About AAAL

History | Mission | Values | Goals | Bylaws | Membership

History of the Alberta Association of Academic Libraries

In May of 1973, at the Library Association of Alberta (LAA) Conference, the College Librarians Committee met to investigate the feasibility of shared procedures such as acquisitions, cataloguing and a union list of films and serials. A second, more formal, meeting took place in November of that year at Red Deer College where the first constitution and bylaws were adopted. The group decided upon the name Alberta Council of College Librarians and voting members were determined to be "personnel of public and private college libraries and/or AV departments in Alberta." The Council did not have an executive until the November 1977 meeting. In 1978, the semiannual newsletter began, an institutional membership fee of $10.00 was established, as well as the first bank account. In December 1982, a formalized agreement between the Council and the Alberta Government Libraries Council was signed, which set up a joint Union List of Serials. The Union List ceased operation in 2001 when electronic access to serials made the List redundant.

In 1984 the name of the group was changed to Alberta Association of College Librarians (AACL). This change was required as part of the registration process under Alberta's Society Act. Over the years, AACL has evolved to be an association of librarians that acts as a forum for the discussion of issues such as copyright, resource sharing, faculty status, collection evaluation, security systems, electronic databases, automation and disaster planning. There has been long-time participation in the annual statistics survey. As of spring 2002 there were 31 member libraries and 89 librarians on the membership list.

In 2010, significant changes were directed and welcomed by the AACL membership. The AACL was renamed as the Alberta Association of Academic Libraries (AAAL). The association’s name change was put forward after two member institutions, Mount Royal University and MacEwan University, transitioned from colleges to universities in 2009. In addition to the name change, the membership criteria were expanded to include all academic libraries in Alberta. An additional change in voting privileges was approved, so that each member institution, regardless of size or number of staff members attending a meeting, holds a single vote.

The original AACL mission, values and goals remain unchanged. Participation in The Alberta Library (TAL) is ongoing. And in light of the association’s new name and bylaw changes, future steps by AAAL will include strategic planning activities.

Business Plan

The 2001 - 2005 Business Plan, a revision of the original 1998-2001 Plan, examines the history of the AACL (now AAAL), and outlines the vision, mission, values, and goals. Vision Promote excellence in college and technical institute libraries in Alberta.

Mission

Facilitate communication, planning and cooperation among college and technical institute libraries. AAAL also promotes continuing education opportunities and assists in professional development endeavors.

Values

Promotes the following values:

• Lifelong learning.
• Professional development
• Cooperation/collaboration networking
• Diversity of duties and responsibilities associated with college and technical librarianship
• Communication

Goals

1. Provide a forum where Alberta college and technical institute library personnel can meet to discuss common issues, share ideas and network. Strategies:

• Organize meetings
• Communicate through the AAAL web site, listserv and newsletter.

2. Provide opportunities to share resources. Strategies:

• Participate in electronic interlibrary loan initiatives.
• Support an interlibrary loan agreement that include providing loans free of charge amongst member libraries.
• Investigate joint database licensing agreements.
• Investigate collaborative funding.
• Develop, distribute, and collate results from an annual statistical survey.
• Promote participation in TAL.
• Maintain an electronic archives of Association business (newsletters, surveys, etc.).

3. Provide a voice from college and technical libraries and librarians to others. Strategies:

• Prepare submissions for relevant newsletters/magazines (e.g. "Letter of the LAA", CTCLs "Communiqué").
• Encourage membership involvement in other library associations/ organizations (e.g. TAL, CTCL, LAA, etc.).
• Maintain the AAAL website.
• Promote the use of the Association's listserv.

4. Advocate the role of college and technical libraries and librarians at a local and larger library community level. Strategy:

• Participate in TAL and the LAA.

5. Have as many librarians attend the bi-annual meetings as possible. Strategies:

• Hold meetings in conjunction with other major events and/or meetings in major centers (eg. TAL Board of Directors' meetings).
• Investigate alternate ways to hold meetings to include as many libraries & library staff as possible.

6. Organize, promote and support professional development activities. Strategies:

• Hold workshops in conjunction with business meetings.
• Sponsor other relevant activities.

Bylaws

The bylaws for the AAAL outline the following: Name, Membership, Objectives, Meetings, Voting, Officers, Duties of officers, Auditing, Renumeration, Borrowing powers, Custody of the seal, & Amendment of bylaws.  A complete copy of the bylaws can be viewed - Alberta Association of Academic Libraries Bylaws. To view this document you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Bylaw ammendments are available at Bylaw ammendments (see section 12 of the bylaws), Responsibilities of AAAL Officers and Meeting Guidelines.

Membership in the AAAL

Membership in AAAL is institutional and is available to all academic libraries in Alberta upon payment of the annual institutional membership fee of $40.00:

• This fee is payable no later than January of every year; and
• Membership shall cease upon (a) non-payment of dues by the institution or (b) the request in writing by the member to the Chair.

Individuals employed in the libraries of institutional members are eligible to participate in association activities and meetings. However, each institutional member must appoint a single voting representative.

To apply for membership download and fill out the membership application form. Send it via mail, fax, or email to the Secretary Treasurer.

Other interested parties may seek affiliate membership by submitting a request to the Executive Committee for consideration by the voting members:

• Affiliate memberships do not include voting rights;
• Employees of affiliate members are welcome to attend and participate in association meetings and activities; and
• The annual affiliate institutional membership fee will be determined by member institutions at a general meeting. It is payable no later than January of every year.

The directory of Member Libraries is publicly accessible and library staff at member institutions may download a copy of the Directory of Library Staff.