Submitted by Deborah Lauseng, Midwest Chapter Secretary
Taubman Medical Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
The Midwest Chapter Executive Board held its first meeting following the approval of the revised chapter bylaws on March 16, 2007 at the Ebling Library, University of Wisconsin, Madison. The most obvious change was the composition in the board with fewer people in attendance. The board includes the elected officers, with only one representative at large, committee chairs and appointed officials.
A major new business item was drafting charges for each of the standing committees outlined in the bylaws. Procedural information will be placed in a separate procedures manual. New or reorganized committees include Communications, Professional Practice, and State Liaisons. President Chris Shaffer will be finalizing the charges for the fall executive board meeting.
The Awards & Scholarships Committee recommended the rewording of the Annual Meeting Scholarship Award to clarify the support of a Midwest Chapter member who has never attended an annual conference. Following discussion, the board recommended that the committee consider rewording the Scholarship Award to be specifically for students and/or recent graduates and to create a new award to promote first time attendees at the annual conference for librarians already in the chapter.
The Communications Committee will be incorporating a disclaimer concerning photographs taken at the annual meetings and their potential use in online chapter publications. The statement, which will appear on conference registration and on annual membership forms, will also ask anyone not wanting their photograph to appear to contact the Communications Chair Elizabeth Smigielski.
The Membership Committee will be designing and purchasing a traveling exhibit. The chapter exhibit can be used at state conferences and for library school recruitments. Funds have also been set aside to cover the cost of shipping the exhibit to members exhibiting on behalf of the chapter.
Chris Shaffer has appointed the Website Redesign Special Committee. This special committee is charged with evaluating, planning (including site architecture and visual design), implementing, and testing of a new Midwest Chapter website. Brian Finnegan is the chair.
The Executive Board extended their thanks and appreciation to Terry Burton and the library staff of Ebling Library, University of Wisconsin, for hosting the spring board meeting in Madison.