ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

CONFERENCE CIRCUIT: ACRL in Toronto: ACRL programs at the ALA Annual Conference

ALA’s 122nd Annual Conference was held June 19-24, 2003, in Toronto, Canada. The conference was held jointly with the Canadian Library Association (CLA), marking the first time in 40 years that ALA and CLA convened together in Canada. Total conference attendance was more than 17,500 librarians, library support staff, exhibitors, educators, writers, publishers, and special guests. Ed. note: Thanks to the ACRL members who summarized programs to make this report possible.

New Realities, New Relationships

ACRL and the Canadian Association of College and University Libraries (CACUL) jointly presented the Presidents’ Program at the 2003 Annual Conference. “New Realities, New Relationships Across Borders,” offered a Canadian and U.S. perspective on the challenges that globalization and new information technologies present to academic and research communities

Freeman A. Hrabowski III (left) and Ernie Ingles (right) with Helen H. Spalding after speaking at the ACRL/CACUL President’s Program “New Realities, New Relationships Across Borders.”

Ernie Ingles (associate vice president, University of Alberta) opened the session with a discussion of the interplay between the social and natural worlds and what it means to be “friends” in a global environment. He likened the situation of librarians dealing with “powerful and untamed technology” with the early experiences of man, who, in the face of an overwhelming environment, grew accustomed to its elements and learned to tame the land. Similarly, “librarians are often blinded and awed by the greatness of the expectations of the information age,” and are searching for a state of place and balance. He concluded that our new realities and new relationships are not so new, but that we need to reexamine how to communicate with and provide service to friends who come from various worldviews.

In his keynote address, Freeman A. Hrabowski III (president, University of Maryland- Baltimore County) began by building on Ingles’ message, adding that “we’re just beginning to appreciate how much we have in common across borders.” Hrabowski stressed the importance of bridging the gap between the profession and the larger world, noting that gaining the necessary support for libraries requires that people appreciate and value the work itself. He went on to address five key library issues from his perspective as the president of an institution of higher education: the library as a central place on campus; implications of print and digital resources; costs of maintaining and developing libraries; the importance of increasing diversity of staff and users; the world of librarians as leaders and educators.

ACRL President Tyrone Cannon visits with Kathleen Carney and John Popko at the Academic/Research Librarian of the Year Reception.

Hrabrowski spoke of the library as the “intellectual and physical core of the campus community,” and stated that library funding issues should be viewed as university challenges requiring a broad solution. He expressed die need to give serious thought as to how to serve underrepresented groups as we become a more diverse society and acknowledged ACRL and ALA for having diversity as a top priority. In his closing he commented that we will be able to meet the needs of the future because “we believe in ideas and people.” This program is available on audiotape from the ALA taping service; see sidebar on the next page.

Book history in Canada

Numerous book history themes were explored at the well-attended RBMS program “True North: A Canadian Approach to National Book History: The History of the Book in Canada/Histoire du livre et de l’imprimé au Canada project (HBiC/HUC).” Patricia Fleming (University of Toronto) provided an overview, noting that the HBiC/ HLIC project was awarded $2.3 million by the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada in late 2000, and that three volumes (each in both a French and English edition) will be published beginning in 2004.

A slide presentation by Judy Donnelly (University of Toronto) focused on the iconography of the book in Canada, while Yvan Lamonde (McGill University) discussed research on reading in Quebec.

Robert Gross (College of William and Mary) provided an international perspective and noted differences between the Canadian and American projects, including the funding structure and most notably the high level of participation by librarians and bibliographers in the Canadian venture.

The session ended with Beitmm MacDonald (Dalhousie University), who demonstrated the project’s five book history research databases, all of which will be publicly available via the Web.

The panel and audience posed many evocative questions: Had the French histoire du livre tradition influenced HBiC/HLIC? How was quality control maintained in the databases? What was the status of book history education in North American library schools?

Discussion continued well after the session had ended, demonstrating that book history is very much in the minds of librarians.— Judy Donnelly, University of Toronto, donnelly® fls..utoronto.ca

Recruiting college librarians

Past chair of the College Libraries Section, (CLS) Mark Cain (Cincinnati State Technical and Community College), selected recruitment as the theme for his term as CLS chair because of the difficulties academic libraries have had in developing adequate pools for vacancies.

Within this context he introduced the keynote speaker for the program, “Casting Our Nets or Ice Fishing: Recruiting Future College Librarians,” Maureen Sullivan (independent consultant), who advocated systemic change in our approach to recruitment issues. She called for an articulation of the work that defines our “community of practice,” and she identified some of the competencies and traits needed by librarians in the next five-to-ten years. Sullivan challenged the audience to serve as active “talent scouts” in encouraging young adults to consider a future in librarianship.

The audience was treated to videos produced by new librarians Lynda Duke (Illinois Wesleyan University) and Jennifer Paliatka (Elmhurst College), who shared thoughts on their recruitment into college librarianship.

Three panelists provided additional thoughts. Paidence Dalrymple (Dominican University) spoke from the perspective of a library educator and encouraged more interaction between practitioners and library education faculty. Jean Donham (Cornell College) related her success as a library director in redefining positions as consulting librarians. Sarah Nesbeitt (Eastern Illinois University) shared the results of a survey she had conducted and her insights as the manager of a library employment Web site.

An audiotape is available from the ALA taping service; see sidebar below.—Tara Lynn Fulton, Lock Haven University, tfulton@lhup.edu

Women and technology in libraries

The topic for this year’s Intro to Women’s Issues Program—cosponsored by the Feminist Task Force, the Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship, and the Women’s Studies Section—was “Women and Technology in Libraries: Our Knowledge and Challenges.” Presenter Jennifer Gilley (Penn State-New Kensington) opened the program by discussing three areas in which perceptions regarding gender and technology intersect with librarianship.

First, what is the difference between information science and library science? The common perception is that information science equals computers while library science is about helping people. But when the difference seems based mostly around the status, gender, and future salaries of its practitioners, can we afford to allow those preconceptions to continue?

Second, what is the relationship between information technology (IT) people and librarians? Do IT people tend to condescend to female librarians about technical issues? And third, are female librarians and library staff more susceptible to intimidation in this area because they underestimate their own skills?

Discussion on these points centered around the question of how librarians could advertise their technological expertise as a way of increasing respect and status. Gilley postulated a name change from librarians to information specialists, while Roma Harris (University of Western Ontario) warned that renaming the profession could cause a shift away from the foundation of service that librarianship is built upon. The group agreed that some type of collective effort is needed to educate users as to what librarians do and what technology skills they have.—Jennifer Gilley, Penn State-New Kensington Libraiy, jrgl5@psu.edu

Addressing diversity

“Diversity Strategic Plans for Libraries” was the topic of the Racial and Ethic Diversity Committee’s program. The session began with strategies for developing strategic plans, given by DeEtta Jones (Association of Research Libraries)

. She suggested that a good strategic plan should help leaders make decisions when they are faced with several good alternatives.

Jones noted that in her work with libraries around the country, she seldom sees separate plans that address diversity issues. Most libraries are now choosing to integrate diversity topics into their overall strategic plans, being careful to embed the topics in the planning process and throughout the document, and not having diversity as an appendage.

Elaina Norton (University of Arizona) related her experiences in serving on an ongoing strategic planning group as well as a resulting implementation group at her team-based libraiy. Steps they have taken to build a diverse culture at her university include mentoring, residency programs, and efforts to have strong applicant pools for job openings.

Andrew Jackson (Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center of the Queens Borough Public Libraiy) spoke with great enthusiasm about the projects that his organization has undertaken to build an atmosphere that is rich in diversity. The library sponsors a wide variety of art, poetry, and history events to bring the community into the library, all aimed at non-library-users. Staff development is also an important part of their work to bring diversity into all aspects of the libraiy.—Julie Kelly, University of Minnesota, jhelly@umn.edu

2003 ALA Annual Conference audiotapes now available

Get copies of your favorite programs or catch up on what you missed in Toronto. The following ACRL programs are now available:

• Casting Our Nets or Ice Fishing? Recruiting Future College Librarians (CLS)

• The Great Debate: The Library as Place (ULS)

• New Realities, New Relationships Across Borders: ACRL/CACUL Joint Presidents’ Program

• Partners in Science: An Exploration of a Scientist-Librarian (STS)

Each ACRL program comes on two audiotapes and costs $28. These and other ALA programs are now available from Teach ’Em Continuing Education at http://www. audio-digest.org/cgi-bin/htmlos/ 0174.1.1053468293612540229/ala.

Tom Kirk, Earlham College, with ACRL Executive Director Mary Ellen Davis,

Marketing @ your Library Workshop

Cosponsored by the ALA Public Awareness Committee and ACRL, the half-day “Survival in Academe: Marketing @ your Library® Workshop” introduced the history of the ALA and the ACRL @ your library marketing campaigns, explained the resources available to librarians interested in creating marketing materials or campaigns for their libraries, and gave attendees a mini course in “Marketing 101.”

Speakers included Deborah Davis (manager, ALA @ your Library Campaign), Leslie Manning (chair, ACRL @ your library Toolkit Committee and dean of the library, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs), Ken Marks (chair, ACRL @ your library Task Force and dean of libraries at University of Nevada-Las Vegas), and Helen H. Spalding (associate director, University Libraries at University of Kansas City-Missouri).

Participants learned why library advocacy, described as “speaking up and speaking out for academic and research libraries,” is critical in today’s libraries. They learned how to position messages about their services and collections, how to work with the media to counteract negative messages about library irrelevancy, and how to plan communication strategies that convince university administrators and trustees of the continued vibrancy and value of libraries in the academic endeavor.

Additional resources, toolkits, case studies, advice for academic and research library marketers, and links to the main ALA @ your library resources can be found on ACRL’s Web site by clicking on “Issues and Advocacy” and then “Marketing @ your library.”—Patricia A. Kreitz, Stanford University, pkreitz@slac. stanford.edu

Aboriginal Canada

Signa Daum Shanks presented “Oral Tradition and Copyright: Aboriginal Canada in the 21^st Century,” a program sponsored by the Anthropology and Sociology Section. Daum Shanks, a lawyer, a professor, and an apihtawikosian (mixed blood) from Saskatchewan, is currently working on her doctoral degree at the University of Toronto and is specializing in laws for indigenous people.

In her presentation, Daum Shanks outlined the rise of aboriginal rights in Canada as they grew out of European concepts of conquest, Canadian legislation, and contemporary court cases. The use of oral history as evidence in court cases to prove land titles has a long and stormy legal history. The battles not only determined how Canadians viewed First Nations, but also created controversy among aboriginal peoples, as they debated what knowledge should be shared and who should share that oral tradition.

Oral tradition is now allowed as legal evidence, although ongoing court cases are still redefining its role. The wider legal ramifications of oral tradition as it relates to copyright are only now being explored. Oral histories provided to courts and researchers by members of First Nations are frequently posted on Web sites, but no one has ever thought to ask the original authors’ permission.

Daum Shanks concluded, “Whether examined by the courts or read on a Web site, oral traditions deserve as much legal protection as any other information in society. But whether such protection can ever occur is doubtful as Canada’s legal system still has non-aboriginals defining what oral tradition and aboriginal mean. ”—Royce Kurtz, University of Mississippi, ulkurt@olemiss.edu

Globalization and copyright

“Crossing New Borders: Globalization and Copyright” was sponsored by the Law and Political Science Section, the ACRL Copyright Committee, the Canadian Library Association, and the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP).

Rick Weingarten (OITP) described how those seeking change are “forum shopping,” seeking the most advantageous international forums for copyright negotiations. Government representatives hold these negotiations in secret, with no advocates for consumers or libraries present. Resulting agreements have the force of, and shape national legislation. Advocates for libraries can only influence the process by contacting our representatives with concerns.

Paul Whitney (Vancouver Public Library) asserted that the agenda for copyright change is being driven by large audiovisual and digital media conglomerates seeking rights for creators. Two huge issues are the ease of copying for the global market and the ease of distribution. He agrees with Weingarten that international treaties put enormous pressure on legislatures to produce conforming national legislation.

Grace Westcott (Canadian Copyright Institute) also noted the top down effect of globalization. Canada, like many countries, must conform to international agreements. Canada is forced to expend scarce resources to be represented at many more meetings than it can afford to attend. As a small country, Canada must focus on learning best practices and monitoring issues.

In the question and answer period, the speakers expressed pessimism over the process, but optimism that users are uniting and getting themselves heard by legislators and trade representatives.—Dennis Lambert, Villanova University, dennis.lambert@villanova.edu

Professionalism and ethics

“What’s trump? Making Decisions about Professionalism and Ethics in a New Century,” cosponsored by the Ethics Committee and Education and Behavioral Sciences Section, asked if there is a principle that one can invoke to decide in a given situation whether one ethical principle trumps another? Two moral voices: a) justice and rights, and b) human connectedness and care were presented by Thomas J. Froehlich (Kent State University). He framed the gender-related dichotomy, introduced by psychologist Carol Gilligan in 1982, as a tool to critique mores and values within library practice and policy.

Roma M. Harris (University of Western Ontario) presented her feminist library research as well as her latest unpublished study that asked Ontario public reference librarians over the phone whether it was safe to travel to Toronto during the SARS epidemic. Harris urged librarians to respond to information-seeking behavior studies by changing the way they provide services. Studies show that people prefer familiar and convenient sources of information and may begin with the need for emotional support over the phone, but can then be directed to Web sites (under the library’s own logo) leading to authoritative information on current topics.

A huge thanks to the Michigan-Ontario programming committee (Karen Bacsanyi, Kate Corby, Veronica Bielat, Darlene Nichols, and Brenda Reed), Francis Maloy, and our speakers. References are available at http:// www.lib.msu.edu/corby/ebss/03annual.htm. —Sally Haines Lawler, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, slawler@umich.edu

Partnering with faculty and instructional designers

The program for the Distance Learning Section, “Crossing Our Own Borders,” began with Moderator Alexander (Sandy) Slade (Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries, Canada) setting the stage for the five panelists by discussing interest among librarians in becoming active participants in collaboration and the obstacles they face.

As manager of Instructional Support Services at Southern Illinois University, Howard Carter described his efforts to include librarians in online courses. Largely because of external considerations that affected the library at that time, it was the librarians who were reluctant to add this role to their existing duties.

Jeremy Mouat (professor of history, Athabasca University, Alberta) related his experiences in collaborating with librarians. Because the online format has created a greater need for help with search strategies, critical analysis, etc., he feels that “collaboration is essential in searching, not for answers, but for meaning.” His advice was to maintain flexibility and openness in collaboration and to let faculty know that collaboration will be beneficial for them.

Marian Press and Carol Calder (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto) detailed the development of a “virtual library” course that was incorporated into a professor’s online course. The professor urged other faculty to follow suit and other successful collaborations have resulted from this.

Librarian-faculty collaboration can also come about because of a mandate from above, as Steve Schafer (director of library services, Athabasca University, Alberta) related. The library developed open source software, “Digital

Reading Room,” for its e-reserves in response to the university’s “E-learning plan.”

ACRL’s 2003 Academic/Research Librarian of the Year Ross Atkinson (center), with 2002-03 ACRL President Helen H. Spalding and David Swords of YBP. Swords presented the award to Atkinson at a ceremony during the Toronto Annual Conference.

All the panelists urged promoting collaboration and librarians’ skills, but recognized the problems librarians face in dealing with the resulting increased workload.—Pamela F. Ortega, Eastern Illinois University, cfpfo@eiu.edu

The roles of metadata tags

The Asian, African and Middle Eastern Section (AAMES) program, “International Cooperation in Building Visual and Print Collections: Creating Metadata and Broadening of Information Services,” explored potential roles of metadata tags in an increasingly international information matrix both through discussion of theoretical history and assessment of current projects.

Lois Mai Chan opened the session with a lengthy paper, “Metadata and Subject Access,” discussing pressing questions of interoperability examined in a survey of nine systems of data organization (ranging from MARC and Dublin Core to more esoteric classifications such as that of the Visual Resources Association), which was conducted by the IFLA Working Group on the Use of Metadata Schemes. Her dynamic and lucid presentation explored efforts at developing an inventory of international metadata applications to serve as a core record for creators and publishers of electronic records and eventually form the basis of guidelines for incorporating metadata records into online systems.

Lincoln Cushing (University of California-Berkeley) profiled two colorful projects underway through the Institute for Industrial Relations, the Database of American Labor Graphics, and the Labor Contracts database, both of which illustrated the utility of metadata as a search tool.

Harry Wagner (OCLC Office of Research) reported progress on the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative and its registry working group, which was established in 1999, focusing on the successful completion of the first two phases of the plan.—Robert Ridinger, Northern Illinois University, tridinger@niu.edu

Canadian literature

The panel of the Literatures in English Program, “Canadian Literature: A User’s Guide,” consisted of Canadiana bibliographer Sandra Alston, literary critic Magdalene Redekop, Goose Lane press proprietor Susanne Alexander, and writer Alistair MacLeod.

Alston discussed her webliography (http:// www.libraiy.utoronto.ca/colldev/ala.html) during the session. “Contrary to popular belief,” she said, “Canadian literature did not begin in the 1970s with Margaret Atwood.” The literary magazine was popular during pioneer times, and English-Canadian literature constitutes only one part of the nation’s writing.

Redekop noted that the heterogeneous nature of Canada precludes its literatures being categorized under one model of linguistic identity. She divides its literatures into three stages: the Confederation and after, the Centennial and after, and 1990 until the present.

Alexander described publishing in Canada as a “labor of love.” Regional differences and the appeal of foreign books have created an environment of competition for small presses. Despite these economic stresses, literary presses retain a place in the Canadian publishing market. Alexander believes that libraries can counteract the blockbuster phenomenon by creating a readership of books beyond the bestsellers.

MacLeod noted that Canadian literature is dominated by geography and climate. Snow, coastal tides, and the dryness of Manitoba wheat fields pervade the literature because

“people write about what worries them.” The melting pot isn’t a strong theme because the country was largely rural for a long time. “In Canada, people live in different rooms in a large house.”—Amanda J. Roberts, Nova Southeastern University, amandajr@nova.edu

Library networks

Jeffrey Garrett (Northwestern University) acted as both moderator and panelist for the Western European Studies Section program entitled “Across the Pond: New Research Library Networks in Europe and Across the Atlantic.” He opened the program with the observation that the advent of technology has made “the pond” between North America and Europe much smaller in practice, causing a “revolution of collaboration” and allowing for projects that were unimaginable just a decade ago.

Members enjoy the waterfront at the 2003 ALA Annual Conference in Toronto.

Examples, both inter- and intra-national, were presented by Sharon Brown (Wilfrid Laurier University), who described “A Canadian Sampler,” and Garrett, who outlined the “German Resources Project”; Richard Hacken (Brigham Young University) discussed “Types of Digital Library Cooperation in German Studies”; and Michael Neubert (Library of Congress) recounted “Russian Research Library Networks.”

Examples included the provision of online journals through collaborative site licensing for 64 Canadian universities, Canadian journal digitization, the evolution of an effort that originally sought to replicate German resources in the United States into an effort to make them available remotely, cooperative digital library projects in German studies, and complex interactions between Russian libraries through universities, ministries and academies, as well as with European organizations such as TACIS (Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States).

Garrett closed the program by reminding us that these growing digital reserves of materials are fragile and that we struggle both to keep up with their exponential growth and prevent them from disappearing in a “hemorrhage of information.” Additional information is available on WESSWEB at http://www.lib.virginia. edu/wess/.—Lynne M. Thomas, Yale University, lynne.thomas@yale.edu

Faculty partnerships

The Science and Technology Section hosted the program “Partners in Science: An Exploration of a Scientist-Librarian Relationship,” featuring Carolyn MacGregor and Paul St. Pierre (both at the University of Waterloo) and Steve Hiller (University of Washington).

Moderator Anne Fullerton (University of Waterloo) asked MacGregor and St. Pierre questions about the librarian-faculty relationship and the ability of librarians to meet the research needs of faculty members in any discipline.

Both MacGregor and St. Pierre agreed that the liaison partnership was successful because of the expertise St. Pierre brought to the relationship and his willingness to learn, and MacGregor’s appreciation for the library and what it offers faculty members and students.

Then, Hiller, who has published in tire areas of assessment and user satisfaction, presented the different types of assessments he conducted at the University of Washington pertaining to how students and science and engineering faculty use the libraiy. In the results he found that personal connections with users is most valuable.

Following Hiller’s presentation, he and the panelists responded to questions from the audience. Later, the audience broke into groups to identify best liaison practices and then reported back to the whole group.

A poster session followed the program featuring seven groups of authors. Displays featured research diagrams, tutorials, and projects that enhance and faculty relationships.—Claudia Timmann, University of Arizona, timmannc@u.libmıy.arizona.edu

Information literacy in higher education

The importance of teaching information literacy skills in higher education was the focus of the panel presentation cosponsored by ACRL’s Instruction Section and the Canadian Library Association’s Information Literacy Interest Group, “Information Literacy in Higher Education: International Perspectives.” A panel of international speakers representing Canada, Australia, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) gathered to present current programs, share common experiences, and discuss future goals and cooperative ventures.

Loanne Snavely (Pennsylvania State University) moderated the session and set the tone for the panel by illustrating the common challenges that librarians face in teaching information literacy skills. These challenges include inadequate staffing, language barriers, and physical challenges in the classroom, including lack of technology and space. Snavely concluded her introduction by stating that “each librarian and administrator can make a difference, but we need to collaborate, consult, and discuss.”

Jane Mandalios and Fiona Hunt (both of Zayed University, UAE) followed with their presentation titled, “Teaching Information Literacy in the Arabian Gulf.” They described the challenges they face and how they have collaborated to develop an information literacy program consisting of three required classes that introduce a systematic course of skills taught by librarians partnered with English faculty.

Brittney Goodman (Minnesota State University-Moorhead) presented Sabina Robertson’s (University of Melbourne) paper “A Day in the Life of a Librarian: Observations of a Librarian Based in a Faculty,” in the author’s absence. Robertson described the changing role of librarians as they become more involved in curriculum development and as universities and faculty recognize the need for students to be equipped with lifelong learning skills.

Corinne Laverty (Queen’s University) presented an overview of the changing trends in Canadian information literacy instaiction titled, “Canadian Kaleidoscope: Perspectives on Information Literacy.” Ongoing barriers are lack of equipment and space, lack of planning time, insufficient staff, faculty who undervalue information literacy instruction, and students with negative attitudes. Laverty stressed new directions in information literacy focusing on collaboration, partnerships, and learning teams. She encouraged librarians to partner with faculty, to work with the instructional development and learning technology groups on campus, and to join online course development teams to integrate information literacy instruction into the curriculum.

Further information on the program, including a bibliography, can be located at http:// mailer.fsu.edu/~cklatt/.—Pam Werre, Minnesota State University Moorhead, werrepa@ mnstate.edu

The great debate of 2003: The library as place

And what a great debate it was. In formal debate style, the University Libraries Section’s (ULS) annual program posed the question: Be it resolved that by 2020, academic libraries will have outlived their need for physical space. Over 400 audience members cheered on the debaters and enthusiastically participated in the debate as well. Ernie Ingles (University of Alberta) and Jim Neal (Columbia University) had the more challenging affirmative side of the debate question, but they gamely engaged Gillian McCombs (Southern Methodist University) and Madeleine Lefebvre (St. Mary’s University) in what, occasionally, became an hysterical battle of the sexes. Moderating the debate and adding his own very special wit and polish to the proceedings was Norman Horrocks (professor emeritus, Dalhousie University; contributing editor, Libraiy Journal, editorial consultant, Scarecrow Press).

Keeping these articulate and passionate debaters within their allotted time and audience members to their three-minute limits was Kathleen DeLong (University of Alberta), who wielded her stop card with unbiased authority, stopping some speakers midsentence.

Louise Sherby ‚ outgoing chair of ULS, introduced the program that grew out of the Scott Carlson article in the Chronicle of Higher Education (The Deserted Library). The Great Debate is a popular annual event for the Canadian Association of College and University Libraries, the program’s cosponsor.

McCombs and Lefebvre drew first blood when they waltzed into the ballroom and onto the platform dressed in full Canadian jurist attire (powdered wigs and all), vowing to put “the library itself on the stand to defend itself.” Giving the first affirmative argument, Neal articulated a future where information will be dynamic, distributed, and digital with innovative services and new information systems, and questioned how we will justify the cost of warehouses for low use, or often no use, collections. In her first negative argument, McCombs responded by reminding the audience of past digital failures in preservation and questioning the basic assumptions of the resolution. In clever debate fashion, she quoted Neal’s own Columbia Library users survey that showed that 24 percent of students used the stacks, 28 percent used study space, 28 percent used computers, and 20 percent used the library for other activities.

After he succeeded in getting both McCombs and Lefebvre to swoon following talk of how Image his library is, Ernie Ingles reminded us that librarians must understand this generation of students for whom the library has always had computers and not a card catalog. These students want electronic, barrier-free, remote access to library collections. They demand clicks not bricks. Ingles went on to challenge librarians to be the leaders because if we don’t lead, others will. Madeleine Lefebvre completed the negative side by reinforcing the importance of the library as a physical space, a space that holds tactile, sensitive objects, such as books, and serves a vital archiving role that enables students to work physically with primary sources. But it was her return to the “library as place” argument that captured the day and the imagination of a large number of audience members.

By the end of the debate, it was clear that both sides were closer than they were apart, with a recognition that for libraries to survive as physical spaces, they must change, and the role of the librarian must be expanded even more than the four walls of the library.

Following a spirited audience participation session, a vote was taken that overwhelmingly supported the negative argument. (What a surprise!) Indeed, by a huge percentage, Canadian and U.S. librarians are in agreement that by 2020 we will still need libraries as physical spaces.—Pamela Wonsek, Hunter College, pwonsek@hunter.cuny.edu ■