ACRL College & Researc Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

Letters

Is correlation between reputation and graduates significant?

In the March 1991 issue of C&RL News Keith Swigger states in his article “Money, sex, and population in doctoral programs in library science” that “Wang and Layne investigated the relationship between reputation and number of graduates…but found no highly significant correlation.”

In the study cited by Swigger, the statement was that the relationship between reputation and number of graduates was “varied depending upon consideration of the different pairs of variables….” It did find “statistically significant positive correlations between the perception ranking of the doctoral programs” and the number of graduates. (Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, Fall 1987, p. 120.)

Swigger’s statement was not consistent with the conclusion of the cited work.—Chih Wang‚ dean‚ learning resources‚ XJniυersity of Guam

The author responds:

Wang and Layne studied the relations between rankings and numbers of graduates who might have been in the sample that did the ranking. They present data relating 12 pairings of ranking variables with variables related to numbers of these graduates. Correlations are significant for 7 of the 12 pairs. One of the pairs showing significance is the correlation between ranking and total number of graduates who might have been in the sample that did the ranking, master’s and doctoral combined. As they say, however, the relationship varied depending upon consideration of different pairs of variables. I suggest readers see Table 2 and read page 120 of their article to come to their own conclusions. Their study did not address the number of all graduates, only the number of educators and directors who might have been in the ranking group. In my article, I should have described the limitations of the Wang and Layne study in sufficient detail to make the point that their study does not present conclusive data relating to rankings of schools and the total number of persons they have graduated.—Keith Swigger, Ph.D., professor, interim dean, School of Library and Information Studies, Texas Womans University

Misplaced collective dream?

Ihave just received the April issue of C‹LrRL News and was greeted by the news that ACRL moved the 1992 National Conference from Phoenix to Salt Lake City.

I am not sure that I grasp the moral nuance involved in the judgment to move from a site that refused to commemorate Dr. King, to a state that just proudly announced that it may not (after all) charge people involved in abortion with murder. I believe that our freedom of choice in regard to the conference site is a little suspect. Moreover, we may have temporarily misplaced our collective dream.—Pat Max, library director, Calvin Cool- idge Library, Castleton (Vermont) State College

Editor’s note: See sidebar on this page for ACRL Board statement on conference site.

A low-tech solution works well

The article by David Trithart (“Access to serials: Local improvements may make a difference”) in the November 1990 issue of C&RL News prompts me to write about the simple, low-tech way in which we have solved the perennial and persistent problem he discusses—that of helping our students find out what our periodical holdings are. For each of the indexes and abstracts in our collection, we photocopied or typed the list of journals covered, and put check marks with a bright-colored felt pen beside the title of each journal to which we subscribe. We also marked the titles held by the nearby state university’s much larger library. These marked lists and a few simple instructions, mounted on heavy stock and laminated, became what we call “posters” that are kept on the tables beside the relevant indexes and abstracts. Students learned quickly to depend on the posters when looking for journal materials for research papers.

We made no attempt to indicate our exact holdings for any specific title. Rather, we noted in the instructions (for example): “This list is completely accurate only for 1990.” Because our serials are shelved alphabetically, no other markings on the lists were needed.

We update the posters every year or two, when they get shabby or when, forinstance, H.W. Wilson revises the list of journals covered by an index.

Now that we subscribe to a number of indexes on compact disks, we have made similar lists to keep by the public workstations.

Like Mr. Trithart, we have found that the number of mistaken ILL requests has diminished because we have made it so much easier for students to determine what we own.—Ruth Bent, librarian for public services, Olive Kettering Library, Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio

ACRL Board reaffirms Salt Lake City conference site

Although sensitive to concerns raised about holding a conference in Utah, the ACRL Board of Directors agreed during a telephone conference call on May 6, 1991, to hold the ACRL Sixth National Conference in Salt Lake City. A statement on the importance of national conferences, reasons for the move from Phoenix, and the selection of Salt Lake City was adopted by the Board. The statement is available from the ACRL office, (800) 545- 2433, ext. 2516.

The Board invites members to discuss the question, “How should ACRL respond to social issues?” on Saturday, June, 29, 1991, 2:00-2:30 p.m., during the ACRL Board of Directors’ meeting at the ALA Annual Conference in Atlanta. Individual Board members will also be available on Monday, July 1, 1991, 4:00-4:30 p.m., during the poster sessions after the ACRL President’s Program. At the Saturday meeting, the Board will also consider whether the ACRL policy on national conference site selection should be revised.

C&RL/C&RL News Indexpublished

Having trouble remembering in exactly which issue of C&RL or C&RL News you saw that interesting article? Track it down with the new College & Research Libraries and College & Research Libraries News Index for Volumes 41 to 50 (1980-89). Compiled by Eldon W. Tamblyn, Portland State University, the 180- page author, title, and limited subject index sells for $25.95 to ACRL members ($29.95 to nonmembers); ISBN # 0-8389-7487-2. Copies are available from ALA’s Order Services Department, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; or call toll free (800) 545-2433.