ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

News from the field

Budgets stay small and serials prices increase

The Faxon Planning Report 1993,a comprehensive re- view of serials budget trends and library and publisher at- titudes and opinions, finds that the 1992 average bud- get funding increase is only 3.1 percent, the smallest in- crease recorded in several years. Faxon surveys its cli- ents in all types of libraries and compiles profiles comparing requested funding with actual funding received.

While library budgets are barely keeping up with inflation, EBSCO Subscription Services projected a 10-15 percent increase in subscription rates for 1993 due to publisher price increases. These projections are based on general economic indicators in the U.S. and Europe as well as discussions with publishers worldwide. EBSCO examined pricing trends over the last five years and found that a typical academic library list of 6,254 titles that cost $1,190,824.69 this year cost $787,155.07 in 1988—an increase of 51.03 percent. The cost of the list increased an average 8-9.5 percent annually since 1988, except for 1991 when prices jumped 17 percent due to the decline of the dollar. The Faxon report is available for $40 (free to Faxon clients) by calling (617) 329-3350, ext. 282.

ALA Council thanks Crismond but accepts Board action

A special information and question-and-answer session at the beginning of the ALA Annual Conference led by ALA President Patricia Glass Schuman and ALA’S attorney Bruce Ennis quieted the membership’s and Council’s concerns that any wrong-doing had occurred relating to the dismissal of former ALA Executive Director Linda Crismond (see C&RL News, June 1992, page 373 and July 1992, page 437). Schuman indicated that the ALA Executive Board was unanimous in its decision to terminate Crismond’s employment and that “we followed elaborate procedures. Three Boards, three presidents, and three president-elect were involved in the process. These procedures and processes included substantial discussion and written evaluation over a period of years.” Schuman explained that the Board voted to ter- minate Crismond’s employ- ment at an April 29 meet- ing offering her six months severance pay with the characterization of the de- parture as a resignation. Crismond, responding through her attorney, asked for a $200,000 severance package and threatened to sue ALA. On May 7 the Board placed Crismond on paid leave of absence, and on May 12 she re- signed. Schuman warned that there is still the possibility of litigation. At its first meeting, the Council withdrew a motion to censure the Ex- ecutive Board for its actions regarding Crismond and passed a resolution (CD#51) thanking Crismond “for her contribution to the profes- sion” and for projecting “a positive image of librarians to the profession, to her colleagues in association management, and to the public at large.”

Crismond accepts new position

Professional Media Services Corp., the Gardena, California, supplier of prerecorded audio and video materials to libraries, announced that Linda Crismond has accepted the position of vice-president of public relations. She will be responsible for enhancing client relations and expanding the market for the company’s services.

ALA Washington Office offers electronic newsletter

Find out about GPO WINDO/Gateway Bills, appropriations for libraries, and hearings and legislation affecting libraries by subscribing to the ALA Washington Office Newsline. This electronic newsletter is distributed through the University of Illinois List Server and is available to anyone who can receive Bitnet messages. Newsline is similar to the publication previously offered on ALANET and supplements the printed ALA Washington Newsletter. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to the Bitnet address LISTSERV@UICVM. Leave the subject line blank and put as the only line in the body of the message “SUBSCRIBE ALA-WO FirstName LastName.” For example, Melvil Dewey would subscribe by sending the following message: SUBSCRIBE ALA-WO Melvil Dewey. Newsline is available through Internet, CompuServe, MCI Mail, and any other e-mail service that can receive Internet messages. Note that this is a newsletter and not a discussion group. Questions or comments should be sent to NU_ALAWASH@CUA or NU_ALAWASH@ CUAVAX.DNET.CUA.EDU.

Proposals in BI and preservation sought

Proposals are needed for the poster sessions at ACRL’s Bibliographic Instruction Section Conference Program, on Sunday, June 27, 1993, in New Orleans. The program, entitled “Coping with Chaos, Thriving on Change," needs poster sessions dealing with practical suggestions for successful and innovative responses to change. For example, how has the BI program adapted to new technologies, changing student populations, budget constraints, staffing changes, new teaching methods, new instructional media. Proposals consisting of a 250-word abstract describing your project or research and how you will communicate your ideas should be submitted by January 8, 1993, to: Susan Miller, Coordinator of Library Instruction, Milner Library, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61761.

Proposals for contributions to volume 2 of Advances in Preservation and Access, a Meckler publication, are being sought by editor Barbra Buckner Higginbotham. Papers are wanted on current topics in library preservation, conservation, and related access issues, particularly in the areas of special materials and disciplines (music, theatre, dance, film, recorded sound), curator/conservator relationships, education and training, preventive measures, surveys and collection assessment, mass deacidification, international efforts, and automation applications for program management. Include name, address, phone and fax numbers, e-mail address, brief biographical data, and a 250-word abstract. Proposals are due November 1, 1992, to: Barbra Buckner Higginbotham, The Library, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY 11210; (718) 951-5342; fax: (718) 951-7277; bxhbc@cunym.

Banned Books Week: September 26- October 3

“Censorship: Old Sins in New Worlds” is the theme of the 1992 Banned Books Week, September 26-October 3, cosponsored by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Association, and other groups. Now in its eleventh year, the week commemorates the freedom to read and the First Amendment which specifies that “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” An annual list of “Books Some People Consider Dangerous” is published in conjunction with the observance and is available from the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom. A Banned Books Week Kit which includes a Resource Guide, four posters, and 100 bookmarks is available for $20 from ALA Graphics,

ALA seeks libraries for Arthurian exhibits

Two opportunities await academic librar- ies interested in exploring development of an exhibition on the King Arthur legend, “The Many Realms of King Arthur.”

Four large urban public or academic li- braries are sought by ALA, the Newberry Library, and the New York Public Library to develop an exhibition using their own or other local collec- tions in conjunction with a traveling panel exhibition. Additional libraries are sought to host the travel- ing panel exhibition in con- junction with public pro- grams. (ALA will help host libraries develop such pro- gramming.)

ALA and the Newberry and New York Public Li- braries will apply to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in March 1993 for a grant to develop the freestanding panel exhibition and related items. If funded, the project will be available for touring in 1995.

Exhibit curator Ruth Hamilton of the Newberry Library will work with the four host libraries to develop each exhibit.

The story of King Arthur, his knights, and Queen Guinevere addresses issues such as love, loyalty, and duty and raises questions about just warfare, codes of morality, idealism, and other subjects that have been de- bated throughout history and will be of inter- est to a diverse modern audience.

An illustration by Howard Pyle for the book The Lady of Shaíott by Alfred Lord Tennyson (New York, 1881).

Photo credit: The Newberry Library

Academic libraries interested in collabo- rating with another institution for a King Arthur exhibition should send a 1-2-page proposal to Deb Robertson, Public Programs, ALA, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 606ll, by December 1, 1992. Proposals should de- scribe: 1) the institution you plan to work with on the exhibition, 2) what objects related to the King Arthur theme are available in the collaborating institutions, 3) why you would like to host such an exhibition, 4) what programs your library could offer in conjunction with the exhibition, and 5) what space you have available for exhibitions. Exhibitions of this type commonly require from 60-100 feet of floor space (they do not have to be in a straight line).

Libraries interested in displaying the freestanding panel exhibition are also requested to write to the address above with information on the programs they could offer and exhibition space available in their libraries.

For more information contact: Deb Robertson at 1 (800) 545-2433, x5057. ■

50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; (800) 545- 2433, press 8. Orders under $30 must be prepaid.

Auburn joins ARL

Auburn University Library was invited to join the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) as its 120th member after a successful vote at ARL’s spring meeting. The membership vote followed an extensive multiyear review of qualitative and quantitative documentation, and a two-day site visit that reviewed library services, resources, preservation, automation, and special collections. William C. Highfill is the university librarian at Auburn and has overseen the library’s development since 1973. Auburn is the first new ARL member since 1988 when the University of Illinois at Chicago was admitted.

UIC hosts electronic exhibit of Soviet archives

The University of Illinois at Chicago Library (UIC) participated in the Library of Congress' (LC) electronic exhibit of former Soviet Union archives. During June, LC released on the Internet 25 digitized images of documents, translations, and a handbook from their exhibit “Revelations from the Russian Archives.” UIC downloaded the files and set them up on public Macintosh workstations. Over 100 people stopped by to see the exhibit or participate in the forum and indicated their interest in future electronic exhibits. UIC has mounted the exhibit on a mainframe for further use.

Michigan Research libraries triangle formed

Hiram Davis, director of the Michigan State University Libraries; Donald Riggs, dean of the University of Michigan Libraries; and Peter Spyers-Duran, dean of the Wayne State University Libraries, announced on July 9, 1992, the formation of a consortium for research library cooperation. Called the Michigan Research Libraries Triangle, the consortium’s objectives are to avoid higher costs, improve the quality of service to the campuses, and support research. The consortium will focus on cooperative collection development, document delivery and interlibrary loan, and automation. Combined, the three libraries have collections totaling 12 million volumes, budgets in the range of $50 million, and staffs of 1,200 all in a computerized environment. ■