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North Carolina Libraries

Fall 1998

Reference librarians must be flexible...
those who are not able to bend will surely break.

"Joline R. Ezzell
pace 98.

Advise ANd Consult ==

Sometimes
bigger
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&

Since 1973

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8 OPS = aaa ARS TW RRR OE ERA MS Ra oS DET PR

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Cover:

Volume 76, Number 3
wn ISSN 0029-2540

Fall 1998

ADVISE AND CONSULT

Artemis C. Kares, Guest Editor

It was the Most Uncertain of Times: Academic Reference Librarianship at
the End of the Twentieth Century, Joline R. Ezzell

The Electronic Revolution and the Evolving Role of the Academic Reference
Librarian, Deborah Stanley and Natasha Lyandres

From Reference Class to Reference Desk: One Year Later, Betty J. Moore

Reference Interview: Strategies for Children, Melvin K. Burton

ReadersT Advisory Services: New Attention to a Core Business of the
Public Library, Kenneth Shearer

FEATURES {SES EP ON a TL
From the President

About the Authors

Wired to the World: Managing Lists, Ralph Lee Scott

Between Us: Serving the Silent: We Are Still a Nation of Immigrants,
Plummer Alston Jones, Jr.

North Carolina Books

Lagniappe: Reel North Carolina II: More Movies and Videos from the
Old North State

NCLA Minutes

oFind the Bird,� photo by Pat Weathersbee.

North Carolina Libraries is the official publication of the North Carolina Library Association.
Art direction and design by Pat Weathersbee of TeamMedia, Greenville, NC.

From the President

Beverley-Gass,.President

94 " Fall 1998

he muse of the presidentTs column seems to be on vacation or maybe
just not home. And what a good time to be vacationing. I myself
have had the good fortune of spending several days in a wonderful
shabbily elegant summer home sitting right on the Atlantic Ocean.
Could be that the muse decided to stay there. Could be that the muse, who
more often than not seems like a buzzing insect, was one of those roaches
we smashed last Friday evening. Roaches or muses apparently have good
taste and the good sense to prolong vacations any way possible. If that is the
case (that the muse is dead) then we are surely in trouble. But perhaps we
can hack out a few words here that are no more or less interesting than past
columns. Try as I might not to have negative thoughts about my abilities, it
is clear that I am a better librarian than I am a writer. At least, we pray that
is the case. Then again, I suppose it goes without saying that if the president
of NCLA were winning prizes with a demonstrated ability to write, then the
president might not be president, but editor of North Carolina Libraries.

But of what then should I write? Maybe a bit of news of NCLA and the
state of librarianship in North Carolina would be fitting. Maybe mine is not
to inspire but inform. After all, providing information is what librarians do
best.

Back in May, when the Interlibrary Cooperation Committee of the State
Library Commission held its first meeting, it occurred to me that we might
be in the midst of one of the most exciting times for North Carolina libraries
and librarianship ever. Maybe all presidents of NCLA feel that their time is
the best or most exciting, but it does seem that there is more change and
more creative energy swirling than I can recall in my 25 years in North
Carolina.

When you consider such projects as NC LIVE and the project underway
through the work of the Interlibrary Cooperation Committee, we are making
great leaps into a future that does appear to be very different from our past.
Apparently, the Information Age really is here forcing us to reconsider how
we do business in libraries. How can we take the resources of NC LIVE into
the schools and homes of North Carolinians? Are we able to redefine interli-
brary cooperation for the state in such a way that our entrance into 2001 is
not a space odyssey but a well-planned cruise? Are not computers and
telecommunications technologies forcing us to be better human beings?
Seems ironic to me that we may have to work together in whole new ways so
that we can harness the power of these very inanimate objects lest they
consume us. It certainly is a joy for me to work with all that are involved
with NC LIVE and also the Interlibrary Cooperation Committee. My hat is
off to our State Librarian who may be the catalyst for these changes that
North Carolina librarianship needed.

My hat is also tipped to congratulate three who are entering the field at
this propitious time. Lynda Stewart of Wingate, North Carolina has just been
named the 1998 recipient of the Query-Long Scholarship from NCLA. The
Query-Long scholarship is given to a library school student who intends to
work with children or young adults. Carrie McLean of Knightdale has been
awarded the NCLA Memorial Scholarship for her continued studies. Con-
gratulations are also in order to Charles Wiggins of Asheville as the recipient

North Carolina Libraries

of the 1998 McClendon Student Loan from NCLA. Thanks to Carol Truett,
Professor of Library Science and Chair of the NCLA Scholarship Committee,
and her committee for their work in making these awards-happen again this
year. Seems to me that supporting the education of members and potential
members maybe one of the more important things we do in NCLA.

Another bit of exciting news is that the Public Library Association will
hold its Ninth Annual Conference in Charlotte, March 28 - April 1, 2000. We
have the opportunity as the state association where this national conference
is being held to hold a preconference and take advantage of some special
offers. The Association of College and Research Libraries appears to be
considering North Carolina as the site for its 2001 conference. Keep watch
for more news on these conferences. Having two such events in this state
will make it possible for many of us to attend national conferences more
easily and affordably than ever.

But before these conferences take place, be sure that you donTt miss the
upcoming NCASL conference scheduled for Winston-Salem September 16 -

18 at the AdamTs Mark Hotel and the Benton Convention Center. Though
you may think that this conference is only for school media folks, think
again. Karen Gavigan, the conference chair and her committee have planned
a program that nicely balances the virtues of technology and print and
touches on such universally relevant issues as filtering, information literacy,
storytelling, intellectual freedom, and keeping up-to-date with technology.
Bet you think about these things no matter what type of library you work in.

And surely you are aware of the 2nd NCLA Leadership Institute that will
take place very soon at Brown Summit, October 28 - November 1. Kem Ellis,
Director of the High Point Public Library, is chairing the committee that has
been planning this event scheduled for this popular retreat site here in
Guilford County. Shreiber and Shannon of Snowbird fame (and the 1st
Leadership Institute) will lead this widely acclaimed throughout North
Carolina event for emerging library leaders.

Equally exciting for those of us in Guilford County is that the new and
long-awaited main library of the Greensboro Public Library will be opening
the same week of the Leadership Institute. It is fun to be a librarian in this
county at this time and enjoy the warmth of the media rays that come the
way of GPL. We may not be sitting on the Atlantic Ocean as the library staff
of GPL is, but our tans arenTt bad. Speaking of Greensboro, sounds like the
NMRT Big Adventure tour of Greensboro libraries on July 16 was a success.

Other professional development opportunities coming our way include
the TNT event set for December 3 at Guilford Technical Community College.
Eleanor Cooke is putting this workshop together. Watch ncla-l for more news
of this event and others. And do you know how to join ncla-l?

Speaking of listservs and electronic communication " I am particularly
excited at the work of the Publications and Marketing Committee chaired by
Carol Freeman of Forsyth Technical Community College. Carol and her
committee held a workshop on August 14 at East Carolina University about
the upcoming electronic NCLA newsletter (with a print version for those
who need it). At the workshop, Carol established the groundrules for the
newsletter.

So see, it is an exciting time and maybe the muse of the presidentTs
column did not stay at the beach.

North Carolina Libraries Fall 1998 " 95

It Was the Most Uncertain of Times:

Academic Reference Librarianship at the End
of the Twentieth Century

ncertainty pervades todayTs
world. For too many questions
there is no clear answer or ob-
vious best alternative. Will So-
cial Security be bankrupt in 20
years? 30 years? Which course of
treatment is most likely to cure a dis-
ease in a particular individual? What
impact will El Nino have on the
weather? Citing another example, Vir-
ginia Abernethy, editor of Population
and Environment, notes that othe green-
house effect is the late twentieth
centuryTs poster child for uncertainty.�!
Most of this uncertainty stems from
the plethora of choices available and
the rapid pace of change in nearly ev-
ery aspect of life, including reference
librarianship.

Thirty years ago a typical reference
transaction consisted of determining
what information a patron wanted,
identifying the appropriate printed
source to meet this need, and instruct-
ing the patron in its use, if necessary.
Most journal and newspaper indexes
could be searched by subject, author, or
title. The subject headings usually were
determined by the publisher of the
work and thus could differ from pub-
lisher to publisher. Other reference
works, such as directories, dictionaries,
and encyclopedias, were arranged al-
phabetically. A few publications had
their own unique arrangements, gener-
ally explained in the worksT prefaces.
Keyword searching was unheard of and
Boolean searching was an unknown
concept. In this respect, technology
has facilitated the research process
greatly. Moreover, although serial refer-
ence works occasionaily were cumu-

96 " Fall 1998

by Joline R. Ezzell

lated into five- or ten-year volumes,
researchers more often were forced to
comb through dozens of individual
volumes.

Gradually other formats came into
use " most notably microfilm and mi-
crofiche. Some extensive reference
works, such as the British Biographical
Archive, were issued this way. Aside
from learning how to load microforms
for viewing, however, reference librar-
ians faced few new challenges in using
them.

Requirements for reterence posi-
tions at this time were minimal and job
postings in the ALA Bulletin brief:

Reference librarian. Professional
degree required, some experience
desirable. Salary open, depending
on background. Faculty rank and
privileges. State teachers retire-
ment, social security group insur-
ance. Month vacation. New build-
ing, rapidly growing collection re-
classifying to LC. In heart of recre-
ational areas. Position open

now ... State University Bozeman,
MT 59715.2

A report on a pre-conference insti-
tute held in Dallas in June 1971 stated
that computer-based reference service
was then a decade-and-a-half old.? Such
service must have been extremely lim-
ited, or at least not widely publicized;
Library Literature for 1967-1969 includes
only five entries for oAutomation of Li-
brary Processes " Reference Services.�
An article written three years later pro-
claimed computer reference service at
MIT, where Lockheed and Medline da-
tabases were launched in December

1973, a success.* With the creation of
these and similar automated databases,
reference librarianship began a continu-
ing transformation that has accelerated
each year. This change is reflected in the
job advertisements in Americarn Librar-
ies. A typical 1975 ad for a reference li-
brarian for an academic library includes
just a few basic requirements.

Michigan ... General reference li-
brarian. Responsibilities include
assisting with interlibrary loan, de-
veloping bibliographic guides, serv-
ing at reference desk, and provid-
ing research assistance and library
instruction in a centralized refer-
ence department ... MLS from an
accredited library school is re-
quired; a subject masterTs in busi-
ness or social sciences is

preferred ... Excellent working con-
ditions in modern building. In ad-
dition to 9-month year some op-
portunity for summer employment.
Full faculty privileges, rank depend-
ing on academic qualifications. Ex-
cellent fringe benefits including
TIAA-CREF ... Central Michigan
University Library®

By 1985, a typical ad for an aca-
demic reference librarian had grown
considerably in size, with a correspond-
ing increase in the number of skills and
capabilities expected. In addition to
the MLS, experience in online database
searching and familiarity with micro-
computer applications often were re-
quested. Moreover, specific individual
qualities and personal characteristics
often were sought; flexibility, human
relations skills. and the ability to work

North Carolina Libraries

as part of a team frequently were listed
as required qualifications. The Ameri-
can Libraries classifieds of 1998, in ad-
dition to the requirements listed in the
1975 ads, include knowledge of HTML;
experience using the Internet,
CD-ROMS, computer hardware, and
software; experience working in a net-
worked environment; demonstrated
teaching ability; and experience with
library instruction. A stated desire for
flexibility as one of the applicantsT
qualities, often seen in ads during the
1980s, is less prevalent in 1998 "a
strange omission in view of the greater
need for flexibility and tolerance for
ambiguity occasioned by rapid change
in the field.

Though the number of electronic
reference services grows exponentially
each year, printed reference sources
have not stopped being published.
Hundreds of new printed reference
works appear yearly. Nor have micro-
film and microfiche disappeared. Jour-
nals and newspapers continue to be
distributed in microform as well as
electronically.

Added to these more traditional
formats are the many electronic data-
bases now available, often through
multiple vendors. The majority of
available databases are indexes/ab-
stracts of journal literature, with most
devoted to a specific discipline. Ex-
amples are MLA, an index to articles
about language, literature, and folklore;
ERIC, a database that provides citations
and abstracts of journal and report lit-
erature in all aspects of educational re-
search and resources; and Sociofile, an
index with abstracts to journals, books,
and dissertations about sociology, so-
cial welfare, planning and policy, and
development. ERIC, in fact, exemplifies
the many vendor choices reference li-
brarians have. It is available through
SilverPlatter, FirstSearch, Dialog, Ovid,
and EbscoHost.

Unfortunately, standardization in
search software does not exist; each
vendor has its own method for desig-
nating truncation, proximity, and da-
tabase fields, as well as its own tags for
searchable fields. If the library pur-
chases databases from more than one
vendor, reference librarians must be-
come proficient with several kinds of
search software in order to assist pa-
trons successfully.

Several databases now provide the
full text of journal and newspaper ar-
ticles. Major services of this type are
Lexis-Nexis, which contains the full text
of hundreds of newspapers worldwide,
as well as company information and

North Carolina Libraries

'

newsletters; IACTs Expanded Academic
Index, a general database covering the
sciences, social sciences, and humani-
ties which contains the text of many
journal articles, as well as abstracts and
citations of those unavailable in full
text; and UMITs ProQuest Direct, a data-
base similar to Expanded Academic In-
dex, but with page images of many of
the articles that are available in full
text. Each year the amount of elec-
tronic full text grows, as vendors ob-
tain permission from more publishers
to provide this service.

Some databases contain statistical
information or other numerical data.
Examples are the National Trade Data
Bank; the 1990 Census; and numerous
other documents in electronic form is-
sued by the federal government. These
reference sources provide additional
challenges to librarians, who must
learn their unique structures and
search software.

Traditional reference works are
now increasingly offered in electronic
as well as printed form. Examples are
Biography Index, Monarch Notes, Books in
Print, Britannica Online, WalkerTs Mam-
mals of the World, and Contemporary
Authors. Though the information con-
tained within each of these works is
nearly always identical to that of the
paper edition, the electronic version
frequently contains additional access
points and electronic links. Not to be
forgotten as an electronic product, of
course, is the libraryTs online catalog,
with its own searching protocols and
periodic upgrades. Most recently, NC
LIVE has brought many new databases
to libraries across the state.

Just as reference librarians were
trying to keep up with all of these prod-
ucts and their recurrent new versions,
the Internet and the World Wide Web
burst onto the scene. Suddenly they
faced sources emanating from outside
the library and totally out of their con-
trol. Although reference librarians may
at first have been reluctant to use the
Web for answering questions, they are
adopting it into their repertoire of ref-
erence tools quickly. Though the Web
contains many pages of dubious value,
it can, nonetheless, provide valuable
information for which there is often no

other source. Yet the sheer size of the
Internet can be daunting, and evaluat-
ing the quality of the information
found there can be difficult and
time-consuming.

Unfortunately, those brave indi-
viduals who ventured to create Web
search engines made the same mistakes
that database vendors had made "
without the same excuse. Whereas ven-
dors, hoping to capture the market,
tried to make their search software
unique and better than their competi-
torsT products, search engine develop-
ers could easily have used a single pro-
tocol. Each search engine, however,
differs in both the sources it indexes
(Web pages, listservs, news groups) and
the amount of content it searches. It
also differs from others in the way it
handles (or does not handle, in some
cases) proximity, truncation, and
phrase searching. So in addition to
learning to search numerous databases,
reference librarians must also learn the
idiosyncrasies of the various Web
search engines.

Exacerbating this confusion are
the frequent changes in search soft-
ware, search engines, and Web sites,
which sometimes come without warn-
ing. One may show a patron how to
use AltaVista during a morning desk
shift, only to be faced with a different
version during the afternoon shift. It is
quite a different scenario than the or-
ganized process of reviewing a
publisherTs announcement of a new
edition of a reference publication, or-
dering it, and perhaps reviewing it
once it is received. A recent article con-
cluded, oOften librarians hesitate to
answer questions using the Web be-
cause they are frustrated by its unex-
pected nature. A helpful site we so con-
fidently directed a patron to yesterday
may not be there today.�T Even in
1994, when there were nowhere near
the present 350 million Web pages,
Don Lanier and Walter Wilkins real-
ized, oHaving access to virtually limit-
less but highly volatile resources
through the Internet is likely to strain
the human resources of many reference
departments.T

In this complex milieu, determin-
ing which reference source may best

The pace of change is not likely to decelerate in the
foreseeable future, and thus the complexity and
uncertainty of reference librarianship will increase.

Fall 1998 " 97

meet a patronTs needs can be perplex-
ing. Librarians must know the content,
coverage, and currency of print and
electronic sources, the ease or difficulty
of using them, and the estimated time
required to retrieve the information
the patron wants. Another factor that
may determine which electronic source
is recommended to a patron is the time
of day (Internet access is notably slower
in the afternoons) and whether a par-
ticular database or Web site is opera-
tional at the time.

Not only is the task of mastering
this vast array of print and electronic
resources intimidating, but the speed
of technological change is alarming.
Articles describing gopher sites, Archie
and Veronica, written in 1995, now
seem strangely outdated just three
years later. Web browsers, search en-
gines, and HTML are updated several
times a year, leaving reference librar-
ians constantly in a training mode and
always feeling slightly behind the
curve. Leslie Kong notes that the oIit-
eral explosion of the variety of elec-
tronic formats and avenues by which
information comes to the library can
be daunting to the beginning reference
librarian.� Experienced librarians can
be just as overwhelmed.

Is it any wonder, then, that refer-
ence librarians feel uncertain when as-
sisting patrons? As they mentally deal
with this uncertainty and try to deter-
mine which source is best for a patron,
their hesitation may be interpreted as
a lack of knowledge. Uri Merry at-
tributes part of the increased complex-
ity of todayTs world and the intensifica-
tion of uncertainty to the explosion in
the rate of development of informa-
tion. oSocial systems such as organiza-
tions and other institutions are reeling
under the impact of the rate of change.
Their knowledge bases and skills lose
their relevance a short time after they
are acquired.�!° How many reference
librarians still search BRS, compose
documents in WordStar, or design go-
pher sites? In two years will they still
find useful the skills they have learned
this year? Moreover, with so many ref-
erence sources, both Web and
non-Web, available to patrons re-
motely, there is a nagging worry that
reference librarians themselves may
soon become obsolete.

The pace of change is not likely to
decelerate in the foreseeable future,
and thus the complexity and uncer-
tainty of reference librarianship will
increase. What, then, is the antidote
for this uncertainty? First, reference li-
brarians must be flexible. In todayTs

98 " Fall 1998

world, those who are not able to bend
will surely break. They must be able to
adapt to constant and quick changes in
reference sources. Virginia Abernethy
provides some advice for strategists and
policy-makers that is equally useful for
reference librarians: they omight best
stop demanding certainty. They would
do better to address themselves to
managing ambiguity.�"!

One strategy for managing ambi-
guity is to perfect the reference inter-
view. The Maryland model of reference
prescribes an interview in which the
reference librarian listens, clarifies,
probes, paraphrases, and verifies in or-
der to determine as precisely as possible
the patronTs question. Completion of
the reference transaction includes fol-
lowing up to ensure that the question
has been answered completely. In addi-
tion to taking these steps, reference li-
brarians should begin asking some ad-
ditional information. How much infor-
mation is needed? Must this be an ex-
haustive search for a dissertation, or
does the patron need a few articles for
a brief paper? How much effort is the
patron willing to make? What is the
patronTs time frame; is the paper due at
the end of the semester or two days
hence or yesterday? Must a specific
type of source be used? Is information
obtained from Web sites acceptable, or
must scholarly journals be consulted?
The reference librarian should judge
how experienced or comfortable with
technology the patron is. The reference
interview must become more sophisti-
cated and lengthy.

Another way to help reduce uncer-
tainty in the reference transaction is to
set aside time for learning and practic-
ing with new databases that the library
acquires. Familiarity with the content
of each database and its search proto-
cols will enable reference librarians to
guide patrons effectively in its use. Al-
lotting time for surfing the Web is also
essential. By locating and bookmarking
(or cataloging) information-rich sites
and learning how to use search direc-
tories and engines effectively, reference
librarians will become confident in di-
recting patrons to the Web for answers.

As Katie Clark and Sally Kalin note
in their paper on methods of coping
with technostress,

Staff also have to make a commit-
ment to learn new skills. Training
must become an integral part of
their work life, not an adjunct ac-
tivity. An increasing number of li-
braries are finding it unrealistic and
impractical to provide formal train-

ing for every occasion. Rather, they

are encouraging and embracing in-

formal, collaborative modes of

training.
Some reference departments have de-
veloped training sessions for their
staffs and/or set aside time to train
each other. Library staff at Dartmouth
created a Web site http://www.
dartmouth. edu/~biomed/workshops/kcks/
to accompany a workshop on keeping
current with biomedical information,
rather than supplying handouts. The
Web site, which is updated regularly,
allows staff to proceed with self-train-
ing at their own rate.!° ~Kim Buch sug-
gests that libraries should provide ap-
propriate rewards for librarians who
display a willingness to change and
who gain new skiils and cross-train
others. !4

Finally, to combat the effects of tech-
nostress, about which much has been
written lately, reference librarians must
try to maintain a positive attitude; re-
mind themselves that technology is
only a tool, and certainly not more im-
portant than people; set realistic goals
for themselves; and celebrate the
completion of projects and goals.!®
Good communication among colleagues
is also essential to providing excellent
reference service; no one reference li-
brarian can have all the answers.
Margaret Goggin, the dean of the

Graduate School of Librarianship at
Denver in the 1970s, described her
own era as ocomplex� and suggested
that librarians would need oto find,
learn, and use new means and new
techniques�!° in order to respond ad-
equately. Her advice stands the test of
time. Although our reference toolbox is
much fuller than was hers, our mission
as reference librarians remains un-
changed: to provide the information
sought by our patrons, in an effective
and timely manner.

References

1 Virginia Abernethy, oManaging
Uncertainty,� Population and Environ-
ment 18 (July 1997): 513.

2 ALA Bulletin 62 (July-August 1968):
897.

3 Library of Congress Information Bul-
letin 30 July 8, 1971): A111-14.

4 "Computer Reference Service Rated
Success at MIT,� Library Journal 99 (De-
cember 15, 1974): 3168.

5 American Libraries 6 (September
1975): 510.

6 American Libraries 16 (June 1985):
410-11.

7 Ruth Dickstein, Louise Greenfield,

North Carolina Libraries

and Jeff Rosen, oUsing the World Wide
Web at the Reference Desk,� Computers
in Libraries 17 (September 1997): 61.

8 Don Lanier and Walter Wilkins,
oReady Reference via the Internet,� RQ
33 (Spring 1994): 366.

9 Leslie M. Kong, oAcademic Refer-
ence Librarians: Under the Micro-
scope,� Reference Librarian 54 (1996): 23.

10 Uri Merry, Coping with Uncertainty;
Insights from the New Sciences of Chaos,
Self-Organization, and Complexity
(Westport, CT: Praeger, 1995), 89.

0 Abernethy, 513.

12 Katie Clark and Sally Kalin,
oTechnostressed Out? How to Cope in
the Digital Age,� Library Journal 121
(August 1996): 32.

13 oConstance Rinaldo and Karen
Odato, oKeeping Current, Keeping
Sane,� C & RL News 59 (April 1998):
248-49.

14 Kimberly Buch, oManaging the Hu-
man Side of Change,� Library Adminis-
tration and Management 11 (Summer
1997): 147-51.

1S Virginia Bartlett, oTechnostress and
Librarians,� Library. Administration and
Management 9 (Fall 1995):299. ~

16 Library of Congress Information Bul-
letin 30 July 8, 1971): A111.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS ...

Melvin K. Burton
Education: B.A., Central Methodist College; M.A., University of Missouri-Columbia
Position: ChildrenTs Information Specialist, North County Regional
Library, Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County

Joline R. Ezzell
Education: B.A., University of Maine; M.A., M.S.L.S., UNC-Chapel Hill
Position: Reference Librarian and Resource Specialist for Psychology and
Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies, Duke University Libraries

Plummer Alston Jones, Jr.
Education: B.Mus., East Carolina University; M.S., Drexel University;
Ph.D., UNC-Chapel Hill
Position: Director of Library Services and Professor, Catawba College

Natasha Lyandres
Education: B.A., Moscow State University; M.L.L.S., San Jose State University
Position: Reference Librarian, Joyner Library, East Carolina University

Betty J. Moore
Education: B.A., Mississippi College; M.L.I.S., UNC-Greensboro
Position: Information Services Librarian, Rowan Public Library

Kenneth Shearer
Education: A.B., Amherst College; M.L.S., Ph.D., Rutgers University
Position: Professor, School of Library and Information Sciences, North
Carolina Central University

Deborah Stanley
Education: B.A., University of Birmingham; M.A.L, University of Sheffield
Position: Reference Librarian, Joyner Library, East Carolina University

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Fall 1998 " 99

The Electronic Revolution and the
Evolving Role of the Academic
Reference Librarian

by Deborah Stanley and Natasha Lyandres

ssisting and advising have al-
ways been central to the role
of the reference librarian. The
nature of reference work,
however, has evolved over re-
cent years as a result of the
proliferation of electronic resources
and their impact on access to informa-
tion. More than ever before, reference
librarians spend their time at the refer-
ence desk guiding students through
myriad electronic resources and the
technical skills needed to access them.
At this point, most students begin their
college careers with some degree of
computer literacy, but lack information
literacy " the ability to find the best
information and to evaluate it effec-
tively. Access to the Internet and other
electronic information sources affords
these computer-literate students a val-
ued sense of independence and privacy
in information seeking, with the result
that they often do not see the need to
approach librarians for assistance.

An increasingly important issue for
academic libraries in general and for
reference departments in particular,
therefore, is how to provide academic
users with both reference assistance and
the necessary skills to find, use, and
evaluate information on their own. The
purpose of this article is to identify and
discuss effective ways to empower our
increasingly independent users through
creative instruction methods and inno-
vative reference services.

Reference Is Instruction

In the latest edition of his Introduction
to Reference Work, Bill Katz discusses the

100 " Fall 1998

increasing complexity of the reference
librarianTs role and defines the contin-
ued growth in demand for instruction
in the use of resources as one of the
dominant trends that affects reference
services.! Most reference work has a
considerable teaching component, as it
involves not only answering questions
but also providing advice in determin-
ing the most effective search strategy
for a particular individual. Indeed,
studies of the quality of reference ser-
vice emphasize othe importance of the
teaching/learning component of refer-
ence work and identify facilitating user
independence as a primary function of
reference service.�� Such impromptu
instruction is, therefore, a vital aspect
of reference service in an academic li-
brary and contributes to the student's
learning experience and educational
development.

Moreover, reference assistance be-
comes even more critical as technology
changes information-seeking behavior.
As library collections become more ac-
cessible via the Internet, the number of
virtual users, or users who wish to ac-
cess information independently, will
undoubtedly continue to grow. Ann
Jensen and Julie Sih, in an article on

using electronic mail to deliver instruc-
tion,? argue that in-depth training pro-
grams to prepare patrons for times
when they are left to their own devices
are the most logical alternative to 24-
hour reference services.

In 1989, the American Library As-
sociation defined the information liter-
ate as opeople prepared for lifelong
learning, because they can always find
the information needed for any task or
decision at hand.�* We believe that ref-
erence librarians must reevaluate their
instructional and teaching methods in
order to empower students with basic
information knowledge and skills.

Creative Instruction

Cooperative Teaching

It is our experience that traditional
one-hour ocanned� presentations on
how to conduct library research do
little to help reduce the gap between
students and the library. The literature
reveals that such sessions often tend to
be perceived by teaching faculty and
students as opassive learning experi-
ences.� Although most traditional pre-
sentations do provide a general over-
view of library information resources
and services, they do not teach stu-

... most students begin their college careers with some
degree of computer literacy, but lack information
literacy " the ability to find the best information and

to evaluate it effectively.

North Carolina Libraries

dents how to use and evaluate informa-
tion for a particular project. It has been
pointed out by teaching faculty that
actively incorporating information and
critical thinking skills into specific as-
signments, rather than offering sepa-
rate information literacy courses, is the
most effective way to help students
develop these abilities.°

Should the teaching of these criti-
cal information skills, therefore, be a
responsibility of teaching faculty or of
librarians? In his article, oBridging the
Gap Between the Student and the Li-
brary,� Philip J. Egan indicates that
ohelp should come from someone who
is sympathetic, who knows the re-
search task assigned, and who will as-
sist the student in the use of complex
bibliographic tools. Most important,
this person should help students link
up their research with the require-
ments of the assignment. This person
is the teacher.��

Through our personal experience
and from professional discussions,
however, it seems that many teaching
faculty find it increasingly difficult to
keep up with new library resources and
may also lack the sophisticated search-
ing skills necessary to assist students. In
a recent focus group session with
teaching faculty at East Carolina Uni-
versity, many instructors expressed
concern that they did not possess the
knowledge or skills to utilize new li-
brary resources and therefore felt that
both they and their students needed
assistance from librarians in using
these resources. We believe librarians
should be more proactive in develop-
ing contacts with teaching faculty and
encouraging cooperation in order to
help students achieve the required in-
formation literacy level. If teaching fac-
ulty value our knowledge and exper-
tise, we can become effective partners.
Although cooperative teaching projects
are relatively rare, those that have been
implemented show very positive re-
sults. For example, Dennis Isbell and
Dorothy Broaddus® describe the teach-
ing partnership experiment between a
librarian and a professor of English at
Arizona State University West in which

they taught research strategy, evalua-
tion of information, and composition.
The authors indicate that the coopera-
tive approach offers an opportunity for
students to view research and writing
as a continuum, allows time for in-
depth evaluation of reference and re-
search sources, and provides an inter-
active forum for teaching critical think-
ing skills.

Working in partnership with
teaching faculty is an effective way not
only to offer training but also to con-
vince patrons of the need for it. Patrons
who are tenacious in seeking informa-
tion or have a specialized subject
knowledge are often highly motivated
to seek the training that will allow
them to be as sophisticated as possible
in searching electronic databases. Oth-
ers, notably undergraduate students,
may not be as interested. They are of-
ten just as enthusiastic when it comes
to operating in the electronic environ-
ment, but less cognizant of the need
for information skills; they often as-
sume that if they know how to enter
keywords into a Web search engine,
they know all they need to know about
finding information. By working with
faculty and incorporating information
skills into the curriculum, librarians
can show students that, by developing
these skills and an awareness of re-
sources, they can find more useful in-
formation more quickly. This enhances
the image of the librarian as someone
who has relevant and interesting
knowledge to share, increasing the like-
lihood that students will seek advice
from reference librarians in the future.

In fact, librarians should establish
cooperative alliances not only with
teaching faculty, but also with others
on campus, specifically computing spe-
cialists. The explosion of electronic in-
formation has blurred the lines be-
tween computing and library skills,
with the result that sometimes librar-
ians teach students the technical as-
pects of using computers to find infor-
mation, while computing specialists
may find themselves called upon to
teach the evaluation of information
content.

... reference librarians must reevaluate their instructional
and teaching methods in order to empower our students
with basic information knowledge and skills.

North Carolina Libraries

Electronic Teaching

With large class sizes, lack of student
enthusiasm for a one-time presentation
on library skills, and the opportunities
offered by the Internet, increasing
numbers of reference librarians are tak-
ing advantage of the interactive, adapt-
able nature of the Internet and its pos-
sibilities for offering instruction
through self-directed, self-paced online
tutorials. oThe advantages of offering
instruction over the Web include its
learner-centered environment, global
access, easy update procedures, and
cross-platform use.�?

In response to the fact that provid-
ing orientation to at least 6,000 new
students at their West Lafayette cam-
pus each year was a practical impossi-
bility, librarians at Purdue University
created an interactive World Wide Web
information literacy module named
PLUTO (Purdue Libraries Undergradu-
ate Tutorial Online).!° They took care
to design the module to fulfill the
learning objectives determined by
classroom instructors, student govern-
ment organizations, and Purdue librar-
ians. Those objectives " teaching stu-
dents to define and formulate keyword
searches; retrieving information on a
topic from THOR, the online system;
and locating information from THOR
within the Purdue Libraries System "
provided the structure for the module.
One of the main factors in the success
of the project was the involvement of
students and teaching faculty in its de-
sign from the earliest stages.

Librarians from ten Utah colleges
and universities offered Internet Navi-
gator, a oone credit-hour introductory
course intended to emphasize informa-
tion literacy rather than Internet me-
chanics.�!! Students and instructors
communicated via e-mail and also used
a mailing list as a distributed teaching
method. Students enjoyed the delivery
method and appreciated the self-paced
nature and hands-on aspects of the
course. They also found it useful to
have all course materials available at all
times for review. There are, of course,
negative aspects to teaching informa-
tion skills virtually, most notably the
lack of personal contact with students,
especially as there will always be a dis-
parity among students in terms of their
motivation and ability to work inde-
pendently. The ability to offer credit
courses or Web-based guides to re-
search and resources as online tutorials,
however, is surely a positive develop-
ment and a useful addition to the in-
struction librarianTs repertoire. This

Fall 1998 " 101

type of instruction provides a unique
opportunity for students to learn about
information resources regardless of the
time of day or their physical location.
There is also a need for resource-
based instruction for students and fac-
ulty who wish to learn about advanced
search techniques. Librarians can meet
these needs through informal drop-in
sessions. Sometimes, however, faculty
and graduate students lack the time to
attend classes in the library or may not
wish to acknowledge in front of others
that they need training. For this rea-
son, engineering librarians at two cam-
puses of the University of California,
UC-San Diego and UC-Berkeley, devel-
oped an instruction program delivered
via electronic mail. They devised six
short, self-paced tutorials on INSPEC, a
major research database in the fields of
physics, computing, and electronics.
The use of e-mail to deliver training
gave users privacy and convenience.
The course was offered on an enroll-
ment basis to avoid bombarding fac-
ulty with unwanted e-mail. Those who
enrolled received one lesson per week
for six weeks. Users overwhelmingly
found this a convenient way to receive
training and were pleased that they
also could keep the e-mail tutorials to
refer to later. This project had addi-
tional benefits: it could be imple-
mented each semester with little addi-
tional work for the librarians and it
opened lines of communication with
faculty. The librarians involved in the
project felt that it was a success: oBy
providing these tutorials in addition to
more traditional instructional meth-
ods, we are making a powerful state-
ment to our patrons about the libraryTs
attentiveness to their needs.� 2

Innovative Reference Services

As those seeking information increas-
ingly are able to access it remotely, they
are faced with an often bewildering ar-
ray of options, technical problems, and
search strategy decisions. It is impera-
tive for libraries and for their constitu-
encies that reference service be as
widely available as possible. Technol-
ogy will allow increased access in vari-
ous ways: users will be able to contact
librarians by telephone, electronic
mail, or by filling out reference re-
quests on the Web; librarians will be
able to provide services such as catalogs
of Internet resources and guides to
searching, which can be accessed by
patrons around the clock. Face-to-face
reference service will move out of the
library to some extent, and closer to
patrons.

102 " Fall 1998

Reference Services Outside the Library
Networked information increasingly
affords librarians the capability to pro-
vide reference services from remote lo-
cations. In an article on the changing
roles of reference librarians, Julie Kelly
and Kathryn Robbins argue that oas
more of the commonly-used reference
tools become available in electronic
forms, the reference desk could migrate
to any location where users have access
to the librarian and he or she has access
to a terminal.�!? A librarian could have
an office or a desk in one or more aca-
demic departments, scheduling certain
hours of the week for reference ques-
tions and one-on-one instruction on
database searching. Where a subject-
specific library is housed in the same
building as the academic departments
it serves, this will not be necessary.
Where there is one central library on
campus, however, this type of service
could encourage students and faculty
to consult a librarian and show that the
library is taking the needs of its patrons
seriously. There is also the opportunity
for co-operation with our colleagues in
campus computing services as librar-
ians go out to computing laboratories
across campus and offer information
content to complement the techno-
logical support already provided.

E-Mail Reference Services
Along with experimenting with the
physical location of reference services,
libraries also should continue to take
advantage of information technology
in order to provide assistance to remote
users. In addition to providing reference
services by telephone, librarians are
now utilizing electronic mail, the Web,
and videoconferencing technology.
With widespread access, electronic
mail has potential as an important de-
livery method for reference service. It
is an issue that is debated frequently
within the profession. Libraries of dif-
ferent types often have similar experi-
ences with e-mail reference. There is
the initial worry that it will generate
more questions than the staff can
handle, but in practice this does not
happen. Usually demand is fairly light

and messages are checked once or
twice a day by designated staff. E-mail
reference questions can be forwarded
to the person with the most knowledge
of the subject, even if that person is not
in the reference department or is away
from the library at the time the request
is received. Because it is not a real-time
exchange between the patron and the
librarian, however, it can become time-
consuming if the patron does not pro-
vide sufficient information about what
he or she actually wants. The librarian
then has to follow up with additional
questions. As with traditional reference
there is a teaching element, with librar-
ians explaining to patrons how to use
the resources to which they direct
them.

The experience of the Internet
Public Library (IPL) electronic mail ref-
erence service can provide useful guid-
ance.!4 The IPL found that it was able
to elicit more useful information in the
initial inquiry by asking the patron to
complete a specially-designed Web-
based form. It also found that the num-
ber of questions received related to the
amount of publicity recently given to
the IPL. Publicity seems to be a key is-
sue in terms of use of e-mail reference.
The difficulty in promoting it widely,
however, is that libraries may not be
able to cope with the ensuing demand.
Such resource issues will come increas-
ingly to the fore as libraries develop
additional electronic services.

Exploring Network Technologies

Alongside the ubiquitous telephone
reference and the fairly widespread e-
mail reference, there are also other,
more unusual, attempts to provide ref-
erence service to remote users. One in-
teresting experiment took place at the
University of Texas at Austin in 1992.
Software mounted on designated pub-
lic computers in remote campus loca-
tions enabled librarians, at the userTs
request, to connect into database
search sessions and intervene.' This
pilot project used a networked CD-
ROM of U.S. government information.
The software allowed the userTs screen
to be visible on the librarianTs com-
puter. Both the patron and the librar-

Publicity seems to be a key issue in terms of use of
e-mail reference. The difficulty in promoting it widely,
however, is that libraries may not be able to cope

with the ensuing demand.

North Carolina Libraries

ian could use his or her own mouse
and keyboard to navigate the search
screen, although the actual operations
on the database were performed by the
patronTs workstation. The librarian
could see what the patron was doing
and offer advice and instruction by
telephone. Although searches were
completed successfully with interven-
tion there were practical limitations,
such as the need for the patron to use
a computer with the appropriate soft-
ware and to have access to a telephone.
Use of the service was relatively light,
and depended on studentsT motivation
and their level of comfort with the in-
terpersonal aspects of the technology.
The outcome of this project demon-
strates that, although the fundamental
technologies are in place to provide
this type of service, it is another issue
altogether as to whether patrons are
psychologically ready to use it.

At North Carolina State University,
librarians initiated a project called oSee
You See a Librarian� in 1996, using CU-
SeeMe, free desktop videoconferencing
software.!® With this software and
digital cameras, individuals from
around the world conducted real-time
conversations. Although initial interest
and involvement were high, response
dwindled by the third stage, which was
the discussion using this technology to
field reference questions. The Univer-
sity of Michigan has used this same
technology since 1995. Reference li-
brarians establish a link with libraries
in studentsT residence halls and use the
video technology to check for walk-in
patrons, listen for the phone, and
check the computer monitor. The li-
brary sees this program as a chance to
expand reference service without in-
creasing staff rather than as a way to
alter reference service significantly. !�

Although many of these attempts
to provide service to remote patrons
have not experienced high use, they do
nevertheless offer patrons other op-
tions in accessing reference service. It
is possible, as people become more
comfortable with videoconferencing
and other technologies, that such
projects will expand. It would seem
that what is important at this stage is
to encourage the use of remote refer-
ence service. This can be done by in-
struction and enhanced publicity, by
keeping abreast of technological devel-
opments and experimenting with
imaginative pilot projects, and by
showing patrons that the library is re-
sponsive to their needs.

North Carolina Libraries

Organizing Electronic Information
Building on their traditional skills,
many librarians are selecting, orga-
nizing, and making accessible the most
appropriate Internet sources for their
users. Kelly and Robbins advocate, as
do many others, that librarians should
ouse their skills in both organization of
information and sensitivity to user
needs to work on the development of
more powerful navigation tools such as
intelligent browsers, gateways, catalogs
of resources or other tools yet to be
developed.�!8 Although commercial
services such as Yahoo provide catalogs
of resources, and Internet service pro-
viders such as America Online create
marketable virtual environments for
their customers, libraries have a vital
role in selecting and organizing re-
sources of particular interest to differ-
ent sectors of their communities. This
allows us to fulfill our traditional role
of providing patrons with the most ap-
propriate and useful resources, a role
that is more important than ever given
the overwhelming amount of elec-
tronic information now available. One
of the most successful and well-devel-
oped examples is Infomine (http://lib-
www.ucr.edu), based at the University of
California, Riverside. Infomine provides
a series of subject-related catalogs of
Internet sites, guides, and finding tools.
A librarian selects each resource and
provides a detailed record with descrip-
tors, which enables patrons to search
the database by keyword. It is just one
example among a number of popular
and successful gateways, including the
Argus Clearinghouse subject index
of Internet guides (http://www.
clearinghouse.net) initiated at the Uni-
versity of Michigan, and Iowa StateTs
CyberStacks catalog of Internet re-
sources classified according to the Li-
brary of Congress classification
scheme. In addition, many libraries
now have home pages with links to
ready reference and subject-specific re-
sources, Internet guides, and resources
available on the libraryTs own network.
Increasingly, the virtual environ-
ment, in the form of the libraryTs home
page, provides the gateway to both vir-
tual and traditional library resources.
Libraries must continue to work to-
wards providing simplicity and consis-
tency in terms of interfaces to these
resources. Z39.50, the ISO standard for
information retrieval using client/
server architecture, allows users to con-
nect to remote databases and to search
them using the same search and navi-
gation methods and with very similar

screen layout. As confusion over the
different search interfaces provided by
different database vendors is one of the
major sources of reference questions at
present, libraries, vendors, and others
involved in information provision
must work towards increased standard-
ization using Z39.50. This would be
one of the most significant and benefi-
cial developments in improving the
success rate of searching by indepen-
dent information seekers.

In an article on the role of the ovir-
tual librarian,� Cherrie Noble also
highlights the metadata movement, an
important and growing trend. She de-
scribes metadata as oessentially data
about data� and metatagging as othe
use of a descriptive field or tag.�!°
Metatags are used to create a descrip-
tive record for Internet resources. They
are a less detailed alternative to tradi-
tional bibliographic records. Users can-
not see metadata, but search engines
use it to rank sites in relevancy lists.
Standards are currently being devel-
oped for metadata. Noble cites Amanda
Xu, a serials cataloger at MIT, who be-
lieves that, as Internet resources will in-
creasingly have metadata already at-
tached, the libraryTs Web site will be-
come the logical gateway for accessing
these resources.

Organizational Ethos

Jennifer Mendelsohn identifies the
major factors that contribute to quality
reference service as willingness, knowl-
edge, morale, and time.�° Certainly,
knowledge contributes to morale and
to willingness in helping patrons; li-
brarians need to dedicate time to keep-
ing up-to-date with new technologies
and electronic resources if they are to
do their jobs effectively. oThe concept
of knowledge renewal and growth is an
important one. The links between
knowledge, morale and willingness
must be recognized.��! It is not
enough for librarians to receive train-
ing; they must take an active role in
their own development of skills and
knowledge in the virtual environment,
adopting a life-long learning approach.
The library as a whole also needs to
adopt such an attitude. Libraries must
develop as learning organizations, en-
couraging the professional develop-
ment of their staffs, both in new skills
and new perspectives.

Conclusion

Through creative instruction and in-
novative reference services, reference
librarians can contribute to studentsT
development of information skills that

Fall 1998 " 103

will remain relevant even as technol-
ogy continues to evolve. To achieve
this goal, it is vital that librarians take
a proactive role in forming cooperative
partnerships with campus colleagues,
particularly with teaching faculty and
systems specialists.

Sweeping technological changes
have had a dramatic impact both on
the way reference librarians work and
on the information-seeking behavior
and expectations of academic library
users. Although this may be perceived
as a threat to the status of the academic
library as the central access point to in-
formation, we believe that those same
technological developments also afford
a greater opportunity than ever before
to make academic libraries exciting,
friendly, and relevant.

References:

! William A. Katz, Introduction to Ref-
erence Work, 7th ed. vol.1 (New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1997), xvi.

2 Jennifer Mendelsohn, oPerspectives
on Quality Reference Service in an Aca-
demic Library: a Qualitative Study,� RQ
36 (Summer 1997): 545.

3 Ann Jensen and Julie Sih, oUsing E-
Mail and the Internet to Teach Users at
Their Desktops,� Online 19 (Sept./Oct.
1995): 82-86.

4 American Library Association. Presi-

dential Committee on Information Literacy.
Final Report. (Chicago: American Library
Association, 1989), 1.

5 Vivian Parker Makosky, oTeaching
Psychology in the Information Age,�
Teaching Psychology 12 (February 1985):
23-26

® Philip J. Egan, oBridging the Gap Be-
tween the Student and the Library,� Col-
lege Teaching 40, 2 (Spring 1992): 67-70.

7 Ibid.

8 Dennis Isbell and Dorothy
Broaddus, oTeaching Writing and Re-
search as Inseparable: A Faculty-Librar-
ian Teaching Team,� Reference Services
Review 23 (Winter 1995): 51-62.

? Ann Margaret Scholz, Richard Cary
Kerr, and Samuel Keith Brown, oPLUTO:
Interactive Instruction on the Web,�
College and Research Libraries News 57, 6
(June 1996): 346.

10 Tbid., 346-349.

11 Carol Hansen and Nancy
Lombardo, oToward the Virtual Univer-
sity: Collaborative Development of a
Web-based Course,� Research Strategies
15 (Spring 1997): 68-79.

12 Jensen, 84-86.

13 Julia Kelly and Kathryn Robbins,
oChanging Roles for Reference Librar-
ians,� in Managing Change in Academic
Libraries, ed. Joseph J. Branin (New York:
Haworth Press, 1996): 115.

M4 Nettie Lagace and Michael

McClennen, oQuestions and Quirks:
Managing an Internet-based Distributed
Reference Service,� Computers in Librar-
ies 18 (February 1998): 24-27.

1S Harold Billings, et al., oRemote Ref-
erence Assistance for Electronic Infor-
mation Resources Over Networked
Workstations,� Library Hi Tech 12, 1
(1994): 77-86.

16 oVirtual Service� American Libraries
28, 1 January 1997): 44-45.

17 Tbid.

18 Kelly, 114.

19 Cherrie Noble, oReflecting on Our
Future,� Computers in Libraries 18 (Feb-
ruary 1998): 53.

20 Mendelsohn.

21; Thidl.,°555:

"

Thank You to NCLA
Contributing Members:

David S. Ferriero,
Duke University

Dr. Benjamin F. Speller,. Jr.,
North Carolina Central University

SOLINET

Tom Broadfoot,
BroadfootTs Publishing Company

=v

John Higgins, Sales Representative

ww
OXFORD

104 " Fall 1998

P.O. Box 21011
Columbia SC 29221

1-800-222-9086
Fax: 803-731-0320

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Lea QUALITY BOOKS INC.

North Carolina Libraries

From Reference Class to Reference Desk:

i! How may I help you?� I
would ask library users as I
worked as a student Informa-
tion Assistant in the Univer-
sity of North Carolina at
GreensboroTs Jackson Library
reference department during the 1996-
97 academic year. I was enrolled in
UNC-G's Master of Library and Infor-
mation Studies Program; my MLIS pro-
gram also included observation and ex-
perience at a high school media center
and a community college. I helped stu-
dents in their searches for books and
articles, then generally left them to
work on their own or saw them head
for the stacks with lists of materials to
look up. I would ask them to come
back to the desk if they had difficulty
finding what they were looking for.

Transition to the Real World

Now picture my first days on the job at
the information desk of a public library
in the summer of 1997 as a newly
graduated librarian with a fresh MLIS
degree.

oHi! How may I help you?�

oI'd like the CEOs of these five
companies, along with the company
addresses and phone numbers,� says
one caller. oCall me back and leave the
answers on my answering machine.�

oWe've just found out my wife has
liver cancer and I want to know more
about it,� says a man at the reference
desk, obviously stunned by the recent
diagnosis. He later asks which of vari-
ous treatments mentioned in medical
sources would be best to try.

oWhat percentage of all U.S. prison
inmates are African American?� asks
another caller who then goes on to ask

North Carolina Libraries

One Year Later

by Betty J. Moore

seven or eight other statistical ques-
tions. oCan you make copies of these?
ITll pick them up on my way home
from work.�

oThe courthouse said youTd know
what forms I need to file for my own
divorce,� says the woman at the desk,
a friend at her side for moral support.

oITm a nurse and have to give a
forty-five-minute presentation on oPa-
tient Recovery� in two days. Can you
research this for me?� asks one caller. oI
donTt have time to research the topic.�

Middle school students arrive,
some of them essentially asking library
staff to do their homework for them.
(Some would also like us to provide all
supplies for their projects and proof-
read, or type, their final papers.)

Drive-through, Pick-up Window

Now let me get this straight, I mused.
As a public librarian, ITm here to meet
all their information needs, yet ITm not
a doctor, lawyer, social worker, or ac-
countant. And I really donTt think the
teacher expects the librarian to do the
whole assignment he gives his stu-
dents. While I had learned in library
school that public librarians often did
more of the work for library users than

academic ones did (the terms
ohandholding� and ospoon-feeding�
were mentioned), I am surprised to dis-
cover how many public library custom-
ers expect odrive-through, pick-up win-
dow� reference service. In my reference
class, I had learned of some of the dif-
ferences between types of libraries. For
example, formal bibliographic instruc-
tion is considered to be less common in
public libraries than in academic or
school libraries.! William Katz says that
public libraries may have a high per-
centage of adult users, compared to
other types of libraries, and may also
find that fifty to sixty percent of its
questions are ready-reference rather
than research questions.�

Was I expected to go all the way to
the final answer for each patron, or
show the source, explain how to use it,
and leave the patron to complete her
research alone? Should I help some pa-
trons, such as older adults or county
commissioners extensively, but just get
school children started and encourage
them to continue the process on their
own? Should I package some library
use instruction with each answer, as
each Cracker Jacks box comes with a
treat? How far should I go to chase

While | had learned in library school that public librarians
often did more of the work for library users than
academic ones did ... | am surprised to discover how
many public library customers expect

odrive-through, pick-up window� reference service.

Fall 1998 " 105

down answers? Should I call Washing-
ton, DC, then fax several pages to call-
ers living out of the area ? Would I be
guided through these decisions by writ-
ten library policy, unwritten guide-
lines, or my own discretion?

My Continuing Education
Fortunately, I have an information ser-
vices supervisor, as well as experienced
co-workers and library guidelines to
help me learn how to deal with these
questions. At Rowan Public Library
(RPL) I read the Information Services
Policy Statement section that reads, oAll
requests for information are legitimate
and important to the library user. With
this understanding, every effort will be
made to provide information services
to library users of all ages and circum-
stances in a manner that is courteous,
equitable, and prompt.� oOur overall
philosophy,� according to Information
Services supervisor Suzanne White, ois
that we provide good customer ser-
vice.�? RPL Information Services has
further guidelines and procedures that
include answering each customerTs
questions as thoroughly as possible.
They also suggest that staff members
take customers to the shelves whenever
possible and that all questions receive
equal treatment regardless of their
source. Staff are expected to use judg-
ment to determine which questions to
answer completely and which to guide
the patron in source selection.

Homework questions are treated in
the same manner as other reference
questions. When students and other
customers in the library are guided to
continue research on their own, staff
are encouraged to tell them to return to
the information desk if they need fur-
ther assistance. When callers request
help on complex assignments, staff
may suggest that callers come into the
library for assistance. A student who
calls asking for five articles to be cop-
ied and ready for pickup may be told to
come into the library so we can omake
sure this is what you need.�

Staff who are involved in ques-
tions that may take more than five or
ten minutes to answer are expected to
keep an eye out for the desk and an ear
out for the phone so that the desk part-
ner is not left to handle all other re-
quests alone. Customers may be left to
work alone while the librarian helps
others, then returns later to see how
the patron is doing. Staff also must
Maintain a balance between helping
people in the library and those on the
phone. Phones are answered quickly,
but if a staff member is helping another

106 " Fall 1998

user, the phone request is written down
and a return call is promised.

Staff receive many specialized
medical, legal, financial, and tax ques-
tions; they assist customers in finding
information but do not give advice in
these matters. Values of collectibles
may be quoted from library sources.
Library guidelines say it is often appro-
priate to refer patrons to professionals
in these fields. Staff members will make
long distance calls for ready reference
questions, but will provide the phone
number to the user where more exten-
sive questioning is needed. RPL staff
will make some copies, with payment
expected at pickup, and will fax mate-
rials for a fee. Library instruction takes
several forms, including orientation
tours for students. Classes were held
showing use of the OPAC when it was
new. Currently, classes are offered in
Internet and e-mail basics.

oIt Depends.�

As I approach the end of my first year
as a professional librarian working at
the information desk, I am reflecting
on what I have learned this year. Since
I have wondered where other North
Carolina public librarians draw the line
between providing the final answer for
each patron and guiding them to find
the answers for themselves, I con-
ducted an informal telephone survey of
several public libraries selected from
the current Statistics & Directory of North
Carolina Public Libraries.* 1 polled sev-
eral reference department supervisors,
other staff members, and library direc-
tors from county, regional, and munici-
pal systems across the state.®

I asked four basic questions, but
welcomed discussion and other com-
ments. (1) Where do you draw the line
between finding the answer for patrons
and teaching them to find the answer
on their own? (2) Do you have differ-
ent levels of service for different pa-
trons, including students, the elderly,
business people, and local officials? (3)
Does your library offer instruction to
patrons? If so, which of these types"
formal classes, handouts, comments
during the reference interview, or oth-
ers? (4) Finally, does your library have
a written policy about this, are there
unwritten guidelines staff follow, or is
the level of service variable and left up
to the discretion of individual staff
members?

The most common comment I
heard was, oIt depends.� While not a
very scientific, quantifiable response, it
speaks to the variety of situations li-
brary staff face, as well as the discretion

they often must use to deal with situa-
tions on the spot. Most respondents,
many of whom referred to the Mary-
land Model of reference interviewing,
said they try to have a thorough refer-
ence interview, using that to determine
and clarify the question. At the same
time, they work to determine the
patronTs needs and ability to complete
the research alone, with some assis-
tance, or with the staff serving them
the completed answer. oWe feel people
out during the reference interview,�
said Stephanie Stout of Nantahala Re-
gional Library, headquartered in
Murphy. oIf somebody is motivated
and can handle questions on their
own, they usually indicate that and we
back off.� Several said they also used
the reference interview for instruction.
Shearin Antonowicz, Head of Reference
Services at Greensboro Public Library
said, oWe try not to just pre-package
information for people.� Staff there try
to be guides rather than give the final
answer.

Dave Fergusson, Head of Forsyth
County Public LibraryTs Headquarters
Branch in Winston-Salem said that
they either answer the question all the
way or refer the patron to someone
who can provide the answer. oTo be
honest, it depends on the librarian. I
think, probably more than many li-
braries, we give the answer.� Librarians
there have unlimited phone access to
answer questions. He said that with
technology becoming more advanced,
oSf youTre showing how to find the an-
swer when others show the answer,
you're in trouble.�

Levels of Service

Several respondents gave examples of
giving different service to certain pa-
trons. For example, Anna Yount, Direc-
tor of the Transylvania County Library
in Brevard, said their area has a large
retirement community with many se-
nior citizens. oSome are just not able to
use the ORAG. They can tsee it. lrg
hard for them. We often suggest they
may sit at the table and someone will
get their stuff for them.� Another com-
mented that while older patrons may
need more help with online catalogs,
the Internet, and CD-ROMs, they are
often better at finding books on the
shelves than young patrons. Others
mentioned going the extra distance to
provide what their local officials re-
quested.

Many librarians said they encour-
age school students to do more of the
work on their own. Several librarians
said they believe that the intended

North Carolina Libraries

purpose of student assignments is often
to learn the research process rather
than have librarians present them a
stack of books with marked answers.
More than one said, however, that they
allow as much time and effort for a
studentTs question as for any other.
Where students are assisted in getting
started and left to work on their own,
staff suggest they come back for more
assistance if they have difficulty in
their searches. Fergusson said of
Forsyth, oMost of the time we try to be
fairly consistent. We donTt discriminate
against kids.� Julia Hicks, Director of
Brown Library in Washington, said dif-
ferent types of patrons probably are
treated differently. She prefers that ev-
eryone be treated the same and tries to
model that to her staff. Fourth graders
should get as much attention as busi-
nessmen looking for stock quotes.

Instruction Practices

The most common instruction men-
tioned was that given during the refer-
ence interview. No one mentioned for-
mal classes on basic research processes
and techniques. Most told of classes
now given on Internet use, with NC
LIVE classes to begin soon, after staff
have received training. An-
other mentioned classes given
in genealogy search techniques
and resources. At Greensboro
Public Library patrons can
make appointments to learn to
use CD-ROM products. One li-
brarian said they try to notice
when people are asking the
same thing over and over and
make a sign or handout to answer
those common questions. Signs, hand-
outs, library tours and orientation are
provided as means of instruction in
many of the libraries surveyed.
Fergusson said, oWeTd love to teach
them. But if they donTt want us to, we
donTt force it.� He added, oOur job is to
give them what they want. Library edu-
cation is not our goal.�

Written Policies

Written policies, procedures manuals,
and guidelines are somewhat more
common in the larger libraries. Rather
than mention how much assistance to
give patrons, some policies just refer to
staff using discretion, being aware of
leaving desk or phone unattended for
long periods, and trying to maintain a
balance of time spent helping each pa-
tron, in-house and by phone. Several
smaller libraries have no written poli-
cies covering these situations. They rely

North Carolina Libraries

on job descriptions, modeling other
staff, and staff development training to
promote the expected practices for
their library. Greensboro has a written
procedures manual, including phone
time limit. Staff at Forsyth are guided
by staff training and expectations of
library staff, as well as by the demands
of patrons after years of such service.

How Far Will We Go?

Several respondents volunteered mot-
toes such as oCustomer service is our
top priority,� oWe go the distance,� or
oOur basic philosophy is to try to do
the best we can for everybody.� Yet, as
one director said, oI think everybody
practices triage.� With limited staff,
resources and time, librarians sort out
and classify which
questions and which
library users they are
able to answer most
completely. The num-
ber of patrons waiting
at the desk or on the
phone, time of day,
and how much help a patron actually
asks for are other factors that affect the
amount of assistance given.

Perhaps the biggest factor is how

oOur job is to give them what
they want. Library education is
not our goal.�

much time the librarian has. The 10
A.M. patron may get much more ex-
tensive help than the 4 P.M. one. Peter
Bileckyj, reference head at Wilson
County Public Library in Wilson said
that, while they try to be fair to all, the
reality is that on a slow day librarians
will spend more time with a patron
who is slower at catching on. How
many phones are ringing and how
many patrons are waiting at the desk
are also limiting factors. Several re-
ferred to a phone reference time limit,
one to say they do not include othe
infamous time limit� in their proce-
dures. Another said they do try to limit
phone calls to five minutes and answer
what they can during that time.
While having the availability of
many new technologies and NC LIVE
gives librarians access to some answers
more quickly, thereby saving time, it
also increases the number of places to
look, which may take more time. Since

o| think everybody
practices triage.�

there is a greater chance now of find-
ing the requested answer through the
libraryTs resources, librarians may refer
elsewhere less frequently.

Another factor is how much help
the patron wants. Some are familiar
with the library layout and the Dewey
Decimal System and prefer to look on
their own, once the librarian has
helped them narrow their searches to a
particular subject, area, or book. Oth-
ers seem frightened of the whole li-
brary experience and would like some-
one to o hold their hand� as they go to
the book shelves or use the copier, on-
line catalog, or computer. The term
ospoon-feeding� carries the negative
connotation of helping someone do
something that he really ought to do
himself. Yet several li-
braries enthusiasti-
cally, or at least will-
ingly, give the patron
whatever is requested.
A staff member at one
smaller library said en-
thusiastically, oWe go
the distance!� Transylvania CountyTs
Yount said, oWe carry books to the car.
We've even taken someone to the doc-
tor! Service is a priority for us.�

Most people, whether at larger or
smaller libraries, mentioned limited
staff. Bileckyj said that with a reference
staff of three, their goal is to show the
person the material and show them
how to use it. Greensboro offers ap-
pointments with subject specialists
since staff are able to give more per-
sonal service when they are not work-
ing on the desk. Their business special-
ist has the most requests; others re-
quest appointments with their gene-
alogist for family research assistance
and their documents specialist for sta-
tistics and demographic information.

Distinctions also are made be-
tween ready reference and extensive
research questions. Stout said they
were not able to fax somebody oall the
Johnsons in Cherokee County.� Kathy
Kahn, Director of Mooresville Public
Library said that they referred people
with more extensive questions, espe-
cially ones requiring technical or busi-
ness expertise, to larger libraries such as
Iredell and Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
They provide the other libraryTs phone
number, then suggest the patron make
the call on his own. Forsyth provides a
distinct telephone reference depart-
ment each afternoon, where staff an-
swer questions quickly or refer to re-
search departments if needed.

In addition, library staff within

Fall 1998 " 107

one library may differ in how much as-
sistance they offer. For example, the
director of one library commented that
there is no consistency among that
staff about whether to completely find
the answer for the patron or give in-
structions and leave the search to the
patron. Therefore, some staff tell
phone patrons they must come in to
the library and others find the answer
and give it on the phone. ~

Finally, public libraries remain
aware of their role as tax-supported
community agencies as they decide
how much assistance to offer. Several
respondents spoke of trying to use tax
money responsibly, whether by limit-
ing long-distance calls and faxes or by
giving taxpayers the full service they
have paid for and come to expect.

Survey Summary

This informal phone survey was a good
starting place for discussion and pos-
sible future research. With its small
sample and possibility of multiple var-
ied answers, it did not attempt to be
scientific. The amount of help given,
and the place the line was
drawn, varied not only from
library to library, but also
from librarian to librarian. In
addition, the same librarian
operated differently depend-
ing on the patronTs need and
ability, the level of activity at
the desk, and other factors.
About half of the respondents
said they gave different levels
of service to different groups
of users, generally students
and the elderly. Most offered
some instruction, mainly one-on-one
during the reference interview, but in-
creasingly, through Internet and NC
LIVE classes. Most said their libraryTs
written policies did not address these
questions. Library staff generally are
guided by unwritten guidelines, often
taught in staff training upon employ-
ment. Then much is left up to their dis-
cretion based on factors mentioned
previously.

Literature Review
A review of library literature reveals sev-
eral studies concerning how much and
what kind of assistance libraries give
users and what attitudes librarians and
library users have about instruction. |
learned that the term ospoonfeeding�
does not appear in the Library Literature
database, even though it was men-
tioned by several of the librarians inter-
viewed.

Roma Harris explored the value
conflicts underlying the information

108 " Fall 1998

versus instruction debate.® She found
that the majority of those surveyed
agreed othat user instruction is desir-
able in public libraries and that it
should be a regular part of reference
transactions (not only when users re-
quest it.)� Her study found no consen-
sus, however, regarding the teaching
roles of librarians, patron self-suffi-
ciency, and the ospoonfeeding� of pub-
lic library users. She measured attitudes
of librarians about bibliographic in-
struction and showed the wide polarity
in the debate. While over 90% of those
surveyed agreed with the statement
obibliographic instruction in public li-
braries is appropriate for students,�
only 50% agreed that othe primary goal
of reference librarians in public librar-
ies should be to help people become
independent users of the library.� Fur-
thermore, only 40% agreed that orefer-
ence librarians should avoid spoon-
feeding information to public library
users.�7

Harris quoted comments of several
of those she surveyed.® One said, oPart

~a public libraries remain aware
of their role as tax-supported
community agencies as they
decide how much assistance

to offer.

of the process of question negotiation is
determining if bibliographic instruction
is needed, desired, and within the userTs
capacity.� Others commented that they
were glad to assist any library users who
wanted to find out how the library
works and become self-sufficient users.
Otherwise, one librarian said, oinforma-
tion should be given without instruc-
tion.� Another agreed, saying othe pub-
lic comes to the library for an answer to
their question, not for a quick lesson
how they should go about finding it
themselves ... Librarians must realize
that increasingly we are a service indus-
try (not education) and that the public
expects the same of us as they do a clerk
at a department store.� Or a bookstore.

Susan J. Diehl and Terry L. Weech
focused on another aspect of this dis-
cussion in their article oLibrary Use
Instruction in the Public Library: A Sur-
vey of User Preferences.�? They sur-
veyed library users rather than librar-

ians. Their research addressed the ques-
tions of whether public library users
think public libraries should offer in-
struction in library use and also
whether these users opersonally want
to receive instruction in the use of the
library.� Library users were asked
whether they would prefer to receive
an answer only, receive an explanation
only, receive both, or be given a choice
of which they would like to receive.
Over 50% said they would prefer to re-
ceive both an answer and an explana-
tion of how to find that answer.
Twenty percent preferred a choice.

Library users also were asked
which method (a class, a booklet, while
they were asking the question, or a
handout near the item) they preferred
to receive instruction. Forty-six percent
preferred othe one-on-one experience
of the reference interview� as the way
to receive instruction. Only 18% pre-
ferred a focused setting, such as a class.

Shelly Adatto described the user
education program at the Seattle Pub-
lic Library, stating that oteaching the
public to become successful, indepen-
dent library users is a key goal of user
education at the Seattle Public Li-
brary.� Adatto gives brief summaries of
several courses Seattle offers, including
oTake Charge of Your Information
Needs!� oThe World of Book Reviews,�
oMagazine Research Techniques,� and
oComputer Search Techniques.� The
courses focus on olearning the process
of using and locating materials,� rather
than reviewing bibliographies. !°

Increasingly, library users ask li-
brarians to help them evaluate the
quality of online information. Should
librarians advertise Internet availability
at the library, then refuse to help evalu-
ate sites because of librariansT tradi-
tional neutrality toward materials? In a
pertinent recent Library Journal edito-
rial, John Berry III exhorts librarians to
take on a role they have avoided in the
past. oWhen I went to library school,
we were told that librarians did not
interpret or analyze information but
merely helped people find it....We were
warned not to ~spoon-feedT students or
other information seekers.� He states
that people today are flooded with in-
formation and need advice on inter-
preting and evaluating as they choose
Internet sites relevant to their needs.
He urges librarians to take on what he
calls othis crucially needed but high-
risk role of information advisor. If we
donTt offer that kind of professional
information service, who needs us?� he
concludes.!!

North Carolina Libraries

oUsed Car Salesman� Approach

The ultimate in customer assistance can
be found in an U*N*A*B*A*S*H*E*D
Librarian reprint of an article submit-
ted by Trisha Gillis, when she was a stu-
dent intern at Orange (CA) Public Li-
brary in 1972. Her supervisor assigned
her the task of testing the validity of
his pet theory:

that large numbers of persons in-
vading his library needed help but,
because of shyness, fear of seeming
ignorant, language barriers, or re-
luctance to ~disturbT the librarians,
neither asked for it nor, because of
(librariansT) traditional attitudes,
were offered it. His trial method of
serving the unserved was to pro-
vide a stand-up, look-for-questions,
lead-the-patron-by-the-hand Infor-
mation Desk, personified by me.

I am the used-car salesman of the
Orange Public Library. !?

Gillis patrolled the library 24 hours
a week, looking for patrons showing
osigns of struggle,� then approached
them with her most sincere smile and
an offer of assistance. She decided that
people like being approached and
helped in this way and recommended
that all librarians at least adopt the at-
titude of the library ofloorwalker� and
get the person together with the
needed source of information as
quickly as possible.

What | Learned Last Summer "
And Beyond

Over the past year I have questioned
and modeled more experienced co-
workers, discussed library policy with
my supervisor, and looked at how new
information technologies are affecting
library reference work, as I work to
clarify my own philosophy of the in-
formation versus instruction question.
I assist as much as I can, given the time

and resources available to me. I am
learning that with current electronic
resources available, I am able to answer
many more questions more fully than
librarians of days past. I am learning
that on a slow Tuesday morning I may
follow all answers to their conclusions
and spend as much time with a patron
as he wishes, including the 88-year-old
man eager to see what the Internet is
like. On a busy late afternoon during
science project and tax season with
both phones ringing, my desk partner
deep in the stacks, and patrons lined
up at the desk, I reluctantly may have
to resort to pointing and asking people
to wait or to do more on their own.

I often do throw in instruction dur-
ing the reference interview, whether itTs
asked for or not. If they seem interested,
I'll give more; if not, I proceed quickly
toward the answer. When my time is
very limited, or I need to refer someone
to other professionals, I try to explain
that with my most sincere smile and
professional manner. I always suggest
patrons check back with me if they
need more assistance.

I knew from the start of my library
training that I wanted a job where I
would interact daily with the public.
My goal has definitely been fulfilled.
Most days there are surprising ques-
tions, thank goodness, such as the call
from a woman asking what she should
feed an injured wasp she had rescued
from ants. And when a customer ap-
pears at the information desk saying,
oOh, I hate to bother you,� I respond,
oThatTs what ITm here for. ThatTs my
job! How may I help you?�

References
' Roma Harris, oBibliographic In-
struction in Public Libraries: A Question
of Philosophy,� RQ 29 (Fall 1989): 93.
William A. Katz, Introduction to Ref-
erence Work, Volume I 6th ed. (New
York: McGraw-Hill, 1992), 13.

858 Manor Street
Lancaster, PA 17603

3 Interview, Rowan County Public
Library, May 4-8, 1998.

* Statistics & Directory of North Caro-
lina Public Libraries July 1, 1996 - June
1997 (Raleigh: State Library of North
Carolina, 1997).

° Phone interviews took place between
May 15 and June 3, 1998. I would like to
ackowledge the assistance of Artemis
Kares in making several of the calls.

® Roma Harris, oBibliographic Instruc-
tion in Public Libraries: A Question of
Philosophy,� RQ 29 (Fall 1989): 92-98.

7 Tbid., 94.

8 Tbid., 94-97.

° Susan J. Diehl and Terry L. Weech,
oLibrary Use Instruction in the Public
Library: A Survey of User Preferences,�
Research Strategies 9 (Winter 1991): 25-40.

10 Shelly Adatto, oHelping Users Help
Themselves,� PNLA Quarterly 56 (Win-
ter 1992): 9-10.

11 John N. Berry Ill, oRisking Relevant
Reference Work,� Library Journal 123
(May 15, 1998): 6.

12 Trisha Gillis, oLibrarian as Floor-
walker, or DonTt Point, Walk,� The
U*N*A*B*A*S*H*E*D Librarian 101
(1996): 19-20.

BOOK WEEK NOVEMBER 16-22, 1998

CURRENT EDITIONS, INC.

W/HOLESALERS

TO LIBRARIES

1-800-487-2278 (FAX)
"Support North Carolina Libraries"

North Carolina Libraries

1-800-959-1672

Fall 1998 " 109

Reference Interview:

sixth grader and parent had

entered the public library and

asked for a book on the ocar-

nivorous forest.� Both nod-

ded when asked if what they

wanted was a place where
plants like the Venus Fly-trap grow.
When the boy indicated, oMaybe, but
I think itTs in Canada,� the real ques-
tion became apparent. What they
needed was information on cone-bear-
ing trees or oconiferous forests.� A
best-seller of several years ago, Men are
from Mars, Women Are From Venus by
John Gray, discussed the communica-
tion between genders as happening
from two different viewpoints.� Like-
wise, we could very well ask what
planet we are on and what planet the
child is on as we experience reference
interviews with children.

Children are in the midst of devel-
oping intellectually, emotionally, and
socially. This difference in develop-
ment between children and adults
leads to a difficulty in understanding
when communication is attempted.
Much has been written and studied
about the reference interview, but not
until the last several years has there
been more focus on reference inter-
views with children and the strategies
that can be used to help in the success
of those reference interviews.

The PubYac listserv has had many
postings about reference requests that
might have led the answer quest to go
awry. A four-year-old boy requested a
book called Rock Stew, which had dis-
torted the real title, Stone Soup.? A
mother, going by what her son had
written down, wanted information on
the Soup Indians (Sioux Indians).*
Other misguided requests for materials

110 " Fall 1998

Strategies for Children

by Melvin K. Burton

include: Afghans " the blankets, dogs,
or people; books about doctors when
the child really wanted Dr. Seuss books;
an adolescent boy asking for oPoison
Sex� " actually wanting Boys and Sex;
craft books when the original need was
for books on Kraft cheese; My Friend
Scuba Diver instead of Brinton TurkleTs
My Friend Obadiah; and the geography
of Tuna, that is Tunisia. These
postings, though, are more about the
distorted request than a very broad ini-
tial request that takes some time to
narrow down the real one. Both types
of queries probably occur more with
children than with adults.

Writings and studies about the ref-
erence interview date as far back as
1954 when David Maxfield stated the
four techniques " acceptance, under-
standing, communication, and col-
laboration " that should be used.
Maxfield also alluded to specific skills
such as listening carefully, observing
the patron, and clarifying and amplify-
ing what the patron is saying.° Robert
S. TaylorTs study in 1965, which was
written about in the May 1968 College
and Research Libraries, listed four needs:
visceral, conscious, formalized, and
compromised. Later an article by
Geraldine King, Winter 1972 RQ, em-
phasized the use of open questions.
William KatzT reference service text-
books gave the interview a separate
chapter and, as a change from previous
texts, did not fail to highlight the
interviewTs importance.T Elaine and
Edward Jennerich, who wrote The Ref-
erence Interview as a Creative Art, listed
twelve skills that can be learned: eye
contact, gestures, relaxed posture, fa-
cial expression and tone of voice, re-
membering, avoiding premature diag-

noses, reflecting feeling verbally, restat-
ing or paraphrasing content, using en-
couragers, closure, giving opinions and
suggestions, and open questions.®

Possibly the most famous study of
the reference interview was unveiled in
an article in the November 1, 1985 Li-
brary Journal that described the devel-
opment of the Maryland Model of Ref-
erence Behavior. A study conducted by
the Public Library Branch of the Divi-
sion of Library Development and Ser-
vices (DLDS), Maryland State Depart-
ment of Education, in the summer and
fall of 1983 revealed that a patron may
get a correct answer to a reference
query only 55% of the time, and led to
a more defined format for conducting
the reference interview. Employees of
the Survey Research Center at the Uni-
versity of Maryland asked 40 questions
at 60 locations in the 22 public library
systems in Maryland that chose to par-
ticipate.?

The positive result of the study is
that an increase in the percentage of
correct answers is very possible since
many of the variables that would help
in this regard are within the librarianTs
control. The inquiry skills needed were
compiled into a Model Reference Be-
haviors Checklist. These skills in-
cluded: asking open questions, para-
phrasing, clarifying, and using a fol-
low-up question.!° There was a North
Carolina connection to the Maryland
study. The stages of the interview "set-
ting the tone, getting the facts, giving
information, and follow-up " were
adapted from a document prepared by
the Office of Public Health Social Work,
North Carolina Department of Health,
1974." The authors of the Library Jour-
nal article cited that the single most

North Carolina Libraries

important behavior is asking the fol-
low-up question, oDoes this completely
answer your question?� !? Referring to
the Maryland Model of Reference Be-
haviors, Gers and Seward stated, o If
these behaviors are constantly and
consistently exhibited, oneTs reference
service performance should improve
dramatically.�!% In order to find out if
the three days of training that were
held after the 1983 study made a differ-
ence in service performance, another
study was done in 1986 in the same 60
libraries that were originally surveyed.
It was found that the training made a
substantial difference. Patrons helped
by a control group that had not been
trained received a correct answer 60%
of the time, while patrons going to any
of the 17 libraries where employees
had been trained got a correct answer
77% of the time.!4

In the September/October 1994 is-
sue of Public Libraries, two faculty
members of the Graduate School of Li-
brary and Information Science at the
University of Western Ontario reported
on their latest annual assignment in
which library school students were to
ask reference questions and report on
their experiences. Of the 77 partici-
pants, 52 asked their questions in a
public library. The usersT experiences
confirmed previous studies that indi-
cated about a 55% success rate. Only 28
users said they would return to the
same librarian again.!

The narration of the usersT experi-
ences helped to identify helpful and
unhelpful behaviors. Some of the help-
ful behaviors noted were using wel-
coming body language, asking open-
ended questions, volunteering help,
monitoring the referral, and using a fol-
low-up question.!° Many unwelcoming
behaviors were noted. These behaviors
included pursed lips, curt tone, not
looking up from the desk, never smil-
ing, rolling eyes, and looking at the
ceiling. Other unhelpful behaviors
were not listening, not informing the
user of what was happening, not giving
the question any importance, not con-
ducting a reference interview, and not
doing any follow-up. It probably was
disconcerting for the library user who
stated, o He made me feel as if he were
happy that ITd be leaving the desk.�!�

All of these aforementioned writ-
ings and studies helped in the under-
standing of the reference interview, but
none addressed the peculiar nature of
the reference interview with a child.
This decade, however, has seen more
focus on techniques that are helpful
when interviewing a child. Workshops

North Carolina Libraries

on the reference interview presented in
the Gaston-Lincoln Regional Library in
the fall of 1991 included a segment
on the child patron, and workshops
being presented at locations within the
Public Library of Charlotte and
Mecklenburg County throughout 1998
also have a part devoted to dealing
with children. Elaine and Edward
Jennerich revised their written work,
The Reference Interview As a Creative Art,
so that the 1997 edition has a section
on the young patron.!® Cal Shepard,
former Youth Services Consultant with
the State Library of North Carolina in
the early 1990s, noted on the NCKids
listserv, September 4, 1992, that there
are ospecial problems that can arise in
reference services to children and
youth.� Those problems were stated to
be (1) being more inarticulate in voic-
ing information needs, (2) either caring
a lot or not caring at all because of the
request being a school assignment, (3)
being more unfamiliar with the classi-
fication system, and (4) needing to get
the same information as the rest of the
class. Shepard cautioned that the child
patron should be treated as seriously as
the adult patron since children have
the same right to information as every-
one else.!?

Kathleen Horning wrote a column
for Wilson Library Bulletin (May 1994)
that reiterated her plea from her Febru-
ary 1994 column for librarians to re-
flect on how reference work with chil-
dren differs from reference work with
adults. She encouraged including the
child in the interview when both a par-
ent and child are present and delin-
eated the twists and turns that an inter-
view with a child can take in a recre-
ation of a real-life reference interview.
Horning also asked questions: oDo we
provide the same level of service that
we would for an adult? Have we been
trained to conduct interviews with
children who have difficulty articulat-
ing their needs? Are we allowed the
necessary time to help children state
their questions and help them find the
answers?� 20

There have been responses to
HorningTs second question. In addition
to the workshops already mentioned, a

workshop was presented at this yearTs
Public Library Association Conference
on the results of a pilot study from
Maryland on the oQuality of Reference
Service to Children.� In 1997, as a fol-
low-up to the previous study, the Mary-
land State Department of Education,
Division of Library Development and
Services arranged to survey librarians
and children (defined as persons be-
tween eight and fourteen) to investi-
gate the premise that ochildren should
expect a public library to provide open
and free access to information, pro-
vided by a staff who recognizes and
welcomes their unique needs.��! These
types of efforts should help prepare li-
brarians to conduct a reference inter-
view with a child effectively.

In order to have a more successful
reference interview, we need to be
aware of specific differences between
interviews with adults and children.
These factors include being approach-
able, working more with the child than
with the parent, using basic, under-
standable vocabulary, paraphrasing to
catch pronunciation errors, dealing
with other-generated questions or
school assignments, being skilled at
narrowing the question, and treating
adults and children equally.

In The Reference Interview As a Cre-
ative Art, traits are listed that enable
someone to be a good reference librar-
ian. Those traits listed include the abil-
ity to jump quickly from one subject to
another, patience and persistence,
imagination and creativity, a genuine
liking for people, dedication or com-
mitment, and a sense of humor. Not
only do Elaine and Edward Jennerich
list a sense of humor among the desir-
able traits for a reference librarian to
have, they also say it is the first trait
needed. Humor should not be used to
ridicule the patron, but should be di-
rected at the situation. Humor can re-
lieve stress and relax everyone. It was
stated that ochildren love humor and
the use of it with them makes the li-
brarian seem a bit more ~humanT and
approachable.�

The 1997 Maryland study recom-
mended not asking if the question was
for a homework assignment and at-

In order to have a more successful reference interview,
we need to be aware of specific differences between
interviews with adults and children.

Fall 1998 " 111

tempting to negotiate with the child
rather than the adult.T Both strategies
seem to be an attempt to give children
equal status since normally one would
not ask the adult why the information
is needed and talking to the child di-
rectly gives the child status as a patron
in the childTs own right. In Edward and
Elaine JennerichTs revised work, they
affirm that children and teens should
be treated respectfully and that the li-
brarian should not imply that some
questions may be out of bounds. In a
further defense of the status of the
child, the authors comment in regard
to the accompanied child, oIn the si-
lent child and know-it-all parent three-
some, the goal is to speak with the
child without alienating the parent.
Always focus on the child and confirm
that the need expressed by the parent
is really what the child needs or what
the teacher suggested. Being at eye
level with the child is particularly use-
ful in this situation. It makes a nonver-
bal statement that the childTs needs are
important.�4

While the written material handed
out at the PLA presentation recom-
mended not asking if the question was
for a homework assignment, the pan-
elists at the presentation expressed a
difference of opinion on this issue. Li-
brarians need to weigh the goal of
equal treatment of children with the
desire to know about homework as-
signments. Children also may worry
about librarians giving them access to
information. In the young adult novel
Reluctantly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds
Naylor, Alice wants to help her friend
who does not know what a man looks
like naked. AliceTs father shows her that
the library is the place to go for even
that kind of information. Alice gains a
new perspective of the library. As she
tells the reader, oA librarian came by to
get a book from the shelf, and she
couldnTt help but see what I was look-
ing at; she didnTt even blink. Like it was
ok to be curious. I felt almost the way
I did at the grade school the other day.
Safe. Protected.�*5 Giving equal access
to information, not asking if the ques-
tion is for homework, and talking di-
rectly to the child are all ways of ensur-
ing that the child is getting the same
service as an adult.

Vocabulary use and confusion
about word meanings can be a stum-
bling block in conducting a reference
interview with a child. At the age of 17
months, children have a vocabulary of
about 50 words,�° a child entering
school may have a vocabulary of 3,000
to 4,000 words, while by the comple-
tion of college that vocabulary knowl-
edge would have changed to 10,000 to
30,000 words.?T Once a child asked me
for tall tales, and I responded by asking
if any particular tall tale was needed.
The child answered oNo,� and after a
confirming response on my part we
proceeded to the 398s. As I began
pointing out some tall tale stories of
Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill, the child
asked if we had any from Norway. This
question told me that his idea of tall
tales was the definition of folk tales. He
went away pleased with getting
HavilandTs Favorite Fairy Tales Told in
Norway. Basic and understandable
words should be used in the reference
interview. At the same time, trying not
to talk down to the child, paraphras-
ing, and watching for body language
response should help correct any
misimpressions.

Pronunciation may lead to misun-
derstanding. The child may talk too
softly, not use correct pronunciation,
or mumble. An incorrect pronuncia-
tion that is also a word may lead the li-
brarian off on a tangent if paraphrasing
and clarifying are not used. One child
came to me and said he wanted infor-
mation about a ofeeling in the mouth.�
I thought he needed something in re-
gard to touch. When I asked if he
wanted information on the tongue
touching things, the child let me know
he wanted books on dental work or a
ofilling.� My favorite mispronuncia-
tion is when a child asked me if we had
anything on oreptiles and amphet-
amines� (rather than oreptiles and am-
phibians�). When you do not under-
stand what is being said at all, asking
the patron to repeat what was said, ask-
ing the child to spell the word for you,
or asking the person to write the topic
for you might all be useful tactics.

Sometimes children do not know
the additional information to give you.
Often more childrenTs questions are
other-generated rather than self-gener-

Vocabulary use and confusion about word meanings
can be a stumbling block in conducting
a reference interview with a child.

112 " Fall 1998

ated. The adult who needs information
to repair the car was not sent by any-
one else. However, many children are
responding to teacher assignments and
may not have a full understanding of
the question themselves. The survey
conducted by Transform Inc. in con-
nection with the Maryland study re-
vealed that 90% of the childrenTs refer-
ence questions were school related.�® If
the child cannot tell you enough infor-
mation about his question, asking
whether the question is an assignment
from someone else is in order. There
may be an assignment sheet available
with the child or a classmate who is in
the library; there may be someone who
could be reached with a phone call, or
the teacher may have alerted the li-
brary about the assignment. If the ex-
act question cannot be determined, the
child may have to check with the
teacher the next day to clarify the ex-
act nature of the assignment.

Proficiency in narrowing down the
question is helpful in interviewing the
child patron. The Transform Inc. sur-
vey indicated that 70% of the time the
reference interview started with a
broad initial question. The Maryland
study concluded, though, that oLibrar-
ians appear to have a problem using
more than one open probe in question-
ing children, which tends to lead to a
single open probe syndrome (SOPS).�2°

The following scenario includes
some of the factors that have been dis-
cussed:

Mother and child come into the

childrenTs area of the public li-

brary.

Mother: Could you help us with a
question?

Librarian: I would be glad to. Is
this a question that your son
has?

Mother: Yes it is. He has a school
assignment.

Librarian (looking at child): How
can I help you?

Child: Could you tell me where
your history books are?

Librarian: We do have quite a few
history books. Can you tell me
more about what you need?

Child: Yes, I need some informa-
tion about the Civil War.

Librarian: That would be in the
973s. Do you have your assign-
ment sheet or do you know what
in particular you need to know
about the Civil War?

Child: I donTt have an assignment
sheet with me, but ITm supposed
to do a report on who killed
Abraham Lincoln and how it

North Carolina Libraries

happened.

Librarian: So you need information
about the assassination or death
of Abraham Lincoln?

Child: Yes, thatTs right.

Librarian: I see by checking the
catalog that we have several
biographies of Lincoln that
would talk about his death and
one book that just talks about
the day he was shot. Come with
me, and you can look at whatTs
on the shelf. Here is the biogra-
phy section, and here are the
books on Lincoln. Look over
these and see which books are
the most readable for you.

Child: This one will work ok.

Librarian: Is that going to give you
everything you need?

Child: Sure!

Librarian: Feel free to check with
us if you have any other
questions.

Of course, even with the same
question, a different child or parent
may cause the course of the interview
to goin a different direction; but using
the techniques discussed should help
the librarian to bring the interview to
a satisfactory conclusion.

The JennerichsT discussion of young
patrons summarized their recommen-
dations by stressing the use of open-
ended questions, paraphrasing, avoid-
ing the use of jargon, finding reading
levels needed or other limitations, not
presuming the question is a school as-
signment, focusing attention on the
child, and respecting privacy.°° Work-
ing to provide equal treatment of chil-
dren and adults, being approachable,
trying to catch vocabulary and pronun-
ciation confusion, being patient with
getting to the specific question, and at-
tempting to be aware of school assign-
ments should all help to ensure that
Kathleen HorningTs question of provid-

a CheckpointT

North Carolina Libraries

ing the same level of service for a child
as for an adult is answered positively.
Just as the reference interview work-
shops in connection with the original
Maryland study covered a three-day
time period, being skilled in conduct-
ing reference interviews with children
requires not just reading about what to
do, but extensive practice and rein-
forcement. Children are not just the
patrons of tomorrow: they are the pa-
trons of today. Working to make sure
we have the skills to serve children will
give a good impression of libraries to
children and ensure that the children
we are serving today will remain the
patrons of tomorrow.

References

1 Katherine Heylman, oKidspeak,�
PubYac@nysernet.org (Novermber 21,
1997).

2 John Gray, Men Are From Mars,
Women Are From Venus, (New York:
Harpercollins, 1992).

3 Cheryl Marx, oMore Kidspeak,�
PubYac@nysernet.org (January 23,
1998).

4 Bina Williams, oRE: Kidspeak,�
PubYac@nysernet.org (November 26,
1997).

5 June Osowski, oKidspeak Returns,�
PubYac@nysernet.org (January 16,
1998).

6 Elaine Z. Jennerich and Edward J.
Jennerich, The Reference Interview As a
Creative Art, (Littleton, CO: Libraries
Unlimited, Inc., 1987), 2.

ial [Onn lgg 83s

8 Tbid., 8-9.

9 Ralph Gers and Lillie J. Seward,
oImproving Reference Performance:
Results of a Statewide Study,� Library
Journal, November 1, 1985, 32.

10 Tpid., 34.

WaTbide; Bo:

ibid:

13 Tbid.

14 Maryland State Department of

Education, A Skill Building Workshop,
Toward Better Reference Service: A
TrainerTs Manual, Maryland State De-
partment of Education, Division of Li-
brary Development and Service, Public
Library Branch, Baltimore, Maryland,
1988, 62.

1S Catherine S. Ross and Patricia
Dewdney, oBest Practices: An Analysis
of the Best (and Worst) in Fifty-Two
Public Library Reference Transactions,�
Public Libraries, September/October,
1994, 261.

16 Tbid., 265.

17 Tbid., 263-264.

18 Edward Jennerich and Elaine
Jennerich, The Reference Interview As a
Creative Art, 2nd ed. (Englewood, CO:
Libraries Unlimited Inc. 1997), 84-86.

19 Cal Shepard, oReference Service,�
NCKids Listserv, September 4, 1992.

20 Kathleen T. Horning, oFishing For
Questions,� Wilson Library Bulletin,
May, 1994, 57.

21 Mary Lee Blatchford, Susan
Paznekas, Marjorie Ann Crammer,
Stacey Aldrich, Panel Presenter, oQual-
ity of Reference Service to Children: A
Pilot Study from Maryland,� program
handout at 1998 Public Library Asso-
ciation Conference, March 12, 1998.
Kansas City, Missouri, 3.T.

22 Jennerich, 28.

23 Blatchford, 4.

24 Jennerich, 1997 ed., 86.

25 Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Reluc-
tantly Alice, (New York: Atheneum,
1991), 90.

26 Marguerite Kelly, Marguerite KellyTs
Family Almanac, (New York: Simon &
Schuster, 1994), 267.

27 The World Book Encyclopedia, (Chi-
cago: World Book Inc., 1997), v. 20,
434.

28 Blatchford, 6.

29 Blatchford, 7.

30 Jennerich, 1997 ed., 87.

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P.O. Box 144

Rockingham, NC 28379

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Tomorrow's Technology for Today's Libraries�"�

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Fall 1998 " 113

ReadersT Advisory Services:
New Attention to a Core Business of the Public Library

hat customer service provi-
sion occurs most frequently
in public libraries in North
Carolina?
If you chose reference
transactions, you are incorrect.
The most common transaction in mod-
ern public libraries is circulation. In
North Carolina, there were approxi-
mately 36,000,000 circulations during
1996. Compare that with the number of
reference questions during the same
year (about 6,500,000), or with the
number of people attending meetings
annually (just over 2,000,000). Even the
total number of visits to facilities for all
reasons (just over 25,000,000) was less
than circulation.! The preponderance of
those transactions comes from the cir-
culation of recreational books, most of-
ten novels, although videocassette and
audiocassette circulation are growing
more rapidly than book circulation. Yet
readersT advisory services are not getting
the attention they deserve.

The following table illustrates circu-
lation in North CarolinaTs public librar-
ies during 1996 broken down into cat-
egories: fiction versus non-fiction and
adult versus children. While there is no
question that programming and refer-
ence are important services today or
that NC Live constitutes an exciting
new direction in North Carolina, bor-
rowing books from
library collections is
the most common
reason that people
use the public library
today. This suggests
that sustained recre-
ational reading plays
a major role in the

114 " Fall 1998

by Kenneth Shearer

lives of large numbers of Tar Heels.

Percent of 1996 Book Circulation in

North Carolina by Type of Book and
Age of Borrrower.

Adult | Children | Total
Fiction 35% 67%
Non-
fiction 23% 33%
Total 58% 100%

From the table we can see that fic-
tion constitutes 67% of all circulation in
North Carolina libraries, just over two-
thirds. Since much nonfiction reading
is also recreational, the circulation of
recreational books is a core business of
the public library. Recognition of this
fact is reflected in a recent cover of
American Libraries, which had a mock-
up of an imaginary advertisement:

INFORMATION MANAGER
21st-Century Public Information and
Public Culture Center seeks dynamic

customer service-oriented professional
to direct strategic visioning and
technologically advanced facility.
Bookstore experience required.
MLS helpful?

Because of the great frequency of
circulation transactions, it is not sur-

The most common transaction in modern public
libraries is circulation .... Even the total number of
visits to facilities for all reason " at just over
25,000,000 " was less than circulation.

prising that the area given highest pri-
ority in public library planning is the
Popular Materials Center.* That prior-
ity clearly suggests that readersT advi-
sory transactions have a claim to sup-
port equal to that given to reference
service in terms of education for
librarianship, bibliographic aids, and
budgetary and staffing priorities. Cit-
ing a 1994 poll that showed that 67%
of Americans used public libraries and
of them, 80% went to borrow a book,
Wayne Wiegand asks: oWhat do these
statistics suggest to you about the value
that 140 million readers place on the
act of reading?�*

One may wonder how or whether
reference and readersT advisory transac-
tions differ. What knowledge and skills
do they require? How well are public
libraries providing staffing to deal with
the leisure reading interests of their cli-
entele?

Reference and ReadersT
Advisory Compared

In conducting reference transactions,
the librarian must after ascertainthe
precise need of the questioner and then
find a frame in which the information
can be located. For example, after deter-
mining that a questioner wants to know
about moderately priced restaurants in
Paris, Ohio (and not Paris, France), the
librarian, probably re-
lying on an Internet
site, locates a current
listing of restaurants
there with authorita-
tive information on
costs and menus.
ReadersT advisory
transactions differ in

North Carolina Libraries

that the reader wants a new enjoyable
reading experience that mirrors earlier

ones. Duncan Smith identifies the steps in,

a readersT advisory transaction:

1. The advisor must elicit information
about the reader's interests.

2. The advisor must look for the simi-
larities and links between titles and
not just their uniqueness.

3. The advisor must be able to establish
links between titles based on both
the readerTs interests and on the
advisorTs knowledge of titles and
readersT advisory resources.

4. The advisor must be able to present
identified titles and communicate
how each title relates to the reader's
interests.°

In the past, readersT advisory trans-
actions have appeared to be more diffi-
cult to handle than reference transac-
tions because the proliferation of refer-
ence tools and classification of nonfic-
tion are decades ahead of developments
in readersT advisory tools and fiction
classification. A compounding difficulty
is that education for adult library service
has consistently and for a very long time
paid careful attention to provision of
reference service but inconsistently, or
sometimes not at all, addressed provi-
sion of readersT advisory service. The fact
that readersT advisory service has its most
obvious application in public and school
libraries also may have contributed to its
neglect in MLS programs, which fre-
quently focus on the needs of academic
and special librarianship.

Sharon Baker traced the neglect of
readersT advisory service to a failure to
demonstrate its value when cuts had to
be made during the Depression in the
1930s, a consequence of a failure to col-
lect appropriate statistics and conduct
related research.® Nonetheless, in the
1980s and 1990s new attention and em-
phasis on readersT advisory service de-
veloped, especially related to the offer-
ing of advice on entertaining novels to
read. The readersT advisory transaction,
which in the early twentieth century
was more involved in the provision of
a course of studies related to a nonfic-
tion subject, has changed to the present
emphasis on a good book to read for
personal satisfaction.

What is a readersT advisory transac-
tion today? Joyce Saricks characterizes it
as conversations about books that may
lead to suggestions for further reading.
With this approach, the transaction sim-
ply may provide an opportunity for the
reader to express feelings about current
reading. The advisor may suggest other

North Carolina Libraries

Since reading is such a private act, having an interested
person who shares the enjoyment of reading is in itself a
valuable service performed by the staff of the library.

books that the reader might find of
interest.T This approach acknowl-
edges the importance of talking with
a sympathetic listener about books
that have been read. Since reading is
such a private act, having an inter-
ested person who shares the enjoy-
ment of reading is in itself a valuable
service performed by the staff of the
library.

Mary Kay Chelton points out a
similarity between reference and
readersT advisory interviews: a read-
ersT advisory interview is oAn inter-
view aimed at getting readers to ar-
ticulate what they want ... as in a ref-
erence interview you need to probe
with open ended questions.�®

Kenneth Shearer emphasizes the
expectation that suggestions for fur-
ther reading will come at the conclu-
sion of the readersT advisory transac-
tion. He defines the transaction as

An exchange of information be-
tween two people with the purpose
of one personTs suggesting text for
the other's later reading interest ...
The success of the readersT advisory
transaction is reflected in a reader
discovering a book (or cassette or
software) which is enjoyable, enter-
taining, stimulating, mind-stretch-
ing, and eye-opening; it is in the
realm of the subjective.T

ReadersT Advisory Aids
Increase in Number and Scope

Not only is the readersT advisory
transaction in the realm of the subjec-
tive, it often has a discursive quality
and demands a Brobdingnagian-sized
memory on the part of the advisor to
work successfully in the absence of
advisory tools. Fortunately, the num-

ber and specificity of these tools is
proliferating. In the most popular fic-
tion genre " including romance,
mystery, science fiction, inspira-
tional, adventure, western, historical
fiction, medical, and law thrillers "
many advisory tools have emerged. A
Public Library Association preconfer-
ence in Kansas City this year identi-
fied bibliographies of such tools,
most of which are current.

At the same time that readersT ad-
visory print guides are proliferating,
new automated advisory resources are

making interactive searching of fiction
titles possible. For example, NC LIVE
contains a version of NoveList, including
(1) information on over 34,000 novels;
(2) listings from major lists of prize-
winning novels; and (3) lists of genre
and subgenre fiction books recom-
mended based on Genreflecting and other
advisory tools. The Internet site at
www.webrary.org, gives links to over 400
other sites devoted to guiding readers to
good books. This site is an excellent
source of information about recreational
reading generally.

If all that were not enough to dem-
onstrate the new vitality in readersT Ad-
visory service, note that one of the
toughest problems in public librarian-
ship, the question of the classification of
fiction for recreational reading purposes
as opposed to scholarly access, is moving
forward. Work by Sharon Baker, Gale
Harrell, and Jeff Cannell all shed light on
why genre classification should be used
in public libraries, and which categories
have been most commonly employed.!°
Saricks and BrownTs excellent recent book
on how to make readersT advisory service
succeed in public libraries is already in its
second edition.!! Perhaps the most com-
plete fiction classification for recreational
reading purposes was presented in a re-
cent MasterTs paper.!* An annotated bib-
liography on the classification of fiction
in public libraries appeared in print re-
cently as well.!° The Library of CongressTs
assignment of fiction subject headings
makes the search for related works by

using library catalogs more and more
useful.

Staffing Issues in ReadersT
Advisory

Some of the major reasons that library
staff members found readersT advisory
service difficult to provide in the past are
disappearing rapidly. Well-stocked collec-
tions of advisory tools, one or more on-
line fiction search engines, and proper
signage can offer the sophisticated and
motivated user the tools needed to
search for more recreational reading for
personal pleasure. To offer successful
readersT advisory transactions, however,
library management needs to hire staff
with a thought to the provision of read-
ersT advisory transactions.

Research has indicated that much of
that service in the adult collections of li-

Fall 1998 " 115

braries is given by nonprofessional staff,
so directors may wish to consider plac-
ing tools and terminals near circulation
desks and hiring non-professionals who
exhibit a lively interest in bestsellers
and genre fiction. Robert Burgin has
published a survey that suggests that
paraprofessionals are far more likely
than professionals to encounter readersT
advisory questions.'4 Training for circu-
lation and advisory staff and workshops
for the general public in use of print
and online advisory services, however,
is probably best supervised by a profes-
sional with an ongoing, lively interest
in both the service and the books them-
selves. It may be worth noting here that
books on tape and videotapes can be
handled in the same fashion. My video
rental store staff spends more time and
energy on advisory service than any
public library I have worked in or used
on a regular basis. They also provide
guides to films in a book format and a
computerized guide to films. They al-
ways carefully classify films in appropri-
ate, popular genres. I find that my stu-
dents benefit from visiting a variety of
book and video rental stores and com-
paring notes in the context of our Read-
ersT Advisory Studies. The successful
strategies of these stores should be
adapted for public librariesT print and
nonprint-based services.

The Case for Prioritizing
ReadersT Advisory

I have been asked by library directors
how they can possibly justify spending
the kind of resources on readersT advisory
that they devote to reference. IsnTt refer-
ence more important and valuable? To
answer that question, think about the
consequences of each of these transac-
tions. What is the added value of answer-
ing a reference question or giving advice
on how to spend more enjoyable leisure
time? Clearly, the value varies from one
reference transaction to another as it
does from one readersT advisory transac-
tion to another. The answer to a refer-
ence question fills in a gap in a frame-
work that the user wants but does not
have. The advice on a good book answers
the need for how to best spend many
good hours of leisure time. Why would
readersT advisory service be thought to
have less importance or value than ref-
erence service?

Part of the reason that readersT ad-
visory transactions have been neglected
in the past is that the task of diagnos-
ing the adviseeTs need and prescribing
books to fill it has been so difficult to
perform in the absence of the fiction
classifications and tools to help provide

116 " Fall 1998

a means to succeed. As we see, those
gaps are closing. The other major rea-
son that readersT advisory transactions
have been neglected is that reading rec-
reational books, especially fiction, has
been seen as less valuable and impor-
tant than reading nonfiction, especially
oserious� nonfiction. The bias in this
value scheme belongs more to an in-
dustrial age than an age of information,
and more to a patriarchal age than to-
day.

The value that modern America
places on oquality� free time should not
be underestimated when nearly two-
thirds of all adults, including senior citi-
zens, work. Just as the problem with
information today is managing to glean
what one wants from the information
overload, the problem with entertain-
ment today is its overwhelming abun-
dance.

The public library is well-posi-
tioned to help improve the quality of
life by offering guidance through what
Business Week recently called the oEn-
tertainment Glut.� As has been pointed
out in library literature, large book-
stores such as Barnes & Noble often of-
fer an environment more conducive to
the nurture of reading than the public
library does. Web sites such as
Amazon.com often offer more helpful,
informed advice on good reading than
the public library. One interesting new
development reported in SL/ in Febru-
ary of this year is the New York Public
LibraryTs offering recommended read-
ing in its oOnline Bookstore� and al-
lowing users to order books from
Barnes & Noble directly from the site.
A percentage of the profits go to sup-
port the library, and the library pro-
motes books of merit in the process.!5
This imaginative move on the part of
New York Public " regardless of oneTs
view of its commercial side "shows
that the public library can build on its
tradition of being a relaxed place to
find joy in reading in the new informa-
tion environment.

The road to the future of the pub-
lic library has many lanes. The heaviest
traffic is likely to be found among those
browsing for entertainment. There is
great potential for more and better ser-
vice in these circumstances. Librarians
can create an environment which both
helps readers help themselves to find
good leisure reading and offers readersT
advisory transactions to help users find
their way.

References
! North Carolina Department of Cul-
tural Resources. State Library. Statistics

and Directory of North Carolina July 1,
1996 " June 30, 1997, (Raleigh: NC Dept.
of Cultural Resources, 1997). See pp. 2,
18-19.

2 This item appeared on the cover of the
March 1998 issue of American Libraries.

3 Kenneth Shearer, oConfusing What
is Most Wanted with What is Most Used:
A Crisis in Public Library Priorities To-
day,� Public Libraries 32 July/August
1993): 193-197.

4 Wayne Wiegand, oOut of Sight, Out
of Mind: Why DonTt We Have Any
Schools of Library and Reading Studies?�
Journal of Education for Library and Infor-
mation Science 38 (Fall 1997): 323.

5 Duncan Smith, oLibrariansT Abilities
to Recognize Reading Tastes.� In Guiding
the Reader to the Next Book, ed. Kenneth
Shearer (New York: Neal-Schuman,
1996): 103.

© Sharon L. Baker, oReadersT Advisory
Services: A Call for More Research,� RQ
32 (Winter 1992): 167.

7 Joyce Saricks and Nancy Brown. Read-
ersT Advisory Service in the Public Library, 2nd
ed. (Chicago: ALA, 1997): 56-57.

8 Mary Kay Chelton, oRead Any Good
Books Lately? Helping Patrons Find
What They Want,� Library Journal 118
(May 1, 1993): 33-37.

9 Kenneth Shearer, oThe Nature of
ReadersT Advisory Transaction in Adult
Reading,� in Guiding the Reader to the
Next Book: 3.

10 Part Il, oThe Environment of Read-
ersT Advisory Services: Categorizing and
Arranging Fiction Collections,� in Guid-
ing the Reader to the Next Book: 127-165,
contains these three chapters.

11 Saricks and Brown, cited above, is
based on the successful practice of Read-
ersT Advisory services at Downers Grove
(Ull.) Public Library. It is essential reading.

12 Charles R. Schabel, oConcerning the
Use of a Decimal System to Classify Fic-
tion According to Its Genre: Brand-
Named Fiction-Finder.� MLS Research
Paper. School of Library and Information
Sciences, North Carolina Central Univer-
sity, 1997.

13 Gouri S. Dutta, oClassification of Fic-
tion in Public Libraries: An Annotated
Bibliography.� in Guiding the Reader to the
Next Book: 197-212.

14 Robert Burgin, oReadersT Advisory in
Public Libraries: An Overview of Current
Practice.� in Guiding the Reader to the Next
Book: 71-88.

1S New York Public Library Does Busi-
ness with Barnes & Noble,� School Library
Journal 44, 2 (Feb. 1998): 18.

North Carolina Libraries

ired to the

orld

by Ralph Lee Scott

Managing Lists

Internet mailing lists? Tired of tons of ospam� in

your mailbox? Well, an enterprising entrepreneur
on the Internet has created just such a service and best of
all it is free! Called ONElist, the service is available at
www.onelist.com and bills itself as a one-stop free mailing
list service. Among the things you can do are the follow-
ing: subscribe to additional mailing lists, create new ones,
and view old archives of lists. ONElist has a very good
listing of existing Internet and Usenet mailing groups.
ONElist hopes to provide this service through advertisers
who get a chance to spin their products.

Mailing lists are the means by which people can send
messages back and forth about a specific topic. For ex-
ample, there are lists devoted to rock groups, animals,
politics, hobbies, online library systems, etc. In the past
you had to have your own computer server to run your
own list. Now with ONElist, you can start your own
mailing list and index, and run them for free. Both the
Web sites and the mailing list are free at ONElist. Indexing
is very good and comprehensive by subject category. Major
categories are Animals, Business, Entertainment, Food,
Kids, People, Teens, Arts, Computers, Environment,
Games, Language, Recreation, Travel, Autos, Culture,
Family, Government, Military, Science, Women, Books,
Education, Fashion, Health, Music, and Sports. For some
reason the groups are not listed alphabetically.

Subcategories under Women for example include
Alternative Medicine, Dating, Friends, Lesbian Issues,
Lesbian Support Groups, Marriage, Online Groups,
Relationships, Support Groups, WomenTs Health, WomenTs
Literature, WomenTs Sports, Couples, Fashion, Gynecology,
Lesbian Night Life, Love/Romance, Notable Women,
Pregnancy, Singles, Women in Business, WomenTs Issues,
WomenTs Politics, and WomenTs Writing. Animal subcat-
egories include Amphibians, Arachnids, Cats (90 lists),
Fish, Insects, Pet Loss, Rabbits, Snakes, Veterinary, Zoology,
Animal Husbandry, Birds, Dogs (103 lists), Horses, Mam-
mals, Pets, Reptiles, Turtles, and Whales. A rather large list
of possible choices can be found here.

Each subgrouping contains the name of the news list,
the language of most of the posts, and an advisory/
restrictor line, followed by an abstract or description of the
list contents. The advisory/restrictor line contains infor-

[ ver wonder if there was a better way to manage

North Carolina Libraries

mation such as: for people over 21; moderated; restricted;
for people over 17; for people over 10; Safe for Kids;
announce. For example, the Women/WomenTs Issues
subgroup list contains the following groups: Anatara
(female acoustic rock group); Anything can be (owomen
who have found their identity, or those who need to�);
Barter-it; Bigals; Christianfeminists; Eropictures;
Feministvoices; Globalsisterhood, Goddessjourney; Ladies
(owomen support-open on all issues�); Lesbianlink;
Reprorights; Riotgrrrls (oa discussion list for riot grrrl and
related topics�); Weddingstuff; Whats-new; Wildspaces (oa
place for spirited women to gather. A place to learn, grow
and howl at the moon�); Winmagazine (oA magazine
about women ... from all over the world for dialogue and
greater mutual understanding, and tapping new sources of
talent in writing�); Women (oThis list is for women to talk,
vent, cry, and ... talk about anything�).

ONElist allows three types of accounts: moderated
lists, restricted lists, and announcement lists. In a moder-
ated list you, the list owner, approve all messages before
they are posted to the list. In a restricted list, you approve
all subscription requests and then, if approved, the
approved person can post freely to the list. An announce
list allows only you to post to the list. Announce lists work
similarly to a mail distribution lists in an e-mail program
such as MicrosoftTs Exchange. ONElist also supports a
digest mode of reading where all the postings are sent to
you in one e-mail. Naturally ONElist has its own an-
nouncement mail group to which members can subscribe.
This list contains information about the ONElist system
and new mailing lists being created. ONElist has a User
Center that allows for convenient subscribing and
unsubscribing to lists. You can post to a specific list by
sending an e-mail to: listname@onelist.com. For example, in
your e-mail header on the oto� line type chats@onelist.com
to post a message to the oLa liste est un lieu dTexchange
destine aux amoureux des chats de la francophonie
internationale. Bienvenue a tous! ="..o=�

ONElist provides an important service to the Internet
community. It is a neat place to follow your favorite
interests or start a new discussion group. Check it out!

Fall 1998 " 117

BEVIS rie (iam ees. Ga an

Serving the Silent:

We Are Still a Nation of Immigrants

wo important decisions regarding library services for

immigrants in North Carolina were made concut-

rently during 1997. The State Library of North Caro-

lina and the public library leadership decided not to
fund the North Carolina Foreign Language Center (NCFLC),
housed in the headquarters of the Cumberland Public Library
and Information Center since 1976. The NCLA Literacy Com-
mittee, with spokespersons Pauletta Bracy and Steve
Sumerford, presented to the NCLA Executive Board a position
paper dated September 29, 1997, and entitled oGrowing Im-
migrant Population in NC and the Implications for Our Li-
braries,� which questioned the wisdom of dropping a state-
wide service that is needed now more than in 1976.

The NCFLC was funded by the U. S. Department of Edu-
cation under Title I of the Library Services and Construction
Act (LSCA), administered by the State Library of North Caro-
lina. These federal funds were supplemented with local funds
from Cumberland County, but ironically, the NCLFC never
received funds from the North Carolina General Assembly.
The LSCA has since been replaced with the Library Services
and Technology Act (LSTA).

The NCFLC provided onsite circulation to a large Asian
population in Cumberland County as well as a centralized
interlibrary loan circulation to libraries and other educational
institutions throughout the state. A 1979 nationwide survey
demonstrated that the NCFLC was the only public library
providing foreign language materials on a statewide basis.
That status continued through 1997, when the decision was
made for the NCFLC to cease its statewide service.

The NCLA Literacy Committee cited several changes in
demographics having dramatic impact on our libraries and
specifically on their ability to serve a growing immigrant
population. The Committee stated that in 1996, over one
thousand refugees came to North Carolina from twenty-five
different countries, with the majority settling in Guilford
County. From 1990 to 1994, the number of Hispanic births in-
creased 59%, from 2.5% to 4.1%. In Forsyth County alone,
about 20% of all births in the county were to Hispanic women.

About half of the Hispanics in Forsyth County indicated
in a recent survey that they could not speak English. Hispanic
student population in the pub-
lic schools of North Carolina
increased 107%, from 8,530 in
1990, to 17,699 in 1994. Many
rural towns have seen the most
dramatic impact in the growth
of the Hispanic population.
Thirty percent of the residents
of Siler City in rural Randolph
County are Hispanic.

118 " Fall 1998

... libraries should allocate a
percentage of the book budget
proportionate to the percentage of
the population of each immigrant
group in the community served.

by Plummer Alston Jones, Jr.

The NCLA Literacy Committee reminded us that, while
undocumented immigrants receive significant media atten-
tion, the vast majority of immigrants enter the country legally
(87% in 1990). Each year, according to Business Week, immi-
grants pay $90 billion in taxes and receive only $5 billion in
welfare.

Immigrants have special information needs, including
English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction and study ma-
terials in audio and video, study materials for citizenship tests,
information related to immigration laws, and community in-
formation on health and human services, as well as traditional
reading material in their respective foreign languages.

The NCLA Literacy Committee called for oa more system-
atic, strategic and comprehensive approach� and challenged
the North Carolina Library Association, as the stateTs profes-
sional library association, oto lead this effort.� Since a coor-
dinated, concentrated effort at the state level has failed with
the dissolution of the NCFLC, the solution must now be at the
grassroots level. Targeting the growing Spanish-speaking
population of North Carolina is an excellent strategy, one that
takes into account the NCFLC statistic that in 1990/91 Span-
ish language materials ranked number one in statewide inter-
library loan circulation.

Are libraries willing to commit a portion of their acqui-
sitions budget to the foreign languages, notably Spanish, spo-
ken by the immigrant populations in their cities, towns, and
rural areas? Perhaps libraries will consider the advice of
Eleanor (Edwards) Ledbetter of the Cleveland Public Library
system and Chair of the now-extinct American Library Asso-
ciation (ALA) Committee on Work with the Foreign Born
(1918-1948). In the September 1928 issue of the American Li-
brary Bulletin, Ledbetter suggested that libraries should allo-
cate a percentage of the book budget proportionate to the per-
centage of the population of each immigrant group in the
community served.

If this fiscal strategy is adopted, it will go a long way to-
ward making the public library truly democratic and respon-
sive in meeting the reading and literacy needs of all North
Carolinians, regardless of their places of birth. The finding of
my Summer 1992 North Carolina Libraries article on the
NCFLC is still true today: oNorth
Carolina immigrants as well as
American immigrants in general
have never been united and vocal
in their demands for public
services, including library
service.� We as librarians must
take the lead because immigrants
are the most silent population
we serve.

North Carolina Libraries

____NORTH CAROLINA epee

Mo

Dorothy Hodder, Compiler

rthur Barlowe set the precedent when he wrote to Walter Raleigh in
1584 that the soil of Roanoke was othe most plentifull, sweete,
fruitful and wholsome of all the world.� Since that bit of hyper-

bole, most people who have written about the barrier islands off
the North Carolina coast have called on their best superlatives to
convey their wonderment of the place.

In An Outer Banks Reader, David Stick has excerpted 64 descrip-
tions of the Outer Banks that date from the explorer Giovanni da
Verrazzano writing in 1524 to explorer Ivor Noel Hume writing in
1994. The effort, Mr. Stick tells us, is to oexplain the appeal of this
place we call home.� The writers include the less well-known, even

David Stick, ed. an oAnonymous,� as well as the famous " Rachel Carson and Carl
Sandburg. It covers all of the topics standard to Outer Banks
An Outer Banks Reader. literature: lighthouses, lifesaving, market hunting, traditional boats,
Chapel Hill: University of shipwrecks, hurricanes, the Lost Colony and the Roanoke Voyages,
North Carolina Press, 1998. 317 pp. Old Christmas, and old salts. It has a helpful index and a list of
Cloth, $29.95. ISBN 0-8078-2420-8. sources of the articles.
Paper, $16.95. ISBN 0-8078-4726-7. Who better to compile this anthology than Mr. Stick, who has

been collecting documentation of the Outer Banks since he had the
good sense to relocate there from New Jersey at a very young age?

Jan DeBlieu

His half century of collecting resulted in an impressive array of
books, maps, and papers about the Outer Banks, which he very
generously donated to the state in 1986 to create the Outer Banks
History Center at Manteo, one of the stateTs best collections of

Hatteras Journal. coastal North Caroliniana. The Center is an appropriate and lasting
monument to Stick and to his father, Frank. Profits from this book
Winston-Salem: John F. Blair, Publisher, will benefit the Frank Stick Memorial Fund and the Outer Banks
1998. 232 pp. Paper, $12.95. Community Foundation, both of which support the Center.
ISBN 0-89587-214-S. Jan DeBlieu is exactly the kind of writer Mr. Stick sought out

North Carolina Libraries

for his anthology, someone new to the Outer Banks who catches its

life cycles with a kind of wide-eyed reverence. In Hatteras Journal,

originally published by Fulcrum in 1987 and reissued this year by

John Blair, DeBlieu does just that, delivering a very personal

account of her observations of Hatteras Island in lyrical fashion.

DeBlieu, an outlander who moved to Hatteras in 1985, pays hom-
age to the standard totems of the Banks: shipwrecks, lifesaving, pirates, light-
houses, and the Roanoke voyages. But her heart is in the natural history of the
Banks, its eelgrass, sea lettuce, loggerheads, and fiddler crabs. Some of her best
writing describes the constant norTeasters and hurricanes that frequent the
Outer Banks and help to define its character. The book contains a fair index
and a select bibliography.

Both of these books should adorn the library shelves of anyone interested
in the history of the state and the Outer Banks. They are a quick introduction |
to the flora, fauna, and history of the region for newcomers. And they are the
perfect companion for a respite at the shore, after which the reader can pen his
or her own impressions of this ogoodliest land under the cope of heaven.�

" Rodney Barfield
Chapel Hill Museum

Fall 1998 " 119

ieutenant General U.S. Grant called it oone of the most important successes of the
war.� Rear Admiral David D. Porter boasted that oits fall sealed the fate of the Confed-
eracy.� They were alluding not to the captures of Confederate Richmond, Atlanta, or
Charleston, but to the Union victory at Fort Fisher, North Carolina. Historian Charles
M. RobinsonTs new book, Hurricane of Fire: The Union Assault on Fort Fisher, looks at the
fascinating and generally overlooked story of the army-navy expeditions to capture
the ConfederacyTs largest seacoast fortification in the last year of the war.
Unable to compete with the NorthTs industrial might, the Confederacy shopped in
Europe for supplies vital to its war effort. Rifle-muskets, cannon, ammunition, food, cloth,
and medicines then were shipped aboard swift blockade
running ships to the South. Wilmington, North Carolina,
emerged as the ConfederacyTs most important blockade-

Charles M. Robinson III. running seaport, with three railroads to transport blockade-run

Hurricane of Fire:

goods to the Confederate armies in the field and civilians on
the homefront. By 1864, Robert E. LeeTs main source of supply

The Union Assault on Fort Fisher. was along the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad.

To protect Wilmington, Confederate engineers constructed

Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1998. a vast chain of fortifications. The key to the defense system was

120 " Fall 1998

249 pp. $28.00. ISBN 1-55750-720-1. Fort Fisher, an immense sand fort built to guard New Inlet.

Colonel William Lamb planned and designed the fort, which
featured two walls of elevated batteries mounting 47 big
seacoast guns. Both Union and Confederate observers deemed
Fort Fisher impregnable against a naval attack, and dubbed it
the oGibraltar of the South.�

The Federals finally attacked Fort Fisher on Christmas 1864, and for two days, they
pounded the defenses with an intense naval bombardment. But the fort and its armament
were not injured enough to justify a ground assault. The Union army commander aborted
the mission and sailed north with his troops.

After a firestorm of controversy in the North, the navy successfully petitioned General
Grant to renew the attack on Fort Fisher, resulting in the largest combined operation of
the war in mid-January 1865. Admiral PorterTs warships unleashed a bombardment as
severe as in the Christmas attack, while army troops and a naval shore party stormed the
fort. For more than five hours, the overwhelmed Confederate garrison fought hand-to-
hand against a superior foe. The fall of Fort Fisher on the night of January 15, 1865, closed
Wilmington to blockade running and hastened the downfall of the Confederacy.

Hurricane of Fire examines the factors that led to WilmingtonTs status as the
ConfederacyTs preeminent blockade-running seaport, the necessity of safeguarding it with
strong defenses like Fort Fisher, and the critical battles for possession of the key for the
harbor. Robinson concentrates mainly on the U.S. NavyTs role in the Fort Fisher battles, but
by no means excludes the Union or Confederate armies. The author offers good detail on
Fort FisherTs construction, the origins of the Union campaign to capture the fortress and
the politics of command therein. RobinsonTs prose is tight and fast-paced, with only minor
mistakes: North CarolinaTs early wartime governor was John W. Ellis, not William H. Ellis;

~and WilmingtonTs Ladies Aid Society was organized by Mrs. Armand J. DeRosset, not Mrs.

William DeRosset.

For the more serious students of the Fort Fisher battles and the Wilmington Cam-
paign, Hurricane of Fire offers no new revelations or interpretation. Like Rod GraggTs
otherwise excellent 1991 book, Confederate Goliath: The Battle of Fort Fisher, Robinson's
study fails to explain why General Grant, who was completely indifferent to the first Fort
Fisher assault, was willing to renew the expedition against the fortress. (It was to support
ShermanTs 1865 march through the Carolinas enroute to Virginia). Robinson obviously
admired GraggTs work, and rightly so, but he should have protested the Naval Institute
PressTs decision to use the exact same lithograph for the dust jacket for Hurricane of Fire
that Gragg used on Confederate Goliath. Moreover, given that RobinsonTs focus is on the
navyTs role in the Fort Fisher battles, he might have looked at the U.S. NavyTs extensive
collection of log books for the warships that participated in the attacks. Nevertheless, with
so few studies done on the important role Fort Fisher and Wilmington played in the Civil
War, history buffs should welcome Charles M. RobinsonTs Hurricane of Fire: The Union
Assault on Fort Fisher.

" Dr. Chris E. Fonvielle, Jr.
UNC-Wilmington

North Carolina Libraries

he hardships the Roanoke colonists faced are depicted vividly in the first
two books in the historical fiction series, The Lyon Saga, which is projected
to include a total of five books. The series takes its name from the
sailing ship that transported the English colonists, the Red Lyon.
Travelling by ship from England, founding a home in a new world,
and coping with various travails are all told through the journal of
The Lyon Ts Roar. Jessabel Archarde. Since Jessabel or Jess is fourteen, some of the plot is
, ; : devoted to romance with her first love, George Howe, and later with a
Circleville, NY: Chicken Soup Press Inc., 1997. Croatoan, Akaiyan. The facts known about the colony are mixed well
160 pp. Cloth, $9.95. ISBN 0-9646904-2-X. into the plots of the books, making for painless learning. The writing
Paper, $6.95. ISBN 0-9646904-3-8 style is slightly stilted, which gives some of the flavor of the speaking
. and writing of the time but does not intrude into the readability of
M. L. Stainer. the books. Some transitions are abrupt, but the total effect of the Lyon
The Lyon ~s Cub. Saga is a satisfactory one. The older adolescents and young adults
who enjoy reading such historical fiction as American Girls and Dear
Circleville, NY: Chicken Soup Press Inc., 1998. America also should like reading the Lyon Saga series. A list of the
162 pp. Cloth, $9.95. ISBN 0-9646904-S-4. names of 1587 Virginia colonists is appended along with books for
Paper, $6.95. ISBN 0-9646904-6-2. further reading.

M. L. Stainer.

" Mel Burton
Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg

here are visions in the work of Sharyn McCrumb. People see things that were and will
be. The past isnTt content to stay dead and buried; it runs alongside the present,
commenting, embellishing, explaining. ItTs a pattern and style that works, especially
since McCrumbTs setting is the wind-worn Appalachians. Time there catches and
swirls, holds just a bit, before rushing on to wherever it goes.

McCrumb, a native of Mitchell County, has compared her books to mountain quilts. oI take
brightly colored scraps of legends, ballads, and folklore of rural life and local tragedy, and I piece
them together into a complex whole that tells not only a story but also a deeper truth about the
culture of the mountain South.�

Her latest quilt and the fifth book in her Ballad series tells the story of eighteen-year-old
Frances oFrankie� Silver. On July 12, 1833, young Frankie became the first woman in North
Carolina history to be hanged for murder. Her short drop carried her into the stories of kin and
neighbors. These masters of the spoken word have kept alive the story of that wind-blown night
nearly 170 years ago when tiny Frankie took an axe to her husband as he lay by the fire.
McCrumb, distantly related to the Silvers, tells how FrankieTs mama and little brother helped cut

up the body, attempting to burn the evidence in the fireplace. Not all
of it burned, however, leaving husband Charlie to be buried in three

separate graves.
Sharyn McCrumb. Woven into the tale of the nineteenth-century murder is the

io Sj story of a modern-day death-row inmate and the man who sent him
The Ballad of Frankie Silver. up, Sheriff Spencer Arrowood. Arrowood is the thread with which
New York: NAL Dutton, 1998. 304 pp. $23.95. McCrumb sews together her scraps of mountain tales. And there lies
ISBN: 0-525-93969-5. the weakness of this particular work. As another inhabitant of those
same parts, Senator Sam Ervin, once commented, oThe constitution
should be taken like mountain whiskey " undiluted and untaxed.�
This mountain legend should have been treated like ErvinTs whiskey.
McCrumb has built a following by exploring the interactions of the past and present. She is a
master of the blend, but this time it just doesnTt seem to work. The Ballad of Frankie Silver finds its
full voice and power when the author is immersed in FrankieTs story. Spencer Arrowood and the
rest of the twentieth century cast are overshadowed by their ancestors. This is due to the simple
power of the earlier tale juxtaposed against the modern but common six oTclock news crime.
ThereTs a baby in FrankieTs story. ThereTs also a community trying to thwart the gallows despite
her deed, and, of course, there are those three graves. But, most importantly, there is still mystery
clinging to FrankieTs crime. When asked by the Sheriff if she had any final words, the mountain girl
stepped forward to speak only to hear her father call out, oDie with it in ye, Frankie.�
For generations, mountain storytellers have asked and attempted to answer the question,
oWith what?T Add Sharyn McCrumb to their number " she has done a laudable job.
" Kevin Cherry
Rowan Public Library

North Carolina Libraries Fall 1998 " 121

cholarly books on southern history and womenTs history are prolifer-
ating, and in this well-done example the two types come together.
The author, a history professor at UNC-Charlotte, has not only edited
a series of remarkable and largely untapped documents from the era
of the American Revolution, but has also written a good introduction
and five chapter essays. The text sometimes goes beyond the evidence
adduced from the petitions, and one suspects the present work
is a prolegomena to another book. The title is somewhat
misleading because all of the documents come from South and

Cynthia A. Kierner. North Carolina, with only the essays considering related

Southern Women in Revolution, materials from Virginia and Georgia.

The petitions are grievances filed by women for losses

1776-1800: incurred during the war or for other matters such as divorce.
Personal and Political Narratives.

Careful analysis allows Kierner, author of two previous histori-
cal works, to present a view of how women and families were

Culumbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1998. affected by military aspects of the Revolution and the temper

Barbara R. Duncan, ed.

253 pp. $34.95. ISBN 1-57003-218-1. of the times. Even though women could not vote, they could

petition, and even some slave women petitioned. Women,
however, as in much of the new historiography, appear not
just as victims but also as doers, even as peretrators. oThe
Revolution� should be remembered oas an event that affected
and was affected by Americans from every walk of life.�

Readings such as these help historians and students learn the flavor of past life,
sush as the divorce petition of an Edenton couple who, osoon after their intermar-
riage, there arose a variety of Quarrels and Disputes, between them; that they must
never hope to taste that Comfort and Happiness in Wedlock.� Or the freed slave in
New Bern petitioning for legislative recognition of her status and that of her son
who oturned out during the war in defence [sic] of his Country & exposed his life
as an Artilleryman.�

One nice publishing touch is that the well-researched footnotes are actually at
the bottom of the page, a practice that should be encouraged. The index includes
geographic locations, a boon to those looking for specific counties. The select
bibliography is short but sufficient. This as a good purchase for academic and larger
public libraries with an interest in North Carolina or womenTs history.

" Patrick Valentine
Wilson County Public Library

iving Stories of the Cherokee is quite simply a gift. Principal Chief of the
Eastern Band of Cherokee Joyce Conseen Dugan points out in her
foreword that Barbara Duncan has provided a rare opportunity for the
Cherokee to share some of their stories in their authentic voices,
rather than in one that merely has been appropriated by an outsider.
Commending Duncan for the time she took to forge friendships with,
listen to, and generally enter into the Cherokee community of the Qualla Boundary,
Chief Dugan recognizes Duncan as unusual among the many who might have
chosen a quicker, more superficial approach by reciting or retelling without first
seeking understanding. Then Chief Dugan paradoxically encourages the reader to
share the stories with their own family and friends, saying, oThe voices you hear are
those of my friends and neighbors, and now they become
yours.� Her statement is a promise of the pleasure and knowl-
edge that this book will bring to any reader sharing DuncanTs
willingness to search out and hear genuine meaning.
Duncan notes in the introduction that nearly a century
has passed since James Mooney first published Myths of the

L iving Stories of the Cherokee. Cherokee in 1900. Living Stories of the Cherokee is a benchmark
publication that continues and amplifies the work Mooney
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, defined and began. In university libraries, faculty members and
1998. xv, 253 pp. Cloth, $29.95. students will welcome DuncanTs discussion of how these stories
ISBN 0-8078-2411-9. Paper, $15.95. 0-8078-4719-4. are woven into a larger artistic tradition, comprising theater,

122 " Fall 1998

dance, music, medicine, craft, and other visual arts.
Living Stories of the Cherokee is also an obvious candidate

North Carolina Libraries

A Story of Virginia during the War.

for public and school libraries. One may open it to almost any page to reveal something
interesting, entertaining, and informative; however, it is in taking Chief DuganTs advice to give
voice to the stories that the deeper significance of this book sinks in. It not only offers a
comparison with Mooney to see which stories have survived, changed, or vanished over the
century; it also offers outsiders an unprecedented chance to witness the folk culture of the
Cherokee, as it exists today in a spoken and active idiom.

The stories, as told by Davey Arch, Robert Bushyhead, Edna Chekelelee, Marie Junaluska,
Kathi Smith Littlejohn, and Freeman Owle, are all strongly experiential accounts of ancient
beliefs; of adventures; of religious history; of the disruptions wrought by colonization, the Trail
of Tears, and punishment of schoolchildren for speaking Cherokee; of partially preserved
medical and agricultural techniques; of ghosts; of how things came to be the way they are; of
families; of plant and animal lore; but above all of values, of how to be in the world. For
anyone fortunate enough to grow up in a family where storytelling is part of the daily routine,
this book will fit naturally into that wonderful pattern. For families unacquainted with this
way of life, hereTs the door. For teachers who want to augment existing history texts and other
teaching tools, reading from Living Stories of the Cherokee will bring a powerful new set of
insights. Older students will find reading from it an invaluable complement to the discovery of
primary source material.

" Meredith Merritt
University of North Carolina at Charlotte

sweeping story of the South during the Civil War, JacobTs Ladder: A Story of Virginia

during the War captures both the history and the spirit of the times. Described as a

mixture of the writing of historian Shelby Foote and novelist Margaret Mitchell,

this historical epic illuminates and entertains.

Spanning the Civil War period , McCaigTs novel follows the lives of a host of

characters, including slaves and masters, blacks and whites, civilians and soldiers,
and Northerners and Southeners. The story begins in 1857
Virginia at the prosperous Stratford Plantation, which is owned by
the benevolent Southern gentleman, Samuel Gatewood. Other

Donald McCaig. characters include SamuelTs wife, Abigail, and their children,
7 reckless Duncan and delicate Leona.
Jacob s Ladder: As a young man, Duncan takes a slave mistress, the beautiful

light-skinned Midge, and fathers a child by her. When Samuel
Gatewood discovers the affair, he sends Duncan to military school

New York: Norton, 1998. 525 pp. $25.95. and arranges a marriage between Midge and his strongest farm

North Carolina Libraries

ISBN 0-393-04629-X. worker, Jesse, who happens to be literate. When he sells Midge
and her son to a slave trader, Jesse runs away to find his beloved
wife. The plot follows Midge (who is now called Maggie) from
Virginia to Tennessee brothels and eventually to the Confederate
ports of Wilmington and Richmond. Maggie is sold to Silas

Omohundru, who eventually marries her. When the war breaks out, Omohundru becomes a
blockade runner in Wilmington, one of the few cities in the South where people prospered
during the Civil War.

Meanwhile, Duncan Gatewood joins the Confederate army, and Jesse eventually joins the
Union Army. The plot intertwines rich elements, including Confederate deserters, a commu-
nity of German Brethren pacifists, women left behind, brave and overwhelmed soldiers, and
historical figures such as Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Battle scenes are graphic and
detailed, describing both the heroism and horror of war. The authorTs research of Civil War
battles, weapons, and medicine keep time, place, and action historically accurate.

Donald McCaig is a skilled storyteller and has written a strong novel with well-portrayed
characters, an interesting and intricate plot, and ample historical detail to hold the readerTs
attention. His understanding and sympathy for the many sides of the conflict become appar-
ent and allow the reader to examine not only the issues but also the motivations of the people
of the period. JacobTs Ladder succeeds as a history and as a novel of the Civil War.

McCaig is the author of the national bestsellers NopTs Trials and Eminent Dogs, Dangerous
Men. This novel is a selection of the Book-of-the Month Club, History Book Club, and Quality
Paperback Book Club. Recommended for popular collections.

" Joan Sherif
Northwestern Regional Library

Fall 1998 " 123

O one wants to think about, much less talk about it. Then, one day, it happens. A
supervisor calls a meeting and says, oYou are going to be laid off; this plant is
going to close down.� What goes through your mind as you work those last shifts
knowing that you have spent ten, twenty, or even more years of your life doing a
job that soon you will no longer do? How would you feel about trying to find a
new job when you are over 50 years old? How will you feed, clothe, and educate
your children when your financial support structure collapses? Closing explores these and
other very difficult questions as they spin out for the last employees of the White Furniture
Company of Mebane, North Carolina.
White Furniture Company began in Mebane in 1881, and over a period of years it built
a national reputation for the quality of its furniture products. The
company was founded and run for most of its existence by members of
the White family, who practiced a form of benign paternalism over the
Bill Bamberger and Cathy N. Davidson. employees. A job at White, even during the Great Depression, was a job
3 for life; and WhiteTs workers considered themselves to be fine crafts-
Closing : men. By the mid-1980s, however, WhiteTs profits were falling and the
The Life and Death of an company was sold to Hickory Manufacturing Corporation. HickoryTs
management philosophy of omore, cheaper, faster� production created
American Factory. tension with WhiteTs craft style of production. Within seven years,
White Furniture was closed down.
New York: W.W. Norton, 1998. Bill Bamberger visited the White Company just three months
223 pp. $27.50. ISBN 0-393-04568-4. before it closed in 1992 and photographed the workers on the assembly
line. He returned later to photograph the auctioning of equipment and
the final, hollow emptiness of the vacant plant. Cathy Davidson spent
a year talking with people who had, or whose family members had,
worked in the White factory, and supplemented her field research by using tapes relating to
the White Furniture Company in the Southern Oral History Program at UNC-Chapel Hill. In
Closing, the authors combine their research, oral narrative, and photographs to look at the
very painful, human side of job loss. Readers are drawn into the lives of several of the last
White employees and given the opportunity to view the demise of the company from this
unique viewpoint.
Closing is an excellent book that should have wide reader appeal; it is recommended for
high school, public, and academic libraries.
"John Welch
State Library of North Carolina

he Civil War is finally over and Maddie and her family are finally free " free to
own their own farm, free to learn skilled trades, free to walk into any store.
Almost. The idea of freedom is delicious, but the reality is filled with both
hope and fear. While Maddie dreams of being a teacher " maybe even going
to a college someday " her family must walk the gauntlet between sympa-
thetic folk and the angry, defeated, white Southerners.
In this sequel to Sound the Jubilee Maddie is fifteen years old, old enough for young
men to look at her with matrimonial intentions. She is old enough to adopt and care for
a small child who has seen the worst of the war, and who is still too terrified to speak.
Maddie works hard alongside her family as they try to build a new, free life. And during
this difficult time of change and adjustment, she comes to learn and
accept that goals and dreams sometimes change.
Sandra Forrester. Maddie is a lovely character, warm and down-to-earth, yet with
H a mind spinning dreams. Her family and friends, all of them freed
My Home is Over J ordan. slaves, are as earnest and hardworking as she is. The bad folk are very
New York: Lodestar Books, 1997. bad and the good ones are almost saintly, but the dichotomy works
163 pp. $15.99. ISBN 0-525-67568-X. well to show the difficult path the freed slaves must tréad.

My Home is Over Jordan is a worthy addition to Reconstruction
stories. The text is clear and often elegantly simple. The cover illustra-
tion is engaging. North Carolina history provides a rich backdrop to

MaddieTs character. And Maddie is, above all things, a young girl"similar to young girls
both now and then"who must cope with the world around her while doing her best to
grow up. Recommended for both public and school libraries, readers age 10 to 15.
" Frances M. Wood
Durham County Public Library

124 " Fall 1998 North Carolina Libraries

OTHER PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST ...

Starting our list with North CarolinaTs colonial history, H. Tyler Blethen and Curtis W. Wood,
Jr. are the authors of From Ulster to Carolina: The Migration of the Scotch-Irish to South-
western North Carolina. They examine the religion, occupations, living conditions, social life,
and customs of the Ulster Scots who settled in southwestern North Carolina, and describe
their influence on early American agricultural practices and culture. Originally published by
Western Carolina University to accompany a major exhibition of the same title, this revised
edition is the first of a projected series of titles about the history of western North Carolina to
be published jointly by the Historical Publications Section and the Appalachian Consortium of
Boone. (1998; Historical Publications Section, Division of Archives and History, 109 E. Jones
St., Raleigh, NC 27601-2807; xi, 71 pp.; paper, $9.00 plus $3.00 postage; ISBN 0-86526-279-9.)

Gerald and Patricia Gutek have compiled a guidebook titled Visiting Utopian Communities: A
Guide to the Shakers, Moravians, and Others, which includes a chapter on the Moravian
settlement at Salem. Each of the 20 entries describes the communityTs origin, ideology, history,
and significance; a biographical sketch of its founder; a self-guided tour detailing the architec-
ture, industries, crafts, art, and artifacts associated with the settlement; current telephone
numbers, times of operation, and fees; and information about restaurants, shops, facilities,
lodgings, tours, and special events. (1998; University of South Carolina Press, 937 Assembly St.,
Carolina Plaza, 8th Floor, Columbia, SC 29208; 230 pp.; paper, $16.95; ISBN 1-57003-210-6.)

Daniel W. Barefoot, author of the Touring the Backroads of North CarolinaTs Upper (and Lower)
Coast, has put together 14 tours for Revolutionary War enthusiasts in Touring North
CarolinaTs Revolutionary War Sites. The volume, which is illustrated with maps and black-
and-white photographs, attempts to cover every significant Revolutionary War site in the
state, and many lesser-known or forgotten sites. It includes an extensive bibliography and
index. (1998; John F. Blair, Publisher, 1406 Plaza Dr., Winston-Salem, NC 27103; xv, 488 pp.;
paper, $21.95; ISBN 0-89587-217-X.)

Perry Deane Young has dug into The Untold Story of Frankie Silver, the first woman to be
hanged for murder in North Carolina. He includes the text of the original documents and
news reports from the controversial husband-killing case, which played out between 1831 and
1833. Also included is a bibliography and a genealogy of FrankieTs descendants. (1998; Down
Home Press, P.O. Box 4126, Asheboro, NC 27204; 193 pp.; paper, $14.95; ISBN 1-878086-66-9.)

Archie N. McIntosh, M.D., is the author of Little Doc, a collection of stories about boyhood
adventures and interesting neighbors in Old Fort, North Carolina, in 1932 and 1933, his
twelfth year. The son of a physician, he grew up to practice medicine for over 50 years in
nearby Marion, North Carolina. (1995; Archie N. McIntosh, M.D., P.O. Box 991, Marion, NC
28752; 192 pp.; paper, $20.00; no ISBN.)

Former state senator Herbert L. Hyde has published his memories of boyhood in Swain County
just before World War Il in My Home is in the Smoky Mountains. Hyde practices law in
Asheville, and is a noted orator. (1998; distributed by Alexander Books, 65 Macedonia Rd.,
Alexander, NC 28701; 193 pp.; paper, $14.99; ISBN 1-56664-133-0.)

From the Civil Rights era we have Ella Baker: Freedom Bound, by Joanne Grant. Baker was
born in Norfolk in 1903, attended Shaw University in Raleigh, and moved north during the
Harlem Renaissance. She was active in promoting desegregation of schools and encouraging
African American voter registration and political participation during the 1940s, ~50s, and ~60s.
She was a national officer of the NAACP and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Includes notes, bibliogra-
phy, and index. (1998; John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, NY 10158-0012;
xviii, 270 pp.; $24.95; ISBN 0-471-02020-6.)

Addresses and Public Papers of James Grubbs Martin, Governor of North Carolina, Volume
IT, 1989-1993, covers his second term of office. Editor Jan-Michael Poff, who is also the editor
of the first volume of Governor MartinTs papers, selected 139 speeches and press releases to
present the aspirations and accomplishments of his administration. Lists of omitted speeches
and executive orders are appended, with a roster of appointees to boards and commissions
during his eight years in office. Indexed. A limited number are available free to the public,
with shipping. (1998; Historical Publications Section, Division of Archives and History, 109 E.
Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601-2807; xxxii, 763 pp.; $4.00 postage; ISBN 0-86526-265-9.)

North Carolina Libraries Fall 1998 " 125

J. Chris Holaday has compiled Professional Baseball in North Carolina: An Illustrated City-by-
City History, 1901-1996. Year-by-year summaries are provided for 72 towns, with lists of notable
players and club records. Biographies of 20 prominent minor leaguers are included, as is an
appendix of nearly 2,000 major leaguers who played for a North Carolina team. The Negro league
and textile league are covered briefly. Indexed. (1998; McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers,
Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640, order line 1-800-253-2187; 251 pp.; $35.00 plus $4.00 postage;
ISBN 0-7864-0532-5.)

Close to the Heart: A FamilyTs Encounter with Breast Cancer is Barry TeaterTs tribute to his
sister, Gena, who was diagnosed with the disease at age 29 and died seven years later. This
personal account offers extremely detailed information about surgery, chemotherapy, radio-
therapy, bone marrow transplants, and all aspects of living with breast cancer. Beyond practical
advice, it offers inspiration for managing life with a terminal disease. (1997; Marblehead Publish-
ing, distributed by Southern Book Service, 1318 Old Trinity Circle, -Raleigh, NC 27607; xi, 175
pp.; $9.95, library price $7.00; ISBN 0-943335-06-X.)

Mountain Year: A Southern Appalachian Nature Notebook includes 85 essays on the flora and
fauna of the southern Appalachian mountains by Barbara G. Hallowell, arranged by season. Many
first appeared as columns in the Hendersonville (NC) Times-News. The book is illustrated with 60
beautiful color photographs, and includes a list of references and an index. (1998; John F. Blair,
Publisher, 1406 Plaza Dr., Winston-Salem, NC 27103; 289 pp.; paper, $18.95; ISBN 0-89587-222-6.)

Parkway Byways by James R. Hinkel guides the traveler through 20 routes along the side roads
close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Shenandoah National Park, and the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park. Includes maps, black-and-white photographs, and index. (1998; Parkway Publish-
ers, Inc., P.O. Box 3678, Boone, NC 28607; 227 pp.; paper, $18.95; ISBN 1-887905-07-3.)

Finally, the revised and updated edition of Jay BarnesTs North CarolinaTs Hurricane History came
out just in time for hurricane season. Originally published in 1995, the blow-by-blow account
now includes 1996Ts Fran and Bertha in its list of miscreants. (1998; The University of North
Carolina Press, P.O. Box 2288, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2288; 256 pp; paper, $18.95; ISBN 0-8078-
4728-3; cloth, $34.95; ISBN 0-8078-2416-X.)

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126 " Fall 1998 North Carolina Libraries

Leaguiappe' (Noth Canoliniana

compiled by Plummer Alston Jones, Jr.

*Lagniappe (lan-yapT, lan� yapT) n. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. [Louisiana French]

Reel North Carolina Il:
More Movies and Videos from the Old North State

The first column of reviews of movies and videos with a North Carolina connection
appeared one year ago in the Summer 1997 issue of North Carolina Libraries. Since
North Carolina is now second only to California as the place of choice for filmmakers
and producers, we must work overtime to keep up with the production of new films
and videos here in the Old North State.

The casting call is hereby posted: MOVIE REVIEWERS WANTED. Share your memories of
fond films of the past or your critiques of new films and videos. Send your review for
inclusion in oReel North Carolina III.�

his fond tribute to the career of North Carolina native Charles Kuralt
originally was aired as the CBS oSunday Morning� program two days after
KuraltTs death at the age of 62 on July 4, 1997. Hosted by Charles Osgood
(who took over as host of oSunday Morning� when Kuralt retired in 1994),

the program reviews KuraltTs tenure at CBS, which began in 1957. Those early years,
shown in black-and-white footage, record Kuralt reporting from some particularly
dangerous places, including Vietnam and the Congo, but they also show the genesis
of the pieces that would become KuraltTs trademark " his look at the neighborhood
and the people of 117th Street in New York City.

A Tribute to Charles Kuralt.
CBS Video; 1997; color; 53 min.; $14.98.

Dist. by Baker & Taylor Entertainment

and

North Carolina Libraries

(1-800-775-2600)
Ingram Library Services
(1-800-937-5300).

Osgood notes that what Kuralt valued most was greatness of spirit.
KuraltTs profiles of extraordinary people (from both his oOn the Road�
series and oSunday Morning�) show that in his travels across the
country, he found this greatness in abundance. And he found it mostly
in people we didnTt know, such as Jethro Mann of Belmont, North
Carolina, who repairs bikes and loans them to any child who doesnTt
have one, while teaching the older kids to repair bikes for the younger.
OsgoodTs affection for Kuralt is apparent. The video includes a portion
of OsgoodTs interview with Kuralt upon the publication of his book
Charles KuraltTs America. It is one of the few times we hear Kuralt talking
(a bit) about himself. Clearly, Kuralt was more comfortable telling us
about the people he met.

This profile spotlights the talent for which Kuralt no doubt will be
best remembered: discovering people with remarkable stories, who at
first glance seem to be just plain folks encountered everyday throughout
America. Fittingly, the oSunday Morning� program ends with its usual

montage of pastoral scenes, with only the breeze and birds for musical accompani-
ment. This time the montage features scenes from the coast to the mountains of
beautiful North Carolina, KuraltTs birthplace, with which he maintained strong ties

throughout his life.
No North Carolina library with a video collection should be without this title.

" Melody Moxley
Rowan Public Library

Fall 1998 " 127

ow many minor league baseball teams can you name? Unless you live in
Asheville, Hickory, Winston-Salem, or Wilmington, the Tourists, Crawdads,
Warthogs, or Sharks are probably not too familiar to you. Now what about the
Durham Bulls? Thanks to the 1988 film, Bull Durham, starring Susan Sarandon,
Kevin Costner, and Tim Robbins, there is one minor league team that has arguably won a
place in popular consciousness usually reserved for the likes of the Yankees and the Braves.
Film producer and Durham native Thom Mount brought his cast and crew to the Bull City
in the fall of 1987 to create a film that would immortalize a North Carolina team. In Bull
Durham, Ron Shelton, the former minor league baseball player who wrote and directed the
film manages to convey the unglamorous reality of life in the minors with faithful rever-
ence, while spinning a sexy and intelligent comedic yarn.
The story involves the triangle of Sarandon as Annie Savoy, a part-
Bull Durham. time English teacher and full-time baseball junkie; Robbins as oNuke�
1988: color: 108 min.: LaLoosh, a talented, but green pitcher; and Costner as Crash Davis, a
/ s § veteran catcher brought in by the team to mold the younger player into

video released Feb. 1989; laser, cx encoded; ; ' B Siam a
a star. Annie reveals a similar mission as she enters an affair with Nuke

$39.95 Dist. by Image Entertainment,

9333 Oso Ave., Chatsworth, CA 91311. that has as much to do with civilizing his behavior and strengthening
Order No. ID63120R. his game as exploring new forms of pleasure. As her narration reveals,
Telephone: 1-800-407-9100. Annie oworships at the church of baseball,� choosing one lucky player

FAX: 1-800-407-9111. each season to prosper from her own brand of religious training.

Though attracted to the intelligent and experienced Crash, who can
match her verse for verse and speak knowingly on quantum physics,
Annie initially resists his charms in favor of the more pliable young
player. Not to worry, eventually the two older and wiser characters
relent to their passions and heat up the screen, dancing joyfully to-
gether as the closing credits roll. Despite the emphasis on love and lust,
baseball is not neglected as the season unfolds, with its long schedule of games played
across the region under less than stellar conditions. Nuke learns to control his powerful
arm and earns a chance in the majors while Crash gets his own swing at personal triumph.
By the filmTs end, all the characters achieve some level of personal growth, while allowing
themselves and the audience a lot of fun along the way.

When first released, Bull Durham received some local criticism for its depiction of
Durham as a quaint Southern town. By watching the film, it is hard to recognize the
bustling urban center with its world class university, medical school, and modern dance
festival. Ultimately this portrayal of Durham can be forgiven. Bull Durham is a romance,
and a little romanticizing of the locale is allowed. Consider that the Durham Athletic
Park, another star of the film, with its intimate stands, advertisements for Bojangles and
Northgate Mall, and its crazy, smoke-snorting bull, was replaced after the movieTs release
by a modern state-of-the-art stadium with sky boxes and gourmet concessions. In reality
the new stadium is a more comfortable and practical venue for watching a game, but in
the film, the old park and the small town spirit of Durham survive timelessly as a place
where people live and play baseball, not for big bucks or media-fed glory, but for the love
of it and the spiritual deliverance it can provide.

Rated R, for sexual situations and strong language, this film is not recommended for
younger viewers. It does belong in any collection devoted to North Carolina and/or
baseball.

" Billy King
State Library of North Carolina



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128 " Fall 1998 North Carolina Libraries

NorTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
Minutes of the Executive Board

July 17, 1998, Watauga County Public Library

Attending: Beverley Gass, Al Jones, Maureen Costello, Susan Adams, Martha Davis, Rhoda Channing, Eleanor
Cook, Dave Fergusson, Tracy Babiasz, Carolyn Price, Shirley Gregory, Marilyn Miller, Carol Truett, Carol

Freeman, Gayle Keresey, Catherine Wilkinson, Diane Kester, Peggy Quinn, Karen Gavigan, Melinda Ratchford,
Ann Miller, Ginny Gilbert, Lila Friday, Peter Keber.

President Beverley Gass called the meeting
to order and asked for approval of the April
minutes. They were approved with one cor-
rection: the spelling of the name Wilkerson
to Wilkinson.

President Gass asked the group to intro-
duce themselves, giving name and position
with NCLA.

PresidentTs Report

President Gass and Al Jones revised the vi-
sion statement to include the comments
from the last meeting. Discussion was held
and the statement was approved and ac-
cepted as the Vision Statement for the
North Carolina Library Association.

A request was presented from Janet Free-
man, chair of NC Live, for funds to purchase
a 4-panel display at a cost of $2,200. The
display would be ochecked out� across the
state for exhibit opportunities. Discussion
included questions regarding the clarifica-
tion of the availability of the unit through-
out the state, the cost of one unit, versus
two, and the cost(s) for shipping the display.
The motion to approve the expense was
passed with the recommendation that NC
Live be encouraged to purchase two units
with the $2,200. President Gass will work
with Janet Freeman regarding the concerns
of access to the display.

TreasurerTs Report

Diane Kester asked for discussion regarding
the AssociationTs treasurerTs report. Each
section and round table received an indi-
vidual report reflecting its own financial
status as of the 2nd quarter. Questions
about the ChildrenTs Book award money
was directed to both the ChildrenTs Services
Section and NCASL. It was recommended
that Maureen Costello, Administrative As-
sistant, develop a ohead count� form to be
used at all workshop/events to calculate the
funds to be received by the Association.

North Carolina Libraries

Section/Round Table Reports

ChildrenTs Services Section

Susan Adams reported that the ChildrenTs
Services Section met on June 1, 1998 to fi-
nalize plans for the biennial retreat. The
retreat, entitled oReading Renaissance: a
Retreat to Rediscover the Book,� will begin
at noon on October 26, end at noon on
October 27 and will be held at the BrownTs
Summit Hotel.

Speakers will include Jim Rossinia, who
will discuss the oages and stages� of adoles-
cence, Dr. Denise Palas, who will discuss
physiological stages and pre-reading in
school children, and Dr. Dudley Shearborn
of Salem College will energize the group to
ogo forth and discuss� books. A omock�
Newbery book discussion " led by individu-
als who have actually participated in the
real discussion, and a relaxing evening fea-
turing storytelling around the fire will be
included also.

College and University Section
Shirley Gregory, Director of the Library at
Barton College and new chair, reported that
the College and University Section has reor-
ganized after the resignation of chairman
Dr. Clarence Toomer in May. Bobby C.
Wynn, Director of Library Services
Fayetteville State University, has accepted
the position of vice chair. The section is dis-
cussing union with the Community and
Junior College section, but has not been
able to meet with their representative.

A fall workshop is being planned for
November 6, 1998. The title of the work-
shop is oFulfilling the Promise of the
Millenium: Purposes, Perspectives, and Pos-
sibilities.� The keynote address will be given
by Dr. Benjamin Speller of North Carolina
Central University. Break out sessions will
focus on the future that is here, NC Live.

These sessions will address education and
access.

Community and Junior College
Section

Martha Davis reported that CJCLS is work-
ing with the NC Library Paraprofessional
Association on a joint workshop that will
tentatively be scheduled for the fall. This
will allow the NCLPA to survey their group
for a topic of interest.

Documents Section

Ann Miller reported on the sectionTs spring
program oThe Old North State: State,
County and Local Information in North
Carolina� which took place May 15, 1998 at
the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. It was a
great success, with attendance at around 60
participants. Nancy Kohlenbrander, Vice-
Chair/Chair-Elect is now planning the Fall
Program, to take place in October, focusing
on coping with electronic documents.

Candidates for Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect
and Treasurer will be sought in the coming
months.

The State Depository System Advisory
Board has asked the Documents Section to
create a task force to examine the changing
formats in which state information is being
issued and the impact that will have on
public access. The task force will identify
core state information which needs to be
preserved in printed form, examine the
change from print to electronic distribution
and the issues involved and begin to exam-
ine possible legislative action needed. The
details of the charge and the membership of
the task force are still being established.

Marilyn Schuster of UNC-Charlotte and
Mike Van Fossen of UNC-Chapel Hill have
agreed to serve as section liaisons to the
Publications Committee. Marilyn will work
with the newsletter project and Mike with
the Web page.

Fall 1998 " 129

Library and Management Section
Rhoda Channing reported that a TreasurerTs
report indicating the section to be in poor
financial position was cleared up once pre-
conference expenses charged to the section
and revenues allocated to the section had
been analyzed.

The joint mentoring initiative between
the New Members Round Table and LAMS
has gone forward with the appointment of a
Steering Committee to prepare a brochure
and survey information. Appointed from
LAMS are Mary McAfee from Forsyth Public,
Robert Canida II from UNC-Pembroke, and
Kate Hickey of Elon College.

Rhoda Channing attended a meeting of
the Resources and Technical Services Section
Board to continue planning the RTSS/LAMS
workshop on assessment. All of the details of
the meeting seem to be working out and a
large attendance is anticipated.

The LAMS Board met on July 10 at Wake
Forest University. Reports were heard on the
budget, the mentoring program, and the fall
workshop. Gwen Jackson spoke about the
need to include school library media special-
ists in the mentoring program. Robert Burgin
will head the nominating committee for
LAMS, and will make suggestions as to other
members. Martha Davis, Chair-Elect, gave a
comprehensive report on the Council of
LAMA AffiliatesT meeting she attended at ALA.
Martha had several ideas for possible pro-
grams that could be pre-conference sessions at
the next NCLA biennial conference. It was
decided to get more information about the
various Institutes offered by the divisions.

Martha will also be following up on lapsed
members of LAMS. Various ways of increasing
and marketing membership were considered.
It was felt that the mentoring program will
increase personal involvement of members
and possibly attract new ones to LAMS.

NC Association of School Librarians
Section
Melinda Ratchford and Karen Gavigan re-
ported that the NCASL Conference are
scheduled be held September 16-18, 1998,
offering outstanding speakers and presenters.
The theme oTool Time� is so appropriate be-
cause of the vast array of otools� media spe-
cialists are being asked to provide and use.

The AASL meetings at ALA were attended
by both Melinda and Karen. A tremendous
effort is under way to get the Information
Power advocacy plan into effect.

The NCASL Executive Board met on June
3, 1998. Details about the upcoming confer-
ence were discussed. The board voted to
nominate Laura Williams and Vicki Stanfield
to attend the NCLA Leadership Institute in
October. NC Book Awards were given to Roses
Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane
DeGroat, and Shiloh Season, by Phyllis
Naylor. Information concerning awards and
scholarships have been sent out with a July
10, 1998 deadline for their return. Awards
and scholarships will be presented during the

170 " Fall 1998

opening session on Thursday morning. A
decision was made to present oA Lifetime
Achievement Award� during this time also.
Marilyn Shontz reported that she is still mak-
ing revisions to the Profile of NC School Li-
braries Survey. It is hoped that the data in
this report, expected to be out after Labor
Day, can be used to support library programs
across North Carolina. A boost in NCASL
membership is anticipated with the upcom-
ing conference. Laura Williams is looking for
a permanent place to host the NCASL web
page. It was suggested to check with East
Carolina University. A suggestion was also
made to put an application for membership
on the web page. Melinda Ratchford reported
that she and Sue Spencer are on the NC State
Library Committee for Sharing Resources.
They are looking into the possibility of a
State-Wide Union Catalog. A conference was
discussed to hear issues from all kinds of li-
braries. Laura Williams and Marilyn Shontz
will be responsible for finding someone to be
in charge of the newsletter. The next Execu-
tive Board meeting will be held on Septem-
ber 16, 1998 at 5:00 PM in the 3rd floor
boardroom of the Benton Civic Center.

NC Library Paraprofessional Round
Table
In a written report, Frances Lampley, the new
chair reported that an Executive Board meet-
ing was held on June 19, 1998 in
Hendersonville. Discussion was held regard-
ing programs planned " whether to continue
the plans for workshops, whether or not to
conduct one as a test, or whether to change
the workshop altogether. After much discus-
sion, it was decided that since the plans had
been approved by the board at the last meet-
ing, workshops should continue as planned.
Contact was to be made with Martha Davis
of LAMS concerning the progress made.
Lou Bryant submitted her resignation as
chair. A replacement director is being sought
for District 2. The next meeting will be
scheduled for late August or early September.

NC Public Library Trustee Association
There was no report.

New Members Round Table

The board of the New Members Round Table
met on June 9. The board is proceeding with
an implementation of the mentoring program
for NCLA members. After discussion with
members of the LAMS board, a steering com-
mittee (made up of Jennie Hunt and Jane
Casto from the NMRT board and Robert
Canida, Kate Hickey and Mary McAffee from
the LAMS board) was formed and will begin to
pull together a brochure to describe the pro-
gram and request applications. Workshops for
the participants will be considered also.

The 2nd Annual NMRTTs Big Adventure
was held on July 10 in Greensboro. Fourteen
librarians met and mingled as they visited
several local libraries. More Big Adventures
will be planned for the future. Jennie Hunt,

Director for Programming, is looking towards
another fall program in the fall with a pos-
sible theme of fundraising and grant oppor-
tunities in libraries.

The NMRT newsletter should be mailed
sometime in the new few weeks. A great deal
of time has been spent discussing means of
publishing more online to reduce the
amount of printing necessary and the speed
with which information is distributed. Plans
are being made to survey members regarding
their needs in an upcoming newsletter issue.

The board agreed to support NCLA Lead-
ership Institute 1998 with a donation.

Members have been queried about the
type of program(s) they would like to see at
the next biennial conference. The topic will be
discussed in detail at future board meetings.

Public Library Section

Steve Sumerford was unable to attend this
meeting but reported through Beverley Gass
that PLS committees were making progress.

Reference & Adult Services Section
Carolyn Price reported that the RASS Execu-
tive Committee met on Friday, May 1, 1998
at the Durham County Public Library. Philip
Banks was voted Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect and
Lisa Sheffield will take PhilipTs place as the
public library representative to the Board.

Materials are still being formulated for
the Fall Workshop relating to the impact of
the NC Live project on reference and public
services. Sue Cody has contacted Crit Stuart
from GALILEO as a possible speaker to talk
about what Georgia has learned from its
statewide project. A representative from the
State Library will be sought to give an update
on NC Live. The afternoon will include ses-
sions that look at differing aspects of the net-
work that will interest librarians from various
types of libraries.

The low budget report and low member-
ship and their effect on the upcoming pro-
grams were discussed at length. Revised fi-
nancial reports offered a more encouraging
picture of the balance.

The next meeting will be held August 7 in
Asheville.

Resources & Technical Services

The board members met on April 23 and
June 11 in Greensboro. At the first meeting,
initial plans were made for the fall workshop.
Margaret Foote, membership chair, agreed to
represent RTSS on the NCLA Publicity Com-
mittee. Vice-chair, Lisa Smith, volunteered to
maintain the RTSS web site.

Rhoda Channing, LAMS chair, joined
RTSS at the June meeting to make detailed
plans for the fall workshop, which is being
co-sponsored by LAMS. The workshop, en-
titled oMoving Ahead While Honoring the
Past: Assessing Our Operations,� will be held
September 24, 1998 at the Friday Center in
Chapel Hill. Ellen Altman will speak on why
and how we assess library operations. Robert
Burgin will speak on assessment tools. And

North Carolina Libraries

Lea Wells will discuss staff morale during as-
sessments and implementation of changes. A
brochure will be sent to all NCLA members
in early August. Information about the work-
shop, including the registration form, will be
on the RTSS web site.

The board agreed to contribute $250 to
the Leadership Institute.

The chair attended the Council of Re-
gional Groups on June 28 at ALA in Wash-
ington, DC and reported on RTSS activities
since the Midwinter meeting.

Round Table for Ethnic Minority
Concerns
Barbara Best-Nichols reported that Dr.
Clarence Toomer will not be able to fulfill the
role of archivist. He is moving from the area.
A fall workshop entitled oTechnology for
the New Millenium " Are Your Public and
Technical Services at Risk?� is planned. Pan-
elists from universities, public libraries, and
commercial information providers will
present information on changes taking place
in the library and information environ-
ments. In addition to a panel, there will be
an extensive question and answer period.
Demonstrations of technologies affecting the
roles of public and technical services areas
will also be held. The workshop is set for the
McKimmon Center at NC State University on
September 18, 1998. Brochures will go out
within the next few weeks.

Round Table on Special Collections
The Round Table on Special Collections
sponsored three practical workshops on oral
history basics, oTelling Our Stories,� in
Williamston, Pinehurst, and Lenoir during
April, May, and June. Presenters were from
East Carolina University, the North Carolina
Museum of History, and the Southern Oral
History Program at UNC-Chapel Hill. Ap-
proximately 60 representing public libraries,
academic libraries, historical societies and
geneological societies attended.

Round Table on Status of Women in
Librarianship
On May 1, 1998, Dr. Richard E. Rubin, Asso-
ciate Professor, School of Library and Informa-
tion Science at Kent State University, pre-
sented a very successful workshop on Motiva-
tion, Satisfaction and Commitment in the
Library Workplace. The Public Library Section
co-sponsored the workshop and the 36 at-
tendees reflected both units. Attendees were
from public, academic, and school libraries.
The forthcoming RTSWL board meeting
will begin planning for the 1999 conference.

Technology & Trends Round Table
Eleanor Cook reported that they plan to
meet soon and are presently working on
plans for a workshop on technology and
trends. She reminded other board members
that TNT is always ready to co-sponsor an
event with any other group(s).

North Carolina Libraries

Committee Reports
Administrative Advisory Committee
The committeeTs organizational meeting was
held on June 19, 1998. This group will deal
with issues related to the move of the NCLA
office, the future of the office after the move,
the position of Administrative Assistant in-
cluding implementing a procedures manual
and personnel, and providing guidance on
matters of office technology such as database
maintenance and Internet presence and its
maintenance, and hardware/software stan-
dards.

The committee will write (with assistance
of the incumbent) a job description and per-
sonnel manual concerning the position of
Administrative Assistant. It will cover roles,
responsibilities and priorities, to whom the
position reports and how often, work hours,
leave, training, probationary period, salary
and benefits, work related travel compensa-
tion, and method of evaluation. The com-
mittee chair will interview previous Admin-
istrative Assistants to get their perspective on
the position. Past position holders, or any-
one knowing their whereabouts, are encour-
aged to contact Liz Hamilton at 252-335-
2511 or at ehamilton@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us.

Archives Committee

The Archives Committee met on July 2, 1998
at the State Library. The members began re-
viewing the subject heading list, the scope
and contents and the description records of
the subgroups. After reviewing the lists, the
committee discussed the possibility of add-
ing other headings, although no changes
were made.

A complete inventory of all received
materials is planned for the next meeting.
The committee will continue working on
older materials and preparing them for trans-
fer into the archives. Records from the mid-
1980s " early 1990s will be the committeeTs
first priority.

The committee discussed the need to in-
vite the archivist to the next meeting to of-
fer suggestions and instruct the committee
on various preservation techniques.

Conference Committee

Al Jones reported that the 1999 NCLA Bien-
nial Conference will be held September 21-
24 at the Benton Convention Center in Win-
ston-Salem. The 2001 Conference will also be
held in Winston-Salem.

The full Conference Committee met on
May 15 at Catawba College. A theme was
decided for the 1999 Conference. oImagine
the Future� will give librarians in every type
of library an opportunity to think about how
to shape the future of librarianship in the
new milennium. Program planners were
urged to incorporate a futurist perspective in
the planning of meetings for the conference.

Monthly meetings of the full Conference
Committee will begin on September 11,
1998. Registration and exhibit booth fees will
be decided and a budget for the conference

will be approved.

The convention centers of Charlotte,
Greensboro, High Point, Raleigh, and Win-
ston-Salem were contacted as possible sites
for the 2003 and 2005 biennial conferences.
Proposals have been received from all five
potential sites. The dates requested for the
2003 conference are September 23-26 and for
the 2005 conference, September 20-23, dates
that will not conflict with the Jewish High
Holy Days. The Vice-President asked the
board to approve Winston-Salem as the site
for the 2003 conference. It was approved.

Most roundtable committee chairs have
sent Al information on their respective pro-
gram planners, which has been forwarded to
Phil Barton, Program Chair for the 1999
Conference. Any further information on pro-
gram planners or requests about the program
planning can be sent directly to Phil at
bartonp@co.rowan.nc.us. He needs to know
the name, address, telephone number(s), and
email address of the person in the section or
round table who will be responsible for pro-
grams at the Conference.

Signers for the deaf among the Board
members or NCLA members at large are
encouraged to contact Al Jones at
pajones@catawba.edu.

Constitution, Codes and Handbook
Committee

Chair Gayle Keresey reported that the com-
mittee will meet within the next six weeks.

Development Committee

The NCLA Development Committee met on
June 12. The committee discussed ways to
handle and invest funds donated to the
planned endowment. There seem to be three
options: do it ourselves; pay a professional to
do it for us; or contact with one of North
CarolinaTs two community foundations to do
it. Consensus was that it was impractical for
the association itself to manage an endow-
ment, and that a professional would be too
costly. Thus, the committee decided to ex-
plore investing with either the North Caro-
lina Community Foundation, based in Ra-
leigh, or the Foundation for the Carolinas,
based in Charlotte. These organizations pro-
vide a variety of development services for
non-profit organizations and also distribute
grants of their own to local funding agencies.
A representative from each organization will
be asked to make a presentation to the Devel-
opment Committee in early September.
NCLA officers and members of the Finance
Committee will be invited to this presenta-
tion as well.

Although both these foundations offer to
acknowledge donations on behalf of the
non-profit for which money is being raised,
the committee agreed that NCLA should ini-
tially receive and acknowledge all donations
itself. An acknowledgement letter with the
appropriate statements to the effect that the
donation is tax deductible has been drafted.

The committee discussed the possibility of

Fall 1998 " 131

carrying out a silent auction and drawing at
the biennial conference to raise money for
the endowment. Similarly successful events
have been held at other state conferences.
The Development Committee will contact
the Conference Committee about this idea.
Discussion was also held about soliciting
corporate donations to the endowment as
sponsorships of NCLA activities.

Finance Committee

Catherine Wilkinson reported that the Fi-
nance Committee discussed the Member-
ship Committee request oto change the
dues structure to $10/year for all years in
school for library school students.� Slightly
amended, the proposal is now oto change
the dues structure to $10/year for degree-
seeking library school students (six year
maximum).� This change establishes a time
limit equal to the time limit for earning the
MasterTs degree. It also eliminates those who
occasionally enroll in a course or courses for
the purposes of continuing education, etc.
The current policy calls for full-time library
students to pay dues of $10/year for only
two years. There is no clear indication of the
impact this change in the dues structure for
library school students would have on the
budget.

On June 10, 1998, President Gass asked
the Finance Committee for a recommenda-
tion regarding reimbursement for travel to
NCLA Executive Board meetings. Prelimi-
nary investigation has resulted in the fact
that the implications of providing reim-
bursement for travel to Executive Board
meetings are far reaching, ranging from
budgetary implications to choice of meeting
locations. The Finance Committee needs
additional time to gather information, in-
cluding polling each section/round table as
to its current and future practices regarding
travel expenditure reimbursement.

Some current funding practices were
noted. NCLA provides funds for the ALA
Councilor to use to attend ALA meetings.
Funds are available for discretionary use by
the President and Treasurer. Some sections
do use section funds to reimburse the section
chairTs travel to Executive Board meetings.
Approximately 40 attend board meetings.

Governmental Relations Committee
There was no report.

Intellectual Freedom Committee

In a written report, Gene Lanier noted the
numerous activities of this committee.
Some examples of involvement are: lobby-
ing against oParental Rights and Child Pro-
tection� bill in General Assembly; co-spon-
sored Judith F. Krug as general session
speaker at the 1997 Biennial Conference;
presented the NCLA/SIRS Intellectual Free-
dom Award to Susan Cannady, media spe-
cialist at Grimsley High School in Greens-
boro; provided Web sites on NCLA listserv
for information on many intellectual free-

172 " Fall 1998

dom issues including Internet use policies,
sites for children and library filters; tracked
states/federal proposed legislation connect-
ing library filters and e-rates; helped numer-
ous libraries formulate Internet use policies
and update selection policies.

Leadership Institute

Cover letters and applications for the 1998
Leadership Institute went out to library di-
rectors and school system media coordina-
tors in May and every NCLA member re-
ceived a postcard. Both are also available on
the NCLA web site. Thus far, the Nomina-
tions committee has received 24 applica-
tions. The original June 30 deadline was
extended to July 17 to provide time to re-
ceived additional applications. The goal is
to have 30 participants.

The following people have agreed to
serve as mentors for the 1998 Institute: Bar-
bara Baker, Durham Technical Community
College; Phillip Cherry Il, Hickory Public
Library; Janet Freeman, Meredith College;
Alice Naylor, Appalachian State University;
Benjamin F. Speller, NC Central University;
and Jerry Thrasher, Cumberland County
Public Library and Information Center.

The full planning committee met on July
22. Final decisions were made regarding pos-
sible additions to the mentor list at that time.

The fundraising sub-committee has
been seeking corporate donations for the
Institute. Also, NCLA sections and round
tables have been encouraged to contribute
with a suggested donation of $250.00. Au-
thorized funds can be transferred into the
Leadership Institute budget by Maureen
Costello.

Details regarding program plans, local
arrangements and participants will be final-
ized soon in preparation for the October 28
" November 1 experience.

Literacy Committee
There was no report.

Membership Committee
The Membership Committee met on July 9.
Joining the committee were Beverley Gass
and Maureen Costello. A discussion was
held on developing and implementing a
long-range membership plan for NCLA.
Beverley outlined the 3 Rs " Recruitment,
Retention & Reward " for increasing mem-
bership. The Committee will contact and/or
visit web sites of prominent state library
organizations such as Texas, Michigan, and
Ohio for assistance in formulating a written
plan. A draft of the plan of action will be
presented at the October Executive Board
meeting. The committee is planning to mail
personalized letters to North Carolina li-
brarians, citing the benefits of membership.
Peggy Quinn presented a report of mem-
bership totals for 1998, comparing them
with 1997 totals. Information was divided
by section/round table and type of member-
ship. The Membership Committee will as-

sume this responsibility from the Adminis-
trative Assistant.

Anew membership application was dis-
tributed. This application will be the only
official application and will be used for both
new members and renewals.

Nominating Committee

Beverley Gass reported that Gwen Jackson,
Chair, is preparing a slate for 1998 SELA rep-
resentatives.

Publications and Marketing
Committee

The Publications and Marketing Committee
met June 12, 1998. Three working groups
have been formed and representatives from
some of the other committees, sections, and
round tables have joined them. The Website
group is considering a move to a new server.
Possibilities include commercial sites such
as Mindspring or Geocities, and Institu-
tional sites such as East Carolina or UNC-
Greensboro. Registration of a distinctive url,
ideally, www.ncla.org, would entail a one-
time cost of about $50. Assurance of access
to the page by successive NCLA webmasters
(if security of the server is an issue) may
need to be secured by a letter of agreement.
A meeting with the original webmaster,
Michael Roche, is scheduled for July 31.

The electronic newsletter will be edited
by Pam Burton and launched in a one-day
workshop to be held at East Carolina Uni-
versity August 14, 1998.

The marketing group met on July 10.
They will be working with the new Consult-
ant for Communications and Evaluations at
the NC State Library to produce one or more
jointly sponsored radio Public Service An-
nouncements. Other possible projects were
discussed, including promotion of NCLATs
role in continuing education and sponsor-
ship of a workshop for NCLA committees
dealing with the marketing of specific com-
mittee programs.

Another idea discussed is the possible
sale of advertising on the web page. Possible
sponsors include library schools, vendors,
and people seeking positions (a oPositions
Wanted� page). It was also suggested that
links could be provided on the conference
exhibit page to vendorsT home pages.

Section, round table, andcommittee
chairs who have not already done so are en-
couraged to appoint representatives.

Scholarship Committee
Carol Truett reported that selections had
been made for receipt of the two scholar-
ships and student loan. They are
NCLA Memorial Scholarship of $1000
" Carrie McClean of Knightdale, NC;
Query-Long Scholarship for Work with
Children or Young Adults of $1000
" Lynda H. Stewart of Wingate, NC
McClendon Student Loan of $300
" Charles P. Wiggins of Asheville, NC.
Letters of award have been sent to the three

North Carolina Libraries

students.

Beverley Gass suggested that the commit-
tee look into whether or not more scholar-
ships should be offered. A suggestion was
also made to work in conjunction with the
Development Committee for developing a
follow-up process for recipients. Carol will
contact Frances Bradburn concerning pub-
lishing the awards in North Carolina Libraries.

North Carolina Libraries

The summer issue of North Carolina Librar-
ies, oTurning Points: An Oral North Caro-
lina History of Librarianship,� has been sent
to the printer with a projected mailing date
of July 21.

Two new editorial board representatives
are John Zika (Person County Public Li-
brary) of the Public Library Section and Lisa
Driver (Pitt Community College) of the
Community/Junior College Section.

Upcoming issues are:

Fall 1998 " Advise and Consult
(Artemis Kares, Guest Editor)

Winter 1998 " ChildrenTs Services
(Beth Hutchinson and Mel Burton,
Guest Editor)

Spring 1999 " Outreach

Summer 1999 - North Carolina Writets

Fall 1999 " Life and Limb
(Page Life, Guest Editor)

Winter 1999 " Conference Issue

Spring 2000 " The Millennium:
Celebration or Disaster

LEADER IN

THE

North Carolina Libraries

LN Tv E Ger: A; Tt -EaD

Summer 2000 " Preserving Local History
Fall 2000 " Research and Librarianship
Winter 2000 " The Call of Story.

SELA

SELA will hold its biennial conference
jointly with the Arkansas Library Associa-
tion in Little Rock on September 30 " Octo-
ber 3. The theme of the conference is
oSouthern Libraries: Diamonds of Informa-
tion.� Information can be gathered at SELATs
new web page at http://www.seflin.org/sela/
confshtmilsjorgeon the listserv at
LISTSERV@LISTSERV.VT.EDU.

The Southeastern Librarian has been re-
vived. The journal will have two issues of
news, association business and various in-
formational notices and reports. The other
two issues will focus on significant research
and articles addressing trends, develop-
ments and issues related to library and in-
formation access and services. It has been
recommended that the journal move to
having the research issues juried.

SOLINET now provides administrative
services for SELA.

The SELA Leadership and Planning
Workshop was held in Atlanta, March 28-30
oto provide a continuing education/staff
development experience for leadership and
members as recommended by the Executive
Board� and to have othe opportunity to
begin to flesh out long-range planning as-
pects recommended by the Future Direc-

INFORMATION SERVICES

INFORMATION

tions Committee to the SELA Executive
Board.�

North Carolina State Library
Commission

Chair Lila Friday offered the appreciation of
the State Library Commission to NCLA for
the work they do in the field of
librarianship.

New Business

Rhoda Channing announced a teleconfer-
ence that will take place on August 12, 1998
from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Rhoda also reported
that she met with Congressman Richard
Burr regarding House Bill 2281 oFair Use Is-
sues for Copyright Laws.� She reported a
positive response to the Krug-Boucher
amendment and positive follow-up with
the congressional office.

Dave Fergusson announced the National
Conference of Rural Librarians to be held in
Winston-Salem at the same time as the
NCASL Conference, September 16-18, 1998.

Beverley Gass announced her plan to
sponsor a non-conference year oevent� to
celebrate NCLA membership and asked
each board member present to provide a list
of three names of people who could meet
with her to discuss and plan this event.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:05 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
" Liz Jackson

MANAGEMENT

Fall 1998 " 13%

NortTuH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 1997-1999 EXECUTIVE BOARD

PRESIDENT

Beverley Gass

M.W. Bell Library

Guilford Technical College
P.O. Box 309

Jamestown NC 27282-0309

Telephone: 336/334-4822
x2434
Fax: 336/841-4350

GASSB@GTCC.CC.NC.US

VICE PRESIDENT/

PRESIDENT ELECT

Plummer Alston ~AlT Jones, Jr.
Catawba College

2300 W. Innes Street
Salisbury, NC 28144

Telephone: 704/637-4449
Fax: 704/637-4204
PAJONES@CATAWBA.EDU
SECRETARY

Elizabeth J. Jackson
West Lake Elementary School

207 Glen Bonnie Lane
Apex, NC 27511

Telephone: 919/380-8232

Fax: 919/662-2313

LIZ@WLE.APEX.K12.NC.US
TREASURER

Diane D. Kester

East Carolina University
105 Longview Drive
Goldsboro, NC 27534-8871
Telephone: 919/328-6621
Fax: 919/328-4638
KESTERD@EMAIL.ECU.EDU

DIRECTORS

Vanessa Work Ramseur
Hickory Grove

7209 E. W.T. Harris Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28227

Telephone: 704/563-9418
Fax: 704/568-2686
VWR@PLCMC.LIB.NC.US
Ross Holt

Raldolph Public Library

201 Worth Street

Asheboro, NC 27203
Telephone: 336/318-6806
Fax: 336/3186823
RHOLT@NCSL.DCR.STATE.NC.US

ALA COUNCILOR

Jacqueline B. Beach

Craven-Pamlico-Carteret
Regional Library

400 Johnson

New Bern, NC 28560

Telephone: 919/823-1141

Fax: 919/638-7817

JBEACH@NCSL.DCR.STATE.NC.US

134 " Fall 1998

SELA REPRESENTATIVE
Nancy Clark Fogarty
Jackson Library
UNC-Greensboro
Greensboro, NC 27412
Telephone: 336/334-5419
Fax: 336/334-5097
FOGARTYN@IRIS.UNCG.EDU

EDITOR, North Carolina Libraries
Frances Bryant Bradburn
Evaluation Services
NC Dept. of Public Instruction
301 N. Wilmington Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2825

Telephone: 919/715-1528
Fax: 919/715-4762
FBRADBUR@DPI.STATE.NC.US

PAST-PRESIDENT
David Fergusson
Forsyth County Public Library
660 W. Fifth Street
Winston-Salem NC 27101
Telephone: 336/727-2556
Fax: 336/727-2549

D_FERGUSSON@FORSYTH.LIBNC.US

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Maureen Costello
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
MCOSTELLO@NCSLDCRSTATENCUS

SECTION CHAIRS
CHILDRENTS SERVICES SECTION
Susan Adams
Southeast Regional Library
908 7th Avenue
Garner, NC 27529

Telephone: 919/662-6635
Fax: 919/662-2270
SADAMS@CO.WAKE.NC.US

COLLEGE anp UNIVERSITY SECTION
Shirley Gregory
Hackney Library, Barton College
Box S000
Wilson, NC 28893-7000

Telephone: 252/366-6501
Fax: 252/399-6571
SGREGORY@BARTON.EDU

COMMUNITY anp JUNIOR
COLLEGE LIBRARIES SECTION
Martha E. Davis
M. W. Bell Library
Guilford Tech. Comm. College
P. O. Box 309
Jamestown, NC 27282-0309
Telephone: 336/334-4822
Fax: 336/841-4350
DAVISM@GTCC.CC.NC.US

DOCUMENTS SECTION
Ann Miller
Perkins Library
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0177
Telephone: 919/660-5855
Fax: 919/660-2855
AEM@MAIL.LIB.DUKE.EDU

LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION anp
MANAGEMENT SECTION
Rhoda Channing
Z. Smith Reynolds Library
Box 7777
Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC 27109-7777

Telephone: 336/759-5090
Fax: 336/759-9831
CHANNING@WFU.EDU

NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION
OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS
Malinda Ratchford
Gaston County Schools
366 W. Garrison Blvd.
Gastonia, NC 28052
Telephone: 704/866-6251
Fax: 704/866-6194
MELEIS@AOL.COM

NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC

LIBRARY TRUSTEES ASSOCIATION

Peter Keber

Public Library of Charlotte/
Mecklenburg County

310 North Tryon Street

Charlotte, NC 28202

Telephone: 704/386-5086
Fax: 704/386-6444
PK@PLCMC.LIB.NC.US

PUBLIC LIBRARY SECTION
Steve Sumerford }
Glenwood Branch Library
1901 W. Florida Street
Greensboro, NC 27403
Telephone: 336/297-5002
Fax: 336/297-5005
GLENWOOD@NR.INFI.NET

REFERENCE anp ADULT SERVICES
Carolyn Price
Forsyth County Public Library
660 W. Fifth Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Telephone: 336/727-8456
Fax: 336/727-2549
C_PRICE@FORSYTH.LIB.NC.US

RESOURCES anp TECHNICAL
SERVICES SECTION

Ginny Gilbert

Perkins Library

Duke University

230C Box 90191

Durham, NC 27708

Telephone: 919/660-5815
Fax: 919/684-2855
VAG@MAIL.LIB.DUKE.EDU

ROUND TABLE CHAIRS

NEW MEMBERS ROUND TABLE
Tracy Babiasz
Durham County Library
300 N. Roxboro Street
PO Box 3809
Durham, NC 27702-3809
Telephone: 919/560-0191
Fax: 919/560-0137
TBABIASZ@NCSL.DCR.STATE.NC.US

NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY
PARAPROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
Frances Lampley
Southeast Regional Library
908 7th Street
Garner, NC 27259
Telephone: 919/662-2262
Fax: 919/662-2270
FLAMPLEY@CO.WAKE.NC.US

ROUND TABLE FOR ETHNIC
MINORITY CONCERNS
Barbara Best-Nichols
Reichold Chemicals, Inc.
6124 Yellowstone Drive
Durham, NC 27713-9708
Telephone: 919/990-8054
Fax: 919/990-7859
BARBARA.BEST-NICHOLS
@REICHHOLD.COM

ROUND TABLE ON SPECIAL
COLLECTIONS
Maury York
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858
Telephone: 252/328-6601
YORKM@MAIL.ECU.EDU

ROUND TABLE ON THE STATUS

OF WOMEN IN LIBRARIANSHIP
Marilyn Miller
4103 Friendly Avenue
Greensboro, NC 27410
Telephone: 336/299-8659
Fax: 336/334-5060
M_MILLER@HAMLET.UNCG.EDU

TECHNOLOGY AND TRENDS
ROUND TABLE
Eleanor I. Cook
Belk Library
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28606

Telephone: 828/262-2786
Fax: 828/262-2773
COOKEI@APPSTATE.EDU

NCLA

North Carolina Library Association

North Carolina Libraries

EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor
FRANCES BRYANT BRADBURN
Evaluation Services
NC Dept. of Public Instruction
301 N. Wilmington Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2825
(919) 715-1528
(919) 715-4823 (FAX)
fbradbur@dpi.state.nc.us

Associate Editor
ROSE SIMON
Dale H. Gramley Library
Salem College
Winston-Salem, NC 27108
(336) 917-5421
simon@salem.edu

Associate Editor
JOHN WELCH
Division of State Library
109 East Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2807
(919) 733-2570
jwelch@hal.dcr.state.nc.us

Book Review Editor
DOROTHY DAVIS HODDER
New Hanover Co. Public Library
201 Chestnut Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
(910) 341-4389
dhodder@co.new-hanover.nc.us

Lagniappe Editor
PLUMMER ALSTON JONES, JR.
Corriher-Linn-Black Library
Catawba College
2300 W. Innes Street
Salisbury, NC 28144
(704) 637-4449
pajones@catawba.edu

Indexer
MICHAEL COTTER
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
(252) 328-0237
cottermi@mail.ecu.edu

Advertising Manager
HARRY TUCHMAYER
New Hanover Co. Public Library
201 Chestnut Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
(910) 341-4036

htuchmayer@co.new-hanover.nc.us

Between Us Editor
KEVIN CHERRY
Rowan Public Library
P.O. Box 4039
Salisbury, NC 28145-4039
(704) 638-3021
kcherry@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us

ChildrenTs Services
MELVIN K. BURTON

Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg

North County Regional Library
16500 Holly Crest Lane
Huntersville, NC 28078

(704) 895-8178
mburton@plcmc.lib.nc.us

College and University
ARTEMIS KARES
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
(252) 328-2263
karesa@mail.ecu.edu

Community and Junior College
LISA C. DRIVER
Pitt Community College
PO Drawer 7007
Greenville, NC 27835-7007
(252) 321-4357

Idriver@pcc.pitt.cc.nc.us

Documents
MICHAEL VAN FOSSEN
Reference Documents
Davis Library CB #3912
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
(919) 962-1151
mike_vanfossen@unc.edu

Library Administration and
Management Section
JOLINE EZZELL
Perkins Library
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0175
(919) 660-5925
jre@mail.lib.duke.edu

New Members Round Table
RHONDA FLORENCE
Florence Elementary School
High Point, NC 27265
(336) 819-2120

rholbroo@guilford.k12.nc.us

N.C. Asso. of School Librarians
DIANE KESSLER
Durham Public Schools
808 Bacon St.
Durham, NC 27703
(919) 560-2360
kesslerd@bacon.durham.k12.nc.us

North Carolina Library
Paraprofessional Association

SHARON NOLES

Southeast Regional Library in Garner
908 7th Avenue

Garner, NC 27529

(919) 894-8322

Public Library Section

JOHN ZIKA

Person County Public Library
319 S. Main St.

Roxboro, NC 27573

(336) 597-7881
rzika@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us

Reference/Adult Services

SUZANNE WISE

Belk Library

Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608

(704) 262-2798
wisems@appstate.edu

Resources and Technical Services

PAGE LIFE

Davis Library CB#3914
UNC-Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890
(919) 962-0153
page_life@unc.edu

Round Table for Ethnic Minority Concerns

BRIGITTE BLANTON
Greensboro Public Library
PO Box 3178

Greensboro, NC 27402-3178
(336) 373-2716
ncs0921@interpath.com

Round Table on Special Collections

MEGAN MULDER

Wake Forest University Library
PO Box 7777 Reynolda Station
Winston-Salem, NC 27109-7777
(336) 758-5091
mulder@wfu.edu

Round Table on the Status of Women
in Librarianship

JOAN SHERIF

Northwestern Regional Library
111 North Front Street

Elkin, NC 28621

(336) 835-4894
jsherif@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us

Technology and Trends

DIANE KESTER

Library Studies and Ed. Technology
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353

(252) 328-4389
Isddkest@eastnet.educ.ecu.edu

Wired to the World Editor

RALPH LEE SCOTT

Joyner Library

East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
(252) 328-0235
scottr@mail.ecu.edu

Trustees

ANNE B. WILGUS

N.C. Wesleyan College
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
(252) 442-2662

(252) 977-3701 (FAX)

North Carolina Libraries

Fall 1998 " 135

NCLA

North Carolina Library Association

Use the application below to enroll as a member of the North Carolina Library Asssociation or to renew your
membership. All memberships are for one calendar year. THE MEMBERSHIP YEAR IS JANUARY 1 THROUGH
DECEMBER 31. Memberships postmarked during the last quarter of the year cover the next year.

Dues (see below) entitle you to membership in the Association and to one section or round table. For each
additional section or round table, add $5.00. Return this form with your check or money order, payable to

North Carolina Library Association (see address below).

NCLA DUES

(Membership and One Section or Round Table)
1 LIBRARY PERSONNEL

FULL-TIME LIBRARY SCHOOL
STUDENTS (two years only) .... $10
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(Trustee, Non-salaried, or Friends
of Libraries member).......:..... $15

INSTITUTIONAL (Libraries &
Library/Education-related
BUSITICSSES) estes sce eee. $50

arming upto $15,000.........0006e $15
Earning $15,001 to $25,000........... $25
Earning $25,001 to $35,000.......... $30
Earning $35,001 to $45,000 .......... $35
Earning $45,001 and above........... $40

promi beesatissssnncadessiveas Eeees $100

Libraries unless this box is checked

NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

CHECK SECTIONS AND ROUND TABLES
ONE IS INCLUDED IN BASIC DUES. (New Members & First Time

renewals should choose a section other than New Members Round Table.)

please print or

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type

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*Dues automatically include membership in New Members Round Table

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Title

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Middle

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(I Check here if you NO NOT wish to be signed up for NCLA-L listserv

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TYPE OF LIBRARY I WORK IN:
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LY CONTRIBUTING (Individuals, Associations,
and Firms interested in the work of
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L} Contributing member acknowledged in North Carolina

Add $5.00 for each additional section or round table.

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Reference & Adult Services Section
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AMOUNT ENCLOSED: (SEE ABOVE)

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TOTAL (PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH)

Mail Payment and Form to: North Carolina Library Association

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1

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Raleigh, NC 27601-1023 ncla@mindspring.com

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
NCLA Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-1; Telephone (Voice & FAX) 919-839-NCLA; E-mail: mcostello@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us

Light and Air

The Photography of Bayard Wootten

JERRY W. COTTEN

The stunning presentation of the life and work
of North CarolinaTs Bayard Wootten (1875-1959),
a trailblazer for women photographers in the
South. Includes many of WoottenTs most notable
images, the portraits she crafted of black and
white working people.

8X10, 190 duotones
2445-3 Nov $37.50 cloth
Blythe Family Fund Series

Sticks and Stones

Three Centuries of North Carolina
Gravemarkers

M. RUTH LITTLE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM BUCHMAN

A beautifully illustrated history, drawing on
20 years of research and the talents of a superb
photographer.

oWith a discerning heart and eye, .. . Ruth Little
illuminates the history as well as the artistry

of gravemarkers in North Carolina.� Catherine
W. Bishir, author of North Carolina Architecture

73/4 X11, 236 duotones

+2417-8 Oct $45 cloth

Richard Hampton Jenrette Series

in Architecture and the Decorative Arts

Now back in print in paperback from UNC Press

The Great Dismal

A CarolinianTs Swamp Memoir

BLAND SIMPSON
WITH A NEW EPILOGUE BY THE AUTHOR

o{Simpson] has given us a jewel of natural and
human history.� " The New Yorker

oIn this quietly eloquent book, Bland Simpson
takes the reader on a journey through a remark-
able place, and the stories he brings back are well
worth the trip.�"North Carolina Historical Review

39 illus.
-4752-6 Sept $14.95 paper
Chapel Hill Books

Tar Heel Politics 2000

PAUL LUEBKE

oPaul Luebke understands North Carolina politics
like no one else. ... This extraordinarily valuable
account should be read by anyone who cares
about the recent course and likely future of our
state.�"John Shelton Reed, coauthor of 1001
Things Everyone Should Know about the South

+2452-6 Nov $34.95 cloth
-4756-9 Nov $14.95 paper

Democracy Betrayed

The Wilmington Race Riot of 1898
and Its Legacy

DAVID S. CECELSKI AND
TIMOTHY B. TYSON, EDITORS

FOREWORD BY JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN

Published on the centennial of the white su-
premacy revolution that claimed many black
lives and rolled back decades of progress for
African Americans in N.C. This volume aims to
draw attention to the tragedy, to honor its
victims, and to add a timely historical voice to
debates over its legacy.

-2451-8 Nov $45 cloth
4755-0 Nov $18.95 paper

Colorblind Injustice

Minority Voting Rights and the
Undoing of the Second Reconstruction

J. MORGAN KOUSSER

An illuminating and controversial view of

racial gerrymandering and the fight for
minority voting rights.

oAn indispensable guide to the uses of discrim-
ination and fraud against racial and ethnic

minorities in American politics.�
"C. Vann Woodward, Yale University

2431-3 Jan $65 cloth
-4738-0 Jan $29.95 paper

Latent An
oY ne

rth re To

BP he University of
D Vorth Cook ina Pais

CHAPEL HILL * PHONE [800] 848.6224 / FAX [800] 272.6817 / http://sunsite.unc.edu/uncpress/



Phase call a fe
copy of our catalog



ISBN 0-8078



FloridaTs
Hurricane History

JAY BARNES
FOREWORD BY NEIL FRANK

An illustrated history of FloridaTs most notable
hurricanes, from colonial days through Andrew
and Opal. Filled with photos, maps, and fasci-
nating stories of tragedy and survival.






81/2 x 10, 112 photos, 76 maps

+2443-7 Oct $39.95 cloth
-4748-8 Oct $19.95 paper

The ChildrenTs Civil War

JAMES MARTEN

oGives voice to silent thousands"the boys

and girls, black and white, northern and southern,
who fought their own battles and endured this
greatest American tragedy.� " Elliot West, author
of Growing Up With the Country: Childhood on the
Far-Western Frontier











2425-9 Sept $34.95 cloth
Civil War America





MemoryTs Nation

The Place of Plymouth Rock
JOHN SEELYE

An extraordinary exploration of the changing
meanings of this national icon over two centuries.

oA rich and thorough study, ... one of the most
illuminating books ever written about the role
of regional legends in our sense and non-sense
of American origins as well as national identity.�
" Michael Kammen, Cornell University









36 illus.
2415-1 Nov $39.95 cloth

poi s( eo """

Winter 1998 ChildrenTs Services
Beth Hutchison and Mel Burton, Guest Editors

Spring 1999 Outreach

Summer 1999 North Carolina Writers
Alice Cotten, Guest Editor

Fall 1999 Life and Limb (security issues)
Page Life, Guest Editor

Winter 1999 Conference Issue

Spring 2000 The Millennium: Celebration or Disaster
David Ferriero, Guest Editor

Unsolicited articles dealing with the above themes or any issue of interest to North Carolina
librarians are welcomed. Please contact the editor for manuscript guidelines and deadlines.

North Carolina Libraries, published four times a year, is the official publication of the North
Carolina Library Association. Membership dues include a subscription to North Carolina
Libraries. Membership information may be obtained from the Administrative Assistant of
NCLA. Subscription rates are $32.00 per year, or $10.00 per issue, for domestic
subscriptions; $50.00 per year, or $15.00 per issue, for foreign subscriptions. Backfiles are
maintained by the editor. Microfilm copies are available through University Microfilms.
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.