ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C&RL News ■ July/August 1998 / 485 N e w s f r o m t h e F i e l d Mary Ellen Davis San Diego Mesa College dedicates new LRC The Learning Resource Center (LRC) of San Diego Mesa College was opened and dedi­ cated on April 20. The $20 million, four-story building is 107,726 square feet and is de­ signed to serve a student body that has ranged from 23,000-26,000 in recent years. The LRC houses the library, the audiovisual depart­ ment, and the Center for Independent Learn­ ing. Among its many features are: nearly 300 computer workstations, state-of-the-art digi­ tal computer editing banks, 20 group study rooms, seating for 1,000, and a book stack capacity of 170,000— about double the cur­ rent collection. At the dedication, Librarian Jack Forman said the LRC is “a place that will set the (physi­ cal environment) standard for the 21st cen ­ tury at Mesa College. Future campus struc­ tures will be built to complement and supple­ ment the LRC’s exquisite beauty and broad utility.” During the dedication ceremony, SCT Cor­ poration announced a $50,000 donation to be used to purchase computer technology from the demonstration lab, set aside for fac­ ulty in the Center for Independent Learning. ASERL stats available Statistical data for the Association of South­ eastern Research Libraries (ASERL) member libraries for the years 1995, 1996, and 1997 are available at http://www.lib.memphis.edu. The ASERL is made up o f the 31 largest aca­ demic libraries in the 12-state southeastern region encom passed by the Southeastern Li­ brary Association and, as ex officio members, the state libraries or state library agencies in each o f these states. ACRL offers 50 scholarships to its N ational Conference ACRL is offering 50 scholarships to its Na­ tional Conference, April 8 -1 1 , 1999, in De­ troit, consisting o f complimentary registra­ tion and $250 for travel expenses. Ten awards will be given in each o f the five categories: community colleges, four-year colleges, uni­ versities, historically Black colleges, and His- panic-serving institutions. Recipients o f the scholarships must be ACRL members, currently employed at a li­ brary in one o f the categories mentioned above, hold an MLS degree, have been a li­ brarian for less than five years, and have annual salary earnings o f $35,000 or less. The deadline for applications is October 15. Details and the application form are avail­ able at http://www.ala.org/acrl/confsclil. html. ACRL section renam ed Distance Learning Section Members of ACRL’s Extended Cam­ pus Library Services Section (ECLSS) approved by mail ballot this spring the change o f their name to Distance Learning Section (DLS). The new name does not reflect a change in the concerns and chal­ lenges facing its members. Rather, it is an attempt to update its image and to clarify the nature of its programs and work. The world o f extended, off-campus, and distance education earning activities has changed markedly since ned by ncrete ECLSS was founded in 1990. At that time, “extended cam pus” reflected To blend in w ith surrounding architecture, the new L Resource Center at San Diego Mesa College, desig M.W. Steele Group, Inc., is a poured-in-place co structure, afford ing a naturally quiet environment. http://www.lib.memphis.edu http://www.ala.org/acrl/confsclil 486 / C&RL News ■ July/A ugust 1998 Celebrate the freedom to read! James Baldwin Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) Toni Morrison What do these three authors have in com ­ mon? Each o f their works have b een fre­ quently banned or c h a lle n g e d . M ake plans now to celebrate “B an ned B o o k s W e e k — C e le b ra tin g th e F r e e d o m to Read,” Septem ber 2 6 -O c to b e r 3, 1998. Materials have been developed by ALA to make it easy to put up a display or initiate an activity drawing attention to Banned B ooks W eek. A com plete banned b o o k s kit, avail­ able for $30, includes a resou rce b o o k containing the photos above and other ready-to-use photos, three co lor posters, 100 bookm arks, and a button. To order, contact ALA at (8 0 0) 545-2433 ext. 4223 or fax: (3 1 2 ) 280-4227. Visit the B anned B o o k s W eek W eb site at http://www. ala.org/bbooks. B ann ed B o o k s W eek is sponsored by ALA, the American B ook sellers A ssocia­ tion, the American B o ok sellers Founda­ tion for Free Expression, the A ssociation o f American Publishers, the National As­ s o c ia tio n o f C o lle g e S to re s , and th e American Society o f Jou rnalists and Au­ thors. It is endorsed by the Center for the B o o k o f the Library o f Congress. T h ese groups sp on sor this w eek to draw attention to the danger that exists w hen restraints are im posed on the avail­ ability o f inform ation in a free society. the focus o f distance learning delivery. T o ­ day, with the advent o f Internet-based and technology-delivered learning at a distance, the name no longer reflects or fully informs others about the work o f the section. T h e name change has b een made in an effort to increase the potential impact and visibility o f the section within the profession and in higher education as a w hole. It is hoped that the m ore recogn izable D istance Learn­ ing name will help others to acknow ledge more effectively the se ctio n ’s work and re­ sources. T he s e c tio n cu rren tly h as m ore than 1,000 m em b ers and is o n e o f the fastest- grow ing in ACRL. For m ore in form atio n on the sectio n , p lea se co n su lt its Web page at http:// e cu v a x .cis.e cu .e d u / ~ lb sh o u se / hom e.htm . 1999 ACRL vice-presid en t/p resid en t- elect candidates announced Patricia Ann Wand, university librarian at the American University, and Betsy Wilson, asso­ ciate director of libraries for public services at the University o f Washington have been se­ lected by the 1998 Nominations Committee as the candidates for ACRL’s top leadership position: vice-president/president-elect. Both candidates have held num erous p o ­ sitions o f responsibility within the division and look forward to continuing to serve the ACRL m em bership in leadership roles. Wand currently chairs ACRL’s International Rela­ tions Com m ittee and ALA’s Com m ittee on Legislation. She served on the ACRL Board from 1 9 8 6 -8 8 and on num erous com m ittees and panels within ALA, ACRL, and her state library association. http://www C&RL News ■ July/A ugust 1998 / 487 Wilson is currently co-chair of the ACRL Colleagues Committee and serves on the ACRL 1999 National C on feren ce Executive Committee and the National In­ formation Literacy Institute Plan­ ning Group. She has also chaired numerous committees at the sec­ tion and division level. The candidates will appear on the ACRL ballot for the ALA 1999 election and one will assume of­ fice at the close o f the 1999 ALA Conference in New Orleans. RBMS seeks papers fo r 1999 preconference ACRL’s Rare B ooks and Manu­ scripts Section (RBMS) is seeking proposals for papers related to the theme of its 40th annual p recon feren ce, “Border Crossings: Exploring New Territories for Special Col­ lection s.” The preconference will be held Monday through Thursday, Ju ne 21-24, 1999, in Montreal. As the century com es to a close, special collection librarians are discovering that the traditional boundaries o f the profession are beginning to break down, giving birth to new strategies for building and administering col­ lections. These borders may be broadly clas­ sified as technological, administrative, disci­ plinary, and national. This preconference will explore significant ways in which the bor­ ders o f this profession have been crossed and modified in recent years. Presentations (e.g., studied opinions, his­ torical surveys, and case studies) about some aspect o f border crossings and the con se­ quences thereof for special collections librari- anship may include: ways in which changes in academic disciplines affect the develop­ ment and use o f special collections, prob­ ACRL slogan contest ended The ACRL Board of Directors thanks the many contestants w ho entered its “Define ACRL” slogan contest. While the Board felt there were many good sugges­ tions, they did not feel that any one ad­ equately captured the essence of ACRL. At this time a slogan for ACRL will not be selected. lems in administering multinational collec­ tions, issues pertaining to ownership o f cul­ tural materials and documentation o f native peoples, challenges presented by the con­ vergence o f special collections librarianship and digital librarianship, construction o f vir­ tual archives, description of practices or pro­ fessional developments in special collections librarianship beyond North America, changes in special collections constituencies, and com­ mercial marketing of special collections. Details about submitting a proposal may be found at http://w w w .princeton.edu/ ~ferguson/rbms. html. Submit four copies of the proposal by mail no later than Septem ber 30, 1998, to: Brad­ ley D. Westbrook, chair, RBMS Preconference Program Committee, c/o Mandeville Special Collections Library 0175S, UCSD, La Jolla, CA 92093 (e-mail: bdw estbrook@ucsd.edu; fax: (619) 534-5950). Submissions by fax or e- mail will not be accepted. W estern Governors U niversity o ffers v irtu a l tours o f campus Visit http://www.wgu.edu/wgu/inclex.html and take a tour o f the virtual campus of W estern G overnors University, a co m p e­ tency-based, degree-granting, virtual univer­ sity. The site provides inform ation about degree programs and course offerings and how institutions can affiliate with WGU, since WGU d oesn’t provide instruction itself but relies on content from colleges, universities, and corporations. Student enrollment is ex ­ pected to begin this summer. The Rosalind Denny Lewis Music Library at the Massachusetts Institute o f Technology received the Building o f the Year A w ard, sponsored by New England Real Estate Journal, In te rn a tio n a l Facilities M aintenance Association (Boston Chapter), Association fo r Facilities Engineering, and Key Productions. on ng t r¡ he H et yrraB .L :tiderc o tohP http://www.princeton.edu/ mailto:bdwestbrook@ucsd.edu http://www.wgu.edu/wgu/inclex.html 488 / C&RL News ■ July/August 1998 G round broken fo r Penn S tate Harrisburg Library Ground was broken April 30 for Penn State Harrisburg’s $17.33 mil­ lion “Library o f the Future” in a cerem ony attended by university and public officials and many cen­ tral Pennsylvania librarians. The 115,000 square foot facility will accom m odate 500,000 volumes and contain 775 public seats. Planned with the assumption that future users will want to use print, electronic, and Internet re­ sources at most seating locations, the facility will include 180 com ­ puters, 502 data ports, and 13 video ports. In addition to providing a variety o f individual and group learning spaces, the new library will include a state-of-the-art instruction lab, two technology-enhanced classroom s, two seminar rooms, a geographic information sys­ tems (GIS) center, a special collections area, and an Internet cafe. The design was com pleted in May 1997 by the joint-venture architectural team o f Shepley B u lfin ch Richardson A bbott and Hayes Large. Construction funds wτere re­ leased in March 1998. Completion and o ccu ­ pancy are anticipated in late 1999 or 2000. Design and construction funding has been provided by the Commonwealth o f Pennsyl­ vania. A $2 million capital cam paign to sup­ port future technology and co llectio n e n ­ hancement is in progress. The new library will replace the current 37,200 square foot Heindel Library, which has served the college since its founding in 1966. An artist's rendering o f Penn State Harrisburg's $17.33 million “ Library o f th e Future," w hich w ill accommodate 500,000 volumes and contain 775 public seats. Library o f Congress selects Endeavor f o r ILS As part o f the most massive library automa­ tion effort in its history, the Library o f Con­ gress has awarded a contract to Endeavor Information Systems to provide co m p reh en ­ sive integrated library system (ILS) software and support to the Library. “This is a mom entous occasion in the his­ tory o f the Library,” said Jam es H. Billington, librarian o f Congress. “It marks our transi­ tion to a new era o f automation that prom ­ ises improved library services to Congress and to the nation by bringing disparate o p ­ erations together for the first tim e.” The Voyager system from Endeavor In­ formation Systems will replace many o f the Library’s older, independent automated sys­ tems— som e o f which date back to the late 1960s and early 1970s— with a single, m od­ ern client/server system that will support all standard library operations, including a c­ quisitions, cataloging, inventory and serials control, circulation, and the online public catalog. When the ILS is fully operational, users will be able to perform comprehensive searches of the extensive collections. A search for a keyword or subject area will result in a list of resou rces that may include b oo ks, maps, manuscripts, periodicals, or sound record­ ings— as well as the precise location, whether on the shelf, in use, undergoing microfilming, or in storage. These searches may be con­ ducted onsite at the Library or via the ILS online catalog, which will be fully accessible through th e L ib rary o f C o n g re s s W eb s ite (www.loc.gov). http://www.loc.gov C&RL News ■ July/A u g u st 1998 / 489