ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries November 1 9 9 7 / 6 8 5 Hews fr o m the ïield M a ry Ellen Davis U n iv. of M a ry la n d a customer service w inner The University o f Maryland (UM) McKeldin Library Ref­ e ren ce Inform ation D esk staff recently won third place in the campuswide UM Wel­ come Challenge. During the first week of classes, unannounced and anonymous student evalua­ tors visited and phoned the 55 service and office areas on campus that had entered the competition. The evaluators rated the com­ petitors on various aspects of customer service; winners were treated to a trolley ride and lunch with university president William E. Kirwan. Sonia Bernardo, Yu Wsiu Wang, and Natalie Ateto represented the li­ brary and accepted the plaque on be­ half of the library. In preparation for the competi­ tion the library added a welcome banner, staff wore special buttons, and th e fa c ilitie s w e re sp ru ced up. H ow ever, Sonia Bernardo, student supervisor and man­ ager, Information Desk, was confident that her staff and student assistants could compete with any service area on campus. “Since the day they were hired,” she said, “I have trained them to provide good customer service at the Informa­ tion Desk. I tell them to be friendly, helpful, considerate, hospitable, competent, and infor­ mative.” G eo rg e Bush visits T e x a s A&M Lib rary President George Bush visited with Texas A&M University library dean Fred Heath and viewed a digital demonstration in the new Policy Sci­ ences and Economics Library (PSEL) during the dedication of the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Wednesday, September 10. The PSEL provides access and services for stu­ dents, faculty, and staff in political science, eco­ nomics, and the Bush School through electronic and print resources. The ap­ proxim ately 5,000 square foot library is housed in the George Bush Presidential Li­ brary Center. The PSEL of­ fers a limited, specialized collection of periodicals, ref­ erence works, and current monographs in political sci­ ence, government and pub­ lic service, and economics. It also provides access to e le ctro n ic journals, data­ bases, and the Internet. Dean Heath said, “The Policy Sciences and Economics Library represents a dual partner­ ship in which we take great pride. It strength­ ens the bonds between the library and the Col­ lege o f Liberal Arts faculty whose specific disciplines we serve. And it forges a new alli­ ance with the Bush Presidential Library and Museum which will open in November. These relationships affirm Texas A&M’s commitment to providing outstanding library resources.” Past e x a m s on the W eb at UConn The University of Connecticut’s Babbidge Library has loaded more than 500 previously used course exams on the Web as part of its Elec­ tronic Course Reserve (ECR) project. The ex­ ams file, known as the X-File, is part o f a four- Presid ent George Bush and Texas A&M Uni­ versity lib rary dean Fred Heath at the dedi­ catio n o f the new Bush Sch ool o f G overn­ m ent and Public Service at Texas A&M Uni­ versity in Septem ber. 6 8 6 /C&RL News year effort to digitize and network as much course reserve material as possible. The file can be accessed at http://www.lib.uconn.edu/ECR/ Students are enthusiastic about the timesav- ing aspect of the new X-File. No longer do they have to visit the library, wait for their turn to view the materials, and then wrestle with the photocopier. Now they can get the informa­ tion from the nearest networked computer. Guided by the Reserve Services coordina­ tor, and with the help of a programmer, stu­ dent employees scanned the file o f paper ex­ ams and then linked them to an academic department index from which they are acces­ sible by course name, number, and instructor. Scanning time will be minimal in the future, since faculty now send their exams to Reserve in digital format whenever possible. Library staff are also benefiting from the switch to electronic access. The labor-intensive process of creating and maintaining a multicopy paper file has been eliminated, and repetitious charging and dis­ charging of exams, one of the most heavily circulated materials on reserve, has been re­ duced. For additional information, contact Dipa R oy, R e se rv e S e rv ic e s c o o r d in a to r at ecr@spirit.lib.uconn.edu or (860) 486-2307. ACRL's W ESSW eb w in s a w a rd The German newsweekly D ie Z eit recently named WESSWeb, the Web service o f ACRL’s Western European Specialists Section, as one of 67 key sites in the emerging digital library. In a four-part article, reporter Dieter E. Zimmer identified the major issues confronting Inter­ net users today and singled out WESSWeb for its efforts to provide easy access to informa­ tion, especially electronic texts. Zimmer’s article is available on the Web at http://www4.zeit.de/bda/int/zeit/littwett/ R eso urces on a cce ssib le W eb d esig n and a d a p tiv e technology for lib ra rie s An innovative cooperative project between the University Libraries and DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technol­ ogy) at the University of Washington has pro­ duced a training packet of materials on issues related to accessibility for people with dis­ abilities to library resources. Portions of the materials were presented and enthusiastically received at ACRL’s 8th National Conference in Nashville last spring. Director of DO-IT, Sheryl Burgstahler, com­ ments, “We were very interested in joining with the University Libraries on this project as libraries play such an important role in pro­ viding information in our society. We are happy to report that the project sent over 300 complementary copies of the training materi­ als to libraries across the country and that we reached over 1,500 librarians and educators through conference presentations." The University Libraries were equally ex­ cited to join the partnership. “We enthusiasti­ cally joined DO-IT in this project,” said Betty Bengtson, director of University Libraries. “As a result, our staff are more aware of the issues related to serving students and staff with disabili­ ties. And more importantly, we are working to be better equipped to provide them services.” The training packet includes materials on accessibility issues for libraries, adaptive tech­ nology, and accessible Web design. Included are two videotape presentations on adaptive technology and accessible Web design, a pre­ sentation script that can easily be modified to one’s needs, overhead transparency templates, and handout templates covering adaptive tech­ nology, accessible Web design, and library accessibility issues. The training materials are available for pur­ chase from DO-IT at a cost o f $50.00 U.S. for the entire package. To order, contact DO-IT by e-mail at doit@u.washington.edu, by fax at (206) 221-4171, or by mail at 4545 15th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98105^527. Many of the materi­ als are also available at DO-ITs Web site at http:/ /weber. u .washington.edu/doit/UA/. Funding for the development o f the mate­ rials was provided by the Telecommunica­ tions Funding Partnership and the National Science Foundation. DO-IT is directed through the College of Engineering and Computing & Communications at the University of Wash­ ington.— B eth M. Fraser, University o f W ash­ ington Libraries, b a m f ê u .w ashington .edu http://www.lib.uconn.edu/ECR/ mailto:ecr@spirit.lib.uconn.edu http://www4.zeit.de/bda/int/zeit/littwett/ mailto:doit@u.washington.edu November 1 9 9 7 / 6 8 7 digbib/index.html. WESSWeb is managed by ACRL member James Campbell, who is direc­ tor of library technology services at the Univer­ sity of Virginia in Charlottesville. WESSWeb is at http://www.lib.virginia.edu/wess. ALA hosts first Volunteer D ay at 1998 M idwinter Meeting As part of ALA president Barbara Ford’s theme, “Global Reach, Local Touch,” ALA will hold its first Volunteer Day at the 1998 Midwinter Meet­ ing in New Orleans. The event, cosponsored by the Louisiana Library Association, will give volunteers the opportunity to promote library services, make a personal contribution to the local community, and have a model to repli­ cate in their local communities. Says Ford, “My first experience with a vol­ unteer opportunity at a conference was with the National Peace Corps Association. Confer­ ence participants had the opportunity to con­ tribute to the community where the conference was held and to add a rewarding experience to the conference. Community volunteer activi­ ties are now being added to some other asso­ ciation conference. The ALA conference vol­ unteer activities will provide local touch’ and reach out to the local community in the confer­ ence sites as well as provide examples of ac­ tivities that might be adopted at state associa­ tion conferences.” Activities such as read-alouds, puppetry, In­ ternet training, storytelling, and shelf reading will take place at area libraries includ­ ing the New Orleans and Jefferson Par­ ish Public Libraries, New Orleans pub­ lic schools, Dillard University, and Southern University. Volunteers must register in advance; the Septem ber A m erican Libraries included a registra­ tion form. Transportation will be pro­ vided to and from the local libraries. As more information becomes available, it will be posted at http://info.jefferson.lib. co.us/alavol.htm. STS offers collegial counsel The Continuing Education Committee of ACRL’s Science and Technology Sec­ tion (STS) is offering assistance to those new to science librarianship. Coined “Collegial Council,” the new service pro­ vides a listing of 42 experienced indi­ viduals who are willing to help less-ex­ perienced librarians with all aspects of librarianship. Do you have to provide reference service, build the collection, evaluate collec­ tions and services, organize/shift stacks, create a homepage, design flyers, etc.? If your job has ever required you to do something you did not learn in library school, Collegial Counsel may help. The next time you are asked to do, write, shift, present, catalog, teach, organize, or ad­ minister something for your job and do not know where to start, turn to STS’s Collegial Counsel resource list. The list includes the names of volunteers, their areas of expertise, and contact information. You may choose to contact anyone on the list whose experience and expertise matches your needs or interests. Experienced sci/tech librarians willing to share their expertise are also sought. For more infor­ mation or to request the list, send your name, ACRL cares: Share your ideas with a focus group B ecause ACRL values its members and wants to provide good programs and ser­ vices it is conducting focus groups. The one at the ALA Midwinter Meeting will discuss professional development issues and the one at the Annual Conference will focus on ACRL services. To volunteer for a focus group send your name, title, institution, phone, fax, and e-mail to Tanga Morris (800) 545-2433, ext. 2514; e-mail: tmorris@ala.org. http://www.lib.virginia.edu/wess http://info.jefferson.lib mailto:tmorris@ala.org 6 8 8 /C&RL News P re v ie w of the p a st: The A m erican L ib ra ry A sso ciatio n A rch iv e s The University o f Illinois at Urbana-Cham- paign (UIUC) Archives is the major North American research center for the study of the history of librarianship. Central to these re­ sources is the ALA Archives, which contains nearly 2,000 cubic feet, or the equivalent of 1,125 file drawers, of the official records, per­ sonal papers, and publications o f the Ameri­ can Library Association (ALA). In addition, the UIUC Archives includes materials on librarianship with its holdings on the University of Illinois Library and the Gradu­ ate School of Library and Inform ation Sci­ ence. Complementing the strength of these re­ sources are other asso­ ciation archives: the American Association o f Law Libraries, the As­ so ciatio n for Library and Inform ation Sci­ e n c e Edu cation, the G e o scie n ce Inform a­ tion Society, the Health Sciences Librarians of Illinois, and the Map and Geography Section o f the Special Libraries Association. Miss J . A. R athbone at the ALA C on feren ce in Colorado, 1 8 9 5 . A rchives ex p a n d Last year the ALA Archives expanded by nearly 70 cubic feet. Among the more important re­ cent accessions were the additions to the Ex­ ecutive Director, RASD, and ASCLA subject files; ALISE and GODORT files; and the Sanford Berman Papers. There are also six new records series: Public Information Office Photographs, the National Library Power Pro­ gram Files, RASD Occasional Papers and the Douglas M. Knight Papers, Lester Asheim travel diaries, and the Cargill/ALA Partners for Family Literacy Project Files. ALA materials date from the first American library convention in 1853. They include for­ mal proceedings, reports, correspondence, subject files, financial records, publications, papers, and scrapbooks. The University of Illinois Library and library school archives date from the school’s founding in 1893, and of special interest are course materials and alumni files dating from those early years. The formats are numerous. Materials are in the form of manuscripts, typescripts, pho­ tographs, slides, filmstrips, motion pictures, videos, audio recordings, postcards, and posters. Major strengths include the activi­ tie s o f SRRT, the W ashington O ffice, and the International Relations O ffice, as well as the histoiy of library education and cataloging. Y o u r p ap ers a re w an te d ALA members are in­ vited to contribute to the continued growth of this unique research collection. The UIUC Archives is interested in receiving publica­ tions, photograp hs, p o s tc a rd s , s c r a p ­ books, personal pa­ pers, and the archives of other groups, associa­ tions, and organizations that deal with important aspects o f the history o f librari­ anship. For further information, please con­ tact the University o f Illinois archivist: Wil­ liam J. Maher, University of Illinois Archives, 19 Main Library, MC-522, 1408 W. Gregory Dr., Urbana, IL 61801; phone: (217) 333- 0 7 9 8 ; fa x : ( 2 1 7 ) 3 3 3 - 2 8 6 8 ; e -m a il: illiarch@uiuc.edu. For more information on the ALA Ar­ chives, you can examine a selection of ALA Archives holdings on the Internet through a connection on the ALA homepage or directly at the W orld W ide W eb URL: http:// www.library.uiuc.edu/archives.— E lizabeth R. C ard m an. University o f Illinois at U rbana- C h am p aig n mailto:illiarch@uiuc.edu http://www.library.uiuc.edu/archives.%e2%80%94Elizabeth November 1 9 9 7 /6 8 9 position title, work address, e-mail address, and phone number to: Kathleen “Pix” Fleming, Sci­ ence & Engineering Library, Wayne State Uni­ versity, Detroit, MI 48202; e-mail: kflemin@ cms.cc.wayne.edu; phone: (313) 577-6310; fax: (313) 577-3613- Please specify how you would prefer to receive the list (U.S. mail, e-mail, or password-protected Web site). STS deadline for sci/tech abstracts: Nov. 21 ACRL’s Science and Technology Section’s (STS) Forum for Science and Technology Library Re­ search Committee wants your research for pre­ sentation at the 1998 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Send an abstract not ex­ ceeding 250 words by November 21, 1997. Details about the submission and selection pro­ cess were published in the October issue of C&RL News and are available on the Web at http://www.ala.org/acrl/nffoct97.html. For in­ formation or questions, contact: Tamera Lee, Auburn University, AL 36849-5606; phone: (334) 8 4 4 -1 7 4 9 ; fax : (3 3 4 ) 8 4 4 -1 7 5 8 ; e-m ail: TammyLee@Lib. Auburn. Edu NOTIS creator replaces automation so ftw are w ith Endeavor's V o y ag er Endeavor Information Systems Inc. announced that Northwestern University will convert to Voyager, Endeavor’s information management system for academic and research libraries. Northwestern was a library automation leader in the late 1960s and early 1970s, de­ veloping a number o f firsts in research library automation: first online system, first circula­ tion system, and first online catalog with real­ time circulation status. Under the leadership of former university librarian John P. McGowan and his colleagues James Aagaard and Velma Veneziano, NOTIS (Northwestern Online To­ tal Integrated System) became the system of choice for many large academic and research libraries. In 1987 Northwestern formed NOTIS Systems, Inc., a wholly owned company whose mission was to actively market the system. Jane Burke, former president o f NOTIS and now Endeavor’s president and CEO, said, “This is both a wonderful and humbling opportu­ nity for Endeavor. To put the Voyager system into the mother library of NOTIS is probably every library automation company’s dream.” David Bishop, Charles Deering McCormick University Librarian, stated that “the purchase of the Voyager system represents a major com­ mitment by the university administration, In­ formation Technology Division, and the library to enhance library service in the 21st century. When fully implemented, Voyager will improve service to users and allow the library staff to function more effectively and efficiently.” Submissions needed for ACRL book: Academic libraries and student success Does your library have an impact on the suc­ cess of students on your campus? Have you developed a successful course or program fo­ c u sin g on stu d e n t r e s e a r c h s k ills or campuswide activities? ACRL is developing a book on academic libraries and student suc­ cess, and the editor would like to hear from academic librarians. There will be sections on technology initiatives, campus committee ac­ tivities, working with diverse and disabled populations, the image of the library and li­ brarians on campus, freshman seminars, and more. To contribute or for more information, contact: Maurie Caitlin Kelly, Environmental Resources Research Institute, Penn State Uni­ versity, at mck4@psu.edu. NCES issues report on distance education D istan ce E d u cation in H igher E du cation Insti­ tutions is the title of a report issued by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in October. Although the data in the report are from 1995, the report is being billed as the “first comprehensive national survey of dis­ tance education by colleges.” The full-text electronic version of the re­ port is available at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs98/ distance/index.html. The highlights section of the site offers 10 summary items, including one about libraries. The report found that “access to library resources varied depending on type o f library resource”: 56 percent of the institu­ tions offered an electronic link to the library, 62 percent had cooperative agreements for stu­ dents to use other libraries, 45 percent assigned library staff to help distance education stu­ dents, and 39 percent made library collections available at remote sites. 1998 IPEDS su rve y changes The 1998 Academic Libraries Survey that is part of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) has been updated. The sur­ vey, which collects data about staff, expendi­ tures, collections, library and electronic ser­ http://www.ala.org/acrl/nffoct97.html mailto:mck4@psu.edu http://nces.ed.gov/pubs98/ 6 9 0 /C&RL News vices, makes changes to some of the counts and definitions used. Details about the changes may be found on ALA’s homepage at http://www.ala.org/ ors.htmi (click on “The 1998 IPEDS ALS”). CCLA delivers computers for visu a lly im paired The College Center for Library Automation (CCLA) in Florida has delivered special work­ stations to the 60 campus libraries of Florida’s 28 community colleges. J. Richard Madaus, di­ rector o f CCLA said, “Delivery o f Assistive Technology Workstations to all LINCC [Library Information Network for Community Colleges] libraries is a significant milepost on our road to providing universal access.” The workstations allow visually impaired users to independently access LINCC, the on­ line catalog of community college library hold­ ings, and a variety of research databases and electronic information resources. Developed by CCLA, each workstation is a personal com­ puter equipped with a screen that reads aloud the text on the monitor, a magnification pro­ gram that enlarges the size of the text on the screen, and terminal emulation software. The LINCC Assistive Technology Workstation was tested by students, faculty, and library staff at Florida Community College at Jacksonville and at Broward Community College, Central Cam­ pus. CCLA was created in 1989 to enhance the community college educational experience via statewide access to shared library resources. CCLA provides LINCC, an automated informa­ tion system that features computerized library resources, electronic information services, and automated library m anagem ent functions. LINCCWeb is available at http://www.ccla.lib. fl.us. ■ Plans set for 1 9 9 8 ra re books preconference “Getting Ready for the Nineteenth Century: Strategies and Solutions for Rare Book and Special Collections Librarians” is the theme of the 39th Preconference of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of ACRL to be held in Washington, DC from June 23-26, 1998. The preconference will explore strategies and solutions for the acquisition, preserva­ tion, and research use of published and un­ published materials from the nineteenth cen­ tury. These scholarly materials— often not found within the current purview of rare book repositories, archives, and special collec­ tions— present a significant and growing in­ tellectual, financial, physical, and administra­ tive challenge to librarians, archivists, and scholars. The program includes a diverse array of plenary addresses, seminar sessions, paper presentations, and workshops designed to fos­ ter the investigation o f collection develop­ ment, preservation, public service, technical service, and administrative issues central to the work of rare book and special-collection librarians and information professionals. Plenary session speakers— including John Cole, Center for the Book, Library of Con­ gress; Nancy Gwinn, Smithsonian Institution Libraries; Alice Schreyer, University of Chi­ cago; Paul Conway, Yale University Library; Sandria Freitag, American Historical Associa­ tion, and others— will address key issues re­ lating to the development, research use, and preservation of nineteenth-century materials. A series of seminar sessions will include presentations on a wide range of topics. Semi­ nars that focus on the nineteenth century in­ clude sessions on the cataloging of publica­ tions, including but not limited to ephemera, western Americana, and publishers’ bindings; managing photographic collections; and the development of picture books and the “Im­ age Populiare.” Additional seminar topics focus on such issues as printed booksellers’ catalogs in the electronic age; the evaluation of exhibitions and exhibition catalogues on the World Wide Web; in-house rare book auctions for librar­ ies; the revised security guidelines proposed by the RBMS Security Committee; and the role and future of the RBMS Web site. For additional information, please contact William E. Brown, Jr., Archives and Special Collections, P.O. Box 248214, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124; phone: (305) 284-3247; e-mail:wbrown@umiarm.ir.miami.edu. http://www.ala.org/ http://www.ccla.lib mailto:wbrown@umiarm.ir.miami.edu November 1 9 9 7 /6 9 1