ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


C&RL News ■ July/August 2000 / 569

News from the Fields

Mary Ellen Davis

n e tL ib ra ry  to  p ro v id e  eB o o ks to 
Illin o is  D ig ita l A ca d e m ic Lib ra ry
netLibrary will provide eBooks to students, 
faculty, and staff affiliated with the 155 aca­
demic libraries in the state of Illinois through 
an agreement with the Illinois Digital Aca­
demic Library (IDAL). IDAL, established in 
September 1999, is a project supported by 
the Illinois Board of Higher Education to as­
sist all of Illinois’ academic libraries in meet­
ing the demand for electronic resources. The 
agreement calls for nearly 1,500 eBooks to 
be made available to patrons of participating 
IDAL libraries. Those libraries also may 
choose to purchase eBooks directly from 
netLibrary to create their own digital collec­
tions.

“Through our agreement with netLibrary, 
IDAL will give many Illinois academic librar­
ies their first experience with electronic mono­
graphs,” said Tom Dorst, director of the IDAL 
project. “Students and faculty will now be 
able to search, review, and check out eBooks 
any hour of the day or night in the library, in 
their offices or dorms, and from their home 
computers.”

Te xa s A&M re ce iv es e n d o w e d  
p ro fe sso rsh ip
Through a significant gift to the university, C. 
Clifford Wendler has established a professor­
ship at Texas A&M University’s Cushing Me­
morial Library. Steven Smith, association pro­
fessor and special collections librarian, will 
hold the new  p ro fesso rsh ip  that bears 
Wendler’s name. The author of more than 30 
articles and two books about English and 
American literature and art. Smith has re­
ceived numerous awards.

“Steve Smith’s scholarly interest in art 
com plem ents W endler’s career as a Texas 
Hill Country artist. Together they have cre­
ated an elegant and intellectually stimu­
lating space [in the Wendler Exhibit Gal­
lery] for the viewing pleasure of students, 
faculty, staff, and visitors,” noted Library 
Dean Fred Heath, who announced the new 
professorship.

In d ian a U n iv e rsity  to  b u ild  o ff-site  
s h e lv in g  fa c ility
The trustees of Indiana University approved 
plans for an off-site shelving facility, provid­
ing a long-term solution for the overcrowded 
conditions in the Bloomington campus librar­
ies and paving the way for construction to 
begin this fall. The proposed Auxiliary Li­
brary Facility (ALE) will be a six-aisle, high- 
density, Harvard-style model designed to hold 
2.68 million bound volumes, manuscripts, 
films, and other materials. The facility will 
be located about two miles from the Main 
Library on the Bloomington Campus.

“The new facility will greatly improve our 
ability to care for the collections properly and 
to free up space in our libraries for students 
and faculty,” said Suzanne Thorin, Ruth Lilly 
university dean of University Libraries. “Like 
other academic libraries crunched for space, 
we determined that an off-site facility is our 
best solution.”

The facility will also include a state-of- 
the-art preservation laboratory, which will 
provide work areas and equipment for pres­
ervation of the circulating collections and the 
rare books and manuscripts collections.

The trustees also endorsed the first phase 
of a renovation of the Main Library. Their 
recommendation, part of a list of capital pri­
orities, will be presented by the university to 
the state legislature for funding in the 2001­
03 biennium.

A m e rica n  Frie n d  O b itu a ry  In dex 
a v a ila b le
Earlham College’s Library and its Friends 
Collection and Archives have m ade avail­
able on the Web th e  A m erican Friend 
Obituary Index at http//w w w .earlham .edu/ 
-libr/quaker/obituaries/m ain.htm . (It can 
also be re a c h e d  th ro u g h  th e lib ra ry ’s 
hom epage.)

The A m erican Friend was published be­
tw een 1894 and I960, w hen it becam e 
Q uaker Life. It was an im portant organ of 
G urneyite Quakers, published in Philadel­
phia, and then the organizational communi-

http//www.earlham.edu/


570 / C&RL News ■  July/August 2000

Implementing ACRL's "Standards for College Libraries"

The library faculty at Governors State 
University (GSU), in University Park, Illi­
nois, recently undertook a project to imple­
ment the newly revised ACRL “Standards 
for College Libraries” ( C&RL News, March 
2000). These new standards mark the switch 
from focusing on inputs to outputs.

Assessing the library
In response to a university-wide, yearlong 
focus on outcomes assessment, the library 
faculty decided to use the standards as our 
instrument to assess the GSU Library. The 
standards include the following 12 sections: 
points of comparison; planning; assessment 
and outcomes assessment; services; instruc
tion; resources; access; staff; facilities; com­
munication and cooperation; administration; 
and budget. Each of eight library faculty 
members and the director took responsi­
bility for assessing the library using one or 
more o f these sections.

Creating a peer group and 
gathering data
Nine libraries were identified by GSU's Of­
fice o f Institutional Research as peer insti­
tutions. These libraries were then contacted, 
requesting their most recent IPEDS (Inte­
grated Postsecondary  Education Data Sys­
tem) statistics for the sections covering 
points of comparison and resources. For 
other sections, we looked closely at the cur­
rent operations o f the university library, in­
vestigated past procedures, interviewed su­
pervisors, and consulted annual reports. We 
also developed two surveys: a staff survey 
assessing attitudes towards internal com­
munication and working conditions, and a 
library user survey assessing attitudes to­
wards library service, staffing, and facili­

cation piece for Five Years Meeting between 
1912 and I960, published in Richmond.

The index was created by Tom Hamm, 
colleg e archivist, and pu blished  on  the 
Friends Collection Web pages by Neal Baker, 
information technologies librarian. There are 
approximately 13,000 entries in the index. 
Information thought necessary for purposes 
o f identification (name, date o f death— if

ties. In addition, library faculty reviewed fa­
cilities and staffing levels, access to the li­
brary and its resources, and availability of 
other collections through consortial arrange­
ments. The sections concerning administra­
tion and budget were written by librarians 
familiar with those aspects of library opera­
tions. After the individual reports were com­
pleted, they were compiled into a single 
document and then reviewed and revised.

What we learned
As a result o f applying the standards, we 
now have a better understanding o f the 
overall functioning of the GSU Library. We 
are more aware of our strengths and weak­
nesses, and we have a basis for changing 
policies and procedures, as well as for re­
questing increases in the library budget.

What will we do differently next time? 
We will consider the use o f focus groups, 
pre-test the user survey for validity, and dis­
tribute the survey regularly and more widely 
to ensure more meaningful results.

The entire process of compiling our in­
dividual findings took approximately three 
months, and currently we are in the pro­
cess of analyzing the data and editing the 
document for publication. We anticipate re­
visiting this process in two to three years, 
and on a regular basis thereafter, to assess 
what needs to be done to improve library 
operations and respond to our evolving user 
needs. With the year 2000 as a benchmark, 
the ACRL standards will be an important tool 
for continued cyclical assessment of the 
university library.— L y d ia  M otrow  Ruetten, 
R eb ec c a  Bostian, D ia n e  D ates Casey, L in d a  
Geller, A nn G lascoff, M ari Ellen L everen ce, 
B eth H an sen  Shaw, N an cy Shlaes, Colleen 
W attm an, G overnors State University

given, place o f death, and age or year of birth) 
is included in each entry. For a fee, the li­
brary will provide copies o f obituaries. De­
tails are available at the Index Web site.

Call for Papers: Popular Culture 
Association 2001
The Libraries and Popular Culture Area of 
the Popular Culture Association is soliciting



C&RL N ew s ■ Ju ly / A u g u s t 20 0 0  / 577

papers dealing with any aspect o f popular 
culture as it pertains to libraries, archives, 
museums, or research for its annual m eet­
ing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 
1 1-14, 2001. In the past, this has included 
descriptions o f research collections, stud­
ies o f popular images o f libraries or librar­
ians, or reports on developm ents in tech ­
nical services for collecting popular culture 
materials.

Prospective presenters should send a one- 
page abstract, by September 15, 2000, to: 
Allen Ellis, W. Frank Steely Library, Northern 
Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Ken­
tucky 41099-6101, (859) 572-5527; fax: (859) 
572-5390; e-mail: ellisa@nku.edu.

Fenway Library Consortium 
celebrates 25 years
The Fenway Library Consortium (FLC) held 
a gala celebration at the Boston Museum of 
Fine Arts in May to celebrate 25 years of suc­
cessful cooperation. The event was dedicated 
to the many staff members who make the 
consortium work. Dean Jam es Matarazzo, 
Simmons College GSLIS, gave a brief address 
on the importance o f good people working 
together and the spirit of cooperation exem­
plified by FLC. Member institutions include: 
Brookline Public Library, Emerson College,

A t W estche ste r Lib ra ry  System 's (W LS) 9th A n n u a l Book & A u th o r Lunch eo n , 
Jo seph N. H a n k in , p resid ent o f W e stch e ste r C o m m un ity Co llege and w in n e r o f 
W LS's N ational Lib ra ry W e e k  reco g n itio n  a w a rd , w ith  W e stche ste r C o m m un ity 
Co llege lib ra ria n s (I to  r) M ary Loo m ba, San dy Schepis (b ack ro w ), Una Shih, 
Lynne K a re n  (b ack ro w ), and G lo ria M eisel.

Emmanuel College, Hebrew College, Lesley 
College, the Massachusetts College of Art, the 
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, the Mu­
seum of Fine Arts, the New England Conser­
vatory o f Music, Simmons College, Suffolk 
University, the University o f Massachusetts at 
Boston, Wentworth Institute of Technology, 
and Wheelock College.

ACRL seeks your effective practices
Does your library have a best practice to 
share with the academic library community? 
Submit a proposal to the ACRL Effective Prac­
tices Web site. The purpose of this site is to 
create a list o f effective practices in academic 
librarianship so that they are easily acces­
sible to both academic librarians and the 
entire higher education community.

ACRL plans to recognize outstanding prac­
tices at academic libraries in areas such as 
programs, services, facilities, technology, and 
initiatives. Proposal submissions should in­
clude a detailed description o f the practice 
including data, statistics, and financial infor­
mation. Proposals should be no longer than 
five pages and could include sections such 
as an overview of the practice, history, col­
laborations and partnerships, long-term im­
pact, timelines, physical space, financial and/ 
or student impact.

mailto:ellisa@nku.edu


572 / C&RL News ■  July/August 2000

Wellesley College receives ACRL Excellence Award
The Wellesley College Library hosted a 

celebration on May 15, 2000, in honor of 
its selection as the first recipient of ACRL's 
Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in 
the college library 
category.

H eld  o n  th e 
steps o f the Marga­
ret Clapp Library, 
the ceremony was 
fo llo w e d  by a 
sumptuous recep­
tion on an adjacent 
plaza. More than 
10 0  p e o p le  a t­
tended the event, 
and each guest re­
ceived a specially 
d e s ig n e d  m e ta l 
b o okm ark in the 
s h a p e  o f  th e 
Wellesley lantern, a 
lighting fixture that 
has been used on 
campus sin ce the 
1920s.

M ich e lin e  Jed rey, vice

Positive m a tio n  S e rv ic e s  a n dD ia n a  C h a p m a n  W
experiences W e lle s le y  C o lle g e ; Le
D ian a C h ap m an  C o lle g e ; L a rry  H ardes
Walsh, president o f a n d  P a t r ic ia  A d a m s ,

Services, g a th e r fo r thWellesley College, 
A ca d e m ic L ib ra rie s A

o p e n e d  th e c e r ­
emony by describing the library as a place 
of innovation on campus. Lee Cuba, dean 
of the College, expressed his gratitude for 
the strong partnership that exists between 
the library staff and the faculty, citing his 
own experiences as a faculty member who 
has benefited from working collaboratively 
with the library staff for nearly 20 years.

ACRL President Larry Hardesty spoke of 
his vision for this award as one that recog­
nizes the contributions made by the entire 
library staff, not just a single individual. 
Hardesty stated, “The Wellesley College Li­
brary staff has demonstrated that through 
hard work, dedication, imagination, and 
flexibility, the library team— the right team—  
can bring acclaim to an institution of higher 
education.”

-
 
a
e
t
 
e

w

W ellesley gives award to local 
elementary school
Patricia Adams, regional sales manager- 
Northeast for Blackwell’s B ook Services, 

p resen ted  a $ 3 ,0 0 0  
c h e ck  to M icheline 
Jedrey, vice president 
for Information Ser­
vices and college li­
brarian.

Je d r e y  a c k n o w l­
edged the support that 
th e lib rary  has r e ­

photo ceived from genera­
credit:Dave tio n s  o f  a lu m n a e  

O 
benefactors. “The li­
brary currently has 
nearly 100 endowed 
funds that support the 

Neill purchase and care of 
b o o k s , p erio d ica ls, 
and, m ost recently, 
electronic resources.” 
She e x p r e s s e d  h er 
deep gratitude to the 
library staff for their 

p re s id e n t f o r  In fo r­ commitment to pro­
c o lle g e  lib r a r ia n ; 

v id in g o u tstan d in g  ls h , p r e s id e n t  o f  
 C u ba , d e a n  o f th e  s e r v ic e s  to the 
y, A C R L P re sid e n t; W e lle s le y  C o lle g e  
B la c k w e ll's  B o o k  community.

 A C R L E xce lle n ce  in J e d r e y  th e n  a n ­
a rd  p re se n ta tio n .

nounced that the li­
brary would donate the $3,000 award to the 
Mather School, an elementary school located 
in Dorchester, Massachusetts, that for many 
years provided a place for Wellesley students 
to learn the art of teaching.

The funding will support the purchase 
of a number of hardcover read-aloud books 
for the Kindergarten-3rd grade Early Lit­
eracy Learning Initiative book room, which 
supplements the science and social stud­
ies curriculum.

In presenting the check to Kim Marshall, 
principal o f the Mather School. Jedrey said, 
“We see this as an investment in our fu­
ture, as well— young children who learn 
to love reading eventually becom e college 
students and faculty members who love the 
library.”



C&RL News ■  July/August 2000 1 573

Proposal forms are located on the Web at 
www.ala.org/acrl/epform.html. Proposals will 
b e reviewed by a committee that includes 
representatives o f each type o f academic li­
brary. Submissions are accepted quarterly. 
The next deadline is Septem ber 1. Future 
deadlines include D ecem ber 1, March 1, and 
Ju n e 1.

Questions? Contact ACRL Program Officer 
Margot Sutton at msutton@ala.org.

Checkpoint installs system  at 
University of Pennsylvania
Checkpoint Systems, Inc. installed its Intelli­
gent Library System™ (ILS) at the University 
o f Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Library. Based 
on radio frequency identification (RFID) tech­
nology, the ILS gives libraries patron self- 
check-out and check-in, inventory control, 
circulation management, and loss prevention, 
all integrated into a single system.

Checkpoint’s ILS functions as a security 
alert, triggering an alarm w hen books are re­
moved from the library without permission. 
The system is also supposed to reduce mate­
rials handling time; som e installations have 
reported a 75% reduction in handling time.

NCES plans changes in data 
collection
The National Center for Education Statistics 
(NCES) has confirmed plans to collect data 
from academic libraries but has announced 
the following changes: 1) a W eb-based data 
collection with forms available betw een O c­
tober 16, 2000, and February 15, 2001; 2) the 
re p o r tin g  w in d o w  w ill b e  
closed on February 15, 2000;
3) if, the response is at least 
80%, NCES will release an ed­
ited but unimputed file o f li­
brary data on the NCES W eb 
site in Ju n e  2001 and summary 
tables (E .D .Tabs) in O ctober 
2001; and 4) The NCES W eb 
site will have software that en­
ables peer group comparison 
using 1998 data (2000 data will 
b e available for peer compari­
son as soon as the final file is 
posted in Jun e 2001). A print- 
only copy o f the 2000 library 
fo rm  an d  in s tr u c tio n s  w as 
planned to be posted by the end

o f Jun e 2000 on the NCES W eb site at http:// 
nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/academic.html.

Inform ation literacy program s: tell 
us characteristics of good ones
ACRL is seeking com ments on its draft state­
ment on characteristics o f best practices in 
information literacy programs as developed 
by the Best Practices Project Team  o f ACRL’s 
Institute for Information Literacy (IIL).

Beginning August 15, a Delphi process 
will b e undertaken to gain feedback on this 
statement from the higher education com mu­
nity. Through the Delphi process, anyone in­
terested in information literacy can com ment 
on the existing statement o f characteristics or 
suggest additional ideas. To participate, go 
to http://www.earlham.edu/discus. This stage 
o f the Delphi process will continue until O c­
tober 1.

After the Delphi process closes on O cto­
ber 1, a new  statement will be developed 
and available for com ment in November and 
early Decem ber. A final statement should be 
approved by the ACRL Board at the ALA Mid­
winter 2001. Procedures for submission of 
nominations o f information literacy programs 
that exemplify the characteristics o f best prac­
tice will also b e announced.

It is anticipated that the selected institu­
tions will participate in an invitational con ­
ference in 2002. Questions can b e directed 
to Tom Kirk, Earlham College, w ho is chair­
ing the Project Team  at kirkto@earlham.edu. 
Background on the project is available at 
http://www.ala.org/acrl/nili/bestprac.html.

http://www.ala.org/acrl/epform.html
mailto:msutton@ala.org
http://www.earlham.edu/discus
mailto:kirkto@earlham.edu
http://www.ala.org/acrl/nili/bestprac.html


574 / C&RL News ■  July/August 2000

Celebrate the freedom  to read

“F is h  in  th e  R iv e r  o f  K n o w le d g e : 
C elebrate Y our Freedom  to Read” is the 
them e o f Banned B o ok s Week, Septem ber 
2 3 -3 0 , 2000. O bserved sin ce 1981, the an­
nual event reminds people to not take this 
basic dem ocratic freedom  for granted.

T h e ev en t is s p o n so red  by ALA, the 
A m e rica n  B o o k s e lle r s  A ss o c ia tio n , the 
American B ooksellers Foundation o f Free 
E xpression, the A ssociation o f  American 
Publishers, the American Society o f Jou rnal­
ists and Authors, and the National Associa­
tion o f College Stores.

A B a n n e d  B o o k s : 2 0 0 0  R e s o u r c e  G u id e  
(available from ALA’s O ffice for Intellectual 
Freedom  for $25) can help you plan your 
celebration. T he guide contains: a list o f 
books that have been  challenged or banned; 
camera-ready artwork; display ideas; sample 
news releases to help launch a successful 
pu blicity cam paign; inform ation o n  First 
Amendment court cases; quotes on the First 
Amendment; and tips for dealing with con ­

cerns about library resources. To order, c o n ­
tact OIF at oif@ ala.org; (8 0 0 ) 545-2433 ext. 
4223; or B anned B ook s Week, ALA, 50 E. 
Huron St., Chicago, IL 6 0 6 l l .  ■

mailto:oif@ala.org


C&RL News ■  July/August 2000 / 575