ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries April 1987 / 183 these various library services, and bibliographic in­ struction has been a challenge. During the aca­ demic year, orientations and workshops are held at site offices around the state to explain the College’s library system. Specific courses in research and writing are listed in the college catalog and ar­ ranged for students. Staff development days are held on a yearly basis. Site coordinators work with instructors to incorporate research objectives into course descriptions and plan formal library in­ struction periods for students each semester. BI re­ mains the largest goal in the library planning, and the staff continues to experiment with ways of pro­ viding information electronically without sacrific­ ing the value of close human interaction and the serendipity of traditional library browsing. Until three years ago there was very little re­ source sharing among the Vermont State Colleges libraries. Interlibrary loan was available from the Vermont Departm ent of Libraries and most often took from two to three weeks for delivery of books. Times have changed dramatically, and 1987 finds all five of the state colleges working together on the tasks of collection development, a joint serials list, increased use of online searching, retrospective conversion, a joint online catalog, and a common policy for online searches. When the Governor cut the computer ribbon in December, many librarians’ hearts beat just a little bit faster knowing that the plunge into the world of “electronic libraries” was imminent. For Commu­ nity College of Vermont, it means that for the first time in its history, students will be able to access the online catalog from any site office, and then re­ ceive materials directly. It is expected that this phase of the library project will be available to CCV students by fall 1987. The truth of the matter is that the College could not have come this far without a little help from its friends. ■ ■ ALA candidates on ACRL The three candidates fo r A L A vice-president/president-elect share their views on academic and research librarianship. R e c e n tl y the ALA presidential candidates were asked to give some thought to ALA/ACRL relations and academic librarianship in general for this spe­ cial C&RL News feature. Their statements may aid you when you vote for ALA officers on this spring’s ballot. Linda Anne Dougherty: My recollection of academic libraries is very much based on my school days at Indiana Univer­ sity where I worked in both the Undergraduate Li­ brary and in the Law Library. Point of service li­ brarians who have been active in the ALA Library Instruction Round Table have told me of their con­ cerns for the future of academic libraries. The mission of academic libraries can be no dif­ ferent from that of any library—we all must serve our communities, providing the greatest access to all. I value “halls of residence libraries,” and I be­ lieve that undergraduate collections and staff can provide a special teaching resource to the “entry level” college student. These ideas relate to my con­ tention that a librarian’s involvement with lifelong learning ties us into a continuum of learning. Those of us interested in user education know that the ac­ ademics have clearly led the way in this discipline. We do have to question, however, if we wait to ed­ ucate only the college-bound how elitist and nar­ row our instruction has become. Within academic 184 / C&RL News libraries a major concern has been the decline in enrollment. The resulting budget crisis is a familiar problem. The growing interest in adult education programs shows how many campuses have sought to reach out to a new market for another type of student population. The definition of “town and gown” must be re­ defined to “campus. ” And the idea of campus needs to be as broad and inclusive as possible. The mis­ sion of academic libraries is to reach out. Last year Charles W. Robinson wrote that “the greatest pro­ portion of library users are children and students.” In the public library sector we know of the massive shortages of trained children’s librarians; we also know that in some instances school librarians are not valued as co-educators, but have a half-life in their institutions. Should we be surprised then when one tax levy after another fails; when youth question the value of a liberal arts education; and when campus after campus declines and closes? These realities aren’t cited to make us full of de­ spair. They are mentioned becuase our mission—to provide service—must be undertaken with enthu­ siasm and a little bit of the zealot’s fervor. If we are not aggressive in our presentation of self, who will battle for us? Again, I think my colleagues in bibliographic in­ struction have provided the model. They reached out to departments; reached out to students; they united “instruction” with “subject content.” So my notion of the mission of academic libraries involves some of that old idea of “outreach.” I speak to many audiences where I say, “How many of you can name your doctor, your baker, your butcher, your auto mechanic? Now how many of you can name any member of your library’s staff?” … You can see how extensive my notion of our mission is. ACRL has a definite role to play—it is Let’s do lunch The ALA Library Instruction Round Table is providing an opportunity for BI librarians to talk informally with others interested in library instruction at Annual Conference in San Fran­ cisco. Because it is so difficult to meet librarians w ith sim ilar interests at large conferences, LIRT is organizing small groups for lunch or dinner at modestly priced restaurants. The Li­ brary Instruction Round Table is made up of li­ brarians from all types of libraries: academic, public, school, and special. You need not be a member to participate. Send your name, institution, and mailing ad­ dress by May 20 to Deborah L. Schaeffer, Ref­ erence, Renne Library, Montana State Univer­ sity, Bozeman, MT 58717. Indicate your two preferences for the following time slots: Lunch at 12:30 on Saturday, June 27, Sunday, June 28, or Monday, June 29; dinner at 6:30 on Sun­ day, June 28, or Monday, June 29. the biggest and richest division of ALA. Now it has the challenge of reaching its mission of service.— Linda Anne Dougherty, Clearing Branch, Chicago Public Library, 5643 W. 63rd St., Chicago, Illi­ nois. Kenneth E. Dowlin: I am confident that my program for ALA is sup­ portive to the interests of college and research li­ braries. While my career has been totally in public li­ braries, I believe th at protecting, and increas­ ing, access to informa­ tion and knowledge is critical in all areas of this democratic society; and that in support of that belief, ALA should de­ velop a strategy to de­ velop a national policy on access to information and knowledge in com­ Kenneth E. Dowlinm unities, and should pro m o te and m onitor the development of technological standards for data interchange. I believe that an active image of libraries in our institutions and communities needs to be pro­ jected, rather than the passive image held by many people. In order to accomplish this goal, ALA must articulate the shared values inherent in librarian- ship, should reassess its policy on the education of librarians and other library employees, and should create an aggressive communication program to promote the shared values to our institutions and communities. In order to provide leadership in access to infor­ mation and knowledge, ALA must be an active, relevant organization. I support the strategic plan­ ning process that is now in place. I support research and development in their efforts to communicate to the public, and I strongly support linking li­ braries throughout the world in an effort to create a living window–of-the–world for our users. College and research libraries are the touch­ stones of their institutions. ALA must provide sup­ port through technical standards for data inter­ change, ensuring quality educational programs, and leadership to the field. The world around us is one of rapid change, requiring us to share our strengths to better cope with the challenges of the future.—Kenneth E. Dowlin, Director, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs, Colorado. April 1987 / 185 F. William Summers: ACRL is in m any ways the prototypical ALA di­ vision. It shows great strength in its programs, in its membership and in its publications. ACRL is fis­ cally the most healthy of the ALA divisions and is th e m odel o th e r d iv i­ sions look to in hoping for a brighter future. Its a c co m p lish m en ts a re truly impressive w ith a large m embership and a h e a lth y fin a n c ia l b a l­ an ce. C e r ta in ly as a m em b e rsh ip u n it of ALA it is strong. But all libraries (except a h and­ ful of autonomous insti­ F. W illiam Summerstutions) are in the final analysis dependent for their health upon the basic condition of the parent institution of which they are a part. Quite clearly th e American academic institution is today show­ ing signs of great stress and the academic library along with it. The sources of stress are manifold and are recited w ith depressing regularity in publication after publication—the decline in the student cohort; ris­ ing costs of staff, and for libraries of materials; a decline in public confidence and with it greater re­ calcitrance of funding bodies to increase basic sup­ port. The list could be added to almost infinitely. In addition the academic library faces additional serious challenges. Not m any years ago the academic library held a virtual monopoly on the distribution of inform a­ tion on campuses. Its only near rival was the cam ­ pus bookstore which often devoted greater energy to the sale of trinkets and souvenirs than to infor­ m ation distribution. Today on campus after cam ­ pus th at is not the case. The academic library com­ petes for scarce resources w ith a great m any other inform ation providers. Among them are an in­ stru ctio n al m edia sup p o rt pro g ram , a cam pus radio-TV complex, and, the most potent and ex­ pensive resource, a campus computer facility. All of these facilities compete for relatively static, and in some cases declining, resources. At the same tim e the academ ic lib rary faces great challenges in paying for its own technological development. Academic libraries have m ade an enormous comm itm ent to technology w ith biblio­ graphic networks, online catalogs, and new ways of delivering information. Because of these forces academic libraries have been leading the way in the profession in calling for better training for li­ b rary staffs, contin u in g education for existing staffs to make them more productive and effective, and serious efforts at containing the rapidly esca­ lating costs of library materials. W hat can I do about these problems as ALA president? First, the ALA president can give visibility and impetus to the issues facing the profession. The pri­ vatization of NTIS, the declines in governm ent publishing, and the switch of publications from government to private publication will place fur­ ther great stress on already strained academic li­ brary budgets. Second, the ALA president can make committee appointm ents of people w ith proven records in de­ vising hard and innovative solutions to difficult problems and can pose agendas for those comm it­ tees which deal directly and forthrightly w ith the m ajor issues confronting libraries. T hird, and perhaps most im portantly, the ALA president can use the platform of the presidency to speak out on the issues concerning our academic and other types of libraries in appearances before Congress, in the press, and in international forums of the profession. O ur problems w ith copyright; w ith diminishing and vanishing government information; w ith dif­ ferential pricing from foreign and domestic pub­ lishers; w ith recruiting and properly training the staffs needed for m odern academic libraries and w ith overwhelming cost increases for technology an d teleco m m u n icatio n s w ill no t be resolved w ithin the term of any single ALA president, but I pledge the members of ACRL and, indeed of all ALA divisions, to strengthen ALA’s efforts at solv­ ing them , to address them in an articulate and re­ sponsible m anner, and to appoint the best col­ leagues I can identify to continue to address them. My professional record, which will appear in a num ber of journals and on the ballot, will dem on­ strate a record of sustained professional leadership and accomplishment, and I earnestly solicit your vote in the ALA election.—F. W illiam Summers, Dean, School o f Library and Information Studies, Florida State University, Tallahassee. ■ ■ CLIP query The CL IP Notes Com mittee of the College Libraries Section is updating the list of libraries surveyed for the collections of documents pu b ­ lished through the CLIP Notes series. Library directors at liberal arts colleges and compre­ hensive colleges and universities (according to the C arnegie classification) who have docu­ m entation for future CL IP Notes publications are encouraged to submit their nam e for inclu­ sion on the updated list. Please w rite to: Larry H ardesty, Director of Library Services, Eckerd College Library, St. Petersburg, FL 33712. F uture surveys are planned in the areas of po­ sition descriptions, annual reports, friends of the library, and collection development. P ar­ ticipation by libraries w ith w ell-written docu­ m ents results in highly useful C L IP Notes.