ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

ACRL Joint Committee Activities

The Association of College and Research Libraries represents the interests of libraries and librarians in postsecondary education on four joint committees with other educational associations. Each of the four committees met during the spring of 1973.

The Joint Committee on Junior College Libraries (American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, Association for Educational Communications and Technology, and ACRL) met on February 28, during the annual conference of AACJC, in Anaheim, California. The chairman, representing ACRL, is Hal C. Stone, coordinator of the Library and Learning Resources Center of Los Angeles City College. Other ACRL representatives are Jo- leen Bock, William J. Hoffman, and Michael P. Schuller. The committee is assembling a visual presentation of the “Guidelines for Two-Year College Learning Resources Programs” (CRL 'News, Dec. 1972) to illustrate the variety of administrative models supported by the guidelines. The pilot will be previewed during the program meeting of ACRL’s Junior College Libraries Section at the ALA conference in Las Vegas. The committee is also developing forms and procedures for revising the guidelines. To reflect the current terminology in the two-year college field, the committee elected to change its name to “Joint Committee on Learning Resources Programs.”

The Joint Committee on College Libraries (Association of American Colleges, American Association of University Professors, and ACRL) met in Washington, D.C., on March 25. The chairman, representing AAUP, is Martha Friedman, professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The ACRL representatives are Brendan Connolly, Wyman Parker, and Luella R. Pollock. The committee heard a report from AAC on the recent decision of the AAC Commission on Liberal Learning to recommend approval of the “Joint Statement on Faculty Status of College and University Librarians” (CRL News, Sept. 1972) with an appended interpretation relating to procedures for implementation. As the principal item of business, the committee reviewed a proposal for improving the role of the college library in response to new demands on higher education. A revised draft of the proposal will be presented to each of the respective associations in June.

The Joint Committee on University Extension Library Services (National University Extension Association and ACRL) met in Omaha, Nebraska, on April 15, during the annual conference of NUEA. The chairman, representing NUEA, is Frank MacDougall, librarian of the Continuing Education Library at Michigan State University. The ACRL representatives are Barry E. Booth, Karl S. Bynoe, Nina Cohen, and Dorothy A. Kittel. The committee drafted the following resolution, which was subsequently passed at the NUEA annual association business meeting on April 18:

WHEREAS, There is a continuing public need for a variety of extension programs in postsecondary education from our colleges and universities; and

WHEREAS, The concept of continuing education has now become so comprehensive as to include a broad spectrum of collective and individual learning experiences; and

WHEREAS, The nation’s libraries constitute a network of major resources in the support of these learning experiences; be it therefore

RESOLVED, That the National University Extension Association and the Association of College and Research Libraries (a division of the American Library Association) make a concerted effort to devise new uses of libraries as facilities for formal and continuing education services, examine the capabilities of increased interlibrary cooperation among university, state, public and other types of libraries as a system for better utilization of existing educational resources, and aggressively seek public and private funds to strengthen and expand the American tradition of lifelong education.

To reflect the changing nature of extension services, the committee is considering revisions of the “Guidelines for Library Services to Extension Students” (ALA Bulletin, Jan. 1967) and other materials.

The Joint Committee on University Library Standards (Association of Research Libraries and ACRL) met during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Washington, D.C., and during the ARL spring meeting in New Orleans. Robert B. Downs, dean of library administration emeritus of the University of Illinois, is chairman; John W. Heussman, director of the University Library at the University of Nebraska, is vice- chairman. The ACRL representatives are Gustave A. Harrer, John P. McDonald, Ellsworth

G. Mason, and Norman E. Tanis. Methods for developing a standards statement and various forms of standards statements are under consideration by the committee.