ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C&RL News ■ Septem ber 2003 / 509 C O N F E R E N C E C IR C U IT ACRL in Toronto ACRL program s at the ALA Annual Conference A LA’s 122nd Annual Conference was held June 19-24, 2003, in Toronto, Canada. The con­ ference was held jointly with the Canadian Library Association (CLA), marking the first time in 40 years that ALA and CLA convened together in Canada. Total conference attendance was more than 17,500 librarians, library support staff, exhibi­ tors, educators, writers, publishers, and special guests. E d . n o t e : Tha n k s to th e ACRL m em ­ bers w ho su m m a rized p ro g ra m s to m a k e this re­ p o r tp o ssib le. N ew R ealities, N ew Rela tion sh ip s ACRL and the Canadian Association of College and University Libraries (CACUL) jointly pre­ sen ted the P resi­ d ents’ Program at the 200 3 Annual Conference. “New Realities, New Rela tio n sh ip s A cross Borders,” offered a Canadian and U.S. perspective on the challenges that glo­ balization and new inform ation tech ­ nologies present to academ ic and re­ Freeman A. Hrabowski III (left) and Ernie Ingles (right) with Helen H. Spalding after speaking at the ACRL/CACUL President’s Program “ New Realities, New Relationships Across Borders.” search communities Ernie Ingles (as­ sociate vice presi­ dent, University o f Alberta) opened the session with a discussion of the interplay between the so­ cial and natural worlds and what it means to be “friends” in a global environment. He likened the situation of librarians dealing with “powerful and untamed technology” with the early experiences of man, who, in the face of an overwhelming en­ vironment, grew accustomed to its elements and learned to tame the land. Similarly, “librarians are often blinded and awed by the greatness o f the expectations o f the information age,” and are searching for a state of place and balance. He con­ cluded that our new realities and new relation­ ships are not so new, but that we need to reexam­ ine how to communicate with and provide ser­ v ice to friend s w h o co m e from various worldviews. In his keynote address, Freeman A. Hrabowski III (president, University o f Maryland- Baltimore County) began by building on Ingles’ message, add­ ing that “w e’re just beginning to appreci­ ate how much we have in com m on a c r o s s b o r d e r s .” Hrabowski stressed the importance of bridging the gap be­ tween the profession and the larger world, noting that gaining the necessary support for libraries requires that people appreciate and value the work it­ self. He went on to address five key li­ brary issues from his perspective as the president o f an institution o f higher education: the library as a central place on campus; implica­ tions of print and digital resources; costs of main­ taining and developing libraries; the importance of increasing diversity of staff and users; the world of librarians as leaders and educators. 510 / C&RL News ■ Septem ber 2003 A C R L P re sid e n t Tyrone C a n n on visits w ith K a th le e n C a rn e y and Jo h n Pop ko at the A ca d e m ic/R e sea rch L ib ra ria n o f th e Y e a r Reception. Hrabrowski spoke of the library as the “intel­ lectual and physical core of the campus commu­ nity,” and stated that library funding issues should be viewed as university challenges requiring a broad solution. He expressed die need to give serious thought as to how to serve underrepresented groups as we become a more diverse society and acknowledged ACRL and ALA for having diver­ sity as a top priority. In his closing he commented that we will be able to meet the needs of the future because “we believe in ideas and people.” This program is available on audiotape from the ALA taping service; see sidebar on the next page. B o ok h isto ry in Can ad a Numerous book history themes were explored at the well-attended RBMS program “True North: A Canadian Approach to National Book History: The History o f the Book in Canada/Histoire du livre et de l’imprimé au Canada project (HBiC/HUC).” Patricia Flem ing (University o f Toronto) provided an overview, noting that the HBiC/ HLIC project was awarded $2.3 million by the Social S cien c es and H um anities Council o f Canada in late 2000, and that three volumes (each in both a French and English edition) will be published beginning in 2004. A slide presentation by Judy Donnelly (Uni­ versity o f Toronto) focused on the iconogra­ phy o f the b o o k in Canada, w hile Yvan L am onde (M cG ill U niversity) d iscu ssed re­ search on reading in Quebec. R obert G ross (C o lleg e o f W illiam and Mary) provided an international perspective and noted differences betw een the Canadian and I A m erican p ro jects, inclu ding the funding structure and most notably the high level of participation by librarians and bibliographers in the Canadian venture. The session ended with Beitmm MacDonald (Dalhousie University), who demonstrated the project’s five book history research databases, all of which will be publicly available via the Web. | The panel and audience posed many evoca­ tive questions: Had the French histoire du livre tradition influenced HBiC/HLIC? How was quality control maintained in the databases? What was the status o f book history edu cation in North American library schools? Discussion continued well after the ses­ sion had ended, demonstrating that book his­ tory is very much in the minds o f librarians.— Ju d y D onnelly, University o f Toronto, donnelly® fls.u toron to.ca R e c ru itin g c o lle g e lib ra ria n s Past chair o f the C olleg e Libraries Section, (CLS) Mark Cain (Cincinnati State Technical and Community College), selected recruitment as the theme for his term as CLS chair because o f the difficulties academic libraries have had in developing adequate pools for vacancies. Within this context he introduced the key­ n ote sp eaker for the program, “Casting Our Nets or Ice Fishing: Recruiting Future College Librarians,” M aureen Sullivan (independent consultant), who advocated systemic change in our approach to recruitment issues. She called for an articulation of the work that defines our “com m unity o f p ractice,” and she identified some o f the competencies and traits needed by librarians in the next five-to-ten years. Sullivan challenged the audience to serve as active “tal­ ent scouts” in encouraging young adults to con­ sider a future in librarianship. T he au d ience was treated to videos pro­ duced by new librarians Lynda Duke (Illinois W esleyan U niversity) and Je n n ife r Paliatka (Elmhurst College), w ho shared thoughts on their recruitment into college librarianship. Three panelists provided additional thoughts. Paidence Dalrymple (Dominican University) spoke from the perspective of a library educator and en­ couraged more interaction between practitioners and library education faculty. Je a n Donham (Cornell College) related her success as a library director in redefining positions as consulting librar­ ians. Sarah Nesbeitt (Eastern Illinois University) shared the results of a survey she had conducted C&RL News ■ September 2003 / 511 and her insights as the manager of a library em­ ployment Web site. An audiotape is available from the ALA taping service; see sidebar below.— Tara Lynn Fulton, Lock H aven University, tfulton@ lhup.edu Women and te ch n olog y in lib raries The topic for this year’s Intro to Women’s Is­ sues Program— cosponsored by the Feminist Task Force, the Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship, and the Women’s Stud­ ies Section— was “Women and Technology in Libraries: Our Knowledge and Challenges.” Presenter Jen n ifer Gilley (Penn State-New Kensington) opened the program by discuss­ ing three areas in which perceptions regarding g en d er and te c h n o lo g y in te rs e c t with librarianship. First, what is the difference between infor­ mation science and library science? The com­ mon perception is that information science equals computers while library science is about helping people. But when the difference seems based mostly around the status, gender, and future salaries of its practitioners, can we af­ ford to allow those preconceptions to continue? Second, what is the relationship between information technology (IT) people and librar­ ians? Do IT people tend to condescend to fe­ male librarians about technical issues? And third, are female librarians and library staff more susceptible to intimidation in this area because they underestimate their own skills? Discussion on these points centered around the question of how librarians could advertise their technological expertise as a way of increas­ ing respect and status. Gilley postulated a name change from lib r a r ia n s to in fo r m a tio n sp e­ c ia lists, while Roma Harris (University of Western Ontario) warned that renaming the profession could cause a shift away from the foundation of service that librarianship is built upon. The group agreed that some type of col­ lective effort is needed to educate users as to what librarians do and what technology skills they have.—Je n n ife r G illey, P en n State-N ew K en sin gton L ib raiy , jrg l5 @ p su .ed u A d d re ssin g d ive rsity “Diversity Strategic Plans for Libraries” was the top ic o f the Racial and Ethic Diversity Committee’s program. The session began with strategies for developing strategic plans, given by DeEtta Jon es (Association of Research Li­ braries). She suggested that a good strategic plan should help leaders make decisions when they are faced with several good alternatives. Jones noted that in her work with libraries around the country, she seldom sees separate plans that address diversity issues. Most librar­ ies are now choosing to integrate diversity top­ ics into their overall strategic plans, being care­ ful to embed the topics in the planning process and throughout the document, and not having diversity as an appendage. Elaina Norton (University o f Arizona) re­ lated her experiences in serving on an ongoing strategic planning group as well as a resulting implementation group at her team-based libraiy. Steps they have taken to build a diverse culture at her university include mentoring, residency programs, and efforts to have strong applicant pools for job openings. Andrew Jackson (Langston Hughes Commu­ nity Library and Cultural Center of the Queens Borough Public Libraiy) spoke with great enthu­ siasm about the projects that his organization has undertaken to build an atmosphere that is rich in diversity. The library sponsors a wide variety of art, poetry, and history events to bring the com­ munity into the library, all aimed at non-library- users. Staff development is also an important part of their work to bring diversity into all aspects of the libraiy.—Ju lie Kelly, University o f M innesota, jhelly@ um n.edu 2003 A L A A n n u a l C o n fe ren ce au d iotap es now availa b le Get copies of your favorite programs or catch up on what you missed in Toronto. The fol­ lowing ACRL programs are now available: • Casting Our Nets or Ice Fishing? Recruit­ ing Future College Librarians (CLS) • The Great Debate: The Library as Place (ULS) • New Realities, New Relationships Across Borders: ACRL/CACUL Joint Presidents’ Pro­ gram • Partners in Science: An Exploration of a Scientist-Librarian (STS) Each ACRL program comes on two au­ diotapes and costs $28. These and other ALA programs are now available from Teach ’Em Continuing Education at http://www. a u d i o - d ig e s t .o r g / c g i- b i n / h t m lo s / 0174.1.1053468293612540229/ala. mailto:tfulton@lhup.edu mailto:jrgl5@psu.edu mailto:jhelly@umn.edu http://www 512 / C&RL News ■ September 2003 Tom Kirk, Earlham College, with ACRL Executive Director Mary Ellen Davis, M a rk e tin g @ y o u r Lib ra ry W orksh op C osponsored by the ALA Public Awareness Committee and ACRL, the half-day “Survival in Academe: Marketing @ your Library® Work­ shop ” introduced the history o f the ALA and the ACRL @ your library marketing campaigns, explained the resources available to librarians interested in creating marketing materials or campaigns for their libraries, and gave attend­ ees a mini course in “Marketing 101.” Speakers included Deborah Davis (manager, ALA @ your Library Campaign), Leslie Manning (chair, ACRL @ your library Toolkit Committee and dean o f the library, University of Colorado- Colorado Springs), Ken Marks (chair, ACRL @ your library Task Force and dean o f libraries at University of Nevada-Las Vegas), and Helen H. Spalding (associate director, University Libraries at University of Kansas City-Missouri). Participants learned why library advocacy, described as “speaking up and speaking out for academic and research libraries,” is critical in today’s libraries. They learned how to position messages about their services and collections, how to work with the media to counteract nega­ tive messages about library irrelevancy, and how to plan communication strategies that convince university administrators and trustees o f the continued vibrancy and value o f libraries in the academic endeavor. Additional resources, toolkits, case studies, advice for academic and research library mar­ keters, and links to the main ALA @ your li­ brary resources can be found on ACRL’s Web site by clicking on “Issues and Advocacy” and then “Marketing @ your library.”— P a tr ic ia A. K re itz , S ta n fo r d U n iversity, p k r e it z @s la c . stan ford .ed u A b o rig in a l Can ada Signa Daum Shanks presented “Oral Tradi­ tion and Copyright: Aboriginal Canada in the 21st Century,” a program sponsored by the Anthropology and Sociology Section. Daum Shanks, a lawyer, a professor, and an a p ih ta w ik o s ia n (m ix e d b lo o d ) from Saskatchewan, is currently working on her doctoral degree at the University o f Toronto and is specializing in laws for indigenous people. In her presentation, Daum Shanks outlined the rise o f aboriginal rights in Canada as they grew out o f European concepts o f conquest, Canadian legislation, and contemporary court cases. The use o f oral history as evidence in court cases to prove land titles has a long and stormy legal history. The battles not only deter­ mined how Canadians viewed First Nations, but also created controversy among aboriginal peoples, as they debated what knowledge should be shared and who should share that oral tradi­ tion. Oral tradition is now allowed as legal evi­ dence, although ongoing court cases are still redefining its role. The wider legal ramifications o f oral tradition as it relates to copyright are only now being explored. Oral histories pro­ vided to courts and researchers by members o f First Nations are frequently posted on Web sites, but no one has ever thought to ask the original authors’ permission. Daum Shanks concluded, “Whether exam­ ined by the courts or read on a Web site, oral traditions deserve as much legal protection as any other information in society. But whether such protection can ever occur is doubtful as Canada’s legal system still has non-aboriginals defining what o r a l tra d itio n and a b o r ig in a l mean. ”— R oyce K urtz, U niversity o f M ississippi, ulkurt@ olem iss.edu G lo b a liza tio n and co p y rig h t “Crossing New Borders: G lobalization and Copyright” was sponsored by the Law and Po­ litical S cien ce Section, the ACRL Copyright Committee, the Canadian Library Association, and the ALA Office for Information Technol­ ogy Policy (OITP). Rick W eingarten (O IT P ) d escribed how those seeking change are “forum shopping,” seeking the most advantageous international fo­ rums for copyright negotiations. Government representatives hold these negotiations in secret, mailto:ulkurt@olemiss.edu C&RL News M September 2003 / 513 with no advocates for consumers or librar­ ies present. Resulting agreements have the force of, and shape national legislation. Advocates for libraries can only influence the process by con­ tacting our representatives with concerns. Paul Whitney (Vancouver Public Library) as­ serted that the agenda for copyright change is being driven by large audiovisual and digital media conglomerates seeking rights for creators. Two huge issues are the ease o f copying for the global market and the ease of distribution. He agrees with Weingarten that international treaties put enormous pressure on legislatures to produce conforming national legislation. Grace Westcott (Canadian Copyright Insti­ tute) also noted the top down effect o f global­ ization. Canada, like many countries, must con­ form to international agreements. Canada is forced to expend scarce resources to be repre­ sented at many more meetings than it can af­ ford to attend. As a small country, Canada must focus on learning best practices and monitor­ ing issues. In the question and answ er period, the speakers expressed pessimism over the process, but optimism that users are uniting and getting themselves heard by legislators and trade repre­ sentatives.— D enn is Lam bert, V illanova Univer­ sity, d en n is.la m b ert@ v illa n o v a .ed u P ro fe ssio n alism and eth ics “What’s trump? Making Decisions about Pro­ fessionalism and Ethics in a New Century,” co­ sponsored by the Ethics Committee and Edu­ cation and Behavioral Sciences Section, asked if there is a principle that one can invoke to decide in a given situation whether one ethical principle trumps another? Tw o moral voices: a) justice and rights, and b) human connected­ ness and care were presented by Thom as J. Froehlich (Kent State University). He framed the gender-related dichotomy, introduced by psychologist Carol Gilligan in 1982, as a tool to critique mores and values within library prac­ tice and policy. Roma M. Harris (University o f Western Ontario) presented her feminist library research as well as her latest unpublished study that asked Ontario public reference librarians over the phone whether it was safe to travel to Toronto during the SARS epidemic. Harris urged librar­ ians to respond to information-seeking behav­ ior studies by changing the way they provide services. Studies show that people prefer familiar and convenient sources o f information and may begin with the need for emotional support over the phone, but can then be directed to Web sites (under the library’s own logo) leading to authoritative information on current topics. A huge thanks to the Michigan-Ontario pro­ gramming committee (Karen Bacsanyi, Kate Corby, Veronica Bielat, Darlene Nichols, and Brenda Reed), Francis Maloy, and our speak­ ers. R e fe re n c e s are av ailab le at http:// www.lib.msu.edu/corby/ebss/03annual.htm. — S a lly H a in e s L aw ler, U n iversity o f M ich i g a n -A n n A rbor, s la w ler@ u m ic h .ed u P artn erin g w ith fa c u lty and in stru ction al d e sig n e rs The program for the Distance Learning Sec­ tion, “Crossing Our Own Borders,” began with Moderator Alexander (Sandy) Slade (Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries, Canada) setting the stage for the five panelists by dis­ cussing interest among librarians in becoming active participants in collaboration and the ob­ stacles they face. As manager o f Instructional Support Ser­ vices at Southern Illinois University, Howard Carter described his efforts to include librar­ ians in online courses. Largely because o f ex­ ternal considerations that affected the library at that time, it was the librarians who were re­ luctant to add this role to their existing duties. Je re m y M ouat (p ro fe s so r o f history, Athabasca University, Alberta) related his ex­ periences in collaborating with librarians. B e­ cause the online format has created a greater need for help with search strategies, critical analysis, etc., he feels that “collaboration is es­ sential in searching, not for answers, but for meaning.” His advice was to maintain flexibil­ ity and openness in collaboration and to let fac­ ulty know that collaboration will be beneficial for them. Marian Press and Carol Calder (Ontario In­ stitute for Studies in Education, University o f Toronto) detailed the development o f a “vir­ tual library” course that was incorporated into a professor’s online course. The professor urged other faculty to follow suit and other success­ ful collaborations have resulted from this. Librarian-faculty collaboration can also come about because o f a mandate from above, as Steve Schafer (director o f library services, Athabasca University, Alberta) related. The li­ brary developed open source software, “Digital mailto:dennis.lambert@villanova.edu http://www.lib.msu.edu/corby/ebss/03annual.htm mailto:slawler@umich.edu 514 / C&RL News ■ September 2003 Reading Room ,” for its e-reserves in re­ sponse to the university’s “E-learning plan.” All the panelists urged promoting c o l­ laboration and librarians’ skills, but rec­ ognized the problem s librarians face in d e a lin g w ith th e r e s u ltin g in c r e a s e d workload.— P a m ela F. O rtega, E a stern I l­ lin o is U niversity, c fp fo @ eiu .ed u The roles o f m etadata tag s The Asian, African and Middle Eastern Section (AAMES) program, “International Cooperation in Building Visual and Print Collections: Creating Metadata and Broadening of Information Ser­ vices,” explored potential roles of metadata tags in an increasingly international information ma­ trix both through discussion of theoretical history and assessment of current projects. Lois Mai Chan opened the session with a lengthy paper, “Metadata and Subject Access,” discussing pressing questions of interoperability examined in a survey o f nine systems o f data organization (ranging from MARC and Dublin Core to more esoteric classifications such as that o f the Visual Resources Association), which was conducted by the IFLA Working Group on the Use of Metadata Schemes. Her dynamic and lucid presentation explored efforts at de­ veloping an inventory of international metadata applications to serve as a core record for cre­ ators and publishers o f electronic records and eventually form the basis of guidelines for incorporating metadata records into online systems. ACRL’s 2003 Academic/Research Librarian of the Year Ross Atkinson (center), with 2002-03 ACRL President Helen H. Spalding and David Swords of YBP. Swords presented the award to Atkinson at a ceremony during the Toronto Annual Conference. Lincoln Cushing (University of California-Berkeley) profiled two colorful projects underway through the Institute for Industrial Relations, the Database o f American Labor Graphics, and the Labor Contracts database, both of which illustrated the utility o f metadata as a search tool. Harry Wagner (OCLC Office of Research) reported progress on the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative and its registry working group, which was established in 1999, focusing on the successful com pletion of the first two phases o f the plan.— R o b ert R idin ger, N orthern Illin o is U niver­ sity, tridin ger@ n iu .edu Canadian literature The panel of the Literatures in English Program, “Canadian Literature: A User’s Guide,” consisted of Canadiana bibliographer Sandra Alston, liter­ ary critic Magdalene Redekop, Goose Lane press proprietor Susanne Alexander, and writer Alistair MacLeod. Alston discussed her webliography (http:// www.libraiy.utoronto.ca/colldev/ala.html) dur­ ing the session. “Contrary to popular belief,” she said, “Canadian literature did not begin in the 1970s with Margaret Atwood.” The literary magazine was popular during pioneer times, and English-Canadian literature constitutes only one part o f the nation’s writing. Redekop noted that the heterogeneous na­ ture of Canada precludes its literatures being categorized under one model of linguistic iden­ tity. She divides its literatures into three stages: the Confederation and after, the Centennial and after, and 1990 until the present. Alexander described publishing in Canada as a “labor of love.” Regional differences and the appeal o f foreign books have created an environment of competition for small presses. Despite these economic stresses, literary presses retain a place in the Canadian publishing mar­ ket. Alexander believes that libraries can coun­ teract the blockbuster phenomenon by creat­ ing a read ership o f b o o k s beyon d the bestsellers. MacLeod noted that Canadian literature is dominated by geography and climate. Snow, coastal tides, and the dryness o f Manitoba wheat fields pervade the literature because mailto:cfpfo@eiu.edu mailto:tridinger@niu.edu http://www.libraiy.utoronto.ca/colldev/ala.html C&RL News ■ September 2003 / 515 “people write about what worries them.” The melting pot isn’t a strong theme because the country was largely rural for a long time. “In Canada, people live in different rooms in a large house.”—A m an da J . Roberts, N ova Southeastern University, am andajr@ nova.edu Lib ra ry netw orks Jeffrey Garrett (N orthwestern University) acted as both moderator and panelist for the Western European Studies Section program entitled “Across the Pond: New Research Li­ brary Networks in Europe and Across the At­ lantic.” He opened the program with the ob­ servation that the advent o f technology has made “the pond” between North America and Europe much smaller in practice, causing a “revo­ lution of collaboration” and allowing for projects that were unimaginable just a decade ago. Examples, both inter- and intra-na tional, were presented by Sharon Brown (Wilfrid Laurier University), w ho de­ scribed “A Canadian Sam pler,” and Garrett, who outlined the “German Re­ sou rces P ro je ct”; Richard H acken (Brigham Young University) discussed “Types o f Digital Library Cooperation in G erm an Studies”; and M ichael Neubert (Library o f C ongress) re­ counted “Russian Research Library Net­ works.” Examples included the provision of online journals through collaborative site licensing for 64 Canadian universi­ ties, Canadian journal digitization, the Members enjoy the w aterfront at the 2003 A LA Annual Conference in Toronto.evolution o f an effort that originally sought to replicate German resources in the United States into an effort to make them available remotely, cooperative digital library projects in German studies, and com plex in­ teractions between Russian libraries through universities, ministries and academies, as well as with European organizations such as TACIS (Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States). Garrett closed the program by reminding us that these growing digital reserves of materials are fragile and that w e struggle both to keep up with their exponential growth and prevent them from disappearing in a “hemorrhage of information.” Additional information is avail­ able on WESSWEB at http://www.lib.virginia. edu/wess/.— L y n n e M. T hom as, Y ale U niver­ sity, lyn n e.thom as@ yale.edu Facu lty p artne rships The Science and Technology Section hosted the program “Partners in Science: An Exploration of a Scientist-Librarian Relationship,” featuring Carolyn MacGregor and Paul St. Pierre (both at the University of Waterloo) and Steve Hiller (Uni­ versity of Washington). Moderator Anne Fullerton (University of Waterloo) asked MacGregor and St. Pierre ques­ tions about the librarian-faculty relationship and the ability o f librarians to meet the research needs o f faculty members in any discipline. Both MacGregor and St. Pierre agreed that the liaison partnership was successful because o f the expertise St. Pierre brought to the rela­ tionship and his w illingness to learn, and MacGregor’s appreciation for the library and what it offers faculty members and students. Then, Hiller, who has published in tire areas of assessment and user satisfaction, presented the dif­ ferent types of assessments he conducted at the University of Washington pertaining to how stu­ dents and science and engineering faculty use the libraiy. In the results he found that personal con­ nections with users is most valuable. Following Hiller’s presentation, he and the panelists responded to questions from the au­ dience. Later, the audience broke into groups to identify best liaison practices and then re­ ported back to the whole group. A poster session followed the program featur­ ing seven groups of authors. Displays featured re­ search diagrams, tutorials, and projects that enhance and faculty relationships.— Claudia Timmann, Uni­ versity o f Arizona, timmannc@u.libmıy.arizona.edu mailto:amandajr@nova.edu http://www.lib.virginia mailto:lynne.thomas@yale.edu 516 / C&RL News ■ September 2003 In form ation literacy in h igh er education The importance o f teaching information lit­ eracy skills in higher education was the focus o f the panel presentation cosponsored by ACRL’s Instruction Section and the Canadian Library Association’s Information Literacy In­ terest Group, “Information Literacy in Higher Education: International Perspectives.” A panel of international speakers representing Canada, Australia, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) gathered to present cur­ rent programs, share common experiences, and discuss future goals and cooperative ventures. Loanne Snavely (Pennsylvania State Univer­ sity) moderated the session and set the tone for the panel by illustrating the common challenges that librarians face in teaching information lit­ eracy skills. These challenges include inadequate staffing, language barriers, and physical chal­ lenges in the classroom, including lack of tech­ nology and space. Snavely concluded her intro­ duction by stating that “each librarian and ad­ ministrator can make a difference, but we need to collaborate, consult, and discuss.” Jan e Mandalios and Fiona Hunt (both of Zayed University, UAE) followed with their pre­ sentation titled, “Teaching Information Literacy in the Arabian Gulf.” They described the chal­ lenges they face and how they have collaborated to develop an information literacy program consisting o f three required classes that intro­ duce a systematic course o f skills taught by li­ brarians partnered with English faculty. Brittney Goodman (Minnesota State Univer sity-Moorhead) presented Sabina Robertson’s (University of Melbourne) paper “A Day in the Life of a Librarian: Observations o f a Librar­ ian Based in a Faculty,” in the author’s absence. Robertson described the changing role o f li­ brarians as they become more involved in cur­ riculum development and as universities and faculty recognize the need for students to be equipped with lifelong learning skills. Corinne Laverty (Queen’s University) pre­ sented an overview o f the changing trends in Canadian information literacy instaiction titled, “Canadian Kaleidoscope: Perspectives on In­ formation Literacy.” Ongoing barriers are lack of equipment and space, lack of planning time, insufficient staff, faculty who undervalue infor­ mation literacy instruction, and students with negative attitudes. Laverty stressed new direc­ tions in information literacy focusing on collaboration, partnerships, and learning teams. She encouraged librarians to partner with fac­ ulty, to work with the instructional development and learning technology groups on campus, and to join online course development teams to in­ tegrate information literacy instruction into the curriculum. Further information on the program, includ­ ing a bibliography, can be located at http:// mailer.fsu.edu/~cklatt/.— P am W erre, M in ­ n eso ta S tate U niversity M oorh ead , w errep a @ m nstate.edu The gre a t debate o f 2003: The lib rary as place And what a great debate it was. In formal debate style, the University Libraries Section’s (ULS) an­ nual program posed the question: Be it resolved that by 2020, academic libraries will have outlived their need for physical space. Over 400 audience members cheered on the debaters and enthusiasti­ cally participated in the debate as well. Ernie Ingles (University of Alberta) and Jim Neal (Columbia University) had the more challenging affirmative side of the debate question, but they gamely en­ gaged Gillian McCombs (Southern Methodist University) and Madeleine Lefebvre (St. Mary’s University) in what, occasionally, became an hys­ terical battle of the sexes. Moderating the debate and adding his own very special wit and polish to the proceedings was Norman Horrocks (profes­ sor emeritus, Dalhousie University; contributing editor, L ibraiy Jou rn al, editorial consultant, Scare­ crow Press). Keeping these articulate and passionate debat­ ers within their allotted time and audience mem­ bers to their three-minute limits was Kathleen DeLong (University of Alberta), who wielded her stop card with unbiased authority, stopping some speakers midsentence. Louise Sherby ‚ outgoing chair of ULS, intro­ duced the program that grew out of the Scott Carlson article in the C h ron icle o f H ig h er E du­ cation (The Deserted Library). The Great Debate is a popular annual event for the Canadian Asso­ ciation of College and University Libraries, the program’s cosponsor. McCombs and Lefebvre drew first blood when they waltzed into the ballroom and onto the plat­ form dressed in full Canadian jurist attire (pow­ dered wigs and all), vowing to put “the library itself on the stand to defend itself.” Giving the first affirmative argument, Neal articulated a (c o n tin u ed o n p a g e 5 2 1 ) C&RL News ■ Septem ber 2003 / 517 FOCUS ON SERIALS T he co lla p se o f R ow eC om dam aged the reputation o f su bscrip­ tion agents an d sh o o k th e trust o f librarian s. N ow th at EBSCO has con clu ded th e pu rchase o f th e R ow eC om o p era ­ tion s, w e w ant to n p rov id e an u pdate and th an k th ose w ho stood w ith us. F. D ixon Brooke, Jr. Vice President, Divisio G eneral M anager EBSCO Subscription Services The agreement EBSCO reached for the acquisition of the RoweCom operations was not the usual stock buy-out or mone­ tary deal. We had to enlist the assistance of our associates in the library and publishing industries to develop the least-painful plan for everyone involved. The acquisition of RoweCom’s European operations was proposed first, and just as that was under control, RoweCom filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Courts and debtors sued its parent company divine inc., alleging fraud. This changed everything, creating much frustration and causing negotiations to take months rather than weeks. N ow that the final closing hurdles have been cleared, w e are addressing the needs of the customers and publishers affected by RoweCom’s demise. We are paying pub­ lishers for RoweCom Europe’s customers’ orders and stabilizing support for those customers. We are providing electronic files to publish­ ers and customers of RoweCom U.S., Australia and Canada. The files sent to publishers identify the orders the publish­ ers have agreed to grace. The files sent to customers segregate the graced and non­ graced RoweCom orders so that customers can determine the appropriate action to be taken. We are indebted to the professional­ ism of the RoweCom staff in Westwood, Mass. (approximately 60) for their assis­ tance in this process. EBSCO was extremely pleased that publishers representing more than 70 percent of the monetary value of the RoweCom orders participated in the pre-paid order agree­ ment. This means publishers will fulfill the majority of orders for 2003 materials. EBSCO sincerely appreciates the support of publishers and the patience of our new cus­ tomers. Working together w e have been able to t a n a dismal situation into, if not exactly a “win-win,” at least a “not so bad” for all parties involved. Participating publishers should be saluted for their commitment to maintaining stability in the flow of information, for without their par­ ticipation libraries caught in this situation would have experienced a true nightmare. Some librarians are now worried about “putting all their eggs in one basket.” W hile we understand this reluctance, we believe the problem was not so much that there was one basket but that it was the wrong basket. RoweCom had been unset­ tled for years, with numerous managerial and ownership changes. This turbulence was unique to that company and does not reflect on EBSCO’s or others’ business practices. EBSCO is a privately held company that today is managed by the second generation of the founding family. Business decisions are m ade for the benefit of our customers and employees, not solely to please share­ holders or raise stock prices. The family is committed to maintaining a quality com pany providing outstanding service to its customers. The financial rating consis­ tently earned by EBSCO is the highest awarded, and it is listed annually as one of the Forbes Top 500 Privately Owned Firms in the United States. EBSCO is willingly funding, without the benefit of revenue, the ongoing operating expenses for the Westwood operation to enable continuous support to former RoweCom customers for the balance of 2003; we expect to fully pay all publishers on time for 2004 subscrip­ tions. And we trust that the librarians caught in the RoweCom collapse will reward us with their 2004 renewals just as we trust that EBSCO’s long­ term customers will continue our partnership into the future. CUSTOMERFOCUSEDCONTENTDRIVEN International Headquarters • 205/991-6600 • Fax 205/995-1636 • http://www.ebsco.com http://www.ebsco.com C&RL News ■ Septem ber 2003 / 521 A pproved th e 2 0 0 3 -2 0 0 4 ACRL P erfo rm an ce Indicators. A pproved specific categories o f con ten t o n th e ACRL W eb site, which were recommended by ACRL staff, to be made members only, e.g., gov emance-related materials. Endorsed an ALA Council resolution regarding the ALA W eb site. Approved revisions to th e SIS Bylaws th at w ere submitted by the Bylaws Committee for placement on the 2004 ballot. A pproved th e M em bership C om m ittee’s p ro ­ posal to broaden its membership by appointing the following ex-officio members: chaiis of section mem­ bership committees or the section’s designated liai­ son and a representative from Chapters Council. A pproved th e F Y 2 0 0 4 b udget A p p ro ved th e e a rly b ird re g istra tio n fee o f $325 for the 2005 ACRL National Conference. A pproved th e recom m en dation fro m th e Bud­ get and Finance Committee that $100,000 be moved to the long-term investment fund before the end of FY 2003. ( “ACRL in T oron to, ’’ c o n tin u ed fr o m p a g e 5 1 6 ) future where inform ation will be dynamic, distrib­ uted, and digital with innovative services and new information systems, and questioned how we will justify the cost o f warehouses for low use, or of­ ten no use, collections. In her first negative argu­ ment, McCombs responded by reminding the au­ dience o f past digital failures in preservation and questioning the basic assumptions o f the resolu­ tion. In clever debate fashion, she quoted Neal’s own Columbia Library users survey that showed that 24 percent o f students used the stacks, 28 percent used study space, 28 percent used com­ puters, and 20 percent used the library for other activities. After he succeeded in getting both McCombs and Lefebvre to swoon following talk of how Image his library is, Ernie Ingles reminded us that librar­ ians must understand this generation of students for whom the library has always had computers and not a card catalog. These students want elec­ tronic, barrier-free, remote access to library collec­ tions. They demand clicks not bricks. Ingles went A pp roved a m o tio n th a t th e ACRL B oard e n ­ sure the next ACRL Strategic Plan will implement/ include the Focus on the Future Task Force rec­ omm endation that there be a formal, ongoing mechanism to identify, publicize, and address top issues facing academic and research libraries. The ongoing and regular mechanism to identify top is­ sues should follow on the new strategic plan. D efeated a m o tio n th a t ACRL p led g e r e ­ sources up to $50,000 over three years to the ALA Cultural Communities Fund. A pproved establishm ent o f th e Task F o rce o n Annual Conference Program Funding, which is charged to examine current practice in the use of annual conference program funding; to clarify exist­ ing practice and address ambiguities in order to re­ duce misunderstandings; to consider whether there are other sources of funding that units may draw on to support conference programming (such as tar­ geted fundraising to support speakers); to examine travel support of library school faculty or non-ALA librarians who are participating in unit programs; to examine specifically the stipulations regarding who may receive honoraria and consider the maximum amount paid as an honorarium; to consider alterna­ tively small gifts or tokens of appreciation to speak­ ers; and to make a report and submit recommen­ dations as needed to the ACRL Board. ■ on to challenge librarians to be the leaders because if w e don’t lead, others will. Madeleine Lefebvre completed the negative side by reinforcing the im­ portance of the library as a physical space, a space that holds tactile, sensitive objects, such as books, and serves a vital archiving role that enables stu­ dents to work physically with primary sources. But it was her return to the “library as place” argu­ ment that captured the day and the imagination of a large number of audience members. By the end of the debate, it was clear that both sides were closer than they were apart, with a rec­ ognition that for libraries to survive as physical spaces, they must change, and the role o f the li­ brarian must be expanded even more than the four walls o f the library. Following a spirited audience participation ses­ sion, a vote was taken that overwhelmingly supported the negative argument. (What a surprise!) Indeed, by a huge percentage, Canadian and U.S. librarians are in agreement that by 2020 we will still need libraries as physical spaces.— P a m ela W onsek, H u n ter College, pw on sek@ hu n ter.cu n y.edu ■ mailto:pwonsek@hunter.cuny.edu