FACRL News & Announcements

The Florida Association of College & Research Libraries (FACRL) is committed to supporting our academic library colleagues and the principles protected by academic freedom and intellectual freedom. Academic libraries in Florida serve the research needs of students and scholars at more than 170 colleges and universities across the state, including libraries at public and private institutions as well as multi-use facilities. Library workers represent the communities they serve, and include people of color, as well as people that identify as being a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Libraries have long been safe havens for the free pursuit of ideas. We provide access to materials for the sake of learning and to help society face the challenges of the day. Advocating for intellectual freedom is a core value of the library profession. We cannot do this without safeguards to our own academic freedom. 

Intellectual freedom continues to be challenged across the state of Florida from K-12 to higher education. Florida ranked second in the number of book challenges in 2022, and the numbers continue to increase. The State of Florida is demanding an increasing presence in higher education. Anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, laws banning diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on college and university campuses, as well as those censoring educators and librarians with the threat of fines and loss of license, have gone into effect. Library workers are being silenced. This new legislation has caused many Library workers to limit the work they do, reframe their research, or flee the state. Reductions in our workforce will cause communities to suffer.

As attacks on Library workers continue across the state, FACRL hopes to serve our members through the following actions:

• Creating a safe space for professional discourse through interest groups, annual conferences, and other association activities

• Respecting the privacy of our membership  

• Sharing resources for professional and legal support

• Advocating for the needs of our members through the Florida Library Association (FLA), Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), and the American Library Association (ALA)

We encourage you to reach out to an FACRL Board member if you are in need of support. As we all make sense of the implications of new legislation on the work we do, FACRL hopes to build our capacity to support our members. We hope you will join us in this effort to build a strong network of academic library professionals across the state of Florida.

Resources

Intellectual Freedom & Academic Freedom
FLA Intellectual Freedom Manual (PDF) 

• ACRL Legislation & Policy- see Upholding Intellectual Freedom  

• ACRL Oregon Statement on Academic & Intellectual Freedom

• ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

• Faculty First Responders - provides advice for how to respond to attacks

• Online Harassment Field Manual (PEN America)

• AAUP's Preliminary Report of the Special Committee on Academic Freedom in Florida

Book Challenges
Report a Challenge to FLA 

• ACRL Statement on Confronting Book Challenges in Libraries 

• Challenge Support (ALA) 

Challenges to Tenure

• AAUP 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure

• Statement on Faculty Status of College and University Librarians, ACRL

• United Faculty of Florida

• American Association of University Professors (AAUP) - list of chapters in Florida

Financial & Legal Support 

• LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund - for librarians denied employment due to challenges to intellectual freedom or discrimination

• ACLU of Florida’s Suggested Assistance Contact List

Institutional Resources

In addition to the resources above, we encourage you to seek out relevant guidelines from within your institution. These may include the following:

• Faculty or Staff Handbooks

• Campus Academic Freedom Policy

• American Association of University Professors - see if your institution has a chapter

FACRL is pleased to announce Chad Mairn as our keynote speaker for the FACRL 2023 Virtual Conference! We hope you join us on October 20 as we discuss the Best Practices and Trends in Academic Libraries.

Unlocking the Potential and Possible Perils of Emerging Technologies in Academic Libraries

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, academic libraries are not just repositories of books and journals; instead, they are vital centers of innovation and knowledge dissemination. Academic libraries have been integrating emerging technologies into traditional pedagogy to revolutionize how students, faculty, and staff interact with information and engage in meaningful learning. In this keynote, we will explore the exciting possibilities of embracing emerging technologies within academic libraries and unlock the potential of artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, creativity, and more while discussing issues of accessibility, data privacy, and digital literacy. In a recent open letter, President Barack Obama mentions librarians are “fighting every day to make the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas available to everyone” and this strengthens our vision for the future of learning, research, and collaboration while clearly demonstrating how academic libraries will continue to be at the forefront of knowledge dissemination and transformational education.

Chad Mairn is an Information Services Librarian, Assistant Professor, author, and founder of the Innovation Lab at St. Petersburg College. While an undergraduate studying Humanities at the University of South Florida (USF), Chad was awarded a Library of Congress Fellowship helping archive personal papers and other items in the Leonard Bernstein Collection. During his Library and Information Science graduate work, also at USF, Chad became a technology liaison between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Florida public libraries.

Much of  Chad's recent interests have focused around mobile and emerging technologies; he has written a couple of book chapters and numerous articles on technologies impacting society. In 2016, Chad was awarded the League of Innovation Excellence Award in Teaching and Learning for Innovation in the Use of Technology.

We hope to see you online at the conference. Register today!

Call for Proposals

Where do we go from here? Best Practices & Trends in Academic Libraries

The Florida Chapter of ACRL (FACRL) is currently seeking proposals for presentations and poster sessions for the 2023 FACRL Virtual Annual Conference, held online on Friday, October 20, 2023. This year's call for proposals encourages librarians and staff to share projects, plans, strategies, and prospects highlighting best practices and trends in academic libraries. The Center for the Future of Libraries maintains a collection of 42 trends relevant to librarians and librarianship. Which trend(s) have you tackled recently, and what best practices emerged?  What best practices have you updated due to emerging technologies and their challenges or how we gather and communicate? How have we changed regarding collections, services, spaces, and operations? Book bans? Attacks on academic freedom while maintaining academic integrity? What evaluative tools and subsequent data have we used to make informed decisions and implement new or revisit current policies? Multiple trends can comprise a topic. For example, advocacy and activism trends could influence a campaign for pay equity in your library or campuswide. Investigations into AI could provide new strategies for addressing information literacy instruction and reference across campus.

Have an idea for a timely topic outside of this year’s theme? Please feel free to submit it for consideration! Don’t see a trend of interest but have best practices to share? No problem. Submit your proposal anyway. 

We welcome submissions from library staff, students, and faculty.

Topics might include but are not limited to:

• Data Collection
• The Academic Enterprise
• Reference and/or Instruction
• Unconventional Collaborations 
• Programming
• Evaluation Procedures
• Material Challenges
• Post-COVID Challenges
• Embedded Librarianship
• Open Access
• Open Educational Resources
• Online teaching and research
• Library Websites, Digital Collections, Bandwidth (e.g., Infrastructure, Capacity)
• Professional Development
• Creative Budgets
• Librarians as Advocates/ Activists

 

Proposals for presentations, posters, and lightning round presentations can be submitted beginning April 21, 2023, using the online submission form. Rolling reviews and decisions will occur as proposals are received. The final deadline to submit is August 1, 2023. Presenters will receive free registration to the virtual conference. 

Presentations should be 45 minutes long, including the time provided for questions. Posters will be shared during a virtual poster session at the conference. Lightning round presentations are 5 minutes in length. Please follow this link to the rubric used to score all proposals. Acceptance emails will be sent on or before August 22, 2023. 

Presentations and posters of superior quality may be considered for future publication in The Reference Librarian, a major refereed journal published by Taylor and Francis. Consider reviewing the Instructions for Authors to learn about the expectations of content and writing for this peer-reviewed journal, which utilizes APA 7th edition style. Don't hesitate to get in touch with editor Lauri Rebar (lrebar@fau.edu) with any questions. New and established authors are welcome!

Inquiries may be sent to the FACRL Conference Program Committee Chair, Ana Diamand (diamanda@lssc.edu) or Clarissa West-White (whitec@cookman.edu).

As the academic year comes to a close across the state of Florida, we would like to give our thanks to all the FACRL Board members who will be rotating off their terms, while welcoming new board members for the coming year. 

Thank you to the following members of the Board for their years of service:

• Elana Karshmer, President-elect, President, and Past-president
• Rachel Cooke, outgoing FACRL President (current Past-president)
• Valerie Boulos, Treasurer
• Nancy Schuler, Communication Manager
• Rachel Edford, Board Member At-Large (Central Zone)
• Cindy Gruwell, Board Member At Large (Northern Zone)
• Steven Wade, Board Member At-Large (Central Zone)

The 2023-34 FACRL Board includes:

• Clarissa West-White, President (2022-25)
• Nancy Schuler, President-Elect (2023-2026)
• Rachel Cooke, Past-President (2021-2024)
• Julie Hornick, Secretary (2022-2024)
• Sarah J. Hammill, Treasurer (2023-26)
• Rachel Tait, Communications Manager (2023-2025)
• Ana Diamand (2023-2025)
• John Reynolds (2022-24)
• Diana Matthews (2022-24)
• Lisa Campbell (2023-2025)
• Janet Chan (2023-2025)
• Lauri Rebar (2023-2025)

We look forward to the coming year and hope everyone has a restful summer. 

Are you looking for ways to expand your professional network and contribute to FACRL? Committee volunteers help shape FACRL by advancing its strategic plan and influencing the direction of academic and research librarianship within the state of Florida. Serving on a FACRL committee is a great way to become involved and make an impact on the profession. If you would like to become more engaged, I encourage you to volunteer to serve on a FACRL committee. Make a difference, expand your professional network and build leadership capacity, volunteer today!  Openings are available on many committees including: Standing Committees Membership Committee Marketing & Communications Committee Nominating Committee Programming Committee 2023 Annual Conference Committees Conference Program Committee Sponsorship Committee Scholarship Committee Virtual Conference Logistics Committee Volunteers benefit by: Building ties with academic and research librarians within the state of Florida, enhancing their leadership abilities through consensus building and project management, sharing their experience with colleagues, and advancing the work of the association and the profession. Volunteers must: be a member of FACRL for the duration of the appointment, be willing and able to participate in the activities of the committee, support its mission or concern, and carry out assignments in a timely manner. How to apply: FACRL members should visit https://forms.gle/GRfXipucxufaFrwh9 and submit the volunteer application form by Tuesday, May 2. If you are not yet a member of FACRL, please visit http://facrl.org to learn more about our “low cost-high value” membership categories!  If you have any questions about using the volunteer form, please contact FACRL President-Elect Clarissa West-White, whitec@cookman.edu. Thank you for your interest in contributing to the success of FACRL and the academic libraries of Florida. We look forward to your future involvement with FACRL!

Volunteer Today

Thank you for your participation in the 2023 FACRL Board Elections. Please join us in congratulating the newest members of the FACRL Board! 

Special thanks to Elana Karshmer, Past-President, Clarissa West-White, President-Elect, Rachel Edford, Board Member At-Large, and Steven Wade, Board Member At-Large, for serving on this year's Nominating Committee.

Our new Board members will be formally installed during the May meeting.

Nancy Schuler
President-elect

Sarah J. Hammill
Treasurer

 Rachel Tait
Communications Manager

Lisa Campbell
Board Member At Large (2 year term) 

Janet Chan
Board Member At Large (2 year term) 

Lauri Rebar
Board Member At Large (2 year term) 

The new FACRL Board outlined below will begin their terms in May. 

FACRL Board of Directors (2023-2024):

• Clarissa West-White, President (2022-25)
• Nancy Schuler, President-Elect (2023-2026)
• Rachel Cooke, Past-President (2021-2024)
• Julie Hornick, Secretary (2022-2024)
  
• Sarah J. Hammill, Treasurer (2023-26)
• Rachel Tait, Communications Manager(2023-2025)
• Ava Brillat (2022-24)
  
• John Reynolds (2022-24)
• Diana Matthews (2022-24)
• Lisa Campbell (2023-2025)
• Janet Chan (2023-2025)
• Lauri Rebar (2023-2025)

Thank you for your participation in the 2023 FACRL Board Elections and congratulations to our newest Board Members!

Elections for Board Officers and Board Members At Large closes on Tuesday, March 7th!

The following positions are up for election this year:

• President-Elect (Term: 2023-2026)

• Treasurer (Term: 2023-2026)

• Communications Manager (Term: 2023 - 2025)

• Board Member at Large, 3 vacancies (Term: 2023-2025) - Board members will be selected to represent specific regions of Florida (north, central, and south). Information on these regions is available in the FACRL Bylaws.
  

Many thanks to all our nominees for their willingness to stand for election and to all members for their thoughtful consideration of each candidate.

Please note: only ACRL/FACRL members with active membership status are eligible to vote.

Vote Now

The FACRL Board is seeking nominations from the membership for seven positions that will become available in 2023:

• President-Elect (Term: 2023-2026)
• Treasurer (Term: 2023-2026)
• Communications Manager (Term: 2023 - 2025)
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer (Term: 2023-2025)
• Board Member at Large, 3 vacancies (Term: 2023-2025) - Board members will be selected to represent specific regions of Florida (north, central, and south). Information on these regions is available in the FACRL Bylaws.

Please consider running for the board if you are at all interested! Previous experience serving on committees or in organizational leadership positions is useful but not required—we will mentor you and help you develop valuable skills that you can apply well into the future!

Position Descriptions: Position descriptions are stated in the FACRL Bylaws. Our meetings are conducted online, and generally occur monthly. Terms begin June 1st, 2023 and end at the May 2025/2026 meeting, depending on position.

Membership Requirements: Nominees for the office of President-elect must maintain active ACRL member status. Nominees must be current FACRL members. Members of ACRL are automatically members of FACRL. Individuals who are not members of ACRL may join FACRL itself for $30 per year.

General Service Expectations: Monthly meetings of the Board are conducted via conference call. In addition, in typical years there are two in-person meetings, one held during the fall at the FACRL annual conference and the other in the Spring during the FLA annual conference. In addition, the Board may convene as needed to address urgent issues and Board representation at meetings of various FACRL subcommittees may also be required. 

Nominations are due by Friday, January 13, 2023. To submit nominations, please use our nomination form. Self-nominations are welcome. If nominating others for open positions, please get their permission prior to nominating. If you wish to nominate more than one person for each position, please submit the survey again.

Please contact Elana Karshmer (ekarshme@fiu.edu), Past President, if you have any questions.

Did you know that any group of ten or more members of the Chapter, representing a field or activity of interest and within the scope of the Chapter’s field of interest, may organize a group upon receiving approval from the Board of Directors. Interest groups shall be open to all members free of charge and composed only of Chapter members.

To learn more, see our guidelines for starting an FACRL Interest Group.

The Florida Association of College & Research Libraries (FACRL) is pleased to announce our final program for the FACRL 2022 Annual Conference (virtual) on Friday, October 21, 2022. This year's conference will be focused on Information Ethics & Access.  Information access is one of the cornerstone values of the library profession. How do libraries facilitate equitable and ethical access to different types of information? How can we as library staff help overcome internal and external barriers to information access? This year's program encourages librarians and library staff to explore, share, and discuss different aspects of information access and ethics.

The opening speaker for the FACRL 2022 Annual Conference will be Dr. John Burgess from the University of Alabama School of Information! Dr. Burgess’ research focuses on moral reasoning and sustainability ethics for library and information science professionals. He teaches courses in the areas of information ethics, academic librarianship and information literacy and is active in several information ethics and policy related special interest groups. His keynote address will focus on moral reasoning skills in the prevention of vocational awe and burnout in academic libraries. Don't miss this important and highly relevant talk! Register for the conference today!

This year's conference has something for everyone, including:

• Twelve presentations in three concurrent tracks 

• Six poster presentations

• Lunch & Learn sponsored EBSCO and Baker & Taylor

• Mid-day chair yoga 

• Interactive happy hour session 

FACRL 2022 Annual Conference (virtual)

October 21, 2022

9:00 AM - 5:00 P.M. 

Stay for some additional fun during the FACRL Virtual Happy Hour at 4 p.m.

Registration is FREE for current FACRL members and only $15 for non-members.

Register Today