LibGuides: Chapter Topics ~ Fall 2021: Message from the Chair

Message from the Chapters Council Chair

Hello Chapters Council Members,

As I write this message, it is hard to believe that Fall 2021 is almost in the books. Many of us have been busy this semester transitioning back to in-person services to support our campus communities as they seek to find their new normal after the shutdowns experienced due to COVID. I have found myself being much more grateful for the presence of our students this semester and realized just how much I missed the energy they brought to the library. Likewise, it has been so nice to see the faces of our faculty and staff members once again visiting the library and stopping to chat. However, I recognize that this transition has not been easy and that many are feeling a sense of exhaustion and burnout from the ongoing stressors that COVID continues to impart on our day-to-day functioning. Please be sure to take time for your own self-care as we approach the holiday season and winter break. The work that we do as librarians is vital to our community of learners and we must take care of ourselves to keep providing that level of outstanding service.

Chapters Topics Editor Leslin Charles, Secretary Eric Edwards, ACRL North Carolina Chapter Chair Velappan Velappan, and I have been busy working to coordinate input from Chapters Council members to complete our directory project which will function to share information about the organization of our various chapters in hopes of facilitating collaboration across chapters. Chapter leaders are asked to watch for an email from one of these volunteers requesting that you complete the form with your chapter’s information and to share this information as soon as possible. As a reminder, if your chapter leadership has changed please be sure to send any updates to Lauren Carlton (lcarlton@ala.org) to keep the online roster current.

Being part of Chapters Council has a number of benefits for those who complete the annual ACRl Plan of Excellence for their chapter. Chapters have access to two ACRl e-Learning webcast group registrations per year (between October and August) which can be requested from Margot Conahan (mconahan@ala.org). These webcasts are a great way to offer professional development programming to your membership. Chapters also have the opportunity to have someone from the ACRL Speakers Bureau to speak at their conference at no charge. Finally, funding may be available for conference expenses based on your state’s ACRL membership. This information can be obtained from Lauren Carlton.

We are currently working to plan our next meeting which will be held remotely and will take place to coincide with LibLearnX. The meeting will be on Wednesday January 12^th from 2:00 to 3:30 PM. Please watch for a save-the-date email about this meeting for more details. Looking ahead, an in-person meeting for ALA Annual is anticipated with the option for a blended, virtual component as well. I am hopeful to meet many of you in-person at this meeting!

Give yourselves a pat on the back for all the work you have done to support your campuses during the fall semester and take time to recharge your batteries over the coming break!

Best,

Dawn Behrend

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