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North Carolina Libraries
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THEME ARTICLES: REFERENCE SERVICE
ISSN 0029-2540
201 Just What Is Reference Service? Ilene Nelson
202 Vox Populi, Vox Dei; or Measuring the oGoodness�
of College Libraries: A Case Study, Plummer Alston
Jones, Jr.
209 From Library Student to Library Professional:
Smoothing the Transition for the New Librarian,
Nan McMurry
214 Collection Development: Necessarily.a Shared
Enterprise, Shelia S. Intner
219 The Challenge of Automation and the Library
Instruction Program: Content, Management, Budget,
Elizabeth Bramm Dunn
223 Rip Van Winkle at the Reference Desk? Anna Donnally
228 Use of Technology in a Rural Public Library Setting to
Provide Both Traditional and Nontraditional Reference
Service, Marcia Joyner Clontz
231 Beyond Referral"Providing Business Reference Service
in the Information Age, Coyla Barry
237 Hanging Together: Local Cooperation and Role
Expectations Among Different Types of North Carolina
Libraries, Jeanie M. Welch and Lorraine W. Penninger
FEATURES J
198 From the President ITN
245 North Carolina Books ey:
252 NCLA Minutes
255 About the Authors
Cover: Elizabeth Bramm Dunn, oThe Challenge of Automation Advertisers: Ebsco, 217; Faxon, 208; H.W. Wilson, 200; Phiebig,, ~S
and the Library Instruction Program: Content, Management, 221; Quality, 239; SIRS, inside front cover; Southeastern Micro- :
Budget,� North Carolina Libraries 46 (Winter 1988): 219. film, 225.
Volume 46, Number 4 Winter 1988
Libraries ... Spread the
News
NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
From the President
Remember November 10, 1988, as an impor-
tant date in NCLATs history. ThatTs the date when
two-thirds of the people responsible for library
service in this state"the paraprofessionals"o
ganized their own round table within NCLA.
The meeting at the Durham County Public
Library featured an energetic presentation by
Debbie Wolcott, president of the Virginia Library
AssociationTs Paraprofessional Forum, which was
established almost ten years ago. Ms. Wolcott
emphasized the networking and communications
accomplishments of her group.
The most enlightening part of the meeting for
me was the information from the small group dis-
cussions on what issues North CarolinaTs para-
professionals would like to address:
® communications from above; sometimes
they get it and sometimes they donTt;
@ paraprofessionals supervising their co-
workers (and friends) when the professionals are
gone;
® limited travel funds for paraprofessionals
to attend meetings, workshops, etc.; therefore, the
need for this group to schedule programs in dif-
ferent parts of the state;
@ some kind of credit or recognition for
training; certification for paraprofessionals;
®@ the need to learn the procedures for
requesting reclasses, upgrades, etc., to relieve
salary discrepancies; :
@ how to get other kinds of recognition for
work well done beyond salary increases;
@ assertiveness training and how to gain the
respect of the professionals;
e discrepancies in job classification in differ-
ent institutions, especially within the UNC system;
@ job descriptions that donTt accurately
reflect the work being done;
® temporary upgrades for paraprofessionals
taking over responsibilities of vacant professional
positions;
@ advocacy for paraprofessionals;
© improving work performance through work-
shops.
198 " Winter 1988
As I listened to these reports, I found myself
wishing that more professionals, especially more
administrative staff, had been at the meeting to
hear what this group was saying. Providing a
forum for paraprofessionals to present their
needs and concerns to other members of the
library community is one of my hopes for this
new round table. Sometimes we can work along-
side people everyday, yet not hear them when
they try to tell us what their concerns are. Work-
ing alongside them in NCLA will provide a differ-
ent sort of opportunity for communication, and I
am certain that it will be a beneficial one. Beyond
that, the North Carolina Library Association as an
organization will be richer for the new people and
new ideas that this group is bringing into it.
Some of the paraprofessionals will be inter-
ested in working toward advanced degrees in
library science, and I hope that NCLA will be able
to provide them with the support and encour-
agement to do so. Recruiting from the parapro-
fessional ranks was one of the ideas suggested at
the October executive board meeting when we
discussed the problem of declining minority enroll-
ment in library schools. This is one of the crucial
issues facing librarianship today, and different
members of the executive board had valuable
perspectives on the problem. I have appointed a
Task Force on Minority Recruitment to consider
this issue further and report to the executive
board on what they think NCLA could do to
address it. Kieth Wright from the UNC-G library
school has agreed to chair the committee. Evelyn
Daniel from UNC and Ben Speller from NCCU will
serve with him, as will Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin,
chair of NCLATs recruitment committee; Sheila
Core, chair of the scholarships committee; and
Carol Southerland, chair of the North Carolina
Association of School Librarians.
Finally, I would like to say a word about the
FBI and their Library Awareness Program. NCLATs
own eminent intellectual freedom fighter Gene
Lanier from ECU was one of the ALA luminaries
who recently met with representatives from the
FBI to discuss their interest in librarians and
library users. That the FBI and members of the
Winter 1988 "
_ library community have very different ideas on
the value of the FBITs program has been made
abundantly clear in the national library press,
and I donTt think I need to go into all of that in
this column. What I do want to emphasize, how-
ever, is the point on which the FBI and the library
community agree: the importance of libraries. I
donTt think any federal government agency has
ever before given us such respect, even though
that respect has manifested itself in a program
contrary to much of what we stand for as librar-
ians. One FBI person was quoted as saying that
the KGB knows that having a librarian on their
side is worth more than a couple of engineers,
because librarians have access to oall that infor-
mation.� Surely the library public relations profes-
sionals ought to be able to build a campaign
around that. oWhat is one thing that the KGB and
the FBI can agree on"when they need really neat
information, they go to the library.� The public
relations people in the crowd could come up with
something better, but you get the idea. Think
about it: the FBI is onto how useful libraries
are"it canTt be too big a step from the FBI to the
Budget Office.
Patsy J. Hansel, President ai
16
Lighten Up:
A Call for Papers (Great and
Small) Illustrating the Humorous
Side of the Library Profession
ItTs said that librarians take themselves and
their work too seriously. ItTs said, in fact, that
we have no sense of humor at all.* North Caro-
lina Libraries is planning an issue devoted to the
fun and whimsical side of our work. If you would
like to tackle one of the items listed below (or
come up with one of your own), please contact
By April 4:
Rose Simon
Gramley Library
Salem College
Winston-Salem, NC 27108
(919) 721-2649
Spoofs on our research methodology and results
(cf the Journal of Irreoroducible Results)
Letters to the Editor (of NCL) with replies and
counter-replies
Horrendous manuscripts (puns, misspellings, mis-
statements of fact &Cc.)
Rethinking our professional philosophies, theo-
ries of cataloging and classification, public ser-
vice, etc.
From the Public"mangled reference questions,
citations; excuses for lost and damaged mate-
rials
Biographies of (Fictitious) Librarians
Histories of (Fictitious) Libraries
Floor Plans for New (Fantastic) Library Build-
ings"submitted by: a cataloger, a reference
liorarian, a director, & a patron
A Day in the Life . . . (a librarian for whom every-
thing possible goes wrong)
Epistolary Sequences concerning:
an overdue book; a vendor who continually
misbills you for something; a patron protest
of a harmless book (e.g., Cinderella)
(Fictitious) North Carolina Books and Their
Reviews
Proposed New Bylaws for NCLA
*If true, North Carolina Libraries will present you with its
complimentary official blank book in lieu of an issue.
Winter 1988" 199
TH = When You Need an Answer Fast and it Has to be Right
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G u ide to 175 popular magazines covering a broad range of topics, including: * News and
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200 " Winter 1988
Se
Just What Is Reference Service?
Ilene Nelson, Guest Editor
One of my favorite fables is that of the blind
men and the elephant. You may remember how
the blind man holding the elephantTs tail decided
that the animal was very much like a piece of
rope, while the blind man who had his arms
around the elephantTs leg was sure this creature
was like a tree. Yet the blind man who felt the
elephantTs great side had evidence that an ele-
phant most resembled a wall. Each man knew
something about an elephant.
Describing reference service is as much a
challenge as the one which confronted those blind
men in describing their elephant. Reading oThe
Future of Reference Service� in the October 1988
issue of College and Research Libraries News, 1
was reminded that reference service has always
defied a hard and fast definition. Not only is there
variation in what constitutes reference service in
different types of libraries, but the range of serv-
ices offered by reference librarians in the same
kind of library in the same community is also
quite likely to exhibit as many unique features as
similarities. Reference service is, in fact, the sum
of all of its various and everchanging parts.
Several facets of reference service are exam-
ined in this issue of North Carolina Libraries.
Each article conveys a piece of the whole picture.
Plummer Jones considers the perceived quality of
service in a college library, reminding us that ref-
erence service cannot be considered out of an
institutional context. Nan McMurry offers refresh-
ing and practical suggestions for the beginning
reference librarian. Sheila Intner discusses collec-
tion development, a topic which is always of
interest to reference librarians. Elizabeth Dunn
focuses on library instruction as it is being
affected by changes in information delivery. Anna
Donnelly, Marcia Clontz, and Coyla Barry give
examples of reference service adapting to advan-
ces in technology and evolving client needs and
expectations. Jeanie Welch and Lorraine Pennin-
ger challenge librarians in different types of
libraries to cooperate in offering reference service
Ilene Nelson, guest editor for this issue, is reference librarian
and bibliographer for English and American Literature at
Perkins Library, Duke University, Durham, NC, and Refer-
ence and Adult Services Editor for North Carolina Libraries.
to their communities and to the state.
Now, close your eyes for a moment and con-
jure up your image of reference service. Which
part of the elephant are you touching?
Honorary and Life Membership
in NCLA
The 1988-1989 Honorary and Life Member-
ship Committee requests your recommendations
for persons you consider worthy to be honorary
or life members of NCLA. Suggestions should be
accompanied by a biographical sketch, including
contributions to libraries or librarianship. These
suggestions should be sent to the Committee
Chairperson by January 31, 1989.
The NCLA by-laws provide for the Honorary
and Life Membership Committee to seek sugges-
tions from all members and to recommend names
for these honors to the Executive Board at the
Spring Workshop prior to the Conference.
Criteria for selection are as follows:
1. Honorary memberships may be given to non-
librarians in the State who have rendered impor-
tant services to the library interests of North
Carolina. Honorary memberships should be given
at a time considered appropriate in relation to
the contribution made.
2. Life memberships may be given to librarians
who have served as members of the North Caro-
lina Library Association and who have made
noteworthy contributions to librarianship in the
State. These memberships are limited to librar-
ians who have retired.
3. Contributions of both groups should have been
beyond the local level.
Please send your recommendations to:
Waltrene Canada, Chair
Honorary and Life Membership Committee
F. D. Bluford Library
NC AQT State University
1601 E. Market Street gi
Greensboro, NC 27411 iat
Winter 1988" 201
Vox Populi, Vox Dei; or
Measuring the oGoodness� of College
Libraries:
A Case Study
Plummer Alston Jones, Jr.
The history of the development and imple-
mentation of college library standards and,
indeed, the college library accreditation process
in general represent two of the more exasperating
chapters in the saga of academic librarianship.!
While there is wholehearted agreement within the
college library community that colleges should
have ogood� libraries, there are at least three
proponents of college libraries, in addition to col-
lege librarians themselves, who have a vested
interest in determining how to measure ogoodness�
"funding bodies, state and regional accrediting
agencies, and professional library associations,
the collective vox dei of the academic community.
Of these three groups, only the professional
library associations and, to a lesser extent, fund-
ing bodies have espoused quantitative as well as
qualitative standards. Regional and state accred-
iting agencies have lobbied quite vigorously and
effectively in the past for purely qualitative
standards, viewed as more flexible and thus more
applicable to a wider range of institutions. More
recently, however, there has been a noticeable
trend among regional accrediting agencies, nota-
bly the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools (SACS), toward standards calling for
oeducational outcomes assessment� which in itself
implies the need for quantifiable data.�
Where are these quantifiable data to be
found? One obvious source is library use statistics
collected in various categories which represent in
objective numerical terms the use and amounts of
library resources and services. While the catego-
ries of statistics may well vary from college to col-
lege, all North Carolina college libraries pre-
sumably keep statistics in categories called for in
the annual North Carolina Higher Education Data
Plummer Alston Jones, Jr., is Head Librarian and Director of
Learning Resources of the Iris Holt McEwen Library/LaRose
Resources Center, Elon College, Elon College, NC.
202 " Winter 1988
(NCHED) survey form for The University of North
Carolina and, in turn, the Higher Education
General Institutional Survey (HEGIS)"now Inte-
grated Postsecondary Education Data System
(IPEDS)"form for the United States Department
of Education.T These statistics and ratios provide
the basis for constructing state and national sta-
tistical norms for comparing the performance of a
particular college with similar colleges in the state
or the nation.4
While these statistical norms are valuable
and objective data, do they really reflect the sub-
jective value of a library collection to its user
groups or the use patterns of the oaverage� user?
For many college librarians, the answer is a
resounding ono.� The often neglected source for
such subjective data is the opinions of the users of
college libraries themselves, the vox populi"stu-
dents, faculty, staff, and, in many cases nowadays,
Friends of the Library. College library users in all
these categories represent the internal proponent
of library services and resources and a critical
source of input which is often untapped.
The library survey, administered on a regu-
larly scheduled basis, is the most effective method
to gather useful data on issues of concern and
trends of use among college library users.5
Although it is true that each college library is uni-
que in terms of mission, clientele, and curriculum,
there is nevertheless a vast amount of experience
in the design and implementation of a library use
survey that is transferable from one setting to
another. Therein lies the usefulness of the often
maligned case study approach and the justifica-
tion for this article.®
Setting for the Survey
Elon College, a four-year private liberal arts
college with masterTs degree programs in business
administration and education, has approximately
three thousand students, almost half of whom live
on campus.T The Iris Holt McEwen Library and
LaRose Resources Center (LRC) provide resour-
ces, including over 150,000 volumes, and services
to support curricular programs in over thirty
academic disciplines as well as to foster inde-
pendent learning among the campus community
and the community at large, and to provide
recreational materials for the residential student
body.
In the spring of 1988, the Head Librarian/Di-
rector of Learning Resources at Elon College
together with the Faculty Library/LRC Commit-
tee explored ways to measure the effectiveness of
library services and resources in preparation for
an upcoming SACS reaccreditation visit. The
unanimous choice of the committee was to
employ the survey method to solicit the candid,
confidential opinions of three types of library
users: undergraduate students, graduate students,
and faculty/staff.
Design and Implementation of the Survey
There was considerable discussion about the
merits of survey questions eliciting short answers
as opposed to those eliciting open-ended re-
sponses. After consultation with the administra-
tive computing services office on campus, it was
decided to employ a standard answer sheet which
could be read by a computer but which also pro-
vided blank space for comments. Answer Sheet C,
available from National Computer Systems, ful-
filled these requirements. Each question elicited a
short answer from up to five choices given, but
respondents were encouraged to offer comments
or suggestions related to any or all questions on
the survey. Respondents were instructed to write
their comments in the blank space provided on
the answer sheet and to preface specific com-
ments with the number of the corresponding
question. The tabulation and analysis of the sur-
veys required the use of the IBM-PC and Sentry
300 scanner for hardware and the National Com-
puter System Microtest Score II software.
Since many potential library users never avail
themselves of the services and resources provided
by the library, it would have been counterproduc-
tive to survey random library users in the library
itself. Also, the size of the undergraduate student
population to be surveyed was problematic. The
committee therefore agreed on the desirability of
administering the survey to all faculty/staff and
graduate students since the numbers involved
were manageable, but to only a stratified random
sample of the undergraduate student body.
Since the Library/LRC Committee was made
up of representatives of the four major divisions
of the College"Humanities, Sciences and Mathe-
matics, Social Sciences, Teacher Education/Phys-
ical Education/Health"as well as six different
disciplines"English, Education, Computer
Science, History, Biology, and Psychology"the
decision was made for each of the six faculty
members of the committee to administer the sur-
vey to students in one of their regularly scheduled
lower-level courses, primarily composed of fresh-
men and sophomores, and in one of their upper-
level courses, primarily composed of juniors and
seniors.
... there is ... a vast amount of
experience in the design and
implementation of a library use
survey that is transferable from
one setting to another.
sl
Each faculty member administering the sur-
vey gave a brief introduction to the survey itself,
how answers were to be marked, how comments
were to be made, etc. The faculty member was
also available to answer questions should they
arise during the survey. The same basic procedure
was followed for graduate classes with the nota-
ble exception that all graduate classes were sur-
veyed, whereas only a representative sampling of
undergraduate classes was surveyed. No one took
the survey more than once, however.
Each faculty/staff member was sent a form
letter written by the chair of the Faculty Libra-
ry/LRC Committee. The letter pointed out the
rationale for the survey and particularly its
importance for planning new services and improv-
ing old ones. The letter indicated that copies of
the survey booklet, printed and bound by the
campus print shop, and the standard, computer-
readable answer sheets, as well as a tray for com-
pleted surveys, were available in a well-marked
area of the mailroom. Since initial faculty/staff
response to the survey during the first week was
something less than desired, the chair made an
announcement at the subsequent monthly faculty
meeting that more input was needed to make the
survey worthwhile.
Content of the Survey
The content of the survey engendered con-
siderable discussion and debate with the resul-
tant decision that questions would be framed to
Winter 1988 " 203
obtain background information on users and to
address the following content areas: (1) library
collections and availability of materials; (2) inter-
library cooperation; (8) library services; and
(4) library hours and study atmosphere. Members
of the Committee volunteered to submit sample
questions in one or more of the four content
areas. These questions were discussed at length
with the result that many were combined, new
questions written, and others eliminated.
In terms of background information on
library users, the Committee wanted to collect
data on the status of our users. Student respon-
dents only, both graduate and undergraduate,
were asked their classification; when they at-
tended classes, whether during the day or in the
evening or both; whether they lived on campus or
off campus; how many hours, if any, they were
employed outside of their class schedule; how
many hours they were taking during the semester
in question; and in which area of study they were
majoring or intending to declare a major. All
respondents, students as well as faculty/staff,
were asked to describe their typical pattern of
library use as daily, weekly, monthly, once a
semester, or never; and to estimate the number of
times they had already used the library during the
semester in question.
Perhaps the most helpful ques-
tions ... were designed to deter-
mine the strategies and tools
library users employ to find
materials or information ...
The first content area of the survey, library
collections and availability of materials, was
designed to elicit the personal opinion of the
respondents on the quality and quantity of
resources collected by the library and, specifically,
the availability of materials in various formats
needed for course-related and personal or recrea-
tional use. Respondents were specifically asked
how many times during the semester in question
they had used circulating materials as well as ref-
erence materials restricted to library use only,
and whether they usually, sometimes, hardly ever,
or never found the materials they needed in the
library. Respondents were polled as to their
awareness and use of the government documents
collection. Perhaps the most helpful questions in
this area of the survey were designed to deter-
mine the strategies and tools library users employ
to find the materials or information they need.
204 " Winter 1988
Specifically, respondents were asked if they use
the card catalog, use a printed index such as
ReadersT Guide to Periodical Literature, use the
Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publica-
tions, ask a librarian and/or a student assistant,
read printed brochures or guides to the library,
browse the Pamphlet File, browse the stacks or
display areas, use a required reading list or biblio-
graphy, or do something as basic as refer to direc-
tory signs posted in the library.
Since no library has either the financial
resources to purchase, or the space to house, all
the materials that may be required to fulfill the
research and personal information needs of
users, the second section of the survey on inter-
library cooperation was essential. Elon College
library users were asked if they were aware of
shared borrowing privileges with member libraries
of the Piedmont Independent College Association
(PICA), composed of Elon College, Greensboro
College, Guilford College, Bennett College, Salem
College, and High Point College. Users were also
asked if they were aware that other academic
libraries in the area were available for reference
purposes. Finally, users were asked if they were
aware of the interlibrary loan service and, if so,
were they satisfied with the service received.
The most critical part of the survey in terms
of potential usefulness for library planning was
the third section on library services. Users were
asked to give their opinions on the quality of ser-
vices offered including reference service from pro-
fessional librarians, directional and general assis-
tance from library student assistants, biblio-
graphic instruction sessions, library tours and
displays, and computerized database searching.
Users were asked if they needed help using any of
the following library resources, some of which are
unique to Elon College: (1) card catalog, (2) peri-
odicals card catalog, (3) government documents
shelflist, (4) Dewey Decimal Classification,
(5) indexes (e.g. ReadersT Guide), (6) bibliogra-
phies (e.g. MLA Bibliography), (7) microforms,
(8) computer software services (e.g. NEWSBANK),
and (9) audiovisual equipment.
Since the questions of hours of opening and
adequacy of study facilities loom large in the minds
of college librarians, the fourth and final section
on library hours and study atmosphere contained
questions pertaining to the adequacy or inade-
quacy of the current library schedule and the ar-
rangement and availability of study facilities and
equipment including tables for group study, car-
rels for individual study, meeting rooms, type-
writers, photocopiers, microforms readers and print-
ers, and audiovisual equipment. Users were also
asked to indicate which block of time they nor-
mally reserved for library study and research.
Analysis and Interpretation of the Survey
Since the first question on the survey elicits
the status of the respondent, it is relatively easy to
sort the surveys visually into categories and run
separate analyses on target subgroups or run all
respondents as a general sample. For purposes of
comparison, the decision was made to try both
methods of tabulation. Survey results were there-
fore tabulated for the following subgroups:
(1) freshmen/sophomores; (2) juniors/seniors;
(3) graduate students; and (4) faculty/staff as
well as for the combined respondents. The cor-
responding numbers of respondents in each sub-
group were: (1) 35, (2) 43, (3) 48, and (4) 38
respectively; the combined group represented 164
respondents.
After a careful, item-by-item analysis of the
survey responses, it is possible to construct a
composite summary for each user group in terms
of background and to compare responses in the
four content areas of the survey. Most of the ques-
tions were designed so that, for purposes of anal-
ysis, responses in the 0-25% range were considered
insignificant, and responses in the 75-100% range,
significant. Responses in the range 26-74% could
possibly represent potential area of concern.
The summaries which follow naturally reflect
local conditions, but nevertheless they illustrate
the types of observations that can be made from
an analysis of the survey results. The ways the
data can be paired and compared are almost lim-
itless.
Faculty/Staff
Beginning with the faculty/staff, we find that
this group of library users is characterized as
moderate library users with eighty-nine percent
responding that they used the library weekly
(39%) or monthly (50%). Most of these users
incorporate the standard strategies for finding
materials (76-100%), and all (100%) had used the
library at least one to five times during the semes-
ter in question. Although many (74%) use other
area libraries to supplement local holdings, it is
surprising that less than half (45%) of this group
have used interlibrary loan service. They use the
library most heavily for reference materials with
only five percent reporting that they had not used
the library at least one to five times during the
semester in question for these materials. This
group is generally quite complimentary with
regard to reference service (71%), library tours
(61%), and library displays (74%). Of those incor-
porating bibliographic instruction sessions into
their teaching, forty-two percent found them
quite helpful; however, another forty-two percent
have never planned a bibliographic instruction
session in conjunction with a librarian. This group
feels comfortable using the library as evidenced
by the fact that they find the library schedule
adequate for their needs (79%), the library
atmosphere conducive to study and research
(66%), and the physical layout of the library pleas-
ing (87%). They use the library most frequently
during the regular work day, Monday-Friday, 8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (74%) and never on Saturdays
(100%). The library facilities they use the most are
the meeting rooms (84%), and the most popular
library service is the new book shelf (85%).
Graduate Students
Graduate students, based on this survey,
attend classes primarily in the evenings (81%), live
off campus (96%), work 31-40 hours outside class
(75%), and take one (63%) or two (21%) classes.
Their typical use pattern is weekly (46%) or
monthly (38%). Their use of the library is heavily
related to course work with sixty-nine percent
responding that they never use library books for
personal or recreational reading. They are not
aware of PICA borrowing privileges (33%), but are
aware that other libraries are available to them
for reference purposes and have taken advantage
of their resources (77%). They are either unaware
of or do not use interlibrary loan service (67%).
They need help with microforms (58%) and com-
puter services (67%). Most use the library at night
(40%) and on weekends (44%). While only fifty-
four percent find the library schedule adequate
for their needs, they feel the library is conducive
to study (85%) and find the physical layout of the
library pleasing (85%). The library facilities used
the most by graduate students are the photo-
copiers (69%).
... mercifully, only one percent
report that they never use the
library/LRC at all.
Juniors/Seniors
The Junior/Senior sample respondents live
off campus (79%) and attend classes both during
the day (53%) and in the evening (44%). Over half
of them work 1-20 hours outside their class sche-
dule (52%) and are taking thirteen or more
semester hours of work (63%). They are majoring
primarily in education/psychology (44%) or mathe-
matics/science (including computer science)
Winter 1988" 205
(35%). They use the library on a weekly (49%) or
monthly (40%) basis. Most of their library use is
course-related rather than for recreational pur-
poses (63%). Over half (51%) have never had a
bibliographic instruction session with a librarian.
They use the library primarily on Monday-Thurs-
day, 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (51%). While only fifty-
one percent find the current library schedule
adequate, most junior/senior respondents find
the arrangmeent of study facilities (65%) and the
overall physical layout of the library (77%) satis-
factory and the library atmosphere conducive to
study (63%). They use the library mainly for quiet,
individual study (75%) rather than group study,
and use the photocopiers heavily (83%).
Freshmen/Sophomores.
The freshmen/sophomore respondents attend
day classes most frequently (83%) and live on
campus (74%). They are not employed (63%) and
are taking thirteen or more semester hours of
course work (89%). They are majoring in busi-
ness/economics (37%) or education/psychology
(23%). They are weekly (43%) or monthly (40%)
users as a group. Their use of the library is pri-
marily for course-related work; seventy-one percent
respond that they never use books for recrea-
tional reading. They are not aware of PICA bor-
rowing privileges (60%) or that they may use
other libraries for reference purposes (51%).
Neither are they aware of interlibrary loan service
(34%). They find the library orientation tours
helpful (89%). Over half (51%) have never attended
or were unaware of bibliographic instruction ses-
sions, but the forty percent who have attended
one or more of these sessions rated them highly.
They use the library primarily Monday-Thursday
5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (60%). The majority of
them (71%) find the current library schedule ade-
quate for their needs. A substantial majority
(80%) like the study arrangement of the library
and find the library atmosphere conducive to
study (86%). They like to study in the library in
groups as well as individually (65%), and find the
physical layout of the library satisfactory (94%).
Total Respondents. i
When the combined subgroups are analyzed,
the strengths and weaknesses of the library/LRC
become more apparent. Library use is basically on
weekly (44%) or monthly (39%) basis. Only six
percent characterize themselves as daily users
and, mercifully, only one percent report that they
never use the library/LRC at all. Most of the
respondents report that they use the library for
course-related research and study with exactly
half (50%) reporting that they never use books
from the libraryTs collection for personal use. With
206 " Winter 1988
regard to the satisfaction of patrons with books
and periodical resources in general, eighty per-
cent reported that the library usually or some-
times (the other two choices being hardly ever or
never) had the books they needed, and seventy-
nine percent reported the same for periodicals.
Only twenty-four percent reported that they
use the government documents collection, and
twenty-one percent were not aware of them at all.
Since the Elon College Library has been a selective
depository for government documents since 1971,
here is a substantial collection which is under-
utilized. It is possible that since many documents are
cataloged and shelved in the general stacks,
library patrons may not be aware that they are
indeed using government documents. However,
this low use and sense of awareness seem to
correlate with the fact that eighty percent do not
use the Monthly Catalog as a research strategy
and sixty-six percent need help with using the
government documents shelflist.
... there is not enough aware-
ness of existing resources and
services.
While thirty-eight percent of the combined
subgroups use other libraries in the area for ref-
erence purposes, ninety-three percent either do
not use PICA libraries or are unaware that PICA
library borrowing privileges are available to them.
Significantly, only eleven percent were aware of or
had used interlibrary loan service.
Reference service is quite popular, with only
four percent reporting that it hardly ever meets
their needs. Only five percent reported that stu-
dent assistants were not helpful in providing
directional and general information.
With regard to passive and active methods of
bibliographic instruction, some interesting facts
became apparent from a study of the survey
results. While fifty-two percent of the respondents
were not aware of or had not attended/planned a
subject-related library seminar conducted by a
librarian, the respondents who had participated in
the seminars rated them highly. Library orienta-
tion tours were quite popular (78%), whereas
brochures (40%) and displays (49%) were helpful
to less than half of the respondents.
The majority of library users use the library
either in the evenings during the week (50%) or on
the weekends (20%). With regard to four critical
areas of library service, the results were quite
heartening. A substantial majority of the respond-
ents found the current library schedule adequate
for their needs (73%), the study arrangements in
the library satisfactory (79%), the library atmos-
phere conducive to study and research (76%),
and the physical arrangement of library facilities
satisfactory (87%).
Conclusions
The Faculty Library/LRC Committee is over-
whelmingly supportive of and committed to con-
tinuing its evaluation of library use utilizing the
survey method. The timing of the survey during
the spring semester is appropriate since most of
the respondents, including the freshmen, will
have been on campus and exposed to library ser-
vices for at least one semester. Other sampling
techniques should surely be investigated for
administering the survey to a large student body,
as well as additional methods planned to increase
the response of faculty/staff and other popula-
tions to be surveyed totally.
It is quite apparent that while the methods of
bibliographic instruction being employed by the
library are sound and have been successful in
teaching basic research strategies and in orient-
ing the campus community, the subject-related
library seminars are not available in the quantity
that is needed to reach the majority of the library
users. Efforts must be continued to incorporate
bibliographic instruction into a regularly sche-
duled required course, preferably freshman Eng-
lish. Library hours, while appropriate for the
majority of our users, are not adequate for the
newest clientele, graduate students in business
administration and education who use the library
most often on the weekends. Additional staffing,
however, will be required to increase the number
of hours of bibliographic instruction available and
the number of hours of opening on the weekends.
Throughout the survey, responses indicate
that there is not enough awareness of existing
resources and services. Publicity for these services
and resources, notably the government docu-
ments collection, interlibrary loan, and computer-
based services such as DIALOG and NEWSBANK,
must be increased. Here again, when awareness is
raised and demand heightens, staffing in relevant
areas must be increased.
The library use survey administered at Elon
College in the spring semester of 1988 will be the
first in a series of attempts to gather subjective
data on the value of library resources and services
to library users. The fact that the survey was devel-
oped and implemented as a joint effort between
the library staff and the Faculty Library/LRC
Committee (representatives of one of the most
serious library user groups, the faculty/staff) is
assurance that results of this effort will be mean-
ingful to a large segment of the campus commun-
ity. It will be imperative in the future, however, to
include students, both graduate and undergrad-
uate, as well as Friends of the Library in the deci-
sion-making process concerning the content of
the survey and in the formulation of questions.
What is clear after administering this survey
is that while quantitative statistics are very
important indicators of ohow many� patrons are
using various library resources and services, the
vox populi is the source for qualitative data on
owho� is using the library, owhy� and owhen� are
they using it, and, most importantly, owhat� is the
degree of satisfaction obtained. College librarians
must neither neglect to gather this input nor be
tempted to dismiss the findings lightly if library
services and resources are to be developed, main-
tained, improved, and otherwise seen as ogood� by
those who pass judgment on them.
References
1. For a complete overview of the issues of college library stan-
dards and the accreditation process, see David Kaser, oA Century
of Academic Librarianship, As Reflected in Its Literature,� Col-
lege & Research Libraries 37 (March 1976): 110-27 and oStand-
ards for College Libraries,� Library Trends 31 (Summer 1982):
7-19.
2. See Edward G. Holley, oNew Accreditation Criteria Proposed,�
College & Research Libraries News 44 (March 1983): 71-74; and
the latest revision (1987) of SACST oWorksheet� for the Required
Statements of the Criteria for Accreditation," particularly Sec-
tion 5.2: Library.
3. See, for example, Statistical Abstract of Higher Education in
North Carolina, 1987-88 (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of
North Carolina, 1988).
4, See, for example, Statistical Norms for College & University
Libraries: Derived from U.S. Department of Education 1985
Survey of College & Research Libraries. (Boulder, CO: John
Minter Associates, 1987).
5. For a humorous, but nevertheless enlightening, example of a
library use survey and a particularly lively and caustic summary
of the prejudices and biases librarians often have toward this
type of research, see Carol Hole, oThe Last User Survey You'll
Ever Have To Do,� The Unabashed Librarian Consecutive
Number 63 (1987): 7-12.
6. Joe A. Hewitt, oThe Use of Research,� Library Resources and
Technical Services 27 (April/June 1983): 123-31. The author
agrees with HewittTs critique of the case study approach
revealed in the following passage from this article: oFrom the
practicing librarianTs viewpoint . .. case study research is poten-
tially of great usefulness because... it provides us with the basis
for comparing and measuring the effectiveness of our own oper-
ations and can provide information and insight regarding man-
agement techniques to emulate or to avoid.�
7. Institutional data for spring semester of 1988 published in
the April 1988 issue of Second Monday: The Elon College Per-
sonnel Newsletter.
8. Individual copies of the survey booklet are available to inter-
ested parties from Elon College Library/LRC, P.O. Box 187, Elon
College, NC 27244.
Winter 1988" 207
abe}sie) 1987 1988
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208 " Winter 1988
From Library Student to
Library Professional:
Smoothing the Transition
for the New Librarian
Nan McMurry
This project began in the usual way, with
ambitions whose height was exceeded only by
their naiveté Fresh out of library school and
eager to commit my tenure there to hindsight, I
laid my plans. A review of the relevant literature
combined with insights from personal experience
would produce a thoroughgoing, possibly defini-
tive diagnosis of what ails library education today.
I read and pondered, and the list of symptoms
grew. Finally, to round things out with a bit of
historical background, I examined Samuel Roth-
steinTs article oWhy People Really Hate Library
Schools,� which contains oan anthology of abuse,�
complaints about library education excerpted
from a century of library literature.! Then came
the horror: Jt Has All Been Said Before. The criti-
cisms I had encountered in my reading and pond-
ering were no more than echoes of dissatisfac-
tions voiced decades ago. It has all been analyzed
as well; we know what knowledge and skills
library administrators seek in entry-level candi-
dates and how they compare with the abilities of
flesh-and-blood library school graduates.? We
have advice from working librarians, library edu-
cators, and library students on what succeeds
and what doesnTt in current educational practices
and suggestions for improvement in the form of
two-year M.LS. programs, internships, on-the-job
training, and continuing education.T The final
word has yet to be uttered, unless it was uttered
long ago, and we were too deep in discussion to
hear it.
Rather than deliver more blows to a horse
whose powers of life are in doubt, I propose some-
thing more modest. As a recent arrival in the field,
I cannot shed light on advancement and promo-
tion, management style, or the changes of the last
quarter century in librarianship. I am an expert
on one subject, however: being new on the job.
Nan McMurray is history bibliographer for the University of
Georgia Libraries in Athens, Georgia.
Even with the best of all possible library educa-
tions, the beginning librarian is bound to encoun-
ter some adjustment problems. What follows,
then, is a review of potential trouble areas and
oThings I Wish Somebody Had Told Me,� gathered
from the personal experiences of myself, the
friends who bent my ear, and those who have
complained in the professional literature. My sug-
gestions are aimed specifically at public service
librarians, both new staff members and their
supervisors, but they are applicable in a more
general way to all librarians.
Ignorance and the Local Setting
To the new librarian: Everyone expects to
feel lost on the first day of work, but not for the
weeks or even months that the uncomfortable
feeling of ignorance can persist. The primary
source of this feeling is unfamiliarity with a par-
ticular library, its staff, and its practices.
Obviously, library schools cannot tailor their
instruction to the circumstances of any individual
library, but the general nature of library educa-
tion can create the impression that all libraries
follow standard procedures. Such procedures do
exist, but often they are cleverly disguised behind
local traditions and idiosyncrasies. Of these, the
simplest and most trivial pose as great a threat to
successful adjustment as the most complex.
Knowledge of the most esoteric reference tools
notwithstanding, the librarian who cannot give
directions to every classroom, restroom, and copy
machine in the building; quote from memory the
bus, football, and exam schedules; and perform
basic maintenance on a variety of electronic de-
vices will be neither effective nor comfortable at
any public service desk.
To the supervisor: Library schools are notor-
iously long on theory and short on practical
detail; the recent graduate may know the history
of OCLC, but not how to interpret an OCLC
record. The typical newcomer is reluctant to ask
Winter 1988 " 209
oobvious� questions and will appreciate, rather
than resent, a review of the basics. In addition,
the new professional needs as thorough an intro-
duction to office routines as a student assistant
or support staff member. The inability to locate
supplies or fill out a form properly when a patron
is waiting can prove more embarrassing and frus-
trating than a legitimately difficult reference
question.
Another infamous shortcoming in initial
training is the outdated policy manual. How many
newcomers have laboriously acquainted them-
selves with its procedures and followed them to
the letter when no one was available to consult,
only to be told later that owe donTt do it that way
anymore?� Keeping such materials current may
appear to be a low-priority activity to the busy
veteran who is familiar with all the routines, but
the time spent correcting errors and reinstructing
the misinformed newcomer will be more costly in
the long run.
Finally, tours of other departments and
branch libraries are essential, not only in order
for the new staff member to be able to advise
patrons on holdings and services in those areas,
but also as an opportunity to meet colleagues and
begin to form working relationships. A formal
tour, prefaced by official introductions, usually
has better results than a casual invitation to drop
by sometime and look around.
Everyone expects to feel lost on
the first day of work, but not for
the weeks or even months that
the uncomfortable feeling of
ignorance can persist.
At the Desk
To the new librarian: Library schools recog-
nize the importance of the reference interview,
but there is little they can do to simulate the real-
world circumstances in which it takes place. Fail-
ure by the librarian to interpretT a question
correctly is as common a cause of patron dissatis-
faction as unfamiliarity with the proper sources,
yet beginning librarians tend to concentrate their
worries and learning efforts only on the latter.
The initial question can sound so straightforward
that the inexperienced librarian never suspects
that it is not the real question. Far from being
merely a library school exercise or a token
exchange, the reference interview is crucial to
successful service, and often requires true mental
gymnastics to unravel a patronTs thought pro-
210 " Winter 1988
cesses. Everyone has a favorite example; mine
concerns a student I once helped with a seem-
ingly routine request to locate materials for a
paper topic. When she appeared unable to settle
down with the reference tools I recommended
and complained of previous unhelpful sessions
with other librarians, I became suspicious. Only
after close questioning of her library activities for
the preceding week did the answer emerge. She
had been consulting only the first ten entries in a
single reference source. If all ten were not directly
relevant to her topic, she concluded that not
enough material existed and started over with a
new topic. What had begun as an ordinary refer-
ence interview eventually revealed a bizarre and,
needless to say, unproductive method of doing
research.
In addition to the importance and complex-
ity of the reference interview, another factor the
new librarian is often unprepared for is the pres-
sure to answer patron questions immediately. No
classroom drill or scavenger hunt can produce
the same effect as the questioner standing there
(impatiently) in person. Old knowledge as well as
fragile new training tends to dissipate at the
sound of drumming fingers; and even a brief hesi-
tation to gather wits can convince the patron
that the librarian is at a complete loss. Here the
solution lies mostly in psychology. A poised
appearance, communicating confidence and the
expectation of a reasonable allowance of time to
do oneTs job, will not only calm the patron but will
eventually cease to be merely a facade.
To the supervisor: Some supervisors prefer a
gradual introduction to desk work: observation
sessions followed by pairing up with an expe-
rienced librarian, finally leading to solo stints.
Others use the sink or swim method beginning on
the first day. Either approach can work, and the
new librarian nearly always muddles through. But
there is good muddling and bad muddling; and
what the newcomer craves, and often does not
receive, is a chance to discuss and evaluate his or
her beginning efforts to help patrons. In my expe-
rience, other librarians were eager to tell me
about specific sources to answer specific ques-
tions, rather like solutions to math problems. But
the brain can hold only so many of these, and the
chances of encountering precisely the same ques-
tion again are relatively low. It would have been
more helpful to have taken specific questions as
material for general discussions of methods and
approaches. For example, the beginning librarian
may have trouble striking a balance between per-
sistence and flexibility when working on a ques-
tion. How many dictionaries should one consult
before trying some other method to identify an
obscure word? At what point in a difficult search
should the patron be told to come back later?
How can oneTs working style be adjusted at busy
times to accommodate more questions without
seriously shortchanging any individual?4 Ob-
viously, there is no hard and fast answer to any
of these questions, and experienced librarians
may consider them to be so much a matter of
common sense as to be not worth discussing. But
when nearly every question is a new challenge, the
beginner needs the assurance that he or she is
proceeding appropriately, especially when an
answer isnTt immediately forthcoming. In an en-
vironment where there is seldom only one right
way to answer a question it is far more important
to develop an attitude of confidence and inde-
pendence, for such an attitude is conducive to
rapid learning and increasingly effective service.
No classroom drill or scavenger
hunt can produce the same
effect as the questioner stand-
ing there (impatiently) in per-
son.
Bibliographic Instruction
To the new librarian: More and more librar-
ians are expected to do bibliographic instruction
and many library schools are attempting to
include training for it in their curricula. Despite
these efforts, beginning librarians often find biblio-
graphic instruction to be one of their most chal-
lenging and stressful activities. Much of the
problem lies in improper preparation. When
asked to conduct a bibliographic instruction ses-
sion, the typical beginner devotes most of the
preparation time to studying the reference aids to
be presented. He or she then enters the classroom
armed to the teeth with detail, only to have it
evaporate at the first sight of a roomful of bored
and skeptical students. What follows is all too
often a disorganized and poorly timed recitation,
tedious for the students and daunting to the
librarian who concludes that even more prepara-
tion time will be necessary to do a better job next
time. What is needed, of course, is not necessarily
more preparation time, but more efficient use of
it, beginning with an effort to determine what dif-
ficulties a particular group of students might
encounter in using a particular library. The
information that will help to resolve these diffi-
culties in the time allotted for the class is the only
information that needs to be presented. (The
obviousness of this advice is exceeded only by the
numbers of teachers who ignore or forget it.)
Once the basic content of the class is set, the
remaining time can be used to practice delivering
it to an audience. Professional musicians practice
not merely until they know a piece, but until they
know it too well to forget it under pressure. The
same should be the goal of teachers, since pol-
ished public performance is not a skill that comes
naturally or easily to most people. And practicing
does not mean a thirty-second review of what one
would like to say, but the actual saying of it, aloud,
in front of the mirror, in front of the dog and cat,
in the car, in the empty classroom, etc. (The best
place I found to practice was at the edge of a field
of cows. After their steady but absolutely uncom-
prehending gaze, I was ready for any group of
students.) The point of all this practice, which will
soon require much less time, is not merely to pro-
duce a bibliographic instruction session worthy of
attendance, but one that is satisfying and less
stressful to the librarian conducting it.
To the supervisor: As in other areas, the best
aid a new librarian can have in bibliographic
instruction is a chance to observe and discuss the
methods used by more experienced librarians.
Discussion should cover not only what takes place
in class, but beforehand as well. Team prepara-
tion and presentation can provide a gentle intro-
duction to the classroom. And if equipment such
as an overhead projector or video player is to be
used, the new librarian needs time before the ses-
sion to become comfortable operating it; few
things impede instruction or undermine the
teacherTs confidence more than uncooperative
audio-visual aids.
When the new librarian is ready for a solo
venture into the classroom, the natural tendency
for the supervisor is to assign an oeasy� session,
perhaps a basic introduction to the library for
freshmen. In oOn-The-Job Training for Instruction
Librarians,� Marilyn Lutzker points out why such
a session may not be so easy.® Since encouraging
active library use is the primary goal of introduc-
tory classes, their opackaging� is at least as impor-
The best place I found to prac-
tice (bibliographic instruction)
was at the edge of a field of
cows. After their steady but
absolutely uncomprehending
gaze, I was ready for any group
of students.
Winter 1988" 211
tant as their content, and beginners often have
trouble enough just mastering the latter. A better
first class would be a more experienced group
interested in a specialized subject area with
which the new librarian is familiar. He or she can
then concentrate on content, building confidence
with a comparatively receptive audience that has
already been won over to the library.
Failure by the librarian to inter-
pret a question correctly is as
common a cause of patron dis-
satisfaction as unfamiliarity
with proper sources ...
Mentors
To the new librarian: Deanna Roberts de-
scribes in oMentoring and the Academic Library� a
mentoring program organized on an experimen-
tal level at the University of Georgia Libraries in
1985.6 Where such formal arrangements exist,
they are well worth investigating; but mentoring
relationships can also develop on an informal
basis to which the term omentor� may never be
applied. Anyone who takes a special interest in a
librarianTs professional development qualifies as a
mentor, and unlike cooks preparing a broth, the
more mentors the better. In a series of library
field experiences and part-time jobs, I was fortu-
nate enough to acquire several mentors, each of
whom provided me with a combination of the best
elements of library education and on-the-job
experience. Like library educators, they took time
to discuss the theory and broader implications of
specific practices, a luxury not usually possible
during busy day-to-day operations. And the prac-
tices under discussion were real and relevant to
my position, as opposed to the simulated exer-
cises of library schools. Furthermore, observing
my mentors in action was undoubtedly the most
important factor in transforming my outlook
from that of library student to library profes-
sional. One disadvantage of a mentor is that he or
she provides only one view, and it is up to the
protégé to remember that this view is not neces-
sarily the final word. Here is where having multi-
ple mentors can prove especially useful; exposure
to a variety of viewpoints and approaches should
help the new librarian develop a balanced per-
spective. Another potential danger is that of the
omanipulative mentor,� someone who puts per-
sonal needs ahead of what is best for the protégé.
Such unhealthy relationships threaten all areas of
life, however, and the benefits of a successful
212 "Winter 1988
mentoring relationship far outweigh the dangers
of what could go wrong.
To the supervisor: A mentor can be the best
thing that ever happened to a new librarian, and
the relationship is not without rewards for the
mentor as well, such as personal satisfaction,
greater interaction with colleagues, and added
incentive to keep abreast of new developments.
But mentoring also requires a tremendous time
commitment, and not everyone is temperamen-
tally suited to the role of mentor or protege. All
supervisors, whether or not they decide to act as
mentors personally, should introduce the new-
comer to as many colleagues as possible, encour-
age participation on joint projects, committees,
etc., and promote any other opportunities for
mentoring relationships to form and flourish.
The Grapevine
To the new librarian: Informal communica-
tion, usually illustrated by a diagram with tri-
angles or squares representing the organization,
and arrows pointing in every direction to show
the irregular flow of information, may be a phe-
nomenon you thought could never exist outside a
management textbook. In reality, it is one of the
most important components of the organizational
environment, and no newcomer can feel truly at
home until he or she has a place on the vine.
Almost all libraries have written policies, and
most function at least in reference to these poli-
cies, but few are able to follow them to the letter.
Situations not covered by any rule arise, modifica-
tions evolve without being recorded, and individ-
uals interpret formal policies differently. Informal
communication explains the crucial translation
from what is supposed to happen to what does
happen; therefore, individuals who are familiar
with both the formal and informal workings of a
library are well worth seeking out. Some choose to
avoid the grapevine altogether because it unfor-
tunately transmits fallacious rumor just as read-
ily as truth. This is a personal decision, but in my
opinion an open mind and a grain of salt are more
useful than the purity of ignorance.
... an Open mind and a grain of
salt are more useful than the
purity of ignorance.
To the supervisor: In the effort to set a good
example some supervisors communicate to the
new staff member only the ideals rather than the
realities of an institution. Although such fine
intentions are admirable, much useful informa-
tion is withheld, and the newcomer is made to feel
like a child or a perpetual guest in a home where
oreal talk� is reserved for adult family members. Of
course no one wants to create prejudice or engage
in malicious gossip, but it is foolish to ignore the
human side that is part of every organization. For
example, donTt just hand your new staff member
an organization chart; go over it, explaining how
long various individuals have been in their posi-
tions, what committees they serve on, what pro-
jects and ideas they have originated, etc."any-
thing that will help provide a sense of context. If
problems exist, speak candidly about them.
Emphasize that you are expressing an opinion,
and encourage the new librarian to listen to other
viewpoints. If you are concerned that your charge
will not be able to maintain an open mind, con-
sider how much harder that will be if he or she
through ignorance blunders into unnecessary
trouble.
Evaluating Progress
To the new librarian: Glad to be out of school
at last? No more tedious exercises, irrelevant
papers, final exams, and best of all, no more
grades, right? Well, after a few months you may
long for as simple and regular an indicator of pro-
gress as a grade. Droughts of feedback character-
ize the evaluative climate of the real world, and
what does come through is often only the nega-
tive. There may be praise for individual projects,
but unless you are the very best or worst person
ever to hold the position, it is unlikely that you
will hear frequent remarks about your perfor-
mance. If you want more evaluation you will have
to ask for it, and asking too often may cause your
supervisor to wonder whether you have a special
reason for feeling insecure. Try to develop and
rely upon your own standards; set goals for your-
self and think of ways you can reach beyond the
basic job requirements. Reviewing these with your
supervisor will provide a way to get feedback
while making a contribution at the same time.
To the supervisor: Remember that nearly
constant evaluation is the hallmark of our educa-
tional system, and the new librarian will appre-
ciate a gradual weaning. Communicate your
expectations as clearly as possible so that he or
she has guidelines against which to measure pro-
gress. The newcomer who appears to be meeting
no more than the minimum requirements may
not lack initiative but may simply be too new to
determine what additional work would be most
helpful. Spoonfeeding such an individual is
neither necessary nor beneficial; instead, describe
a need or problem and challenge the new staff
member to investigate it and come up with a solu-
tion. In the midst of all the activity, however, donTt
forget to allow the beginning librarian extra time
for reflection; trying to absorb too much too
quickly seldom has good results.
Droughts of feedback charac-
terize the evaluative climate of
the real world, and what does
come through is often only the
negative.
A final word to the new librarian: If you con-
tinue to feel uncomfortably ignorant longer than
you think you should, consider the sources of this
feeling. Chances are that the questions you are
uncertain about now are entirely different from
those that perplexed you a month ago or when
you first began. Take a moment to congratulate
yourself for mastering so much so far. Your level
of comfort will increase, slowly but steadily. And if
you ever reach the point of experiencing no
moments of uncertainty at all, you have outgrown
your job.
References
1. Samuel Rothstein, oThe 97-Year-Old Mystery Solved at Last:
Why People Really Hate Library Schools,� Library Journal 110
(April 1, 1985): 41-48.
2. See for example Sheila Creth and Faith Harders, oRequire-
ments for the Entry Level Librarian,� Library Journal (October
15, 1980): 2168-69, and Herbert S. White and Marion Paris,
oEmployer Preferences and the Library Education Curriculum,�
Library Quarterly 55 (January 1985): 1-33.
3. The literature in these areas is vast, but for representative
examples relating to reference work, see Martin H. Sable, oTeach-
ing Reference By the Smorgasbord Method,� International
Library Review 16 (July 1984): 271-83; Theresa L. Wesley and
Nancy Campbell, oFrom Desk to Blackboard: A Practitioner's
Approach to Teaching Reference,� Southeastern Librarian 35
(Winter 1985): 109-11; Louise D. Schlesinger, oThe View of the
Student,� in Education for Professional Librarians, ed. Her-
bert S. White, (White Plains, NY: Knowledge Industry Publica-
tions, Inc., 1986): 237-5-; Edward G. Holley, oExtended Library
Education Programs in the United States,� Advances in Librar-
ianship 1981: 45-58; Richard M. Dougherty and Wendy P. Lougee,
oResearch Library Residencies: A New Model for Professional
Development,� Library Journal 108 (July 1983): 1322-24; Karen
Y. Stabler, oIntroductory Training of Academic Reference Librar-
ians: A Survey,� RQ 26 (Spring 1987): 363-69; Marilyn Lutzker,
oOn-The-Job Training for Instruction Librarians,� Reference Ser-
vices Review 10 (Summer 1982): 63-64; Darlene E. Weingand,
oContinuing Education Programs and Activities,� in Education
for Professional Librarians, 223-35.
4. Stabler, 368.
5. Luyzker, 63.
6. Deanna L. Roberts, oMentoring in the Academic Library,� Col-
lege & Research Library News 47 (February 1986): 117-19. al
Winter 1988" 213
Collection Development:
Necessarily A Shared Enterprise
Sheila S. Intner
EditorTs Note: This article is an adaptation of a paper pre-
sented by Dr. Intner at the NCLA/RTSS 1988 Fall Conference in
Southern Pines. While North Carolina Libraries does not gener-
ally publish speeches except in the conference issue, it was felt
that this paper was germaine to a discussion of reference ser-
vice and should be included.
A discussion of collection development and
the collection development officer naturally be-
gins with a review of the evolution of the issue of
technical vs. public services in librarianship. In
the heyday of the professionTs growth"the last
quarter of the nineteenth century"the concept
of a librarian included responsibility for choosing
books, hiring staff, deciding how to catalog books,
classifying them for the shelves, compiling bibliog-
raphies, and, occasionally, assisting readers.
Dewey, Cutter, Jewett, Panizzi, and others, famous
librarians all, were not identified as technical ser-
vice librarians or public service librarians. They
were just librarians.
Somewhere along the way, librarians began
to specialize, so that one hundred years later, in
the last quarter of the twentieth century, practi-
tioners are known as administrative, technical
service, or public service librarians. Administra-
tors bear the closest resemblance to the librarians
of the past, while technical service librarians
eschew contact with the public and public service
librarians eschew contact with behind-the-scenes
bibliographic systems that enable them to do
their jobs.
This tripartite split in the organization of
libraries and librarians probably was a natural
reaction to increasing size and complexity of
library collections and services"increases of
which we are proud. The larger, more complex
library is our tradition. Since 1970, however, as
computing has become ubiquitous in libraries,
observers have noticed that these hallowed dis-
tinctions tend to fragment the value to librarians
of online bibliographic systems. Many of us are
aware of movements toward unifying the services,
with the University of Illinois model leading the
Sheila S. Intner is Associate Professor in the Graduate School
of Library and Information Science, Simmons College, Bos-
ton, Massachusetts.
214 " Winter 1988
way and Michael GormanTs vision of the compleat
librarian using special knowledge both for cata-
loging and reference services.!
In 1982, when I was at Columbia University,
there were several librarians with special subject
expertise who had duties as bibliographers and as
catalogers for their subject literatures. Every now
and then I find an article that discusses service
integration, with one in last AprilTs Library Quar-
terly stating that motivating factors are to
enhance job satisfaction for librarians and in-
crease their awareness of what patrons need.and
ways they use data.?
Lest you think librarians are all dashing off to
revise their organization charts, however, you
should know that Janet Swan HillTs survey of 1987
descriptive cataloging literature found it devoid
of accounts of integration with public service
activities"something she mentioned in passing.®
Lask week, I received a Letter to the Editor from
Michael Gorman that will run in the January issue
of LRTS decrying her statement along with HillTs
reply.4 So the jury is still out on service integra-
tion. Some years from now we may have a better
perspective on its success or failure. (ThatTs the
hindsight perspective.) That said, letTs go on to
collection development.
Defining Collection Development
Collection development is a new name for an
old game. Librarians have always been concerned
with accumulating materials and transforming
them into useful collections. In a simpler world, it
was called acquisitions. Look at David MelcherTs
classic work On Acquisitions and you'll see he
was concerned with identifying, selecting, order-
ing, and"being himself a publisher"paying for
books and all manner of other informational
materials. In 1988, we call these processes and
several more now subsumed under the same
rubric, collection development. It is an apt de-
scription because the word collection is, some-
how, grander in scale than acquisitions, and the
information explosion has forced libraries to
become collectors on a grand scale; while devel-
opment reflects that this is, inherently, a dynamic
process.
Collection development is a process that is
continually in motion. I think of collection devel-
opment as a cycle of activities performed in pur-
suit of relevant and useful materials for the
people who use the library. It is comprised of ten
steps:
1. Assessing user needs.
2. Formulating objectives and priorities.
3. Measuring current collection perform-
ance.
4. Identifying materials available to collect.
5. Selecting desired items/categories of
items.
6. Reviewing current holdings for unwanted
materials.
7. Allocating and monitoring acquisitions
funds.
8. Obtaining desired new materials and
removing unwanted older materials.
9. Evaluating progress toward objectives.
10. Reassessing user needs, and beginning
again.
Clearly, the scope of these activities is beyond
assignment to any one unit of the library; yet, if
responsibility for these activities is fragmented
among many departments, a library risks a
serious lack of continuity and coordination that
could confound the entire process.
Examining the list of activities, you might
think that, with few exceptions, they sound like
management tasks. If so, you are perceptive. They
are management tasks. Real collection develop-
ment is a high-level management activity. Without
the authority to communicate with all groups in
the institution"inside and outside of the library,
to create plans, make decisions, and implement
them, you cannot develop anything.
ET
Collection development is a
new name for an old game.
What a Collection Development Officer Is Not
I see advertisements for collection develop-
ment librarians whose job descriptions, required
credentials, stated ranks and salaries sound
exactly like traditional acquisitions librarians.
The job descriptions talk about coordinating and
placing orders and supervising order files; the
credentials are minimal and demand little expe-
rience; the stated ranks are entry level or just
above; the salaries are in the high teens or low
twenties. The fact is, they are solicitations for
acquisitions librarians made by employers who
have adopted the language of collection develop-
ment but not its substance. Sometimes it is done
out of ignorance, thinking that collection devel-
opment is a modern name for ye olde acquisitions
librarian. Sometimes it is done by design, slyly, in
hopes that the impressive title will make up for
lack of rank, salary, authority, and a challenging
leadership position in the library.
... collection development (is)
a cycle of activities performed
in pursuit of relevant and use-
ful materials for the people
who use the library.
If you are a collection development officer
who spends time processing orders and maintain-
ing order files, who merely watches and records
the expenditure of funds, who takes home a
salary that makes you wonder if getting an MLS
was really a good idea, after all, and who looks
forward to a job with more meaningful responsi-
bilities, then you are an unfortunate caught in
this semantic trap. It really doesnTt matter
whether you report to the head of technical servi-
ces or public services. You arenTt developing col-
lections. You are performing a respectable and
important job in the order department, and,
without your efforts, there might be no collection
development at all. But, that alone isnTt collection
development.
Another misuse of the title collection devel-
opment officer is the assignment of library-wide
selection responsibilities, often to some over-
worked reference librarian, without the accom-
panying authority to set goals and objectives and
revise allocations. Selecting individual titles or
even categories of materials for purchase is not
collection development, although, like acquisi-
tions, it is an essential step in the process. I sub-
mit that it is confusion between selection and
development that makes some librarians think
collection development belongs exclusively in the
public service domain.
What a Collection Development Officer Is
One of the hallmarks of the true collection
development officer is that the responsibilities of
the job and the authority it carries transcend
individual departments, placing her or him at the
highest managerial level: at the directorial level
or, in very large institutions, at or just below the
directorial level. In small institutions, collection
development usually rests with the director. It
Winter 1988" 215
isnTt necessary to divide authority among several
people and there is no need for someone other
than the director to carry out the liaison activity,
planning, and financial management inherent in
the collection development position.
Which brings us to the central themes of this
discussion: Where does collection development
belong, administratively speaking? How does col-
lection development relate to automation? What
orientation should collection development offic-
ers have"that of technical or public service
librarians?
Collection DevelopmentTs Administrative Niche
As stated above, collection development
includes high level managerial tasks: planning;
allocating funds; making decisions; communicat-
ing with groups inside and outside the library. One
cannot do these things without authority. Where
does authority usually lie? In most libraries,
authority rests primarily with the chief executive
officer and, if the size of the library warrants, it
may be shared with the executives on the second
level as well. The chief executive officer may have
any of several titles: director, chief librarian, uni-
versity librarian and so on. The second level offic-
ers are often titled deputy, associate, or assistant
director/librarian, accordingly.
A certain amount of authority is given over to
department heads, who often represent the third
executive level. In fact, department heads might
be responsible for their budgets and make major
decisions such as whether to hire more staff or
purchase costly equipment. But, with few excep-
tions, department heads only perform these
managerial tasks for their own departments. They
havenTt the authority to take action for other
departments.
(Collection development) be-
longs at the highest levels of
administration.
Department heads also might represent the
second executive level instead of deputy, asso-
ciate, or assistant directors/librarians. In this
instance, collection development responsibility
might rest with them. Collection development
authority can reside in officers with different
titles at somewhat different levels in the bureau-
cratic hierarchy, depending on the size of the
library, the administrative units into which it is
divided, and the titles assigned to those at the top
executive levels.
216 "Winter 1988
I maintain that collection development can
only occur at the first or second executive level
and the moment one moves to the third level, suf-
ficient authority doesnTt exist to do the kind of
planning that should be done, communicate with
groups outside of the library itself, and make
decisions that have far-reaching effects upon all
library departments as well as the library's com-
munity. Where does collection development be-
long, administratively speaking? It belongs at the
highest levels of administration.
Does Automation Affect This Role?
In a sense, collection development, as con-
trasted with old-fashioned acquisitions, arose
with automation (defining automation as the
implementation of computer systems). One of the
spinoff benefits to libraries of automation is the
application of the systems method to solving
library problems. Computer people use this
method to design computer-based answers to
problems, but it can be used to analyze and solve
problems even without computing (although
some experts disagree about this). The systems
method"analyzing a problem into its component
parts, quantifying the elements, formulating
goals and objectives that achieve a solution,
proposing strategies to reach the goals, and
choosing the most efficient of these"is what col-
lection development officers use to solve collec-
tion oproblems.� Collection problems are gaps
between what a collection officer sees as the sum
of user needs and the best possible performance
one might expect from the existing collection and
collecting patterns.
Like automation, collection development in-
evitably results in change. Each development
cycle requires evaluation of current holdings,
assessment of current and future user needs, and
comparison of the two. Each new set of goals and
objectives drives a new allocation of funds
designed to bring holdings closer to current and
future needs. The collection development officer
is supposed to know how to evaluate current
holdings properly as well as how to determine
current and future needs accurately and pre-
cisely. Formulating goals and objectives from this
knowledge is an exciting creative process, but it is
also a very risky one if estimates are wrong and
the results prove detrimental to the institution
and its community.
There are other parallels between collection
development and automation. The changes
wrought by collection development decisions are
viewed just as suspiciously by those who remain
uncommitted to the goals and objectives as are
the changes wrought by automation. That is why
one of the collection officerTs tasks is to negotiate
wide support for collection objectives. The
changes caused by the collection development
process are just as disruptive as those caused by
the introduction of computers. That is why the
collection officer must be sensitive to all ramifica-
tions of decisions.
The most important relation between collec-
tion development and automation lies in the data
generated and processed by computerized sys-
tems that feeds and nourishes collection decision-
making. I have heard it said that without
computer-generated and -processed data, there
could be no collection development. ITm not cer-
tain that this is absolute, but I believe it is very
close to the truth for large collections, at any rate.
Initial needs assessments and collection evalua-
tions"especially the quantitative techniques"
rely on computing to digest and organize sta-
tistics, make forecasts, and derive allocations.
Control of numerous fund accounts is made easy
with computing. Simulating probable future con-
ditions (such as increases or decreases in user
populations, increases or decreases in price
indexes, shifts to alternative informational
media) isnTt easy on a computer, but it becomes
extremely difficult to do by hand. Computing is
an essential tool for collection development.
Technical or Public Service Orientation?
The notion that collection development is a
technical service derives from its link with acqui-
sitions, while the notion that collection develop-
ment is a public service derives from its link with
selection. The truth is that collection develop-
ment includes both of these functions as well as
several more; therefore, it has both a technical
and a public service orientation, but it is more
than either one. Collection development must be
an umbrella responsibility that coordinates
aspects of technical service and public service
activities.
The collection development officer must
develop strong ties with the acquisitions staff,
because these are the people who control pur-
chasing operations. Reports from those who mon-
itor orders and maintain fund accounts are basic
data for ongoing supervision of collection devel-
opment. Without the cooperation of acquisitions
librarians, indeed, without their understanding
and commitment to collection objectives, orders
for high priority materials might languish on
EBSCO has all your serials
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order for an obscure pub-
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providing you with custom-
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serials management to
timely response on all your
questions and problems.
Because we are as commit-
ted to keeping your cus-
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we are to increasing our
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addition to a qualified sales-
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edgeable customer service
representative and an en-
tire regional office staff
dedicated to providing you
with sound customer ser-
vice. And, because we
want to better understand
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many of our regional cus-
tomer service personnel
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IsnTt that what you ex-
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EBSCO
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
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703-321-9630 (Tel)
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Winter 1988" 217
desks or be sent to vendors with poor track
records. Lack of communication between collec-
tion development and acquisitions officers might
result in a high rate of duplicate orders, failure to
report unfilled orders promptly, or failure to
report changes in discount rates and other
vendor policies. All of these situations impact
negatively on the development cycle. All require
immediate attention to minimize their deleterious
effects.
Computing is an essential tool
for collection development.
Technical service systems other than acquisi-
tions generate data essential to the construction
of future plans, such as circulation statistics, col-
lection overlap profiles, preservation assessments,
and interlibrary loan reports. Speedy cataloging
and processing enable new materials to be used
when they are in greatest demand; cataloging
backlogs can and do confound everyone.
The collection development officer must have
strong ties with the reference staff, for these are
the people who interact daily with the library's
public. It is the reference librarian at the desk
who hears patron requests, guides clients toward
desired materials, and helps them when the col-
lections fail to provide answers to usersT needs. It
is usually the reference department that hires
subject specialists whose expertise is needed to
select titles in subject literatures, to offer advice
and direction for those fields, and to understand
and communicate the unique needs of those fields
to the collection development officer.
Reference tools"catalogs, bibliographies, re-
view journals, directories, indexes"are essential
for the collection developer as well as the refer-
ence librarian answering a question. Reference
functions might include serials control, inter-
library loan and circulation services, too, since
libraries are not bound by any codes or contracts
to make these technical services.
Conclusion
Collection development officers must under-
stand and appreciate the objectives and opera-
tions of both technical and public services in their
institutions. The objectives and operations of
each of these departments must harmonize with
and support collecting objectives. They are in-
extricably linked. Collecting objectives cannot be
accomplished except through the efforts of peo-
ple in both departments. Perhaps that is one of
the reasons that Elizabeth Futas,° among others,
218 "Winter 1988
claims that collection development officers must
be consummate politicians. (Clearly, the tasks of
making, defending, and shepherding budgets are
other reasons this talent is necessary. )
The collection development officerTs ultimate
orientation must go beyond any department to
the library in general, to its user community as a
whole, to the institution and the contribution that
the library's collection makes toward accomplish-
ing its mission. This describes neither a technical
service nor public service orientation. It is
oriented to the general management of the library
in its efforts to provide a collection of materials
worthy of the libraryTs position as an institutionTs
chief information resource center.
References
1. Michael GormanTs compleat librarian.
2. See, e.g., Laurie S. Linsley, oThe Dual Job Assignment: How It
Enhances Job Satisfaction,� in Academic Libraries: Myths and
Realities, Proceedings of the Association of College and
Research Libraries Conference, Baltimore, Maryland (Chicago:
The Association, 1984).
3. Janet Swan Hill oThe YearTs Work in Descriptive Cataloging
and ...� Library Resources & Technical Services 32 (July
1988):203-216.
4. These letters will appear in oInteractions,� Library Resources
& Technical Services 33 (January 1989).
5. Daniel Melcher and Margaret Saul, Melcher On Acquisiton
(Chicago: American Library Association, 1971).
6. Elizabeth Futas, oIssues in Collection Development: Wanted:
Collection Development Officer,� Collection Building 42 (1982):
55. |
oal
be superperson
use your library
The Challenges of Automation
and the Library Instruction Program:
Content, Management, Budget
Elizabeth Bramm Dunn
The proliferation of computers that has
affected all aspects of academic library opera-
tions has begun to make fundamental changes in
patterns of information seeking and provision. We
have seen only the beginning. Take a few moments
to ponder the library of the near and distant
future. Some aspects to consider:
®@ Decentralized Access will mean that those
in need of information will be less and less
tied to a particular building. Modems, elec-
tronic mail, telefacsimile and full-text doc-
ument delivery will minimize the need to
enter a library building.
@ Cheaper Memory will mean that more and
different kinds of information will be avail-
able. In addition to bibliographic, directory,
and numerical databases, expect more and
more full-text and non-print data: dia-
grams, photographs, audio records, holo-
graphic and animated images, all widely
available in digitized form.
e Information with Greater Currency will be
available. Many more databases will be
updated daily and some continually.
© More Sophisticated Means of Access such
as front-loaded expert systems will be
available. They will interact with main-
frames to design and execute complex
searches of a number of different databases
to pull a statistic here, a fact there, and
illustrations and a pungent quote to tie it all
together.
These are not futuristic or unrealistic no-
tions. The capability is here today, although the
technology is still a bit expensive to be exploited
fully by non-profit institutions. Yet in a few years
the real price will be much lower and the per-
ceived price in the eyes of todayTs undergraduate
(tomorrowTs physician, attorney, or grant-sup-
ported researcher) will be trivial. In a few years,
Elizabeth Bramm Dunn is Reference Librarian and Coordina-
tor of Libary Instruction at Perkins Library, Duke University,
Durham, NC.
todayTs undergraduate will expect to find sophis-
ticated automated resources at the public library
when she is shopping for pension plans or
researching designs for a new deck. When she is
helping her children with their science home-
work, she will expect to have holographic images
of the human brain available as part of the fam-
ilyTs (online) encyclopedia.
What is an instructional librarian to do? We
are faced with using twentieth-century research
tools to prepare our students for these and other,
as yet unimagined, developments of the next cen-
tury. Yet our students are here in the twentieth
century with us. More specifically, they are in Eng-
lish 1, and they need to write a five-to-ten-page
paper comparing the short stories of Eudora
Welty and William Faulkner. How do we face the
seemingly conflicting missions of identifying and
teaching skills that will be transferable to the
informational realities of the twenty-first century
and, at the same time, of helping the students
through this semester?
Automation also creates both promises and
challenges in other aspects of library instruction
program design. Ballooning budgets, new options
for modes of presentation, better ways to manage
records and statistics related to the program, the
need for retraining of staff"all are aspects of the
impact of automation. Let us first consider the
issue of content.
Content of Library Instruction Classes
As libraries make the transition into the uni-
verse of remote access and document delivery, it
is essential that we librarians examine with a crit-
ical eye our goals for library instruction. There is
an underlying assumption that we are striving t
educate students towards greater bibliographic
self-sufficiency while, at the same time, we
encourage them to turn to reference librarians for
assistance as often as it is needed. These are
somewhat contradictory goals. Do we want stu-
dents to work on their own or to look to a librar-
Winter 1988" 219
ian for guidance? Which is better for the future? I
would argue that the latter should receive greater
emphasis. So many new reference sources appear
in both print and electronic formats that it is
unfair and unrealistic to expect a user to keep
track of even a few. This is the job of the librarian.
As Christine Borgman has pointed out, our users
are opermanent novices.�! They may need to use a
particular source several times, but those uses are
often separated by weeks or months, making it
unlikely that much carryover of learning will
occur.
An additional complicating factor is that the
level of studentsT understanding of and comfort
with automated sources is likely to be far more
variable than with print sources. Thus, one stu-
dent may learn quickly while another, because of
inexperience or anxiety, requires more time and
assistance. Borgman points out that it is unclear
whether the use of multiple searching systems
leads to an understanding of the general princi-
ples of file organization or simply to confusion.
Thus, learning the local online catalog; CD-ROM
products produced by SilverPlatter, Information
Access Company and Wilson; and trying a little
end-user searching on BRS-After Dark may not
lead to a sophisticated user, but rather to a
baffled one who is very dependent upon good
point-of-use guides and personalized instruction
to keep the various protocols and the appropriate
applications of each source straight. In any case,
training in the use of automated sources is more
effective when the lecture setting gives way to
one-on-one instruction with a great deal of hands-
on work and some explicit point-of-use aids.
If all this is true, what is the role of library
instruction in this brave new information world?
During the past decade, an enormous amount has
been written about the necessity of building
library instruction on intellectual underpinnings.
A conceptual foundation has seemed essential to
accomplishing more than introducing a few sour-
ces and demonstrating that librarians are good
folks. In order to transfer knowledge. about the
library from one research task or discipline to
another, students must understand the principles
of information generation, organization, and
access.
The evolution in the forms of data and means
of retrieval makes such an understanding increas-
ingly important. As research libraries make a
wider variety of bibliographic databases available
on CD-ROM or through end-user searching sys-
tems and, eventually, provide document delivery,
a greater proportion of studentsT work will involve
winnowing through quantities of material and
220 " Winter 1988
using it intelligently and. creatively. Far less time
will be spent in tedious manual searching. Hence,
perhaps library instruction should focus more on
the winnowing skills: selecting the best from
among many references, investigating the authorsT
credentials, and evaluating sources critically. An
important aspect of this ability is the understand-
ing of the ways in which information is generated,
manipulated, and packaged.
In order to transfer knowledge
about the library from one re-
search task or discipline to
another, students must under-
stand the principles of infor-
mation generation, organization,
and access.
One logical approach to introducing winnow-
ing skills is to use the sources that exist, both
print and electronic, to demonstrate the common
threads that are likely to carry over from source
to source and from the present into the future.
The concept of controlled vocabulary is relevant
to most reference sources. Other significant issues
one might cover include the importance of the crit-
ical evaluation of any information: how it was
gathered, its currency, the principles by which it
was selected, its intended audience, its implicit or
explicit biases. Students can be encouraged to
work in an orderly way, first considering the var-
ious aspects of a topic, then honing in on a single
one for research, and next identifying key issues,
terms, and tools for accomplishing their research.?
The more accessible bibliographic references
become, the more crucial these winnowing skills
will be. In some sense unwieldy paper indexes
may protect students from having to think too
much. Having put in forty-five minutes figuring
out how to use the MLA International Biblio-
graphy and scanning through three or four
volumes, the student feels satisfied that he has
done the requisite work and has come up with
two or three acceptable references. When pre-
sented with a printout of forty references on the
same topic, the product of an online search per-
formed by a librarian, the student feels a mixture
of gratitude and dismay at the embarrassment of
riches, which means more work of the winnowing
sort and more locating of back issues of journals.
No matter what approach we take in library
instruction, it is important that we not be timid
about incorporating automated sources into rou-
tine reference work and that we make certain
that CD-ROM sources are as visible, clearly
marked and accessible to our patrons as any
other source. We should not look upon the use of
automated sources as ocheating.� There is nothing
edifying about looking year by year through three
decades of Psychological Abstracts. All this
teaches students is that research is hopelessly
tedious and that they should reconsider the idea
of graduate school. Emphasize that the studentsT
real work is to focus on a topic, read the relevant
literature critically, and consider what they read
as a springboard for their own interpretation and
creativity.
The content of library instruction lectures is
not the only facet of a program that will be
affected by increasing automation. As remote
access of library sources becomes more extensive,
opoint-of-use� may take on a radically different
meaning. Good help screens and command-line
instructions are essential features of the remote-
access online catalog. An electronic mail consul-
tation service to connect users to a reference
librarian and a combined electronic mail and ele-
facsimile service for document delivery will
become more desirable to many users than in-
person reference help.
Automation also makes alternative forms of
instruction possible. CAI (computer-assisted-
instruction) programs can be geared to a particu-
lar area of research or level of library sophisti-
cation. They can include tutorial segments for
self-examination and for the reinforcement of
certain key concepts. Information systems with
menus which are designed to operate much like a
reference interview can provide the user with
suggestions for reference sources to consult.
Management
Automation has still other implications for
the academic library instruction program. The
new sources and new skills that must be incor-
porated into library instruction place new
demands on instructional librarians. Old ap-
proaches to teaching, the ocanned� lecture that
seemed acceptable five years ago, and even the
points emphasized during that lecture must be
rethought and revised. Staff must learn each new
We are faced with using twen-
tieth-century research tools to
prepare students for ... as yet
unimagined developments of
the next century.
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Irregular Serials
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Building Special Collections
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automated source very thoroughly in order to be
able to teach it to others. Just as library users are
equipped with widely varying levels of expertise in
the use of automated sources, so librarians come
to new sources with different levels of under-
standing and acceptance. The coordinator of an
instruction program may face the added chal-
lenges of retraining, cajoling and comforting cer-
tain staff members. It is far more daunting for the
less confident to demonstrate online searching to
a class than to execute a search for one user. As
new CD-ROM sources are obtained and end-user
searching programs implemented, the program
may be. faced with an enormous expansion in
responsibilities for user training while the staff
available remains constant. Point-of-use assist-
ance, whether in the form of printed materials,
online tutorials, or a readily-available reference
librarian is also more important than ever. A very
positive achievement of automated sources is
that they have elicited more faculty interest in
and support of the library than any other recent
development. This is a boon for outreach, provid-
ing opportunities to review sources with the
faculty and to arrange for instruction of his or her
students, but it may also mean that demand for
library instruction further outstrips the supply of
instructors.
Winter 1988" 221
CAI programs may seem to offer an oppor-
tunity to save staff time, but they are not appro-
priate in all situations and demand an enormous
commitment of staff time up front and trouble-
shooting and updating as long as they are in use.
It has been estimated that a good CAI program
requires one hundred hours of design and pro-
gramming time for each one hour of finished prod-
uct.3
The good news is that computers may go a
long way towards making instructional librarians
more productive. A useful outreach mechanism is
to send a regular reminder to each faculty
member who has requested library instruction in
the past. A simple relational database can facili-
tate the organization of a list of faculty members,
sortable by name, department, date of the most
recent library class, the librarian who taught that
class, or other information. Computer-generated
reminders can then be produced prior to each
academic term. A personal computer can also be
used to record statistics related to the program:
who teaches which classes and how many of the
various types, responses to surveys measuring the
effectiveness of the program, etc. Administrators
love to see visible proof of a programTs success,
and what could be more impressive than some
beautiful graphs showing just how much students
have learned from their library instruction. For
those who produce handouts tailored to each
class, a otemplate� program is a time-saver. This
... automated sources ... have
elicited more faculty interest in
and support of the library than
any other recent development.
template would include information that is rele-
vant to all classes (a description of the Library of
Congress Subject Headings or instructions about
locating journals in your library). Items pertain-
ing to a specific class (sample subject headings,
list of subject bibliographies and journal indexes)
can be incorporated as needed. A more ambitious
project would be to create an online, annotated
list of all the journal indexes (or other type of
source) held by your library. This could then be
selectively downloaded into the handout tem-
plate and/or incorporated into a larger reference
expert system. Computers also offer wondrous
desk-top publishing capabilities, enabling librar-
ians to produce extremely professional-looking
flyers, point-of-use instructional aids, bibliogra-
phies, overhead transparencies or slides, and
questionnaires.
222 "Winter 1988
One of the areas in which automation has its
greatest impact is in the pocketbook. Ten years
ago the instructional librarian needed a place to
teach, some chalk, an overhead projector, a
supply of blank transparency sheets, a typewriter,
and access to a photocopier. Now we need all of
these tools plus enough personal computers for
database management, word processing, online
searching, CAI presentations, and desk-top pub-
lishing; special software to enhance graphics
capabilities and create tutorials; and a liquid
crystal display screen, or an even more sophisti-
cated and expensive alternative, to permit dem-
onstration of online searching. None of these
items comes cheaply, making it encumbent upon
the library instruction coordinator who is not
blessed with a supportive and generous adminis-
tration to cultivate highly developed skills of per-
suasion and creative approaches to funding
purchases.
These, then, are some of the benefits and
challenges of automation for the instructional
librarian. It is vital that we maintain and expand
our interest and expertise in the world of auto-
mation. On many campuses, libraries are losing
out as computer centers take over the manage-
ment of machine-readable data files, offer pro-
grams to assist faculty and graduate students
with file management, and provide other services
to teach members of the academic community
how to deal more efficiently with their overload of
information.* Power and credibility are tied to an
institutionTs ability to respond to usersT needs. The
appropriate and effective use of automation in
the design and management of library instruction
is an excellent place to start.
Notes
1. Christine Borgman, oWhy Information Systems are Hard to
Use"And How BI Can Help.� Keynote Address, ACRL-BIS Pre-
conference, oThe Future of BI: Approaches in the Electronic
Age,� New Orleans, Louisiana, July 8, 1988.
2. Threasa Wesley described the library instruction program she
coordinates at Steely Library, Northern Kentucky University, in
her talk, oEmphasizing Evaluative Research Skills in Library
Instruction Sessions,� presented at the 16th Annual Workshop
on Instruction in Library Use, May 13-15, 1987, at McMaster
University in Hamilton, Ontario.
3. Jack A. Chambers and Jerry W. Sprecher. oComputer Assisted
Instruction: Current Trends and Critical Issues.� Communica-
tions of the ACM, 23 (June 1980), p. 337. It should be noted,
however, that the advent of HyperCard, CourseBuilder, and
other software designed for form the shell for tutorials will con-
siderably reduce the time required for creating such CAI sys-
tems.
4, Sharon Hogan discussed this issue with great eloquence in her
talk, oCalling Mother Earth. Calling Mother Earth. Spaceman
Needs Help with Research.� Keynote Address, ACRL-BIS Precon-
ference, oThe Future of BI: Approaches in the Electronic Age,�
New Orleans, Louisiana, July 8, 1988. aq]
Rip Van Winkle at the
Reference Desk?
Anna Donnally
Gone are the days when North Carolina was
known as the Rip Van Winkle state, a backwards,
somnolent place where change occurred with
agonizing slowness and progress was a dirty
word. Today our state is a leader in the New
South; economic development and demographic
changes are reshaping North Carolina. Projec-
tions indicate that the state should generate more
than 510,000 new jobs by the end of the century,
most in the trade and services sectors.! During
the 1980s and 1990s indications are that net in-
migration should average approximately 39,000
per year®. By the year 2000, nearly one million
North Carolinians will be aged 65 or overT. Refer-
ence librarians in public libraries across North
Carolina undoubtedly disseminate such informa-
tion daily with very little, if any thought as to how
these changes are or should be affecting the servi-
ces they provide. Our state has changed. Have we?
Is Rip Van Winkle manning the reference desk?
Much has been written about reference and
information service to carefully delineated groups
of library users whose patronage of our institu-
tions is perceived as limited. Fresh services have
been devised for their seduction. Now, in the
midst of a ubiquitous oInformation Age,� in a
region which is changing both economically and
demographically, it seems high time to ask our-
selves: Has reference service in North CarolinaTs
public libraries changed to serve a changing clien-
tele? Are we seeking to serve growing segments of
our population or are we preaching to the con-
verted? Two frequently discussed types of library
users, business people and the elderly, reflect the
economic and demographic shifts occurring in
North Carolina. Are our methods of information
provision in step with their needs? How has the
modus operandi of the public library reference
department been altered in response to the per-
ceived special needs of these users?
There may be 349 answers to these questions;
one for each public library in the Tar Heel state.
However, even a cursory look at trends reflected
Anna Donnally is head of Central Adult Services in the Ashe-
ville-Buncombe Library System.
in the literature and at various programs across
the state indicates that certain methods and ser-
vices are prevalent, that new ideas are being tried
and that there exists, in libraries all over North
Carolina, a commitment to advancement. Change
may be gradual and relatively unspectacular but,
on the whole, it appears that public librarians are
aware of shifts in their clienteles and are working
to see to it that the demands of these users do not
go unanswered.
... the public libraryTs role as a
referral center has proven to be
a significant service to (older
adults).
Older Adults
Media ballyhoo regarding North CarolinaTs
desirability as a retirement spot has undoubtedly
contributed to the forty-six percent increase in
the stateTs over-65 population, the eighth highest
rise nationallyT. But behind the press coverage
and the statistics are the demands that these
people will place on libraries and other service
institutions. While public service librarians are
uniquely situated so as to literally be able to
observe changes in their clienteles, it is imperative
that changes occur on our side of the reference
desk as well. Recognizing that stereotyping is
inimical to good public service, the Reference and
Adult Services Division of the American Library
AssociationTs committee on Library Services to an
Aging Population has adopted guidelines which
begin by stressing the importance of a positive
attitude toward serving older patrons?.
Many of the library services designed specifi-
cally with older adults in mind fall outside the
purview of reference in its strictest sense. Collec-
tions of large print books and periodicals have
become the rule, rather than the exception, in
most public libraries. In fact, a recent survey by
Diane Thompson on serving older adults in North
Carolina public libraries indicates that ninety-five
percent of the stateTs public libraries provide large
Winter 1988 " 223
print materials to users®. Likewise, outreach ser-
vice to the homebound and the institutionalized is
a common component of service to the elderly.
Library-sponsored programs on topics ranging
from financial planning for retirement to work-
shops for senior caregivers have proven beneficial
not only to the participants, but to the library by
linking it with others who work with older adults.
Where retirement is big business, the provi-
sion of information to retirees is booming. Many
people who have relocated upon retirement tend
to be active in their new communities. Reference
departments have traditionally been centers of
information about community organizations and
events. Many libraries have seized this opportun-
ity to enhance their roles as community informa-
tion centers. By connecting older adults with
agencies and groups who can help with health,
financial, consumer, and other problems, the pub-
lic libraryTs role as a referral center has proven to
be a significant service to these clients. Ready ref-
erence service, especially the provision of tele-
phone reference, is of particular importance to
the elderly, many of whom may not be highly
mobile. While the format of the information
sought by older adults may not differ dramati-
cally from that of many other patrons, the need
may be more acute since, in some cases, the client
has been physically removed from the personal
information network upon which he or she once
relied. In addition, individuals who are recently
retired often require information which will help
with the social and economic changes implicit in
such a dramatic transition.
... public libraries have mar-
keted themselves to the busi-
ness community more aggres-
sively than to any other pool of
prospective users.
Librarians have found it necessary to become
familiar with agencies and organizations which
provide services for older adults. Local councils
on aging, nursing homes, retirement commmuni-
ties, meal sites, and the like are important resour-
ces for librarians seeking to serve older adults. All
too often, staff members in such organizations are
unaware of the services provided by their local
libraries. Public librarians need to market their
institutions to these professionals as well as to
their clients.
Sources, print and non-print, both for care-
givers and the elderly concerning the health,
behavior, economic well-being, leisure and life-
224 "Winter 1988
long learning for seniors are vital acquisitions for
the reference department. Collection develop-
ment should be pursued with formal as well as
informal educational needs and _ recreational
reading in mind. In some areas, unique programs
for this special population, such as the Center for
Creative Retirement at the University of North
Carolina"Asheville, while not directly connected
to the public library, have created new informa-
tion needs for its senior patrons. Other academic
programs like Elderhostel may require the library
to serve as a formal education support center for
patrons not often considered primary users of
such materials.
In addition to being consumers of library ser-
vices, retirees are among the most active and vis-
ible library volunteers. It is important to note that
the ALA Guidelines advocate employment of
older adults at all levels and that libraries
orequest volunteer help only when funding is not
available for paid positions.��
While changes in reference service as a result
of an influx of older adults may not be as pro-
nounced as in other areas of library activity (col-
lection development, programming, outreach),
their presence has had a significant impact. As
Diane Thompson concludes, oThere is a trend of
increasing services to older adults in the areas of
extension, special materials, and information and
referral.�® Information professionals in libraries of
all sizes must pay serious attention to senior citi-
zens and must ensure that attitudes are free of
stereotypes and that sources and methods of ser-
vice are compatible with these users, both physi-
cally and intellectually. And, most importantly,
librarians must raise the library consciousness of
the older adults in their communities.
Business
Nowhere has the impact of the oInformation
Age� been more profound than on the role of the
public library as a provider of information to busi-
ness and industry. For complex reasons involving
both economics and professional pride, public
libraries have marketed themselves to the busi-
ness community more aggressively than to any
other pool of prospective users. After all, we rea-
son, why should librarians, information profes-
sionals, be passed over by those who are, perhaps,
the most voracious consumers of information?
Assistant State Librarian Howard McGinn writes,
oLibrary services are vital to economic growth.
The acceptance of this fact by library and busi-
ness communities is a problem.�®
Recognition of our present and potential ser-
vices to business may be slow in coming. In fact,
we may not yet have arrived at the ideal formula
for serving this vast clientele effectively. And, of
course, there are those who maintain that so-
called otraditional� reference service is incapable
of providing the business world with the informa-
tion it requires. The purpose here is not to debate
this, but to point out that public libraries are tak-
ing steps in the right direction. Efforts to intro-
duce business reference into public libraries of all
sizes have dramatically affected the ways in
which we operate.
oThe Library must learn how to use non-tradi-
tional resources, experts, and the telephone... �!°
stresses Matthew Lesko. While we may not always
follow his first two prescriptions, reference librar-
ians, like business people, depend on their phones
both as a means of procuring the necessary
information and as a method for referral. Though
it may seem prosaic to many of our more sophis-
ticated colleagues, an increased reliance on the
telephone as a reference tool has had a dramatic
(and often overlooked) impact on the success of
many smaller public librariesT service to business.
Not only does it provide us with sources outside
our institutions, it links us quickly and cheaply
with the businesses we serve. When, for example,
the manager of a local golf course can pick up the
phone and ask the reference librarian for the
name and telephone number of the nearest
manufacturer of golf pins and flags, it is the next
best thing to having Thomas Register in the pro
shop. In fact, it is probably quicker to call the
library and definitely cheaper.
The expeditious and economical availability
of business information via electronic sources has
served as a catalyst for the instigation of online
search services in many libraries. In public librar-
ies, businesses have been among the most enthu-
siastic users of these databases. This is especially
true outside of the stateTs major metropolitan
areas, where special libraries supported by busi-
nesses are more scarce. Regardless of the volumes
which have been written about the impact of the
online revolution, it bears repeating that the
availability of these sources has transformed the
ways in which the public library reference staff
thinks, operates, and succeeds. In institutions
where budgetary constraints limit business sour-
ces to a few carefully chosen tools, access to sys-
tems such as DIALOG, BRS, and InfoMaster
means that staff members can be introduced not
only to previously unknown tools but to new
methods of formulating search strategies. In
addition, the results are often presented to users
in more immediately usable forms. Rather than
guiding patrons to sources and providing instruc-
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Winter 1988 " 225
tion in their uses, electronic databases often en-
able staff members to deliver precisely the informa-
tion sought minus extraneous material; the pearl
without oyster or shell.
As with online searching, the impact of busi-
ness users upon public libraries has been keenly
felt in the areas of networking and document
delivery. Thanks to the North Carolina Informa-
tion Network and to the State Library's procure-
ment of telefacsimile machines, many public
libraries are able to offer an impressive array of
services including electronic mail, bulletin boards,
an automated purchasing directory, and FAX.
Through public libraries across the state,
vendors and businesses are able to learn about
commodities and contracts advertised for bid by
the Division of Purchase and Contract. This ser-
vice can be a boon to small businesses in remote
parts of North Carolina seeking to expand their
markets.
By providing for virtually instantaneous
transmittal of information, telefacsimile capabil-
ity means that the public library can play a role in
helping business and professional people provide
optimum service to their customers. It also means
that we are doing the same for our clients. Co-
operation among libraries of all types is an inte-
gral part of such services. We are able to go
beyond mere identification and location of a given
item. We can, in many cases, arrange to have it
placed rapidly in our customerTs hands. It is, how-
ever, imperative that we seek more sophisticated
uses for these new tools. As_ telefacsimile
machines proliferate, the day may come when we
find ourselves faxing needed texts directly into
the offices of our business clients.
... changes in North CarolinaTs
economic climate have changed
the ways in which public librar-
ies function.
Access to FAX, the automated purchasing
directory, and other such tools coupled with the
expertise to use them effectively are key compo-
nents in the library package that is marketed to
business and industry. Also fundamental are the
print sources which have become fixtures in most
of the stateTs public library reference collections.
One would be hard pressed to find a library with-
out at least one business directory, despite the
fact that such sources are not mentioned in the
Standards for North Carolina Public Libraries.
While library departments and branches
devoted exclusively to business are not yet, and
226 " Winter 1988
may never be, the norm in North CarolinaTs public
libraries, discrete business reference collections
are not uncommon. That these collections include
publications of local, state and federal govern-
ments, specialized publishers, and trade and
technical associations is not surprising as library
staff members at all levels have grown in sophisti-
cation with respect to the data required by busi-
ness. With an understanding of the tools and their
users has come greater knowledge of the jargon,
attitudes and practices of the business world.
Libraries must be sensitive in-
stitutions, evolving as their
users evolve.
Marketing library services has, at the very
least, invaded the consciousness of every public
librarian. The necessity of reaching businesses in
the same way that they reach their customers
affects the manner in which librarians conceive,
plan, and execute services. It is not enough to
announce that an investment seminar will be held
at the library. The beneficial aspects of the pro-
gram must be made explicit and the library must
follow up with information about the resources
available for the small investor. Hand-in-hand
with programming is promotion. While a given
library may be unable to develop a full-blown
media blitz designed to entice local business peo-
ple, conventional wisdom regarding word-of-
mouth suggests that a strategy of otalking up�
library services can be quite effective.
Clearly, changes in North CarolinaTs eco-
nomic climate have changed the ways in which
public libraries function. The public library has
many roles to fill in addition to its commitment to
the needs of business. Nevertheless, there have
been changes, some subtle, some dramatic, in how
reference departments operate because of their
business clients.
Conclusion
As the local environments of North CarolinaTs
public libraries change economically, demogra-
phically and otherwise, services must change.
Libraries must be sensitive institutions, evolving
as their users evolve. Alterations in the demogra-
phic and economic makeup of a library's user
base alters the library. As the stateTs population of
senior citizens grows, public library services
develop accordingly. As emphasis on attracting
new business and industry to North Carolina
increases, the public library community's deter-
mination to prove itself an asset in the process
increases. Those concerned with the provision of
reference services must respond to these de-
mands in innovative ways.
And so, to return to the question asked at the
outset, have public librarians been, like Rip Van
Winkle, slumbering, complacent about our servi-
ces, while patrons and potential users disregard
us? On a statewide level, the answer is no. There
have been improvements. Nevertheless, we have
not succeeded as completely as we should have.
Locally, librarians must be aware of the changing
needs of our patrons. Each institution must
examine and evaluate its services, not only for the
types of users discussed here, but for all its con-
stituents, and then must challenge itself to move
forward. If public library reference service is to
fulfill its mission to serve, we cannot afford to
mimic IrvingTs lackadaisical Rip. We cannot, as
Van Winkle so often did, dismiss the problem by
shrugging our shoulders, shaking our heads, cast-
ing up our eyes, and doing nothing. We must capi-
talize on the gains made thus far to ensure that
the information services we provide are effective,
efficient and appropriate for all.
References
1. North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, Man-
agement and Information Services, North Carolina Long-Term
Economic-Demographic Projections, (April 1987), 19.
2. Ibid., 15.
3. North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, Man-
agement and Information Services, 1987 Projection Series: Pop-
ulation in Selected Age Groups, n.d.
4, Bill Finger, oOld Folks at Home,� Business: North Carolina
(January 1987), 23.
5. oGuidelines for Library Service to Older Adults,� RQ, (Summer
1987), 444.
6. Diane G. Thompson, oServing Older Adults in North Carolina
Public Libraries: A Survey,� North Carolina Libraries, (Fall 1988),
170.
7. oGuidelines,� 445.
8. Thompson, 177.
9. Howard F. McGinn, Jr., oThe North Carolina Information Net-
work"A Vital Cog in Economic Development,� North Carolina
Libraries, (Fall 1986), 176.
10, Matthew Lesko, oNew Frontiers for Information Sources and
Information Gathering,� North Carolina Libraries, (Winter 1987),
205. w
CL
Copies of articles from
this publication are now
available from the UMI
Article Clearinghouse.
Oat a
Mail to: University Microfilms International
300 North Zeeb Road, Box 91 Ann Arbor, MI 48106
TTL TN
TTT
ATTA
TATION AN
Te
i i
ewe
N
AN
NT
go for it!
use your library
Winter 1988 " 227
ne Eee
Use of Technology in a Rural
Public Library Setting to Provide
Both Traditional and Nontraditional
Reference Services
Marcia Joyner Clontz
Small rural public libraries are alive and
thriving in the United States! Their concerns are
being voiced in the literature and at conferences.
The Summer 1988 issue of Public Libraries fea-
tured the topic, oThe Small Public Library in the
USS.A.� Included in this issue was Danny L. McMil-
lionTs delightful look at oLibrarianship"West Vir-
ginia Style.� McMillionTs enthusiasm about librar-
ies in small towns, especially Rainelle, West
Virginia, is infectious. McMillion says that osmall-
town librarianship may not fit the stereotyped
expectations of most people but it sure is fun.�!
Rural libraries were emphasized at the 1986 Pub-
lic Library Association (PLA) conference within a
conference, oRural Roots.� It was noted that othe
smaller the community, the more the library is
needed for a window on the world.�
Janet Baker, director of the Conant Public
Library, Sterling, Massachusetts, has identified
three roles basic to public library service in Mas-
sachusetts. These three roles are oan interlibrary
access point, a recreational reading and viewing
center for adults, and a recreational reading and
viewing center for children.�T
North Carolina is a largely rural state com-
posed of many rural communities. Fortunately, all
of the rural areas in North Carolina are served by
public libraries. The history and experiences of
the Nantahala Regional Library are typical of
other rural public libraries in North Carolina.
The Nantahala Regional Library serves the
public through branch libraries and bookmobile
service in Cherokee, Clay, and Graham Counties
in western North Carolina. The area served is the
sparsely populated foothills of the Blue Ridge
Mountains. The rolling hills and whitewater riv-
ers, combined with the numerous recreational
opportunities offered by the National and State
Forest Service and Tennessee Valley Authority
Marcia Joyner Clontz is Extension Librarian at the Nantahala
Regional Library, 101A Blumenthal Street, Murphy, NC 28906.
228 " Winter 1988
(TVA) lakes, account for the areaTs having become
a haven for vacationers, summer residents, and
year-round retirees. Large percentages of the
land area in each county are owned by either the
TVA, National and State Forest Service, or the
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Because of its isolation and lack of transpor-
tation, new industry is reluctant to relocate in the
area, thereby slowing the growth of the economy
and suppressing the tax base. Per capita income
is among the lowest in North Carolina and illiter-
acy is among the highest in the state. School
libraries are in many instances understaffed and
underfunded. Located far from large cities and
major universities, area residents often depend
on the public library as the only source for infor-
mation. The Nantahala Regional Library is using
technology to better provide information to its
patrons.
Residents of the area have close ties to Ten-
nessee and Georgia, feeling that people in other
areas of North Carolina think the state line does
not extend beyond Asheville. Television reception,
poor at best, is usually received from out of state.
Due to a shortage of stores and medical facilities,
shopping and visits to doctors are often con-
ducted out of state. This isolation, combined with
the lack of resources available in large cities, has
caused the residents of the area to develop a
fierce independence as well as a strongly devel-
oped sense of community. As in all rural areas,
the best communication is via the local grapevine.
Neighbor pitching in to help neighbor is common-
place.
The Nantahala Regional Library is the oldest
Regional Library in North Carolina and one of the
first fourteen regional libraries in the United
States.4 The Nantahala Regional Library origi-
nated on May 1, 1937, owhen the Tennessee Valley
Authority signed a contract with the Murphy
Library Board to provide service at the construc-
tion site of the Hiwassee Dam in Cherokee County.
A trained librarian was employed at the Hiwassee
Dam library, library hours were increased at
Murphy, and new books were purchased. As the
dam neared completion, the library service was
curtailed; but the several small libraries con-
tinued, and the voters of Cherokee County
approved a library tax of 3 cents per $100.00 of
assessed property value to support the program.�
This special referendum held November 5,
1940, enabled regional library service to continue
after TVA support was withdrawn June 30, 1940.
The first Nantahala Regional Library Board
members were appointed in 1940. Works Progress
Administration (WPA) and National Youth Ad-
ministration (NYA) funds were used to provide
clerks for manning the branch libraries and the
bookmobile, as well as for filing and doing various
clerical jobs. The Nantahala Regional Library was
incorporated February 25, 1943.
Bookmobile service was first provided by the
State Library Commission. WPA then took over
bookmobile service until the bookmobile was
turned over to the Nantahala Regional Library in
1943. Bookmobile service has been provided con-
tinuously with stops rotating once every four
weeks.
From the very beginning the Nantahala
Regional Library has benefited from profession-
ally trained librarians. Trained staff with access
to both state and local funding in an area lacking
in other resources served to provide a forward
thinking progressive library system.
... all the rural areas in North
Carolina are served by public
libraries.
The current objectives of the library are con-
tained in its book selection policy. oThe purpose of
the Nantahala Regional Library is to provide all
residents of Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties
with a comprehensive collection of materials to
aid in the pursuit of information, research, educa-
tion, recreation, and the development of creative
capacities for their leisure time. It is also our pur-
pose to organize these materials for easy access
and to offer guidance in their use.�
oWe are here to promote the reading and
educational interests of the community. This can
and will be done through a multitude of activities
and media both within and without the library,
and through the use of the State Library and
other available collections.�
oMaterials will be selected with respect for all
backgrounds, ages, abilities, interests, and levels
of education. This will not only apply to our current
users, but to those who might be users in the
future.�
oTo fulfill our goals we will work with the
community agencies, organizations, schools, busi-
ness firms and government agencies of the region
as well as local residents.�®
The staff of the Nantahala Regional Library
attempts to provide an answer to every reference
question asked by patrons. The North Carolina
Information Network (NCIN) has been invaluable
in meeting this goal. The NCIN has enabled North
Carolina libraries to fill the first of Janet BakerTs
roles for public libraries; rural public libraries in
North Carolina are now better able to serve as an
interlibrary access point. The North Carolina
Online Union Catalog and the Online Union List of
Serials, both maintained at OCLC, and part of the
North Carolina Information Network, provide
rapid access to the holdings of university, college,
community college, corporate and public libraries
in North Carolina. Telefacsimile has permitted
instantaneous transmission and reception of all
types of documents to and from locations all over
the world. Electronic mail and bulletin boards are
available for use by both librarians and the public.
Bulletin boards are available for job listings,
calendars of events, information for childrenTs
librarians, and the North Carolina Automated
Purchase Directory list of goods and services
being purchased by the state which can be bid on
by local businesses. Each of the branches of the
Nantahala Regional Library has an electronic
mail oaddress� and has the capability of electronic
communications.
Use of these new technologies has provided
both a challenge and an exercise in thinking
about alternative routes of service. Which is
cheaper"traditional mail or fax? What is more
important"timely delivery of material to patrons
or using traditional methods of interlibrary loan?
Some examples of nontraditional routes of ser-
vice experienced by the Nantahala Regional
Library may offer insight into these questions.
As a member of the North Carolina Informa-
tion Network, the Nantahala Regional Library was
one of forty-three library systems to receive a tele-
facsimile machine purchased with LSCA funds.
The fax machine is available for transmitting and
receiving information by both staff and patrons at
no charge. When a locally owned bank recently
held an election of new board members at the
library, important proxy forms were received on
the fax machine during the hotly contested elec-
tion for the control of the board. In another
instance local law enforcement officials transmit-
Winter 1988" 229
ted documents to a federal marshal in California.
This resulted in the arrest of two men on drug
charges and the seizure of $200,000 worth of
property.
A local entrepreneur publishes a magazine
for ham radio operators. He has received articles
for his magazine on the fax machine from as far
away as Australia and Japan. The managerial
staff of Industrial Opportunities, Incorporated, a
sheltered workshop, tells customers and suppli-
ers that it has shared access to the libraryTs fax
machine.
Two local law firms have bought fax ma-
chines for their firms after using the library's
machine. Out of town attorneys use the library's
machine to receive documents from their offices.
One attorney working on a Saturday had to have
a document sent that day. Even though the fax
machine is housed in a portion of the library that
is normally kept locked on evenings and week-
ends, staff members who had never used the fax
before were still able to send the document after
receiving instructions over the telephone.
The libraryTs fax is the only public use fax in
the tri-county area. Local banks send in clients to
transmit signature verification for transfer of
funds. Airframe and powerplant logs have been
received for a potential purchaser of an airplane.
Library reports are quickly sent over the fax to
the State Library in Raleigh. Plans are to purchase
fax machines for each branch, which will allow
more effective use of the combined resources of
the system.
The cost of the new services ...
has been far outweighed by the
benefits of better and quicker
service to patrons, increased
staff job satisfaction, and great-
er visibility in the business
community.
Use of the North Carolina Online Union
Catalog maintained at OCLC was made possible
by the purchase of used computers and printers
from the local community college. Four compu-
ters and printers were purchased for only $1250.
Although the Radio Shack TRS 80 Model IIITs were
considered outdated by the community college,
the Regional Library staff was able to purchase
modems and communications software and
adapt them to OCLCTs ASCII requirements. Now
each branch is equipped to initiate requests
230 " Winter 1988
through OCLC. Before requesting material,
branch library staff must first call the headquar-
ters library to check the RegionTs Union Catalog.
Photocopies are routinely requested over the
OCLC ILL Subsystem and received via fax.
Patrons are impressed with the speed of docu-
ment delivery. Photocopies of law journal articles
were requested for a doctoral candidate and
received the same day. A local owner of a trout
raising business requested government docu-
ments concerning diseases of trout. Photocopies
were requested through OCLC, received at the
Nantahala Regional Library's fax, and retransmit-
ted to the patronTs fax machine.
Use of technology is not limited by the four
walls of the library. Very traditional methods of
service delivery have also benefited from new
technology. The current bookmobile is equipped
with an Astron Power"Wilson 1510 ten channel
UHF business transceiver. The use of the radio
allows instant communication with headquarters
if an emergency arises on the bookmobile. Know-
ing that the staff can be contacted if an emer-
gency arises has increased employeesT morale.
When the bookmobile had a flat tire twenty miles
from a filling station and fifty miles from regional
headquarters, the bookmobile staff was able to
call the regional headquarters by radio. Head-
quarters staff members then called a mechanic to
change the tire.
The cost of these new services offered at the
Nantahala Regional Library has been far out-
weighed by the benefits of better and quicker ser-
vice to patrons, increased staff job satisfaction,
and greater visibility in the business community.
Rural librarians are challenged to make the best
use of their scarce funds, staff, and facilities.
Rural library patrons are entitled to quality
library service provided by pleasant staff mem-
bers in an attractive setting. Technology can help
meet this goal.
References
1. Danny L. McMillion, oLibrarianship"West Virginia Style,� Pub-
lic Libraries 27, 2 (Summer, 1988):84.
2. oRural Roots: a Conference on ~County LibrariesT Within the
PLA Conference,� Library Journal 111, 8 (May 1, 1986):12.
3. Janet Baker, oRural Libraries Focus on Mission,� Public
Libraries 26, 2 (Summer 1987):59.
4. Carleton B. Joeckel, Library Extension: Problems and Solu-
tions. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1946), 89.
5. Thornton W. Mitchell, The State Library and Library Devel-
opment in North Carolina. (Raleigh: North Carolina Depart-
ment of Cultural Resources, 1983), 66-67.
6. Procedures Manual: Nantahala Regional Library serving
Cherokee, Clay and Graham Counties. (Murphy: Nantahala
Regional Library, 1987),57. a
Beyond Referral"
Providing Business Reference Service
in the Information Age
Coyla Barry
Twenty years ago business information was
transmitted by personal contacts with knowl-
edgeable colleagues. Managers read The Wall
Street Journal and a few trade magazines. Very
rarely were business decisions based on systemati-
cally gathered facts and figures. TodayTs business
environment is complex, global and fast-paced.
To be competitive, businesses must now depend
upon an incredible array of data, news, and pub-
lished information to support strategic planning
and day-to-day operations. Increasingly, business
workers turn to the library or information centers
in their company or in their community to supply
the answers and background they need. In
response to this increased demand, a super-
market of information formats and products has
developed over the last few years to facilitate
access to the external economic environment.
Many business reference librarians have devel-
oped their skills on the job or, one might say, by
the seat of the pants. The result is an idiosyn-
cratic mix of methods and resources that serves a
particular user base. This paper describes some of
the strategies and reference sources we have
developed at the Burroughs Wellcome Company
Library (the Technical Information Department)
to provide company administrators the informa-
tion they need to perform their jobs successfully.
Wellcome is an international pharmaceutical
company with its headquarters in England and
facilities around the world. The American sub-
sidiary, Burroughs Wellcome Co., includes a major
administrative and research complex at Research
Triangle Park and a manufacturing plant in
Greenville. The Company moved to North Caro-
lina in 1970 from Tuckahoe, New York, and the
research library was established in a modern
building that includes both laboratories and cor-
porate offices. In the 1970s the main users of the
Coyla Barry is head of the research literature section of the
Technical Information Department of Burroughs Wellcome
Company in Research Triangle Park.
library were chemists, microbiologists, toxicolo-
gists, pharmacologists and medical professionals
who needed access to the scientific literature. The
librarians who functioned as reference librarians
and later as online search specialists, were
expected to have a strong background in chemis-
try or the life sciences. We worked with the scien-
tists to become familiar with their individual
research, and our responsibilities included keep-
ing up with the companyTs research projects as
well as the journal literature and information
technology.
In the 1980s several trends had a major
impact on the pharmaceutical industry in general
and on Burroughs Wellcome in particular. Com-
panies were increasingly subject to government
regulation; consumers became ever more knowl-
edgeable about the side effects of drugs and new
products; and competition for a profitable share
of the international market demanded sophisti-
cated analytical techniques and streamlined deci-
sion-making by company managers. Burroughs
Wellcome changed from private to partially public
ownership and suddenly found itself in the media
spotlight as the first and, at this writing, only
company to market an approved drug for AIDS.
The library found itself called upon more and
more frequently to answer business-related ques-
tions and conduct computer searches to find
news stories, financial data, and background
material for work-related needs at every corpo-
rate level. Although we had extensive experience
functioning as a technical library in both collec-
tion and services, we had to find ways to support
these business concerns while we continued to
carry out our traditional duties for research and
development.
Luckily, in most settings, solutions do not
have to be found overnight. As it became appar-
ent that the Technical Information Department
needed to expand its collection and develop
expertise to answer business-related questions,
several strategies proved helpful.
Winter 1988" 231
Know your clients
Like most libraries, we keep logs of our refer-
ence questions, especially ones involving more
than a quick look-up. Search statistics and keep-
ing track of recurrent topics enable us to accumu-
late a profile of new user groups. Mr. Robert
Kilgore, one of our search specialists, uses the
opportunities of reference interviews not only to
negotiate search requests but to become ac-
quainted with new clients and the nature of their
work-related tasks. Knowing how information is
to be used measurably enhances the quality of the
retrieval process and ensures that the informa-
tion provided is targeted to appropriate goals.
Our business clients generally fall into several
functional groups. With Burroughs Wellcome
Company suddenly so prominent in the news as
the manufacturer of Retrovir (AZT) for AIDS,
public relations personnel need to follow media
coverage of the company, AIDS research, consum-
er groups, and political news. The legal depart-
ment requests texts of cases, law review articles,
verification of citations, and updates on court deci-
sions. No industry is more stringently regulated
than the pharmaceutical industry. All areas of the
company need to keep abreast of regulations as
they appear in the Federal Register and of guide-
lines issued by the Food and Drug Administration
and other government agencies. The recent
changes in the tax laws have had an impact on all
businesses; material on its substance and inter-
pretation is needed by the financial and tax
departments.
""EE ss
Every business reference serv-
ice will be different depending
upon the scope and thrust of
corporate concerns.
SS
Analyzing the competition is an important
function of many of our user groups. Information
about companies"their balance sheets, sub-
sidiaries, product lines, research expenditures,
management biographies, new joint ventures,
past sales figures, patents, trademarks, and SEC
filings"is constantly in demand. Marketing and
sales groups are always looking for articles about
selling techniques, advertising, and new distribu-
tion methods such as mail order. Requests for
demographic data, census figures, disease inci-
dence, and special consumer groups are similarly
frequent.
Another information need frequently en-
countered concerns computers. Almost everyone
232 " Winter 1988
in a business setting needs to evaluate and select
new software and hardware. All aspects of data
processing management from avoiding eyestrain
to cost/benefit analysis is vigorously sought in the
voluminous computer literature.
Once we started providing business informa-
tion to such a variety of workers from top man-
agement on down, the volume of requests steadily
increased. Repeat visits, long-term personal ac-
quaintance, attending occasional staff meetings
either to listen or give presentations about library
services, energetic follow-up, and informal sur-
veys to solicit feedback all proved useful in our
ocontinuing education� efforts. At the same time,
we were learning about many aspects of the
pharmaceutical industry and Burroughs Wel-
lcome Company beyond the technical and scien-
tific areas to which we were accustomed. As a
bonus, having new user groups and evolving our
techniques to serve their needs added to the
staff's sense of professional development, fostered
creative approaches, and heightened awareness
of the Technical Information DepartmentTs ex-
pertise and value in the conduct of corporate
affairs.
The Business Reference Collection
Even a modest reference collection contains
certain standard items to provide quick answers
to general questions. Our library always con-
tained several almanacs, dictionaries, directories,
encyclopedias, telephone books, the Statistical
Abstracts of the United States, atlases, etc. for use
by reference staff and personnel company-wide.
This discussion will not list the small number of
additional works we selected to support an
expanded business reference service, but a few
super-star sources will be mentioned as especially
helpful. Among these are the Corporate Technol-
ogy Directory, in four volumes, published by
CorpTech, and NelsonTs Directory of Wall Street
Research, 1987, published by W.R. Nelson & Co.
While budgetary restraints may vary among
institutions, certain guiding principles seem im-
portant and uniformly applicable. Only the most
current editions of business directories and
financial sources are kept in the collection. Such
data are outdated very rapidly and wrong infor-
mation is almost worse than none. (ITm sorry, Mr.
NiceGuy has left the company. The Consumer
Products Division? Sorry, it was dissolved after
the merger with Big Conglomerate.) We maintain
standing orders for these materials, and the col-
lection is inventoried annually to make sure they
are as up-to-date as possible.
Business Periodicals
Besides the indispensable Wall Street Jour-
nal, the New York Times, Fortune, the Harvard
Business Review and the Economist, business
users consult a variety of publications the library
receives as a result of corporate memberships in
the American Management Association and the
Conference Board. One of the most useful sub-
scriptions we have added recently is Economic
Indicators, issued monthly by the Joint Economic
Committee of the Council of Economic Advisors,
U.S. Government Printing Office. And, because
Burroughs WellcomeTs home office is in the United
Kingdom, the library provides a daily subscription
to the Financial Times (London).
While the Technical Information Department
receives over 1200 periodicals, most of these, in
keeping with our R&D mission, are in scientific
and technical disciplines. Rather than build an
in-house collection of business materials, many
company libraries such as ours fill requests for
articles in business publications with copies from
external sources. Burroughs Wellcome Company
moved to the Research Triangle in part to be near
the research centers and vast libraries of the
areaTs three major universities. With such a vari-
ety of workers representing such a high degree of
specialization, it has been daunting to attempt to
serve all needs. We have opted to obtain copies on
demand rather than expand already stretched
space limitations and technical services resour-
ces.
Since the early 1970s, the proliferation of
financial, legal, business, and management data-
bases has been impressive. Many periodicals and
newspapers are available full-text from online
vendors. Coverage is comprehensive, inter-
national in scope, or as local as the nearest
county. Despite the absence of graphs and illus-
trations, online prints of an articleTs text will often
provide enough content to satisfy an information
seekerTs request.
Online Databases
The advantages of computer searching have
astonished and delighted those of us who have
lived through the period of online development,
but the business reference specialist realizes that
few busy managers are interested in searching or
winnowing what they need from a long list of bib-
liographic citations. While computer retrieval can
be exquisitely precise, it takes energy and experi-
ence to keep up with various retrieval techniques
and, even more complex these days, to know
The Burroughs Wellcome Company, an international pharmaceutical company, is located in Research Triangle Park, North
Carolina.
Winter 1988" 233
which of the many systems and databases to
address for a particular need.
For help in analyzing potential databases for
content and special features, the documents on
online searching cited at the end of this article are
extremely informative. Our experiences parallel
those described almost identically: it takes a va-
riety of systems and sources to satisfy clients in
todayTs business environment. No one database
vendor covers all the bases. Dow Jones News/Re-
trieval, Promt, NEXIS and LEXIS, ABI/INFORM,
INVESTEXT, Magazine Index, Pharmaceutical
News Index, Dun & Bradstreet files, and the
international news wires are the systems we use
regularly. However, a week does not pass that new
sources are not discovered and added to our
oarmamentarium.� A recent success story was
discovering daily exchange rates available histor-
ically on Compuserve. In an international com-
pany, workers need such data at many different
levels, from reporting individual travel expenses
after a trip to London to estimating sales figures
based on the changes in the yen since the start of
the fiscal year.
Besides the precision and comprehensiveness
of online searching, many files are reliably and
frequently updated. In the early years, searchers
were often dismayed by the old data in business
files. While this problem has not disappeared
entirely, many systems, notably Dow Jones, and
the news files have material updated daily. We
scan several systems every morning to select sto-
ries of current interest to Burroughs Wellcome
Company and put the headlines on a mainframe
system available company-wide. Employees visit
or call the reference desk to read items they wish
to pursue further.
oAttitude Adjustment�
Many of us started out as reference librarians
with traditional library school training and solid
grounding in WinchellTs Guide to Reference Books.
We expected to build a good collection and help
our users find whatever answers the books con-
tained. A specialist serving business clients today
has had to shift gears to take advantage of the
wealth of information products and formats
effectively. I would like to summarize the areas in
which we and some of the business reference
librarians we know have attempted to make
changes to meet the often difficult and complex
problems facing us in the information age.
First, knowing your usersT individual needs
helps to build a foundation upon which to
develop expertise and plan resource acquisition.
234 "Winter 1988
Every business reference service will be different
depending upon the scope and thrust of corpo-
rate concerns. Besides the pharmaceutical indus-
try in the United States, Burroughs Wellcome
Company follows business news in the United
Kingdom where the firmTs headquarters resides. A
public library in a retirement community might
focus on the stock market and individual tax
preparation. A specialist in a biotechnology com-
pany might develop sources of venture capital
and access to Japanese patents. A company or
institution that has a business reference section
that continually fine-tunes its sources and proce-
dures by keeping track of its usersT queries and
where appropriate answers are found is saving
time and money. This accumulated institutional
memory is a valuable asset upon which compan-
ies in the future will capitalize and manage just
as they do other assets.
... We Owe our users informa-
tion based on knowledge and
vigorous continuing education.
Second, not only must we keep up with
information technology, we must involve our-
selves as deeply as possible in the external en-
vironment, including current events, business
trends, legal issues, management successes, finan-
cial down-turns, etc. Developing subject speciali-
zation enables us to interpret our clientsT questions
clearly and accurately and make appropriate
information selections. Business clients, unlike
Subscription Order
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North Carolina Libraries is published four
times a year by the North Carolina Library
Association. Subscription: $32 per year; $50
foreign countries. Single copy $10. Address
new subscriptions, renewals, and related
correspondence to Frances B. Bradburn, edi-
tor; North Carolina Libraries, Joyner Library,
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
27858 or call (919) 757-6076. (For member-
ship information, see address label on jour-
nal)
Mr. Robert Kilgore, business information specialist at the Burroughs Wellcome Company, searches a variety of online databases to
provide timely data needed by company management.
scientific or academic information seekers, rarely
dwell on the sources of information. If itTs in print,
or better yet, in a print-out, they will take what we
give and, advisedly or not, may project a sales
quota or acquire a new computer system on the
strength of that retrieval. If we are going to be
ogatekeepers,� we owe our users information
based on knowledge and vigorous continuing
_ education.
Third, as librarians we must focus our think-
ing on costs vs. benefits and train our users to put
a high value on relevant, current, solid informa-
tion. Database searching fees keep increasing, but
they save space, time, and money. One competent
search specialist can. accomplish faster and for
far less outlay what companies traditionally paid
several clipping services to do. The shelf space
required for encyclopedias, directories, phone
books, zip codes, dictionaries, journals, indexes,
newspapers, etc. and the time spent browsing
them are vastly reduced by external computer file
access. Business information specialists and busi-
ness information users will increasingly become
colleagues in selecting appropriate ways to satisfy
information needs. When the choices are laid out
(from a free do-it-yourself manual search, to an
electronically produced bibliography, to a full-
text computerized company financial report) and
the costs are compared in terms of speed, cur-
rency, and relevance, most workers will opt for
whatever saves time and effort. The costs of not
tuning into what is happening, of not keeping up
with trends, government regulations, the stock
market, world news, the balance of payments,
employee health care costs, etc., are incalculable.
Fourth and, I think, most important to an
individual business reference specialistTs success,
is developing creative tactics when traditional
methods fail. An integral feature of such methods
is digging for experts and keeping track of per-
sonally tested sources from whom help has been
obtained quickly and easily. Robert BerkmanTs
Find It Fast gives a full discussion of his experien-
ces and tried-and-true strategies for finding and
interviewing such people. Book editors, journal
article authors, convention speakers, association
staffers, government information offices, agency
spokespersons, the hands-on experts (the com-
puter whiz, the professor, the environmental acti-
vist), local newspaper reporters, and oneTs own
Winter 1988 " 235
information colleagues are often the best sources
of hard-to-find information. Keeping a personal
file, on cards or personal computer, as we develop
sources ensures efficient fact-gathering in the
future. For the price of a phone call, we have often
found someone willing to send a write-up or list or
set of guidelines free when we would have paid
high prices for less authoritative material. Librar-
ians are one of the best network groups around;
asking for the information specialist at an institu-
tion is an almost foolproof way to get started.
Honesty and persistence will go a long way
toward turning up helpful leads.
Reference service in a competitive, diverse
business setting is one of the most rewarding
areas in which to be working these days. In the
future, more skills and greater specialization will
be needed to fill the various information niches
that business and management needs require.
The more we involve ourselves in our clienteleTs
decision-making processes, in information tech-
nology and global economic trends, and tailor our
services appropriately, the more we will find our-
selves integrated into business activities as they
are transacted, functioning as a bridge from the
local institution and individual practitioner to the
external business world.
References
AuthorTs note: Of the many articles and books that might be
helpful in designing a business reference service, I have found
the ones on this list to be especially useful. As I mentioned, every
approach will be different; half the fun is discovering what
works for you.
Berkman, Robert I., Find It Fast: How to Uncover Expert Infor-
mation on Any Subject. Harper & Row, 1987.
Conger, Lucinda D., oSearching Current Events, Part 1,� Data-
base 9 (February 1986):28.
Conger, Lucinda D., oSearching Current Events, Part 2,� Data-
base 9 (April 1986):32.
Daniells, Lorna M., Business Information Sources. University of
California Press, 1985.
Fuld, Leonard M., Monitoring the Competition: Find Out WhatTs
Really Going On Over There. John Wiley & Sons, 1988.
Lesko, Matthew, oNew Frontiers for Information Sources and
Information Gathering,� North Carolina Libraries 44 (Win-
ter 1987):202.
Meredith, Meri, oTen Most Searched Databases by a Business
Generalist"Part 1"A Day in the Life of ... ,� Database 9
(February 1986):36.
Meredith, Meri, oMore Databases Searched by a Business General-
ist"Part 2"A Veritable Cornucopia of Sources,� Database
9 (April 1986):53.
Ojala, Marydee, oSearching for Management and/or Business
Information"Removing the Blinders,� Online 10 (Novem-
ber 1986):105.
Sammon, William L., Mark A. Kurland, and Robert Spitalnic,
Business Competitor Intelligence: Methods for Collecting,
Organizing, and Using Information. John Wiley & Sons,
1984.
Wagers, Robert, oOnline Sources of Competitive Intelligence,�
Database 9 (June 1986):28.
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1 Women's Round Table
Hanging Together: Local Cooperation
and Role Expectations
Among Different Types of
North Carolina Libraries
Jeanie M. Welch and Lorraine W. Penninger
Cooperation among similar types of libraries
(e.g., academic) in North Carolina has been long-
established and well-documented. This article
discusses local cooperation and role expectations
among different types of libraries in North Caro-
lina. The first section begins with an overview of
research on library cooperation within the state
since 1965, a summary of selected current coop-
erative agreements received from libraries through-
out the state, and a brief description of a fledgling
cooperative program between a large public
library and a state university library. The second
section is concerned with a survey of North Caro-
lina libraries, addressing cooperation and service
expectations"how well librarians think other
types of libraries are serving their local areas. The
last part is the authorsT conclusions on the pres-
ent state and future needs for cooperation among
different types of libraries within the state.
In 1965 Robert B. Downs, under the sponsor-
ship of the North Carolina Governor's Commis-
sion on Library Resources, edited a report which
concluded that North Carolina libraries did not
have sufficient resources, physical facilities, or
staff to provide adequate library services for the
state. Based on a survey of all types of libraries in
North Carolina, the Downs report also included
the GovernorTs Commission on Library Resources
proposed program for improving library services.T
In the late 1960s, Bruce A. Shurman reported
on WATS (Wide Area Telephone Service), the
North Carolina venture into library services
through a cooperative telephone communication
system.2 In addition, Herbert Poole, director of
Guilford College Library, wrote an article explain-
ing the Piedmont University Center of North
Jeanie M. Welch is an assistant professor and Reference Unit
Head and Lorraine W. Penninger is an associate professor and
Education Librarian at the J. Murrey Atkins Library, Univer-
sity of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Carolina, a program advocating library coopera-
tion in the Greensboro-Guilford County area.°
By 1971 the North Carolina State Board of
Higher Education had conducted a study which
found North Carolina only partially prepared to
take maximum advantage of the information
explosion in the United States. The study recog-
nized many great and even eminent libraries in
the state, but found library resources still largely
unrelated in a systematic way. The study recom-
mended recognition of the North Carolina Library
Services Network and its expansion to link all
information sources in the state with all potential
users anywhere in the state.4 Two years later,
directors of ten public libraries in the Piedmont
Triad requested that the Council of Governments
make a regional library services study so that
interlibrary cooperation might lead to better
library service among public, academic, and spe-
cial libraries.®
Site visits to North Carolina were part of the
strategy that Gerard B. McCabe and Connor D.
Tjarks pursued in their efforts to present a plan
for library support of off-campus continuing edu-
cation courses in Richmond, Virginia. This report
was based on the cooperation of public and aca-
demic libraries, with the suggestions that aca-
demic libraries make long term deposits of library
materials to host libraries, usually public libraries
in the area.®
In 1980 Mary Holloway and Valerie Lovett
described the Athens Drive Community Library
Program, a pilot project of public libraries/school
libraries cooperation. Funded by Wake County,
the Wake County Public School System, and the
city of Raleigh, this project intended to provide a
full range of library services to the Athens com-
munity as well as to its high school students.T
A year later the Association of Research
Libraries-Office of Management Studies (Washing-
ton, D.C.) offered a SPEC kit on External User
Winter 1988 " 237
Services. This kit contained research library poli-
cies for providing services to users who were not
associated with the institution, including the Duke
University and University of North Carolina coop-
erative library lending agreement.T
In 1982 King Research Associates, Inc., under
the sponsorship of the North Carolina State
Library, issued the North Carolina Library Net-
working Feasibility Study. Authored by Jose Marie
Griffiths and Donald W. King, the report dealt
with statewide multitype library networking and
emphasized potential network functions, pro-
ducts, services, sources, and costs. The report
included background information on librariesT
cooperation in North Carolina, made fourteen
recommendations on library networking, and de-
lineated implementation activities for the next five
years.? During the same year, Diana Young com-
piled the proceedings for the conference of the
School and ChildrenTs LibrariansT Section of the
Southeastern Library Association. This meeting
which took place in Boone, North Carolina,
included papers on cooperative efforts between
school and public libraries.1°
Mary Robinson Sive authored a report on the
state of school library media centers and network-
ing in mid-1982. Background on cooperative
agreements, student use of public and other
libraries, and theoretical justifications appeared
in the study. The report included accounts of
school library networking in North Carolina.
In 1983 Thornton W. MitchellTs study, The
State Library and Library Development in North
Carolina, was published. As the author relates in
his preface, the study was undertaken to develop
a chronological summary of the relationship
between the development of library service in
North Carolina, and the State Library and the
North Carolina Library Commission. Particular
emphasis was to be given to public libraries. The
study not only reviewed traditional programs but
also assessed the potential for improving library ser-
vice through expanded cooperation among North
CarolinaTs public, academic, school, and special
libraries.2 Four years later Gloria Miller authored
an article describing the cooperative effort be-
tween public and school libraries.
Based upon information received in a survey
conducted in conjunction with this article, two
examples of current cooperation among different
types of libraries in areas of common concern are
the Cape Fear Health Science Information Con-
sortium (health sciences resources) and the joint
policy of the Public Library of Charlotte and Meck-
lenburg County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools,
and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
(high school student referrals). Some academic
238'" Winter 1988
institutions have incorporated cooperation with
other types of libraries through their written bor-
rowers policies.
An example of a fledgling cooperative pro-
gram began when representatives from technical
and public services at the Public Library of Char-
lotte and Mecklenburg County and the University
of North Carolina at Charlotte, the two largest
libraries in the Charlotte area, began meeting
three times per year to discuss common interests.
Areas of special emphasis are business reference,
childrenTs services, documents, and interlibrary
loan. Future plans include installing terminals for
the online catalog of each institution in the refer-
ence areas of both libraries for staff use. This
working group is formulating a mission statement
and standing rules to formalize the arrangement.
The group has the support of the administration
of both institutions, a necessity for the success of
this type of cooperative effort. These meetings
have been especially beneficial since the PLCMC
has been in the process of constructing a new
main library in downtown Charlotte, and the
buildingTs progress and the plans for new services
once it is completed are of interest to UNCC
librarians.
Survey
In order to ascertain the amount and types of
local cooperation and role expectations among
different types of libraries in North Carolina
communities, questionnaires were constructed
and sent to 126 libraries. Each questionnaire
asked a total of fourteen questions in the follow-
ing areas:
1. Library privileges (to non-affiliated patrons)
2. Interlibrary loan practices
3. Cooperative agreements
4. Role expectations
Additional comments were also requested.
Four questionnaires were constructed for
replies from the following types of libraries: aca-
demic, public, secondary school, and special.
Libraries included in the survey were selected
from the fortieth edition of the American Library
Directory.* Communities with a campus of the
University of North Carolina system were identi-
fied, and questionnaires were sent to all four
types of libraries in each geographic area. The
number of libraries surveyed is broken down as
follows:
Academic libraries 47
(4-year colleges, community colleges, universities)
Public libraries 18
Secondary school media services 41
Special libraries 20
Of the 126 questionnaires mailed, a total of 92
were returned for an overall return rate of 73.6
percent. An additional questionnaire was returned
too late to be included. The return rate by type of
library is summarized as follows:
PR SE ES STEEL
Type of No. of Questionnaires Percentage
Library Returned Returned
Academic 35 74.4
Public ily 94.4
Secondary school 26 63.4
Special 14 70.0
eR ES
Responses were sorted by question for overall
results. Responses were also sorted by type of
library. Responses from university libraries were
sorted separately from other academic libraries
for several questions.
In the area of library privileges, the first ques-
tion asked respondents if they provided reference
service (either in person or by telephone) to
patrons not affiliated with their institutions. All
ninety-two respondents answered this question.
Only four libraries (three special, one secondary
school) answered no.
In Question 2 the respondents who answered
yes to the previous question were asked to esti-
mate the percentage of reference transactions
that were from patrons not affiliated with their
institutions. Of the eighty-eight respondents who
answered, the results were as follows:
Percentage of questions
from non-affiliated patrons Number of Replies
Less than 10 56
Between 10 and 25 11
Between 26 and 50 3
More than 50 2
Cannot estimate 16
Only four academic (non-university libraries)
reported that more than ten percent of their ref-
erence transactions were from non-affiliated
patrons; six university libraries reported more
than ten percent. Only one public library and one
secondary school media center reported more
than ten percent. Four special libraries reported
more than ten percent.
Question 3 asked respondents who answered
yes to Question 1 to identify the largest category
of patrons not affiliated with their institutions.
Kighty-four respondents answered this question.
The types of patrons and number of replies are
summarized below:
@ 700 Presses
@ 5,000 Titles
@ All in Stock
@ Adult Non-Fiction
@ Annotations Services
@ Preview/Approval Plans
QUALITY BOOKS INC.
JOHN HIGGINS
SALES
REPRESENTATIVE
Toll Free
Call Collect
1-800-323-4241
312-295-2010
Winter 1988" 239
Type of Patron Number of Replies
Local residents (adults) 20
College students 1
Businesses/agencies
Secondary school students
Residents of other communities
Local residents and college students
Local residents and businesses/agencies
Local residents and secondary
school students
Other
All categories
Cannot specify 1
- " O1OTN
a)
Question 4 asked if patrons not affiliated
with their institutions were able to check out
library materials. Ninety-one respondents ans-
wered this question. Sixty-five replied yes; twenty-
six replied no. Respondents are summarized by
type of library below:
Type of Library Can Check Out Cannot Check Out
Academic 12 9
Public ui. 0
Secondary school 18 8
Special 4 10
University 14 1
Question 5 asked if there were any restric-
tions on borrowing privileges for non-affiliated
patrons. Forty-seven respondents answered this
question with thirty-one replying yes and sixteen
replying no. Responses are summarized by type of
library below:
Do Not Have
Type of Library Have Restrictions Restrictions
Academic 5 5
Public 12 5
Secondary school 4 4
Special 2 0
University 8 2
Question 6 asked if the respondents had joint
borrowers cards with other types of libraries.
Eighty-nine respondents answered this question.
Sixteen replied yes, seventy-three replied no.
Responses are summarized by type of library
below:
Do Not Have
Type of Library Have Joint Cards Joint Cards
Academic 5 14
Public 1 16
Secondary school 2 24
Special 1 11
University 3 8
The second section of the questionnaire dealt
with interlibrary loan. Eighty-eight respondents
replied to Question 7 which asked if their insti-
tutions accepted interlibrary loan requests from
other types of libraries in their area. Responses
are summarized by type of library below:
Do Not Accept
Type of Library Accept ILL Requests ILL Requests
Academic 19 B
Public 15 0
Secondary school 12 12
Special 12 1
University 15 0
N.B. One public library responded oNAT
Question 8 asked if their institutions sent
interlibrary loan borrowing requests to other
types of libraries in their areas. Eighty-nine
respondents replied. Sixty-nine replied yes; twenty
replied no. Responses are summarized by type of
library below:
Do Not Send
Type of Library Send ILL Requests ILL Requests
Academic 18 1
Public 17 1
Secondary school 9 15
Special 10 3
University 15 0
The next section of the questionnaire dealt
with cooperative agreements among different
Wel? N&TOkJk
240 "Winter 1988
types of libraries in a local area. Question 9 asked
if their institutions had written cooperative
agreements. Of the eighty-eight respondents,
twenty-six answered yes; sixty-two answered no.
Responses by type of library are summarized
below:
Do Not Have
Type of Library Have Agreements Agreements
Academic 10 8
Public 3 14
Secondary school 3 23
Special 3 10
University i ¥
Question 10 asked if the respondents wished
to see greater cooperation among different types
of libraries in their areas. Eighty-seven respond-
ents replied. Sixty-four replied yes, four replied
no, and nineteen had no opinion. Responses are
summarized below by type of library:
Wanted More Did Not Want More
Type of Library Cooperation Cooperation No Opinion
Academic 13 2 3
Public 10 1 5
Secondary
school 20 0 6
Special 9 0 4
University 12 1 1
Question 11 asked those who answered yes to
Question 10 to list ways in which they wished to
see greater cooperation. Several examples were
listed. Sixty-six respondents replied to this ques-
tion; many checked more than one example.
Responses are summarized by type of cooperation
below:
SS Se
Type of Cooperation Number of Replies
Regular meetings to discuss
common concerns 38
Exchange of holdings lists 29
Courier service 28
Exchange of subject guides 13
All of the above 3
Other 10
The last section dealt with role expectations
"how the respondents rated the adequacy of
collections and services of other types of libraries
in their areas. Questions 12 through 14 asked
whether other types of libraries were more than
adequate, adequate, less than adequate, or no
opinion. Replies were sorted by type of library.
Replies from academic (not including univer-
sity) librarians, rating other types of libraries, are
summarized below:
SSS SESS
Type of More than Less than
Library Adequate Adequate Adequate No Opinion
Public Z Jb 3 4
Secondary
school 3 3 6 9
Special 11 4 0 4
a ES SE RES SS SSN
Replies from public librarians, rating other
types of libraries, are summarized below:
a EEE EE
Type of More than Less than
Library Adequate Adequate Adequate No Opinion
nS ART RAS a A PDN Pa
Academic
(including
university) 6 3 5 2
Secondary
school 0 5 9 2
Special 4 4 1 8
us
go for it!
use your library
Winter 1988" 241
Replies from secondary school media special-
ists, rating other types of libraries, are summar-
ized below:
Type of More than Less than
Library Adequate Adequate Adequate No Opinion
Academic
(including
university) 14 8 3 ti
Public 14 11 i 0
Special 10 9 1 5
Replies from special librarians, rating other
types of libraries, are summarized below:
Type of More than Less than
Library Adequate Adequate Adequate No Opinion
Academic
(including
university) 4 9 1 0
Public 1 10 3 0
Secondary
school 0 1 3 10
Replies from wniversity librarians, rating
other types of libraries, are summarized below:
Type of More than Less than
Library Adequate Adequate Adequate No Opinion
Public 6 5 3 1
Secondary
school 0 5 5 4
Special 4 8 0 2
An overall summary of the adequacy of the
four types of libraries that respondents were
asked to rate is given below:
More than Less than
Adequate Adequate Adequate No Opinion
Academic 24 (42.8%) 20(35.7%) 9 (16%) 3 (5.3%)
Public 28 (37.38%) 33(44%) 10(13.38%) 4 (5.8%)
school 3 (4.6%) 18 (20.3%) 23 (35.9%) 25 (39%)
Special 29 (38.6%) 25 (33.3%) 2(2.6%) 19 25.3%)
TOTAL 84 91 44 51
Additional Comments
Fifty-eight respondents made additional com-
ments. The number of libraries providing addi-
tional comments is broken down by type of library
as follows: academic (13), public (15), secondary
school (7), special (7), and university (11). The
largest number of comments (21) were made to
242 "Winter 1988
Question 5 which dealt with restrictions for non-
affiliated borrowers. Most cited deposits or fees
for borrowing and restrictions on the number of
items that could be checked out. There were also
twelve comments on Question 11 which dealt
with types of cooperation, giving additional sug-
gestions (e.g., electronic data delivery). Question
3, concerning categories of non-affiliated patrons,
elicited ten comments, usually citing other types
of borrowers not given in the examples.
In summary, almost all libraries responding to
the questionnaire provided reference service to
non-affiliated patrons, with the majority report-
ing less than ten percent of their reference trans-
actions from non-affiliated patrons. The largest
groups of non-affiliated patrons were local resi-
dents and college students. In terms of checking
out library materials to non-affiliated patrons,
seventy-one percent of the respondents provided
such service; however, almost two-thirds placed
restrictions. Only eighteen percent of the respond-
ing libraries had joint borrowers cards. Eighty-
two percent of the respondents accepted requests
from other types of libraries; seventy-seven per-
cent sent interlibrary loan requests to other types
of libraries.
Only twenty-nine percent of the responding
libraries had written cooperative agreements
with other types of libraries. Seventy-three per-
cent of the responding libraries wished to see
greater cooperation among different types of
libraries with regular meetings, exchange of hold-
ings lists, and courier service being the most pop-
ular types of cooperation.
Seventy-three percent of the respondents
rated other types of libraries as adequate or more
than adequate. Academic (including universities),
public, and special libraries all had combined
adequate or more than adequate ratings of over
seventy percent. Secondary school media centers
had a combined adequate or more than adequate
rating of 24.9 percent.
Conclusions
Almost every article ever written on library
cooperation comes to the same conclusions"
cooperation is good; we need more of it; we need
further research on better ways to cooperate to
serve the public. Such statements only tell us
what we already know and do little to provide
immediate relief to the public service librarians in
all types of libraries trying to serve their patrons,
cooperate with each other, and contribute to the
profession. From our survey of the literature,
responses to the questionnaire, and professional
experience the authors have come to the follow-
ing conclusions:
1. There has always been a cooperative spirit
and willingness to share information and resour-
ces among libraries in North Carolina, especially
among academic and public libraries with the
encouragement of the State Library.
2. Librarians in each area of the state should
meet on a regular basis (at least once a year) to
see who is still who, who has what, who is willing
to share. The major public library or university
library in each area with a branch of the UNC sys-
tem would be a logical vehicle to start such meet-
ings.
3. Library directors should be committed to
this type of cooperation. Consequently, they
should give their staff time to meet with their
counterparts, visit other collections, and make
any form of cooperative agreements workable.
References
1. Robert B. Downs, ed., Resources of North Carolina Libraries
(Raleigh, N.C.: Governor's Commission on Library Resources,
1965).
2. Bruce A. Shuman, oWATS happening in North Carolina,T
Library Journal 94 (March 1, 1969):945-947.
3. Herbert Poole, oPiedmont University Center� Library Jour-
nal 94 (May 1, 1965):1841-1843.
4. The Next Step for North Carolina Libraries: A Libraries Ser-
vices Network: The Report of Feasibility Study in the North
Carolina Services Network. (Raleigh, N.C.: North Carolina State
Board of Higher Education, 1971).
5. Regional Library Services Study: Study and Recommenda-
tions for Potential Interlibrary Cooperative Efforts Among Pub-
lic Libraries in the Piedmont Triad Region. (Greensboro, N.C.:
Piedmont Triad Council of Governments, 1973).
6. Gerard B. McCabe and Connor D. Tjarks, A Plan for Library
Support of Off-Campus Continuing Education Courses. (Rich-
mond, Va.: Virginia State Council of Higher Education, 1979).
7, Mary Holloway and Valerie Lovett, Athens Drive Community
Library Program Description and Budget Estimates. (Raleigh,
N.C.: Wake County Public School System, 1980).
8. External User Services. (Washington, D.C.: Association of
Research Libraries, Office of Management Studies, 1981). (SPEC
Kit #73).
9. Jose Marie Griffiths and Donald W. King, North Carolina
Library Networking Feasibility Study. (Rockville, Md.: King
Research, Inc., 1982).
10. Diana Young, comp., School & Library Service to Children:
Crisis in the Southeast. (Raleigh, N.C.: North Carolina State
Library; Tucker, Ga: Southeastern Library Association, 1982).
11. Mary Robinson Sive, School Library Media Centers and
Networking. Syracuse, N.Y.: ERIC Clearinghouse on Information
Resources, 1982).
12. Thornton W. Mitchell, The State Library and Library Devel-
opment in North Carolina (Raleigh, N.C.: North Carolina State
Library, 1983).
13. Gloria Miller, oPublic School and Public Library Cooperation:
A Joint Venture� School Library Media Activities Monthly 3
(January 1987): 26-28.
14. American Library Directory. 40th ed. (N.Y.: Bowker, 1987).
aan eee eee """E"EEo"""=z
Local Cooperation and Role Expectations
Among North Carolina Libraries
Library Privileges
1. Do you allow patrons not affiliated with your academic
institution to receive reference service, either in-person or
by telephone?
Tes Nee
2. If the answer to question 1 is yes, what percentage of your
reference transactions (in-person or by telephone) are
from patrons not affiliated with your institution?
Less than 10% "__ 10-25% ___ 26-50% __
More than 50% "" Cannot estimate __
3. If the answer to question 1 is yes, which is the largest cate-
gory of patrons not affiliated with your agency requesting
reference service?
Other businesses/agencies____ Local residents (adult) "_
College students _____ Secondary school students "_
Other Cannot specify ""
(please specify)
4. Do you allow patrons not affiliated with your agency to
check out library materials?
Wes. tN
5. If the answer to question 4 is yes, are there any restrictions
on borrowing privileges for patrons not affiliated with your
agency?
6. Do you have a joint borrowers card with other types of
libraries in your area?
Yess. Noe
Interlibrary Loan
7. Do you accept interlibrary loan requests from other types
of libraries (e.g., academic, school, public) in your area?
Ves ug Nome
8. Do you send interlibrary loan borrowing requests to other
types of libraries in your area?
Yes = No #2 =
Cooperative Agreements
9. Do you have any written cooperative agreements with
other types of libraries (e.g., academic, school, public) in
your area?
Yes____No___ If yes, please enclose sample or sum-
marize on back of this questionnaire.
10. Would you like to see greater cooperation among different
types of libraries in your area?
Yes ____ No ___._ No Opinion "_
11. If the answer to question 10 is yes, in which ways would you
wish to see greater cooperation?
Exchange of holdings lists ___ Joint holdings lists __
Exchange of subject guides ____ Courier service __
Regular meetings to discuss common concerns "
Other
(please specify)
eee eee eee ee ""eo
Winter 1988 " 243
Role Expectations Additional Comments
12. How do you rate the library collections and services of spe-
cial libraries in your area? If you have any comments on this survey or on other character-
istics or concerns about expectations and local cooperation
More than adequate __ _ Adequate __ .
Less than Adequate No opinion __ among different types of libraries, please use the back of this
13. How do you rate the library collections and services of GEES NOEL
secondary school libraries in your area? Please return this questionnaire by July 31, 1988, to:
More than adequate ___ Adequate __ Reference Unit Head
Less than Adequate __ No opinion __ J. Murrey Atkins Library
14, How do you rate the library collections and services of pub- UNC Charlotte
lic libraries in your area? Charlotte, NC 28223
More than adequate __ Adequate __ THANK YOU.
Less than Adequate __ No opinion "_ ny
CL
SRE a RPS SSD A SEE EAN EAT NST REC POO SE OR ES ENR TTS
FAMILIES -READING TOGETHER
~ FAMILIES
READING
TOGETHER
9 ne oe Cn AR Sea a eth
Families Reading Together is the ChildrenTs Book CouncilTs 1989 reading promotion theme. Four posters by Donald Carrick, Peter
Sis (pictured right), John Steptoe (pictured left), and David Wiesner are available for purchase as a set, only, for $18.00. The 13� x
19� full color posters are shipped rolled in a mailing tube. Send a 25¢ stamped, self-addressed envelope to CBC (P.O. Box 706, New
York, NY 10276-0706) for oSpring Materials Brochure� for details.
244 " Winter 1988
North Carolina Books
Robert Anthony, Compiler
Ruth Haislip Roberson, ed. North Carolina
Quilts. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina
Press, 1988. 214 pp. $29.95. ISBN 0-8078-1811-9
(cloth); $17.50. 0-8078-4234-6 (paper).
The North Carolina Quilt Project was an out-
growth of the increasing awareness in the early
1980s of the quilt as an important demonstration
of womenTs creativity. The vast majority of early
quilters were women, who quilted from the need
for utilitarian bed covers for their families as well
as for an acceptable artistic release. As a result of
three quilt exhibits in the Raleigh area during the
early 1980s and the Kentucky Quilt Project in
1983, a steering committee was formed to organ-
ize a North Carolina Quilt Project.
After setting up the basic guidelines to ensure
a broad representation of quilts made or owned
in the state prior to 1975, the committee began to
plan odocumentation days.� These were to be fifty
days in various regions of the state where quilts
would be brought to a central site to be examined,
identified, and photographed. The response to
this resulted in seventy-five such days, with over
ten thousand quilts documented.
Of the ten thousand, illustrations of one
hundred are included in North Carolina Quilts.
Each of the quilts shown is a fine example of its
type. The book is divided into seven chapters
based on quilt type: chintz, applique, scrap,
pieced, friendship, crazy, and miscellaneous. Two
areas in which books of this type are usually
weak, text and photographs, are especially strong
in North Carolina Quilts. With six different
authors, a reader could expect the text to be
uneven, but the editorial staff has done an excel-
lent job of unifying it into a very readable whole.
This book is, however, more than a catalog of
quilt patterns. Since each quilt is usually accom-
panied by a photograph of its maker, it is also a
chronicle of the lives of North Carolina women.
The text describes the lives of these quilters as
well as actual construction details. The back-
ground information included will be of interest to
textile or general historians. Such detail serves to
put the quilts and quilters into human perspec-
tive. Simple bed covers were important in daily
life. When a yard of broadcloth sells for seven dol-
lars and a bushel of corn brings forty cents, one
realizes that for the average family a quilt using
material other than scraps was an investment,
and not only in time. These and most quilts were
valued not only for warmth but also for the
beauty they added to everyday life in what were
often difficult days.
The photographs of the quilts are consist-
ently excellent, never overwhelming the actual
quilts, but allowing them to show their individual
characters. The craftsmanship of the quilts, along
with the historical details of everyday lives of the
quilters, combine to make this book a valuable
addition to academic and public libraries through-
out the state. North Carolina Quilts is both an
artistic pleasure and a resource of North Carolina
history.
Susan Hutto, Western Carolina University
Sara McCulloh Lemmon, ed. The Pettigrew Pap-
ers. Volume 2. 1819-1843. Raleigh: North Carolina
Department of Cultural Resources, Division of
Archives and History, 1988. 631 pp. $45.00. ISBNs
0-86526-069-9, 0-86526-067-2 (cloth).
A? Dorothy Spruill Redford, with Michael DTOrso.
Somerset Homecoming: Recovering a Lost Her-
itage. New York: Doubleday, 1988. 266 pp. $18.95.
ISBN 0-385-24245-X (cloth).
oSomething appears in black and white, on
paper, and suddenly itTs credible, it Ts real.
People need that, they need tangibility.�
These sentences appear in Somerset Home-
coming when Dorothy Spruill Redford tells how
a feature article in a Norfolk newspaper gen-
erated interest in the 1986 reunion of slave de-
scendants at Somerset Place. Ms. Redford had
spent a year visiting churches and distributing
flyers to publicize the reunion, but only when a
story about the homecoming appeared in print
did it become real to the people who Ms. Redford
hoped to reach. The power of words on paper to
Winter 1988" 245
North Carolina Books
preserve sentiments, ideas, and lives is evident in
both books under review.
The Pettigrew Papers, Volume 2, 1819-1843
continues the series begun in 1971. This volume,
like the earlier one, is edited by Sarah M. Lemmon,
professor emeritus of history at Meredith College,
and is based on manuscript collections at the Uni-
versity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the
North Carolina State Archives. The focus is Ebe-
nezer Pettigrew (1783-1848), his wife Ann Blount
Shepard Pettigrew (1795?-1830), and their child-
ren. Letters between Ebenezer and his wife domi-
nate the first third of the book. Because of the
unhealthy climate at the plantation, Mrs. Petti-
grew spent several months of each year with her
family: in New Bern. The letters that passed
between the separated couple contain household
news, reports of work at the plantation, concern
for the health of family members, and mild gossip
about the social elites of New Bern and Edenton.
After Ann PettigrewTs death in 1830, most of
the documents relate to EbenezerTs two main
responsibilities"raising his motherless children
and supervising his plantation. At her sisterTs
death, Mary Shepard Bryan took the youngest
Pettigrew children. Because of this there is much
correspondence between Mrs. Bryan and Ebe-
nezer Pettigrew. The older Pettigrew sons, in
school at William BinghamTs academy in Orange
County, N.C., and, later, the University of North
Carolina, reported regularly to their father on
teachers, friends, and their own development.
Ebenezer Pettigrew filled his return correspon-
dence to them with advice and warnings; this
advice eventually helped to produce the aides
that Pettigrew needed for his business ventures.
The volume ends in 1843 when Ebenezer Petti-
grew retired from active management of his plan-
tations. A projected third volume will take the
Pettigrew story up to James Johnston PettigrewTs
death in 1863.
The large number of letters between family
members makes the volume a narrative of family
life in the antebellum period, but it is more than
just family history. Documents related to Ebe-
nezer PettigrewTs political activities (he was in
Congress from 1835 to 1837), his agricultural
innovations, his land holdings in Tennessee, and
his travels provide material for research on a var-
iety of social and economic history topics.
This volume will be a delight for researchers.
It is a meticulously assembled collection of inter-
esting source materials, well documented, with an
index and useful footnotes to identify obscure
individuals and events. Academic and public
libraries that serve serious students of North
246 " Winter 1988
Carolina history will want all the volumes of The
Pettigrew Papers.
The thoughts, actions, and minutiae of every-
day life of the Pettigrew family have been pre-
served in manuscripts and now in print. The only
records that document the lives of the Pettigrew
slaves"or those of any other slaves such as the
ones at the neighboring plantation of Somerset"
are inventory lists, bills of sale, and other records
from their owners. We cannot know the specifics
of black life in antebellum North Carolina the way
we know the lives of whites of the period, but
Somerset Homecoming brings the community of
Somerset slaves into our consciousness. It does so
not by offering us the details of their lives (this
may come after more research at the site), but by
putting into print the meaning that that commun-
ity has for one of its descendants.
Dorothy Spruill Redford was a social worker
in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1977 when the televi-
sion program oRoots� was broadcast. The show
prompted her daughter to ask questions, and
these questions forced Dorothy Redford to look
for a past that she had never wanted to know. Ms.
Redford began to research her family, starting
with her parents. Using interviews, census records,
and documents in the courthouses of three east-
ern North Carolina counties, she traced her family
back to Somerset, the Josiah Collins plantation in
Washington and Tyrrell counties. As she learned
more about the plantation, her focus broadened
to include not just her own bloodline but the
whole community of Somerset slaves and their
descendants. The idea for the reunion and the
re-creation of the slave quarters at Somerset (now
underway under Ms. RedfordTs direction) grew
out of her need to reclaim the heritage of these
distant relatives.
Somerset Place combines the narrative of
Dorothy RedfordTs search with the information
that she found. It is the mixed nature of the
material that makes this volume so arresting. It is
a work that makes tangible a community and a
remarkable person. The book is well written and
beautifully illustrated. It includes a bibliography
and is highly recommended for school, public, and
college libraries.
Eileen McGrath, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
William S. Powell. North Carolina: The Story of a
Special Kind of Place. Chapel Hill: Algonquin
Books of Chapel Hill, 1987. 568 pp. $35.00 (25%
discount to libraries). ISBN 0-912697-67-9.
During recent years controversy has raged
over the quality of textbooks offered for public
school adoption. Complaints with respect to
depth, balance, and substance have created con-
cern among educators and parents alike. Corres-
pondingly most historians with an interest in
North Carolina have been particularly alarmed by
a seeming lack of emphasis devoted to the study
of the stateTs history in public school and college
curricula.
Unquestionably a step in the right direction is
the publication of William S. PowellTs North
Carolina: The Story of a Special Kind of Place.
Designed as a text for use in the eighth grade
history classes, this volume should satisfy the
demands of even the most discerning critic. The
text is organized in the traditional chronologi-
cal/topical format so familiar to readers of North
Carolina history. The author has grappled with
every major aspect of the stateTs past from the
natural setting and the native population to the
political and social life of the 1980s. Factual
information crowds every page of text; but it is
presented in an engaging and highly readable
fashion, which should absorb an eighth grade
audience without overwhelming them with a
string of omeaningless facts.� The volume is rich
with photographs, sketches, and maps that com-
plement and help to interpret the narrative. Even
more appealing is a series of vignettes (or Special
Features) scattered at appropriate locations
throughout the book. The sketches highlight per-
sons or topics of special interest. Included are
detailed insights into such diverse personalities as
Revolutionary War Governor Richard Caswell,
black poet George Moses Horton, the infamous
Lowry gang, and Supreme Court Justice Susie
Marshall Sharp, to say nothing of such appealing
topics as the visit to North Carolina of the Mar-
quis de Lafayette, the woman's suffrage move-
ment, and why we are called Tar Heels.
Each of the twenty-five chapters contains a
section of study aids prepared by veteran junior
high school teacher James D. Charlet. These aids
contain a variety of recall, interpretive, and crea-
tive exercises designed to challenge the weaker
student while stimulating the more academically
advanced. Each study aid section includes carto-
graphy questions which should help produce a
geographically literate body of North Carolinians.
An appendix containing pertinent information on
North Carolina Books
governors, counties, population, and chronology
is included for handy reference; and a convenient
index completes the volume.
Professor Powell, long considered the dean of
North Carolina historians, has once again pro-
vided a quality history in a readable and highly
usable format. As in any general history text, a few
isolated errors have crept in to torment the
observant critic. Conceptually, historiographically,
and educationally this is a sound publication that
should benefit a new generation of North Caro-
linians and alert them to the heritage of which they
are a part.
Donald R. Lennon, East Carolina University
: Frye Gaillard. The Dream Long Deferred. Chapel
Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1988. 192
pp. $19.95. ISBN 0-8078-1794-5 (cloth); $9.95. 0-
8078-4223-0 (paper).
Relations between blacks and whites have
given North Carolina its worst and, arguably,
some of its best moments. On the one hand, we
have witnessed the naked denial of human rights,
terrible physical brutality, and bitter and blind
hatred on both sides. On the other, there have been
hearteningly frequent instances of genuine com-
passion across racial lines, unexpected interracial
coalitions at times, and even family reunions
involving members of both races.
In the past thirty years, public education has
been an especially dramatic arena for develop-
ments in southern race relations. Frye Gaillard,
Southern Editor for the Charlotte Observer, has
written the story of the desegregation of the pub-
lic schools of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
It is a complex, fascinating story that should be
available to anyone concerned about how we of
different races in the South have gotten along, or,
even more importantly, how we are capable of
getting along.
GaillardTs intention is to show that obusing
was not a tragedy in Charlotte.� When President
Reagan suggested that it was during a Charlotte
campaign stop in 1984, the response from an
otherwise supportive crowd was a stony silence
that to the president must have been surprising
indeed. The citizens of Charlotte, in the face of a
history of gross inequity and spurred on by the
Supreme CourtTs upholding of Judge James B.
McMillanTs decision in Swann v. Charlotte-Meck-
lenburg, had forged in the mid-1970s a consen-
sus of support for the integration of their schools.
The approach they had developed involved
extensive busing which required more or less
Winter 1988" 247
North Carolina Books
equal participation by all sections of the city.
What made Charlotte different from Boston
or Detroit or, closer to home, Durham or Rich-
mond? For one thing, there was the good fortune
of a far-sighted consolidation of city and county
school systems in 1960. Unlike Boston, where
most affluent whites lived in suburbs not included
in the Boston school district, in Charlotte the
wealthy white neighborhoods like Myers Park and
Eastover were in the same system with inner city
black communities, with public housing develop-
ments, and with working class white neighbor-
hoods in North and West Charlotte. Wealth and
power thus were more available to the system as
it became racially integrated, and white flight was
more difficult.
Then there were the less tangible elements.
Pete McKnight, long-time publisher of the Observer
suggested that becoming prominent in Charlotte
always had required a demonstraton of public-
spirited effort. Maggie Ray, who led the effort to
develop the busing plan that finally won Judge
McMillanTs approval, counted on CharlotteansT
appreciation of othe profundity of the concept of
good manners,� capitalizing on the potential of
this classic Southern trait for coalition building
among the various segments of the city.
There also was a religious spirit that tem-
pered the egos and self-serving tendencies of the
parties involved. Judge McMillan, oThe Fatalistic
Presbyterian,� wrangled with school board chair-
man William E. Poe, oThe Upright Baptist.� W. T.
Harris, chairman of the county commissioners,
helped persuade Poe to relent in his opposition to
a busing plan by asking, oBill, how in the world do
you justify this? ITm a Christian. I couldnTt sleep at
night.�
Finally, there were individuals involved who
rose to heroic stature: McMillan, dedicated to
elemental fairness even in the face of ostracism;
Julius Chambers, the black attorney who pursued
the Swann case in the face of repeated judicial
setbacks, attacks on his father, and the burning of
his law office; families like the Counts who defied
jeering crowds to integrate the schools in the first
place in 1957, and like the Culbertsons, from com-
fortable, secluded, rich, white neighborhoods who
refused to flee, volunteering instead to upgrade
the facilities of the formerly all-black inner city
schools to which their children were transferred;
and teachers like Mertye Rice, who by othe sheer
force of her caring� helped carry the children in
the schools through the crisis to an improved
educational situation for them all.
Gaillard does not gloss over the difficulties
the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools still face or
248 " Winter 1988
the real danger of resegregation posed, at least in
part, by the increasing numbers of new arrivals
who have little appreciation of the cityTs past
achievements. He has written a well-researched,
smoothly presented study of one cityTs often
heroic efforts to make something to be proud of
from the fact that our two races live side by side.
Every library wishing to contribute to the ongoing
struggle for the spirit of community in our state
should have this book on its shelves.
Tim West, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
William C. Harris. North Carolina and the Com-
ing of the Civil War. Raleigh: Division of Archives
and History, North Carolina Department of Cul-
tural Resoures, 1988. 65 pp. $4.00, plus $1.00 pos-
tage/handling. ISBN 0-86526-235-7, paper. Orders
to Historical Publications Section, Division of
Archives and History, 109 East Jones Street,
Raleigh, N.C. 27611.
Few events in North CarolinaTs history pro-
voke as much interest as the Civil War. From the
Historical Publications Section of the State Ar-
chives comes this excellent study of events lead-
ing to North CarolinaTs secession from the Union,
othe most direful decision in North Carolina his-
tory.� This concise and clear explanation of North
CarolinaTs political, social, and economic land-
scape in the three decades preceding the Civil War
will be a valuable addition to any collection.
Dr. Harris, professor of history at North Caro-
lina State University, has authored two important
works on Reconstruction in Mississippi, as well as
Williams Woods Holden: Firebrand of North
Carolina Politics (Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 1987).
Professor Harris cautions against viewing the
antebellum era as simply a prelude to war. North
Carolinians, as a rule, were more interested in
local growth and progress than in national sec-
tional. squabbles. Unfairly labeled the oRip Van
Winkle state�, North Carolina, made up primarily
of small farmers, was a fluid, upwardly mobile
society with few aristocratic pretensions. It was a
society committed to economic progress, yet one
that accepted slavery as a means of social control.
The controversy over slavery in the distant terri-
tories was not critical to North Carolinians. The
real issue was closer to home, the one that
involved their security from threats by northern
antislavery forces.
After John Brown attempted to ignite a slave
revolt, the oultimate fear of southerners,� at Har-
perTs Ferry, Virginia, North Carolinians perceived a
growing threat to their security. Even so, they
adopted a owatch and wait� attitude after Lin-
colnTs election, still reluctant to abandon their
Union and risk loss of economic gains. They reso-
lutely affirmed their ties to the Union by defeating
a secession convention. Only a decision by Lincoln
to resort to force would cause them to break.
The Fort Sumter affair and LincolnTs subse-
quent call for troops was just such an act of coer-
cion. Only when North Carolinians perceived their
choices to be narrowed to preserving their society
or preserving their Union would they choose
secession.
Dr. Harris has consulted an impressive array
of original source material in an effort to judge
the actions of North Carolinians in the context of
personal, economic, geographic, and political
motives. The volume is beautifully and generously
illustrated with documents and portraits of the
period. Sources are fully documented and a bibli-
ography is provided for those interested in
further reading.
Dennis R. Lawson, Duke Power Archives
Sara M. Waggoner. North Carolina: The Tar Heel
State. Bryn Mawr, Pa.: Dorrance, 1988. 185 pp.
$19.95. ISBN 0-8059-3105-8.
Sara M. Waggoner retired in 1985 from teach-
ing in both the public and private schools of Char-
lotte. Her career was spent teaching history and
language arts/social studies to elementary school
students. While teaching seventh grade history at
Charlotte Latin School, she wrote a text for a two
monthsT study of early North Carolina for class
use. North Carolina: The Tar Heel State is an
expansion of her effort.
The book has a useful introduction contain-
ing the state song, state seal, and other informa-
tion about North Carolina. An appendix has a
good bibliography, an index, and several maps
which have been too much reduced.
There are twenty-three short chapters in
which, to quote the author, o... only a hint of an
event is reported; the reader should research top-
ics about which he desires more information.� The
chapter on early settlements and towns mentions
Bath, New Bern and Wilmington but leaves out
Edenton, which was the capital from 1722 until
1743.
Miss Waggoner traveled across the state tak-
ing the pictures for her book. The quality of these
112 photographs is consistently poor and greatly
reduces the value of this book. Some of the cap-
tions are incorrect. For example, on page 93, the
picture shows the wrong Iredell House and
a
North Carolina Books
appoints the wrong Iredell to George Washing-
tonTs Supreme Court.
This book could only be useful as a teacher's
study guide and the price at $19.95 is high for
that. Not recommended for public libraries.
Anne M. Jones, Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library, Edenton
Clyde Edgerton. The Floatplane Notebooks.
Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books, 1988. 265 pp.
$16.95. ISBN 0-945575-00-9.
For someone southern born and bred, read-
ing Clyde EdgertonTs books is like going to a
satisfying family reunion. There is the joy of
recognition, the pleasure of reminiscence, the
reminder of sadness shared, and the hope for
another. EdgertonTs third novel, The Floatplane
Notebooks, has been widely reviewed and is being
greeted with enthusiasm.
Like his forebears, Albert Copeland and his
wife, Mildred, settle down in the town of Listre,
North Carolina. Each year AlbertTs family from
far and near look forward to the family grave-
cleaning in May and to the opportunity to retell
the best and the funniest family stories. One of the
big jobs on that day is to prune the old wisteria
vine planted back in the mid-1800s, and part of
the family story is told from the perspective of
that vine. The children roll up their sleeves too,
and when the work is finished, the graveyard is
oas neat and clean as a whistle.�
While the children are young, Albert buys a
kit for a floatplane, but since the instructions for
the plane are incomplete, he can never be sure of
the next step which the construction should take.
The project requires him to keep a log of the
oflights�"essential for FAA approval of an exper-
imental aircraft. As time goes on, the notebooks
bulge. Papa (Albert) writes everything down, and
mostly the notebooks are filled with stories, clip-
pings, and photos of the family"like the news-
paper clipping about Papa walking on the bottom
of the pond, a cinderblock tied to his ankle anda
water hose in his mouth for breathing, to hook a
chain around the axle of the truck which Mere-
dith had driven into the pond while he and Mark
were waterskiing. Thatcher observes that with
each run of the floatplane ohe (Papa) donTt write
accurate about what happened.�
All the characters seem strong, except for
Mildred, who remains in the shadows. Thatcher is
a predictable eldest son, and Noralee a favored
youngest child. The story, however, is that of their
brother, Meredith, and their cousin, Mark. An
uninhibited prankster who lives life fully, Mere-
Winter 1988" 249
North Carolina Books
dith usually manages to involve the more re-
strained Mark in his escapades. Later, when
Thatcher marries, his wife Bliss joins the proces-
sion of Copelands"Uncle Hawk, Aunt Esther,
Aunt Scrap, and all the other colorful crew with
their hunting trips, their dogs, family visits and
travels, escapades, music, love, compassion, and
their wonderful sense of humor. Coming from a
world very unlike that of the Copelands, Bliss
seems able to accept it without question.
The outside world will not let the family be,
however, and Vietnam intrudes, involving Mere-
dith and Mark and, in changing their lives, alter-
ing what was and what promised to be for all the
Copelands.
This book is, as some reviewers have said,
oreal.� EdgertonTs people tell their stories simply,
and the characters live. We have known many of
them, and their speech and their experiences ring
true. These are not ordinary people. From page
one and NoraleeTs first words, we sense characters
who show us the unusual side of everyday things
"everyday, that is, to the Copelands. Some
might call them irreverent, exuberant, improb-
able, maybe even a bit wild; but they are real
people, and they are wise, handling life as Papa
handles the construction of the floatplane, which
like life has no explicit instructions. The float-
plane is life; life is described and defined by the
entries in the notebook. Meredith understands
owhat life is, which is doing things . .. things youTve
already done, or are getting ready to do.�
Edgerton earned degrees from the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at present is
on the faculty at St. Andrews Presbyterian College
in Laurinburg. Reared in rural North Carolina, he
understands the South of small towns, and he
writes convincingly about it. He is quoted as say-
ing that he expected to write short stories, and
the germ for this novel is said to be the first short
story he ever wrote. His other books, Raney and
Walking Across Egypt, were also formed from
short stories. Like this one they convey an appeal-
ing warmth, sense of family, and humor:
Recent years have seen a spate of novels tell-
ing us how it was to grow up in the South, and
some readers may be quick to reject another life-
in-the-South book. EdgertonTs skill at storytelling
and his humor, however, lift this one far above the
level of most and make it a good choice to raise
the circulation count in libraries where fiction is
happily read.
Dorothy H. Osborn, Durham Academy
250 " Winter 1988
Other Publications of Interest
e
ca
Soon after volume one of the Dictionary of
North Carolina Biography was published, a
reviewer in NCL (vol. 38, 1980, pp. 44-46) greeted
the series with oStrike up the band! Break out the
flags. The DNCB has begun to appear and the first
volume is in hand!� Despite an agonizingly long
wait between volumes, that same excitement
should mark the reception for volume three in the
series, recently released by the University of North
Carolina Press. The latest volume contains 543
entries on deceased North Carolinians whose
surames begin with the letters H through K. Rang-
ing from the well known, such as Governor Luther
H. Hodges and President Andrew Johnson, to the
less familiar but historically significant, such as
black poet George Moses Horton and educator
J.Y. Joyner, the sketches provide scholarly, well-
written accounts of the lives of individuals impor-
tant in North Carolina history. It is unimaginable
that any Tar Heel public, academic, or secondary
school library would be without the series. Volume
three, like the previous two, was edited by William
S. Powell. (UNC Press, $49.95. ISBN 0-8078-1806-2,
cloth, 384 pp.).
Another welcome contribution from William
S. Powell, co-compiled with wife Virginia W.
Powell, is England and Roanoke: A Collection
of Poems, 1584-1987: People, Places, Events.
This anthology of 146 poems thematically related
to Sir Walter Raleigh, Roanoke Island, and the
English colonizing attempts in the 1580s along
what is now the North Carolina coast presents
works by 95 poets, plus several poems written
anonymously. Poets represented include Edmund
Spenser; Alfred, Lord Tennyson; Henry Wads-
worth Longfellow; William Carlos Williams; and
North Carolinians Paul Green, Sam Ragan, Robert
Morgan, and Fred Chappell. The diverse back-
grounds of the poets included, who are identified
in brief biographical notes, demonstrate the
widespread and continued fascination with
Raleigh and his ill-fated colonizing efforts. England
and Roanoke was published in a limited edition
of 250 copies. (Historical Publications Section,
Division of Archives and History, 109 E. Jones St.,
Raleigh, N.C. 27611, $20.00, plus $2.00 postage and
handling. ISBN 0-86526-233-0, paper, 397 pp.).
Literary writers of all stripes"poets, nov-
elists, dramatists, biographers, and editors"who
have lived and worked significantly in Charlotte
and Mecklenburg County are saluted in an attrac-
tive recent publication from the Public Library of
L8)
Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Edited by
Mary Norton Kratt, The Imaginative Spirit:
Literary Heritage of Charlotte and Mecklen-
burg County, North Carolina, presents bio-
graphical highlights on more than eighty writers,
plus excerpts from the works of many. Prefaced
by a brief text surveying the history of literary
activity in Charlotte/Mecklenburg, the biogra-
phical sketches portray a vibrant, if previously
underappreciated, literary community. This book-
let should do much to end that neglect. (Orders to
Nina Lyon, PLCMC, 310 N. Tryon St., Charlotte,
N.C. 28202, $12.50, ISBN 0-9620597-0-6, paper,
105 pp.).
A complete roster, supplemented by biogra-
phical facts, of the men who debated North Caro-
linaTs ratification of the United States Constitution
is now available in a new publication from the
North Carolina Division of Archives and History.
North Carolina Votes: A Roster of Delegates to
the State Ratification Conventions of 1788 and
1789 lists alphabetically the 460 men elected to
either or both conventions. Birth and death dates,
convention(s) to which elected, county or borough
represented, if and how voted, and state and fed-
eral offices held during his lifetime are given after
each delegateTs name. Brief biographical notes
help clarify identities and provide additional facts
on many delegates. Sources used by booklet com-
piler Stephen E. Massengill are then listed, which
will facilitate further research by individuals seek-
ing more in-depth biographical information. (His-
torical Publications Section, Division of Archives
and History, 109 E. Jones St., Raleigh, N.C. 27611,
$5.00, plus $1.00 postage and handling, ISBN 0-
86526-237-3, paper, 86 pp.).
North Carolina Books
� Outdoors enthusiasts will be delighted that
Allen de HartTs North Carolina Hiking Trails has
been published in a substantially enlarged, com-
pletely rewritten and updated second edition.
Descriptions are included for more than 750 trails
(approximately 600 in 1982 edition), providing
useful information such as location, length, diffi-
culty, hazards, and notable scenery. Trails de-
scribed include those found in national forests,
parks, and refuges; state forests, parks, historical
sites, and other properties; county- and municipa-
lity-owned properties; and private and commer-
cial operations. A special chapter has been added
on the developing oMountains-to-Sea Trail,� which
when completed will run nearly seven hundred
miles across the state. (Appalachian Mountain
Club Books, Boston, Mass., $14.95, ISBN 0-910146-
69-1, paper, 508 pp.).
V Life on one of North CarolinaTs natural trea-
sures has been engagingly captured in Ocracoke
Portrait, a collection of sixty-four black-and-
white photographs and accompanying quotations
from lovers of Ocracoke Island. Selecting from
hundreds of photographs taken during her two-
year tenure as a schoolteacher at Ocracoke, Anne
Sebrell Ehringhaus shares images of islanders at
work, rest, and play amidst scenes of natural
beauty on this sixteen-miles-long-by-two-miles-
wide barrier island. Quoting from taped inter-
views with residents and tourists, she lets those
familiar with the island explain their attraction to
and occasional frustration with this simple, iso-
lated community. (John F. Blair, Publisher, $21.95,
ISBN 0-89587-060-6, cloth; $13.95, 0-89587-061-4,
paper, 107 pp.). gy
Keep your Mind in Shape
Go for it! Use your library!
Winter 1988" 251
NCLA Minutes
North Carolina Library Association
Minutes of the Executive Board
July 29, 1988
Barbara Anderson
Barbara Baker Laura Osegueda
Frances Bradburn Cal Shepard
Judie Davie Marti Smith
Ray Frankle Frank Sinclair
Ruth Hoyle Renee Stiff
Betsy Hamilton Jerry Thrasher
Patsy Hansel Susan Turner
Nancy Fogarty Rebecca Sue Taylor
Irene Hairston Harry Tuchmayer
David Fergusson Nancy Ray
Janet Freeman Ann Thigpen
Pat Langelier Jane Williams
Mary McAfee Kieth Wright
The executive board of the North Carolina Library Associa-
tion was called to order by President Patsy Hansel at 10:00 a.m.,
July 29, 1988, at the Appalachian Sheraton in Boone, North
Carolina. The above members were present in Salon II.
Minutes of the April 8, 1988 minutes were approved on a
motion by Baker and Sinclair. ~
Treasurer Nancy Fogarty presented the second quarterly
treasurer's report (April 1 - June 30, 1988). Nancy pointed out
that the North Carolina Public Library standards ($1,700) was
not reflected in the report. Nancy pointed out that the Scholar-
ship Committee had exceeded their $200.00 budget and that
approval by the executive board was required. On a motion by
Harry Tuchmayer, seconded by Ray Frankle, the motion was
approved. It was pointed out under the new dues structure that
$7.00 would be allocated to the appropriate section for each
membership.
Barbara Baker gave the 1989 conference report that will
be held in Charlotte. The theme will be oLibraries"Designing for
the T90Ts.� Registration fees and vendor fees will be the same as in
1987.
Frances Bradburn, editor for North Carolina Libraries,
reported on the upcoming issues through the winter of 1991.
Frances also pointed out that her new address is Joyner Library,
East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4353.
President Patsy Hansel pointed out that the address for the
Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center had
been changed to 300 Maiden Lane, Fayetteville, North Carolina
28301. Some mail addressed to her using the old address had
been returned to sender.
Kieth Wright gave the American Library Association repre-
sentative report.
1. Over 16,000 people attended the ALA conference in New
Orleans.
2. ALA Chapter Relations Committee will hold a workshop
on conference arrangements during mid-winter in Wash-
ington, D.C.
3. He recommended the ALA orientation for new chapter
presidents.
252 "Winter 1988
de
. Briefed the group on the FBI flap.
. Circulated the Washington office publication Federal
Grants for Library and Information Services: A Selected
Guide.
6. The Standards Committee on library education urged
ALA council to pass a resolution on library education.
Two librarians seek an expansion of this statement to
include other masterTs programs in addition to those
accredited by ALA.
7. The Intellectual Freedom Committee alerted ALA council
about a) resolution on the child protection and obscenity
enforcement act of 1988 and b) the FBI resolution.
8. Dale Summers became ALA president and his theme will
be oCommitments: Building our shared future.�
9. ALA membership is concerned about the way ALA dol-
lars are spent. Membership passed a resolution stating
that 50% of ALA budget should be spent on program
priorities and not on administration.
SELA representative Jerry Thrasher presented a very excit-
ing slide tape presentation on the upcoming Southeastern
Library Association Biennial Conference in Norfolk, Virginia,
October 26-29, 1988. The theme of the conference is oThe Crea-
tive Spirit: Writers, Words and Readers.� A variety of pre-confer-
ences were mentioned as well as one post-conference. Registra-
tion materials for SELA members will be mailed in the
immediate future.
President Hansel reminded the executive board that the
next meeting was set for Friday, October 21, in Charlotte.
Chairman of the ChildrenTs Services Section, Cal Shepard
reported that the new Vice Chairman for that section was Pat
Siegfried. A program is preliminarily planned for April of 1989.
Martha Smith, Chairman of the College and University Sec-
tion reported on the fine CD-ROM conference held at Meredith
College and distributed a fine bibliography that was prepared
for the conference. A meeting is planned in Greensboro for this
section in the spring of 1989. The program will be held at the
center for higher education on networking and automation in
universities.
Frank Sinclair, Chairman of the Community and Junior Col-
lege Section, reported that his group is in the process of develop-
ing a membership campaign to achieve 100 members.
Pat Langelier, Chairman of the Document Section, reported
on their future fall workshop, which will be a hands-on session
devoted to helping librarians prepare collection development
policies for documents. It is set for October 7, in Durham and
will feature Barbara Hulyk from the Detroit Public Library.
Two other upcoming programs include a study circle on
state documents and a study circle on international documents.
A study circle is an informal problem solving session geared to
meet the needs and interests of participants. Beginning with
Volumn 129, the bounded edition of the Congressional Record
will be produced and distributed to Federal Depository Libraries
in CD-ROM format only.
Laura Osegueda, Chairman of the Junior Members Round-
table, reported that her group met on April 22, in Raleigh. They
are reviewing their by-laws, reviewing and weeding their archi-
val records, planning to offer the Grassroots Grant Program to
oO
target schools with LTA programs. Several programs are being
explored, including a career workshop, supervisory skills, ethics
and librarianship, mentoring, and career ladders. JMRT is also
interested in sponsoring an event at the biennial conference,
perhaps a oPub Crawl.�
Renee Stiff, Chairman of the Roundtable on Ethnic Minority
Concerns, reported that they met on May 20, at North Carolina
Central University. Two programs are planned for the 1989
NCLA conference consisting of a luncheon recognizing outstand-
ing minority librarians and a session dealing with mentorship
and the minority librarian.
Judie Davie representing the NC Association of School
Libraries, reported that the new national standards have been
published as Information Power, ALSTs annual workshop will
have the theme oInformation Power.� High Point will be the site
of the next meeting.
Irene Hairston, Chairman of the Public Library Trustee
Association, reported that the trustees will hold their next trus-
tee workshop in High Point during the second week in May 1989.
David Fergusson, Chairman of the Public Library Section,
reported on a variety of activities taking place in the Public
Library Section. The audiovisual committee is developing a
directory that will be sold. A literacy conference in May is sche-
duled. Personnel committee is trying to recruit additional stu-
dents to library school. A public relations workshop is being
planned. The North Carolina Public Library Standards have
been produced and distributed. A spring workshop for young
adult librarians is being planned at UNCG. The Public Library
Section will be meeting at Schell Island in September.
Barbara Anderson, Chairman of the References and Adult
Services Section, reported on the upcoming workshop at For-
syth County Public Library on September 9, 1988, entitled oA
New Vision: Challenges To Information Professionals.� Barbara
said it would be a very provocative program featuring well-
known speakers.
Harry Tuchmayer, Chairman of the Resources and Techni-
cal Services Section, reported on an upcoming fall program with
the theme "Technical Services as Public Services"Fact or Fic-
tion.� This conference is set for September 29 and 30 at South-
ern Pines, He stressed that this would be a very challenging and
interesting program.
Patrice Ebert, Chairman of the Roundtable on the Status of
Women in Librarianship, reported on the very successful com-
munications program that was offered in Fayetteville and Win-
ston-Salem. Future workshops under investigation include one
on budgetary skills and grants for November. A program on
career aspirations is still being investigated, but could take two
biennial to do it well. Ms Management issues are in the mail.
Susan Turner of the Technology and Trends Committee
(formerly called Media and Technology), distributed an attrac-
tive handout stating that the purpose of this committee was to
act as a oClearing house of information on technology applica-
tions in North Carolina libraries� and to promote otechnology in
North Carolina libraries of all types.� The handout includes a
questionnaire to ascertain what libraries are doing with tech-
nology and automation. Many feel that they need to bridge the
gap on who is doing what and who wants to know what is being
done in other libraries. It was recommended that members of
this committee could attend the meetings of other sections and
committees to gain additional information in this area.
Ruth Hoyle reported on various activities of the Literacy
Committee, including a meeting in Fayetteville scheduled for
August 19.
Ray Frankle, Chairman of the Membership Committee,
reported that his committee was working on a packet of infor-
mation for libraries to keep on hand for new employees. They
are also writing to new people in North Carolina to encourage
membership. They have established a liaison with the Recruit-
NCLA Minutes
ment Committee. They want to work on a welcoming for new
members at the biennial conference. A career day at UNC
Chapel Hill is planned for February 1989, and a special NCLA
membership table will be present.
Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin, Chairman of the Recruitment
Committee, reported that their objectives are: (1) Plan program
and participate in the NC High School Library Association Con-
ference to be held March 1989 in Charlotte; (2) Plan and parti-
cipate in Career Day at colleges, universities and high schools;
(3) Develop a network of librarians in different geographical
areas in the state to serve as resources and participants in
Career Day in their areas; (4) Write an article on varied career
opportunities in the library profession and run an article in
college and university newsletters within the state.
ALA plans a recruitment campaign during National Library
Week focusing on oEach One Reach One.�
Mary McAfee, Chairman Publications Committee, reported
that the committee was trying to discover what publications are
being printed under NCLA. Letters went out to all committees
for samples. They want to find out what people think about
North Carolina Libraries, Tar Heel Librarian and what people
feel they need and they are not getting. It was pointed out by
State Librarian Jane Williams that the State Library completely
underwrites the Tar Heel Librarian. Kieth Wright indicated
there might be a need for a publication that would handle oSub-
stantial pieces.�
Janet Freeman gave the report on the Task Force on Ethical
Issues. She reported that Jerry Campbell is the new chairman.
She pointed out that the ALA Code of Ethics had been adopted
by 44 state library associations. It was moved by Judie Davie and
seconded by Harry Tuckmayer that the NCLA executive board
accept the recommendations of the Task Force on Ethics
regarding adoption of the ALA Code of Ethics and implement
means for educating the membership of NCLA on these code of
ethics in NCLA publications and programs. The motion was
adopted.
Barbara Baker moved and Judie Davie seconded that the
Task Force on Ethics be charged to develop, plan and host a
session during the 1989 conference to bring attention to ethical
issues of interest to members of the association. This motion was
approved.
Harry Tuckmayer moved and Judie Davie seconded that the
executive board of NCLA recommend the adoption of the ALA
Code of Ethics by the membership of the association and insti-
tute an on-going continuing education program to educate and
inform the membership on ethical concerns. The motion was
approved.
The Task Force on Ethical Issues recommended that NCLA
should not establish a formal mechanism to deal with profes-
sional ethics at this time.
Jane Williams, State Librarian, reported that Secretary Pat-
ric Dorsey was back at work and appreciated all the thank you
notes and cards she received. Jane alerted the group that the
State Library plans to discontinue its project of continuing edu-
cation grants to support NCLATs biennial conference activities.
This notice is being given over a year in advance of the confer-
ence so that all NCLA sections and committees planning pro-
grams for the conference can know that LSCA grants will not be
available. However, LSCA grants for off-year workshops will con-
tinue.
Doris Anne Bradley, Chair of the Constitution, Codes and
Handbook Revision Committee, reported that a complete revi-
sion of the handbook is needed and will take considerable time.
There was considerable discussion about committees structure
and which committees should be considered standing or special
committees. After various reports were made, it was recom-
mended that this topic be referred back to the Constitution,
Codes and Handbook Revision Committee for future considera-
Winter 1988" 253
NCLA Minutes
tion and report back at the next meeting of the executive board.
Rebecca Sue Taylor, Chairman of the Finance Committee
distributed the proposed two-year budget of the NCLA from
January 1, 1989 to December 31, 1990. The Finance Committee
recommended that a sub-committee of the Finance Committee
be formed to design guidelines for the conference grants, a form
for application, and a schedule of dates for application, and the
Finance Committee would then review applications for funds
from this fund, and NCLA sections and committees would be
eligible to apply, and the Finance Committee would recommend
approval or denial. This motion was approved by the executive
board.
Next, the executive board discussed the funding for North
Carolina Libraries.
It was moved by Kieth Wright and seconded by David Fer-
gusson that the proposed 1989-90 budget be approved at
$78,900, with income from dues being $55,300, expenses for
North Carolina Libraries be $44,000 and expenses for the scho-
larship committee be $300. This motion was approved.
There was a question about travel reimbursement guide-
lines, and the group felt that the North Carolina state guidelines
should be used.
Janet Freeman reported on the North Carolina High School
Library Media Association and distributed a copy of their con-
ference handout for their forty-first annual conference in March
at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Raleigh. Janet Freeman moved
and Jerry Thrasher seconded that the NCLA executive board
recommend that the NCASL board consider appointing a
member of ACSL, who serves as liaison to represent ACSL and
NCLA as a non-voting member of the North Carolina High
School Library Media Association board, who seeks opportuni-
ties for NCASL and NCLA to be supporting of NCHSLMA activi-
ties and who reports NCHSLMNA to the chairman of NCASL.
Further, that the NCASL chairman report NCASLTs decision
regarding this recommendation at the January 1989 NCLA
executive board meeting. The motion was approved.
President Hansel reported that the roundtable of special
collections will have an organization meeting October 5.
Nancy Fogarty asked for advice on the selling of the associa-
tionTs mailing list to vendors. Kieth Wright moved and Patric
Ebert seconded, that we continue the sale of NCLA mailing list
to profit groups until directed otherwise by the board. This
motion was approved. Ray Frankle and Nancy Fogarty were
asked to bring this issue back to the executive board at a later
date.
Ann Thigpen, Chairman of the Paraprofessional Participa-
tion interest group, presented a petition requesting roundtable
status. Jerry Thrasher moved and Cal Shepard seconded the
acceptance of the petition with 100 signatures of NCLA
members supporting the formation of a roundtable on Para-
professional Participation. The motion was approved. It was
pointed out that the NCASLTs upcoming meeting would be a
good vehicle to get members for this new roundtable.
A report was submitted for the Library ResourceTs Commit-
tee, chaired by Susan Janney, which reported that they held
their organizational meeting April 15, at UNCG. The group
decided to focus on newspaper indexing during this biennial.
A report was submitted for the Intellectual Freedom Com-
mittee, chaired by Gene Lanier, which focused on the many
activities of this committee.
President Hansel reminded the group about legislation in
Washington, HR5323 and $2361 which dealt with the privacy of
library records and video.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned
at 2:42 p.m.
Jerry A. Thrasher, Acting Secretary
al
ct
254 "Winter 1988
Instructions for the Preparation
of Manuscripts
for North Carolina Libraries
1. North Carolina Libraries seeks to publish articles, book
reviews, and news of professional interest to librarians in
North Carolina. Articles need not be of a scholarly nature, but
they should address professional concerns of the library
community in the state.
2. Manuscripts should be directed to Frances B. Bradburn, Edi-
tor, North Carolina Libraries, Joyner Library, East Carolina
University, Greenville, N.C. 27858.
3. Manuscripts should be submitted in triplicate on plain white
paper measuring 8%� x 11�.
4. Manuscripts must be double-spaced (text, references, and
footnotes). Manuscripts should be typed on sixty-space lines,
twenty-five lines to a page. The beginnings of paragraphs
should be indented eight spaces. Lengthy quotes should be
avoided. When used, they should be indented on both mar-
gins.
5. The name, position, and professional address of the author
should appear in the bottom left-hand corner of a separate
title page.
6. Each page after the first should be numbered consecutively
at the top right-hand corner and carry the authorTs last name
at the upper left-hand corner.
7. Footnotes should appear at the end of the manuscript. The
editors will refer to The Chicago Manual of Style, 13th edition.
The basic forms for books and journals are as follows:
Keyes Metcalf, Planning Academic and Research Li-
brary Buildings. (New York: McGraw, 1965), 416.
Susan K. Martin, oThe Care and Feeding of the MARC
Format,� American Libraries 10 (September 1979): 498.
8. Photographs will be accepted for consideration but cannot be
returned.
9. North Carolina Libraries is not copyrighted. Copyright rests
with the author. Upon receipt, a manuscript will be acknowl-
edged by the editor. Following review of a manuscript by at
least two jurors, a decision will be communicated to the wri-
ter. A definite publication date cannot be given since any
incoming manuscript will be added to a manuscript from
which articles are selected for each issue.
Issue deadlines are February 10, May 10, August 10, and
November 10.
What is NCLA?
® the only statewide organization inter-
ested in the total library picture in
North Carolina whose purpose is to
promote libraries, library and informa-
tion services, librarianship, and intel-
lectual freedom.
® an affiliate of the American Library
Association and the Southeastern Li-
brary Association, with voting repre-
sentatives on each council.
What are the goals of NCLA?
® to provide a forum for discussing libra-
ry-related issues.
@ to promote research and publication
related to library and information
science.
@ to provide opportunities for the pro-
fessional growth of library personnel.
® to support both formal and informal
networks of libraries and librarians.
@ to identify and help resolve special
concerns of minorities and women in
the profession.
To enroll as a member of the associ-
ation or to renew your membership,
check the appropriate type of member-
ship and the sections or round tables
which you wish to join. NCLA member-
ship entitles you to membership in one
of the sections or roundtables shown
below at no extra cost. For each addi-
tional section, add $7.00 to your regular
dues.
Return the form below along with
your check or money order made payable
to North Carolina Library Assocation. All
memberships are for two calendar years.
If you enroll during the last quarter of a
year, membership will cover the next two
years.
JOIN NCLA
NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
O1 New membership 0 Renewal 0 Membership no.
Name
First Middle Last
Position
Business Address
City or Town State Zip Code
Mailing Address (if diffrent from above)
CHECK TYPE OF DUES:
O) FULL-TIME LIBRARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
(one;bienniumT only)... .......0% «0s $15.00
EFREMRED TEIBRARIANS. ..... -icisicnceh = $20.00
O1 NON-LIBRARY PERSONNEL:
(a) Trustees;
(b) oFriends of Libraries� members;
()sNonesalahiedes..i.i..-0.« siesta s: one $25.00
LIBRARY PERSONNEL
ieBaming Up to.$15,000:. siwacick taka « $25.00
()"Earming $15,001 to $25,000 ........5.3 $40.00
OO Earning $25,001 to $35,000 ........... $50.00
O Earning $35,001 and above........... $60.00
0 INSTITUTIONAL (Libraries and library/
education-related businesses ........ $75.00
O CONTRIBUTING (Individuals, associations,
firms, etc. interested in
the WOLksOle NCEA) S isticis t cis oes vests of $100.00
CHECK SECTIONS: (one included in basic dues;
each additional section $7.00)
O ChildrenTs O NCASL (School)
O College & Univ. 0 Public
O Comm. & Jr. College O Ref. & Adult
O) Documents 0 RTS (Res.-Tech.)
O Ethnic Minority Concerns CL Trustees
Round Table CO WomenTs Round Table
0 Jr. Members Round Table
Amount Enclosed $
Mail to: Nancy Fogarty, Treasurer, NCLA,
P.O. Box 4266, Greensboro, NC 27404
Winter 1988 " 259
Editor
FRANCES BRYANT BRADBURN
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858
(919) 757-6076
Associate Editor
HOWARD F. McGINN
* Division of State Library
109 East Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27611
(919) 733-2570
Associate Editor
ROSE SIMON
Dale H. Gramley Library
Salem College
Winston-Salem, NC 27108
(919) 721-2649
Book Review Editor
ROBERT ANTHONY
CB#3930, Wilson Library
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
(919) 962-1172
Advertising Manager
HARRY TUCHMAYER
New Hanover County Public Library
201 Chestnut Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
(919) 341-4390
Editor, Tar Heel Libraries
JOHN WELCH
Division of State Library
109 East Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27611
(919) 733-2570
EDITORIAL STAFF
ChildrenTs Services
BONNIE FOWLER
237 Arrowleaf Drive
Lewisville, NC 27023
(919) 945-5236
College and University
JINNIE Y. DAVIS
Planning and Development
D.H. Hill Library
North Carolina State University
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC 27695
(919) 737-3659
Community and Junior College
BEVERLY GASS.
Guilford Technical
Community College
Box 309
Jamestown, NC 27282
(919) 292-1101
Documents
LISA K. DALTON
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858
(919) 757-6533
Junior Members Round Table
DOROTHY DAVIS
Public Services Librarian
New Hanover County Public Library
201 Chestnut Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
(919) 763-3303
N.C. Association of School Librarians
KATHERINE R. CAGLE
R.J. Reynolds High School
Winston-Salem, NC 27106
(919) 727-2260
Address all correspondence to Frances Bryant Bradburn, Editor
Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858.
Public Library
BOB RUSSELL
Elbert Ivey Memorial Library
420 Third Street NW
Hickory, NC 28601
(704) 322-2905
Reference/Adult Services
ILENE NELSON
William R. Perkins Library
Duke University
Durham, NC 27706
(919) 684-2373
Resources and Technical Services
GENE LEONARDI
Shepard Library
North Carolina Central Universi
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 683-6220
Round Table for Ethnic/ Minority
Concerns
EUTHENA NEWMAN
North Carolina A & T University
F.D. Bluford Library
1601 E. Market Street
Greensboro, NC 27411
(919) 379-7782
Round Table on the Status of
Women in Librarianship
ELIZABETH LANEY
CB#3360, 100 Manning Hall
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3360
(919) 962-8361
Trustees
MRS. ERNEST M. KNOTTS
Route 2, Box 505
Albemarle, NC 28001
(704) 982-7434
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 treasurer of NCLA.
Subscription rates for 1987 are $32.00 per
per year, or $15.00 per issue, for foreign sub:
copies are available through University Mi
Literature and publishes its own annual index.
be addressed to the advertising manager. Articles are juried.
North Carolina Libraries is printed by Meridional Publications, Wake Forest, NC.
year, or $10.00 per issue, for domestic subscriptions; $50.00
scriptions. Backfiles are maintained by the editor. Microfilm
crofilms. North Carolina Libraries is indexed by Library
Editorial correspondence should be addressed to the editor; advertisement correspondence should
Issue deadlines are February 10, May 10, August 10, and November 10.
260 " Winter 1988