Interim Report of the OBS/TS Joint
Research Grant Committee

As of this writing the JRGC has not received any applications for review, so we haven't been awarding any money for research. It is possible that the committee has not received any applications because I haven't done any aggressive marketing or promotion of this valuable "enabling" opportunity for our colleagues. Promotion needs to be done: in law-lib, ts-sis, obs-sis lists, Spectrum, mass-mailings, leaflet "drops" over large population areas, subliminally in nationally syndicated TV sitcoms, radio, other means as appropriate. The last couple of years, Corinne Jacox did a fine job of "rustling the bushes" to try to get interest for potential applications for this wonderful grant (up to $1,000!). If you want to get to the JRGC information quickly on the Web, just do a Google search with the term "jrgc" and then click a few times on the highlighted places on the web pages you get, you'll eventually get to the info you need.

I received the final report from Larry Dershem, who received grant funding for the year 2000 for his research. It's 66 pages long and copies need to be made and sent to the OBS and TS Chairs, and the original work needs to be sent to each member of the JRGC for review. Later there will be some method for sharing his project either available via the Web, or a condensed version and review in a future TSLL.

A JRGC grant was awarded in 2001 to Susan Goldner and Lorraine Lorne to help assist them in compiling a 25 year retrospective index and then maintaining it annually. Susan Goldner reported to me (Feb. 20, 2002) that she will be able to give the JRGC an interim progress report for the June TSLL issue.

One of the things that the JRGC needs to work on and have completed prior to the 2002 AALL Annual Meeting is to have an authorized final version of detailed guidelines that spell out more accurately the guidelines which "govern" the JRGC (e.g., appointments of committee members, terms of each member, reporting structure between JRGC Chair and OBS and TS Chairs, and time lines so Chairs know when and how they need to appoint new committee representatives), as well as to have these improved guidelines in both OBS and TS manuals and in both web sites as appropriate . On June 20, 2001 Ellen McGrath asked me to work on the JRGC guidelines, polish them up, make some clarifications and then send the final draft to both TS and OBS Chairs for review and comment. That was 9 months ago. Funny how the time passes, isn't it? You ever experience that? Anyway the JRGC will be working in the next few months on this. Another report will be made for the June 2002 TSLL and posted on both OBS and TS electronic discussion lists.

Composition of membership in the JRGC is found in the Research & Publications column of this TSLL issue.

Brian Striman
JRGC Chair

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