ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

News from the Field

Stephanie Orphan

NYPL launches emergency campaign

In response to deep public funding cuts and the potential for further reductions, the New York Public Library (NYPL) has launched the Emergency Campaign for the Library, which seeks to raise $18 million in private funds over the next three years to sustain essential collec- tions, programs, and services. NYPL is seeking $4 million per year for the branch libraries and $2 million per year for the research libraries. The Emergency Campaign will seek to fund the areas of the library that have been hardest hit by the city’s budget cuts. Funding needs to be addressed for the branch libraries include books and materials, computer pages, educa- tional and cultural programming, and branch spruce-ups. For the research libraries, funding needs to be addressed by the campaign are col- lections, public service, and preservation.

EBSCO acquisition of RoweCom‘s U.S. and European operations approved

The United States Bankruptcy Court has ap- proved the sale of certain RoweCom U.S.A. assets to EBSCO, pursuant to a definitive pur- chase agreement previously executed by the two parties. The sale includes the U.S. opera- tions of RoweCom, Inc., which includes the operations of Dawson, Inc.; Dawson Informa- tion Quest, Inc.; The Faxon Company, Inc.; Turner Subscription Agency, Inc.; McGregor

Subscription Services, Inc.; and Cor- porate Subscription Services, Inc. Final closing of the sale is contin- gent on verification of publisher sup- port representing at least 50 percent of the aggregate monetary amount prepaid to RoweCom by customers (which was not subsequently for- warded to publishers) and success- ful closure by EBSCO of its acquisi- tion of RoweCom’s European operations.

EBSCO has received approval from the French Ministry of Finance for the acquisition of the European operations, pursuant to the definitive purchase agreement executed between the two companies in February. Assets of RoweCom France are being integrated into a newly created wholly owned subsidiary of EBSCO, “EBSCO Information Services, SAS.” EBSCO and RoweCom Europe are in the process of completing the final steps necessary to definitively close the acquisition.

EBSCO has also finalized its purchase of RoweCom Australia, PTY Ltd. and has completed the acquisition of certain assets of RoweCom’s Canadian subscription operations, Divine Solutions, ULC.

University of Louisville to launch library expansion

The University of Louisville is planning a $14.2. million expansion of Ekstrom Library, which will add 42,500 square feet to the library and include many features to make it a state-of- the-art facility. The facility will include such new features as an automated storage and retrieval system that will provide highly efficient, secure, and environmentally controlled storage of up to 1.2 million volumes. This will enable the university to increase its holdings to 3 million volumes, while providing rapid, robotic book retrieval. Also included will be a 24-hour study facility and technologically advanced instructional laboratories and conference space. The university expects to break ground in late 2003 or spring of 2004.

Innovative to offer Linux option

Innovative Interfaces is introducing the option for libraries to run Millennium on Linux servers; this option is being developed in partnership with the Library of the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) in Australia. Porting the software to Linux expands the array of choices available to users and supports the company’s goal of platform, operating-system, and database independence. UTS entered into the partnership based on the reliability and performance of Linux, the opportunity presented by Linux to integrate Millennium with core university systems, and a philosophical commitment to open source approaches where they prove applicable.

American Political Science Association announces new journal

The American Political Science Association (APSA) has announced that its new journal Perspectives in Politics is now available from Cambridge University Press. The journal, which debuted with Volume 1, No. 1 in March 2003, connects research findings, conceptual innovations, and/or theoretical developments within the discipline of political science to real problems of politics. APSA and Cambridge University Press journals are also available online.

UIUC moves the Newspaper Library to remodeled location

The Newspaper Library, one of 42 departmental libraries at the University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign, has moved into a newly remodeled location, offering more appealing and efficient space for patrons. The new space offers ample space for library workers and a work/supply room; large windows on its west wall and new carpeting, lighting, and shelves; custom furniture for microfilm readers; and a climate-controlled area to store the library’s 110,000 reels of microfilm. The Newspaper Library is one of the largest libraries of its kind in the world, housing more than 150 million pages of newsprint dating from 1632 to the present.

Pennsylvania libraries choose Docutek

The South-Central Library Consortium of Pennsylvania (SCLCPA) has selected Docutek VRLplus as the virtual reference library solution for the 17 libraries across four counties in south-central Pennsylvania that make up the consortium. SCLCPA is made up of a mix of public, academic, K-12, and special libraries and serves a largely rural population; the addition of digital reference services extends the library to those patrons who are unable to visit a local library. Docutek VRLplus includes a searchable knowledge database, which is built by adding frequently asked questions on an ongoing basis, and the ability to script replies to these com- monly asked questions.

@ your library toolkit will help you market your library

April marked the official launch of ACRL’s Aca- demic and Research Library Campaign, part of ALA’s Campaign for America’s Libraries. This mar- keting effort is designed to create an awareness and understanding of the value of academe and research libraries and librarians in the 21st century. The @your library Toolkit for Academic and Research Libraries is a resource designed to help librarians create a campaign to promote their libraries across campus and in the community. It includes messages, ideas, and strategies that can be put to uæ at the local level and case studies that provide real-world examples of the campaign at work. Copies of the toolkit are available for $7 through ACRL; visit http:// www.acrl.org/publications to order. For complete information about the Academic and Research Li- brary Campaign, visit http://www.ala.org/acrl/ @your library.

Blackwell’s Online Bookshop gets a makeover

Blackwell’s Online Bookshop has undergone a complete interface transformation to improve the online experience for users in the academic community. Changes to the online bookstore include a more user-friendly layout, easy- to-use navigation menu items, additional content designed for the academic com- munity, online registration for the com- mission-based affiliate program, and a dedicated page for library institutions. To celebrate the new site design, Blackwell’s Online Bookshop is offering a 10 per- cent discount through June 30 on all titles plus free shipping regardless of the dollar value or quantity of the cus- tomer order. Those interested in using the online discount must enter through www.shopblackwells.com/libraries. ■

Register now for the ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute August 3-8, 2003, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Academic libraries exist in a constantly changing environment with many new challenges and many available opportunities. New demands on academic libraries call for fundamental shifts in leadership know-how. In response to these challenges, ACRL is collaborating with the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education to offer its popular ACRL/ Harvard Leadership Institute this summer.

• Learn among the leaders and trendsetters in academic library administration.At the ACRL/Harvard program, you will be among your fellow leaders in academic librarianship. The institute is designed for directors of libraries and individuals in positions such as associate university librarian, assistant dean, vice president of information resources, university librarian, and college librarian. Attendance would also be useful for individuals regularly involved in decision-making that affects the entire library operation and that involves other important relationships on campus.

• Increase your capacity to lead and manage.Find out if your organization is well- positioned meet current and future challenges and discover if your own leadership is effective. Harvard Institutes for Higher Education faculty will give special attention to issues such as leadership, organizational strategy, transformational learning, and planning.

• Mark your calendars now.The 2003 ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute will be held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, August 3-8, 2003.

Don’t miss this exciting educational opportunity! Registration materials and complete details about the institute are available on the Web at http://www.gse.harvard.edu/~ppe/programs/ acrl/program.html. Registration spots will fill quickly.

Don’t forget to register early to ensure you have a space in this prestigious institute. Questions about this institute can be directed to acrl@ala.org; (800) 545-2433, ext. 2523. ■