ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


5 4 8  / C&RL News

ACRL guidelines for the preparation 
of policies on library access

Prepared by the ACRL Library Access Task Force

Kathleen Gunning, Chair

The final version, approved by the Board o f Directors at the 
Midwinter Meeting

A
ccess is any proper means by which a p er­

son may read or use materials, records, 
and oth er inform ation held by a library, ag

governm ent, or o th er corporate body. Almost by 
definition, th e  contem porary library prom otes 
access in keeping with the philosophy of the ALA 
Library Bill o f Rights; however, th ere are com pet­
ing needs for preservation and use and necessary 
distinctions betw een prim ary and o th er users. The 
tension betw een th e library’s responsibility to store 
and maintain th e records of civilization and the 
library’s responsibility to make available and share 
those records is always a dynamic one. W ith the 
recognized need to share material among several li­
braries, rapid developm ents in the technology of 
information, and changes in governm ent inform a­
tion policy, the issues becom e increasingly com ­
plex.

T he In terim  R eport from th e  ALA Special
C om m ittee on F reedom  and Equality o f Access to 
Inform ation (June 1987) includes the following 
discussion of “access”:

“In library parlance, the word ‘access’ has always 
been used as a noun. Its understood m eaning 
reflected th e standard dictionary definitions: ‘a 
means of approach’; ‘the act o f approaching’; ‘the 
right to en ter and to use’— a library’s holdings.

“At some unrecorded point in the late 1950’s, 
th e word ‘access’ began to be used and accepted as 
a verb, as in the phrase ‘to access the inform ation on 
th e com puter’s data bank,’ which at once com bined

the most commonly understood m eaning o f the 
word in library circles, ‘th e right to e n ter and use,’ 

enwcyit ho fo ne o f the m ore seldom em ployed connota­
tions o f the word ‘access’— ‘a short, intense ou t­
bu rst.’ The verb ‘to access’ expresses the still amaz­
ing speed with which organized, stored information 
can be identified and retrieved (or ‘accessed’) by 
way of electronic devices. Today, w hether librari­
ans employ th e word ‘access’ as either a noun or as 
a verb, the word ‘access’ carries with it policy 
concerns about library users, rights, which broadly 
and briefly stated, involve the right to en ter and use 
a library’s holdings without limitations in th e forms 
of:

•  architectural barriers;
•  sociological/economic factors;
•  ideologically biased selection practices;
•  usages or circulation restrictions;
•  hidden (or unpublicized) services; 
•  unqualified staff;
•  fees for th e use o f any materials or services.”
T he present docum ent is w ritten to assist indi­

vidual libraries in addressing practical questions 
relating to access. In developing policies on access, 
each library will want to review its mission, its 
history and its cu rren t practice so that policies are 
shaped to reflect individual circumstances. This 
docum ent is intended to serve as a guideline or 
checklist for the developm ent o f individual policies 
in a non-prescriptive way; it includes th e range of 
issues to be considered. It is not an outline of



June 1 9 9 0 /549

suggestions or standards. (Readers may note items 
o f interest in ALA’s “National Inform ation Services 
and Responsibilities,” and in A CRL’s “Access Pol­
icy G uidelines,” dealing with audiovisual materials, 
and “Joint S tatem ent on Access to Original R e­
search M aterials.”)

T he access policy issues th at libraries should 
consider are introduced by descriptive statem ents 
summarizing section contents in four major cate­
gories:

•  physical access;
•  bibliographic access;
•  collection m anagem ent and d evelopm ent/ 

preservation;
•  public service.
Many issues apply to every area, so certain issues 

have b een  addressed in m ore than one section 
(e.g., fees for services, initial and continuing educa­
tion o f staff, and access to autom ated and oth er 
non-print materials), b u t in th e majority o f cases, 
for reasons o f length, th e re are cross references to 
other sections o f th e  text.

Note: Because these guidelines focus on individ­
ual libraries’ policies on access, questions o f access 
th at involve broad societal issues, such as govern­
m ent inform ation policy or cost o f scholarly m ate­
rials, are not addressed. And for the purposes o f this 
docum ent, intellectual freedom , an access issue of 
vital concern to every library, is considered a col­
lection developm ent issue. (Readers may refer to 
David L. Perkins, ed., Guidelines f o r  Collection 
Development, Chicago: ALA, 1979.)

Physical access

Physical access can be divided into th re e  major 
categories: 1) p atron access to th e library buildings 
and collection; 2) physical location and availability 
o f collections and services within th e library; and 3) 
staffing.

Some aspects o f physical access have b een  d e ­
scribed in oth er sections o f these guidelines. F o r 
issues concerning form at o f catalog, i.e., card, 
microform, online, etc., see Bibliographic Access,
I. F or access to a library’s online catalog see Biblio­
graphic Access, II.C . and III, and Public Services, 
V. The physical condition o f collections and disas­
te r recovery for collections are covered in Collec­
tion M anagem ent, II. Library hours are also in ­
cluded in Public Services, I. C irculation issues 
related to physical access are listed in Public Serv­
ices, III. Instructional issues related to Physical 
Access are addressed in Public Services, V and VI.

I. Patron access

A. Patron categories (e.g., undergraduate stu­
dent, graduate student, faculty, staff, fee pay b o r­
rower, consortium  borrow er, visitor). These cate­

gories not only can determ ine physical access to the 
building, b u t also may affect access to services and 
library privileges. This access may be consistent or 
varied at different library locations.

1. Services available for each patron category.
2. R equirem ents for identification.
B. Passes or fees.
1. By category o f patron.
2. By category o f service.
3. F o r entry to building.
4. F o r use and/or borrowing privileges.
5. F o r o th e r services.
C. H andicapped access.
1. A dequate ram ps to building entrance.
2. Availability o f nearby handicapped parking.
3. Suitable entrance/exit for physically disabled 

patrons.
a. W idth o f entrance.
b. Absence o f turnstiles or w ider alternative 
exit/entrance for wheelchairs.
c. Ease with which doors open, or electric 
door opening devices.

4. U ncluttered lobby and corridors.
5. Special services for handicapped users.

a. Signers for th e deaf.
b. Self-help equipm ent (e.g., Kurzweil read ­
ing m achine, page turner).

6. Training on specialized equipm ent for staff 
and users.

7. Assistance from public services staff.
a. Using th e catalog.
b. Photocopying.
c. Reading.
d. Retrieving materials.

8. F u rn itu re  designed to accom m odate handi­
capped users.

9. W ritten policies on serving handicapped us­
ers.

10. Staff training program s on serving th e dis­
abled.

D. Patron security.
1. Policies and procedures to p ro tect safety of 

patrons.
2. Policies and procedures for em ergency evacu­

ation o f all patrons.
3. Policies to deal with inappropriate or illegal 

p atron behavior.

II. Physical location of collections and services

A. Collections.
1. Closed or open stacks or com bination, and/or 

rem ote storage.
a. Policies and procedures for library’s selec­
tion o f and p atro n ’s access to item s in closed 
stacks.
b. Policies and procedures for library’s selec­
tion o f and p atro n ’s access to item s in rem ote 
storage.



5 5 0  / C& RL News

2. O ne call-num ber sequence or several se­
quences, i.e., oversized, periodicals, docum ents, 
m icroforms and o th e r non-print materials usually 
arranged by format.

3. Special locations, e.g. reference.
4. C entralized or decentralized library system.

a. C lear inform ation about o th e r libraries in 
th e institution.

1. Posted hours.
2. C onsistent policies.
3. Maps locating o th er libraries.
4. Catalog access at each location.

b. Paging or docum ent delivery service b e ­
tw een cam pus libraries.

5. Security system and o th e r m easures to reduce 
th eft and mutilation.

B. Location an d  identification o f  service points.
1. Placem ent o f all service desks (e.g., reserves, 

reference, circulation) in locations convenient to 
users.

2. C lear and effective sign system.
3. Location o f end-user access tools.

a. Library and o th er co m p u ter inform ation 
term inals.
b. Catalogs and indexes in traditional formats.

4. Location o f specialized use areas.
C. E quipm ent a n d  furn itu re.
1. Availability o f public copying m achines (both 

p ap er and microform).
2. Availability o f duplication services.
3. Availability o f equipm ent.

a. Term inals.
b. Printers.
c. M icroform readers/printers.
d. C om puters for accessing databases.
e. Typewriters, w ord processing equipm ent, 
and telefacsimile.
f. Videocassette recorders, com pact disk play­
ers and o th e r appropriate audiovisual eq u ip ­
m ent.

4. C onvenient and logical locations for above 
m achines and services.

5. Regular procedures and staffing to replenish 
supplies such as ink, toner, ribbons, and p ap er for 
eq u ip m en t available to public during all hours 
library is open.

6. M aintenance o f eq u ip m en t with m inim um  
dow n-tim e and a regular schedule for upgrades or 
replacem ent.

7. Charges for using equipm ent.
a. Provision o f change and bills.
b. Provision o f credit or debit cards.

8. F u rn itu re in sufficient num bers and variety to 
accom m odate diverse study styles.

a. Individual carrels, reserved or open.
b. G roup study rooms.
c. Faculty offices/carrels.
d. Lounge/study chairs
e. Study tables.

III. Staffing issues

A. Identification o f  s ta ff responsible for building 
m anagem ent, for response in em ergencies, and for 
m aintenance o f environm ental conditions.

B. Degree to which there is ongoing com m unica­
tion betw een library adm inistration and cam pus 
facilities m anagem ent to ensure safety and security 
o f people and collections.

Bibliographic access

Bibliographic access concerns th e availability of 
inform ation regarding th e existence and/or loca­
tion o f published or unpublished works. Libraries 
have access to many different catalogs and d ata­
bases o f bibliographic records. In these guidelines, 
“catalog” refers to a set o f records for item s ow ned 
by th e  library or available through resource sharing 
agreem ents; “database” refers to a com m ercially 
p ro d u ced  set o f bibliographic records for item s th at 
may o r may not be ow ned by th e library. Biblio­
graphic access issues can be divided into four major 
categories: 1) issues regarding catalog or database 
records— th eir structure, th e fields in th e records, 
th e  item s listed in th e catalog or database, the 
access points provided for them , and th e form at of 
th e catalog or database; 2) use o f m ultiple catalogs 
or databases; 3) additional capabilities o f catalogs 
or databases; and 4) staffing issues.

T he instructional aspects o f catalog or database 
use are addressed in Public Services, V.H. F o r 
physical location o f catalogs and databases see 
Physical Access, II.B.3.

I. Catalog or database records

A. Format o f  the catalog o r database— card, 
online, microform, book, C D -R O M , etc.

1. F o rm at o f screen display and record display.
2. Availability o f instructions and assistance in 

catalog or database.
B. Bibliographic inform ation in th e catalog or 

database.
1. Level o f coverage o f a library’s collection in 

th e catalog, or scope o f a bibliographic database.
2. Level o f detail in th e descriptive portion o f the 

record.
3. O ptions to display m ore than one form at o f a 

bibliographic record for a catalog or database in an 
electronic form.

4. Analysis o f complex bibliographic items, e.g., 
m onographic series, articles in serials, etc.

5. Subject analysis.
a. N um ber o f subject headings and d ep th  of 
subject analysis.
b. C urrency o f subject headings.
c. Availability o f inform ation regarding local 
practice for catalogs.



June 1990/551

6. Frequency o f revision o f the catalog or data­
base.

7. Inclusion in catalog of m aterial available 
through resource-sharing programs.

8. Relation of catalog to other bibliographic tools 
produced by the library such as local newspaper 
indexes, guides to special format collections, etc.

C. Access points in catalog or database records.
1. Authority control for names, titles and subject 

headings.
2. N um ber and types of access points.
3. Keyword searching and the num ber and type 

of fields in a record for which keyword searching is 
available.

4. Availability o f Boolean operators and im plem ­
entation of Boolean searching, i.e., implicit or ex­
plicit.

5. Qualifiers for searches such as language of 
publication, date of publication, physical format, 
etc.

6. Additional searching features such as proxim­
ity searching, wild card searching, left/right trunca­
tion, etc.

7. Ability to limit search to the contents o f a 
particular collection.

8. Filing rules in the catalog or database.
9. Separation o f files by type o f access point; e.g., 

a dictionary catalog versus author/title and subject 
catalogs.

II. Use of multiple catalogs or databases

A. Transferability o f  information among subsys­
tems of an integrated library system.

1. Availability o f circulation status information in 
the catalog, including codes for items unavailable 
to the user (at bindery, missing, etc.).

2. Availability o f acquisitions “on o rd er” and “in 
process” information in the catalog.

3. Availability o f specific holdings and status 
information for such items as individual issues or 
volumes o f serials.

4. Availability to user of authority files and th e ­
sauri used in determ ining form o f access points.

5. Availability o f authorization levels for various 
patron categories.

B. Level o f  compatibility among multiple cata­
logs or databases.

1. Similarity o f access points, search m ethods 
and filing rules.

2. Similarity o f display and form at o f records.
3. Similarity o f the scope of coverage o f the 

library’s collection and other bibliographic items 
for each catalog or database.

C. Availability o f  multiple catalogs or databases 
through one terminal.

D. Availability o f  backups for catalogs or data­
bases in electronic format.

III. Additional capabilities of catalogs 
or databases

A. Functions the user can perform through the 
catalog, such as checking out items, reviewing the 
user’s own circulation record, placing holds on 
circulating or “on o rd er” items, or placing docu­
m ent delivery requests.

B. A bility f o r  the user to print records from a 
catalog or database search.

C. Ability f o r  the user to sort and fo rm a t re ­
trieved catalog or database records.

D. Ability f o r  the user to download information 
from catalog or database searches to a microcom­
p u te r disk.

E. Availability o f  a system  to translate the results 
o f  a search in a citation database into a search o f the 
library’s holdings for the retrieved items.

F. Availability o f  dial-in access or LAN-based 
access for users in rem ote locations.

G. Charges f o r  access to online catalogs or data­
bases, or for printing or downloading from catalogs 
or databases.

H. Additional fu tu re  capabilities and limitations.

IV. Staffing issues

A. N um ber o f  sta ff responsible for creating and 
maintaining bibliographic records, for keeping any 
online systems functioning smoothly, and for assist­
ing the public in the use o f the records.

B. Initial and ongoing training and professional 
education programs for staff.

C. Degree to which there is ongoing communica­
tion among staff who create and maintain records, 
staff who manage online systems, and staff who 
assist the public in using these records.

Collection management and 
developm ent/preservation

Access issues related to Collection Develop- 
m ent/M anagem ent and Preservation involve: 1) 
decisions and processes that make available d e ­
sired materials and information (Collection Devel- 
opm ent/M anagem ent); and 2) a balance betw een 
the use and the protection o f an item through a 
methodology for making preservation decisions on 
a collection-wide basis (Preservation).

F or issues related to Collection M anagem ent 
see the following: For closed and/or open stacks, 
rem ote storage, organization of collection(s), theft, 
mutilation, see Physical Access, II. F or frequency 
o f revision of the catalog or database, inclusion in 
catalog o f material available through resource shar­
ing, see Bibliographic Access, I.B. F or replace­
ment, see Public Services, III.I. F o r interlibrary 
loan statistics, see Public Services, IV.H. F o r soft­
ware, see Public Services, V.G.



5 5 2  / C&RL News

I. Collection development/management 
access issues

A. Preparation o f  collection development policies.
1. Statem ent o f th e purpose o f the library’s collec­

tion.
2. Policy on intellectual freedom.
3. Consultation with user groups.
4. Schedule for periodic review o f policy state­

ments.
B. Selection and review o f  materials.
1. Selection o f vendors for automatic receipt of 

materials and firm orders.
2. Selection o f tools to support acquisitions of 

materials.
3. D evelopm ent and m anagem ent o f approval 

plans.
4. Librarian selector and faculty liaison and p ar­

ticipation by faculty in the selection process.
5. Procedures for handling materials not acquired 

through purchase, e.g., exchange programs, gifts.
6. Im pact o f resource sharing agreem ents on col­

lection developm ent decisions and conservation 
treatm ent activities.

7. Review for possible purchase o f materials re ­
quested through Interlibrary Services.

8. Procedures for users to request purchase of 
materials.

9. Negotiation o f contracts with vendors o f elec­
tronic databases in various formats, e.g., databases 
on CD -ROM  or on magnetic tape.

10. Procedures for decisions on retention policy 
for serials, binding serials, purchasing microform 
copies, etc.

11. Procedures for handling materials which can­
not be retained in their original formats (e.g. too 
brittle, etc.).

12. Procedures for inspecting retrospective m ate­
rials, gifts, etc. for possible damage.

C. Financial resources.
1. Budget requests for adequate financial support.
2. M ethod for allocating acquisitions funds.
3. In-house schedule for expending the materials 

budget.
4. Timely, accurate accounting system for acquisi­

tions funds.
D. Collection assessment.
1. Ongoing assessment o f collections to determ ine 

strengths and weaknesses.
2. Regular assessm ent o f the im pact o f electronic 

publications on a library collection.
E. Replacement policy and efficient replacement 

process.

II. Preservation access issues

A. Preservation priorities.
1. Preservation policy statem ent.
2. Condition surveys.

3. D eterm ination o f priorities for preservation, 
based on both prim ary collecting responsibilities 
and local need.

B. Reformatting issues.
1. Procedures for replacing brittle books, in­

cluding input from selectors regarding projected 
use, p referred  format, etc.

2. Obligation to provide use copy o f preserva­
tion m aster negative microfilm to other libraries 
or researchers.

3. Use o f standardized levels of cataloging in 
preservation microfilming projects.

C. Physical conditions.
1. Storage and handling, i.e., flat shelving for 

folio-size items.
2. Education program s for staff and users.
3. Environm ental controls.
4. D isaster preparedness and training o f li­

brary staff in disaster recovery procedures.
D. General collections.
1. Existence and quality of a conservation 

repair unit.
2. M ethod of selection for conservation tre a t­

ment.
3. Level and extent o f staffing.
4. Evaluation o f library binding processes.
5. Evaluation o f shelf preparation processes: 

use o f barcodes, security devices, bookplates, etc.
E. Special collections.
1. Processing procedures: arrangem ent, d e­

scription, and housing.
2. Priorities for conservation treatm ent.

a. Refurbishing projects.
b. Conservator/curator consultation.

3. Limitations placed on use o f special collec­
tions materials.

a. Security issues.
b. Restrictions on photocopying.
c. Policy on interlibrary lending.

III. Staffing

A. Coordination among public services, tech ­
nical services and collection m anagem ent for the 
em ploym ent and training of personnel to plan, 
im plem ent and evaluate collection development, 
m anagem ent and preservation.

B. Initial and ongoing training and profes­
sional education program s for collection devel­
opm ent and preservation staff.

Public services

Access issues related to public services can be 
divided into two major categories: 1) those that 
deal with the n um ber and skills o f public services 
staff, and 2) those that deal with th e existence and 
quality o f various services provided to users. 
Autom ated and audiovisual services, while sub­



June 199 0  / 553

sum ed u n d er m ore traditional d epartm ents in 
some libraries, are treated  as separate sections 
because each has additional sets o f service issues 
distinct from those of traditional reference d ep art­
ments (for example the adm inistration o f and p ro ­
vision o f instructional and consultational support 
for public-access m icrocom puter clusters).

A major issue related to public services and 
access lies in the existence of library-defined patron 
categories and the effect those categories have on 
patrons, access to services (see Physical Access,
I.A.). F o r consideration o f access issues related to 
database design or database capabilities, (as op­
posed to issues concerned with services supporting 
database use), see Bibliographic Access. F or a 
consideration o f issues related to the location and 
availability o f autom ated equipm ent (as opposed to 
the services designed to support that equipm ent), 
see Physical Access, II.B and II.C. F or a considera­
tion o f access issues involving collections, (as op­
posed to use o f the collection), see Collection 
M anagement, I.

I. Reference services

A. Hours o f  service.
B. Levels o f  staffing (i.e., professional, non-pro­

fessional, or a com bination of both).
C. W hether reference service is provided in per­

son, by telephone, electronically, or by appoint­
ment.

D. Reference s ta ff’s knowledge o f  reference and 
information sources both within and beyond the 
library.

E. Reference s ta ff’s ability to work w ith patrons 
and to conduct reference interviews.

F. Reference s ta ff’s fam iliarity with available 
technology and varied formats of information and 
their ability to assist patrons in their use.

G. W ritten policies on reference service.
H. Effectiveness o f  reference service as m easured 

by evaluation instrum ents.

II. Bibliographic instruction services

A. Scope and level o f  instructional program: 
num ber o f classes and num ber of students.

B. Content o f bibliographic instruction courses.
C. Variety o f  types o f  bibliographic instruction 

offered, such as course-related or course-inte­
grated sessions, workshops and seminars, credit 
courses, or com puter-assisted instruction.

D. Relationship betw een bibliographic instruc­
tion staff and teaching faculty.

E. Bibliographic instruction s ta ff’s knowledge o f 
information sources, information structure, and 
information technology.

F. Bibliographic instruction s ta ff’s teaching abil­
ity.

G. Availability and quality o f  handouts, guides, 
workbooks, and other instructional materials in a 
variety o f formats.

H. Effectiveness o f  instructional program  as 
m easured by evaluation instrum ents.

III. Circulation services

A. Circulation and use policies for various cate­
gories and formats o f material.

B. Circulation and use policies for various cate­
gories o f patrons.

C. Length o f  time that materials circulate.
D. T im e lin e s s  w ith  w h ic h  m a te ria ls  are 

reshelved.
E. A bility o f  the circulation system  to provide the 

patron w ith information regarding the circulation 
status of an item.

F. A bility o f  the circulation system  to issue recalls 
to retrieve materials which are checked out.

G. Confidentiality o f patron circulation or use 
records.

H. Existence o f  reserve services.
I. Policies for selection o f items to be placed on 

reserve.
2. Policies and procedures for copyright compli­

ance.
3. Procedures for efficient processing of items 

requested for reserves.
4. Procedures to return items to stacks when no 

longer needed on reserve.
I. Procedures f o r  identifying and acting on lost, 

overdue, missing or damaged items or materials 
needing preservation attention.

IV. Interlibrary and other delivery services

A. Availability o f  telefacsimile, docum ent deliv­
ery, interlibrary loan and other such services.

B. Categories and form a ts o f  materials that can 
be loaned or borrowed.

C. Patron categories and borrowing privileges 
for each service.

Access vs. ownership

The ACRL University Libraries Section’s 
C u rren t Topics Discussion G roup will present a 
discussion on the topic of “Access vs. O w ner­
ship” on Saturday, June 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 
11:00 a.m. Please consult your conference pro ­
gram for the location. This m ulti-faceted issue 
has major implications for university libraries of 
all sizes. Jennifer Cargill, associate university 
librarian at Rice University, will introduce the 
topic. There will be ample tim e for discussion 
and a lively exchange of ideas.



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Clear and Functional Format

TO ORDER:
The five volume set is priced at $300.00.
1988 ISBN 1-853-72-045-3
3000 pages. Hardbound. 4900 subject entries.

WRITE:
Literature Marketing Committee
Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam Inc.,
2141 Leroy Place
Washington DC 20008

CALL:
Chairman, Literature Marketing Committee
(202) 232-3737 or Fax (202) 232-8181
Direct online orders may be placed 
through modem, CompuServe or 
MCI Mail at (215) 688-4644

Volume one of this set contains 
the biography of Muhammad, the 
Holy Prophet of Islam. Authorita­
tively researched, it presents the 
Prophet’s life, his dealings with 
non-Muslims, his wives and his 
powerful contemporaries.



5 5 6  / C&RL News

D. Special services available through resource­
sharing agreem ents.

E. Borrowing period and turn-around tim e for 
these services.

F. Existence o f  charges for use o f interlibrary 
loan and docum ent delivery services.

G. Im pact o f  interlibrary services on local access 
to the collection.

H. Collection o f  data f o r  collection management 
sta ff on items requested and departm ental use of 
service.

I. Policies and procedures f o r  copyright compli­
ance.

V. Automated services

A. Availability o f  various online services.
B. Availability o f  various end-user services.
C. Availability o f  access to national, regional, 

and local networks.
D. Patron categories and privileges for each 

service.
E. Expertise o f the online searching staff.
F. Limitations on information that will be re ­

trieved by use of the online systems available.
G. M anagement o f  facilities f o r  patron use o f  

microcomputers and other computerized technology.

1. Selection o f available hardware and software.
2. N um ber of available workstations.
H. Availability o f  training and instructional 

support for users of these services.
I. Existence o f  charges for autom ated services.

VI. Media services

A. Availability o f  support and instructional serv­
ices related to audiovisual and other media.

B. Patron categories and privileges for media 
services.

C. Expertise o f the m edia services staff.
D. Formats o f materials supported.
E. Existence o f  policies and procedures f o r  copy­

right compliance.

VII. Staffing issues

A. N um ber o f  sta ff involved in providing public 
services.

B. Initial and ongoing training and professional 
education programs for public services staff.

C. Degree to which there is ongoing communica­
tion betw een public services staff and those staff in 
other units whose work affects the public.

■ ■

Development officers, take note
Since its inception in 1982 th ere have been three 

academic library winners of the ALA/Gale R e­
search Company Financial D evelopm ent Award, 
presented to a library for an outstanding fundrais­
ing program  or activity. This year’s award is going to 
New York University’s Bobst Library for its work in 
preserving the Robert F. W agner Labor Archives. 
O ther academic winners have been Texas A&M 
University’s Sterling C. Evans Library for its “Li­
brary Excellence D inners” (1988), and the Gus­
tavus Adolphus College Library for its Curriculum  
II Library Resources Challenge Grant.

The $2,500 cash award, donated by Gale R e­
search Company, is intended to recognize an inno­
vative, creative, and well-organized project that has 
successfully developed income from alternative 
sources. These sources may include individual 
gifts, foundations, endowm ents, challenge grants, 
or similar efforts.

The criteria for selection of an award w inner are: 
evidence o f the need and appropriateness o f the 
financial goal; the use of innovative, creative, and 
well-organized developm ent methods; the success 
of the effort in m eeting or exceeding the goal within 
a reasonable expenditure of fundraising monies; 
and the involvement o f library supporters, which 
might include boards of trustees and library friends 
groups or their equivalent.

O th er factors th at may add strength to the 
nomination are the use o f a public awareness pro ­
gram, and the possibility that aspects of the project 
might be replicated by other library organizations.

The deadline for applying for this award is D e ­
cem ber 1, 1990. All nominations should include: a 
clear explanation o f the need that prom pted the 
project; a b rie f description o f the project; a short 
financial report on the project; a copy of IRS 
authorization as a 501(3)(c) non-profit organiza­
tion; a b rief evaluation o f the project; a b rief d e ­
scription o f the library. F or more details, contact 
Elaine W ingate, ALA Awards C om m ittee Staff 
Liaison, A m erican Library Association, 50 E. 
H uron St., Chicago, IL  60611. ■  ■

BIS Nominating Committee

The full address of the chair of the ACRL 
Bibliographic Instruction Section’s N om inat­
ing C om m ittee was left out of the April 1990 
issue, page 341. Send applications or nom ina­
tions for an office in the Bibliographic Instruc­
tion Section to: James W. Hart, University of 
Cincinnati Law Library, Mail Location 142, 
Cincinnati, O H  45221-0142.



June 1 9 9 0 /5 5 7

New book review editors for College & Research 
Libraries

ACRL’s bim onthly journal, College & Research 
Libraries, will soon have two new  book review 
editors who will be working closely with editor- 
designate Gloriana St. Clair. Stephen L ehm ann 
and R obert W alther are both reference librarians 
in the Van Pelt Library at th e University o f Pennsyl­
vania. T heir th ree-year te rm  will begin in July 1990.

In th e ir le tte r o f application, L ehm ann and 
W alther noted th e lack o f status th at book reviews 
often have. T hey believe th a t reviewing is greatly 
u n d e ra p p re c ia te d  a n d  carrie s little  academ ic 
weight, b u t because reviews are short and widely 
read, they play a m ajor role in scholarly com m uni­
cation. Reviews can function as abstracts, provid­
ing librarians w ith a m ap o f cu rren t thinking in th e 
profession and serving to raise issues o f wide in te r­
est th a t m ight be m issed in m ore narrowly focused 
scholarly journal articles. L ehm ann and W alther 
believe th a t th e focus on larger issues gives reviews 
an im pact beyond th e simple recom m endation to 
buy or read. Reviewers m ust recognize these re ­
sponsibilities and exercise th em  judiciously.

L ehm ann has also held positions at Swarthm ore 
College, th e University o f N ebraska at Lincoln, and 
the University o f California at San Diego. H e has 
worked as a reference librarian, bibliographer, and 
cataloger who holds an MLS, a m aster’s degree in

G erm an literature, a bachelor’s degree from the 
University o f California, Berkeley, and a m aster’s in 
education from H arvard University. H e is cu r­
rently a m em b er o f A CRL’s Non-Serial Publica­
tions Editorial Board and has served on th e Choice 
Editorial Board.

W alther has served as a reference in tern  in the 
C olum bia University Science Libraries, as an in­
structor o f G erm an, English, and com parative lan­
guages, and as a staff in tern  for Boston’s South E n d  
Press. H e holds an MLS from C olum bia U niver­
sity, a m aster’s degree in G erm an language and 
literature from Brown University, and a bachelor’s 
degree from W esleyan University.

C &R L  editor-designate Gloriana St. Clair has 
long b een  an advocate o f co-production as a means 
to allow busy library practitioners to be m ore in­
volved in research and writing. H e r selection o f the 
L ehm ann and W alther team  follows this philoso- 
phy.

Librarians in terested  in w riting reviews for Col­
lege & Research Libraries should send resum es and 
letters describing th e ir areas o f interest and exper­
tise to: S tephen L ehm ann and R obert W alther, 
Van Pelt Library 6206, University o f Pennsylvania, 
Philadelphia, PA 19104; (215) 898-8118; fax, (215) 
898-0559. ■  ■

ACRL Membership Booth #762
1990 ALA Annual Conference, Chicago

June 23-26,1990

Have FUN!
Meet new people!

No experience required!
Join the ACRL Membership Committee

and staff the booth at conference.
For more information call or write:

Betsy Hine, Head, Monographic Cataloging
Cunningham Memorial Library

Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN 47809

(812) 237-2573