[This text is machine generated and may contain errors.]
North Carolina Libraries
OCT 2 0 1993
EAST CAROLINA
UNIVERSITY
POCEIVES)
OCI 19 1993
As librarians we
cannot solve all of
society's ills. We
will continue to
struggle with
"should | or
shouldn't I."
Whatever
decisions we
make, | vote for
the one that
implies "just do it."
After all, libraries
do change lives!
" Barbara S. Akinwole
page 115
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Social Issues Resources Series, Inc. » P.O. Box 2348 + Boca Raton, FL 33427-2348
Toll-free: 1-800-232-SIRS + Fax: 407-994-4704
Volume 91, Number 7
ISSN 0029-2740
ORTH
ROLINA
Libraries
mums «SOCIAL Issues IN LIBRARIANSHIP
Fall 199%
1 1 5 Foreword, Barbara S. Akinwole
117 Coalition Building, Fund Leveraging, and Role Changing: Keys to Expanded
Social Services by Public Libraries, Howard F. McGinn
120 Community Use of Tax-Supported Academic Libraries in North Carolina: Is
Unlimited Access a Right? Barbara Best-Nichols
126 Common Ground: The Rural Perspective, Virginia Orvedahl and William Wartman
129 Do Special Populations Require Special Services?, William Snyder
132 Examining the Role of the School Librarian in Developing Social Responsibility,
Constance A. Mellon
135 From Censorship to Intellectual Freedom to Empowerment: The Evolution of the
Social Responsibility of the American Public Library; A Bibliographical Essay
Plummer Alston Jones, Jr.
138 Social Issues in Libraries: A Bibliographic Guide to Programs and Policies of the
1990s, Suzanne Wise
ae ie OIC MeO OR oe Lae Sil a ed
114 From the President
142 And In Edition ... : What Our Children Are Dying to Know: AIDS Information
Dissemination and the Library, Jim Zola
146 Point: Libraries: All Things to All People, Carol H. Reilly
147 Counter Point: But It's Not What They Paid For!, Harry Tuchmayer
148 Wired to the World, Ralph Lee Scott
150 North Carolina Books
158 Lagniappe: Self-Help for North Carolinians: The Right Pamphlet,
Barbara S. Akinwole
1 60 NCLA Minutes
Advertisers: Book Wholesalers, 145 162 About the Authors
Broadfoot's, 141; Checkpoint, 144;
Current Editions, 161; EBSCO, 128;
G.K. Hall & Co. 119; H. W. Wilson, 116;
Mumford Books, 140;
Newsbank, 147; Oxford University Press, 125;
Quality Books, 134; SIRS, front cover;
Southeastern Microfilm, 137; Cover: Students play "Earth Ball." Photo by Dick Blount courtesy of the Fayetteville Observer-Times.
VTLS 159; UNC Press, back cover.
So a ee North Carolina Libraries is electronically produced. Art direction and design by Pat Weathersbee of TeamMedia, Greenville, NC.
From the President
Janet Freeman, President
When you see a turtle on top of a fence post,
Being on top of a fence post is a heady
thing for a turtle. Not every turtle
achieves that position. There are many
benefits. ItTs a better view than many
turtles ever have. ThereTs a breeze, and
the turtle gets lots of attention from
passers-by.
ItTs true. Ask any turtle whoTs been
lucky enough to be there.
Oh. You donTt think you can find a
turtle who'll talk? Okay. Ask anyone
whoTs been elected to an office or
appointed to a position of responsibility.
ItTs an experience similar to the turtleTs. .
Being oon top of a fence post,� one
has the opportunity to see the big
picture. ItTs a great view. It gets breezy
at times, and thereTs certainly no lack of
attention.
But letTs go on to the second part of
that saying about the turtle. oYou know
it didnTt get there by itself.� ThatTs the
important part. No turtle ... or office
holder ... achieved that position on his
or her own. (Close your eyes and try to
imagine a turtle shinnying up a fence
post.)
A lot of people made it possible for
me to be on the NCLA fence post for the
last two years, and I want to express my
sincere appreciation to a few of them.
Since the day four years ago when I
received the phone call that let me know
you'd given me the privilege of serving
as your President-Elect, ITve thought
about what I wanted to include in this,
my final column. There are many thank
youTs to be said and some challenges to
be issued.
First to the thank youTs.
Thank you ...
... to those librarians in my past
who encouraged me and provided me
with the very best role models anyone in
this profession has ever had:
you know it didnTt get there by itself.
Katherine Reid at the Carnegie
Library in Winston-Salem,
Sayde Penry at Ardmore
Elementary, Mary Martin
McBrayer at Dalton Junior
High, the Elizabeths (Sink and
Stroup) at Reynolds High,
Marjorie Hood at UNC-G, and
Anna Loe Russell at George
Peabody College;
... to the staff of the Carlyle
Campbell Library at Meredith College
who held the fort while I was at yet
another NCLA meeting or on the phone;
... to my dean, boss, and friend, Dr.
Allen Burris, who encouraged me to
accept nomination for this position and
made all the time away possible;
... to my family and friends who
were patient with my not coming to
visit as often; and
... to perfect Martha Fonville,
NCLATs ace Administrative Assistant,
who makes everyone look good.
Finally, to the members of the 1991-
93 NCLA Executive Board, an extra
special thank you. You put up with
many things during the past two years ...
from recreating the state of North
Carolina at our retreat at Caraway to the
two-minute timer for reports; from
starting meetings on time (whether
everyone was there or not) to looking at
those now-worn newsprint sheets listing
our bienniumTs goals. WeTve sung along
with JimTs mandolin and AliceTs banjo.
We've walked Capitol Hill telling
congressmen of the needs of North
Carolina libraries.
We have debated, agreed, disagreed,
and decided on many items of business
and policy for the North Carolina
Library Association. Many were tough
decisions, the results of which will be
felt for many years. Through it all you
showed unfailing good humor, perspec-
114 " Fall 1993
tive, tolerance, respect for each other,
and good judgment, and | thank you.
Now for my challenges to you, the
membership ...
¢ Get involved in NCLA. This
association is only as good as the people
actively participating in it.
e Go to and pay attention at section,
committee, and round table business
meetings. You'll be surprised at how
interesting they are, and you'll be able
to get to know some of the associationTs
turtles currently on fence posts. Talk to
them. Find out what you can do.
e Take advantage of the opportuni-
ties to learn that NCLA offers you. Each
year I am impressed by the variety of
workshops, seminars, and conferences
Our association sponsors.
e Make suggestions to your leader-
ship. Let them know you are out there
and what you need from the association.
e DonTt be afraid to speak up. You
may be surprised by how much weight
your opinion carries.
e Read North Carolina Libraries. You
do know, donTt you, that last year it was
judged the best library journal in the
United States? ItTs yours.
The North Carolina Library Associa-
tion is one of (if not THE) finest state
library associations in the country. Our
membership includes talented, imagina-
tive people who are leading the way in
library service.
Thank you for giving me the
privilege of serving as your president
this biennium. As Gwen Jackson begins
her turn on the NCLA fence post, I wish
for her the same kind of support and
good will ... and yes, the breezes and the
challenges ... that I have experienced
these past two years.
North Carolina Libraries
oBeyond handouts: embryonic programs provide some innovative approaches to
intractable social ills,� reads the subheading for a May 17, 1993, Wall Street Journal
article on new social programs being tried at local and state levels. As I read the
article, I could not help but think about those intractable social ills and how they
spill over into libraries. When we talk about social issues in librarianship, we are
talking about an entity not different from the social issues that touch our everyday
lives. So, do we separate libraries from the rest of society, or are we savvy enough
to realize that what affects society as a whole filters into our libraries?
According to a 1992 Business Week magazine special foldout, America is
changing. In some instances, the changes are good; in others, not so good. The
article basically states that immigration patterns, more women in the workforce, a
less agrarian society, global trade, more elderly, a downturn in earnings growth,
more children in poverty, an increase in crime, rising medical costs, and a rethink-
ing of our educational system, all are playing major roles in how America is
changing. As America changes, so must AmericaTs infrastructure. Libraries are part
of AmericaTs infrastructure.
Usually, libraries are spoken of in the same breath as education.
I agree that libraries and education are synonymous and that we
must be an open door for knowledge. Because the tax dollars of ALL
Americans are used to operate libraries, we cannot afford to be
} Ore Wwoa rd area exclusive in our quest to nurture all who enter our doors.
North Carolina Libraries
by Barbara S. Akinwole
Guest Editor
So, am I my brotherTs keeper? Yes, no, maybe so. Should I be or
even want to be? Social issues in librarianship? Just exactly what are
we talking about? And what is this thing called social responsibility?
And why and how did we information providers find ourselves
involved in this scenario? Questions, questions, all those questions
and very few answers. Yes, we are concerned. But, is it our duty to
be on the front line?
The authors of the articles in this issue have and will continue to grapple with
those questions in sometimes anguished pursuit of the answers. We first tried to
define social issues in librarianship i.e., social responsibilities. Terms that came to
mind were neutrality, non-judgmental, awareness, resourceful, balance and
breadth, lifelong learning, mainstreaming, facilitator, etc., etc.
Based on dictionary definitions, osocial� has a variety of meanings. The
definition that I think most of the authors chose to deal with has to do with the
welfare of us humans and our responsibility to look after each other, therefore
leading us to dwell on the social responsibility of the profession.
One of the articles specifically addresses the AIDS issue because, in 1993, the
disease is still a major social issue in our lives. We librarians are still struggling with
how a public institution should best address this issue. Jim Zola does an exemplary
job of addressing the need for making our children knowledgeable.
Plummer Alston Jones entrusts to our sensibilities a treatise on the evolution of
the social responsibility of the American public library. Suzanne Wise does an
excellent job of introducing the reader to a selected, annotated list of programs and
policies that deal with social issues. William Snyder addresses ospecial popula-
tions,� i.e, the elderly or physically handicapped, and whether or not they require
ospecial service.� His premise is that we should mainstream them. Barbara Best-
Nichols talks about those bastions of higher education and how they view
oJohnny� when he graces their doorsteps full of questions and making demands on
their time. Connie Mellon speaks from the heart on the subject of the school
library and social responsibility, by thoughtfully examining the role of the school
librarian. Virginia OrvedahlTs and William WartmanTs article on library life in a
rural setting explains how this milieu does not preclude libraries from experiencing
the urbiculture syndrome. By virtue of being a rural library, some unique concerns
are evident; however, intractable social ills know no boundaries. Howard McGinn
talks about coalition building, fund leveraging, and role changing, and refers to
these processes as being the keys to expanded social services by public libraries. In
"Point/Counterpoint," Carol Reilly and Harry Tuchmayer debate whether or not
our libraries should be oall things to all people.� Carol approaches the issue from
an information and referral (I&R) position. Carol is personally acquainted with
this venue, having spent many years as an I&R coordinator.
As librarians we cannot solve all of societyTs ills. We will continue to struggle
with oshould I or shouldnTt I.�. Whatever decisions we make, I vote for the one
that implies ojust do it.� After all, libraries do change lives!
Fall 1993 " 119
INDEXES AND ABSTRACTS
The Wilson Indexes Expand! :
* Library Literature adds 18 periodicals
* Index to Legal Periodicals expands
coverage to include monographs
*® Social Sciences Index mo) is currently
underway
* Education Index v« now often: exclusive
coverage of nearly 100 publications.
Wilson Expands Electronic Access
with Newspaper Coverage __
Business Periodicals Index and Wilson
Business Abstracts now include indexing
and abstracting of articles from the Wall
_ Street Journal, as well as relevant business
articles and the Business Section of The
New York Times. ReadersT Guide and
ReadersT Guide Abstracts are also indexing
and abstracting articles daily from The
| New York Times. The Science Section of
The New York Times is also included in
- General Science Index. .
Play Index
| The latest volume provides references | to
| 4397 new and previ sh ee pays
Pric to be announced.
4
116 " Fall 1993
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Acompendium of facts, statistics, and anec-
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i) REFERENCE BOOKS AND VIDEOS
Old Worlds to New |
The Age of Exploration and Discovery
By Janet Podell and Steven Anzovin
296pp. 1993 ISBN 0-8242-0838-2
$44 U.S. and Canada, $49 other countries.
_ Presents clear, unbiased accounts of the
| lives and accomplishments of 75 explorers,
warriors, and scientists from the 15th-17th
centuries.
By Joseph Nathan Kane
432pp. 1993 ISBN 0-8242-0845-5
who have held office from 1789 to 1993.
Booktalk! 5
Edited by Joni Richards Bodart
_ 300pp. approx. Fall 1993
ISBN 0-8242-0836-6
__ Price to be announced.
Collects over 320 ready"to-tise talks origi-
nally published in Joni Richards BodartTs
newsletter The Booktalker. A companion
volume to Booktalk! 4.
Stories on Stage
_ Scripts for ReaderTs Theater
By Lie Shepard
162pp. 1993 :
ISBN 0-8242-0851-x
«$40 US. and Canada, $45 other countries.
_ Multicultural in scope, this indispensable
resource provides 22 ready-to-use scripts
based on quality literature.
How to Use the ReadersT
Guide
| Videocassette. 20 minutes 3 1993
vailability of the Biblio-
SC for the IBM person-
Color/VHS/Hi-Fi
) ISBN 0-8242-0846-3 _
North Carolina Libraries
Se eee ee ee eee es ee ee
Coalition Building,
Fund Leveraging, and Role Changing
Keys to Expanded Social Services
he changes have been gradual,
almost unnoticed. They began
back in the 1960s when librar-
ians discovered what was then
called opublic relations.� They
began with the first appearance
of specialized displays of books in an at-
tempt to mimic the displays of the depart-
ment stores and supermarkets. The goals
were noble: increase circulation, bring
more people into the library, increase the
number of people reading, make the li-
brary begin to appear that it was not a
musty, silent, tomb-like mausoleum of
dead books and comatose employees. The
changes produced results. By unwittingly
employing a few standard marketing tech-
niques, libraries did increase circulation,
did increase the number of customers
walking in the library door, and, in spite of
the best efforts of the school systems to the
contrary, did increase the number of people
able to read even as the schools increased
the number of graduates not able to read.
Libraries became ofun places� full of ALA
READ posters, puppet shows, and large
money-making video stores. Popular fic-
tion dominated the expenditure of public
tax dollars, and a new professional role
model " the librarian as cruise director "
was created. We rarely stopped to talk with
the homeless person keeping warm under
the READ poster unless that personTs odor
or behavior annoyed the better-heeled cli-
entele. We rarely stopped to consider why
our customer base was taking on a distinc-
tive white, middle-class tint, why the grow-
ing number of people of color or people of
a foreign language in our communities felt
that they were not welcome in the public
library, why we were becoming irrelevant.
We should have seen the signs of our
North Carolina Libraries
by Public Libraries
by Howard F. McGinn
irrelevancy, but this was the age of Reagan
and America was standing tall. Now, how-
ever, we are beginning to understand that
the age of Reagan has left us financially
and spiritually bankrupt. We face an un-
imaginable national debt, riots and bombs
in our cities, financial institutions that are
still in the intensive care unit, and a lost
generation of the young, especially Afri-
can-American and Hispanic young men
whose talents and skills we will sorely miss
in the future. And, as our libraries have
become irrelevant to most peopleTs lives,
our profession slowly fades into extinc-
tion. The application of marketing tech-
niques did not bring on this decay; our
misunderstanding and amateurish appli-
cation of them did so. Mass circulation
statistics did not produce lower bud-
gets and the seeds of internal col-
lapse; the rush for the quick fix, the
quick profit did so. The increased
number of customers did not devas-
tate our credibility; our inattention
to the human needs of large seg-
ments of our society did so. We sold
our ancient heritage so that the
words of Danielle Steele might be
heard throughout the land. But as
the Bible says othe poor we have
always with us� and in the hope of
this post-Reagan era perhaps there
are some small steps we can take to
regain our relevancy, to restore our
profession and professional dignity,
to increase our budgets, and, in the
process, to make a difference in the
lives of the many who never felt
they were permitted to enter our
buildings. The first step we need to
take is to examine possible role
changes.
I Am My BrotherTs And SisterTs
Keeper.
I am certain that the most frequent re-
sponse to the question oWhy did you
become a librarian?� is the answer: oBe-
cause I love books.� This is the root of our
problem. I would like to believe that most
of the people giving this response would
add oand I want to help people.� Butin my
twenty-five years as a librarian, I have
never had that second phrase appended to
a personTs unswerving devotion to that
piece of technology composed of paper,
glue, and chemicals that we call a book.
Aside from Hitler and Savonarola, few
persons will openly express a hatred of
books. General Assembly members have
even been known to cut library budgets
The goals were noble:
increase circulation, bring
more people into the
library, increase the
number of people reading,
make the library begin to
appear that it was not a
musty, silent, tomb-like
mausoleum of dead books
and comatose employees.
Fall 1993 " 117
drastically while professing to be avid read-
ers. A book, or more realistically, a collec-
tion of many books in one place produces
a strange response in many persons in our
culture. For these persons, entombmentin
books brings a sense of security, a feeling
of eternity, of immutability, of comfort in
a world that has run amok. Entombment
allows a person to avoid accountability for
the expenditure of tax dollars, to avoid
accountability for lack of personal produc-
tivity, to avoid contact with the common
world of business, jobs, and unemploy-
ment. For many, entombment in books
offers an opportunity to escape from real-
ity, a safe haven to weather the onslaughts
of the world of the homeless, the mur-
dered, the illiterate, the hungry. What
behavioral patterns, however, would be
established by librarians who append the
phrase oand I want to help people� to their
reason for their career choice? Perhaps
these are some.
1. The Librarian As Job Provider.
Librarians have an honorable history as
social activists. We willingly battle censor-
ship, we march for gay and lesbian rights,
we have attempted to overcome adult illit-
eracy with just a fraction of the funds used
by the public schools to produce illiter-
ates. But if the phrase oand I want to help
people� were to be inserted in our daily
work operations and budgeting, the tex-
ture of public library service would change
dramatically. For once we would be able to
see a direct cause-effect relationship be-
... perhaps there are some
small steps we can take to
regain our relevancy,
to restore our
profession and professional
dignity, to increase our
budgets, and, in the
process, to make a
difference in the lives of
the many who never
felt they were permitted to
enter our buildings.
118 " Fall 1993
tween our work and the people we serve.
The job creation program in the Nantahala
Regional Library System in North Caro-
lina is an excellent example of this phe-
nomenon.
The Nantahala Regional System in-
cludes Graham County, the county in
North Carolina that historically has the
highest unemployment rate in the state.
In 1989 the State Library of North Caro-
lina began to work with Martha Palmer,
director of the system, and Marcia Clontz,
the systemTs outreach librarian, to develop
ajob creation program in Graham County
that would be library-based. Plans were
developed to begin a data entry business
that could be used by local government
officials as a prototype for a much larger
corporate data entry industry that would
bring good jobs, good working conditions,
and no negative environmental impact to
this mountain county. Four jobs were cre-
ated in the library, subsidized by LSCA
Title I funds. Libraries across the state
began to send their shelf list cards to the
Graham County Library where the em-
ployees converted the paper records into
MARC records using OCLCTs Microcon
system. These records were then added to
the state online catalogs at OCLC. Public
libraries across the state were able to have
their holdings converted inexpensively
and, at the same time, obtain a tape of
their holdings for loading into an online
system. The program is now in its third
year of operation. People are working. The
burden is now on state and local govern-
ment economic development offi-
cials to nurture and expand this na-
scent industry in order to develop
more jobs.
2. The Librarian As Health
Provider.
We are accustomed to people using
public libraries to obtain health care
materials in order to perform
self-diagnosis. The number of per-
sons using the library for this pur-
pose increases when economic con-
ditions are bad. But a program in the
Pettigrew Regional Library System
in northeastern North Carolina re-
versed the pattern of the provision
of health care. Instead of waiting for
people to come to the library,
PettigrewTs director, Martha Smith,
took health care to the people. The
place was Tyrell County, the only
county in the state without a physi-
cian. The program was a joint pro-
gram of the Pettigrew Regional Li-
brary, the State Library, and the
School of Nursing at East Carolina
University. The concept was simple.
A graduate nurse would ride the bookmo-
bile and, at the bookmobile stops, do physi-
cal examinations of the elderly, newborn
children, pregnant women, anyone who
came for assistance. If the nurse discov-
ered that persons needed immediate medi-
cal care, Social Services was notified or the
person was rushed to the medical school
hospital at East Carolina University. The
librarian, meanwhile, distributed infor-
mation about nutrition, self-examination,
child care, and other topics. Videotapes
were shown when appropriate. The key
factor in making this program work was
Martha SmithTs knowledge of her commu-
nity and her willingness to change
long-standing bookmobile routes. The
route was changed to stop in the late
afternoon and evening at backroads
churches and fire houses when people
were home from work in the fields or
factories. Health care was delivered to the
people of this very poor county.
The Emporia (Kansas) Public Library
has conducted a similar program each
summer for the past few years. The
childrenTs librarian schedules outdoor story
hours in trailer parks in the city. Most of
the residents of the parks are Mexican,
Vietnamese, or Cambodian. While the
parents may not be able to speak English,
the children usually have mastered enough
of the language to understand the stories.
A social worker or nurse will accompany
the librarian and, while the story hour is
being conducted, the nurse or social worker
will do physical examinations or work
with the families in helping solve other
problems. This summer, a graduate stu-
dent from the School of Library and Infor-
mation Management at Emporia State
University will workin the program as part
of her practicum. As a supplement to these
programs, the library has started Spanish
language story hours on a year-round basis
for children who have not yet learned
English. It will soon begin a program to
teach English to newly-arrived Hispanic
adults. In both North Carolina and Kan-
sas, children, young parents, and the eld-
erly were plugged into the social services
system and into other programs through
the library.
3. The Librarian As Mentor.
The plight of young African-American men
is becoming a national concern. Many
efforts are underway to reduce the death
rate of these young people from murder by
handguns and drugs, to increase their job
opportunities, to provide a meaningful
education, to create positive role models.
This summer, the Emporia Public Library
will conduct a month-long oRites of Pas-
sage� program for young African-American
North Carolina Libraries
men in the community. The project is a
joint program of the library and the Office
of Minority Student Affairs at Emporia
State University. The programs will be
held two nights each week in June and July
and will focus on the unique problems
facing these young people.
The Greensboro (North Carolina) Pub-
lic LibraryTs Vance H. Chavis Lifelong
Learning Center has attacked these and
other problems encountered on a daily
basis by the African-American community
in that city. Chavis Center director Steve
Sumerford has especially concentrated on
tutorial programs for students and literacy
programs for adults. Funding is provided
by the Greensboro Public Library and by a
non-profit fund-raising group.
4. The Librarian As Social Service
Information Provider.
This is a more traditional role. The
now-rapid emergence of statewide elec-
tronic networks has enabled public librar-
ies, in particular, to provide information
about the wide variety of social services
available to customers. The Information
Network of Kansas and the State Library of
Kansas have recently inaugurated
KIDSNET. This free, statewide, electronic
service provides a ofinder service� on a
county-by-county basis for parents need-
ing day care for children ranging in age
from toddler to elementary school. It pro-
vides lists of facilities for children with
special needs, and long-term residential
facilities for children without parents, who
are troubled, or who need special atten-
tion for whatever reason. KIDSNET also
spells out eligibility requirements for the
receipt of assistance.
Other states have developed or are
developing similar programs. The State
Library of North CarolinaTs North Caro-
lina Information Network, of course, has
offered job listings for several years. The
State Library of Colorado has announced
the initiation of a feasibility study to add
health care and social services informa-
tion to the Access Colorado Network. When
this information is online, Colorado resi-
dents will have access to a wide range of
health and family-related information.
Using the Network, for example, a preg-
nant woman could obtain information
about prenatal care services, or a family
could investigate adult day care services to
help deal with an aging parent who needs
constant care. In these four areas of ser-
vice, two essential factors emerge that make
such services possible.
Keys To Service
1. State Library Initiative.
Because these services often require fund-
ing not normally able to be provided in a
public libraryTs budget, state libraries, by
using LSCA Title I and III funds, can pro-
vide the seed money to begin and sustain
such services. In most cases, LSCA dollars
are used to provide leverage to obtain
other federal, state, and local government
funds, or private dollars. The Access Colo-
rado program, for example, is supported
by a grant from The Colorado Trust and
the Aurora Prevention Partnership. The
Colorado Trust was endowed by the pro-
ceeds of the sale of Presbyterian/St. LukeTs
Medical Center in Denver. The Aurora
Prevention Partnership is funded by the
U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Office of Substance Abuse Pre-
vention, and the City of Aurora Youth
Initiative. The key, however, is the coordi-
nation provided by the State Library of
Colorado.
2. Coalition Building.
The pre-electronic form of networking is
alive and well. The Information Network
of Kansas and the State Library of Kansas
have developed access to a large number of
legal, social service, legislative, and other
state government databases by forming
contractual arrangements with other state
agencies. Both Kansas and North Carolina
make extensive use of state-operated tele-
communications networks to provide ac-
cess to these databases as well as to the
Internet and its wealth of resources. If one
is able to maneuver through the gray areas
of church-state relationships and not in-
cur the wrath of the American Civil Liber-
ties Union, cooperative programs with
churches can be very valuable, if not es-
sential. The Emporia Public LibraryTs His-
panic programs are being conducted with
assistance from the Methodist Church. In
North Carolina, the stateTs Southern Bap-
tist Convention and the Roman Catholic
Dioceses have developed extensive pro-
grams to serve migrant workers. Inroads
already made by the churches can be very
valuable in initiating programs. The es-
sential key in the development of these
coalitions is good, old-fashioned,
face-to-face bargaining with the state li-
brary representing library interests.
Ronald Reagan did not completely de-
stroy altruistic behaviorin the United States.
As the proverbial pendulum of social change
swings back to a true okinder, gentler� na-
tion, librarians are finding that it is possible
to return to the traditions of service that
have been such an essential part of the
profession without sacrificing the gains
made by the adoption of modern market-
ing techniques. What is needed, however,
is a mass return to these roots. When every
citizen can truly feel that she or he is al-
lowed to enter a public library, that there
will be information services available that
will help meet his or her needs, no matter
how mundane those needs may seem to be.
When the professional librarians providing
these services represent all races and colors
in our society, then our public libraries will
truly be public.
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North Carolina Libraries
Fall 1993 " 119
Community Use of Tax-Supported
Academic Libraries in North Carolina:
Is Unlimited Access a Right?
by Barbara Best-Nichols
n 1979, I was employed as Head Librarian at a major
company located in the Research Triangle Park (RTP).
This companyTs library and staff had access to the facili-
ties of the research libraries in the area, two of which are
supported by the North Carolina General Assembly and
one of which is a private institution. The Research
Triangle Foundation had negotiated with these libraries to pro-
vide free access to their collections and services by RTP compa-
niesT employees.
In 1989, I was employed as Library Supervisor at a company
located adjacent to Research Triangle Park in Wake County. This
company was in the process of developing a research library
collection. Thus, its resources were not complete enough to
provide all the materials necessary for the research being con-
ducted. During the 1977-81 and 1981-85 terms of Governor Jim
Hunt, corporate recruitment for the state was at an all-time high.
Part of the recruitment strategy emphasized the availability of
area university resources that included laboratory, faculty, and
library resources. Before relocating, the company in question
held conversations with the chancellor of a local tax-supported
university who promised free use of the facilities when the
relocation was complete. Efforts to capitalize on the use of library
facilities of this tax-supported university were unsuccessful. In
order for the research staff to borrow materials for home or office
use without going through the interlibrary loan process, a contri-
bution to the Corporate Patrons Program of the Friends was
required. An annual contribution of $600 or a life membership
of $5,000 oallows all employees of the company to enjoy the
benefits of membership " including library borrowing privileges
" without paying the $25 individual rate .�1
The preceding paragraphs illustrate the lack of consistent
service to the research communityTs use of public academic
libraries. What, then, is the responsibility of the tax-supported
academic library to the community user? In 1967, E. J. Josey
paraphrased a similar question raised by Eric Moon in 1966,
which was, ocould not residents of the community argue that
they had a right of free access to college and university libraries
receiving generous support from state and federal funds to which
their taxes have contributed?�2 Although this issue has been
debated throughout the years, it is not presently resolved.
This issue is germane to both the individual and commercial
residents. Because business establishments are paying higher tax
rates than individuals and contribute greatly to the overall
120 " Fall 1993
economy of the state, are their requests for services any more
legitimate than those of the individual requester's? This is not to
say that the individual resident is any less important or has aneed
that is any less valid. In fact, the taxpayer sees a significant
portion of income being withheld for state and federal taxes.
These tax withholdings are given back to the community in
many forms, including entitlement programs, block grants,
educational programs, library funding, and many other pro-
grams and services too numerous to name. oAcademic libraries
are accepting federal assistance, not only for building construc-
tion but also for books, materials, and equipment. The question
of whether or not to deny a taxpayer the right to use his tax dollar
in a given academic library may no longer be moot.�3 Area
meetings in preparation for the GovernorTs and White House
Conferences have presented the opportunity to address this issue
on a state and national level.
In the fall of 1990, a series of regional GovernotrTs Confer-
ences on Library and Information Services was held. These
conferences were a prelude to the second White House Confer-
ence on Library and Information Sciences. Several resolutions
addressing the use of all libraries by community members were
made at these regional conferences. One resolution specifically
addressed the use of university libraries by members of the
community with specific reference to professionals in businesses,
companies, and corporations.
The following are actual resolutions made at the various
regional GovernorTs Conferences on Library and Information
Services throughout the state in the fall of 1990.
1. oResolved: That the General Assembly mandate all
state-supported universities to extend full library
services to include borrowing privileges to profession-
als of businesses, companies, and corporations
performing research or manufacturing within a 35-
mile radius of said universities. That this extension of
services be specifically applicable to those businesses,
companies, or corporations recruited by the North
Carolina Department of Commerce or other munici-
pal Departments of Commerce who indicated that the
area was conducive to their operations because of the
available resources from the area universities, the
premise upon which Research Triangle Park was
developed. Further, that this extension of services
not be predicated on membership within organized
North Carolina Libraries
S
oFriends� or other local support groups. Be it further
resolved, that the discriminatory practice of some
state-supported universities of allowing full service to
include borrowing privileges to professionals of
business occupants of Research Triangle Park to be
disallowed or discontinued.�4
2. oThat library service to business be developed and
promoted in all libraries to meet the economic
development needs of the community served.�5
3. oThe North Carolina General Assembly assures
that library resources of all libraries in the state are
listed in computer format so that the library resources
of the state are known and thus available to all
citizens.�
These resolutions were a public appeal for libraries of all types to
provide information to all people.
Resolution One was an attempt to persuade tax-supported
academic institutions to allow community users access to their
collections, with borrowing privileges, specific requests being
made for business, company, and corporate professionals. Fur-
ther, that utilization of library services should be free of fees, such
as Friends memberships, minimal contributions, or other finan-
cial payments. The premise is that as commercial taxpayers,
businesses have already paid sufficient monies for the availability
of various state-supported services, to include library use.
On many campuses where services to community users are
being contemplated, the question is being raised as to owhich
community users to serve.�� Not only is the business community
growing, but so are the artistic and related cultural communities.
In addition, the health and legal service communities are also
expanding rapidly. They generate ounassociated or extramural
college library borrowers who are serious researchers who no
longer pursue formal study; they are writers, artists, doctors,
lawyers, scientists, and poets who live within the proximity of
the college library. These persons need library materials for their
professional work, their research, or for speech purposes.�8
Former President Bush on April 18, 1991, released America
2000: An Education Strategy. This initiative was oto move every
community in America toward the national education goals
adopted by the president and the governors in 1990.�9 In this
plan, it was the aim of the former president and governors to
ensure that students, parents, business, community leaders, and
others becme involved in learning. oThe president challenged
adult Americans to ~go back to schoolT and to make this a ~Nation
of Students.T The president urged every American to continue
learning throughout his or her life, using the myriad formal and
informal means available to gain further knowledge and skills.� 10
While the America 2000 plan focused on a ~Nation of
Students,T made up of all segments of occupations, many of the
nationTs colleges and universities have been oextending services
to members of the clergy and teachers.�!! These individuals are
oextended privileges because of the responsibility of their posi-
tions, feelings of trust and confidence and also because much of
the materials required werenTt housed in public libraries.� !
In todayTs society, teachers and clergy are not the only
individuals who have awesome responsibilities. Elected officials,
private citizens, and others require access to information to
perform in a judicious manner. Werner Cohn, a retired sociology
professor paraphrased a quote by Justice Robert Jackson by
stating, owithout access to adequate information, citizens can-
not exercise their civic functions; without reasonably compre-
hensive library facilities, there is no adequate access to informa-
tion.... But citizen access to the library has dangerously coroded
in recent years because the private university library has with-
North Carolina Libraries
drawn from public service.� 13
Though the above quote is about private university libraries,
it is certainly relevant to many public university libraries. oThe
relationships between the library and its external users have been
reexamined under present day conditions of high costs and
restrictive budgets for library operations.�!4 Lack of adequate
resources has caused many public university libraries to reduce
hours, staff, and services. This withdrawal of services and staff,
and this reduction of hours have created problems for its primary
users, the faculty and students. Thus, it is also necessary to
withdraw these services to the external user. oFunding is not
usually provided to research libraries to serve the general com-
munity users.� 15
Resolution Two supports and further amplifies the position
that library service to business should be developed and pro-
moted in oall� libraries to meet the economic needs of the
community served. The word oall� implies the inclusion of
academic libraries.
Literature Review
In reviewing the literature much emphasis was placed on the use
of academic libraries by high school students. Atleast three of the
articles suggested that academic libraries could prove to be very
effective recruitment tools. One in particular indicated that othe
large number of community residents who visit the library,
including teachers, businessmen, and high school students are
all potential sources of new students for academic institutions.
This is particularly true if the visitorTs exposure to the institution
through the library creates a favorable impression. A positive
library experience can reinforce positive opinion about the entire
institution.�!6 There also was considerable information on the
use of academic libraries by business and professionals within the
community.
The literature search cited several articles on the use of
academic libraries as they relate to online public catalog training
for the public and other end-user public access.
Research Design
Because of the lack of previous research on the topic, a survey to
provide additional information about the community and its use
of tax-supported academic libraries was compiled.
Data was obtained from eleven libraries. These libraries, all
within the state of North Carolina and part of the University of
North Carolina System, receive support from the North Carolina
General Assembly. These eleven libraries represent all geographi-
cal areas of the state. The libraries also include historically black
colleges and universities and a Native American university. Two
of the libraries are at the same university; however, one is a
professional school library.
The instrument, oSurvey: Library Use by Non-Students and
Faculty,� was faxed to all sixteen state-supported colleges and
universities. This instrument was designed to determine policies
of these institutions regarding use of their libraries by the
community. Further, the instrument was designed to determine
if these universities actually included community use in their
mission statements. It also queried the relationship of these
libraries to the business community and high school students.
Additionally, the instrument was designed to determine whether
of not the local Chamber of Commerce cited the availability of
university library resources in recruiting industry to local areas.
This information was requested from the libraries and not the
local chambers of commerce.
Hypotheses
The hypotheses for this investigation were:
Fall 199% " 121
1.Tax-supported academic libraries provide services to
community users who are not university or college
students and faculty.
2.Tax-supported academic libraries do not provide free
borrowing privileges to residential and business
community users.
Survey Results
Narrative form is used to report the survey results. No attempts
were made to massage, synthesize, or summarize these results.
The researcher felt that having the actual responses would prove
of greater value than providing composite responses.
Eleven (65 percent) of the seventeen instruments were re-
turned. The survey group was all tax-supported academic libraries.
Of these eleven responses, one institution indicated that it re-
sponded only to official statistical surveys from the Association of
Research Libraries; thus, the total number of respondents complet-
ing the survey questions was ten (59 percent).
The survey questions and respondent answers are in narra-
tive form. This gives the reader the full essence of the survey.
Respondents were asked to send copies of their mission
statements. Nine (90 percent) returned mission statements and
three (30 percent) returned circulation policies.
Question 1: Does your mission statement allow you to serve
the community outside of the campus environment?
Yes. No.
Explain and attach a copy of your mission statement.
Library A. oYes. ... In addition to the services provided to our
primary clientele, the Library offers selected services to the
larger community of which ... it is a part " alumni,
citizens of the local area, and students and faculty of other
academic institutions.�
Library B. oYes. ... In addition, ... serves as a secondary
resource for non-technical health care information for
health care consumers in the local community.�
Library C. oYes. ... The diverse campus and community
clientele are aided in their use of information resources,
services, and facilities by the Academic Library Services
faculty and staff who offer instruction and assistance.�
Library D. oYes. ... Service is extended to ... residents of the
larger city-county-regional area who have informational
and resource needs which can be met by an academic
library.�
Library E. oYes. Permission is granted on a case by case
basis if the requester can show demonstrated need.�
bibrany hes VeSh-
Library G. oYes. ... Fundamental to its mission are excellence
in teaching, high quality research, scholarship, and
creative expression; and fostering a strong sense of
community through curricular and co-curricular programs.�
Library H. oYes. ... Within its allocated resources, the
Library also accepts the responsibility for providing
various services to citizens and scholars outside the
immediate university environment.�
Library I. oNo.�
Library J. oYes. The statement does not formally address
service to the larger community, but there is certainly no
prohibition on such service, and service to the larger ...
community is permitted, and in some cases, encouraged.
For example, the Reference Librarians arrange for high
school students to tour the library and work on their
research projects while in the library.�
122 " Fall 1993
Question 2. If yes, is this service non-restrictive, that is, do
you loan the materials out through normal
circulation procedures or is service restricted to
in-house use?
Library A. oNon-restrictive.�
Library B. oNormal circulation.�
Library C. "Non-university patrons may borrow materials
from the library. They do not restrict to in-house use of
library materials.�
Library D. oNormal circulation policies.�
Library E. oYes, the loan period is the same!�
Library F. oNormal circulation policies.�
Library G. oLoan agreements are established with area
colleges, secondary schools, public library. These arrange-
ments allow those institutions to issue written referral
notes requesting that the borrower be allowed to check
out materials on a specified subject. The referral note is
kept by us. A new note must be brought each time
borrower comes to obtain material. These patrons are
limited to 6-8 books at a time. The referral institution is
responsible for seeing that the borrower returns all books,
pays any fines due, or pays for lost material. If borrower
does not pay, referral institution reimburses this Library.�
Library H. oNormal.�
Library I. oNormal circulation procedure.�
Library J. oNon-restrictive, but there are some limitations as
indicated below.�
Question 3. If yes to circulation, is the circulation period the
same for community users as it is for academic
patrons? Explain.
Library A. oYes; loan period is 3 weeks with 2 renewals.
Popular collection (browsing) " 2 weeks with no renew-
als. (Same loan period as for ... students).�
Library B. oYes, except for faculty clients who have a one-
year check-out period " actually, everything due end of
spring semester.�
Library C. oArea Resident, 14 days; BorrowerTs fee $15.00
individual, $100.00 corporate. Community College, 14
days; BorrowerTs fee $15.00 individual.�
Library D. oThree-week loan " same as for students.�
Library E. oSame.�
Library F. oNon-student users have a one month loan, same
as our students. They are subject to same fines & bills
charges; recalls and other notification.�
Library G. oSame as for undergraduate students. Material on
reserve and audio-visual materials are loaned only to ...
students, faculty and staff.�
Library H. oSame as undergraduates, but 4-book limit.�
Library I.oYes. Three-week circulation period is standard
with a three-day grace period " Exceptions: Graduate
students/14 day grace. Faculty & staff/1 year grace.�
Library J. oThis circulation period is 21 days for both
university and ocity patrons.� However, City Patrons
must pay a $10.00 per year fee, they may not borrow
books if they owe fines in any amount or have overdue
books, and they must be at least 18 years old or be
accompanied by parents if less than 18 and registering as
a borrower. We are a little more strict with the City
Patrons than the students. For example, they may borrow
no more than five books at one time, but students may
borrow as many as they need.�
North Carolina Libraries
Question 4. Do you believe that the general (local) taxpayer
should have access to tax-supported university
resources?
Yes. No. Explain either answer.
Library A. oYes.�
Library B.. oYes.�
Library C. oYes. Our primary responsibility is to provide
library and information services that support the students,
faculty, and staff of ..._ Once that responsibility can be
determined to have been met, then we will attempt to
assist members of the community. If there is competition
between the two groups for the same resources and/or
services the university community always has priority.�
Library D. oYes. I believe that community users are entitled
to in-house use of materials for free. Other services may
need to be fee-based.�
Library E. oYes. However, outside access to materials
owned
by small institutions should be restricted.�
Library F. "Yes. As per our mission statement we should be
a resource to the taxpayers of N. C. Though we do insist
on the primacy of our immediate communityTs scholarly,
instructional & research needs.� (Mission statement was
not included).
Library G. oYes, but access is for use of materials within the
Library, not for loan of materials nor for library services
restricted to students, faculty, staff such as ILL, computer
database searches, etc.�
Library H. oYes. I believe in open access to information.�
Library I. | No response.
LibraryJ. oYes. Prohibition of use for taxpayers would be
ethically questionable and perhaps illegal if push came to
shove. Generally, use by non-campus people has not been
a significant drain on library resources, it is good for
library/community relations, and has not created prob-
lems of any significance.�
Question 5. If yes, should the services be fee-based or free?
Explain.
Library A. o$10.00 non-refundable fee for library card for
community patrons.�
Library B. oFree, provided they are free to primary clientele.�
Library C. oIf our primary clientele is charged for a service
then the general public will be charged at least the same
rate and, perhaps, more. In some instances, the general
public will be charged because of higher loss rates or the
inability to influence them to honor obligations they have
made.�
Library D. oFee-based. Universities are funded by FTE
student counts. Unless funding formulas are changed to
take community service into the formula, some services
must be fee-based.�
Library E. oA small deposit would weed out the non-serious
Library F. oThey are and should be fee-based to discourage
possible misuse of our resources.�
Library G. No response.
Library H. oFee based. Students pay fees, in addition to their
(or their parentsT) taxes to support the library, so commu-
nity users should pay at least a cost-recovery fee for being
able to check materials out of the library.�
Library 1. No response.
LibraryJ. oWe think a fee for borrowing is reasonable. It
7
North Carolina Libraries
shows the community borrower is genuine about using
the resources, and perhaps lessens the chance of someone
registering as a borrower, taking books, and never return-
ing them. Any other service " copies, online searches,
etc., are based on the same fees students pay. Our fees are
cheap compared to many libraries. $10.00 a year to
borrow books, 5 cents per page for copies; some academic
libraries charge as much as $100.00 per year for commu-
nity borrowing privileges.�
Question 6. Are you aware if the businesses and industries in
your area have their own libraries? Some do.
Some donTt. What percentage do?
Library A. oIam not aware.�
Library B. oSome do.�
Library C. oSome do. All of the very largest businesses
appear to have libraries of some type. The medium-sized
and smaller businesses seem, without exception, to not
have libraries.�
Library D. oDonTt know.�
Library E. oSome do.� (Percentage) oDonTt know percentage.�
Library F. oSome do.� (Percentage) oNot known to us.�
Library G. oSome do.: (Percentage) oDo not know.�
Library H . oNo.�
LibraryI. oSome do.� (Percentage) oI have no idea.�
LibraryJ. oSome do.� (Percentage) oImpossible to say,
probably less than 1%.�
Question 7. Does your local Chamber of Commerce cite the
availability of your resources when recruiting
industry to your area? Explain.
Library A. oNo, but a good idea.�
Library B. oI donTt know, but I doubt it.�
Library C. oThe Chamber of Commerce emphasizes the
presence of the university as a positive feature that offers a
wide variety of collaborative opportunities for businesses
considering moving to the area, but there is no specific
reference to or emphasis placed on the availability of the
university library.�
Library D. oDonTt know.�
Library E. oDonTt know.�
Library F. oN/A.�
Library G. oDonTt know. Fairly sure University is cited in
recruiting/publicity materials promoting the ...area.�
Library H. oDo not know.�
Library leases?
Library J. oNo. The University as a whole is one of the
notable resources, ... but as so far as industry recruitment,
libraries are small change.�
Question 8. Is the economy of your area affected by the olack
of� or oaccess to� reference information available
to the community and its business leaders?
Explain.
Library A. oNo.�
Library B. oNo.�
Library C. oThere is no way to answer this question with any
degree of confidence. There is an assumption that many
business and community leaders do not know what they
Fall 1993 " 123
do not know when it comes to the availability of informa-
tion resources and support. Whether that lack of under-
standing has an impact on the local economy is so
speculative that it is not worth worrying about.�
Library D. oDonTt know.�
Library E. oDonTt know.�
Library F. oN/A.�
Library G. oWould believe it is.�
Library H. oDo not know.�
Library I. | No response.
Library J. oAgain, impossible to say. It would take sophisti-
cated survey work to measure such effects. The local
library ... has an excellent business collection and is quite
active in providing information to the business commu-
nity. They even will provide free online searches to
businesses.�
Question 9. Do you or would you like to have a special
information sharing relationship with the
businesses, government, or industries in your
area?
Library A. oYes. Informal sharing with lawyers and some
community businesses...�
Library B. oNo.�
Library C. oYes, if the right conditions existed. Given the
severely restricted resources available to the university
libraries there is little opportunity to develop external
relationships. If the university had the resources available
to support the campus community adequately then it
would be appropriate to explore the development of
relations with other major communities in the area.�
Library D. oI canTt respond unless I know specifics of
arrangement. We certainly are not staffed or funded to do
a great deal of reference work for non-university users.�
Library E. oNo. In order to accomplish a feat of this type,
additional funding and staffing are needed.�
Library F. oWe have excellent relations with regional
government and business organizations. Some informal,
others on an as needed basis. We generally deal with
individual members of those organizations per our liberal
granting of privileges ... o
Library G. oYes.�
Library H. oYes. We now do online computer searches for
businesses on a cost-recovery basis. Also allow some
companies ... to use corporate borrowing cards.�
Library I. | No response
Library J. oYes. Such relationships would enhance the
depth of resources available to everyone involved. How-
ever, our budget is limited, and to provide the extensive
resources needed to meet wide-ranging questions and
research needs, we would need more funding for materials
and staff.�
Question 10. How recently has your mission statement been
updated.?
Library A. o1991-1992.�
Library B. No response.
Library C. oThe mission statement was last updated in 1990
and is reviewed every year.�
Library Dit o2/87=
Library E. oDonTt know.�
124 " Fall 1993
Library F. oN/A.�
Library Grae2/2W/9ie
Library He allish992%
LibraryI. oUpdated in January 1992 to cover period July T92
through June T94.�
Library J. o1989, during the last SACS review.�
Question 11. Under what conditions do you make your
services available to school students and school
faculty? (non-academic).
Library A. oNo cards are issued to public [school] students;
they may use material within the library. Public school
teachers may obtain a community borrowerTs card.�
Library B. oInform those in the service community of the
resources and services which are available to them.�
Library C. oWe do not loan to any person under the age of
eighteen.�
Library D. oAnyone may use materials in house. Library
cards may be purchased for $12.00/yr. by N.C. residents
over 18. We give library tours to school groups on
request. We have reciprocal borrowing agreements with
local community and private colleges. We do not do
interlibrary loan or database searching for non-university
users.�
Library E. oPolicy being reevaluated.�
Library F. oN/A.�
Library G. oLending agreements in place with secondary
schools, colleges, community colleges in the area.�
Library H. oSee attached policy.� Policy states that oAdult
North Carolina residents, (over 18 and out of high school)
may purchase a borrowerTs card, valid for six months, for
$5.00. The fee is waived for citizens over 65 years of age.�
Library I. oTours of library by appointment only, and
school librarian must be with class or group. Tour does
not include introduction to online catalog, indexes or CD-
ROM. School librarian and teacher provide any instruction.�
Library J. oSchool faculty have to pay the $10.00 annual fee
to borrow books; students have to be accompanied by a
parent and pay $10.00 to register for annual borrowing
privileges. Anyone can use materials within the library
itself, but some form of ID is required for borrowing
current periodicals and some reference materials. Usually,
students just want to work in the library, and donTt really
need to borrow the materials.�
Conclusion
On the basis of the survey responses, it is apparent that there
exists within the public university libraries of this state a vast
difference in approaches and philosophies to serving users exter-
nal to the college or university environment.
The response indicates that some libraries do provide free
borrowing privileges; however, others charge a variety of fees.
For residential borrowers, fees range from a low of $5.00 to a high
of $15.00 per year. Some libraries extend services to high school
students and even assist with projects, while others allow high
school students only in the company of their parents, teachers,
or school librarians.
Business borrowers of public academic libraries pay annual
fees averaging approximately $100.00 (average of reported re-
sponses). At least one public academic library reported that it
provides online searches for business on a cost-recovery basis. It
also allows some businesses to use corporate borrowing cards.
North Carolina Libraries
This sampling (small based on the number of libraries
included in the survey) gives evidence to the hypothesis that
some state-supported academic institutions are providing some
services to community users who are not university or college
students and faculty. This sampling also gives evidence that
some state-supported academic libraries are not providing free
borrowing privileges to residential and business users. This is
apparent from their mission statements and circulation policies.
It is evident that as the general economy declines and the
need for information increases, there must exist among libraries
the ability to extend services beyond their originally intended
customers. Academic libraries are in the best position to extend
services. Academic libraries, business, industry, and corporations
must create alliances to share their resources;these alliances will
allow each to have access to vital informational resources with-
out stretching and snapping budgets in an attempt to acquire
everything.
In so doing, taxpayers will be able to access information
wherever they can find it, especially from publicly supported
institutions.
References
1 Personal correspondence dated August 13, 1990 from local
tax-supported university library director. (Prefer not to disclose
name since all other libraries cited in study were not named.
Available to editor only.)
2 E. J. Josey, oCommunity Use of Academic Libraries: A
Symposium,� College and Research Libraries (May 1967): 107.
3 Tbid., 201.
4 Barbara Best-Nichols, Resolution (North Carolina: Second
Regional GovernorTs Conference, 1990). This resolution was
rewritten and disseminated to all participants at the regional
GovernorTs Conferences from the State Library (September 12,
1990).
5 Edward W. Gormley, Resolution (North Carolina: First Re-
gional Governor's Conference, 1990). This resolution was rewrit-
ten and disseminated to all participants at the regional GovenorTs
Conferences from the State Library (September 12, 1990).
6 Leland M. Park, Resolution (North Carolina: First Regional
GovernorTs Conference, 1990). This resolution was rewritten and
disseminated to all participants at the regional GovernorTs Con-
ferences from the State Library (September 12, 1990).
7 Blanche Judd and Barbara Scheele, oCommunity Use of
Public Academic Libraries in New York State: A SUNY/CUNY
Survey,� The Bookmark (Winter 1984): 127.
8E.J. Josey, oCommunity Use of Academic Libraries,� Library
Trends (July 1969): 71.
9 Lamar Alexander, oA Message from the Secretary,� America
2000: An Educational Strategy Sourcebook (Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Education, 1991), [i].
10 Tbid., 29.
11 Josey, 198.
12 Richard C. Quick, oCommunity Use " Dealers Choice� in
oCommunity Use of Academic LIbraries: ASymposium.� College
& Research Libraries (May 1967). 187.
13 Werner Cohn, oPrivate Stacks, Public Funding,� American
Libraries 24 (February 1993): 184.
14 Judd., 127.
15 Lucretia McCulley, oPublic Use of Academic Libraries in
Virginia.� Virgina Librarian. (April-June 1988): 11.
16 Ronelle K. H. Thompson and Glenda T. Rhodes, oRecruit-
ment: A Role for the Academic Library,� College and Research
Library News (October 1986): 575.
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Common Ground:
The Rural Perspective
by Virginia Orvedahl and William Wartman
he common ground of social re-
sponsibility that exists between
any public library " small town,
rural, or urban " is addressed in
Whitney North SeymourTs book,
For the People: Fighting for Public
Libraries. He states that othe task of cor-
recting inequality� is the common ground,
and goes on to explain that the inequality
caused by poverty, illiteracy, unemploy-
ment, or disability can be eased by the
information and guidance available at
public libraries.
Rural libraries may need to work harder
than their urban counterparts both at bring-
ing people into their buildings and at tak-
ing their services off site. In any case, the
goal of serving all of the public is the same.
Aclose working relationship must exist
between county, city, and school librar-
ians in order to achieve an effective inte-
grated approach to information delivery.
One library cannot operate without the
support of the others to meet user needs.
Just as networking has integrated informa-
tion access, so libraries in rural settings
must share the philosophy of mutual co-
operation if they are to meet their com-
mon goal of correcting inequality.
Once the needy cousins of al-
ready-established urban libraries, ru-
ral public libraries in North Carolina
have come into their own. They now
are willing and able to meet the chal-
lenges that are uniquely theirs, as
well as those common to every public
library. The situation of the Halifax
County Library System and the
Roanoke Rapids Public Library, as dis-
cussed later in this article, is an ex-
ample of how they are meeting these
challenges.
As early as 1917, in counties
where a municipal public library ex-
isted, the boards of education and
county commissions authorized the
126 " Fall 1993
library boards to extend service to rural
areas.2 Eventually, the otravelling library�
concept " the earliest form of the
bookmoblie " was instituted. Today, the
otravelling library� concept extends be-
yond gravel and paved roads to cable and
telephone wire.
One way or the other, rural public
libraries always have had to go the dis-
tance to reach their patrons. They have the
innate characteristic of serving fewer pa-
trons in a larger geographic area than their
urban counterparts. This is supported by
an analysis of the 1990 census data by the
North Carolina Rural Economic Develop-
ment Center.3 The center classified sev-
enty-five of the one hundred counties in
the state as rural, accounting for forty-
three percent of the stateTs population.
Rural libraries in North Carolina serve
fewer than half of the stateTs population in
an area that covers three quarters of the
stateTs land mass.
Technological advances allow rural
libraries to reach across the miles and
deliver their services. Many aspects of li-
brary technology may seem simple, and
almost a given in larger, urban libraries;
Rural libraries may need
to. work harder than
their urban counterparts
both at bringing people
into their buildings and
at taking their services
off site.
but they have changed the information
horizon for rural libraries.
OCLC, the Online Computer Library
Center, Inc., has offered rural patrons an
avenue to unlimited resources. Access to
OCLC databases allows rural libraries to
serve a greater variety of patrons, particu-
larly those whose needs are not necessarily
met using the libraryTs collection.
OCLC and other informational data-
bases are available through the North Caro-
lina Information Network (NCIN). Librar-
ies that are part of the network have access
to an incredible variety of information
sources available through the state library,
suchas: the regional job listings, extremely
important to rural isolated areas; statisti-
cal information from the State Data Cen-
ter; and other information retrieval data-
bases. All that is required for access is a
computer, a modem, and telephone and
telecommunications software. North Caro-
lina libraries are fortunate that the State
Library subsidizes the cost of a number of
network services.
According to Howard McGinn, some
of the heaviest users of the NCIN are rural
libraries.4 The network has given libraries
an opportunity to provide business and
local government with up-to-the-
minute information. It has not replaced
traditional library services, but oen-
hanced� it, he adds. Rural libraries are
now competitive with their urban coun-
terparts. Because of the North Caro-
lina Information Network, rural librar-
ies no longer have any excuse for not
providing an abundant variety of in-
formation resources.
Networking is not restricted to
technology in successful rural libraries.
Multitype library cooperation allows
not only for information sharing, but
for efficiency in operation. Nancy
Lovekamp describes a cooperative
agreement between a public school
North Carolina Libraries
district and public library system in west
central Illinois.5 The acquisition policies
of the libraries complement one another.
They share cataloging of new materials,
and their computer hardware is compat-
ible. Both systems have access to the Illi-
nois Library and Information Network, a
statewide computer network similar to
NCIN.
The quality of resources and services
provided in this rural Illinois area could be
accomplished only with constant com-
munication between librarians and their
boards, according to Lovekamp. oIt is vital
that this communication and cooperation
continue if the citizens of this rural com-
munity are to continue to receive quality
library service in the future,� she adds.
The North Carolina Rural Economic
Development Center also reports that ru-
ral counties in the state have 45 percent
fewer college graduates and a 60 percent
increase in poverty.® Less educated, yes,
but those in rural areas have as many, if
not more, legitimate information needs.
To meet these needs, a library must be
more than a storage space for books.
It is significant to note that the census
data counts only the years of schooling
when determining educational levels.
Many people, particularly the older popu-
lation, have educated themselves through
various informal methods including agri-
Rural libraries in North
Carolina serve fewer
than half of the state's
population in an area
that covers three
quarters of the state's
land mass.
cultural extension, literacy programs, and
other noncredit community education pro-
grams. These are all situations in which
the public library may play a vital role.
Rural areas traditionally have claimed
an exemption to problems that plague
urban areas, such as infant mortality and
crime. According to the North Carolina
Rural Economic Development Center, the
infant mortality rate is highest in the
Coastal Plain of the state, which, with the
exception of Cumberland County, is de-
fined as rural by the Center. In that same
Coastal Plain, the North Carolina Depart-
ment of Justice reports a crime rate as high
North Carolina Libraries
as that of some urban counties in the
state.7
Don Dillman, a professor of rural soci-
ology at Washington State University, asks,
oIsn't it time that we stopped thinking of
libraries as repositories of information and
began to think of them as access points to
the world?�8 Rural libraries faced with the
above demographics, geographic isolation,
smaller budgets, and smaller collections
always have had a clear understanding of
the necessity of going outside the library
building to meet a patronTs information
needs. Rural libraries always have been
access points for their patrons, whether by
furnishing local job listings and resumé
writing information, or by providing space
for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
nutrition sites or local anti-poverty agency
programs.
While technology and cooperation
are the conveyances of successful library
services, the public librarian still has the
task of letting people know what services
exist for them. Marketing is a major re-
sponsibility of any public library, rural or
urban, if the library is to become a true
access point and meet patron needs.
Using the traditional kinds of media
such as radio, television, and newspapers
can be effective. However, in rural areas,
other information outlets such as putting
material in grocery stores, churches, or
post offices, along with sending fliers
home with school children, may prove
beneficial. It is a presumption to think
that people in rural areas get their
information only from traditional
media sources.
In addition to media mar-
keting, the rural librarian must
also become what Leah Griffith
refers to as a opolitical mar-
keter.�? Making a case for the
rural public library to local gov-
ernment and the libraryTs own
funding unit is a never-ending
task that is essential for finan-
cial survival, and the develop-
ment of community status and
appreciation for the public library.
Marketing the libraryTs wares
to other local government depart-
ments in competition for local
funds can demonstrate the libraryTs
importance. This process also pro-
vides an informational function as
well. It answers the questions: can
the library serve other information
needs; and do these agencies have
services to which the library can
refer patrons? Working as a team,
local government agencies, includ-
ing the library, can create a better
service arena and promote each
other for the common good of serving the
taxpayer.
Halifax County, the stateTs fourteenth
largest in geographic size, offers a twofold
approach to the delivery of library ser-
vices. The Halifax County Library System
is headquartered in the town of Halifax,
the county seat, with a population of 327.
The system operates three affiliate librar-
ies anda bookmobile. The Roanoke Rapids
Public Library is a separate municipal li-
brary located in Roanoke Rapids, the
countyTs only city with approximately
16,000 residents. Both library systems of-
fer library privileges free of charge to all
county and city residents.
Turning first to the county system,
perhaps the biggest challenge in meeting
user demand is providing necessary wide-
spread geographic library access. The most
obvious approach to this service require-
ment is the bookmobile. It is useful in its
flexibility of where and who it serves and
what type of service it provides. Its pri-
mary clientele are the elderly and the
disabled. It also serves children in four of
the countyTs low-income housing units.
The county library system, via the book-
mobile, also provides small book collec-
tions to six elementary schools. Halifax
County cannot afford to have a degreed
reference librarian as part of the bookmo-
bile staff, but this does not mean that
information needs of bookmobile patrons
are not met. The staff forwards requests to
the main library where reference assis-
tance is available.
Technology and outreach services of-
fer rural public library patrons access points
Making a case for the rural
public library to local
government and the
library's own funding unit
is a never-ending task
that is essential for
financial survival, and the
development of community
status and appreciation for
the public library.
Fall 199% " 127
to the world, but it is solidarity at home
through the public library system that
makes it all possible. The advantages of
small town libraries becoming part of a
county or regional system are many. They
include sharing personnel, resources, and
costs associated with information retrieval
services.
As a unified group, a county library
system can present a stronger force to
political entities when they are seeking
funding. Libraries, such as the Halifax
County System, that serve the disabled
and the illiterate, as well as those in pov-
erty, can also address these same issues in
the political arena. The public librarian
walks a fine line when promoting libraries
as a system, while at the same time pro-
moting autonomy within the individual
branches. Unlike fast food franchises, li-
brary systems generally can have similar
standards and activities, but can deliver
their services in a personalized fashion to
best meet particular community needs.
It is the rare small municipality that
can or even wants to fund a library, pay a
professional librarian, and buy the hard-
wate, software, and expertise to provide the
latest information technology. The city of
Roanoke Rapids has made this commit-
ment. An expanded, remodeled facility
opened in 1989, and full automation plans
are well underway. The library is heavily
used and is well-funded as a department of
the city government structure.
There are obvious differences in the
focus and means of patron impact be-
tween the city (Roanoke Rapids) and
county (Halifax) library operations, yet
common ground exists in the rural per-
spective of service required. Both libraries
deliver information to the same basic popu-
lation group. The socio-economic back-
ground of the majority of the people being
served is the same. Both libraries must
make people aware of their offerings and
potential to be an important resource in
their lives. Both libraries must make their
governing and financially supporting bod-
ies aware of their importance in their re-
spective communities.
Although situated in a rural library
context, the Roanoke Rapids Public Li-
brary bridges the gap between outreach
concerns of the county system and the
need for a well-equipped library in the area
of densest population, industry, and com-
merce. The two library systems, city and
county, work together to meet the shared
goals of being socially responsible institu-
tions correcting inequality.
References
1 Whitney North Seymour, Jr. and
EBSCO
is serials service
Elizabeth N. Layne, For the People: Fighting
for Public Libraries (Garden City, New York:
Doubleday and Co., 1979) 71-96.
2 Thornton W. Mitchell, The State Li-
brary and Library Development in North Caro-
lina (Raleigh: North Carolina Department
of Cultural Resources, Division of State
Library, 1983), 28-33.
3 North Carolina Economic Develop-
ment Center, North Carolina Rural Profile
(Raleigh: North Carolina Economic Devel-
opment Center, 1992).
4 Howard F. McGinn, oElectronic Ser-
vices for Rural Public Libraries: Meeting
the Challenge in North Carolina,� RQ 29
(Summer 1990): 492-6.
S Nancy Lovekamp, oCooperation in
Rural Libraries,� Illinois Libraries 72 (Febru-
ary 1990): 144-145.
6 See Note 3 Above.
7 North Carolina Department of Jus-
tice, State of North Carolina Uniform Crime
Report (Raleigh: North Carolina Depart-
ment of Justice, 1991).
8 Don Dillman, oCommunity Needs
and the Rural Library,� Wilson Library Bul-
letin 65 (May 1991): 31-33, 155.
9 Leah Griffith, oPolitical Marketing
of the Rural Library,� Wilson Library Bulle-
tin 63 (May 1989): 44-47.
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North Carolina Libraries
" eS "_""_"_"_"_""_"_" rr ER a i
SSS cc eS
Do Special Populations Require
Special Services?
his article is about special popu-
lations and library programs and
services. What are special popu-
lations? Basically they are any
groups or individuals whose
needs are different from the
norm. The thorny question is oWhat is
normal?� Normal varies from community
to community and individual to indi-
vidual. For the sake of simplicity we will
consider the special needs of the handi-
capped (both physically and mentally),
the elderly, and the illiterate. Since we all
know our own situations better than we
know what is happening elsewhere, I hope
you will forgive me for concentrating on
Henderson County.
Programming for special populations
in todayTs library may very well mean
doing nothing special. The Americans
with Disabilities Act basically requires that
special populations be included in regular
programs. This helps keep a sense of ocom-
munity�. Henderson County is very con-
scious of being a community library, serv-
ing the entire community. Isolating any
individuals or groups with special needs is
insulting to them and keeps the library
from fulfilling its basic mission of making
its programs and services available to all
people of all ages and interests.
A telephone survey was conducted of
the public libraries serving western North
Carolina, using Interstate 77 as the divid-
ing line. Twenty library systems serve 1.5
million persons in thirty-two counties in
our region. We were able to speak with all
but three library directors in the region.
The survey results are disappointing if
one expects to see much effort given to
special populations. Special populations
were defined as minorities and those who
are handicapped, have literacy problems,
are homebound, or suffer from age-related
infirmities and other such conditions that
might hamper use of the library.
North Carolina Libraries
by William Snyder
The overwhelming response of the di-
rectors of these libraries was that they do
very little to respond to special needs. Only
four of the thirteen libraries in the survey
indicated any effort to serve special popula-
tions. In one case, the director indicated
that the bookmobile went to the homes of
some handicapped persons. Three others
stated that special needs were handled
through outreach programs that also served
the general public. Although most library
directors agree that the numbers included
in special populations are increasing, they
do little to reach out to serve special needs
because of little or no increases in funding
the past several years. In response to a
follow-up question to eight directors con-
cerning what a ten percent budget increase
might be used for, none indicated that
special populationsT needs would receive
much consideration, perhaps only sensitiv-
ity training for library staff.
It is not totally clear why libraries in
western North Carolina have not identi-
fied special populations as de-
serving of more attention. Per-
haps many are so busy with tradi-
tional services that they do not
wish to take on any more. Only
one library, Transylvania County,
indicated that it included special
populations in its role identifica-
tion or mission statement. Sev-
eral, including Cleveland and Polk
counties, indicated that they
might address such issues in the
future. Even the Americans with
Disabilities Act has made little
impact. Only three library direc-
tors believe the A.D.A. will have
any impact other than physical
access considerations.
With few exceptions, these
libraries at present prefer to offer
traditional library services. When
possible, they provide some
homebound services, but for those who can
visit the library the tendency is to main-
stream " if not by design, then by habit.
Some services or programs that are of inter-
est to special populations are so widespread
that they have become accepted as tradi-
tional. In particular, the inclusion of large
print materials and high interest/low read-
ing level materials is so common that many
directors had to be reminded that they had
them in their libraries.
The real focus of this article is how one
library, the Henderson County library, has
responded to many of the questions and
possibilities raised in the survey. This
library did not, by design, decide to ad-
dress the needs of special populations.
Rather, the nature of its users and their
needs required an ongoing examination
of the services and the patron requests that
led to those services. These circumstances
have resulted in a library that responds to
those with special needs, but that response
is measured: measured to be tolerant of the
Isolating any individuals or
groups with special needs
is insulting to them and
keeps the library from
fulfilling its basic mission
of making its programs
and services available to
all people of all ages
and interests.
Fall 1993 " 129
differences of those special populations,
to be willing to go the extra mile to be of
service, and always to treat special popula-
tions as a part of the total population.
The Henderson County Library is not
much different than its neighbors. One of
the few differences is that this library ac-
knowledges and is preparing for antici-
pated changes in response to new laws
protecting the rights of the disabled. One
suspects that all of us will be paying more
attention in the future.
In considering services and programs,
several areas of concern are common to all
public libraries; only the details change.
Since my most recent experience is in a
medium-sized library that serves a retire-
ment community, the details I must be
concerned with reflect the needs of this
community. I have also worked in a small
rural county library. The services and
programs needed or desired in that com-
munity required a different set of details,
The requirements of
this new law [A.D.A. ]
force us to rethink
everything we do,
from book circulation
to reference work to
library programming.
but the underlying principles
remain the same. Since I am
most familiar with my current
library, most of these observa-
tions will reflect my current ex-
perience. It is my hope that the
basic principles we use will trans-
fer to other libraries.
First, a word about the
Henderson County Library and
the community it seeks to serve.
Our population is older, better
educated, and has a higher per capita in-
come than most of North Carolina. Pres-
ently 31 percent of our population is age
55 or older. By the year 2000 this will
increase to 34 percent and by 2010 to 36
percent. Some of this growth is part of the
natural aging of the population, especially
the baby boom generation. But many of
our citizens are transplants " people who
worked in other areas and have moved
here to retire. They are well-educated,
relatively affluent, and have the leisure
time to make heavy demands on the li-
130 " Fall 1993
brary for recreational as well as informa-
tional needs. And they do receive the bulk
of our attention.
They also attract higher paying jobs to
the area. Studies indicate that our retire-
ment community attracts service jobs that
require well-educated individuals. These
jobs include doctors, bankers, lawyers, fi-
nancial consultants, and other profession-
als. These professionals are working-age
persons who have families to raise. And
better-educated parents seem to require
better library services for themselves and
their children.
Finally, better-educated, more affluent
communities have the resources to do a
better job of offering programs and services
to help those with special needs. Our senior
citizens are especially valuable in this area.
They give money, time, and expertise to a
variety of agencies that help support the
needs of the physically handicapped, the
mentally disabled, the shut-in elderly, mi-
norities, children at risk, and migrant farm
workers. Many of these groups would say
that more could be done, but the fact
remains that they receive more attention
here than they would in a more rural, less
affluent community. And many of those
with special problems, and those who seek
to help, turn to the library.
How the library responds is deter-
mined by its perceived role(s) in the com-
munity and its mission statement. Al-
though similar libraries serving similar
communities may have defined the same
roles and have similar mission statements,
what happens as these are implemented
may vary radically. And these roles and
missions must be subject to review and
"what is reasonable
accommodation?" What is
it, who will decide, and
how much will it cost?
change as our communities change. A
recent conversation with the retired direc-
tor of the library serving New Bern re-
vealed that the retirement community
there is rapidly growing and is similar to
that in Henderson County. If the trend
continues, it will have a major impact on
that community. The library must be ready
torespond to the changing demands placed
onit. Changes in the economy and demo-
graphics of other communities will re-
quire that they, too, rethink what they are
doing and why they are doing it.
The Americans with Disabilities Act will
also have a major impact. The require-
ments of this new law [A.D.A] force us to
rethink everything we do, from book cir-
culation to reference work to library pro-
gramming. The law essentially states that
if the library offers a program or service, it
must make it equally available to all per-
sons in the community who are qualified
to receive the service and, if there are any
barriers to using the service, they must be
removed or reasonable accommodation
made. Beyond this, along list of questions
will clog our courts for years, the most
basic one being owhat is reasonable ac-
commodation?� What is it, who will de-
cide, and how much will it cost?
Roles and mission statements, more-
over, are not created by the library alone.
We have the major voice in defining the
library and its capabilities, but our govern-
ing boards ultimately make the decision
about what services and programs the li-
brary will offer and at what level each time
they approve a budget. These governmen-
tal priorities are also subject to change.
Who can say what changes will be neces-
sary ten years from now as Washington or
Raleigh mandate programs or as our soci-
ety changes and decides on new roles for
the library?
Once the library has arrived at a mis-
sion statement and defined its role in the
community, services and programs fol-
low. In Henderson County, we define
ourselves as a reference and popular mate-
rials library that also acts as a preschoolersT
door to learning and an independent learn-
ing center. Our staffing, our budget, our
materials selection, and our programming
reflect these roles. The existence of a large
number of individuals who are viewed as
ospecial populations� has influenced the
details of how we go about fulfilling our
roles. The existence and relative size of
such groups will also influence any other
library fulfilling its role in the community.
If a library determines that services
and programs beyond the provision of a
basic collection of books and other mate-
rials are relevant to the role of that library,
it can choose the types of programming
offered. Among the questions that might
be asked are: Will programming be pro-
duced in-house? Are there other agencies
or groups in the community that are able
to complement or replace library efforts,
perhaps even do them better? In what
depth will topics be covered? How many
programs and at what frequency are ap-
propriate? What is the anticipated size of
the audience? What is the age level, edu-
cational level, etc., of the targeted audi-
ence? Always be ready to measure your
programs against what you hope to ac-
North Carolina Libraries
complish. Far too often we go beyond our
expertise to do something simply because
it seems to be a good idea without consid-
ering how it fits into the mission of the
library.
The key to our programming success
in Henderson County has been involving
other groups, especially those with inter-
ests in the targeted populations. Very few
of the programs we offer do not include
the help of others in planning, if not in
actual implementation. This includes our
retirement community as well as the physi-
cally and emotionally handicapped of all
age levels. Among the groups we use, or
who use us, are Camp E-TOH-KALU (a
camp for emotionally troubled youth),
Something Special (a sheltered workshop),
the N.C. Center for Creative Retirement,
the Henderson County Better Speech and
Hearing Council, the Lions Club, the
Golden K, and our own Friends of the
Library, which has over two thousand
members and funds many of our pro-
grams. Similar organizations existin many
communities.
In the area of youth programming,
more work involving special populations
is done for children than for young adults.
At one time a special collection of high
interest/low reading level materials was
maintained for young adults, but it was
seldom used. Currently these materials
are integrated into the regular YA collec-
tion. The adult collection continues to
offer these kinds of materials as a special
collection. Special lists are made available
for teachers, tutors, and parents.
The library always tries to mainstream
whenever possible. In childrenTs programs
the library makes no effort to tell a parent
not to bring a child with special needs to
any library program. Ifa child causes too
many disruptions, we may counsel a par-
ent to make better efforts to control the
behavior of the child. We try not to label
the individual, only the behavior. One
mentally handicapped adult attends story
hour. She sits with the parents, but colors
with the children and enjoys the stories as
much as anyone.
The Sheltered Workshop is a frequent
user of the library. Each week at least eight
to ten clients come to the library, where
they receive their own cards and are treated
as any library user. We recently started a
separate story hour for the Workshop cli-
ents, not because of their disabilities but
because of the group size. Cal Shepard
from the State Library is a good resource
for ideas in this area. ;
Some agencies are reluctant to expose
their clients to the open atmosphere of the
library. We will, on a limited basis, make
special provisions. A local camp for
North Carolina Libraries
troubled youth recently hosted a Hallow-
een program provided by the library "
library personnel went to the camp. We
do encourage such groups to bring their
clients to the library as they become better
able to handle themselves, but have had
limited success.
The adult and reference areas are high-
demand areas for the elderly. No pro-
grams are specifically targeted to their
special needs but most offerings attract
seniors. This population also has a defi-
nite effect on materials purchases as they
are educated, well-travelled, have diverse
interests, and bring a lifetime of experi-
ence with them. The book collection
includes large print materials of all types.
Subject matter in the non-fiction collec-
tion covers a wide range, including books
on a variety of special needs (e.g., preg-
nancy for disabled women, access for
handicapped travelers, etc.). The relative
affluence of the retirement community
requires large expenditures on retirement
financial planning, investments, etc. Of-
ten there are long lines of individuals
waiting to use these materials.
A popular program was presented by a
local senior citizen who surveyed local
retirement centers, nursing homes, and
rest homes to determine the quality of life
offered and costs of each. A large audience
enjoyed sharing his findings. The oLet's
Talk About It� reading/discussion series
presented in conjunction with Duke Uni-
versity always has a waiting list. Once
again, it is not designed specifically for
seniors, but they are always heavily repre-
sented. Their academic, geographic, and
temporal experiences are always valuable.
The Center for Creative Retirement also
has been a co-sponsor of programs that
often cross generational lines. The Travel
Club series is unquestionably the most
well-attended program the library spon-
sors. Local citizens provide slides and
narrations of their travels, often to most
unusual locations. Programs which relate
to health issues, current events, and hob-
bies are quite popular.
For those who cannot visit the library
for whatever reason, the homebound pro-
gram steps in. Some clients in this pro-
gram are temporary due to relocation or
hospitalization. Others are longtime us-
ers. One lady has been receiving large
print mysteries for ten years and the li-
brary staff has never met her! She is
bedridden and her providers leave books
at the door for her. Services also are pro-
vided to local nursing homes. Delivery is
often made by one of the many library
volunteers who take the time to get to
know the individuals and their interests.
The library also assists individuals in
filling out applications to receive services
from the Library for the Blind and Physi-
cally Handicapped. We lend cassette play-
ers to patrons who are awaiting delivery
from Raleigh to see if the transition from
books to books-on-tape can be made by
the individual. An ever-growing collec-
tion of books-on-tape is also available in
the library. The library maintains a collec-
tion of hearing devices as well as including
an infrared television amplification de-
vice and a telephone amplification hand-
set. These items were provided by the
Better Speech and Hearing Council to help
individuals determine usefulness prior to
purchase. When initially developed, the
service was possibly the first ofits kind and
was described in a national publication on
hearing impairments, Shhhhhhh..... For
the visually impaired, the library has an
Ednalite illuminated magnifying glass, a
Visualtek monitor and enlarging device,
and , most recently, a Kurzweil Optical
Scanner that reads pages of text aloud.
Little has been said about program-
ming to combat illiteracy because of a con-
scious decision that this is not an appropri-
ate role for this library. We support literacy
programs by housing and making available
a collection of special materials of value to
tutors and students. We also have several
small study rooms where groups of two to
six persons can work. These rooms are used
for tutoring by our local literacy council.
The library board and library staff have
decided that it is the role of the library to
support educational efforts but not to teach.
Library resources are too limited to engage
in areas outside our expertise.
In summary, when serving special
populations, focus on three principles.
First, decide whether or not programming
is appropriate for your library and, if so,
the kinds of programs you will offer. Sec-
ond, donTt doit alone. There are too many
talented individuals and groups in the
community who have the talent and
knowledge to make your efforts a success.
Make resources and support available. As
Lee Iacocca says, oLead, follow, or get out
of the way.� Sometimes itTs better to lay
the groundwork and get out of the way.
Lastly, include your special populations in
your regular programs. And be prepared to
change. Technology is ever-changing and
so is the law. Between what vendors pro-
duce for ADA compliance and what the
courts decide must be done, libraries will
face challenges for some time to come.
One last thought: donTt have negative
thoughts about ospecial� populations and
their ospecial� needs. One day any one, if
not all, of us may find ourselves facing
similar challenges.
Fall 1993 " 131
Examining the Role
of the School Librarian in
Developing Social Responsibility
by Constance A. Mellon
he library field has a long history of concern with the
topic of social responsibility. For over twenty years,
the ALA Round Table on Social Responsibility has
discussed and debated the role libraries should play in
relation to current social issues. National, regional,
and local library groups consistently take an active
stand on a wide variety of social issues directly and indirectly
related to the functioning of a library in a free society. School
librarians have an especially important role to play in the area of
social responsibility. Not only is it our professional heritage, but
as educators we constantly interact with and influence the
citizens of tomorrow. Because this is so, we must define our role
and its parameters carefully.
The issue of social responsibility in the context of the school
library is extremely complex. Schools, unlike other settings in
which libraries are found, separate the young from their parents.
This allows school librarians, along with teachers, an unparalleled
opportunity to influence the thinking of the next generation, and
society is well aware of that fact. Schools are constantly scrutinized
and consistently criticized; regardless of what decisions educators
make, someone will be loudly and publicly unhappy. Further-
more, the question of accepting social responsibility, as an indi-
vidual and as a profession, is very different from developing social
responsibility in the young.
This essay explores the role of school librarians in developing
social responsibility. It begins by examining the traditional
stance of school librarians and how that stance relates to social
responsibility; it then raises some questions about the conflict
between philosophy and reality. The focus then moves to a
discussion of values education and its newer corollary, prosocial
behavior. The final part of the essay suggests that librarians, by
incorporating prosocial concepts into school media programs,
can become active partners in developing social responsibility.
To explore this topic effectively, we
must begin with a definition for the
term, osocial responsibility.� Social re-
sponsibility, as used in the literature of
librarianship, is closely connected to a
second term, osocial issues.� The origi-
nal petition to establish an ALA Round
Table on Social Responsibilities of Li-
braries defined social issues as othe ma-
jor issues of our times " war and peace,
race, inequality of opportunity and jus-
tice, civil rights, violence ...� and social
responsibility as othe responsibilities of
132 " Fall 1993
... the profession of teach-
ing calls on us to try to
produce not merely good
learners but good people.
libraries in relation to these issues.�! From the field of psychol-
ogy comes a definition that broadens the concept of social
responsibility: oassist[ing] others who depend on us and need
help.�2 These definitions provide a lens through which to
examine the traditional stance of school librarianship.
A Tradition of Social Responsibility
Since the first set of school library standards was published in
1920, school librarians have followed agreed-upon guidelines
into which social responsibility was deeply woven: maximum
access for all users; materials that cover appropriate topics and
present diverse viewpoints; user guidance and instruction. These
guidelines, separately analyzed, provide a forum for most of the
points that arise when librarians discuss social responsibility.
However, as I began to examine these guidelines through the lens
of social responsibility, I was forced to acknowledge the problems
school librarians face as reality conflicts with philosophy.
Maximum access for all users is part of the American ideal of
equal opportunity. It implies the need to provide physical access
to the disabled and intellectual access to those for whom lan-
guage, format, or conceptual approach may prove a barrier. It also
includes networking to access materials beyond the limitations
of an individual school collection. Most school librarians readily
accept the ideal of maximum access; however, its daily applica-
tion is far from simple. Consider, for example, the task a single
librarian might face as she attempts to help the learning different
identify information in a format they can understand, to guide
those who read and comprehend well below grade level, to excite
and stimulate the intellectually gifted, to translate or provide
materials for children from homes whose language is not English,
and to assist the physically disabled to retrieve and use the
materials they need. Social responsibility implies that all groups
deserve equal attention. School librarians recognize and ac-
knowledge this fact. The difficulty
lies in the reality of the situation;
maximum access presents problems
of time and money "both of which
are in short supply in school librar-
ies. The obvious question is this:
how can priorities be set? Setting
priorities when there is insufficient
time and money may itself have
implications that relate to social
responsibility.
Developing a collection of ma-
terials that covers appropriate top-
North Carolina Libraries
ics and presents diverse viewpoints is a major touchstone of the
library field. In school libraries, however, social responsibility
may conflict with the need for neutrality and balance. School
librarians, unlike public librarians, are preparing collections for
use by children " children who, because of the nature of
schooling, will be allowed to select materials without the inter-
vention of a parent. Does a balanced collection imply a full
representation of materials on every topic touched by the cur-
riculum? If children are reading The Diary of Anne Frank, should
books that present the Nazi perspective be made available? What
materials do sex and AIDS education require? How many of
societyTs problems can, and should be, reflected in the school
library collection? Sexual preference, substance abuse, the sexual
and physical abuse of children, gangs, the violence that is
becoming a part of American life in even the smallest towns:
these issues touch the lives of many students. A typical class will
include children who are abused or neglected, children whose
parents abuse alcohol or drugs, and children who have experi-
enced violence in the home, on the street, or even in the halls of
the school. Should all these topics be represented in the library
media collection? School librarians face similar questions every
day as they struggle to provide a balance of materials that will best
allow children to explore and learn.
The need for a balanced and neutral collection, and for
materials to educate the young on social issues, is further compli-
cated by the problems of censorship. We live in a complex
society, a society in which there may not always be a clear view
of oright� or owrong.� For every social issue there are dissenters,
and dissenters " like all parents " feel strongly about the
education of their young. Parents object to their children being
presented with ideas that contradict what they learn at home.
Thus, regardless of the strength of the selection policy and the
support of the media advisory committee, censorship is a recur-
ring problem for school librarians.
Providing maximum access to a balanced collection is one
aspect of developing social responsibility through library media
programs. Students may become more socially responsible be-
cause they have access to materials that help them identify,
examine, and understand social issues from varying perspectives.
The influence of maximum access and a balanced collection can be
considered as indirect. User guidance and instruction, however,
offer school librarians the chance to interact directly with students.
Information Power, the national guidelines for school library media
programs, emphasizes the impact that librarians can have on
developing social responsibility in students:
Students are encouraged to realize their potential as
informed citizens who think critically and solve prob-
lems [and] to observe rights and responsibilities relating
to the generation and flow of information and ideas ...3
The direct interaction of user guidance and instruction can create
opportunities for school librarians to teach and model some of
the more enduring social values suggested by the term oprosocial
behavior.�
Values Education and Prosocial Behavior
In the 1970s, there was a surge of interest in values education that
resulted in a wide variety of publications. One problem with this
early literature relates to the definition of the terms ovalues� and
ovaluing�:
Throughout the values education literature, values has
been defined as everything from eternal ideas to behav-
ioral actions, while valuing has been considered the act
of making value judgements, an expression of feeling, or
the acquisition of and adherence to a set of principles.4
North Carolina Libraries
The problems experienced in defining the terms values and
valuing reflect the problems experienced when a complex society
attempts to define oright� and owrong.� An examination of these
problems supports the need for balanced collections and for a
careful examination of the concept of values before incorporating
what might be strong personal biases into instruction.
There are some enduring social values that most people
would accept as appropriate to foster in a school setting. In their
recently published book Reclaiming Our Schools,S Wynne and
Ryan suggest three such values: character, academics, and disci-
pline. Character is described as oengaging in conduct immedi-
ately helpful to others�; academics as student learning based on
high standards, well-defined expectations, and appropriate sup-
port and supervision;7 and discipline as onot doing wrong things.�®
It is important to point out that Wynne and Ryan do not take a
stand on specific social issues such as sex education, AIDS education,
and drug education. Their reason for this is enlightening:
Weare infinitely more concerned with the general preva-
lence of sound moral instruction in a school or classroom
than with systems of problem-oriented instruction in
schools that are otherwise moral vacuums. We believe
moral schools will comfortably devise ways of handling
immediate, topical moral issues. Conversely, schools
without sound moral norms may well misapply the most
wholesome problem-oriented instruction.?
Wynne and Ryan stress three important social values for
effective schooling, yet only two of these values " academics and
discipline " have consistently received emphasis in the education
literature. Therefore, it seems worthwhile to delve a little more
deeply into the third value, character. As Wynne and Ryan point
out, a conscious effort at educating for character can be osomewhat
controversial.�
Prosocial Behavior: Educating for Character
The literature on values education, often confusing and conflict-
ing, has given way to a clearer concept: educating for prosocial
behavior. Prosocial behavior has been defined as ovoluntary
actions that are intended to help or benefit another individual or
group of individuals.�10 As Eisenberg and Mussen explain,
Although it may be assumed that all human beings have
the potential for acquiring prosocial behavior, the behav-
ior itself " the forms and frequency of prosocial actions
" must be learned.!1
In his article, oCaring Kids: The Role of the School,� Alfie
Kohn equates educating for prosocial behavior with teaching
children to care. He begins by quoting the philospher, Martin
Buber: oEducation worthy of the name is essentially education
of character.� Kohn goes on to clarify this statement by claiming,
He did not mean that schools should develop a unit on
values or moral reasoning and glue it onto the existing
curriculum. He did not mean that problem children
should be taught how to behave. He meant that the
profession of teaching calls on us to try to produce not
merely good learners but good people.!2
Developing Prosocial Behavior in the School Library
The current emphasis in schools on cooperative learning pro-
vides an excellent environment for encouraging prosocial behav-
ior. School librarians can design cooperative library activities
that draw on a variety of cognitive styles: linguistic, spatial,
interpersonal, analytic, global. Properly structured, these activi-
ties decrease competition and give children an opportunity to
engage in such basic prosocial behaviors as sharing, collaborat-
Fall 199% " 133
ing, and interdependence. Literature-based programs also pro-
vide an opportunity for teaching prosocial behavior. However,
as Lamme and Krogh point out, oMerely reading books including
moral values is not enough.� They recommend obuilding on
childrenTs natural inclinations to identify with different aspects
of stories� through othoughtful discussion, writing, reflecting,
and sharing of books ....�13
The librarianTs role in developing prosocial behaviors is three-
fold: initiating, encouraging, and modeling. In working with
children " individually, in small groups, and in large groups "
librarians can be mindful of opportunities to initiate prosocial
behavior. When prosocial behavior occurs, either in designed
activities or spontaneously, librarians can acknowledge and en-
courage the behavior. Finally, librarians can model prosocial
behavior through helpfulness, kindness, and consideration.
Library media programs offer many opportunities for devel-
oping social responsibility, examining values, and encouraging
prosocial behavior. However, many of the writers who deal with
these topics believe that most educators act on the basis of the
values that they hold. School librarians should begin by explor-
ing, articulating, and understanding their own values; only then
can they be coherently applied.
References
1 Patricia Schuman, oSocial Responsibility " A Progress
Report,� School Library Journal 114 (June 15, 1989): 498.
2 Nancy Eisenberg and Paul H. Mussen, The Roots of Prosocial
Behavior in Children (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1989); Si
3 American Association of School Librarians and the Associa-
tion for Educational Communications and Technology, Informa-
tion Power: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs (Chicago:
American Library Association, 1988), 32-33.
4 Douglas P. Superka, Christine Ahrens, and Judith Hedstrom,
Values Education Sourcebook: Conceptual Approaches, Materials Analy-
ses, and an Annotated Bibliography (Boulder, CO: Social Science
Education Consortium, 1976), xiii.
5 Edward A. Wynne and Kevin Ryan, Reclaiming Our Schools:
A Handbook on Teaching Character, Academics, and Discipline (NY:
Macmillan, 1993).
6Ibid., xviii-xix.
7 Ibid., Xx.
CRIDIG elles
9 Tbid., xiii.
10Nancy Eisenberg and Paul H. Mussen, The Roots of Prosocial
Behavior in Children (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University
Press, 1989),3.
11 Jbid., 6.
12 Alfie Kohn, oCaring Kids: The Role of the Schools,� Phi
Delta Kappan, 72, no.7 (March 1991): 497.
13 Linda Leonard Lamme and Suzanne Lowell Krogh, with
Kathy A. Yachmetz, Literature-Based Moral Education: ChildrenTs
Books and Activities to Enrich the K-5 Curriculum for Teaching
Values, Responsibility, and Good Judgment in the Elementary School
(Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1992), 11.
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134 " Fall 1993
North Carolina Libraries
LO A AA A A A
From Censorship to Intellectual Freedom
to Empowerment:
The Evolution of the
Social Responsibility of the American Public Library;
A Bibliographical Essay
by Plummer Alston Jones, Jr.
oThe great end of life is not knowledge but action.�
o ask the question: oDoes the American public library have
a social responsibility?� is, of course, rhetorical. Yes, the
public library has and has had a social responsibility since
the establishment of the American Library Association
(ALA) in 1876. Indeed the very word opublic� implies both
a societal dimension and context. The more appropriate
questions in a critical examination of the social responsibility of the
public library are: oIs there universal agreement within the library
profession on what constitutes social responsibility? Has the libraryTs
social responsibility evolved over the years?�
In 1974, just two years shy of the ALA Centennial, Evelyn
Geller wrote a provocative Library Journal article entitled oIntellec-
tual Freedom: Eternal Principle or Unanticipated Consequence?�!
The impetus for GellerTs research was her fascination as to why ALA
found it necessary to frame a Library Bill of Rights in 1939. Geller
wanted to know if there were differences in the materials selection
practices in American public libraries before and after its promul-
gation. Thus, while ostensibly tracing the evolution of the concept
of intellectual freedom as it pertains to the selection of materials for
American public libraries, GellerTs article presents in the process an
historical and analytical synopsis of how the library professionTs
concept of social responsibility has changed.
Beginning her quest for answers, Geller turned to the works
of library historians for evidence to substantiate her hypothesis
that the promulgation of the Library Bill of Rights was a water-
shed in the history of American librarianship. From Sidney
DitzionTs Arsenals of a Democratic Culture (ALA, 1947), a history of
the early years of American
librarianship through 1900, Geller
learned that the American public
library, having started out with an
elitist philosophy of service, only
gradually became more democratic
as its social responsibility began to
encompass the entire community.
Libraries, which were supported
more or less as alternatives to tav-
erns and the streets, were viewed as
institutions preventing crime and
social disorganization. Librarians
viewed themselves as arbiters of
North Carolina Libraries
Libraries, which were
supported more or less as
alternatives to taverns and
the streets, were viewed as
institutions preventing crime
and social disorganization.
" Thomas Henry Huxley
morality with a public trust to keep libraries free of, and their
clienteles unexposed to, books deemed improper, immoral, or
false. Librarians, who perceived themselves and were perceived
by others as being good conservatives sharing the moral values of
their trustees, seldom ran into censorship difficulties. Indeed, a
vigilant censorship of collections was a duty librarians did not
shirk. Censorship before selection and even after the fact was
their public trust, their social responsibility.2
Geller examined also Book Selection and Censorship (University
of California Press, 1959), a study of materials selection practices in
California public and school libraries by Marjorie Fiske (later,
Lowenthal), for further evidence supporting her hypothesis that
the philosophy of librarianship embodied in the 1939 Library Bill
of Rights represented a direct departure from the philosophy of
service described by Ditzion.3 Fiske noted that in the 1930s libraries
took on a osocial service� mission, a radical departure toward
serving the changing needs of all segments of the community
rather than merely imposing elitist values on the few who used
libraries. Librarians in urban settings and particularly those serving
immigrant clienteles cast their roles after those of the community
social workers with whom they often worked hand in hand.4
In the aftermath of World War II, Fiske concluded that the
increasing level of education of the average American, the call for
multicultural materials, and the need for materials at many reading
levels worked together to effect the democratization of libraries. In
their desire to attract the underserved in their communities,
librarians odeveloped a greater tolerance of what they may for-
merly have rejected as ~mere trashT.�5
For further elucidation of the
evolution of the public libraryTs re-
sponse to the social responsibility of
materials selection, Geller turned to
the works of Dorothy Broderick and
Michael Harris. Broderickin her 1971
Library Journal article entitled oCen-
sorship Reevaluated� reckoned that
the concept of anti-censorship or
intellectual freedom was an abdica-
tion rather than an affirmation of
professional (read, social) responsi-
bility. According to Broderick, li-
Fall 1993 " 135
brarians, in adopting a neutral stance in the selection of materials
for public libraries, broke their ocovenant with the commu-
nity.�© Supporting a similar conclusion, HarrisTs 1973 Library
Journal article, oThe Purpose of the American Public Library: A
Revisionist Interpretation of History,� posited that public librar-
ians around the turn of the century abdicated their role as moral
arbiters by adopting a opassive approach� to library service
whereby in the guise of neutrality they could remain uninvolved
in social concerns affecting their communities and the country
at large.�
Geller thus found ample evidence in complementary and
even conflicting sources to support her hypothesis that the social
responsibility of the library was never static, but dynamic. The
social responsibility of the library had evolved from censorship,
which did not have a negative connotation in the early years of
American librarianship, to intellectual freedom, which is the
dynamic today. The Library Bill of Rights heralded not only a
new social responsibility for the library but a reversal of its former
role. Coincidentally, Geller noted with a tinge of irony that the
ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee was founded in 1940, one
year after the passage of the Library Bill of Rights, to guard against
further attempts at censorship of library materials. Furthermore,
GellerTs conclusion, which not only proved her hypothesis but
also answered the question posed in the title of her article, was
that libraries assumed the social responsibility of intellectual
freedom as the unanticipated consequence of becoming neutral
or passive in censorship issues.8
The majority of subsequent library literature addressing the
social responsibility of the library rests on the implicit assump-
tion that the preservation of intellectual freedom is the social
responsibility of the library. Along with these articles based on
a conservative stance, there are also notable articles either intro-
ducing other social responsibilities of libraries or radically
reinterpreting the concept of intellectual freedom to encompass
not only the materials selection process, but also advocacy of
social issues. More precisely, there is decided movement toward
the empowerment of public library clienteles to use information
to change their social conditions for the better.
In 1975, one year after the appearance of GellerTs article,
Robert N. Broadus published an editorial entitled oOn LibrariansT
Responsibilities to the Public� in which he reaffirmed that oa
continuing problem of society and the individual is the relation
of professional experts to the clienteles who finance them.�
Broadus stated that librarians as professionals must constantly
weigh in their selection decisions the merits of demand versus
value, but ultimately both should be considered.?
During the year of the ALA Centennial, Patricia Glass Schuman
edited an anthology of essays entitled Social Responsibilities and
Libraries (Bowker, 1976). SchumanTs essay oSocial Responsibility:
An Agenda for the Future� was a watershed in which she espoused
the view that the social responsibility of libraries included not
only selection but action. Schuman saw librarians as ochange
agents� and lauded as well as encouraged the social-conscious-
ness-raising efforts of the ALA Social Responsibilities Round
Table (SRRT) founded seven years earlier in 1969. Schuman
advocated rhetoric and action. For her, intellectual freedom was
only part of the libraryTs social responsibility.
Some librarians felt that intellectual freedom and social
responsibility were squarely at variance to each other,
without realizing that intellectual freedom is part of
social responsibility. Social responsibility proponents
were not espousing the suppression of access, but rather
the ideal that libraries must work for equality of access
for all people, not just say they do.10
From this point onward in the library literature on the
136 " Fall 199%
libraryTs social responsibility, the distinctions among the con-
cepts of censorship, intellectual freedom, and social action begin
to blur. By 1980, attorney Howard N. Meyer was editorializing in
the Interracial Books for Children Bulletin that oNeutralism IsnTt
Neutral.� Meyer warned against the misuse of the term ocensor-
ship� when applied to the use of selection guidelines to avoid
purchasing childrenTs materials which perpetuate sexism and
racism. Meyer was not advocating censorship after the fact but
in the selection process. Nothwithstanding his wholehearted
defense of intellectual freedom, he elaborated that othe word
censorship, incessantly applied as a pejorative, was the tool to
arouse sentiment against change.�11 MeyerTs article combines
the value aspect of BroadusT editorial and the action aspect of
SchumanTs essay.
Shirley EchelmanTs 1982 address oThe Right to Know: The
LibrarianTs Responsibilities� given at the Twenty-first Annual
Symposium sponsored by the Rutgers Graduate School of Library
and Information Studies was later reprinted in a 1984 anthology
entitled The Right to Information: Legal Questions and Policy Issues
(McFarland, 1984). Echelman covered much of the same terri-
tory as GellerTs 1974 article and gave an update on what had
occurred in the eight-year interim. Rather than seeing intellec-
tual freedom as the libraryTs sole social responsibility, Echelman
commented on othe dual role of libraries as agencies of social
change and [emphasis added] intellectual freedom.� EchelmanTs
reasoning echoed SchumanTs in her view that intellectual free-
dom without advocacy of social action and willingness to change
are unacceptable. !2
Incorporating EchelmanTs reasoning, articles throughout
the 1980s and 1990s which addressed the libraryTs social respon-
sibility implied the need for the advocacy of social change "
gradual, constant, and, if necessary, even radical. Svea GoldTs
1988 American Libraries article on child abuse presented ways that
libarians could help prevent this societal problem.!3 An article
published that same year by Sandy Berman asked the provocative
question, oWhy Should Librarians Give a Damn?� BermanTs
answer to his own question was in effect a no less provocative
plea for librarians to support change actively by providing
alternative sources of information: oIf we truly give a damn and
start to behave pro-actively, it just could make a difference. If we
donTt the trend toward stifling conformity and regimentation
will only worsen.� 14
By the 1990s ALA had demonstrated its advocacy in the
political arena as well as the social. Zoia HornTs 1990 Library Journal
article urged fellow librarians to continue the boycott of South
Africa until othe free flow of information is a reality.�15 A Library
Journal news items on the Iraq Conflict that same year warned that
olibrarians must again face the wartime issues of free information
flow and the professionTs moral stand.�16 1990 also saw the birth
of the Progressive Librarians Guild (PLG) which seeks among
several goals and initiatives oto provide a forum for the open
exchange of radical views on library issues, to support activist
librarians as they work to effect changes in their own libraries and
communities, [and] to monitor the professional ethics of
librarianship from a ~social responsibilityT perspective.� 17
In a 1991 issue of Library Journal Terry Link presented a guide
for osocially responsible investing� entitled oDo the Right Thing:
Are You Putting Your Money Where Your Heart Is?�18 LinkTs
article is interesting in that with it and other articles like it the
profession would seem at first glance to have come full circle back
to the value-laden judgmental mindset of librarians before 1939.
But there is a significant twist here. The attempt is to include, not
exclude, citizens in making the vital decisions which will affect
in a socially responsible way the lives of all Americans.
It is apparent that librarians are beginning to lose their
reluctance to get involved in social and political issues othat do not
North Carolina Libraries
i BIE ceocennte alien eign ne prendre SRO AS SUE ogo E SE Re ey er aOR RMON EE Ce TER ee
involve libraries per se� or odo not obviously bear a direct relation-
ship to librarianship.�19 Librarians are only just beginning to
empower themselves, but this self-empowerment is the necessary
first step toward empowering others. The library profession has
moved in a century and a quarter from a mindset of censorship to
a defense of intellectual freedom, and, ultimately, to the begin-
nings of empowerment. Still, we have a long way to go.
Perhaps the public libraryTs responsibility lurks somewhere
within the question ofa British librarian, Peter Jordan, who asked
as early as 1975: oIf libraries do not exist ultimately to improve
the quality of life, what do they exist for?�29 Or, to bring the
matter closer to home, Marilyn Miller, a North Carolina library
educator, affirms the existence of two, not one, social
responsiblities of public libraries.
In January 1993, during her tenure as ALA President, Miller
addressed and offered support and encouragement to ALA mem-
bers who were demonstrating at the Midwinter Conference in
Denver in protest against the anti-gay and lesbian legislation
passed in Colorado. Miller proclaimed unequivocably that oALA
has a long tradition of supporting human rights and intellectual
freedom.�21
May the American library profession continue to examine
and refine our tradition of social responsibility and through the
American public library evolve toward the empowerment of all.
References
1 Evelyn Geller, oIntellectual Freedom: Eternal Principle or
Unanticipated Consequence?,� Library Journal 99 (15 May 1974):
1364-67.
2 Sidney Herbert Ditzion, Arsenals of a Democratic Culture; A
Social History of the American Public Library Movement in New
England and the Middle States from 1850 to 1900 (Chicago: ALA,
1947), cited in Geller, oIntellectual Freedom,� 1365-66.
3 Marjorie (Fiske) Lowenthal, Book Selection and Censorship; A
Study of School and Public Libraries in California (Berkeley: Univer-
sity of California Press, 1959), cited in Geller, oIntellectual
Freedom,� 1366.
4Plummer Alston Jones, Jr., oAmerican Public Library Service
to the Immigrant Community, 1876-1948; A Biographical His-
tory of the Movement and Its Leaders: Jane Maud Campbell
(1869-1947), John Foster Carr (1869-1939), Eleanor (Edwards)
Ledbetter (1870-1954), and Edna Phillips (1890-1968),� PhD
dissertation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1991.
See especially Chapter VI: The Librarian as Social Worker:
Eleanor (Edwards) Ledbetter, 1870-1954, 361-428 passim.
5 Lowenthal, Book Selection and Censorship, quoted in Geller,
oIntellectual Freedom,� 1366.
6 Dorothy M. Broderick, oCensorship Reevaluated,� Library
Journal 96 (15 Nov. 1971): 3816-18, quoted in Geller, oIntellec-
tual Freedom,� 1367.
7 Michael H. Harris, oThe Purpose of the American Public
Library: A Revisionist Interpretation of History,� Library Journal
98 (15 Sept. 1973): 2509-14, cited in Geller, oIntellectual Free-
dom,� 1366-67.
8 As an interesting aside, Geller, a doctoral student at the
time her article was published, later expounded upon her find-
ings in her dissertation (Columbia University, 1980) and later her
monograph (Greenwood Press, 1984). See, Evelyn Geller, oIdeals
and Ideology: The Freedom to Read in American Public Libraries,
1876-1939,� PhD dissertation, Columbia University, 1980; and
Forbidden Books in American Public Libraries, 1876-1939: A Study
in Cultural Change (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1984).
9 R. N. Broadus, oOn LibrariansT Responsibilities to the
Public,� Catholic Library World 47 (Nov. 1975): 182-84, quote is
on page 182.
10 Patricia Glass Schuman, oSocial Responsibility: An Agenda
North Carolina Libraries
i nena aan
for the Future,� in Social Responsibilities and Libraries; A Library
Journal/School Library Journal Selection, comp. and ed. by Patricia
Glass Schuman (New York: R. R. Bowker, 1976), 369-77, quote is
on pages 370-71.
11H. N. Meyer, oConstitutional Responsibilities of Librar-
ians: Neutralism IsnTt Neutral,� Interracial Books for Children
Bulletin 11, no. 6 (1980): 12-13, quote is on page 13.
12 Shirley Echelman, oThe Right to Know: The LibrarianTs
Responsibilities,� in The Right to Information, ed. by Jana Varlejs
UJefferson City, NC: McFarland, 1984), 54-69, quote is on page 56.
13 Svea Gold, oChild Abuse: The LibrarianTs Role,� American
Libraries (Feb. 1988): 104+.
14 Sandy Berman, oWhy Should Librarians Give a Damn?�
Collection Building 9, no. 1 (1988): 41-42, quote is on page 42.
1S Zoia Horn, oBoycotting South Africa: ALA at the Crossroads,�
Library Journal 115 (15 June 1990): 38-41, quote is on page 41.
16 "Iraq Conflict Creates Library Concerns; As Desert Shield
Turns to Desert Sword, Librarians Must Again Face the Wartime
Issues of Free Information Flow and the ProfessionTs Moral Stand,�
Library Journal 115 (Dec. 1990): 18-19, quote is on page 18.
17 "Progressives Meet at ALA Midwinter; New Group Em-
braces Socially Responsible and Ethical Perspectives,� Library
Journal 115 (15 Feb. 1990): 116.
18 Terry Link, oDo the Right Thing: Are You Putting Your Money
Where Your Heart Is?� Library Journal 116 (1 Nov. 1991): 57-60.
19 Debra Stevens, oSocial Responsibility and Librarianship: A
Dilemma of Professionalism,� Canadian Library Journal 46 (Feb.
1989): 17-22, quote is on page 17.
20 Peter Jordan, oLibrarians and Social Commitment,� Assis-
tant Librarian 68 (Apr. 1975): 62-66, quote is on page 62.
21"Midwinter by the Numbers; Important Issues and Events
of ALATs Denver Meeting Came with Call Numbers,� American
Libraries 24 (March 1993): 222-30, 259-65, quote is on page 222.
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Fall 1993 " 137
Social Issues in Libraries:
A Bibliographic Guide to Programs and
Policies of the 1990s
by Suzanne Wise
American society is changing. American libraries have a long and distinguished history of adapting to
societal changes by providing not only traditional services to empower the general public, but also out-
reach services to the underserved and special populations. American librarians of the 1990s also must be
part social worker, part educator, and part guidance counselor as they help library users cope with societal
changes. Librarians must continue to be proactive, to reach out to the community and convince citizens
that they need library services, and, then, to odeliver the goods.�
The following annotated, categorized bibliography serves as a guide to programs and policies of the
1990s from libraries of all types. It does not purport to be exhaustive, but rather representative and
extremely practical. It includes essays, articles, monographs, and government documents. North Carolina
librarians should be cheered to know that libraries across the country are successfully meeting the chal-
lenges posed in serving a diverse and expanded public in an ever changing society.
General Overview of Services to Special Populations
Alloway, Catherine Suyak, ed. The Book Stops Here: New Directions in Bookmobile Service. Metuchen,
NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1990.
Includes a section on special uses of the bookmobile " rural service, urban areas, older adults,
children and schools, migrant farm workers, Native Americans, and correctional facilities.
Katz, Bill, ed. oThe Reference Library User: Problems and Solutions.� Theme issue of The Reference
Librarian 31 (1990): 1-151.
Section II of this issue, oSpecial Populations in the Library,� describes programs and discusses
policies for meeting the needs of the deinstitutionalized, older adults, and the learning disabled.
Lesley, J. Ingrid. oLibrary Services for Special User Groups.� In The Bowker Annual Library and Book
Trade Almanac, 25-37. 37th ed. New Providence, NJ: R. R. Bowker, 1992.
Innovative services to immigrants, latchkey children, the unemployed, the homeless, and the
disabled.
Services to Preschool Children and Their Caregivers
Jones, Trudy, and Sally Schwarzlose. oThe Changing Preschool World: One LibraryTs Efforts to Work
with Local Agencies to Serve the Preschool Community.� Illinois Libraries 72 (Feb. 1990): 176-78.
Roving readers and materials delivery to day-care homes.
Krell, Denise, and Connie Pottle. oServices for Adult Caregivers of the Very Young Child.� Journal
of Youth Services in Libraries 3 (Winter 1990): 134-38.
Program ideas and service models for adults who live or work with children aged birth to five.
Marino, Jane, and Dorothy F. Houlihan. Mother Goose Time: Library Programs for Babies and Their
Caregivers. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1992.
Practical guide to infant programming.
Services to Latchkey and Daycare Children
Adamec, Janet. oHomework Helpers: Making Study Time Quality Time.� Wilson Library Bulletin 65
(Sept. 1990): 31-32.
Library volunteers help latchkey children with homework after school.
138 " Fall 1993 North Carolina Libraries
Bush, Margaret A. oExtending Our Reach: Library Services for Special Groups of Children.� In
Lands of Pleasure: Essays on Lillian H. Smith and the Development of ChildrenTs Libraries, edited by
Adele M. Fasick, Margaret Johnston, and Ruth Osler, 71-83. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1990.
Identifies types of children who need library programs (daycare, latchkey, recent immigrants,
etc.) and offers illustrations of programs currently in place.
Dowd, Frances Smardo. Latchkey Children in the Library and Community: Issues, Strategies, and
Programs. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1991.
A comprehensive treatment of the social issue of latchkey children and library services
designed to help them.
Strickland, Charlene. oIntergenerational Reading: Encouraging the Grandlap.� Wilson Library
Bulletin 65 (Dec. 1990): 46-48, 164-65.
Senior citizen volunteers help with childrenTs services.
Services to Youthful Offenders
Oiye, Julie Ann. oFull Time, Multi-Media Service to Juvenile Hall Patrons.� In The Voya Reader,
edited by Dorothy M. Broderick, 201-5. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1990.
King County, Washington, supports a library in its Youth Services Center.
Sasges, Judy, and Mary Moore. oJuvenile Hall Library Service on a Part-time Basis.� In The Voya
Reader, edited by Dorothy M. Broderick, 193-100. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1990.
The Stanislaus County Free Library in Modesto, California, offers library services to juveniles
in the countyTs youth detention center.
Services to Senior Citizens
Gross, Ron, and others. How to Serve Seniors in Your Community By Meeting Their Needs for Mental
Stimulation, Delight, and Empowerment: Lively Minds Manual. Uniondale, NY: Nassau Library
System, 1990. ERIC document ED 338 233.
A public library systemTs weekly continuing education programs designed for older adults.
Services to the Physically and Mentally Challenged
Day, John Michael. oGuidelines for Library Services to Deaf People: Development and
Interpretation.� [FLA Journal 18, no. 1 (1992): 31-36.
Policy and service considerations for patrons with the oinvisible handicap.�
oLibrary Services for Persons with Handicaps.� Special theme issue of I/linois Libraries 72 (Apr.
1990): 311-410.
Brief descriptions of a number of programs.
Powell, Faye. oA Library Center for Disabled Students.� College & University Research Libraries News
no. 5 (May 1990): 418-20.
Description of a program at Portland State University.
Rosen, Leslie, and others. oEnabling Blind and Visually Impaired Library Users: INMAGIC and
Adaptive Technologies.� Library Hi-Tech 9, no. 3 (1991): 45-61.
Describes technological advances such as the database management system INMAGIC being
used by the library of the American Foundation for the Blind.
Wright, Kieth C., and Judith F. Davie. Library ManagerTs Guide to Hiring and Serving Disabled Persons.
Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1990.
Covers staff development and physical facilities as well as public services.
Services to Minorities
Boydston, Jeanne M. K. oHiring Practices, Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action
in ARL Libraries.� Journal of Library Administration 14, no. 4 (1991): 17-35.
A survey of ways ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries develop a candidate pool
(including advertising in a wide variety of minority/ethnic special interest publications) and
review applications.
Speller, Benjamin F., Jr., ed. Educating Black Librarians: Papers from the 50th Anniversary Celebration
of the School of Library and Information Sciences. North Carolina Central University. Jefferson, NC:
McFarland, 1991.
Includes essays on recruiting minority students, recruiting and retaining minority librarians in
academic libraries, and the role of library schools in the recruitment of international students.
North Carolina Libraries Fall 1993 " 139
Services to Immigrants and Migrant Workers
Craver, Kathleen W. oBridging the Gap: Library Services for Immigrant Populations.� Journal of
Youth Services in Libraries 4 (Summer 1991): 123-30.
Describes public library services to the immigrant community.
Jones, Plummer Alston, Jr. oCultural Oasis or Ethnic Ghetto?: The North Carolina Foreign
Language Center and Statewide Multilingual Public Library Service.� North Carolina Libraries 50
(Summer 1992): 100-105.
Describes a special public-supported library providing on a statewide basis foreign language
materials for speakers of foreign languages, including immigrants and migrant workers in
North Carolina.
Plessner, Joan. oThe Fruits of Their Labors.� American Libraries 23 (Mar. 1992): 256-57.
Public library services to Hispanic farmworkers.
Services to the Homeless
Lesley, J. Ingrid. oThe Homeless in the Public Library.� In Libraries and Information Services Today,
12-22. Chicago: American Library Association, 1991.
Discusses the social phenomenon of the homeless and library programs throughout the
country designed to help this special population. Article quotes former North Carolina
librarian Patsy Hansel, who believes it is appropriate oto designate the (public) library as a
referral agent for persons with survival information needs if the library has the resources and
the commitment to do the job well.�
Services to Gays and Lesbians
Gough, Cal, and Ellen Greenblatt. Gay and Lesbian Library Service. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1990.
While the emphasis is on collection development issues, policies for displays and meeting
rooms are also discussed. Excellent appendices of core resources, publishers and bookstores,
and AIDS literature. Contains ALA Policies on Sexual Orientation and the Library Bill of Rights.
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"The most important genealogical and historical source for North Carolina since 1790."
140 " Fall 1993 North Carolina Libraries
Services to the Unemployed
Martins, Ed. oJOBLINC: Job-Help Bus Delivers Needed Information.� Tennessee Librarian 43 (Spring
OOM) eae
Memphis-Shelby County Public LibraryTs mobile job information readiness center goes to the
high unemployment neighborhoods and to businesses that are laying off workers, where staff
help prepare resumes and cover letters, and answer questions about job openings and other
job-related subjects.
AIDS Programs
Cowen, Sue, and R. Wright Rix. oStarting Up Your Own HIV/AIDS Collection: A Case Study.�
Reference Services Review 19, no. 2 (1991): 39-44, 76.
The County of Los Angeles Public Library worked with government and nonprofit organiza-
tions to establish an AIDS information center. Includes an annotated bibliography.
Shay, Anthony. oAIDS Education in the Los Angeles Public Library.� Library Journal 115 (Oct. 15,
1990): 59-60.
The Los Angeles Public Library AIDS Anti-Discrimination Task Force, composed of library
employees at all levels, developed a comprehensive education program on AIDS as a prevent-
able epidemic and its impact on the workplace. All library employees have participated in the
program.
Intellectual Freedom
American Library Association. Office for Intellectual Freedom. Intellectual Freedom Manual. 4th ed.
Chicago: American Library Association, 1992.
The old standby has been updated. Contains policy statements on access, circulation, exhibit
space and meeting rooms, freedom to read, library record confidentiality, materials selection,
challenged materials, and labeling of materials.
Literacy Programs
Salter, Jeffrey L., and Charles A. Salter. Literacy and the Library. Englewood, CO: Libraries
Unlimited, 1991.
This excellent handbook discusses illiteracy, its causes and effects, and what libraries can do
to combat it. Includes sections on materials for adult new readers and suggestions for
programs. Appendices of organizations, sample material, and a bibliography.
Segel, Elizabeth, and John Brest Friedberg. oWidening the Circle: The Beginning with Books
Model; Prevention-Oriented Literacy Program Affiliated with the Carnegie Library of
Pittsburgh.� Horn Book 67 (Mar./Apr. 1991): 186-89.
The library works with agencies such as Head Start, well baby clinics, teen parenting
programs, drug and child abuse programs, and homeless shelters to distribute a packet of
three paperback books and a coupon to get another free book at the library.
Talan, Carole. oFamily Literacy: Libraries Doing What Libraries Do Best.� Wilson Library Bulletin 65
(Nov. 1990): 30-32, 158.
Promotes library literacy programs which are family-centered and intergenerational.
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Editor's Note: North Carolina Libraries presents this feature in recogngition of the increase in excellent unsolicited manuscripts that merit
publication, but are not necessarily related to each issue's specific theme.
What Our Children Are Dying To Know:
AIDS Information Dissemination and the Library
by Jim Zola
oAt a hearing last week, book opponents argued that [two controversial books] promote a lifestyle against GodTs
teachings and that innocent children should be protected from reading them.�
" oKids Books On Homosexuals Will Remain on Library Shelf,� News and Record, Oct. 24, 1992.
oT donTt want to die because I donTt know ... I donTt think it's fair to us for adults to hide all this from us.�
" Melissa Roberts, a seventh grader quoted from oChildren Seek More Education On AIDS,�
ne only needs to go as far as the morning newspaper to
realize that Acquired Immunity Deficiency Syndrome
(from hereon AIDS) is a major issue in the world today.
Naturally, major world issues have a way of filtering into
every aspect of society. The dissemination of accurate
current information on AIDS is a monumental task. Just to stay
ahead of the rumors and misinformation is beyond the scope of
the layperson. What sources can we trust? Dr. Stephen Gluckman
of Cooper Hospital in Camden, N.J. recently conducted a survey
of thirty-three AIDS hotlines and found that the hotlines ooften
give out information thatTs misleading, oversimplified, or just
plain wrong.�! If librarians are the gatekeepers to the world of
information, they must be able to gather the most current and
accurate information available in order to inform the public. But
is this enough?
One of the most common misconceptions about AIDS is that
it is a problem confined to large urban areas. Guilford County,
North Carolina accounts for only five percent of the stateTs
population, yet twelve percent of the stateTs AIDS cases occur
here. That means twelve cases per 100,000 people.2 But the
statistics just reveal the surface of the problem. Despite hope, the
realistic chances for a cure in the near future are slim. Therefore,
the only viable weapon in the war on
AIDS is the dissemination of informa-
tion on ways to avoid contracting the
disease. This being the case, libraries
must become the major battlefield in
the war on AIDS.3
Few people would disagree with the
concept that the key to minimizing the
spread of AIDS is through public aware-
ness and access to accurate information.
And yet, when the issue is focused on the
teaching of AIDS education to children,
the pots begin to boil. Why? Perhaps the
overall problem stems from an image of
142 " Fall 1993
... the key to minimizing
the spread of AIDS is
through public awareness
and access to accurate
information.
News and Record, Oct. 25 1992.
children as the innocent lambs and the adults as the shepherds.
There is a pairing of the concepts of innocence and ignorance that
has followed children through history. The problem with the
concept of safeguarding the innocence of children is that it is
virtually an impossible task because they live in the modern global
village where information bombards them from every angle.
For libraries, the issue of AIDS information dissemination for
children needs to be broken down into several categories. First of
all, there are two primary areas of access for childrenTs books, the
school and the public library. Although the materials available
and the patrons served in the two localities may be the same,
circumstances determining the collection policies of school
libraries and childrenTs collections in public libraries are vastly
different. The second consideration in a discussion of AIDS
information dissemination for children is the ages of the children
being informed. The distinguishing milestone in an examination
of access to AIDS information in childrenTs departments of public
libraries is the childTs ability or inability to read. Most AIDS
education in public schools begins in the seventh grade. The
issues involved with older children (those more likely to be
involved with high-risk behavior in terms of exposure to AIDS)
are quite different from those of the younger children. In fact, the
very notion that younger children are
not getting information in the class-
room makes the availability of informa-
tion in the library that much more im-
portant. It is imperative to examine the
information needs of those children who
are able to read on their own, but are not
yet receiving classroom AIDS education.
During the Reagan administration,
U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop
mandated the teaching of AIDS educa-
tion in Public schools. In July 1988, the
North Carolina General Assembly en-
acted a law requiring AIDS prevention
North Carolina Libraries
"
be taught in school. Yet a 1989 survey reveals that 80 percent of
elementary libraries in the U.S. had no fiction titles dealing with
AIDS and 52 percent of elementary libraries surveyed had no
non-fiction titles.4 Educated speculation provides a variety of
reasons for the weakness of school collections in this area. The
first thing to consider is that children are not voting citizens and
therefore do not wield power in a society that respects advocacy.
Young children, when viewed as the innocent lambs, are not
considered AIDS risks. Therefore, in times when overall funding
is tight, and where childrenTs resources are funded by what is left,
the gathering of AIDS material may
not be a high priority for childrenTs
librarians. Then, factoring in the
possibility of a book challenge or
some fundamental groupTs sabotage,
along with the lack of sources and
the currency problems, the dearth
of AIDS materials for children might
be explained, but not justified. Fi-
nally, there is a possibility that the
attitudes of the librarians towards
the subject might be keeping the
books off the shelves.51
In the case of school libraries, it
is virtually impossible to separate the
issue of AIDS classroom curricula and
the dissemination of AIDS informa-
tion in the library. School libraries should support and expand on
the classroom curriculum. Yet, in the formulation of curricula on
AIDS education in the Greensboro Public School system, every
department has been included " English, mathematics, social
Studies, science, health and even physical education " except for
the library.® The results of these curriculum decisions can have far-
reaching effects on the library collection. In New York City, the
Board of Education enacted a measure stressing sexual abstinence
in the school curriculum. The ramifications of this ruling enable
the school board to censor or ban materials that they feel fail to
Stress abstinence.� Book challengers are given the strength of
political approval.
It could be argued that the issue of AIDS information in
childrensT libraries is just a rehashing of the old sex education
debate. But there are some major differences. Not only are young
people concerned about AIDS as a life and death issue ; they are also
considered by some to be a HIV high-risk group.T The problem is
Not just sex, however. In an article in The Journal of Moral Education,
Kenneth R. Howe identified these compound issues:
It is only one step from talking about risky behaviors, to
talking about the victims of AIDS, social policy, compas-
sion, and constitutional rights ... more generally, the
controversies surrounding AIDS ought not to be ducked.
Evasiveness only contributes to artificiality of school-
ing, and results in missing an opportunity for some
timely and important education. Students ought to be
taught how to cope with controversy and disagreement,
rather than presented with a model of how to ignore it.9
Unlike the case of sex education, few voices deny that AIDS
education is important. While the value of AIDS information
dissemination is hard to contend, controversies develop over the
approach and extent of the information made available.
There are basically two camps concerned with the inclusion
of AIDS materials in childrenTs library collections. Kenneth R.
Howe has labeled these two approaches opaternalist� and oneu-
tralist.� Paternalism is based on the view that ochildren, say,
through high school age, are simply not competent to master all
of the information about AIDS, including the uncertainty, needed
North Carolina Libraries
In fact, the very notion
that younger children are
not getting information in
the classroom makes the
availability of information
in the library that much
more important.
to make responsible judgments o1° So the paternal approach is to
protect children from themselves by censoring the information
made available and by advocating abstinence. One of the main
problems with the paternal approach, besides the unrealistic
belief that ignorance is bliss, is that children today receive
information from many sources " peer networks, print and
television media. Denying them the access to reliable informa-
tion in an open educational setting may simply lead to a distrust
of schools and libraries.
The alternative approach to AIDS information dissemina-
tion, according to Howe, is neutralism.
This is based on a respect for adolescent
autonomy and on the reservation of moral
judgment. While the conservative pater-
nalist believes in abstinence, the neutralist
believes that the teaching of safe sex is
necessary since all avenues of the issue
need to be presented. One group believes
that abstinence should be taught as an
absolute value, while the other group be-
lieves in teaching protective prevention.
[This would be a non-issue if both absti-
nence and safe sex were presented in the
available materials.] But the paternalists
believe that abstinence should be the only
approach, and therefore materials that
mention safe sex are viewed as osheep
clothing for the lupine purveyor of libertarian perversions.�11 In
order for librarians to resist challenges from these paternalists, it
is necessary for them to understand the basis for these beliefs.
There are a few underlying contentions that recur in the
arguments against the neutralist approach to AIDS education.
The first fundamental belief is that there is a strong relationship
between the communication of information and the changing of
behaviors. 12 Itis hard to argue against this point. Yet the paternal
logic continues by arguing that safe sex information owill be
ineffective and counter-productive because it will implicitly
sanction sexual permissiveness " the primary cause of AIDS.�13
This argument relies heavily on the innocent child theory.
Allowing the thought of anything but abstinence to enter the
childTs mind will lead to corruption, the breakdown of moral
consensus, and the
breaking of implicit
rules. These implicit
rules existed before
AIDS, but the paternal-
ists are using the threat
of AIDS to enforce the
advocacy of abstinence
before marriage and fi-
delity during marriage.
That is not to say
that the other side, the
neutralists, advocate
premarital sex and in-
fidelity. They argue that
okids who come from
Open-communication
situations do better
with risk-taking behav-
ior.�14 The question
that needs to be asked
concerning the neutral-
ist position is just how
far the librarian should
go. Can the librarian
The issue ... is not
whether we should
pass out condoms, or
promote one extreme
or the other. The real
issue is how we answer
this question " if not
education and open
information ©
dissemination, then
what are the
alternatives?
Fall 199% " 143
remain truly neutral, supplying the information in a non-restric-
tive manner? Should they be expected to do more? It is far more
likely that a public librarian (versus a school librarian) would be
able to become an AIDS information advocate. As early as 1987,
an article in School Library Journal called on all childrenTs librar-
ians to become involved to the fullest extent:
Clearly, both school and public libraries have an opportunity
toplay animportantrolein the collection of materials andthe
dissemination of information about AIDS. School librarians
can assist administrators and other officials in collection and
disseminating information. Public librarians can complete
bibliographies, add information to vertical files, hold forums,
show videotapes, provide pamphlets and coordinate out-
reach programs.15
The idea of the outreach program was taken a step further in
a 1991 American School Board Journal article on rural areas and
AIDS information dissemination in which it was proposed that
bookmobiles be used to reach rural areas in order to teach
children ways to prevent AIDS.16
As with most controversial issues, the essence of the problem
tends to get clouded by fringe controversies. The issue in AIDS
information dissemination for children is not whether we should
pass out condoms, or promote one extreme or the other. The real
issue is how we answer this question " if not education and open
information dissemination, then what are the alternatives? Frances
Bradburn writes in The Wilson Library Bulletin:
No longer can our discomfort simply confuse our chil-
dren; it can kill them. No longer can we adults afford the
luxury of debating whether or not we want our children
sexually educated. oWhen� perhaps; but never again
owhether. � For, you see, AIDS is killing our children.17
Tired of making
permanent loans?"
i CheckpointT
Tomorrow's Technology for Today's Libraries�"�
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(800) 257-5540 * TELEX: 84-5396 * FAX: (609) 848-0937
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Rockingham, NC 28379
1-800-545-2714
144 " Fall 1993
If librarians believe that they are advocates for children, then
they must continue to promote the dissemination of accurate AIDS
information to the fullest extent: not only how to avoid contract-
ing the virus, but information that will dispel the fears and prejudices
about the victims of the disease, as well. Familiarity, sympathy, and
understanding are the keys to battling AIDS. Children have a right
to know, especially when their lives are at stake.
References
1 oSurvey: AIDS Lines Often Wrong, o News & Record, Oct. 5, 1992.
2oNation Has A Duty To Strike Back At AIDS, o News & Record,
OG Fg.
3 Leonard Kniffel, oAIDS War: Information The Weapon,
Libraries The Battleground,� American Libraries, XXIII, No. 5
(1992): 348.
4 Vandelia L. Vanmeter, oSensitive Materials In U.S. Public
Schools,� School Library Media Quarterly, XIX, (Summer 1991): 223-
227%
5 W. Bernard Lukenbill, oAIDS Information Services In Ameri-
can Public Libraries: A National Comparison Of Attitudes Held By
Public Library And AIDS Service Directors,� Library And Informa-
tion Science Research, XII, (April/June, 1990): 183-216.
6 oAIDS Program to Emphasize No Sex, Drugs,� Greensboro
News & Record, March 2, 1988.
7 oCritics Decry New AIDS Education Rules As Censorship,�
New York Times May 29, 1992, B3.
8 Susan G Millstein, oRisk Factors For AIDS Among Adoles-
cents,� New Directions For Child Development, (Winter 1990): 3-15.
9 Kenneth R. Howe, oAIDS Education In The Public Schools:
Old Wine In New Bottles,� The Journal Of Moral Education, XXIX,
(May, 1990): 124-138.
10 Jbid.
11 William J. Wood, oTeach The Children Well,� America,
CLVI, (May 16, 1987): 397-400.
12 Tbid.
13 Sidney Callahan, oDoes the AIDS Crisis Justify Explicity,
Sex Education, Ads,� Health Progress, LX1X, (Jan./Feb. 1988): 18.
14 Dr. Tim Lane, Greensboro News & Record, March 29, 1988.
15 Julie M. Mueller and Virginia Moschetta, oAIDS Informa-
tion Sources,� School Library Journal, XXXIV, (Sept. 1987): 126-130.
16 Doris Helge and Jonathan Paulk, oToo Small For AIDS,�
American School Board Journal, CLXXVIUI, (April, 1991): 40-42.
17 Frances Bradburn, oSex, Lies And Young Readers At Risk,�
Wilson Library Bulletin, (Oct. 1990): 34-38.
~ Greensboro AIDS pits
oThe Greensboro Public Library has received a grant for
- $4,000 from a coalition of the community, organizations, and
_ institutions for the purpose of establishing a Public Library
AIDS Project. The funds will be used to distribute packets of
AIDS education materials at libraries in Greensboro and High
- Point and to establish an AIDS. Resource Corner at the Chavis
Lifelong Learning Library. -
_ The Library has named an. Advisory Corfnittes composed
of librarians, AIDS activists, educators, and business leaders,
_ which will advise the library on specific activities in its AIDS�
- education campaign. Current plans include the production
| and distribution of bookmarks, bibliographies, and a local
resources list. An AIDS Program Kit containing books, videos, a
discussion guide, and other ma erials will alse be a for
the t use of community program developers.
_ Future plans include sponsoring a program featuring an
thor who has written on ened Bet Poe Sees to
age youth about AIDS.
North Carolina Libraries
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North Carolina Libraries Fall 1993 " 145
. ~"
146 " Fall 1993
PoInt
Libraries: All Things to All People
by Carol H. Reilly
ibraries can no longer stand apart from the social issues that affect their patrons.
Libraries cannot afford to remain merely neutral institutions while the communities
they serve are struggling with delinquency, teen pregnancy, violence, homelessness,
unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, substance abuse, intolerance of racial and cultural
differences, and other concerns.
Human service and education professionals, political and business leaders, planners
and advocates are seeking or designing new approaches to prevent " as well as remedy " some
of these social problems. Individuals of all ages and abilities are searching for health care, day
care, housing, vocational, and other options so that they can become financially and socially
independent. Families are looking for support to deal with domestic troubles and to help their
children become successful.
Libraries must not only be aware of these trends and issues, but also must redefine their
mission to become active participants in community problem-solving.
I believe that library administrators and staff should use the concept of Information and
Referral (I&R) as a starting point for evaluating their goals and for developing training, service,
and marketing strategies in response to social issues.
Libraries should view their connection to community resources as essential in providing
thorough, accurate service to their patrons. Employees at every level should be taught to think of
themselves as community information providers having access to a universe of knowledge much
broader than the library. Given appropriate training, employees can become comfortable in
judging when to recommend or call on resources beyond the library, even if they do not have
their own in-house I&R staff and database.
Involvement by administrative and branch staff in interagency networks and community
planning efforts enables libraries to cope with changing demands resulting from societal prob-
lems. Using I&R contacts, librarians can:
1. Find out more about information and help available to latchkey children, parents of
troubled teens, homeless people, the unemployed, people with different communica-
tion needs, and other groups who may be visiting or calling the library.
2. Become indispensable in meeting the information needs of local professional col-
leagues and decision-makers.
3. Encourage and participate in multi-agency alliances which may help everyone
strengthen existing services, create innovative programs, make better use of current
resources, or identify new volunteer, staff, and funding sources.
For example, by forming a partnership with the local teen helpline, tutoring and mentoring
programs, PTA, Cities-in-School office, or youth council or other groups, library employees may
be better able to work with children and teens who have academic and behavioral problems, or
find volunteers who can help them.
Library employees can gain valuable ideas for collection development, booklists, displays,
programs, and cooperative outreach efforts from such groups as public health agencies, parent
education groups, information sources on the Americans with Disabilities Act, task forces dealing
with issues such as AIDS and teen pregnancy, career counselors, the AARP, and the Bar Association.
By using their unique skills and tools, librarians can provide valuable assistance to govern-
ment officials, human service planners and advocates, neighborhood development groups, and
citizens seeking services for themselves and their families. They can build a computer file on
support groups whose meetings are mentioned in the newspapers, offer to track down hard-to-
find articles and statistics, facilitate interagency training and community information exchange
activities, and collect or compile resource guides to local day care providers, summer camps, job
listings, scholarships and grants, and translators and interpreters.
All of these I&R-related activities are well within the traditional role of libraries, but they
place libraries in the mainstream of social responsibility to their patrons and their community.
North Carolina Libraries
But It's Not What They Paid For!
by Harry Tuchmayer, Column Editor
he other day, I was approached by an individual who demanded that the library maintain
a permanent display that warns citizens of the coming environmental catastrophe. In fact,
this is the second time we have been approached by the same individual as he travels up
and down the East Coast of the United States. You see, he and the organization he repre-
sents know that olibraries traditionally respond to public demand� so he wants to oper-
suade libraries ... to influence (that) public demand.� Now I care about the environment,
but where do I draw the line between political activism and professional responsibility?
Unfortunately, many of the serious issues facing society today " teen pregnancy, homelessness,
intolerance etc. " are more than just social concerns; they are highly volatile
political issues. As publicly supported institutions, many libraries increas-
ingly will find themselves in the middle of community debates that are not
cut and dried. In this environment, libraries will be expected to provide
information to support, justify, and help formulate any number of possible
solutions to a problem. And in order to meet community needs, libraries will
be expected to perform their traditional role of information provider free of
bias or interpretation. In short, libraries will become more important to the
entire community, not because we made it our mission to solve a single
individualTs problem, but because we never wavered from our overall
mission of collecting uncensored materials representing all points of view.
How can an organization which has consistently resisted all attempts to
censor ideas or opinions do anything other than ostand apart from the social
issues which affect (our) patrons�? If we donTt, we run the risk of alienating
the very people (not to mention the taxpayers) who rely on us to provide
the community with the information necessary to solve all of its problems.
This doesnTt mean that we must turn our back on those in need, nor does it
mean that libraries canTt offer some sort of information and referral service.
It does mean, however, that libraries must be careful in how they structure
this service so as not to cross the line separating referral from endorsement.
A fully staffed, well trained, and competent reference department
already serves many of the same functions as a good I & R service. The
difference is that libraries traditionally shy away from endorsing or suggest-
ing the use of one service over another. I know that referring someone to
Crisis Line is not the same thing as sending a patron to one bookstore over
another. Unfortunately, itTs no longer that simple. When you suggest the
services of a group like Planned Parenthood instead of Life Line, you might
run the risk of infuriating a special interest group in your community.
Libraries should view their
connection to community
resources as essential in
providing thorough,
accurate service to their
patrons.
" Reilly
... libraries cannot and
should not serve as all
things to all people.
" Tuchmayer
Giving patrons the number of an Information and Referral service might seem like needless double
work, but maintaining some distance from the issue does insure the libraryTs autonomy.
Librarians have always been taught that good reference service does not mean serving as the
patronTs legal advisor, doctor, financial consultant, or contractor. Yet in order to provide effective
Information and Referral services, librarians would be cast in these very roles. Basically 1 & R
practitioners must serve their oclients� much like a good social worker handles his caseload, with
a level of involvement that cannot be part of the reference transaction. Like it or not, libraries
cannot and should not serve as all things to all people. When those ~thingsT require us to change
fundamentally the nature of library services, we lose sight of our mission and ultimately run the
tisk of diluting our effectiveness.
It is precisely because libraries have been successful in promoting themselves as impartial
institutions essential in a democracy that we must shy away from social activism. As much as it
hurts, transferring that call rather than answering it is exactly what libraries were created for. ... Oh,
by the way, the contact number for the Environmental Action Alert Group is ..
North Carolina Libraries
Fall 199% " 147
Those of you who went to the UNC CAUSE Conference on the
Internet in July 1993 at UNC-Greensboro, will no doubt recall
the three current main uses of the Internet: intercomputer mail
transfer (called e-mail or net-mail); intercomputer file transfer or
remote file access (called FTPing or File Transfer Protocol); and
discussion group mailings (called listserves but also referred to
by some as Internet junk mail). In this column of Wired to the
World, (or as some now call the Internet, Weird to the World,)
I will discuss how to join a listserve, more specifically the School
Library Media & Network Communications Listserve (LM_NET
for short). {ThatTs LM underline (shift dash on most USA
keyboards) NET.}
LM_NET
Thousands of listserves are in existence today. They cover
topics from beekeeping to the latest hard rock music group.
Most hobbies, as well as current exotic research activities, have
a discussion forum going. Typical discussion group topics
include: hurricanes, BASIC programming, biochemistry, the
Grateful Dead, Japanese food, government documents, maps,
public services issues in libraries, rare books, library material
conservation, photography, genealogy (called ROOTS of
course), Windows, Excel, rare bird alert, cats (called FELINE),
African Americans, Anglican (Episcopal Church), Bill Clinton,
Austin Jane Austin), automobiles, and last but not least, the
Internet. Discussion groups on Bitnet are called listserves.
Other Internet systems call their discussion groups by other
names, for instance CompuServe calls its groups forums.
Another major group is called Usenet News. These other
systems require individual accounts or Internet feeds to your
computer for you to read them. Most Bitnet sites have an
electronic list of current Bitnet listserves. LaUNChpad at the
University of North CarolinaTs Office of Instructional Technol-
ogy provides free Usenet/Bitnet feeds to the world (Telnet
open 152.2.22.80)
To sign on to a discussion group, you must send an e-mail
subscribe message to the appropriate listserve computer
requesting that your name be placed on the distribution list
and that mail be sent to your Internet connected computer.
Most sign ons are handled electronically by the listserve
computer. This is one of the main features of the listserve
system: it functions automatically without the need for
human intervention. This has allowed the discussion groups
to exchange mail at a very low cost per message unit, com-
pletely unattended. When you post a message to one of the
discussion groups, the listserve computer sends it automati-
cally to anyone who has signed on to the group. Again this is
all done without the aid of a human being. To sign on to the
LM_NET discussion group, send an Internet message to:
LISTSERV@SUVM.bitnet, the Listserve computer at Syracuse
University. In the body of the message, type the word SUB-
SCRIBE LM_NET (followed by your name) for example:
148 " Fall 1993
" by Ralph Lee Scott
SUBSCRIBE LM_NET Ralph Scott. The computer will auto-
matically add your name to the routing list and send you a
confirmation message.
Some listserves require that you reply with an ook� to the
confirmation message; others do not. A few lists still have
humans that cull the requests to be added to list and only allow
sign ons to whomever they feel has a need to be on the list.
This type of listserve, however, is rare. Most are open to all who
want to join in the discussion. After you have signed on, most
listserves will send you a set of instructions governing the
operation of the list. How to turn your mail on and off, how to
unsubscribe, how to prevent your name from displaying in the
public directory of members, and how to access the list archives
and index are typical instructions received.
The LM_NET listserve has been in existence for about two
years. Topics cover a wide range of material of interest to
school media personnel. Recent discussions on the list in-
clude: charging faculty and students for lost materials; re-
quests for collection development information on CD-ROMs;
oLunchtime in the Library;� a call for papers for the Rhode
Island/New England Educational Media Association joint
conference; someone looking for o~A Conncticut [sic] Yankee
in King Arthurs CourtT starring Danny Kaye;� library/media
grades for elementary school students; the length of messages
to be submitted (some people object to reading long message
" others just throw them away if they donTt have the time);
request for experiences with the Horace Mann Insurance
Company; notice of a new North Carolina Department of
Public Instruction report on oLibrary Automation: Impact on
Students;� virtual reality in the library; the paradigm shift to
ocurling up in bed on a cold night with a cup of hot chocolate
and a laptop upon which you read your favorite book;"
Internet access to United Press International (UPI) and
Associated Press (AP) dispatches; and more discussion of
lunchtime in the library.
Other Internet News
Testing has begun in a limited number of areas in sending
facsimile documents over the Internet. The system currently
requires a local geographic ocell� for storage and distribution
of the facsimile message which can be either text or graphics.
The areas currently included in the test are: Washington, D.C.;
Silicon Valley and parts of the San Francisco Bay area, Califor-
nia: and all of Japan, Australia, the Netherlands, and Ireland.
At present the ocell� computers are connected to computer-
controlled facsimile machines which then dial up your local
facsimile machine via a local phone call, thereby eliminating
long distance facsimile toll telephone charges. This same tech-
nology could be applied to digital voice transmission over the
Internet. Needless to say this has interesting implications for long
distance telephone carriers. Stay tuned to Wired to the World
for more interesting and useful information on the Internet.
North Carolina Libraries
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North Carolina Libraries Fall 1993 " 149
NORTH CAROLINA
Brake
Dorothy Hodder, Compiler
hat particular features set Anne Tyler apart from other writers? Is it her
preoccupation with eccentric characters who lead apparently ordinary
lives? Her sharp eye for detail? Her ear for the unspoken, which speaks to
the reader unable to put into words those very same feelings? These
abilities as well as others are delineated by Elizabeth Evans, who examines
TylerTs fiction in her recent critical work, Anne Tyler.
Evans is the author of books about Eudora Welty (an important influence on Tyler),
Thomas Wolfe, and May Sarton, so she is experienced and adept at presenting themes
and motifs that are well substantiated by textual examples. When appropriate, she
bolsters her findings with quotations from Tyler that further elucidate the significance of
specific themes. Although Evans carefully examines TylerTs use of humor and the
importance of family life in most of the authorTs works, she is most adroit in her empha-
sis on the qualities of endurance and everyday courage that pervade TylerTs oprimary
emphasis in fiction,� presenting further evidence from Tyler herself who would like
readers oto get lost in my charactersT lives for a while.�
Overall, Evans is a conscientious, meticulous scholar, integrating the views of other
knowledgeable reviewers of TylerTs work. Focusing her research on the family image she
believes to dominate TylerTs fiction, Evans considers a multitude of relationships:
mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, parents and children, and even orelatives
from afar.� As Evans accurately notes, despite the eccentricities of numerous characters,
relationships are portrayed realistically as people face conflicts and problems.
On only one point does it seem necessary to question EvansT juxtaposition of
conclusion with textual example, primarily because Evans herself scrutinizes TylerTs
female characters. oThe Company of Women� is the longest chapter in her book, within
which she studies the Tyler midlife viewpoint, the Tyler perspective
on marriage, and the essential Tyler philosophy that quiet endurance
Elizabeth Evans. constitutes not compromise, but realistic courage. Many of TylerTs
women provide justification for EvansT assertions, but not all. Thus it
Anne Tyler. is disconcerting to see her include in this group Mary Tell (Celestial
New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. 173pp. $22.95. Navigation) whose personal transformation is surely a testament to
ISBN 0-8057-3985-8. TylerTs own belief that not every woman is powerless to assume
responsibility for her life. EvansT statement that oone has to assume
...the pattern of a woman dependent on a man for financial security
will repeat itself� (in reference to MaryTs situation) is weakened by
MaryTs own words: oYou know, Jeremy...ITm managing on my own
now. ITm not depending on a soul. ITm doing it on my own.�
Yet EvansT book will not leave the Tyler fan disappointed. She
carefully answers the question regarding Anne TylerTs unique qualities by providing us with
refreshing views on those brilliant vignettes (family dinners, church services, relative visits)
that already captured our loyalty upon first reading the stories and novels. The book is a
valuable addition to any library that collects TylerTs works. With a brief chronology of the
author's life to date, extensive notes and references, and a helpful, annotated bibliography,
EvansT offering provides useful information for the teacher, student, or enthusiastic reader
of Anne Tyler. TylerTs association with North Carolina during her student days will make
this book of interest to large North Carolina collections.
" Betsy Eubanks
Durham Academy Middle School Library
170 " Fall 1993 North Carolina Libraries
n T. R. PearsonTs sixth novel, he combines his unique gift for outrageous charac-
terization with a modern day who-done-it. The action takes place in a small
hamlet somewhere between Roanoke, Virginia and Mt. Airy, North Carolina. The
narrator is an unnamed police officer who says of himself, oI think too much ... I
eat too many fried foods and wear the same socks too often, watch more televi-
sion than a sensible man should and breathe more dog wind than anybody ought
to, but mostly I just think too much when I should know better.� The story unfolds as he
thinks through the brutal murder of a fellow officer. There is little evidence to lead the
hero to the killer, except for a sordid Polaroid photograph of a young woman found in
the wallet of the dead man. The murder investigation uncovers a
town full of unusually passionate local residents involved in sex
for fun, sex for hire, and sex so powerful it provokes murder.
¥ The reader is introduced to slutty sisters, womanizing hus-
C ry Me A River. bands, middle-aged adulterers, teenage exhibitionists, men with
New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1993. 258 pp. shocking fantasies, and a mysterious sex queen who describes
$22.00. ISBN 0-8050-2200-7, herself as just a ogirl who canTt say no.� Despite their low-life
perversions, Pearson manages to give them some respect. A
supporting cast of relatives, townsfolk, and colleagues provide
comic relief to the grisly business at hand.
Mystery lovers looking for a quick read will not find it here.
T.R. PearsonTs propensity for storytelling provides many digressions into the lives of forty
or more characters, plus an unforgettable dog. Instead one finds full-blown, no-holds-
barred Southern storytelling. The good plot and literary quality of PearsonTs writing make
Cry Me A River a good selection for academic and public libraries.
T.R. Pearson.
" Beverly Tetterton
New Hanover County Public Library
his book is great fun to read. If you like intrigue, humor, or suspense, this book
has it. In addition, Neely has a remarkably vivid prose style"you can almost
see the wrinkles in BlancheTs dress. The pacing is flawless, the main character is
unforgettable, and the setting is well-researched.
As the story opens, Blanche White is sentenced to thirty days in the
Durham County jail for bouncing checks. She is totally unprepared for this
verdict, but is helpless to change it until a commotion in the hallway leads to an unex-
pected opportunity for escape. Although the town of Farleigh is not oNew York, or even
Raleigh or Durham, and certainly not Chapel Hill,� there are still places to hide in plain
sight. Blanche takes advantage of her chance to make what sheTs
learned about life and about herself pay off, and quickly finds she
has another mountain or two to move before the road smooths
Barbara Neely. out.
Someone is killed in the wealthy household where she is
Blanche on the Lam. working and hiding from authorities. Of course, she would rather
New York: St. MartinTs Press, 1992. 180pp. $16.95. mind her own business and not get involved; but since she is the
ISBN 0-312-06908-1. most likely suspect unless she uncovers the real killer, our reluc-
tant sleuth puts her nose to the grindstone. With the help of an
array of interesting characters, the realistic plot moves along at a
rhythmic speed to an inventive ending.
Barbara Neely delivers what she promises. Readers will enjoy BlancheTs first adven-
ture and want to read more about her and the small southern town of Farleigh, North
Carolina. Recommended for popular collections at public libraries and all libraries with
North Carolina collections.
" Barbara DeLon
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
SS nc A ETO
North Carolina Libraries Fall 1993 " 151
- "
"The barbarians arenTt at the gates. We're the barbarians.�
o says North Carolina Blue Ridge private investigator Randall Gatsby oGat�
Sierra as a commentary on society and on his own life. His statement is also a
major theme of Richard HillTs crime/suspense novel, What Rough Beast?
It is September, and a high school friend whom Gat has not seen for
almost twenty years calls to hire the PI. Would Gat look for her old boyfriend,
talk with him, and make sure he is all right? Would he find out if a conversion
from drugs and violence to Jesus and salvation is real? Gat would, and he travels back
home to Florida to begin his investigation.
The case takes Gat from hurricane-lashed Sarasota, Florida, to the drought-stricken
Richard Hill.
What Rough Beast?
Woodstock, Vermont: The Countryman Press, Inc.,
1992. 210 pp. $20.00. ISBN 0-88150-283-3.
Sacramento Valley, California; from memories of his rebellious
teenage years in the Sixties to confrontation with the demons of his
adult decisions and mistakes. Along the way, GatTs missing person
search becomes entangled with a nationwide manhunt for the
Kampground Killer, an ordinary, harmless-looking psychotic on an
assault and mutilation spree. It leads to the storming of a drug
stronghold and ends in death in his own backyard.
A transplanted Floridian like Gat Sierra himself, author Richard
Hill lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, and teaches writing at the
University of North Carolina. He has contributed to numerous
journals and publications and is currently at work ona screenplay. What Rough Beast? is
a welcome entry in the crime/suspense genre and to North Carolina fiction.
" Kathryn L. Bridges
Charles A. Cannon Memorial Library, Concord
orothy Cole Auman and her husband, Walter Auman, both descendants of
North Carolina pottery-making families, died in a freak automobile accident in
1991. The accident occurred at a time when the Aumans were contemplating
bringing to a close their long-time careers as owners and primary potters of the
Seagrove Pottery in Randolph County, North Carolina. This book documents
and honors their contribution to the continuation of pottery making in the
area and the state, as well as to the preservation of the traditions and artifacts of the craft.
The AumansT contributions were many. Their own production, which is amply
described and illustrated in the book, sold widely and developed a loyal following. They
promoted their own and other area potteries, participated in exhibitions, and encouraged
training of young potters in traditional methods. They also acquired an extensive collec-
tion of early and contemporary North Carolina pottery, which they exhibited for many
Quincy Scarborough and Robert Armfield.
The Walter and Dorothy
Auman Legacy.
Fayetteville, North Carolina: The Quincy
Scarborough Companies, 1992. 104pp. Paperback.
$18.75, discounts for quantity purchases. Order
direct from authors Quincy Scarborough and Robert
Armfield, Post Office Box 67, Fayetteville, NC 28302
(919) 483-2040 or (919) 483-2507. No ISBN, Library
of Congress cataloging is forthcoming.
years in a museum attached to their shop and, in 1983, sold to the
Mint Museum of Art.
Although the book is written as a personal tribute by the authors,
historians and those interested in North Carolina crafts will find it a
valuable resource. The authors, long-time students of North Carolina
pottery, summarize the history of the craft from its origins in Colonial
times. They describe the various adaptations potters made through
the years to meet their clienteleTs changing needs and tastes, and
place the Cole and Auman family potters within the context of that
history. Personal reminiscences and anecdotes by and about the
Aumans, supplementing references to printed materials, document
the story of their life-long involvement with this important manifes-
tation of North CarolinaTs artistic heritage.
There are seventy black-and-white and seventeen color illustra-
tions; footnotes, often of personal interviews by the authors with the
subjects; and a two-and-one half page bibliography. The book was
privately printed in an edition of one thousand copies; it is not
without typographical errors.
[Quincy Scarborough is also the author of North Carolina Decorated Stoneware: The
Webster School of Folk Potters, published in 1986. Copies are available from the author for
$20, plus $2 postage. N.C. residents please add 6% sales tax.]
{SS RR RIS
152 " Fall 1993
" Gay Mahaffy Hertzman
North Carolina Museum of Art (retired)
North Carolina Libraries
egends and tales of pirates and buried treasure of all types abound throughout
the United States and are especially prevalent in the Southeast. This probably
is true because this area of the country was the headquarters for a large
number of pirates, it served as the battlefield for most of the Civil War action,
and Southerners always enjoy a good story. SouthernersT fascination with lost
gold mines, pirate treasure, and other lost or buried fortunes continues even
now. Both of these books focus on a wide range of stories concern-
ing treasure and pirates, and concentrate on the southeastern United
States.
W. C. JamesonTs Buried Treasures of the South is the fifth volume
W.C. Jameson. in the Buried Treasure Series. Each book concentrates on a different
Buried Trea sures of th e South. area of the United States (the American Southwest, Texas, etc).
: ; Buried Treasures of the South, is arranged alphabetically by state from
Little Rock, Arkansas: August House Publishers, Alabama to Virginia. At the beginning of each state section, a map
1993. 224pp. Paper. $9.95. ISBN 0-87483-286-1. illustrates where the four or five legends about that state took place.
In the section about North Carolina five tales range from lost
Nancy Roberts. Spanish treasure ships off the Outer Banks to BlackbeardTs treasure to
Blackbeard and Other Pirates of " 710% Chetokee silver mine.
_ Nancy Roberts, on the other hand, concentrates exclusively on
the Atlantic Coast. pirates, giving a little biographical background and then relating
Winston-Salem: John F. Blair, 1993. 204pp. several stories about each one. She has included eighteen pirates
ISBN 0-89587-098-3. from Blackbeard to Anne Bonny to William Fly.
Both books focus on popular subjects and contain short,
readable segments. The books are recommended for middle and
high school collections as well as public libraries where these topics
are of interest. Their use as reference books, however, will be limited
as both books have bibliographies but no index.
" Diane Kessler
Riverside High School, Durham
his book is not a typical hiking guide. Rather, it is a literary, historical, and
geographic exploration of eighteen trails in North Carolina. Having subjec-
tively chosen these trails as a representative sample of four regions in the state,
Manning describes three aspects of each trail. First, he includes a map, a brief
route description, total mileage, and a ranking for the hikeTs level of difficulty.
Second, he discusses the natural and cultural history of the area. Finally,
Manning includes facts such as where to write or call for additional informa-
tion, accommodations and/or campgrounds, and a selected bibliography.
It is within ManningTs narrative that the charm of this book lies. His language is
captivating and his descriptions draw upon various fields of interest. For example, in the
section on the Mount Mitchell Trail, Manning relates a historical
tale about Elisha Mitchell and his quest to measure the mountain
range accurately. This story is interspersed with a naturalistTs
observations about the trail, done in a conversational manner, as if
Afoot in the South: one were walking along with the author. The diversity of ManningTs
° knowledge is amazing, and this diversity is also reflected in the brief
Walks in the N atural Areas of bibliographies at the end of each section. Manning seems just at
North C arolina. much at home discussing history as geology or botany. He has
previously written for Field and Stream and the Washington Post, and
Winston-Salem: John F. Blair, 1993. 256 pp. $12.95 has edited the newsletter, WalkerTs World.
ISBN 0-89587-099-1. Undoubtedly, there are more comprehensive and detailed
books on North Carolina hiking trails. The maps and directions
could include more road details. However, it is difficult to imagine a
guide that both the hiker and non-hiker alike could enjoy more. Buy the book for its
trail information, but more importantly, because it is a joy to read. It would be an
appropriate purchase for both public and academic libraries.
Phillip Manning.
" Barbara Miller
Fayetteville Technical Community College
SRS a SR
North Carolina Libraries Fall 1993 " 153
.
his is a tale that has grown in the telling: the question is, should it have?
Economic necessity has forced the Fletcher family to move from Vigor,
Indiana, to Steuben, North Carolina. The change is a hard one for all of them.
Step, the father, is trapped for long hours in a job he hates from the first day.
DeAnne, his wife, is very pregnant with their fourth child and trying to cope with
the kids, the neighbors, a large number of church commitments, and a house in
ill repair. As for eight year old Stevie, it takes his parents a while to notice that he is having
an even harder time than they are. Always a quiet child, he is having problems at home,
school, and play; he is becoming dangerously withdrawn, retreating into a world of
computer games and invisible friends. Caught up first in their own
problems, then in StevieTs, the Fletchers take a long time to register
the fact that a number of young boys are missing from the Steuben
Orson Scott Card. area, and to realize that Stevie has known this all along and is,
himself, in danger.
Lost B oys. Lost Boys began one Halloween night with an impromptu
HarperCollins, 1992. 448 pp. $20.00. storytelling for a group of Watauga College students at Appalachian
OST BAS
io
A NOVEL
ORSON
SCOTT
CARD
~BESTSELLING AUTNOR OF EMDER'S GAME
aT OETA TEE EE TER ET
154 " Fall 199%
ISBN 0-06-016693-2. State University. Later, it was published, under the same title, as a
short story. (Originally in the October 1989 issue of The Magazine of
Fantasy And Science Fiction, also in the anthology Maps In A Mirror: The
Short Fiction Of Orson Scott Card, Tor, 1990, as well as others.) Now itTs
a more-than-full-length novel, and that is where the problem lies.
The power of the original story is in its universality: it has that eerie oTwilight Zone�
quality of just enough detail and character development to ground the reader in reality
before a subtle shift of focus occurs, the laws of nature become skewed, and horror
gradually creeps in to overwhelm. Now we know too much about too many characters,
and none of this extra knowledge or these extra people is necessary. The minutiae of the
charactersT religious lives and the ins-and-outs of the computer business, while interest-
ing, do not enhance our sense of dread nor feed our growing apprehension that some-
thing very bad is going to happen to good people. Placing the moral dilemmas and
ethical conflicts of the book so specifically within the confines of a particular religion
seems to limit their applicability.
This is not to say that the book is done poorly; in fact, far from it. Mr. Card is a fine
writer, particularly of science fiction and fantasy, as witnessed by the Hugo, Nebula,
Science Fiction Writers of America, World Fantasy, and Locus awards he has won. This
book, too, is well-crafted. It simply lacks the impact of the story, taking 448 pages to
accomplish a fraction of the effect achieved in about twenty. It is a bit of a back-handed
compliment, I know, but the story is so perfect, it is hard to get past it. Perhaps those not
familiar with or so impressed by the short story will appreciate this novel more. Mr. Card
has expanded successfully upon his short fiction before (notably, in EnderTs Game,
Songbird, and the oTales of Alvin Maker� series) and become increasingly popular doing it.
This book will circulate in high school and public libraries.
" Samantha Hunt
New Hanover County Public Library
argaret, narrator of Kaye GibbonsT newest book, Charms for the Easy Life,
says of her indefatigable and indestructible grandmother, Charlie Kate,
"T became fascinated with her mind, enamored of her muscular soul.�
Her words echo in the thoughts of the reader who will wish to linger in
the life of Charlie Kate, an unlicensed physician who commands the
respect of titled and reputable citizens.
Three generations of women " Charlie Kate, her daughter Sophia, and SophiaTs
daughter Margaret " live together olike bachelors� in Wake
: County, North Carolina, during the first part of the twentieth
Kaye Gibbons. "_ century just prior to World War II. The vital force in their bonded
Charms for the Easy Life. existence is Charlie KateTs work, in which they all participate. A
New York: G.P. PutnamTs Sons, 1993. 254 pp.
self-taught healer, Charlie Kate treats illnesses, delivers babies,
$19.95. ISBN 0-399-13791-2. removes warts, prepares the dead for burial, and offers advice
(wanted or not) on such topics as sex, cleanliness, and men.
Traveling from town houses to swamp huts, Sophia and Margaret
assist their matriarchal leader with operations, cleaning unkempt
homes, collecting medicine, and delivering food. When not on call,
North Carolina Libraries
the three consume the written word from literary novels to medical journals, hold lively
discussions on issues and ideas, and become active in community organizations.
Sophia proves to be strong and resourceful. Margaret matures into a perceptive, wise,
and alluring young woman. Yet it is Charlie Kate who captures oneTs imagination. With
the granddaughter, the reader wonders oat all her complexities and inconsistencies.� She
is a dichotomy: at one moment miserly, then benevolent; scientific, then supersititious;
KAYE GIBBONS
stubborn, then conciliatory. Yet she never loses her integrity.
Charms for the Easy Life should have great appeal for todayTs readers from age
fourteen up. Although set in the 1930s and 40s, many of the women in this book are
ofree thinkers� involved in issues still confronting modern humanity. Charlie Kate will
find her way into her readersT memories, as have the main characters in two of GibbonsT
other award winning books, Ellen Foster and A Virtuous Woman. These memories will be
consistent bringers of pleasure.
"Annette G. Hall
Noble Middle School, Wilmington
ack in the mid-eighties, Jerry Bledsoe drove across North Carolina on U.S. 64
and wrote From Whalebone to Hot House, a book about what he saw along the
way. In Blue Horizons, Bledsoe again uses the on-the-road approach. This time
he chooses as his route the Blue Ridge Parkway, and this time he makes the trip
on two wheels, astride the jelly seat of his mountain bike. (Make that six
wheels, as BledsoeTs wife rides along, too, meeting him for lunches, escorting
Jerry Bledsoe.
Blue Horizons: Faces and Places
from a Bicycle Journey Along the
Blue Ridge Parkway.
Asheboro, N.C.: Down Home Press, 1993. 150 pp.
$11.95. ISBN 1-878086-05-7.
Lori Finley.
Mountain Biking the Appalachians:
Brevard, Asheville,
The Pisgah Forest.
Winston-Salem, N.C.: John F. Blair, Publisher, 1993.
144 pp. $9.95. ISBN 0-89587-100-9.
Lori Finley.
Mountain Biking the Appalachians:
Highlands, Cashiers.
Winston-Salem, N.C.: John F. Blair, Publisher, 1993.
133 pp. $9.95. ISBN 0-89587-101-7.
Elizabeth and Charles Skinner.
The Best Bike Rides in the South.
Old Saybrook, CT: The Globe Pequot Press, 1992.
248 pp. $12.95. ISBN 1-56440-015-8.
him through tunnels, and driving him to each nightTs lodging.)
Travel narratives can provide thoughtful commentary and good
entertainment, but Blue Horizons doesnTt do that. Certainly the
circumstances of the journey give Bledsoe the chance"middle-aged
man faces challenging task in beautiful surroundings. But Bledsoe
takes the easy way out. He trivializes the element of physical effort:
oWell, I licked you, you big mother, I said to the mountain.T� " as
he crosses one of the tallest peaks. He skimps on the historical
sketches, and his writing about natural history is cursory and
pedestrian. In fact, neither biking nor the Parkway ever really seem
to engage BledsoeTs interest.
Worse yet, BledsoeTs profiles, supposedly his journalistic
strength, are formulaic. Ya gotcha colorful old couple on the
porch; ya gotcha colorful waitress; ya gotcha colorful railroadman;
ya gotcha colorful ranger; ya gotcha colorful innkeeper. . .
Finally, BledsoeTs style of recording his subjectsT every colloqui-
alism is tiresome. The folks are talkinT and dancinT and lookinT, and
the fish are bitinT and jumpinT. When Sam the orchardist speaks of
opicking� cherries instead of opickinTem,� he made this reader want
to jump up and shout oHallelujah!�
Oh, well. Bledsoe has plenty of fans, and libraries will see
demand for Blue Horizons. But, surely some readers will notice that
Bledsoe is not pedaling any more; heTs just coasting along.
Now, on to the real biking books. Finley and the Skinners do
what they set out to do, and they do it well. All three books include
the features one expects in a trail guide: clear maps, detailed trail
descriptions, climatological data, difficulty ratings. The authors also
include non-technical information: for example, FinleyTs historical
and botanical digressions are especially well-done.
The differences? FinleyTs writes to mountain bikers only. The
trails she describes are not all difficult; some are appropriate for
children. But anyone who rides these trails should have an all-terrain
bike. The Skinners, on the other hand, cover trails for racing and
touring bikes as well. FinleyTs books are intentionally narrow in their
geographic coverage, while the Skinners cover the entire South. Notable in the SkinnersT
book is an appendix which lists cycling organizations and sources for maps. All three books
are recommended for libraries that serve bikers.
EER ee mace se RA
North Carolina Libraries
" Becky Kornegay
Western Carolina University
Fall 199% " 159
umbee Indian Histories examines why Lumbee identity has occasioned so
much struggle and how the Lumbee shape or produce their own history.
Sider asserts, onone of the reasons ... usually given for the contestability...
can withstand even a few hours of close investigation� (p.xxii). The book is
a culmination of twenty-five years of effort " evident in the depth of
analysis, in the bibliographic essay, oSources and Perspectives,� and in the
empathy and respect for Lumbee people. Sider wrote a dissertation on Lumbee politics,
worked in Robeson County as an activist in 1967-8, helped incorporate the Lumbee
Regional Development Association, and consulted on the Lumbee Petition. He focuses on
1968-73 (a critical period), but ranges back to the Colonial period and up to an August 1,
1991 Congressional hearing. Sider provides the first extensive,
scholarly analysis of the Tuscarora Movement and brings fresh
interpretation to topics also covered in other works. Henry Berry
Gerald M. Sider. Lowry, for instance, is shown as a oshape-changer.�
Lumbee Indian Hi stories; Race, Before the Lowry Wars, the Lumbee were omulattoes� or ofree
persons of color�; after, they were beginning to be viewed as Indians.
E thnicity, and Indian I de ntity in Excerpts from contemporary documents skillfully reveal complexities
the Southern United States. and seeming contradictions. A substantial list of goods stolen from
Hector McLean in 1865 (a period the Lumbee called othe starving
Port Chester, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1993. 309 _ times�) is juxtaposed with Mary Norment'Ts description of a
pp. $49.95. ISBN 0-521-42045-8. oScuffletown shanty� and its opuny� crops. Rich with facts, parallels,
and analysis, this book brings Lumbee history and oppressions to
Adolph L. Dial. _Jife. In 1967 a farmer turned a $25 profit for burying his
The Lumbee sharecropperTs child. In 1935, a Lumbee farmer said he worked
thirty years to obtain his twenty-eight-acre farm.
Indians of North America Series. New York: Chelsea Two important themes reverberate. One is the impact of
House, 1993. 112 pp. $17.95. ISBN 1-55546-713-X. economics and the politics of production. The second are episodes
Other Publications of Interest
156 " Fall 1993
of Lumbee divisiveness (over Indian schools in 1888; Siouan vs.
Cherokee in the 1930s; and Lumbee vs. Tuscarora in the 1970s) that
stem from an underlying unity and that help them distance them-
selves from the domination they battle. In some passages, a convo-
luted writing style obscures the analysis; and several typographical
errors remain. Still, Lumbee Indian Histories ranks, along with BluTs The Lumbee Problem
and Dial and EliadesT The Only Land I Know, as a major contribution to Lumbee literature.
It will undoubtedly shape future scholarship and thought to the same extent.
Adolph DialTs The Lumbee, meant for ages twelve to sixteen, can also serve as a
thorough, up-to-date introduction for college students or general readers. Besides The
Only Land I Know, Dial has written several articles on the Lumbee. He founded and
chaired Pembroke StateTs American Studies program, helped establish the Lumbee Bank,
served on the American Indian Policy Review Commission, and was the third Indian
elected to the General Assembly. A finely crafted writing style makes this brief book
readable though it is dense with information. The well-chosen photographs (some
dating back to 1865) are a major asset. Historical topics covered include tribal origins
(decidedly favoring the Lost Colony Theory), the effect of the stateTs Free Negro Code,
and an exceptionally clear summary of the Lowry Wars. A view of Lumbee life emerges
from accounts of struggles for separate schools; churches and church associations; beliefs
about the supernatural; and community gatherings, such as the 1958 Klan routing, the
Old Main controversy, the Robesonian hostage-taking, and the murder of Lumbee lawyer
Julian Pierce. Includes a brief bibliography, a glossary, and an index.
" Glenn Ellen Starr
Appalachian State University
Three possibilities for popular folklore collections:
Southern Mountain Folksongs: Folk Songs From the Appalachians and the Ozarks,
compiled and edited by W.K. McNeil, is a collection of music and lyrics to non-narrative
traditional songs, with introductions and bibliographic and discographic notes to each
song. (1993; August House Publishers Inc., P.O. Box 3223, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203;
235 pp; cloth, $24.95; ISBN 0-87483-284-5; paper, $12.95; ISBN 0-87483-285-3.)
Raising With the Moon: The Complete Guide to Gardening " and Living " by the
North Carolina Libraries
i CC __.-___-
Signs of the Moon, by Jack R. Pyle and Taylor Reese, will help the astrology enthusiast
(almanac in hand) to schedule all stages of gardening, fishing trips, haircuts, dental work,
and other tasks. This is not a comprehensive introduction for newcomers to the subject.
(1993; Down Home Press, P.O. Box 4126, Asheboro, NC 27204; xii, 147 pp; paper, $13.95;
ISBN 1-878086-18-9.)
In Lift Up Your Head, Tom Dooley: The True Story of the Appalachian Murder
that Inspired One of AmericaTs Most Popular Ballads, John Foster West re-examines the
legal documentation about the famous question of who killed Laura Foster, and doubts
that Tom Dula did it. (1993; Down Home Press, P.O. Box 4126, Asheboro, NC 27204;
xix, 134 pp; $13.95 plus $1.50 postage and $.70 North Carolina tax if bought in the state;
ISBN 1-878086-20-0.)
Two new editions of guides to areas of state law have been published by the Institute
of Government. The fifth edition of Ben F. Loeb, Jr.Ts Fire Protection in North Carolina,
originally published in 1966 and last updated in 1985, is a reference to municipal,
county, rural, and volunteer fire protection law. (1993; Institute of Government, CB#
3330 Knapp Building, UNCCH, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3330; v, 216 pp; cloth, $12.00;
ISBN 1-56011-255-7; paper, $8.50; ISBN 1-56011-251-4; North Carolina residents add 6%
sales tax.) Arrest, Search, and Investigation in North Carolina, by Robert L. Farb, was
originally published in 1986, with a 1989 supplement. The second edition reflects
changes in statutes and case law, and includes a new chapter on the rules of evidence in
criminal cases. (1993; Institute of Government, CB# 3330 Knapp Building, UNCCH,
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3330; vii, 443 pp; cloth, $25.00; ISBN 1-56011-222-0; paper,
$15.00; ISBN 1-56011-221-2; North Carolina residents add 6% sales tax.)
In The Impact of Historic Preservation on New Bern, North Carolina: From Tryon
Palace to the Coor-Cook House, Colin W. Barnett details the history of preservation in
New Bern and its economic impact on the city. This should be of interest in any city
with an historic district. Illustrated. (1993; Bandit Books, Inc., P.O. Box 11721, Winston-
Salem, NC 27611-1721; 137 pp; paper, $12.95; ISBN 1-878177-04-4.)
Available in paperback: Tim McLaurinTs novel WoodrowTs Trumpet, a tragedy about
the suburbification of Piedmont North CarolinaTs farm country (first published in 1989
by W.W. Norton, but no longer available in hardcover) (1993; Down Home Press, P.O.
Box 4126, Asheboro, NC 27204; 256 pp; paper, $11.95; ISBN 1-878086-25-1.) William J.
WalshTs Speak So I Shall Know Thee: Interviews with Southern Writers, was originally
published in 1990 by McFarland & Co. and is still available from them. Walsh is a
Georgian, as are many of the authors he selected, but nine with North Carolina ties are
included out of the total thirty-one. Interviews average ten pages in length. This should
be a useful source for students writing about contemporary authors. (1993; Down Home
Press, P.O. Box 4126, Asheboro, NC 27204; xi, 316 pp; paper, $14.95; ISBN 1-878086-21-
9.) Last, but not least, The Prehistory of North Carolina, edited by Mark A. Mathis and
Jeffrey J. Crow, has been reprinted by the North Carolina Division of Archives and
History. Originally published in 1983, the book contains expanded versions of papers
about North CarolinaTs past before the introduction of written history, which were
presented by archaeologists at a 1980 symposium in Raleigh. (1993; Historical Publica-
tions Section, Division of Archives and History, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-
2807; 206 pp; paper, $10.00 plus $2.00 for postage; ISBNO-86526225X.)
Libraries serving businesses who do business with the federal government may find a
need for the 1993 Directory of Certified 8(a) Contractors, which lists firms certified by
the Small Business Administration as osmall and disadvantaged� and eligible to compete
for certain contracts in seven Southern states including North Carolina. (1993; Tennessee
Center for Research and Development, 830 Corridor Park Blvd, Suite 200, Knoxville, TN
37932; 742 pp; paper, $90.00; ISBN 0-9636853-0-9.)
A new North Carolina publisher is Sverdlik Press, based in Durham. Their first book
is a collection by Henry Yuko titled The Triumph and Other Stories. For more informa-
tion write to Lenora Sverdlik at Sverdlik Press, PO Box 52084, Durham, NC, 27717.
Correction: Class of the Carolinas, listed in this space in the Summer 1993 issue,
ISBN is 0-9634240-0-9. When ordering, add $2.50 in postage and handling for the first
copy, and .25 for each additional copy.
(SR eS nr RN SES SE PS PSB I SE SCE AEE CEASE
North Carolina Libraries Fall 1993 " 157
Self-Help for North Carolinians:
The Right Pamphlet
by Barbara S. Akinwole
As information providers, we are acutely aware that many of our library users rely heavily on
pamphlets and other ephemera offering timely advice and assistance on a wide range of social
issues. In many cases, the right self-help pamphlet, with the right address and telephone number,
just might be the answer to a plea for help. Some of these pamplets are made available via agencies
that voluntarily send them to libraries; others have to be requested. Six such pamphlets were
randomly selected for review from a display in a Wake County Public Libraries branch. Five of the
six are locally published and represent Raleigh-and Wake County-based organizations, one of which
is affiliated with an international organization. The sixth is produced by a national organization.
All are helpful and relevant for North Carolinians.
Librarians should obtain and preserve self-help materials produced in their own particular
locales. Library patrons need self-help pamphlets in the present, but keep in mind also that todayTs
compiled by Plummer Alston Jones, Jr.
ephemera will serve a need in the future; the information they contain will be of interest to local
historians. Self-help pamphlets document the responses of North Carolina communities and
libraries to social issues.
La Leche League [pamphlet]. (Raleigh,
NC]: La Leche League of Wake
County, 1993. 6 sides.
The cover of this pamphlet depicts
the silhouette of a mother tenderly caress-
ing her newborn infant. Background in-
formation is given first to acquaint the
reader with the La Leche League, an inter-
national organization of volunteers who
support breast-feeding mothers. League
volunteers visit libraries, pediatriciansT and
other doctorsT offices, and places that
women frequent, where they leave twenty
or more pamphlets. Follow-up visits are
made periodically to determine the quan-
tity needed to satisfy the demands at each
location. Specific topics addressed by the
League are listed in the pamphlet in addi-
tion to the announcement of conferences.
Meeting dates, places, and times for
League meetings all reflect the sensitivity
of the planners to the hectic schedules of
working parents and parents-to-be.
Prominently displayed on the back cover
of the pamphlet is an advertisement for
the company that provided funding for
its printing " what else, but a diaper
gift or benefit. [Louisiana French]
service! For more information about the
League, individuals can telephone one of
several Wake County numbers listed on
the back cover of the pamphlet.
Nursing Mothers of Raleigh:
Mothers Sharing With Others
[pamphlet]. Raleigh, NC: Nursing
Mothers of Raleigh, [1993]. 6 sides.
Like the La Leche League, Nursing
Mothers of Raleigh offers support and as-
sistance to women who want to nurse
their babies. This is a Raleigh-based group
made up of former members of the La
Leche League, who formed a separate
group because of philosophical differ-
ences. While the League is more diversi-
fied in the services it offers, Nursing Moth-
ers is just that, a group of experienced
mothers who share a mission to educate
new mothers. The purpose and meeting
times and dates of Nursing Mothers are
included, along with a list of experienced
mothers with their telephone numbers.
A special feature of this pamphlet is a
chart of osigns to look for.� Pamphlets
are mailed to library information and
referral departments after permission is
158 " Fall 1993
received from library administrators.
Successful Stepfamilies, A
Support Group for Stepfamilies
[pamphlet]. Raleigh, NC: Successful
Stepfamilies, [1993]. 6 sides. Contact:
Successful Stepfamilies,
P. O. Box 97171, Raleigh, NC 27614.
Telephone: (919) 676-7768.
This is a very timely brochure, espe-
cially considering the increase in the num-
ber of stepfamilies in America as docu-
mented within the last ten years. Mem-
bers of stepfamilies meet at a local church
in the Raleigh/Wake County area on the
first and third Tuesdays of each month to
talk among and about themselves. The
group was formed by a husband and wife
team with special needs " needs that
were not being met through conventional
family support group activities. The goals
of this organization are explained care-
fully in the pamphlet, which also in-
cludes a list of additional resources for
stepfamilies with telephone numbers of
local contacts. The pamphlets are placed
in libraries only after permission is granted
by library administrators.
North Carolina Libraries
Quit Smoking, A Resource Guide
[pamphlet]. Raleigh, NC: ASSIST
Wake to Health/COMMIT to a
Healthier Raleigh, [1992]. 8 sides.
Telephone: (919) 250-4555 (Wake
County Department of Health).
Although the smoking issue is still
quite controversial, this pamphlet describes
numerous agencies that are prepared to
help you quit smoking. This four-part
pamphlet gives the agency locations, pro-
gram descriptions, and cost for services
provided in the first three sections. The
fourth section details the benefits of giv-
ing up smoking. As an added incentive,
the pamphlet tells how to secure other
Self-help materials and how to contact
private practitioners for individualized
consultation. The locally based organiza-
tion responsible for this informative pam-
phlet is Project ASSIST (Americans Stop
Smoking Intervention Study), aseven-year
prevention project, formed in partnership
with the Wake County Health Depart-
ment, to study and prevent tobacco use.
One of the ProjectTs staff members had
contacted the administrative office of the
Wake County Public Libraries to request
permission to place the pamphlets in
branches throughout Wake County.
Services That Strengthen Families
and Their Members [pamphlet].
Raleigh, NC: Family Services Center,
[1993]. 6 sides. Contact: Family
Services Center, 401 Hillsborough St.,
Raleigh, NC 27603. Telephone: (919)
821-0790.
This publication is produced by a lo-
cal Family Services Center, a private, non-
profit United Way agency serving the Ra-
leigh/Wake County area. Domestic, edu-
cational, and economic assistance provid-
ers are highlighted in succinct, but infor-
mative paragraphs which denote the pur-
pose of each organization, the rationale
for its existence, and fee-based services it
provides. The services of this organization
can be beneficial to every family member
in both crisis and non-crisis situations.
Copies of this pamphlet are distributed
routinely to public agencies, including
libraries, in the service area.
African Americans Saving African
Americans [pamphlet]. Minneapolis,
MN: National Marrow Donor Program,
[1992]. 6 sides. Contact: National
Marrow Donor Program, 3433 Broadway
St. NE, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN
55413. Telephone: 1-800-654-1247.
This nationally distributed pamphlet
is informative and very openly addresses
a critical need"the need for more Afri-
can Americans to become marrow do-
nors. It is well written and timely, detailing
the who, why, what, and how of the Na-
tional Marrow Donor Program. Other spe-
cial pamphlets are published for Spanish-,
Chinese-, and Korean-speaking patrons.
To receive these pamphlets, libraries must
contact the National Program office. Li-
braries usually base their orders on the
demand for this type of information in
their particular locales.
North Carolina Libraries
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Fall 199% " 159
NortTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
Minutes of the Executive Board
April 23, 1993
The Executive Board of the North Carolina Library Association met on
April 23, 1993, at 9:30 a.m. in Founders Hall on the campus of Guilford
College.
The meeting was called to order by President Janet Freeman and the
Board was welcomed by Dr. Herbert Poole, Director of the Library. Dr.
Poole provided an interesting history of Guilford College and suggested
a tour of the library and the campus.
Executive Board Members and Committee Chairs present at the
meeting included:
Allen Antone, David Fergusson, Cheryl McLean, Nancy Bates,
Martha Fonville, Meralyn Meadows, Frances Bradburn, Janet
Freeman, Sandy Neerman, Doris Anne Bradley, Beverley Gass,
Nona Pryor, Waltrene M. Canada, Jim Govern, Vanessa Ramseur,
Wanda Cason, Benjie Hester, Susan Squires, John Childers,
Gwen Jackson, Steve Sumerford, Eleanor Cook, Pat Langelier,
Catherine Van Hoy, Anne Marie Elkins, Gene Lanier, Alice
Wilkins, Sally Ensor, Cristina Yu.
Also in attendance were Jane Barringer, Immediate Past President of
the North Carolina Friends of Public Libraries; John Welch, Acting State
Librarian; Al Jones, Conference Program Chair and Chair-elect of the
College and University Section; Elinor Swaim, former Chair of the State
Library Commission; Augie Beasley, Chair-elect of NCASL; and Carol
Southerland, Martha Davis, Dale Gaddis, and Chuck Mallas of the Long-
Range Fiscal Planning Task Force.
President Freeman called for the approval of the minutes of the last
meeting. It was moved by Pat Langelier and seconded by Gwen Jackson
that the minutes be approved as circulated. The motion carried.
Treasurer Wanda Cason presented the treasurerTs report reflecting
the first quarter of 1993 including expenditures and remaining balances.
It was moved by Pat Langelier and seconded by Anne Marie Elkins that
the report be accepted. The motion carried.
Martha Fonville, Administrative Assistant, distributed a report that
revealed NCLA membership at 1,989. She noted that persons who had
not renewed their membership that expired December 31, 1992 had been
dropped from the count. She also announced receiving the first contrib-
uting membership of $100.00.
President Freeman introduced Carol Southerland, Chair of the
Long-Range Fiscal Planning Task Force, and other members of the Task
Force and thanked them for their diligence in completing the report. She
informed the Board that the report would be introduced at this meeting
asa first reading for clarity and understanding, but not for debate or Board
action. She asked the Board members to discuss the report and recom-
mendations with their constituencies and be prepared to deliberate and
vote at the July meeting. After some discussion, this plan of action was
agreed upon with the recommendation for an extended July meeting.
Carol Southerland presented the report of the Task Force which
consisted of eleven recommendations, with rationales, pertaining to
Association procedures, income and allocations, and committees. The
report included such recommendations as adopting a clearer format for
reporting the financial status of the Association; adopting more stringent
fiscal procedures to keep the Association in compliance with IRS regula-
160 " Fall 1993
tions; expanding orientation of NCLA Board members; purchasing a
laptop/notebook microcomputer and software for use by the NCLA
Treasurer; maintaining an unrestricted reserve fund equal to at least 10%
of biennial operating expenses; and collecting dues annually and adjust-
ing dues structure accordingly.
Discussion ensued as each recommendation was presented and the
Board was advised to get input from their membership and submit
additional recommendations to Martha Fonville prior to the July meeting.
SECTION AND ROUND TABLE REPORTS
ChildrenTs Services Section Chair Benjie Hester reported that 60 people
attended their recent output measures workshop and that the Section
had three representatives at the ALA Legislative Day.
Susan Squires of the College and University Section solicited re-
sponses to the previously distributed survey of its membership. Informa-
tion received will be used to plan the biennial conference program. She
introduced Al Jones, Chair-elect of the Section.
Community and Junior College Libraries Section Chair Alice Wilkins
announced the program entitled oCollection Development Media for
Community and Junior College Libraries,� to be held at the biennial
conference. She also announced that Nancy Rountree represented the
Section at ALA Legislative Day.
Sally Ensor, Chair of the Documents Section, distributed a report
that detailed the upcoming spring workshop focusing on federal and
state depository issues. Additionally, plans are underway for a program
on access to government information during the biennial conference.
There was no report for the Library Administration and Manage-
ment Section in the absence of Chair Larry Alford.
Nona Pryor, Chair of the North Carolina Association of School
Librarians, noted in her report that combined efforts of the NC Associa-
tion for Educational Communications and Technology (NC-AECT) and
NCASL continue. The Association conference plans include a leadership
preconference and a grant writing workshop. She introduced NCASL
Chair-elect Augie Beasley.
North Carolina Public Library Trustees Association Chair John
Childers did not have a report.
James Govern, Chair of the Public Library Section, noted that the
SectionTs Executive Board had not met since his last report and thus he
had no new information. He reminded the Board about the upcoming
workshop on services to older adults and the SectionTs conference
programs.
Reference and Adult Services Section Chair Allen Antone had no
report.
There was no report for the Resources and Technical Services Section
in the absence of Chair Michael Ingram.
New Members Round Table Chair Cathy Van Hoy had no report.
North Carolina Library Paraprofessional Association Chair Meralyn
Meadows noted conference plans and national and regional news in her
report. She announced that SELA unanimously approved the request for
the formation of a paraprofessional round table.
Vanessa Ramseur, Chair of the Round Table for Ethnic Minority
Concerns, noted that their last meeting was held February 24, 1993, in
Winston-Salem. Plans are being made for the biennial conference
North Carolina Libraries
program including the Road Builders Award. She noted that she repre-
sented the Round Table at Legislative Day.
There was no report from the Round Table on Special Collections.
Anne Marie Elkins, Chair of the Round Table on the Status of
Women in Librarianship, noted that Laura McLamb was selected as
speaker for the conference program. She announced that the Round
Table will discontinue its conference reception and publish a maximum
of three issues of Ms Management in the current year.
COMMITTEE AND OTHER REPORTS
AIDS Materials Awareness Committee Chair Frances Bradburn discussed
the prospective conference program.
Archives Committee Chair Cheryl McLean noted that the Commit-
tee met on April 19, 1993, and prepared a memorandum regarding the
types of materials solicited and how to transfer records to the archives.
Additionally, she distributed a brief inventory of records previously
received.
Conference Committee Chair Gwen Jackson reminded the group of
the 1993 Biennial Conference scheduled for October 19-22, 1993, at the
Benton Convention Center. She noted that pre-registration packets will
be mailed by August 15th and should be returned by September 13th.
Deadline for exhibitors is May 1st.
Doris Anne Bradley, Chair of the Constitution, Codes and Hand-
book Revision Committee, reminded the Board of several items. She
noted that the Committee is reviewing the organization and content of
the NCLA Handbook. She also reminded Section and Round Table Chairs
to submit proposed constitution and bylaws changes to the Committee
for review.
Finance Committee Chair Beverley Gass noted that the Committee
reviewed 13 conference grant applications at its March 19th meeting.
Ten proposals were funded in the amount of $11,653.08, while addi-
tional information was needed from three proposals. She announced
that the next Committee meeting was scheduled for June 17th.
Governmental Relations Committee Chair Nancy Bates detailed
several bills being introduced in the General Assembly affecting public
libraries: Senate Bills 534, 594 and 596. She noted that more than 500
citizens participated in Library Legislative Day in Raleigh. Noting that she
had been contacted concerning a pre-conference on Governmental
Relations, she found that several Board members felt it to be worthwhile
and recommended involving the new Secretary of Cultural Resources.
Gene Lanier, Chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee, distrib-
uted a report covering the period February 1993 through April 15, 1993,
detailing presentations and participation by the Chair and challenges to
materials in North Carolina. He announced that the Intellectual Free-
dom Committee will work with the Audiovisual Committee of the Public
Library Section in planning a conference program.
Literacy Committee Chair Steve Sumerford observed how Governor
HuntTs emphasis on family literacy complements the work of the Literacy
Committee.
Marketing and Public Relations Committee Chair Sandy Neerman
announced that the Committee is continuing the program of marketing.
They have developeda strategy and prepared press releases. She envisions
the work as a long-range effort.
Nancy Bates, Chair of the Nominating Committee, announced that
ballots soon will be mailed.
Membership Committee Co-chairs Ed Shearin and Helen Tugwell
Were absent. It was announced that June 15th is the deadline for
Honorary and Life Membership Nominations.
Eleanor Cook, Chair of the Publications Committee, announced
that the first issue of the NCLA Newsletter had been published and that
comments about the publication had been positive. She reminded
Sections, Round Tables, and Committees to use the NCLA logo.
There was no report from the Scholarships Committee.
Cristina Yu, Chair of the Technology and Trends Committee,
announced an upcoming workshop and informed the Board that the
Committee holds its meetings on-line.
NC Libraries editor Frances Bradburn announced the release of the
spring 1993 issue of the journal after some technical difficulties. She also
announced that the NCL Editorial Board had met to discuss changes to
the journal. There will be no more than 56 pages, consisting of five
articles and one bibliography.
ALA Councilor Pat Langelier will attend her last council meeting as
North Carolina Libraries
NCLATs representative at ALA in New Orleans. She invited Board
members to drop in on the meetings.
SELA Representative David Fergusson noted that he attended a
leadership workshop in March and that Arkansas has joined SELA.
There was no old business to be brought before the Board.
Upon the call for new business, Al Jones, Conference Program
Committee Chair, informed the Board that conference planning was
progressing quite well. He distributed a conference schedule as of April
12S:
Reporting from the State Library, John Welch, acting State Librarian,
thanked David Fergusson for organizing the Legislative Day Activities.
He announced the kick-off of the Summer Reading Program and further
noted that applications for the State LibrarianTs position are being
accepted through June 30th.
Regarding the formation of an Executive Committee, President
Freeman solicited the BoardTs input as to the restrictions on this Commit-
tee. She explained that the Executive Committee would act when there
was not sufficient time for the entire Board to convene. Once the specifics
are outlined, the Constitution, Codes and Handbook Revision Commit-
tee will draft changes to the by-laws.
President Freeman announced receipt of a letter from ACRL asking
for state associations to support the possibility of holding the Eighth
National Conference in their state in 1997. Charlotte is one of the
proposed cities. It was moved by Frances Bradburn and seconded by Pat
Langelier that NCLA endorse ACRLTs proposal to hold the 1997 confer-
ence in Charlotte. The motion carried.
President Freeman announced that the next Board meeting will be
on July 16th at the High Point Public Library and invited Chairs-elect to
attend this meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Waltrene Canada
Secretary
TAB BOOKS
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Fall 1993 " 161
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Barbara S. Akinwole
Education: B.A., Saint Augustine's College; M.L.S.,
North Carolina Central University
Position: Reference/Business Services Consultant,
State Library of North Carolina
Barbara Best-Nichols
Education: B.S., North Carolina Central University;
M.L.S., North Carolina Central University
Position: Serials Librarian & Adjunct Lecturer, North
Carolina Central University
Plummer Alston Jones, Jr.
Education: B.M., East Carolina University; M.S., Drexel
University; Ph.D., University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill
Position: Director, Elon College Library
Howard F. McGinn
Education: B.A., Villanova University; M.S.L.S., Drexel
University; M.B.A., Campbell University
Position: Director, Emporia Public Library, Emporia, KS
Constance A. Mellon
Education: B.A., Hiram College; M.S.L.S., Syracuse
University; Ph.D., Syracuse University
Position: Associate Professor of Library Studies &
Educational Technology, East Carolina
University
Virginia Orvedahl
Education: B.A., University of Wisconsin, Madison;
M.A.L.S., University of Wisconsin, Madison
Position: Director, Halifax County Library System
Carol H. Reilly
Education: A.B., East Carolina University; M.L.S.,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Position: Referral & Advocacy Director, Wake County
Human Services Office (Employed by Wake
County Public Libraries 1970-1992)
William Snyder
Education: B.S., East Carolina University; M.L.S., East
Carolina University; Graduate, Institute of
Government County Administrators Program &
University of Miami (Ohio) Basic & Advanced
Administration Program
Position: Director, Henderson County Public Library
William Wartman
Education: B.A., East Carolina University; M.L.S.,
University of Kentucky
Position: Director, Roanoke Rapids Public Library
Suzanne Wise
Education: B.A., University of South Carolina; M.S.L.S.,
University of Kentucky; M.A., Appalachian
State University
Position: Reference Librarian & Associate Professor,
Appalachian State University
Jim Zola
Education: B.A., University of North Carolina at
Greensboro
Position: M.L.S. Student, University of North Carolina
at Greensboro
162 " Fall 1993
e sae the at in
ASCIl. Please consult editor for
receipt, a manuscript wil be amici ics by the
editor. Following review of the manuscript by the editor and
at least two jurors, a decision will be communicated to the
definite publication date cannot be given since any
Gnas will be added toa edrias bank
Manuscripts jor a particular issue must be
ed at oas See before the is issue eS
North Carolina Libraries
SSS SERS SSSR SS SSS TS SSS RSS SSS SSS TSS A RSE
PRESIDENT
Janet L. Freeman
College Librarian
Carlyle Campbell Library
Meredith College
3800 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27607-5298
Telephone: 919/829-8531
Fax: 919/829-2830
VICE PRESIDENT/
PRESIDENT ELECT
Gwen Jackson
Instructional Specialist
Southeast Technical Assistance Ctr.
2013 Lejeune Blvd.
Jacksonville, NC 28546
Telephone: 919/577-8920
Fax: 919/577-1427
SECRETARY
Waltrene M. Canada
Head, Public Services Division
F. D. Bluford Library
Documents Department
NC A &T State University
Greensboro, NC 27411
Telephone: 919/334-7617
Fax: 919/334-7783
TREASURER
Wanda Brown Cason
Head of Cataloging
PO Box 7777 Reynolda Station
Wake Forest University Library
Winston-Salem, NC 27109-7777
Telephone: 919/759-5094
Fax: 919/759-9831
DIRECTORS
Edward (Ed) T. Shearin, Jr.
Director of Learning Resources
Learning Resources Ctr.
Carteret Community College
3505 Arendell St.
Morehead City, NC 28557-2989
Telephone: 919/247-3134
Fax: 919/247-2514
Helen M. Tugwell
Coordinator of Media Services
Guilford County Schools
120 Franklin Blvd.
Greensboro, NC 27401
Telephone: 919/271-0640
Fax: 919/271-0789
ALA COUNCILOR
Patricia A. Langelier
Librarian, Institute of
Government
CB 3330 - Knapp Building
UNC at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Telephone: 919/966-4130 or
919/966-4139
Fax: 919/966-4762
North Carolina Libraries
SELA REPRESENTATIVE
David Fergusson
Assistant Director
Headquarters Forsyth Co. Pub. Lib.
660 W. Fifth St.
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Telephone: 919/727-2556
Fax: 919/727-2549
EDITOR, North Carolina Libraries
Frances Bradburn
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
Telephone: 919/757-6076
Fax: 919/757-6618
PAST-PRESIDENT
Barbara Baker
Associate Dean for Educational
Resources
Durham Technical
Community College
1637 Lawson St.
Durham, NC 27703
Telephone: 919/598-9218
Fax: 919/598-9412
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Martha Fonville
North Carolina Library Association
c/o State Library of North Carolina
Rm. 27 109 E. Jones St.
Raleigh, NC 27601-1023
Telephone: 919/839-6252
Fax: 919/839-6252
SECTION CHAIRS
CHILDRENTS SERVICES SECTION
Benjie Hester
ChildrenTs Librarian
Cameron Village Regional Library
1930 Clark Ave.
Raleigh, NC 27605
Telephone: 919/856-6723
Fax: 919/856-6722
COLLEGE np UNIVERSITY SECTION
Susan M. Squires
Reference Librarian
Carlyle Campbell Library
Meredith College
3800 Hillsborough St.
Raleigh, NC 27607-5298
Telephone: 919/829-8382
Fax: 919/829-2830
COMMUNITY anp JUNIOR
COLLEGE LIBRARIES SECTION
Alice Wilkins
Head Librarian
Boyd Library
Sandhills Community College
2200 Airport Rd.
Pinehurst, NC 28374
Telephone: 919/692-6185
ext. 135
Fax: 919/692-2756
DOCUMENTS SECTION
Araby Greene
Documents Librarian
D. Hiden Ramsey Library
UNC at Asheville
One University Heights
Asheville, NC 28804-3299
Telephone: 704/251-6639
Fax: 704/251-6012
GREENE@UNCA.BITNET SECTION
LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION anp
MANAGEMENT SECTION
Larry Alford
Associate University Librarian
for Administrative Services
CB 3900 Walter R. Davis Library
UNC at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3900
Telephone: 919/962-1301
Fax: 919/962-0484
NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION
OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS
Nona Pryor
Media Specialist
Archdale-Trinity Middle School
Trinity, NC 27370
Telephone: 919/431-4452
Fax: 919/431-1809
NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC
LIBRARY TRUSTEES ASSOCIATION
John Childers
Department of Psychology
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858
Telephone: 919/757-6280
Fax: 919/757-6283
PUBLIC LIBRARY SECTION
James Govern
Director Stanly Co. Pub. Library
133 E. Main St.
Albemarle, NC 28001-4993
Telephone: 704/983-7321
Fax: 704/983-7322
REFERENCE anp ADULT SERVICES
Allen Antone
Head of Reference Belk Library
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
Telephone: 704/262-2822
Fax: 704/262-3001
RESOURCES anp TECHNICAL
SERVICES SECTION
Mike Ingram
Technical Services Librarian
Smith Library
HP-2 High Point College
High Point, NC 27261-1949
Telephone: 919/841-9152
Fax: 919/841-5123
Nort CAROLINA LisprAry ASSOCIATION 1991-1993 ExECUTIVE BOARD
ROUND TABLE CHAIRS
NEW MEMBERS ROUND TABLE
Catherine Van Hoy
Branch Head Cumberland
County Public Library
Bordeaux Branch
3711 Village Dr.
Fayetteville, NC 28304-1598
Telephone: 919/424-4008
Fax: 919/483-8644
NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY
PARAPROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
Meralyn Meadows
Administrative Assistant
Stanly County Public Library
133 E. Main St.
Albemarle, NC 28001-4993
Telephone: 704/983-7322
Fax: 704/983-7322
ROUND TABLE FOR ETHNIC
MINORITY CONCERNS
Vanessa Ramseur
Hickory Grove Branch
Public Library of Charlotte and
Mecklenburg County
7207 E. W. T. Harris Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28227
Telephone: 704/563-9418
Fax: 704/567-9703
ROUND TABLE ON SPECIAL
COLLECTIONS
Beverly Tetterton-Opheim
Special Collections Librarian
New Hanover Co. Public Library
201 Chestnut St.
Wilmington, NC 28401-3998
Telephone: 919/341-4394
Fax: 919/341-4388
ROUND TABLE ON THE STATUS
OF WOMEN IN LIBRARIANSHIP
Anne Marie Elkins
Division of State Library
109 East Jones St.
Raleigh, NC 27601-2807
Telephone: 919/733-2570
Fax: 919/733-8748
Fall 1993 " 163
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor
FRANCES BRYANT BRADBURN
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
(919) 757-6076
(919) 757-6618 (FAX)
frabra@joyner.lib.ecu.edu
Associate Editor
ROSE SIMON
Dale H. Gramley Library
Salem College
Winston-Salem, NC 27108
(919) 721-2649
Associate Editor
JOHN WELCH
Division of State Library
109 East Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2807
(919) 733-2570
Book Review Editor
DOROTHY DAVIS HODDER
New Hanover Co. Public Library
201 Chestnut Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
(919) 341-4389
Lagniappe/Bibliography
Coordinator
PLUMMER ALSTON JONES, JR.
Iris Holt McEwen Library
Elon College
PO Box 187
Elon College, NC 27244
(919) 584-2338
Indexer
T MICHAEL COTTER
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
(919) 757-6533
Advertising Manager/Point
CounterPoint Editor
HARRY TUCHMAYER
New Hanover Co. Public Library
201 Chestnut Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
(919) 341-4036
ChildrenTs Services
LINDA HYDE
Clemmons Branch
Forsyth County Public Library
3554 Clemmons Road
Clemmons, NC 27012
(919) 766-9191
College and University
MELISSA CAIN
School of Information &
Library Science
CB #3360, 100 Manning Hall
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3360
(919) 962-8366
Community and Junior College
BARBARA MILLER
Paul H. Thompson Library
Fayetteville Technical
Community College
PO Box 35236
Fayetteville, NC 28303
(919) 678-8253
Documents
MICHAEL VAN FOSSEN
Reference Department
Davis Library CB #3912
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
(919) 962-1151
Library Administration and
Management Section
JOLINE EZZELL
Perkins Library
Duke University
Durham, NC 27706
(919) 660-5880
New Members Round Table
EILEEN MCCLUSKEY PAPILE
Information Services Librarian
Cumberland Co. Public Library
6882 Cliffdale Road
Fayetteville, NC 28314
(919) 864-3800
N.C. Association of School
Librarians
DIANE KESSLER
Riverside High School
3218 Rose of Sharon Road
Durham, NC 27712
(919) 560-3965
North Carolina Library
Paraprofessional Association
JUDIE STODDARD
Onslow County Public Library
68 Doris Avenue East
Jacksonville, NC 28540
(919) 455-7350
Public Library
CAL SHEPARD
Division of State Library
109 East Jones St.
Raleigh, NC 27601-2807
(919) 733-2570
Reference/Adult Services
SUZANNE WISE
Belk Library
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
(704) 262-2189
Research Column Editor
ILENE NELSON
William R. Perkins Library
Duke University
Durham, NC 27706
(919) 684-2373
Resources and Technical Services
GENE LEONARDI
Shepard Library
North Carolina Central University
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 560-6220
Round Table for Ethnic/Minor-
ity Concerns
BELINDA DANIELS
Learning Resources Center
Guilford Technical Com. College
Jamestown, NC 27282-2309
(919) 334-4822
Round Table on the Status of
Women in Librarianship
ELIZABETH LANEY
602 Hamlin Park
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
(919) 942-1416
Wired to the World Editor
RALPH LEE SCOTT
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
(919) 757-6533
Trustees
JOHN CHILDERS
Department of Psychology
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858
(919) 757-6280
164 " Fall 1993
| Name [_] New membership [_] Renewal Membership no. |
a Position Library |
ie Business Address |
: City or Town State Zip Code .
2 Phone No. Mailing Address (if different from above) |
x CHECK TYPE OF DUES CHECK SECTIONS: (one included in basic dues; each additional section $7.00) |
FULL-TIME LIBRARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ChildrenTs Services New Members |
= (one biennium only) " $15.00 Ref. & Adult College & Univ. |
&Q "" RETIRED LIBRARIANS " $20.00 Comm. & Jr. College Documents |
| " " NON-HBRARY PERSONNEL: Paraprofessional Public Library
i (a) Trustees; (b) oFriends of Libraries� members; 6s eT isch PiAsies |
Z (c) Non-salaried " $25.00 P cea os |
= LIBRARY PERSONNEL Status of Women Ethnic Minority Concerns l
= Earning up to $15,000 " $25.00 eee Renee! ee ae Resource and Technical Services
s Earning $15,001 to $25,000 " $40.00 Library Administration & Management
, AMOUNT ENCLOSED 5 |
S INSTITUTIONAL (Libraries and library/education- Mail to: North Carolina Library Association, |
related businesses) " $75.00 c/o State Library of North Carolina, |
, CONTRIBUTING (Individuals, associations, firms, etc. 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1023 |
ee interested in the work of NCLA) " $100.00 24
North Carolina Libraries
NEW BOOKS FOR FALL 1993
Passalong Plants
Steve Bender and Felder Rushing
Foreword by Allen Lacy
A light-hearted but horticulturally sound
guide to passalongs"those botanical
favorites that survive for decades by
being handed from one gardener to
another. The authors describe 17 such
plants and offer tips on organizing plant
swaps, giving information in the
informal, chatty
manner of
neighbors.
2096-2, Oct,
$29.95 Tr cloth
4418-7, Oct.
$16.95 Tr paper
8 x 9, 82 color
photos
NatureTs Champion
B. W. Wells, Tar Heel Ecologist
James R. Troyer
Ecologist B. W. Wells (1884-1978) taught
thousands of North Carolinians to ap-
preciate the stateTs diverse plant life long
before conservation became a popular
cause. He not only provided the first
scientific descriptions of the forces that
shaped the Tar Heel stateTs ecosystems
but also championed nature outside as
well as inside academic circles.
2081-4, Aug., $24.95
The Picture Man
Photographs by Paul Buchanan
Edited by Ann Hawthorne
Introduction by Bruce Morton
Paul Buchanan (ca. 19710-1987) was an
itinerant photographer who wandered
four North Carolina mountain counties
from 1920 until about 1951. The striking
images in this book are posed pictures,
but the subjects did the posing, leaving
us a portrait of Appalachian families as
they saw themselves.
2119-5, Oct., $24.95 Tr cloth
4431-4, Oct., $12.95 Tr paper
approx. 100 b&w photographs
back in print
From Laurel Hill to
SilerTs Bog
The Walking Adventures of a Naturalist
John K. Terres
New Introduction by Peter S. White
New Afterword by the Author
John Burroughs Medal for Distinguished
Nature Writing, 1971
The eloquent observations of this noted
author and former editor-in-chief of Au-
dubon magazine, who spent nine years
exploring the Mason Farm wildlife reserve
in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.oBecause
this book is a work of art we are held
in its spell in a timeless world.�
"May Sarton, New York Times
Book Review
4426-8, $16.95 Tr paper
A Chapel Hill Book
October
4432-2, Nov.,
back in print
The Foxfire Book of
Appalachian Toys and
Games
Edited by Linda Garland Page and Hilton Smith
For those who are tired of worn-out
batteries and electronic toys and for
anyone curious about the playtimes of an
earlier generation, this book is a welcome
guide. oDelightful. ... The first-person,
anecdotal instructions and recollections
add a special touch.�"Booklist
4425-X, Oct., $16.95 Tr paper
165 illus.
The Mystery of
Beautiful Nell Cropsey
A Nonfiction Novel
Bland Simpson
Tells the dramatic story of nineteen-year-
old Nell CropseyTs disappearance from
her riverside home in Elizabeth City, NC,
in November 1901. Bland Simpson artfully
reconstructs this true whodunit from
interviews, court records, and newspaper
accounts, creating a colorful account told
in three first-person voices.
2120-9, Nov.,
$22.50 Tr cloth
$12.95 Tr paper
ISBN prefix O-8078-
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
POST OFFICE BOX 2288, CHAPEL HILL, NC 27515-2288
TOLL-FREE ORDERS: PHONE (800) 848-6224, FAX (800) 272-6817
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Winter 1993 Conference Issue
Spring 1994 Preservation
Dr. Marcella Grendler, Guest Editor
Summer 1994 Libraries and the Economy
John Welch, Guest Editor
Fall 1994 The Virtual Library
Gary Hardin, Guest Editor
Winter 1994 Money Changing in the Library
Harry Tuchmayer, Guest Editor
Spring 1995 Sex and the Library n fps
Dr. Pauletta Bracy, Guest Editor Zvi
Summer 1995 _ Resource Sharing :
Barbara Miller, Guest Editor Gaeta =
Fall 1995 School Libraries (
Diane Kessler, Guest Editor a
Winter 1995 Conference Issue co | :
Unsolicited articles dealing with the above themes or any issue of interest to North Carolina librarians age
are welcomed. Please contact the editor for manuscript guidelines and deadlines. % ge
Q
North Carolina Libraries, published four times a year, is the official publication of the North ie Ge :
Carolina Library Association. Membership dues include a subscription to North Carolina o So) i
Libraries. Membership information may be obtained from the Administrative Assistant of 2
NCLA. Subscription rates are $32.00 per year, or $10.00 per issue, for domestic 3 aS 5
subscriptions; $50.00 per year, or $15.00 per issue, for foreign subscriptions. Backfiles are Lea a
maintained by the editor. Microfilm copies are available through University Microfilms. Zz
North Carolina Libraries is indexed by Library Literature and publishes its own annual index.
Editorial correspondence should be addressed to the editor; advertisement
correspondence should be addressed to the advertising manager. Articles are juried.
FOVLSOd SN
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