ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries March 1992 /181 Electronic Publishing and Networking ’92 Electronic Publishing and Networking ’92, the first in what is to be a series o f annual conferences and exhibits, was held January 14—15,1992, in New York City. T he raison d ’etre of the conference was, in the words of the conference brochure, “the availability on a global scale o f electronic dissem ina­ tion o f information . .. and the unending possibili­ ties for information exchange on an international basis.” Certainly the most frequently m entioned nam e in the discussion of varied topics was the Internet, aptly described by one speaker as c u r­ rently “a highway system with gravel roads.” The conference was sponsored by M eckler P u b ­ lishing Com pany in association with L aFayette College and Princeton University JvNCNet, and successfully brought together individuals from an unusually wide range o f professions engaged in the creation and dissem ination of information in elec­ tronic form. They represented the public and p ri­ vate sector, comm ercial and non-profit organiza­ tions, and academe. Attendees included inform a­ tion providers, educators, librarians, com puter com ­ munications experts, and academic com puter spe­ cialists. Copyright, pricing, funding, marketing, new prod- ucts, networking standards and security, and gover­ nance issues were some of the old and new them es comm on to the plenary sessions and presentations in th e specialist tracks of electronic networking, electronic publishing, and campus-wide inform a­ tion systems. This b rief article highlights a few of these im portant them es. Copyright and licensing issues continue to b e o f vital concern to authors, publishers, individual li­ brary users, and vendors of products and services like article transmission and delivery, exemplified by FaxonXpress and Ariel. Positive new approaches to copyright were sum m arized by keynote speaker Mitchell Kapor o f the Electronic Frontier F ou n d a­ tion, who said that copyright would not ultim ately be enforced by restrictive laws: “T here is a natural impulse to copy; however, people are willing to pay as long as the cost is within their envelope of convenience and utility.” Clearly a new paradigm for copyright and licensing will emerge for the era of electronic publishing and comm unication on a national and international network. Speakers addressing the definition and implica­ tions of electronic publishing stressed the increased im portance of understanding what users want, and actively m arketing to m eet those needs, in addition to anticipating new dem ands which the technology can satisfy and the netw ork can deliver. The elec­ tronic Journal o f Clinical Trials is peer reviewed, consistent with the needs of its subscribers. Accord­ ing to Pat Morgan from AAAS, it is the result of “im portant partnership strengths,” the publishing expertise o f AAAS, and the distributed networking and technical expertise of OCLC. "D on’t just copy— create a wonderful new elec­ tronic product,” was editor Judith Axler T u rn er’s message. The Chronicle o f H igher Education, cur­ rently being tested in its electronic form, is u n bun­ dling its various sections— classified ads or new books— then they are enhanced and amplified, making the individual com ponents available to dif­ ferent segm ents of the readership via networking. Pricing must encourage use, b u t Elsevier’s Karen H u n te r predicted that while scientists w ould get b e tte r and more information, publishers and librar­ ies would be squeezed. Nevertheless, the publish­ ing industry is continuing to explore new pricing structures with its customers. Pricing must encourage use, but Elsevier’s Karen Hunter pre­ dicted that while scientists would get better and more information, publishers and libraries would be squeezed. “I f it plays in Peoria … ” would have b een an appropriate title for th e presentation by Tom G rundner of the National Public Telecom m unica­ tions Network. H e discussed the H eartland Freenet, a free public access comm unity comm unication system in Peoria, Illinois. In addition to comm unity calendars and social service-oriented information, it also includes volunteer contributions from local experts in the form o f responses to users’ queries on a wide variety of subjects via the network. One question raised by the audience— “Isn’t all o f this what librarians used to do?”— is a reflection, in my view, of changing roles in the information and publishing professions and organizations, in com ­ mercial, public, and academic sectors alike. T he rise o f global m arket-based libraries and the changing roles o f information professionals which will result in “the reconceptualization of the library in academ e” was one o f the topics addressed by Charles M cClure of Syracuse University in his presentation on “E lectronic Networking Research Applications and Policies." 1 8 2 /C & R L News Barbara Lockett, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, described a library in process of transfor­ mation. Effective partnerships with com puting ser­ vices and other departm ents, reorganization, diplo­ macy, anticipating users’ needs, and perseverance has resulted in the library’s ability to deliver a wide range o f information resources over the campus network. And the word on networks throughout the conference was standardization. The overall impression I brought away from this exceptionally energizing conference was of a group o f com m itted professionals all aware that, an im­ mense change is im pending of a magnitude not seen since the days of Gutenberg. Many individuals and organizations are actively experimenting and trying to divine the future, b u t no clear vision has ye em erged. Clifford Lynch, from the University o California, sum m ed it up as “flailing about.” Lync attributed the confusion we are currently experi encing to the many kinds of communications no emerging, in addition to the evolution of traditiona publishing. T he current stage of m odernization wil result in innovation and, finally, transform ation wil occur. It is clear that the future will be shaped b publishers and information and com puter comm u nications specialists working in partnership, an talking together at conferences like Electronic Pub lishing and Networking.—A nn de Klerk, Director o Library Services, Buckneü University ■ ■ t f h ­ w l l l y ­ d ­ f Media tips: Speaking successfully Ed. note: These tips are reprinted w ith permis­ sion fr o m the handouts prepared by A L A f o r the media training workshop given f o r division presi­ dents and vice-presidents. 1. P r e p a r e , p r e p a r e , p r e p a r e . T h ere’s no substitute. And rem em ber it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. T here are two elem ents to every good public address— c o ntent (substance) and d e­ livery (style). You need both. 2. K n o w y o u r a u d ie n c e . Find out who will be there, how large an audience to expect. Ask about the age range, educational background, special interests and activities o f the group’s members, their familiarity with libraries. 3. P e r s o n a liz e y o u r m e s s a g e . T he goal o f the speaker is to deliver information the audience b e­ lieves it needs. T he speech must have value to the audience. It will never grab the audience’s attention if the audience believes, for instance, that libraries are in trouble b ut there is no threat to them . 4. T alk — d o n ’t “ s p e a k .” Aim to be understood, not to impress. Elim inate librarian jargon. Use statistics sparingly. Make generous use o f personal anecdotes, examples and experiences that the audi­ ence can relate to. 5. S ay it a n d sa y i t a g a in . It’s im portant in oral comm unication to repeat key points. Tell them w hat you’re going to tell them in your opening remarks. Tell them , in the body of your remarks, the details of what you want them to know. And finally, in closing, tell them what you told them — review the m ajor points. 6. W r ite o u t y o u r r e m a r k s w o r d f o r w o rd . T hen read them out loud. Ask a nonlibrarian to listen and give feedback on w hether you are inter­ esting—and understandable. 7. P r a c tic e so many times that you have your remarks almost memorized. I f you are comfortable speaking from notes, use only an outline. 8. D r e s s s ty lish ly b ut conservatively so the audience is listening to what you say— not how you look. Avoid bright white shirts/blouses that will reflect a visual glare if the podium is lit. 9. M a k e t h e a u d ie n c e lik e y o u . Establish eye contact. Share som ething personal about your­ self—a story your listeners can relate to and that leads into the issue. 10. T e ll j o k e s sp a r in g ly . H um or is nice b ut few of us are comics. 11. V ary t h e p itc h a n d s p e e d o f y o u r v o ic e . L et your passion show. T he most m em orable and convincing speakers are those who speak from the heart. 12. U s e y o u r b o d y — especially your hands, face and u pper body to bring additional animation to your remarks. 13. U s e v isu a l a id s b ut only if they will add to the understanding or impact of your remarks. D im ­ ming the lights can be negative, especially during an evening meeting. 14. G a u g e y o u r a u d ie n c e r e s p o n s e and make adjustm ents accordingly. Beware o f fidgeting and whispering. It’s b e tte r to bring your remarks to an early halt and take questions than to bore an audi­ ence. 15. B e b r ie f. In general, limit your remarks to 20 minutes. Most people, especially in the evening, have a short attention span. F ar b e tte r to leave the audience wanting m ore than wanting to get rid of you. 16. E n jo y y o u r s e lf. You are prepared. You have an im portant message. I f you’re enjoying yourself, chances are the audience will too. ■ ■