ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries February 1 9 9 3 / 8 3 A teacup idea: The research re tre a t B y P e g g y W righ t Practical tips f o r research a n d w riting projects W h y g et involved in research? W ho will p u b lish it? H ow can I finance research activities? T h ese a n d o th e r q u e stio n s c o n c e rn ­ ing a vital p a rt o f academ ic life w e re th e su b ­ ject o f a day-long retreat for librarians at W est­ e rn K entucky University (WKU). Librarians h o ld faculty status at WKU, a n d in k e e p in g w ith th e sc h o o l’s increasing em p h asis o n research for te n u r e a n d p ro m o tio n , th e lib rary re c e n tly a d o p te d guidelines sim ilar to th o se g o verning “classro o m ” faculty. In th e future, involvem ent in research activities will b e an im p o rtan t fac­ to r in d eterm in in g th o se w h o receive ten u re a n d p ro m o tio n . M any p r o n o u n c e d th e n e w stan d ard s a pu b lish -o r-p erish policy th at spells th e ir doom . A n id e a com es to life O v er cu p s o f tea, a co u p le of us d iscu ssed h o w research fears a n d frustrations m ight b e allevi­ ated. W hat a b o u t a w o rk sh o p th at fe a tu re d the c o m b in e d ex p ertise o f local a n d visiting re ­ searchers? W e a p p ro a c h e d several colleagues w ith th e idea. T hey a p p la u d e d th e p ro p o s e d retreat, a n d th e d e a n o f libraries ag re e d to p ro ­ vide small honoraria for a co u p le o f guest sp eak ­ ers. W e selected th e M onday b efo re fall sem es­ ter a n d reserv ed th e m eeting ro o m at a ho tel o n th e e d g e o f M am m oth Cave N ational Park. A h alf-hour drive from th e university, th e hotel offered q u iet dining facilities th at o v erlo o k ed a p eacefu l countryside, an d th e a b se n c e o f tele­ p h o n e s a n d o th e r in terru p tio n s th at p lag u ed cam p u s get-togethers. Flyers distrib u ted at m id­ su m m er a n n o u n c e d th e d ate a n d basic agenda. T he re tre a t’s m orning session consisted o f three 45-m inute talks. David Lee, th e university’s representative o n the Editorial B oard o f th e Uni­ versity Press o f K entucky, ex p lain ed th at the p ress re p re se n te d a co nsortium o f state schools w h ich e n c o u ra g e d scholarship. A lthough the m ajority o f its p u b licatio n s relate to history, governm ent, a n d literature, th e p ress w elcom es all w ell-w ritten m anuscripts (ex cep t novels and g enealogical studies). If a c cep ted for p u b lica­ tion, a m an u scrip t m ight tak e tw o years to edit, design, print, a n d bind, h e w arned. U sing N O T IS to s u p p o rt research Flo W ilson, a ssistan t d ire c to r o f lib raries at V anderbilt University, o ffered research ideas th at h e ld special ap p eal to technical services librarians, a n d fo cu sed o n using NOTIS to su p ­ p o rt research . Since th e original p u rp o s e o f NOTTS, according to Wilson, w as to en ab le each library to d o its o w n thing, vast o p p o rtu n ities for creativity exist w ithin th e system . To tap this, th ere exists a n e e d fo r a strong list o f Sta­ tistical A pplications o f Social Science p rogram s a n d a team o f program m ers. Currently, easy- to-use form ats are h ard to find. She ex p lain ed fu rth er th at NOTIS offers m any o p p o rtu n ities for re p o rt w riting and, as ideals gel, p ro g ram ­ m ers are necessary to pull the inform ation w hich alread y exists in the system . It is, therefore, critical to study th e system to u n d e rs ta n d h o w ideas get in to it. W ilson suggested the follow ing research p o s­ sibilities in NOTIS: transaction logs offer n u ­ m ero u s possibilities for collection d e v elo p m en t reports; cross-reference logs co u ld h e lp cata- logers in designating subject headings; circula­ tio n history files, created w h e n a b o o k is dis­ charged, co u ld describe th e u se o f th at item, a n d th e category o f user; analyzing p a tro n s’ Peggy Wright is coordinator o f research instruction a t Western K entucky University, Bowling Green 84 /C & R L N e w s use o f th e collection (place o f publication, date, etc.) a n d com p arin g the data w ith th e N ational Shelf List c o u ld reveal th e stro n g a n d w e a k p o in ts o f the library’s collection. NOTIS p ro v id es the o p p o rtu n ity for com ­ parison, a n d com parative d ata allow s th e li­ brary to test th e assum ptions in the an sw ers to th e follow ing questions: D o o u r library users u se th e catalog differently from o th e r institu­ tions? H ow im portant is th e catalog? H ow d o es co p y cataloging differ from original cataloging? H ow do libraries handle backlog? H ow can these back lo g files co m p lem en t th e online file? T he crux o f the research process, according to W ilson, is th e n e e d to u n d e rs ta n d h o w ideas g e t into the system in o rd e r to get th em out. T hose w h o in p u t data sh o u ld ask them selves, “Is this d ata b ein g re co rd ed so th at it can b e retrieved?” a n d sh o u ld think th ro u g h w h a t u s­ ers w an t to retrieve before th e input takes place. Finally, W ilson c o u n se le d th at a w ealth o f in­ form ation exists in NOTIS; it is u p to e a c h indi­ vidual to share it w ith the next person. W ritin g fo r jo u rn als T he last p resen tatio n for the m o rn in g featured KLA J o u r n a l e d ito rs G w e n S n o d g ra s s a n d C arm en Embry, w h o m ade w itty observations an d valuable suggestions for g o o d writing. They ad v ised their listeners to select to p ics th a t re ­ late to th eir ex p ertise a n d interests, to c o n d u ct extensive literature searches to determ in e w h at already has b e e n p u b lish ed o n th e topics, an d to b rain sto rm w ith c o lleag u es a b o u t w riting ideas. If a p ro ject req u ires ad d itio n al skills, en g ag e the talents of an expert rather than w aste tim e a n d en erg y struggling w ith a n unfam iliar discipline. T hey also advised that if y o u ’re in d o u b t a b o u t th e co n ten t o r form req u ired b y a p a r­ ticular journal, contact th e ed ito r a n d ask for advice. W hen ev er possible, en g ag e in a joint w riting project w ith a colleague. O n com plet­ ing a m anuscript, ask several associates to read a n d criticize it; incorporate th e ideas offered. Always subm it a clean, read ab le m anuscript. A lthough ev ery o n e can write, Snodgrass an d E m bry assured, som e find it easier th an others. H ard w riting m akes easy reading; th e m ore o n e w rites, th e easier it b eco m e s, th ey prom ised. W ritin g b o o k re v ie w s B o o k review ing is an academ ic responsibility o f th e library profession, subm itted Brian Coutts, h e a d o f WKU’s Library Public Services D e p a rt­ m ent. Many publications, including professional journals an d local n ew sp ap ers, seek well-writ- te n review s; co n tac t th e b o o k review ed ito r a n d offer y o u r services. B efore w riting a re­ view , C outts co u n seled , read the b o o k from cover to cover an d th e n reread it an d take notes. Set aside th e c o m p leted review for a few days, th e n rew rite an d polish it. G o o d sh o rt reviews, h e w arn ed , are preferable, b u t h a rd e r to w rite th an g o o d long ones. O b ta in in g a s a b b a tic a l C onnie Foster, serials su p erv iso r at WKU, s u p ­ p lied helpful hints o n h o w to acquire a sab ­ batical. P lanning sh o u ld b eg in 18 m onths b e ­ fore th e an ticip ated sem ester. F ollow ing the selection o f a topic a n d som e prelim inary re­ search, d eterm ine th e am o u n t o f tim e n e e d e d for the project a n d discuss it w ith th e d e p a rt­ m en t h e a d an d dean. A dm inistrative su p p o rt assured, c o n d u ct a n extensive literature search, focus th e topic, fine-tune all research plans, an d m ake arrangem ents for training a n o th e r to as­ sum e so m e o f y o u r regular duties. Foster cau tio n ed that, th o u g h a sabbatical is th e ultim ate o f research perks, the w riter m ust p re p a re for a ch a n g e in his o r h e r life. This includes p erso n al discipline in treating sabbati­ cal days as w o rk days an d in staying o n task for a 30- o r 35-hour w eek. Regardless o f the project, research e x p e n se s can m o u n t u p , e s­ pecially if o n e travels to an area aw ay from h om e, w a rn e d WKU special collections librar­ ian N ancy Baird, b u t K entucky’s m any rep o si­ tories offer resources for a w id e variety o f re­ search topics close to h om e. A recen t survey listed m an u scrip t collections in m ore th an 300 public facilities across th e state; p u b lish e d find­ ing aids to th ese m aterials can h elp in the se ­ lection o f topics as w ell as in p lan n in g research trips. B efore visiting a n o u t-o f-to w n facility, Baird advised, w rite a h e a d a n d ask for detailed inform ation a b o u t holdings, hours, holidays, a n d n earb y hotels. A w e e k befo re th e trip, se n d a n o te a b o u t y o u r im p en d in g arrival an d a re­ m in d er o n th e m aterials yo u in ten d to use; fol­ low y o u r visit w ith a letter o f thanks. A p p ly in g fo r g ra n ts T he last th ree sp eak ers o f th e a ftern o o n w ere WKU librarians Marv Leavy, Sue Lynne McGuire a n d Pat H odges. M em bers o f university com ­ m ittees th a t m ak e sm all grants to h elp defray ex p en ses for co nducting research a n d for travel to p re s e n t re s e a rc h p a p e rs , th e y d istrib u te d sa m p le a p p lic a tio n form s a n d ta lk e d briefly a b o u t projects that the com m ittees have recently fu n d ed . T hey also suggested a few d o ’s a n d d o n ’ts for successful applications. In sp ired b y th e suggestions a b o u t w h e re to d o research, h o w to obtain funds, w h at to write, a n d w h o m ight p u b lish it, th e 32 participants a g re e d th at th e re tre a t w a s a g reat success. B asking in its laurels, th e com m ittee has al­ r e a d y b e g u n f o r m u la t in g p la n s f o r n e x t su m m er’s “te a c u p ” idea. Suggested re a d in g A q u ick literature search rev ealed m any inter­ esting articles, ideas, a n d innovations, b u t w e disco v ered th at if w e re a d th em all, o u r retreat w o u ld nev er g et off th e gro u n d . O u r bibliogra­ phy, therefore, m akes n o attem p t to co v er all o f th e bases, b u t m ay inspire ideas for c o n ­ d u ctin g sim ilar w o rkshops. Buttlar, L.G. “Profiling review w riters in th e library review literature.” [1987-19891 charts. RQ (W inter 1990): 221-29. Fralkoff, Francine. “The b ook review mating game.” Library Journal (March 15, 1991): 80. K enny, K a th le e n , Linda D. T ietjen , a n d R utherford W. W ittkus. “Increasing scholarly productivity am o n g library faculty: Strategies fo r a m ed iu m -sized library.” J o u r n a l o f A c a ­ d e m ic L ibrarianship 16, no. 5 (1990): 276-79. N ational H istorical P ublications a n d Records C om m ission. D irectory o f A rchives a n d M a n u ­ script Repositories in the U nited States. Second edition. N ew York: O nyx Press, 1988. N oble, Keith Allan. “Publish o r perish: W hat 23 journal editors have to say." Studies in H igher E d u c a tio n 14, no. 1 (1989): 97-102. Puccio, Jo sep h . “T he A gony an d th e ecstasy, o r w riting a library science b o o k .” A m e ric a n Libraries (May 1990): 460-61. R eynolds, Sally Jo. “Sabbatical: T h e p au se th at refreshes.”" J o u r n a l o f A c a d e m ic L ibrarian- sh ip 16, n o. 2 (1990): 90-93. T eague, B arbara. G uide to K e n tu c k y A rc h i­ v a l a n d M a n u sc rip t Collections. Frankford, Ky.: Public R ecords Division, D ep artm en t o f Librar­ ies a n d Archives, 1988. T h om son, Ashley. “Librarian as author: The perils o f p u b lish in g .” C a n a d ia n Library J o u r­ n a l (April 1987): 93-96. V an d e n B erghe, Pierre. “Publishing: H ow to d o it." In A c a d e m ic G am em anship: H ow to M a k e a P h .D . P a y . N e w Y o rk : A b e la r d - S chum an, 1970. ■ February 1 9 9 3 / 8 5