ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries In this issue: National Periodicals C e n te r ........................ 345 L e Moyne Anderson ................................. 347 Academic/Research L ib rarian Award ....3 4 8 Bibliographic Utilities ...................................349 A C R L Candidates .......................................... 3 50 A C R L M idwinter M eetings ........................ 352 Continuing Education— X IX .......................355 News from the Field ...................................... 357 Continuing Education Opportunities ............................................... 358 People ................................................................. 363 Publications .......................................................368 Classified Advertising .................................... 371 ISSN 0099-0086 C O L L E G E & R E S E A R C H L I B R n A e R w I E S s NO. 1 1 • D E C E M B E R 1979 National Periodicals Center The National Commission on Libraries and In­ formation Science (NCLIS) will sponsor a m eet­ ing en titled “T h e National Periodicals C e n te r Legislation and Implementation: Next Steps” on January 18, 1980, at the Palmer House in Chicago. Among the topics for discussion will be the con­ gressional legislation for a National Periodicals C enter (NPC) and the Arthur D. Little, Inc., re­ port on NPC, especially the implications of the System C model described in the Little report. What is the “System C ” NPC, and how does it differ from the technical development plan pre­ pared in 1978 by th e Council on Library R e­ sources? System C is one of the three model systems for the delivery of periodical literature that the con­ sulting firm of Arthur D. Little examined in a re­ port that it prepared for N C L IS last summer. The final version of the rep ort has now been released. The first model outlined in the report, System A, is the system o f periodical access that would exist in the 1980s in the absence of a periodicals center. In this model no NPC is created, and the need for periodical access is filled by improved interlibrary loan and private document delivery systems. This System A noninterventionist model comes out surprisingly well in Little’s analysis. The re­ port concludes that past studies showing the deficiencies of interlibrary loan as compared to a periodicals c e n te r “are mainly oriented to the economics and operations of IL L and library op­ erations in the past— rear-view analyses that do not apply to the world of 1985 and beyond.” By 1985, when an NPC would be in full opera­ tion, the Little study predicts, the introduction of on-line interlibrary loan technology will have im­ proved the perform ance, expanded the scope, and reduced the cost of loan activities to an ex­ tent not envisioned by past studies. In short, Sys­ tem A would bring about major im provem ents in access to periodical literature even in the absence of a government-sponsored NPC. System B, the second model studied in the L it­ tle rep ort, follows the general outlines of the C ou n cil on L ib ra ry R e s o u rc e s ’ te c h n ic a l d e ­ velopment plan for a National Periodicals Center. The C L R plan calls for the creation of a cen ­ tralized, federally subsidized NPC with its own designated collection of both heavily used and less frequently used periodical titles. System B, according to the Little report, would provide document delivery services at somewhat lower cost to libraries, would provide better as­ surance of comprehensive service (as compared to System A), and would make possible a compre­ h e n siv e p re serv a tio n program . On th e o th er hand, a centralized NPC, says the report, would offer cost benefits only at a high volume of de­ mand, would be susceptible to technological ob­ solescence when electronic information delivery becomes available in the 1980s, and, in the worst scenario, would present the danger of a unique “information monopoly.’’ The last model, System C, envisions the crea­ tion of a decentralized National Periodicals C en­ ter that would provide location information and network switching services for heavily used peri­ odical titles and would create a central collection and delivery service only for titles not available elsewhere. System C is presented in the Little study as a compromise betw een System A and System B and between the interests of libraries on the one hand and the interests of the information com­ munity on the other. From the point of view of libraries, says the report, System A is threatening News issue (B) of College & Research Libraries, vol. 40, no. 6 346 because it has the potential for separating librar­ ies from their patrons as the technology o f direct electronic information delivery becom es available. C o n v e rse ly , System B , a c e n tra liz e d N P C , would co m pete directly with private document delivery services and would have the potential for taking over some of th e distribution functions traditionally associated with publishing. System C , on the other hand, while not neces­ sarily the best system in itself, “appears to offer a suitable political compromise betw een the stock holder interests o f both groups” (libraries and the private sector). U nder System C , private docu­ m ent delivery firms would be able to continue and expand their services to libraries. Libraries, for their part, would have reliable access to low- use as well as high-demand materials, a fram e­ work for pursuing the goal of preservation, and an assured role as the distribution point for the delivery o f documents to users. ■■ COMMENTS W ANTED ON PROPOSAL TO DISSOLVE ART SECTION At the ALA Annual Conference in June, Betty Jo Irvine, chair of the Art Section, presented to the A C R L Board of D irectors on behalf of the Art Section Executive Comm ittee a recommendation (1) that the Art Section be dissolved as of January 1981 and (2) th at the 1980 se c tio n E x e cu tiv e C omm ittee petition the ALA Council for status as an Art Round Table. T he A C R L board passed a motion approving the recommendation at its June 24 meeting but la te r rescin d e d th e m otion at th e r e q u e s t of Irvine so that A CRL m embers not at the confer­ ence might have a chance to express their views about the recommendation. T he report that accompanied the recommenda­ tion gave four principal reasons for dissolving the Art Section and transforming it into a round ta­ ble: (1) the Art Libraries Society/North America (ARLIS/NA), with more than 1,000 m embers, has becom e the primary focus for art librarians and subject specialists; (2) few section m em bers at­ tend the Annual Conference programs sponsored by th e se c tio n ; (3) an a rt s e c tio n lim ite d to academic librarians in a “type o f library” division cannot rep resent all librarians interested in the visual arts; and (4) a round table representing a cross section of all types of libraries and library activities in ALA would broaden program atten­ dance and participation by all ALA m embers hav­ ing an interest in the visual arts. T he proposal to dissolve the Art Section and create a round table is a serious one. M em bers of A CRL and particularly of the Art Section should make th e ir views known abou t this proposal. Please send comments, reactions, or suggestions to Jane Snider, Art Section Chair, Herron School of Art o f Indiana University, 1701 N. Pennsyl­ vania S t., Indianapolis, IN 46202. ■■ C & R L N E W S PUTS ON A N E W FA C E Starting in January, C & RL News will have a new cover. In subsequent months, the News will acquire a new typeface and a new body design as well. These changes are part of a continuing effort to make the News more readable, more timely, and more informative. In November the News started a “News B r ie f ’ feature for late-breaking stories. By using type­ written, camera-ready copy, we can rush “News Briefs” to the printer three weeks after the bulk of the issue has gone to press. Jim Lockwood, our Washington correspondent, is now preparing his “ Inside W ashington” report esp ecially for the “ News B r i e f ’ page. B ecause this page goes to press at the last minute, he will be able to keep you up to date on late-breaking news from Washington. Please let us know what you think about the new appearance o f the News or about its editorial con tent. Any com m ents, criticism s, or sugges­ tio n s th a t you m ig h t o ffe r w ould b e m ost appreciated.—Ed. ■■ C o lle g e & R e s e a rc h L ib ra rie s N e w s is p u b lis h e d b y th e A s ­ s o c ia tio n o f C o lle g e a n d R e s e a rc h L ib ra rie s , a d iv is io n o f th e A m e r ic a n L ib r a r y A s s o c ia t io n , a s 11 m o n t h ly ( c o m b in in g J u ly - A u g u s t) is s u e s , a t 5 0 E. H u ro n St., C h ic a g o , IL 6 0 6 1 1 . A n n u a l s u b s c r ip tio n : $ 5 ; o r to m e m b e rs o f th e d iv is io n , $ 2 .5 0 , in c lu d e d in d u e s . S in g le c o p ie s a n d b a c k is s u e s , $ 2 e a c h . S e c o n d -c la s s p o s ta g e a p p lie d fo r a t C h ic a g o , Illin o is , a n d a t a d d itio n a l m a ilin g o ffic e s . E d ito r: J e ffre y T . S c h w e d e s , A C R L /A L A , 5 0 E. H u r o n St., C h ic a g o , IL 6 0 6 1 1 ; ( 3 1 2 ) 9 4 4 - 6 7 8 0 , E xt. 2 8 6 . P r e s id e n t, A C R L: L e M o y n e W . A n d e rs o n . E x e c u tiv e S e c re ta ry , A C R L : J u lie A . C a rro ll V irg o . P ro d u c tio n a n d c ir c u la tio n o ffic e : 5 0 E. H u ro n St., C h ic a g o , IL 6 0 6 1 1 . D is p la y a d v e rtis in g s h o u ld b e s e n t to L e o n a S w ie c h , A d v e r tis in g T ra ffic C o o rd in a to r, A L A , a t a b o v e a d d re s s . S e n d c la s s ifie d a d s to A C R L . C h a n g e o f a d d re s s a n d s u b s c r ip tio n o rd e rs s h o u ld b e a d d re s s e d to C o lle g e & R e s e a rc h L ib ra rie s N e w s , fo r r e c e ip t a t th e a b o v e a d d re s s a t le a s t tw o m o n th s b e ­ fo re th e p u b lic a tio n d a te o f th e e ffe c tiv e is su e . In c lu s io n o f a n a r tic le o r a d v e r tis e m e n t in C & R L N e w s d o e s n o t c o n s titu te o ffic ia l e n d o r s e m e n t b y A C R L o r A L A . A p a rtia l lis t o f th e s e rv ic e s in d e x in g o r a b s tr a c tin g th e c o n ­ te n ts o f C & R L N e w s in c lu d e s : C u r r e n t C o n te n ts : S o c ia l & B e ­ h a v io r a l S c ie n c e s ; C u r r e n t In d e x to J o u rn a ls in E d u c a tio n ; I n ­ fo r m a tio n S c ie n c e A b s tr a c ts ; L ib r a r y & In fo r m a tio n S c ie n c e A b s tra c ts ; L ib ra ry L ite ra tu re ; a n d S o c ia l S c ie n c e s C ita tio n In ­ de x. © A m e r ic a n L ib ra ry A s s o c ia tio n 1 9 7 9 . A ll m a te ria l in th is jo u r n a l s u b je c t to c o p y r ig h t b y th e A m e r ic a n L ib ra ry A s s o c ia ­ t io n m a y b e p h o to c o p ie d fo r th e n o n c o m m e r c ia l p u r p o s e of s c ie n tific o r e d u c a tio n a l a d v a n c e m e n t.