ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


376

In the News
Summertime . . . Traditionally, a time for 

rest and renewal but also a time for planning 
for the fall semester. In this issue w e  have a 
number o f articles that may stimulate your ideas 
for getting the fall semester o ff to a good  start.

Getting new students familiar with the li­
brary is always a big part o f the fall semester. 
Sheridan Stormes tells us h ow  at Butler Uni­
versity they have developed a library treasure 
hunt that is part o f freshman orientation week. 
Students have enjoyed the treasure hunt (which 
is an orientation to the library) to the extent 
that some were heard to remark, “Gosh, this is 
the most fun w e ’ve had all w eek.”

Eye-catching graphics also can help the ori­
entation effort. Kathryn Graves describes the 
display developed at the University o f Kansas. 
“Lost in the library? Stop floundering and fol­
lo w  the fish” uses cute fish graphics drawn by 
a student assistant to acquaint students with 
library services.

Summertime is also a good  time to plan an 
observance o f Banned Books W eek which takes

place September 25 through October 2, 1993. 
ALA makes available a resource kit for Banned 
Books W eek that is described on page 388. 
While you are thinking about banned books, 
check out the article by Paul Metz and Bruce 
Obenhaus on the selection policy on contro­
versial materials that was developed at Virginia 
Polytechnic Institute and State University. If you 
don’t have a clear policy dealing with contro­
versial materials, they suggest that the time to 
develop one is in the absence o f controversy 
rather than in the midst o f one.

Summertime is also an ideal time to plan 
how  to find out what users think o f and expect 
from library services. Vicki Young o f Xavier 
University provides us with a step-by-step guide 
to organizing and using focus groups to gain 
valuable information from library users.

H ope your summer gives you some rest and 
some time to come up with some creative new 
ideas.

— Mary Ellen K. Davis 
Editor & Publisher