ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

In the News

“When two men meet there are really six present —each as he sees the other man, each as he sees himself and each as he is truly.”

This old saying, recalled in Connie Dowell’s description of the California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives (CEMA) project, has application in every facet of our professional (and personal) lives. As the article states, “our long history of misunderstanding ethnic groups comes from a lack of knowledge.” CEMA and projects like it will provide access to information that may help us better appreciate different viewpoints.

Bob Doyle and Opritsa D. Popa’s article on the colloquium prepared for Romanian librarians also illustrates this reminder about perspectives: “… participants forgot about the speaker and argued loudly and intensely about the feasibility and benefits of various services. The American delegation could only look on, amazed at the passions unleashed by mere descriptions of library services.”

As someone who wore wrist splints for eight weeks due to wrist pain apparently brought on by an ill-fitting computer workstation, I encourage you to review Thomas Ricks and Richard Eissinger’s descriptions of repetitive-motion injuries and preventive steps that can betaken to avoid them. They note that cooperation (appreciating various viewpoints) is a key to successfully preventing these injuries.

This issue also contains highlights of the ALA Midwinter Meeting (congratulations to Carla Stoffle, ACRL’s newest Academic or Research Librarian of the Year) as well as statements by ACRL’s presidential candidates Thomas Kirk and Barbara Wittkopf. Ann de Klerk provides us with a report on the Electronic Publishing and Networking meeting and this issue contains the second in a series of media tips.

There is still time to register for ACRL’s 6th National Conference in Salt Lake City, April 12-14. Blaine Hall highlights the many wonderful eateries and clubs in the last of his series on Salt Lake City. I hope you will join us.

—Mary Ellen K. Davis Editor & Publisher U38398@UICVM.bitnet