ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 64 4 /C&RL News Conference Circuit IFLA ‘ 9 5 : W here Europe m eets A sia By Barbara J. Ford IFLA ’s 61st General Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, August 1995 A pproximately 1,765 delegates from 103 countries and 625 Turkish librarians at­ tended the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) conference held in Istanbul. “Libraries o f the Future” was held August 20– 26 in Europe, but delegates could see Asia across the Bosphorus from the conference site windows. Stimulating discus­ sions on the role o f libraries in the future, par­ ticularly relating to technology, were evident throughout the conference. A guest lecture by Frances D’Souza, execu­ tive director o f Article 19, International Centre Against Censorship in London, initiated an on­ going IFLA discussion on free expression. It is Article 19’s contention that the earliest indica­ tions o f increasing human rights abuse are re­ stricting free expression and increasing direct control o f the m edia by the governm ent. D ’Souza stated that the human rights commu­ nity must becom e more proactive in its work, collect information that warns o f in ­ c r e a s in g h u m an rights ab u se, and cre a te a netw ork where information c a n b e g a th e re d and action can be taken. Part o f the political network must be professional organizations which make com­ mitments to defending freedom o f expression and are prepared to take action in the form of protest when appropriate. Later in the confer­ ence, the IFLA Council and General Confer­ ence adopted a resolution on the importance o f freedom o f expression and free access to information. In the months ahead IFLA leader­ ship will be discussing the role o f IFLA. The program theme o f University Libraries and O ther G eneral R esearch Libraries was “Document Delivery versus Ownership: Cost Implications and D ecision-m aking.” Maurice Line from the United Kingdom gave a stimulat­ ing opening presentation. He said the assump­ tion that access is to be preferred to ownership as a matter o f policy needs to be questioned. Browsing and serendipity are lost in the access model. He articulated that a strong case could be made for larger acquisition funds in view of the coming emphasis on self-directed learning. Barbara von Wahlde reported on the SUNY University Center Libraries study o f the eco nomics o f document delivery. Dilek Cetindamar Karaomerlioglu, Bogazici University in Turkey, reported on document delivery versus owner­ ship from the perspective o f developing coun­ tries. He asserted that having technological in­ frastructure alone will not be effective since innovations in technology must be accompa­ nied by appropriate organizational and social innovation which are related mainly to the de­ v e lo p m e n t o f w orkers. Later in the c o n fe re n c e a workshop focused on the role o f the lib ra ry u s e r in document delivery and interlending. The Internet was a topic o f discussion in a number o f settings. The sections on govern­ ment libraries, social science libraries, science and technology libraries, biological and medi­ cal sciences libraries, and public libraries all had presentations relating to the Internet. Uni­ versity Libraries and User Education sections “ O ur struggle to revitalize li­ braries and librarianship is not about techniques and finance. It is essentially one of v a lu es.” Barbara J. Ford is director o f university library services at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond; e-mail: bjford@gems.vcu.edu mailto:bjford@gems.vcu.edu October 1 9 9 5 /6 4 5 sponsored a workshop on “Internet Training and Use Internationally.” Two perspectives were presented as Isabel Stirling, University of Or­ egon, and Sally Cheng-Hua Shen, Beijing Uni­ versity, spoke on teaching the Internet in the United State and China. Irma Pasanen, Helsinki University o f Technology, spoke about design­ ing World Wide Web browsers for improved Internet access. An open session on the Inter­ net hosted by Nancy John, University o f Illi­ nois at Chicago, and Ed Valauskus, Internet Mechanics, drew a large audience. W o m e n lib r a r ia n s o f the w o r ld The Women’s Issues Section program theme was “Women in the World o f Information.” Dong Ziaoying, Beijing University, reported on the first study o f women in Chinese libraries and their status and motivation. The issues there are much like those in other countries and the survey showed that the role o f women in se­ nior or high-ranking library administration is limited. Asli Davza-Mardin and Jale Baysal from the Women’s Library and Information Center in Istanbul reported on that library, which was set up on the initiative o f five resourceful women in 1989. It opened in 1990 in an Otto­ man edifice that dates back to the 18th century and was restored for the library. The Women’s Library issues a quarterly newsletter and a yearly diary and has published five books. With out­ side financial support the library has conducted three projects: a bibliography of publications related to women and women writers, pilot project on the oral history o f women, and a project on the attitude o f the press on women. The 61st IFLA conference offered a host of useful programs in an interesting setting. Li­ brary visits and cultural programs provided delegates with a taste o f an historic and vibrant country. In his address to the Opening Session, Robert Wedgeworth, University o f Illinois at U rb a n a -C h a m p a ig n and IFLA P re s id e n t, summed up the challenge to “Libraries of the Future”: “Our struggle to revitalize libraries and librarianship is not about techniques and fi­ nance. It is essentially one o f values. We must b e able to persuade governments, business, education, religious and civic leaders o f the value o f libraries as educational institutions that stimulate and inspire learning; that libraries are information access agencies that improve the quality o f decision-making; and that libraries can contribute substantially to the improvement o f the quality o f life at all ages.” ■ Letters Research needed on library compensation To the Editor: I read with interest the “Research Agenda for College Librarianship” (July/August 1995). I was surprised that the individuals your committee consulted did not consider the issue o f library com pensation important enough to include. With library faculty earn­ ing 30% less than their teaching faculty col­ leagues who hold comparable qualifications (the master’s degree), and typically having to work a 12-month contract instead o f their nine, I would think that this issue merits study. If the purpose o f a professional asso­ ciation is to represent the needs of its mem­ bers, this is one major issue that is crying out to be addressed. I urge your committee not only to add it to its research agenda, but to ask ACRL to prioritize and fund such re­ search.— R. N eil Scott, G eorgia C ollege The committee chair responds As we state in the introduction to the Agenda, “the questions that follow are not intended to limit inquiry but to provide an example o f concerns that might be pursued in each o f the seven research areas. . . .” The issue o f library compensation is certainly an important one to the profession, and agenda questions such as “What is the status of librarians in colleges?” and “What is the impact of collective bargaining on library or­ ganizations?” were intended to promote more specific research in this area. The commit­ tee encourages Professor Scott and others to submit additional questions to be included in future editions of the Agenda.— M ickey Z em on , C hair, CLS R esearch f o r C ollege Li­ b ra r ia n sh ip C om m ittee One article fits right in To the Editor: As soon as I read the article “Research Across the Curriculum,” by Steve McKinzie (June 1995), I forwarded a copy to the chair o f our university curriculum com m ittee. McKinzie’s ideas fit right into some plans that this committee is formulating.—J e n n y Petty, O u ach ita B aptist University ■