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North Carolina Libraries
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THEME ARTICLES: SUPPORTING THE SUPPORT STAFF
241
242
246
254
258
260
263
270
274
280
FEATURES
Cover: Kathleen Jackson, oThe Training Investment,� North
Carolina Libraries 48 (Winter 1990): 242.
Advertisers: Book Wholesalers, 264; BroadfootTs, 276; Capital
239
240
284
285
286
289
294
298
300
301
Foreword, Harry Tuchmayer
The Training Investment, Kathleen Jackson
Training for ChildrenTs Services, Gail Terwilliger
The Role of the Work Plan in Assessing Staff Development
and Continuing Education Needs for Library Support
Staff, Benjamin F. Speller, Jr., and James N. Colt
All I Really Needed to Know I DidnTt Learn
in Library School, Lois Walker
Reference 101: Survival Training for Paraprofessionals,
Julie White and Mary McAfee
Staff Development in North CarolinaTs Public Libraries:
The Paraprofessional Perspective, Duncan Smith
WhatTs Standard Operating Procedure?
or, By the Book, Marie Olson Spencer
Course Outline and Training for School Library
Assistants, Anita C. Bell
The North Carolina Library Paraprofessional Association:
A Force at Work for the Nineties, Judie Stoddard
From the President
Over to You
POINT: Do Workshops Work? You Bet They Do!
Tom Moore
COUNTERPOINT: Workshops DonTt Work " They Can't!
Harry Tuchmayer
Library Research in North Carolina
North Carolina Books
Candidates for NCLA Offices
NCLA Minutes
About the Authors FFR 14
Index to Volume 48, 1990
bol CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
Rueda AS) i
269; H. W. Wilson, 238; Mumford Books, 240; Phiebig, 259; Quality :
Books, 273; Salem Press, 288; SIRS, inside front cover; Solinet,
253; Southeastern Book Company, 282; Southeastern Microfilm,
Consortium, 291; Checkpoint, 262; Current Editions, 279; Ebsco, 245; UNC Press, inside back cover.
Volume 48, Number 4
Winter 1990
ISSN 0029-2540
WLB as You've Never Seen it Before
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From the President
Here we are in the dead of winter when
things seem to be moving at a much slower pace,
but in libraries things never slow down. It may be
that things are even busier in your library right
now since people are spending more time inside
enjoying the materials you provide.
The same is true with NCLA. The activity
doesnTt slow down at all. Committees continue to
meet, and sections and roundtables are busy
making preparations for the sessions they will
host at the November biennial conference. The
conference committee is omoving into high gear�
to get as much work done now as possible. If you
would like to volunteer to help with any activity of
the association, please let somebody know. The
easiest way to make your interests known is to
call the office at 919-839-NCLA. Martha Fonville
will be happy to let the right person know of your
willingness to be of help.
As I begin thinking about the November 13-15
biennial conference, I want to share with you how
special our going to High Point will be. It may not
be as convenient as some of the big convention
centers we have visited, but it is certainly going to
be exciting. We will be visiting one of the oseats� of
economic history in North Carolina. In fact, the
convention center is a remodeled furniture fac-
tory that is listed on the National Register of
Historic Sites. A lot of the original furniture-
making equipment is still in place. We will also
have the opportunity to visit some of the furniture
showrooms that are usually open only to dealers.
What better place to come together to show off
our knowledge, invite others to share their know-
ledge with us, and visit with our colleagues from
across the state. I hope you are making your plans
now to be part of this event that willbe important ©
to North Carolina library history.
Another important event in the history and
future of libraries for our state and nation will
happen in February. The delegates elected at the
regional sessions of the Governor's Conference on
Libraries and Information Services will meet on
February 6 in Raleigh. If you donTt know who the
delegates from your region are, please take time
to find out their names and drop them a note to
Libraries
we)
ic
=.
for the 90's
Winter 1990"239
let them know what you think are the important
issues to be considered in setting future policies
for libraries. They will go forward to the State
conference with the resolutions that were en-
dorsed at each of the regional meetings and the
information they gather between now and then.
Help them by providing your thinking on libraries.
Remember, also, sixteen delegates will be s& ve
from the February conference to carry the resolu-
tions from North Carolina to the White House
Conference in July. These sixteen will also need
our support. DonTt let the enthusiasm that started
in the regional conferences wane. Fi
Barbara Baker, President
Over to You
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor:
Congratulations on an exceptional Summer
1990 issue focusing on public documents, a source
of information overlooked by too many librarians.
All of the articles in this issue were informative
and interesting.
The one subject noticeably missing from this
issue was that of municipal and county docu-
ments. Surely there must be a library somewhere
in North Carolina which has a special collection of
documents issued by municipal and county agen-
cies. An article describing such a collection should
be of considerable interest both to librarians with
a proclivity toward documents of this genre and
to researchers in this field.
I look forward to more issues equalling the
quality of the Summer issue in the years ahead.
Sincerely yours,
Alva Stewart
Reference Librarian
Bluford Library
N.C. A & T State University
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Foreword
Harry Tuchmayer, Guest Editor
Supporting the support staff is not an easy
Proposition. The one thing that shines throughout
this issue of North Carolina Libraries is the fact
that an effective program of staff training and
development takes a tremendous amount of time
and effort on the part of supervisors and staff
alike. These articles are meant to demonstrate the
importance of such an effort. What you will see in
the following pages is an attempt to address some
of the issues that are pertinent to the problem of
osupporting the support staff.�
Kathleen Jackson, in oThe Training Invest-
ment� does an excellent job of summarizing the
Problems supervisors face when confronted with
the issue of training new or existing staff. Jack-
SonTs piece should be read and re-read for encour-
agement and as an outline for what follows.
Gail Terwilliger, in oTraining for ChildrenTs
Services,� looks at the issue of training a specific
employee and examines the thorough step-by-
Step approach Cumberland County uses in its
training program. As stated by Jackson and em-
phasized by Terwillerger, training starts at the
point of hire. She reminds us of the importance of
Conducting an organized and well-thought-out
hiring program. As we'll see in Duncan SmithTs
article, training is a continuous process, and Ter-
williger provides a good example of one approach
in her description of the Behavioral Observation
Scale.
As Jackson states, oan effective training pro-
gram requires a partnership between manage-
Ment and staff,� and one place where that part-
nership is formalized is through the work plan.
Benjamin Speller and James Colt, in oThe Role of
the Work Plan in Assessing Staff Development
and Continuing Education Needs for Library
Support Staff,� look at work plans and their rela-
tionship to staff development, giving us a model
for beginning the process of opening up communi-
Cation between supervisors and support staff.
But this is the real world, and things do not
always go according to Hoyle. Lois Walker's oAll I
Really Needed to Know, I DidnTt Learn in Library
School,� reminds us of the importance of on-the-
Job training. In a humorous but insightful look at
the new professional's first few months on the
reference desk, Walker demonstrates the real
importance of appropriate training for all levels
of support staff.
Providing one solution to WalkerTs woes, Mary
McAfee and Julie White, in oReference 101,�
describe their two-day workshop designed to
teach basic reference skills to the support staff.
Duncan Smith shares the results of a meeting
of focus groups which indicate that public library
directors and their support staff agree not only
on the need for training, but also on whose
responsibility this training is. Whether or not this
is being done is the question he asks us to
consider.
In her discussion of the much neglected role
that procedure manuals play in supporting the
staff, Marie Spencer convinces us that it should be
every libraryTs highest priority to maintain a cur-
rent and useful procedure manual. Perhaps a
good procedure manual would have given Lois
Walker something to fall back on in her hour of
need.
Anita Bell looks at Wake County SchoolsT new
program of training student assistants in a high
school library. BellTs description of the program
should prompt other school districts to consider
such programs.
Judie Stoddard provides us with a capsule
history of the North Carolina Library AssociationTs
newest section, the North Carolina Library Para-
professional Association.
Finally, in Point/Counterpoint, we look at the
issue, oDo Workshops Work?� Tom Moore discusses
the positive contribution workshops make in
training and educating staff. Harry Tuchmayer
questions whether or not the right employees
benefit from them.
Hopefully, we have given you a lot to think
about. There is no question that our libraries
cannot run without the contributions of the sup-
port staff. How we contribute to their growth and
development might just make the difference in
whether or not any library can achieve success in
meeting its own goals and objectives.
Winter 1990"241
The Training Investment
Kathleen Jackson
Training is the best investment both managers
and employees can make in a work unit. It is the
basis of quality control, high productivity, and
excellent service. It engenders a high level of self-
esteem and job satisfaction for trainees and train-
ers alike, and leads to more manageable turnover
and greater upward mobility. Many library mana-
gers operate under the assumption that support
staff require a higher training investment than do
librarians, basing this theory on the idea that
librarians have received some basic training and
are dedicated to the profession. This is an erron-
eous operating assumption, as the benefits derived
from training and continuing education apply to
all staff, regardless of level, status or length of
tenure in the work unit.
An effective training program requires a part-
nership between management and staff that must
be established early and maintained for the life of
the working relationship. There must be a strong
commitment on both sides: on the part of the
manager to provide a varied and appropriate
training program, and on the part of the employee
to learn all she can, within and eventually outside
of the framework provided by the manager. A self-
reinforcing cycle is established at the outset by
this partnership. The manager creates a suppor-
tive atmosphere where the initial teaching leads
to increasing initiative and questioning on the
part of the trainee. The best trained and most
productive staff are those who self-diagnose needs
for further training, and who continue this prac-
tice throughout their careers.
A particularly satisfying benefit of effective
training programs is that in many cases, well-
trained staff become trainers themselves. This
development in fact may be seen as a continuation
of the initial training program; the new trainer
will increase his own learning in the process of
teaching another. Staff who become trainers com-
plete the cycle of investment, by facilitating
managementTs effort to offer excellent training
programs. The greater the pool of skilled trainers,
Kathleen Jackson is interim head of the Monographic Cata-
loging Department of Perkins Library at Duke University in
Durham.
242"Winter 1990
the greater the flexibility in providing custom
training to meet staff needs.
Aspects and Benefits of Training
New Hires
The interview of a potential new staff member
is the first step in training. While the supervisor is
sizing up the candidate and forming judgment as
to her suitability for the job, the candidate too is
gathering information. During the interview, the
supervisor can begin training in a number of
ways. Organizational mission and values can be
communicated. General and specific expectations
of staff can be described. Norms and behaviors
can be both modeled and explicitly discussed. All
of these points will need to be repeated when the
new hire is on board. Repetition is a characteristic
of good training, and it is never too soon to begin.
Orientation
The next step in training takes place during
the first several weeks of work, with orientation.
An overview of the organization and how the new
employee and their unit within it fit, introductions
to colleagues and top administrators, physical
orientation to the building, and filling out official
paperwork can be handled by different people:
the supervisor, work unit colleagues, staff associa-
tion officers, and personnel staff. Sharing the
assignment in this way allows the employee to
become acquainted with a variety of colleagues
and viewpoints, and keeps the direct supervisor
from being swamped. It is a good idea to alternate
the new employeeTs schedule between orientation
and on-the-job training, so as not to overwhelm
him.
Orientation is an essential step in communi-
cating the commitment of the organization to the
employee. It shows that the supervisor and col-
leagues care enough to help the new person make
the adjustment to the new environment and to
begin the process of integrating him into the larger
whole. It offers an excellent opportunity for
values, norms and expected behaviors to be
modeled and explicitly communicated, by super-
visor, colleagues, and upper management. Here
the partnership is begun.
On-the-job Performance
The most widely accepted role for training is
its application to on-the-job performance. To most
Supervisors it is obvious that new employees need
to be trained to do the work expected of them.
However, many supervisors do not invest in train-
ing at a level that produces its desired outcome
"excellent performance. When the level of invest-
ment is lower than it should be, the trainee is
handicapped in trying to learn necessary skills.
More importantly, an undesirable approach to
the work becomes the model for the employee.
Haphazard, disorganized, unskilled or incomplete
training sends multiple unhappy messages to the
employee: we donTt care enough about you to train
you properly; we donTt know what we're doing; we
donTt care how well the work gets done; we are
inefficient. In contrast, a well planned and organ-
ized training program carried out by a skilled and
knowledgeable trainer sends reinforcing messages
to the employee: we respect and care about you
and want you to succeed; we take our work very
Seriously; we are well trained ourselves and will
help you to reach that point; we are concerned
With the quality of our products and services; we
are well organized and efficient. The results of this
kind of training program are higher quality and
Productivity, as well as enhanced self-esteem and
Job satisfaction for both the employee and the
trainer.
The Big Picture
Educating staff in the big picture cannot be
overemphasized. In technical services units where
Processes may be complex, specialization encour-
aged, and contact with library users sparse, super-
Visors need to impart an understanding of how
the whole picture fits together. Creating a well-
rounded employee requires a holistic approach. A
beginning component includes explanations and
Connections sprinkled throughout on-the-job
training. For example, the cataloging trainer ex-
Plains how series tracings are constructed, shows
the trainee how check-in relies on these tracings
by acquainting her with the Kardex or online
Check-in file, and takes her through a search
~Session at the public catalog using series tracings
as access points and explaining how such cita-
tions might be discovered by library users. These
kinds of links should be made for the duration of
the training process. In fact, big picture training
Should be extended through a program of contin-
uing education for experienced staff.
Staff who are trained to understand the way
their work contributes to the mission of the organ-
ization, and the effects each step has on the work
of colleagues and the use of the library, are
consistently higher performers than those who
work in a vacuum. This understanding further
contributes to their own job satisfaction and self-
esteem, and they have greater potential for up-
ward mobility. The manager who promotes this
kind of holistic training will reap the benefits of
increased participation in management of the
work unit, with more and better suggestions for
streamlining and improving products and services
and a greater interest in and aptitude for working
on special projects.
The manager creates a
supportive atmosphere where
the initial teaching leads to
increasing initiative and
questioning on the part of the
trainee.
Interpersonal Skills
The most effective employees are those who
communicate clearly and readily and cooperate
with colleagues and management. For an em-
ployee to communicate and collaborate most
effectively, training in listening, assertiveness, and
acceptance of different styles and behaviors is
needed. The old story that technical staff have no
need for interpersonal skills is a myth. Technical
staff are required to work with a variety of staff
on complex tasks, functioning across organiza-
tional lines and negotiating for resources to
accomplish their work. They are required to pro-
vide high quality customer service both to col-
leagues and to library users.
Training in interpersonal skills contributes to
networking within and outside of individual work
units, and empowers staff to negotiate solutions
without supervisory intervention. Like other forms
of training, it enhances upward mobility and
participation in management. This kind of training
can be offered to staff in formal courses or in
one-on-one sessions with supervisors. One of the
most dramatic ways to enhance group interper-
sonal skills is to sponsor professionally facilitated
work unit retreats and expeditions, in which staff
learn to communicate and understand one ano-
ther outside of the work environment. For exam-
ple, group orienteering with map and compass
across fields and woodlands may yield startling
metaphors for the teamwork required to bring up
a new automated system or to design and imple-
ment a new technical workflow.
Winter 1990"243
Continuing Education and Development
All of the principles that apply to the training
of new hires also apply to veteran staff. Once that
initial investment has been made, it must be
maintained and nurtured. Even if this were not
necessary in terms of human needs, the fact is
that our technical work is far from static. In an
area where the demands and the technology may
change daily, supervisors owe it to their staff to
support them in keeping up-to-date. In addition,
the holistic employee can never learn enough
about the ways in which his work fits in with and
impacts upon the work of others in the library
and its parent organization. Continuing education
and development involves formal coursework,
conferences and workshops, committee and pro-
ject work, retreats and expeditions. Regular, open
discussions among colleagues on topics of interest
are a part of this effort. Participatory manage-
ment can provide fertile ground for this kind of
exchange: individual staff members can submit
proposals for new procedures, policies or services,
and those proposals can be modified and im-
proved upon through group consideration. In this
process, everyone learns and customers benefit.
Training in the context of
technological change is as
essential as it is in the
context of new employment,
and requires as much of an
investment on the part of the
supervisor.
Training as a Facilitator of Change
Technological Change
It is generally accepted that training is a key
factor in bringing about technological change. A
change in technology may involve the introduction
of a total automated system, new software in an
already familiar system, or a revised cataloging
code or cataloging standards. Most managers will
admit that, if staff are to be expected to utilize a
new technology, they have to learn to use it.
Unfortunately, this enlightened attitude often
does not extend to an equally enlightened imple-
mentation of training. Many supervisors either
expect, or by default require, that staff train them-
selves to use new tools. It is easy to forget that
staff who are currently productive and well
trained got that way with help, and that they
need help to master the new situation. Training in
244"Winter 1990
the context of technological change is as essential
as it is in the context of new employment, and |
requires as much of an investment on the part of
the supervisor. It may be helpful for supervisors
to think of staff in this situation as new employees,
in need of a high degree of personal attention,
nurturing, orientation and education.
Organizational Change
Training is equally effective as a facilitator of
organizational change. In these days of mergers
and splits among technical service units, staff
anxiety is at an all-time high. Resistance to re-
organization is largely based on fear of the un-
known. In a reorganization, staff are expected to
take on new duties, give up comfortable routines,
work within a new group, and either report to a
new supervisor or learn to share a familiar one.
Reorientation, teambuilding and on-the-job per-
formance are all enhanced by carefully planned
and implemented training initiatives. This is an
ideal opportunity for the supervisor to build trust
among new staff and reinforce relationships with
existing staff. By providing complete, well organ-
ized training in areas of new responsibility or
technology, the supervisor demonstrates commit-
ment to building the new team and to supporting
staff in a time of stress. Staff can be assigned to
orient and train each other in unfamiliar routines
and duties, and get to know and respect each
other in the process.
Cultural Change
Perhaps the most difficult type of change to
implement successfully is cultural change within
an organization. Here again training can be an
effective tool. For example, in technical service
units, there may be a tradition of imposed or self-
perceived separation from public service units
and functions. This kind of isolation can lead to
dysfunctional behaviors such as refusal to alter
procedures in order to provide materials quickly
for users, unhelpful or discourteous telephone
manner when dealing with public service staff,
and a general disorientation from the larger
mission of the library. Training can be used as
part of a larger strategy to bring about the change
to a culture of user service for technical staff.
Such a program might include cross-training or
job visits between public and technical staff at
similar levels; customer service training, including
telephone manners and handling customer com-
plaints; and general interpersonal skills training.
Discussions can be held in which staff identify
obstacles to effective customer service. They are
taught ways either to eliminate those obstacles,
Communicate with management about solutions,
or learn to live with them if they are insoluble.
A wrinkle on the role of training in effecting
Cultural, organizational and technological change
is illustrated by a case that occurred in Perkins
Library over a period of several years. In 1985, the
Monographic Cataloging Department began a
training program that spanned two sections: the
Original Cataloging Section and the Copy Catalog-
ing Section. Both new and experienced original
Catalogers, all librarians, were trained by experi-
�,�nced copy catalogers, all support staff, to do
Copy cataloging according to newly developed
Standards. There were a variety of responses to
What was perceived by many as the role reversal
of having support staff train librarians. Long-
Standing feelings of oppression or exclusion on
the part of the support staff, and fears of erosion
of the profession on the part of the librarians,
Sometimes caused conflict to flare. But the pro-
8ram was highly successful on a variety of fronts:
greater consistency was achieved between original
and copy cataloging standards; original catalogers
who had never had experience with copy catalog-
ing gained new perspective; relationships were
forged across unit and status lines, with new
respect established in both directions; support
Staff knowledge and abilities were strongly
affirmed both by management and colleagues;
and a new team of strong, able trainers was
Created. Support staff had assumed a significant
new role in the organization, a step toward a
Change from a hierarchial, librarian-dominated
Culture to a flatter, more collegial culture. In late
1986, when the Original and Copy Cataloging
Sections were merged to form the Cataloging
Section, experience with and relationships formed
in this effort in cultural and technological change
helped smooth the path to effective organizational
Change.
Conclusion
In technical or public services, regardless of
the level of the staff in question, no investment
will reap better return for managers and staff
than working to provide excellent training pro-
8rams. Flexibility is the key in these programs,
both to provide learning opportunities customized
to individual style, and to adapt to or facilitate
Changes in the working environment. Without the
bond created by an excellent training program,
the partnership between staff and management is
Weak and ineffective.
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Winter 1990"245
Training for ChildrenTs Services
' Gail Terwilliger
Training is essential for all staff members so
that the library's mission through established
goals, objectives, and strategies can be carried out
in an effective and efficient manner. Jane Gardner
Conner, former ChildrenTs consultant for the
South Carolina State Library, states:
oTraining gives staff the skills needed to do
their job well. It is an ongoing process. There
are always new ideas, approaches, and
topics to learn about through professional
reading and continuing education oppor-
tunities such as workshops, library conven-
tions, and classes. Various staff members,
including support staff, should have the
opportunity to attend meetings, rather
than the head of the department always
going.�!
A well-trained staff, on all levels, is a valuable
public relations tool. In a tight economy, when the
largest portion of a libraryTs budget is spent on
personnel, it behooves the administration to have
well-trained, knowledgeable personnel who
demonstrate daily to taxpayers that their dollars
are wisely invested.
Each of the five headquarters childrenTs ser-
vices staff members at the Cumberland County
Public and Information Center has a job descrip-
tion with unique responsibilities. Several duties,
however, are shared by all staff: programming,
readerTs advisory, and reference services. These
are the tasks which consume the most time and
also form the foundation of our business. Since all
personnel perform these tasks, training activities
concentrate on them. The depth of training given
each individual is determined by educational
background, previous related experience, and
proportion of job responsibilities. Patrons expect
consistently excellent service from all employees;
they make no distinction between job classifica-
tions and/or time on the job. Thus we require new
employees, at all job grades, to attain a high level
of competency quickly.
Training starts during the hiring process. The
goal is to employ the candidate who can deliver
Gail Terwillinger is Head of HeadquarterTs ChildrenTs Service
for the Cumberland County Public Library and Information
Center in Fayetteville.
246"Winter 1990
the highest quality of service with minimal train-
ing. The director, associate director, headquar-
terTs librarian and myself, the department head,
comprise the interview team for positions in the
headquarters childrenTs room. The questions
asked during the interview process are designed
to gather sufficient information to compare can-
didates and to assess the current and potential
abilities of each one in programming, reader's
advisory and reference skills, and other individual
job responsibilities. The ideal candidate possesses
at least minimal competency in all areas rather
than extremes in abilities, therefore, a candidate
who possesses a tremendous knowledge of litera-
ture but no skill in storytelling might be less
attractive than one with average skills in both.
Questions are asked to determine a candidateTs
overall abilities: © Tell us about your experiences
with youngsters eighteen months to twelve years
of age and computers; @ Given a choice, would
you rather present a story program one time to 4
group of one hundred children or four times to.
groups of twenty youngsters? Why?; @ Tell us any
specific literary experiences you've had with chil-
dren eighteen months to twelve years of age; @
Which age group would you feel most comfortable
presenting programs to? Toddler, preschool, or
school age? All candidates are told in advance to
come prepared to demonstrate storytelling abili-
ties and programming talents. These questions
and the demonstration indicate selection skills,
knowledge of storytelling techniques, oral expres-
sion, creativity, initiative, flexibility, enthusiasm,
and knowledge of child growth and development.
ReaderTs advisory and reference skills are tied
in with questions related to literature, collection
development, and censorship. Some questions
asked of candidates include: @ What titles would
you give an intellectually mature ten-year-girl
who attends a Christian school? Her parents are
religious but not fanatical. She reads eight to ten
juvenile novels weekly; ® What is your philosophy
of reference service to children?; © Name three
authors of books for children graduating from
beginning readers to chapter books; @ A parent
comes to you with a book in hand and demands
that it be removed from the collection. What is
your response?; @ Do you see a difference in
Public versus school library goals? Elaborate; ©
Tell us some recent trends in childrenTs literature;
® What titles would you give an eleven-year-old
boy who needs a thin book (of at least 100 pages)
for a report due tomorrow?; @ Name the top five
reference tools you feel should be in every chil-
drenTs room collection. Why?
In order to give excellent readerTs advisory
Service, an employee must be a reader. Further,
We encourage staff to try to develop a love of
reading in youngsters. To do this they must serve
as positive role models. Questions used to deter-
mine the candidateTs potential as a literary model
are: @ What adult book are you currently read-
ing?; @ What juvenile book?; © What was your
favorite book as a child?; @ What is your favorite
childTs book now? Throughout the interview
attention is paid to the candidateTs grammar. An
individual in the library business must be well
Spoken. It is part of the total positive image which
must be projected to the public. These questions
and others, along with the demonstration, take
about seventy-five minutes. By the time this pro-
Cess is completed the library has a good idea of
the skill level of the chosen candidate and has
Made the commitment in terms of time to train
him to meet expected standards.
Once hired, the next phase of training begins
" Basic Orientation. It is important that the em-
Ployee feel welcome and comfortable with his
Surroundings so that he can concentrate on
learning various aspects of his job. The first few
daysT activities include introductions to all staff in
the building; setting up his personal work space;
learning the location of supplies, forms, and other
Materials. The employee's job description is re-
Viewed in terms of how it fits into the work flow of
the department and the system. A discussion of
expectations and evaluation is essential and
Should take place within the first week. County
Performance review forms, along with those of
the library system, are explained. Instruction is
Siven on library policies and procedures concern-
Ing the microcomputers, operation of online public
access catalogs, loan periods, and issuing of
Patron cards. The employee is given an up-to-date
Copy of the complete library procedures, policies,
and guidelines manual to begin reading. In addi-
tion to those previously mentioned, staff read the
following areas of the manual first: the ChildrenTs
Programming Guidelines, the Safe Child Policy,
and regulations concerning public relations re-
quests. These are all of immediate need in order
to provide accurate information to the public on
frequently asked questions. In the course of the
next few weeks the entire manual is read. While a
staff member may not use all procedures regularly
to perform his job, knowing the scope of the
manual allows him to give referrals to patrons
quickly when needed.
... training is an ongoing
process. The individual knows
immediately that both he and
the library system are in a
partnership with the goal of
making him a valued
employee.
Often personnel in the department are asked
questions about materials in the adult fiction,
North Carolina State and Local History Room,
and the North Carolina Foreign Language Center
since these are on the same floor as childrenTs
services. Staff spend a couple of hours reviewing
the scope of materials and services in these areas,
at their leisure, during the first months on the job.
This orientation enables childrenTs services per-
sonnel to make suggestions to patrons. Arrange-
ments are also made for an indepth orientation of
the audiovisual department during the first four
weeks, since this department is also on the same
floor as childrenTs services. Because staff members
use audiovisual materials in their programs, this
tour helps them learn the collection, which then
facilitates program planning.
A basic knowledge of the circulation areas is
helpful in order to provide the very best service.
While childrenTs services staff do not routinely
perform these duties, they may need to opitch-in�
while at a branch so that patrons can be served
speedily. Staff learn procedures for checking in
and out materials, looking up patron records, and
placing reserves. At the headquarters library, staff
try to accompany patrons downstairs to the circu-
lation area when they express specific concerns.
This opersonal touchT is usually remembered when
patrons bring in new business, or later at the
voting polls.
After the employee has been on the job
approximately four weeks, he begins to make an
individual performance plan for the next year.
Using his job description as a guide, the employee
designs measurable goals for tasks such as pro-
cessing materials, reading shelves, changing dis-
plays, performing a set number of programs,
reading childrenTs materials and so forth. Figure 1
Winter 1990"247
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248"Winter 1990
is an example of a plan for a Librarian I (highest
level paraprofessional) in the headquarters chil-
drenTs services department. Note that the plan
includes observation of programs conducted by
all childrenTs services personnel system-wide;
Visiting at least two other library systems in the
State; attending a workshop; reading journal
articles related to various aspects of service; and
also reading childrenTs materials. These activities
Stress that training is an on-going process. The
individual knows immediately that both he and
the library system are in a partnership with the
8oal of making him a valued employee. The per-
formance plan also includes some activity or
Project which personally interests the employee
beyond what is required. This is an important
Motivational tool. An employee will give more to
his job if he sees that he can have fun and reap
Personal rewards for his efforts. During meetings
to discuss the plan, specific dates and times are
Set for training in duties unique to the individual.
Programming is a cornerstone of childrenTs
Services. Training for and evaluation of staff in
this area is of paramount importance. Planning
and practicing to conduct high quality programs
is time-consuming, especially for the new em-
Ployee with little knowledge of the collection. It
Can take up to fifty percent of his time to prepare
three age levels of programs weekly if flannelboard
Stories, puppets or other props must be made;
Stories are presented using the oral tradition;
book talks are utilized; or audiovisual materials
Need to be previewed. Ideally when an individual
begins, he is given four to six weeks to plan and
Observe programs before being assigned a full
Schedule of regular sessions. The employee then
Dlans a full series of programs at one time. This
Practice ensures theme variety and saves time to
browse storytelling sources once with different
topics in mind rather than going through them
tepeatedly. Staff are trained to utilize a variety of
Materials during each program so that children
See the wide range of resources and activities
accessible to them at the public library. This
stills in children a desire to return to explore
the resources further.
New employees also examine the written
Program plans of other staff. Together, the em-
Bloyee and the program creator discuss how
Closely the original plans follow the actual presen-
tation in terms of selection of materials, order of
Use, response from children and so forth. This
~ype of networking or mentoring works very well
'n training, creating a positive oteam spirit� which
is apparent to the public. This attitude translates
to excellent service not only in programs but
readerTs advisory, reference, collection develop-
ment, and other skills. The entire staff is working
for the good of the public.
A Behavioral Observation Scale (BOS) related
to childrenTs programming and services (See
Figure 2) was designed to give employees and
supervisors a common framework upon which
program performance could be assessed and com-
pared to other staff in the system. The goal is a
uniformly high quality of programs throughout
the system. Areas observed include selection of
materials, presentation, and interaction with both
children and adults. During an employeeTs first
year in the headquarters childrenTs department,
the supervisor makes at least two observations of
programs for each age level performed on a
regular basis by the employee (toddler, preschool,
and school age). Initial evaluation is based on
close observation of the audience for their re-
sponse to the staff and the presentation. If the
children are attentive, the manner of presentation
is generally appropriate. Periodic informal ochats�
with parents, children, and teachers are a useful
way to keep abreast of staff progress. Patrons will
state their opinions, both positive and negative, if
they feel that their comments are heard and will
make an impact on service. Hopefully, each staff
member will develop confidence in his abilities
and find a successful style.
One or two days after the program, the obser-
vation is discussed with the employee. This gives
both parties time to assess strengths and areas
needing improvement. It also gives the supervisor
time to think about specific training activities
needed to ensure a continuation of growth. For
example, if the children were unresponsive, the
supervisor may suggest using more vocal variety,
increasing eye contact, or using a different level of
materials. If the youngsters start wiggling around,
an additional fingerplay or body movement should
be considered. The programmer may need to
write into his performance plan a strategy in
which he reads twenty picture books a week or
selects and practices fingerplays at least two
weeks in advance of the program in order to know
them so well that eye contact with children is
maintained. The employee needs to know that
preparation as well as selection is necessary for
an effective presentation.
Staff need the stimulation received from talk-
ing with personnel from outside of this library in
order to keep a continuous flow of new ideas
coming into the system. The Cumberland County
Public Library and Information Center has a
ChildrenTs Services Council which holds quarterly
sessions to review its Programming Guidelines
Winter 1990"249
a a San ec nee
i
10.
sae
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
FIGURE 2
Behavioral Observation Scale
ChildrenTs Services Duties (Programming)
Is friendly to patrons
almost never 1 2 3 45 almost always
Learns quickly and remembers what is taught
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Willing to accept responsibilities
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Maintains ocool� when the unexpected occurs
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Comes up with new program ideas
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Offers readerTs advisory services to children
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Offers reader's advisory services to adults
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Selects a good variety of materials to use in the program
almost never 1 2 3 45 almost always
Keeps supervisor informed of needs and activities
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Selects books/stories suitable to age group
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Selects films or filmstrips suitable to the age group
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Selects activities that are suitable to the age group
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Orders materials, films, etc. allowing adequate time for
previews & purchasing
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Provides prompt, complete and accurate information to
the Community Relations Coordinator
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Learns stories well
almost never 1 2 3 45 almost always
Previews materials prior to finalizing their use in a program
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Arranges program area appropriately and accurately at
least 30 minutes in advance of program
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Tests equipment for proper working order before program
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Exhibits self-confidence during program presentation
(specify behavior)
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Is enthusiastic about the library and shows it
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Program length appropriate for the age (T: 15-20 min/PS:
30-35 min/SA: 45-50 min)
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Sets out extra books and so forth for the children to browse
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Alerts patrons to future events at obase� location and others
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Remembers the name of oregulars� at storytimes by the end
of second program
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Flannelboard stories, fingerplays and songs, and traditional
stories are presented without the use of notes
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Discusses childrenTs behavior out of sight and hearing of
patrons
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
When working on a oteam� presentation, communication
is good between staff
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Does fair share of work in oteam� presentation
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
250"Winter 1990
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44,
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
Manages odifficult� children in a timely and tactful mannet
almost never 1 2 3 45 almost always
Manages odifficult� parents in a timely and tactful manner
almost never 1 2 3 45 almost always
Handles interruptions from other staff patrons in a timely
and tactful manner
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Displays an attitude of really liking children
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Shows enjoyment of doing program
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Does not ask children a lot of questions or drill them on thé
stories, etc.
almost never 1 2 3 45 almost always
Suggests better ways of doing programs/procedures/
services
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Is an interesting storyteller " keeps kids spellbound
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Makes sure publicity about program is distributed in the
library
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always )
Makes sure publicity about the program is distributed in
the community
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
When presenting a picture book story, holds books so all
can see
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always |
Stays in childrenTs areas after program to help children
and adults find things
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Keeps childrenTs shelves neat and orderly
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Recommends titles and subjects for purchase on a regulaf
basis
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Does special things to make childrenTs area inviting "
displays, billboards, mobiles, etc.
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Uses vocal variety and appropriate volume during
presentation of program
almost never 1 2 3 45 almost always
Uses good grammar and proper pronunciation
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Specific things to look for in storytelling
a) speed of presentation suited to story
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
b) pitch of voice suited to story
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
c) eye contact made with audience
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
d) gestures suited to story
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Flannelboard
a) pieces are in order before beginning story
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
b) board is cleared of unnecessary pieces as story
progresses
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
General
a) storyteller settles audience before starting
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
b) storyteller introduces story before beginning
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
c) storyteller is prepared to move quickly to next activity
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
Addresses oregulars� by name after no more than three
programs
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
50. Uses oslack� time on desk to review appropriate materials
almost never 1 2 3 4 5 almost always
eS SOs OOOO"
56-96 97-112 113-168 169-224 225-280
Very poor unsatisfactory satisfactory excellent superior
"an
(available as an ERIC Document) and to give staff
an opportunity to share ideas gleaned from out-
Side, workshops, readings, or personel program-
Ming experiences. These free sessions are open to
Personnel from other library systems (public and
School) in the state. In a tight economy it is
impossible to send all staff to as many workshops
as they would like to attend. Through these in-
house sessions, personnel are kept informed of
Current trends, issues, and techniques. This helps
Maintain a high level of service. By inviting staff
from other libraries, we keep fresh ideas coming
into the system in a cost effective way. The pre-
Sence of school media personnel helps to open up
Communication with those agencies and improve
Services.
Reference service is an important function of
ChildrenTs services. Proper training and evaluation
is essential. Staff must know that the reference
Policy for children is no different from that for
Other library patrons. Service must be friendly,
businesslike and competent. All questions are
important whether the information is for a home-
Work assignment or other use. ChildrenTs infor-
Mation requests usually fall into five types: per-
Sonal readerTs advisory assistance; school assign-
Ments; advice on handling personal problems;
�,�xplanations about the world around them; and
Mstruction in the use of computers and other
library resources. One of the key factors in pro-
Viding information service to children is the staff's
approachability and willingness to hear and
Understand the question being asked. In addition,
4 knowledge of and skill in the use of materials
available and the ability to guide the child to help
himself is of primary importance.
Knowledge of the collection is essential for
Teference work. While the bulk of the shelving in
the childrenTs department is done by pages, all
Staff members are assigned areas to maintain.
Handling materials gives the employee first hand
knowledge of what is available. Often, children do
Not have the time to sit down in the library and
Work; therefore reference books are not as useful
to them as ones from the circulating collection. A
familiarity with heavily used resources, along with
4 strong knowledge of the collection, also helps
the staff answer inquiries when the online catalog
1S down.
Initially, if possible, a new employee is put on
the information desk with another staff member
to observe the reference interview, methodology
and tools used. All reference questions are re-
corded. After a few days (if the employee has not
already brought the questions to the supervisor's
attention) the recording sheets are collected. Each
question is reviewed to see if it was answered
correctly. The methodology used in the search is
examined to see what resources were used and in
what order. This shows whether or not the quick-
est, most thorough technique was used. If the
answer was not found, the supervisor tries to
locate it. After examining the reference sheets,
the supervisor meets with the employee to discuss
them. They review his strengths and point out
resources which might have been overlooked. If
the supervisor was able to answer a question
which stumped the employee and it was in a
resource that the staff used, he is assigned to
examine that title more closely. If the answer was
in another source unfamiliar to the employee, he
spends time reviewing its scope and potential for
future uses. Pairing a new staff member with an
established employee helps to form the oteam
spirit.� It is important, however, that both em-
ployees remain approachable at the desk or the
patron will not feel comfortable asking questions.
As the supervisor, it is important to observe, too,
whether or not the employee has completed the
entire reference transaction. Did he phone other
branches, place a reserve, or try calling outside
agencies? Has the employee asked a co-worker for
assistance? If staffing is available, has the em-
ployee escorted a patron to another department?
At the very least, did he phone the other depart-
ment and alert it that a youngster is being sent for
information assistance? All of these things indi-
cate whether or not the employee is public service
oriented and if he understands the libraryTs role
in developing lifelong library users. They send a
message to the community that the library is an
action organization worthy of support. And they
help youngsters feel positive about themselves
and the library, because building a childTs self-
confidence in his ability to use the resources is
essential in trying to create lifelong library users.
ReaderTs advisory is a challenging and reward-
ing function of childrenTs services " putting the
right book in the hands of a youngster at the best
time for that child. There are many excellent tools
available such as ChildrenTs Catalog and A to Zoo:
Subject Access to ChildrenTs Picture Books to help
with this service. There is, however, no true sub-
stitute for reading the books themselves. The
employee must have a hands-on knowledge of
Winter 1990"251
titles in the collection. Most childrenTs sérvices
staff learn the picture book collection rather
quickly from planning programs and nonfiction
materials from answering reference inquiries. Un-
fortunately, the juvenile novel is often overlooked
due to the time involved in reading each title.
Staying on top of whatTs new in the world of
childrenTs fiction by skimming chapters and
thumbing through dust jackets of new arrivals
helps to keep the staff current in this area.
As employees of a county agency, all library
personnel must attend an orientation session
conducted by Cumberland County Personnel
Department. General county performance evalua-
tion forms are discussed along with employeesT
rights and benefits. The public library system
conducts its own orientation for new staff mem-
bers every two months. Organizational charts for
the county as well as the library system are
reviewed. The library systemTs function in the
community at large is presented. Staff members
visit all headquarters library departments, admin-
istration, and community relations and branch
facilities for a brief overview of operations. Both
of the orientations provide additional insight into
expectations and methods of evaluation. They
provide useful information on the public library
and other child advocacy groups, such as schools
and social services, with which the childrenTs
services department works closely.
By the time a year has passed, the employee
is well versed in programming, reference, and
reader's advisory work with children and adults.
Selection and collection development skills are
sharpened. General knowledge of the entire library
system is developed. Finally, the well trained
childrenTs services worker believes that all children
are entitled to use the resources of the library and
receive the same services as adults. He recognizes
the importance of building a childTs self confidence
in and abilities to use the resources so that the
youngster will become a lifelong library user. The
staff member creates an exciting positive, non-
threatening atmosphere. Finally, the employee is
a confident, well versed public servant who gives
excellent, efficient, and effective services.
Reference
1. Jane Gardner Connor, ChildrenTs Library Services Hand-
book (Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1990), 105.
Selected Bibliography of Materials Useful
in Training ChildrenTs Services Personnel
Association for Library Services to Children. oCompetencies for
Librarians Serving Children in Public Libraries.� Journal
of Youth Services in Libraries 2 (Spring 1989): 219-23.
252"Winter 1990
Association for Library Services to Children Program Support
Publications. (Chicago, IL: American Library Association,
1980-83.) (Nine short pamphlets, each of which focuses
on one aspect of programming.)
#1 oProgramming for Very Young Children.� (1980)
#2 oProgramming for Children with Special Needs.� (1981)
#3 oProgramming to Introduce Adults to ChildrenTs Literature.�
(1981)
#4 oProgramming for ChildrenTs Book Discussion Groups.�
(1981)
#5 oProgramming for Summer.� (1982)
#6 oProgramming with Interpretive Activities.� (1982)
#7 oProgramming for Multicultural Experiences.� (1982)
#8 oProgramming for Three-to-Five-Year-Olds.� (1983)
#9 oProgramming to Help Children Use Media Creatively.� (1983)
Bauer, Caroline Feller. Handbook for Storytellers (Chicago, IIL:
American Library Association, 1977).
Conner, Jane Gardner. ChildrenTs Library Services Handbook
(Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1990).
oMicrocomputers and Library Services to Children and Young
Adults: Parts 1, 2.� Top of the News 39 (Spring and
Summer 1983): 237-81, 307-51.
Pollock, Barbara. Public Library Services for Children (Hamden,
CT: Library Professional Publications, 1988).
Youth Services Advisory Committee 1986-88. Competencies for
Youth Services Librarians (Raleigh, NC: North Carolina
Department of Cultural Resources, Division of State
Library, 1988). a
Bob Skapura, noted author and media coordinator at Clayto?
Valley High School in California, conducted four sessions t?
standing-room-only crowds at this yearTs NCASL conference
in High Point.
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Winter 1990"253
The Role of the Work Plan in
Assessing Staff Development and
Continuing Education Needs for
Library Support Staff
Benjamin F. Speller, Jr. and James N. Colt
Library support employees are expected to
meet both organizational and personal develop-
ment goals as outlined in job descriptions and
performance evaluations. Constantly changing
societal trends and technological development
have seriously affected suppurt employeesT abili-
ties to keep their knowledge, skills, and attitudes
current with the demands of the work environ-
ment. Thus, the work plan has become an impor-
tant mechanism for communicating the library
managerTs expectations of support staff, and the
performance indicators which will be used in
evaluating them. The work plan defines for sup-
port employees the specific criteria that are
viewed by the library as essential to its operational
effectiveness. The work plan for support staff is
an essential component of staff development and
continuing education, and is the major method of
conducting needs assessment for these activities.
A work plan is a process in which employees,
with the assistance of their supervisors, determine
individual goals and critical activities for a speci-
fied period of time. Individual work plans are
determined within the context of organizational
goals and working unit objectives. An important
part of the work planning process consists of iden-
tifying evaluative criteria for critical work activi-
ties and in developing potential strategies for
improvement of work performance and profes-
sional growth.
Historically, the work plan has focused exclu-
sively on goal-oriented activities which occur dur-
ing a specific time frame. The work plan usually
consists of four basic components: 1. determining
organizational and work unit goals, 2. identifying
activities, special projects, and assignments
which will meet individual goals, 3. determining
Benjamin F. Speller, Jr., is Dean of the School of Library and
Information Sciences at North Carolina Central University in
Durham. James N. Colt is Associate Professor in the School of
Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, at
North Carolina A & T State University in Greensboro.
254"Winter 1990
performance expectations and performance
indicators, and indicating the methods used to
collect data, 4. providing a method of performance
appraisal by establishing and defining levels of
performance, developing a rating scale, rating
objectives, and summarizing accomplishments.
What is usually lacking in the work planning
process is the assessment of employee needs for
staff development and continuing education with-
in the context of work performance, career plan-
ning, and long term institutional effectiveness.
Conceptually, the term ostaff development� is open
to many definitions and a variety of interpreta-
tions. For the purpose of this article, staff develop-
ment is defined as any systematic attempt to
direct standard practices of support personnel
toward a clearly identified set of activities asso-
ciated with an organizationTs goals and objectives.
Continuing education is defined as any systematic
attempt to address the learning needs of the indi-
vidual library employee.!
Staff development and continuing education
are the responsibility of both the individual em-
ployee and the employer.� Successful staff devel-
opment programs generally are comprised of
three distinct instructional design components:
needs assessment, development, and evaluation.®
Needs assessment is considered to be the primary
component of a staff development program. It is
defined by Geri McArdie as oa series of activities
conducted to identify problems or other issues in
the work place, and to determine whether training
is an appropriate intervention to meet the organi-
zational needs identified.�*
Needs assessments can be conducted by for-
mal data collection methods such as survey
instruments or by informal means such as indi-
vidual discussions and conferences with staff.
However, once this process has been completed, it
must be determined if the need is a learning or
non-learning one. Larry Davis defines a learning
need as a requirement that can be taught to an
individual. A need that can be solved in some way
other than by learning is considered a non-
learning need.® For example, a specified need for
acquiring a CD-ROM player would not qualify as a
learning need. However, learning how to conduct
a CD-ROM database search would qualify as a
learning need.
All learning needs should be prioritized and
instructional objectives developed for each. At
this time the objectives and methods of assessing
or evaluating the learning outcome should be
specified. This should assure that measurement
outcomes are both provided for, and equated to
their objectives. As objectives are developed, it is
important that they reflect and are consistent
with the objectives that have been outlined in the
employee's work plan.
Once objectives are determined, strategies for
organizing and presenting instruction must be
defined. The planner of staff development has a
variety of strategies from which to choose. Indi-
vidualized, one-on-one consultation with an em-
ployee is one format that can be successful be-
cause it addresses the specific needs or problems
identified by the employee or supervisor. An
example of this activity might relate to a support
employee who is assigned to overseeing the opera-
tion and use of a new photocopier. Step-by-step
operating instructions, related directly to the
employeeTs requirements, can be provided without
interrupting routines of other staff members who
do not share the need for this instruction.
Another successful presentation format for
staff development is the workshop. This strategy
might include large group, small group, and/or
individualized instruction. Within these broad
choices, a variety of modes of presentation is
available. Large group presentations might involve
such choices as lectures or large-screen video
presentations. Small group presentation strategies
might consist of group discussions and simula-
tions. Both strategies could also include individ-
ualized instruction using programmed textbooks
or computer-assisted learning.
FIGURE 1
Model of the Work Plan Process
WORK NEEDS PROGRAM
PLANNING ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVEST PRESENTATION EVALUATION
PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE PHASE
LIBRARY'S
GOALS AND
ACTIVITIES
ORGANIZATIONAL
NEED
INDIVIDUAL'S
GOALS AND
ACTIVITIES
DEFINE
OBJECTIVES
PERFORMANCE
EXPECTATIONS INDIVIDUAL
NEED
PERFORMANCE
APPRAISAL
INDIVIDUALIZED
INSTRUCTION
LARGE GROUP
INSTRUCTION
SMALL GROUP }
INSTRUCTION
ASSESSMENT
OF LEARNING
LECTURES
DISCUSSIONS
SIMULATIONS
DEMONSTRATIONS
MULTIMEDIA
FEEDBACK LOOP
Winter 1990"255
Once the instruction has been completed, it
must be evaluated using the assessment methods
that have been defined during the development of
the instructional objectives. An important element
to include is feedback to both staff participants
and the staff development designer. Some pro-
vision should be made for the employee either to
retake or receive other instruction if the individual
is not successful in meeting the objectives. This
feedback is also important as performance
appraisals are evaluated. In addition to the impor-
tance of feedback to the employee, such feedback
should also provide information to the instruc-
tional designer as to the success of the staff
development activities.
A conceptual model that illustrates the work
planTs role in needs assessment, staff development
and continuing education is presented as Figure
1. The needs assessment phase shows that needs
may be defined by the individual staff member or
the library organization. The program objectives
FIGURE 2-A
Component One of the
Work Plan Process
NEEDS
ASSESSMENT
PHASE
EXAMPLE
The library must increase its
ORGANIZATIONAL after-school childrenTs read-
NEED ing program to provide for
the increased youth popula-
tion in the community.
Each professional librarian
INDIVIDUAL must be familiar with the chil-
NEED drenTs collection in order to
provide reference and
readerTs advisory services.
256"Winter 1990
FIGURE 2-B
Component Two of the
Work Plan Process
PROGRAM
OBJECTIVES
PHASE
EXAMPLE
In order to increase proficiency
in providing childrenTs refer-
ences and reader's advisory
services, each professional
librarian must read and sum-
marize at least 2 J, 1 JNF, and
20 E books per month.
DEFINE
OBJECTIVES
phase indicates the part of the process relating to
defining and stating objectives. The presentation
phase illustrates methods of grouping instruction
as well as examples of modes of content delivery.
The evaluation phase indicates the assessment of
the learning process. A feedback loop extends
from the evaluation phase to 1. presentation, 2.
program objectives, 3. needs assessment, and 4.
the work plan. The feedback element provides the
staff developer and the library organization with
a means of assessing strengths and weaknesses of
each phase of the work planning process.
Examples of how needs assessment for staff
development and continuing education are
derived from a work plan are presented as Figures
2-A through 2-D. An example is provided for each
phase of the work planning process. The examples
begin with the needs assessment phase and end
with the evaluation phase. These examples were
taken from the work performance planning pro-
cess in the ChildrenTs Services Department of the
FIGURE 2-C
Component Three of the
Work Plan Process
PRESENTATION
PHASE
EXAMPLE
INDIVIDUALIZED
INSTRUCTION
Reading the se-
lected books is
SMALLGROUP }} an individualized
INSTRUCTION study activity.
LARGE GROUP
INSTRUCTION
LECTURES
DISCUSSIONS
SIMULATIONS
DEMONSTRATIONS
MULTIMEDIA
The work plan defines for
Support employees the specific
criteria that are viewed by the
library as essential to its
operational effectiveness.
Cumberland County Public Library and Informa-
tion Center. A full description of the work plan is
Presented in the article, oTraining for ChildrenTs
Services� by Gail Terwilliger, in this issue.
The integration of all aspects of staff develop-
ment into work planning enables library managers
to focus on effective use of support employees in
the context of the total human resource plan for
the library. Library managers or supervisors must
understand that staff development and contin-
uing education programs are an essential com-
Ponent of the work planning process. These activ-
ities should be planned using needs assessments,
Sound instructional design elements, effective
presentations, and proper evaluations. A human
resources development program for library sup-
Port staff which includes a work planning process
with a strong staff development component will
receive high marks from the employees and will
be successful in meeting their needs.
References
1. Sheila D. Creth, oStaff Development and Continuing Educa-
tion,� in Sheila Creth and Frederick Duda, Personnel Adminis-
tration in Libraries. 2d ed. (New York: Neal-Shuman Publishers,
1989), 119, 144.
2. Barbara Conroy, Library Staff Development and Continuing
Education (Littleton, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1978),
xii-xiii.
3. Irwin L. Goldstein, Training in Organizations: Needs Assess-
ment, Development and Evaluation (Monterey, California:
Brooks/Cole, 1986).
4. Geri E. H. McArdle, oWhat is Needs Assessment?� Performance
& Instruction 29 (July 1990): 12.
5. Larry Nolan Davis, Planning, Conducting, Evaluating Work-
shops (Austin, Texas: Learning Concepts, 1974), 42. a
iq
FIGURE 2-D
Component Four of the
Work Plan Process
EVALUATION
PHASE
EXAMPLE
Monthly meetings with pro-
fessional librarian and super-
visor to review and summar-
ize books read during the
previous month will serve as
evidence of accomplishing
objective.
ASSESSMENT
OF LEARNING
Winter 1990"257
All I Really Needed to Know
I Didn't Learn in Library School
Lois Walker
Having just completed eight months as a
professional librarian, I have acquired knowledge
and attitudes I did not possess when I graduated
from library school. Conversations with other
beginning reference librarians have shown me I
am not alone in my experience as a new librarian.
With this in mind, I thought it might be helpful for
those still pre-employed or those on the verge of
graduation to be aware of what awaits them.
Two weeks after I began my job, I was
assigned my first reference desk hours. Although I
had taken basic and advanced reference courses,
I still felt inadequate. I was comforted by the fact
there was another librarian on the desk with me.
She and I would consult on difficult questions. If I
drew a complete blank on a query, I would refer
the question to my more experienced colleague.
It doesnTt work that way.
I quickly discovered that reference skills are
primarily learned on the hoof. At the times I was
most desperate for assistance, the other reference
librarian was either a) off helping someone else,
b) working on her collection management duties,
or c) watching to see how I handled the question.
Much of the time, though, there was no one
else to turn to. I work in a smaller library and was
often on the desk by myself. It was then I was
confronted with the truly thorny matters. How do
you change the ribbon on the printer? Where are
the ribbons kept? These sort of problems generally
come up five minutes before closing and the
student has to have the printout tonight. You will
find yourself going through cabinets and desk
drawers, having both the opportunity and the
embarrassment of finding many personal items
along the way to the ribbons.
Once you are able to answer a few questions
correctly and to change a ribbon, you will be faced
with other problems. Of particular interest is the
situation in which a patron tries to make you his
personal librarian. The patron reads the name tag
you wear so briskly and efficiently, and each time
he calls or comes to the desk thereafter, he asks
for you by name. He leaves messages for you to
Lois Walker is Reference/ILL Librarian for Dacus Library,
Winthrop College, Rock Hill, South Carolina.
258"Winter 1990
return his calls, and he refuses to deal with other
librarians. Since he is unaware what hours you
are assigned to the reference desk, he will call
anytime to ask you to look up something for him.
You cast back in your mind to classroom solutions
to the oproblem patron� and discover the oAdopt-
a-LibrarianT� situation was never discussed.
Another situation that arises is onew place
disorientation.� I have been asked simple ques-
tions, but cannot call to mind the name of the
reference book that holds the answer. I could go
right to it at the library in my library school, but
here the shelves are laid out at different angles.
The light diffracts differently through these win-
dows. Small, subtle changes, but confusing none-
theless. You donTt have a ofeel� for the place yet.
At a conference I attended recently, Will
Manley began his presentation by asking how
many of those present worked in libraries that
were overstaffed. The question was met with
laughter. He then inquired how many librarians
didnTt have enough to do. More laughter. The point
is well taken. As a professional librarian, you will
never have enough time. While you are trying
desperately to compile statistics that were due
last week and are racing from the copy machine
to your office, a patron will stop you with a oquick
question.� You will soon learn the label oquick�
applies to the amount of time it takes to ask the
question. It will take a mere fifteen seconds to ask.
Answering may require half an hour.
You will also be challenged by questions that
you could probably answer if you only understood
them. The owhat is she saying?� dilemma can be
painful. You want to help the patron, and she is
very eager to convey her request, but language is a
barrier. This is one instance when you can fall
back on reference class knowledge. You recall
being told to ask a foreign student to write down
the question. You ask. She writes. Then you canTt
read her writing.
Another language barrier that exists between
you and the patron is library jargon. In your
papers and speeches at library school, words such
as ocitation� and oonline catalog� won praise.
When you use those same phrases with students,
you may find yourself looking at a blank face.
Patrons will seldom use the terminology you have
become so comfortable with, and they won't
understand you when you use it. You suggest the
patron use oCD-ROM.� He asks, oWhat are ~seedy
romsT?� You ask another patron if she has tried
ERIC, and she asks who he is.
The phone. You accept the job believing your
library will have a policy regarding telephone
reference. After all, you know from your library
classes that all libraries have written and specific
policies about everything. When you ask about
policies, however, you will be handed some yellow
pages and a cheerful admonition that they are
out of date and not to pay too much attention to
them. The policy is in the process of being revised.
Policy, you will learn, is always in the process of
being revised.
... reference skills are
primarily learned on the hoof.
Another new facet for most of you is that you
will be supervising. Most librarians have a Library
Technical Assistant or students reporting to them.
Library management courses discuss such worthy
matters as orbital management, but do not
address how to deal with student workers who
hide in the stacks and eat candy or what to say to
the student who calls in to say she cannot come to
work because it is raining.
You will also be subjected to committees.
There will be campus-wide committees including
the academic study committee, the undergraduate
education committee, and the committee to over-
see the committees. Just when you think you are
going to have an afternoon free to catch up, you
will look at your calendar and discover you are
supposed to be in a meeting at that very moment.
Not all committees will be academic or eso-
teric. You may be selected for the library gift com-
mittee. You foolishly think this the least important
of your committees. If, however, you fail to buy
one shower gift, you will learn otherwise. The
colleague who just had the new baby and did not
receive a gift will never again cover your desk
hours or bring you homemade brownies.
Part and parcel of this lack of time is the need
to be flexible. You will quickly discover that almost
any task you begin will be interrupted. You will
not be able to divide your time into neat little
segments the way you could in library school.
Then, you could sit down in your dorm room or at
the library and devote as much time as you
needed or wanted to your Academic Freedom
class. Your time was your own. It won't be any-
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more. Your neat desk will dissolve in clutter, and
every time you turn your back someone will throw
a stack of papers on top. Five months from now,
you will uncover three oRush� memos.
Finally, you will be doing a certain amount of
grub work. You will be moving tables, setting up
exhibits, and, yes, even picking up trash in the
library. You may also become involved in some
interesting projects. How many have ever had the
opportunity to collect dead roaches for the
preservation librarianTs display?
All this lies ahead. The only thing you have to
refer back to is a couple of reference courses, a bit
of online searching, and some collection develop-
ment. Once you begin work in a library, you will
truly discover that all you really needed to know
they didnTt teach you in library school. a
iq
Winter 1990"259
Reference 101: Survival Training
for Paraprofessionals
Julie White and Mary McAfee
In 1982, the Northwest North Carolina Li-
brary Council decided to offer a reference work-
shop for paraprofessional staff in area libraries
who were required to handle reference queries.
We enthusiastically agreed to present part of this
workshop, since we enjoyed our own reference
duties and worked hard to provide excellent
service. We had no idea, however, of the tremen-
dous need which existed in North Carolina for
training of this kind. After eight years of preparing
and conducting these workshops throughout the
State, with requests for more sessions each year,
we came to realize that there existed an urgent,
on-going need for basic, thorough, othis is what itTs
really like out there� reference training for the
large number of paraprofessionals with no library
background, who are asked to handle reference
questions. What follows is a brief history of the
evolution of Mary and JulieTs traveling show.
Introduction
There is no doubt that paraprofessionals are
doing much of the reference that is being done in
public libraries. A 1989 study dealing with the
training and use of paraprofessionals for refer-
ence work in public libraries found that reference
desks are staffed by personnel ranging from
librarians with M.L.S. degrees to persons with
high school diplomas, no training in reference
beyond what was learned on the job, and no help
available to them from a professional.! Only one-
fourth of the libraries studied DO NOT normally
use paraprofessionals for reference. �
The average library patron has no idea of the
qualifications or background of the person handl-
ing his reference transaction. To most of the
world, the person sitting behind the reference
desk is the librarian, and very often the impression
of the library that the patron will take away
depends entirely on the success of the reference
transaction. There is no allowance given for in-
accurate, misunderstood or incomplete answers
Julie White is Assistant Director of the Athens Regional
Library in Athens, Georgia. Mary McAfee is Assistant Director
of the Extension Division of the Forsyth County Public Library
in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
260"Winter 1990
to reference questions because the oreal� reference
librarian was not on duty. If public libraries
profess to offer reference service, every patron
has the right to expect professional-level service
which is consistent and comprehensive regardless
of what staff member is assigned to respond to
reference inquiries. And, from a public relations
standpoint, the public library may get only one
chance to prove that its services are a unique and
valuable asset to the community. A disappointing
experience at the reference desk might convince
our public that our services are not worthy of
community and financial support.
Some surveys suggest that up to eighty per-
cent of all inquiries received at public library
reference desks can be handled by well-trained
paraprofessionals.T However, there is very little in
the literature to suggest that public libraries offer
any degree of formal training to staff expected to
handle these duties. Even in academic libraries,
seventy-three percent of institutions report that
paraprofessionals learn reference sources oon the
job� or by a brief period of observation at the
desk.*
Paraprofessionals working in libraries requir-
ing them to handle reference inquiries without
training are being placed in a highly stressful situ-
ation with very little chance to succeed. Conse-
quently, they often face their scheduled time with
apprehension and dread and, far from the desired
behavior of approaching patrons to initiate con-
tact, they sit hoping that no one will approach the
desk to ask a question. When questions are asked,
the untrained library worker will often take the
shortest route to finishing the transaction, some-
times neglecting the best source because it may be
one with which she/he is not familiar.
How Training Helps
The benefits of training in the area of refer-
ence for paraprofessionals extend beyond the
obvious gain in knowledge of reference materials
and methods of interviewing and searching. Pro-
fessional librarians take for granted our many
opportunities to interact and otalk shop� with our
peers. Paraprofessionals are rarely given the
chance to talk with others who work in similar
Settings with many of the same problems, frustra-
tions and doubts. A great deal of comfort is
derived from the knowledge that patrons and
reference problems are the same everywhere. We
are all frustrated by poorly planned school assign-
ments, often brought to us by the parents instead
of the students; by lonely individuals who call
reference for companionship; and by the countless
eccentric individuals and overwhelming requests
that, we are amazed to realize, are not unique to
our library. It does help to feel that we are all in
this together.
Attending library workshops provides a
morale boost for most participants. A change in
scenery is usually welcome, and the fact that the
library recognizes the importance of its parapro-
fessionals by investing both time and money in
their training contributes to a feeling of being
valued by oneTs employer. With turnover among
library paraprofessionals three times as great as
among librarians,® it would be to the benefit of
libraries to acknowledge the vital roles these em-
ployees play in an effort to keep a consistent staff.
Discussions of library policies and procedures,
problem patrons, and solutions to common di-
lemmas serve to make these staff members feel
more a part of their own institutions.
By far the greatest benefit derived from refer-
ence training is the confidence instilled in each
individual. The library is able to offer better refer-
ence service when paraprofessional employees
have more knowledge of sources and search pro-
cedures as well as the self-assurance to approach
patrons needing assistance. The employee does a
better job and at the same time enjoys it more.
The Workshop
In planning the workshop, our first order of
business was to decide what we would cover and
how we would go about covering it. Based on our
own library school reference courses and our on-
the-job experience, we came up with what we
thought was most important to know before
facing the public at the reference desk. We devel-
oped a course outline which included sources, the
reference interview, reference situations, and
activities related to all of these. The division of
duties came about naturally as a result of our
backgrounds and special interests.
The workshop has never been presented the
Same way twice. It has evolved over time as we
attempted to respond to suggestions and requests
from participants. We always want our presenta-
tion to meet specific needs as nearly as possible.
Some elements, however, are included in each
workshop. Our source list, updated frequently to
include the most current and relevant materials,
is always the backbone of the course. We con-
stantly worry that participants will perish of
boredom as we describe page after page of refer-
ence books, but we are always surprised and
pleased to learn that this is a favorite aspect of
the course for many. We mention every source on
the list, describing the scope, arrangement, special
features, recency, and common uses. Some titles
are self-explanatory; others, such as business and
legal sources, offer a more formidable challenge
and take quite a bit of time to discuss and explain.
Paraprofessionals working in
libraries requiring them to
handle reference inquiries
without training are being
placed in a highly stressful
situation with very little
chance to succeed.
Because each library represented at the work-
shop owns a variety of reference tools which we
are not able to cover, we include tips on how to
look at a source, enabling participants to return
to their libraries and evaluate materials in their
collections. We also discuss non-book sources "
such as hard-to-find files, annual report collec-
tions, resource people, and other libraries "
which play a vital role in the provision of reference
service, especially in libraries where funds for
materials are limited. We share ideas for search
strategies designed to locate answers in the most
efficient and comprehensive way.
Some participants seem less than thrilled
upon learning that our course usually includes
some form of ohomework.� The assignments that
we distribute are designed to ensure that each
participant has the opportunity to work with
most of the sources on our list. Depending on the
workshop schedule, homework is handled in
different ways. When the two-day workshop is
held on successive Fridays, students take ques-
tions home to their own libraries and search for
answers there. On two consecutive days, work-
shop time is allocated for students to use the
resources of the host library. We designed differ-
ent sets of questions for different purposes. Again,
we have been surprised over the years to find that
many participants select homework as their
favorite aspect of the training.
Winter 1990"261
Another well-received element of the training
involves small group discussions of common situa-
tions faced in reference service. We developed a
list of such situations drawn from our own experi-
ences to facilitate discussion and sharing among
our participants. In encouraging discussions of
common frustrations and policy questions, we
hope that our students begin to feel a collegial
relationship with their peers in other libraries
and realize that they are not alone in experiencing
doubts and difficulties. We are frequently asked
for the oright� answers to these situational di-
lemmas. While there are no oright� or owrong�
answers, we often share our own philosophies of
service, as well as various policies we have heard
about, in order to demonstrate the service atti-
tudes we hope to promote. We hasten to add that
many factors determine the optimum handling of
any given situation, and each case calls for some
degree of judgment on the part of the library staff,
as well as interpretation of existing library
policies.
The final, and in some ways most important,
aspect of the training is our discussion of the
reference interview. Our material for this topic is
a combination of training we received based on
the state of MarylandTs reference procedures, pro-
fessional literature on the subject, and our com-
bined years of experience. Numerous studies point
to the importance of the reference interview in
determining the success of the entire reference
transaction; therefore we spend a significant
amount of time teaching and coaching effective
techniques to improve communications between
the staff member and the patron. We demonstrate
several examples of techniques designed to draw
information from the patron, and often our stu-
dents volunteer to role-play for the other
participants.
Looking back, we realize that each of our
workshops has had a distinctive personality, and
our sessions have taken a variety of directions. We
have tried to remain flexible enough to be able to
change directions in midstream if it seemed to be
necessary. Every group has responded a little
differently, and we have tried to tailor our pre-
sentation to fit each groupTs particular needs.
Because we are reference practitioners in our
everyday lives, we believe that we have been able
to relate to the participants in a way that makes it
easier to encourage a free exchange of ideas.
Because we all had experienced some of the very
same situations, we shared a basic level of under-
standing.
We really do believe that the benefits of these
workshops have been felt by many libraries in
262"Winter 1990
North Carolina. Paraprofessionals assigned to
provide reference service in these libraries have a
better awareness of reference sources " both
those in their own collections and those in other
libraries. They are better able to use the books,
and know where to look for answers. There is a
little more confidence now " a willingness to field
whatever comes along, with no excuses. We have
tried to instill the value of reference service and a
sense of pride in libraries. We came together to
examine and demystify the intriguing, sometimes
aggravating, and ever-changing world of reference
librarianship and, in the process, we gained a
great deal. We have established professional
friendships all over the state. We have laughed a
lot. We have learned even more.
References
1. Elizabeth Futas, oCurrent Issues in Reference and Adult
Services,� Reference Quarterly (Spring 1990): 328-31.
2. Ibid.
3. Martin P. Courtois and Lori A. Goetsch, oUse of Nonprofes-
sionals at Reference Desks,� College and Research Libraries 45
(September 1984): 385-91.
4, Ibid.
5. Herbert S. White, Managing the Special Library: Strategies
Sor Success Within the Larger Organization (Boston: G. K. Hall,
1984). |
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Staff Development in North
CarolinaTs Public Libraries:
The Paraprofessional Perspective
Duncan Smith
The human resource development system
operating in North CarolinaTs public libraries
appears to place tremendous responsibility on the
employee. In fact, it appears that employees must
motivate themselves, request permission to parti-
cipate in staff development, assist in identifying
the need for particular activities, and assume
responsibility for implementing what they have
learned with minimum support from their organ-
ization.
The purpose of this article is to explore the
experiences of paraprofessionals in North Caro-
linaTs public libraries with staff development. It
builds on a previous study which explored the
staff development efforts of North CarolinaTs pub-
lic libraries from the perspective of directors. By
comparing the results of these two studies, a
picture of the stateTs public library training infra-
structure is developed. By otraining infrastruc-
ture,� I mean the human resource development
system that is operating in the state. This system
consists of the strategies and techniques used to
develop North Carolina public library staff.
This article consists of two main parts. The
first part is a brief review of the directorsT perspec-
tive. The second part discusses the paraprofes-
sionalsT perspective including their experiences
with: (1) orientation, (2) on-the-job training, and
(3) access to continuing education opportunities
outside the library.
DirectorTs Perspective
oStaff Development in North Carolina's Public
Libraries: Needs, Opportunities, and Commit-
ment,� reported on a survey of North CarolinaTs
public library directors.' It sought to determine
the present state of staff development in the
stateTs public libraries. Several of its findings have
direct bearing on the current study. These include
responsibilities for (a) staff development, (b) staff
Duncan Smith is Continuing Education Coordinator for the
School of Library and Information Sciences at North Carolina
Central University in Durham.
development strategies, (c) needs assessment, (d)
evaluation, and (e) follow-up.
In the area of responsibility for staff develop-
ment programs, several issues were explored.
These consisted of determining who has respon-
sibility
@ for the provision of staff development,
® for planning staff development,
® for participating in staff development, and
® for motivating individuals to participate
in staff development.
The vast majority of public library directors en-
couraged all levels of staff to participate in staff
development because of the belief that the library
has a responsibility for providing staff develop-
ment opportunities. Public library directors feel
that the library staff has the responsibility for
participating in staff development and for seeking
it. This means that, from the directorTs perspec-
tive, it is the employeesT responsibility to initiate
the request for staff development.
This placing of responsibility on the employee
is further reinforced by the factors used by library
directors to determine whether or not an indi-
vidual will be allowed to participate in a staff
development activity. The two top factors used by
public library directors to determine this were (1)
the interest and potential of the learner and (2)
the expression of need by the potential learner.
The directors rely heavily on ointrinsic motivators�
for participation in staff development. The two
most commonly used motivators were esteem and
ocredit� in performance review. Note, however,
that ointrinsic motivators� work only if employees
desire the directorTs esteem and praise.
Directors employ a variety of strategies for
meeting the staff development needs of their
employees. The two most popular are workshops
and on-the-job training. The public library direc-
torTs study did not discuss employee orientation
as part of staff development. However, the impor-
tance off employee orientation cannot be under-
estimated, especially when discussing the para-
professional population. Also only fifty percent of
Winter 1990"263
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264"Winter 1990
the directors identified coaching as a staff devel-
opment strategy currently in use in their libraries.
Coaching in a library setting would consist of
observing a trainee use a new skill in the work
environment and then providing feedback on the
spot about what was done successfully and what
could be improved.
Before we examine these findings from the
paraprofessional perspective, however, we need
to define the paraprofessional population which
participated in this study.
Study Population
This study focused on paraprofessionals
working in North Carolina public libraries. In
order to obtain a sample of North Carolina para-
professionals the membership list of the North
Carolina Library Paraprofessional Association, a
roundtable of the North Carolina Library Asso-
ciation, was used. All members of this roundtable
received a mailing which consisted of a flyer
advertising the dates, locations, and times of
focus groups and a cover letter explaining the
purpose of these focus groups. While participation
in the groups was not limited to members of the
North Carolina Library Paraprofessional Associa-
tion, a large number were members. (Membership
in the North Carolina Library Paraprofessional
Association is open to anyone working in or inter-
ested in libraries. In order to join the roundtable,
however, one must also join the North Carolina
Library Association. )
The individuals involved in this study have
demonstrated that they are very motivated and
personally committed to their own growth and
development. Given that only a small percentage
of paraprofessionals join the roundtable we can
assume that this study's population is very much
more willing to assume responsibility for partici-
pating in and initiating requests for staff develop-
ment than the paraprofessional population as a
whole.
Twenty-five public library paraprofessionals,
all female, make up the population. They range in
age from 29 to 59 years with a median age of 42.8
years. In terms of library experience, they have
between 2.67 to 29 years of library experience
with a median of 10.5 years of library experience
and have spent between 0.75 and 20 years in their
present job classifications, with a median of 4.4
years in their present classifications. Their educa-
tional achievements range from high school grad-
uation only to pursuit of the Master of Library
Science degree (high school graduate only, ten
percent, some college but no degree, twenty-five
percent; an associateTs degree, thirty percent; a
bachelorTs degree, thirty-five percent). In terms of
participation in formal library science course-
work, seventy-three percent had never partici-
pated in formal coursework at any level, and nine
percent had participated in formal coursework at
the community college, nine percent at under-
graduate and nine percent at graduate levels.
Fifteen percent indicated that they were inter-
ested in pursuing the Master of Library Science
degree, seventy percent indicated that they were
not, ten percent were currently enrolled, and five
percent indicated that they might pursue the
masterTs at a later date. Ninety percent of study
participants indicated participation in library
related workshops.
The individuals involved in this study come
from all sizes and types of public libraries. Munici-
pal libraries, regional library systems, as well as
county systems are represented in this study.
... from the directorTs per-
spective, it is the employeesT
responsibility to initiate the
request for staff development.
Study participants are currently working in both
branch library and main library settings. Outreach
settings are also represented by a participant who
has responsibility for her library's bookmobile
service. Staff size for the employing institutions of
study participants ranges from 1.5 to 234 full-time
equivalents, with from 0-60 professionals and
from 1.5 to 164 paraprofessionals.
Paraprofessional Perspective
Focus group meetings were held to determine
the staff development experiences of paraprofes-
sionals in North CarolinaTs public libraries; these
followed the techniques and strategies outlined in
oEducational Needs Assessment: Group Interview
Technique,� by Suzanne Mahmoodi and others.�
Each focus group lasted approximately three
hours and concentrated on the continuing educa-
tion needs and concerns of the group members.
Each group was asked to discuss experiences in
orientation, on-the-job training, and access to
continuing education activities outside the library.
Each group had an individual who served as a
recorder and took notes. The following discussion
is based on examination of the reports submitted
by these three individuals as well as my own notes.
Winter 1990"265
Orientation
In her book, Effective On-the-Job Training,
Sheila Creth provides an orientation checklist.
This checklist includes the working conditions
that supervisors should cover with a new em-
ployee. Topics covered on the checklist include
job duties, physical surroundings, hours of work,
leave, compensation, evaluation, benefits, and em-
ployee rights and responsibilities.2 This checklist
is intended to be used by a supervisor in a one-on-
one orientation session. Another type of orienta-
tion program is provided by the Milwaukee Public
Library (MPL). In its Human Resource Develop-
ment Program Procedure Manual the following
description of MPLTs orientation program is
provided:
A formal orientation program to the Milwaukee Public
Library System and Milwaukee County Federated Library
System is offered by-monthly to all new library staff
members. Speakers include the City Librarian, Deputy
City Librarian, Assistant City Librarian for Central
Library, the Personnel Officer, and Head of Circulation.
Information provided includes the role of libraries in
society, current and future library trends on the local
and national level, the mission of MPL and its long range
goals, and the role staff members play in meeting the
library's mission and goals. Participants are given an
overview of the organization of the Milwaukee Public
Library System and the Milwaukee County Federated
Library System, including governance and financial sup-
port. Speakers and a slide show presentation provide
information on the operations and service of the Central
Library and Extension Services Bureau. The overriding
message conveyed is that the personTs job is important to
the succéssful operation of the library. Participants also
have an opportunity to review written orientation mate-
rials they received when they began employment and to
learn of the services provided by the Library Personnel
Office.
These two strategies demonstrate the breadth
of strategies that can be used in library orienta-
tion programs. Based on participantsT comments,
it is apparent that a wide range orientation strate-
gies are in use in North CarolinaTs public libraries.
The orientation experiences of study participants
varied widely. In some libraries, orientation re-
ceives formal, structured attention. In others,
orientation consists of a walk through the library
with a co-worker. In discussing their orientation
experiences, the paraprofessionals found orienta-
tion to be frequently sketchy and overwhelming in
some cases; largely self-instructional, consisting
mostly of information about salary and benefits;
and, as it existed in most circumstances, largely
ineffective and not worthwhile. Participants
stated that orientation would be improved and
more useful if it was spread out over more than
one day and if there were provisions for follow-up
266"Winter 1990
meetings where new questions could be explored
and discussed.
Orientation is especially important for para-
professional staff since most have not had the
benefit of formal library education courses that
would provide them with an overview of librarian-
ship, the professionTs mission, and specifically the
mission of the library in which they are about to
work. When asked what type of information a
structured orientation program should contain,
participants stated that the libraryTs mission
statement, how this statement relates to the com-
munity, salary and benefits, the individual's job
description and its relationship to the larger
organization, and the systemTs procedures should
be included. Several stated that their library had
improved its orientation program since they began
working. They also stated that, whenever signifi-
cant changes occur either in the library's mission
or in the content of the orientation program, all
library employees, not just new employees, should
be informed.
On-the-Job Training
The second item explored in this study is on-
the-job training. Creth states that oThe primary
objective of job training is to bring about a change
" an increase in knowledge, the acquisition of a
skill, or the development of confidence and good
judgment. Job training is not successful unless the
person can do something new or different or
demonstrate a change in behavior.�* For parapro-
fessionals most training is on-the-job training.
Therefore, it is vitally important that on-the-job
training be a primary focus of anyone responsible
for the training and development of paraprofes-
sionals. On-the-job training is frequently an infor-
mal process, with no evaluation, little standardi-
zation, and less follow-up. Participants felt that,
in most cases, they had to initiate the request for
on-the-job training, and they would like to see
management assume a more active role. The
participants seem to feel that they are largely
responsible for their own training, and several
individuals refer to the self-directed nature of
their learning on the job.
Two specific examples may help to illuminate
the range of on-the-job experiences discussed by
study participants. In one case a new employee
received her training in shelving from a co-worker.
At no point in this process did her supervisor
check on her training or on her performance. A
year later, this employee viewed a film that dis-
cussed shelving and learned on her own she had
been shelving books incorrectly. In another case,
an employee had received both a promotion and a
transfer to another department. Her new respon-
sibilities included assisting library patrons in
doing in-depth research. She stated that in her
new position library personnel communicated
very clearly what was expected of her, gave her
materials to study, and stated that they were
there for her if she needed help. She further
stated that she appreciated not only the clear
direction and expectation communicated by her
supervisor, but also the consideration given to her
learning style. This individual preferred to learn
independently and seek assistance when she
needed it. The library personnel involved in her
training understood this and encouraged her to
learn in the way she learned best.
On-the-job training is
frequently an informal
process, with no evaluation,
little standardization, and less
follow-up.
Participants also felt that follow-up for on-
the-job training needed improvement. Several
participants stated that after training, they re-
ceived little or no reinforcement or evaluation.
The importance of follow-up has been identified
and discussed in oImproving Inservice Training:
The Message of Research,� by Bruce Joyce and
Beverly Showers.® In their review of over two
hundred investigations on training, Joyce and
Showers discovered that in order for inservice
training to be effective it must include exposure
to theory, demonstration, practice, feedback, and
experience in using new skills in the setting for
which the training was designed. Joyce and
Showers also discuss the concept of coaching.
Coaching was a vital part of the State of Mary-
landTs very successful reference training program.
In Maryland libraries where staff received this
training, reference accuracy increased from fifty-
five to seventy-seven percent. In facilities where
trainees received intensive peer coaching followed
by intermittent coaching and supervisory support,
reference accuracy increased to ninety-five per-
cent.� If, as Creth states, the purpose of training is
to bring about a change in performance, on-the-
job training in the stateTs public libraries must
make marked improvements in the area of follow-
up and reinforcement if it is to be effective. Failure
to do so will only result in a greatly reduced
return on the library's investment of time, energy,
and money in on-the-job training.
Access to Outside Training
The vast majority of public libraries in North
Carolina uses a combination of in-house and
external resources for meeting the training and
staff development needs of their staffs. If the
stateTs libraries are committed to the provision of
staff development opportunities for all staff, then
paraprofessionals must have access to workshop
opportunities that are conducted outside of the
libraries in which they are employed. Participants
were asked to discuss their access to outside
training.
In general, they stated that they were allowed
to attend workshops if they initiated the request.
Most learned about workshop offerings on their
own and rarely received suggestions for workshop
attendance from their supervisors. In addition,
most found that it was frequently difficult to
learn about workshops in a timely manner since
the majority of information about workshop offer-
ings was contained in literature that was routed
through the system. Several stated that since they
had joined the North Carolina Paraprofessional
Association, they had begun receiving their own
copies of these materials. This service had greatly
increased their access to information about what
workshops were available.
Again, most participants stated that there
was little or no follow-up as a result of participa-
tion in a workshop or staff development activity.
While some were required to make written or oral
reports about what they had learned, most came
back from a workshop with no responsibility to
communicate or implement what they had
learned. In fact, one participant stated that she
frequently came back to work all opumped up�
with what she had learned and was ready to
implement some of that knowledge in the work-
place, but no one seemed interested in what she
had learned. As a result, she also felt that many of
the good ideas for improving library service were
never implemented.
This lack of follow-up is not limited to the
public libraries of North Carolina. Mary Broad, in
her article, oManagement Action to Support Trans-
fer of Training,� asked 105 American Society for
Training and Development (ASTD) non-student
chapter presidents to review 74 actions manage-
ment could take to support the transfer of train-
ing to the job. The ASTD chapter presidents
rated seventy-one (ninety-six percent) of the
behaviors as being important for the transfer of
training to the workplace. This group also stated
that while ninety-six percent of these behaviors
were important, they had only actually observed
forty-nine percent of them in use in practice.
Winter 1990"267
A further finding of BroadTs study is the
importance of the supervisor in the transfer of
training. Of the seventy-four behaviors listed by
Broad, sixty (eighty-one percent) were listed as
being the responsibility of the supervisor. The
specific supervisor behaviors listed by Broad in
the area of follow-up include:
© Involves trainees in work-related decisions
based on new training
© Has regular individual conferences with
trainees back on the job
© Approves regular meetings of groups of
trainees to discuss use of new behaviors
© Informs trainee of regularly increased ex-
pectations for levels of job performance
© Gives positive reinforcement for desired
trainee performance
© Regularly announces data on traineeTs use
of new behaviors
© Requests reports from trainees on new
skills, knowledge on job
© Arranges later follow-up workshop for
trainee reports on projects, action plans
© Provides occasional practice sessions for
important but seldom used skills
© Sends copies of training proceedings
and/or evaluations to trainees
© Circulates newsletter among trainees to
share ideas, actions back on job®
Broad further states that not all of these
behaviors are intended for use in all situations.
They are listed here merely to provide readers
with an overview of the wide range of behaviors
that support the transfer of training to the work-
place.
Conclusion
Both public library directors and public li-
brary paraprofessionals seem to agree that each
has some responsibility for staff development.
Both also agree on their respective roles. Directors
feel they have a responsibility to provide staff
development when it is requested by staff; para-
professionals feel they get staff development
opportunities if they request them. Based on this
study, this system appears to have two basic flaws.
First of all, self-initiation places a tremendous
responsibility on the employee. As pointed out,
the participants in this study are unusually highly
motivated. These individuals were clear about
their preference for more management involve-
ment in their staff development. Specifically these
individuals want management to discuss potential
staff development opportunities with them, assist
268"Winter 1990
them in setting learning objectives, consult with
them about what was learned, and support them
in implementing their new learning on the job. If
these self-starters feel the need for more support
from their managers, what must individuals who
lack this initiative feel? The consequences, for the
vast majority of paraprofessionals, of this com-
ponent of the public library training infrastruc-
ture is that the system denies access to staff
development. It denies access by forcing the indi-
viduals with the least power in our libraries to ask
individuals with the most power for something for
themselves.
Pea I ae ah i ils
... these individuals want
management to discuss poten-
tial staff development oppor-
tunities with them, assist
them in setting learning objec-
tives, consult with them about
what was learned, and support
them in implementing their
new learning on the job.
6 EN ae aS nad SRA Ne
Secondly, it appears that the role played by
supervisors in staff development needs to be
strengthened. On several occasions participants
stated that they received little guidance or follow-
up, but both Creth and Broad state that these
responsibilities belong to library managers and
supervisors. Managers and supervisors must
assess their perceptions about their role and their
skills in the area of human resource development.
Failure to do this and to assume an active role in
assisting the growth and development of all staff
members will only result in libraries that are ill
prepared for what is becoming an increasingly
gloomy future.
There is no question that the stateTs parapro-
fessionals are highly motivated to pursue staff
development activities. In fact, as a group they
expressed stronger motivations for continuing
education than did professionals. This same
highly motivated group has requested the assis-
tance and support of management in their con-
tinued growth and development. Thus, the adop-
tion by management of a more consultative rela-
tionship with its paraprofessional staff in the area
of staff development would result in a stronger
training infrastructure for North CarolinaTs public
libraries.
AuthorTs note: The author wishes to thank Dr. Pauletta
Bracy, Meralyn Meadows, and Judith Stoddard, who served as
recorders for the focus groups in this study. Without their
conscientious efforts, this article could not have been written.
References
1. Duncan Smith, oStaff Development in North Carolina's Public
Libraries: Needs, Opportunities, and Commitment,� North Caro-
lina Libraries 47 (Summer, 1989): 102-110.
2. Suzanne Mahmoodi et al., oEducational Needs Assessment:
Group Interview Technique.� (Minneapolis, MN: 1978) ED
167169: 1-24.
3. Sheila Creth, Effective On-the-Job Training (Chicago: Ameri-
can Library Association, 1986): 117.
4. Judith Zemke, Milwaukee Public LibraryTs Human Resource
Development Program. (Milwaukee, WI: Milwaukee Public
Library, 1990): MPL PMI 865 Sheet 1 continued.
5. Creth, 3.
6. Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers, oImproving Inservice
Training: The Message of Research,� Educational Leadership 37
(February 1980): 379-385.
7. Sandy Stephan et al., oReference Breakthrough in Maryland,�
Public Libraries 27 (Winter 1988): 202.
8. Mary Broad, oManagement Actions to Support Transfer of
Training,� Training and Development Journal 36 (May 1982):
124-130.
9. Ibid., 128.
10. Duncan Smith and Robert Burgin, oThe Motivations of
Librarians for Participating in Continuing Education Programs�
(unpublished paper). a
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Winter 1990"269
WhatTs Standard Operating Procedure?
or, By the Book
- Marie Olson Spencer
I am a firm believer in the usefulness of
procedure manuals. To paraphrase the words of
one of my favorite detectives, Hercule Poirot, oOne
must have the method, Hastings. Without-the
method, there is no order. Without the order, one
can solve nothing. Enfin, one must have method.�
Since the dictionary defines a procedure as oa
particular way of accomplishing something or of
acting,�! and each step (procedure) in an activity
leads to the next until the activity is completed, it
is useful to have written directions documenting
those steps. Perhaps this belief in the validity of
written instructions springs out of my technical
services background. Catalogers refer constantly
to procedure manuals: AACR, Dewey Decimal
Classification, MARC Formats Sor Bibliographic
Data, to name a few. Each of these tools was
developed to solve the very problems that arise
when several people are performing the same
kind of work at different times, in different
circumstances.
Ideally, each staff member should be so well-
versed int all aspects of every library task that she
or he needs no written guidelines; but in the real
world of librarianship, how many of us encounter
the ideal? What happens when half your staff is
stricken with the flu and technical services staff
must substitute at circulation, while the childrenTs
librarian is harriedly manning the reference desk?
Who answers such questions as, oHow do I record
this patronTs check for a damaged book? What do
I do about this audio kit that was returned
without the cassette? Where in the world do they
keep the fax forms and instructions?� Your usual
sources of information, the regular staff members
of these departments, are absent. These substi-
tutes are capable, intelligent people, knowledge-
able about every aspect of their own jobs and
well-versed in general library procedures. But,
each department is different. Adjustments have
to be made for the idiosyncracies of clientele,
physical plant layout, and variations in levels of
technology.
Marie Olson Spencer is Supervisor of Technical Services for
the New Hanover County Public Library in Wilmington.
270"Winter 1990
To be effective, to be efficient, and to be con-
sistent, there must be some written guidelines
available for the staff to consult when questions
arise. This is one use for a procedure manual " a
resource for solving problems.
Training and Teaching Tool
How does one learn to do a job well? Certainly
one of the most effective methods is to watch the
performance of someone who does the task well
and emulate those actions. Actual experience,
walking step-by-step through each aspect of each
task and performing these steps repeatedly can
also be effective. And, of course, one might study
written, detailed discussions of the various aspects
of the job and then attempt to apply these descrip-
tions to the task at hand. In reality, a combination
of all three methods is necessary. But the types of
tasks performed also determine which learning
method " and teaching method " works best.
Manuals are a necessary part of the training
process. For example, watching someone process
a book and then doing the same task is a very
good way to learn how to process materials,
because it is a physical procedure and most effec-
tively learned by doing. Processing can also be a
complex task, and there may be variations in how
your library treats circulating books as opposed
to reference or archival materials. Similarly, items
that are acquired infrequently demand a well-
written procedure manual " something to in-
struct the processor on their handling, so that
when these items do appear, she or he will be able
to process them properly. If the processor is
absent, and materials must go out, the procedure
manual will serve as a resource for whomever is
designated to process materials in the interim.
Manuals are also an integral part of the con-
tinuing education program necessary in a chang-
ing organization. LetTs address the questions that
arise when your library's circulation system is
automated. What is the best way of reinforcing
the hands-on training that indisputably is neces-
sary in this process? Our library issued a regular
newslettter that became, in effect, a supplement
to the vendorTs procedure manual, detailing all
the oddities and inconsistencies of our particular
system. Again, because not every puzzling situation
occurs regularly at every desk, and because a
supervisor is not available every second of every
work day, there must be some written procedures
available " not only to settle disputes, but also to
help instruct those who are serious about learning
to do their jobs effectively.
This, then, is the second beneficial aspect of
having procedure manuals " they function as
learning/teaching tools. I hasten to add that such
materials are not meant to be stand-alone items.
There are no substitutes for good, intensive, per-
sonal instruction and hands-on experience. But
many people function better if they have a con-
crete list of steps to follow, rather than having
someone talk them through an activity.
How does one utilize a procedure manual for
training? One suggestion would be to base such
activities on the problem-solving process defined
in Management Science: an Introduction. It pro-
poses oa six-step framework as follows:
1. problem recognition, observation and
formulation
model construction
solution generation
testing and evaluation of solution
implementation
evaluation�
Begin by using the manual that was developed,
along with other training procedures. The first
step is always an introductory/observation period,
permitting the new employee to see the lay of the
land. (step 1) Secondly, the employee is walked
through these procedures, using the manual as a
guide. (step 2) Third, the new employee is permit-
ted to do carefully limited tasks, either observed,
or closely checked by a supervisor. (step 3) Fourth,
additional tasks are added to his or her work day.
If problems occur, or the employee falters, refer-
ences to the manual and walking through the
tasks again, helps him or her recognize where the
difficulties lie and how to find a solution to them.
(steps 4 & 5) When the training period is com-
pleted, the new employee should be able to func-
tion effectively alone and know where to look for
assistance when problems do occur. (step 6)
Throughout the training process, the employee
is encouraged to take time to read through and
carry out the directions in the manual. It should
be emphasized that the procedure manual is a
guidebook, rather than a rule book, which is the
function of a policy manual. Encourage him also
to realize that in dealing with people, flexibility is
an important attribute. Sometimes the spirit of
o OF Co BS
the law is more important than the letter and, as
a result, sometimes rules are broken. BUT, the
purpose of a procedure manual is to insure con-
sistency of performance, even when rules are
bent. Therefore, providing guidelines to handle an
exception to policy becomes a useful part of the
procedure manual.
This all sounds easy and uncomplicated in
the abstract, but the demands of a real-life work
situation may not permit this step-by-step, easy-
does-it approach to training. Even in the busiest
settings, time given to the reinforcement of pro-
cedures is a savings in the long run. Far less super-
visory intervention is needed, saving both salaries
and egos, when support staff can work relatively
independently, because they are able to ogo by the
book.�
Manuals are also an integral
part of the continuing
education program necessary
in a changing organization.
Team-Building Tool
Where does one acquire othe book�? Libraries,
of course, differ in the development of procedure
manuals. Our library has always had a loosely-
organized collection of departmental procedures
which had simply evolved through the years with-
out much thought given to their interrelation.
Moving into a large, new building, where depart-
ments were physically separated, and automating
our circulation system, provided the impetus for
redefining and merging these procedures into one
manual. As the staff trained together in automa-
tion procedures, questions arose about oHow does
the Circulation Department handle this?� and
oWhy does the ChildrenTs Department do it that
way?� and oHow do we deal with such and such
when the system is down?� Out of the latter type
of question arose the aforementioned newsletter
and out of the former, a determination to create
both a staff policy handbook and a collective pro-
cedure manual. The professional staff, in monthly
meetings, began planning for both publications.
For various reasons, the policy handbook was
developed first and provided excellent training
for the work involved in compiling the procedure
manual.
Every department began reviewing their exist-
ing manuals, noting where changes had been
made and which procedures were likely to be mis-
understood or performed incorrectly. Additionally,
Winter 1990"271
they indicated where their tasks ocrossed over�
into another departmentTs venue. Because support
staff were on the front lines and had to deal with
both the task-related problems and public rela-
tions results of changing technology, their input
was considered crucial. Furthermore, they were
generally the target audience for our manual,
simply because they were the ones who performed
most of the tasks, and were most apt to be shifted
about. Everyone was asked to outline the steps he
or she took in performing each task undertaken.
From these outlines, the basic structure of each
departmentTs manual began to emerge. Depart-
ment heads reviewed and annotated each other's
drafts prior to handing print-outs to the support
staff. Support staff annotated the rough drafts
and handed them back to their supervisors. The
refined rough drafts were passed out to support
staff in other departments to determine whether
the procedures were understandable to the oout-
siders� who might have to refer to them.
There was an unexpected benefit to creating
the procedure manual: the interaction and per-
sonal involvement of the professional and support
staff resulted in a pleasant sense of accomplish-
ment and created an awareness of what goes on
in other parts of the library. oWe not only go by the
book, we wrote it!�
Retraining and Reinforcement
While basking in the afterglow of a job well
done, one small question kept niggling at us: can
othe book� ever truly be finished? Dewey Decimal
Classification is in its twelfth edition. If the staid
world of cataloging is routinely revised, can a
procedure manual for the ever-changing organism
that is the public library be expected to remain
static? What provisions can be made for changes
in procedures? Who assumes reponsibility for
documenting those changes? Should revision
occur regularly, or on an as-needed basis? Tech-
nology is refined constantly, necessitating changes
of varying degrees in the simplest transactions.
Our sign-on procedures, for example, have been
refined four times, each change making it easier
to access the system, but aggravating the proce-
dure manual writers. For the sake of consistency
and usefulness, each change should be docu-
mented and entered into the manual. To do other-
wise is to defeat the whole purpose of the manual.
This leads to the questions of who revises the
manual and when should it be revised? It seems
to me that this is a perfect opportunity to rein-
force the importance of, and stimulate staff inter-
est in, the manual. On a regular basis " whether
monthly or quarterly will depend on the institu-
272"Winter 1990
tion " each section of the manual should be
reviewed at departmental meetings and changes
noted. It is important to understand that constant
revision of procedures may be counterproductive
and should not be undertaken lightly. In fact,
constant changes in procedures may be sympto-
matic of a larger problem with library policy.
Procedures may be waived at the supervisor's
discretion, but if this happens constantly, perhaps
it is a policy that needs changing rather than the
procedure. A case in point is the registration of
young people at New Hanover County Public
Library. Having previously required all people
under the age of eighteen to have their application
cards signed by a parent or guardian, the library
began permitting sixteen-year-olds with a driverTs
license and a part-time job to apply without that
constraint, if the circulation supervisor approved
it. When this procedure became so commonplace
as to be standard operating procedure, it was
decided that a policy change should be effected.
Therefore, any resident above the age of 16, pre-
senting a driverTs license or Department of Motor
Vehicles identification card, can now be issued a
card without parental consent.
oWe not only go by the book,
we wrote it!�T
Some procedural changes are less difficult to
implement, but it is wise to think through the
ramifications before doing so. ItTs easy enough to
decide to change the format of your spine labels,
for example, but how will that change affect your
shelvers and the public? A discussion among the
technical services staff and further discussion
with reference and circulation personnel (who
deal directly with the public and are going to bear
the brunt of any complaints or problems) should
be mandatory before the change is carried out.
Again, you are reinforcing the sense of teamwork
and ooneness� by doing so.
Once the procedure is changed, an appointed
support staff member from each department, on
a rotating schedule, should then be sent to the
individual charged with editing othe book� and
assist with entering the changes pertinent to that
department, as well as reviewing other depart-
mentsT submissions. This assures that the same
ooutsiderTs� viewpoint is maintained and is effec-
tive in clarifying murky directions. The assistance
might range from actually keying in the data to
simply observing as this is done, but it is inter-
action, rather than action, that is important here.
That staff member should also be responsible, on
this rotation, for informing his/her co-workers
about all library procedure changes and inserting
the update(s) into the departmentTs copy of the Subscription Order
manual.
Will a procedure manual solve all your staff
problems? Will every person take the accumulated
wisdom poured into the document and treasure it an
until his or her dying day? Will people even remem- Please place mailing label
ber to consult the thing? The answer to the first from your issue here.
two questions is probably, oAre you kidding?!� But
the answer to the last questions depends on you.
If you stress the importance of self-reliance,
awareness of library practices and how one series
of actions creates reactions elsewhere, your sup-
port staff is bound to think of the procedure
manual as a valuable resource, rather than a last North Carolina Libraries is published tour
times a year by the North Carolina Library
resort. Association. Subscription: $32 per year; $50
foreign countries. Single copy $10. Address
References new subscriptions, renewals, and related
~ an é correspondence to Frances B. Bradburn, edi-
1. Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield, tor; North Carolina Libraries, Joyner Library,
Mass.: Merriam Company, 1967), s.v. oprocedure.�
2. Davis, K. Roscoe, Patrick G. McKeown, and Terry R. Rakes.
Management Science: an Introduction (Boston, Mass.: Kent
Publishing, 1986), 15.
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
27858 or call (919) 757-6076. (For member-
ship information, see address label on jour-
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Winter 1990"273
Course Outline and Training for
School Library Assistants
Anita C. Bell
With the advent in 1985 of North CarolinaTs
Basic Education Plan which mandated a mini-
mum of 5.5 instructional hours per day, the cate-
gory of student assistant in high school media
centers was eliminated. Since most school libraries
depended on the work contributed by ~student
helpers, it became necessary to develop a curricu-
lum with the requisite number of contact hours,
work assignments, quizzes, and exams to justify
an accredited course in library assistance.
In Wake County a committee was formed to
create a course outline based on a prototype
curriculum guide developed by the Division of
School Media Programs for the State Board of
Education. School librarians were asked to submit
material used in the training of their students "
handbooks, exercises, policy statements, and cleri-
cal forms. Dale Williams of Enloe High School and
Marietta Franklin, now retired, compiled the infor-
mation, provided background narrative when
necessary, and designed exercises where needed.
The result of their efforts was a 320-page source
book entitled Library Media Studies. Its sheets
can be removed for copying and its ideas can be
adapted to the particular needs of each school
media center.
Course Overview
The Library Media Skills course was designed
as an independent study program, allowing the
students to participate in a hands-on learning
experience with self-guided lessons. Instead of a
traditional classroom environment, the Media
Center became a laboratory for on-the-job training
in which students gained knowledge of its func-
tions and services.
The course outline focused on the orientation
and organization of the media center, the selection
and utilization of resources, the comprehension
and application of concepts and information
usage, the production and presentation of mate-
rials in a variety of formats, the knowledge and
application of computer technology, and even
Anita C. Bell is Media Assistant at Needham B. Broughton
High School in Raleigh.
274"Winter 1990
some enrichment activities such as literary appre-
ciation, copyright laws, and public relations.
As indicated in the table of contents of the
resources book, there are two instructional levels
for many of the exercises included. Should a
student enroll in the course for a second year, he
or she can study various topics in greater depth
and be involved in an expanded variety of tasks.
Studies of other reference sources and more
computer-related projects are also introduced.
What follows is an account of the experience of
Needham B. Broughton High School in Raleigh in
implementing this new course.
The course was arranged for four nine week
periods, with the first grading period concen-
trating heavily on library orientation and termi-
nology; training in circulation processing and
shelving procedures; and working with periodi-
cals, microforms, and audiovisual hardware.
During the second nine weeks, more audiovisual
skills are developed; removing cards for discarded
books is initiated; and the basic reference sources
are emphasized. The third grading period focuses
on computer skills with the word processing pro-
gram PFS: Write and exposure to additional refer-
ence materials. Finally, the fourth session is devo-
ted to learning the newly installed DIALOG service
and helping the librarians with the seventeen to
twenty research classes that are a standard daily
occurrence.
Probably the major difficulty in implementing
the new course was maintaining the required con-
tact hours with the students when other classes,
teachers, and chores demanded the librarianTs
time. A media coordinator easily could have spent
all day teaching, but teaching had to be balanced
with running a full library program. It was advan-
tageous to remember while teaching media skills,
that students were being trained as assistants
and that their primary obligation in this course
was to help with library operations.
While BroughtonTs library staff consisted of
three media coordinators and one media assistant
which enabled everyone to take turns working
with the students, in a school media center with
fewer personnel, the teaching aspect of this course
would be difficult, if not impossible, without inde-
pendent exercises. For this reason alone, the self-
guided worksheets were invaluable resources.
The First Week
On the first day of class, the new assistants
watched a videotape designed to acquaint them
with the library facility and staff. (Creating such
an orientation video, if one does not already exist,
is an excellent project for assistants. This video-
tape; shown to all incoming ninth-graders, is also
appropriate for use with new teachers, community
volunteers, and open-house events.) Following
the viewing, the students filled out a brief biogra-
phical sketch, along with their full class schedules,
which were kept on file. They were then given a
looseleaf folder which contained the worksheets
and handouts which would serve as their textbook
for the semester. A walking tour of the school
campus was provided so that students running
library errands would know where the principalsT
and guidance counselorsT offices, the auditorium,
and the faculty lounge were located.
In addition to the video, another multi-
purpose tool was a detailed representation of the
library facility. Students were given an unlabeled
floor plan with a comprehensive list of items and
areas to locate including everything from Dewey
Classification areas, computer lab, and periodical
room to vertical files, copiers, and microfiche
cabinets. Even the wall clocks and pencil sharpen-
ers were indicated in anticipation of two frequent-
ly asked questions. For two days the assistants
were encouraged to explore, mark locations on
their maps, open books and drawers, and become
familiar with the physical space and the resources.
At the end of the second class period, their dis-
coveries, questions, or problems were reviewed
and discussed. (This same floor plan, with detailed
labels and library policies and hours of operation
typed on the reverse side, can be used as a hand-
out for new students, teachers, and visitors. More-
over, the map can also be posted at various loca-
tions throughout the library with a oYou are here�
indicator.)
Attendance and Assignments
A sign-in sheet was kept at the circulation
desk to serve as an attendance record and as an
assignment chart for a designated period. The
numbers next to the studentsT names on the sheet
specified their particular duty for that time
period. One student was always assigned to the
Circulation desk and another to audiovisuals. If
more than two assistants were registered for that
period, some were assigned to the periodical room
or the pass desk during the lunch hours. An end-
of-the-year survey of the assistants revealed that
the great majority of them preferred a job rotation
every three or four weeks.
Since four members of the library staff were
involved in the training and so much of astudentTs
work was done independently, there were occa-
sional communication problems. It proved worth-
while, therefore, to provide a bulletin board and/
or clipboard near the desk for announcements,
special duties, and notices from counselors and to
have students sign or initial important memos.
While there were always numerous odd
chores to be done, the predictable housekeeping
tasks were staggered throughout the day to sim-
plify the daily routines. Each period was assigned
a specific job which was maintained all year
outside of the monthly rotation: first period stu-
dents emptied the book drops and carded the
books, second period students delivered the AV
films and equipment, third period students
watered the plants.
Shelving
With the registration dust settled, schedules
fixed, the assistants counted, the shelf space was
divided up, and each student was given an area of
responsibility which involved reshelving books in
that section and maintaining order and neatness.
Students were encouraged to do this as soon as
they signed in and before classes arrived. The
necessity for regular checking was constantly
stressed. Experience has shown that assigning
students their own section, rather than random
shelving and reading, fostered a sense of owner-
ship and pride. If one student was faced with a
deluge of books at one time, his or her classmates
often helped out, knowing that this favor would be
returned. In the case of a prolonged absence of an
assistant, the others were encouraged to cover for
the absentee and receive extra credit for their
work. An oextra-credit� sign-up sheet was posted
at the desk, and the studentTs contributions were
considered when report card time approached.
Students learned shelving procedures by
arranging call numbers in alphabetical and nu-
merical order in written exercises. In this way a
learning disability was often discovered before the
student was turned loose on the shelves. The
special education students assigned to the library
often had difficulty with nonfiction numbers, but
were able to shelve fiction, biography, and collec-
tive biography successfully. The procedure of
checking the book pockets and reshelving the
Winter 1990"275
books was done with staff supervision.
An outline of the Dewey Classification System
was given to all pupils, and they were required to
learn the ten major divisions. In addition, students
were asked to become sufficiently familiar with
such popular topics as the Vietnam War, drugs,
the occult, and the environment to be able to find
these subjects in the subdivisions.
Background information was provided on the
various types of collections in the library and their
identifying symbols. Handouts on basic library
terminology were distributed throughout both
semesters. These papers were always filed in the
looseleaf textbooks, and the students were quizzed
on the vocabulary sheets and classification areas.
The problem of bringing late comers or slow stu-
dents up to date was partly overcome by having
the other assistants do the training and then
rechecking their efforts when time was available.
Moreover, with library assistance now recognized
as a full-year course with a unit of credit, new
assistants are not added in the second semester.
A draw-back of this policy is the possible loss of
students who drop out and thus deplete the staff
with no prospect of replacements.
Card Catalog
After campaigning before the budget commit-
tee at regular intervals for the card catalog to be
automated, the staff decided that, in the interim,
the student assistants would pull cards for the
backlog of weeded volumes, but not file cards for
new books. (Volunteers were available to do above-
the-rod filing of new acquisitions.) Each student
was given a quota of five cards each week, increas-
ing in complexity, whose sets were to be pulled
during periods of relative calm. These sets were
then given to a librarian to check, and the stu-
dents were graded on the accurate completion of
the assignment. The staff breathed a collective
sigh of relief at this considerable accomplishment,
and the project gave the students an intimate and
practical knowledge of the workings of the card
catalog. (In fact, one student was heard to mutter
that he learned more about it than he ever wanted
to know!)
Audiovisual Instruction
Each assistant received reading material with
schematic operational diagrams on the various
types of audiovisual equipment and learned to
operate each one. The assistants were required to
pass an operations test on all items and to under-
stand the rationale for selecting appropriate
equipment for productions purposes. Samples of
the forms used in scheduling films through media
services, checking out hardware to the staff, and
procedures for repairing equipment and making
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lamp substitutions were also added to the
textbook.
Several of the schoolTs classrooms had been
wired to receive programs over the ohead-in�
system originating in the library control room.
This enabled teachers to turn on the monitors in
their rooms and receive programs over three
different viewing channels. The library assistant
serving AV duty was expected to check the sched-
uling calendar for these broadcasts, start and
stop the videotapes, record clock times, and
rewind for the next showing.
It was obvious that not all the assistants
would be proficient in every area, particularly in
the use of audiovisual equipment. So, while every
student was taught the basics " operating the
hardware, working with the head-in system, and
changing copier paper " only one student in each
period specialized in videotaping when the need
arose. On a few occasions assistants were released
from other classes to videotape an important
school event. This was done with the permission
of the teacher and the understanding that the
work would be made up during a library period.
Since videotaping was often a public relations
undertaking for the media center, it was worth-
while to provide the service.
Similarly, past accidents with the laminator
resulted in a policy granting only one student per-
mission to laminate. This was done each day
during one period and proved highly successful in
avoiding costly mistakes, achieving excellent re-
sults, and saving energy. The student responsible
also enjoyed his well-deserved reputation as an
expert.
Academics
Independent exercises in research skills once
again freed the librarianTs hands and allowed the
students to study various reference sources. A
bibliographic instruction project citing current
sources of information on social and controversial
issues was used to teach the research unit. At that
time, the unit prepared by Wake County was not
yet available and the BI project was prepared by a
staff member. Now, however, readings, exercises,
and tests on other reference tools such as diction-
aries, encyclopedias, yearbooks, atlases, indexes,
biographical sources, and literature-related mate-
rials are included in the media skill sourcebook.
Each week handouts on Newsbank, ReaderTs
Guide, Facts on File, Editorial Research Reports,
and Opposing Viewpoints were distributed with a
demonstration of usage. Worksheets examining
popular and relevant topics such as rock music,
teenage pregnancy and abortion, drugs and alco-
hol abuse, sports, capital punishment, poverty
and the homeless, pollution, and animal rights
were given to the assistants to be completed by a
certain time. In this manner students were able to
learn about these materials at their own pace.
The exercises benefited the individual assistant
and enabled him or her to provide the valuable
service of directing peers to the correct sources.
Computer Skills
Teaching the use of the word-processing pro-
gram to the assistants was probably the most
complicated endeavor, in that it required the
presence of the students in the computer lab
rather than at their library posts. This was ulti-
mately accomplished by arranging this activity
when classes were not scheduled to come in to
the library. At no time was it ever necessary to
cancel scheduling to accommodate the teaching
of the assistants. If the need for free time was
absolutely critical, alternate periods on alternate
days could have been blocked out well in advance
in the class sign-up book.
A major factor was the PFS: Write program
itself, which is relatively easy to understand, and
the step-by-step lesson plans developed by a staff
member to take the students through the various
editing functions. Once the initial operational pro-
cedures were explained, the students continued
on their own through the exercises and were
responsible for three different writing assign-
ments, ending with an original composition, oMy
Life as a Library Assistant.�
Since English teachers at Broughton plan to
introduce this writing program to all of their
classes, it may not be necessary for the library
staff to teach word processing in the future.
Library assistants may need only to demonstrate
their competency in this area. They will have an
opportunity to explore other computer programs
as well. At present, the entire audiovisual inven-
tory is stored on forms designed to use the data
management software PFS: File, and it is hoped
that the assistants can be assigned the task of
keeping these records up-to-date. Moreover,
teaching the students use of the Overdue Writer
circulation software would also be an asset to the
library program and free the librarian from cleri-
cal chores.
DIALOG, with oClassmate� software, was
introduced in the spring and opened new vistas to
the study of media skills. While demonstrating the
potential of this system to the graduating seniors
through their English classes, the library assis-
tants were also shown the process of accessing
the data bases and the search commands. Because
Winter 1990"277
of the cost involved, plans dictate that only the
librarians will conduct the actual searches, but
the possibility exists for the student assistants to
aid the research student in developing key words
used in search strategies and suggesting appro-
priate data bases.
It became painfully obvious that many high
school students have more computer experience
and are more technically proficient than are many
teachers and librarians. The staff realized a future
goal could be to encourage the studentsT interest
and expertise in this area. Through the use of
bulletin board exchanges, such as FrEd Mail, the
assistants might interact with students in other
school systems and develop ideas and projects to
improve their service and effectiveness to the
media center.
Long-Term Projects
The practice of assigning homework on a
regular basis was never undertaken during the
past year, but it remains a possibility. A more
viable alternative, however, would be to plan long-
range independent projects such as the orienta-
tion videotape or telecommunications exchange
mentioned earlier. Other ideas include preparing
and videotaping book talks or videos showing
other students using the various reference sour-
ces, designing exhibits and displays, and compiling
bibliographies on various subjects in the curricu-
lum. Creative students might wish to design re-
cruitment posters and a pamphlet advertising the
media center, its resources and hours of operation
for new students. Designing flow charts showing
various library procedures would be another
worthwhile undertaking. Again, the Library
Media Studies source book has numerous ideas
and suggestions for independent projects that
would benefit the library and the student.
Exams and Grades
Twenty percent of the studentsT grades were
based on the results of their final exam. The
largest portion of the grade was derived from a
category defined as performance, comprised of
daily participation in job assignments, worksheets,
projects, card pulling, and quizzes. Another por-
tion reflected shelving assignments which were
checked at announced and unannounced inter-
vals.
Exams were constructed as combinations of
true-false, multiple choice and matching, and a
choice of essay questions. Critical thinking/prob-
lem solving situations involving procedures, skills,
and issues were addressed as in the following
278"Winter 1990
examples: oMrs. Jones is having trouble with her
VCR. She pushes PLAY and nothing happens.
What are some possible solutions?� oAn overdue
book is left on the counter, and the student has
walked away. What procedure do you follow to
check in the book?� oA student is doing her
research paper on acid rain and asks for your
help. Under what headings do you tell her to look?
Name four possible reference sources.� oCoach
Smith is in a hurry and asks you to show a video
of a wrestling match which he taped from the TV
a month ago over the head-in system. What would
you do?�
Rewards and Awards
During National Library Week, photographs
of the assistants were taken, autographed, and
displayed as oStars of the Library� in keeping with
the 1990 theme. Copies of the pictures were then
given to them with a note of appreciation at the
end of the year. Occasional celebrations arranged
around various holidays also had their place as
morale builders " food always seems to be the
most effective thank you for teenagers. A thesau-
rus or a dictionary presented to the graduating
seniors was also an appropriate and appreciated
gift. Most importantly, to raise the status of the
Media Skills Course and recognize studentsT efforts
before their peers, certificates were presented to
two outstanding library assistants at a school-
wide awards assembly.
Students were regularly asked for their input
in improving the course and making their posi-
tions more meaningful. Some of their responses
proved quite helpful, and the discussion process
demonstrated their importance to the media pro-
gram and to their identity as part of a team effort
serving the school.
The opportunity that this course offers to
develop research skills and to study the science of
information retrieval can enrich the student assis-
tantTs education beyond the often mundane cleri-
cal and procedural activities expected of them.
Yet, while these very chores are essential to the
library program, this experience has shown that
it is possible to balance the training with academic
skills to the benefit of the student, the library, and
the school. For this reason, the course should
prove a valuable asset to any secondary school
curriculum and to the students who can say, oWe
are library assistants� and truly be proud of their
accomplishments.
References
1. Dale Williams and Marietta Franklin. Library Media Studies
(Raleigh: Wake County Public Schools, 1989), ii.
Persons wishing to obtain a copy of the text should address their
inquiries to Jean Johnson, Media Services, Wake County Public
Schools, 3600 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC 27609. nl
C
TAB BOOKS
Current and Backlist
Titles Available
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858 Manor St
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Lancaster, PA 17604
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Tel Order 1-800-729-0620
Fax Order 1-800-487-2278
Venders and media coordinators alike enjoyed this yearTs North Carolina Association of School LibrariansT Biennial Conference in
High Point, September 27-28.
Winter 1990"279
The North Carolina Library
Paraprofessional Association:
A Force at Work for the Nineties
Judie Stoddard
Over the past two decades technological ad-
vances have altered the traditional image of the
library as the storehouse of the printed word.
Today's library houses increasingly complex auto-
mated systems for information retrieval in refer-
ence, technical services, and circulation functions.
Professionals and paraprofessionals alike are be-
coming specialists and technicians as they are
trained to perform more tasks by machine. Boun-
daries between their roles are growing less distinct
as support personnel perform more tasks that
formerly were considered part of the professional
librarianTs responsibilities. The support staff's
need for training in both new and traditional
library services is gaining recognition in library
literature as a growing number of states investi-
gate training programs for the paraprofessional.
In December 1987 Patsy Hansel, then presi-
dent of NCLA, announced the formation of a new
committee to study the issue of paraprofessional
participation in NCLA. This committee was to
consider how NCLA could best serve paraprofes-
sionals and what structure would most encourage
their involvement. The committee consisted of
Ann Thigpen, Sampson County Public Library,
Meralyn Meadows, Stanley County Public Library,
and Judie Stoddard, Onslow County Public Li-
brary. The committee surveyed paraprofessionals
in public, academic, and school libraries to deter-
mine what jobs they currently held, whether they
were interested in NCLA and an association for
paraprofessionals, and what their career goals
were. Using the American Library Directory and
the North Carolina Education Directory as
guides, paraprofessional staff in 292 libraries were
queried. By April 1988 the committee had received
responses from 726 paraprofessionals. Only 61
were members of NCLA, but 481 showed an inter-
est in joining, with additional membership in a
roundtable for paraprofessionals. Of the respon-
dees, about thirty-four percent worked in Circula-
tion, thirty percent in Technical Services, twenty-
Judie Stoddard is manager of the Main Branch of the Onslow
County Public Library in Jacksonville.
280"Winter 1990
two percent in Reference, twelve percent in Chil-
drens, six percent in Administration, and 4.5% on
Bookmobiles. Twenty percent represented Branch
support staff. These paraprofessional needs were
as diverse as the types of libraries employing them.
Community college and academic support staff
seemed to voice even more desire for assistance
than public library personnel. Survey response
from school media personnel was, unfortunately,
very sparse. Reaching them with the survey was
difficult because of the nature of their communi-
cations system. Those who did respond reflected
the same interests and problems as the others but
their access to time and funds for training was
even more limited.
A petition with the signatures of 100 NCLA
paraprofessional members was presented to the
Executive Board at the July meeting and round-
table status was granted. More than 120 parapro-
fessionals attended the organizational meeting
held in November at the Durham County Public
Library. Debbie Wolcott, chair of the Paraprofes-
sional Forum of the Virginia Library Association,
gave the keynote address. In order to give every-
one a chance to speak and to gain a consensus of
the areas of most concern, participants were
divided into discussion groups. Following reports
from each group, the assembly selected a name
for the organization and formed a steering
committee.
The principal issue that emerged was the
need for training. Across all types of libraries,
paraprofessionals were most interested in receiv-
ing information that would increase their effi-
ciency and boost the overall productivity of their
libraries. In addition to being challenged by new
technologies, support staff reported that they are
being placed in authority over their peers and
may be temporarily upgraded to fill vacant profes-
sional positions. There is a need for travel funds
and time for workshops and training to enhance
communication, reference and supervisory skills.
Paraprofessionals outnumbered professional staff
in most libraries but they do not receive as much
staff development or outside training as they
would like. Rather, the limited funds are offered
to professionals.
Paraprofessionals in school libraries are prob-
ably in the most difficult position. As mentioned
in the survey results, they rarely have time or
funds to travel, and there are so few of them in a
school system that their needs are neglected.
Communication and reference skills are greatly
needed in interactions with their patrons.
Another important concern of paraprofes-
sionals centered on the need for standardized job
classifications and descriptions. Uniformity across
all types of libraries in the state would eliminate
some of the existing confusion about salary varia-
tions and make job hunting easier. More accurate
job analysis, which is a difficult task in this time of
increasing automation, would show better what
training is needed and make coordination simpler
for those who plan continuing education pro-
grams. Because their job titles and descriptions
are so diverse, paraprofessionals find it very diffi-
cult to communicate and exchange ideas when
they do attend workshops and attempt to net-
work.
In May 1989 the newly formed North Carolina
Library Paraprofessional Association offered its
first workshop. Dr. Ernie Thompkins, Director of
Training for the City of Winston-Salem, presented
oImproving Staff Communication.� The workshop
was offered both in Wilson County Public Library
and at Appalachian State University in Boone in
order to reach the most participants. A total of
127 paraprofessionals attended the two sessions.
Duncan Smith, Director of Continuing Education
at North Carolina Central University, acted as
program coordinator.
The work of the new committees was only
beginning. The NCLPA newsletter was published
four times before the 1989 NCLA conference and
Kathleen Weibel was chosen to be the Paraprofes-
sional AssociationTs keynote speaker at the con-
ference. Ms. Weibel, Director of Libraries at Ohio
Wesleyan University, had addressed many para-
professional concerns in her article, oI Work in a
Library, But ITm Not a Librarian,� published in
Library Personnel News.' This was used as the
theme of the AssociationTs conference programs.
Ms. Weibel addressed, among others, the issues of
the diversity of job classifications and job titles,
and what to call someone who does not hold an
M.LS., but works in a library. At least 75% of the
210 paraprofessionals attending these sessions
indicated that this was their first NCLA confer-
ence. The conference schedule also included a
Series of table talks on time allocation and plan-
ning staff development programs for library
support staff.
The major objectives of the Paraprofessional
Association are to inform both professionals and
support staff about the various concerns and
options of the organization, to establish a network
across the state, and to encourage active support
of NCLA and the Association. With the NCLA con-
ference, paraprofessionals became visible partici-
pants in the library community.
In the Winter 1990 issue of Library Personnel
News, Robert Veihman, Library Technical Assis-
tant Program Coordinator for the College of
DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, spoke to the library
Across all types of libraries,
paraprofessionals were most
interested in receiving infor-
mation that would increase
their efficiency and boost the
overall productivity of their
libraries.
community's need to recognize the place of the
trained library technician in todayTs technologi-
cally advanced libraries.� He encouraged the
growth of LTA programs nationwide and empha-
sized that professionals should appreciate the
technician as an assistant and not use them as a
substitute for a librarian.
Veihman also called attention to a new maga-
zine devoted to library support staff, Library
Mosaics. The premier issue of this bi-monthly
journal was published in September/October
1989. In answer to the growing need of support
staff for information, the magazine hopes to pro-
vide a national forum, featuring articles by and
about support staff. A calendar of national events,
a job hotline, and a classified job clearing house
will fill a real need, as well. Articles will report on
new technologies and information geared to im-
proving the efficiency of the paraprofessional.
Articles, stories, and letters to the editor are
welcomed.
One of NCLPATs goals is to encourage a study
of support staff wage scales as part of the effort to
standardize job descriptions, recognizing that
counties and regions differ in their abilities to
provide funding for support staff. Professionals
have an NCLA recommended salary scale. Why
not one for the trained paraprofessional?
Concern for employee rights and the assigning
Winter 1990"281
top publishers
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for more information please call:
ROBERT MOSER
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Representing quality adult and juvenile publishers
of more duties that had previously been per-
formed by professionals to support staff were the
top ranking trends that appeared in an informal
survey produced by the staff of Library Personnel
News in 1987.3 During the following year several
articles appeared which argued that diminishing
financial resources are shrinking staffing options
in libraries. Funds are being channeled into tech-
nical training for paraprofessionals. Those posi-
tions are being given more responsibility and
authority. Those changes are not only taking place
in technical service areas but in public services as
well. Reference desks in both academic and large
public libraries are beginning to be staffed with
paraprofessionals or with teams composed of a
professional and paraprofessionals.* Workshops
on reference skills, patron service, and supervision
are proliferating as a result. Associations and
roundtables are forming to urge the profession to
recognize that these changes are inevitable and
essential in providing quality library service, and
that they require encouragement and funding.
Along with other NCLA roundtables, the
NCLPA is beginning this new biennium by partici-
pating in the 1990 White House Conference on
Libraries and Information Services. A Position
Paper prepared for the conference identifies five
major concerns of paraprofessionals.
282"Winter 1990
© Continuing education which could lead to
certification. It is hoped that in time the State
Library will recommend pay scales for the various
levels of paraprofessional positions.
© Training in automation and new technolo-
gies to meet increasing challenges and demands
made on paraprofessional staff.
® Training in administering policies, such as
latchkey children, unattended children, and the
homeless, that affect the public.
© Training formats which support staff may
use for staff development programs; for example,
networking and discussion groups, seminars, and
conferences held regionally or state-wide.
The North Carolina Library Paraprofessional
AssociationTs experience is being repeated in other
states and interest in the needs of library para-
professionals is being advanced. The future of our
libraries will be guided by technology and the
quality of service will be determined by the degree
to which we prepare and train our support
personnel.
References
1. Kathleen Weibel, oI Work in a Library, but ITm Not a Librar-
ian,� Library Personnel News 2 (Winter 1988): 8.
2. Robert Veihman, oLibrary Technical Assistant Training Pro-
vided,� Library Personnel News 4 (Winter 1990): 8.
3. oPersonnel Management Trends,� Library Personnel News 1
(Summer 1987): 20.
4. Marjorie Murfin, oTrends in Use of Support Staff and Students
at the Reference Desk in Academic Libraries,� Library Personnel
News 2 (Winter 1988): 10-12.
North Carolina Books
Continued from page 293.
The Wilson County Public Library: A History,
by Patrick Valentine and Marshall Daniel, sum-
marizes the story of public library services in
Wilson County, N.C. The authors trace library
origins to 1899, when members of a new book club
began the Wilson Library Association. In 1939, a
certified librarian was hired and an impressive
public library building occupied. By 1989, the
library, now with several branches, had over one
hundred thousand volumes. (1990; Copies of this
fifteen-page pamphlet are available at no charge
while supply lasts from Wilson County Public
Library, P.O. Box 400, Wilson, N.C. 27894-0400.)
cl
Upcoming Issues
Winter 1990 -Supporting the Support Staff
Harry Tuchmayer, Guest Editor
Spring 1991 - Law and the Library
Tim Coggins, Guest Editor
Summer 1991 - Young Adult Services
Rebecca Taylor and Gayle
Keresey, Guest Editors
Fall 1991 - Library Buildings
Phil Barton and John Welch,
Guest Editors
Winter 1991 -Conference Issue
Spring 1992 - Anniversary Issue: History of
Libraries in N.C.
Robert Anthony, Guest Editor
Summer 1992 - Librarians and the
Political Process
Nancy Bates, Guest Editor
Fall 1992 - Telecommunications
Bil Stahl, Guest Editor
Winter 1992 -Preservation of Popular Culture
Alice Cotten, Guest Editor
Spring 1993 - Ethics in Librarianship
Marti Smith, Guest Editor
Summer 1993 - ChildrenTs Services
Satia Orange and Cal Shepard,
Guest Editors
Fall 1993 - Social Issues in Librarianship
Jane Moore, Guest Editor
Winter 1993 -Conference Issue
Unsolicited articles dealing with the above
themes or any issue of interest to North Carolina
librarians are welcomed. Please follow manu-
script guidelines delineated elsewhere in this
issue.
Instructions for the Preparation
of Manuscripts
for North Carolina Libraries
ike
iw]
»
gd
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.
. Manuscripts should be directed to Frances B. Bradburn, Edi-
tor, North Carolina Libraries, Joyner Library, East Carolina
University, Greenville, N.C. 27858.
N.C. 27604.
Manuscripts should be submitted in triplicate on plain white
paper measuring 814� x 11�.
. 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.
The name, position, and professional address of the author
should appear in the bottom left-hand corner of a separate
title page.
Each page after the first should be numbered consecutively
at the top right-hand corner and carry the author's last name
at the upper left-hand corner.
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.
Photographs will be accepted for consideration but cannot be
returned.
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 bank
from which articles are selected for each issue.
Issue deadlines are February 10, May 10, August 10, and
November 10.
Winter 1990"283
POINT/
Do Workshops Work???
You Bet They Do!
Tom Moore
Workshops for staff are one of the best things
that can happen to a library system. It is through
workshops that staff become familiar with and
committed to the libraryTs objectives, goals, and
mission. It is through workshops that staff learn
that they are not alone. They share common prob-
lems with others performing similar jobs. It is
through workshops that staff get to shine as pre-
senters and problem solvers and leaders. Work-
shops are not obe alls� and oend alls,� but they
should be a very important part of what libraries
do.
Many libraries will conduct staff institute
days annually for all employees. These are excel-
lent ways to train staff and to help them know
what the system is all about. It is through institute
day that the staff can learn about the libraryTs
mission. These institutes, however, should not
serve as the major or only vehicle for staff training
during the year. If institute day is going to become
the reason for not having additional workshops
during the year, I would advocate doing away
with it.
Workshops presented by a private consultant,
university, state association, or national associa-
tion like ALA are helpful, providing they are
attended by the right people with the right
motives. I frequently will send a staff member to a
workshop to learn what is being taught and how
it is taught. I also ask the staff member to evaluate
the workshop for effectiveness. That evaluation is
expected to include a recommendation as to
whether we have staff in house who could present
this workshop or whether we should send addi-
tional staff to the same workshop. The key to this
method of workshop evaluation is to send only
one person the first time. If the workshop is no
good, only one person is effected. If the workshop
is good, the whole library system will benefit from
it.
Tom Moore is director of the Wake County, North Carolina,
Public Library System.
284"Winter 1990
Using conference programs as a substitute
for workshops is largely a waste of time. If the
program is good, there will be too many people in
too small a room. If the program is bad, there will
still be too many people in too small a room.
Conference programs can be a good way to
meet other librarians. It is through these meetings
that you are able to find solutions to problems
that, exist in your library. You learn that the
problems your library has are not unique. Other
librarians have faced these same problems and
have come up with good solutions to them. You in
turn have solved problems that they are facing
and can offer solutions. You become the expert
that you didnTt realize you were.
Workshops that are prepared for and by the
staff are far more likely to be successful and well
attended. Staff participation as both presenters
and attendees makes the workshop germane to
the library system. Specific problems of the library
system can be addressed by in-house staff experts
or by visiting experts who are brought in to make
presentations. These are the workshops that have
the greatest positive impact since they clearly
address the needs and wants of the particular
libraryTs staff. It is in these workshops that staff
shine as presenters and are recognized as experts
in their own libraries.
Workshops are successful when they are
included as a part of the libraryTs overall training
program. They are not a training plan in them-
selves. They have to be a part of a well organized
and well planned training program. I'll bet there
are plenty of people in your system who could
organize and plan that program today. all
COUNTERPOINT
Workshops DonTt Work "
They Can't!
Harry Tuchmayer
ItTs not that workshops donTt work " they
just canTt work. Now donTt get me wrong, I like
workshops. I've found most of them informative
and even stimulating. So how can something per-
ceived as informative fail to achieve its desired
goal? Workshops fail because they are often
designed for the wrong people, they are attended
with the wrong expectations, and they are rarely,
if ever, reinforced at the workplace.
Those employees who truly need the help are
often the very employees who fail to benefit from
workshops. The employees who lack the confi-
dence and/or the skills necessary to perform on
the job arenTt going to be helped at a workshop,
unless they get the help they need at work first.
These employees need to be motivated and en-
couraged to perform before they will ever benefit
from a workshop.
You see, the real failure of workshops is they
are not taken seriously by either the participants
or their supervisors. The employee who attends
the workshop knows that nobody back at the
office really cares about what they learn, nobody
will ask them to teach others what they have
learned, and nobody will take the time to sit down
and discuss with them what they have learned.
There are always exceptions, because there
are always exceptional employees. But they are
not the ones who most need what the workshop
has to offer. These employees could benefit from
any number of creative discussion sessions at
work, where supervisors and staff sit down to
explore better ways of performing various tasks.
More importantly, these people could benefit from
a workshop, if workshops were designed for them.
Unfortunately, most workshops try to attract
everyone, but fail to help anyone.
ItTs not that workshops donTt work, itTs that
our expectations of what they can accomplish are
all wrong, At best, good workshops can only rein-
force a library's commitment to excellence; they
cannot produce that commitment, nor can they
sustain it. At worst, they let supervisors think
they have done all they need to do to provide the
employee with the necessary training to perform
their jobs. Workshops can teach those who al-
ready care about their jobs, but they canTt teach
employees to care about their jobs.
As long as workshops are used by libraries as
a substitute for an effective and comprehensive
training program, they will continue to fail. They
fail by addressing only a small part of a library's
overall training needs. They can demonstrate how
to do something, but they canTt motivate the
employee to do it. That requires reinforcement
from supervisors and staff at the worksite.
Workshops have potential, but they are nota
panacea. They provide only one important link in
a complex process known as staff development
and training. That process can be broken at any
time if management doesnTt provide an environ-
ment for growth, and it will never even take place
if the employee isnTt motivated to learn. Teaching
management and staff how to make workshops
work for them should be the first order of business
... and the next topic for a workshop! ail
Wanted: Library Photographs
North Carolina Libraries is
looking for seasonal photographs of
library buildings across the state. If
you have a black and white photo-
graph of your library that particu-
larly portrays the building during
summer, fall, winter, or spring,
please send a copy to North Caro-
lina Libraries, Frances B. Brad-
burn, Joyner Library, East Carolina
University, Greenville, NC 27858-
4353.
Winter 1990"285
Library Research in North Carolina
Ilene Nelson, Editor
This column was inaugurated one year ago
with the stated purpose of providing a forum ofor
publicity about library-related research that is
being performed by our colleagues in the state or
that deals with libraries and librarianship in the
state.� I intend to interpret this purpose broadly.
Furthermore, I invite comments from readers
regarding potential topics for research. Often,
those of us working in libraries recognize the need
for study in a certain area but lack the time to
conduct the research ourselves. An idea outlined
in this column might spark the imagination of
another practitioner or academician in our
audience and result in a useful study.
Research is ongoing in North CarolinaTs library
schools. One of the degree requirements for stu-
dents enrolled in the masterTs program at the Uni-
versity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the com-
pletion of an original research project. It occurred
to me that the results of this research would be of
interest to North Carolina librarians. The following
abstracts are of several recently submitted papers
which seem particularly pertinent to the concerns
of working librarians. The papers themselves are
available through interlibrary loan from Elizabeth
Laney at the UNC Library School Library.
Kathleen DTAngeloTs review of disaster plan-
ning literature coupled with still vivid memories
of the devastation of Hurricane Hugo, the fire at
Western Carolina University, and the San Fran-
cisco earthquake will perhaps stimulate an exam-
ination of disaster readiness in North Carolina
libraries.
Kathleen T. DTAngelo. Mass Treatment Options
for the Recovery of Water-Damaged Library
Materials, With Attention to Disasters and
Disaster Planning: A Review of the Literature. A
MasterTs paper for the M.S. in L.S. degree. May,
1989. 213 pages. Advisor: Jerry D. Saye
This review of the literature examines options currently
available for the recovery and mass treatment of water-
damaged library materials. Because techniques have
tended to be developed in response to actual water
emergencies, methods for mass treatment are presented
in the context of disasters and disaster planning. The
paper focuses on the past decade of care and restoration
efforts, with particular attention to the impact of science
286"Winter 1990
and technology on the availability and types of treat-
ment :..
There are a number of disaster preparedness
manuals available to librarians. John SharpeTs
Disaster Preparedness: A Guide for Developing
a Plan to Cope With Disaster for the Public and
Private Library was published in 1982 by the
Duke University Library.
When we contemplate disaster striking the
library, the effect on the book collection is gener-
ally our primary concern. The nightmare becomes
more horrible, however, when you stop to think
about the various computer equipment and sys-
tems in your building. Calm yourself by reading R.
Bruce MillerTs article, oLibraries and Computers:
Disaster Prevention and Recovery,� in the Decem-
ber 1988 issue of Information Technology and
Libraries, pp. 349-358. The author addresses
preparing for and recovering from typical natural
disasters as well as unnatural disasters such as
vendor default and viruses. The article is filled
with practical advice and concludes with a general
outline for developing a computer-specific dis-
aster preparedness plan.
The specter of censorship is equally disturbing
to librarians. We believe ourselves prepared to
confront the blatant forms. Yet censorship in
subtler guises, in actions we ourselves might take,
presents an equal, if not greater, danger. Janice L.
Mitchell-Love considers various aspects of the
subject in her paper.
Janice L. Mitchell-Love. Select, DonTt Censor: A
Topical Perspective of Censorship. A MasterTs
paper for the MS. in LS. degree. April, 1990. 46
pages. Advisor: Susan Steinfirst
This paper investigates the issue of intellectual freedom
in a topical manner. Lester AsheimTs theories of selection,
using his noted articles, oNot Censorship But Selection�
and oSelection and Censorship: A Reappraisal,� are dis-
cussed. Then Harriet PilpelTs classification of censorship
attempts (RSVP) plus two of the author's are explained,
and the RSVP-plus-two formula is employed in an exam-
ination of selected titles from the ALATs Challenged and
Banned Booklist of May, 1986 to May, 1987. An article
entitled oMajorities for Censorship� by Howard D. White
and one called oIntellectual Freedom? Censorship in
North Carolina, 1981-1985,� are inspected to discover
facts about censorship nationally and regionally,
respectively . . .
At first glance the topic of Cathy L. MartinTs
paper may seem too specialized to be of interest
to more than a few readers of North Carolina
Libraries. This comparison of online citator ser-
vices, however, should raise questions in the minds
of all of us.
Cathy L. Martin. A Comparison of Online Legal
Citator Services with ShepardTs Federal Cita-
tions: Are the Online Services Reliable? A mas-
terTs paper for the MS. in LS. degree. July, 1989.
Advisor: Judith Wood.
ShepardTs/McGraw-Hill publishes a series of citator ser-
vices, ShepardTs Citations, designed to enable a legal
researcher to locate judicial history of a given case and
to verify its current authority. ShepardTs Citations are
now available online in Lexis and Westlaw, and produ-
cers of both systems also provide their own custom-
designed citator services, Auto-Cite and Insta-Cite,
respectively. This study was undertaken to investigate
whether the online ShepardTs Federal Citations in both
Lexis and Westlaw accurately reflect the printed version
and whether the Auto-Cite and Insta-Cite services are as
accurate as the printed ShepardTs.
In astudy of fifty cases having a osignificant� case history
(for example, having been reversed on appeal), both
online versions of ShepardTs Citations agreed with the
printed version. In eight cases, or sixteen percent of the
fifty cases, both Auto-Cite and Insta-Cite analyses
differed significantly from the printed ShepardTs. The
producers of Lexis and Westlaw are called upon to exer-
cise the highest standard of care in analyzing cases for
Auto-Cite and Insta-Cite.
In a cursory review of Library Literature, I
found very few evaluations of the content of
online databases. I did discover an interesting
comparison of InfoTrac II and ReadersT Guide "
Carol Reese, oManual Indexes Versus Computer-
Aided Indexes: Comparing the ReadersT Guide to
Periodical Literature to InfoTrac II,� RQ, 27:3
(Spring 1988): 384-389. In this study one set of
topics was researched by two groups of students
from a New Jersey community college, one group
using ReadersT Guide and the other InfoTrac. The
authors report that eighty-three percent of the
students who used ReadersT Guide conducted
successful searches as compared to a sixty-three
percent success rate for those who used InfoTrac
II. I invite readers to get in touch with me if they
know of other similar studies of online or CD-ROM
sources.
Lists of recommended titles are always wel-
comed by librarians. Sandra PostonTs guide should
have a usefulness beyond its stated purpose.
Sandra W. Poston. Opening-Day Collections for
School Media Centers: A Selection Guide. A
MasterTs paper for the M.S. in LS. degree. April,
1989. 65 pages. Advisor: Susan Steinfirst
This paper is intended to serve as a manual with guide-
lines for selecting instructional media for new library
media centers, often referred to as oopening-day,� ocore,�
obase,� or oinitial� collections. Because these collections
are often developed by individuals who know little about
the needs of the students and teachers who will be
requesting materials on the first day of school, this
manual attempts to guide the media specialist or selec-
tion committee through the necessary steps of develop-
ing a collection that at least partially meets opening-day
demands. These steps are: choosing a selection commit-
tee, developing a schedule, assessing needs, using preview
materials and selection tools, using catalogs and promo-
tional materials, and choosing and working with a major
vendor. Included is an extensive bibliography of review
sources for various formats of instructional media.
Information and referral services became
relatively common in American public libraries
during the early 1970s. Two recent University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill masterTs papers
explore these services from different perspectives.
Mary D. HartvigasTs 1989 paper entitled Project
LIFT, an Information and Retrieval Service
chronicles the Durham County LibraryTs involve-
ment with information and referral. Linda Thom-
sen, on the other hand, presents'a more specula-
tive examination of the subject.
Linda Thomsen. Information and Referral Ser-
vices in Public Libraries: Has the Trend Contin-
ued? A masterTs paper for the M.S. in LS. degree.
July, 1989. 50 pages. Advisor: Elfreda A. Chatman.
This study describes a mail survey of one hundred
randomly chosen public libraries in the United States.
The survey was designed to replicate a study done by
Thomas Childers in 1978, for the purpose of determining
whether or not there has been a significant change over
the past decade in the number of I&R services offered by
public libraries nationwide.
Survey results indicate a decrease in the number of
public libraries offering information and referral services,
from 36% in 1978 to 18.6% in-1989. Based on the premise
that I&R was introduced to the public library setting as a
means of reaching the traditionally underserved econom-
ically disadvantaged, the author concludes that the
decrease in the number of information and referral ser-
vices in public libraries suggests an inability and/or lack
of interest among public libraries to meet the informa-
tion needs of this segment of the population.
In 1986, Sharon L. Baker and Ellen Dew Ruey
surveyed the views of directors and heads of refer-
ence in all North Carolina public libraries regard-
ing information and referral services. Baker and
Winter 1990"287
Ruey found that these librarians favored offering
only those I&R services which parallel traditional
reference services. This finding is thought-
provoking when considered in relation to Linda
ThomsenTs premise and conclusions about infor-
mation and referral services. oInformation and
Referral Services " Attitudes and Barriers: A
Survey of North Carolina Public Libraries,� RQ,
28:2 (Winter 1988): 243-252, is the report of the
research conducted by Sharon Baker and Ellen
Ruey.
What have you learned by reading this
column? Address your comments to Ilene Nelson
at the Reference Department, Perkins Library,
Duke University, Durham, NC 27706; telephone
(919) 684-2373; fax (919) 684-2855. al!
C
Preservation Consortium
Seeks Input
The preservation of North CarolinaTs library
and archival materials has been the main agenda
item of the North Carolina Preservation Consor-
tium. Founded by a coalition of librarians and
archivists, the Consortium, with funding from the
National Endowment for the Humanities, has been
gathering information for a state-wide preserva-
tion plan. Issues such as binding as a preservation
strategy; reformatting; disaster plans for libraries;
hands-on repair of materials; education needs for
staff and users; and how to reach resource allo-
cators have been discussed at the ConsortiumTs
public forums throughout the state. With its pre-
sence at the regional sessions of the GovernorTs
Conference on Library and Information Services,
the Consortium has also polled librarians on
preservation issues. Those wanting to make their
views and needs known are urged to contact the
ConsortiumTs coordinator for a survey form. Easily
filled out, the survey, once returned, will allow
librarians the opportunity to express the preser-
vation needs and priorities of their institution,
particular field, and area of the state.
These forms, as well as any other information
regarding the Consortium and its upcoming Pre-
servation Symposium to be held in Raleigh April
26 and 27, 1991, can be obtained by contacting
Harlan Greene, Preservation Coordinator, North
Carolina Preservation Consortium, c/o N.C. Divi-
sion of Archives and History, 109 E. Jones Street
" Room 303, Raleigh, NC 27601-2807. The phone
number is (919) 733-7305. a
C
288"Winter 1990
SALEM PRESS/MAGILL BOOKS
"A Reputation for Reference"
Be sure your library has
these important collections
Masterplots
Masterplots II
History II
Science
Cinema
Critical Surveys
Literature
Literary Annuals
Bibliographies
RALPH DAVIS
Sales Representative
P.O. Box 144
Rockingham, NC 28379
Telephone: 919/997-4857
Fax: 919/997-3837
North Carolina Books
Robert G. Anthony, Jr., Compiler
Robert E. Ireland. Entering the Auto Age: The
Early Automobile in North Carolina, 1900-1930.
Raleigh: Division of Archives and History, North
Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, 1990.
139 pp. $6.00, plus $2.00 postage and handling.
ISBN 0-86526-244-6 (paper).
Robert Ireland is a Maine Down Easter who
has decided to call North Carolina home. For that
we should be grateful, for in this, his first book, he
masterfully relates the story of North CarolinaTs
change from the horse to the automobile. In seven
well-written chapters, Ireland tells of early Tar
Heel auto builders and drivers, sellers and buyers,
road makers and lawmakers, as well as the many
ways in which the automobile changed the face
and fabric of our society. Illustrations abound and
greatly enhance the bookTs value. (This reviewer, a
Durham resident, would rather have seen Ireland
use a picture of the Bull CityTs oMiss Kiwanis,� the
first North Carolina bookmobile, than one of a
Greensboro vehicle, but then a reviewer cannot
have everything!) Especially interesting are photo-
graphs of early automobiles made in North
Carolina.
The many notes, blessedly placed at the end
of each chapter rather than packed together at
the end of the book, attest to the authorTs wide
ranging research. Sometimes he has been a bit
careless in his noting, however. There are a few
errors of fact (e.g., George LyonTs automobile shop
was across the street from GaskinsTs bicycle shop
in Durham, not in the same building [see p. 10],
Gaskins at 312 W. Main and Lyon at 315), but for
the most part the research is sound. The notes
can serve as a bibliography, but a separate listing
would have been useful. Regrettably, there is no
index.
Nonetheless, this is a marvelous account of
an era few among us can now remember. For this
reason, IrelandTs book belongs in every North
Carolina library, middle school and above.
Peter R. Neal, Durham County Library
Elizabeth Lawrence. Through the Garden Gate.
Edited by Bill Neal. Chapel Hill: University of
North Carolina Press, 1990. 256 pp. $19.95. ISBN
0-8078-1907-7.
Elizabeth Lawrence has delighted readers of
garden literature for many years, presenting her
broad knowledge of botanical, horticultural, and
literary matters in an elegant and engaging style.
Now, thanks to Bill Neal, we have Through the
Garden Gate, an addition to her valuable and
enjoyable writings. Neal has selected 144 columns
from those which Lawrence contributed to the
Charlotte Observer between 1957 and 1971. They
generally are arranged by the month in which she
wrote them.
Lawrence ranged widely in the gardening
world for her columns. She was a talented and
observant gardener, constantly trying plants new
to her and the region and experimenting with
combinations of plants. Lawrence was friend to
many outstanding horticulturists, nurserymen,
and ordinary people who shared her love of gar-
dening. She gleaned information and plants from
them. Her columns are a wonderful mix of essays
on particular plants, garden design, personal
experiences, and gardening in literature.
Lawrence (1904-1985) lived and gardened in
Raleigh and Charlotte. She was the first woman to
receive a landscape architecture degree from the
School of Design at what is now North Carolina
State University. In 1950, she left her Raleigh
garden and moved to Charlotte, where in 1957
she began writing a weekly column for the Char-
lotte Observer which she continued until 1971. In
1942, she published the indispensable A Southern
Garden, a work published in revised edition in
1967 and paperback in 1984. Readers familiar
with A Southern Garden will recognize plants and
people in Through the Garden Gate, but the
latterTs essays are fresh.
Editor Neal, chef and author of Bill NealTs
Southern Cooking and Biscuits, Spoonbread, and
Sweet Potato Pie, was a gardening friend of Eliza-
beth Lawrence. He has done a fine job of editing,
intruding as little as possible. The introduction is
well written and explains NealTs editing policies
clearly. The index is thorough and includes plant
Winter 1990"289
North Carolina Books
names, personal names, and some publication
titles.
Other books by Lawrence that should be in
every public and academic library in North Caro-
lina, no matter the size, are Gardens in Winter,
originally published in 1961 by Harper (Baton
Rouge: Claitors, 1973); Gardening for Love: The
Market Bulletins (Durham: Duke University Press,
1987); and The Little Bulbs: A Tale of Two
Gardens (1957, reissued Durham: Duke University
Press, 1986.) Another new Lawrence title is A
Rock Garden in the South, edited by Nancy Good-
win and Allen Lacy (Durham: Duke University
Press, 1990.) All of these works are currently
available.
Nancy Frazier, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Jane Ockershausen. The North Carolina One-Day
Trip Book. McLean, Va.: EPM Publications, 1990.
304 pp. $11.95, plus $2.00 shipping and handling.
ISBN 0-939009-38-2 (paper).
How do the term osleep tight� and the father
of Madame Chiang Kai-shek and Madame Sun-
Yat-sen relate to North Carolina? According to
Jane Ockershausen, at the Zebulon Vance home-
stead in the western mountains is a bed corder,
used to tighten the ropes on beds. Such an imple-
ment gave rise to the expression osleep tight.� On
the opposite side of the state, the Beaufort ceme-
tery contains the graves of Mary and Robert Chad-
wick, a couple who took in a young Chinese
stowaway. After studying at Trinity College, the
young man returned to China. There he fathered
two daughters who would become Mesdames
Chiang Kai-shek and Sun-Yat-sen. These diverse
stories illustrate the wide range of information
available in The North Carolina One-Day Trip
Book.
This is Jane OckershausenTs seventh one-day
trip book. A travel writer concentrating on the
mid-Atlantic region, previously she has written
under the surname Smith. This latest book is
similar in arrangement to The Virginia One-Day
Trip Book (1986), with the state divided geo-
graphically. Each section begins with a map and a
list of sites to be discussed. The 150 attractions
are a good mixture of outdoor recreation (local,
state, and national parks), historic sites (battle-
grounds, plantations, and homesteads), and cul-
tural institutions (museums, churches, and aquar-
iums). Each site is allotted two to four descriptive
pages and often includes amusing details or cap-
tivating stories. Road directions at the end locate
the site for the reader.
This is the perfect book for newcomers who
290"Winter 1990
are just beginning to explore their surroundings;
since it provides a sense of the historical develop-
ment of North Carolina and describes trips that
are within easy access to most of the state. Even
long-term residents can learn about unfamiliar
places or new details about familiar ones.
While the content of the book is entertaining
and informative, the maps and index make it diffi
cult to use. The shaded outline maps at the
beginning of each geographic section are inade
quate and frustrating to a map aficionado. Each
site is located by number, and some towns aré
indicated, but a more detailed road map would
have been helpful. Travel routes would be easier
to plan, and the relationship between sites would
have been more obvious.
The index lists locations only. Unfortunately,
it does not include at least two important attrac
tions. Moores Creek National Battlefield is dis-
cussed in the text, but the only way to locate
OckershausenTs description is through the list of
sites at the beginning of the Southern Coast
section or in the bookTs table of contents. The Pine
Knoll Shores aquarium likewise has its own
description and is mentioned in other sections,
but is actually listed in the index as North Caro-
lina Aquarium " Pine Knoll Shores.
The index would be easier to use if it included
subjects. A subject entry for aquariums, for exam-
ple, would locate three along the coast. People
interested in gem and gold mines and mineral
museums would be referred to several in the
mountains and foothills. A subject index would
allow explorers to seek out sites that particularly
interest them, even if they do not know their
official names.
Improved maps and index would make this
an easier book to use. The North Carolina One-
Day Trip Book, nonetheless, is full of useful infor-
mation that public library patrons will appreciate.
At the bookTs end is a list of North Carolina
outdoor dramas and a calendar of events.
Nancy Henderson-James, Charles E. Jordan High School,
Durham
Mary Norton Kratt. My Dear Miss Eva. Charlotte:
Cedar Press, 1990. 85 pp. $8.95. ISBN 0-9625947-
0-9 (paper). [Orders to Cedar Press, P.O. Box
2135, Matthews, N.C. 28105].
My Dear Miss Eva is a love story. We know
from the first page that there is a happy ending
because EvaTs married name is spelled out: Eva
Lee Hickman Hood. But foreknowledge does not
lessen the enjoyment of reading the letters that
led to that ending.
Twenty-five pages of this small volume consist
of letters from J. B. Hood to Miss Eva Hickman,
the grandparents of Mary Norton Kratt. The
letters were written over a period of two years
while Hood first was a ministerial student and
then the pastor of two small rural churches. A
devout young man who is very much in love, he
cannot bring his pen to write romantic words to
his ofriend,� but he hints that they have discussed
much more than he dares to write. The letters are
very proper and reserved, but there is an obvious
undercurrent of affection.
Along with their romantic interest, the letters
present a quiet picture of life among rural people
in western North Carolina during the 1890s. We
become aware of a time past, of customs, morals,
and traditions that are now very rare, if they exist
at all. We learn what life was truly like for Hood.
Writing sermons, visiting parishioners, conducting
weddings and funerals, and commuting by horse-
back and wagon between his two churches keep
the young minister busy. But these responsibilities
do not fill his days entirely, and his loneliness is
apparent.
The letters are source material of the best
kind; the events are real, the writer is real, the life
he describes is real. Unfortunately, the text sup-
plementing the letters and providing background
North Carolina Giving:
The Directory of the StateTs Foundations
North Carolina Giving is
the most complete, authoritative guide
to the stateTs more than 700 private
charitable and community foundations.
It is a vital resource for nonprofit
organizations and institutions, or for
anyone seeking grants.
North Carolina Books
is less effective. Miss Eva was obviously an impor-
tant influence upon young Kratt, but the clear
picture of her grandmother that Kratt wished to
present does not emerge.
The text is at times interesting, but the author
sometimes moves from topic to topic without
developing the subjects fully. The result is an
occasionally confusing mixture of family history,
geography, economic conditions, and educational
background of the people of the area, and even
one of EvaTs favorite recipes.
The bookTs final pages contain six poems
inspired by Miss Eva. oWomanly,� in which Kratt
tells of Miss Eva donning her corset, presents a
situation believable and realistic. It is in these
poems that Kratt best projects the essence of her
grandmother.
Martha Lapas, East Carolina University
Thad Mumau. Dean Smith: A Biography. Winston-
Salem: John F. Blair, 1990. 287 pp. $18.95. ISBN
0-89587-080-0.
As Dean Smith launches his thirtieth year as
head basketball coach at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, expectations for a success-
ful 1990-1991 season are high. This optimism is
NORTH CAROLINA
eMNE
North Carolina Giving
provides all the information that is
needed to easily identify appropriate
funding sources. The directory is cross-
referenced with indexes by county, areas
of interest and board members, saving
you countless hours of research. anny
The Directory of the State's Foundations
By Anita Gunn-Shirley
Published by Capital Consortium, Inc.
Order your copy of this
limited edition today.
Please sendme________ copiesof Name:
North Carolina Giving at $99.00 per copy. " T;t\o:
Enclosed is-my check for $ Organization:
Address:
ISBN: 0-9624910-0-4
Return to: North Carolina Giving, Capital
Consortium, PO Box 2918, Raleigh,
North Carolina 27602 919/833-4553 Phone:
Winter 1990"291
North Carolina Books
based on the return of a solid nucleus of talented
veteran players and the addition of one of the
most highly regarded freshmen classes in the
history of college basketball. Carolina fans have
become accustomed to great teams and lofty
rankings under Coach Smith. In his previous
twenty-nine years at the helm of the program, he
has won seventy-seven percent of his games,
received an invitation to the NCAA Tournament
for sixteen consecutive years, and won the
national championship in 1982.
Thad Mumau has produced an enjoyable and
readable, but highly prejudiced, account of the life
and career of Dean Edwards Smith. Mumau, a
former sportswriter with the Fayetteville Observer
and currently editor of the Poop Sheet (a bimonth-
ly newsletter that focuses on sports in the Atlantic
Coast Conference region), has over twenty years
of experience covering ACC basketball. This book
is the second biography of Smith by the UNC
graduate. After receiving authorization from the
coach, Mumau published Dean Smith: More than
a Coach in 1979. It was a popular volume that
sold out in its first printing. MumauTs current
edition is an updated revision of that first
biography.
The initial chapter addresses the dedication
of the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center on
the UNC campus. Mumau then covers SmithTs
early years, his days as a student and basketball
player at the University of Kansas, his tour of duty
in the Air Force, his tenure as assistant basketball
coach at the Air Force Academy, and his role as
an assistant under Frank McGuire at the Univer-
sity of North Carolina. Subsequent chapters in-
clude year-by-year coverage of SmithTs career as
head coach at Chapel Hill. The biographer details
SmithTs coaching philosophy and stresses the
many innovative ideas that he has brought to the
game " the four corners, the trapping defenses,
and the playersT huddle on the court. Also, Mumau
briefly examines the private side of Smith and his
life away from athletics.
Dean Smith: A Biography also contains a
selection of interviews with former Carolina play-
ers and rival coaches. Among those providing
testimonials are Billy Cunningham, Rusty Clark,
Bob McAdoo, Mitch Kupchak, John Kuester, Phil
Ford, Mike OTKoren, James Worthy, J. R. Reid, John
Thompson, Mike Krzyzewski, Bobby Knight, Frank
McGuire, and Lefty Driesell.
It is quite obvious from his stellar record that
Dean Smith is an exceptional coach, but Mumau
belabors the point. More in-depth, critical analysis
by the author would have been welcome and
would have resulted in a better book. Certainly
292"Winter 1990
there has been more controversy and detractio!
in SmithTs life than is alluded to by Mumau. Was 2
second life story of Smith necessary at this junc
ture in his career? Perhaps a more definitive work
will be published after Smith retires from thé
game.
Most libraries will, nonetheless, find this
volume a popular addition to their holdings, oné
appropriate for readers from middle school agé
on up. It contains informative tables, numerous
illustrations, and an appendix listing year by yea!
Carolina lettermen under Smith.
Stephen E. Massengill, North Carolina Division of Archives and
History
Janet Lembke. Looking for Eagles: Reflection
of a Classical Naturalist. New York: Lyons &
Burford, 1990. 181 pp. $19.95. ISBN 1-55821-077-6-
A woman equally at home on the slopes of
Mount Olympus or along the banks of the Neus
River, Janet Lembke has given us a tender and
insightful glimpse into the myriad worlds shé
discovers from her house near Havelock, North
Carolina. Lembke, author of River Time, is bY
training and interest a scholar of ancient Greek
and Latin literatures and possesses a vast know!
edge of myth and etymology. She discusses 25
easily the legends of Pandion and Picus (whos
names became part of the scientific nomenclature
for the osprey and the woodpecker) as she does
the feeding behaviors of their namesakes. Not #
scientist, but a perspicacious observer of he!
environment and its diverse inhabitants, sh
describes encounters with creatures ranging fro�"�
snakes and ticks to the raptors of the title, as shé
and her doberman Sally explore the lanes, woods;
and riverbanks around her home.
Each essay, or chapter, can stand aloné
complete in itself. Yet, when read together, they
create a world where nature still modulates th
rhythms of homo sapiens, where seasons ar
primordial, determining the activities of the
human players and the discoveries they make. It
is a world in many ways untouched by the twel�
tieth century (despite the occasional presence of
an automobile or a helicopter). It is in part this
timelessness which allows Lembke to mov
smoothly from Aeschylus, Aristotle, and Pliny t?
the menhaden, sea nettle, and pileated wood
pecker. The naturalness of this world is mirrored
in LembkeTs easygoing style. Yet she is an effectiv®
advocate for the environment. She describes 4
one point the writing of DTArcy Thompson (a4
expert on the Greek names for birds) as othat of
the partisan who wants the world to share his
excitement.� The same could be said of LembkeTs
own text.
Eminently readable, this book is recom-
mended for public libraries and for all collections
interested in the natural history of North Carolina.
Mark Schumacher, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Other Publications of Interest
Sad, humorous, pious, defiant, poetic " the
epitaphs and illustrations that Tar Heels, like
people everywhere, cut into tombstones honoring
their dead are a varied lot. In Tarheel Tomb-
stones and the Tales They Tell, Asheboro news-
paperman Henry King proves just how diverse
those carvings are. From the faithful physicianTs
oOffice Now Up Stairs,� to the proud oWhipped
ShermanTs Bummers with scalding water,� to the
humble oJust Becky,� these messages in stone give
insight into the characters of the deceased and
how those who buried them thought they should
be remembered. This fascinating inventory of
gravestone art and inscriptions proves that, as
compiler King states, oa graveyard can be an
outdoor classroom,� offering many lessons in
history and philosophy. (1990; Down Home Press,
P.O. Box 4126, Asheboro, N.C. 27204; 186 pp.; pbk.;
$9.95; ISBN 0-9624255-2-4.)
Tall black-on-silver historical markers are a
familiar sight along Tar Heel roads. Since 1936,
the North Carolina Division of Archives and
History has erected over thirteen hundred of
these commemorative plaques, reminding travel-
ers of people, places, and events significant in the
stateTs past. With publication of the eighth edition
of Guide to North Carolina Highway Historical
Markers, edited by Michael Hill, Archives and
History offers a handy reference source for the
titles and texts of these plaques, plus brief infor-
mation on the marker program. The guide
arranges markers by geographic district and
includes a thorough subject-title index, a listing of
markers by county, and a number of illustrations.
One hundred twenty-one markers placed since
1979 are new to this edition. (1990; Historical
Publications Section, Division of Archives and
History, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, N.C. 27601-
2807; 194 pp.; pbk.; $8.00, plus $2.00 postage and
handling; ISBN 0-86526-240-3.)
Ferns of the Coastal Plain: Their Lore,
Legends, and Uses is a combination field guide
and botany lesson for anyone interested in the
many varieties of ferns found in the coastal plain
region of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
North Carolina Books
and Georgia. For each species, author Lin Dunbar
provides Latin and common name, detailed illus-
tration, cultivation tips, and description of dis-
tinctive physical characteristics. In addition, she
discusses popular uses of and folklore about these
fascinating plants. (1989; University of South
Carolina Press, Columbia, S.C. 29208; 165 pp.;
$21.95; ISBN 0-87249-594-9; pbk.; ISBN 0-87249-
595-7, $11.95.)
Nancy Rhyne continues her tales of homicide
with More Murder in the Carolinas, a collection
of fourteen popularly written accounts of cele-
brated crimes. So well received was Murder in the
Carolinas, RhyneTs 1988 inventory of untimely
death, that the first printing sold out in six weeks.
North Carolina crimes in this latest work include
the story of Tom Dula (memorialized in ballad as
oTom Dooley�), the duel between Congressmen
Robert Vance and Samuel Carson, and several
notorious murders from the 1980s. (John F. Blair,
Publisher, 1406 Plaza Drive, Winston-Salem, N.C.
27108; 154 pp.; ppk.; $8.95; ISBN 0-89587-075-4.)
More than seven hundred golf courses provide
year-round pleasures for thousands of North and
South Carolinians. These courses are, owithout a
doubt or qualification, the finest and most avail-
able in the country.� At least that is the contention
of novelist and golf writer William Price Fox, an
argument he ably supports with Golfing in the
Carolinas. In this attractive coffee-table book,
with its dramatic color photographs of fairways,
greens, and clubhouses, Fox extols his favorite
courses in the Carolinas. Some, such as Pinehurst
No. 2, are legendary; others are best known among
golf aficionados. For each course, Fox includes
United States Golf Association ratings, course
address, basic area map, and a graph with length,
par, and handicap for individual holes. (1990;
John F. Blair, Publisher, 1406 Plaza Drive, Winston-
Salem, N.C. 27103; 204 pp.; $39.95; ISBN 0-89587-
078-9.)
In the 140 pages of A Slice of Time: A
Carolinas Album, 1950-1990, award-winning
photographer Don Sturkey captures the faces of
people, celebrated and not, in the midst of life "
making their livings, practicing their religion and
politics, celebrating their holidays, and honoring
their dead. SturkeyTs sharp black-and-white
images of protest demonstrations and hurricane
aftermath, stock car racers and religious parades,
Klan cross burnings and high school dances, one
quietly following another, tell the story of the last
forty years in the Carolinas with startling force.
(1990; Down Home Press, P.O. Box 4126, Ashe-
boro, N.C. 27204; 140 pp.; pbk. $19.95; ISBN
0-9624255-7-5.) Continued on page 283.
Winter 1990"293
Candidates for NCLA Offices
NCLA Nominating Committee Report
for the 1991-1993 Biennium
Gwen Jackson,
Vice President/
President-Elect
Current Position
Regional Coordinator for
Media and Technology,
Southeast Regional Educa-
tion Center, Jacksonville
Education
Kd.S, East Carolina University
M.L.S., East Carolina Univer-
sity
B.A., University of North Carolina " Greensboro
Professional Memberships and Activities
NCLA, 1971-
Membership Committee, 1979-81
Director, 1981-83
Intellectual Freedom Committee, 1985-
NCASL, 1971-
Nominating Committee, 1973-75
Handbook Committee, 1977-79
Chair, Membership Committee, 1977-83
Director, 1983-87
Conference Program Committee, 1986
Chair, Nominating Committee, 1987-89
Battle of Books Committee, 1989-
NC EMA, 1973-
Secretary, District 14, 1975-77
Vice-President, District 14, 1977-79
Director, 1989-
ALA, 1989-
AASL, 1989-
NASTEMP, 1986-
ASCD, 1986-
NC ASCD, 1986-
Awards and Accomplishments
Alpha Delta Kappa, 1977-
294"Winter 1990
Sue Spencer,
Vice President/
President-Elect
Current Position
Director of Instructional
Media, Randolph County
Schools
Education
B.A., Elementary Education,
University of North
Carolina at Greensboro
M.Ed., University of North Carolina at Greensboro
M.LS., University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Professional Activities
ALA
AASL
NCLA
NCASL - First Media Fair, Chair; Conference
Publicity Committee, Chair; First NCASL Pre-
Conference (Whole Language)
AECT
NCEMA
AASA, NCASA
ASCD, NCASCD
NAPPS member
UNCG Alumni Association - Scholarship Commit-
tee; Chair, Outstanding Alumni Award Com-
mittee
Randolph/Asheboro Media Association
Awards and Accomplishments
Delta Kappa Gamma - First Vice-President,
Various Committee Chairs
Directed Project ZOO, Title IV-B Innovative Pro-
ject, received National Validation
Happy
New Year
Waltrene M. Canada,
Secretary
Current Position
Government Documents
Librarian
F.D. Bluford Library
NCA &T State University
Education
BS., North Carolina A & T
State University
M.LS., North Carolina Central
University
Professional Memberships and Activities
North Carolina Library Association
Education for Librarianship Committee,
1980-81
Documents Section
Vice-chairperson 1985-86
Chairperson 1986-87
Honorary & Life Membership Committee
Chairperson, 1987-89
Roundtable for Ethnic & Minority Concerns
Road Builders Award Committee, 1989
Distinguished Library Service Award Commit-
tee, 1989
Guilford Library Association
Laubach International Literacy Association
Awards and Accomplishments
Beta Phi Mu International Library Science Honor
Society
~pc
Joyce Orndoff, Secretary
Current Position
Dynix Librarian/Software
Analyst, Mayland Com-
munity College, Spruce Pine
Education
BS. in Elementary Education,
East Tennessee State
University
M.A. in Library Science, East
Tennessee State University
Additional work at ASU and NCSU
Presently completing a Business Computer Pro-
gramming degree
Professional Memberships and Activities
NCLA - Served as secretary to the Community and
Junior College Section; served on Technology
Committee; been member since early "70s
WNCLA - Serve on Legislative Committee
NCCC LRA - Served as secretary, district director,
automation committee chair for three years,
president, priorities committee chair
NCCC IIPS Users Group - Served on executive
board for two years
NCCC Dynix Users Group - Helped with formation
of group; served as chair for two years
State Employees Association
Awards and Accomplishments
Completed retrospective conversion project at
Mayland Community College and implemented
Dynix library software package
Implemented telecommunications program at
Mayland Community College
Coordinated staff development for MCC for two
years; helped plan and implement a regional
staff development conference.
Instrumental in the writing of specifications for a
library automation package for the N. C. Com-
munity College System.
Editor of booklet entitled oManaging Library Auto-
mation: a Planning Guide�
Mae L. Rodney, Director
Current Position
Director of Library Services
Winston-Salem State Univer-
B.A. History, North Carolina
Central University
M.LS., North Carolina
Central University
Ph.D. Library Science, Univer-
sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Professional Memberships and Activities
American Library Association, Southeastern Li-
brary Association, North Carolina Library Asso-
ciation and Forsyth County Library Associa-
tion. Nominating Committee for NCLA 1990;
Board of Directors, Forsyth County Library
Association 1987 and Nominating Committee
1990 (FCLA)
City of Winston-Salem, Minority/Women Business
Enterprise Advisory Committee 1990-92
Awards and Accomplishments - Publications
oCollection Evaluation: A Managerial Tool,� Collec-
tion Management 3 (Winter 1979)
oCollection Management 1980,� North Carolina
Libraries, Spring 1982
oThe Influence of Certain Variables on Collection
Use at Three Historically Black Liberal Arts
Colleges,� Dissertation submitted in partial
requirement for the Ph.D. in Library Science at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
oFun at O'Kelly Library,� North Carolina Libraries
48 (Spring 1990), 23
[can 2 ee
Winter 1990"295
Gay Williams Shepherd,
Director
Current Position
Reference Librarian
James Addison Jones Library
Greensboro College
Education
A.A., Emmanuel College,
1961-63
B.S./English, Library Science
certification, East Carolina
University, 1963-65
M.LS., University of North Carolina at Greens-
boro, 1983-85
Professional Memberships and Activities
North Carolina Library Association, 1985-88,
1989-90
American Library Association, 1985-88, 1989-90
Reference and Adult Services Division of Ameri-
can Library Association, 1985- 88, 1989-90
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Alumni Association - Board Member 1989- 90,
President 1988-89, Vice President 1987-88
National Education Association
North Carolina Education Association. Served as
Convention delegate on at least two occasions
North Carolina Association of Educators. Served
as Convention delegate on one or two occa-
sions. Served as Local Treasurer 1975-76
Political Action Committee for Education. Served
as Local Treasurer 1976-77
North Carolina Council of Teachers of English
Awards and Accomplishments
Beta Phi Mu member since 1986
Delta Kappa Gamma " Alpha Alpha Chapter
member since 1970. Alpha Alpha Scholarship
Recipient - 1987
TE
296"Winter 1990
(Ed) ward T. Shearin, Jr.,
Director
Current Position
Director of Learning Resour-
ces, Carteret Community
College, Morehead City
Education
A.A., Chowan College
B.A., N.C. Wesleyan College
wi M.LS., East Carolina
University
Adult and Community College Doctoral Program
-N.C. State University
Professional Memberships and Activities
NCLA - Chairperson Technology and Trends Com-
mittee - Member of Publications Committee
NCCCLRA, State President, Newsletter Editor and
Various Committees
MUGLNC
North Carolina GovernorTs Conference on Library
Information Services - Regional Planning
Committee
Awards and Accomplishments
Published in N.C. Libraries, NCCCLRA Mediator
Written Grant Proposals
Conducted workshops on various aspects of
library automation, ie., networking and data
base searching
Graduated from Community College Leadership
Institute
Planned and directed retrospective conversion,
changing Dewey to LC, installation of library
automation system, statewide conference for
community college librarians, position paper,
moving to new facility, and various other li-
brary management activities.
eS
Helen M. Tugwell,
Director
Current Position
Coordinator of Media Ser-
vices, Guilford County
Schools, Greensboro
Education
Curriculum Instructional
Specialist, UNC Greensboro
Masters in Library Science
East Carolina University
Bachelor of Arts, Atlantic Christian College
Professional Memberships
American Library Association
American Association of School Librarians
ASCD
North Carolina Library Association
North Carolina Association of School Librarians
Phi Delta Kappa
Delta Kappa Gamma
Professional Activities
AASL SupervisorTs Section Recording Secretary,
1989-91
AASL Affiliate Assembly Executive Board, 1988-90
AASL Affiliate Assembly Recording Secretary,
1988-89
AASL Affiliate Assembly Regional Coordinator,
1987
AASL Affiliate Assembly Representative, 1985-86
AASL Leadership Enhancement Committee,
1988-92
AASL Legislative Committee, 1986-88
NCLA Education for Librarianship Committee,
1979-81, Chair 1981-83
Have a question?
Call the library!
NCLA Goals and Objectives Committee, Chair
1988-90
NCASL Chair-Elect 1983-85, Chair 1985-87
NCASL Board of Directors, 1987-89
NCASL BULLETIN Co-Editor, 1988-90
SLMQ Column Co-Editor, 1989 to Present
Delta Kappa Gamma Recording Secretary,
1979-83
Awards and Accomplishments
Deans List, Atlantic Christian College
Outstanding Young Educator
NCLA Memorial Scholarship Recipient
NCASL Research Grant Recipient
Presenter at Virginia Technology Conference 1988
Keynote Speaker for Virginia Regional Conference
1989
cl
Join NCLA
To enroll as a member of the association or
to renew your membership, check the approp-
riate type of membership and the sections or
round tables which you wish to join. NCLA mem-
bership entitles you to membership in one of the
sections or round tables shown below at no extra
cost. For each additional section, add $7.00 to
your regular dues.
Return the form below along with your check
or money order made payable to North Carolina
Library Assocation. All memberships are for two
calendar years. If you enroll during the last quarter
of a year, membership will cover the next two
years.
NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
0 New membership CO Renewal O Membership no.
Name oiet oe et
First Middle Last
Position """"$AAaAA
Business Address
a
City or Town State
Mailing Address (if diffrent from above)
CHECK TYPE OF DUES:
O FULL-TIME LIBRARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
(one biennium only)
O RETIRED LIBRARIANS
O NON-LIBRARY PERSONNEL:
(a) Trustees; (b) oFriends of Libraries� members;
(c) Non-salaried
LIBRARY PERSONNEL
O Eaming up to $15,000
O Eaming $15,001 to $25,000
O Eaming $25,001 to $35,000
O Earning $35,001 and above
C0 INSTITUTIONAL (Libraries and library/
education-related businesses
C CONTRIBUTING (Individuals, associations, firms, etc.
interested in the work of NCLA)
CHECK SECTIONS: (one included in basic dues; each
additional section $7.00)
O ChildrenTs
O College & Univ.
O Comm. & Jr. College
O Documents
0 Ethnic Minority Concerns
Round Table
(CD Jr. Members Round Table
C0 NCASL (School)
O Public
O Ref. & Adult
O RTS (Res.-Tech.)
O Trustees
0 WomenTs Round Table
Mail to: Michael J. Lacroix, Treasurer, Ethel K. Smith Library,
Wingate College, P.O. Box 217, Wingate, NC 28174-0217
Winter 1990"297
NCLA Minutes
North Carolina Library Association
Minutes of the Executive Board
July 20, 1990
The Executive Board of North Carolina Library Association
met Friday, July 20, 1990, in the Simpson Building at Asheville-
Buncombe Technical Community College. The meeting was
called to order by President Baker, who introduced guests
Sharon Smith and Rebecca Vargha, President of the Special
Library Association.
Board members present were: Frances Bradburn, Laura
Benson, Pamela Jaskot, Pat Siegfried, Robert Gaines, Nancy
Fogarty, Dave Fergusson, ReneeT Stiff, Patricia Langelier, Johan-
nah Sherrer, Martha Ransley, David Gleim, Sylvia Sprinkle-
Hamlin, Barbara Baker, Martha Fonville, Administrative Assis-
tant, Bob Mowry, President of Friends of North Carolina Librar-
ies, and Jane Moore, representing Howard McGinn, State
Librarian.
A welcome was extended by Shirley McLaughlin on behalf of
Ray Bailey, President of the College, and Ed Sheary, Director of
Asheville-Buncombe Public Library.
President Baker announced a change in the agenda to add a
request from the Committee for AIDS Material Awareness. The
minutes were not read because the secretary had car trouble on
the way to the meeting. They will be mailed and approved at the
October meeting.
Treasurer Michael LaCroix reported a $7,699.68 balance in
the checking account, $72,288.54 in a seven-day CD, and that
Committees had spent about $600 over budget. Michael LaCroix
moved that Committees budget be increased by $1,500. Motion
was seconded by Martha Ransley and carried.
Committee Reports
Frances Bradburn, Chair of AIDS Materials Awareness Gom-
mittee, presented the goal of the Committee, which is the com-
pilation and statewide dissemination of a selected bibliography
and acore collection of the most accurate, most complete infor-
mation about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome that is
currently available for children and young adults. The Commit-
tee requests $1,500 to implement this goal. $500 would be for the
core collection and $1,000 would be for subscriptions, preview
fees, photocopies, and postage. Seconded by Pat Langelier, the
motion carried.
President Baker, reporting for Archives, stated that there was
no special report, other than the Committee is meeting bimonth-
ly in Raleigh to work on the archives.
Martha Fonville, reporting for Janet Freeman, Conference
Committee Chair, presented a request for Section/Roundtable/
Committee contacts, which was distributed to those present,
and will be mailed to those not present. She requested then to
begin making definite plans for the November 12-15, 1991
Conference in High Point.
President Baker presented a report sent by Doris Anne Brad-
ley, Chair of the Constitution, Codes, and Handbook Revision
Committee. The Committee will meet again on August 17 to
decide on a paging system, and distribution of the new Handbook
298"Winter 1990
should follow soon thereafter. There were questions about
financing for a custom-designed cover and binders. Martha
Fonville will investigate the costs and report back.
Nancy Fogarty, Finance Committee Chair, reported that the
Committee met in June, prepared a report showing the Income
and Expenditures for the 1989-90 approved budget, the 1988-89
actual expenditures, and the proposed 1991-92 budget. The
Board went into Executive Session to discuss the Administrative
AssistantTs salary and benefits package. A 4% salary increase per
year and a benefit package of 20% of the salary was recom-
mended. A proposed 1991-92 budget of $123,082 was presented
for approval. Following a lengthy discussion, the recommended
budget was approved.
Governmental Relations Committee Chair, Dave Fergusson,
reported a successful National Library Legislative Day in Wash-
ington, DC on April 24, with a delegation of 20 which divided
into four groups, each to visit three or four congressmen. The
Chair also attended the State Library Legislative Day on June 6
in Raleigh. State Aid budget cuts of 3-6% have been proposed.
Intellectual Freedom Committee submitted a printed report.
President Baker announced that the NC Library Association
had received a $3,000 LSCA grant, and she reminded members
of the July 27-28 Literacy Partnerships Conference in Greens-
boro.
Pauline Myrick, Chair of the Nominating Committee, sent a
report announcing the election of Dave Fergusson as SELA
Representative.
Shelia Core, Scholarships Committee Chair, sent a report
announcing this yearTs scholarship and loan recipients. Recip-
ients of Memorial Scholarships are Elizabeth Eubanks of Durham
and Gene Jackson of Goldsboro. Lisa Roland of Boone was
selected to receive the Query-Long Scholarship for Work with
Children or Young Adults. McLendon Loan recipients were
Louise Hunley of Monroe. Carolyn Jernigan of Dunn, and Jane
Slaughter of Fayetteville. Her report suggested that clear instruc-
tions for repaying the loans are needed, so that former borrow-
ers could be contacted about repayment. Martha Fonville is to
follow up on the approved procedure for getting loan repayment.
Frances Bradburn, NC LIBRARIES Editor, reported that issues
are planned through the Winter 1993 issue, and guest editors
are confirmed for all issues except the Summer 1992, and it
should soon be confirmed.
Section and Roundtable Reports
The following Sections/Roundtables did not give a report:
Community and Junior Colleges, Library Administration and
Management, New Members, Paraprofessional, Special Collec-
tions, and Trustees.
ChildrenTs Services Chair, Pat Siegfried, reported that the
Section had decided to ask author-illustrator, Jose Aruego, to be
the featured speaker at the CSS Breakfast program for the 1991
Conference, and might also have a childrenTs recording artist at
the Thursday evening reception. The Section will suggest that
future oNight of a Thousand Stars� events be spread over a week
rather than concentrated in one evening. The Section submitted
a position paper for the Regional Governor's Conferences and
will provide a traveling exhibit for them. The Section will present
a Notables Showcase at the NCASL Conference in September
and will informally booktalk the books displayed. REEL READ-
ERS has been very successful with only 40 copies remaining
from the original 300. Printing an additional 200 copies is being
considered. Mark Duckworth replaced Valerie Talbert as CSS
Director. Their next meeting will be September 6.
Martha Ransley, Chair, College and University Section, report-
ed on the May 11 workshop, oNetworking: the Challenge of
Working Together� which drew 56 participants. Changes to the
Bylaws for the Section, which insert a new Article VII, Interest
Groups, were presented. The changes had been approved by the
Section Executive Board and adoption was recommended. The
motion was seconded and approved. The Section will begin
planning for the Biennial Conference and the 1991 Spring Work-
shop at their September 28 meeting.
Robert Gaines, Chair, Documents Section, presented two
resolutions recommending that all use paper meeting ANSI
Standard Z39.8-1984 for the printing of publications of enduring
value, that the resolution be distributed to publishers, news-
papers, and the appropriate government and private organiza-
tions within NC, and that NCLA adopt the use of alkaline
permanent paper for its publications and documentation. After
discussion, the resolutions were adopted. The Section will spon-
sor a fall workshop, oTechnical Reference and Collections in
North Carolina� on November 9 at McKimmon Center in Raleigh.
Laura Benson, Chair, NCASL (School Librarians) reported
that the NCASL resolution presented at ALA to request that
AASL and ALA promote research in areas of school librarianship
by establishing and awarding annual grants for research on
topics of current interest, received unanimous approval and will
be AASLs top priority for 1991. Also at ALA, Greensboro Public
Schools received the AASL Encyclopedia Britannica Award for
the best school media program in school districts of more than
10,000 students. The recipient of the 1990 NCASL Administrator
of the Year Award is Dr. David Ricketts, Superintendent of
McDowell County School System, which has been a leader in
using technology for library administration. The Section is
continuing to work on a ChildrenTs Book Award proposal. The
Section will have a display, constructed by Augie Beasley of
Charlotte, at each of the Regional Governor's Conferences. The
Section will submit for approval a Bylaws change to extend the
term of office of the treasurer to four years to be staggered with
the terms of the NCLA Treasurer. The motion was seconded by
Johannah Sherrer and approved. Plans for the NCASL Confer-
ence to be held in High Point September 27-28 are being com-
pleted. Two preconferences will be held.
Dave Fergusson submitted the Public Library Section report
for Nancy Bates, Chair. Highlights from their May 4 meeting
include the Second Annual Bookmobile Workshop held April
30-May 1 in Greensboro which attracted 132 people from 12
states in addition to North Carolina; the compiling and printing
of a new A-V Services Directory; two fall Video Equipment Work-
shops scheduled for September 25 in Asheville and October 3 in
Fayetteville; consideration of publishing a guide to local history
sollections in NC public libraries and community college librar-
es; consideration of several geneology workshop topics; a survey
of NC library schools and: the USC library school to determine
sudent attitudes toward public librarianship; a survey regard-
ig the procedures other states use with regard to certification
-nd/or recertification of public librarians; PR table talks at the
991 Conference; a oRound Robin Rip-Offs� PR exchange pro-
ram which would be a continuous sharing of PR material;
sponsoring a two-day PR conference in November; the possibility
of producing a video to orient new trustees and on how to start
friendTs groups; suggestions for increasing exposure to the
oGrassroots� newsletter for young adult librarians. The Section
will meet in Durham in August.
Johannah Sherrer, Chair, Reference and Adult Services,
announced the fall workshop, oReference 2000: Blending Artistry
NCLA Minutes
and Technology� to be held September 28 in Forsyth County
Public Library and presented a proposal for study for their
second major activity, implementing the Maryland Reference
Training Model, a guide for modifying behavior for improving
reference service. This will be presented at the October meeting
for action.
David Gleim, Chair, Resources and Technical Services, re-
ported that the Section has met three times and is continuing
plans for the fall workshop, oMenu-Driven Libraries " Choices
for the 90Ts�, which will address standardized versus customized
library services.
ReneeT Stiff, Chair, Roundtable for Ethnic Minority Concerns,
announced that their first newsletter had been mailed and plans
for the fall workshop, oManaging Communications and Conflict
in the Workplace� were well underway.
President Baker reported that the roundtable on Special
Collections had sponsored a recent workshop.
Karen Seawell, Chair, Roundtable on the Status of Women in
Librarianship, sent a report. Julie Coleman, Vice-Chair/Chair-
Elect, resigned because of accepting a position outside of NC and
the Board will be soliciting people interested in serving on the
Board. At their June 8 meeting, plans were developed for the
next issue of oMS MANAGEMENT�.
Patricia Langelier, ALA Councilor, reported on the three
Council meetings held at ALA. ALA now has 50,575 members,
and conference attendance reached an all-time high of 19,868.
One of the most notable resolutions which passed was the ban
on smoking in all meetings and programs during the annual and
midwinter conferences. North Carolina people and/or libraries
received nine national awards at the conference.
President Baker announced that the bus fare for the SELA
Conference would be $99.00 and that the flyers for reservations
would be mailed soon.
She also announced that SELA is interested in meeting in
Charlotte or Winston-Salem in 1994 or 1996. Both cities have
attractive conference packages. SELA is not asking for sponsor-
ship, but they are asking for letters to SELA indicating support
for the Conference. It was decided by consensus that President
Baker should write a letter for NCLA.
Jane Moore, Chief of Library Development, reported for
Howard McGinn, State Librarian. The budget cut to State Aid to
Public Libraries, it appears, will remain at 3%, a $300,000
reduction. This eliminates most of the budget for films and
videos. The proposal for a Public Library Development study,
written by Nancy Massey and Dave Fergusson, should go out for
bids sometime in August. The ACC PSAs for football season will
be filmed shortly. Football players from Duke, Wake Forest, and
NC State will be used. Appreciation was expressed for the $2,500
support from NCLA. It is hoped that three basketball spots will
be created for the upcoming season. The 1989 basketball PSAs
won the NCLIS Award for Public Service. NCLA is being asked
again to sponsor one of the announcements. It was moved and
seconded to table this request until the October meeting. Motion
carried. Board members were reminded of the Regional Gover-
norTs Conferences.
New Business
President Baker presented a request from Leland Park that a
resolution be drafted to honor Eunice Drum for her service to
the Association and to the libraries in North Carolina. Approved
by consensus, Pam Jaskot will write the resolution and Mrs.
Drum will be invited to the October meeting to receive the
resolution.
President Baker will send letters of commendation to the
recipients of ALA awards,
Bob Mowry, President of Friends of NC Libraries, asked the
Board to support the Friends and to encourage membership.
Winter 1990"299
if
Y
A
NCLA Minutes
Martha Fonville, Administrative Assistant, reported that the
database is almost ready and that current membership is 2,285.
The travel form and check order form have been revised and are
available from the NCLA office.
President Baker reported that she attended the Durham
County Library Association meeting and was a speaker. She also
attended ALA and worked in the North Carolina booth in the
exhibits.
Meeting adjourned.
Minutes written by Amanda Bible from tapes and notes taiet
by Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin.
Amanda Bible, Secretary "y
About the Authors...
Anita Bell
Education: B.S., Concordia College.
Position: Media Assistant, Needham B. Broughton
High School, Raleigh, N.C.
James Colt
Education: B.A., North Carolina Central Univer-
sity; M.L.S., North Carolina Central Univer-
sity: MS., E.D.S., E.D.D., Indiana University.
Position: Associate Professor, School of Education,
North Carolina A & T University.
Kathleen Jackson
Education: B.A., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University; M.A., University of South
Florida.
Position: Interim Head, Monographic Cataloging
Department, Perkins Library, Duke Univer-
sity.
Mary McAfee
Education: B.S., Murray State University; M.LS.,
University of Kentucky.
Position: Assistant Director, Extension Division,
Forsyth County Public Library.
Tom Moore
Education: B.A., Cardinal Glennon College;
M.A.L.S., Rosary College.
Position: Director, Wake County Library System.
Duncan Smith
Education: B.A., University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill; M.S.L.S., University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Position: Continuing Education Coordinator,
North Carolina Central University.
300"Winter 1990
Benjamin Speller
Education: B.A., North Carolina Central Univer-
sity; M.A., Indiana University; Ph.D., Indiana
University.
Position: Dean, School of Library and Information
Science, North Carolina Central University.
Marie Spencer
Education: B.A., University of North Carolina at
Wilmington.
Position: Supervisor of Technical Services, New
Hanover County Public Library.
Judith Stoddard
Education: B.A., Golden Gate University.
Position: Manager, Onslow County Public Library.
Gail Terwilliger
Education: B.A., New England College: M.L.S.,
Florida State University.
Position: Head, Headquarters ChildrenTs Services,
Cumberland County Public Library and
Information Center.
Lois Walker
Education: B.A., Indiana University; M.L.S
Indiana University.
Position: Reference/ILL Librarian, Ida Jane Dacu
Library, Winthrop College.
Julie White
Education: B.A., University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill; M.L.S., University of NorT
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Position: Assistant Director, Athens ) son:
Library, Athens, GA. Ry