BIBLIO-NOTES:NEWSLETTER OF THE ACRL ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE DISCUSSION GROUP

Summer Section Meetings

The main meeting of the Section will be held Sunday, June 26, from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. The program topic will be "The Electronic Revolution from Differing Perspectives." Speakers include R. Shaaf, Chair, Council of Learned Journals; A. Young, Director of Northern Illinois University Libraries; M. Kuenig, Dean of Library and Information Studies, Rosary College; Robert D. Carlin, B. H. Blackwell Ltd., and William Baker, Associate Professor, University Library and English Dept., Northern Illinois University.

Following the program will be an important business meeting, to review and critique the draft of our new bylaws (see last article).

A meeting of the Steering Committee will be held Monday, June 27, from 9:30-11:00 AM.

 

Minutes of EALS Steering Committee Meeting

Note: no minutes were submitted for the General Meeting.

Date: February 7, 11:30 AM

Present: William Baker, William Brockman, Michaelyn Burnette, Madeleine Copp, Scott Stebelman, Tim Shipe, Stephen Smith.

1. Scott reported that the English and American Literature Discussion Group now has section status.

2. Discussion of committees and discussion groups to consider forming within the new section:

Standing Committees may include:

Publication Committee
Program Committee
Nominating Committee
Membership Committee (there was a question about whether this committee will be necessary)

Ad-Hoc Committees may include:

Long-range Planning Committee
ByLaws Committee
Awards Committee (for best publication or should this be a standing committee?)

Discussion Groups or Topics?:

User Education Discussion Group (possibly broken into interest groups such as graduate/undergraduate issues, faculty issues, etc.)
Research Tools Discussion Group (address issues of quality and usefulness)
Evolving Issues/Trends in the Academy/Disciplines
Electronic Resources (this could be a standing committee as well)

There was some concern about the number and usefulness of all these committees--what does the membership want? We need to devise a method to poll our members.

3. Where do we start?

Probably the first step is to establish bylaws for the Section. We need to review the current set of bylaws for the discussion group and look at bylaws of other sections.

What is our mission? Do we have a mission statement? If so, does it need revision?

Responsibility for drafting new bylaws (Tim and Scott volunteered to look at these and then forward revised draft to Michaelyn and Madeleine).

After a draft has been developed, we need to distribute it to the membership for comment (or this could be an ad-hoc discussion group during midwinter?)

4. Practical considerations

Need to put the announcement of the annual program in the preliminary program (it's there on page 47).

We probably will want to think about changing our name. We need to think about cost (e.g., cost of newsletter, mailings, flyers, etc.). How does this work within ACRL? Do we want to have one editor for the newsletter or have a publications committee? We discussed including more scholarly articles in Biblio-Notes. We may want to review newsletters from other sections (e.g., WESS, BIS, RBMS, etc.) and look at ways to co-sponsor programs and other events of common interest.

Scott volunteered to handle the elections--ballots will be distributed through Biblio-Notes.

There was a question about when we are officially a section. Now or at the end of the annual ALA conference?

Meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m.

Minutes Respectfully Submitted by

Madeleine Copp
University of Washington

 

DRAFT OF SECTION BYLAWS

Now that the English and American Literature Discussion Group is a Section, it is necessary to change our bylaws to make them conform with ACRL guidelines. Working with the bylaws of other Sections, Tim Shipe has drafted the text below. Please review this and be prepared to discuss/critique it at our General Meeting. Special thanks to Tim for expending the time and labor in providing us with this initial draft.

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the English and American Literature Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries (hereinafter referred to as EALS and ACRL).

Article II: Objectives

The section shall represent members of ACRL who specialize or are otherwise professionally involved in the selection, acquisition, organization, and use of primary and secondary information sources related to English and American Literature. The section may initiate or sponsor programs, discussion sessions, publications, and other projects related to English and American Literature in academic and research libraries.

Article III. Membership

Any member in good standing of ACRL who designates EALS as a sectional membership upon payment of annual dues for the American Library Association (hereinafter referred to as ALA), or who pays additional sectional membership dues for EALS as provided in the ALA bylaws, shall be a member of EALS. Every member has the right to vote and to hold office within the Section.

Article IV. Officers

Section 1. Officers. The officers of EALS shall consist of a chair, a vice-chair/chair-elect, an immediate past chair, and a secretary.

Section 2. Terms. The vice-chair shall serve one year in that office, followed by one year as chair, followed by one year as immediate past chair. The secretary shall serve a term of one year. All terms shall end at the adjournment of the ALA Annual Conference.

Section 3. Duties of Officers

a. Chair. The chair shall be the chief executive of the Section, the chair of the Executive Committee, and the Section's representative to the ACRL Activity Sections Council. The chair is responsible for section projects pursued during his or her term, budget requests for payment, and submission of reports on all Section activities to the ACRL Board. The chair is also responsible for scheduling Section programs, meetings, and events at the Midwinter Meeting and the Annual Conference.

b. Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect. The vice-chair/chair-elect shall plan and coordinate all programs and projects to be pursued during his or her term as chair, and shall make appointments of all standing committee members and chairs whose terms will begin during his or her term as chair. The vice-chair/chair elect shall be responsible for submitting budget requests for his or her term as chair, participating in ACRL budget orientation, and responding to inquiries relating to EALS. The vice-chair/chair-elect serves on the ACRL Conference Program Planning Committee.

c. Immediate Past-Chair. The immediate past-chair serves on the Executive Committee and as an ex-officio member of the Planning Committee.

d. Secretary. The secretary shall be responsible for maintenance of all section records and for recording the minutes of all Section and Executive Committee business meetings at the Midwinter Meeting and at the Annual Conference. All records shall be submitted according to ACRL and EALS guidelines. The secretary shall be responsible for collecting and distributing all archival documents to the ALA Archives as appropriate.

Section 4. Vacancies. In case of a vacancy in the office of chair, the vice-chair/chair elect shall serve as chair for the remainder of the uncompleted term, and shall continue in that office for the term for which he or she was originally elected to serve as chair. In case of a vacancy in the office of vice-chair/chair-elect, a special election shall be held to fill the vacancy. In case of a vacancy in the office of secretary, the chair shall appoint a replacement.

Article V. Nominations and Elections

Section 1. Nominations. The Nominating Committee shall choose a slate of at least two candidates for each of the offices of vice-chair/chair-elect and secretary. Additional nominations for these offices may be made by petitions signed by at least five members of the Section. Nominations put forth by the Nominating Committee, as well as any additional nominations made by petition, shall be filed with the executive director of ACRL and with the secretary of EALS within the deadlines specified by ACRL. All nominees must be members in good standing of EALS, and must consent to their candidacy in writing.

Section 2. Elections. Elections shall be conducted by mail ballot. Ballots for the Section are sent out during ALA's general election. For each office, the candidate receiving a plurality of the votes cast shall be elected. In case of a tie, the winner shall be chosen by lot.

Article VI. Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall consist of the chair, the vice-chair/chair-elect, the immediate past chair, the secretary, and the chairs of all standing committees. The Executive Committee shall have the responsibility to act for the Section and to make decisions on matters which require immediate action before the next scheduled Section meeting, and to supervise the administration of established policies, programs, and operations. The Executive Committee shall make final decisions regarding the strategic plan and revisions thereof proposed by the Planning Committee, after consultation with the membership at large. Regular meetings of the Executive Committee shall be at the time and place of the Annual Conference and the Midwinter Meeting of ALA. Special meetings may be called by the chair. If necessary, the Executive Committee may make decisions by electronic mail or conference call during the period between regularly scheduled meetings. A majority of the voting members present shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Executive Committee. Only members of the Executive Committee may vote at Executive Committee meetings.

Article VII. Standing Committees

Section 1. General Provisions. Standing committees to consider matters of concern to the Section that require continuity of attention shall be established in the Section bylaws. The name, size, and purpose of a standing committee shall be specified in the bylaws. Members of a standing committee shall serve overlapping terms of two years each. However, in order to establish staggered terms of membership, approximately half of the initial members of a newly established standing committee shall be appointed for terms of three years. A member of a standing committee may be reappointed for a second or third consecutive term, but no one may serve more than six consecutive years on a single standing committee. Ex officio members of a standing committee shall be an exception to these provisions; they shall serve for the term of the office by virtue of which they are ex officio members. All members of a standing committee must be members of EALS. Unexpected vacancies on a standing committee shall be filled by a special appointment made by the Section chair. New standing committees may be established, and existing standing committees may be dissolved, by amendment to the Section bylaws.

Section 2. Conference Program Planning Committee. The Conference Program Planning Committee shall consist of four appointed members. In addition, the immediate past chair shall serve as an ex officio member. The committee shall solicit ideas and suggestions from Section members for the annual conference program, and shall make the final selection of the proposed program and speakers. The committee shall be responsible for the program budget and budgetary requests, for handling the equipment needs for the program, and for publicity. The committee shall coordinate co-sponsorship of the program with other units of ALA or with other organizations as appropriate. The chair of the committee shall work closely with the vice-chair/chair-elect in coordinating the program with the ACRL Conference Program Planning Committee.

Section 3. Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall consist of four appointed members. The committee shall coordinate the selection of candidates for the offices of vice-chair/chair-elect and secretary every year, and shall present the slate of candidates to the Section membership in accordance with the Section bylaws and ACRL and ALA guidelines.

Section 4. Publications Committee. The Publications Committee shall consist of four appointed members. In addition, the newsletter editor shall serve as an ex officio member. The committee shall coordinate all publications associated with the Section. The committee shall identify publication needs, stimulate research and writing, and oversee production and development of the Section newsletter and selected projects. The Executive Committee may charge the Publications committee with particular publication projects. The Publications Committee shall select the newsletter editor, and shall specify the length of the editor's term; these choices shall be subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 5. Planning Committee. The Planning Committee shall consist of four appointed members. In addition, the Section chair and the immediate past chair shall serve as ex officio members of the committee. The committee shall develop a strategic plan for the section, and shall pass this plan on to the Executive Committee and to the membership at large for further action. The Planning Committee shall monitor the Section's progress toward achieving the goals and objectives of the strategic plan, assess the plan's compatibility with the ACRL strategic plan, and report its findings to the Executive Committee. The Planning Committee shall prepare all documentation connected with ACRL's periodic reviews of the Section. The committee shall review the Section bylaws at least once every five years, and shall make any recommendations for amendments in accordance with the provisions for amendments in Article X. The committee shall undertake other planning tasks delegated to it by the Section chair or the Executive Committee.

Section 6. Membership Committee. The Membership Committee shall consist of four appointed members. The committee shall coordinate recruitment and retention activities for the section, as well as for English and American literature librarianship within ALA. The committee shall also coordinate any education activities for the promotion of English and American literature librarianship. The Membership Committee will consult and cooperate with the Publications Committee in connection with the production and distribution of publications promoting membership in EALS.

Article VIII. Ad Hoc Committees

Ad hoc committees for short-term projects and needs may be appointed by the Section chair after consultation with the Executive Committee. Ad hoc committees shall expire at the end of the term of the chair who appointed them unless their term is extended by vote of the Executive Committee. If the charge of an ad hoc committee becomes a matter requiring continuity of attention, it may become a standing committee by amendment to the Section bylaws.

Article IX. Discussion Groups.

Discussion groups may be established by the Executive Committee upon application of six or more Section members. Written proposals for new discussion groups shall include a mission and goals statement. Discussion groups shall be composed of any interested Section members. Each discussion group shall have a chair and a recorder, both chosen by the group members in any manner compatible with ALA, ACRL, and EALS guidelines.

Article X. Amendments

Section 1. Proposals. Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed in writing by the Executive Committee, by the Planning Committee, or by any five or more members of the Section. Proposals shall be submitted to the secretary.

Section 2. Notification. Copies of any proposed amendments shall be either mailed by the secretary to every member of the Section at least 30 days before the scheduled vote or printed in the Section newsletter.

Section 3. Voting. A majority of the members voting at a regularly scheduled Section meeting or a majority of the members casting ballots in a mail vote shall carry or reject a proposed amendment.

Article XI. General Provisions

Wherever these bylaws make no specific provisions, the organization and procedure of the Section shall correspond to those set forth in the Constitution and Bylaws of ACRL and, wherever the latter are silent, to those set forth in the Constitution and Bylaws of ALA.

Article XII. Temporary Provisions

These bylaws shall take effect upon the adjournment of the Section meeting at which they are adopted by majority vote of Section members present.

Until such time as Section bylaws are adopted, the Section shall be governed by the bylaws of the former English and American Literature Discussion Group, to the extent that these are compatible with ACRL policies and procedures.

For the years 1993/94 and 1994/95, the Section officers shall be those elected in the spring of 1993 and 1994 in accordance with the procedures specified by the bylaws of the former English and American Literature Discussion Group. The spring 1995 election shall be the first held in accordance with the procedures specified by the Section bylaws, assuming that such bylaws are adopted by the end of the 1995 Midwinter Meeting.

The members at large of the Steering Committee who were elected in the spring of 1994 under the Discussion Group bylaws shall serve as members of the 1994/95 Executive Committee, and shall also constitute the 1994/95 Nominating Committee.

Until 1 January 1995, anyone who, at the beginning of the 1994 Midwinter Meeting of ALA, was a member of the ACRL English and American Literature Discussion Group, shall be considered a member of EALS.

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Draft submitted by Timothy Shipe, University of Iowa

 

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

It is time to elect new officers for the coming year. To provide members with information that would assist in the selection, candidates were asked to submit a brief biographical paragraph, indicating past involvement with the group and their professional contributions. Paragraphs received are printed below.

President

Rob Melton

Bibliographer for English, American and Comparative Literature, Theater, and Film and also Publications Coordinator at the University of Kansas Libraries. Member of EALDG almost since its inception and served on the Steering Committee from 1989 to 1991. Published a review of the format changes of the MLA International Bibliography in the second issue of Biblio-Notes. His history of the two major English-language short-title catalogues was published in Distinguished Classics of Reference Publishing (Oryx, 1992). Presently engaged in research on the correlation between book reviews and academic library use patterns of contemporary fiction. Having recently helped steer the KU Libraries' strategic planning process, he would like to help steer the changes we face as we embark on ACRL section status, particularly by providing as much opportunity as possible for members to develop professional skills by participation in committees and attendance at stimulating programs.

Tim Shipe

Active in the English and American Literature Discussion Group since 1986. During these last eight years served one term as Secretary and three terms as a Member at Large of the Steering Committee. Was also the first editor of our newsletter Biblio-Notes after the editorship became a responsibility separate from those of the Chair. From 1990 to 1991 was Chair of the RLG English and American Literature Bibliographers' Group. M.A. in Library Science and Ph. D. in Comparative Literature both from the University of Iowa. Currently Coordinator of the Humanities Division and Curator of the International Dada Archive at the University of Iowa Libraries. Publications have been on topics ranging from John Barth and Max Frisch to artists' books and the Dada movement.

This is a truly exciting time for our group, as we make the transition from discussion group to Section within ACRL. The next few years will require the active engagement of all our members in order to make our transition a productive and satisfying experience. I am eager to participate in that process. As a first contribution, I have written a draft of proposed bylaws for our section. Whether as Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, as a committee member, or simply as an interested member of the Section, I look forward to participating in the development of our organization to take full advantage of the new opportunities with which our new status presents us.

Secretary

Madeleine Copp

Current position: Reference Librarian/English Selector, University of Washington; Education: BA and MA in English Literature from California State University, Long Beach, MLS from UCLA; Offices/memberships held or still holding: National: ACRL Bibliographic Instruction Section BIS Video Task Force, 1993-present; BIS Program Committee, 1991-1993; BIS Continuing Education Committee, 1989-1991; ACRL University Libraries Section ULS 1995 Program Committee, 1993-present; Library Instruction Round Table, co-chair LIRT 15th Anniversary Task Force Joint Conference Event Subcommittee, 1989-1993; chair, LIRT Program Committee, 1988-1989; LIRT Program Committee, 1986- 1988; State/University: Association of the Librarians at the University of Washington Treasurer, 1992-1993; Junior Trustee, 1991-92; California Clearinghouse on Library Instruction Secretary--Southern Section, 1988-1989; Publications: two book reviews and an article for Biblio-Notes (with Blaine Hall) about sectionhood and round tableness, but haven't done any articles, bibliographies, or other tomes of major importance.

Involvement in the English and American Literature Section: I have been a member since about 1987 (joined the discussion group [sic-when] I was a Humanities Librarian at the University of California, Irvine), but I haven't had the opportunity to participate until recently (other ALA commitments had to be given priority). I am very interested in becoming more active especially during the early stages of being a section. it's a very exciting time for the group, and I'd love to be a part of it.

Perry Willett

Bibliographer for English and American Literature, Theater, and Comparative Literature at Indiana University (Bloomington), 1992-; English and Theater Bibliographer at the State University of New York at Binghamton, and reference librarian at Butler Library, Columbia University. Received MA in Comparative Literature and MLS from Rutgers University, and BA with a double major in English and German from Washington University, St. Louis. Research interests include medieval and modern drama, and the modern illustrated book. Also keenly interested in the use of computers in the humanities.

I believe that the English and American Literature Discussion Group is a vital group for bibliographers in academic libraries. We need a place to discuss trends, meet colleagues, and report on activities back home. As resources shrink and collection development becomes more complicated due to fragmentation in the publishing world and the proliferation of formats and media, the group will be a good place for bibliographers from academic libraries to discuss concerns and plan cooperative projects. I hope that this group will explore ways to foster discussion using some of the new technologies, whether through an electronic discussion group or a gopherserver containing reports and documents pertaining to collection development and bibliography in English and American literature.

Members-At-Large

Dr. William Baker

Professor and Subject Specialist in English and American Literature, Language and Linguistics, Founders Memorial Library, and Professor English, Department of English, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb , Illinois. Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Rosary College, River Forest, Illinois. Chair, ACRL English and American Literature Discussion Group/Section 1993-94; Vice-Chair, 1992-93; Member-At-Large, 1991-92. Member K.G. Saur Award Committee ACRL, 1992--; Editor, George Eliot-George Lewes Studies, book review editor Analytical & Enumerative Bibliography.

Candace Benefiel

Senior Humanities Reference Librarian at the Sterling C. Evans Library, Texas A&M University. B.A. in Classics (Rice University), MA in English (West Texas State University), and MLIS (University of Texas at Austin). Articles published in RQ, OCLC Micro, College and Research Libraries News, American Libraries, and other journals. Also publishes poetry. Served on the English and American Literature Discussion Group Steering Committee in 1989-90, as Vice Chair/Chair Elect in 1990-91, as Chair in 1991-92, and edited the group's newsletter, Biblio-Notes from 1989-1993.

Betty Day

English Bibliographer, 1986-, University Of Maryland at College Park, Ph.D., English, 1992: field: antebellum American literature; Bibliographer editor, Literary Research: A Journal of Scholarly Method and Technique, 1986-1992; Co-editor with Deborah Rosenfelt, Women and Gender: A Directory of Scholars, Teachers, and Resources at the University of Maryland at College Park, 1990; Member, EALDG, 1986-, secretary, 1989-90, member-at-large, 1988.

Richard Fyffe

Currently humanities bibliographer and curator of literary archives at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. Previously was director of the library at the Essex Institute in Salem, Massachusetts, an important repository of manuscripts and editions of New England Renaissance writers. Prior to that was senior cataloger for the American Children's Books Project, 1821-1860, and cataloger for the North American Imprints Project, both at the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts. Publications include "Fair Use after Salinger: Another Look at Copyright Law and Unpublished Manuscripts," New England Archivists Newsletter, Oct. 1991; "The Uses of Bibliography: Early American Imprints at the Essex Institute" and "A Catalogue of Previously Unrecorded and Unlocated American Imprints, Printed Before 1801, in the Essex Institute," Essex Institute Historical Collections 125 (4) Oct. 1989; and, as editor, "From Cover to Cover: The Presentation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Major Romances", Essex Institute Historical Collections 127 (1), January 1991. B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Connecticut, an MLS from Simmons College, and will begin an MA degree in Philosophy at the University of Connecticut this fall.

 

ELECTION BALLOT

Note: to vote, you must be a member of ACRL.

Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect (vote for one)
___Rob Melton
___Tim Shipe

Secretary (vote for one)
___Madeleine Copp
___Perry Willett

Members-At-Large (vote for three)
___Bill Baker
___Candace Benefiel
___Betty Day
___Richard Fyffe

Return marked ballots by June 10 to:

Michaelyn Burnette
390 Library Annex
University of California
Berkeley, California 94720

 

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AT MIDWINTER THE ACRL BOARD VOTED TO GRANT SECTION STATUS TO THE ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE DISCUSSION GROUP. THIS MEANS WE CAN APPLY FOR PROGRAM FUNDING, HAVE BIBLIO-NOTES SUBSIDIZED AND DISTRIBUTED BY ACRL, AND FORM SPECIALIZED COMMITTEES TO ADVANCE THE WORK OF OUR MEMBERS. TO ENSURE CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN THE SECTION REMEMBER T0 SELECT IT WHEN RENEWING ALA MEMBERSHIP.

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WANT TO PUBLISH IN Biblio-Notes? THE EDITOR IS SOLICITING ARTICLES, FROM 300-500 WORDS, ABOUT ISSUES RELEVANT To ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE LIBRARIANS. POSSIBLE TOPICS: COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT, USER EDUCATION, CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY, OR SIGNIFICANT REFERENCE TOOLS. BOOK REVIEWS ARE ALSO ACCEPTABLE. INQUIRE WITH EDITOR BEFORE SUBMITTING COPY.

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