College and Research Libraries I Letters To the Editor: I just read Nicholas Burckel' s [January 1984] C&RL article, ''Participatory Management in Academic Libraries: A Review." It does a nice job of sequencing the published commen- tary on the topic. It makes an error that I find common in library literature: it fails to discrim- inate between opinion and research data, giving equal value to both. While Beverly Lynch, Louis Kaplan, and Jim Govan expressed reservations about the value of participative management and suggested possible concerns, some of which I share, still none of them explained away the empirical evidence of my study that supported the theory. The facts still remain that management style explained 40 percent of the vari- ance in overall job satisfaction, overall job satisfaction explained 33 percent of the variance in overall faculty evaluation of the library, and both of those relations are significant at the 1 percent level. Those relationships were too strong to be accidental, and others' rationaliz- ing of them does not explain them away. A paper not included but deserving attention was "Faculty Status and Librarians: The Rationale and the Case of illinois," by Robert G. Sewell (C&RL, 44:212-22, May 1983). Se- well claimed that applying the principles of collegiality and focusing them on faculty status has resulted in great increases in research and publishing while maintaining a high rate of technical processing. I find his factual account much more compelling than the rationaliz- ing of administrators who prefer the security of bureaucratic patterns to the challenge of changing to a new but better way of managing. M. P. MARCHANT Professor, Brigham Young University To the Editor: Having just read John N. Olsgaard's [January 1984] article "Characteristics of 'Success' among Academic Librarians," I was moved to put pen to paper because I believe that the conclusions he has drawn from the data relating to publications are seriously flawed. Unless Mr. Olsgaard verified with each biographee the actual number of articles or books published, he has counted a very incomplete and uneven number of publications. Nor- mally, the editors of a Who's Who ask each biographee to submit a list of the publications that he/ she wants included in his/her entry. I suspect that what is listed is much less than each biographee' s actual publishing output. For example, my entry in Who's Who in Library and Information Services lists five articles. In reality, I have published thirteen journal articles, and at least seven separate r~ports or monographs. I suspect that most of my colleagues have done as I did and have listed only a few of their most salient publications. The more modest biographees may in fact have list~d proportionately less than is merited by their publication record. Therefore, I seriously doubt that the mean publication rate is as low as 2.0 for the men and 1.1 for the women who are successful academic librarians. If we hypothesize that women are more modest than men, it may in fact not be true that we have a lower mean publication rate. I for one have learned a lesson from Mr. Olsgaard' s research. In future, in order to ensure that I am not being too modest-and hence guilty of contributing to an underrepresenta- 317 318 College & Research Libraries July 1984 tion of the achievements of female librarians-! will add many more titles to the lists of publications under my name in various Who's Who directories. I would urge my female colleagues to do the same. Maybe this simple effort will result in a profile of our profession that shows that women have a higher mean publication rate, at a younger age, than our counterparts of the opposite gender. ANNE WOODSWORTH Associate Provost arid Director of University Libraries University of Pittsburgh ON BOOKS, BUDGETS, AND PRESIDENTIAL PRIORITIES To the Editor: Some years ago a highly placed official at the University of Pittsburgh was asked if he thought that the library was the center around which the university revolved. '' Oh no,'' he replied, ''That may have been the case in the past, but now in 1977, it is the computer center which allows the university to function effectively.'' This reply construes the image of a college or university solely in physical terms; however, the intellectual center is still the research library collection. Hence, the hallmark of excellence in universities is that library acquisition budgets are maintained even during difficult times. An inadequate journal or reference collection will have a negative impact on the quality and timeliness of experimental and scholarly research, as well as on the essential contribu- tion to excellence in teaching. Virtually everyone in higher education is aware of this, and President WilliamS. Banowsky of the University of Oklahoma articulates this position clearly and concisely: ''Without an excellent library no university can fulfill its responsibili- ties either to instruction or research. No priority can be higher, no progress more conse- quential than the achievement of excellence in our university libraries.'' Despite this generally acknowledged perspective, we hear time and again of budget cuts that have forced college and university libraries to curtail monographic purchases or cancel subscriptions to journals and other serial publications. The library's budget is an easy target, and university officials will opt for expedienc~, tapping the library's acquisition budget rather than making more difficult choices. For library administrators, one solution to this pressing problem is to seek outside fund- ing from state or federal granting agencies and to solicit the private sector for endowments or other enrichment monies. Although these activities take a great de~ of preparation and groundwork, perhaps the most immediate approach is for on-campus faculty leaders to mount a well-organized grassroots campaign in order to convince the president that the library requires the highest possible priority, even in times of financial crisis. Set out below are several strategies which could be pursued when approaching the presi- dent. 1. Severe budget cuts anticipated in the library must be brought to the close attention of the president, who will then be able to take faculty and student interest into account. This is precisely what a 1979-80 report to the president of the University of Connecticut accom- . plished. The president is now "far less likely to look again to the library as a target of opportunity when financial savings must be made.'' Furthermore, a president who refuses to distinguish among a research library, teaching departments, and the physical plant is bound to exacerbate a difficult situation. Consider President Hanly Funderburk's plight at Auburn University. He refused to exempt the library from budgetary cuts, an action which resulted in the belief that he was anti-intellectual, and a perspective which may have influ- enced his ultimate decision to relinquish the presidency. 2. Urge faculty, staff, students, and alumni to influence the president on behalf of the library through petitions, letters, calls and cables. Ask the media to be helpful by giving the issue visibility. 3. Tailor the campaign toward the president's point of view and his strengths and weak- )'I Letters 319 nesses. Be aware that the president must accommodate political pressure outside the im- mediate environs of the university. 4. It is important to be specific. A detailed list of proposed journal cancellations and the effects these may have on the quality of research and teaching can be surprisingly effective . 5. Perhaps the most important point is for the academic community to avoid an apathetic response. Those who care must motivate those who should care. The president must be fully aware of both the seriousness of the library's plight and the strong feelings of the academic community. Despite the online revolution, with immediate computer access to vast quantities of in- formation on home and library terminals, and auguries of a paperless society, the printed word remains the primary vehicle for scholarly communication. The college or university library, as the storehouse of this material, must be given strong and unwavering financial support. The quality of the institution, respect for its graduates and research, accreditation, national recognition, and membership in prestigious associations and organizations all de- pend on it. It may be a president's priority in times of financial exigency to state unequivo- cally that the library's acquisitions budget must be protected. JEANNE G. HOWARD Assistant Professor I Chemistry-Mathematics Librarian and ROBERT HAUPTMAN Assistant Professor/Humanities Librarian University of Oklahoma, Norman BIOSIS sEARCH GUIDE • A new CONCEPT CODE SUBJECT GUIDE listing more than 5,000 subjects in all areas of biology and biomedicine. • An expanded and enriched (more than 3200 new entries) MASTER INDEX to the languages of BIOSIS Previews. BIOS IS pye.\eWI 'fAIIt\08 • A new INDEX TO BIOSYSTEMATIC CODES BY BACI'ERIAL GENERA that lists over 500 bacterial genera. • An updated CONTENT GUIDE containing abstract text searching hints, drug terms, and much more. • An expanded PROFILE GUIDE that discusses search strategy development The price? Just $75.00. Order toll-free in USA (800) 523-4806 (outside PA). For further mformation, or to pla(e ~our order, (Ontad : BIOS(ICn(e~ Information Ser\I(C, Customer Senice~. 2100 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1399. Call (215) 581-4800 Telex 831739. New library tools with practical library applications from Bowker THE BOWKER ANNUAL OF LIBRARY I BOOK TRADE INFORMATION 1984 29th Ellltlon This reliable reference for the library field is now better than ever, completely updated-and re- formatted for easier reading and reference. The new Bowker Annual is full of more facts, figures, and statistics you'll use and value daily! For budgeting, forecasting, planning ... The Bowker Annual provides detailed coverage of the trends, the events, and the news that affect your profession. This year, there's more of the practi- cal data you need, more of the. pertinent infor- mation you want ... Information on funding, au- tomation, developments in professional associations, legislation, networking, library ed- ucation, the library labor market-and much much more. The Bowker Annual ... New, im- proved, and even more indispensable for library professionals. Published annually and available on standing order. ISBN 0-8352-1872-4. May 1984. approx. 704 pp. $60.00. CRIME IN THE LIBRARY A Stully of Patterns, lmpactr anll Securlt..J By Alan Jay Uncoln, Ph.D. Criminal or disruptive acts occur in the library as they do in any public place ... And the problem is growing. Crime in the Library provides practical back- ground and guidance on dealing with this problem, minimizing its effect on staff and patrons-and implementing low-cost security options. There are . case studies of specific incidents and how they were resolved, statistics on national crime patterns, profiles of high risk areas and typical violators ... And much more. No library professional in a facility of any size should be without this important new book. ISBN 0-8352-1863-5. February 1984. 179 pp. $26.95 LIBRARY AUTOMATION: Issues anll AHIIcatlons By Dennis Reynolds The question today isn't "Will you auto- mate?" It's "How and to what extent?" You'll use this new overview and guide to help you plan and implement automa- tion at any level within the library. This volume covers the complete back- ground of automated systems, their de- velopment, the vendors, and the specific applications. Included are practical tips for initial evaluation of the systems you need, funding, vendor selection, imple- mentation, training and more. Everything you need to know to avoid the pitfalls~ Written in clear, non-technical language, Library Automation is for librarians, li- brary administrators, technical services staff, financial officers-anyone involved in any way with automation of the library. ISBN 0-8352-1489-3. May 1984. approx. 304 pp. $37.50. -Ri-~o;;~;,P.;=~;~:A~~M~~;--~~N:;~---------------------~~ THE INFORMATioN coMrANv Or Call Toll-Free: 1-800-521-8110 Expiration Date: _ ___________ _ Yes! I want to put these professional tools to work for me. Send me the Inter Bank Number (if applicable) following. '-r~· ~I ------- -copies The Bowker Annua/19841SBN 0-8352-1872-4. $60.00. Name It e, ___ ___ _ _ copies Crime in the Library ISBN 0-8352-1863-5. $26.95. Institution ______________ _ _ copies Library Automation ISBN 0-8352-1489-3. $37.50. 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