ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


106

Continuing L ib ra ry  E d ucation — I

E d ito r s Note: W ith  th is issue C & R L  N ew s be­
gins as a regular f e a tu r e  a co lu m n  on con tin u in g  
education. D ealing w ith  som e o f  the develo p m e n ts 
in c o n tin u in g  lib r a r y  e d u c a tio n  th a t w ill be o f  
interest to academ ic lib ra ria n s, th e colum n is a 
p ro d u c t o f  A C R L 's  n e w  C o n tin u in g  E d u c a tio n  
C o m m itte e . In  th is  in s ta llm e n t, R ic h a rd  H u m e 
W erkin g , chairm an o f  th e c o m m ittee a n d  h ea d  o f  
th e R e feren ce D e p a r tm e n t at th e  U n iversity o f  
M is s is s ip p i L i b r a r y , o u tlin e s  th e  c o m m itte e ’s 
plans.

A large n u m b e r of library p e rso n n e l p erceiv e a 
n e e d  for o p p o rtu n itie s th a t will aid th e ir p ro fes­
sional d ev elo p m en t. B ecause o f this b u rg eo n in g  
in te re st in co n tin u in g  e d u catio n  am ong academ ic 
lib ra ria n s , A C R L  last y e a r c r e a te d  a s ta n d in g  
C o m m itte e  on C o n tin u in g  E d u catio n . T he charge 
given th e  c o m m itte e  was “ to d ev elo p  a c o n tin u ­
ing education program  for A C R L, w hich will as­
sist ACR L m e m b e rs in th e ir  professional grow th, 
th e re b y  b en efitin g  th e m , th e ir  libraries, a n d  th e  
library profession.” At ALA M id w in ter in Ja n u ­
ary, th e  c o m m ittee m e t for th e  first tim e, a n d  at 
both tw o-hour sessions, th e  n u m b e r  o f in te re ste d  
o b se rv ers far o u tn u m b e re d  th e  seven c o m m ittee 
m e m b e rs in a tte n d a n c e .

T h e  c o m m itte e  a g re e d  th a t w e should d efin e 
“con tin u in g  ed u c a tio n ” broadly, to include a w ide 
ra n g e  o f  e d u c a tio n  o p p o r tu n itie s : p ro fe ssio n a l

E R IC /IR  W an ts Y o u r P a p e rs

T h e  special function o f E R IC , which m akes 
it c o m p le m e n ta r y  to  s ta n d a r d  in fo rm a tio n  
sources, is th e  p re se rv a tio n  a n d  dissem ination 
o f th o se u n p u b lish e d , u n co p y rig h ted  m aterials 
in education w hich norm ally receiv e very lim ­
ited d istrib u tio n .

This function c re a te s a special p roblem  for 
th e  system . F o r th o se d o c u m e n ts th at a re  not 
available th ro u g h  sta n d a rd  sources, E R IC  d e ­
p e n d s on th e  o rig in a to rs o f  th e  m a te ria ls— 
professional ed u cato rs, inform ation scientists, 
lib ra ria n s , s tu d e n ts , a n d  o t h e r s — to su b m it 
such useful and valuable item s as re p o rts of 
th e ir own resea rch  o r rep licatio n s of studies; 
discussion o r case stu d ie s o f  in n o v ativ e a p ­
p roaches to c u rricu lu m , school program s, li­
b ra ry  services; locally p r o d u c e d  an d  how -to 
m aterials.

S end p a p e rs an d /o r w rite for details to B. J. 
V a u g h n , D i r e c t o r  o f  A c q u is itio n s , E R IC  
C le a r in g h o u s e  on I n f o r m a tio n  R e s o u rc e s , 
S chool o f  E d u c a tio n , S y ra c u s e  U n iv e rsity , 
Syracuse, NY 13210.

reading, co n feren ce a tte n d a n c e , p articip atio n  in 
w orkshops and in stitu te s, d e g re e  program s, for­
c re d it co u rses th a t a re  n o t d e g re e  re la te d , etc. 
O u r definition o f co n tin u in g  e d u catio n  w ould not 
exclude staff d e v e lo p m e n t o r in-service training. 
W e also ag re e d  th a t w e a re  n o t p re p a re d  p r e s ­
e n tly  to b e c o m e  in v o lv e d  w ith  any fo rm alized  
“recognition” o r “ev alu atio n ” system . W e in te n d  
to o b se rv e w ith in te re s t how  th e  C o n tin u in g  Li­
b r a r y  E d u c a tio n  N e tw o r k  a n d  E x c h a n g e  
(C L E N E ) a d d re sse s th is issu e , b u t w e b e lie v e  
strongly th at adoption o f any formal recognition 
system  should aw ait careful stu d y  a n d  discussion. 
O n this and o th e r m a tte rs o f m utual c o n cern , th e  
co m m ittee expects to w ork w ith C L E N E .

A m ost im p o rtan t early  task o f th e  c o m m ittee is 
to id e n tify  th e  c o n tin u in g  e d u c a tio n  n e e d s  o f 
ACRL m e m b e rs n o t only at th e  b eg in n in g  o f p ro ­
gram m ing activity b u t also on a c o n tin u in g  basis. 
C o n seq u en tly , w e are in th e  process o f disc o v er­
ing w hat n e e d s a ssessm en ts have b e e n  m ade or 
a re  b e in g  m a d e  am o n g  p o rtio n s o f o u r  c o n s ti­
tuency. As a n o th e r im p o rta n t way o f receiv in g  in­
form ation ab o u t c o n tin u in g  ed u catio n  n eed s, th e  
c o m m itte e  w ill sp o n s o r an  o p e n  fo ru m  a t th e  
ALA m e e tin g  this su m m e r. W e w ant to pro v id e 
ACRL m e m b e rs w ith th e  c h an ce to tell us, in a 
se ttin g  conducive to discussion, ab o u t th e  kinds 
o f e d u catio n al o p p o rtu n itie s  th e y  w o u ld  like to 
have available to th e m . D etails ab o u t th e  o pen 
forum  will b e  forthcom ing in C & R L  News.

O nce th e  p rio rity  n e e d s o f  ACR L m e m b e rs are 
know n, we expect to have id e n tified  existing p ro ­
gram s o r o th e r o p p o rtu n itie s th a t a re  likely to be 
resp o n siv e to th o se  n e e d s . T h e c o m m itte e  will 
th en  h e lp  m ake th e s e  o p p o rtu n itie s m ore w idely 
available to th e  division’s m e m b e rsh ip . If no p ro ­
gram s exist in som e o f th e s e  areas, th e  com m ittee 
will assist in th e ir d e v e lo p m e n t and sponsorship.

As an innovative e d u catio n al service, th e  co m ­
m itte e  is in th e  process o f establishing, on a trial 
basis, an "Advisory Service on Professional D e ­
v e lo p m e n t.” A c o m m ittee m e m b e r w ith c o n sid e r­
able e x p e rie n c e  in c o n tin u in g  lib ra ry  e d u catio n  
will assist in q u ire rs w ho w ish to b e d ire c te d  to 
educatio n al re so u rc e s th a t a re  re le v a n t to th e ir  
n eed s. In te re s te d  ind iv id u als should contact Julie 
Blum e, R eference L ib rarian , H e a lth  Sciences L i­
b rary, U niversity o f N o rth  C arolina, C hapel Hill, 
N C  27514; (919)’966-2111.

U n d erstan d a b ly , it is to th e ir own professional 
asso c ia tio n s th a t m e m b e r s  tu r n  fo r c o n tin u in g  
e d u c a tio n  a c tiv itie s  d i r e c t e d  a t t h e i r  sp e c ific  
n eed s. D u rin g  th e  m o n th s a n d  years ahead, o u r 
c o m m itte e  will b e  w o rk in g  to h e lp  m e e t th e s e  
need s o f o u r c o n stitu e n c y .— R ic h a rd  H um e W e r k ­
ing, H ead, R eference D e p a rtm e n t, U niversity o f  
M ississippi L ib ra ry. ■■