ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries M ay 1 9 8 9 / 4 0 7 GOS will offer to its members a service that will match the library’s holdings against the set to see which items they do or do not hold. It beats tearing up the pages and having a student assistant look each one up in the card catalog! ACRL published ACRL University Library Sta­ tistics, 1987-88, and Collection Development Poli­ cies fo r College Libraries, CLIP Note §11. Strategic management directions Staff worked with ACRL president Joe Boisse and Budget and Finance Committee chair Linda Relating research agendas By Bonnie Gratch Director o f Information Services Bowling Green State University Editor’s Note: The “Research Forum ” column was begun several years ago to encourage research ideas, explore methodology, and report on research in progress. Recently Bonnie Gratch, a m em ber o f the C&RL News Editorial Board, offered to serve as editor o f this column and follow the progress o f A C R L’s Research Com m ittee as they develop a R e­ search Agenda fo r the Association. Anyone wishing to submit short or medium-sized, relatively infor­ mal items fo r possible inclusion in this column may write directly to: Bonnie Gratch, Research Forum E ditor, W illiam T. Je ro m e L ibrary , Bow ling G reen State University, B ow lin g G reen , OH 43403-0170. Recently a number of organizations and com­ mittees have been engaged with developing re­ search issues and agendas for librarianship/infor- mation science. The September 1988 College and Research Libraries contains an editorial by Charles Piele on an information sheet about the dues in­ crease to be voted on by members. JoAn Segal continued to work with other divi­ sion leaders and staff and with ALA leaders and staff on a new Operating Agreement between ALA and divisions. Data collected will help divisions as­ sess the financial impact of proposed changes. Ballots were prepared for the Spring elections. Sheryl Stephens has accepted a position with the American Bar Association effective in mid- April.— JoAn S. Segal, A CRL Executive D irec­ tor. ® ® Martell which describes the research formulating initiatives of the Association of Research Libraries, the Council on Library Resources, and ALA’s Of­ fice for Research. The January 1989 American L i­ braries contains a news item which alerts its read­ ership to a monumental study carried out by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Library Programs in 1986-1987, of which two volumes of the report titled, Rethinking the Library in the In­ form ation Age—Issues in Library Research: Pro­ posals fo r the Nineties, have recently been pub­ lished. The process employed in studying research issues and generating Rethinking the Library is a testa­ ment to excellent research methodology, and at the ACRL Research Committee’s Midwinter meeting in Washington, committee members and observers were privileged to hear Anne Mathews, director of Library Programs, U.S. Department of Educa- RESEARCH FORUM 408 / C&RL News tion, describe the numerous steps and activities in this 18-month project. ACRL’s Research Com m it­ tee members are particularly interested in this im­ pressive report, since they have been studying re­ search issues and areas for academic librarianship for over tw o years, and are expected to issue a re­ search agenda in late 1989. W ith a t least four completed and/or draft docu­ ments to compare, the following research areas and issues are examples which may be particularly im portant ones, since they are included in at least tw o of the four documents.* The few questions listed under each broad research area are only a sampling of the several questions contained in some of these documents. 1. Access to Inform ation—Technological, Phys­ ical, and Economic Aspects. W hat is the im pact of changing information technology on user behav­ ior? How does the physical layout affect inform a­ tion access? W hat is the im pact of fees upon access for academic libraries and their users? Does library technology support resources and enhance learning and research or does it pose a barrier to access? 2. Inform ation Needs/Users. How can we learn more about user needs? W hat will the needs of li­ brary users be in 10 years? How do information needs vary by discipline or aggregates of user groups? 3. Libraries and Education. In the complex in­ formation environment, w hat are the appropriate *My observations are based on ARL’s “Research Questions of Interest to ARL”; the Council on L i­ brary Resources’ series of research question topics (both outlined in the September C&RL); Rethink­ ing the Library in the Inform ation Age, Volume I; and a January 1989 draft “Subject Outline for an ACRL Research Agenda” prepared by the ACRL Research Committee. present and future roles of libraries and librarians, especially in relation to teaching? How can we achieve information literacy? 4. Structure of Inform ation Systems. How can we apply results of artificial intelligence, text proc­ essing, and expert systems research to improve re­ trieval of information? Do large files of machine- re a d a b le in fo r m a tio n a n d new p ro cessin g capabilities affect the substance as well as the methodology of research? How could academic li­ braries best respond to the increase in electronic publishing? 5. Resource Sharing. Does competition among bibliographic utilities benefit research libraries? W hat are the pitfalls? How do you measure (and w hat are the indicators) changed behavior arising from cooperative resource sharing activities? 6. Role of the Public Services L ibrarian. W hat is and will be the role of the librarian as interm edi­ ary? W h at are and will be appropriate ways of or­ ganizing reference service? 7. Preservation. W hat criteria should be consid­ ered when identifying materials for preservation? W hat factors need to be considered when evaluat­ ing new technology for application to preservation activities? 8. Library Funding and Economics. W hat is the correlation between library support and outcomes, such as university quality rates, test scores, re­ search productivity, etc.? W hat is the im pact of scholarly publishing pricing policies on research? 9. E ducation and T raining of L ibrarians. Is there a core curriculum? How effective and well- utilized are continuing education and on-the-job training activities for librarians? W hat is the pro­ file of th e cu rre n t lib rary /in fo rm a tio n science school student body versus th e desired student body? ■ ■ Fulbright Program with the United Kingdom, 1990-91 The Fulbright Commission in London has an ­ nounced the availability of an aw ard for a practic­ ing librarian to pursue professional work in the United Kingdom at a degree-awarding institution or major research library. The competitive aw ard is b eing m ad e a v ailab le u n d e r th e F u lb rig h t Scholar Program to provide an opportunity for li­ brarians to broaden their professional perspective and enhance cross-cultural skills and insights. The purpose of the aw ard is to prom ote the exchange of ideas between libr ary staff in the U .S .a n d th e U .K . and to enable participants to acquire knowledge and experience of library work in a different set­ ting. •A pplicants must be librarians, library adm in­ istrators, or archivists at four-year colleges and uni­ versities or m ajor research libraries outside of higher education. Proposals from library science educators are not appropriate to this aw ard, which is designed for full-time practitioners. •A pplicants must hold U.S. citizenship and a m inimum of five years continuous professional ex­ perience is also required. An MLS degree is ex­ pected, though extensive professional service may in some cases be substituted for the degree. The program is designed for mid-career professionals who hold positions appropriate to implementing new ideas and insights gained from the exchange experience. •A pplicants are responsible for arranging a work affiliation w ith a university library, major re­ search library, or national library in the United Kingdom. A list of British institutions th at are eligi­ ble for participation in the aw ard is available upon request. A letter of invitation must be submitted w ith the application. May 1989 / 409 •Projects may be single purpose or comparative in scope; they may be investigative or operational in focus. Professional work attachments should in­ volve some consideration of relevant issues of a larger magnitude than basic employment abroad. Proposals that have a pragmatic bearing on issues of common concern to librarians in the U.S. and U.K. are particularly welcome. •Awards are for a minimum duration of three months and grantees are expected to be paid leave of absence from th e ir hom e in s titu tio n . The grantee will receive a fixed grant of approximately 2,500 British pounds, paid in pounds sterling, to cover travel and other expenses. •D ead lin e for applications is September 15, 1989. For more information and a list of libraries ap­ proved for affiliation, please call or write Steven Blodgett or Michael Doyle of the Council for Inter­ national Exchange of Scholars, 3400 International D rive, N .W ., Suite M-500, W ashington, DC 20008-3097; (202) 686-6239. ■ ■ ACRL program s in D allas This year's conference programs feature invisible users, designer genes, and infostructure. Anthropology and Sociology Section “Access to Anthropological Field Notes: Preser­ vation, Collection and Ethical Issues” (Sunday, June 25, 9:30 a .m .-12:30 p.m .) will feature a panel of four speakers: Anthony Seeger, curator of the Folkways Collection, Smithsonian Institution; Mary Elizabeth Ruwell, archivist, Northeast Doc­ ument Conservation Center; Kathleen T. Baxter, reference archivist for the National Anthropologi­ cal Archives, Smithsonian Institution; and Mark Handler, librarian, Stanford Law Library. Art Section “Networks for Cooperation in the Arts” (Sun­ day, June 25, 2:00-5:00 p.m .) will explore the state-of-the-art of cooperative ventures among li­ braries serving the arts. The origin, purpose, mem­ bership, scope, governance, accomplishments, and facilities of several major cooperatives representing different disciplines will be featured: “Getting Our Act Together: The Performing Arts Libraries Net­ work of G reater Los Angeles,” Joan D. Kun- selman, UCLA; “Concerning A# Music Coopera­ tive (Boston Area Music Libraries),” William F. Coscorelli, University of Georgia; “A Portrait of Collaboration and Confluence in the Fine Arts (Washington Art Library Resources Committee),” Margaret Culbertson, University of Houston; and “New Bindings for Old Libraries: The Philadel­ phia Area Consortium of Special Collections Li­ braries,” Kathleen Reed, Drexel University. Bibliographic Instruction Section “Invisible Users/Visible Technology: BI Beyond the Library” (Sunday, June 25, 2:00-5:30 p.m .), will explore the current and future instructional needs of invisible users of online catalogs and other databases, and the challenges, choices and oppor­ tunities BI librarians will face in meeting those needs. The program will open with the presenta­ tion of the Miriam Dudley BI Librarian of the Year Award. Speakers will include Sally Kalin, Pennsyl­ vania State University; Betsy Baker, Northwestern University; and William Mischo, University of Illi­ nois at Urbana-Champaign. Following the pro­ gram there will be an orientation to the Biblio­ g ra p h ic In s tru c tio n Section for new and prospective members. Black Studies Librarianship Discussion Group “Authors/Publishers: Barriers to Access” (Satur­