Community Groups in Pilot Status
Engaged Scholarship and Societal Impact Interest Group
Statement of Purpose: Knowledge exchange between researchers and other societal actors has become an essential part of scholarship, whether involving relevant stakeholders in the design and execution of research (e.g., citizen science; community-engaged scholarship) or mobilizing the results of research for public understanding, policymaking, and innovation (e.g., science communication; public impact or translational research).
The purpose of this group is to catalyze a community of practice among research library professionals who support these forms of engagement and impact beyond the academy.
Topics of interest include library services that build researcher and institutional capacity for engagement and impact work, including documenting its outcomes (e.g., altmetrics); organizational structure, staffing, and resourcing of these services; relationships with other units across the research institution; training and professional development; and advocacy for the distinctive contribution of libraries to this domain.
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- To request to become a member of this group, please navigate here and click “Ask to join group”
- This group is open to all in ARL member libraries
- Group conveners: Sheila Craft-Morgan (The Ohio State University) and Ali Moore (Simon Fraser University)
Subject Libraries Leaders Affinity Group
Statement of Purpose: There is a pressing need for a dedicated organization or group that facilitates discussions among department heads regarding the evolving landscape of their work. While established groups exist for International/Area studies and various subject disciplines, department heads for subject libraries seek a broader platform that addresses the unique challenges faced by liaison librarians across all subject areas. Informal collaborations with other unit heads have underscored the importance of this dialogue. The vision for this affinity group, composed of department heads, supervisors, and managers of subject libraries, is to enable members to collaboratively explore critical issues such as collection development, physical space utilization, and the implications of staff reductions within their units. This initiative aims to foster a supportive community where participants can collectively navigate the future of subject liaisons.
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- To request to become a member of this group, please navigate here and click “Ask to join group”
- This group is open to all who identify as subject libraries leaders
- Group conveners TBA
Community Groups in Active Status
ARL iSchools Affinity Group
Statement of Purpose: This is an affinity group for ARL academic libraries at institutions with iSchools. Our goal is to create a community that bridges academic research libraries and information science education and research. Following from an initial interest meeting, possible discussion topics include: academic librarians and libraries and the LIS research agenda; graduate students as academic library employees; LIS curriculum and its relationship to skills needed by academic libraries; librarians as instructors in LIS programs; collaboration for community engagement.
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- To request to become a member of this group, please navigate here and click “Ask to join group”
- This group is open to member representatives at ARL member libraries that have iSchools.
- Group conveners: María Estorino (UNC)
ARL Libraries at Land-Grant Universities Affinity Group
Statement of Purpose: The ARL Libraries in Land-Grant Universities Affinity Group will be dedicated to advancing the mission of land-grant institutions by delivering exceptional value to the public and highlighting the transformative power of higher education. Our purpose is to foster collaboration, innovation, and advocacy among libraries, ensuring they remain pivotal in supporting the land-grant mission.
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- To request to become a member of this group, please navigate here and click “Ask to join group”
- This group is open to all in ARL land-grant universities
- Group conveners: Erla Heyns (Wisconsin-Madison)
Global Engagement Interest Group
Statement of Purpose: The Global Engagement Interest Group will bring together individuals at ARL institutions who have experience with, or an interest in, international librarianship within an academic library context. Participants will have an opportunity to explore areas of global engagement and share their knowledge with others. Topics of focus may include international partnerships, supporting intercultural and cross-cultural learning, working with campus international offices, global engagement programming, and international comparative librarianship as an area of research.
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- To request to become a member of this group, please navigate here and click “Ask to join group”
- This group is open to all in ARL member libraries
- Group conveners: Mark Mattson (Penn State) and Brian Rosenblum (Kansas)
Open Education Interest Group
Statement of Purpose: The Open Education Interest Group will be a space for discussion and connection around open educational resources, open pedagogy, and other topics related to open education.
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- To request to become a member of this group, please navigate here and click “Ask to join group”
- This group is open to all in ARL member libraries
- Group conveners: Abbey Childs (VCU) and Stephen Krueger (Kentucky)
Reference Services Interest Group
Statement of Purpose: A core function of all libraries is customer service and providing information and assistance to our users upon request. This forum will allow members to share information and discuss best practices around in person and online reference services.
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- To request to become a member of this group, please navigate here and click “Ask to join group”
- This group is open to all in ARL member libraries
- Group conveners: Raina Bloom (Wisconsin-Madison) and Tom Reinsfelder (Penn State)
