ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

News from the Field

Mary Ellen Davis

ACRL endorses SPARC program

ACRL has endorsed, become an affiliate, and contributed $5,000 to the Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), an initiative of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) that aims to reduce the cost of scholarly journals by supporting the introduction of high-quality, lower-cost alternatives to existing high-price titles.

Althea H. Jenkins, ACRL’s executive director, said, “ACRL agrees that the challenge of access to scholarly research primarily in the fields of science, technology, and medicine, is a compelling issue of concern to research libraries. ACRL enthusiastically endorses the SPARC initiative and intends to work closely with ARL to advance the goals and projects of SPARC among academic libraries.”

SPARC seeks to help scholarly publishers— including learned societies, university presses, start-up ventures, and others—enter markets where prices are high and competition is needed. It expects to reduce the risks of market entry for its publisher-partners and to provide faculty with prestigious and responsive alternatives to current publishing vehicles. SPARC will solicit or encourage the introduction of new titles by providing a ready subscription base and by generating support for SPARC projects from faculty. Membership in SPARC is open to academic institutions, research libraries, and organizations that share SPARC goals and values.

The American Chemical Society (ACS), which publishes 26 peer-reviewed research journals, is SPARC’s first partner. The agree- ment calls for ACS and SPARC to collaborate in creating at least one new ACS scientific jour- nal each year for the next three years. The new journals will be priced at one-quarter to one-third the price of competing titles.

SPARC has also been endorsed by the Ca- nadian Association of Research Libraries, the Association of American Universities, the As- sociation of American University Presses, the Big 12 Provosts, and the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges.

Siena College begins building new library

Siena College has broken ground on a $13.5 million new library in the heart of the college campus in Loudonville, New York. The build- ing was designed by the distinguished Boston architectural firm of Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott. Jay Lucker, librarian emeritus from Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology, served as the building consultant for the project.

With a capacity for 400,000 volumes, 700 seats, and 500 network connections, the new 71,000 square foot, three-story facility will double the space in the current library, which opened in 1954. The first floor will serve as the hub for library services, housing circula- tion and reference centers, a new book area, a newspaper and current periodicals lounge, offices, the main web work- station cluster, and a 24-hour general purpose computer lab.

With heavy emphasis on materials and study space, the second floor will house most of the book collection, special collections, faculty rooms, and a student lounge. The audiovisual/reserve center will be located on the lower level.

The front of the library will provide a panoramic view of the main campus quad, flanked by the science building, the main classroom building, and the old library, which will become a campus center. Students studying in the east reading rooms on all three floors in the back of the building will enjoy a view of trees and mountains. Siena College is a Franciscan college with an enrollment of 2,700 full-time and 600 part-time students.

An architect's rendering of Siena College's planned library building, which will be able to house 400,000 volumes, 700 seats, and 500 network connections.

ACRL seeks proposals for poster sessions

November 1 is the deadline for poster session proposals for ACRL’s 9th National Conference, “Racing Toward Tomorrow,” which will be held April 8-11, 1999, in Detroit.

Poster sessions are informal presentations featuring successful solutions to problems and unique and innovative library-based projects with important lessons for the academic and research library commu- nity. Proposals should address one or more of the conference themes: changing environment, alternate re- sources, new kinds of learners, mul- tiple roles for librarians, partnerships and competition, and an expanding knowledge base.

Details for preparing a proposal and an application form may be found on the Web at http://www.ala.org/ acrl/call4prt.html. Send proposals and direct questions to Glenda S. Neeley, University of Louisville, e-mail: glenda.neely@louisville.edu.

Indiana University named to run Internet2 network

Indiana University has been chosen to run Abilene, a super-fast, fiber-optic data network connecting members of Internet2. Some parts of the network are expected to be up and running as early as November.

The network, named for the storied frontier-era terminus in Abilene, Kansas, is expected to serve more than 130 major research universities with more sophisticated and faster networking capabilities for scholars, researchers, and students (see ALAWON v7, n42, April 20, 1998).

In April, Vice President Gore announced that three large communication and technology companies will contribute more than $500 million in equipment and services to build a faster Internet network. Officials said that improvements in networking may soon lead experts to measure speeds in “LOCs”—the number of times the contents of the Library of Congress could be transmitted per second. Abilene is a project of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development. For more information, go to http:// www.ucaid.edu/abilene. (Ed. note: This report was taken from ALAWON, the ALA Washington Office Newsline.)

Oct. 16 deadline for contest to name Choice Web service

ACRL’s Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries is holding a contest to come up with a short but descriptive name for its new Web-based review service. Known as Choice Online during the beta test phase, the new service will include Choice reviews from 1988 to present, customized notification of new reviews, special list functions, and more. The projected launch date is January 1999.

The winner may elect to recieve either a New England Clambake, ready to pop on the stovetop and amaze your friends, or $100. Four runners-up will each receive a copy of the new (August 1998) Choice Web Review Supplement, which contains reviews of nearly 500 Web sites (a $24 value).

The deadline for entries is October 16. For entry details, visit “News from CHOICE” at http://www.ala.org/acrl/ choice/news.html.