ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


68

Continuing Education------- XII
Many people think o f continuing education as 

an umbrella term for all types o f formal or infor­
mal training and development programs, activi­
tie s , co urses, workshops, e t c ., that academ ic 
lib rarian s may attend  in the hope o f m aking 
themselves b e tter qualified, more satisfied, and 
perhaps even more secure in their professional 
roles.

Thus, contin uing education means different 
things to different people. To all, however, it 
should signify a two-way street, where the traffic 
g oin g on e way is made up o f e m p lo y ers, 
educators, and associations that are cognizant of 
the needs of their constituencies and are offering 
the means to fulfill these needs, and in the oppo­
site direction it consists of individuals who have 
been made aware of and are accepting these op­
portunities for further growth.

A relatively new challenge for academic librar­
ians is the phenomenon of formal bibliographic 
instruction, which requires a knowledge of assess­
ing needs, interviewing, planning, advertising, 
and selling and the ability to teach library skills 
to students and faculty.

In order for the academic librarian to wear this 
new hat with its band reading “Teacher” in the 
bibliographic-instruction library classroom, con­
tinuing education must come to the rescue and 
equip the new teach er with th e arts that are 
lacking.

However, continuing education should not be 
considered as a panacea for all of our dilemmas. 
It should not be thought o f as a bandwagon for all 
to hop on, but, from all of us, it should deserve 
better than lip service.

AACR II Committee 
Invites Suggestions 

for Implementation Checklist
The Ad Hoc Comm ittee on AACR II  Im ­

plementation Studies is seeking to compile a 
checklist of questions that libraries might con­
sider when designing plans for implementing 
AACR II (e.g., Will we need more staff? How 
will we inform our users?).

Richard M. Dougherty, chair of the com­
m ittee and director of libraries at the Univer­
sity o f Michigan, reported to the ALA Execu­
tive Board at its Midwinter M eeting that the 
committee wished to create such a checklist.

The committee now invites librarians repre­
sen tin g  all ty p es and sizes o f lib ra r ie s to 
suggest questions for the list. These should be 
sent to: Mary Jo Lynch, Director, Office for 
Research, American Library Association, 50 
E. Huron St., Chicago, IL  60611.

Continuing education is as important to the 
grass roots academic librarians as it is to their 
supervisors, department heads, and top adminis­
trators; it crosses all strata o f academic lib rar­
ianship.

Fortunately, many librarians, library schools, 
library associations, and library consortia sub­
scribe to the concept of lifelong learning (or, if 
yoíi will, continuing education) and have made 
great strides in various ways to offer instruction 
to all who seek to keep up with the times, but 
there is still a long way to go for the coming of 
age o f this c o n c e p t.— T im o th e a  F. M c D o n a ld , 
C o lleg e L ib r a r y , S u ffo lk  University.

E d it o r s  N ote: T im oth ea F. M cD on ald is a m em ­
b e r  o f  th e A C R L  B ib lio g ra p h ic  Instru ction  S ec­
t io n s  C ontinuing E d u ca tio n  C o m m ittee, a p art- 
tim e r e fe r e n c e  lib ra ria n  in th e C o lleg e L ib r a r y  at 
S u ffolk University, a n d  is a d o c to ra l ca n d id a te in 
continuing ed u cation  in th e D ep a rtm en t o f  C o m ­
m u n ity  C o ll e g e  a n d  C o n t in u in g  E d u c a t i o n , 
S c h o o l o f  E d u ca tion , B oston  University. ■■

A C A D E M I C  L IB R A R Y  
P R O G R A M

The Academic Library Program, a program de­
veloped by the Association of Research Libraries 
in cooperation with the Association o f C ollege 
and Research Libraries, is seeking applicants for 
the consultant training com ponent o f the pro­
gram.

The Consultant Training Program will prepare 
selected academic librarians to serve as consul­
tants to libraries conducting self-studies. Up to 
twenty consultants will be trained each year for 
the next five years.

The training program will involve a two-week 
consultation skills workshop followed by a six- 
month to one-year consultation project with an 
ARL staff member serving as co-consultant. This 
p ro ject will req uire ten to twelve days o f the 
trainees’ tim e. Altogether, trainees will spend 
twenty to twenty-two days away from their pre­
sent positions. Upon completion o f the training, 
an individual will be eligible to work with librar­
ies operating Academic L ibrary Program self- 
studies.

The first group of consultants will be selected 
from nominations and applications submitted by 
May 3 1, 1979. Application forms are available 
from: the Office o f Management Studies, Associa­
tion of Research Libraries, 1527 New Hampshire 
Ave., N .W ., Washington, D C  20036. ■■