ACRL launches chat series

March 11, 2008

Contact: David Free
ACRL
312-280-2517
dfree@ala.org

CHICAGO - The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is
pleased to announce ACRL OnPoint, a new live chat series. Each informal
monthly chat session provides the opportunity to connect with colleagues
and experts to discuss an issue of the day in academic and research
librarianship.

All ACRL OnPoint chats are free and open to the public. Sessions are
unmoderated, 30-45 minutes in length and take place in a Meebo chat
room. All chat sessions begin at 1pm CDT. While no registration is
necessary to participate, ACRL recommends creating a quick and easy
Meebo account for the best experience while participating in ACRL
OnPoint discussions. Full details are available on the ACRL Web site at
http://www.acrl.org/ala/acrl/acrlproftools/OnPoint/onpoint.cfm.

Join us on March 27, 2008 for the inaugural ACRL OnPoint chat on the
newly mandatory NIH Public Access Policy. The discussion of how
libraries are leveraging this new policy on campus will be convened by
ACRL Scholarly Communication Committee member Karen Williams and Linda
Watson, president of the Association of Academic Health Sciences
Libraries. Discuss actions your library is taking or could take, such as
educating authors, offering deposit services and partnering with your
office of sponsored research.

This first chat session is co-sponsored by the Association of Academic
Health Science Libraries, the Association of Research Libraries, the
Greater Western Library Alliance, and the Scholarly Publishing and
Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC).

Future ACRL OnPoint chats include:

April 2008: Section 108 Study Group Report - Discuss the implications of
the recommendations and findings of this forthcoming report (expected in
mid-March) for academic libraries.

May 2008: Green Libraries - Share ideas about what libraries are, or
could be, doing to meet the growing "greening" of college and university
campuses.

June 2008: ACRL 101 - Find your path to participation to get the most
out of your ACRL membership and discuss ACRL activities at the 2008 ALA
Annual Conference with Associate Director Mary Jane Petrowski.

Visit http://www.acrl.org/ala/acrl/acrlproftools/OnPoint/onpoint.cfm for
additional information, including future chat dates, full descriptions
and chat transcripts. Send ideas for future ACRL OnPoint chat topics to
acrl@ala.org with the subject heading ACRL OnPoint.