ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

ACRL chapters

Meet ACRL’s local representatives.

ACRL chapters serve as channels between academic and research librarians and the ACRL Headquarters. Thirty-seven regional and state ACRL chapters now cover forty-one states and one Canadian province, and provide opportunities for local participation for over 9,000 ACRL members who live within those areas. To find out how you can participate, contact the chair of the chapter nearest to you.

If you would like to start a chapter in your region, contact Linda Woo, Chair, Chapters Council Committee for New ACRL State Chapters, 1451 Garfield St., Denver, CO 80206.

Alabama Chapter(est. 1986)

To be appointed.

Arizona Chapter(est. 1982)

Jean D. Collins, University Librarian, Cline Library, Northern Arizona University, NAU Box 6022, Flagstaff, AZ 85011-0051.

California Chapter(est. 1979)

Marion Peters, Head Librarian, Chemistry Library, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90034.

Colorado Chapter(est. 1983)

John Garralda, Denver Public Library, 1357 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203.

Delaware Valley Chapter(est. 1969)

Judith M. Feller, Documents Librarian, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301.

Florida Chapter(est. 1978)

Larry Hardesty, Director of Library Services, Eckerd College Library, 4200 S. 54th Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33733.

Georgia Chapter(est. 1980)

Robert Richardson, Director, Duckworth Libraries, Young Harris College, Young Harris, GA 30582.

Illinois Chapter(est. 1973)

Richard L. Pratt, Schewe Library, Illinois College, 1101 W. College Ave., Jacksonville, IL 62650.

Indiana Chapter(est. 1980)

Mildred McGinnis, ACQ Search and Order Librarian, Alexander Bracken Library, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306.

Iowa Chapter(est. 1976)

Dorothy Persson, Psychology Library, Seashore Hall, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242.

Kansas Chapter(est. 1975)

Rachel R. Shorthill, 2918 Lydia, 111, Topeka, KS 66614.

Kentucky Chapter(est. 1986)

Martha Birchfield, Director, Lexington Community College Library, Cooper Drive, Lexington, KY 40506.

Louisiana Chapter(est. 1982)

Phoebe Timberlake, Serials Librarian, Long Library, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148.

Maryland Chapter(est. 1977)

Linda Leonard, Director, Howard Community College Library, Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044.

Michigan Chapter(est. 1974)

Agnes Haigh, SSHR, Michigan State University Library, East Lansing, MI 48824.

Minnesota Chapter(est. 1975)

Carol A. Johnson, Cataloger, 170 Wilson Library, University of Minnesota, 309 19th Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55455.

Mississippi Chapter(est. 1981)

Eddie Williams, Box 5053, Southern Station, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39401.

Missouri Chapter(est. 1952)

June DeWeese, Social Sciences Librarian, Ellis Library, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201.

Montana Chapter(est. 1985)

Janice Brandon, Head of Circulation and Reserves, Renne Library, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.

Nebraska Chapter(est. 1980)

Mary Nash, Head, Reference Department, Reinert/Alumni Library, Creighton University, California at 24th St., Omaha, NE 68588.

Nevada Chapter(est. 1985)

Dorothy Winter, Services Librarian, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154.

New England Chapter(est. 1972)

Suanne Muehlner, Director of Libraries, Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901.

New Jersey Chapter(est. 1979)

Ermina Hahn, Rutgers University Law Library, Newark, NJ 07102.

New York Chapter, Eastern(est. 1975)

William F. Young, Head Reference Librarian, SUNY/Albany, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222.

New York Chapter, Greater Metropolitan Area(est. 1980)

Ann K. Randall, Chief Librarian, City College of CUNY, 5333 N. Academic Center, New York, NY 10031.

New York (Western)/Ontario Chapter(est. 1975) Virginia Gillham, Documentation and Media Resource Center, McLaughlin Library, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1.

North Carolina Chapter(est. 1978)

Elizabeth Smith, Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834.

North Dakota Chapter(est. 1984)

Jon A. Boone, Coordinator of Collection Development, Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202.

Ohio Chapter(est. 1981)

Peri Irish Switzer, Head, Acquisition Department, Wright State University Library, Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435.

Oklahoma Chapter(est. 1981)

Susan McVey, 2220 NW 30th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73112.

Oregon Chapter(est. 1975)

Terry Soohoo, Head, Technical Services Division, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207.

South Dakota Chapter(est. 1981)

Leon Raney, Dean of Libraries, South Dakota State University, Box 2115, Brookings, SD 57007.

Tennessee Chapter(est. 1976)

Joan Worley, Director, Maryville College Library, Maryville, TN 37801.

Texas Chapter(est. 1977)

Paul Dumont, Director, Technical Service Center, Dallas Community College, 4343 N. Highway 67, Mesquite, TX 75150.

Virginia Chapter(est. 1977)

James Gwin, Boatwright Library, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA 23173.

Washington State Chapter(est. 1980)

Arley Jonish, Director, Penrose Memorial Library, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA 99362.

Wisconsin Chapter(est. 1975)

Jo Ann Carr, Director, Instructional Materials Center, 225 N. Mills St., Madison, WI 53706.

Letter

Carpeting the stacks

To the Editor:

In his article on replacing carpeting in library stack areas (C&RL News, July/August 1986, pp. 441–44), James Segesta briefly mentions the option of gluing carpeting around existing stacks. We recently completed just such an installation at William Paterson College.

Because we felt the cost of moving books was prohibitive, we decided to leave our shelving in place on top of existing carpeting. The old carpeting and padding that ran down the aisles between stack ranges was cut out and replaced by vinyl floor tiles. This left the stacks standing on approximately one inch of old carpeting and padding that was rather unsightly. The appearance was improved by gluing vinyl molding along the base shelves.

A word of warning about this type of installation: ripping out old carpeting and padding is a very dirty job and a lot of dust and dirt settles on the books, especially those on the lower shelves. Anyone contemplating an installation of this type should plan on either covering the books or dusting the books and shelves afterwards.—Eugene S. Mitchell, Associate Director for Collection Management, William Paterson College of New Jersey.

What else works?

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) is compiling another handbook of educational research findings to supplement its 1985 volume, What Works. Of special interest are any research findings that indicate the library’s positive role in quality education. The new publication will be disseminated to groups of parents, education professionals, policymakers, and others concerned with the quality of teaching methods in elementary or secondary schools. If a sufficient number of relevant research findings are received they will be prepared for publication in the spring of 1987.

Individuals or organizations may submit as many entries as they wish. Each must adhere to the content criteria set forth below and should be prepared in a format and style similar to the entries in What Works. The deadline for submissions is October 20, 1986. Entries will not be returned.

The criteria are as follows:

1) The finding must apply to education at the pre-school, elementary and/or secondary level. Though it may also have implications for postsecondary or adult education, a finding should be framed in relation to its implications for the education of children prior to high school graduation.

2) The finding must be based on general consensus among leading scholars and practitioners in particular fields. This does not require unanimity or the absence of reputable disagreement. Neither does it mean that there can be no complexities associated with understanding and applying the findings. The submission, though, should be founded on available syntheses, analyses, and other demonstrable evidence of sufficiently widespread agreement as to make it reasonable to bring the finding to the attention of the public.

3) The finding must pertain to an important issue, problem, practice, or situation affecting the education of large numbers of children. Findings need not be confined to “schooling” (library, home, family and out-of-school education are certainly eligible) and can address a wide range of subject categories including: achievement and motivation, character education, classroom behavior and processes, early childhood education, guidance and counseling, individual differences, instructional leadership, learning resources, parental involvement, school management and organization, special education, special populations, subject matter learning, and teacher quality and effectiveness.

4) The finding must have a clear relationship to practice, so that thoughtful readers can readily grasp its significance for their children, family, students, school, or community.

All findings statements should be less than 50 words, with comment or discussion less than 300 words. Each should cite five to eight references that support the finding and provide additional background. Each submission must be accompanied by one copy of each of the cited references.

For more information on the project, for copies of the earlier What Works volume, and to request cover sheets to attach to your submission, contact: Ann Swift, Outreach, 304E, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20208; (202) 357-6560, 357-6570.

New ACRL/PLA humanities workshops

The Association of College and Research Libraries and the Public Library Association (PLA) have been awarded a grant of $152,906 to conduct a second series of four workshops, sponsored and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Applications are now being accepted for these 2-day workshops.

Each application for the workshop must be submitted by a librarian/humanist team. Preference will be given to teams composed of one academic librarian, one public librarian, and one humanities scholar. The workshops will be held in four regions of the United States. Fifteen teams will be accepted for each workshop.

This second series of workshops will be presented in the same format as the seven highly successful workshops conducted in 1984-86. Half of the teams attending the workshops have subsequently applied for grants, and of those applications, twothirds were awarded funds.

The primary goal of this project is to initiate communication between public and academic librarians and humanities scholars for the purpose of working together on cooperative humanities programming projects and to stimulate them to seek funds for appropriate humanities activities.

Major objectives of the workshops are:

•to assist librarians from public and academic library environments in understanding the constraints and opportunities that affect cooperative planning efforts;

•to assist librarians and humanists in working together cooperatively to program in the humanities, utilizing the complementary resources each can bring to the programming effort;

•to acquaint librarians and humanists with the value and potential impact of humanities programs on the library’s program of service;

•to demonstrate how innovative public programs are designed and produced;

•to encourage librarians to make an assessment of their humanities holdings with a view to developing program themes;

•to assist librarians in preliminary proposal preparation, with particular emphasis on the solicitation of cost-sharing from either local funding or private philanthropy; and

•to explain the particular goals and objectives of the NEH and the work funded by each of the other NEH divisions.

Team applications will be selected based on the following criteria:

•demonstrated philosophical interest in public programming;

•ability to assess the resources and structures of the academic institutions and public librarians in terms of joint programming efforts;

•interest in learning how to develop innovative methods of programming to stimulate interest in the humanities in the general adult public by using the resources of public and academic libraries; and •potential to work cooperatively.

The major presenter is Julie Virgo, vicepresident of the Carroll Group and former executive director of ACRL. Some individual consulting time will be available with Virgo, Thomas Phelps of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Joseph Parisi, editor of Poetry magazine.

The first workshop in Orlando, Florida, November 19–21, 1986, has been filled. Applications for the next three workshops are still being accepted: February 25–27, 1987, in Oracle, Arizona (outside Tucson); April 22–24, 1987, in Boys’ Town, Nebraska; and October 14–16,1987, in the Northeast.

Contact Sandy Donnelly, ACRL, 50 E. Huron, Chicago, IL 60611; (312) 944-6780, for an application form. The application deadline is seven weeks prior to each workshop.

International agricultural database

The University of Missouri-Columbia Libraries have completed the first phase of an extensive database on international agricultural systems.

From 1979 through January 1985 the UMC Small Farms Study Library was located in and administered by the Department of Agricultural Economics. In January 1985 it was moved to the Ellis Library under the administrative guidance of the social science librarian. In October 1985 a computerized database was begun and the name of the collection was changed to the International Agricultural Systems Collection.

The goal of the collection is to store and disseminate information on international agriculture in general, and specifically on small farming systems in developing countries. Two important subobjectives of the project are: 1) to develop a computerized database of the library’s holdings; and 2) to identify fugitive materials in other locations that may be of interest to farming systems researchers both on the UMC campus and on-site in foreign countries.

Resources are also collected from such related fields as agronomy, animal husbandry, communications, economics, engineering, health and nutrition, rural sociology, soil science, and technology. There is also a strong emphasis on materials pertinent to women in development. A printout file is maintained of several active search topics.

The current database was created using the Revelation database applications software on an IBM-AT microcomputer. As of August 1986 there were over 3,300 records in the system containing over 20,0 keywords. The system’s indexing capabilities permit searching for any combination of characters from any field or from any combination of fields. The structure of the database system permits all of the data entry and searching tasks to be completely menu-driven.

The system also supports case-sensitive help screens, a number of which have been incorporated into this application. Each citation is restricted in length to 64K bytes (about 32 pages); the number of records in the database is limited only by the available disk space. The Revelation database package can transfer records or other data in either dBASE II, ASCII, Lotus 1-2-3, or WordPerfect formats.

UMC is willing to lend or photocopy items from the collection through normal interlibrary loan channels to academic, public, or corporate libraries. They encourage the use of the materials either on campus or through lending.

For further information, contact: June L. De-Weese, Social Science Librarian, 2D32 Ellis Library, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201; (314) 882-6661.

Fulbright librarian exchange, United Kingdom

The U.S.-U.K. Educational Commission in London is now accepting applications for an exchange of professional university and research library staff. The competitive award has been made available under the Fulbright program to provide an opportunity for librarians to broaden their perspectives and enhance cross-cultural skills and insights.

Applications will be accepted from librarians, library administrators, or archivists at four-year colleges and universities or research libraries outside of higher education. Each applicant is responsible for arranging affiliation with a university library, research library, or national library in the United Kingdom. A list of British libraries eligible for participation in the program may be requested from the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) in Washington.

Applicants must hold U.S. citizenship and a fulltime library post at an academic or major research library. A minimum of five years continuous professional experience is also required. The program is designed for mid-career professionals who hold positions appropriate to implementing new ideas and insights gained from the exchange experience.

The grant is for a minimum of three months. The grantee may begin the award in September 1987; completion is required before July 31, 1988. Travel expenses are to be deducted from a fixed sum, paid in pounds sterling, designed to be a supplement to the salary maintenance provided by the home institution. The Fulbright Commission in London has established the fixed sum grant for 1986-–88 at £3,250. It is expected that the grantee will be on approved leave with full or partial compensation from the home institution.

CIES, which administers the American selection of grantees for the Fulbright Scholar Program, will appoint a review panel to screen and nominate candidates for the award. Final selection is made by the Board of Foreign Scholarships and the U.S.-U.K. Educational Commission in London. Applicants should prepare a project statement describing the nature of the proposed exchange and its significance to the applicant’s professional development.

At the time of application, candidates must submit evidence that arrangements have been worked out with a British university, research library, or national library to host the grantee.

All applications, including references, must be received by CIES before January 2, 1987. For further information, contact: Steven A. Blodgett, Council for International Exchange of Scholars, 11 Dupont Circle, N.W., Washington, DC 20036; (202) 939-5416.