The OCLC Research Library Partnership is pleased to hold a meeting immediately following the inaugural Americas Regional Council (ARC) meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. Join us for a lively and engaging meeting where we will celebrate our accomplishments and chart our future. Registration is open to all in the OCLC Research Library Partnership and to special invited others. OCLC RLP institutions are welcome to send more than one delegate.

All sessions will be held at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel.

Tuesday, 31 October
Gathering and scene setting
5:30 – 7:30pm, Homeland Room

Led by OCLC RLP Executive Director Rachel Frick, we'll gather together (with refreshments) and begin with a scene setting activity at 6:00 pm. Each institution will be asked to share a few words on the following:

• What do you see as the greatest challenge for your institution OR our community?
• How do you see us moving forward together?
• How is your institution leading?
   

Wednesday, 1 November
Research Library Partnership Meeting, Maryland B Room

8:15 – 9:00 Light breakfast
9:00 – 9:30 Welcome and Frame the Day  - Led by OCLC RLP Executive Director, Rachel Frick
9:30 – 10:00 Introduction to facilitated discussion sessions (introduced by program officers)* details on discussion sessions below
10 – noon Facilitated discussion sessions
noon – 1:00 Lunch and Research Update Presentation, Maryland A Room
     A high-level overview of the achievements of OCLC Research over the previous year, led by OCLC RLP Executive Director, Rachel Frick
1:00 – 2:30 Continue facilitated discussion sessions
2:30 – 3:30 Report out, wrap up and adjourn
 

*Discussion Sessions

The Baltimore RLP meeting will feature the opportunity to participate in one of three concurrent facilitated discussions. We want to know: How are these issues impacting you? How is your library leading? How can OCLC Research help support your ambitions? Share your challenges and aspirations so that together we can chart a course for success in the coming year.

The interoperability imperative for libraries: supporting scholarly services and workflows

As libraries continue to offer sustained leadership to support open access, they are also supporting the local aggregation, curation, and utilization of information about locally created research outputs through research information management (RIM). RIM activities intersect with many aspects of traditional library services in discovery, acquisition, dissemination, and analysis of scholarly activities, and increasingly do so through interoperability with institutional repositories and data archives. How are libraries working to support improved workflows for researchers? How do library systems add value to non-library institutional goals such as faculty annual review workflows, and institutional reporting? And how do libraries do so while furthering openness and access?

A research and learning agenda for special collections and archives

Between May and August 2017, OCLC Research engaged in an open, community-facing process to develop a practitioner-based view of challenges and opportunities related to special collections and archives. In developing this agenda, which is important for OCLC Research as well as other organizations and stakeholders, we have taken a transparent, iterative approach and sought substantial input from the OCLC Research Library Partnership, as well as from the broader archives and special collections community. During our OCLC RLP meeting, we will work with you to identify the strongest contenders for work that we can undertake together that will make a difference.

Findings from survey on equity, diversity and inclusion in the OCLC Research Library Partnership

During September and October 2017, OCLC Research is carrying out a survey to learn how and to what extent OCLC Research Library Partners are engaged in modifying library and archival collections, practices, and services through a lens of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Our community has become more aware that structural discrimination and inequality affect not only patrons but also how libraries and archives create, distribute, organize, and provide access to information. Historical and cultural contexts affect which groups may be “marginalized” and the effort required to ensure the representation and participation they deserve. With this survey we will obtain a snapshot of the landscape of EDI efforts and how they affect operational workflows within the OCLC Research Library Partnership. The results will guide us in identifying specific follow-up efforts and help us share expertise in our network. In this session, we will share findings and discuss fruitful and useful directions.

For questions please contact Senior Program Officer Merrilee Proffitt.

Interested in attending the OCLC Americas Regional Council Meeting (ARC17)? OCLC Research Library Partners are invited to attend ARC17 at the discounted price of $150. (You will receive a discount code by email once you register for the Research Library Partnership Meeting.)

The ARC two-day event will take place October 30-31, 2017 at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel. It will feature thought leaders from within and outside of the library community, including featured keynote speaker Dr. Carla D. Hayden, Librarian of Congress.