DIGITAL EXHIBITS EXPLORE COLLECTIONS

Committees

Standing Committees

Advisory Committees and Working Groups


STANDING COMMITTEES


EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee provides general oversight of the Chicago Collections Consortium Board of Directors. It acts on behalf of and makes decisions for the Board of Directors between Board meetings and shares all of its meeting minutes with the Board of Directors. The Committee shall have and exercise the authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the corporation and will consist of two or more directors and such other persons as the Board of Directors designates, provided that a majority of the committee’s membership are directors.

Ellen Keith, Chicago History Museum, (Chair)
Greg Eow, Center for Research Libraries 
Doug Litts
Jeanne Long, Chicago Collections Executive Director (ex officio)
Sarah Pritchard, Northwestern University, (Past Chair) 
Devin Savage, Illinois Institute of Technology

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AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE

The Audit and Finance Committee is concerned with all matters related to budget priorities, allocations, and general financial planning for and auditing of Chicago Collections. The Committee is responsible for preparing and presenting the annual Chicago Collections budget to the Board of Directors for approval. It also audits the Chicago Collections accounts annually and reports the results of the audit to the Board of Directors and general membership. The Committee shall have and exercise the authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the corporation and will consist of two or more directors and such other persons as the Board of Directors designates, provided that a majority of the committee’s membership are directors.

Rodney Chambers, University of Illinois at Chicago
Greg Eow, Center for Research Libraries (Chair)
Ellen Keith, Chicago History Museum
Sarah Pritchard, Northwestern University

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NOMINATING AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

The Nominating and Governance Committee nominates members for the Board of Directors and studies, reports on, and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors on all matters pertaining to organization governance. The Committee shall have and exercise the authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the corporation and will consist of two or more directors and such other persons as the Board of Directors designates, provided that a majority of the committee’s membership are directors.

Sharon Bostick, Retired, Illinois Institute of Technology
Doug Litts
Linda Naru, University of Illinois at Chicago
Marianne Ryan, Loyola University Chicago (Chair)

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ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND WORKING GROUPS


COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

Externally, the Communications Committee is responsible for communicating the vision, mission, goals, and current activities of Chicago Collections by reporting and promoting consortium news, resources, programs, events, and recognitions using the Chicago Collections newsletter, website, and social media accounts. The Communications Committee is responsible for collaborating with other Chicago Collections committees, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Director, to promote greater awareness of the work of the consortium to all of our audiences through the placement of relevant stories and announcements in local and national media.

Internally, the Communications Committee is responsible for assessing the state of internal communications at Chicago Collections. Collaborating with the Executive Director and Portal Manager, the committee will develop strategies and approaches to improve communications where gaps and issues are identified. The group will help make certain that individuals and groups in the Chicago Collections community feel represented and informed about consortium matters relevant to their roles, needs, and interests.

Rachel Cole, Northwestern University (Co-Chair)
Maggie Cusick, Newberry Library (Co-Chair) 
Jeanne Long, Chicago Collections 
Emily Minehart, Henry Crown & Company Archives
Rebecca Skirvin, North Central College

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CONTENT COMMITTEE

The Content Committee builds upon the work of the Collections Work Group. It recommends the scope and format of collections to be included in the portal initially and over time; develops and maintains a subject heading list; identifies gaps in portal collections; facilitates cooperative collection development among member institutions and explores expansion of member and contributing institutions; recommends expansion of the types of materials to be included in the portal; monitors and consults with member institutions regarding their portal content; provides guidance on appropriateness of individual collections to be added; and monitors and assesses portal use by soliciting member feedback. The Committee also identifies, recommends, and conducts other programming focused on collections, including physical and virtual exhibits and related projects. The Committee shall consist of such persons as the Board of Directors designates and may or may not have directors as members. It may not act on behalf of the corporation or bind it to any actions but may make recommendations to the Board of Directors or to the officers of the corporation. 

Jessica BrodeFrank, Adler Planetarium
Catherine Grandgeorge, Newberry Library
Benn Joseph, Northwestern University
Kevin Leonard, Northwestern University (Co-Chair)
Jeanne Long, Chicago Collections (Co-Chair)
Michelle McCoy, Chicago Public Library 
Dan Meyer, The University of Chicago
Jamie Nelson, DePaul University
Mindy Pugh, Illinois Institute of Technology
Dawn Roberts, The Chicago Academy of Science/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Megan Keller Young, University of Illinois at Chicago
Kathy Young, Loyola University Chicago
Hannah Zuber, Chicago History Museum

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COOPERATIVE REFERENCE NETWORK

The Cooperative Reference Network works to advance access, knowledge, and use of collections held at Chicago Collections’ member institutions. Participants include generalist and subject-specific librarians and archivists from member institutions.
Responsibilities include:

  • Provide reference services for information requests received via EXPLORE Chicago Collections or forwarded to the committee via emails from Chicago Collections staff.
  • Create thematic research guides highlighting member institutions' collections and more generally the use of archival collections.
  •  Create and maintain FAQs on Chicago Collections Consortium website. 
  • Identify and maintain a list of contacts at all member institutions to assist with coordination of workflow and outreach.
  • Provide training for new committee members.
  • Meet at least once a quarter.
  • Annually review guidelines for services.
  • Collaborate with other working groups on organization priorities and initiatives. 
  • Advise the organization on strategies to help improve the user experience with EXPLORE Chicago Collections.
  • Advise the organization on reference platform development and its usage, and create tools necessary to maximize the organization's impact. 

Ellen Keith, Chicago History Museum 
Alexis Burson, DePaul University (Co-Chair)
Katy Darr, Newberry Library
Jo Ellen Dickie, The Newberry Library (Co-Chair)
Geoff Morse, Northwestern University
Frederick Parker, Chicago Public Library
Aaron Rutt, Art Institute of Chicago
Catherine Uecker, University of Chicago
Kellee Warren, University of Illinois at Chicago

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DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

The Development Committee develops strategies and tactics to generate the required funding to sustain Chicago Collections. It closely follows the work of the Board of Directors and other committees to find activities that present opportunities for funding; identifies, researches, and evaluates potential funding agencies and other revenue streams; and assists in drafting grant proposals and other fundraising materials. The Committee shall consist of such persons as the Board of Directors designates and may or may not have directors as members. It may not act on behalf of the corporation or bind it to any actions but may make recommendations to the Board of Directors or to the officers of the corporation.

Sharon Bostick, Retired, Illinois Institute of Technology (Chair) 
Harriet Lightman, Northwestern University
Deb Lahey, Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Elisabeth Long, The University of Chicago
Jeanne Long, Chicago Collections 
Bernie Riley, Retired, Center for Research Libraries

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DISCOVERY SYSTEMS COMMITTEE

The Discovery Systems Committee evaluates, proposes and develops discovery systems and their component technologies for use by Chicago Collections and its member organizations. These systems include (but are not limited to) the Explore Chicago Collections research portal. The Committee works closely with the Content Committee, the Development Committee, the Chicago Collections Board and others to evaluate existing systems, define requirements and workflows, review and evaluate technology options, propose innovative and effective solutions and contribute to grant proposals. The committee membership represents a range of skill sets and expertise including digital systems, computer science, archival management and description, user assessment, and public service. The committee works to ensure that Chicago Collections discovery systems are intuitive, user-friendly and inspiring to users, and that staff at member organizations have the support needed to contribute to those systems. The Committee shall consist of such persons as the Board of Directors designates and may or may not have directors as members. It may not act on behalf of the corporation or bind it to any actions but may make recommendations to the Board of Directors or to the officers of the corporation.

Kate Flynn, Chicago Collections (Co-Chair)
Charles Blair, The University of Chicago (Co-Chair)
Andrew Belongea, Columbia College Chicago
Gretchen Neidhardt, Chicago History Museum
Kelsey O'Connell, Northwestern University
Rachel Shaevel, Chicago Public Library
Adam Strohm, Illinois Institute of Technology
Esther Verreau, University of Illinois at Chicago

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MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

Building on the work and recommendations of the Organization & Governance Work Group, the Membership Committee identifies potential members for Chicago Collections and recommends policies to the Board of Directors relating to membership. This includes criteria for full and affiliate members; responsibilities of full and affiliate members; membership dues structures; and other membership concerns as needed. The Committee shall consist of such persons as the Board of Directors designates and may or may not have directors as members. It may not act on behalf of the corporation or bind it to any actions but may make recommendations to the Board of Directors or to the officers of the corporation.

Renée Saito, Alliance Française de Chicago (Co-Chair)
Harriet Lightman, Northwestern University
Jeanne Long, Chicago Collections 
Carla Owens, Northwestern University
Leora Siegel, Chicago Botanic Garden (Co-Chair)

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PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE

The Programming Committee is responsible for long-range planning and general oversight of Chicago Collections public programming and services. It identifies, develops, recommends, and supports the implementation of activities such as virtual and physical exhibitions, seminars, workshops, and the development of other educational programs and resources that build upon Explore Chicago Collections, highlight member collections, and further facilitate the discovery of Chicago’s history and culture. The committee consists of such persons as the Board of Directors designates and may or may not have directors as members. It does not act on behalf of the organization or bind it to any actions but makes recommendations to the Board of Directors or to the Executive Committee. 

Devin Savage, Illinois Institute of Technology (Co-Chair)
Elizabeth Cummings, Newberry Library
Pamela Hackbart-Dean, University of Illinois at Chicago
Keith Helt, Henry Crown & Company Archives
Jeanne Long, Chicago Collections
Elizabeth McKinley, Chicago History Museum
Andy Meyer, North Park University 
Jason Nargis, Northwestern University
Johanna Russ, Chicago Public Library
Molly Szymanski, Art Institute of Chicago (Co-Chair)

 

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CONTROLLED VOCABULARY TASK FORCE

The controlled vocabularies are an essential part of the portal. They will be part of how end-users discover content through the public interface and how archivists, librarians, and other library staff organize content through the portal administrative tool. This task force is working to integrate perspectives from a number of different areas including archives, cataloging, public access and services, and user experience to support the creation and maintenance of controlled vocabularies.

Kate Flynn, Chicago Collections (Chair)
Ashley Howdeshell Loyola University Chicago
Margaret Heller, Loyola University Chicago
Megan Keller Young, University of Illinois at Chicago
Tami Leudtke, DePaul University

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DIGITAL EXHIBITS COMMITTEE

The Digital Exhibits Committee serves as an advisory committee that manages and facilitates the collaborative digital exhibit process from proposal to promotion. The responsibilities of the committee include:

  • Reviewing collaborative digital exhibit proposals
  • Managing the schedule of digital exhibits
  • Setting up and support digital exhibits in Scalar
  • Acting as liaisons (if needed) for exhibit designers and contributing institutions
  • Reviewing completed digital exhibits
  • Coordinating with the Communications Committee to create a plan to promote any new digital exhibit
  • Ensuring the exhibit is migrated from private to public view


Gretchen Neidhardt, Chicago History Museum (Co-Chair)
Rachel Shaevel , Chicago Public Library (Co-Chair)
Kate Flynn, Chicago Collections
Keith Helt, Henry Crown and Company Archives
Josh Honn, Northwestern University
Emily Minehart, Henry Crown and Company Archives
Kristen Weischedel, Illinois Institute of Technology

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USER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

The Assessment Committee works closely with the Discovery Systems Committee to conduct in-depth user assessments of EXPLORE Chicago Collections and other Chicago Collections systems and interfaces. These assessments aim to ensure that EXPLORE and other Chicago Collections interfaces are intuitive and accessible for all users by:

  • Learn more about user experience with Chicago Collections Discovery Systems. This may include looking at how users are using these systems, what they expect out of these systems and their overall impressions.
  • Make sure that discovery systems work for users with a wide breadth of familiarity with archival research
  • Make sure that discovery systems meet accessibility standards
  • Conducting interviews, focus groups, observations, and other types of user research in order to identify use cases, user expectations, and pain points.
  • Administering usability tests in order to assess site language, organization, and functionality.
  • Reviewing compliance with accessibility standards and best practices.
  • Contributing to the development of specifications for current and future Chicago Collections systems and interfaces.

These findings will be shared with the Chicago Collections community in the form of reports, tools, templates and recommendations and will inform future development of Chicago Collections discovery systems.

Findings and recommendations will be shared with the Chicago Collections community.

Kate Flynn, Chicago Collections (Chair)
Gina Petersen, Northwestern University
Lisa Schoblasky, Newberry Library
Kristen Weischedel, Illinois Institute of Technology

 

 

Updated: 08/24/20