College and Research Libraries


Open Letter to Members of 
the A.C.R.L. 

IN VIEW OF t r a n s p o r t a t i o n difficulties, librarians, like other professional 
groups, are m a k i n g drastic changes in their 

plans f o r t r a v e l . T h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o hold 

state, regional, and national meetings w i l l 

be m a t e r i a l l y affected f o r the d u r a t i o n . 

H o w can w e m a k e the best of this 

s i t u a t i o n ? I t w o u l d be r e g r e t t a b l e if a 

t r a n s p o r t a t i o n problem prevented mem-

bers of a profession such as ours f r o m in-

t e r c h a n g i n g ideas as w e are accustomed to 

do. 

A suggestion comes f r o m the editors of 

College and Research Libraries. I t is 

that college and reference librarians m a k e 

the best of this situation by s u b s t i t u t i n g 

discussions in their j o u r n a l f o r public dis-

cussions at r e g u l a r meetings. 

T h i s proposal o f f e r s a means of c o p i n g 

successfully w i t h the transportation prob-

l e m . A c c o r d i n g l y , w o r d has gone out to 

all of those w h o w o u l d o r d i n a r i l y be in 

c h a r g e of p r o g r a m s , asking them to go 

ahead and a r r a n g e f o r discussions of timely 

interest to librarians to be prepared. T h e 

purpose of this statement, addressed to 

the membership as a w h o l e , is to c a l l to 

y o u r attention the efforts that are being 

made to continue professional intercom-

m u n i c a t i o n u n d e r the present adverse con-

ditions. 

W h i l e the p l a n n i n g of discussions f o r 

possible publication in College and Re-

search Libraries has m a n y points in com-

mon w i t h p l a n n i n g r e g u l a r p r o g r a m s , 

there are t w o differences t h a t should be 

pointed out. T h e first is that all papers 

submitted to College and Research Li-

braries w i l l , of course, have to be w r i t t e n 

out in f u l l . T h e y should be complete in 

every detail and ready t o go to the printer. 

T h e second is that competition f o r space 

w i l l mean that probably some of the papers 

w i l l not be published. F o r the g u i d a n c e of 

those w h o plan the discussions and of those 

w h o w r i t e the papers, the editors have 

listed the f o l l o w i n g as a m o n g the most 

i m p o r t a n t questions in terms of w h i c h 

papers w i l l be selected f o r publication. 

1. D o e s the paper, w h e n considered 

a l o n g w i t h others available f o r use, help 

cover the w h o l e field of w o r k represented 

by College and Research Libraries? 

2. D o e s the discussion h a v e substance, 

p o i n t ? Is it a real c o n t r i b u t i o n ? 

3. Is the method of t r e a t m e n t s o u n d ? 

Is it a good prose composition ? 

4. D o e s it c o n t r i b u t e a n y t h i n g not al-

ready t o be f o u n d in l i b r a r y l i t e r a t u r e ? 

5. D o w e h a v e space f o r i t ? Is it too 

l o n g or unnecessarily l o n g ? 

I should like to e n c o u r a g e all members 

of the A . C . R . L . and p a r t i c u l a r l y all d u l y 

o r g a n i z e d sections to accept the c h a l l e n g e 

thus presented to us by our o w n j o u r n a l 

and to make it as e f f e c t i v e a substitute as 

w e can f o r the discussions t o w h i c h w e are 

accustomed at our r e g u l a r meetings. 

M A B E L L . CON AT, Presidemt 

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