LIBRARY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION (LITA)

Annual Report, 2001-2002

Flo Wilson, President

Within the American Library Association, the Library and Information Technology Association is the division that focuses specifically on the current and future technologies related to library and information technology; it is also concerned with the impact of technology on people, their potential, and the wider uses of technology.

The Year’s Focus-Communication

LITA’s mission statement, which focuses on education, service and reaching out, certainly implies communication, and for 2001-2002, the organization has worked in these directions and has also focused on organizational communication improvements. In response to input from the membership, LITA leaders are working to improve information sharing throughout the organization in ways that will allow us to accomplish our goals more fully and effectively.

Our statement of accomplishments for the year will highlight activities within the three major thrusts of LITA’s mission and will review some of the organizational changes that will make LITA more responsive to and effective for its membership.

EDUCATES through: programs for every level of skill; continuing education; publications; LITA’s Web presence

Programming
One of LITA’s major strengths is the fine programming that is provided in a variety of venues designed to reach as many interested participants as possible. Programming at ALA’s Annual Conference is always a major focus, and sixteen programs are planned for the 2002 Annual Conference in Atlanta. For more in-depth coverage, two pre-conferences will be offered-“What Is XML? How Can XML: Be Used in Libraries,” and “Working with Open Source Software.” The President’s Program, to be followed by the annual reception, will be “Building Our Cultural Heritage-Electronically” featuring the following speakers:

David Green, Executive Director, National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage (NINCH)
Virginia Kerr, Digital Technology Librarian, Northwestern University Library
Bernard F. Reilly, Jr., President, Center for Research Libraries
Richard Rinehart, Director of Digital Media, University of California, Berkeley

LITA’s very successful National Forum continued into its fourth year with the largest attendance yet. “Integrating Innovation”, October 11 - 14, 2001 in Milwaukee attracted 448 information professionals from across the country and from all types of libraries. Half of the attendees were LITA members, but one quarter did not belong to ALA, and the other quarter were ALA members but not LITA members. Two pre-conferences drew a number of participants; three plenary sessions and 36 concurrent sessions provided substantial content. A sponsor showcase was introduced, and the 8 vendors participating were very positive about the opportunity to meet with the librarians attending. Several social opportunities were included on the program as well, providing enjoyable and useful networking possibilities. The reception at the newly renovated Milwaukee Public Library was a real highlight.

The National Forum for 2002 will be "Making Connections" in Houston October 10 - 13. The conference will be able to accept up to 500 registrants for its three pre-conferences, 2 plenary sessions and 36 concurrent sessions. The successful sponsor showcase and social gatherings will be continued. The 2003 Forum planning is getting underway for Norfolk, Virginia, and preliminary planning is focusing on a location for the following year, 2004.

LITA offers regional institutes each year in a number of different locations, providing opportunities for educational programming to librarians who appreciate sessions offered more locally. During the 2001-2002 year, "Database Driven Web Sites" was offered twice and "Proxy Web Servers and Authentication" was given once. Two new regional institutes have been developed and are expected to be offered in the coming year-"XML and Libraries", and "eBooks: After Hype and Death, What Really Works?"

A new vehicle for programming which LITA is exploring for the 2003 Midwinter ALA conference is the pre-conference workshop.

Over the last couple of years, LITA has been exploring the possibility of offering Web-based continuing education opportunities. A second task force, chaired by Susan Logue, recommended that LITA continue to explore these opportunities while evaluating carefully the Association’s ability to sustain such programming with current staffing levels; the Board assigned the responsibility for further consideration and recommendations to the Education Committee with particular emphasis on identifying possibilities for cooperative sponsorship of existing web-based educational opportunities.

Publications
Also important to the Association’s membership are the various forms of LITA publications. Seven print publications are still available and being sold. Two new guides have been developed this year and will be available for sale at the 2002 ALA Annual Conference in Atlanta; these are Simplify Web Site Management with Server-Side Includes, Cascading Style Sheets, and PERL: LITA Guide 8, and Open Source Software for Libraries: LITA Guide 9.

Four issues of the Association’s peer-reviewed journal, Information Technology and Libraries, were published. The Technology Electronic Reviews, continues to be an important source for keeping up-to-date with the field. LITA-L, the Association’s listserv, received some focus as efforts were made to encourage additional posting of Association information. LITAline, a LITA Office update providing official Association information. which had been dormant for some time, has been reinstated as a periodic posting to LITA-L.

LITA’s web presence
LITA’s website is increasingly important for sharing information about LITA with its membership and with others interested in library and information technology. While few substantial changes were made to the format and interface, a significant amount of consideration was given to the future direction of the web-site, and new emphasis was placed on how to provide more and more timely information and news.

SERVES through: developing and disseminating best practice guidelines and through mentoring

LITA's popular Top Technology Trends program and Web publication continue as an important opportunity for the membership to learn from the experts about the issues that are expected to be most significant in the years to come.

LITA's mentoring program, put in place last spring by the Leadership Development Committee in conjunction with the New Members Round Table (NMRT), is undergoing further development. The Committee recommended, and the Board endorsed, that LITA make direct contact with ALA's Spectrum Scholars to offer mentoring assistance from LITA leaders.

LITA serves its membership through fostering organizational flexibility and responsiveness. Interest Groups, intended to be created through and reflecting member interest, provide a unique opportunity within ALA for topical groups to form and gather at conferences for discussion, programming and publication.

LITA offers a number of awards each year in recognition of noteworthy performance in areas of library and information technology. Recipients selected this year are:

LITA/Library Hi Tech Award: Illinois OCLC Users Group
For Outstanding Communication in Library and Information Technology

LITA/Gaylord Award: Sally McCallum
For Achievement in Library and Information Technology

Frederick G. Kilgour Award: Carol C. Kuhlthau
For Research in Library and Information Technology

LITA/Endeavor Student Writing Award: Rachel Mendez
To Recognize Superior Student Writing

LITA's popular job website continues to attract postings and vacancy announcements; 120 were listed this year.

REACHES OUT to: a broad membership; new professionals, systems librarians, library administrators; standardizing bodies, library educators: vendors.

LITA continues to appeal to a broad spectrum of the library and information technology world. Current membership stands at 4,679. Planning is underway for a membership campaign for the fall, which will target ALA members who are self-identified 'technologists' who are not LITA members.

LITA seeks to encourage new professionals in their interests in library and information technology. This year, four scholarships are being awarded:

LITA/Christian (Chris) Larew Memorial Scholarship: Josue Hurtado

LITA/Geac Scholarship: Dana Walker

LITA/LSSI Minority Scholarship: Pete Villasenor

LITA/OCLC Minority Scholarship: Michelle Baildon

As noted above, LITA is making a special effort this year to include the Spectrum Scholars in the LITA Mentoring program. The Membership Committee is working on a program designed to contact library schools more directly in hopes of sharing information about LITA with new and graduating students.

LITA seeks to participate in ALA more broadly and does so through a number of liaison relationships with other divisions and committees and through participation in ad hoc gatherings and task forces as appropriate. LITA also reaches out to other library and information-related organizations such as EDUCAUSE and the Coalition for Networked Information. LITA will be participating with other interested parties in the further developments in the Action Plan growing out of the Library of Congress' Bibliographic Control of Networked Resources efforts.

ORGANIZATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE HIGHLIGHTS

A major highlight for the year was the completion of the first year of LITA service by Mary Taylor, LITA's new executive director. The transition was smooth, and Mary has brought many talents to our organization. Her work this year has been excellent and greatly appreciated.

LITA's website was a topic of discussion this year as LITA sought ways to more efficiently update the site and provide news in a timely way. A major achievement was getting the full text of the LITA Manual online. At the Annual Conference, LITA will be selecting a new chair of the Web Coordinating Committee who serves as the Web Manager. As the year progresses beyond that, we may anticipate a clearer delineation of responsibilities for various parts of the web. The LITA Board will also be considering more carefully the development of new member services, which may be restricted to members only.

Significant ALA activities in which LITA provided official representation included:

Endorsement of Larry Woods as ALA's nominee for the IFLA Information Technology Standing Committee.

Proposal to ALCTS that a LITA liaison be designated for their Networked Resources and Metadata Committee.

Warren Murphy, LITA Legislation and Regulation Committee, was asked to serve on the ALA Task Force on Restrictions on Access to Government Information.

Scott Muir and Joan Kuklinski attended a midwinter workshop on Core Values on LITA's behalf.

The Exhibitor's Round Table sponsored a Technology Showcase at Midwinter 2001. ERT asked LITA to review the proposals to assist in selecting those to be scheduled for presentations at this showcase. A committee was appointed to undertake this review and make recommendations. The Committee consisted of Scott Muir, Tom Dowling, Sandra Hurd and Mary Alice Ball.

LITA's Board reaffirmed its support of the Draft Principles for the Networked World, currently under consideration by ALA Council.

This was a year of association-wide organization review and revitalization. Major efforts included:

LITA continued its planning efforts through town meetings of LITA members at conferences. Pat Ensor, President-Elect, led the discussions at Midwinter, and synthesis of this information along with that developed in previous meetings confirmed the need for enhanced communication and an increased use of technology for improvement in information availability. The need for clearly written responsibilities, practices and policies suggested several activities that are now underway: assigning each LITA committee a Board liaison, improving the information available about committees and IG's and the Committee/IG chairs through documentation of roles, purposes, and timelines, and the development of a training and mentoring program for new Board members.

The Bylaws and Organization Committee undertook a review of LITA committees and their charges. After due consideration and appropriate action by the Board, it was decided that the Leadership Development Committee and the Membership Committee would be merged into a new Membership Development Committee. Two committees were retired-the Technical Standards for Library Automation Committee and the Research Committee. In addition to these committee changes, which take affect in the 2002/2003 year, two interest groups were merged into the new Digital Library Technologies Interest Group.

Significant effort is expended each year by many of LITA's members on the organization's behalf. Without them LITA could not be a success. These LITA Leaders include Committee chairs and Committee members, IG Chairs and Vice-Chairs, and officers. Beginning this year, LITA has instituted a member service recognition program in which each leader will be recognized in the appropriate venue and will be presented with a token of LITA's appreciation.

LITA Board of Directors

Flo Wilson, President
Pat Ensor, Vice President/President-Elect
Sara L. Randall, Past President
Barbra Buckner Higginbotham, Councilor
Karen Cook, Director at Large
Thomas Dowling, Director at Large
James Kennedy, Director at Large
Joan L. Kuklinski, Director at Large
George S. Machovec, Director at Large
Scott P. Muir, Director at Large
Colby M. Riggs, Director at Large
Susan Jacobson, Parliamentarian (Ex Officio)
Mary Taylor, Executive Director (Ex Officio)

LITA Staff

Mary Taylor, Executive Director
Rebecca Felkner, Program Officer
Tel Aviv Barbee, Administrative Secretary
Valerie Edmonds, Secretary

Of special note, this year Valerie Edmonds celebrated 10 years with LITA.

LITA's Budget

LITA's revenues are largely derived from membership dues and special programming efforts. Publications also provide a good revenue stream, and this year LITA decided to increase the price of ITAL (for non-members) to $55/year from $50/year. There had been no increase in this rate since 1995. It was also decided that the online version of ITAL would offer advertising, similarly to the print version. Overall, LITA's budget is in good shape. Each year for the past several years, revenues have exceeded expenses, and funds have been added to the Association's reserves.

All in all, this has been another fine year for LITA-one in which we continued to move forward our mission to serve the library and information technology community. Many thanks go to the LITA leaders, LITA members, and most especially the LITA Office staff for all of their wonderful contributions.

Respectfully submitted
Flo Wilson
LITA President, 2001 - 2002
31 May 2002