ACRL offers scholarly communication 101 road show at no cost to you
Bring the workshop “Scholarly Communication 101: Starting with the Basics” to your campus, compliments of ACRL. Recognizing that scholarly communication issues are central to the work of all academic librarians and all types of institutions, ACRL is pleased to once again underwrite the costs for delivering proven content to you. ACRL will offer this workshop to five locations in Spring/Summer 2010. Two expert presenters emphasize experiential learning during this in person and onsite half-day workshop. We recommend you organize a session of your own for the remaining half-day. You need to collaborate with at least one other local academic library and arrange the logistics.
Program Description
This structured interactive overview of the scholarly communication system underpins individual or institutional strategic planning and action. Four modules focus on:
• new methods of scholarly publishing and communication
• copyright and intellectual property
• economics
• open access and openness as a principle
The workshop is appropriate for those with new leadership assignments in scholarly communication as well as liaisons and others who are interested in the issues and need foundational understanding.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
• Understand scholarly communication as a system to manage the results of research and scholarly inquiry and be able to describe system characteristics, including academic libraries and other major stakeholders and stakeholder interests, major types and sources of current stress and evolution, and key indicators of size, complexity, and rates of change
• Enumerate new modes and models of scholarly communication; business models; research & social interaction models (from blogs, curated websites, etc), and peer review models and examples of the ways in which academic libraries have or can initiate or support those models
• Be able to select and cite key principles, facts, and messages relevant to current or nascent scholarly communication plans and programs in their institutions, e.g. as preparation for library staff or faculty outreach, to contextualize collection development decisions
Successful Applicants Must
• Include participants from more than one institution.
• Minimum participation is 35, maximum of 100 individuals, to allow for maximum interactivity.
• Provide a statement of support from hosting authority, i.e. library director/dean, consortia/association administrator, or ACRL chapter leader.
• Provide a brief essay (1 page maximum) explaining what your institutions will do after the workshop to maintain momentum, engagement, and awareness.
• Apply by 5:00 p.m. Central February 8, 2010.
• Host this event by August 31, 2010.
Preference to
• Hosts who are organizational members of ACRL (Not sure? Ask ACRL staff member Joe Barkley (jbarkley@ala.org) to check for you.)
• Hosts who will organize a half-day session of their own on a related topic. This could create a day-long event and would give time to process, digest and translate what you've learned to your local circumstances. (For an example of how one host approached this in 2009, see their workshop outline: http://scholarlycommunications.wustl.edu/roadshow/index.html.)
• Diversity of institution types represented among participants (i.e. 2 year, liberal arts, masters comprehensive, doctoral)
• Diversity of types of library staff participating (i.e. liaison librarians, catalogers, access services staff, senior management)
Host Responsibilities
1) Registration
a) Marketing and publicity of the workshop (print, Web, e-mail)
b) May consider this as an opportunity to invite staff outside the library (i.e. research office, graduate college).
c) Management of selection process, if any
d) Management of registration process (i.e. issuing registration receipts, rosters, etc.)
e) Limit participation to 100 individuals (minimum participation is 35), to allow for maximum interactivity
f) Participant and presenter name badges
2) Event coordination and logistics to include:
a) Reservation of meeting space per room requirements provided by presenters
b) On-site A-V technology and support
c) Planning and associated costs of food and beverage for break (if any)
d) Printing and copying of handouts in advance
e) Volunteer staff as needed
Application
Scholarly Communications 101: Starting with the Basics Application
Deadline to apply February 8, 2010.
The ACRL Scholarly Communications Committee will review applications, selecting five locations. The committee will aim for geographic diversity and notify applicants of their status by Monday, March 1, 2010.
Expert presenters may include:
• Molly Keener, Scholarly Communication Librarian, Wake Forest University
• Molly Kleinman, Copyright Specialist and Special Projects Librarian, University of Michigan Library
• Joy Kirchner, Librarian, Collections, Licensing & Digital Scholarship, University of British Columbia Library
• Sarah Shreeves, Coordinator, IDEALS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Kevin L. Smith, J.D., Scholarly Communications Officer, Duke University
• Lee VanOrsdel, Dean of University Libraries, Grand Valley State University
Questions about the program or how to apply? Please contact Kara J. Malenfant, Scholarly Communications and Government Relations Specialist, ACRL, at kmalenfant@ala.org or 800/545-2433 ext. 2510.
FAQs for Potential Hosts
1.) My institution applied to be a host in 2009 but was not selected. We’d like to be considered for this round. Do we have to apply again?
No. When we offered the first five road shows in 2009, we had to turn away 41 applicants. You should have received notification that you do not need to reapply and may update your application if you so desire. If you did not receive this or have questions, please contact Kara J. Malenfant, Scholarly Communications and Government Relations Specialist, ACRL, at kmalenfant@ala.org or 800/545-2433 ext. 2510.
2.) What advice can you offer about preparing a strong application? We were not selected in 2009 and would like to be considered again.
In 2009, so many applications were well-crafted, and applicants presented great arguments for their sites, which made it difficult to select only five. We had to decline many well-qualified institutions. Although we do not have specific feedback to share on each application, perhaps a few broad suggestions will help. In general, those who were selected in the past not only met the required criteria and most/all of the preferred criteria, but made a compelling case in their essays and letters around two key points. First, they showed that the 101 basic approach was the right level for their community. Second, they demonstrated that they had capacity to continue being engaged and illustrated concretely how they would maintain awareness among library staff. This year, we are emphasizing the ability to hold an associated half day session that would allow participants time to think about how to bring what they have learned to their own institutions
3.) Who is the appropriate audience for this event? Would it be useful for faculty and graduate students as well as library staff?
The primary audience is librarians and library staff who need good grounding in these issues. As mentioned in the Program Description, "The workshop is appropriate for those with new leadership assignments in scholarly communication as well as subject liaisons and others who are interested in the issues and need foundational understanding." You'll also note, under Host Responsibilities, that hosts “May consider this as an opportunity to invite staff outside the library (i.e. research office, graduate college)". This workshop could well serve as a stepping stone for the library, perhaps along with campus partners, to organize a later event for graduate students and faculty.
4.) Can an ACRL Chapter apply to host this event? What about a library consortium or state association?
Yes, both types of organizations can serve as hosts. You'll see this referenced in the criteria for successful applicants, "Provide a statement of support from hosting authority, i.e. library director/dean, consortia/association administrator, or ACRL chapter leader."
5.) How long does the statement of support need to be?
We’d recommend keeping it brief, a few paragraphs at most. Remember, this is a competitive process so you’ll want to make a compelling argument throughout the application about why we should choose you!
6.) Could we hold the event later than August 31?
No, in part as this marks the end of ACRL's fiscal year. ACRL hopes to offer this workshop as a road show in Spring/Summer 2011 as we feel strongly that developing a basic understanding of scholarly communication issues is a high priority for every librarian. We are pleased to offer this road show during tough economic times as we know that your travel funding to attend conferences is quite tight.
7.) When is the earliest that the sessions could be scheduled?
It all depends on the presenters’ availability. Since decisions are being made by March 1, the very earliest we could reasonably expect presenters to arrange for time off work and book travel would be early April. This is why we ask for you to indicate 3 dates.
8.) Will the host institution be responsible for covering travel, lodging or incidentals for the ACRL speakers?
Nope! ACRL covers all the costs for bringing two expert presenters to you.
9.) Can the host charge a registration fee to cover other costs (name badges, photocopies, snack)?
Yes, hosts may charge a small registration fee to cover their costs. We have designed this to be a very affordable event for hosts. We expect that the cost for name badges and photocopies of handouts will be nominal. We anticipate that hosts would not need to rent out space or pay for audio visual, but would have complimentary access to facilities and equipment on campus. It is optional whether you would like to include food and beverage (coffee, cookies, lunch, etc.) as part of the event.
If any registration fees are charged, they should be on a cost-recovery basis only. This event may not serve hosts in generating revenue to support other activities. If you feel it necessary to charge individual participants a registration fee, please indicate this when you apply in the box "other information for consideration." Please indicate your rationale along with estimated costs and fee per person.
10.) What type of facility is needed to host? Is a single room sufficient or are there breakout sessions requiring smaller rooms along with the “main” room?
One single room is all it takes, set up with round or conference tables (not theater style). This allows participants to engage more easily in hands-on activities. Breakout rooms are not necessary.
11.) There is a max of 100 participants and a minimum of 35. Can we self-limit to, say, only 50?
Yes, that is possible. Since it is the host responsibility to manage all aspects of registration and participant selection, if any, you could limit to less than 100. Please include the number of participants you expect to invite and include a brief sentence or two on why.
12.) I have found a few available dates at our campus conference center, and they are willing to hold one for us now. Would you be able to recommend that we hold one specific date over the others?
It's far too early to suggest a date. We will undertake a two step process: the ACRL Scholarly Communications Committee will review applications and make selections, and then the presenters will be matched up to hosts. This will include some back and forth between presenters and host to nail down the specific date. We can’t promise anything specific just yet and won’t start working out the details with presenters until the committee has made their selections. If you want to include any comments about timing, please indicate this when you apply in the box "other information for consideration."
13.) Our area of the country has a large contingent of higher education institutions. Would it be feasible for ACRL to approve 2 requests from our region?
While feasible, this would be highly unlikely. As indicated, “The ACRL Scholarly Communication Committee will review applications, selecting several locations, based on number of requests and capacity. The committee will aim for geographic diversity...” When we offered the first five road shows in 2009, we had to turn away 41 applicants. We expect that the selection process will involves some tough decisions this time as well.
14.) Will there be an online version?
ACRL has extended the reach of the “Scholarly Communication 101: Starting with the Basics” workshop by adding related materials to its popular Scholarly Communication Toolkit. Now librarians can make use of these tools – including short videos, presentation templates and handouts – to enhance their own knowledge or adapt them to offer related workshops on their own campuses.
15.) On the application form there are several boxes to fill in for "Participant institutions.” What is a “participant institution?” Are these just the other institutions we would invite?
That's right. We are asking applicants to identify one “host” to be the primary coordinator for the registration and event coordination/logistics duties. We expect most hosts will provide the space for the workshop to be held. You also need to indicate one or more “participant institutions” which are the other libraries who would be sending their staff.
16.) How much weight will ACRL Scholarly Communication Committee give to the preferred criterion of being an organizational member in the selection process?
It’s hard to give a firm answer. You'll see there are several preferred criteria that may be used to weight applications, and that the committee will aim for geographic diversity as well. We expect a large number of applications and it could be that the selection process involves some tough decisions. The selectors on the ACRL Scholarly Communication Committee may look closely at all the preferred criteria. For details on becoming an organizational member see http://www.acrl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/about/membership/.
17.) If selected, we'd like to offer a lunch/breakfast during the workshop. Any advice on timing or logistics?
If you schedule a meal function during the workshop, we strongly urge you to have it catered in the room (rather than expecting participants to leave and return). Alternately, we suggest you hold an optional meal before the workshop starts. If this is your intention, please include a few details in the box "other information for consideration."
18.) If selected, we’d like to organize an afternoon session of our own on a related topic. Is this possible?
Yes. In fact we strongly recommend this and have included it as a preferred criterion. We believe this is a constructive way to give your group time to process, digest and translate what they’ve learned to your local circumstances. One host last year did just this (see their workshop outline http://scholarlycommunications.wustl.edu/roadshow/index.html). If this is your intention, please include this when you apply by including a few details about how this would work.