CUNY's LILAC as a Model for a Large Urban University Professional Development Organization

Abstract

The present study addresses the history of the Library Information Literacy Advisory Committee (LILAC), a voluntary professional organization at City University of New York (CUNY).  The author discusses the circumstances leading to the committee’s formation, its growth, transformation, and its role in the professional development of CUNY librarians. Data collection was done by means of interviews held with past and present members of the committee. The interview questions were deliberated at LILAC’s meeting and sent to the interviewees by email. The interviews’ questions and answers were later grouped into three major categories: the original goals for the committee; the transformation of the goals and the committee’s structure; the most important accomplishments and the future of the committee. Additional information needed for the study not found in the interviews was drawn from archival documents and publications. The committee’s functions are explored as a model of an academic professional organization at a large urban university, and suggestions are given on how to follow the path.