ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

James and Takaki will speak at ACRL's 7th National Conference

ACRL’s 7th National Conference, March 29- April 1, 1995, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will offer over 100 papers, panels, and pre- conferences. Designed to help you update your skills in the practical areas of library manage- ment, the conference will address four theme tracks: knowledge workers and their organiza- tions; technology and the service-centered li- brary; multiculturalism and internationalism; and society, economics, and politics. In this ar- ticle we feature two of the four exciting theme speakers who will address the conference on issues of great concern to all librarians.

Jennifer James

Jennifer James is a cultural anthropologist, lec- turer, writer, and commentator known for her innovative ideas, especially managing a changing workforce. She will address the theme of “Knowledge Workers and Their Organiza- tions” on Wednesday, March 29. She spent 12 years as a full-time fac- ulty member of the Psy- chiatry Department at the University of Wash- ington Medical School. She currently gives lec- tures, has a weekly column in the Seattle Times, and has produced a series of business videotapes offering strategies for handling problems in the workplace and the home. James holds an M.A. in anthropology and psychology, and a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology. Positive evaluations of James include: “Your effective and timely mes- sage has generated a number of inquiries for more follow-up information on risk taking, changes, and the payoffs of empowering em- ployees. Your warmth and humor brought us a down-to-earth reality check.”

Jennifer James

Ronald Takaki

Ronald Takaki, professor of ethnic studies at the University of California, Berkeley, will dis- cuss multiculturalism and internationalism at the all-conference luncheon, Thursday, March 30. After receiving his Ph.D. in American his- tory, Takaki went to UCLA to teach its first black history course. While there, he helped found its centers for Af- rican American, Asian American, Chicano, and Native American stud- ies. Upon returning to Berkeley, Takaki served as chair of the Department of Ethnic Studies and advisor of the new Ethnic Studies Ph.D. program, the first of its kind in the country. Among his many books are Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; and A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America, a retelling of our nation’s past through the eyes of people whose stories have often been ignored. Takaki has said, “The need to open the American mind to greater cultural diversity will not go away. We can resist it by ignoring the changing ethnic composition of our student bodies and the larger society, or we can realize how it offers colleges and universities a timely and exciting opportunity to revitalize the social sciences and humanities.” ■

Ronald Takaki