Association of Research Libraries (ARL®)

Washington, D.C.
October 16-18, 1996

Foreword: Redefining Higher Education

Supporting and contributing to the transformation of higher education and research institutions is a theme that permeates all ARL programs and activities. Prompted by a recommendation from the ARL Committee on Management of Research Library Resources, this program focuses on anticipating the future landscape of higher education in North America and identifying responses from research libraries that will contribute to emerging agendas for change.

Setting the stage in Program Session I is Stanley Chodorow, Provost, University of Pennsylvania, who will address the implications of the digital environment on teaching and research, and the actions that need to be taken by provosts and librarians to effect a positive outcome. Showcasing a new action agenda arising from Canadian academic institutions is Sally Brown, Senior Vice President, Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. Ms. Brown will brief participants on the results and recommendations of a recently concluded AUCC study on Changing Roles in Scholarly Communication.

Program Session II brings together speakers to address ways that our communities are informing decision makers, each other, and other stakeholders about the strategic choices faced by North American educational and research institutions.

Peter Magrath, President of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, will open the panel with remarks on the future of public universities and the goals and agenda for the recently initiated Kellogg Commission.

Gregory Wegner, Associate Director of the University of Pennsylvania Institute for Research in Higher Education, will review the experience of the Pew Campus Roundtables.

Phyllis Franklin, Executive Director of the Modern Language Association, will highlight the nature of faculty concerns about the future of research libraries and scholarly communication, and propose steps to strengthen the understanding of scholars and librarians about the nature of the tradeoffs facing library leadership.

To ensure that ARL discussions about transforming the research library are in sync with academic programs of research institutions, two panels of chief academic officers and library directors will comment on how academic programs are responding to current challenges. The panels consist of Martha Gilliland, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Carla Stoffle, Dean of Libraries, of the University of Arizona; Mark Emmert, Chancellor, and Paul Kobulnicky, Director of Libraries, of the University of Connecticut; William F. Prokasy, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and William G. Potter, Director of Libraries, from the University of Georgia; and Ettore F. Infante, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Thomas W. Shaughnessy, University Librarian, of the University of Minnesota. Douglas Bennett, Vice President, American Council of Learned Societies, will convene the panels and conclude the program.

Luncheon Program

On Thursday, meeting participants will also have an opportunity to attend a Federal Relations luncheon program. The topics identified for this fall’s update are the issues that are faced by libraries and research institutions as they assume the role of network service providers. Fred Heath, Dean and Director of University Libraries, Texas A&M University, and Frances Groen, Director of Libraries, McGill University, will speak on the development of enterprise-wide information policies and recent incidents that may prompt administrators to reconsider how best to approach these contentious issues.

Early Bird Briefing on JSTOR

On Friday morning, Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of JSTOR, will brief meeting participants on the status of this growing database of scholarly literature and describe plans for next steps.

Reception and Tour at the Smithsonian Insititution

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Smithsonian Institution and in observance of this occasion there is a special exhibit entitled, “From Smithson to Smithsonian: The Birth of an Institution” in the National Museum of American History. In addition to an opening reception, Barbara Smith, Director of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, has arranged for a tour of the exhibit. Smithsonian Provost J. Dennis O’Connor will be present to welcome the meeting participants.

Reception for the Higher Education Community

On Thursday evening, ARL and the Association of American Universities will co-host a reception for the Washington, DC higher education community. The gathering will take place in the ARL Offices at 21 Dupont Circle.

Welcome and Orientation

A welcome and orientation meeting for ARL directors or their delegates attending their first membership meeting will take place late Wednesday afternoon. All ARL directors are invited to participate and to meet first-time attendees.