ARL News

The Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) welcomes Judge Harold Baer's decision yesterday that the HathiTrust Digital Library’s (HDL) use of digitized works is a fair use permitted under the Copyright Act. Judge Baer's key holding was: "I cannot imagine a definition of fair use that would not encompass the transformative uses made by [HDL] and would require that I terminate this invaluable contribution to the progress of science and cultivation of the arts that at the same time effectuates the ideals espoused by the [Americans with Disabilities Act]." Judge Baer's ruling not only allows HathiTrust to continue serving scholars and the print disabled, it also provides helpful guidance on how future library services can comply with copyright law.

ARL has released a free recording of the MINES for Libraries® Webcast, held on September 18, 2012. The webcast provides potential and current participants with vital information about the MINES for Libraries® service, an online, transaction-based survey that collects data on the reasons people use electronic resources and on the demographics of users.

The Institute on Scholarly Communication (ISC), a coordinated effort by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), is hosting a two-day workshop, “Increasing the Effectiveness of Your Scholarly Communication Program: Strategic Skills for Success,” April 9–10, 2013, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Washington, DC—Online registration is now open for the 2012 MINES for Libraries® Webcast, a free workshop designed to provide potential and current participants with vital information on the MINES for Libraries® service, an online, transaction-based survey that collects data on the reasons people use electronic resources and on the demographics of users. This one-hour webcast will introduce the MINES for Libraries® assessment protocol, share the benefits and results of participation, and present useful case studies.

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Board of Directors has appointed Elliott Shore as Executive Director of the Association, effective January 1, 2013. Dr. Shore is currently Chief Information Officer, Constance A. Jones Director of Libraries, and Professor of History at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) will host a webcast on October 16, 2012, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. eastern time, to discuss the Kirtsaeng v. Wiley case, the first-sale doctrine, and what’s at stake for libraries and others. The webcast will be moderated by Brandon Butler, Director of Public Policy Initiatives at ARL, and will feature discussion from:

ARL is seeking nominations and applications for the 2013–2014 Leadership and Career Development Program (LCDP). The LCDP is an 18-month fellowship program that prepares mid-career librarians from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups to take on increasingly demanding leadership roles in ARL libraries.

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) announces the selection of two master’s of library and information science (MLIS) students to participate in the 2012–2014 ARL/Music Library Association (MLA) Diversity and Inclusion Initiative (DII):

The 2013 Service Quality Evaluation Academy, co-sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL), is now accepting participant nominations, with a deadline of December 14, 2012.

The academy is an intensive five-day program that focuses on introductory qualitative and quantitative methods for collecting and analyzing library service quality data. Although some of the training will be presented in the context of ARL assessment programs and activities (LibQUAL+®, ARL Profiles, etc.), the program will emphasize basic concepts and skills in measurement and data analysis that will be applicable to service quality evaluations in general. There will be some time spent on relevant software skills, including the use of ATLAS.ti to analyze text-based evidence like responses to open-ended surveys and the use of SPSS for quantitative data analysis.

Washington, DC—The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has published Library Contribution to Accreditation, SPEC Kit 330, which explores the scope of accreditation standards, the data provided by research libraries to meet the requirements of accrediting bodies, and which library staff participate in preparing reports and site visits. The survey results may help libraries identify and understand what standards exist, and how their contributions lead to successful accreditation and reaccreditation for their parent institutions. Additionally, this survey sought to identify how deeply ARL libraries are involved in the accreditation process at the institutional level. As libraries strive to establish their impact and value in higher education, this measure is one way to gauge how institutional leaders perceive their libraries’ contributions.