ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

Dusty old books: A collaborative approach to bibliographic instruction

College & Research Libraries news

by Scott McLaren

About the author

Scott McLaren is a reference librarian at York University in Toronto, e-mail: scottm@yorku.ca 388 / C&RL News■ May 1999

If you’re like most academic librarians, you probably don’t think a 300-year-old book has much to do with the modem techniques of bibliographic instruction. Earlier this year I decided to take a large folio printed in London in 1694 to a bibliographic instruction class for firstyear students. And the results were quite surprising.

But what, you will ask, possessed me to do such a strange thing in the first place? A few weeks before the class in question, I attended a workshop sponsored by The Center for the Support of Teaching at York University. I was the only librarian present.

And I learned a lot.

Two benefits

I took away two things. First, a consolation. Second, a challenge. My consolation came when I learned that the struggles librarians face when trying to offer good bibliographic instruction are not unique. Teaching assistants and professors struggle with the same problems! For instance, how can an instructor maintain students’ interest, especially when the subject matter (like research methods) seems to be intrinsically boring? How can an instructor be sure that he or she is actually getting through to the students in the class? What teaching models can be adopted that will encourage a student to participate in class and thereby enhance not only his or her own learning experience, but that of the class as a whole? How can technology be incorporated into the classroom and how can instructors convey to students when Internet technology is appropriate to use as a research tool? How can an instructor experiment with the class and at the same time maintain his or her integrity as an instructor? All this came as a consolation inasmuch as it underlined that librarians are not alone.

The second and perhaps more important benefit came in the form of a challenge. Everyone present agreed that the real key to success in the classroom lay in the magic of enthusiasm. If students couldn’t get enthusiastic about the topic, all was lost. General methods for fostering such enthusiasm were suggested. For instance, a collaborative rather than a lecture-style session could help students take ownership of the course content and thereby build an interest and enthusiasm for what was being discussed. Caring was suggested as a second important principle for getting the students to fall under the spell of learning. If students can be convinced that the instructor cares about the topic and the quality of their learning experience, a new milestone will have been reached: If they think you care about them, they might just start to care about themselves.

All that is fine for a professor in a lecture hall or a teaching assistant in the classroom, since students come back again and again during the course of a year. They have time to build relationships and distribute readings ahead of time, which will foster collaborative learning experiences. But how can librarians do all this during a single bibliographic instruction class? Much less, how can we as librarians show students that we care about them? How can we turn a one-hour session into a collaborative learning experience? After all, isn’t teaching someone how to use a catalog an exercise in objective skill-set transfer? And surely librarians shouldn’t show too much enthusiasm about libraries and research! Not only would it be unorthodox, imagine what it would do to our egos (personal and professional) if they laughed in our faces?

… the university environment is hostile to consumerism. Its mission isn't to hand you all the answers in exchange for the price of your tuition. You've got to learn how to think and how to pursue truth.

All right. So some modification of these principles was in order. Some experimentation was called for. As a consequence, you will notice, perhaps ironically given the content, that this paper isn’t based on “the literature.” It is, instead, a record of an experiment in bibliographic instruction. And, as my colleagues in the lecture halls would be quick to assert, there isn’t anything wrong with experimentation.

An alternative to teaching a skill set

Before walking into that room full of firstyear students, my hands were clammy and my heart was racing. I had steeled myself against the possibility that I would be scorned—not only by the students, but also the professor! I had resolved that no matter what happened I was at least going to be an authentic witness to the pleasure of doing real research. I had devised a way to make my single bibliographic instruction session collaborative.

I wasn’t going to spend the whole time yammering at the front of the class about how to do a title search, how to do an author search, and how to do a keyword search. As important as these skills are, I thought, they can be given at the reference desk.

For the next hour, I had these students in my power. And in that hour I was going to do everything I could to get them interested in their own budding academic careers. Maybe I was overstepping my jurisdiction. Some of my librarian colleagues suggested as much to me. But I had determined to let the professor, and especially the students, be the judges of that.

When I opened the door the professor was standing behind the podium and waving her arms through the air in mid-sentence. Whatever point she was making was lost on me. I couldn’t hear much above the sound of my own heart. After a few minutes preamble, I calmed down enough to hear her introduce me to her class. And then I stepped up. Twenty-five faces were looking at me expectantly. Last chance to revert back to my old ways of simply teaching a mechanical skill-set, I thought. But no. Destiny called!

I began by welcoming the students to the library and to that particular room. I stepped back slowly from the podium and closed the door. I then proceeded to invite them into the room a second time. “This time,” I said, “come into this room mentally. Leave all your other concerns at the door. For the next hour just concentrate on what goes on in this room.” After that I knew the cat was out of the bag. Any minute things would start to fall apart. To my enormous astonishment and pleasure, however, not a titter or whisper was heard. No one batted an eyelid. The class was completely silent. I had their attention! Even the professor looked interested. Drawing courage from this, I pressed on.

“I’m going write a word on the blackboard and I want you to define it for me,” I began. I stepped back to the board and wrote in very large letters: BOOKISH. I turned around. Hands began to go up over all over the room. “Someone who wears glasses,” someone said. “Someone who reads a lot,” another chimed in. “A nerd!” one student more courageous than the rest shouted out.

I’d have to keep my eye one him, I thought to myself. Can’t let him shake my fragile nerve at the point of no return. I took down all their suggestions. Even the one about the nerd. They were having fun. And, come to think of it, so was I.

“What would you say if I suggested to you that the university is a ‘bookish’ place?” I asked. Silently they tried to make the connection. “Think about it. While you’re here you’re going to read a lot of books and articles. You’re going to write papers. Whether you’re getting material in print or off the Internet, you’re going to be dealing with the written word for the next three or four, or perhaps more, years of your life. This place is bookish because everything important is written down and, with luck, turned into an article or a book.”

I could see agreement in their faces. Now was the time to plug the library. “What is the most bookish place on campus?” I said, hoping they wouldn’t respond by saying the campus bookstore.

“The library,” a few responded. I indulged myself a little by giving them a very quick synopsis of the history of the university as a medieval institution. As such, I further suggested that universities were captive to many of the notions current in the middle ages. I talked about the importance of the written word as a source of unassailable authority when universities were first founded.

“That’s largely why things are the way they are now,” I said. “I think you’ll all have a greater appreciation for this place if you understand the assumptions on which it has been built. Many of those assumptions are, if you look closely, quite counter-cultural in the modern world. For example, the university environment is hostile to consumerism. Its mission isn’t to hand you all the answers in exchange for the price of your tuition. You’ve got to learn how to think and how to pursue truth. Perhaps now you won’t wonder why you’ll be asked to write so many papers and read so many books and journal articles. You also won’t wonder why bibliographies at the end of your paper are so vital given the importance of the written word in the middle ages.”

“Having said all that, it shouldn't be hard to see why I consider the library to be the real heart of the university. It is the mission of the library to make the scholarly record available to the community so that it can transform the community and also be extended by the community. And by you.”

Students as scholars

I explained how in the next few years they would throw themselves up against this “scholarly record” and make some attempt at apprehending a small part of it. And I challenged them to one day contribute to it and perhaps even change it. I was almost stunned by the seriousness evident in their faces. But I shouldn’t have been since I was taking them seriously as scholars in their own right.

Instead of treating them like kids and taking the “realistic” view that it was highly unlikely that any of them would ever develop into true scholars, I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I think they appreciated this. And I also think some of them interpreted it as caring on my part. And, hey, I do care! I want them to distinguish themselves!

“The scholarly record,” I said, finishing this part of my talk about 15 minutes into the session, “is the sum total of what we know about ourselves, our environment, and God. There is absolutely nothing in existence more exciting than the scholarly record.”

Tome time

Time for the book. I turned my back to the class and grabbed the enormous tome I had brought from my office at the beginning of the session. It felt like it weighed 100 pounds (though it really weighed only about 15 or 20). “No library class would be complete without a book,” I began, “so I brought one along.” This is when the class became really animated. Necks were craning about all over to get a better look. I guess they were thinking to themselves, “Hey, here’s something you don’t see everyday.” “How old do you think this is? I’m serious. I want you to guess,” I asked as I walked up and down the isles of the class to give them a better look. Guesses were shouted out all over the room ranging from a low of 200 up to a high of 700 hundred years. They were keen now because they really wanted to know how old it was. “This book,” I said holding it over my head, “is 304 years old. It was printed in London in 1694.” Maybe it was my imagination, but I swear I heard a sharp intake of breath around the room. Now to the point of this, I thought.

ACRL at the 1999 ALA Annual Conference

President's Program

Monday, June 28 — 2-4 p.m.

ACRL President’s Program CommitteeLeadership & Learning:

Academic Libraries as Living Systems

Margaret Wheatley, president and co-founder of the Berkana Institute, principal in KRW, Inc. and a former professor of management at Brigham Young University, will speak on leadership, organizational change and learning. Wheatley will explore new science principles and metaphors as they apply to organizational life and development, offering a new way to view the paradoxes of autonomy and control, order amidst change, adaptation, structure and flexibility. An interactive discussion, question and answer period, and a book signing will follow her presentation.

Preconference

Friday, June 25 — 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Association of College and Research Libraries

Understanding the Licensing Landscape

Learn how to interpret and manage licensing contracts, gain negotiation skills, and promote compliance at your institution during this intensive workshop.

Sessions include:

• Taming the License Beast: Tracking and Compliance Find out how to manage and administer licenses.

• The Future of the Licensing Landscape Explore potential models for the future of license negotiations and management.

• Sense and Licensability: A Practical Guide to License Negotiation Learn about core issues in license negotiation and share your own negotiation strategies and techniques.

Speakers:Kimberly Parker, librarian, Electronic Publishing & Collections, Yale University; Ellen Duranceau, assistant acquisitions librarian, Digital Resources, MIT Libraries; Barbara McFadden Allen, director, Center for Library Initiatives, Committee on Institutional Cooperation; Ivy Anderson, coordinator, Digital Acquisitions, Harvard University; Hannah Stevens, executive director, Boston Library Consortium; Fees: $75, ACRL members; $115, ALA members; $160, Nonmembers; $50, students. Contact: Margot Sutton, ACRL, 312-280-2522, e-mail: msutton@ala.org

Address the ACRL Board

Share your concerns directly with ACRL’s Board of Directors. The first 21 minutes of the Saturday, June 26, 1999, 2:00 p.m. meeting in New Orleans, will be given to an open-mike period. ACRL members may, on a first-come, first-served basis, address the Board (with a limit of three minutes per speaker) on any topic. The Board hopes this communication method will facilitate hearing the concerns and interests of ACRL members.

Cover:Marie Laveau. Original painting by Charles Gandolfo, Voodoo Museum, New Orleans. Believed to be bom in New Orleans in 1794 and died in New Orleans on June 15, 1881, Marie Laveau was a free woman of color as well as a Quadroon. She became the most famous and powerful Voodoo Queen in the world, so powerful that she acclaimed herself the Pope of Voodoo in the 1830s.

Programs SATURDAY

Saturday June 26 — 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

ACRL Community & Junior College Libraries Section

Information Competencies: Connecting Students to Their Future

Can college students locate the information they need? When they find it, can they evaluate whether it is worthwhile or worthless? Find out what one state, California, has done to integrate systemwide initiatives to “ensure the information competence” of its community college and university students. Then hear and see how teaching the research process and critical thinking skills can be accomplished.

Speakers:Carolyn F. Norman, coordinator, Library and Learning Resources Programs; Lorie Roth, senior director, Academic Services and Professional Development; Stacey A. Nickell, public services librarian; Julie Todaro, head librarian, Austin Community College.

Saturday June 26 — 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

ACRL Distance Learning Section

Presenting the ACRL Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services: The Future is Now!

Designed to provide a general introduction to the new Guidelines to increase awareness of them among librarians; to encourage use of the Guidelines in distance learning library services programs; and to recruit broad-based support for dissemination of the Guidelines to institutional administrators and appropriate regional agencies. A panel will discuss the philosophy, importance, and application of these new guidelines and provide examples of how to effectively implement them at your institution and answer-related questions. Speakers: Chui-Chun Lee, Sojourner Truth Library, State University of New York, New Paltz; Bill Parton, Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center, Arkansas Tech University; Harvey Gover, Washington State University-Tri-Cities; Jean Caspers, Valley Library, Oregon State University.

Saturday June 26 — 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

ACRL English & American Literature Section

Reading The South: Southern Literature and the Library

Taking advantage of our New Orleans locale, this program will help the literature librarian gain expertise in an important field of American literature. A prize-winning author will read from her work and speak on its “Southernness,” a critic will highlight new directions in Southern literature, and librarians will review the major collections of Southern literature, printed and Internet reference sources, and a major project to digitize Southern literary texts. Speakers: Ellen Douglas, prize-winning author, Jackson, MS; Jeanne Pavy, University of New Orleans; Patricia Dominguez, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Ralph Adamo, Loyola University of New Orleans.

Saturday June 26 — 2-4 p.m.

ACRL Arts Section, Rare Books & Manuscripts Section

Mardi Gras Unmasked: How It Happens and How We Record It

Participants will explore how costume and float (“stage”) design, dance, and music combine into a unifying theme in the public pageants of Mardi Gras parades, and will examine the difficulties and pleasures of documenting and recording such street events. Also to be explored is the issue of how these public happenings produce and reinforce a sense of community between the artists and those who capture the sights and sounds for their collections. Speakers: Edwin Hampton, director, Music Program, St. Augustine’s High School, New Orleans; Blaine Kern, president, Blaine Kern Artists, Inc., New Orleans; Wilbur Meneray, head, Special Collections, Tulane University; Wayne Phillips, textile curator, Louisiana State Museum.

Saturday June 26 — 2-4 p.m.

ACRL University Libraries Section, Instruction Section

Bottom Line Leadership: Communicating Your Resource Needs For Successful Services

This program will identify strategies for libraries to consider when making their funding cases to university administrators; how libraries can determine their service costs, demonstrate their abilities to meet customer service needs, and sustain services; and what “best practices” exist to communicate resource needs to funding officials.

Speakers:David Szeszycki, assistant provost, University of Iowa; Betsy Wilson, associate director of Libraries for Research and Instructional Services, University of Washington; Stephen Coffman, director, Research Services, County of Los Angeles Public Library.

SUNDAY

Sunday June 27 — 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

ACRL Anthropology and Sociology Section

Preserving Social History: The Leadership Role of Librarians and Scholars in Building Locally Based Collections

The theme focuses on the creative efforts of librarians and scholars who seek to preserve community social history for the use of library users. The program will consist of presentations by four panelists who exemplify leadership at universities and in communities by virtue of their endeavor to preserve information about their communities for scholarly investigations and general library patron use. The presentations will be followed by a questions and answer period. A short membership meeting will follow.

Speakers:Barry Ancelet, chair, Dept. of Modern Languages, University of Southwestern Louisiana; Roberts Batson, president and co-founder, The Bienville Foundation, New Orleans, community activist; Anne Frank, head, Southeast Asian Archive, University of California-Irvine; Bruce Raeburn, director, Hogan Jazz Archive, Tulane University Library.

ACRL at the 1999 ALA Annual Conference

Sunday June 27 — 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

ACRL College Libraries Section; RUSACustomer Perspectives:

College Library Service in the Digital Age

The customer’s perspective and voice have become more important as libraries offer new technology-based services. Darlene Weingand will explore learner development and customer service, including the effects of technology on customer service, but from the customer’s perspective. Case studies will focus on: the effects of a new library building on student and faculty perceptions and expectations; student assessment of a library’s Web gateway; and faculty evaluation of a library’s instructional role in implementing electronic portfolios. For more information, consult: http://www.library.carleton.edu/cls99.html.

Keynote speaker:Darlene Weingand, professor and director of Continuing Education Services, School of Library & Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Case studies: Mary Lee Sweat, dean of Libraries, Trish Del Nero, extension librarian, and Ed Gans, instructor, Dept. of Communications, Loyola University New Orleans; Lucretia McCulley, director of Public Services, University of Richmond; and Margaret Schramm, Ph.D., professor of English and Hewlett Project Coordinator and Marilyn Dunn, college librarian and director of Information Resources, Hartwick College.

Sunday June 27 — 9:30 a.m.-12 noon

ACRL Law and Political Science Section; ARL Office of Scholarly Communication

The Politics of Scholarly Communication in the New Millennium

Technological changes affecting institutions of higher education are increasingly requiring collaboration among university faculty members, administrators, librarians, and scholarly publishers. These partnerships are being developed along with transformations in the politics of scholarly communication. This program is intended to educate academic librarians about their role in the academic community’s intellectual endeavors and to encourage librarians to help promote an environment conducive to effective research and writing.

Speakers:Mark Capaldini, president, CEO, Congressional Information Service (CIS); Paul M. Gherman, university librarian, Vanderbilt University; Jerry Goldman, associate professor, Political Science, Northwestern University; John Unsworth, director, Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, English professor, University of Virginia. Moderator: Ken Frazier, director, Libraries, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Sunday June 27 — 1-2:30 p.m.

ACRL International Relations Committee

Moving Librarianship into the Global Village

Academic librarians describe their international library experiences and discuss the value of adding an international dimension to their professional lives. They reflect on the role of libraries in a greater society and on the similarities and differences of libraries around the world. Speakers will: describe the contributions they offered; reflect on the valuable lessons they learned and the rewards they and their institutions gained; and the challenges in this process from a national and international perspective. The value of developing personal relationships with professional counterparts in other countries will also be addressed. Moderator: Connie Costantino, director, University Libraries, U.S. International University, San Diego. Speakers: D. Whitney Coe, Anglo-American Bibliography, Princeton University; Margaret Dittemore, branch librarian, Smithsonian Institution Libraries; Judith Lin Hunt, Harry Sprague Library, Montclair State University; Donna McCool, associate director, Administrative Services, Washington State University; R.N. Sharma, director, Drain-Jordan Library, West Virginia State College.

Sunday June 27 — 2-4 p.m.

ACRL Educational and Behavioral Sciences Section; ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table; ALA Government Documents Round Table, Education Committee; PLA

Oh Say Can You See?: Librarian Leadership, Civic Action and the Electronic Age

What are the connections among citizens, government information, and librarians? With government agencies leading the publishing world in providing electronic access, the opportunities are great for librarians who wish to link patrons to this crucial information. In this program, Steven Clift will share his commitment to building citizen-based electronic democracy. Stories from the field will articulate a model for the citizen-advocate librarian in today’s electronic environment. The Distinguished EBSS Librarian Award will also be presented. For more information, consult http://www.lib.msu.edu/corbv/ebss/99annual.htm.

Speakers:Steven L. Clift, director, Democracies Online; Joanne Dittersdorf, director, Neighborhood Leadership Libraries Project, Citizens Committee of New York City; Linda Alec Draper, coordinator, Detroit Community AIDS Library, Wayne State University Shiffman Medical Library.

Sunday June 27 — 2-5:30 p.m.

LLTA/ACRL ARTS, Technology in the Arts Interest Group

Digital Art Salon

An interactive panel presentation by digital artists who are creating art on the Web and museum educators who are using the Web to provide access to art museum information and art curriculum materials.

Speakers:Joseph Squier, associate professor, School of Art and Design, University of IllinoisUrbana Champaign; Jim Blackaby, senior information systems analyst, New Media Initiatives; Allan Kohl, visual resources librarian and senior lecturer, Art History, Minneapolis College of Art & Design.

ACRL at the 1999 ALA Annual Conference

Sunday June 27 — 2-5:30 p.m.

ACRL Instruction Section, Distance Learning Section

Nothing But Net: Understanding the Digital Library User

This program will explore what we know about the information-seeking behavior of today’s digital library users including distance students taking off-campus courses, visiting scholars, non-traditional and traditional students using electronic resources both inside and outside the library. Featured speakers include local students, a prominent researcher, and academic librarians who will highlight the implications of their work for academic library instruction programs. A poster session will showcase innovative responses to the instructional needs of digital library users. Speakers: Ann Bishop, assistant professor, GSLIS, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Peggy Seiden, college librarian, Swarthmore College; Thomas E. Abbott, dean of Libraries & Instructional Support, University of Maine, Augusta; Karen Davis, student, Central Michigan University; student, Tulane University.

Sunday June 27 — 2-5:30 p.m.

ACRL Rare Books and Manuscripts Section

Where Cultures Connect: Making and Using Louisiana's Creole Collections

In 1699, Iberville established the first French settlement in what would become Louisiana. Ever since then, Louisiana has been a place where cultures have collided, mixed and connected. Its diversity challenges both librarians who document it in their collections and the scholars who use those collections. This program provides a forum for discussion of how those challenges are met. Speakers: Donald E. Devore, executive director, Amistad Research Center; Barry Ancelet, chair, Modern Languages Dept., University of Southwestern Louisiana; Robert Carriker, History Dept., University of Southwestern Louisiana.

Sunday June 27 — 2-4 p.m.

ACRL Slavic and East European Section

The Impact of American Librarianship on Libraries of PostCommunist Russia and Eastern Europe

The end of Communism in Russia and Eastern Europe revealed decades of neglect of library infrastructure, collections, and personnel. U.S. librarians, non-profit foundations, and other organizations and agencies provided libraries in Russia and Eastern Europe advisory and financial help to reorganize, to redefine the role of libraries in an open, democratic society, and to train librarians for new leadership roles in their communities. The speakers will share their varied experiences as participants in many of the programs that helped to bring about change in this eventful decade. Speakers: Beau David Case, professor and librarian, Language & Area Studies Dept., Ohio State University Libraries.; Irina Klim, USIS, St. Petersburg, Russia; Marek Sroka, librarian, Slavic & East European Library, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Discussant: Tatjana Lorkovic, curator, Slavic & East European Collection, Yale University Library.

MONDAY

Monday, June 28 — 8:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m.

ACRL Science and Technology Section

The Future is Here:

Changing Realities for Sci-Tech Librarians

Has technology relegated libraries to becoming study halls and librarians to custodians? While we can answer a firm NO to these questions we must consider changing roles for librarians. Three dynamic speakers will address these changing realities. Jerry Campbell, chief information officer/dean, University Libraries, University of Southern California will keynote the program. Campbell will explore new roles for sci-tech librarians in his talk, “Jobs with a Future: Science Librarians Enter a New Century.” Doug Jones, science-engineering librarian, University of Arizona, will build on the provocative issues raised by Campbell. His New Orleans flavored talk entitled, “Old, New, Borrowed and ‘Roux’ ” will explore what makes current realities seem so different when in fact much remains the same. Gail Clement, coordinator, Digital Library Services, Florida International University, will round out the program by drawing on ‘real-life’ anecdotes and practical examples in her presentation “What’s a Nice Science Librarian Like You …(doing on a project like this)?” Rick Johnson, SPARC Enterprise director and Susan Starr, associate university librarian-sciences & director, Biomedical Library, University of California-San Diego will initiate the discussion session in which all attendees are encouraged to participate. Keynote speaker: Jerry D. Campbell, chief information officer/dean, University Libraries, University of Southern California. Speakers: Doug Jones, science-engineering librarian, University of Arizona; Gail Clement, coordinator, Digital Library Services, Florida International University.

Monday, June 28 — 9 a.m.-12 noon

ACRL Asia, Africa and Middle East Section

Middle East Librarianship: Problems and Challenges

This program will serve to inform the audience as to the current state of Middle Eastern Librarianship in the United States and to provoke reflection on ways in which they, as working professionals may address the needs of their own Middle Eastern communities. The program also provides a venue for attendees to expand their awareness of other professional organizations dealing with information resources in and about the Middle East. Perspectives from private and public university and research libraries will be presented.

Speakers:Marilena Gahman, specialist, International Languages Collection, Detroit Public Library; Dona Straley, associate professor & Middle East librarian, Ohio State University and president, Middle East Librarians Association; Michael Hopper, head, Middle East Division, Harvard College Library; Chris Murphy, Turkish Area specialist, Library of Congress. Ali Houissa, Middle East & Islamic Studies bibliographer, Cornell University.

Moderator:David Hirsch, Middle East bibliographer, UCLA.

Monday, June 28 — 9-11:30 a.m.

ACRL Women’s Studies Section, African-American Studies Section and RUSAInquiring and Learning Between the Lines: Interdisciplinary Research and the Academic Library

Academic programs and research are increasingly interdisciplinary, yet academic libraries tend to be organized to address the historical disciplinary model. This program will provide a professional development opportunity for academic and research librarians and library personnel to enhance their ability to deliver superior services and resources for subject areas that are decreasingly limited by disciplinary boundaries.

Speakers:Barbara Ryan, Widener University; Susan E. Searing, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Nancy Kushigian, University of California, Davis.

Monday, June 28 — 9:30-11 a.m.

ACRL Intellectual Freedom Committee; ALA Intellectual Freedom Round Table; ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee

Freedom, Privacy and the Internet: An Academic Library Primer and Hearing on the 3rd Draft: Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries

In an intellectual freedom framework, the program explores the practical, legal and theoretical aspects of making open Internet access available in an academic library — with due regard for privacy and freedom of access for library users. The second half of the program will feature a hearing on the 3rd draft of the statement, “Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries. ”

Speaker:Steven Herb, head, Education Library, Pennsylvania State University

Monday, June 28 — 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

ACRL Western European Specialists Section

Western European Studies Librarianship: Looking Forward After 20 Years

We mark the 20^th anniversary of WESS with a short retrospective, followed by an assessment of Western European studies collections and librarianship in U.S. libraries, and the current book trade, the state-of-the-art of electronic media and emerging information technologies of interest to scholars of Western European studies. Our speakers will be a WESS librarian and a North American scholar with European research interests. Each panelist will give a brief presentation; the meeting will then be turned over to general discussion.

Moderator:Roger Brisson, librarian, Digital Access, German selector, coordinator, German Resources Project, Pennsylvania State University. Speakers: Barbara Walden, librarian, European History, University of Wisconsin-Madison; James J. O’Donnell, professor, Classical Studies, provost for Information Systems & Computing, University of Pennsylvania. Sponsored by: Jean TOUZOT Libraire-Editeur and Belser Wissenschaftlicher Dienst.

ACRL at the 1999 ALA Annual Conference

Meetings

Ed. note: This list was current asC&RL News went to press. Be sure to check the program book for the final schedule and location of meetings.

ACRL Board of Directors

Board Update: Friday, June 25, 9:00-11:00 a.m.

First meeting: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Second meeting: Tuesday, June 29, 2:005:30 p.m.

ACRL General

ACRL Awards Reception: Monday, June 28, 5:006:30 p.m.

Sections Council: Friday, June 25, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Chapters Council: Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Leadership Council: Friday, June 25, 2:30-4:30 p.m.

New Leader Orientation: Friday, June 25, 1:002:30 p.m.

New Member Luncheon: Friday, June 25, 11:30 a.m.-l:00 p.m.

President’s Program Committee: Monday, June 28, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Topic: “Leadership and Learning: Academic Libraries as Living Systems”

ACRL Divisional Committees

Academic Librarians Status: Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.; Monday, June 28, 8:3011:00 a.m.

Academic Libraries Trends and Statistics: Friday, June 25, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Budget and Finance: Saturday, June 26, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Monday, June 28, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Bylaws Committee: Saturday, June 26, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Monday, June 28, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Copyright Committee: Program: Sunday, June 27, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Council of Liaisons: Sunday, June 27, 9:30 a.m12:30 p.m.

Government Relations: Monday, June 28, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Information Literacy Competency Standards: Saturday, June 26, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Institute for Information Literacy: Friday, June 26, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 26, 8:00-11:00 a.m.; Monday, June 28, 8:30 a.m12:00 p.m.

Institute for Information Literacy (IIL) Faculty: Thursday, June 24, 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Intellectual Freedom: Saturday, June 26, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m.; Program: Monday, June 28, 9:30-11:00 a.m. Topic: “Freedom, Privacy, and the Internet: an Academic Library Primer”

International Relations: Sunday, June 27, 8:0011:00 a.m.; Program: Sunday, June 27, 1:002:30 p.m. Topic: “Moving Librarianship into the Global Village”

Leadership Development: Saturday, June 26, 8:00-11:00 a.m.

Leadership Council: Friday, June 25, 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Membership: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

National Conference Executive CommitteeDenver: Monday June 28, 8:30a.m.-12:00 p.m.

National Conference Committee-Detroit: Saturday, June 26, 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 27, 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

National Information Literacy Institute (NILI): Thursday, June 24, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Friday, June 25, 2:00-4:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 26, 8:00-11:00 a.m.; Monday, June 28, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

President’s Program 2000 Committee: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Professional Development: Saturday, June 26, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Publications: Saturday, June 26, 8:30-9:30 a.m.; Monday, June 28, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Racial and Ethnic Diversity: Saturday, June 26, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Subcommittee: Coalition of Academic Librarians from Underrepresented Groups: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Research: Saturday, June 26, 9:30-11:00 a.m.; Sunday, June 27, 9:30 a.m.-ll:00 a.m.

Standards and Accreditation: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-5:30 p.m.

Statistics: Sunday, June 27, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Status of Academic Librarians: Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m., Monday, June 28, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

ACRL Chapters

Chapters Council: Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

ACRL Editorial Boards

Choice:Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

College & Research Libraries:Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

College & Research Libraries News:Sunday, June 27, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

New Publications Advisory Board:Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Publications in Librarianship:Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

RBML Editorial Board:Saturday, June 26, 8:3011:00 a.m.

ACRL Sections

Sections Council: Friday, June 25, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Afro-American Studies Librarians Section

Executive: Saturday, June 26, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

General Membership: Saturday, June 26, 2:004:00 p.m.

Standing Committees: Saturday, June 26, 8:009:00 a.m.

Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Section

Executive: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Program: Monday, June 28, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Topic: “Middle East Librarianship”

Anthropology and Sociology Section

Program: Sunday, June 27, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Topic: “Preserving Social History: The Leadership of Librarians and Scholars in Building Locally Based Collections”

Executive: Saturday, June 26, 9:30-11:00 a.m.; Monday, June 28, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Anthropology Librarians Discussion Group: Saturday, June 26, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Bibliography: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-5:30 p.m.

Conference Program Planning, 1999: Sunday, June 27, 8:00-9:00 a.m.

Conference Program Planning, 2000: Sunday, June 27, 8:00-9:00 a.m.

Liaison: Saturday, June 26, 8:00-9:00 a.m.

Nominating 2000: Saturday, June 26, 8:00— 9:00 a.m.

Publications: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Review and Planning: Monday, June 28, 8:009:00 a.m.

Sociology Librarians Discussion Group: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Arts Section

Program: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Topic: “Mardi Gras: How It Happens and How We Record It”

All Committees: Saturday, June 26, 9:30 a.m12:30 p.m.

Dance Librarians Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Film and Broadcast Video Discussion Group: Monday, June 28, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Membership and Executive Committee: Sunday, June 27, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Technology in the Arts: Sunday, June 27, 2:005:30 p.m. Topic: “Digital Art Salon”

Community and Junior College Libraries Section

Program: Saturday, June 26, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Topic: “Information Competencies: Connecting Students to Their Future”

All Committees (Bibliographic Instruction, Library/Media Technician Training, Library Resources Review, Membership/Communication, Planning and Procedures, Research and Publications, Technology): Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Awards: Monday, June 28, 8:30-11:00 a.m. (closed)

Board Meeting: Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m12:30 p.m.; Tuesday, June 29, 8:30-11:30 a.m.

CJCLS/NCLR Joint Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Conference Program Planning, 2000: Monday, June 28, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Membership: Saturday, June 26, 8:009:00 a.m.

Nominating 2000: Monday, June 28, 8:3011:00 a.m.

College Libraries Section

Program: Sunday, June 27, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Topic: “Customer Perspectives: College Library Service in the Digital Age” Executive: Saturday, June 26, 9:30-11:00 a.m.;

ACRL at the 1999 ALA Annual Conference

Tuesday, June 29, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

CLIP Notes: Saturday, June 26, 8:00-9:00 a.m.

College Libraries Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

College Libraiy Directors Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

College Libraries Leadership: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.; Monday, June 28, 9:3011:00 a.m.

Communications: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Conference Program Planning, 2000: Monday, June 28, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Conference Program Planning-New Orleans, 1999: Saturday, June 26, 4:30-5:30 p.m.; Monday, June 28, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Continuing Education: Monday, June 28, 9:3011:00 a.m.

Membership: Monday, June 28, 8:00-11:00 a.m.

Nominating: Saturday, June 26, 8:00-9:00 a.m.

Medium-Sized Academic Libraries Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Research for College Librarianship: Friday, June 25, 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Standards: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Monday, June 28, 9:30 a.m.-ll:00 a.m.

Distance Learning Section

Program: Saturday, June 26, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Topic: “Presenting the ACRL Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services: The Future is Now!”

Executive: Monday, June 28, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

All Committees: Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Conference Program Planning, 2000: Saturday, June 26, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

General Membership Discussion Group: Monday, June 28, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Education and Behavioral Sciences Section

Program: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Topic: “Oh Say Can You See-Librarian Leadership, Civic Action and the Electronic Age”

Executive: Friday, June 25, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Ad Hoc Committee Test Collection Directory: Friday, June 25, 8:00-10:00 p.m.

Ad Hoc Management of Curriculum Materials Centers: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

All Committees (Curriculum Materials, Government Policy, Instruction for Educators, Membership & Orientation, Publications & Communications, Reference Sources & Services): Saturday, June 26, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Advisory Council: Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Curriculum Materials Center Directory: Sunday, June 27, 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Membership: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m.—12:30 p.m.

New Chair Orientation: Saturday, June 26, 8:009:00 a.m.

Nominating 2000: Sunday, June 27, 11:3012:30 p.m.

Psychology/Psychiatry: Saturday, June 26, 8:3011:30 a.m.

Publications & Communications Executive Group: Saturday, June 26, 8:00-9:00 a.m. (closed)

Social Work/Social Welfare: Friday, June 25, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

English and American Literature Section

Program: Saturday, June 26, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Topic: “Reading the South: Southern Literature and the Library”

Executive: Friday, June 25, 8:00-10:00 p.m.

All Committees (Membership, Planning, Publications, Conference Planning): Monday,

• June 28, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Membership: Sunday, June 27, 9:30 a.m12:30 p.m.

Instruction Section

Program: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-5:30 p.m. Topic: “Nothing But Net: Understanding the Digital Library User”

Executive: Saturday, June 26, 8:00-9:00 a.m.; Tuesday, June 29, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Advisory Council: Saturday, June 26, 9:30-11:00 a.m.; Monday, June 28, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

All Committees (Membership, Planning, Policy, Preconference Program Planning 2000, Research & Scholarship, Skill Areas for Instruction Librarians Task Force): Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Communication: Saturday, June 26, 2:004:00 p.m.

Conference Program Planning Committee, 1999: Sunday, June 27, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Conference Program Planning Committee, 2000: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Continuing Education: Saturday, June 26, 2:00 4:00 p.m.

Continuing Education and Education for Library Instructors: Saturday, June 26, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Education for Library Instructors: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Emerging Technologies in Instruction: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Instruction for Diverse Populations Committee: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Management of Instruction Services: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

New Leadership Orientation: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Nominating 2000: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m. (closed)

Revision of the Model Statement Task Force: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Teaching Methods: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Think Tank III: Friday, June 25, 8:00 a.m.—5:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Law and Political Sciences Section

Program: Sunday, June 27, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Topic: “The Politics of Scholarly Communication in the New Millennium”

All Committees: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-5:30 p.m.

Marta Lange/CQ Award Committee: Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (closed); Luncheon: Saturday, June 26, 12:30-2:00 p.m.

Nominating 2000: Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m12:30 p.m.

Rare Books and Manuscripts Section

Program: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Topic: “Where Cultures Connect: Making and Using Louisiana’s Creole Collections”

Executive: Monday, June 28, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Bibliographic Standards: Saturday, June 26, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Budget and Development: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Conference Development: Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Conference Program Planning, 2000: Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Curators and Conservators Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Education and Professional Development: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Exhibition Catalogue Awards: Saturday, June 26, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Guidelines for Borrowing and Loaning Special Collections materials for Exhibition (ad hoc): Saturday, June 26, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Hearing on Security Guidelines: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Information Exchange: Sunday, June 27, 4:305:30 p.m.

Licensing (Ad Hoc): Sunday, June 27, 8:3011:00 a.m.

Manuscripts and Other Formats Discussion Group: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

MARC for Special Collections Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Membership: Saturday, June 26, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Nominating: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m12:30 p.m. (closed)

Preconference Program Planning-New Orleans, 1999: Saturday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Preconference Program Planning, 2000: Saturday, June 26, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Preconference Program Planning, 2001: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Public Services Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Publications: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

RBMS Business Meeting and Awards: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Security: Saturday, June 26, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Seminars: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Slavic and East European Section

Program: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Topic: “Impact of American Librarianship of Post-Communist Russia and Eastern Europe”

Executive: Monday, June 28, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Automated Bibliographic Control: Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Conference Program Planning, 1999: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Conference Program Planning, 2000: Sunday, June 27, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Continuing Education: Sunday, June 27, 9:3010:30 a.m.

Electronic Resources: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Newsletter: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-3:00 p.m.

Nominating: Saturday, June 26, 3:30-4:30 p.m. (closed)

Preservation: Saturday, June 26, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Science and Technology Section

Program: Monday, June 28, 8:30-11:00 a.m. Topic: “The Future is Here: Changing Realities for Sci/Tech Librarians”

College Science Librarians: Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Topic: “Selecting FullText Subscriptions”

Comparison of Science and Technology Libraries: Saturday, June 26, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Conference Program Planning, 1999: Saturday, June 26, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Conference Program Planning, 2000: Saturday, June 26, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Continuing Education: Sunday, June 27, 9:3011:00 a.m.

Council: Friday, June 25, 8:00-10:00 p.m.; Monday, June 28, 8:00-10:00 p.m.

Forum for Science and Technology Library Research: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Topics: “Electronic Journals in the Academic Library: Indications of Increased Plagiarism,”; “A Selective Comparison of Current Contents and Uncover Reveal”; and “Push Technology at Argonne National Laboratory”; Wrap-up: Sunday, June 27, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

ACRL at the 1999 ALA Annual Conference

General Disscussion Group and Heads of Science & Technology Libraries Discussion Group (joint meeting): Sunday, June 27, 9:30-11:00 a.m. Topic: “Practical Aspects of Licensing Electronic Products”

Government Information: Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Membership: Saturday, June 26, 8:00-9:00 a.m.

New Member Orientation: Membership and Recruitment: Saturday, June 26, 8:00-9:00 a.m.

Nominating: Sunday, June 27, 8:30-11:00 a.m. (closed)

Oberly Award: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m12:30 p.m.

Organization and Planning: Sunday, June 27, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Publications/Membership & Recruitment: Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Publisher-Vendor Relations Discussion Group: Saturday, June 26, 9:30-11:00 a.m. Topic: “Where is that E-journal? Aggregators, Libraries, and Electronic Journals”

Science and Technology Databases Discussion Group: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m12:30 p.m.

Subject and Bibliographic Access: Saturday, June 26, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

University Libraries Section

Program: Saturday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Topic: “Bottom Line Leadership: Communicating Your Needs for Successful Services”

Executive: Saturday, June 26, 9:30 a.m.-ll:00 a.m.; Monday, June 28, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Communications: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a. m.-12:30 p.m.

Conference Program Planning, 1999: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Conference Program Planning, 2000: Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Current Topics Planning: Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a. m.-12:30 p.m.

Librarians in Higher Education Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Organization and Bylaws: Sunday, June 27, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Policy and Planning: Sunday, June 27, 9:3011:00 a.m.

Public Service Directors of Large Research Libraries Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Western European Specialists Section

Program: Monday, June 28, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.. Topic: “Western European Studies Librarianship: Looking Forward after 20 Years”

Ad Hoc Committee on Cataloging Issues: Sunday, June 27, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Executive: Tuesday, June 29, 9:30-11:00 a.m. Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 4:30-5:30 p.m. College and Medium-Sized Libraries Discussion Group: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m.12:30 p.m.

Conference Program Planning, 2000: Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Germanists Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Membership: Sunday, June 27, 11:30 a.m12:30 p.m.

Nominating: Saturday, June 26, 8:00-9:00 a.m. (closed)

Publications: Saturday, June 26, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Research and Planning: Sunday, June 26, Group: Sunday, June 26, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Scandinavian Discussion Group: Saturday, June 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Social Sciences and History Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Special Topics Discussion Group: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Women's Studies Section

Program: Monday, June 28, 9:00-11:30 a.m. Topic: “Inquiring and Learning Between the Lines in Interdisciplinary Research and the Academic Library”

Executive: Sunday, June 27, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

All Committees: Sunday, June 27, 9:30 a.m12:30 p.m.

General Membership Meeting: Sunday, June 27, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Special Events/Tours

CLS First Friday Night Feast

The College Libraries Section invites you to its First Friday Night Feast in New Orleans Friday, June 25, 1999 at 7:30 p.m. at Dicky Brennan’s Steakhouse (716 Iberville St. between Royal and Bourbon). Join the officers and board members for dinner, fun, and lively conversation about what’s going on in college libraries. Representatives of every department and rank of academic librarianship are welcome. Cost: $36.30 for dinner in a private room; cash bar available. Reservations must be made in advance to Marilyn Dunn, College Librarian, Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY 13820 (checks only), (607) 431-4448 or dunnm@hartwick.edu

CLS Open House/Tour

The CLS Section will sponsor an open house/tour of the new J. Edgar and Louise S. Monroe Library at Loyola University in uptown New Orleans on Sunday, June 27, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The 150,000 square-foot facility opened in January 1999 and was designed to support emerging technologies. University Librarian Mary Lee Sweat and her staff will offer wine and cheese and be available to discuss the building features, which include wired tables and study carrels; a Special Collections reading room; three microcomputer labs which operate on a 24hour per day, 7-day a week schedule; a patron self-check out system, and multimedia classrooms. Advanced reservations are not required. Take the St. Charles Streetcar line from downtown (Carondelet and Canal Streets) and travel through the Garden District to the Loyola campus at 6363 St. Charles Avenue.

ANSS TOUR

The Anthropology and Sociology Section is happy to offer a tour of the Middle American Research Institute and the Tulane University Special Collections, which include the Jazz Archives and the Southeast Architectural Archive, on Tuesday, June 29, 1999, at 10:00 a.m. Please note that tour participants will need to climb several flights of stairs to see some collections. Reservations should be made by contacting Cheryl C. Kugler, The Libraries of the Claremont Colleges, by email to ckugler@rockv.claremont.edu or by phone (909) 607-8108 no later than June 10, 1999. Tour reservation is limited to 25 participants.

CJCLS Cruise/Dinner With Jazz Band In New Orleans

Friday, June 25, 1999, 7:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. Spend an evening “rollin’ on the river” aboard the John James Audubon. This Mississippi Riverboat cruise will feature Cajun cuisine and New Orleans music—almost as good as Mardi Gras! Dinner and cruise—$50 for CJCLS members and $55 for nonmembers. Boarding at Toulouse Street Wharf across from Jackson Square. To reserve your place contact Lenora Lockett, Library Director, Delgado Community College, 615 City Park Ave., New Orleans, LA 70119-4326, email: llocke@dcc.edu. phone: (504) 483-4119, fax: (504) 483-1939.

WESS 20th Anniversary Cruise

Join us on the riverboat John James Audubon. Boarding is 7:00 p.m. at the Toulouse Street Wharf, Sunday, June 27. Tickets are $16 (make out to ACRL and send to WESS Reception, ACRL/ALA, 50 East Huron St., Chicago, IL 606l1); Questions? Contact Stephen Lehmann at (215) 898-5899, or email: lehmann@pobox.upenn.edu.

Research then and now

“How do you think the world was different for university students when this book was printed?” I asked. I began writing things down on the board as they were offered. No Internet. No computers. No photocopiers. No electricity. And the list went on.

I had raised this because I wanted to convey to the students the importance of having patience when doing research. “Not everything is on the Net,” I said, “and oftentimes the full-text sources you can get that way aren’t the best ones for your topic.”

This provided a good lead-in for talking about the importance of critical skills and the need to judge the relative merits of one source against that of another, especially when they contradict each another.

“Next time you’re tempted just to take the path of least resistance and produce a mediocre paper with a mediocre bibliography, I want you to think of those students 300 years ago. Copying everything out by hand. Working by candlelight. Traveling sometimes to foreign countries just so they could see the books that they needed for their research.

“Then compare those students to yourselves. Going to the fifth floor of the library to get a book, when it means in the end writing a better paper, really isn’t so bad. This place is a storehouse of knowledge. And sometimes it takes patience and hard work to draw out the best sources.”

In the end, our learning had been collaborative and it had been fun. Instead of laughing or dismissing me as naive, the students appreciated my enthusiasm and the trouble I had taken to introduce them to the library, the university, and the scholarly record. I think they came out of that class with a much better sense of what doing research is all about.

The professor, for her part, thanked me for “putting it all in perspective.” And I still had almost half-an-hour to talk about good approaches to title and keyword searching. At least this time those skills weren’t presented out of context. ■