AZ-ASIS&T Chapter History:

The idea for an Arizona Chapter of ASIS grew out of efforts to revive an ASIS
Student Chapter at the University of Arizona School of Information Resources
and Library Science. After several meetings with students, it became clear that
Arizona needed its own professional chapter of ASIS before forming a student
chapter. An ASIS chapter in Arizona could sponsor events locally and
regionally, spark student interest in ASIS, and provide a means for professionals
and faculty members from different disciplines to share ideas and come together
across the state.

A Steering Committee was formed in Fall 1996, consisting of librarians from the
University of Arizona Science-Engineering Library (Ann Eagan, Joanne
Martinez), Systems (Mohamed Taleb), and the Health Sciences Center Library
(Polin P. Lei) and a faculty member from the School of Information Resources
and Library Science (Sandra G. Hirsh). In preparation for requesting recognition
as a new regional chapter of ASIS, the Steering Committee sponsored several
events, including:

February 1997 - The Steering Committee hosted a table at the
University of Arizona's Information Systems and Learning 2000
conference.

March 1997 - The Steering Committee held its first membership
meeting. The keynote address was provided by Dr. Richard Orwig
(Management Information Systems, University of Arizona) and focused
on some of the neural network techniques that have been used or are
being used in the Digital Library Initiative, groupware, and the Internet.

April 1997 - OASIS, the LACASIS newsletter, published an article in the
Spring 1997 (Volume 34, Number 3) about the possibility of an Arizona
ASIS chapter.

As interest in an Arizona ASIS Chapter grew, the Steering Committee decided to
aim for formal recognition of the Arizona Chapter at the next meeting of the
ASIS Board of Directors -- the 1997 ASIS Midyear Meeting to be held in
Scottsdale, Arizona. The Steering Committee moved quickly to distribute
petitions to request existing Arizona ASIS members to approve the idea of the
new chapter and to draft necessary documents (e.g., the bylaws, descriptions of
officer positions). On May 2, 1997, members approved the bylaws and elected
officers for the new chapter:

Chair - Ann Eagan
Chair-Elect - Joanne Martinez
Secretary - Sandra Hirsh
Treasurer - Philip Roché
Assembly Representative - Polin Lei
Alternate Assembly Representative - Mohamed Taleb.

The new Arizona ASIS Chapter was officially approved and recognized by the
ASIS Board of Directors on June, 1997 in Scottsdale, Arizona.