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North Carolina Libraries
In trying not to bore young people I also try not
to bore me.
Lois Winkel, 1984
President
LELAND M. PARK
Davidson College Library
Davidson, NC 28036
(704) 892-2000 Ext. 331
First Vice-President/
President-Elect 32
PAULINE F. MYRICK
Moore County Schools
Box 307
Carthage, NC 28327 "
(919) 947-2976. 3
- Becond: Vice-President
-M. JANE WILLIAMS
Division of State Library
j09 East Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27611
(919) 733-2570.
Secretary
ROBERTA S. WILLIAMS
~Transylvania County Library
105 South Broad Street
Brevard, NC 28712
(704) 884-3151
Treasurer ;
_ EUNICE P. DRUM
Box 40034
Raleigh, NC 27604
(919) a a ee
oDirector ee ae
SHIRLEY B. McLAUGHLIN
Asheville Buncomtis, Technical :
College
340 Victoria Road "
_ Asheville, NC 28801 i
(704) 254- 1921 Ext. 300 i,
phweton� Hee
_ JERRY A. THRASHER
Cumberland County Public a
: Bast Sete University
27834
epartment of Library Science %
NCLA EXECUTIVE BOARD
Salisbury,NC 28144.
(704) 637-0730 Ext. 250
rare Meinteds Roundtable
_ VIVIAN W. BEECH "
New Hanover County Public
201 Chestnut Street _ a8
t - Wilmington, NG. aun e
C19), T2008
*
siesta NC Sok
919 } 379-5100 Ext.63- 63
1983-85
SELA Representative Editor, North Carolina
REBECCA S. BALLENTINE Libraries
Institute of Government ROBERT BURGIN
UNC-Chapel Hill School of Library Science
Chapel Hill, NC 27514 North Carolina Central
(919) 966-4130 -_-University
i : * Durham, NC 27707
(919) 683-6485
SECTION/ ROUNDTABLE CHAIRS
ChildrenTs Services Public Library
KAREN M. PERRY JUDITH K. SUTTON
~ Archdale-Trinity Middle School its Public Library of Charlotte
Box 232 and Mecklenburg County
Trinity, NC 27370 310 North Tryon Street
(919) 431-6714 Charlotte, NC 28202
~College and University " ens
ROBERTN.BLAND Reference and Adult Services
Ramsey Library 3 LARRY BARR
UNC-Asheville, NC 28814 - Department of Library and
(704) 258-6543 - Media Studies
aa 4 ee Appalachian State University
Documents x Boone, NC 28608
EMILY CORRELL (704) 262-2243
Public Library of Charlotte and gions
eae at Meckienbind County _ Resources and Technical Services
, 310 North ~Tryon Street = = _ BENJAMIN F. SPELLER, JR.
; - Charlotte, NC: 28202 een School of Library Science
oe (704) 374-2540 Aes North Carolina Central University
Junior Colleges - i sariyens Late ta!
_ MARY AVERY " es eer eat
ee Learning Le a es aed oe for Ethnic Minority
Rowan Technical Co : aoeos
Box tees.� 2 MARY P. WILLIAMS
J. Y. Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27834
(919) 757-6691
Roundtable on the Status of
Women in Librarianship
-PATSY J. HANSEL
_ Cumberland County Public
Fayetteville, NC 28302
er ig 483-8600
i DOROTHY R BURNLEY
508 Ashe Street
- High Point, NC 27260
(019) 788-4808 Be
th COIOINO
COIS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
he
Articles
105 Introduction, Bonnie Fowler and Sue Williams
106 Horace"Misinterpreted, Lois Winkel
110 ChildrenTs Programming in a Small Branch Library,
Laura Robbins
ISSN 0029-2540
114 Junior Great Books Programs in North Carolina, Carol
J. Veitch
118 Humble Beginnings: Lessons in Computer Utilization,
Carolyne C. Burgman
121 Authors in Schools, Lucy Cutler
123 The Black Experience ... Twenty-six Adventures in
Reading, Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin and Satia
Marshall Orange
127 Exceptional Children: How Do We Serve Them? Cate
Howard
132 Programming for Children and Young Adults: The State
LibraryTs Role, Diana Young
136 Branch Library Use in North Carolina Metropolitan
Areas, David M. Paynter
140 One LibraryTs Response to Disaster, Willie Nelms
Features
102 From the President, Leland M. Park
143 Documents
147 New North Carolina books
153 NCLA Minutes and Reports
Cover: Lois Winkel, oHorace"Misinterpreted,� North Carolina Advertisers: Baker & Taylor, p. 103; East Woods Press, p. 104;
Libraries 42 (Fall 1984):106. Winkel and the other authors in Ebsco, p. 113; Freedom to Read Foundation, p. 126; MacGregor,
this issue on childrenTs programming provide examples of p. 139; National Geographic, pp. 130-131; Reprint Company, Pp.
exciting services to children. 105; Ruzicka, p. 122.
Volume 42, Number 3 Fall 1984
From the President
Summer was a time that seemed to fly by,
only a memory now. Nevertheless, it was a busy
one, and many fine things happened regarding
NCLA. The sections have been busy with work-
shops, very professional in presentation and very
well received. You can read in the section reports
elsewhere in this issue what each has been doing
. itTs impressive.
ALA in Dallas was almost a mini-conference
for NCLA. Everywhere I turned I ran into North
Carolinians. I attended the ALA-sponsored Chap-
ter Conclave with other association presidents
from around the country. Emily Boyce was busy
with Council meetings as our representative.
Gene Lanier received the John Phillip Immroth
Memorial Award at the meeting of the Intellectual
Freedom Round Table. Edith Briles made a pres-
entation to the National Library Week Committee
reporting on the outstanding School Library
Media Day which was sponsored by NCASL. And
there was a poster session on School Library
Media Day. Jane Blesches of the Carrboro Ele-
mentary School was one of four winners of the
Putnam Publishing Group Awards for ALSC
members who were attending their first ALA con-
ference. NCASL was also very active in leading the
discussions regarding the future relationship of
AASL and ALA. And countless other NCLAers
were attending committee meetings all over the
place. With so many NCLAers in Dallas, it was
frustrating not to have some time when we could
all get together for a brief visit. Emily Boyce and
Rebecca Ballentine, our representatives for ALA
and SELA respectively, are going to see if there is
some arrangement we can make for future con-
ferences to remedy this.
102"North Carolina Libraries
stand up for
libraries
NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
New Members. Know someone you would like
to see a member of NCLA? Be sure and give them
a copy of the handsome brochure which the
Membership Committee has just published. Jot a
note to the chairman of the committee, Jane Wil-
liams, c/o North Carolina State Library, 109 East
Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27611. She will see that
you are sent some brochures.
NCLA/LSCA Grants. Some of the finest
things for which the State Library has used LSCA
funds are continuing education grants. They have
been made to sections and roundtables of NCLA
for the support of various workshops and pro-
grams. The Resources and Technical Services Sec-
tion, Public Library Section Audiovisual Com-
mittee, Roundtable on the Status of Women in
Librarianship, as well as other groups, have
received these grants. Jane Williams, assistant
state librarian, administers these grants. They are
making a big difference for our association.
Mertys Bell Retires. She retired as dean of
learning resources at Guilford Technical Com-
munity College after eighteen years of service.
However, NCLA is glad that this dedicated librar-
ian will remain on the Executive Board for her full
term. It is our good fortune.
And we welcome Mary Avery as the new chair
of the Junior College Section. Andrea Brown has
resigned since she has moved to Richmond, Virgi-
nia. We thank Andrea for her outstanding service
to NCLA and look forward to working with Mary.
Next Executive Board Meeting: Thornton Public
Library, Oxford, October 12, 1984
Leland M. Park, President
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1984 Fall"103
North Carolina is reading .. .
pr Grand Old Ladies
North Carolina Architecture During
the Victorian Age, Introduction by
Sterling Boyd, Chief Photographer,
Joann Sieburg-Baker, Editor, Marguerite
Schumann
|. A splendid triumvirate of architectural
§ history, literature and photography!
Features 146 Victorian buildings, with
photographs and captions using literary fragments
from works of well-known North Carolina writers.
0-887428-013-3, photos, $19.95 cloth New October.
Tar Heel Sights,
Guide to North CarolinaTs Heritage, Marguerite
Schumann. oIncludes more than 1,000 historical and cul-
tural sites statewide.� Southern Living.
0-914788-64-7, photos, maps, $8.95 paper
Carolina Curiosities,
Jerry BledsoeTs Outlandish Guide to the
Dadblamedest Things to See and Do in North
Carolina, Jerry Bledsoe. oYou will learn things about
Tarheelia youTve never known before . ..� Sam Ragan,
Southern Pines Pilot.
0-88742-007-9, photos, $7.95 paper
Just Folks,
VisitinT with Carolina People, Jerry Bledsoe. oJerry
Bledsoe is CarolinaTs Listener Laureate.� Charles Kuralt,
CBS News.
0-914788-31-0, illustrations, $9.95 cloth
Ask for our free, complete catalog of books.
The East Woods Press
429 East Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28203 (704) 334-0897
For orders only, call toll free (800) 438-1242; in NC (800) 532-0476
104"North Carolina Libraries
mT
Introduction
"
It has been four years since North Carolina
Libraries devoted an entire issue to childrenTs
library services, and as with other types of library
service, during those four years, new directions
and different methods in childrenTs services have
been taken. Recently, childrenTs library services
have been influenced by current technological
advances such as computers and video materials
and by slimmer budgets, which require very cau-
tious spending. More than ever before, librarians
are paying special attention to targeting and
responding to their particular communitiesT
needs. This issue is devoted to a single aspect of
childrenTs services, one that reflects all of these
factors and one that plays an important role in
childrenTs librariansT lives"programming.
Upon first glance the issue may look like a
hodgepodge, and quite frankly, it was designed to
be exactly that. We wanted to have something
valuable for all childrenTs librarians whether they
be in large or small communities, in school or pub-
lic libraries. We also wanted programs that had
worked effectively with preschool-aged children
as well as the school aged. You will find that these
articles are not necessarily scholarly or heavily
researched. Rather they are written from practi-
cal experience. Most include suggestions or bibli-
ographies to help with particular programming
ideas. Also in this issue are more photographs
than usual, a change that North Carolina Librar-
ies hopes to continue.
The issue starts with Lois WinkelTs article
about using nonfiction materials in which she
uses her years as editor of Elementary School
Library Collection to produce some excellent
booklists. Laura RobbinsTs piece on branch pro-
gramming includes many good publicity and
planning tips. A survey of oGreat Books Programs�
and how they work in school settings is the sub-
ject of Carol VeitchTs article. In her article about
computers, Carolyne Burgman outlines, lesson by
lesson, her first experiences with computers at
Bluford School. Lucy Cutler tells of her schoolTs
first author visit and the childrenTs enthusiastic
response. Another well-researched booklist is
presented by Satia Orange and Sylvia Sprinkle-
Hamlin in their article on programming with
black materials. Using both her experience in
Wake County and her graduate studies, Cate
Howard shares some ideas on serving handi-
capped children. Finally Diana Young has written
a good overview of how the State Library partici-
pates in childrenTs programming.
If you are a childrenTs librarian, we hope you
find a new idea or method that you can use in
your library. Each of the articles has interesting
information for both school and public librarians.
If you are not a childrenTs librarian, read, or at
least browse through, this issue anyway. You will
gain a better understanding of the multifaceted-
ness of childrenTs programming and childrenTs
librarians.
Bonnie Fowler Sue Williams
Retired Librarian ChildrenTs Librarian
Wake County Public Libraries
REGIONAL
LOCAL HISTORY
GENEALOGY
PUBLISHERS and BOOKSELLERS of
reprints and originals ... Regional and
County History, Genealogical source
material, Colonial Americana, Revolu-
tionary and Civil War material
Primary emphasis on Southeastern states
. Publications of the South Carolina
Historical Society and North Carolina
Genealogical Society. Write for complete
catalogue.
Thomas E. Smith
Publisher
THE REPRINT COMPANY, PUBLISHERS
Post Office Box 5401
Spartanburg, S.C. 29304
1984 Fall"105
Horace"Misinterpreted
Lois Winkel
Whether or not childrenTs literature is per-
ceived in the mainstream of literature has been,
is, and will be debated recurrently. What is less
often debated and indeed, I sometimes feel, barely
considered is the role of nonfiction as part of the
corpus of childrenTs literature. Even rudimentary
analysis of standard textbooks in the field reveals
that informational materials, which comprise
almost half the total number of childrenTs books
published! are treated briefly when placed against
the various genres of fiction. Most readers about
childrenTs literature, as witness the recent Sign-
posts to Criticism of ChildrenTs Literature,2 do
not even identify nonfiction as one of the oterrito-
ries� to be considered. Within recent memory only
one title, Beyond Fact,? has addressed aspects of
information books for professionals working with
children.
This state of affairs could be understood if
information books were ignored by children. But
they are not. Children may not focus on a single
title or a single author as they do in fiction;* how-
ever, nonfiction does circulate aside from school
assignments, particularly when the young people
are aware of the full range of titles. The problem is
often that just as nonfiction is given short shrift in
the literature about childrenTs literature, so too is
it given little advocacy in terms of programming.
I had often wondered why this attitude pre-
vailed and believe I found the answer while read-
ing DC&: Dewey Decimal Classification Additions
Notes and Decisions. In explaining the criteria
used for distinguishing between historical fiction
and history when classifying books for children,
oHoraceTs dictum that the purpose of literature is
~docere et delectareT"to instruct and delight� was
cited.® This statement was then extrapolated to
mean that books which inform are intended oto
delight only fortuitously.�® The essential implica-
tion, that learning is not enjoyable, probably
underlies the general attitude that nonfiction is
not read for enjoyment. I find both premises dis-
turbing and unsupported by reality.
In every area of activity, personal interest is
probably the prime motivating factor. Young peo-
Lois Winkel is Editor of The Elementary School Library Col-
lections. She resides in Greensboro.
106"North Carolina Libraries
ple, initially, cannot be expected to be aware of
the full range of materials available to them. It is
the responsibility of the professional to present
the full spectrum of titles. If this is done regularly,
young people are then given the opportunity to
select their reading material from a broader var-
iety of styles and subjects. Children who want to
find out about the knowledges that have been
gained over the course of civilization deserve to
know that that interest can be satisfied. Further-
more, it is important that reading interests which
focus on or include nonfiction be viewed as valid
interests.
Boys consistently demonstrate more interest
in reading informational materials. This pattern
continues into adulthood, though the subjects
may differ. Generally males are considered to be
less skilled and less active readers than females. It
may be that the minimal inclusion of nonfiction
commonplace in the majority of reading guidance
programs and activities has essentially disenfran-
chised many readers before they ever get started.
I have to work at being creative. In program-
ming I have two cardinal rules: avoid being bor-
ing and entice rather than overload. In trying not
to bore young people I also try not to bore me.
Thus approaches and styles of programs vary.
Displays with. accompanying bibliographies, in-
terdisciplinary book talks, book talks on discrete
themes, activity programs, and reading aloud are
all proven, useful approaches. Certainly others as
diverse as puppet shows, debates, flannel board
presentations, and contests can be used. When
preparing booklists, which I consider a virtual
requirement for displays, book talks, and activity
programs, past experience has shown that it is
important to include the call number and a short
description of the book. Experiment with folding
the paperstock in different ways, and if possible
use color. In avoiding overload, I prefer to sketch
lightly and pique curiosity rather than subject my
audience to an extended discourse. Young people
tune out even faster than adults, and with the
time restrictions bearing down on all of us, I try to
gear my presentations to a maximum of fifteen
minutes.
The programs and activities outlined below
bring nonfiction into the mainstream. The mate-
rials are versatile; flexible, and very often down-
right fun. It is not very difficult to find titles that
can be used effectively in programming. Con-
structing programs that involve nonfiction may
require more time initially until the presenter is
as familiar with the corpus of nonfiction as he or
she may be with fiction. The reward is worth the
effort. Seeing hitherto reluctant readers become
excited about books and seeing others branch out
into new areas simply reinforces my belief that
learning can be a delight.
Display with accompanying bibliography
The 600s Mean Action
Charlie BrownTs Fifth Super Book of Questions
and Answers ... About All Kinds of Things and
What They Do. By Charles M. Schulz.
Zippers, escalators, popguns, fire extinguishers, and more
are among the numerous mechanical items explained in text,
drawings, and photographs by the Peanuts gang. (600)
Bodies. By Barbara Brenner. Illus. by George
Ancona.
Size and shape donTt matter"bodies work the same way.
(611)
Tool Book. By Gail Gibbons.
Groups tools for building and many other kinds of work by
use. (621.9)
Weight and Weightlessness. By Franklyn M. Bran-
ley. Illus. by Graham Booth.
Traveling into space does not affect your ability to stay
down! (629.4)
Your First Garden Book. By Marc Tolon Brown.
Grow your pumpkins, potatoes, sunflowers and more;
indoors, outdoors; in the ground, containers, or sponges. (635)
Popcorn Book. By Tomie dePaola.
Make the popular snack while learning its history. (641.6)
Codes for Kids. By Burton Albert, Jr.
Send secret messages twenty-nine different ways. (652)
Bulletin board displays with accompanying bibliographies
can be used to highlight nonfiction books for children. (Photo
by Karen Perry.)
Oil, the Buried Treasure. By Roma Gans.
Tapping deep into the earth can bring forth a gusher.
(665.5)
How Things Are Made. National Geographic
Society.
Ever wonder how the twists get on licorice? (670)
Amusement Park Machines. By Christine Hahn.
Some machines are built just for fun. (688.7)
Apartment House Close Up. By Peter Schaaf.
Photographs let you see whatTs inside an apartment house.
(690)
This approach, which explores a sample of
titles included within a Dewey classification,
serves to introduce the subject facets contained
within the area. It is an effective mechanism for
promoting browsing. Almost any other classifica-
tion lends itself to the same treatment.
Interdisciplinary booktalks
Prejudice
Bunnicula. By Deborah and James Howe.
Harold and Chester try to tell their people that the sweet
rabbit is really a vampire. (Fic)
A Child in Prison Camp. By Takashima.
After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Japanese in the
United States and Canada were ordered to leave their homes
and businesses and go into internment camps. (940.54)
Creepy Crawly Things. National Geographic
Society.
Lizards, caterpillars, insects, snakes, donTt have many
friends. (598.1)
Cricket in Times Square. By George Selden.
oUgh� said Mamma, oBugs are dirty"you canTt bring it into
the house.� (Fic)
Diary of a Young Girl. By Anne Frank.
Two families hid from the Nazis. (940.54)
Half-Breed. By Evelyn Lampman.
What happens when you donTt fit in anywhere? (Fic)
1 Am the Darker Brother. By Arnold Adoff.
Name calling hurts. (811.08)
Logic. By Vicki Cobb.
Is faulty reasoning tripping up your thinking? (160)
Mr. MarleyTs Main Street Confectionary. By John
J. Loeper.
Most people have a prejudice for sweets. (641)
Queeny Peavy. By Robert Burch.
Queeny gets teased by her classmates because her father is
in jail. (Fic)
Sing Down the Moon. By Scott O'Dell.
The Cherokees were forced to walk the Trail of Tears. (Fic)
Spider Magic. By Dorothy Hinshaw Patent.
Miss Muffet screamed when the spider sat down beside her.
Maybe you'll scream when you look at these. (595.4)
The Thing at the Foot of the Bed. By Maria Leach.
Most everyone agrees it is all right to be afraid of ghosts.
The Upstairs Room. By Johann Reiss.
Two sisters had to hide in a room just because of their
religion.
1984 Fall"107
WhatTs Wrong with Being a Skunk. By Miriam
Schlein.
Skunks have smelly reputations. (599)
Wind Song. By Carl Sandburg.
Some people just donTt like math. (811)
Other interdisciplinary themes can be
A Matter of Time can be interpreted to include a
combination of history, recipes, sports, seasons,
etc.
Abracadabra can be interpreted to include a
combination of magic tales, tricks, optical illu-
sions, kitchen chemistry.
Romance can be interpreted to include a combi-
nation of folklore, mythology, biographies of
scientists, accounts of explorations, e.g., Kon Tikki
or the discovery of King TutTs tomb, accounts of
achievements, e.g., the building of the Brooklyn
Bridge, etc.
Communicating can be interpreted to include a
combination relating to signs, the various media,
sign language, foreign languages, body language,
art, music, etc.
A Sense of ... can be interpreted to include the five
senses and factors that affect senses e.g. crafts,
recipes, sound, music, art; emotions and factors
that affect them.
In broad interdisciplinary themes, the object
is to select titles that present the theme in differ-
ent or tangential perspectives. What is sought is
the extension of the audienceTs way of looking at a
topic.
Discrete themes incorporating nonfiction
Pets
What Has Ten Legs and Eats Cornflakes? By Ron
Roy.
Hermit crabs, chameleons, and gerbils donTt seem to have
much in common. (636.08)
Pets in a Jar. By Seymour Simon.
How to catch, house, and care for a variety of small critters
from snails to hydras. (636.08)
Great Aquarium Book. By Jane Sarnoff and Rey-
nold Ruffins.
oThe putting-it-together guide� that really works. (639.3)
King of the Cats. By Joseph Jacobs.
The elderly gravedigger and his wife are astounded when
their cat listens most attentively to his strange tale. (398.2)
Pinkerton, Behave. By Steven Kellogg.
The outsized Great Dane pup has his own ideas as to what
fetch, come, and burglar mean. (Easy)
108"North Carolina Libraries
Henry Huggins. By Beverly Cleary.
Persistently followed by a stray dog, Henry succumbs and
tries to get home on the bus with the dog in what must be one of
the funniest chapters ever written. (Fic)
The Incredible Journey. By Sheila Burnford.
Determined to return to their home, two dogs and a cat
brave innumerable dangers as they travel through 250 miles of
Canadian wilderness. (Fic)
Use biographical, folklore, poetry, song and
craft indices to expand the themes beyond fiction
and the predominant Dewey classification.
Activity programs
Easy to Make Spaceships That Really Fly. By
Mary Blocksma and Dewey Blocksma.
Combine paper plates, cups, tape, straws, and glue and end
up with a Zip Ship, a Window Zinger, a Double Decker, a Zoom-a-
rang. Use the resulting ships in a flinging, pitching, flying contest;
for display; or enter in a science fair. (629.47)
The Quicksand Book. By Tomie dePaola.
A bucket of sand and a water supply are all thatTs needed to
make the suctioning stuff. Of course best to do outdoors on a hot
day while garbed appropriately, but the orecipe� really works
and young people adore it. (552)
Eat the Fruit, Plant the Seed. By Millicent Selsam.
Photos by Jerome Wexler.
Enjoy eating a pineapple, avocado, or other fruit then use
the seed to grow your own. (635)
Cleveland County Public Library staff members odress the
part� and use a display to focus attention on sports titles.
Lots of Rot. By Vicki Cobb.
A lemon dotted with blue, bread spotted with black, when
examined under a magnifying glass or microscope yield fasci-
nating glimpses into the world of molds. A perfect opportunity
to make use of the unwanted growth found in most peopleTs
kitchens. (576)
Activity oriented programs can be initiated
outside the 700s, as shown above. Titles in the
500s and 600s are excellent sources for programs
and often require little in the way of purchased
materials.
A pet show, such as this one sponsored by the Cumberland
County Public Library, can provide a tie-in to books on pets
and animals.
Read aloud programs
Advocating reading information books aloud
usually results in a raised eyebrow reaction. Yet
there is a significant corpus of titles whose style is
sufficiently exciting to share with a group. On a
personal note, I shall always treasure the memory
of my then seven-year-old son reading Faith
McNultyTs How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of
the World aloud to his classmates and then invit-
ing them to sift through a coal scuttle filled with
sand containing samples of things found in the
layers of the earth.
Some other information titles which are
excellent to read aloud include
The Glorious Flight. By Alice and Martin Pro-
vensen.
Documents in witty stylistic prose and glorious illustrations
BleriotTs attempts to design and fly an aircraft. (629.13)
AnnoTs Medieval World. By Mitsumasa Anno.
Lavish illustrations subtly support the realization that the
earth is round, not flat. (909.07)
Sugaring Time. By Kathryn Lasky. Photographs
by Christopher G. Knight.
Poetic prose and spellbinding black-and-white photographs
follow the Laceys as they break out the trails, drill the two
hundred holes, hammer the spouts, hang the buckets and wait
for the maple sap to rise. (633.6)
The CatTs Elbow. Collected by Alvin Schwartz.
Pictures by Margot Zemach.
See if you can keep a straight face while reading oThe
Bicious Vull� in Medical Greek or the other amusements told in
any of the thirteen trick languages presented in this fascinating
volume. (652)
Most of the information books I choose to
read aloud are well illustrated and reflect the
authorTs excitement with the subject matter.
The infinitely rich variety of subject matter
and forms of presentation show that information
books have a rightful place in programming. It is
important for us to imply to young people that
learning is an intrinsic delight. Using nonfiction as
read-alouds, in book talks, as sources for activi-
ties, and as displays provides the needed stimulus
and encouragement.
References
1. Count of titles received in the editorial offices of The Elemen-
tary School Library Collection in a six-months period.
2. Robert Bator, ed., Signposts to Criticism of ChildrenTs Litera-
ture (Chicago: American Library Association, 1983).
3. Jo Carr, ed., Beyond Fact: Nonfiction for Children and Young
People (Chicago: American Library Association, 1982)
4. oChosen by Children,� Booklist 79 (December 1, 1982): 507.
5. DC& 4 (Winter 1983), 16.
6. Ibid.
1984 Fall"109
ChildrenTs Programming in a Small
Branch Library
Laura Robbins
The Lewisville Branch Library of the Forsyth
County Public Library system is located in a small
shopping center in a community of approxi-
mately five thousand. The library recently doubled
in size to four thousand square feet and houses a
circulating collection of about six thousand
volumes. I am the only full-time employee and the
only professional in the branch. Two part-time
employees and one high school page help to
round out the staff. Current popular fiction and
juvenile literature are the high circulators among
our patrons, who are very proud of their library
and very vocal about their likes and dislikes.
Community effort was a major factor in initiating
the expansion of library service in Lewisville. Until
my arrival as branch head in August 1983, the
library was open part-time, never at night, and for
only two hours on Saturday. I brought with me
two years of experience in the ChildrenTs Room of
the Main Public Library and considerable ignor-
ance about a host of other things, so I decided to
start out with what I knew: childrenTs program-
ming. This has proved to be a good choice.
A recent informal survey taken in the branch
pointed to childrenTs programming as the number
one library service, followed by reference, a quiet
place to study or read, and readerTs guidance. It is
good to have these preferences on paper, but
based on our attendance at preschool story time
(an average of thirty-five and an all-time high of
one hundred not including groups), I didnTt need
a survey to tell me where to devote my energies.
Even before full-time library service came to
Lewisville, childrenTs programming was a popular
service. Story time was offered weekly by chil-
drenTs staff from other libraries in the system, and
at that time attendance was around thirty-five.
Kindergarten classes from the local elementary
school rotated visits to the story time, so their
numbers were added to the community children
in attendance. The library was half the size it is
now, with no auditorium or special room for story
time; the performance was set up in a corner in
the childrenTs area.
Laura Robbins is the Librarian at the Lewisville Branch of the
Forsyth County Public Library.
110"North Carolina Libraries
Now the expansion allows us to offer play-
school/kindergarten (group) story time on Tues-
day mornings during school and community story
time on Wednesdays, both in the new auditorium.
The latter session brings in ages from two to five.
Though this wide range somewhat limits age
related planning for story time, I feel that we
would inconvenience parents in a babysitter-
scarce area by placing age restrictions on these
sessions. The programs are offered weekly through-
out the year except for the planning months of
February, May, and September. Each session lasts
about forty-five minutes to an hour and includes
two stories (usually from picture books), simple
activities or movement games, and a short film.
Responsibilities as branch head keep me from
planning much in advance for these story times. I
must admit that at times my planning takes place
the morning of the story time as I comb the
shelves for appropriate books to share with my
preschoolers. I look for illustrations that work
well with large groups, texts to match the short
attention span of a preschooler, subjects that cor-
respond to the young childTs frame of reference,
and aspects of the story that lead to group activ-
ity either during or after the story. Capitalizing on
this last quality has made a big difference in the
success of the story time. Sounds we can make,
creatures we can imitate, concepts we can
develop, motions, or any activities suggested by
the story that allow the child to participate and
share the story more have been key ingredients in
creating a satisfying experience for everyone.
Increased attendance
Despite theylack of detailed preparation,
attendance has increased, and both group and
community sessions work well. Separation of
group and community story times has led to
increased attendance at the Wednesday commun-
ity sessions. Knowing that mostly very young pre-
schoolers will be present that morning, I can plan
for activities that suit the group size and age level.
They enjoy themselves more; I enjoy myself and
the different groups more; and word gets around
that something good is happening at the library.
The result is a joyously maddening assemblage of
one hundred children during one story time
morning. The main lesson I have learned from the
preschool story time experience at my branch is
that jumping in and doing it is the best tactic. I
used to fret about the lack of planning time and
space for elaborate story time presentations. Now
I realize that the fretting was more of a hindrance
than the time and space problems themselves.
My branch does not offer school age pro-
gramming as regularly as preschool story time. My
approach to programming for older children has
been to offer special programs throughout the
year and to plan for weekly activities during the
summer. Because school age children are busier
than preschoolers and because I feel I need more
time to prepare for their visits, the summer
months (when we are all away from homework
concerns) seem the best time to devote to regular
school age programming. A check among our
other seven branch libraries indicate that this
approach is uniform throughout the system.
So far I have planned special school age activ-
ities during ChildrenTs Book Week, Christmas, and
National Library Week and have offered monthly
Saturday morning movies. During ChildrenTs Book
ee
Guest storyteller Louise Pulley entertains children and their parents at LewisvilleTs
Week I visited the local elementary school where I
gave presentations on the public library to the
entire student body (grades K-4) by the end of my
three day sessions. I have found this to be an
excellent way to establish contact with area
school age children and to personalize library ser-
vice to them. The visits were in November, and
children were still coming by in April to see me
and talk about the books and stories I shared. I
coordinated another visit in May with the school
media specialist to spread the word about the
Summer Reading Club and the special plans in
our branch. During this visit I made ten-minute
stops at each classroom. I handed out flyers
detailing our programs and gave a quick pep talk
to the children about using the library in the
summer.
Activities for June, July, and August included
weekly sessions of preschool story time, Summer
Reading Club (targeting school age children), and
Film Day for kids of ages six through twelve. In
the weekly sessions for preschoolers and school
age children I offered special activities from time
to time such as visits from the Nature Science
Center, experiments with video equipment, Food
Day, and a stuffed buddies show. On days when
aS
oTwilight Story Time.� (Photo by Bill Ray Il.)
1984 Fall"111
special activities were not planned I read or told
stories to my groups and presented booktalks for
the older children. With these older children I also
included simple olearn how to� activities as much
as possible. Learning how to operate a 16mm pro-
jector doesnTt sound like much fun to an adult,
but mastering this simple skill could be a contri-
bution to a childTs sense of competency (and pos-
sibly help me in a pinch). Our main summer
attraction for all ages was a oTwilight Story Time�
in July, offered as a family event outside; it
included a bring-your-own picnic supper and
guest storytellers. This was the only program I
planned for the summer that required consider-
able organization on my part. Throughout the
summer, I avoided programs that called for much
preparation on my part and I invited outside
presenters. This seemed the correct approach to
what I wanted to be a summer extravaganza in a
small staffed library.
Publicity
Publicity is a major factor towards the suc-
cess of any program. I send out public service
announcements to local papers and radio sta-
tions, and I prepare flyers for distribution in and
out of the library. We have developed a special
mailing list based on our story time regulars, and
we mail flyers to them. Just having the flyers by
the check-out desk has not seemed enough in
promoting these programs, however. Posters and
salesmanship (in the local school and in-house)
impress upon the patron that othis is for you.�
Just a simple question like, oHave you picked up
one of our flyers yet?� is enough to invite more
conversation and to personalize services to the
community.
I hope that the activities during the summer
have made library programming more visible and
have enhanced the library's standing among
children in the community. Plans for the future
include young adult programming and increased
school age activities. A successful young adult film
night and good attendance at school age pro-
grams indicate the potential for success in these
areas. Possibilities for other programs include
afterschool book clubs, a library volunteers pro-
gram, a young adult film series, and programs
aimed at school age and young adult interests
and issues.
Finally I am learning from my own experien-
ces and making plans based on the approach to
programming ITve learned at Lewisville. Regard-
less of the space and time constraints, moving
forward is the only way to establish childrenTs
Motions and other activities suggested by stories can be key ingredients in story times. (Photo by Bill Ray III.)
112"North Carolina Libraries
programming in the community. Sooner or later
people get the idea that you have something to
offer, and they begin to respond to your efforts.
This, coupled with salesmanship in the local
school (or with any childrenTs organization that
will host you) and a little horn tooting in the
branch, promotes services and invites individuals
to take part in the plans. Remembering to take it
easy on yourself in the midst of all of these noble
efforts is an important factor, however. No one
can know enough or do enough to satisfy the var-
iety of needs and interests encountered in a pub-
lic library, so planning for guest presenters is not
only a good idea"itTs smart.
The product of this process should be a
library of more interest to the community. Small
branch libraries may be viewed primarily as
libraries of convenience. For this reason, patrons
may be reluctant to use them or look to them in
the same manner as they do the larger library in
the system. But this can work to your advantage.
Because a small branch library may be regarded
Two young patrons enjoy oTwilight Story Time,� the Lewis-
ville Branch LibraryTs main summer attraction. (Photo by Bill
Ray III.)
as othe little place around the corner,� patrons are
probably more familiar with the staff and feel
more relaxed with the atmosphere and opera-
tions of the library. It seems that expanding on
this personal aspect is a way to success in any
Regardless of the space and
time contraints, moving for-
ward is the only way to estab-
lish childrenTs programming in
the community.
programming attempt. Your position as a small
town branch librarian lends itself to personalizing
service and attaining high visibility among
patrons. Continuing to try programs that feel
right to you and those you serve helps establish
and enhance your role in the life of the commun-
ity.
PLAIN
AND
SIMPLE
Our physical size and financial strength"necessary to make
and honor commitments"indicate the successful working
relationships we have with thousands of libraries worldwide.
But the plain truth is, simply, that it is our sensitivity to
your unique requirements, and our flexibility in providing an
exhaustive and relentless effort for total customer service
that is our real strength.
We want to work with you"to help you provide
exceptional patron service, which is your strength.
We can help. Write today"
EBSCO SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
The Serials Professionals
=2\
8000 Forbes Place, Suite 204
Springfield, VA 22151
(703) 321-7494/321-9630
1984 Fall"113
Junior Great Books Programs
in North Carolina
Carol J. Veitch
oHow can I get my students to read ~goodT
books?� oIs there any way to teach discussion
skills effectively through the use of literature?�
oDoes the Junior Great Books Program work?�
oTm thinking about starting a Junior Great Books
discussion group, but I donTt know what expe-
riences others have had with it. Can you give me
some information on the program?� These and
similar questions posed by librarians and teachers
around North Carolina were the catalyst for a
study of the Junior Great Books Program which
was conducted in the spring and summer of 1983.
The study was funded by a Library Services and
Construction Act grant from the North Carolina
State Library which was administered by the
Department of Library Science at East Carolina
University.
Background
The Junior Great Books Program is one of
interpretive reading and discussion for students
from second grade through high school. There are
eight series of readings beginning with Series 2 for
second grade. Series 9 is for use with senior high
school students, grades 9-12. These students
could then move into the adult Great Books Pro-
gram. Each of the eight series in the Junior Great
Books consists of twelve or more works of high
quality imaginative literature. Most of the read-
ings are stories, but poems, plays, and a few short
novels are included. All of the selected works were
chosen because they lend themselves to different
interpretations.
Students who participate in a Junior Great
Books discussion group are expected to improve
their ablity to read interpretively, to think sys-
tematically, and to discover new meanings in a
written work.! The main purposes of the Junior
Great Books Program are to improve the stu-
dentsT ability to comprehend what they read; to
encourage students to think for themselves about
Carol Veitch is now the Director of the Currituck County
Library in Coinjock, NC. She was formerly an Assistant Pro-
fessor, Department of Library Science, at East Carolina Uni-
versity.
114"North Carolina Libraries
the meaning of the authorTs words; and to develop
in students the habit of reading for enjoyment.?
Adult group leaders attempt to accomplish
these purposes through discussion of points in
the written work which are open to different
interpretations and for which the leaders them-
selves have no answer. This oshared inquiry�
method serves to develop studentsT discussion
skills such as listening, speaking, and document-
ing opinions from the reading in an atmosphere
that is free from worry over having the oright
answer.�
Since it is necessary for adult leaders to
acquire the same skills they want the students to
develop, an important part of the Junior Great
Books Program is the Basic Leader Training
Course. This is a ten-hour concentrated learning
program for both professional educators and
volunteer group leaders. The training is required
for any group: the Great Books Foundation will
not sell the Junior Great Books Series to any
school or library that does not have trained lead-
ers. The Basic Leader Training Course was offered
at various locations in North Carolina through
the spring of 1983.
Methodology
Since no Junior Great Books discussion
group can function without a trained adult
leader, the researcher asked the Great Books
Foundation for a list of the names and addresses
of persons in North Carolina who had taken the
Basic Leader Training Course during the years
1978 through 1983. The Great Books Foundation
replied that this information was confidential, but
the researcher was provided with the names and
addresses of the persons who had served as regis-
trars or coordinators of Basic Leader Training
Courses in North Carolina.
Letters were sent to the eighteen persons
who were identified as registrars of Basic Leader
Training Programs during that five-year period.
Two of these registrars no longer had any lists of
participantsT names, and seven persons failed to
respond to either the letter or follow-up postcard.
Letters and questionnaires were sent to the 310
persons whose names were obtained from regis-
trars, and 124 usable responses (40 per cent
response rate) were obtained. The response rate
was considered good, as the questionnaires had
to be sent out during the summer vacation for the
public schools.
The initial portion of the questionnaires
asked about the backgrounds of the discussion
group leaders, how groups were selected, the
length of time each session lasted, and the grade
levels of the discussion group members. The main
section of the questionnaires contained questions
about the effect the Junior Great Books Program
had on the reading comprehension, discussion,
and critical thinking skills of the students who
participated in the program. Other questions
concerned the perceptions group leaders had of
the overall effect of the Junior Great Books Pro-
gram, the reading selections, leader aids, and the
feasibility of conducting Junior Great Books Pro-
grams in public libraries.
Leader Backgrounds and Organizational
Patterns
Of the 124 persons who returned question-
naires, volunteers were the largest group (fifty-
four), with some of these indicating experience as
school librarians, classroom teachers, or reading
teachers. Classroom teachers (thirty-four) and
school librarians (nineteen) made up the next
largest groups of persons who had completed the
Basic Leader Training Program. Only one of the
respondents indicated that s/he was a public
librarian. Others included school principals, read-
ing specialists, and one college professor.
Forty-five of the persons who returned ques-
tionnaires had never led a Junior Great Books
Discussion group. Seventeen of these persons had
completed the Basic Leader Training Course dur-
ing the 1982-83 academic year, so it is possible
that they did not have to get involved with a Jun-
ior Great Books discussion group before summer
vacation. Nine others indicated that they had
participated in the Basic Leader Training Course
to become aware of the program rather than to
become group leaders.
Most of the discussion groups were enrich-
ment programs or extracurricular programs for
gifted and talented students or other students
who were reading on or above grade level, these
students were usually identified by the teacher, or
they volunteered for inclusion in the program. A
typical group met once a week for a semester or a
school year with an average meeting time of forty-
five minutes. Grades 3-6 had the largest number
of discussion groups identified; only one of the
questionnaires was returned by a leader of a
senior high school group.
Questionnaire respondents were provided
with space to comment on any of the questions
asked. Some representative comments concern-
ing the selection and scheduling of discussion
groups include the following:
I would like to see the program used with the entire
class. The stories could be read aloud and discussed, at
first, with the entire class while everyone is learning the
techniques. Then small group discussions would be good.
Our school offers three electives per day (Mon-Tues and
Wed-Thurs) for grades 3-5. JGB (level 4) was offered to
4th and 5th graders as an elective. Any 4th or 5th grader
was allowed to take the course. This was a mistake! In
the future we plan to have them nominated or approved
by their teacher. Our class consisted of 14 students"
about half of whom should not have been in there. The
students who did belong in the class were average to
good readers, interested in the class, and a joy to be with.
Since our student participants were pulled out of their
classrooms on Friday afternoons for Great Books, they
often missed special activities or outdoor play, and that
was hard for them.
The teachers did not support us. Students could come if
they wanted to. If astudent doesnTt read an assignment,
he just doesnTt come to class and no pressure is applied.
Effectiveness of Junior Great Books Programs
A total of seventy-nine persons who had led
at least one Junior Great Books discussion group
responded to the questions about the actual
effectiveness of the Junior Great Books Program
as it existed in their schools.
A majority of adult leaders reported either
moderate or great increases in studentsT reading
comprehension, listening, and discussion skills.
Moderate to great gains in reading comprehen-
sion were reported by seventy-four (92.4 per
cent) of the leaders. Similar gains were reported
in these discussion skills: enhanced listening skills
(seventy, or 88.6 per cent), ability to discuss a
literary work (seventy-seven, or 97.5 per cent),
ability to express their ideas and opinions more
clearly (seventy, or 88.6 per cent ), and ability to
express their ideas and opinions more freely
(seventy-seven, or 94.9 per cent). Leaders com-
mented that
Most students had never discussed a work in this
manner before. So although the improvement I saw was
very small, it was a beginning.
Very heated and broad-minded discussion.
1984 Fall"115
Our group was willing to talk, but had a difficult time
listening to others.
Very willing to talk as not graded or taught by teacher.
The age I worked with are nervous about expressing
their opinions.
StudentsT thinking skills were reported in-
creased either moderately or greatly in the follow-
ing areas: ability to think independently about the
authorTs meaning (seventy-five, or 94.9 per cent),
ability to think systematically (sixty-six, or 83.6
per cent), ability to document opinions from the
reading (seventy-four, or 93.7 per cent), and
openness to new meanings and ideas (seventy-
five, or 94.9 per cent). Typical leader comments
on the improvement in these skills included
It is the first time these students have been asked to read
and think.
Often good odebates� developed.
When asked why, they had trouble being specific about a
point and where that idea was in the story.
For many students it was the first time they have had
any thought to the authorTs intentions and it was a diffi-
cult concept for them.
There was less agreement on the studentsT
development of the habit of reading for enjoy-
ment. While fifty-three (67.1 per cent) of the lead-
ers reported a moderate or great increase,
nineteen (24.1 per cent) said they didnTt know if
the Junior Great Books Program helped students
develop the reading habit. Comments indicated
that many of these leaders believed the students
already had the reading habit or they wouldn't be
in the Junior Great Books Program. Other leaders
said their group members did not read for enjoy-
ment and viewed the Junior Great Books reading
as extra work or one more chore.
The oshared inquiry� concept is at the heart
of the Junior Great Books Program; however, it is
a concept that is new to many students who are
accustomed to the adult teacher or leader know-
ing the oright� answer. Forty-nine (62.0 per cent)
of the leaders reported this to be a moderately to
greatly difficult concept for students, especially at
the beginning of the Junior Great Books expe-
rience, although twenty-four (30.4 per cent) of
the leaders reported no difficulty with the oshared
inquiry� concept.
General Perceptions of the Junior Great Books
Program
The last section of the questionnaire con-
cerned reading selections, related aids, and the
116"North Carolina Libraries
Junior Great Books Program in general.
The oShort Course on Interpretive Reading,�
which is included in the back of each book in the
Junior Great Books series, is designed to help stu-
dents understand the discussion rules, oshared
inquiry,� types of questions, and the need to read
each selection more than once for full under-
standing. Forty-two (53.2 per cent) of the leaders
found the oShort Course� useful to their students;
however, twenty-nine (36.7 per cent) did not use
it with their groups. Some leaders commented
that they did not use it because of time con-
straints, lack of instruction on the use of the
oShort Course,� or because they felt it was too dif-
ficult for their students.
The leader aids for each series contain sam-
ple discussion questions for each selection in the
book and some possible answers for questions
raised in the oShort Course.� These leader aids
must be purchased separately from the regular
Junior Great Books reading series titles. Sixty-
seven (84.8 per cent) of the leaders found the aids
useful while seven (8.9 per cent) did not use them.
Most agreed that the leader aids were especially
useful for new group leaders who needed reassu-
rance or guidance before branching out on their
own.
Using any pre-selected reading program
raises the question of suitability with a specific
group of students. Thirty-six (45.6 per cent) of
the leaders agreed that the selections were suited
to the students; eight (10.1 per cent) did not feel
that the selections were suited to ther students,
and thirty-four (43.0 per cent) stated that the
selections were usually suited to their students.
Representative comments include
We felt some were very unsuitable, especially the first
ones. It was difficult to deal with more than one story
per session. We had above average kids but vocabulary
was difficult for them in some stories.
Why are the lengths so varied? However, I recommend
no selection be longer than 25-30 pages"students have
much other work to do and when theyTre asked to read
100 pages twice, they don't like it. I donTt blame them.
The reading level was fine. The moral and value ques-
tions of the selections were beyond my age group.
When asked whether they would recommend
the Junior Great Books Program to public librar-
ies, fifty-six (70.1 per cent) of the leaders said
they would; thirty-one (39.2 per cent) would not,
and four (5.1 per cent) responded with a omaybe.�
Those who felt Junior Great Books would be good
for public libraries stressed the program as a
summer reading activity, one which would pro-
vide a unique experience for the students
involved. Negative comments centered on leader
perceptions of the library (not a place to take a
course, lack of contact between leader and group
members), scheduling or transportation prob-
lems, and parental pressure to participate.
The final question in this section concerned
the overall value of the Junior Great Books Pro-
gram. Forty-one (51.9 per cent) of the leaders
rated the program as excellent while twenty-nine
(36.7 per cent) perceived the value as good. Only
nine (11.4 per cent) rated the program as fair or
poor. Maybe even more important than the statis-
tical data are some of the comments made by the
leaders. They include
As far as I can see, it is the only type of creative, non-
graded, fun, exciting, laughing, education available in
reading designed to have them think rather than memo-
rize. It is an equalizer.
ItTs been a tremendous asset to our program.
Value depends to a great degree on leaders. This year
both of us were new at it. Next year we'll be better and so
will our program.
Exposes children to stories they would never know of
otherwise"also new authors.
Feel there could be more flexibility in reading selections
(more selections of various difficulty for each grade
level"leader could then select according to group).
The selection of material seemed to be the greatest
drawback to student interest.
Space was provided for leaders to make any
additional or general comments about their expe-
riences with the Junior Great Books Program.
Many of these comments are important for per-
sons who are considering establishing Junior
Great Books Programs in their school or libraries
and are included here.
I found leading my Junior Great Books group to be a very
rewarding and enjoyable experience. We also received a
lot of positive feedback from the children. The only prob-
lem we had was with the children who would come to
the group without reading the story. They knew they
could not participate in the discussions but I found they
usually became bored and disrupted the group.
At the end of the series I got notes from most of the
children"one said and I quote: oThanks, for doing super,
fantastic, tremendous, fabulous, exciding (sic); great,
great, great books teacher!�
The program is excellent. The material is good. Maybe,
the school is not the place to do it, as the red tape gets
longer and longer.
All teachers with participating students should be
required to take the training course. Teachers should
evaluate the program and students with the volunteer
leader.
I feel there should be more contact between the schools
or libraries where the program is going on and the par-
ents of the participants. The parents need to be
informed about and encouraged to help with this pro-
gram.
Conclusions
It would seem from the data that the Junior
Great Books Program is effective. Elementary
schools appear to have more programs than
secondary schools. One reason for this might be
the fact that reading is taught as a separate sub-
ject in the elementary grades. Other possible rea-
sons could include the practice of initiating a
program in the lower grades and expanding it as
the participants advance in school or the fact
that there are probably more gifted and talented
programs on the elementary school level that
would lend themselves to this type of reading
program.
Volunteers have a significant role as discus-
sion leaders: over half of the groups which partic-
ipated in the survey had volunteer leaders. No
consensus emerged as to how participants should
be selected or who should participate, but careful
scheduling appears to be imperative for a suc-
cessful Junior Great Books discussion group.
Careful preparation on the part of both students
and adult leaders is also important. Communica-
tion between students, teachers, parents, and
adult leaders seems to be another important fac-
tor in the success or failure of a Junior Great
Books Program.
The data also suggest that the Junior Great
Books Program is moderately to greatly success-
ful in achieving the goals of helping students
improve their reading comprehension, critical
thinking, and discussion skills. It is less certain
from the data whether the Junior Great Books
Program does develop the habit of reading for
enjoyment, but with concern over low reading test
scores, any program which has success in improv-
ing reading skills is worth a second look.
Allin all, it seems that the Junior Great Books
Program is one which makes a positive contribu-
tion to reading. It would be one that both school
and public librarians might want to consider
implementing in the libraries"time and money
allowing.
References
1. Richard P. Dennis and Edwin P. Moldoff, A Handbook on
Interpretive Reading and Discussion (Chicago: The Great
Books Foundation, 1978), 1.
2. Ibid.
1984 Fall"117
Humble Beginnings:
Lessons in Computer Utilization
Carolyne C. Burgman
In the fall of 1981, I had just started the year with
a new principal. This was not necessarily a year of
extra innovations. I had heard rumblings, how-
ever, of the little computer omonsters� invading
schools and capturing teachers and students alike.
A friend invited me to take a computer class that
was being offered at a local computer store. I nat-
urally agreed since computers translated to onew
technology,� a phrase being bounced around in
media circles. I learned nothing in this class,
because my teacher was a computer genius and
geared each session to my classmates"a lawyer,
three businessmen, and a legal secretary.
Lesson 1: It is a mistake for an educator to
take a class from a non-educator. However,
proper training of the staff is the number one
Carolyn C. Burgman is Media Specialist for the F.D. Bluford
School in Greensboro.
118"North Carolina Libraries
priority in beginning a computer program, and I
recommend instruction by someone from a local
college or some enthusiastic person from your sys-
tem who can tailor the classes to your needs.
My principal praised me for taking this com-
puter class. He was very excited and saw vivid pic-
tures of Bluford School leading the computer
revolution under my oexpert� leadership. His
enthusiasm motivated other staff members to ven-
ture out to workshops, one by one.
Student interest and parental pressure forced
other actions. We began searching for ways to get
our very own computers. Having participated in
the Campbell Soup Labels for Education project in
the past, we were overjoyed at the discovery that
thirty-two thousand labels would procure our first
computer, a Texas Instruments. We ate a lot of
soup that year and, by the mailing deadline, had
Students can be used to teach other students about computers.
enough labels.
By this time, our local school system had been
bitten by the omonster,� and a computer package
was offered for schools through capital outlay. Our
newly-formed Computer Committee requested
two computers through our principal.
Lesson 2: ~Where thereTs a will, thereTs a
way.� The need to be resourceful in locating funds
for hardware and software is essential and time-
less. You must be aggressive and creative in find-
ing the way.
Gradually the entire staff was involved in
computer in-service. To chart the course for this
important program, the principal had appointed a
Computer Committee, consisting of one teacher
from each grade level plus the media specialist.
The committee set goals, objectives, and guide-
lines. Some of the guiding principles established
were
The main goal is to expose all students to the computer
and help them become comfortable operating it.
The computer will circulate to each classroom for one-
half day per week.
The students will be trained to teach other students.
The responsibility to carry out these princi-
ples became mine by acclamation. The first things
I noticed were that the computers did not have
wheels and that not all parts matched in size. A
mobile computer was needed. We checked the
market for a cart that would hold a huge nineteen-
inch monitor and could not find one. Creativity in
its highest form was called for. By using audio-vis-
ual carts and old typing tables, I was able to make
the computers mobile.
Lesson 3: oItTs easier said than done.� No
matter how well you plan, there will be rough
spots. The end result is worth the struggle.
One problem solved naturally led to another:
how to make teachers comfortable as the omons-
ters� invaded their space. The idea was that the
easier and less threatening we could make this
oinvasion,� the better it would be.
The plan of letting the students teach each
other to use the computer was a good one. It was
decided that two students from each classroom
would be trained to handle the computer instruc-
tion. I borrowed computers from my friendly
computer store, scheduled students from each
grade level for one whole day, and trained the stu-
dents to operate the computer. They were
awarded oApple Polisher� certificates after passing
the written and practical evaluations.
Lesson 4: Fear of the computer is strictly an
adult disease. Using students to teach each other
eliminates the fearful classroom teacherTs alibi
for failing to provide computer experience to stu-
dents.
The oApple Polishers� proved to be excellent
teachers, and by early spring all students were
operating the computers. They were enjoying such
programs as Hello, Pizza Hut, Lemonade Stand,
and Brick Out.
It was time for the Computer Committee to
talk software and future strategy. Fortunately our
system had joined the Minnesota Educational
Computing Consortium the previous fall, and we
needed only to explore what software was availa-
ble. We found many programs from which to
select. Since our goal for the year was computer
awareness for all students, we chose programs of
drill and practice and ojust-for-fun� in order to
accomplish our goal.
Lesson 5: Programming is not the only func-
tion of the computer. There is great danger in
rushing into programming when you only have
one or two computers. Much learning can take
place simply by using available software.
Meanwhile back in the media center, our
school system had chosen to make available only
the Apple, and we decided that, to prevent confu-
sion, the TI-99 would remain in the media center.
Because the TI-99 was practically indestructible
and very simple to operate, I set it up in a learning
center. Clear directions were placed beside it along
with several of the extremely well-done software
packages. The students were not shy about using
it, and soon it was the most popular learning cen-
ter in the media center.
At the end of the school year we asked for the
teachersT assessment of our year with the compu-
ters in order to plan for the next year. Some of
their comments follow.
Much easier than I thought.
ItTs so personal"calls the students by name.
The kids are so uninhibited"they love it.
I like what we're doing with computers.
We need more computers.
ItTs a problem to get the computer to my room.
In the fall of the second year of our computer
program, we felt like old pros. We had a second
TI-99 from Campbell Soup Labels (this time we
only needed sixteen thousand labels). We had
hoped for a third Apple, but we were not so lucky.
We finally located mobile carts for the computers.
Software was available in abundance. Evaluations
1984 Fall"119
from the previous year were in hand.
The basic procedure of the previous year was
used for fourth graders, since they are new to the
school. The program was modified so that fifth
graders could continue from the preceding year.
However, the big change was at the sixth grade
level. The evaluations indicated ~that it was too
inconvenient and risky to get the computer to the
sixth grade hall because it is located in another
building. It was decided that the sixth graders
would come to the media center to use the compu-
ter in the conference room. To prepare tthe sixth
graders, I did a demonstration refresher class for
each classroom. The procedure was explained,
and directions were placed at the computer for
handy reference. Each sixth grade teacher was
responsible for scheduling students during their
weekly ohalf day time.� Each teacher and I also
planned the weekly activities for the students.
With prior planning and training, the students
required no supervision or assistance from me.
Having the two approaches"one mobile and
one stationary"to student utilization of the com-
puter has proved very successful. I can see the
natural progression from the fourth grader who
needs an oApple Polisher� to the sixth grader who
is exploring programming on his own. Students
are so turned on to computers that they are will-
ing to do whatever is necessary to learn how to use
one"even if itTs different. Computers are moti-
vators for mathematics, science, and social stud-
ies.
Lesson 6: ThereTs more than one way to
slice an Apple. Flexibility, as usual, is the key to
es
This Forsyth County Public Library patron used the libraryTs
computers to complete a school project on the history of com-
puters.
120"North Carolina Libraries
the success of most programs. What works for one
teacher won't work for another; what worked last
year won't work this year.
I donTt know what next year will bring (more
computers, I hope). I do know that we have
enjoyed the computers and that our program has
worked. The proof is in the students. On School
Library Media Day, I had each student fill out a
form and name his favorite thing in the media cen-
ter and why. The computer won, with such com-
ments as these:
ItTs fun and educational.
It helps me in math.
It is a challenge.
It tests my knowledge.
ItTs and adventure into another strange but beautiful
world.
ItTs fun.
You can do so many things with it.
Appendix A
The computer program described is intended as only a pro-
gram that is successful, not the only successful one. The following
background information will help readers get a clear picture of
the school itself. The schoolTs philosophy is modified traditional,
and the grade levels are four through six. The enrollment is
approximately four hundred students. Instructional and sup-
port staff include seventeen classroom teachers; one full-time
teacher of the academically gifted; one and a half teachers of the
learning disabled; an itinerant art, music and physical educa-
tional specialist; and one media specialist (the author) who
heads a flexible scheduled media program.
Appendix B
Software
Texas Instrument 99/4A Computer
Addition/Subtraction I
Addition/Subtraction II
Beginning Grammar
Computer Math Games II
Division I
Hangman
Multiplication I
Number Magic
Reading Flight
Apple Computer: Minnesota Educational Computing Consort-
tum (MECC)
Elementary Volume I " Mathematics (Games and Drills)
Elementary Volume 2 " Language Arts (Logic, Spelling, and
Vocabulary)
Elementary Volume 3 " Social Studies (History, Economics, and
Geography)
Elementary Volume 4 " Math/Science (Ecology, Astronomy, and
Arithmetic)
Elementary Volume 5 " Language Arts (Prefixes)
Elementary Volume 6 " Social Studies (Simulations)
Elementary Volume 8 " Geometry (Points and Angles)
Elementary Volume 13 " Nutrition
Special Needs Volume 1 " Spelling
Spellling Volume 1
Other Software
Turtle Tracks, by Scholastic Company
Authors in Schools
Lucy Cutler
Last December we were visited by Robert
Burch, author of Queenie Peavy, Skinny, and the
Ida Early books. We had mulled over the prospect
of an author visit for several years, and we might
have gone on doing so had it not been for the
helpful intervention of one school family who was
acquainted with Mr. Burch. Their enthusiasm for
the project of bringing him to the school was
equal to our own. We invited Mr. Burch to visit us
for a two day period in the fall of 1983. During his
stay with us, we planned for all of our K-6 grade
students to have the opportunity to meet with Mr.
Burch.
As this was our first Author Day, we were
assailed by questions like What have we forgot-
ten? and doubts about the gap between reality as
it would unroll versus our on-paper plans. Thank-
fully, there were no major upsets to report.
It seems that, ultimately, the format of
author sessions will depend upon what the
authors are comfortable with or what experi-
ments, like an author party, they might be willing
to try. Mr. Burch had not worked extensively with
primary grade children, and we felt our main
audience for his books lay in grades 3-6. There-
fore, on Thursday, we scheduled shorter visits for
grades K-2 and more substantial half-hour ses-
sions for the upper grades. (Confident that we
could outcook our local caterers, the media staff
served lunch in the library for the author, his host
family, a local reviewer, and our school adminis-
tration.) In an attempt to provide students with
some more intimate time with their author, we
planned an autographing party for the second
day of his visit. Each 3rd-6th grade classroom
came separately, for a scant fifteen minutes, to
see Mr. Burch in a smaller group, have refresh-
ments, and pick up their autographed books.
Almost all sessions were held in the library or
media center. It might be more efficient to whisk
one author in and out of classrooms than to move
whole classes of children in and out of the library,
but we felt strongly about using the library. We
wanted children to associate what we hoped
Lucy Cutler is School Media Specialist at Forsyth Country Day
School in Lewisville, North Carolina
would be a very special, very happy experience
with their media center.
Mr. BurchTs presentations were simple, with-
out gimmicks or dramatics. Their success was due
to the fact that he is a oreal live author� and that
children found their author to be a remarkably
warm and likeable person. He sometimes started
by asking students a few questions to break the
ice. Them he talked about his books and his writ-
ing, touching on his entry into the field and what
he did before he started writing. He read a
humorous selection from one of his stories and
ended by answering questions. These ranged from
insightful to self-answering. After a number of
questions dealing with very basic issues"like Do
you write with a pen or a typewriter?"I realized
that students were hard at work creating a men-
tal image of what authors actually do, what they
look like while doing it, how long they do it every
day, and so on. They were doing their best to
bridge a gap between a misty, somewhat meaning-
less term and an undeniably solid reality"in this
case, a white-haired gentleman with glasses
whom we might just as believably have passed off
as an agricultural extension agent or someoneTs
grandfather but had instead introduced as an
author.
Autographing Party
On Friday morning, Mr. Burch returned for
an autographing party. I was decidedly appre-
hensive about this venture. A party for 160 stu-
dents in the library, even spread over several
hours, seemed potentially disastrous. Was ten to
fifteen minutes an impossibly short time? Would
an author seen on Thursday be oold hat� on Fri-
day? The schedule was tight, but it worked, and
the party served its intended purpose: children
had a chance to meet the author individually, to
shake hands, to crowd around and watch him as
he signed his books. Their responses on Friday
repaid all our efforts.
The autographing party sprang from brain-
storming sessions prior to Mr. BurchTs visit, as did
the ideas of an oautographed� program, of averag-
ing the price of hardbacked books, and of using
1984 Fall"121
his books as classroom read-alouds. While I
encouraged students to read his books independ-
ently, I also urged teachers to use them in their
ongoing storyhours, because the latter method
seemed the most efficient way to expose students
to his books. Averaging the price of the hardbacks
we had for sale allowed us to fill orders with the
substitutions listed and forestalled endless notes
home on what was still available as of a certain
hour, how much money was due, and the like.
We knew that Robert Burch would spend a
day and a half signing autograph books, scraps of
notebook paper, and used napkins if we didnTt
provide any guidelines. Begging for student sym-
pathy, we outlawed all of the above. Mr. Burch
would only sign his own books (some of which
were as inexpensive as seventy-five cents). How-
ever, each student would leave the party with a
momento of the occasion, a program with his pic-
N
ture and signature printed on it. As it was, Mr.
Burch signed about two hundred books and was
most generous with his messages. I donTt know
how he held up, even without autograph books
and napkins.
Our author had a strong interest in Winston-
SalemTs arts community and a personal contact
with the school family that sponsored his visit. As
a result, his visit did not require any major
expenditures on the part of the school. The happy
chance that sparked this particular visit is not
one that is likely to recur. We will budget for
another Author Day and feel that the great suc-
cess of the first one has brought us support for
our future plans. For those still dreaming of their
first, I would suggest beginning on a small scale
and seeking out local and regional authors"
really, starting any way you can in order to dem-
onstrate success and rouse interest in your school
community.
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Telephone (919) 299-7534
122"North Carolina Libraries
fag se
The Black Experience ...
Twenty-six Adventures in Reading
Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin and Satia Marshall Orange
The following booklist"although originally
published to help teachers, media specialists, and
librarians to identify contemporary childrenTs
literature about the black experience"can also
be used by readers of this publication as a tool for
developing programs for children and families of
all races and cultures. A most vital portion, how-
ever, is its introduction, which stresses the impor-
tance for ototal inclusiveness� in the selection of
materials for children.
Programs highlighting different cultures may
be developed for single and especially for ongoing
introductions to children about the black expe-
rience. For example, sharing Ossie Davis's Lang-
ston: A Play may be included in the discussion of
biographies, contemporary poets, and authors in
addition to his well-publicized contributions to
African American history (too often celebrated
only in February, during African American His-
tory month). Arnold AdoffTs OUTside INside
Poems, and Feelings and Greenfield's Daydrea-
mers highlight childrenTs feelings about day to
day experiences, regardless of culture, too seldom
recorded from the experiences of black children.
Too often these and other titles are categorized as
oBlack Fiction� or oBlack Poetry� (see standard-
ized subject areas in booklist).
Creative programming will come easy with
the use of contemporary literature included in
the overall curriculum in schools and in the
general collections in libraries and with coopera-
tive efforts between these institutions and the
minority community.
Introduction
This booklist is a concerted effort to provide a
list of contemporary experiences in reading for
all children, regardless of ethnic backgrounds,
that should be available in public and school
libraries. The fact that few or even no black child-
ren have access to these titles, due to the library's
location or the schoolTs racial make-up, has no
bearing on the importance of exposing all child-
Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin is Associate Director of the Forsyth
County Public Library. Satia Orange is Head of the ChildrenTs
Department of the Forsyth County Public Library.
ren to the black American experience. The need
for more exposure for North Carolina's non-black
children is magnified by the fact that our state
ranked seventh in black population in the United
States, as noted in the 1980 census.
Black children, understandably, will benefit
from the availability of black titles and authors.
Critics who verbalize some black and non-black
childrenTs resistance to these titles need only to
incorporate black and other ethnic minority liter-
ature into their curricula and collections in an air
of total inclusiveness rather than selective inclu-
sion, too often accepted as tokenism. It needs to
be stated that ototal inclusiveness� mandates
involvement with black literature throughout the
year, not only in February. There is no area of
library or curriculum emphasis where blacks have
not made contributions. Failure to present a
ototally inclusive� picture of American life to
North Carolina children is an injustice to them
and is inconsistent with the principles of educa-
tion and library service to them.
Adult blacks have experienced childhood
with limited black printed materials. We hope
that this booklist will promote interest in the val-
uable resources in our state so that North Caro-
lina children, black and non-black, will not have
to face being eliminated in the contemporary
literature made available to them.
The new Roundtable on Ethnic Minority Con-
cerns (REMCo) of the North Carolina Library
Association (NCLA) and the newly-established
Ethnic Minority Literature for Children Commit-
tee (EMLC) of the North Carolina State Library,
ChilldrenTs Section, have members who are more
than willing to serve as resource persons.
The William Tucker Collection at North Caro-
lina Central University is updated annually with
the contributions of black authors and illustra-
tors.
The biennial Charlemae Rollins Colloquim,
co-sponsored by North Carolina Central Univer-
sity and the North Carolina State Library, fea-
tures workshops, exhibits, and presentations by
notable authors and illustrators dedicated to the
black experience for children.
1984 Fall"123
The Mollie Huston Lee Collection, housed in
the Richard B. Harrison Branch of the Wake
County library system, is a research collection of
historical and contemporary black titles.
Several state publications periodically iden-
tify new black materials for children, compiled by
professional organizations and individuals, in-
cluding the looseleaf service of the North Carolina
State Library's ChildrenTs Section.
In other words, resources for information
about black childrenTs literature are available to
those North Carolina professionals dedicated to
the provision of oinclusive� curricula and collec-
tions. Assuredly, more contemporary titles are in
print. These titles are determined by the compil-
ers to be the least a library or school would
include in its collection or curriculum.
oTotal inclusiveness� mandates
involvement with black litera-
ture throughout the year, not
only in February.
The twenty-six titles herein should be ex-
panded to include additional ones by many of
these same authors, as well as the growing
number of black authors on the literary scene
today. Of course the booklist includes those titles
considered essential by the compilers for pre-
school through early adolescence. Individual col-
lection developers and curriculum planners must
make their own added selections, based on their
collection development policies. When funds are
limited for childrenTs materials, new titles from
the ethnic minority experience should be a major
budgeting priority, since their availability is too
often scarce and short-lived.
The compilers thank the following persons
for their suggestions, comments, information, and
encouragement:
Paula Bracey
Carolyn Casson
Rene Daniel
Dave Fergusson
Myra Hill
Caroline Shepard
Jane Steele
Diana Young
Elizabeth Mason
Using the Booklist
Age Range. This booklist is developed with child-
124"North Carolina Libraries
ren, preschool through early adolescence (three
years through fourteen years), in mind.
Title Selection. Titles may be about the black
experience or from a black perspective, although
not necessarily by a black author or on a black
topic.
Additional Titles(*)The asterisk by many authorsT
names identifies the availability of other note-
worthy titles by those same authors.
Purchase Information. Each listing includes the
documentation needed for purchase, along with
suggestions for collection location and recom-
mended subject areas.
Remember. These books are recommended for
sharing with all children and should not be
limited to children of African heritage.
These are presently available for purchase as
documented by ChildrenTs Books In Print, 1983-
84.
Only titles written since 1979 have been
included.
Additional copies may be obtained from the
Forsyth County Public Library, 660 West Fifth
Street, Winston-Salem, N.C., 27101. Please enclose
a self-addressed, stamped envelope. This booklist
may also be duplicated with discretion encour-
aged.
*Aardema, Verna. Bringing the Rain to Kapiti
Plain. Dial, 1981. $9.95; PLB 9.48, Dial pb 3.95
(ps-2nd gr.)
A well-told tale from Kenya that comes alive through its repeti-
tious rhyme and carefully drawn illustrations.
Easy/398.2 Folklore-Africa. Blacks-Fiction
WhatTs So Funny, Ketu? Dial, 1982. $9.95; PLB
9.89 (ps-3rd gr.)
Ketu is given the power to hear what animals are thinking. This
funny tale from the Sudan will delight young listeners who have
trouble keeping secrets.
Easy/398.2 Folklore-African; Blacks-Fiction
*Adoff, Arnold. All the Colors of the Race. Lo-
throp, 1982. $9.00; PLB 8.59 (4th gr. and up).
A powerful collection of poetry about race and its effects on
children and adults. A warm, caring presentation of a sensitive
subject, highlighted by John SteptoeTs brilliant illustrations.
811 Blacks-Poetry
OUTside INside Poems. Lothrop, 1981. $8.59;
PLB 8.57 (ps-4th gr.)
ChildrenTs poetic reflections of daily experiences and feelings,
indoors and out.
Easy/811 Emotions; Blacks-Poetry
Bang, Molly Garrett. Ten, Nine, Eight. Green-
willow, 1983. $9.00; PLB 8.59 (ps-1st gr.)
The cozy story is of a young girlTs bedtime ritual as her father
counts her backwards into bed.
Easy Blacks-Fiction
*Behrens, June. Martin Luther King: The Story of
a Dream. ChildrenTs, 1979. PLB $9.25 (K-3rd).
Biography on a childTs level about Dr. KingTs life. Usable with
younger children.
Biography King, Martin Luther. Blacks-Biography
*Bryan, Ashley. Beat the Story-Drum, Rum-
Rum. Atheneum, 1980. $10.95 (gr. K-4th)
Five Nigerian animal folk tales, told and illustrated by the
author, that share informative insights into the culture.
Easy/398.2 Folktales-African; Nigerian Folktales.
ITm Going to Sing: Black American Spirituals,
Vol. II. Atheneum, 1982. $10.95 (2nd gr.-up)
Collection of Black American spirituals, including many less
known selections.
783.6 Negro Spirituals
*Caines, Jeanette. Just Us Women. Harper, 1982.
$9.95; PLB $9.98 (K-3rd gr.)
Details the warm relationship between a young girl and her
favorite aunt on a long car trip with ono boys, no men, just us
women�.
Easy Blacks-Fiction; Aunts-Fiction; Travelers-Fiction
Window Wishing. Harper, 1980. $7.95; PLB 7.89
(K-3rd gr.)
Memorable experiences of two children visiting their grand-
mother. A book every grandchild will enjoy!
Easy Grandmother-Fiction; Blacks-Fiction
Cendrars, Blaise. Shadows. Scribners, 1982.
$12.95 (K-4th gr.)
A creative literary presentation of the African bush culture and
its rhythms, assisted by the use of colorful illustrations by Mar-
cia Brown.
Easy/398.2 Folklore-African
*Clifton, Lucille. Everett AndersonTs Goodbye.
Holt, 1983. $9.95 (ps-2nd gr.)
A supportive picture book to help young children to cope with
death. A helpful tool to sensitize adults and children.
Easy/128.5 Family Life-Fiction; Death-Fiction; Black-Fiction
oCrews, Donald. Light. Greenwillow, 1981.
$10.25; PLB 9.84 (ps-1st gr.)
A visual poem showing city and country as twilight falls and the
lights of the night begin to shine.
Easy Light
Parade. Greenwillow, 1983. $10.00; PLB 9.55 (K-
3rd gr.)
An additional title that captures all the colors and rhythms ofa
real parade.
Easy
oDavis, Ossie. Langston: A Play. Delacorte, 1982.
$9.95 (4th-10th gr.)
A dramatic presentation of the young black American poet's life,
and those who affected his works, both in the U.S. and in
Europe.
812/Biography Hughes, Langston-Drama; Blacks-Biography
*Feelings, Tom, and *Eloise Greenfield. Day-
dreamers. Dial 1981. $9.43; PLB 9.95 (K-3rd gr.)
A book of poetic, imaginative expressions of daydreaming child-
ren, with sensitive illustrations reflecting the moods described.
Easy/811 Blacks-Poetry
*Greene, Bette. Get on Out of Here, Philip Hall.
Dial, 1981. $9.95; PLB 9.89; Dell 2.50. (38rd-6th gr.)
The continuation of a friendly, pre-adolescent relationship
between two friends. A caring treatment of growing up.
Fiction Blacks-Fiction
*Hamilton, Virginia. Dustland. Greenwillow, 1980.
$11.95; PLB 11.47; Avon pb 1.95 (6th gr. and up)
Armed with supernatural powers, Justice and her brothers, the
first of a new race, are projected to Dustland, where the mystify-
ing unknown is the enemy. Sequel to Justice and her Brothers.
Followed by The Gathering.
Fiction Blacks-Fiction
The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl. Harper,
1983. $11.06; PLB 11.09 (6th-10th gr.)
By relating the experiences of the god-child, Pretty Pearl, the
author develops a panorama of mythology, history, and real life,
creating a mystical, literary masterpiece.
Fiction Blacks-Fiction
Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush. Putnam, 1982.
$10.95 (gr. 6-10)
The ghost of Brother Rush is only one of the many complex
characters in this story of family experiences, past and present,
and the effects on its younger generation.
Fiction Blacks-Fiction
Willie Bea and the Time the Martians Landed.
Greenwillow, 1983. $11.00 (4th-7th gr.)
A possible adventure in response to a radio program that shook
America in the 1930s. Rich with cultural experiences of south-
ern rural black life.
Fiction Blacks-Fiction
*Hurmence, Belinda. A Girl Called Boy. Pa-
radox Publ., 1982. $9.95 (5th-8th gr.)
The experience of her family during American slavery days
shakes a young girl into appreciating her cultural heritage. Full
of adventure and history.
Fiction Blacks-Ficton; Slavery in the U.S.-Fiction
Isadora, Rachel. City Seen From A To Z. Green-
willow, 1983. $8.50 (ps-K)
Alphabet book of city adventures picturing multi-racial groups
of adults and children.
Easy Alphabet
*Steptoe, John. Jeffrey Bear Cleans Up His
Act. Lothrop, 1983. $9.50; PLB 9.12 (K-3rd gr.)
1984 Fall"125
Jeffrey Bear fantasizes putting himself in his teacherTs place,
only to face the reality of his own behavior.
Easy Blacks-Fiction
*Taylor, Mildred. Let the Circle Be Unbroken.
Dial, 1981. $11.95 (gr. 6 & up)
Survival experiences of a black, sharecropper family in the
1930s, based on the authorTs family recollections. The continua-
tion of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
Fiction Blacks-Fiction
Yarbrough, Camille. Cornrows. Putnam, 1979.
$7.95; pb 2.95 (K-3rd gr.)
Colorful language provides an easy look for children into the
authentic background of the art of cornrowing.
Easy Blacks-Fiction; Hair-Fiction
Subject Analysis Symposium
at North Carolina Central
The North Carolina Central University School
of Library Science announces a Symposium on
Subject Analysis which will be held Friday and
Saturday, March 29-30, 1985.
The symposium will celebrate the seventy-
fifth anniversary of North Carolina Central Uni-
versity and honor the sixty-fifth anniversary of
the late Dean Annette L. Phinazee, whose contri-
butions to subject analysis and library education
are examples of excellence and service.
The speakers include: Melba Adams, assistant
chief of Decimal Classification, Library of Con-
gress; Lorene B. Brown, associate professor and
dean, School of Library and Information Studies,
Atlanta University; Lois Chan, professor, College
of Library Science, University of Kentucky; Doris
Clack, professor, Florida State University, School
of Library Science; Mary Dykstra, associate pro-
fessor, School of Library Service, Delhousie Uni-
versity; Eleanor H. Hoytt, assistant professor,
School of Library and Information Studies, Atlanta
University; Mary K. Pietris, chief of Subject Cata-
loging Division, Library of Congress; Phyllis Rich-
mond, professor and dean, Baxter School of
Information and Library Science, Case Western
Reserve University; Jane Stevens, retired, asso-
ciate professor, School of Library Service, Colum-
bia University; and Elaine Svenonious, assistant
professor, Graduate School of Library and Infor-
mation Science, University of California at Los
Angeles.
For additional information on the sympo-
sium, call Dr. D. McAllister-Harper, associate pro-
fessor, School of Library Science, 919-683-6485 or
683-6415.
If the right to express your ideas is important to you...
then you can help fight suppression of free expression.
Freedom to Read Foundation
The battle is an important one. Today
reports of attempts to censor books
and information are at record highs.
Any book, magazine, photograph
or other material can be the target
of would-be censors from the left,
right or center.
Your membership in the Freedom
to Read Foundation can make a
difference in protecting the free flow
of information and ideas"the basic
principles of the First Amendment.
The Foundation is a 14-year-old
organization of librarians, lawyers,
educators, booksellers, authors,
publishers and other concerned citi-
zens who have joined together to
safeguard the tradition of-free expres-
sion in America. The Foundation
provides legal and financial support
to those at the frontline of censorship
challenges.
Your membership in the
Freedom to Read Foundation will:
¢ help support librarians across the
nation who are beleaguered by
raids on our libraries
* expand the freedom to read by
offering legal and financial help
in cases involving authors, pub-
lishers and booksellers
* entitle you to the Freedom to Read
Foundation News, a quarterly
newsletter on censorship trends,
current court cases, legislative
developments, and reports
of successes in bouts with censors.
Books and ideas aren't dangerous . . .
but information restraints on a free
people are. Protect the future of
the First Amendment. Join the
Freedom to Read Foundation.
Yes, | want to become active in the
Freedom to Read Foundation.
My membership check for $
is enclosed. This tax-deductible
contribution entitles me to vote for
Foundation trustees and to receive
the quarterly Freedom to Read
Foundation News.
$10 student
$25 regular
$50 contributing
$100 sponsor
$500 patron
$1000 benefactor
Name
Address
City State Zip
Please make checks payable to
Freedom to Read Foundation and
mail to Freedom to Read Foundation,
50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611.
ES TE IT TN ET ET IT, PL PRT ST TIT TIES 2 EN LT ALT
126"North Carolina Libraries
Exceptional Children:
How Do We Serve Them?
Cate Howard
Shortly after my arrival as coordinator of
childrenTs services for the Wake County Public
Libraries, one of the childrenTs librarians related a
typical story to me. She had been asked to provide
a story time for several children from the Tammy
Lynn Center, an instructional center for mentally
handicapped children. The teacher who called
asking for this special story time indicated that
the children were all profoundly retarded. In pre-
paring for these children, the childrenTs librarian
thought that a puppet show would appeal to
these exceptional children. Unfortunately, it was
not until the group arrived that she noticed that
over half of the children were blind! Fortunately
using her good common sense, the childrenTs
librarian went ahead with her planned puppet
show. Then she allowed the children to feel the
puppets and even work them if they were able.
This otale� is probably one of many that can be
related by frustrated childrenTs librarians.
ChildrenTs librarians may find themselves
working with institutions such as schools for the
blind and deaf as well as mental hospitals. In a
sense, these groups are the easiest to provide pro-
grams and materials for because all of the child-
ren tend to have similar problems. Children who
are mainstreamed into regular classes present
somewhat different challenges. It is important to
include these exceptional children without specif-
ically pointing them out. Many times a onormal�
child has been assigned to assist the main-
streamed child whenever he or she needs help. If
this does not appear to be the case, include all of
the children in the touching and listening process
so that those with the handicaps can participate
as well.
Crutches, wheel chairs, and other equipment
necessary for the orthopedically handicapped
can create problems if your facility is not pre-
pared to handle nor large enough to hold those
necessary tools. Learning how to pick these child-
ren up or manipulate the equipment so that the
child and you can enjoy the program to the fullest
is imperative.
Cate Howard is a doctoral student in Library Science at Indi-
ana University. She was formerly Coordinator of ChildrenTs
Services for the Wake County Public Libraries.
For the most part, we are finding ourselves
having to tackle this type of situation without an
adequate background or training. An inadequate
background for most of us cannot be changed.
However, adequate training is relatively easy to
accomplish. If there are undergraduate or gradu-
ate level courses in Special Education offered rel-
atively close to your area, consider buying the
textbooks they will be using, if actually taking the
course is not possible. Talk with your areaTs Spe-
cial Education teachers and ask them to recom-
mend some good basic reference tools. Often
parents and support groups involved with excep-
tional children will have book lists with appro-
priate materials. Physicians and therapists can
also be excellent sources of information.
Workshops using these resource people could
stimulate an interest not only for childrenTs librar-
ians but also for administrators, reference librar-
ians, technical services, acquisitions personnel,
and others. State libraries across the country
have divisions concerned with handicapped ser-
vices and materials. They have professional librar-
ians whose expertise can prove invaluable.
Finally, for those Library and Information
Science students determined to be public library
professionals (not just childrenTs librarians), take
a basic introductory Special Education course
while you are in the masters program. You will
never regret the time, the energy, or the money
spent.
Why?
Why go to all this trouble? Two important
federal laws"the Rehabilitation Amendments of
1973 (P.L.93-112), sections 503 and 504; and P.L.
94-142, or the Education of All Handicapped
Children Act"have legally created the means for
equal employment and equal education for all
handicapped people. No longer can we ignore or
simply refuse to serve this population.
In preparing to work with exceptional child-
ren, I can make several suggestions.
Find out who your handicapped population
is. This can be accomplished through your school
system, local organizations such as the United
1984 Fall"127
Way or local agencies concerned with particular
handicaps, and of course, parents of exceptional
children.
Take some time to read about the various
handicaps. A good Special Education textbook or
one of the books mentioned later will give you
brief backgrounds of the various handicaps.
Check your collection to see if you have mate-
rials or media that these children could benefit
from. Present a sound case to your administrator.
After all, all children are ospe-
ial.�
Once you feel that your collection, staff, and
programming ideas have been adequately sur-
veyed, approach these agencies as well as individ-
uals through newspaper articles, cable TV
announcements, and personal appearances.
In establishing service to these ospecial�
children, remember above all that they are child-
ren with as much right as onormal� children to be
in your library. They have needs just like onormal�
children. After all, all children are ospecial.�
In developing some expertise in working with
handicapped children, several library-oriented
books have recently been published. All are
appropriate for reference shelves as well as for
general collections.
Baskin, Barbara H., and Karen H. Harris. The
Mainstreamed Library: Issues, Ideas, Innova-
tions. ALA: Chicago, 1982.
Included in this text are short papers by leading authorities
in such areas as the physical environment; materials selection;
technology; software; programs; and outreach ideas. The up-to-
dateness of this text is particularly important when reading the
section on technology where the Kurzweil reading machine and
research in technology indicate the progress and sophistication
of various machines.
Dequin, Henry C. Librarians Serving Disabled
Children and Young People. Libraries Unlimited,
Inc.: Littleton, Colorado, 1983.
128"-North Carolina Libraries
Taking the librarianTs point of view, Dequin includes such
areas as assessing the need for library services; who~is disabled;
historical and current treatment of the disabled; attitudes;
general and specific library services per handicap; specific types
of library programs appropriate for the different handicaps;
evaluating and selecting materials. Along with these helpful sug-
gestions, there is an up-to-date list of retrieval systems and
organizations where further information can be obtained.
Lucas, Linda, and Marilyn H. Karrenbrock. The
Disabled Child in the Library: Moving into the
Mainstream. Libraries Unlimited, Inc: Littleton,
Colorado, 1983.
This particular book briefly explains various physical and
mental disorders in laymanTs terms. The second section develops
library and information needs for these children and for parents
and professionals working with handicapped children. Materials
and equipment, as well as programming ideas, are adequately
discussed. A long, extensive bibliography and an example of
standard criteria for the selection and evaluation of instruc-
tional materials are included in the appendix.
Needham, William L., and Gerald Jahoda. Im-
proving Library Service to Physically Disabled
Persons. Libraries Unlimited, Inc.: Littleton, Colo-
rado, 1983.
In evaluating general library service to disabled persons,
Needham and Jahoda discuss the importance of the facility,
services, resources, staffing, and funding. There are appropriate
checklists for public libraries, school media centers, academic,
and special libraries. Addresses for organizations and compan-
ies involved with equipment pertinent to the disabled are also
included.
Wright, Kieth C., and Judith F. Davie. Library
and Information Services for Handicapped
Individuals. 2nd ed. Libraries Unlimited, Inc.:
Littleton, Colorado, 1983.
Wright and Davie consider the history of handicapped indi-
viduals as well as definitions for the various handicaps. The laws
pertaining to the handicapped are discussed. Program ideas,
information sources, and society's attitudes are included for
each handicap.
Although these five sources are not the only
books available in the area of handicapped servi-
ces, they are the most up-to-date and provide a
wealth of information.
i
Join NCLA
nc nea
What is NCLA?
© the only statewide organization interested in
the total library picture in North Carolina,
whose purpose is to promote libraries and
library service in the state
e an affiliate of the American Library Association
and the Southeastern Library Association, with
voting representation on each council
What are the benefits of membership?
@ provides opportunities for interaction among
those interested in good library service
@ entitles you to receive North Carolina Librar-
ies, a quarterly journal, winner of the presti-
gious H. W. Wilson Award in 1981
®@ gives you the opportunity to develop leadership
skills
@ enables you to attend workshops, continuing
education programs, and conferences at re-
duced rates
© keeps you informed on library developments in
the state through an information network and
publications
® gives you individual voting rights in the asso-
ciation
© encourages support staff and paraprofessionals
to join at reduced rates
© entitles you to membership in one of the sec-
tions or roundtables of the association
To enroll as a member of the association or to
renew your membership, check the appropriate
type of membership and the sections or roundta-
bles which you wish to join. NCLA membership
entitles you to membership in one of the sections
or roundtables shown below at no extra cost. For
each additional section, add $4.00 to your regular
dues.
Return the form below along with your check
or money order made payable to North Carolina
Library Association. All memberships are for two
calendar years. If you enroll during the last quar
ter of a year, membership will cover the next two
years.
LL
NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
____ New membership "_" Renewal __" Membership no.
Name
First Middle Last
Position
Business Address
City or Town State Zip Code
Mailing Address (if different from above)
CHECK TYPE OF DUES:
0 SPECIAL-Trustees, paraprofessional and support staff, non-salaries persons,
retired librarians, library school students, oFriends of the Library,� and non-
librarians $15.00
O LIBRARIANS"earning up to $12,000 ..........0sseer rere etter erences $22.00
O LIBRARIANS"earning $12,000 to S20jO00 Mayra i st rey bvscces ss ees $30.00
CO LIBRARIANS"earning over $20,000 ......-.:1:0ssses es eeeeeeee seen es $40.00
0 CONTRIBUTING"individual, Association, Firm, etc. interested in the work of
IGS Aart tate cae c vp ens he nn ori Reiaiple tee Coo ota SCR © whe Dierks «dale oo oe 6 $50.00
CO INSTITUTIONAL"Same for all libraries... 6... 00. esses cece e eee ee eee $50.00
CHECK SECTIONS: One free; $4.00 each additional.
© Children's O Trustees O WomenTs Round Table
O College O Public i ee
O Documents © Ref. & Adult Ethnic Minorities AT
0 Jr. College O RTSS (Res.-Tech.)
O NCASL (School) O JMRT
AMOUNT ENCLOSED $
Mail to: Eunice Drum, Treasurer, NCLA, Division of State Library, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh,
NC 27611.
1984 Fall"129
130"North Carolina Libraries
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1984 Fall"131
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Programming for Children and
Young Adults: The State LibraryTs Role
Diana Young
Recognizing the need for public libraries to
have access to knowledgeable youth services spe-
cialists, the State Library has, since 1968, pro-
vided state level childrenTs and young adult
services consultants. In 1984 the positions were
combined to provide one youth services specialist.
Primary programming responsibilities for this
consultant are consultation, continuing educa-
tion for public library youth services personnel
through workshops and publications, and state-
wide youth services programs.
In 1980 an interdisciplinary ChildrenTs Li-
brary Services Advisory Council was formed. That
council conducted its first survey and established
the following mission statement: To participate in
cooperative planning with public libraries and
other related agencies in meeting the needs of
North CarolinaTs children.
In the years that followed, the council has
changed to a public library committee. In 1984, a
Youth Library Services Advisory Committee con-
sists of representatives of small, medium, large,
and regional libraries and the current chairs of
the NCLA ChildrenTs Services Section and the
Young Adult Committee of the Public Library Sec-
tion. Each December the committee, through the
Youth Services Consultant, surveys public librar-
ies to determine the needs of local youth librar-
ians and evaluate the total State Library youth
services program, including programming. In
January or February a planning meeting is held to
gather additional input from youth librarians.
The committee considers all the data, written and
verbal, and makes recommendations on long-
range planning and the coming yearTs program.
Through a variety of Library Services and
Construction Act (LSCA) Title I grants, the State
Library has assisted local libraries with services to
children and young adults. Of direct benefit to
North CarolinaTs children were LSCA special pro-
jects which provided staff and materials to carry
on childrenTs programs. From 1973 through 1980,
fifty-five special projects, eligible for three years of
funding were awarded by the State Library. Of
Diana Young is the Public Library Consultant for Youth Servi-
ces for the Division of State Library in Raleigh.
132"North Carolina Libraries
these, twenty-seven or 49 per cent were for child-
renTs services, particularly outreach and serving
the disadvantaged. While not all of the programs
were retained in their original form by the host
library, many began services (especially pro-
gramming and the hiring of outreach staff) that
provided childrenTs services in areas where no
previous services existed. While no special project
grants are currently being awarded, without the
demonstration projects of the last decade many
currently existing childrenTs programs would not
have been possible.
Continuing Education
In addition to workshops sponsored by the
State Library and through LSCA Title III funds,
workshops such as the Rollins Colloquium are
offered biennially by North Carolina Central Uni-
versity. These are funded or partially funded and
cosponsored by the State Libary. In 1983, the
State Library offered LSCA funds to North Caro-
lina library schools and library associations to
encourage and enhance local continuing educa-
tion.
Without the demonstration pro-
jects of the last decade many
currently existing childrenTs
programs would not have been
possible.
Through individual continuing education
grants to public library employees, childrenTs
librarians can attend out-of-state programming
and skills-enhancement workshops such as the
American Library Association, Southeastern Li-
brary Association, National Association for the
Advancement of Storytelling, and the Puppeteers
of America annual conferences as well as special-
ized or one-time-only conferences such as the
1983 Everychild Conference and a variety of mid-
dle management workshops. Workshops are an-
nounced in the CE Opportunities Calendar,
Flash, and Tar Heel Libraries, with programs of
specific interest to childrenTs services personnel
listed in the annual ChildrenTs Librarians Calen-
dar and in oOf Professional Interest.�
Another form of State Library assisted pro-
gramming is the loose-leaf service. Ideas contri-
buted by librarians are published and distributed
monthly to public libraries as part of the regular
loose-leaf service. Two pages"~oPreschool Pro-
grams� and oHelpful Tips� (school age)"are com-
pletely devoted to recommended local program-
ming. Other pages such as oPromoting ChildrenTs
Services,� oClip Art,� and oPatterns and Scripts�
often carry programming suggestions. Examples
are June 1983, oPromoting ChildrenTs Services,�
library programming for toddlers (Henderson
County Public Library); September 1983, oPatt-
erns and Scripts,� which includes a turnaround
story and information on how to do one (Cumber-
land County Public Library); and December 1983,
oClip Art,� which shares child-appealing Easter
art useful in designing a brochure.
Statewide Programs
Current State Library sponsored statewide
programs which directly benefit North CarolinaTs
children and young adults include the summer
Deneen Graham, Miss North Carolina 1984, helps kick off the State LibraryTs 1984 summer reading program by sharing a record
with a young friend.
reading program, the Quiz Bowl program, and the
ChildrenTs Book Week program. Each program is
planned by a committee of local librarians work-
ing with the State Library and funded through
LSCA Title I.
Summer Reading Program. The statewide
summer reading program began in 1979. In 1980,
the program received a Z. Smith Reynolds Foun-
dation Grant for $10,000 which made possible, for
the first time, the printing of coordinated mate-
rials. LSCA began funding the program in 1981.
The summer reading program makes it possible
for all North Carolina public libraries to offer
children a coordinated summer reading program.
Each year since 1980, more than one hundred
thousand children have participated in the pro-
gram. Most reporting local libraries which took
part in the program showed circulation increases,
some as high as high as 52 per cent.!
The program is created by a Summer Reading
Program Committee, composed of local childrenTs
librarians, a school librarian, representatives
from the Department of Public Instruction Read-
ing and Education Media Programs, and coordi-
nated by the State Library Youth Services Con-
sultant. The committee meets four times during
the year to plan and produce a statewide pro-
gram flexible enough to be adapted to local
1984 Fall"133
Curious George and certificates signed by North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt have been part of past summer reading programs
sponsored by the State Library.
library needs, to produce support materials such
as posters, certificates, reading record, book-
marks, stamps, silk screens, and activity sheets
and to present a workshop based on their man-
ual. Public libraries are encouraged to work with
school libraries open during the summer months
and to work with all school librarians in planning
and promoting their program. The 1982 program,
oJust Open A Book,� won the American Library
AssociationTs John Cotton Dana Award. The pub-
licity chairperson was Karen Perry (then at High-
Point Public Library); art work was created by
Ron Jones (Wake County Public Library).
Quiz Bowl. oThe Quiz Bowl, aimed at high
school students, was begun in 1978 as an aca-
demic competition involving high schools in 12
eastern North Carolina counties. In Quiz Bowl,
local high schools both public and private, com-
pete for local, regional, and state championships.
Local and district bowls are run by local public
library systems under the guidance of the State
Library. Finals are administered by the State Quiz
Bowl Committee which is made up of public
librarians.
oEach year the State Committee meets numer-
ous times to make rule changes, put together
134"North Carolina Libraries
statewide publicity, conduct workshops, and plan
for the state finals. This committee not only for-
mulates policy but serves as a resource to all local
Quiz Bowl coordinators.
oQuiz Bowl gives the local library system a
chance to interact with the community's students
and teachers; cooperation between the public
library and schools is fostered.�
ChildrenTs Book Week. The ChildrenTs Book
Week program began in 1975 and fluctuated in
design from the production and distribution of
statewide certificates to the creation of a manual,
camera-ready copy of materials which could be
locally duplicated, and the production of a fall
workshop. In 1984, the program will be changed
to a special events program which includes a
manual and workshop to assist local childrenTs
librarians in planning for ChildrenTs Book Week,
National Library Week, Black History Month, and
among other items specialized preparations for
microcomputers and young adult programs.
How does the State Library fit into the chil-
drenTs and young adult library services program-
ming picture? It assists local libraries by providing
© Opportunities for continuing education
© Consultant services
e Funding for statewide programs
e And a listening ear to needs and trends
References
1. o1983 Adventures A-Z, Summer Reading Program Evaluation�
(Raleigh: Division of State Library, 1983).
2. oQuiz Bowl Fact Sheet� (Raleigh: Division of State Library,
1983).
Honorary and Life Membership
in NCLA
The 1984-1985 Honorary and Life Member-
ship Committee requests your recommendations
for persons you consider worthy to be honorary
or life members in NCLA. Suggestions should be
accompanied by a biographical sketch, including
contributions to libraries or librarianship. These
suggestions should be sent to the committee
chairperson by January 31, 1985.
The NCLA by-laws provide for the Honorary
and Life Membership Committee to seek sugges-
tions from all members and to recommend names
OLE LF Reber 6
LINDA HADDEN
be, cast,
TAR HEEL LIBRARIES
A NEWSLETTRE SERVING THE NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ~NS Sic
PUBLISHED BY BRVISION OF 81 LIBRAIY, DAT
TURE TE Eg rasta The taro dete ALRTA SITS
1982
COMMITTEE
earns st uirarg, Senso erent wf alteral Monee
tats See ma ay tach, SE |
for these honors to the Executive Board at the
Spring Workshop prior to the conference.
Criteria for selection are as follows:
1. Honorary memberships may be given to
non-librarians in the state who have rendered
important services to the library interests of
North Carolina. Honorary memberships should
be given at a time considered appropriate in rela-
tion to the contribution made.
2. Life memberships may be given to librar-
ians who have servedas members of the North
Carolina Library Association and who have made
noteworthy contributions to librarianship in the
state. These memberships are limited to librar-
ians who have retired.
3. Contributions of both groups should have
been beyond the local level.
Please send your selections to:
Kathy Shropshire, chairperson
Honorary and Life Membership Committee
Greensboro Public Library
P O Drawer X-4
Greensboro, NC 27402
RA AMNST 1981
UNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
iY PUBLIC LIBRARY
A variety of State Library publications help promote childrenTs services throughout North Carolina.
1984 Fall"135
Branch Library Use in North Carolina
Metropolitan Areas
David M. Paynter
When the New Hanover County Public Library
opened its first suburban branch in 1983, the
library decided to conduct an informal survey of
similar branches in other urbanized areas of
North Carolina. It was hoped that the survey
would give the New Hanover staff an idea of
proper staffing levels for what was anticipated to
be a very busy branch. A survey was sent out in
November of 1983 to nine library systems: Ashe-
ville/Buncombe, Cumberland, Charlotte, Durham,
Forsyth, Gaston-Lincoln, Greensboro, New Han-
over, and Wake. Six of the nine responded (Ashe-
ville/Buncombe, Cumberland, Durham, Greens-
boro, New Hanover, and Wake); respondents
represented thirty-four branches in several of
North CarolinaTs most urbanized counties. The
survey instrument asked for the following infor-
mation:
@ Branch location
@ Size
@ Ownership
@ Annual circulation
® Percentage of adult circulation
® Number of reference and directional ques-
tions
@ Availability of adult and juvenile programs
@ Staff size
® Collection emphasis
David M. Paynter is Director of the New Hanover County Pub-
lic Library in Wilmington, North Carolina.
® Type of circulation system used
@ Hours open per week
In terms of the locations in which branches
were located, residential areas were the preferred
site. Fifteen of the thirty-four libraries were
located in residential areas, compared with eight
in shopping centers, nine in other commercial
areas, and two in an otherwise defined area.
There was no correlation between the type of area
in which a branch was located and library use. Of
the five busiest branches, two were in shopping
centers, one in another commercial area, and two
in residential areas. A further study on the loca-
tion of high use branches might be helpful in iden-
tifying possible common characteristics.
The branches surveyed varied in size from
1,000 to 12,000 square feet.1 The average was
3,998 square feet, and the median, 2,849 square
feet. The American Library Association has tradi-
tionally recommended 2,000 square feet as a min-
imum size for a branch facility. On that basis,
nearly a third of our branch libraries would not
qualify as being of sufficient size. Only two
branches were over 10,000 square feet in size.
North Carolina branch libraries clearly tend to be
of modest dimensions. Square footage showed no
relationship to circulation. Of the five largest
libraries in size, only two were in the top five in
circulation. None of the five smallest was in the
bottom five in circulation (Table 1).
AERA A FOE SES TSS FS EE ES EES ESET SSE EARS SS RS VENTE
TABLE 1
Selected libraries comparatively ranked by square footage
Circulation
Library Sq. Footage Rank/Sq. Ft. (Annual) Rank/Circ.
WCL2 12,000 1 87,376 13
WCLA 11,780 2 240,051 2
WCL7 9,360 3 51,879 Lig
DCL3 8,500 4 14,427 32
GPL2 7,000 5 242,500 1
WCL5 1,408 30 42,079 22
CCL5 1,400 31 36,185 24
CCL3 1,400 32 79,768 15
ABL3 1,118 33 100,904 ll
DCL2 1,000 34 2,694 34
SSS PP LTRS ESS SSN SE PEAT ESS 7S IP 22S SR SCE AE YF AER STS
136"North Carolina Libraries
LL
TABLE 2
Circulation of leased branch facilities ranked in order of lease cost
"""
brary es
Lease Cost
Library (Annual)
WCL10 $56,935
GPL5 32,670
GPL4 27,816
GPL3 23,460
DCL1 16,700
WCLO03 14,000
NHCL2 13,065
WCLO9 9,750
CCL3 7,200
CCLI1 5,445
CCL2 3,600
Circulation
(Annual) Rank/Cire.
223,628 3
137,000 8
138,000 @
160,500 5
110,837 10
211,837 4
84,772 14
11,433 33
79,768 15
135,814 9
18,939 31
eee eee ee eee eee renee LK
Ownership
The ownership of the branch libraries sur-
veyed did show some unusual patterns. Of the
thirty-four libraries, only four were actually
owned by the library. Most (nineteen) were leased
at no charge or for a minimum charge from
another subdivision of government (city, town,
school board). This probably reflects the changing
organizational structure of various library sys-
tems, which may have begun as municipal or
independent libraries and later became county
departments. The remaining libraries (eleven)
were leased. These leases varied from $3,600
($2.12 per square foot) to $56,935 ($10.74 per
square foot) annually. Leased facilities were usu-
ally more actively used than other libraries. Of the
eleven leased facilities, seven were in the top ten
in circulation, and all but three exceeded the
average (Table 2).
I would conjecture that these leased facilities
are probably newer and have been located in
areas of high population growth, growth which
may have bypassed older established branches. It
may also be true that administrators are much
less likely to tolerate an under-used facility for
which they are paying rent.
Reference service
The role of branch libraries in providing ref-
erence service is difficult to ascertain because of
the lack of consistency in record keeping. One
library system did not keep branch reference sta-
tistics, and two others did not distinguish
between reference and directional transactions.
Looking at all information transactions (refer-
ence and directional), those libraries which kept
statistics (thirty) averaged 26,988 transactions,
with 13,051 transactions being the median.
The number of transactions per branch var-
ied from a low of 985 to an astounding high of
214,036. Viewed another way, branches in metro-
politan areas averaged 8.9 reference and direc-
tional questions an hour. As a percentage of each
systemTs total transactions, branches accounted
for 53.9 per cent of all information transactions
(Table 3). Branches in metropolitan areas clearly
are providing an important reference function.
However, for those libraries with strong main
libraries (New Hanover, Durham, and Greens-
boro), branch reference work is far less critical.
Since Cumberland is in the process of construct-
ing a new central library, it will be intriguing to
see how this affects the distribution of reference
use.
Program activities were available for children
at every branch surveyed. Adult programs are
aac.
TABLE 3
Reference transactions by system
o_O
Branch Ref.3
a
Total Ref.2
Library (Annual)
Asheville N/A
Cumberland 234,247
Durham 153,957
Greensboro 355,586
New Hanover (est.) 69,540
Wake 687,993
TOTAL 1,501,323
(Annual) Branch %
N/A N/A
123,175 52.6
25,925 16.8
129,594 36.4
10,000 15.7
520,047 75.6
809,641 53.9
as
1984 Fall"137
conducted far less frequently. Only eleven of the
thirty-four libraries had regular programs (at
least one per month) for adults. Those libraries
which did have adult programs were character-
ized by one of the following:4
Larger staff " nine of the eleven librar-
ies had staff larger than the average.
Longer hours of operation " ten of the
eleven libraries are open longer than the
average.
Larger size " eight of the eleven librar-
ies were physically larger than average.
The predominant use of branch libraries by
the public is the borrowing of materials. An
enormous range was present in the survey (Table
4). One library circulated only 2,694 books, and
another, 242,500. The average was 83,724 and the
median, 50,006. Most branches (twenty-eight)
circulated more adult material than juvenile.
AshevilleTs branches averaged an adult circula-
tion of 74 per cent, which was the highest of the
systems surveyed; this is probably due to the high
proportion of retirees in the area. Durham had
the lowest percentage of adult circulation (52 per
cent). Circulation per hours open showed the
same broad range. One library circulated 2.1
books per hour while another averaged 79.9. The
mean was 31.2 books per hour, with a median of
22.9. Staff productivity reflected this broad range
in circulation. The lowest figure was 1,347 circula-
tions per staff, and the highest was 38,516. The
average and median figures were 22,938 and
24,081 respectively. Of the five libraries which had
the most circulations per staff, only one was
automated.
Branch circulation as a percentage of total
circulation revealed the importance of branch
libraries for a library system. In those two librar-
ies with a small ceritral library (Cumberland and
Wake), 65.1 and 94.7 per cent of all circulation
SSS
TABLE 4
Branches ranked in circulation order
"_"e.wnrwr___""" oes ea " " " "
Total Staff Circ/ Cire/ Circ/
Branch Cire. Size Staff Hour Sq. Ft.
GPL2 242,500 6.500 37,308 70.7 34.6
WCL04 240,051 9.000 26,672 67.9 20.4
WCL10 223,628 8.750 25,557 68.8 42.2
WCL03 211,837 5.500 38,516 79.9 56.1
GLP3 160,500 6.000 26,750 46.8 34.9
WLC06 157,053 6.500 24,162 43.8 34.6
GPL4 138,000 5.750 24,000 40.2 29.7
GPL5 137,000 6.000 22,833 39.9 27.4
COLT 135,814 6.000 22,636 39.6 41.2
DCLI1 110,837 5.250 21,112 33.8 22.2
ABLS3 100,904 3.750 26,908 38.0 90.3
ABLS2 93,385 3.125 29,883 35.2 38.1
WCLO02 87,376 3.550 24,613 30.3 eS
NHCL2 84,772 2.500 33,909 37.1 35.3
CCL3 79,768 2.840 28.087 25.6 57.0
ABLS1 63,961 2.675 23,911 24.1 23.5
WCLO07 51,879 5.000 10,376 16.9 5.5
ABLS4 48,134 2.325 20,703 18.2 16.2
WCLI11 47,869 1.260 37,991 26.3 18.2
WCLO1 45,548 2.250 20,244 16.2 20.6
GPL1 43,600 3.750 11,627 Lar 8.5
WCLO5 42,079 2.300 18,295 14.1 29.9
CCL6 36,685 2.000 18,343 13.6 8.2
CCL5 36,185 1.290 28,050 15.5 25.8
CCL7 34,197 1.188 28,785 16.4 22.8
CCL4 33,778 2.290 14,750 12.0 5.6
WCL08 33,653 0.930 36,186 21.6 23.3
WCL12 32,623 1.500 21,749 20.9 18.9
WCL13 24,982 1.330 18,783 16.0 11.6
NHCLI1 20,539 0.750 27,385 15.8 13.7
CCL2 18,939 0.750 25,252 12.6 aka
DCL3 14,427 7.000 2,061 44 IVE
WCLO9 11,433 2.500 4,573 4.0 44
DCL2 2,694 2.000 1,347 2.1 pari Gs
TOTAL 2,846,630 124.103 783,357 981.0 843.5
ee
138"North Carolina Libraries
LL
TABLE 5
Branch circulation as a percentage of system circulation
a nnn ae
Library Total Book Branch Branch Percentage
System Circulation Circulation of Total
Asheville 733,855 306,389 418
Cumberland 576,850 375,366 65.1
Durham 583,116 127,958 21.9
Greensboro 1,161,933 721,600 62.1
New Hanover (est.) 502,701 105,306 20.9
Wake 1,277,085 1,210,011 94.7
TOTAL 4,839,540 2,846,630 58.9
LL
was done from branch libraries (Table 5). can judge for themselves the success of their par-
ticular branch libraries.
Conclusion
: F fe
In conclusion, the author makes the following vind wl
observations about North CarolinaTs metropolitan 1. Facilities of less than one thousand feet were not considered
branch libraries: in the survey.
2. From Statistics and Directory of North Carolina Public
Libraries (July 1, 1982 " June 30, 1983) (Raleigh: Division of
State Library, 1983).
3. From figures submitted.
4. Eight of the eleven had at least two of these factors.
Leasing of facilities is a popular and
successful alternative to actual ownership.
Branch libraries play a major role in the
provision of reference service.
Several libraries show such little activ-
ity that there is a real question as to the
value of keeping them open.
Staffing patterns, while generally relat-
ing to use, remain highly variable in many
_ instances. A reassignment of staff would be
appropriate in several instances.
Program activities in branch libraries
are almost exclusively child-oriented.
oPERSONALIZED�
Productivity of library staff should be a SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE
major concern of all library administrators. McGregor can simplify complex and
Sixteen of the thirty-four branches were time consuming problems of periodi-
below the annual average of 22,938 circula- cal procurement involving research,
ordering, payments, renewals and
record keeping. Prompt courteous
service has been a tradition with
Data collection is hampered by the lack McGregor since 1933.
of consistency in record keeping. © All domestic and foreign titles
tions per staff.
e Title Research
Because of the limited number of libraries in e Prepaid Subscriptions
this survey, the conclusions drawn must be consid- e Automatic Renewals
ered impressionistic rather than definitive. I do e Personal Service Representatives
think, however, that the survey is accurate in its Call or write for catalog today
broad outlines and I hope that it will provide 815/734-4183
library administrators with some insight into the
operation of branch libraries in our urban cen- MCGREGOR MAGAZINE AGENCY
ters. I also hope that the survey will provide them Mount Morris, Illinois 61054
with some meaningful comparisons, so that they
1984 Fall"139
One LibraryTs Response to Disaster
Willie Nelms
We often hear of disasters striking libraries
and maybe even wonder what we would do if a
catastrophe hit our operation. In most cases,
however, we assume that calamities happen to
other people and we do not really worry about
such matters.
The occurrences of the night of March 28,
1984, convinced everyone affiliated with the
Sheppard Memorial Library in Greenville, North
Carolina, that bad things do happen to nice librar-
ies. The situation, circumstances, and decisions
that were made to deal with a disaster that hit
this eastern North Carolina library are described
below.
The afternoon of Wednesday, March 28, was
partly cloudy in Greenville, but the weatherman
was calling for rain and high winds. At the Shep-
pard Memorial Library, the public library serving
Pitt County, the roofing company which was
installing a membrane-type roof on the wings of
the main library worked rapidly to complete their
job. They had already finished the roof over the
reading room of the library, and they expected to
complete the side over the stacks before the pre-
dicted rains began.
The Greenville City Engineering Department,
which was overseeing the work, called the roofing
contractor to make certain the roof would be
secure if rains came. The contractor assured the
engineering department that the roof would be
watertight when they left the library that evening.
The staff of the library went home after work
with no idea of the damage that was to occur
throughout Pitt County. On the night of March 28,
tornadoes ripped through eastern North Carol-
ina, destroying millions of dollars worth of prop-
erty, killing dozens, and leaving hundreds home-
less. In Pitt County alone, twelve people were
killed by the vicious storms.
Because of the scattered nature of the torna-
does, the library staff came to work the next day
with little knowledge of the widespread damage.
The full extent of the natural disaster would not
be known for several days to come.
Willie Nelms is Director of the Sheppard Memorial Library in
Greenville, North Carolina.
140"North Carolina Libraries
When the library director arrived at work at
8:45 A.M. on Thursday morning, he was met by the
business manager and other members of the
clerical staff, who reported extensive damage to
the building. Water leaks extended from the ceil-
ing of the upper stack area into the basement two
floors below.
As the director approached the stack area to
switch on the lights, the sickening sound of drip-
ping water could be heard throughout the twenty-
eight hundred square feet wing. Switching on the
lights revealed numerous drips in the wing roof
with water seeping down onto the book collection
and the carpet below.
It was clear that the roof had not been ade-
quately secured when the roofers left the scene
the night before. Water had seeped under the
edges of the membrane and flowed over the origi-
nal tar and gravel roof, which had been stripped
of its protective coating. Since the membrane roof
was fastened to the building by screws, each
penetration of the roof had produced a leak.
Ironically, no tornadoes had hit the area
around the library, and the rainfall levels were
not even particularly high during the previous
night. High winds, however, had forced water
under the roof, causing the damage.
Fortunately, the library had a suspended ceil-
ing, which absorbed most of the water penetrat-
ing the roof. In numerous places, however, the
ceiling tiles had become saturated and crumbled
under the weight of the water. In these areas,
water poured down upon the collection. Various
other tiles were nearly saturated, and the situa-
tion was worsening.
Further review of the area showed the wool
carpet to be saturated throughout the stack area.
Fortunately, the rain had stopped, so no new
water was falling on the roof.
As the staff assembled for the dayTs work, the
first order of business was to remove books which
were in danger from the dripping water. It was
apparent that the adult section of the library
could not be open for business that day. However,
since the childrenTs room of the library had not
been damaged by the leaks and since this area has
a separate entrance, some library service could be
provided from the building during the day.
Bucket Brigade
Since the full extent of the book damage
could not be ascertained until the books were
actually handled, all available staff was assigned
to move books. An efficient equivalent to a
obucket brigade� was soon operating. Books which
were at all wet were taken to a central location
for further inspection. Other books which might
be in harmTs way but were as yet undamaged were
taken to a lower stack level for temporary storage.
During these early stages, the roofing com-
pany representative and the city engineer arrived.
The roofing company assured the library director
and the engineer that every effort would be made
to make certain that the roof was watertight
before nightfall. The reading room wing, where
the roof had been finished, allowed no water in
the building, so it was clear that the roof would
protect the building if it could be totally finished
before the next rains came. However, since the
weather forecasts called for possible showers, the
situation was uncertain at best.
Once books had been moved out of the line of
the dripping water, the extent of the damage to
the collection became more apparent. Over three
hundred items were damaged to the point that
they would probably have to be discarded. About
one hundred others were slightly damaged and
could be dried out on the site.
_ At this point, the situation caused by the
water damage could be divided into several pro-
jects:
1. Securing the roof to avoid further water
damage.
2. Making sure that if water entered the
building, it would not damage the collection
further.
3. Ascertaining the extent of damage to the
collection more precisely.
4, Arranging the library collections which
had been moved for resumption of normal servi-
ces as soon as possible.
5. Areas not affected by the water (branches,
childrenTs room) were expected to carry on oper-
ations as normally as possible.
Since the issue of securing the roof was being
dealt with by the roofing company and the city
engineering department, the library staff was left
free to concentrate on the other problems. To
prevent further water damage to the collection,
rolls of sheet plastic (purchased from a local
lumber company) were draped over the book
stacks. In this way, any water falling from the ceil-
ing would be diverted onto the floor. Since there
were over twenty-five thousand books in the
damaged stack level, this means of protection was
preferable to a wholesale attempt to move all
books.
Members of the technical services depart-
ment were assigned the task of ascertaining more
fully the extent of the water damage to the books,
pricing the damaged items, and drying the books
which were slightly wet. Electric fans were
brought in to help in the drying process. Books
which were candidates for on site restoration
were saved, and the discards were boxed. Cards
from the discards were pulled, and the task of
determining their value was begun.
Numerous photographs documenting the
damage were taken by the staff. In addition, the
library business manager was assigned the job of
recording all costs involved in the cleanup pro-
cess. Such records would be necessary for insu-
rance claims.
Members of the adult public service staff
were assigned the task of arranging books which
had been moved out of the line of danger so that
normal public service could resume as soon as
possible. The goal of opening for operations the
next day was set. Members of the public service
staff devised a method for showing where books
formerly in the upper stack level were located in
the temporary shelving arrangement.
A carpet-cleaning service was hired to ex-
tract water from the stack area. This work took
seven hours, and over 150 gallons of water were
taken out of the soaked carpet. Once carpet areas
were cleared of water, rented fans were focused
on them to dry out the moist rug and to prevent
mildew. Saturated ceiling tiles were removed and
taken to an outside dumpster.
Equally as important as dealing with disaster
conditions was the continuation of existing servi-
ces. Patrons were diverted to branches, and every
effort was made to carry on library service in a
normal manner at these facilities.
By 6 P.M. Thursday, the situation was stabil-
ized. The area was Cleared, books were protected
by plastic covering, and a means of providing
access to the moved collections was devised.
Through the outstanding work of the staff, the
library was able to open for business the following
day.
The estimated cost of damage to the building
was $5200. The eveningT was spent determining
the value of the damaged books which would be
discarded. Nearly all of the lost books were non-
fiction. Searches in Books in Print revealed that
1984 Fall"141
over half of these items were no longer being pub-
lished. Since many of these items had no suitable
replacements, the need to make some effort at
reclaiming even the most severely damaged books
seemed obvious.
Disaster Preparedness
At this point, the library director referred to
Disaster Preparedness: a Guide for Developing a
Plan to Cope with Disaster for the Small Public
and Private Library, prepared by John L. Sharpe,
curator of rare books at Duke University, and
developed by the NCLA Library Resources Com-
mittee. Appendix IV of this manual, oSalvage of
Water-Soaked Books and Material,� provided very
useful information on how to reclaim books which
are apparently damaged beyond repair.
Closely following the instruction in the man-
ual, the library director obtained storage space in
the freezer of a local grocery wholesaler. Two
hundred eighty-eight books valued at $2,538 were
boxed and stored at minus fifteen degrees Fahr-
enheit.
Over the next month, periodic trips were
made to the freezer by library staffers. Two or
three boxes of books at a time were brought back
and dried. The techniques recommended in Di-
saster Preparedness were used to dry the books.
In essence, the freezing of the books kept the mil-
dew and mold from starting, and the salvage
problem was reduced to manageable proportions.
Instead of 288 books to save at one time, the
library staff could deal with 35 to 45 at a time.
As a result of these efforts, 145 of the dam-
aged books were able to be returned to the shelves
upon drying. One hundred twenty-nine others
were dried and sent to the bindery for new covers,
while 14 eventually had to be discarded. Drying
the books was a time-consuming, often tedious,
process. Considering the value of the information
saved, however, the effort was worthwhile.
With the completion of the salvage of the
books and the finish of the roofing, the library has
returned to normal. The total cost of damage to
the building, the collection, and the cost of clean
up approached $8,000. These costs could have
been much higher if the library staff had not
acted quickly to contain the damage. The experi-
ence was challenging, and many lessons were
learned. The most important of these lessons is
the knowledge that such disasters can and do
happen. If such catastrophes occur, it is neces-
sary to be prepared.
142"North Carolina Libraries
ACCESS
TO
INFORMATION
ALA"Paths to Power
You'll save: The special half price for New
Personal Members is $25; students $10;
renewing members $50; non-salaried or
retired librarians $15; trustee and lay
members $20; foreign $30 (effective 1984
calendar year).
Ybw'll receive: American Libraries and its
LEADS job listings; reduced rates at ALA
conferences; discounts on ALA monographs;
eligibility to vote and hold office; an excel-
lent group insurance plan; the backing of
the most influential library association in
the world.
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Documents
Less Access to Less Information by and about the U.S. Government
A 1983-84 Chronology: November 1983 " June 1984
What was first seen as an emerging trend in
April 1981, when the American Library Associa-
tion Washington office first started this chronol-
ogy, has by June 1984 become a continuing
pattern of the federal government to restrict
government publications and information dissem-
ination activities. A policy has emerged which is
less than sympathetic to the principles of freedom
of access to information as librarians advocate
them. A combination of specific policy decisions,
the current administrationTs interpretations and
implementation of the 1980 Paperwork Reduc-
tion Act (PL 96-511), implementation of the
Grace Commission recommendations, and agency
budget cuts significantly limit access to public
documents and statistics.
The accelerating tendency of federal agencies
to use computer and telecommunications tech-
nologies for data collection, storage, retrieval, and
dissemination has major implications for public
access. To identify a few: contractual arrange-
ments with commercial firms to disseminate
information collected at taxpayer expense, in-
creased user charges for government information,
the trend toward having increasing amounts of
government information available in electronic
format only and eliminating the printed version.
While automation clearly offers promises of sav-
ings, will public access to government information
be further restricted for people who cannot
afford computers or cannot pay for computer
time?
ALA reaffirmed its long standing conviction
that open government is vital to a democracy in a
resolution passed by council in January 1984
which stated that othere should be equal and
ready access to data collected, compiled, pro-
duced, and published in any format by the
This chronology was provided by the Washington office of the
American Library Association. Previous chronologies have
been published in the Fall/Winter 1982 North Carolina
Libraries (274-277) and in the Spring 1982 issue (6-62).
government of the United States.� With access to
information a major ALA priority, members
should be concerned about the following series of
actions which create a climate in which govern-
ment information activities are suspect.
The following partial chronology from Novem-
ber 1983 to June 1984 supplements three pre-
vious 1981, 1982 and 1983 chronologies prepared
on the same topic.
November 1983. The House passed HR 2718,
Paperwork Reduction Act Amendments of 1983.
The bill establishes new goals for further reduc-
tion of the burden imposed by federal paperwork
requirements. Federal collection of information
would be reduced by 10 per cent by October 1,
1984, and by an additional 5 per cent by October
1, 1985. The House bill would explicitly prohibit
use of funds for functions or activities not specifi-
cally authorized or required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act. (November 7 Congressional
Record, pp. H9271-9273).
December. In a December 12 letter to Rep.
Augustus F. Hawkins (D-CA), chair of the Joint
Committee on Printing, OMB Director David
Stockman, protested the stipulation in the pro-
posed JCP Government Printing, Binding and
Distribution Regulations that the Government
Printing Office would be responsible for the dis-
tribution of all government publications. In her
letter commenting on the proposed regulations,
ALA Washington Office Director Eileen D. Cooke
commended the JCP for its development of regu-
lations which provide for technological changes
and for increased support for the depository
library program. Cooke said, oThe expanded defi-
nition of printing is extremely important for the
continued effective operation of the depository
library program. An increasing number of govern-
ment agencies are creating information which is
only available for distribution in an electronic
format. In order for libraries, specifically deposi-
1984 Fall"143
Documents
tory libraries, to be able to provide information in
this format to the general public, it must become
part of the depository library program.� The pro-
posed JCP regulations were printed in the
November 11 Congressional Record, pp. H9709-
9713.
December. On December 28, 1983, the Uni-
ted States government gave the required one-year
notice of its intention to withdraw from the
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cul-
tural Organization (UNESCO) effective January 1,
1985. (Press release #98-158, oHouse Hearings on
U.S. Participation in UNESCO,� Committee on
Science and Technology, U.S. House of Represen-
tatives, March 8, 1984).
Note: ALA Council passed a resolution in
January 1984 on continued U.S. membership in
UNESCO. Thomas Galvin, chair of ALATs Interna-
tional Relations Committee, testified in Congress
on March 15 and urged the U.S. to stay in
UNESCO and continue to allow US. scientists
ofull, prompt, and ready access to ... research
results of their counterparts ... throughout the
world.�
January 1984. The Second Annual Report on
Eliminations, Consolidations, and Cost Reduc-
tions of Government Publications reports the
elimination of 3,287 publications and the pro-
posed consolidation of another 561. The total of
eliminations and consolidations equals 3,848 pub-
lications or one-fourth of the total inventory.
These publications account for over 150 million
copies, or 15 per cent of all copies printed. In
addition, federal agencies proposed 5,020 cost-
reduction actions on 3,070 other publications
including reducing the volume, frequency of issue,
use of color, and other printing and distribution
cost reductions. Meanwhile, the Office of Man-
agement and Budget is revising OMB Circular A-3,
the permanent procedure for the government-
wide review of publications. When the circular is
revised, OMB plans to establish new publication
elimination and cost reduction goals for the
remaining 9,000 publications in the government
inventory of 15,900 publications. (Office of Man-
agement and Budget, Second Annual Report on
Eliminations, Consolidations, and Cost Reduc-
tions of Government Publications, released on
January 6, 1984)
January. A photograph in the Washington
Post showed Presidential counselor Edwin Meese
III and OMB Deputy Director Joseph Wright sur-
rounded by trash bags stuffed with government
documents at a White House briefing. The accom-
panying story said
Since President Reagan took office three years ago, the
144"North Carolina Libraries
administration has eliminated one of every four government
publications then printed. Most of them were distributed free to
the public by the Agriculture and Defense departments.
Meese ridiculed the publications, calling a pamphlet
entitled oHow to Control Bedbugs,� for example, a real obest-
seller.� But the doomed publications included several offering
advice about serious subjects, such as solar energy, radioactive
fallout, income taxes and drug abuse. Meese said those publica-
tions are being eliminated because the information is available
elsewhere. Eliminating the publications will save $85 million
annually ... (Pete Earley, oU.S. Tightens Tourniquet on Flow of
Paper,� Washington Post, January 7, 1984, p. A5)
February. For the third year in a row the
administration proposed elimination of library
grant programs. Education Department justifica-
tion for the zeroes indicated no new rationale, but
once again noted othe programTs past success at
establishing the highest practical levels of access
across the country to library services ... and at
developing models of interlibrary cooperative
arrangements to stimulate further expansion of
the concept.� In addition, oany further need for
training of professional librarians can be met
through state and local efforts as well as student
aid programs.� In the past years, Congress has
continued to fund library grant programs, in
some cases, at the highest-ever levels. (Depart-
ment of Education, The Fiscal Year 1985 Budget,
released February 1, 1984)
February. The administrationTs FY 1985 bud-
get request for the Consumer Information Center
is $349,000, a million dollars less than the FY 1984
appropriation. The budget proposes that one-half
of CICTs staff be redirected from traditional con-
sumer information activities to undertake new
marketing programs financed from increased
user fees and other charges. The CICTs function is
to promote greater public awareness of existing
federal publications through distribution of the
quarterly oConsumer Information Catalog� and
various media programs.
In May, when the House Appropriations
Committee recommended $1,149,000 in new bud-
get authority for the CIC in FY 1985, it expressed
concern that the recent user charge increase has
substantially reduced consumer demand for pub-
lications, with the result that lower volume has
raised unit distribution costs. Therefore, the
committee directed that the charge to consumers
not be raised above its current level of $1 and that
the CIC charge other federal agencies only the
actual cost of distributing publications. (H. Rept.
98-803 on the Department of Housing and Urban
Development-Independent Agencies Appropria-
tion Bill, 1985; May 23, 1984, p. 34)
February. The administration requested for
FY 1985 only $452 million of the $801 million
needed to keep nonprofit and other subsidized
postal rates at current levels. Under the Presi-
dentTs proposal, a 2-lb. book package mailed at
the fourth-class library rate would increase from
the current 47¢ to 66¢, a 40 per cent increase.
However, the House Treasury-Postal Service-Gen-
eral Government Appropriations Subcommittee,
chaired by Rep. Edward Roybal (D-CA), recom-
mended $801 million, the full amount needed. The
full House Appropriations Committee approved
that recommendation June 7 in HR 5798; the
Senate subcommittee has not yet acted. (House
Treasury, Postal Service and General Government
Appropriations Bill, 1985 (H. Rept. 98-830))
February. Following the administrationTs re-
quest for substantial revisions to the Freedom of
Information Act, the Senate passed S. 774 amend-
ing the FOIA. The bill would provide increased
confidentiality for certain law enforcement, pri-
vate business, and sensitive personal records. It
promotes uniform fee schedules among agencies
which could recover reasonable processing costs
in addition to the current search and copying
costs, and could keep half the fees to offset costs.
The public interest fee waiver would be clarified.
Many of the substantive and procedural changes
proposed by the Senate to the FOIA are contro-
versial. Rep. Glenn English (D-OK), chair of the
House Government Operations Subcommittee on
Government Information, Justice, and Agricul-
ture, has indicated that the subcommittee omust
proceed very carefully and thoughtfully in con-
sidering amendments.� (February 27 Congres-
sional Record. pp. $1794-1822, and oStatement of
Rep. Glenn English on the Passage by the Senate
of Freedom of Information Act Amendments,�
News Release from the House Committee on
Government Operations, February 28, 1984)
February. The Department of Agriculture
announced that it will issue a request for pro-
posal (RFP 84-00-R-6) on March 15, seeking con-
tractors to provide a computer-based system to
support electronic dissemination of operishable�
data developed by USDA agencies. (February 28,
1984, Commerce Business Daily) Examples of the
type of data to be disseminated in the system
include Market News Reports from Agricultural
Marketing Service, Outlook and Situation Reports
from Agricultural Marketing Service, Outlook and
Situation Reports from Economic Research Ser-
vice, Weekly Export Sales Reports from Foreign
Agricultural Service, and USDA press releases
and crop production reports from Statistical
Reporting Services. Users will pay for the direct
cost of accessing the data from the computer-
based system. However, USDA does not plan to
exert control over the fees which contractors or
Documents
sub-contractors will charge the public to access
the on-line data. The Office of Management and
Budget considers this RFP a prototype for the
federal governmentTs distribution of electronic
data.
March. The Patent and Trademark Office has
signed agreements with private companies for the
automation of agency records at no cost to the
government. One aspect of these agreements
requires the agency to deny Freedom of Informa-
tion Act requests for the records in automated
form. In a statement in the March 14 Congres-
sional Record (pp. H1614-1615), Rep. Glenn Eng-
lish (D-OK) asked, Is the agency obtaining
services at the price of limiting public access to
some of its records? The Securities and Exchange
Commission has issued a request for proposals
for a pilot test of an electronic filing, processing,
and dissemination system. The Federal Maritime
Commission is also considering an electronic fil-
ing, storage, and retrieval system for tariffs.
March. On March 15, Sen John Danforth (R-
MO) introduced S. 7433, the Senate version of the
Paperwork Reduction Act Amendments of 1984.
The Senate bill would require reducing the
paperwork burden by 5 per cent in each of the
next five fiscal years, beginning in FY 1984.
(March 15 Congressional Record, pp. S2789-
2793)
April. OMB published the third and final ver-
sion of its controversial oLobbying� revision of Cir-
cular A-122, oCost Principles for Nonprofit Organi-
zations� in the April 27 Federal Register, pp.
18260-77. The revision which is scheduled to go
into effect on May 29, 1984, makes unallowable
the use of federal funds for the costs associated
with most kinds of lobbying and political activities
but does not restrict lobbying and political activi-
ties paid for with non-federal funds. The new ver-
sion is still drawing fire from some groups and
from members of Congress who contend that the
bookkeeping requirement would require contrac-
tors and grantees to tell the government how
much they spend on lobbying and identify those
costs separately from other expenses. (Washing-
ton Post, April 30, 1984)
April. The Justice Department concluded in
an April 11, 1984 memorandum for the counsel to
the director of the Office of Management and
Budget that the proposed regulations published
by the Joint Committee on Printing in November
1983 o... are statutorily unsupported and consti-
tutionally impermissible.� (Memorandum for
Michael J. Horowitz, Counsel to the Director,
Office of Management and Budget. Re: Constitu-
tionality of Proposed Regulations of Joint Com-
1984 Fall"145
Documents
mittee on Printing under Buckley v. Valeo and INS
v. Chadha, April 11, 1984)
May. When the National Farmers Union
recently asked for a listing of payment-in-kind
(PIK) participants and amounts of the PIK com-
modities they received, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture responded that a printout would cost
$2,284.87, with half of the money required up
front. (Washington Post, May 25, 1984, p. A21)
June. Thousands of government employees
are currently being required to sign prepublica-
tion censorship agreements and to submit to lie
detector examinations despite President ReaganTs
suspension of these controversial programs pro-
posed in his March 1983 National Security Deci-
sion Directive 84. According to a General Account-
ing Office report (GAO/NSIAD-84-134) released
on June 11, 1984, every employee with access to
sensitive compartmented information (SCI) is
being required to sign a lifelong prepublication
censorship agreement, Form 4193. In March 1984,
the President had promised Congress he would
suspend the censorship and polygraph provisions
of his directive for the duration of this session of
Congress. The PresidentTs censorship contract
and Form 4193 are virtually identical. Since the
issuance of Form 4193 in 1981, approximately
156,000 military and civilian employees have been
required to sign such agreements at the Depart-
ment of Defense alone. The GAO reports that
employees in 22 other federal agencies have also
signed these agreements. (U.S. House of Repre-
sentatives, news release, oGAO Update on Admin-
istration Lie Detector/Censorship Status Reveals
Reagan Promise of Suspension Has Little Effect:
Brooks Calls for End to Programs, Prohibition by
Law,� released June 13, 1984)
Instructions for the Preparation
of Manuscripts
for North Carolina Libraries
1. North Carolina Libraries seeks to publish articles, book
reviews, and news of professional interest to librarians in
North Carolina. Articles need not be of a scholarly nature,
but they should address professional concerns of the library
community in the state.
2. Manuscripts should be directed to Robert Burgin, Editor,
North Carolina Libraries, School of Library Science, N.C.
Central University, Durham, N.C. 27707.
3. Manuscripts should be submitted in triplicate on plain white
paper measuring 8%"x11".
4. Manuscripts must be double-spaced (text, references, and
footnotes). Manuscripts should be typed on sixty-space lines,
twenty-five lines to a page. The beginnings of paragraphs
should be indented eight spaces. Lengthy quotes should be
avoided. When used, they should be indented on both
margins.
5. The name, position, and professional address of the author
should appear in the bottom left-hand corner of a separate
title page.
6. Each page after the first should be numbered consecutively
at the top right-hand corner and carry the authorTs last
name at the upper left-hand corner.
7. Footnotes should appear at the end of the manuscript. The
editors will refer to The Chicago Manual of Style, 13th edi-
tion. The basic forms for books and journals are as follows:
Keyes Metcalf, Planning Academic and Research Library
Buildings New York: McGraw, 1965), 416.
Susan K. Martin, oThe Care and Feeding of the MARC
Format,� American Libraries 10 (September 1979): 498.
8. Photographs will be accepted for consideration but cannot
be returned.
9. North Carolina Libraries is not copyrighted. Copyright rests
with the author. Upon receipt, a manuscript will be acknowl-
edged by the editor. Following review of a manuscript by at
least two jurors, a decision will be communicated to the writ-
er. A definite publication date cannot be given since any
incoming manuscript will be added toa manuscript from
which articles are selected for each issue.
Issue deadlines are February 10, May 10, August 10, and
November 10.
stand up for
libraries
| ts NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
146"North Carolina Libraries
New North Carolina Books
New North Carolina Books
Alice R. Cotten, Compiler
Smith Barrier. On Tobacco Road: Basketball in
North Carolina. New York: Leisure Press, 1983.
352 pp. $10.95 paper.
As a sports writer for the Greensboro Daily
News and Record for forty years, Smith Barrier
has had a press row view of basketball in North
Carolina for four decades and is well qualified to
have undertaken this work. After retiring as
executive sports editor of the above newspaper in
1980, Barrier has written articles for such publi-
cations as Sports IUustrated and Street and Smith
Magazine. His first book, The ACC Basketball
Tournament Classic (1981), is an interesting, well-
illustrated review of that popular, yearly sport-
ing event.
oTobacco Road� indeed has had a long and
rich tradition of basketball, particularly at the
college level. Although books have been written on
individual teams and a few on the Atlantic Coast
Conference, no one prior to Barrier has tackled
the difficult task of compiling a comprehensive
history of basketball in this state. Inspired by the
consecutive national championships of North
Carolina (1982) and North Carolina State (1983),
Barrier traces roundball in this state from the
first intercollegiate game"Guilford vs. Wake
Forest in 1906"to the WolfpackTs rise to the top
in 1983.
On Tobacco Road begins with the invention of
basketball in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith at
Springfield, Massachusetts. It reveals the grad-
ual spread of the game to college campuses and
into the South by the turn of the century. Basket-
ball gained a solid foothold in the South following
World War I with the founding of the oold� South-
ern Conference in 1920 and its popular invita-
tional tournament held in Atlanta. Barrier ex-
plains the formation of the onew� Southern
Conference in 1932 and follows its evolution into
the Atlantic Coast Conference by 1953.
The bookTs twenty-six chapters include mate-
rial on prominent coaches, schools, events, and
trends of basketball in the Tar Heel state. Not only
does Barrier cover such coaching giants as Eddie
Cameron, Ben Carnevale, Everette Case, Murry
Greason, Bones McKinney, Frank McGuire, Vic
Bubas, John McLendon, Clarence Gaines, Cal
Irvin, Dean Smith, Norman Sloan, Bill Foster, Carl
Tacy, and Jim Valvano, but he also writes about
other aspects that have been instrumental in the
development of the sport. He highlights the
growth of womenTs basketball, the emergence of
black athletes, the history of small college basket-
ball, and the short-lived regime of the Carolina
Cougars. Barrier credits radio, television, and the
presence of large coliseums with giving a tre-
mendous boost to the popularity of college
ohoops.� He acknowledges Everett Case of North
Carolina State and the Dixie Classic tournament
as the two major factors in bringing big-time col-
lege basketball to North Carolina.
The bookTs appendix, a valuable reference
guide for basketball enthusiasts, lists all-America
players and coaching records from 1921-1983.
Unfortunately, the book does not include either
an index or bibliography.
A book such as On Tobacco Road was long
overdue, and Barrier is due our thanks for this
attempt to portray the story of basketball in
North Carolina. The book, however, has several
problems that may hamper the reader. At times it
suffers from a lack of organization, and some of
its information is repetitious. Sometimes the writ-
ing is awkward and difficult to follow. Barrier
occasionally assumes that the reader is more
knowledgeable on the subject than might be the
case. The quality of the work further suffers from
poor proofreading, as evidenced by a frequency of
typographical errors and misspellings.
BarrierTs book belongs in the personal librar-
ies of all North Carolinians who have an interest
in area college basketball. Likewise, it is suitable
for school, public, and academic libraries across
the state.
Stephen E. Massengill, North Carolina State Archives
Brian F. Berger. Thomas Wolfe: The Final Jour-
ney. West Linn, Oregon: Willamette River Press,
1984. 45 pp. $10.00.
1984 Fall"147
New North Carolina Books
After completing manuscripts for The Web
and the Rock, and only a few weeks before he died
of tuberculosis, North Carolina novelist Thomas
Wolfe (1900-1938) visited the American North-
west for the first time. In Portland, Oregon, he met
Edward Miller and Ray Conway as they were
completing plans for a whirlwind automobile tour
of national parks in the western states. They
invited Wolfe to go along, and he accepted. The
itinerary called for a drive of almost five thousand
miles in only two weeks.
In Thomas Wolfe: The Final Journey, Brian
Berger brings together two elements that illumi-
nate WolfeTs national parks tour. One is Edward
MillerTs oRemembrance� of his travels with Wolfe.
This was previously published in a slightly differ-
ent version in The Thomas Wolfe Newsletter
(spring 1977). The second part of the volume is an
article from the Portland OregonianTs Northwest
Magazine, October 26, 1980. This is a daily chron-
icle of the national parks tour embellished with
quotations from WolfeTs own journal of the trip.
Also included are photographs made on the tour,
several of which were previously unpublished.
Although it provides little in the way of new
material, Thomas Wolfe: A Final Journey brings
together much of what is known about the author
in the last days preceding his fatal illness. The
book is attractively printed and _ illustrated,
including a facsimile letter from Wolfe to Edward
Miller. This short volume is interesting to read
and should be a welcome addition to the book-
shelves of Wolfe enthusiasts. It is also recom-
mended for libraries with literature collections
that include works about Wolfe.
Jerry W. Cotten, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Maureen Brady. Folly. Trumansburg, N.Y: The
Crossing Press, 1982. 197 pp. $7.95 paper; $16.95
cloth. [P.O. Box 640, Main Street, Trumansburg,
N.Y. 14886-9990. |
Folly is Maureen BradyTs second novel. Set in
asmall North Carolina town, it follows the lives of
two white women, Folly and Martha, who work in
the local garment factory, as they organize a
strike, enlist support for a union, negotiate a con-
tract with management, and finally discover that,
after years of friendship, they are in love with
each other.
Though Folly and Martha are the pivotal
characters in the story that unfolds, the novel
explores themes in the lives of a number of other
characters. Among them are FollyTs daughter
148"North Carolina Libraries
Mary Lou, who is sixteen and struggling with the
problems of growing up; MarthaTs mother, Daisy,
who endures the problems of aging; Mary LouTs
friend Lenore, who has dropped out of school and
whom Folly initially distrusts because she sus-
pects rightly that Lenore is a lesbian; LenoreTs
mother, Evelyn, whose alcoholism is the source of
conflict between her and her daughter; and
LenoreTs friend Sabrina, a young black woman
working as a waitress, through whose friendship
Lenore begins to realize her own racism. Folly is
the weaving of the narrative of the strike with
events in these womenTs lives. Without being
didactic, the novel shows the women learning to
recognize the forces that have oppressed them,
learning their own strengths, and making changes
in their personal and working lives.
Maureen BradyTs first novel, Give Me Your
Good Ear (Spinsters, Ink, 1979), the story of one
womanTs discovering and coming to terms with
the issues in her life, is a more powerful book. In
Folly the authorTs narrative voice is not as clear or
as certain. And, although her characterizations of
the women are often compelling, her descriptions
of the strike never are. Perhaps part of this failure
is due to the novel's shifting point of view or to its
shortness or to the fact that the dialogue, which
tries to sound working class and southern, does
not always succeed. Because of its many charac-
ters and subplots, the book should be longer.
Brady has achieved an admirable degree of char-
acter development in so short a space, but more
would be better.
In her acknowledgements Brady says she was
encouraged to write Folly by reading Kathy
KahnTs Hillbilly Women, which describes the
founding of a worker-owned sewing factory by a
group of women in Fannin County, Georgia. She
then gathered material for the novel by interview-
ing a number of women textile mill workers in
North Carolina. Her efforts in conducting these
interviews are commendable. But many of the
artistic problems in the novel stem from the fact
that the author has never worked in a mill. Des-
pite her considerable empathy with the mill
women, she had serious difficulties in rendering
the material she gathered on strikes and working
conditions. Folly is, nevertheless, both believable
and authentic. It is also an honest book, an
important book that gives us insight into the lives
of working women, black women, and lesbians "
all of whom are grossly underrepresented as
characters in fiction. For this reason it deserves a
place in academic and public library collections.
Maureen Brady deserves more recognition as
a writer. She spent her early childhood in upstate
New York, her osecond decade� in Florida, and
now lives near Argyle, New York. She is a physical
therapist and has taught physical therapy at Rus-
sell Sage College. She is the co-founder of Spins-
ters, Ink, a feminist publishing company. In
undertaking Folly she dared a great deal and has
written a book of which she should be proud. She
should continue to write and not become frus-
trated by commercial publishers and professional
reviewers who fail to heed her work.
Susan Ballinger, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Jerry Bledsoe. Carolina Curiosities: Jerry Bled-
soeTs Outlandish Guide to the Dadblamedest
Things to See and Do in North Carolina. Char-
lotte: The East Woods Press, 1984. 224 pp. $7.95.
Have you ever been riding down a North
Carolina highway, seen something unusual, and
wondered, What was that? Chances are Jerry
BledsoeTs Carolina Curiosities will have an
answer. It is a guide to the wonders of the Old
North State. In his twenty years as a journalist
covering North Carolina, Bledsoe has discovered
the biggest (weeping willow tree, gospel sing, fry-
ing pan), the ooldest (Putt Putt miniature golf
course, wagon train, grapevine), the only (Woolly
Worm Festival, pirate school, Collard Festival).
But do not be misled by this list, for the book is
not limited to the outlandish, odadblamedest,� or
curious. Certainly the unusual prevails, but there
is also a good sampling of significant historical
and natural sites.
The arrangement is geographical, and there
are directions to most sites. (In the case of Ayd-
enTs Collard Festival, however, all you need to do
is follow your nose.) There is an index, but travel
and trivia buffs will go through this book page by
page.
Carolina Curiosities belongs in every library
in North Carolina. Public libraries will want a cir-
culating copy as well as a copy in the reference
collection. And I suggest that you keep a copy in
your car. That way, the next time you're traveling
by Forest City you'll know to drop in on Charlie
Yelton and see his house of bottles. (Clear quart
jars are set in mortar, 7-Up bottles accent the
windows, and Milk of Magnesia bottles form a
decorative cross.) And be sure to drop by if itTs a
moonlit night"thatTs when Charlie says itTs pret-
tiest.
Becky Kornegay, Western Carolina University
New North Carolina Books
Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. Psalms From Prison.
New York: Pilgrim Press, 1983. 169 pp. $10.95.
Psalms From Prison, like the Biblical Psalter,
is a collection of 150 prayers, laments, medita-
tions, exhaltations, doxologies, and exhortations.
To be sure, it is not an anthology of poetry; it is a
book of psalms that speak to God and speak of
God.
The parallelism between the Biblical Psalms
and the prison psalms is intentional on the part of
the author. However, while the Biblical Psalms
have been a source of hymnody since antiquity,
the prison psalms are not so adaptable to a musi-
cal setting. Although sometimes lyrical and metri-
cal, they are far too political, sociological, and
theological to be employed liturgically.
The prison psalms do preach, however. They
were compelled to preach; for Chavis, who was an
altar boy for sixteen years, who studied theology
at Duke University, and who earned a doctorate
in ministry from Howard University, is an or-
dained clergyman in the United Church of Christ.
His cup runneth over as Biblical scripture, King
James prosody, hymnody, and lyric from anthems,
gospels, and spirituals are effectively interwoven
among his psalms.
The overriding theme which recurs through-
out the psalms is the political imprisonment of
the author on October 18, 1972, as one of the
Wilmington Ten. Despite his incarceration, in
Psalm 2 he is heard praying for his persecutors:
oforgive them, O God/for they know not what they
do.�
In the introduction, Chavis says that, while in
prison, he sought to demonstrate that God is
Grace and is the Lord of Liberation. Although he
reiterates this universal thematic trilogy"op-
pression-struggle-liberation"the experience he
shares with the reader is intimate. Thus Chavis is
heard crying out in Psalm 73, oWithout thee, O
God,/prison would be hell.�
While the Biblical Psalter contains five div-
isions, the prison psalms contain only three. In
part I (oppression) the key element is faith in
the sustaining power of God: oBut one thing was
clear from the first day of confinement,� says
Chavis. oWe had to keep the faith ...� And indeed it
was his Christian faith that sustained him
through his 131-day fast and beyond his release
from prison on December 4, 1980.
In part II (struggle) Chavis becomes more
poetic in his expression and more profound in his
ocritical interrogation.� His struggle is not only a
personal one against imprisonment but a univer-
sal one against poverty, racism, and war; all of
1984 Fall"149
New North Carolina Books
which are the transgressions of what he calls othe
~ew southT plantations� and the omodern
babylon.�
In part III (liberation) the central theme is
Jesus Christ as liberator of the oppressed. Chavis
reemphasizes this theology in the epilogue by stat-
ing that justice, liberation, and freedom are the
product of the liberating work of God in Christ.
His theology here is certain to have been influ-
enced by author Dr. James H. Cone, with whom he
studied at Union Theological Seminary in New
York.
The psalms succeed in recording ChavisTs pol-
itical persecution; and because they are histori-
cally documentative they should certainly be
found in every college and public library. Because
they are theological, doctrinal, and ethical, they
should particularly be found in the libraries of
seminaries and schools of religion. Dr. C. Eric Lin-
coln of Duke UnviersityTs School of Religion says of
this, the authorTs first book: oThese psalms of Ben
Chavis are one of the most important theological
expressions of our time.�
While the Davidic Psalms are pseudepigra-
pha, the Psalms From Prison could only be
attributed to Benjamin Chavis; for, in accordance
with the countenance of the man, they are earn-
estly uttered and deeply devout. They chronicle
the living testimonial of a faithful servant of God
as he struggled to overcome oppression and was
liberated.
Jon Michael Spencer, North Carolina Central Unviersity
J. C. Harrington. Archaeology and the Enigma
of Fort Raleigh. Raleigh: AmericaTs Four Hun-
dredth Anniversary Committee and the North
Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, 1984.
36 pp. $2.00 paper plus $1.00 for postage and
handling. (Order from Historical Publications
Section, Division of Archives and History, 109 E.
Jones St., Raleigh, 27611.)
The whereabouts of the Roanoke colonists
was a mystery to John White in 1590, and the
settlersT fate has remained an enigma to this day.
Scholars and writers such as David B. Quinn,
David Stick, and, most recently, Karen Ordahl
Kupperman have advanced explanations for why
the colonists may or may not have fled to Croatan
Island, intermarried with nearby native Ameri-
cans, or trekked north to the Chesapeake. Much
of the continued appeal of the Roanoke story lies
in this uncertainty; no one knows what really
became of the colonists left on North CarolinaTs
150"North Carolina Libraries
stormy coast in 1587.
Archaeology and the Enigma of Fort Raleigh
(one of a series of publications produced by
AmericaTs Four Hundredth Anniversary Com-
mittee) demystifies at least one aspect of the
Roanoke saga: the location of a fort built in North
Carolina by Walter RaleighTs first settlers. In addi-
tion to describing the fort itself, J. C. HarringtonTs
booklet vividly summarizes in popular language
the frustrations, hard work, and occasional
rewards involved in archaeologically investigating
an historical site. Ms. Harrington is well qualified
to offer these observations; since 1947 she has
directed several digs at the site of what we now
call Fort Raleigh and has published numerous
reports, pamphlets, and articles based on her
findings.
Ms. Harrington discusses a variety of worri-
some circumstances which often hampered work
on Roanoke excavations. Contemporary descrip-
tions of RaleighTs colonists provided tantalizingly
few clues to the location of the first settlement in
North Carolina, other than to draw attention to
the northern end of Roanoke Island. Forces of
nature and mankind further impeded attempts to
interpret what remains of this earliest English
colony. Sand has swept over much of the area
presumed to contain the settlement and fort sites,
and visitors to the area since at least the early
eighteenth century probably removed many tra-
ces of the colonists. Late nineteenth-century
efforts at oarchaeological� investigation of the
island, a 1921 movie production, and Depression-
era public works projects had mixed results, and
in HarringtonTs opinion, often did more to harm
than to interpret the site. Public interest and
government funding waxed and waned over the
years; archaeologistsT experiences at Fort Raleigh
illustrate how closely these scholars have always
been linked to the concerns of the society in
which they work.
Despite such distractions, Harrington and
her coworkers persevered, as they carefully stu-
died the scanty evidence in contemporary ac-
counts of the colony and its fortifications and
attempted to avoid areas that earlier investiga-
tors had searched. Archaeology and the Enigma
of Fort Raleigh includes detailed, but not overly
technical, descriptions of HarringtonTs efforts,
such as the methods used to excavate the area
around the fort and alternative approaches con-
sidered for exploring the site. Harrington explains
specialized terminology carefully, both in the text
of the booklet and in brief endnotes, and has
included many drawings and photographs of site
plans and artifacts to amplify her descriptions of
archaeological procedures.
The most exciting discovery at the Roanoke
excavations resulted from what the author calls
oa piece of luck.� While digging a trench for utility
lines in 1959, workers uncovered a small cache of
ashes and pieces of brick, objects which they
realized were man-made, not natural, deposits.
Later, when archaeologists investigated the lucky
find, they discovered what appeared to be an
ooutwork� of the already-excavated fort, contain-
ing the remains of several native campfires,
bricks, and roof tiles, and a European-made bot-
tle. HarringtonTs explanation of how these mate-
rials can help us understand the fortTs history
illustrates well the lessons to be learned from his-
torical archaeology. Her analysis of still-unans-
wered questions about Fort Raleigh leaves the
reader eager to discover what clues will next
emerge from this historical puzzle.
In Archaeology and the Enigma of Fort
Raleigh, novices to history and archaeology as
well as aficionados of early North Caroliniana will
find fascinating reading. Those who are less well
acquainted with these topics will especially
appreciate the bookletTs brief annotated list of
materials for continued reading. Libraries on high
school, college, and university campuses, as well
as public libraries, should find this small book a
useful addition to their holdings.
Julia S. Hesson, East Carolina University
Thomas Heffernan. City Renewing Itself. Raleigh:
Peloria Publications, 1983. 27 pp. $3.00 paper.
[P.O. Box 50263, Raleigh 27607]
This recent book of poems by Thomas Heffer-
nan, a well-known North Carolina prize-winning
poet, teacher, and lecturer, is Number 5 in the
Peloria Poetry Chapbook Series, a publication
effort based in Raleigh that has presented the
works of several North Carolina-based poets. oCity
Renewing Itself� is, however, the first of the series
to feature local settings and regional themes. The
city of the title poem refers to Raleigh: oThe
scrubbed grey stones of the capitol weather,/And
the new copper sheath on the dome shines.� (p.
{1]) Weathering and shining are the two threads
that Heffernan uses to suggest RaleighTs contem-
porary character, that of crumbling buildings and
outmoded lifestyles deriving new energy from
memories of the cityTs rich past. Other poems, set
in Charlotte, Greensboro, and High Point, are full
of images and vignettes that North Carolinians
will recognize and enjoy all the more for Heffer-
New North Carolina Books
nanTs colorful lines. The most ambitious poem in
the book is the award-winning oThanksgiving
Parade,� set in Charlotte. The floats, marchers,
spectators, and street scenes are depicted in a
vigorous style in which the words march along
like the parade itself: oA gnomish lady Eskimo-
like in her fake black fur cape and a man with
patches of very brown/ hair avoid two red coats
and purple fezzes/ driving white singleseater VW
dunebuggies....� (p. 11) These closely-observed
details and inventive vocabulary make these
poems appealing both to the casual reader and
the poetry enthusiast. Peloria Press is to be con-
gratulated for this series of chapbooks giving
young poets exposure and now bringing out a
writer of HeffernanTs unpretentious but solidly
earned reputation. This project deserves support
and this volume, especially, a place in library col-
lections.
[Other chapbooks in the series are (1) David J.
Kelly. Werewolf Poems. (out of print) (2) Gerry
Dawson. The Baby Boom Blues. $2.00 (3) Karen
Bartlett. Whole Poems. $2.00 (4) Roger Lell. Kami-
kaze Polar Bear Sinks Nuclear Submarine and
Other Kamikaze Poems. $3.00. All are paper-
bound. Three new chapbooks will be released this
fall. |
Coyla McCullough, Burroughs Wellcome Company Library
Helen Hill Miller. Passage To America: RaleighTs
Colonists Take Ship for Roanoke. Raleigh: North
Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, 1983.
84 pp. $5.00 paper.
For the reader acquainted with Helen Hill
Miller through her biographical studies of George
Mason and her analysis of the Stamp Act Crisis,
her new book, Passage To America, will be a treat
for both mind and eye. Sponsored by the Ameri-
caTs Four Hundredth Committee, this eighty-four-
page volume is a model of concise writing
reflecting thorough research and the judicious
use of meaningful illustrations.
In the historiography of English attempts to
plant colonies in America, the owho, where, when,
and why� of the voyages have been the topics of
numerous publications. MillerTs Passage To Amer-
ica, examines the ohow� of such voyages. From
her descriptions of sixteenth-century techniques
of shipbuilding, knowledge of geography, and level
of navigational skills, as well as the shipboard per-
ils faced by crew and passenger alike, one can
appreciate the fact that a successful voyage
depended as much upon pure luck as upon care-
1984 Fall"151
New North Carolina Books
ful planning and foresight. This point is even more
clearly drawn when MillerTs focus shifts to the
Roanoke voyages specifically.
While scholars will deplore the absence of
footnotes and a bibliographical note, Helen Hill
MillerTs Passage To America is a welcomed addi-
tion to the literature on the exploration of Amer-
ica and one well worth the small purchase price.
Michael G. Martin, Jr., University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill
P. H. Perkinson and L. C. Johnson, compilers.
North Carolina Post Office Catalog: Alphabeti-
cal. Raleigh: P. H. Perkinson and L. C. Johnson,
1983. 228 pp. Softbound with hasp and tabs.
$31.50.
P. H. Perkinson and L. C. Johnson, compilers.
North Carolina Post Office Catalog: By Coun-
ties. Raleigh: P. H. Perkinson and L. C. Johnson,
1983. 272 pp. Softbound with hasp and tabs.
$51.50.
(Order from the compilers at P.O. Box 158, Nor-
lina 27563. Libraries may deduct 10 per cent for
single volumes or 25 per cent when ordering both
volumes. Lists for individual counties are one dol-
lar each.)
What do Ada, Amelia, Anna, Geba, Helena,
Hilda, Ida, Laura, Topia, and Vera have in com-
mon with Barrett, Boyer, Miles, Murray, Norman,
Romulus, Teddy, Van, and Ward? They are all post
offices that once operated in Alleghany County.
At the other end of the alphabet, Yancey CountyTs
long-gone addresses include Anatone, Athlone,
Bee Log, Butch, Day Book, Dobag, Egypt, Flinty,
JackTs Creek, Lost Cove, Narrows, Pedro, Sioux,
South Toe, Spiceland, Swiss, Vixen, and Wampler.
Elsewhere in North Carolina, mail was once
addressed to Faith, Hope, and Charity; Accep-
tance, Accommodate, Affinity, and Assurance;
Bliss, Charm, Devotion, Fidelity, Joy, Love, Mutual
Love, Reliance, and Trust; Balm, Peace, Relief,
Repose, Rest, Retreat, and Tranquility; Lonely and
152"North Carolina Libraries
Lonsome (sic); Affluence, Benefit, Deposit, Thrift,
Security, and Success; and Flay, Muff, Pant, Pas-
sion, Rough and Ready, Savage, Shaken, Shatter,
and Sodom.
Pure joy can come from a study of place
names in North Carolina; history can be learned
from them too. To that splendid work of William S.
Powell's The North Carolina Gazetteer, we can
now add these two looseleaf volumes produced by
Phil H. Perkinson and L. C. Johnson, devoted stu-
dents of North Carolina postal history. PowellTs, of
course, is a professionally published work with
descriptions of place names compiled over a long
period of time but without any effort to include all
post offices. On the other hand, the Perkinson-
Johnson catalogs provide lists"one alphabeti-
cally arranged for the entire state, the other by
county"of post offices that have operated in the
state. Each entry usually includes county, date of
establishment, date of discontinuance if no longer
in operation, name of the successor post office,
name of first postmaster, and when appropriate,
remarks.
This information, though sketchy, is of im-
mense value to historians and geographers, and
only those who have conducted research in the
originals or microfilm copies of federal postal
records will be able to appreciate fully the contri-
bution that Perkinson and Johnson have made in
publishing these abstracts. For the first time,
printed lists are available in easy-to-use formats,
and local historians can now begin compiling
additional information on obscure post offices"
location, origin of name, and identification of all
postmasters. Once compiled, this data will be use-
ful for a supplement to or revision of Powell's
NCG.
In their prodigious research, the compilers
observed the unevenness of the federal records in
content, legibility, and accuracy; and they invite
readers to report any errors and to provide addi-
tional information on the post offices listed.
H. G. Jones, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
NCLA Minutes and Reports
North Carolina Library Association
Minutes of the Executive Board
April 6, 1984
The Executive Board of the North Carolina Library Association
met on April 6, 1984 in the Green Room, Greensboro Building,
Greensboro College, Greensboro. Board members present were
Leland Park, Mertys Bell, Jane Williams, Roberta Williams, Eunice
Drum, Shirley McLaughlin, Jerry Thrasher, Rebecca Ballentine,
Robert Burgin, Karen Perry, Emily Correll, Andrea Brown, Vivian
Beech, Judie Davie, Judith Sutton, Larry Barr, Robert Bland, Ben-
jamin Speller, Dorothy Burnley, Patsy Hansel, and Mary Williams.
Also present were Mae Tucker, Elizabeth Laney, Bill Bridgman, Arial
Stephens, Louise Boone, Marjorie Lindsey, and Jerry Weaver.
President Park called the meeting to order. He announced that
William Mott, director of library services at Greensboro College, was
ill and unable to attend the meeting. The president recognized
Euthena Newman of the Greensboro College Library staff, who wel-
comed the group to the campus. President Park expressed the
boardTs appreciation to Ms. Newman and her colleagues for their
assistance in hostessing the 1984 NCLA Spring Workshop.
President Park explained the plans for the various NCLA
committee meetings to be held at the Spring Workshop on Saturday
morning, April 7, on the Greensboro College campus. Board
members were asked to visit these meetings and offer their assist-
ance and support.
The minutes of the January 20, 1984, meeting of the Executive
Board were presented by Roberta Williams, secretary. The following
corrections were noted:
a. Page 2, last paragraph. Independent Data Processing Corpo-
ration, not North Carolina State University, is the printer of the
membership list.
b. Page 6, third paragraph. The correct amount of the NCASL
competitive grants is $25.00 to $1,000.00.
c. Page 6, last paragraph. Correct spelling of oinitial.�
d. Page 7, second paragraph. Correct spelling of Dr. Annette
PhinazeeTs last name.
The minutes were then approved as corrected.
President Park reported on the policy regarding release of the
NCLA membership list. As of February 27, 1984, results of a vote by
mail of the Executive Board showed 18 in favor, 2 against. There-
fore, the board has adopted the following policy as stated on the
ballot:
1. That the membership list be made available for purchase by
non-library, non-profit organizations, including charitable organiza-
tions, at a price of $100.00.
2. That the membership list be made available for purchase by
library-related, non-profit organizations at a price of $50.00.
3. This policy does not include commercial vendors or for-
profit organizations.
The treasurerTs report was given by Eunice Drum, treasurer.
She asked for the boardTs assistance in clarifying the policy regard-
ing the sale of the NCLA membership list to commercial vendors
and for-profit groups. Shirley McLaughlin moved that NCLA mem-
bership lists be sold in accordance with the policy established by the
board (to non-profit or library-related, non-profit organizations)
until the wishes of the membership regarding the sale of the list to
commercial groups can be ascertained. A new memberhip form will
provide members with the opportunity to designate whether or not
they wish their names to be sold to commercial groups. The motion
was seconded and passed.
Arial Stephens, conference manager, gave the report on plans
for the 1985 NCLA Conference to be held October 1-4, 1985 at the
Radisson Hotel and Civic Center, Raleigh. He distributed a list of the
Conference Committee members along with their addresses and
telephone numbers. He stated that the Conference Committee will
meet in Raleigh on June 8th and urged that board members send to
the committee their ideas, suggestions for speakers, program topics,
and other arrangements as soon as possible.
Robert Burgin reported that the spring issue of North Carolina
Libraries will feature performance evaluation as its theme. Plans
are well underway for the summer T84 and fallT84 issues. Burgin also
stated that response to the winter 1983/84 issue has been very
favorable.
Reports on the GovernorTs Commission on Education for Eco-
nomic Growth were given by Mertys Bell and Judie Davie. Dr. Davie
presented a position paper entitled oThe School Library Media Pro-
gram and the School Library Media Coordinator: Contributors to
Excellence in K-12 Education� at a hearing of the Commission on
Education for Economic Growth held in Greensboro on February 6,
1984, She reported that the paper represented the combined efforts
of many people and thanked all those who helped supply statistics
and background information on very short notice. Mertys Bell,
Judie Davie, and Nancy Bates also attended a meeting of the com-
mission on February 14. Mertys Bell stated that the final report of
the North Carolina Commission on Education for Economic
Growth was presented at the Governor's Conference on Education
for Economic Growth in Raleigh on April 5, 1984. The report and
recommendations of the Commission have been published under
the title, Education for Economic Growth: An Action Plan for North
Carolina. Single copies are available free of charge from the Office
of the Governor, 116 West Jones Street, Raleigh N.C. 27611; and
multiple copies may be ordered at a cost of $1.50 each.
Rebecca Ballentine, SELA representative, gave the report on
plans and activities of the Southeastern Library Association. A four-
day Institute on Intellectual Freedom will be held at Florida State
University, Tallahassee, during the first week in August. A Reference
and Adult Services Workshop will be held in Atlanta, May 10-12.
David Estes is serving as acting executive secretary of SELA. An
issue of Southeastern Librarian is now at the printer and will be
available for distribution soon. Plans are well underway for the
SELA Biennial Conference to be held at Biloxi, Mississippi, October
17-20, 1984.
Robert Bland reported that the College and University Section
has completed plans for a workshop, oThe Library and the Campus
Community: Partners in Academic Excellence,� which will be held
June 15 on the campus of Meredith College in Raleigh.
Emily Correll, chair, gave the report of the Documents Section.
This section will sponsor a workshop on international documents at
the Durham County Public Library on April 19, 1984. The Docu-
ments Section also plans to have a series of workshops on North
Carolina documents in the fall.
The report for the Junior College Section was given by Andrea
1984 Fall"153
NCLA Minutes and Reports
Brown, chair. At a meeting of the Executive Board of the Junior
College Section on March 23, the following goals for the section were
officially adopted:
a. Continue to advance the section through favorable publicity
in relevant publications.
b. Expand section membership.
c. Continue to promote the exchange of ideas and the discus-
sion of problems shared by two-year college librarians in North
Carolina.
d. Change the section name to more adequately reflect the
makeup and concerns of the membership.
The Junior College Section will also continue to explore the possibil-
ity of co-sponsoring a workshop with another section.
* Reporting for NCASL, Judie Davie stated that the position
paper, oThe School Library Media Program and the School Library
Media Coordinator: Contributors to Excellence in K-12 Education,�
which was presented to the Commission on Education for Eco-
nomic Growth on February 6th in Greensboro, has been distributed
to every member of the Commission. It was also featured in the
center of the recent issue of the NCASL Bulletin which was mailed
to every NCASL member and superintendent in the state. A similar
statement reflecting funding from the Education Consolidation and
Improvement Act: Chapter 2 has been prepared for distribution
during ALA Legislative Day in Washington. Pauline Myrick and Dr.
Davie will represent NCASL at Legislative Day. Dr. Davie also
reported that plans are underway for the NCASL Work Conference
in Raleigh October 4-5. The theme is Library Media Services: Practi-
cal and Political.� An added feature will be a preconference for
school library media supervisors. Elsie Brumbach, Jeannette Smith,
and Judie Davie are involved in the American Association of School
Librarians and Association for Educational and Communications
Technology Joint Committee to Write National School Library
Standards. Finally, Dr. Davie reported on plans for School Library
Media Day, 1984. A guidebook has been distributed and an evalua-
tion instrument developed to monitor the impact of the event.
Edith Briles, chairman of the Committee on School Library Media
Day, has been invited by the National Library Week Committee for
ALA to make a presentation at their program in Dallas on Friday,
June 22.
Larry Barr reported that the Reference and Adult Services
Section is planning a workshop for Fall 1984 on microcompiters
and the reference process.
Judith Sutton, chair, Public Libraries Section, reported that the
Planning Council had met earlier that day at the Blanche S. Ben-
jamin Branch of the Greensboro Public Library. At this meeting,
tentative plans were made for workshops to be held later in the
year.
Ben Speller reported that the Resources and Technical Services
Section had met on January 27, 1984, at Guilford Technical College.
At this meeting, Doris Anne Bradley reported on meetings and
activities of RTSS at the 1983 biennial conference. The RTSS Section
of the NCLA is planning a retreat or mini-conference for Fall 1984
with the theme, oThe Changing Role of the Technical Services
Librarian.�
Patsy Hansel, chair, gave the report of the Roundtable on the
Status of Women in Librarianship. RTSWL was one of the co-spon-
sors of the April 2 Gubernatorial Forum on WomenTs Issues held in
Raleigh at Meredith College. The roundtable will sponsor a Work-
shop July 26-27 at the Forsyth County Public Library in Winston-
Salem, with the tentative title, oThe Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:
Documenting Employee Performance.� An LSCA Continuing Edu-
caton Grant is being sought to fund the workshop.
The report for the Roundable for Ethnic Minority Concerns
was given by Mary Williams, chair. The roundtable will sponsor a
workshop on October 5, 1984, on oPromoting Oneself in the Field of
Librarianship.� This workshop will be held at the close of the NCASL
154"North Carolina Libraries
Conference in Raleigh. Members of the roundtable are also explor-
ing the possibility of having Major Owens, the only congressman in
Washington who is also a librarian, as a speaker for one of the
general sessions at the NCLA Biennial Conference in 1985.
Other section reports were given by Dorothy Burnley (Trus-
tees) and Karen Perry (ChildrenTs Section).
Mae Tucker, chairman of the Constitution, Codes and Hand-
book Committee, stated that the committee would welcome any
suggestions from members of the Executive Board for. changes,
additions, or corrections that should be considered by the commit-
tees
Elizabeth Laney, chairman of the Scholarship Committee,
reported that the committee has seventeen applications to con-
sider.
Louise Boone, chairman of the Governmental Relations Com-
mittee, reported that North Carolina would be well represented at
Legislative Day activities in Washington on April 10. She also dis-
cussed distribution of the position papers prepared by the North
Carolina Public Library Directors Association and NCASL.
Old Business. Mary Williams moved that the board accept the
by-laws for the Roundtable for Ethnic Minority Concerns, which
had been reviewed and approved by the Constitution, Codes and
Handbook Committee. The motion was seconded and passed.
The role and function of roundtables (as opposed to sections)
within the NCLA framework was discussed at length. According to
the minutes of the June 4, 1982, meeting of the NCLA Executive
Board, this question had been referred to the Constitution, Codes
and Handbook Committee at that meeting. However, necessary
changes in the NCLA constitution have still not been made, particu-
larly in regard to voting privileges and financial support of round-
tables. It was pointed out that changes or amendments in the
constitution may be voted on only when a quorum of the associa-
tion is present and shall require a two-thirds vote of the members
present. It was decided to refer the question again to the Constitu-
tion, Codes and Handbook Committee and that the committee be
requested to interpret these issues and to make recommendations
for proposed changes in the constitution at the next meeting of the
NCLA Executve Board. Until that time, the role and function of
roundtables versus sections will be determined according to the
present wording of the constitution.
Arial Stephens, NCLA representative to the Steering Commit-
tee on Networking, reported that the committee has sent out
requests for proposals for networking studies and projects.
President Park reported on the meeting of the State Library
Commission held in Raleigh on April 3. Mrs. Elizabeth Hill is the new
chairman of the commission. The commission reviewed plans and
goals, including the needs and concerns of the film library. The
commission supports the proposed minimum salaries for public
library directors as presented by Jerry Thrasher and Jim McKee at
the North Carolina Public Library Directors meeting in February.
The survey on the State Library and the State Librarian has been
completed and will be reviewed by the commission at its September
meeting.
President Park then asked if anyone knew of libraries damaged
by the tornadoes which recently struck several communities in
eastern North Carolina. It was reported that Ayden Elementary
School and West Bertie Elementary School libraries had sustained
some damage. Mary Williams stated that she would investigate any
needs that these libraries might have for assistance from NCLA and
report her findings to President Park.
President Park reminded everyone of the workshops to be held
the next day, April 7, and expressed his appreciation to the
Greensboro College Libary staff for their help in arranging facilities
for the workshops.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned.
Roberta Williams, Secretary
ChildrenTs Services Section
The Executive Board of the ChildrenTs Services Section met
without a quorum on January 21 in Greensboro, N.C. A second
meeting was held in Raleigh on March 21. A quorum was present
at this meeting and several actions were taken:
1. approval of and charge to two ad hoc committees"
Standards and Book Award; and
2. decision against putting together flyer in 1984 for the
NCLA Legislative CommitteeTs use in Washington. (This task to
be given more consideration for 1985.)
Program chairman Rebecca Taylor reported on plans for an
off-year program at the NCASL Work Conference and attempts
to plan cooperative program at NCLA in 1985. Newsletter
chairman Cal Shepard reported planning for first issue of the
newsletter before summer.
Report on the State Library Advisory Council activities was
received, Goals and objectives were discussed with no action
taken. Suggestions were made to chair for further committee
appointments.
Next two meeting dates were tentatively set for July 30 in
Fayetteville and Oct. 4 or 5 in Raleigh.
Karen Perry, Chair
College and University Section
Planning has been completed for a section-sponsored work-
shop to be entitled oThe Library and the Campus Community:
Partners in Academic Excellence,� which will be held in Raleigh
on the campus of Meredith College on June 15, 1984.
Robert Bland, Chair
Documents Section
Because of illness and other unforeseen circumstances, the
Executive Board of the Documents Section has not met since
the last meeting of the NCLA Executive Board. However, we are
sponsoring a workshop in international documents at the Dur-
ham County Public Library on April 19. So far, we have about
thirty people signed up. We are still hoping to have a series of
workshops on North Carolina documents in the fall.
Emily C. N. Correll, Chair
Junior College Section
The Executive Board of the Junior College Section met in
Pinehurst on March 23 during the North Carolina Community
College Learning Resources Association Annual Convention.
Discussion continued concerning the name change for the sec-
tion; as soon as all procedural details can be worked out, this
will be undertaken. Beverly Gass has agreed to serve as Govern-
mental Relations Day representative but has been unable to
make reservations at a convenient hotel. The Board voted to
contribute $150 toward Ms. GassTs expenses if she is able to
attend. Renee DiPasquale will represent the section on the
NCLA membership committee. Goals for the sections were offi-
cially adopted. They are: (1) continue to advance the sections
through favorable publicity in relevant publications; (2) expand
section membership; (3) continue to promote the exchange of
ideas and the discussion of problems shared by two-year college
librarians in North Carolina; and (4) change the section name to
more adequately reflect the makeup and concerns of the mem-
bership.
NCLA Minutes and Reports
The chairman reported on the January meeting of the
North Carolina Library Commission and requested input from
the members of the section for the evaluation of the State
Library and the State Librarian which is currently being under-
taken by the commission. In addition to representation on the
commission, community college learning resource personnel will
now have more opportunities to communicate their views at the
state policy level with the reactivation of the learning resources
division within the community college administration.
The board voted to continue to consider co-sponsoring a
workshop with another section and will continue discussion
with th College and University Section.
The board agreed to continue emphasis on increasing
membership but realized such efforts usually do not have
immediate results. The board tentatively agreed to meet again in
June or July.
Andrea Brown, Chair
North Carolina Association of School Librarians
oThe School Library-Media Program and the School Library
Media Coordinator: Contributors to Excellence in K-12 Educa-
tion� has been the focus of the activities of NCASL during this
quarter of the biennium. A position statement with the above
title was developed and presented to the Commission on Educa-
tion for Economic Growth in Greensboro on February 6. The
statement was mailed to every member of the Commission; it
became the center of the recent issue of the NCASL Bulletin
mailed to every NCASL member and superintendent in the state.
The Executive Committee encouraged its reproduction and dis-
tribution during the events of School Library Media Day.
The statistics assembled for the position statement brought
to the attention of the Executive Committee the decline in
growth of collections, the need for supervisory media personnel,
and the declining percentage of instructional materials funds
that are allocated to develop and maintain school library media
collections. At the March 2 meeting of the Executive Committee
a direct mailing to the NCASL membership was authorized to
alert them to the need to become more politically aware in their
own communities and to ask candidates about their support for
school libraries.
A similar statement reflecting funding from the Education
Consolidation and Improvement Act: Chapter 2 has been pre-
pared for distribution during ALA Legislative Day in Washing-
ton. Pauline Myrick and Judie Davie will represent the
association.
Plans are underway for the NCASL Work Conference in
Raleigh, October 4-5. The theme is Library Media Services: Prac-
tical and Political. Helen Tugwell, NCASL chairman-elect, is pro-
gram chairman. Concurrent sessions, workshops, exhibits, and
keynote speeches by Betty Knudsen and Jean Fritz are sche-
duled. An added feature will be a preconference for school
library media supervisors. Ethel Tyree of Hertford County is
coordinating that aspect of the conference. A special invitation
has been issued to the library media education programs in the
state to nominate four students each to attend the conference
and assist with local arrangements and registration, as well as
to get them involved in the program. Sections and committees of
NCLA are also invited to participate.
Three members of the association are involved in the Amer-
ican Association of School Librarians and Association for Edu-
cational and Communications Technology Joint Committee to
Write National School Library Standards. Elsie Brumback is on
the Advisory Tas Force; Jeanette Smith and Judie Davie are on
the Writing Committee.
1984 Fall"155
7
NCLA Minutes and Reports
School Library Media Day 1984, is the main event. Book-
marks, bumper stickers, posters, radio and television public ser-
vice announcements, open houses, favorite book elections, slo-
gan contests, storytelling festivals, author luncheons, and The
Great Balloon Launch are only a few of the highlights. The
guidebook has been distributed to every public library system in
the state, in accord with the plans for the Grolier Award. An
evaluation instrument has been distributed to monitor the
impact of the event. Edith Briles, chairman of the Committee on
School Library Media Day, has been invited by the National
Library Week Committee for the American Library Association
to make a presentation at their program in Dallas on Friday,
June 22.
The biennium is a busy one for NCASL as we continue our
contributions to excellence for school library media programs
and school library media coordinators.
Resources and Technical Services Section
The Resources & Technical Services Section met on January
27, 1984, at Guilford Technical College in Jamestown, North
Carolina. Doris Anne Bradley reported on meetings and activi-
ties of RTSS at the 1983 Biennial Conference. The business/-
breakfast meeting attracted 73 persons. Seldon TerrantTs
presentation on oElectronic Publishing� attracted 112 persons;
the panel discussion on oCatalog Access and Maintenance,�
sponsored by the cataloging interest group, attracted 177. Six-
teen attended the acquisitions discussion group's topic on
vendor survey results and gift policies.
The following items of interest resulted from Doris Ann
Bradley's report on the ALA Midwinter meeting of the Council of
Regional Groups:
1. RTSD will sponsor institutes on non-book material, col-
lection development, and subject analysis.
2. RTSD will sponsor two pre-conferences at the 1984 ALA
Annual Conference; (a) oWho's Afraid of Serials,� and (b) oMicro-
computers and Televideo.�
3. RTSD is considering a name change"Association for
Library Resources and Technical Services (ALRTS) or Library
Resources and Technical Services Association (LRTSA).
An RTSS retreat or mini-conference is being planned for Fall
1984 under the theme, oThe Changing Role of the Technical Servi-
ces Librarian.� The four interest/discussion groups will each
plan a session within the framework of the general theme. Ben
Speller is working on initial plans"dates and locations. April
Wreath (vice-chair) and leaders of interest groups will work on
topics and speakers. Firm plans will be developed at the next
Executive Committee meeting.
The following tentative dates have been set for 1984 meet-
ings:
April 27 - UNC Health Affairs Library
July 27
November 2
Benjamin F. Speller, Jr., Chair
Roundtable for Ethnic Minority Concerns
The roundtable has only met today at 3 p.m. since the last
Executive Meeting. However, we are planning the following
events.
Projected workshops:
October 5, 1984 oPromoting Oneself in the field of Librarianship�
Conductors: Benjamin Speller
Helen Haith
156"North Carolina Libraries
Expect a workshop at the close of the NCASL Conference"ar-
rangements are being made with Helen Tugwell, NCASL Confer-
ence Coordinator.
Next Beinnial"The Third General Session?
Congressman Major Owens, the only Congressman in Washing-
ton who is a librarian.
Roundtable on the Status of Women in Librarianship
Since the last NCLA Executive Board meeting, the Round-
table on the Status of Women in Librarianship has helped spon-
sor one project and is working on a second.
RTSWL was one of the co-sponsors of the April 2 Guberna-
torial Forum on WomenTs Issues held in Raleigh at Meredith
College. The roundtable was particularly interested in having
the candidates questioned on the topic of pay equity, and we
were generally pleased with what we had to hear. The round-
table is planning a workshop for July 26-27 at the Forsyth
County Public Library in Winston-Salem tentatively entitled
oThe Good, The Bad, and the Ugly"Documenting Employee Per-
formance.� RTSWL will be seeking an LSCA-CE grant to fund the
workshop.
Patsy Hansel, Chair
SELA Report
The four-day Institute on Intellectual Freedom will be held
at FSU in Tallahassee during the first week in August. Informa-
tion will be coming out in the next two months. Information has
already been distributed to the membership about the Refer-
ence and Adult Workshop that will be held in Atlanta on May
10-12. If you need information about the Atlanta conference,
please let me know.
David Estes is acting executive secretary of SELA. Active
recruitment for the position has been postponed temporarily as
a move to save the association some money.
An issue of Southeastern Librarian is being printed and will
be out momentarily.
Don't forget to put October 17-20 on your calendar to
attend the SELA Biennial Conference at Biloxi (and the WorldTs
Fair in New Orleans). The association is making a steady and
gradual come-back from a financial crisis and it needs your
support.
Rebecca Ballentine, SELA Representative
American Library Association Conference Report, Summer,
1984
The American Library Association held its 103rd annual
conference in Dallas, Texas, June 23-27, 1984. The Executive
Board considered the logistics of a search process to replace
executive director, Robert Wedgeworth, whose resignation is
effective as of August 31, 1985. In meetings early during the
conference the board addressed this challenge, considering the
make-up of the search committee, a job description (a library
professional or an administrator?), and a model for the search
process. As deliberations progressed, the board agreed that
library experience and education are key factors for the position
and that the next director should possess an ALA-accredited
MLS or its equivalent and must be a person of significant profes-
sional stature.
The PresidentTs Program was devoted to the topic of fund
raising. oPublic/Private Partnerships� and oSalesmanship� were
the key messages of the PresidentTs Program on Raising Funds
for Libraries. The speakers described how librarians can become
skilled at fund raising through planning, research, thorough
preparation, skillful and friendly interaction with potential
donors, and follow-through to reward them.
President Brooke Sheldon said that ALA should experiment
with new ways to present continuing education packages to
librarians. For this reason, the program was videotaped for use
as part of an ALA training package on fund-raising.
Lillian Bradshaw delivered the keynote address, oWhy Fund
Raise?,� followed by skits showing librarians who were unable to
achieve their fund-raising goals because of lack of preparation.
For information on the training packet oRaising Funds for
Libraries: Paths to the Private Sector,T contact the ALA Public
Information Office.
The Executive Board held an information meeting for council
members to bring them up to date on important issues being
addressed by the Executive Board and the ALA management. This
meeting, held just before Council Meeting I, was for information
only; no council actions could be taken. Jane Anne Hannigan
reported on a recent meeting of Executive Board members with
representatives of the American Association of School Librarians
(AASL) to discuss the Future Structures of AASL report.
Executive Director Robert Wedgeworth reported on the Mer-
wine case and explained that ALA decided not to become an expert
witness in the case, in part, because the validity of the accredited
degree was not the focus of the court's attention.
North Carolina was well represented at this conference. Dr.
Lester Ashiem was recognized by the association as it bestowed
honorary membership to this outstanding librarian and educator.
Dr. Gene D. Lanier received the John Phillip Immroth Memorial
Award from the ALA Intellectual Freedom Round Table, which
honors intellectual freedom fighters who have made notable con-
tributions and demonstrated courage in the effort to preserve this
freedom.
The North Carolina Association of School Librarians was fea-
tured again at ALA as Ms. Edith Briles, chairman of the Committee
on School Library Media Day, presented a program on this project
during the conference.
» The Friends of North Carolina Public Libraries were recipients
of a FOLUSA (Friends of Libraries, USA) award in recognition of an
outstanding job accomplished in organizing state workshops and
programs dealing with legislative activities. The North Carolina
Friends also formed a speaker's bureau of volunteers who would be
available to groups throughout the state who are interested in
forming a Friends group. Perry White accepted this award for North
Carolina.
Constitution, Codes, and Handbook Revision Committee
In response to charges from the NCLA Executive Board, it is
the interpretation of the Constitution, Codes, and Handbook
Revision Committee that:
1. According to Article V, Section 1 of the Constitution,
chairmen of roundtables serve as non-voting members of the
Executive Board.
2. According to Article X, Section 1 of the Constitution,
amendments may be voted on only when a quorum of the asso-
ciation is present, and shall require a two-thirds vote of the
members present.
The committee will propose changes in Articles Vand X of
the constituion to submit to the Executive Board for member-
ship approval at the next membership meeting, normally the
biennial meeting, but according to Article IX, Section 2, the pres-
ident, a quorum of the Executive Board, or 50 members of the
association may call a special meeting.
The Constitution, Codes, and Handbook Committee pro-
NCLA Minutes and Reports
poses that Article III of the bylaws be completely revised.
Recommendations will be sought from the Finance and Futures
Committees before the Constituion, Codes, and Handbook Revi-
sion Committee states a proposed text for Article III of the
bylaws.
According to Article V of the bylaws, amendments may be
voted on only when a quorum is present and shall receive a
majority vote of the members present.
The Constituion, Codes, and Handbook Revision Committee
reviewed the articles in the constitution and bylaws relating to
sections and roundtables and desires suggestions especially
from the Futures Committee, but also from the general member-
ship, in clarifying the roles of sections and roundtables, and in
determining whether there should indeed be any distinction
between the two in Executive Board participation and in the
distribution of finances.
The committee recommends that Article V, Section 1 of the
constitution be amended to include the appointment of a parlia-
mentarian who would be a non-voting member of the Executive
Board.
The Constitution, Codes, and Handbook Revision Committee
calls attention of sections and roundtables, existing and proposed,
to the following procedures:
1. Sections and roundtables submit proposed bylaws or
amendments to bylaws to the Constitution, Codes, and Handbook
Revision Committee to be reviewed.
2. The Constituion, Codes, and Handbook Revision Commit-
tee will recommend and send back to the section or roundtable
any revisions to be made by the section or roundtable.
3. Once the Constitution, Codes, and Handbook Revision
Committee has reviewed all revisions, the committee will
recommend approval to the NCLA Executive Board. At that
time the Constitution, Codes, and Handbook Revision Commit-
tee will forward the document to the NCLA Executive Board.
4. The Executive Board formally approves the document
and notifies the section or roundtable of its action.
5. The section or roundtableTs membership approves the
revised document.
6. A copy of the final approved document will be forwarded
by the section or roundtable to the president of NCLA for
his/her distribution to the members of the Executive Board for
insertion in their Handbooks. A copy will also be sent to the
chairman of the Constitution, Codes, and Handbook Revision
Committee for distribution to committee members. These copies
should be dated with the date of section or roundtable member-
ship approval.
Mae S. Tucker, Chair
Education for Librarianship Committee
April 7, 1984 meeting:
The chair called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Members
of the committee introduced themselves.
The bylaws charge to the committee was read by the chair-
man, and the relationship of this committee to similar commit-
tees of SELA and AASL was raised.
The committee then discussed priority areas of concern for
the next two years. The following areas emerged from the dis-
cussion:
@ the need for library training and education for support staff
personnel (raised by Ellen Giduz)
@ the library education elements in the oNation at Risk� state-
ment and the Office of Education Library conferences related to
that statement (raised by Kieth Wright)
© the relationship of theory and practice in librarianship. How
1984 Fall"157
NCLA Minutes and Reports
do we teach people what they will need to know on the job?
(raised by Edith Briles)
® the place of internships and practical fieldwork in preservice
library education (raised by Kieth Wright and Marilyn Miller)
© the need to educate persons who make decisions that influ-
ence library services (raised by Edith Briles and Ron Plummer)
© the job market situation in the North Carolina area between
now and the year 2000. How does the market impact educa-
tional activities inservice and preservice? (raised by Marilyn
Miller)
© the need to review the King Research Recommendations and
perhaps to make official comment (raised by Marilyn Miller)
®the need to consider developing a preconference or conference
program in some priority area during the 1985 NCLA confer-
ence.
© the need for continued guidance and education of those who
sponsor and run various kinds of continuing education events
(raised by Ellen Giduz)
The committee will prioritize these areas and develop the
fall meeting of the committee around one or two of these items.
Resource persons are to be brought in to assist the committee in
their study, At the fall meeting more formal discussion of the
program (1985) possiblities will be discussed. An early October
meeting in relation to the Raleigh NCASL meeting was sug-
gested.
Committee members were urged to share information on
continuing education events, needs and possibilities with the
chairman for distribution to the committee.
Finance Committee
Meeting at Greensboro College, April 7, 1984. Members
present: Margaret R. Hunt; Jeanette M. Smith; William G. Bridg-
man; and Bob Pollard, chairman.
Agenda: (1) committee looked at present budget for years
1983-84 and treasurerTs report for January-December 1983;
(2) chairman acknowledged receipt of requests for funds from
the committee for next biennium; (3) committee looked at pres-
ent dues structure and allocation of section funds.
The committee decided to meet in mid-summer to plan a
budget for the next biennium, 1985-1986. In anticipation of this,
the committee requests that all committees who think that their
needs will be in excess of $200.00 for the next two years com-
municate this to the Finance Committee by June 1, 1984. The
budget will be presented to the Executive Board at the fall 1984
meeting. The chairman will contact officers and committee
chairmen to make sure everyone is aware of this deadline.
The committee plans to revise the section of the NCLA
handbook pertaining to the Finance Committee, adding infor-
mation for future committee members as to time frames for
activities and functions of the committee.
W. R. Pollard, Chair
Governmental Relations Committee
Members of committee present: Arial A. Stephens, Mary Jo
Godwin, Carol A. Southerland, Kenneth D. Shearer, Jr., Henry L.
Hall, Marion M. Johnson, William G. Bridgman, Elsie Brumback,
and Louise V. Boone, Chairman.
A general discussion of lobbying tactics that might be pro-
ductive for library benefits was followed by more conversation
on the uses and abuses of paid lobbyists.
An effort was made to find some common ground and prior-
ity from each section that the entire association can support. As
a result of the discussion, a letter will go out to all sections
asking for a statement of priorities. Answers will be requested by
Labor Day.
158"North Carolina Libraries
CS
The priorities listed in responding letters will be used as a basis
for determining an association program.
Considerable discussion took place on the general decrease
in the number of school librarians and the reduction of funds for
library books and materials in school libraries,
Louise V. Boone
Honorary and Life Membership Committee
The committee considered its functions and the criteria for
honorary and life membership and made revisions and addi-
tions for future consideration of the Executive Board.
The committee also discussed a question that arose last
biennium: whether to present honorary membership to an out-
of-state individual who has rendered service to libraries on the
national level. After careful consideration, it was the consensus
of the committee that these individuals do not fall within the
existing criteria for honorary membership. The committee does
recommend that the Executive Board consider presenting a
special award, perhaps a opresidentTs award� to indivduals in
this category.
Intellectual Freedom Committee
The Intellectual Freedom Committee of the North Carolina
Library Association met on Saturday, April 7, 1984, during the
NCLA Work Conference at Greensboro College. Present were the
following: Bible, Brown, Caddell, Clark, Chisholm, Detty, Hales,
Keresey, Morris, and Smith. In the absence of Dr. Gene Lanier,
chairman, Mary Ann Brown presided.
After members of the committee introduced themselves
and after the new members were welcomed to the committee
and given their information packets, the minutes of the October,
1983, meeting in Winston-Salem, were approved as distributed.
Dr. Lanier had provided information about his correspon-
dence and presentations on the committee's behalf:
1. Information had been supplied to groups and individuals
in Kinston, Mt. Olive, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Lumberton,
Goldsboro, Statesville, and Columbia, South Carolina. In addi-
tion, Dr. Lanier had corresponded with IFC/ALA, New York
Library Association, People for the American Way, Freedom to
Read Foundation, New Jersey Library Association, Tennessee
Library Association, Lehigh University, UCLA, and SIRS.
Letters of thanks for their service had also been sent to Jean
Amelang, Barbara Hempleman, and Arabelle Fedora, retiring
members of the committee.
2. Presentations had been made at the NCAE District 14
Conference in Goldsboro and at a workshop in Richlands
Township (Onslow County).
3. The Chairman reviewed Cal ThomasT book, Book Burn-
ing, in the January, 1984, Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom,
ALA.
Committee members were given a handout, oRadical Right
Organizations: Facts and Figures,� prepared in September, 1983,
for the People for the American Way, giving the most current
membership and budgetary information available. Discussion
centered on the budget figures for these groups, with committee
members acknowledging the significant financial resources
available for activities of the radical right.
A few cases of attempted censorship were reported:
1. At East Carolina University, the Bahais gave books to the
library but only under the provision of standard library gift pol-
icy, which does not guarantee the libraryTs inclusion of the mate-
rial in the collection.
2, Also, at ECU, objections were raised to the presence of a
display sponsored by the Air Force ROTC. Under university, pol-
icy, the vice-chancellor ruled that the AFROTC, as a recognized
university group, was entitled to present the display.
3. At Durham County Public, a parent requested reconsid-
eration of an edition of Little Red Riding Hood. Following the
LibraryTs standard policy, the reconsideration committee met,
reviewed the complaint and the book, and declined to remove
the book from the collection.
Betty Clark, Gayle Keresey, Clarence Chisholm, and Amanda
Bible presented information on Intellectual Freedom Committee
and Intellectual Freedom Round Table activities at Midwinter and
activities planned for Dallas.
1. Keresey reported on the successful resolution of the dis-
pute with the Scholastic Book Club on the club's practice of
modifying language and, in some cases, situations in its paper-
back editions"usually without acknowledgement. The clubTs
new editor has agreed to abandon this practice.
2. Bible summarized the continuing debate over the so-
called labeling of a-v materials. In the discussion which followed,
committee members agreed that such olabels� as the MPAA rat-
ings could best be included in reviews made available to patrons.
As more libraries purchase and circulate videotapes, the prob-
lems of free access are likely to increase, perhaps more for
financial than for philosophicat reasons.
3. Clark, Chisholm, and Keresey recounted highlights of a
two-day training session in which they participated at Midwin-
ter.
Old business discussed included the Intellectual Freedom
Roundtable Program Award, for which the committee had ap-
plied (and for which we will again submit an application) and
the committeeTs budget request (for $1,000) submitted to the
NCLA Board by the chair.
Betsy Detty then distributed a draft of proposed legislation
dealing with the confidentiality of library records which she had
written after surveying sample legislation from other states. The
committeeTs discussion of the draft concentrated for the most
part on Section 5, which deals with penalties to be imposed if
the act is violated. Discussion of the draft is to be continued at
the summer meeting, at which time we hope to have information
about the other NCLA committee which supposedly is also
working on this issue.
. Two items of new business were discussed, the possible
availability to the committee of an LSCA grant and plans for the
committeeTs participation in the 1985 NCLA Conference. Agree-
ing that certain of the committeeTs activities could certainly
qualify as continuing education, members thought it appro-
priate that we should explore seriously the possibility of a grant
proposal. The suggestion was made that the committee's confer-
ence activities might, in some way, take advantage of funds from
LSCA. If, for example, a videotape of the IFRT program at Dallas
is available and/or the film or videotape on choosing books and
selection (one with Judith Krug and Judy Blume) the committee
might sponsor continuous showings, with supporting handout
packets.
Clarence Chisholm noted that oThe Speaker� was being
shown at A & T as part of the National Library Week observance
and that he had been invited to lead discussions in conjunction
with the showing.
The committee agreed to hold a summer meeting, perhaps
at High Point Public, at a time to be set by the chairman.
Mary Ann Brown
Junior Members Roundtable
The NCLA/JMRT Executive Board met on Saturday, April 7
at 11:30 a.m. during NCLA Spring Workshop at Greensboro Col-
lege. Present were Vivian Beech, Gayle Keresey, John Burns,
Karen Perry, and Rebecca Taylor.
NCLA Minutes and Reports
Vivian Beech, chairman, reported that the latest mem-
bershp list has thirty-four members. The TreasurerTs balance for
JMRT is $79.51. After postage and telephone expenses of $13.43
and ALA/JMRT Affiliates Council dues of $5.00 are paid, the
balance will be $61.08.
The NCLA Futures Committee has been requested to study
the role of JMRT by President Leland Park and to make recom-
mendations to the NCLA Executive Board.
The Roundtable for Ethnic Minority Concerns (REMCO) has
invited JMRT and the Documents Roundtable to co-sponsor a
workshop on oLegislative Matter� in the Greenville area during
the spring of 1985. It was decided not to participate in this
workshop.
Vivian reported that Mertys Bell has suggested JMRT pres-
ent a oMeet the Candidates� program at the end of the NCASL
Conference in October. Because the Roundtable on the Status of
Women in Librarianship had recently sponsored a similar pro-
gram and the schedule at the NCASL Conference is already
rather full, it was decided not to sponsor the program.
The Baker and Taylor Grassroots Grant was discussed. Sug-
gestions were made to make the grant available to full-time
library school students and to require membership in JMRT. The
Grassroots Grants Committee has been requested to prepare a
brochure to publicize the grant and to suggest guidelines to the
Executive Board for the awarding of the grant. Presenting pro-
grams at each library school or in the three regions of the state
with JMRT members talking about their first job experiences
and the value of membership in professional associations was
discussed. The possibility of awarding a grant to the NCASL
Conference in 1986 was discussed.
JMRT participation in the NCLA Conference in 1985 was
discussed. Having a jail-a-thon in the exhibits area to raise
money was discussed favorably. Vivian will try to obtain JMRT
stickers for name badges from Quality Books. The JMRT booth
has been reserved for the exhibit area. The suggestion to provide
an orientation to NCLA and the conference was discussed.
Leland Park agreed to speak at the program as President of
NCLA.
It was decided to schedule the next meeting in Wilmington
on a Friday afternoon during the summer.
Vivian requested any JMRT members planning to attend the
ALA conference in Dallas to assist Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer with
staffing the JMRT suite on Saturday, June 23, from 4:00 to 6:00
p.m. The members present recommended that no money be sent
to assist with the costs of hosting the suite because of the short-
age of funds in the treasury and the expected expenses of pre-
paring publicity for the Grassroots Grants.
The meeting was adjourned when it was announced that
the General Session of the Spring Workshop would start early.
Media Committee
Members present: Carol Lewis, Chair, Catherine Moore,
Betty B. Daniel, Sandra L. OTConnor, Jerry Weaver, and Hugh
Hagaman.
Members of the Media Committee explored the advisability
of recommending merger with another NCLA committee, re-
defining the functions of the newly formed committee, and
renaming it. (The Library Resources Committee comes closest in
functions.) Perhaps the Futures Committee can look into this
possibility during the next year.
The following functions were defined:
1.To keep abreast of trends and report to members
through NCLA publicatons
a. copyright
b. computer management applications
c. emerging technologies
d. networking
1984 Fall"159
NCLA Minutes and Reports
2. To work with appropriate committees from other organi-
zations whose responsibilities are similar.
The committee outlined a plan of work. To begin, a ques-
tionnaire will be sent to the committee members who were
unable to attend the first meeting. The questionnaire will ask for
other topics to consider, specific interests, and possible addi-
tions to the committeeTs membership.
Carol G. Lewis
Membership Committee
Present: Renee DiPasquale, Mary Jo Godwin, Robert Hersch,
Desretta McAllister-Harper, Carolyn Oakley, Deborah Thomas,
Jane Williams; Judie Davie for Susan Casper, and Mary Williams
for Young-He Richards
The first committee project will be to update the current
NCLA brochure to include the new Roundtable for Ethnic
Minority Concerns and to change the treasurer's address. The
update will be more a reprint than a revision of the brochure so
that copies with correct information can be made availabe
quickly.
Later in the biennium the committee may devise a new
layout and design for a thorough revision of the brochure and
have it ready for printing when the new treasurer comes into
office in January 1986 for a four-year term. A new brochure
might include pull-out sheets that could be revised as needed for
changes in dues or association subdivisions, rather than having
to redo the entire brochure when any changes occur.
For the next few months the committee will concentrate on
recruiting new institutional members. The committee will meet
again, probably in late May, for more detailed discussion and
assignment of ways to recruit and retain NCLA members.
Jane Williams will talk with Robert Pollard about the var-
ious ways to get the membership list printed out for use by
committee members.
Jane Williams
TreasurerTs Report
April 1, 1984 " June 30, 1984
Exhibit A
Balance on Hand " April 1, 1984 - Checking Account $ 4,886.94
Receipts:
Dues and Receipts:
Association $2,633.95
Sections (Schedule 1) 2,970.25
Total Dues and Receipts $5,604.20
North Carolina Libraries (Schedule 1) 603.00
Reimbursed Expenses (THL) 296.25
Transfers from:
NCLA Scholarship Fund $3,000.00
McLendon Loan 900.00 3,900.00
Total Receipts $10,403.45
Total Cash to Account For 15,290.39
Expenditures (Exhibit B) 11,013.04
Cash Balance, June 30, 1984 $ 4,277.35
Exhibit B
Cash Disbursements
Executive Office " Expenses:
Telephone $ 29.66
Postage 78.39
Computer Charges 345.30
Clerical Help 30.38
Photocopy 13.25
Supplies 31.09
Audit 300.00
Bond (Treasurer) 57.00
Membership Brochure 213.46
Other 48.58 $1,147.11
North Carolina Libraries (Schedule 1) 3,487.18
Tar Heel Libraries 213.43
Committee Expenses:
Intellectual Freedom $101.19
Governmental Relations 346.84
Futures 17.28 465.31
Sections Expenses (Schedule 1) 1,689.74
Scholarships (3) 3,000.00
Loans (2) 600.00
Spring Workshop 38.82
Bulk Mail Discount Deposits (less reimbursements) 371.45
Total Disbursements (To Exhibit A)
160"North Carolina Libraries
$11,013.04
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