The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is seeking proposals for 2016 SPEC survey topics. For 40 years ARL has gathered and disseminated data through the SPEC survey program to assist libraries in the continuous improvement of their management systems. Each year, ARL works with librarians in the US and Canada to develop surveys of the ARL membership on strategic topics related to research library policies and practices. Survey authors do not need to work at an ARL member library, but only ARL libraries are surveyed.
There will be four SPEC surveys in 2016. Criteria for selecting a 2016 survey topic include its currency and insightfulness; its strategic importance to managing research libraries; its relevance to an ARL focus area or an ARL program promoting diversity, inclusion, and leadership; its relevance to the initiatives emerging from ARL's strategic thinking and design process; and whether documents that illustrate current policies and practices can be gathered from survey respondents.
For consideration for 2016, proposals can be submitted online by July 17, 2015. Proposals will be reviewed and authors of topics selected for the 2016 survey cycle will be notified by August 21, 2015. Questions about the SPEC survey program and proposal development can be directed to Lee Anne George, publications program officer, at leeanne@arl.org.
