Best of Chapters Committee Annual Report 2021

submitted by Casey Burgess

Current Roster

  • Casey Burgess, chair (2022)
  • Lynne Jaffe, 2nd chair (2023)
  • Catherine Hammer, 3rd chair (2024)

List of Previous Goals and Progress Made

  • Regularly review the rubric for necessary updates.
    • The committee reviewed the rubric and did not see any changes that were necessary to be made at this time.
  • Maintain a longer meeting time at the national conference.
    • Had an 85 minute presentation at the virtual national conference in 2021.
    • Have requested an 85 minute presentation slot for the national conference in 2022.
  • Discuss the pros and cons of sharing rubric with chapter chairs during the nomination process.
    • As of this year, the committee has not discussed this.

List of Future Goals

  • Evaluate including diversity as part of the evaluation rubric for future awards.
    • While the strategic plan for MLA has not been updated for the 2020-2021 or 2021-2022, emphasis on diversity in music librarianship is an important goal of the organization. As a committee that reflects the scholarship in the chapters, we should also try to highlight research in these fields as much as possible.
    • It is unclear whether or not this would ostracize papers on topics other than diversity and whether or not it might create an unfair advantage solely based on subject matter. Hence the necessity of the discussion.
  • Discuss the pros and cons of sharing the current rubric with chapter chairs during the call for nominations.
    • This goal may be related to organizational communication as well as vitality. Again, as the strategic plan on the website has not been updated since 2019, I can only base the relationship to the strategic plan based on my knowledge of the priorities of the organization. This goal would give opportunities to some of our smaller chapters to select not just the best paper, but also one most likely to make it to the national stage, thus highlighting chapters that may not normally get the spotlight.
    • May create an unfair advantage especially if it may change which papers are submitted. However, may allow for the most relevant papers to be submitted, thus creating better competition. A discussion needs to address these pros and cons appropriately.
  • Improve committee communication.
    • Once again, this could be related to organizational vitality and excellence. By improving when and how we communicate, our committee will have a stronger impact on the organization as a whole.
    • At the moment, the committee only has discussions via email. We do not have virtual meetings, phone calls, or any other kind of communication at this time. It is in the committee’s best interest to establish at least one virtual meeting via zoom or other video/phone call before the nomination process is announced to review the operations of the committee, its members, and the rubric to ensure that the committee doesn’t stagnate and that there is consistency during the review process.