ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 764 Facing the new millennium Values f o r the Electronic information A ge Traditional values are still relevant in the electronic information age E d. N o te : This is th e fi r s t in a s e r ie s o fcolu m n s that will explore ACRL p resid en t L ee H is le ’s th e m e o f “F a c in g th e M illen n iu m : Values f o r the E lectron ic Age. ” Next m onth, K ath erin e B ra n ch will con tribu te a colum n. As I considered what my theme might be for my year as President of ACRL, I knew it should have two characteristics: one, that it would deal with the impact o f electronic infor­ mation on our profession, and two, that it would deal more with inquiry than fact. I wanted a theme that would encourage members to think about issues central to our profession. Thus, I chose the theme, “Facing the Millennium: Val­ ues for the Electronic Information Age.” I be­ lieve that some o f the traditional values of li brarianship are being challenged and, perhaps, are changing as a result of the advancing electronic age. In librarianship, I see a profession seeking reaffirmation of tradi­ tional values even as it questions them. Because of this, I wanted a theme that allowed ACRL members an opportunity to explore their own personal values in relation to those of our profession. Challenges to our valu es Challenges to our values surround us, as indi­ cated by the debates over the appropriate use o f filtering software and the seemingly cavalier abrogation of “fair-use” tenets in the licensing agreements we sign. In times o f change, people and institutions seek stability. I believe that sta­ bility can come from our values: not from the way we do things, but by the beliefs we hold as immutable. By reaffirming, by changing when necessary, but most of all, by understanding those values most critical to us and to our pro­ fession, we can move into the future with con­ fidence. Which of our values are being challenged? One of the more important is an altruistic sense of service. In fact, many of us come to the pro­ fession with a missionary zeal for service: we believe we can make a difference in people’s lives and in the quality of our society. Recently I was engaged in a discussion about eliminat­ ing the print option from our electronic catalog and databases. Printing is a costly service for the college to provide, and cost-recovery sys­ tems for printing from electronic resources are in their infancy. It was proposed that all stu­ dents using electronic sources in our college download their information and print it off-cam­ pus. Yet, considering some 60 percent of our students do not have PCs at home, our value of service argues for a free or low-cost printing solution on campus. It is the service value that drives that argument. Without that value, the decision might have been made to avoid the inconvenience, and cost, of printing facilities and eliminate a current and valuable service. Intellectual freedom The conflict surrounding intellectual freedom in an electronic environment offers another I believe that stability can come from our valu es: not from the w a y w e do things, but by the beliefs w e hold as immutable. W. L ee Hisle is th e p resid e n t o f ACRL a n d th e a s so c ia te v ice p re sid e n t f o r L earn in g R esou rce Services at Austin C om m unity College; e-m a il: hisle@ au stin .cc.tx.us mailto:hisle@austin.cc.tx.us 765 example of a traditional value being challenged. Librarians traditionally have been open to all ideas and have provided materials to support divergent viewpoints to all users. Our collec­ tion policies and our standards for reference service reflect the value of open access in all academic libraries. However, the value reflected by this commitment to access, without consid­ eration of the impact of content now pits many rank and file librarians, along with a significant number of scholars from other fields, against the stated ALA position on intellectual freedom with regard to Web access. Should we leave content decisions to par­ ents when so many children are without pa­ rental guidance, especially in a society marked by tw o-incom e families and single-parent households? Should librarians take a more ac­ tive role in deciding what is available to mi­ nors or students on the Internet? If so, does that lessen the importance of our long-held value of intellectual freedom? We have always limited access to traditional materials through the use of selection policies, special collec­ tions, and the like. For some, however, a simi­ lar policy related to materials available online is seen as the antithesis of intellectual free­ dom. These questions—few with easy answers— are what attracted me to the theme. Opportuni­ ties to discuss the values of librarianship will occur during the course of the year, and I hope you will have the opportunity to join your col­ leagues to consider—to think about—the values of librarianship. ■ Join ACRL President’s Midwinter discussion forum: Enduring values for the new millennium Are you concerned that the commercial­ ization of electronic information may erode equitable access to information for academic library patrons? Do you spend sleepless nights wondering whether the commitment of aca­ demic librarians to intellectual freedom will be compromised by protests against explicit materials on the Internet? Do you worry about how academic librarians will uphold our ser­ vice values, our professional neutrality, and the tenets of fair use in today’s political and economic climate? If so, make plans to attend the ACRL President’s Discussion Forum “Enduring Val­ ues for the New Millennium” at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in New Orleans. This d iscu ssion forum, to be m oderated by Shelley Phipps of the University o f Arizona, will explore ACRL President Lee Hisle’s theme o f values for the electronic informa­ tion age. Scenarios will be presented, and attendees will have the opportunity to en­ gage in group discussions about values important to academic librarians. “Endur­ ing Values for the New Millennium” will take place Monday, January 12, 9:30– 11:00 a.m. Check the official conference program for exact meeting room location. B iotechnology cont. fr o m 762 This Web page provides links to documents related to issues and ethics, the Human Ge­ nome Project, Principles of Genetic Engineer­ ing, and the State of the Art. Access: http:// www.gene.com/ae/AB/IE/. • Public Perception Issues in Biotech­ nology. The goal of this Web site is “to pro­ vide information on communication of biotech­ nology issues and the impact of biotechnology on society.” Issues covered are scientific, regu­ latory, educational, and commercial, with a fo­ cus on issues related to agriculture and the envi­ ronment. Access: http://www.vt.edu:10021/ cals/cses/chagedor/ percep.html. • Biotechnology: Public Perceptions— Public Inform ation (BIC). A collection of Web sites and documents that deal with bioethics and public attitudes and perceptions towards biotech­ nology. Access, http://www.nal.usda.gov/bic/ www.html#percep. • C enter for Biotechnology Policy and Ethics. This center at Texas A&M University “was created in 1990 as a specific response to ethical and political challenges facing the de­ velopment of new genetic technologies, espe­ cially in the food, agricultural and natural re­ source sectors.” Through discussion groups, conferences, and workshops, this forum for interdisciplinary research brings together indi­ viduals and organizations involved in biotech­ nology and its impact on society. Access, http:// www.tamu.edu/cbpe/. ■ http://www.gene.com/ae/AB/IE/ http://www.vt.edu:10021/ http://www.nal.usda.gov/bic/ http://www.tamu.edu/cbpe/