ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 276 / C& RL News (#88, D e c e m b e r 1984) on t h a t task fe a tu re d such c h allen g e s as “ look fo r a n o th e r fic h e r e a d e r in w h ic h th e b u lb h as n o t b u rn e d o u t” a n d “c lim b five flig h ts o f s ta ir s th in k in g of it as e x e rc is e .” H is w o rld -fam o u s tre a tis e o n “T h e S to ra g e a n d C a re of L ib ra ria n s” w a s c ited in a n e a rlie r c o lu m n (April 1989). F o r all th e y h a v e d o n e to p ro m o te th e cause of lib ra ry h u m o r, C u m N o tis V a rio ru m , Skillin Q. F o w lstru n k e r, a n d A nn P. B a sa rt deserve special c o m m e n d atio n . T h e fin a l e xam ple of h u m o r fro m th e m usic li­ b ra ry is from a sh o rt series on th e p lac e, a n d p la c e ­ m e n t, of th e p e n cil s h a rp e n e r in lib ra ries t h a t a p ­ p e a r e d in T h e L a n t e r n ’s C o r e , f r o m t h e N o rth w e ste rn U n iv e rsity L ib ra ry in 1972. T h e fi­ n a l c o n tr ib u tio n in t h a t m u lt i - p a r t series fro m Stephen F ry o n “A M usic L ib ra ry P encil S h a rp ­ e n e r” (D e ce m b er 1 3,1972) c o n firm s p a r t of m y in i­ tia l hypothesis t h a t th e rig h t b ra in /le ft b ra in sy n ­ d ro m e m ay b e b e h in d th e d e v ia n t n a tu re of h u m o r in th e m u sic lib ra ry . H is n o te d e sc rib e s a g ra y Apsco “G ia n t” ty p e H I-A s h a rp e n e r a n d th e p ro b ­ lem s e n c o u n te re d in p ro v id in g effective access to it w h e n n e w stacks w e re a d d e d . T h e u ltim a te solu­ tio n w a s to “ro ta te th e s h a rp e n e r base 180 degrees (alo n g a n E a st-W e st axis), a n d th e n ro ta te th e p e n ­ cil shavings c o m p a rtm e n t, w h ic h ho ld s th e ro ta ry h e a d , 180 degrees (a lo n g a N o rth -S o u th a x is )....It is n ow especially h a n d y for le ft-h a n d e d p e o p le [F ry n o te d ] ...a n d th is seem s to b e a g re a t d ra w in g fe a ­ tu r e of o u r l ib r a r y .... W e in v ite le ft-h a n d e d p e ople w h o c a n n o t elsew here fin d su ita b le m ac h in es to s h a rp e n th e ir pencils a t th e M usic L ib r a r y .” A library-sponsored tutorial program By Susan Deese D irector, C e n te r f o r A c a d e m ic P rogram S u p p o rt U niversity o f N e w M exico T h e C e n te r fo r A c a d e m ic P r o g r a m S u p p o r t (CAPS), a c o m p re h en siv e tu to ria l c e n te r, h as b een a d e p a rtm e n t w ith in th e U n iversity of N ew M exico G e n era l L ib r a r y since 1980. T h e p ro g ra m , o rigi­ n ally c alled th e Skills C e n te r, w as established in 1979 as th e a c a d e m ic su p p o rt u n it o f a c o m p re h e n ­ sive re m e d ia l p ro g ra m . D u r i n g 1 9 7 9 -1 9 8 0 , th e C e n te r w as h o u se d in th e lib ra ry b u t w as n o t p a r t of th e lib ra ry a d m in istra tiv e ly . F u n d in g w a s p ro ­ v ided th ro u g h a n in stru c tio n a l b u d g e t fro m th e O f­ fice of th e Provost. Since t h a t tim e , t h e C e n te r h as e x p a n d e d its su p ­ p o rt services to p ro v id e assistance to a ll u n d e rg ra d ­ u a te stu d e n ts a n d to g ra d u a te stu d e n ts e n rolled in selected statistics courses. C re d it lib ra ry courses are offered th ro u g h th e C e n te r. L ib ra ry 110 is a tw o -c re d it course in le a rn in g skills w h ic h e m p h a ­ sizes t h e re la tio n s h ip b e tw e e n tr a d i t io n a l stu d y skills a n d le a rn in g th eo ry . L ib ra ry 111 is a tw o- c re d it course in lib ra ry skills w h ic h em phasizes a search stra te g y a p p ro a c h to th e use of lib ra ry tools. L ib ra ry 112 is a o n e -cre d it course in w h ic h stu d e n ts c om bine skills fro m L ib ra ry 111 w ith p a p e rw ritin g skills to p ro d u c e a re sea rc h p a p e r. T h e d ire c to r o f th e C e n te r is th e o nly m e m b e r of th e lib ra ry fa c u lty w h o does n o t h a v e a M a ste r of L ib ra ry Science degree. T h e d ire c to r’s te rm in a l d e­ gree is a D o c to r o f P h ilo so p h y in A d u lt E d u c a tio n . W h e n th e d ire c to r c o m p le te d th e P h .D . in 1984, th e lib ra ry fa c u lty m e m b e rs v o ted to a cc ep t th e d i­ re c to r in to th e fa c u lty . U n til t h a t tim e , th e d ire c to r h a d b e en a m e m b e r of th e a d m in istra tiv e sta ff re ­ p o rtin g to th e a ssistant d e a n fo r p u b lic services b u t h a d n o t b e en a m e m b e r of th e lib ra ry fa cu lty . C u r ­ re n tly , th e C e n te r d ire c to r is a m e m b e r of th e C o u n c il of D e p a rtm e n t H ead s w h ic h serves as th e lib ra ry m a n a g e m e n t t e a m . F u n d s fo r th e p ro g ra m a re p ro v id ed to th e li­ b r a ry in a s e p a ra te in stru c tio n a l b u d g e t fro m th e O ffice of th e v ice p re sid e n t fo r a c a d e m ic affairs (form erly th e O ffice of th e P rovost). In 1985 th e u n d e rg ra d u a te stu d e n t le a d e rs d e cid ed to te rm i­ n a te th e ir a tte m p ts a t sponsoring a tu to ria l p ro ­ g ra m a n d d e cid ed to a llo c ate s tu d e n t fees to th e C e n te r fo r th e p u rp o se o f p ro v id in g assistance to all u n d e rg ra d u a te s. I n 1988 th e le a d e rs o f th e G ra d u ­ a te S tu d e n t A ssociation v o ted to a llo c a te fu n d s to th e C e n te r fo r th e p u rp o se of p ro v id in g tu to ria l as­ sistan ce to g ra d u a te stu d e n ts e n ro lled in selected g ra d u a te level statistics courses. M ore th a n 5 ,000 stu d e n ts (a p p ro x im ate ly one- th ir d of th e u n d e rg ra d u a te p o p u la tio n ) c a m e to th e C e n te r d u rin g 1987-1988. M ore t h a n 19,500 con­ ta c ts w e re m a d e w ith those stu d e n ts fo r a to ta l of a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 3 ,0 0 0 c o n t a c t h o u r s ( a c t u a l a m o u n t of tim e sp e n t by stu d e n ts a t th e C e n te r). In a d d itio n to th e d ire c to r, th e s ta ff in cludes a n asso­ c ia te d ire c to r, a n assistant d ire c to r, a c o o rd in a to r of special p ro g ram s, a n a d m in istra tiv e se c re tary , a w e e k e n d a n d e v e n in g s u p e rv iso r, a n d a p p ro x i­ April 1989 / 271 m ate ly 70 stu d e n t em ployees (g rad u a te assistants, tu to rs, receptionists, a n d d a ta e n try clerks). T he C e n te r’s professional sta ff m em bers p a rtic ip a te in a n u m b e r of university program s in clu d in g student re c ru itm e n t, fresh m an o rien tatio n , a n d new fac­ u lty orien tatio n . T h e d irec to r serves on several u n i­ versity com m ittees in cluding th e C om m itte e for D isabled Students a n d th e A dult R eentry C o m m it­ tee. T hough th e in stru ctio n al b u d g e t fo r th e C e n te r is se p a ra te from th e general funds allocated to the G en eral L ib ra ry , lib ra ry policies and procedures ap p ly to th e exp en d itu re of a ll funds. S tudent a nd sta ff e m ploym ent is h a n d le d by th e lib ra ry ’s p e r­ sonnel specialist. T h e C e n te r m ain tain s a sm all c a t­ alogued collection o f study skills m aterials w hich a re selected by th e d ire c to r. Som e C e n te r sta ff m em bers have b een tra in e d as substitutes on th e G eneral Reference a n d G o v e rn m en t Publications R eference desks. A description of C e n te r services is in cluded in m ost lib ra ry tours fo r u n d e rg ra d u a te students. Plans fo r th e fu tu re in clu d e term p a p e r workshops c o n ducted by C e n te r staff a n d R efer­ ence D e p a rtm e n t lib ra rian s, g ra d u a te level lib ra ry skills courses, a n d expanded p a p e rw ritin g services offered th ro u g h th e C e n te r’s W ritin g L ab. T h e d i­ rector is c u rre n tly c h a ir o f th e L ib ra ry In stru c tio n C om m itte e w h ic h is com posed of representatives from each p u b lic service a re a a n d b ra n c h lib ra ry in th e G e n era l L ib ra ry system . T he C e n te r has be­ com e a n in tegral p a r t of th e G eneral L ib ra ry . T h e follow ing assertions can b e m a d e to support th e presence of th e tu to ria l p ro g ram in th e library: th e G eneral L ib ra ry is th e only college o n cam pus m a n d a te d to serve th e needs of all students; out-of­ classroom lea rn in g is th e h a llm a rk of th e lib ra ry le a rn in g experience; a n d th e C e n te r’s services a n d policies are based u p o n a philosophy of a d u lt edu­ c ation w h ich is consistent w ith th e lib ra ry ’s philos­ ophy of developing lifelong learners. T h ough often referred to as th e “h e a rt” of th e university, libraries a re too o ften view ed as b e ing a d ju n c t to th e e d u ca tio n a l process. T his m ay be d u e in p a r t to a lack of u n d e rsta n d in g on th e p a r t of tea ch in g fa cu lty concerning th e complexities of li­ b ra ry operations and reference services. F o r the m ost p a rt, m em bers o f th e tea ch in g facu lty u n d e r­ sta n d th e com plexities of stu d e n t lea rn in g b e tte r th a n th ey u n d e rsta n d th e com plexities of lib ra ry services. T u to ria l assistance as a lib ra ry service p ro ­ vides a tan g ib le link b e tw ee n lib ra ria n s a n d te a c h ­ ing faculty. I n A lliance f o r E xcellence, th e follow ing recom ­ m en d atio n s a re m ade: • W e reco m m e n d th a t lib ra ries a ccep t th e ir cen­ tra l role in th e L e a rn in g Society as valid lea rn in g centers. F u rth e r, w e recom m end th a t these centers be staffed w ith user-oriented professionals w h o n ot only u n d e rsta n d c o m m unity needs b u t also know l e a r n in g re s o u rc e s . T h e s e “ l e a r n e r s ” a d v is e rs w o u ld h elp p a tro n s to gain th e in fo rm a tio n a nd skills to fu n c tio n successfully in th e L ea rn in g Soci­ e ty .1 • C o lle g e a n d u n iv e rs ity lib ra rie s sh o u ld be staffed w ith stro n g advisers to le a d students to w a rd ad v an ced le a rn in g skills.2 T u to ria l assistance program s a re one m eans of im p le m e n tin g these recom m endations. ■ ■ 1U .S. D e p a rtm e n t of E d u c a tio n , A llia n c e f o r Excellence: L ibrarians R esp o n d to a N a tion a t Risk (W ashington D .C .: G o v e rn m en t P rin tin g Office, 1984), 28. 2A llia n ce f o r E xcellence, 29. Letter In fo T ra c T o th e E ditor: W e w ere pleased to fin d “Users’ R eaction to I n ­ fo T ra c in a n U n d e rg ra d u a te L ib ra ry ” by E llen P. F ly n n in th e J a n u a ry 1989 issue. Palo Alto College recently c o n ducted a user survey on I n fo T ra c using th e sam e questionnaire. O u r results w e re very sim i­ lar. T h e 39 users w h o responded w ere 35 students, 3 fa cu lty m em bers, a n d 3 business persons (tw o stu ­ dents doubled as business persons). W e received 31 overall positive responses, no negative rem arks, a n d 8 no com m ents. All respondents gave In fo T ra c h igh ratin g s in th e survey. T hanks to E llen F lynn a n d C ír R L N e w s for v a lid a tin g th e results of our su rv e y .— C am ille Fiorillo, L ibrarian, Palo A lto College, San A n to n io , Texas. ■ ■ Applications invited for C&RL editor N om inations a n d a pplications a re in vited for th e position o f e d ito r of College ir Research L i ­ braries. T h e e d ito r is ap p o in te d for a three-year term w h ich m ay be renew ed fo r a n a d d itional th re e years. A pplicants m ust b e m em bers of ALA a n d A C R L . Q ualifications in clude experi­ ence in academ ic libraries, evidence of research a n d e d itin g a ctivity, a n d a b ro a d know ledge of th e issues c o n fro n tin g a ca d em ic lib ra ries. A sm all h o n o ra riu m fo r th e e d ito r a n d fu nding a rra n g e m e n ts fo r e d itorial assistance are avail­ able. N om inations or resum es w ith nam es of th r e e re fe re n c e s m a y b e s e n t to: C . B rig id W elch, C h a ir, College a n d R esearch Libraries S e a rc h C o m m itte e , C e n tr a l U n iv e rsity L i ­ b ra ry , C -075-R, U niversity of C alifornia, San D iego, L a Jolla, CA 92093. T h e d eadline for applications is M ay 1, 1989.