ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

ACRL at Dallas

Clockwise‚ from upper left: Maurice Freedman and Pat Schuman at the ALA Conference reception, Dallas City Hall Plaza; John Thomas and Pat Barkalow at the ALA Conference reception; Julie Blume at the Continuing Education Committee’s program; Hugh Cline, who spoke at the ACRL program meeting, with ACRL President Evan I. Farber.

BERKELEY LIBRARY GAINS FROM CHINA TIE

When Chancellor Albert H. Bowker of the University of California, Berkeley, visited the People s Republic of China, he negotiated agreements with three Chinese universities for the exchange of scholars and academic materials and for mutual assistance among libraries. The agreements brought an immediate reward for the Berkeley Library.

The Tsinghua University prepared especially for Berkeley a catalog of its collection of 3,510 early, rare Chinese imprints, with the understanding that the library may request photocopies of any title that it does not already own. In addition, both Tsinghua and Peking universities presented Bowker with gift volumes for Berkeley s East Asian collection. ■■

COPING WITH FEDERAL COOLING CONTROLS

Regulations to implement President Carter’s energy plan by limiting cooling and heating in buildings went into effect July 16 (the regulations were published in the Federal Register on July 5, p.39354-69). The rules require nonresidential buildings to set thermostats no higher than sixty-five degrees for heating and no lower than seventy-eight degrees for cooling (except to lower room dew point temperatures to sixty-five degrees).

Libraries are not expressly exempt from the rules, but may claim exemptions individually. A provision of the regulations provides exemptions where special environmental conditions are required to protect “materials” (Section 490.13(a)(4)). Library collections would fall in this category.

Claiming an exemption is essentially a do-it- yourself process. The user of a building space decides that he or she should claim an exemption based on provisions of the regulations. The exemption is effective when taken.

If an exemption is claimed for a building, the building owner or operator must complete an Exemption Information Form and keep on hand a written statement describing and justifying the exemptions claimed. A compliance certificate indicating whether any exemptions have been claimed must also be posted in the building.

The Washington Office of ALA advises that librarians should provide the owners or operators of their buildings with information on (1) the nature of the exemption and the section of the regulations claimed as the basis for exemption; (2) the portion of the building for which the exemption is claimed; and (3) the required temperature levels in the exempt portions of the building.

What cooling levels should librarians ask for? The Library of Congress has requested that it be allowed to cool to seventy-five degrees. Libraries located in more humid areas may need lower thermostat settings. ACRL is conducting a survey to determine what exemptions college and research libraries are claiming and how they justify and document their claims. The results of the survey will be reported in C&RL News.

The Department of Energy has issued a manual, How to Comply with the Emergency Building Temperature Restrictions. Copies may be requested from: Emergency Building Temperature Restrictions, Room GE-004A (CS-39), Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585. Or call toll free 800-424-9122. ■■