ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries June 1990 / 535 Letters BI and information literacy To the Editor: Being strong proponents of instruction, w hether it be for bibliographic or other types o f instruction, we are supportive of the exuberant sentim ents expressed by H annelore R ader in h e r article, “Bibliographic Instruction or Inform ation L iter­ acy,” which appeared in the January 1990 issue of C& RL News. W e should all be glad to have an advocate o f instruction who is willing to discuss the issues so enthusiastically. W ithout doubt, the in­ struction arena will continue to broaden, p resen t­ ing new challenges for academic librarians. The im portance o f striving to increase the visibility and value of librarians in th e information retrieval proc­ ess is a real concern and one w here everyone’s consciousness needs to be raised in a variety of ways. As the Steering C om m ittee for the 1989 ACRL/BIS-sponsored Think Tank, “Educational Roles for Academic Libraries: State of the Art and an Agenda for the F u tu re ,” we wish to provide some points of clarification to H annelore’s article. It is im portant to rem em ber, however, that in­ formation literacy was not the sole topic of discus­ sion during the Think T ank’s deliberations. In H annelore’s zealousness to share h er ideas, she may have inadvertently m isrepresented the p u r­ pose and rationale o f the Dallas Think Tank. The Think Tank d id not m eet “u n d er the auspices of ALA’s Information Library [Literacy] Report,” and information literacy was not the only issue dis­ cussed. The goal of the Think Tank was to identify strategic issues which would challenge the future developm ent of instruction programs in academic libraries. Inform ation literacy is certainly a key issue. However, the group identified o th er issues which m erited equal consideration. T he Think Tank began with a thought-provoking discussion of past accomplishments and unresolved issues p re ­ sented by William Miller. O th er issues included general curriculum reform and the m anner in which libraries can participate in shaping new educational offerings for students, discussed by M aureen Pastine and Linda Wilson. T he im pact of changing dem ographics on the developm ent of new instructional program s and the rise o f new user education constituencies was addressed by James Shedlock and Betsy Wilson. Also crucial in the profession is the effect of these issues on library school curriculum . An excit­ ing new paradigm for library education was intro­ duced by M artha Hale, Allison Level, and Eliza­ beth Frick (in absentia). A nother concern is that several reports are being confused and mixed and m atched to the point w here they are beyond recognition. Not only is th ere some confusion in H annelore’s piece in this regard, but the full potential of the stimulating BIS C E Discussion Forum , “Inform ation Literacy or Bibliographic Instruction: Semantics or Philoso­ phy,” held at the ALA M idwinter Meeting, was not reached because the docum ents referred to were not clearly identified. It appeared that most of us becam e lost in a sea of references to docum ents, some of which had appeared in press and others which had not. It seems beneficial to review these references so that we might familiarize ourselves more fully with them . First, in H annelore’s article she refers to the A L A Library Report. W e suspect she is actually citing the American Library Association’s Presi­ dential C om m ittee on Inform ation Literacy Final Report (issued January 1989). This report is avail­ able from ALA. It is im portant to realize that this report represents the thinking of a diverse group of information professionals and is not connected to the BIS. Second, many of the ideas expressed in H annelore’s article were expressed in a co-au­ thored paper she prepared for the Think Tank and p resented by H annelore and a colleague, William Coons of Cornell University. That paper will be included in the proceedings o f the Think Tank, which we anticipate will appear later this year. It is not available for p re-p u b licatio n distribution. Third, the only published account of the Think Tank, at this point, is the D ecem ber 1989 C&RL News article (authored by Baker, Sandore, H e n ­ sley, Larson). Finally, an executive sum m ary (unpublished) of the Think Tank has been p re ­ pared by Beth Sandore and Randy Hensley and is available to interested readers by contacting Betsy Baker, N orthw estern University Library, 1935 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208. W e hope that the objective of the Think Tank will not becom e lost in the swell of the information literacy debate. The very nature o f a think tank presupposes an intensive group process. C onse­ quently the end result was one product shaped by a group, which touched on a m ultitude o f concerns and topics. Because of this, we believe it is im por­ tant that all participants receive recognition for the ideas generated by the Think Tank. By the same token, our aim is to highlight all of the im portant issues that em erged from the Think Tank, not to single out one, so that the profession can consider and prioritize the full spectrum of challenges that we face. O ur objective throughout this process is to 5 3 6 / C&RL News maintain clarity of publications and ideas as they are developed and to encourage further discussion and action on the agenda that em anated from the Think Tank. W e hope that this le tter helps to achieve th a t goal. — B IS Think Tank Steering Committee; Betsy Baker and M ary Ellen Larson, co-chairs; Beth Sandore, Randy Hensley, Melanie Dodson, Deborah Campana. Response fr o m Hannelore Rader: I appreciate the thoughtful letter subm itted by the BIS Think Tank Steering C om m ittee clarifying the purpose of the BIS second think tank m eeting held before the 1989 ALA Annual C onference in Dallas. It was not my intention to m isrepresent the purpose, rationale, or content of this most im por­ tant and exciting event. However, it was my in ten ­ tion to stimulate debate on the relationship of bibliographic instruction and information literacy and I am pleased that this is now beginning.— Hannelore Rader, Director, University Libraries, Cleveland State University. ■ ■ IN N O V A T IO N S Fines for food: A citation system to control food and drink consumption in the library By Pat L. Weaver-Meyers Access Services D epartm ent Head University o f Oklahoma Libraries and Stephen D. Ramsey Security Supervisor University o f Oklahoma Libraries Many libraries face the problem s associated with food and drink consum ption by patrons. Some institutions have student lounges within the library; others simply cope with food and drink brought in by patrons. Uncontrolled, the situation can pose a potential hazard to the collection and an unsightly custodial challenge. In 1985 the University of Okla­ hom a Libraries im plem ented a citation system to control food and drink consum ption in unauthor­ ized areas in the library. The system has proven reasonably effective and has provided some addi­ tional unforeseen benefits. Background In 1982 Bizzell Library at the University of Oklahoma opened a new wing that doubled the square footage of the main library structure. The new facility included a student lounge that con­ tained vending machines for snacks and drinks. The lounge was posted with signs indicating that consum ption of food and drink outside o f the lounge area was strictly prohibited. Not surpris­ ingly, the signs were virtually ignored and library custodians soon began a losing battle with candy w rappers, drink cups, and associated litter. Library staff w ere drafted to confront violators and dem and that they retire to the lounge with food or else dispose of it. N either the custodians nor staff ap­ p eared to have any m easurable im pact on the consum ption o f food and drink, and concern for the safety o f the collection began to develop. At the same tim e the new wing was opened, student library security assistants w ere hired to patrol the library due to the increased square foot­ age and rem ote, poorly lit areas of the building. Although not originally hired with this intention, the new assistants w ere soon conscripted into the