Moderators:  Thomas Riedel and Margaret Cunningham

The agenda for the meeting was to cover old business and filling the three opening slots in the committee.

1. The meeting started with introductions and moved to an announcement of the Upcoming GLIRT session, co-sponsored by the Diversity Committee that was to be filmed.

2. Discussion of the reevaluation of the strategic plan as it relates to diversity issues, in particular, issue #84. Find out how other organizations cover diversity issues. Not just linking to their websites, but actually contacting and working with them to map out a plan.

3. Lee Sorensen talked about someone within the Diversity Committee taking over control of the Diversity Website, currently part of the main ARLIS/NA website.

4. Diversity Travel Award.
Discussion of establishing a rotating criteria for the award. Previous discussions had not mapped out a plan. Gladys Markoff-Sotomayer, Claudia Hill and Lou Adrean spoke of creating a travel award based on economic need, so that members from other countries, Mexico and Puerto Rico for example, have a chance to travel to upcoming ARLIS/NA conferences. A sponsor could make this possible. The discussion then moved to how the committee could get more people interested in applying for the travel award. Possible ways: active publication of notification, announcing the award on the listserve and webpage and targeting likely candidates.

5. Discussion of putting a language proficiency check-off on the membership form so that these members could, if so inclined, act as interpreters at future conferences.

6. Announcement of the upcoming deadline for next year’s program proposals. This has to be completed by May 31st, 1999 and budgeting for A/V equipment must be factored into the proposal.

7. Upcoming program proposals. Margaret Cunningham spoke of consciousness raising for disabilities as a possible session.
Possible topics:
How libraries have or have not adapted to disability access.
What are their legal obligations?
How libraries are responding to ADA requirements in upgrading buildings.
Who is exempt?

The idea of a co-sponsorship for a session dealing with this subject was discussed. Contract with an architect or even a lawyer to address the issue and what academic institutions can do about it.

“Aesthetics vs. Access” as a possible session title. Possible participants, Jane Carlin from the University of Cincinnati and Anne Morris from the Toledo Museum of Art, both of whom have recently dealt with this issue in the remodeling of their facilities.

8. The discussion then turned to making this topic a possible Ask ARLIS session.
Possible title: “Access Problems and Solutions.” Research would need to be done on the Spectrum Initiative by the ALA and other diversity planning published policies by SLA, CAA, and VRA.

9. The meeting concluded with Margaret Cunningham taking over the Diversity Committee website from Lee Sorensen, with Claudia Hill as a backup.