ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C O L L E G E & R E S E A R C H L IB R A R IE S NEWS No. 8, September L969 ACRL News Issue (A) of College & Research Libraries, Vol. 30, No. 5 P i t t s b u r g h A d H o c C o m m i t t e e A g a i n s t t h e L i b r a r y C u t Students and faculty members of the grad­ uate school of library and information sciences of the University of Pittsburgh have formed the Pittsburgh Ad Hoc Committee Against the Library Cut, to take action in opposition to the budget proposal now before Congress which would cut federal aid to libraries by 66 per cent. Andrew D. Armitage, Chairman, and most of the other committee members were delegates to the Congress for Change in Wash­ ington, D.C., in June. After returning from CFC, the Pitt delegates met with other GSLIS students and faculty members and decided to organize as a group to act on this issue, one which is representative of the questions which concerned the Congress for Change. The Ad Hoc Committee contacted over 300 Pennsylvania libraries, accredited library schools throughout the country, and other interested groups, and hopes to attract substantial sup­ port from outside the library profession. The Committee has issued a statement detailing potential effects of a budget cut on specific programs of library service, along with a pe­ tition on which the Committee hopes to obtain 5,000 signatures. Copies of the petition and a list of signers will be sent to members of the House and Senate committees and subcommit­ tees through which the relevant sections of the appropriations bill must pass. A publicity cam­ paign in the Pittsburgh area and in library journals will be accelerated by the Committee as action proceeds on the bill. For this campaign to be successful, it is necessary to gain the support of a large and diverse group of people. Andrew Armitage, Chairman of the Pittsburgh group, suggests that concerned individuals both within and outside the library profession write letters to Congress­ men and Senators, form local groups in their own areas, petition Congress, begin publicity campaigns to inform the public of the infor­ mational and educational losses to be suffered if the proposed budget cut is approved. For further information contact: Andrew D. Armitage, Chairman, Pittsburgh Ad Hoc Com­ mittee Against the Library Cut, 5737 Holden Street, Apt. B, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15232. Phone: (412) 362-4165 or 621-3500, Ext. 7454. ■ ■ DOWNS AWARD LeRoy Charles Merritt, dean of the school f librarianship at the University of Oregon, is o recipient of the first Robert B. Downs Award for outstanding contribution to intellectual free­ dom in libraries. The $500 award was pre­ sented June 25 at the annual alumni meeting of the University of Illinois graduate school of library science during the American Library Association Convention in Atlantic City. The U. of I. school of library science is sponsor of the awasd, created to honor Robert Downs, dean of library administration at the U. of I. Urbana-Champaign campus, for his stands for freedom from censorship for libraries 266 and to m ark his 25 years a t th e University. Selection of recipients is m ade by the faculty of the school. M erritt was chosen for the fol­ lowing reasons: His editorship of the ALA Newsletter on In ­ tellectual Freedom, 1962 to the present. Service to the profession in organizations de­ voted to freedom of information. This has included testimony before legislative com­ mittees w here he frequently was th e only defender of freedom to appear to counter­ balance the proponents of restrictive legis­ lation. A large and distinguished body of w riting and speaking in behalf of intellectual freedom. Success in bringing before students th e issues involved in book selection as distinct from censorship. Considerable individual counseling w ith threatened librarians, both in person and in correspondence. Service to the cause of freedom of informa­ tion, in general, through his work in civic, service and other organizations in communi­ ties where h e has lived and taught. M erritt w ent to th e University of Oregon from the University of California at Berkeley, w here h e h ad taught for over 20 years. He received his doctoral degree in library science from the University of Chicago library school. ■ ■ C H IC A G O LIBRARY T E C H N IC IA N PROGRAM An expanded two-year library technical as­ sistant program will be offered this fall a t the Wilson Campus of Chicago City College to ease the nationwide shortage of librarians. Six prominent Chicago librarians have assisted in the development of th e program. W illiam Woods, Associate Professor and D i­ rector of the Library Technology Program a t the Wilson Campus, 7047 South Stewart Ave­ nue, said th a t Wilson has been offering an in­ troductory course in library technology since September, 1967. I t was th e first of its kind in Chicago. H e said: “W ith the help of th e six librarians, who have served as an advisory com­ m ittee sincė last April, w e have been able to expand our course offerings into a full pro­ gram to train library technical assistants. The committee represents a variety of types of li­ braries, and has helped to gear our courses to the specific needs of special library technicians.” Members of th e committee are: Sister Mary Chrysartha, Librarian, Felician Col­ lege Library, 3800 W est Peterson Avenue; Dr. Alex Ladenson, Acting Director, Chicago Public Library, 78 E ast W ashington Street; Dr. Miriam Peterson, Director, Division of Li­ braries, Chicago Board of Education, 228 N orth LaSalle Street; Miss Anne C. Roess, Supervisor, Library Serv­ ices, Institute of Gas Technology, 3424 South State Street; Dr. Fritz Veit, Director of Libraries, Wilson Campus and Chicago State College; and Miss Helen Yast, Librarian, American Hospital Association, Asa S. Bacon Memorial Library, 840 N orth Lake Shore Drive. Woods also said: “There are over 1,000 li­ braries in Chicago alone—in business and indus­ trial organizations, hospitals, factories, schools, government offices, churches, and laboratories. Few of these libraries are adequately staffed. To help ease th e shortage of librarians, a new para-professional occupation has been created, th a t of the library technical assistant. Although our program is th e only tw o-year course for library technical assistants offered in Chicago, there is a national organization called the Council on Library Technology (C O L T ) with 200 members, representing 80 two-year colleges in the United States and Canada, th a t has been active in defining th e educational requirements for th e recently-created position.” Currently, th e Wilson Campus offers the fol­ lowing courses in library technology: Intro­ duction to Library Procedures, Audio-visual Procedures, Library Public Service, Materials Acquisition Procedures, Preparation Procedures, Library Practicum, and School Library Proce­ dures. Students in the two-year program will take a general core curriculum in communica­ tions skills and social science in addition to the specialized courses. Tuition is free for Chicago residents. Classes are offered in th e day and evening and on Saturday mornings. ■ ■ N E W LIBRARY SCHOOLS A C C R E D IT E D Three graduate programs of library educa­ tion have been officially accredited by the American Library Association according to an announcem ent issued by the Association’s Com­ m ittee on Accreditation. The newly accredited programs are offered by th e School of Library and Informational Science, University of Mis­ souri, Columbia (R alph H. Parker, D e a n ); the Ecole de Bibliotheconomie, University of Mon­ treal, Montreal, Quebec (L aurent-G . Denis, D irector); and the D epartm ent of Librarian- ship, San Jose State College, San Jose, Cali­ fornia (Leslie H. Janke, C hairm an). This brings th e num ber of library schools offering programs accredited by the American Library Associa­ tion to 48, the highest num ber yet recorded under the Revised Standards of 1951. ■ ■