Tips for EBSS Virtual Meetings

Tips for holding virtual meetings of EBSS committees and groups.

1. Select and Test Technology

There are a variety of tools, many of them free, that your committee can use to meet virtually.



ACRL has Adobe Connect licenses that are shared among ACRL units. To schedule an Adobe Connect meeting through ACRL, please:

You can prepare to use the Adobe Connect virtual meeting service by reviewing the Getting Started with Adobe Connect training videos and documents.

Although ACRL’s Adobe Connect virtual meeting service works well for many committees, other recommended options include:

  • Conference Call + Google Docs

    Committees can use Google to share files and chat, and the conference call facilitates discussion. If you are using your institution’s conference calling service, please check to see if there are any limitations on the number of people who can simultaneously participate in a conference call from your phone carrier. Alternatively, you can use a free conference calling service, such as:

  • Conference Call + ALA Connect

    Similarly, your committee could use ALA Connect to share files and chat while participating in a conference call.



    NOTE: Your committee’s ALA Connect space can only be accessed by current members of the committee. If any outside visitors express interest in attending the meeting, they won’t be able to participate in a chat on ALA Connect. In order to comply with ALA’s open meetings policy, it is therefore necessary to use a conference call or some other tool in addition to ALA Connect that will allow visitors to participate.

  • Institutionally-supported web conferencing

    If you or one of your committee members has access to a web conferencing product such as GoToMeeting, or WebEx, feel free to use that instead.

As you review your options, please keep in mind that meetings must be accessible by all committee members, your Executive Committee Liaison, and any visitors who might like to attend, so you’ll want to make sure that any technology you select will accommodate the size of your committee plus a few extra spaces for observers.

Whichever tool you use, please remember to test it (including conference calls) with your members to confirm that everyone on the committee will be able to access the meeting on the scheduled day.

2. Schedule your meeting

Consider using an online scheduling tool like Doodle (http://doodle.com) to determine the best date and time for your meeting. Remember to indicate the time zone for the meeting.

3. Announce the meeting on the EBSS Listserv and in ALA Connect

In order to comply with ALA’s Open Meeting Requirements, the meeting must be announced at least 10 days prior to the scheduled time. To announce the meeting:

  • Post your meeting agenda to your committee’s ALA Connect site (the agenda should include a link to the virtual meeting space you’ll be using/a phone number and passcode for the conference call). Be sure that the item is publicly viewable.
  • Send an email to the EBSS Listserv announcing the meeting and including information for connecting to the meeting (or link to the publicly viewable ALA Connect post).
  • Alert the EBSS Web Manager so the meeting agenda can be posted to the EBSS web site.

4. Post the Minutes

After the meeting, the committee Secretary posts the approved minutes to the committee’s ALA Connect site and also sends the minutes to the EBSS Secretary. According to ALA policy, minutes must be posted within 30 days of the meeting's conclusion

For more information about ALA and ACRL policies for conducting meetings, please see:

Adapted from the ACRL Instruction Section Tips for Conducting Successful Virtual Meetings