ALA Midwinter Research Articles

Guest Editorial: Navigating Yet More Change

My first introduction to Mary Beth Weber was a happy accident. I was running late between meetings during ALA Midwinter (yes, this was back in “The Before Times”) and the room, as they often were for cataloging and classification sessions, was packed. An empty seat was open next to Mary Beth, and I claimed it. Between speakers, she introduced herself as the editor of Library Resources and Technical Services (LRTS) and as head of technical services at Rutgers. The details of which conference or what particular session are hazy at this point, as it seems like so much of our life experience of the last two years has blurred what came before. What I do remember is that Mary Beth was there to proudly support her colleague’s work as he presented to that packed room, and she made a point of being a smiling and familiar face in his audience. After the Midwinter Meeting was over, I snail-mailed Mary Beth a thank you card, and was later invited to serve as an intern on the LRTS Editorial Board.

ACRL Board of Directors’ actions: Highlights of the Board’s Midwinter and fall meetings

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, association governance has been taking place virtually since March 2020. With the ALA Midwinter Meeting taking place online, the ACRL Board met virtually in January and February. The Board held a virtual update session on January 25, 2021, and held Board meetings on January 27 and 29, 2021. In addition, the Board and Budget and Finance Committee convened for their annual joint meeting on February 2, 2021. As the Board did not meet in-person to approve confirmation of synchronous virtual actions taken during the fall meeting, this article also includes actions taken by the Board on November 16, 2020.

Report of the ALCTS Electronic Resources Interest Group Meeting. American Library Association Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, January 2020

The ALCTS Electronic Resources Interest Group (ERIG) held its ALA Midwinter 2020 meeting Saturday, January 25, from 1 to 2 p.m. The meeting consisted of three presentations related to electronic re...

Report of the ALCTS Technical Services Managers of Academic Libraries Interest Group Meeting. American Library Association Midwinter Conference, Philadelphia, PA, January 2020

The Technical Services Managers in Academic Libraries Interest Group (TSMALIG), chaired by Lauren DeVoe of Columbia University, met at the 2020 ALA Midwinter Conference on Saturday, January 25. Thi...

Negotiating big deals: ACRL/SPARC Forum at the 2020 ALA Midwinter Meeting

At the ACRL/SPARC Forum at the 2020 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, three panelists discussed efforts to negotiate with vendors regarding “Big Deal” journal packages, including strategies and information that make such negotiations more effective for libraries. The three panelists provide their remarks below. Gale Etschmaier recounts negotiations between the Florida State University Libraries and Elsevier that led to the successful cancellation of their Elsevier “Big Deal.” Robin Sinn summarizes open access efforts at the Johns Hopkins University Libraries. And, finally, Jason Priem discusses his company’s product Unsub, a “data dashboard that helps libraries forecast, explore, and optimize their alternatives to the Big Deal, so they can unsubscribe with confidence.”

Report on the CC:DA Meeting at ALA Mid-Winter, January 2020

Report on the CC:DA Meeting at ALA Mid-Winter, January 2020

Report on the CC:DA Meeting at ALA Mid-Winter, January 2020

Report on the CC:DA Meeting at ALA Mid-Winter, January 2020

ACRL Board of Directors’ actions, January 2020: Highlights of the Board’s Midwinter meetings

In light of ALA’s plan to to discontinue its Midwinter Meeting and provide less space for governance meetings, the ACRL Board elected to take a hybrid approach to its governance and leadership meetings in January. The Board held a virtual update session on January 15, convened ACRL’s Leadership Council virtually on January 16, and held three face-to-face meetings during the 2020 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, on January 25 and January 26.

ACRL Midwinter meetings in Philadelphia: A brief overview

Board of DirectorsForumsACRL special events at 2020 ALA Midwinter Meeting

From the Committees: Cookbooks

The CODES List is a new initiative from CODES, and the CODES List: Cookbooks is the first list in the series. This inaugural selection of essential cookbooks—announced at ALA Midwinter—highlights titles for both avid home chefs and those just learning the rewards of making a meal. The list further supports those who appreciate the many joys of reading cookbooks, even if they rarely venture into the kitchen. As judged by librarians who cooked from them and hosted book groups about them, these are the cookbooks from 2018 that will stand the test of time, become reliable favorites, and nourish readers.

CC:DA Report from ALA Mid-Winter

Summary of the 2-day meeting of the CC:DA in January 2019.

CC:DA Report from ALA Mid-Winter

Summary of the 2-day meeting of the CC:DA in January 2019.

News from the Field

UCSD signs OA2020 Expression of InterestOU Libraries creates AI research registryOCLC partners with Couperin.org on Eproxy analytics2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting recordings availableNISO launches content platform migration communication projectARL Annual Salary Survey 2017–2018 releasedKeeping Up With… Implicit BiasCNN Films added to Academic Video OnlineProject MUSE offers HTML5 open access books on redesigned platform

ACRL Board of Directors’ actions, January 2019: Highlights of the Board’s Midwinter meetings

During the 2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, the ACRL Board of Directors met on January 26 and January 28. The Board met with the leaders of its four goal-area committees—New Roles and Changing Landscapes, Research and Scholarly Environment, Student Learning and Information Literacy, and Value of Academic Libraries—to assess progress on the Plan for Excellence.

LITA President’s Message: Updates from the 2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting

Updates from the 2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting

ACRL Midwinter meetings in Seattle: A brief overview

Board of DirectorsWorkshopsForumsACRL special events at 2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting

Balancing influence in a shifting scholarly communication landscape: Creating library-owned, community-aligned infrastructure through individual, local, and community action

With the acquisition and creation of scholarly communication platforms/infrastructure by major commercial entities, the balance of influence continues to shift. The ACRL/SPARC Forum at the 2018 ALA Midwinter Meeting brought together library stakeholders for a conversation about how the library community can reassert its influence to shape the open access publishing landscape. Panelists focused on 1) Individual action: “What can one person do?” 2) Local coordinated action: “How can one group or institution effect change?” and 3) Collective action: “How can libraries work together to provide sustainable alternatives?”1

ACRL Board of Directors’ actions, February 2018

During the 2018 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Denver, the ACRL Board of Directors met on February 10 and February 12. The Board met with the leaders of its four goal-area committees: New Roles and Changing Landscapes, Research and Scholarly Environment, Student Learning and Information Literacy, and Value of Academic Libraries to assess progress on the Plan for Excellence.The Board also heard updates from ALA Treasurer Susan Hildreth and ALA CFO Mark Leon, the ALA Washington Office Associate Executive Director Kathi Kromer, as well as updates from representatives from the ACRL Diversity Alliance, ACRL Libraries Transform Implementation Task Force, Joint ACRL/LLAMA Interdivisional Committee on Building Resources, and ALA Council Committee on Legislation.

ALA Midwinter Meeting 2018: February 9-13, Denver, CO

ALA Midwinter Meeting 2018: February 9-13, Denver, CO

Random Ramblings — The Future of the ALA Midwinter Meeting

Random Ramblings — The Future of the ALA Midwinter Meeting