the ECRC.

 

            3. Other committees: This proposal will create the Marshall Cavendish Committee.

 

            4. Finances (Please indicate amounts here with only brief descriptions. Detailed
            descriptions of costs should be supplied in "E. Supplemental information" below.)

 

                        a. Itemized expenses: No known impact.

                        b. Amount not covered by current allocations: No known impact.

 

 

E. Supplemental information (e.g. complete text of the report or policy; and for any proposal that requires additional funding, provide a description and justification for each item):  None.

 


Attachment #5-- Vice-Presidential Planning Committee Proposal and Justification

 

Proposal to the New Members Round Table For Creation of a Scholarly Print Journal

 

Vice Presidential Planning Committee

January 2006

 

 

Statement of Purpose

 

MLIS programs do not typically emphasize writing for publication.  Therefore, many new librarians entering the field have never been exposed to the publication process and have no idea where to begin. Whether publishing is a job requirement or a choice, the publication process can be intimidating. 

 

 

To provide straightforward information on the step-by-step process toward scholarly publication and to present opportunities for new librarians to experience scholarly publishing firsthand, we propose that New Members Round Table (NMRT) create a print peer-reviewed journal as a pilot project.  The journal would feature articles of interest to new librarians as well as provide creative, informative, and practical articles of interest to all librarians. The journal would examine issues that are vital to our profession, providing a forum for sharing knowledge and ideas. 

 

We propose that the pilot project involve two annual publications, distributed in May 2007 and May 2008.  After the 2008 publication, the trial would be reviewed, with findings reported to the NMRT board for a decision whether to continue the publication in its initial format or with changes.  One option for continuing the publication if it is successful would be to establish a partnership with a commercial publisher (e.g., Haworth).

 

We are aware that the Scholarship, Writing, and Research Committee is investigating a similar online scholarly publication at this time.  We are proposing a print publication instead, so NMRT members can gain experience with the traditional print publication process they will encounter in the profession.  However, perhaps the two initiatives might be coordinated.  For example, the print journal might publish a selection of the best articles from the online journal. 

 

The editorial policy and submission guidelines below are written based on the assumption that this new print publication has original submissions.

 


Editorial Policy

 

The proposed journal would be associated with the American Libraries Association New Members Round Table, thus submissions would be limited to the NMRT membership.  Published articles would be written for and by librarians new to librarianship. MLIS students and those in the field less than six years would be encouraged to submit original work to the editor(s). All submissions must not be previously published or simultaneously being considered for publication elsewhere.  Receipt of manuscripts would be acknowledged via email.

 

Submission Guidelines

 

The proposed journal would accept unsolicited manuscripts associated with all aspects of librarianship. Articles directly associated with issues concerning those in the early stages of library careers would be particularly welcome. 

 

Manuscripts would be evaluated through a double blind review process.  Both print and electronic submissions would be accepted. Those electing to submit print would be required to send one original and three copies to the editor.  Electronic submissions would be sent as Word Document email attachments.

 

Style

 

The journal would follow the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style. Articles should be written using active voice and standard United States spelling. Authors should submit well written and precise articles insuring all facts and citations are accurate. Potential authors should check carefully to ensure that spelling and grammar are correct throughout the entire document. All figures, tables, and illustrations should be correctly cited within the text.  Manuscripts presented at conferences should include the conference name and date within the abstract.

 

Format

 

Manuscripts would be word processed, 1-inch margin on all sides, single-sided, double- spaced with pagination and a running title used throughout the document.

 

  • The original cover page should contain the title, author name, affiliation, address, phone number, fax number, and email address.  The remaining three cover pages should include only the manuscript title.

 

  • An abstract of no more than 150 words should be included.

 

  • Headings and subheadings should be used for readability.

 

  • Acronyms should be spelled out when first used in document.

 

  • References should be listed at the end of the text in order of use within document. 

 

  • Figures, tables, and illustrations should be included in numerical order following the references.

 

Length

 

Manuscripts between 1,000 and 4,000 words would be desirable. Exceptions would be made at the discretion of the editor.

 

References

 

References should be listed on separate sheets of paper immediately following the text. They should be in numerical order according to when they occur within the article. The journal would follow guidelines set forth by the most recent edition of The Chicago Manual of Style.

 

Tables and Figures

 

Tables, figures, and other illustrations would be submitted on separate sheets of paper and be positioned after the reference section of the manuscript. They should be in numerical order according to when they occur within the article. Clear and concise captions should be included; all works are to be submitted camera ready. All images should be submitted in grey scale.  If images are submitted in color, colors should be chosen carefully so that grey scale reproduction would not change or hinder their meaning.

 

Copyright

 

A copyright agreement would be sent to each author once a manuscript is accepted for publication.

 

 


Proposed Organization/Committee within NMRT

 

The standing committee most logical to undertake the proposed publication, based on its mission, is the Scholarship, Writing and Research Committee.  Alternatively, the NMRT Board might form a new ad hoc committee to oversee the pilot project.

 

Proposed Committee Roles

 

  • Editor – Manage the overall publication

 

  • Production Editor – Manage the layout of the journal

 

  • Treasurer/Budget – Manage the budget.

 

  • Advertising – Should we choose to solicit advertising, this person would manage that aspect of the publication.

 

  • Column/Features editor – The publication could have regular features, such as book reviews (perhaps related to publishing and writing, librarianship, etc.).  This editor would manage the content and edit the articles. 

 

  • Peer Reviewers – Number to be determined based on the size of the publication.  These may come solely come from NMRT.  The publication would probably need at least one or two from each specialization (Public Service/Reference; Technical Services, Collection Development, Systems, etc.). 

 

  • Webmaster – For the website providing information about the publication.

 

 


Annual Budget

 

Expenses

 

Staffing expenses                                                                      Volunteer

Production:  paper, cardstock cover, ink, printing costs $2,500

Distribution:  postage, packaging, sorting, labeling etc.   $1,500

Supplies                                                                                   $1,000

Total:                $5,000                        

 

Income

(Assumes no page charges for contributors)

Subscriptions: NMRT members (1,500 @ $2)              $3,000

Subscriptions: Nonmembers/institutions (200 @ $10)    $2,000

                                                                        Total:                $5,000

 

 

We propose that production of the journal be done by volunteers (members of the committee responsible for the journal).  Consequently, no costs would be incurred for personnel.  The primary costs associated with the journal would include printing and postage. 

 

To pay for the journal we propose a two-tier subscription fee … one for NMRT members and one for nonmembers.

 

NMRT members would be assessed a $2 annual fee (in addition to their $10 annual NMRT dues).  This additional fee would generate approximately $3,000 of the needed $5,000 annual publication budget.  Alternatively, NMRT dues might be increased $2 to cover publication costs, or existing NMRT funds might be reallocated from some other activity or project without either assessing a fee or raising annual dues. 

 

            Individuals who are not members of NMRT as well as institutions would be       assessed a $10 subscription fee.  This fee would generate approximately $2,000 of the needed $5,000 annual publication budget.

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted by the Vice Presidential Planning Committee
January 3, 2006

 

Maureen Barry (Subcommittee Chairperson)

Karen S. Davidson

Deana Groves

Rebecca Immich

Alexis Linoski

Bruce Stoffel (Committee Chairperson)

 


Attachment #6

 

Background/Justification of New Print Journal Proposal

Amanda Roberts, 2005-2006 NMRT Vice President/President-Elect

Prepared January 6, 2006

 

During my tenure as Footnotes Editor and Assistant Editor (2003-2005), I noticed that NMRTers were not only eager to write blurbs and newsy articles about conference activities, they were expressing an interest in writing more serious, thought-provoking pieces, as well as in-depth “how-to” articles, one of which was published in 1993:

 

Here are some examples:

 

Banishing Pigeonhole Paranoia: traversing between the many types of librarianship

By Gretel Stock-Kupperman, November 2004, Volume 34 No. 2

 

Stereotypes of Men in Libraries (2-part series)

by Chrissie Anderson Peters, August 2004, Volume 34 No. 1

 

Tips & Tricks in Librarianship: Combating Ageism: Lessons Learned by "Baby" Librarians by Amanda Roberts, November 2003, Volume 33 No. 2

 

Interviews with Library Leaders Series - presented by NMRT Membership Meeting and Program Committee, February 2005, Volume 34 No. 3

 

Top of the Heap or Bottom of the (Trash) Barrel?
Tips for Job Applicants, by Beatrice L. McKay, January 1993, Volume 22, no.2

 

Tips & Tricks: Web Site Design and Content Management

By Terri L. Holtze, February 2005, Volume 34 No. 3

 

Library Administration and Management Association

By Brian C. Gray, February 2005, Volume 34 No. 3

(Includes a summary of conference presentation and how-to's)

 

*Note that many of the above writers have been published elsewhere, such a LISCareer.com.

 

Most of these articles appeared in Footnotes' new electronic format, alongside newsy items, conference reports, and conference announcements. Very few were published in Footnotes' print newsletter which appears every year in May. Last May (May 2005), Footnotes included a new 4-page supplement in its print newsletter, created by the Scholarship and Research Committee. The supplement focused on research and writing, and was created due to demonstrated interest expressed by NMRTers. The 4-page supplement was well-received by NMRT members.

 

The publication of this new, improved version of Footnotes introduced new possibilities. If NMRTers are writing more thought-intensive, non-newsy articles for Footnotes publication throughout the year, why not save these articles for the print version of Footnotes and not publish them online? First of all, Footnotes' usual content – time-sensitive news items – seems more appropriate for an online format. (Note that I had to cut many of these items from the print newsletter last May to include the 4-page supplement.) Second of all, since Footnotes is distributed at the ALA Annual Conference (after being mailed to NMRTErs), and it includes conference announcements, it is already outdated at this point in distribution. Third of all, since Footnotes is distributed at conference, and may enter the hands of other ALA attendees, it could be a great vehicle to market and showcase the ideas of NMRTers as well new writers who are members of NMRT. Fourth of all, speaking from experience as Editor of Footnotes, the new dual format of Footnotes creates a lot of extra work for the Editor and Assistant Editor (3 online publications and one print). The two biggest hurdles are 1) software training (ALA CMS and desktop publishing, i.e., PageMaker or Quark) and procurement of desktop publishing program and 2) varying publication schedules (the print schedule is significantly different than the online schedule, and the February version of Footnotes overlaps with the May issue of Footnotes.)

 

After reviewing the above reasons, it seemed obvious to me that the May issue of Footnotes should include only the non-newsy, more thought-provoking items that NMRTers write. All pre-conference reports of interest to NMRTers could be saved for publication on the NMRT website. Here is what I propose:

 

1)      Footnotes should be published in an electronic format only, 4 times per year, on the NMRT website.

 

2)      The print newsletter of Footnotes should be re-named and moved to another committee, such as the Scholarship, Writing, and Research Committee, who have already demonstrated an interest and talent in creating such a publication (see May 2005). All funding used to create the print Footnotes publication should be transferred to the committee in charge of creating the new print publication, yet to be named.

 

3)      The NMRT Board votes to approve the New Print Journal Proposal. Note that the current Editor of Footnotes, Michael Yunkin, has examined the Proposal and supports it.

 

4)      IF AND ONLY IF this proposal is accepted by the Board, the Board would then vote to approve the 12/31/05 draft revised budget created by Catherine Collins, NMRT Treasurer (See items in blue for change in funding.)

 


Attachment #7-- Summary of Current Changes to the Proposed Budget

prepared by Catherine Collins, NMRT Treasurer

on January 17, 2006 @8:45pm (ET)

 

§         Under Projected Operational Net Asset Balance, there's a difference between what we have ($22,603.18) and what ALA has ($14,164.00).  I've spoken with ALA and it's my understanding that the actual figure is closer to our figure.

 

§         Under Estimated Revenue

 

    • Changed: the Dues.  Per our previous treasurer's habit, I reduced the estimated figure by 5% to err on the conservative side.  Based on figures that I received this week, our membership rose to 1,822 in 2005 (from 1,553 in 2004), so I've used the estimated figure 1,731 for the FY06-07 proposed budget.
    • Changed: the estimated donation for the Annual Student Reception from $1,500 to $0.  In previous budgets, this was the Highsmith donation, which we haven't received for some time.  However, I've kept the item in hopes that we'll have a new sponsor some time in the future.

 

§         Under Estimated Operational Expenses

 

    • Revised: Under Board Member Support, the officer descriptions were revised to reflect the new committee structure that was approved by the Board at the 2005 Annual Conference.  This information is based on the proposals and minutes from the Board Meeting.

 

§         Under Estimated Programming and Promotional Expenses, the following changes were also made to reflect the new committee structure –

 

    • Added: a new heading for President, which includes all funding for the President's Program and Membership Meetings Committee
    • Deleted: the Vice President (Awards) and Treasurer (ECRC) headings, as well as the funding associated with both
    • Moved: ECRC funding to Networking (Vendor Relations)  [[NOTE: This item is contingent on the passage of the related proposal to be introduced at Midwinter.]]
    • Moved: Booth and Outreach funding under Networking
    • Changed: Membership Promotion to Member Relations – the new committee keeps the $400 from the old committee since it inherited the task associated with that funding (mailing new NMRT members)
    • Changed: Diversity to Membership Promotion, Diversity, and Recruitment – the new committee keeps $50 from Diversity
    • Deleted: Publicity and its associated funding
    • Increased: Midwinter Activities funding by $50 [[NOTE: This change is contingent on the passage of the related proposal to be introduced at Midwinter.]]
    • Moved: all Footnotes funding to Scholarship, Writing, and Research under Leadership Development with the exception of $350  [[NOTE: This item is contingent on the passage of the proposal to reorganize these two committees.  Also, I've requested clarification from ALA regarding which figure includes the $340 for the four email alerts that will remain under Footnotes.  I believe that it may be the $350 – see #5523-6303.]]
    • Added: a one-time expense in the form of a $1,000 donation to the Gerald Hodges Fund  [[NOTE: This item is contingent on the passage of the related proposal to be introduced at Midwinter.]]