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North Carolina Libraries
Spring 1999
EAST CARALIINA
UNIVERSITY
The opportunities to reach new North Carolinians are numerous,
but frequently one must step outside of the library and the
traditional route to increase access.
" Lena Gonzalez, page 5
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Volume 97, Number 1
ISSN 0029-2540
ROLINA
EEE
+
8
13
18
20
LE
2
22
24
29
32
33
34
36
Advertisers: Broadfoot's, 37
Brodart, 23
Checkpoint, 31
Current Editions, 19
Davidson Titles, 17
Ebsco, 7 Cover:
Mumford Books, 15
Quality Books, 12
SIRS, front cover
UNC Press, back cover
Libraries
Spring 1999
OUTREACH
Steve Sumerford, Guest Editor
Public Libraries Reach Out to New North Carolinians: Meeting the Information
Needs of Immigrants and Refugees, Lena Gonzalez
The Homeless, Public Libraries, and Outreach Services, Julie Hersberger
Learning Connections and the School Library Media Program: oIt takes a whole
village to raise a child�, Judith F. Davie
Take Out/Free Delivery!, Frannie Ashburn
ALATs OLOS: Reaching Out to Library Outreach Programs, Satia Orange
PYASCRES SaaS SEL
From the President
Wired to the World: Outreach, Ralph Lee Scott
North Carolina Books
Lagniappe: Coastal Roots: A Review of Genealogical Periodicals of Eastern
North Carolina, Victor T. Jones, Jr.
In View Of...
Between Us: Endowing the Future of NCLA, Ross A. Holt
NCLA Minutes
About the Authors
Patricia Keith and Barbara Trafton, Library Media Coordinators at Prince GeorgesT County
Public Schools, staff the oWrite-A-BookT exhibit at the 1998 Diversity Fair at the ALA
Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Photo by Satia Orange.
North Carolina Libraries is the official publication of the North Carolina Library Association.
Art direction and design by Pat Weathersbee of TeamMedia, Greenville, NC.
From the President
Beverley Gass, President
ear members of NCLA and others who so generously read this,
My intentions were wonderful. I had great ideas about having guests
prepare the PresidentTs Column for North Carolina Libraries after I wrote the
first two or three. I even asked Frances about the idea. I was also pleased that
Frances did not have to remind me that it was time for another president's letter. I even
wrote the submission deadlines in my calendar to make sure that I did it just right. It
was good solid start.
But something happened. Maybe itTs my personal Y2K event a year early. Frances
has had to send a gentle email reminder that itTs time. I worry that I may have to talk
to her in person. I have not been answering the phone. I suspect she is on to me.
Not only am I late with the column, but, even worse than all that is I have no
notion of any brilliant thing to say. No profundities. Not even lame musings. What
will I write? What could I possibly have to say that anyone would want to read except
those truly addicted to the printed word? Is there anyway to be at least as interesting as
the back of the cereal box? ITm sure not.
But having just begun to read and absorb Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban
Breathnach, it comes to my mind that it might be okay to merely list some things I am
thankful for as president of NCLA and as a librarian. And if it is not okay to those of
you who have read this far, it is okay with me.
I am thankful for my phone conversation with Judie Davie last night. I am thank-
ful to know a librarian with fire in her belly and the wisdom of years of trying to put it
out. I am thankful for Sandy Neerman who inspires and delights me and who I can
count as a girlfriend. I am thankful for Kem Ellis who is simply pure pleasure for me to
know and to work with. I am thankful that I live in the county where these two public
library directors live and work.
I am grateful for those that I work with. I am thankful for Linda Saunders who is
not only a beautiful librarian but a librarian who is certain that she made the right
career decision. I am thankful for Belinda Daniels Richardson who just gets the work
done and does not have to chatter about it. I am thankful that I know Keith Burkhead
who only wants to work with you and not against you. I am thankful that I have been
able to work side-by-side with Betty Jean Lipford for more than 25 years.
I am thankful that I could work with Martha Davis and that I can believe that she
really liked working with me. I am thankful that Davidson County Community College
had the sense to make her their library director. I am thankful, too, that Don Forbes
wants to work at GTCC. I am thankful for Betty Jones who simply works too much.
I give thanks that I have had an opportunity to work with Sandy Cooper. I am
thankful that she came to North Carolina where all libraries are better because of it. I
am grateful that I know Susan Nutter. I am grateful that I can count her among my
friends. I am grateful that I have avoided writing a sentence about how I wish I were
just like her.
Iam thankful for my community college colleagues like Carol Freeman who has
risen to the occasion of being the chair of the Marketing and Publications Committee
in ways that I never knew were needed. I am grateful to Peggy
Quinn for her eagerness to work for NCLA and to bring a new source of energy to us. I
am grateful for Shirley McLaughlin for her courage in speaking out and asking ques-
tions on behalf of the community college library directors. I am grateful that I have
come to know Barbara McKibbin and that she is president of the North Carolina
Community College Learning Resources Association.
Tam thankful that Phil BartonTs Friends group at Rowan County Public Library
sold such great calendars for 1999. They made great gifts. I am thankful that Maureen
Costello is the Administrative Assistant for NCLA and that she knows more and more
what we do and need. I am grateful that I know Louvenia Somerville of UNC-Charlotte
and Ray Frankel. I am genuinely delighted to know Jerry Thrasher and Richard Wells. I
2 " Spring 1999 North Carolina Libraries
am thankful that Richard Wells gave me such good advice about moving from a
Japanese car to a German car and that some might find that not a happy transition. I
think he might be mistaken now that the VW Passat seems so appealing after 200,000
with my Honda. I am thankful for my Honda, but I am ready for a change.
What gratitude I feel for watching Susan Melson and Lisa Driver work on the RAC
of NC LIVE and Jackie Case on the TRAC and Susan Vaughn and Pam Doyle on the
Interlibrary Cooperation Committee. I am thankful for Rhoda Channing who brings
flair and style to the Executive Board of NCLA. But then so does Vanessa Ramseur and
Pauletta Bracy. I am thankful that I know so many people that I wish I were like.
Maybe thatTs okay after all. Maybe admiration does not mean that I am not okay, too. I
am grateful for Diane Kester, who probably spends more hours on NCLA than anyone I
know. I am thankful that she is treasurer, on the Web committee, on the Technology
and Trends Round Table, and on and on and on. I am thankful that I know Christina
Yu and Bao Chu Chang and Sue Moody. Oh, how I am still thankful for the wonderful
work she did on the NCLA Conference of 1997. I am thankful for Gene Lanier and all
the times that he helped me laugh. I am thankful for the ability to laugh.
I am thankful that I have had an opportunity to be the president of NCLA. I am
thankful that I am not counting the days until my term expires. I am grateful that
Frances Bradburn is editor of our journal. And it is my prayer that all the rest for whom
I am thankful (and that is all of you) will forgive me for not acknowledging you. I
would also be grateful if you would recruit some other library staff member to join
NCLA. I would also be especially grateful if my spell checker could do personal names.
CP BLSGUIER TPES
Biennial Conference.
and preservation of library materials.
tributions to resources and technical
services, either in their institutions or
more widely. At least part of the
nomineeTs current work must involve
some aspect of resources and technical
services. Applicants must be nominated
by a current member of NCLA.
The nomination deadline for both
awards is June 30, 1999.
To submit nominations, contact:
Virginia Gilbert
Chair, NCLA RTSS Executive Board
230D Perkins Library
Duke University
Box 90191
Durham, N.C. 27708-0191
vag@duke.edu
Tel: (919)660-5815
Fax: (919) 684-2855
North Carolina Libraries
Nominees Needed for Resources & Technical Services Awards
The Executive Board of the Resources and Technical Services Section is seeking nominations for two awards.
The winners will receive plaques and $200 cash awards during the awards presentation at the NCLA
Resources & technical services includes: acquisitions, cataloging, classification, resources, collection development,
The Student Award is open to students actively enrolled in library education in North Carolina as of July
1, 1999. Recent graduates who are North Carolina librarians are also eligible. Nominees must show a
strong potential for contributing to resources and technical service responsibilities with an intent to pursue
these areas of library work as a Career. Self-nomination is permissible.
The Significant Contribution Award is open to North Carolina librarians who have made important con-
Ls A al Np A A A at, NA ate Ve We Np We al
The deadline for NCLA Scholarships and Loans is June 1, 1999.
One application form may be used for all three financial aid sources:
1. The North Carolina Library Association Memorial Scholarship ($1,000)
2. The Query-Long Scholarship for work with children or young adults ($1,000)
3. The McLendon Student Loan Fund ($300) at 1% interest.
Either scholarship or a student loan may be awarded for original or continued
study in library science.
Complete information and printable application and reference forms may be
downloaded from the NCLA website at:
http://www.mindspring.com/~ncla/scholarships/schoregs.htm
For further information you may contact:
Dr. Carol Truett
Scholarship Committee Chair
Appalachian State University
Dept. of LES
311 Duncan Hall, RCOE
Boone, NC 28608
Spring 1999 " 3
Public Libraries Reach Out to
New North Carolinians:
Meeting the Information Needs of Immigrants and Refugees
0 Dowada, bienvenido, chao
mung ... North Carolinians find
many ways to say welcome, as
seen on a banner hanging over
the circulation desk at a branch
of the Greensboro Public Library.
Such a banner points to the great
shift that is taking place in the popula-
tion of immigrants and refugees in
North Carolina. While we have new
residents from numerous countries in-
cluding Somalia, Bosnia, Vietnam, and
the Ukraine, the burgeoning Hispanic
population has hit a critical mass. Ac-
cording to Faith in Action Institute, the
population of Hispanics in North Caro-
lina increased from 76,745 in 1990 to
315,001 in 1998.1
The spectrum of literacy skills and
socioeconomic backgrounds for immi-
grants and refugees is as diverse as
within the citizenry of this country, but
in addition to distinct cultural differ-
ences, over 60 languages are spoken in
the homes of our school children in
some North Carolina counties.� Be-
cause public libraries are committed to
serving all people, we are challenged to
respond by ensuring that our collec-
tions, programs, and services are meet-
ing the needs of the changing popula-
tion. How can libraries begin to re-
spond to the changes in demographics
when, in most cases, library staff and
budgets are stretched to the limit? This
article discusses the issues, strategies,
and resources necessary to address the
4 " Spring 1999
by Lena Gonzalez
information needs of immigrants and
refugees. It includes examples of librar-
ies across the state that have taken a
proactive approach and that are pro-
viding exemplary service.
As with any new library venture, a
good place to start is by surveying the
community and identifying the unique
needs of the particular group to be
served. Before this can be accom-
plished with most ethnic or national
groups, the library must establish trust,
often by identifying and meeting with
leaders or advocates from religious or
educational institutions, cultural asso-
ciations, or neighborhood groups. Sev-
eral North Carolina public library sys-
tems have conducted interviews with
community leaders, held focus group
meetings, formed advisory committees,
and visited faith communities that
serve new North Carolinians. Jon
Sundell, the Hispanic Services Coordi-
nator for Forsyth County Public Li-
brary, has had a very positive response
from both Catholic and Protestant His-
panic churches and English as a Second
Language (ESL) classes at the countyTs
community college, where he gives
short presentations about
library services and regis-
ters new users. Reaching
out in this way reaps re-
ciprocal benefits.
Frequently the idea of
an American public li-
brary is foreign to new-
comers. There is often a lack of aware-
ness about the role of public libraries as
community centers, because in India,
for example, public libraries are mainly
places for young adults to study and for
people to read newspapers in almost
complete silence. In Taiwan, libraries
have a strict policy that patrons may
only borrow three books per month,
regardless of whether or not they re-
turn them early. In Vietnam, libraries
are associated with the universities, so
one must be a student to use them. Fre-
quently, newcomers have a fear of any
official institution that has ties to the
government, so without a personal in-
vitation or prior orientation, they may
never consider entering the front door.
Developing a relationship between
the public library and an ethnic com-
munity provides librarians with an en-
tree to inform new residents about the
benefits of using library services. On
the other hand, librarians have an op-
portunity to participate in cross-cul-
tural interactions, to learn about differ-
ent cultures, to make contact with lead-
ers and advocates for that community,
and to learn firsthand about their in-
... over 60 languages are spoken in
the homes of our school children in
some North Carolina counties.
North Carolina Libraries
formational needs. Cultivating a net-
work with the target community will
glean mutual benefits.
Here is an example of how this
might work. The Greensboro Public Li-
brary publishes the Global Greensboro
Directory, a directory of ethnic associa-
tions, human relations organizations,
and faith communities that offer ser-
vices to immigrants and refugees.*
Knowing that many of the Southeast
Asians who live in Guilford County fre-
quent the Greensboro Buddhist Center,
I interviewed the monk in order to
learn more about the CenterTs activi-
ties, to write the entry for the directory,
and to brainstorm ideas for promoting
the library to Buddhist families. I left
not only with the information |
needed, but also with a sense that the
library and the Buddhist Center would
have a lasting collaborative relation-
ship. Since that initial meeting, the
Cambodian Temple Dancers have per-
formed for several library functions.
Library staff visits the CenterTs after-
school and summer programs to do
storytimes and library card sign-ups.
Librarians have assisted with the youth
leadership development program at
the Center; and as an outgrowth, one
young person became an Americorps
member working at the Glenwood
Branch Library, and is organizing
classes to instruct young Cambodians
to read and write in their native lan-
guage, Khmer. The use of the library
has increased greatly due to our coop-
eration, and Southeast Asian families
Build an ESL collection with these essentials:
Betty Schrampfer Azar. Basic English Grammar.
Paramus, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1995. English grammar
series also includes Fundamentals of English and
Understanding and Using English Grammar.
Alice Becker and Laurie Edwards. Citizenship Now! A
Guide for Naturalization. Raleigh, NC: Contempo-
rary Books, 1995.
Learn to Speak English (CD Rom). The Learning
Company, 1997.
Steven J. Molinsky. Side by Side. Paramus, NJ: of
Prentice Hall-Regents, 1982. Presents English
structure through conversation ( includes four
levels from 1A to 2B).
Yvonne Wong Nishio. Longman ESL Literacy Student
Book. White Plains, NY: Longman Publishers, 1991.
For English language learners who are reading and
writing for the first time.
E.C. Parnwell. Oxford Picture Dictionary. New York:
Oxford University Press, 1989. Available in
bilingual editions.
North Carolina Libraries
Frequently newcomers have a fear of any official
institution that has ties to the government, so
without a personal invitation or prior orientation,
they may never consider entering the front door.
have gained more access to library ser-
vices. The rewards of this partnership
will continue to manifest themselves
for many years.
According to Sundell, oThere are
certain groups that provide the most
effective channels for promoting li-
brary services, and librarians must
leave the building to find them.�* For
instance, during his last visit to the
adult ESL Program at Forsyth Technical
Community College, he registered 80
new users. Going out into the commu-
nity is also an oopportunity to observe
the local leadership structure,� which is
often informal and not obvious to an
outsider. Sundell works closely with a
Catholic sister who visits Hispanic
families living in apartment com-
plexes; he is also developing an in-
home program with a home extension
agency to provide a six-week mini-
workshop in Spanish on nutrition.
Through his outreach work, he has re-
cruited volunteer bilingual oassistants�
who are willing to lead the programs
and who also serve as volunteers
within the library, giving orientations
and tours at the library on Saturdays.
The opportunities to
reach new North Caro-
linians are numerous,
but frequently one must
step outside of the li-
brary and the traditional
route to increase access.
Unlike many other
institutions that special-
ize in only one type of
service, the public li-
brary has the unique
capacity to respond to
all of the major needs
immigrants and
refugees " finding jobs
and affordable hous-
ing, learning English,
communicating with
the public schools, and
starting or continuing
university studies. The li-
brary may not offer ser-
vices to meet these needs
directly, but it can pro-
vide information and
materials and make re-
ferrals to other agencies. The Global
Greensboro Directory is one example of
how librarians can facilitate this pro-
cess. By using library resources and net-
working, librarians can compile the
contact information for the main cul-
tural organizations and agencies that
provide specialized services to interna-
tional newcomers (for example, a local
Hispanic church or community service
organization, a refugee resettlement of-
fice, or a cultural performance group).
This unique contribution can promote
cross-cultural understanding and facili-
tate the process of resettlement.
Coupled with the local United WayTs
directory of services, such a compilation
of data will give any library or human
service organization in the county the
ability to make referrals or direct a pa-
tron to the needed information.
The biggest challenge of the re-
settlement process is often language
and communication. Libraries face this
challenge as well when trying to serve
new North Carolinians. An ideal solu-
tion would be to have bilingual staff,
and some North Carolina library sys-
tems have made it a priority to create
such positions or to hire staff with for-
eign language skills. Over the last eight
years, Mecklenburg County has experi-
enced a 400+% increase in their His-
panic population,® and the Public Li-
brary of Charlotte and Mecklenburg
County (PLCMC) has responded by
hiring Irania Macias Patterson, a bilin-
gual childrenTs specialist. This measure
has allowed PLCMC to engage Spanish-
speaking families in library programs
for children. In 1995, anticipating in-
creasing growth in the Hispanic popu-
lation in the North Wilkesboro area,
Beth Mueller, library director of Appa-
lachian Regional Public Library, incor-
porated a workshop on improving li-
brary service to Hispanics into the staff
development training.
In addition to training, many li-
brary systems have considered language
abilities as an additional customer ser-
vice and programming skill when hir-
ing for new positions. Though not all li-
braries have the resources to pay for
extra staff development or to create new
positions, by partnering with local orga-
Spring 1999 " 9
Pag
WORLD, soe
yasutl® oem. uinoos OD in, co
mao A
Libraries link lives " the world over!
nizations and recruiting bilingual vol-
unteers, all North Carolina libraries
have the capacity to improve communi-
cation, and hence customer service, to
its new international residents.
In terms of language instruction,
the Department of Community Col-
leges provides free ESL classes for adults
in every county, but many people can
not participate due to a lack of trans-
portation or childcare. The public li-
brary has an advantage here, because
its branches, located in neighborhoods,
not only allow, but encourage people
of all ages to engage in literacy activi-
ties. While the library may not have
the resources to provide instruction, it
could partner with the community col-
lege to use the meeting room space at
the library to hold ESL classes.
More and more public libraries
across the country, however, are be-
coming literacy providers, but usually
special funding must be sought. The
Greensboro Public Library (GPL) has
received funding over the last three
years from the Lila Wallace ReaderTs
Digest Fund as part of its oLiteracy in
Libraries Across America� project. Part
of the funding has been used to buy
computer stations with language learn-
ing software, so that adult literacy stu-
dents can study independently or with
a tutor. Several years ago the Orange
County Public Library started offering
ESL tutoring and a conversation group.
The demand was so great that recently
the library was successful in getting the
county government to commit fund-
ing for a full-time coordinator.
In addition to English language in-
struction, immigrants also need in-
6 " Spring 1999
structional materials. Although some
libraries offer special collections of ESL
materials, resources from non-fiction
familiar to you, then you will not want
to go back.�® She reports, however, that
her hometown library in Hickory is
now collecting many materials about
the Hmong and that young people
from her community visit daily to use
the Internet. In addition to collection
development, it is crucial to have some
obvious visual sign that non-majority
cultures are welcome. Signs and library
promotional materials can be translated
into other languages, artifacts and crafts
can be put on display, special programs
can be offered for holidays such as the
Chinese New Year, Cinco de Mayo, or
the Vietnamese Moon Festival. Local
cultural organizations as well as indi-
vidual volunteers often are willing to
help in.the planning and delivery of
such programs.
According to Guillermo Cifuentes,
a Venezuelan immigrant to Greens-
boro, othe public library becomes a sec-
ond home�? for many new North Caro-
linians. In the library, immigrants and
refugees have the ability to get oriented
that are designated ojuve-
nile� can suffice, since they
are written on a lower reading
level and have mote pictures
and diagrams. A basic collec-
tion of ESL-specific materials
can be included in the libraryTs
budget for as little as $500 (see
the list of suggested materials
for a basic collection).
With prior funding from
the State Library of North
Carolina, the Foreign Lan-
guage Center at the Cum-
berland County Public Library
is an example of a system that
has made a larger investment
in ESL materials, responding
to local as well as statewide
needs. Though their role as a
statewide provider of deposit
collections and interlibrary
loans has changed recently,
they still provide those ser-
vices on a subscription basis.
Thus with a small investment,
any public library can begin to
offer English language learn-
ing programs, services, and
materials.
Finally, environmental
changes can make the public
library a more welcoming
place for immigrants and refu-
gees. According to La Khang, a
Hmong refugee from Laos, oIf
you go into a library and you
donTt see any books about
your own people or anything
to the local community, to get infor-
Essential Resources for Librarians
David M. Kennedy Center for International
Studies, Brigham Young University.
Culturegrams, Volume II: The Nations Around
Us: The Americas & Europe. Chicago , IL:
Fergusson, 1997.
John P. Kretzmann and John McKnight, Building
Communities from the Inside Out: A Path
Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's
Assets. Northwestern University, Evanston,
IL:Center for Urban Affairs and Policy
Research, 1993.
Kathy Howard Latrobe and Mildred Knight
Laughlin. Multicultural Aspects of Library
Media Programs. Englewood, CO: Libraries
Unlimited, 1993. A comprehensive source of
background information and perspective on
serving a multicultural community and a
guide for collection development.
Loida Nicolas Lewis and Len T. Madlansacay.
How to Get a Green Card, 2nd edition..
Berkeley, CA: Nolo Press, 1996.
Contains the basic information about how
the Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS) works and also contains
forms. Use as a starting place but refer to
the INS webpage for changes in laws and
procedures.
Judith Noble and Jaime La Casa. The Hispanic
Way: Aspects of Behavior, Attitudes and
Customs in the Spanish-speaking World.
Lincolnwood, IL: Passport Books, 1991.
Explains cultural practices and beliefs and
identifies potential misunderstandings.
North Carolina Libraries
mation about community services, and
to learn English. Through the Internet,
they have the ability to communicate
with friends and family and to stay
abreast of current events in their native
countries. In order for the library to be-
come such a center, it is essential that
library staff work both within and out-
side the physical building to ensure
that new residents feel welcome, that
they become aware of services and re-
sources, and that they receive instruc-
tion on how to gain access. Though
this task requires more extensive out-
reach than has been necessary to pro-
mote public libraries in the past, the
results will be mutually beneficial and
will help people realize that the public
library is a proactive, inclusive institu-
tion committed to meeting the infor-
mational needs of all people.
References
! Faith in Action Institute is an ecu-
menical organization based at Greens-
boro College. See its Web site for a
breakdown of the Hispanic population
by county for North Carolina: http://
www6.nr.infi.net/~faithact/.
? Inquiry of NC ethnic populations
conducted by the Greensboro Public
Library, October 1998.
3 The most updated version of the
Global Greensboro Directory is available
on the Web page for the Multicultural
IN
North Carolina Libraries
TNT EG RoAY PE
For More Information: Web sites and contacts
Bablefish translates English to Spanish and vice versa. ItTs about 75% correct. Have
a fluent speaker or translator review translations before printing signs or promo-
tional materials. http://www.bablefish.altavista.digital.com
DaveTs ESL Café is an extensive page for the ESL learner and teacher. It is updated
frequently. http://www.eslcafe.com
Ethnomed gives thorough cultural profiles, medical topics, cross-cultural informa-
tion and patient education. http://healthlinks.washington.edu/clinical/
ethnomed
Faith in Action Institute maintains current demographic statistics of Hispanics by
county for the state of North Carolina. http://wwwé6.nr.infi.net/~faithact/
Governor's Office of Hispanic/Latino Affairs. Contact Dr. Nolo Martinez,
Director, 116 W. Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27603, (919)733-5361,
Fax (919) 733-2120. nolom@gov.state.nc.us
Immigration and Naturalization Service, 6 Woodlawn Green, Suite 138,
Charlotte, NC 28217. Call 1-800-870-3676 to receive INS forms by mail.
REFORMAnet. An information list for REFORMA, an ALA affiliate and national
association dedicated to promoting library services to the Spanish speaking. To
subscribe, send a message to listproc@Imrinet.ucsb.edu. Leave the subject line
blank. Type the message oSubscribe REFORMAnet� and your name.
Resource Center at the Glenwood
Branch of the Greensboro Public Library:
http://www.nr.infi.net/~glenwood.
The funding to print the directory was
provided by a grant from the News &
Record, the local newspaper.
4 Taken from a telephone interview
with the author, Februrary 18, 1999.
5 According to Faith in Action Insti-
tute, the Hispanic population of
ESSE SE a Ene nee Rt OR cae he ene eae ry
INFORMATION
Mecklenburg County increased from
6,692 in 1990 to 25,235 in 1998.
6 Comment made to the author
during an Adult ESL Tutor Training at
the Glenwood Branch in Greensboro,
October 16, 1998.
7 Taken from a conversation with
the author at the Glenwood Branch in
Greensboro, November 5, 1998.
MANAGEMENT
Spring 1999 " 7
The Homeless, Public Libraries,
and Outreach Services
lose your eyes and picture a
homeless person. Many of us
will visualize a man in dirty and
tattered clothes, or a woman
pushing a shopping cart with all
her worldly possessions. Now,
picture the homeless in the pub-
lic library. Again, many of us will revert
to the stereotypical images, and such
persons do often avail themselves of
the services of local libraries, if for
nothing but a warm place to rest. In all
probability, libraries serve a wide range
of homeless persons, including fami-
lies, children, runaway teenagers, and
other single men or women whom li-
brarians would not be able to identify
as homeless because they do not fit the
stereotypes. An even larger population
of library non-users who are homeless
and living in missions or shelters, using
soup kitchens, or spending time in lo-
cal day centers are prime candidates for
library services via outreach programs.
This article presents a brief history of
homelessness in the United States, a
discussion of the homeless and librar-
ies, and an examination of the case for
developing outreach programs for the
homeless, the useful services needed by
the homeless in outreach form, and
times when outreach services are not
appropriate.
A Brief Historical Background
of Homelessness
Homelessness was trendy in the early
1990s. Hollywood celebrities and poli-
ticians participated in events such as
Comic Relief and posed for photo op-
portunities while serving food at soup
& " Spring 1999
by Julie Hersberger
kitchens. No longer so often in the
public eye except during Thanksgiving
and Christmas, the homeless neverthe-
less are still among us and a part of ev-
eryday life in many cities.
Homelessness in the United States
dates back to the Colonial period when
colonists who were not pulling their
own weight in their communities were
put on a boat back to England or sent
to another colony. This form of oMay-
flower therapy� would be repeated in
the early 1980s when cities tried to
solve their homeless problems (and
AIDS cases, too) by practicing oGrey-
hound therapy� in which indigents
were given one-way bus tickets to an-
other city. In the past, the numbers of
the homeless have risen and waned in
correlation to the economic health of
the nation. After the Civil War the
number of homeless males surged due
to a lack of work opportunities and a
wealth of job seekers; after World War
I a segment of the population, most
often young males, lived the ohobo�
lifestyle. Such a choice of lifestyle, as
explained by one social scientist, was
attributed to men who, possessing a
restless nature and a need for adven-
ture, were viewed as misfits in society.!
During the Great Depression, 1929 to
1939, large numbers of the American
population became homeless. This pe-
riod of homelessness is often perceived
to consist of families and individuals
who became homeless due to national
economic disaster, not necessarily due
to personal dysfunction, e.g., the Joad
family from The Grapes of Wrath by
John Steinbeck. After World War II the
number of homeless individuals was
reduced to the point where home-
lessness was almost nonexistent until
1980. During this period few persons
actually lived on the streets, as cheap
SROs (sleeping rooms only) were fairly
plentiful in urban areas.
Several events occurred in the
early 1980s that contributed to a sharp
rise in homelessness. The Reagan
administrationTs policy on dein-
stitutionalization of the mentally ill
and funding cutbacks for subsidized
housing; the gentrification of urban
areas inhabited by the very poor where
the SROs were typically found; and the
breakdown of families due to divorce,
chemical dependencies, and young,
unwed mothers becoming heads of
households " all contributed to the
growing number of homeless people.
Unlike previous periods of home-
lessness, this current period is not
necessarily tied to the economy. In a
relatively strong economy the number
of homeless people may decrease, but
the problem will not be lessened
significantly under current govern-
ment policies and societal practices.
Libraries need to understand that
in many cities the homeless will be a
segment of their user populations for
years to come. Although seen primarily
as a population using public libraries,
the homeless also use academic librar-
ies. Many students become voluntarily
homeless, living out of cars, vans, and
trucks to cut costs. Other students
qualify as ohidden� homeless, living
off of friends for short periods and
moving frequently as they wear out
North Carolina Libraries
their welcome. In addition, some
homeless persons register for courses,
getting Pell grants to do so, mainly in
order to gain access to the university
computing services via the library, just
like a great many ohoused� students.
Others simply wander in to use aca-
demic libraries, and it can be difficult
to distinguish the homeless from stu-
dents, especially during exam weeks
(this is said only slightly tongue-in-
cheek).
The focus of this article is on out-
reach services for the homeless spon-
sored by public libraries. Important
factors must be discussed prior to ex-
amining outreach possibilities and
the need for such services. This article
will examine the problem of utilizing
a homogeneous term for a very di-
verse population, discuss the con-
cepts of oneeds� and ouse� and oser-
vice� in terms of libraries and the
homeless, and then will focus on
what the homeless need and how li-
brary outreach services can aid these
segments of the homeless population.
An Examination of Terminology
The term othe homeless� is frequently
used to refer to this large, diverse popu-
lation, making it sound homogeneous.
What most people who work with this
population have discovered is that in
order to engage in any meaningful dis-
cussion, research, or service develop-
ment and provision, one must target a
more focused sub-population of the
homeless. An early study? categorized
sub-populations of the homeless as
single males, Vietnam veterans (a sub-
group of homeless males), homeless
single females (sometimes further cat-
egorized, like males, into age groups),
homeless couples, runaway teenagers,
and families. Race and ethnicity are
other demographic characteristics used
to further subdivide the homeless. In-
dividuals may also suffer from sub-
stance abuse or mental illness. This has
import for libraries considering services
to homeless persons and requires a
knowledge of local homeless popula-
tions and their particular subgroups.
Bias is an issue we as public service
professionals must all confront. Inher-
ent to the discussion of the homeless is
the underlying perception of the ode-
serving� and oundeserving poor.�
Those who become homeless due to
personal dysfunction or weakness, i.e.
substance abuse problems with drugs
or alcohol, divorce, or multiple teenage
pregnancies, are viewed frequently as
undeserving of government assistance.
North Carolina Libraries
EL are
Homeless families, homeless children,
and persons viewed as actively working
to better their situations often are per-
ceived to have ofallen through the
cracks� or to have become homeless
due to a malfunction of othe system�
and are viewed as worthy of assistance.
Such distinctions become important in
how we view service development and
provision to the homeless in libraries.
Each of us needs to explore our per-
sonal attitudes and biases towards the
homeless and why we hold such views.
How do we know which patrons
are homeless and which are housed?
Staff make assumptions based on ste-
reotypes of dishevelment, poor per-
sonal hygiene, and long periods of li-
brary stays. This may mean someone is
homeless, but it may not. In addition,
the homeless status of other library
users will not be obvious to staff since
it is important to such persons to keep
their homelessness hidden from oth-
ers. Economic class should not be a fac-
tor in how libraries serve patrons:
needs, especially information needs,
ought to be the main issue.
Other terms must be clarified be-
fore outreach services can be discussed.
These terms are oneed,� oinformation
need,� and olibrary use.� In the past, li-
brary literature focused on the home-
less as problem patrons, particularly in
the wake of the Kreimer case in
Morristown, New Jersey.° A oneed� usu-
ally occurs when a person perceives
that a problem exists and that some
action must be undertaken in order to
produce a beneficial outcome. An in-
formation need is when a person, using
his or her own knowledge base, cannot
make sense of new stimuli and thus
must make sense of this new situation.*
Homeless library patrons and li-
brary staff often perceive oneeds� and
oneeds resolution� differently. No one
contests the rights of homeless patrons
to use the library for typical user ser-
vices. A homeless person who is inter-
ested, say, in finding Roger MarisTs life-
time batting average is no different
from any other library patron. Reading
the daily paper is utilizing a library ser-
vice regardless of the social status of
the reader. The difficulty arises when
the concept of ouse� is interpreted
more broadly. Often, the homeless
need a warm, safe place to rest during
the day and perhaps a place to wash in
the restrooms, especially if a day shel-
ter facility is not available. Often li-
brary staff do not recognize these as
needs the library should accommodate,
that such needs do not fit with proper
oJibrary use.� Some libraries have pro-
mulgated policies that do not allow
sleeping in the library. Other libraries
have established policies that, if pa-
trons do not follow established rules of
ouse,� they may be requested to leave
the facility. Such rules often are aimed
at the homeless, creating a reason for
asking them to leave if they are not
reading, computing, looking up mate-
rials, etc. Sleeping or loitering are not
considered library uses, but it is often
what many of the homeless need. Of-
ten such policies are not implemented
equally.
At an ALA conference in San Fran-
cisco in 1992, several sessions focused
on the homeless and libraries. One li-
brarian related that his library had a
policy that staff should wake up anyone
falling asleep in the library. The policy
had been written in order to remove the
homeless from the library. Such policies
at best seldom work, and at worst are
unethical. A problem arose when a lo-
cal opillar of the community,� accord-
ing to the librarian, would come in af-
ter having a few drinks at lunch and fall
asleep while doing family history re-
search. What to do? Invoke the policy
equally and awaken the sleeping pillar
of the community? In the end, the li-
brary chose to abolish the policy. An-
other librarian recounted that his li-
brary had considered a separate room
for the homeless to use for reading and
resting, but this idea was not imple-
mented. Had the policy been imple-
mented, it is doubtful the homeless
would have utilized the new service.
The concept of oseparate but
equal� services to certain populations
has never been a useful idea and is one
that does not merit reviving. This is not
to say that all public library policies
concerning library use by the homeless
are established in a similar manner. Li-
brary policy is sometimes the result of
directors who believe in a social welfare
mission for public libraries. Bob
Trinkle, the retired director of the Mon-
roe County Public Library in
Bloomington, Indiana, requested that
if during my dissertation research® I
discovered that the local homeless
needed more soap or towels in the
bathroom, materials, or whatever, to
let him know and he would provide it
Many of the information needs of
the homeless involve social services.
Local libraries may provide referrals to
a specific social service agency (if the
library knows which local agencies of-
fer which services), but librarians often
are unable to provide the specific infor-
Spring 1999 " 9
mation. As an example, families receiv-
ing Section VIII (subsidized housing)
certificates or vouchers need to know
which landlords accept such documen-
tation. Caseworkers and staff at home-
less shelters frequently have this infor-
mation, but libraries do not, and argu-
ably ought not to have specific infor-
mation that is better provided by other
specialists.
While some homeless persons fre-
quent public libraries, many others do
not. In my dissertation study of home-
less families, only two families out of
twenty-eight cases used the library, and
they both had used the library prior to
becoming homeless. The other families,
even though they articulated informa-
tion needs relating to relationship prob-
lems, health problems, education prob-
lems, etc., did not consider the library
as a source of information. These par-
ents viewed family and friends as their
primary sources of information, sources
who often had no better resources than
the homeless parents themselves. Ser-
vice providers were seen as sources of
information mainly if they were onice�
or ohelpful.� Many of the homeless par-
ents did not view the majority of service
providers as nice or helpful, unfortu-
nately, and felt that the social service
staff members would have been better
information providers if they had had
firsthand experience with homeless-
ness.° The majority of homeless families
were not regular library users, but this
could have been a wonderful opportu-
nity to introduce not only homeless
families but others living in shelters,
missions, spending time in day shelters,
etc., to library services, and to provide
outreach services to an underserved, but
needy, population.
Outreach Services to the
Homeless
The term ooutreach� refers to any li-
brary efforts to provide information
about the library and library services
outside regular facilities. In the mid-to-
late 1970s when I was doing my MLS
studies at Indiana University and work-
ing in my first professional position as
head of a branch library in Michigan
City, Indiana, outreach services were at
their peak. In Michigan City, for in-
stance, Friends of the Library main-
tained revolving wire racks of recre-
ational paperback reading in local
beauty and barber shops, the bus and
train stations, and most intriguingly, in
the local bars. Other interesting ex-
amples of outreach services in libraries
include bookmobile services to migrant
worker camps and childrenTs services
10 " Spring 1999
provided to daycare facilities. Often,
and unfortunately, outreach services are
discontinued when budget cuts occur.
Why Outreach Services Ought to be
Provided to the Homeless
Some may argue that as the homeless
do not pay taxes they are undeserving
of services. The truth is that many of
the homeless do work and pay taxes:
they are simply not making a living
wage, even in todayTs good economy.
In addition, many of the homeless
have been taxpayers off and on for
years, so this argument is not persua-
sive. Frequently, as a value-added ser-
vice, libraries can raise funds for such
outreach efforts through special
fundraising campaigns and grants, or
outreach services can be accommo-
dated within the existing budget, uti-
lizing volunteers.
According to most mission state-
ments, a good public library examines
the needs of its users. Service to
underserved populations often is tar-
geted in the planning process, so pro-
viding services to the homeless who do
not come to the library can be justified
within the libraryTs own mission, goals,
and objectives. Libraries may want to
do a needs survey of the homeless to
determine what is needed or wanted,
keeping in mind the need to distin-
guish the sub-populations of home-
lessness. It is difficult, and possibly
dangerous, to do this by approaching
the homeless living on the streets. Such
data collection is better conducted by
going to missions, shelters, soup kitch-
ens, or day centers and conducting the
study with the assistance of persons
experienced in providing services to
the particular subgroup. My experience
with many of the directors of shelters,
soup kitchens, and day centers shows
them to be very cooperative and under-
standing, and they are often excellent
sources of information.
One practitionerTs experience in
providing childrenTs services in family
shelters resulted in the following list of
needs:
e these children need special atten-
tion due to their homeless status
e these children often do not
receive the attention they need
e these children need respect and a
sense of being important to
someone
e these children need stability
e these children need their lives
enriched
e these children need to discover
(or rediscover) their ability to
make believe
e these children may have shorter
attention spans than other chil-
dren and need books that will aid
in lengthening their ability to
focus
e these children often want lots of
affection and need lots of hugs
e these children need volunteers to
prove themselves,
(often they are suspicious at first)
e these children need the comfort
and special bond that can be
created when adults read aloud
to children.T
In many ways, it takes very little time
and effort to make a difference in the
lives of these homeless children. Al-
though my study focused on homeless
parents, I spent a considerable amount
of time playing with the children in
the shelter. Often I would read them
stories out of the few books in the fam-
ily room. The shelter had a rule that
the children could only play on the
playground under adult supervision,
and after lunch I frequently volun-
teered to serve as the playground super-
visor. My experiences working with
homeless children lead me to agree
with the above-mentioned needs with
one minor caveat. Given todayTs soci-
etal sensitivity toward child abuse, I
recommend being careful giving out
hugs and picking up small children. It
is very difficult not to respond to a tod-
dler walking toward you holding out
his or her arms to be hugged or carried,
but not all parents appreciate such a
show of affection. I suggest taking cues
from the shelter staff, checking a
parentTs reaction, or even asking for
permission from the parent prior to
dispensing hugs or picking up a child.
Still, the benefits of working with
... only two families out of twenty-eight cases used
the library, and they both had used the library
prior to becoming homeless.
North Carolina Libraries
homeless children are not simply a one-
way transfer; the volunteer will reap
many benefits as well. Such benefits
include a sense of helping these chil-
dren in need and a sense of doing some-
thing valuable for the community. Plus,
while there may be some situations
evoking sadness or helplessness, help-
ing these kids can be a lot of fun.
The best outreach programs would
be those focusing on a homeless sub-
group, examining their specific needs,
and provided in a place most conve-
nient to the user. Such a place may of-
ten be a shelter but may also be a soup
kitchen or day center where the data
collection was undertaken. One prob-
lem that may arise with providing ser-
vices to a shelter is that there are time
limits for shelter stays, usually around
30 days for most family shelters. This
may only allow for library services to
be introduced, with the homeless en-
couraged to visit the local library
branches for further services.
What Services Could or Should be
Provided
Some libraries do provide outreach ser-
vices to the homeless. Such efforts in-
clude providing materials for shelter li-
brary collections, the old standby of
wire racks of paperback recreational
reading, and providing story hours and
other childrenTs services in family shel-
ters. A study of childrenTs librarians in
large library systems across the country
identified the following outreach ef-
forts to family shelters: storytimes,
book deposits, library cards issued,
homework help, programming, book-
mobile service, and even library in-
struction.® From my study in family
shelters in Indianapolis, all of the
above would have been welcomed in
any of the six facilities. In addition,
some sort of computer assistance also
would have been very welcomed. Such
services could include donating equip-
ment to the shelters, arranging for oth-
ers to give hardware and or software to
shelters, either connecting or raising
funds to connect the equipment to the
Internet, and teaching those in the
shelters to use computers. The home-
less parents I spoke with over a two-
year period had a wide range of expe-
rience with computers. Many of the
mothers had dropped out of school,
but were young enough to have had
some exposure to computers. One resi-
dent even said she hoped to get a job
working with computers since she had
enjoyed working with computers in
high school. She had dropped out of
school over seven years ago, however,
so her knowledge of technology was
woefully outdated. Some residents
were functionally illiterate and had dif-
ficulties reading more than basic infor-
mation. At the other end of the scale
was one resident who had a degree in
computer science and had access to the
Internet through her work.
Some communities have devel-
oped local networks with multiple ac-
cess points. Examples of this are
PrairieNet in Urbana-Champaign, Illi-
nois; Hooisernet in Bloomington, Indi-
ana, and the PEN (Public Electronic
Network) in Santa Monica, California,
which was the first such local access
system and has been available since
1989.° The PEN project has been par-
ticularly successful in connecting the
homeless to city officials, and, as a re-
sult, policies have been promulgated
which benefit this population which
usually is represented by advocates
rather than the homeless themselves.
Of course, such networks provide this
access if the users are able to read and
have keyboard experience. Libraries
could provide needed training. Chil-
dren, as well as adults, would benefit
from computer access in shelters where
they could practice skills learned in
schools or learn new skills using other
educational software. A few games,
mainly educational, would be a good
addition. The shelter should develop
use policies in order to allow for equal
access. In my field work, there was usu-
ally only one phone for resident use
and it was almost always in use with
people waiting.
Other services may be useful and
could be identified through analysis of
data collected from the homeless popu-
lations with input from service provid-
ers. Once services are established, they
must be evaluated and revised on a
regular basis.
A wire rack of paperbacks in a mission is not a
substitute for the full range of services offered in
the library.
North Carolina Libraries
Why Outreach Ought Not to be Used
(to Keep the Homeless Out of the
Library)
In some communities, the presence of
the homeless in the public library is
perceived as a problem, and the solu-
tion to that problem is to keep them
away from the library. A wire rack of
paperbacks in a mission is not a substi-
tute for the full range of services of-
fered in the library. Referring the
homeless to social service agencies sim-
ply to remove them from the facility is
also unacceptable. I still have mixed
feelings concerning the case in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, where homeless persons
took the majority of library seats mak-
ing other patrons uncomfortable. The
library director worked with other local
downtown businesses and agencies to
fund a day center where the homeless
could shower, relax, sleep, make phone
calls, and even use a small library col-
lection donated by the library. Day
centers are often wonderful facilities
for the homeless, and if the intent was
to better the lives of the homeless,
good for the library. If the intent was to
remove this class of users from the li-
brary, the effort is not so praiseworthy.
The addition of a day shelter does meet
the needs of those simply looking for
a warm, safe place to nap during the
day, but often the homeless were using
the library before and after periods of
sleep.
There are more questions than an-
swers in how best to deal with the
homeless in libraries and provide out-
reach services. Each communityTs situ-
ation will be unique; such an issue and
possible resolutions to problems often
are best resolved through establishing
a coalition of interested or invested
parties. The homeless must be included
in the decision-making processes con-
cerning policies and procedures that
affect them.
Conclusion
The problem of homelessness in the
United States is very complex. Speak-
ing of the homeless as a homogeneous
population is problematic. It is much
more useful to focus on the varying
sub-populations such as homeless
men, women, teenagers, families, etc.,
and then develop services. As many
homeless persons are not library users,
outreach programs may garner a wider
audience, an audience that really needs
what public libraries offer to in-house
patrons. Attitudes are important in de-
termining how information providers
behave towards the homeless, and ana-
Spring 1999 " 11]
lyzing our feelings and definitions of
the deserving and undeserving poor is
a useful exercise in exposing any previ-
ously unrecognized biases. We can
then determine if these attitudes are
preventing us from serving a specific
class of users, which is contrary to the
ALA Code of Ethics.!°
Outreach services to the homeless
may best be accomplished through
providing these services via established
facilities frequented by the homeless "
shelters, missions, soup kitchens, or
day centers. Some sort of van/bookmo-
bile is another option, but safety may
be a concern and local experts would
best be able to answer such questions.
Some homeless persons are fre-
quent library users, others have been in
the past and have lost their way, and
others have yet to learn of the potential
value libraries may offer them. Some
homeless persons are not interested in
libraries at all, nor will they be. I en-
courage students to substitute the term
ochallenge� for the word oproblem.� I
encourage librarians to refer to othe
challenge of dealing with the homeless
as library users� and not to othe prob-
lem of the homeless in libraries.�
References
1 Nels A. Anderson, The Hobo: The So-
ciology of the Homeless Man, Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1923: 85-86.
2 Jan L. Hagen, oThe Heterogeneity
of Homelessness,� Social Casework 68:
451-457.
3 Phillip J. Morin, IIL, oWhy Kreimer
CanTt Read: Striking the Proper Balance
Between Library Access and Problem
Patrons in Kreimer v. The Bureau of Po-
lice,� Rutgers Law Review 46 (Summer,
1994): 1845.
4 The author uses Brenda DervinTs
definition of information needs. See
Brenda Dervin, oAn Overview of Sense-
Making Research: Concepts, Methods,
and Results to Date,� (paper presented
at the annual meeting of the Interna-
tional Communications Association,
Dallas, Texas, 1983).
5 Julia A. Hersberger, oEveryday In-
formation Needs and Information
Sources of Homeless Parents: A Study of
Poverty and Perseverance,� (Ph.D. diss.,
Indiana University, 1998).
© Tbid.
7 Daryl L. Mark, oCambridge Public
Library Outreach,� Journal of Youth Ser-
vices 7 (Spring 1994): 268-71.
8 Frances Smardo Dowd, oHomeless
Children in Public Libraries: A National
Survey of Large Systems,� Journal of
Youth Services 9 (Winter 1996): 155-66.
° Everett M. Rogers, Lori Collins-
Jarvis, and Joseph Schmitz, oThe PEN
Project in Santa Monica: Interactive
Communication, Equality, and Politi-
cal Action,� Journal of the American So-
ciety for Information Science 45 (1994):
401-410.
10 Article I of the ALA Code of Ethics
states: oWe provide the highest level of
service to all library users through ap-
propriate and usefully organized re-
sources, equitable service policies; eq-
uitable access; and accurate, unbiased,
and courteous responses to all re-
quests.� Article VII states: oWe distin-
guish between our personal convic-
tions and professional duties and do
not allow our personal beliefs to inter-
fere with fair representations of the
aims of our institutions and the provi-
sion of access to their information re-
sources.� ALA Code of Ethics http//:
www.ala.org.
Thank You to NCLA
Contributing Members:
David S. Ferriero,
Duke University
Dr. Benjamin F. Speller,. Jr.,
North Carolina Central University
SOLINET
Tom Broadfoot,
BroadfootTs Publishing Company
John Higgins, Sales Representative
ww
OXFORD
12 " Spring 1999
P.O. Box 21011
Columbia SC 29221
1-800-222-9086
Fax: 803-731-0320
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS & QUALITY BOOKS INC.
North Carolina Libraries
Learning Connections and the
School Library Media Program:
oIt takes a whole village to raise a child�
dults serving children with di-
verse needs, different learning
styles, and varied abilities must
tap all possible resources to help
these children make learning
connections and build meaning-
ful relationships in their emerg-
ing world. Many at-risk children do not
make these connections unless signifi-
cant adults in their daily lives collabo-
rate through community and educa-
tional organizations. School library
media specialists interact daily with
these children, thus becoming individu-
als who facilitate the learning connec-
tions with other adults and organiza-
tions that serve children. These con-
nected outreach programs must build
on what is familiar to the child and on
the language development possibilities
inherent in making these connections.
The current educational reform
movement, which stresses the educa-
tional value of collaboration beyond
the local school, supports the establish-
ment of broad-based learning connec-
tions in the community. Such learning
connections have implications for all
community agencies, libraries, and
school library media programs.
Learning Connections and
Educational Reform
Education reformers have pointed out
that there is no work situation that
does not demand collaborative work
among individuals and agencies.
School library media specialists and
North Carolina Libraries
tS
by Judith F. Davie
others in education can model collabo-
ration as the way in which adults work.
If adults in a variety of agencies can es-
tablish learning connections by plan-
ning, instructing, and working with
children, then children will come to
accept this model of collaboration as
the norm. Parents and the larger com-
munity have long been viewed by edu-
cational reformers as largely untapped
resources for the education of at-risk
children. These resources must be
tapped for survival in the 21st century.
For example, the Comer School
Model,! based on twenty-five years of
research by James Comer and his col-
leagues at the Yale Child Study Center,
suggests a model for increased collabo-
ration among parents, caregivers, com-
munity members, and the school pro-
gram. Comer concluded that childrenTs
experiences in the home and commu-
nity deeply affect their psychosocial
development, which in turn shapes
their academic achievement. The
Comer model is designed to create a
school environment where children
... poor academic performance is
not an isolated event, but
represents a failure to bridge the
social and cultural gaps among
home, community, and school.
will feel comfortable, valued, and se-
cure and will have personal and aca-
demic success. Stated another way,
poor academic performance is not an
isolated event, but represents a failure
to bridge the social and cultural gaps
among home, community, and school.
As Marian Wright Edelman, director of
the ChildrenTs Defense Fund, stresses,
our society can do a much better job in
nurturing children who are our future.?
Learning Connections and the
Whole Village
In most communities numerous public
and private agencies are interested in
the education and development of
children. Many national association
and local community groups partici-
pate in activities and events that can
strengthen the childTs sense of connect-
edness. Events that celebrate the lan-
guage process " poetry, storytelling,
writing, theater, book talks, special
weeks or months " can be part of this
process of communities, libraries, and
learning.
Important elements in
sustaining learning connec-
tions are a strong base of com-
munity support, engagement
of teachers in related curricu-
lum work, and long-term
commitment of resources. The
school and the community
cannot ignore the total life of
the child and his/her family.
Children bring the rest of their
Spring 1999 " 13%
14
lives into the school setting. If the
needs of the community, the family,
and the individuals in those families
are not being met, then the child has
a more difficult time in learning and
working with others.
The same principle holds for other
social agencies. Agencies must have a
focus broader than a particular prob-
lem situation " violence, drug abuse,
illness " and take a holistic approach
to serve all of the needs of the family
and community. Obviously no agency
can do this job alone. In cooperation
with other agencies, the school must
move toward a village concept of edu-
cation: oIt takes a whole village to raise
a child.�
Learning Connections and
Library Agencies
Public libraries often have developed
learning connections with the commu-
nity, including daycare centers, juve-
nile justice programs, family literacy
projects, extension services, adult cen-
ters, etc. Community college learning
resource centers can be the learning
connections for adult literacy, GED,
and other non-credit, high interest
course activities co-sponsored by vari-
ous community agencies and busi-
nesses. The school library media spe-
cialist needs to strengthen learning
connections with all other types of li-
braries in order to tap into existing
networks. If the librarians in each of
these agencies view learning connec-
tions as a common goal, if they can
work together to make those goals a
reality, and if they can overcome insti-
tutional inertia, the total community
will benefit from improved, coordi-
nated library services, and children will
be better served.
Connecting the school with the
local public library and its branches is
a crucial step. Many at-risk children do
not have experience with the public
library, its programs, or services. The
first, and most important, step in this
connection is opening up communica-
tion! If school library media specialists
and public librarians who serve chil-
dren and youth communicate in per-
son, by phone, or by e-mail, great
things can happen. Examples of these
learning connections include:
" Library Card Sign-Up Times
When schools have PTA meetings or
other parent/children gatherings, in-
vite the nearest branch to have a
representative at the school for li-
brary card sign-up. Promote this
card sign-up in publicity sent to par-
ents. In many schools parental in-
volvement will build during a school
year, so such sign-up events should
be repeated during the year.
" Partnerships with Public Library
Branches
Public library systems can oassign�
specific schools to specific branches
so that programs and services of
First graders love the books, if not the bugs!
"" Spring 1999
that particular branch are promoted
automatically in the school and
community. School library media
programs also can promote book
fairs, special events, summer read-
ing programs, and celebrations
through the assigned public library
branch.
School Field Trips
The school can arrange for field
trips to the public library so that
children can participate in its
storyhours, book talks, and special
celebrations.
Summer Reading Programs
School library media programs can
promote public library summer
reading programs through bulletin
boards, mailings to parents, and
special events at the school that fo-
cus on the theme of the summer
program. Where schools have sum-
mer (or year-round) programs, the
summer reading program themes
can be introduced into the instruc-
tional program and coordinated as
a media focus, resulting in reading
celebrations and awarding of certifi-
cates at the school sites.
National Poetry Month
Many public and school librarians
will have used the oPoetry Break�
idea originated by Caroline Feller
Bauer.? National Poetry Month (in
April) offers an opportunity for all
of these community agencies to
connect and develop programs that
highlight poetry reading, poetry
writing, and poetry celebration.
This year Andrew Carroll, executive
director of the American Poetry and
Literacy Project, is driving a truck
from New York to San Francisco to
distribute 100,000 free books of po-
etry across the country. The Na-
tional Poetry Month Web site offers
an opportunity for children and
adults to ovisit� poets in different
sections of the country.* Local
groups can encourage poets to do-
nate poems, write a poem, or do a
poetry book distribution.
National Library Week
The American Library Association
has sponsored National Library
Week since 1958. In addition to
providing theme posters and other
materials and ideas for local library
celebrations each April, ALA yearly
publicizes National Library Week on
television and radio, national wire
services, and in consumer maga-
zines with feature stories and pub-
lic service announcements.* Local
groups can coordinate NLW cel-
North Carolina Libraries
Se aN PS ee ee ON ea a RON RIS Se PES oS ra ee ne
ebrations focusing on
childrenTs services in a vari-
ety of agencies.
National ChildrenTs Book
Week
In the third week of Novem-
ber each year, the ChildrenTs
Book Council sponsors Na-
tional ChildrenTs Book
Week. The theme for No-
vember 15-21, 1999, is
oPlant a Seed ... Read!� The
theme poster is by Eric
Carle and special promo-
tional materials are avail-
able from the CBC.°® Local
groups could sponsor au-
thor or illustrator visits (and
share the cost), promote
childrenTs books through
readings, and have a
childrenTs book parade.
Read Across America
The National Education As-
AFRICAN-AMERICAN
HISTORY MONTH
FEBRUARY
sociation sponsors this event
Book displays link children with celebrations.
on Dr. SeussTs birthday each
year. Last year, the Read
Across America program had partici-
pation from a million teachers, par-
ents, and community leaders who
donned their Cat in the Hat hats and
shared favorite stories with ten mil-
lion children. The NEA Read Across
America Web site suggests a number
of ideas and activities.T Local groups
can connect to sponsor local library,
community center, and TV reading
events where adults share their favor-
ite stories with children.
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is a
leading nonprofit childrenTs literacy
organization. RIF helps children
want to read. Through a network of
volunteer-run programs, RIF gets
free books into kidsT hands and
makes reading fun through exciting
* Over 21,000 Current & Backlist Titles
¢ 19 Years of Service
¢ oHands On� Selection
* Pre-School Through Adult
¢ Discounts up to 70% Off
* Now Two Adjacent Warehouses
¢ Sturdy Library Bindings
¢ 100% Fill
* Cataloging/Processing Available
reading-related activities.® Through
local community and corporate
sponsors, the RIF program can be
started and sustained as one of the
learning connections for children
in any community.
Learning Connections:
The School Library Media
Program
As school library media specialists ex-
pand their programs to connect with
the programs or services of other agen-
cies, the school media programs
change from programs within an iso-
lated facility to programs that connect
children to information resources in
the community and anywhere in the
world. The old-fashioned view of the
school media center as a place with
book and AV resources changes to a
view of that center as accessing infor-
mation resources located in the com-
munity and distributed via computer
networks. Teachers, students, parents,
and community members access infor-
mation in classrooms, in the media
center, at home, and in community
centers. All of these potential learning
connections change the way the school
media program supports instruction,
how budgeting and planning are done,
and how the school library media spe-
cialist cooperates with other agencies.
The major role of the school library
media specialist becomes one of work-
ing with other adults in a variety of set-
tings so that children can make essen-
tial connections with the information
resources that they need to develop as
active, lifelong learners. Obviously, the
school library media specialist does not
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create learning connections alone. Me-
dia specialists can work with others in
the community to bring about needed
changes in the ways that all agencies
offer information resource and lan-
guage development services to chil-
dren. All these agencies need to take
active roles in devising connected pro-
grams, which will have positive impact
on children as they grow and learn.
Information Power: Building Partner-
ships for Learning, the national stan-
dards jointly published by the Ameri-
can Association of School Librarians
and Association for Educational Com-
munication and Technology, places ma-
jor emphasis on these collaborative roles
of the school library media specialist:
Collaboration " working with
others " is a key theme in
building partnerships for learn-
ing. Library media specialists
have long understood the im-
portance of collaborating with
the different members of the
learning community. The litera-
ture of the field, both from re-
search and from practice, docu-
ments the importance of col-
laborative planning and teach-
ing ... [Collaboration] is basic as
they work with teachers, ad-
ministrators, parents, and other
members of the learning com-
munity to plan, design, and
implement programs that pro-
vide access to information that
is required to meet studentsT
and othersT learning goals.?
Establishing effective learning connec-
tions in the larger community is criti-
cal because, as Information Power points
out, oTodayTs student lives and learns
in a world that has been radically al-
tered by the ready availability of vast
stores of information, in a variety of
formats.� The authors note that ostu-
dents must become skillful consumers
and producers of information in a
range of sources and formats to thrive
personally and economically in the
communications age.�!°
Loertscher contrasts the tradi-
tional concept of library collections
with the newer connection concept is
this manner:
Bea McAdoo-Shaw from Vance Chavis Lifelong Learning Library,
Greensboro Public Library, at Hampton Year Round School in Greensboro.
Specific Suggestions for the
School Library Media Program
Connection
If the school assumes a goal of becom-
ing an agency that collaborates with
other agencies in providing human ser-
vices, the program and services of the
library media center also must change.
Service Hours
The school must make itself available
when people have time to seek ser-
vices. In cooperation with other agen-
cies, a library media center schedule is
developed that probably will involve
evening and weekend houts. It is likely
that the school will be open anyway
because of the needs of other agencies
who have service staff in the facility to
serve the community. These changes
will require rethinking staffing needs,
as well as increased use of trained vol-
unteers, clerical assistants, and student
workers. School library media pro-
grams that collaborate with others will
require additional staff.
Professional Collections
Library media center professional col-
lections traditionally have served the
information needs of teachers and ad-
Traditional Library
Print rich
Print and AV oriented
Centralized (one location)
Rigidly scheduled
Single person staff
A quiet, almost empty place
New Connection
Information rich in every format
Multiple technologies
Centralized and decentralized simultaneously
Flexibly scheduled
Professional and technical staff
A busy, bustling learning laboratory?!
16 " Spring 1999
ministrators. The full-service school
professional collection will need to re-
flect the information needs of all of the
professionals who are using the school
as a base for their operations. Often
these professional resources will be
online through telecommunications or
the Internet. As collections are modi-
fied to meet new demands, the funding
structure for collection development
needs to be changed so that everyone
who benefits from the collection is in-
volved in providing part of the collec-
tion development budget. The school
library media specialist will need to
build a community-family life collec-
tion as an integral part of the library
media collection.
Since community members are uti-
lizing the school as a service agency,
the library media professional collec-
tion should reflect this change and pro-
vide resources that those people need.
The interests, reading abilities, and for-
mat preferences of the community
must be assessed as this collection de-
velopment activity begins.
Media Advisory Committee
The media advisory committee will
need to be expanded to include repre-
sentatives of the participating agencies,
community members, and the other li-
braries in the area. The traditional me-
dia advisory committee was made up of
teachers and sometimes students as the
primary users of the school library me-
dia center. This group should be ex-
panded to reflect the information in-
terests and needs of the total service
population " professionals and com-
munity members. This change will
North Carolina Libraries
mean the involvement of other infor-
mation agencies in the community.
Instructional Programs
Traditional library media programming
targets students, teachers, and some-
times parents. To the school, the library
media specialist now must add com-
munity groups and professionals serv-
ing them to that list. Often programs
already underway will serve a wide va-
riety of groups. Some examples of such
programs include:
" Author, illustrator, or oexpert� visits
Such visits usually are confined to
meeting with classes, a luncheon,
and an evening reception with the
host group. Often experts in various
aspects of child development,
parenting, and instructional tech-
niques are involved in local school
staff development activities that are
paid for by the school system. Par-
ents, community members, and al-
lied professionals also would be in-
terested in meeting these authors,
illustrators, or experts. The opportu-
nity to get books autographed, ask
questions of an expert, and be intro-
duced to books and other materials
would be valued by many people.
These visits can be modified easily
to involve the large social agency
group in planning, funding, and
promoting these visits; scheduling
presentations so that the commu-
nity can participate; and inviting
local authors, illustrators, and ex-
perts to the presentations.
" Staff Development
Often staff development activities
for teachers and staff are not ori-
ented to specific curricular areas,
but to the acquisition of specific
skills - especially in the area of
computer-related technologies,
but also in the areas of specific
reading-skill or mathematics-skill
techniques. Such events are of in-
terest to parents and the larger
community. The school library
media specialist should think
about reviewing all staff develop-
ment activities and schedules and
asking the question, oIs this an ac-
tivity that would interest others?�
On too many occasions, libraries
and schools engage in staff devel-
opment as if there were no other
groups that might be interested.
Naturally, the shoe also fits the
other foot. When other agencies
are having staff development ac-
tivities, the school should expect
to be included.
North Carolina Libraries
" a
" Reading Programs
A wide variety of reading encour-
agement and example programs are
emerging as schools attempt to deal
with the major reading deficits in
our society. Most of these programs
are individual and/or small group
activities led by an adult. Involving
parents, grandparents, and other
community members in such activi-
ties not only serves to model good
reading behavior and attitudes to
the students, it also models the im-
portance of these activities to the
adults around the school. Inci-
dently, it also may be a source for
improving adult literacy in the
larger community.
Summary on Connection
Library connections depend upon
people who are willing to communicate
across the lines of governing bureaucra-
cies because they have the interests of
children at heart. Once they find each
other and begin talking, learning con-
nections develop and children benefit.
References
1 James P. Comer, School Power: Im-
plications of an Intervention Project (New
York: Free Press, 1980).
Norris M. Haynes and James P.
Comer, oThe Yale School Development
Program: Process, Outcomes, and
Policy Implications,� Urban Education
28 (July 1993): 166-99.
DEN (elsyeye
Titles, Inc.
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publishers are presented to schools and libraries by sales
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all of our titles and prices through laptop computers; they
can provide fast and convenient ordering.
2 Marian Wright Edelman, Stand for
Children; Address delivered June 1, 1996
at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.
C., as a part of Stand for Children Day
(New York: Hyperion Books for Chil-
dren, 1998).
3 Caroline Feller Bauer, The Poetry
Break: An Annotated Anthology with Ideas
for Introducing Children to Poetry New
York: H. W. Wilson, 1995.
4 National Poetry Month http://
www.poetry.books.com.
National Library Week http://
www.ala.org/celebrating.
® National ChildrenTs Book Week
http:// www.cbcbooks.
org/pubs/aboutbw.htm. This site in-
cludes tips on how to celebrate, a page
of products to browse, and information
on the ChildrenTs Book Council.
7 Read Across American http://
www.nea.org/readacross/index.html.
8 Reading is Fundamental http://
www-.si.edu/rif.
° American Association of School
Librarians and Association for Educa-
tional Communication and Technol-
ogy, Information Power: Building Partner-
ships for Learning. (Chicago: American
Library Association, 1998), 50-51.
me jhostets ll
11 David V. Loertscher, Reinvent Your
SchoolTs Library in the Age of Technology:
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dents. San Jose, CA.: Hi Willow Re-
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Spring 1999 " 17
Take Out/Free Delivery!
n-house programs for children,
teens, and adults are a staple of
public library service and cover
myriad topics in a variety of for-
mats. Programming formats in-
clude reading aloud to children,
book discussions, lectures, exhibits,
slide/film showings, readersT theater
(reading aloud of short stories adapted
to script format), storytelling, readings
by authors/poets, poetry oslams,� ex-
hibits, musical performances, and dem-
onstrations of all kinds " from how to
identify poisonous snakes to how to
trace your ancestry. Libraries tap their
own and outside resources to provide
programs to intrigue and inform their
communities. All of these programs get
people in to the library where they also
learn more about the libraryTs amazing
resources " expanded via the Internet
to include virtually the whole world. In
addition to bringing people into the
library, many of these programs are
ready-made outreach vehicles.
Outreach to individuals and to
people in institutions and organiza-
tions who are not oregular� library pa-
trons enhances the public library's role
as a good citizen in its community. It
is a way for libraries to recruit new us-
ers and new supporters, to make
new friends, and to identify new
resources. Programs used as out-
reach also cover many topics
and take many forms, and the
projects listed below are by no
means an exhaustive " or even
a complete " list. TheyTre ex-
amples intended to pique your
interest and "if you donTt al-
ready " to encourage you to see
programming as potential out-
reach.
18 " Spring 1999
by Frannie Ashburn
Storytime/Storytelling
These programs take place anywhere
librarians know (or even suspect!) that
children are gathered: daycare centers,
health departments, housing develop-
ments, and schools. Smart Start col-
laborative projects in communities all
over the state include fine examples of
programming outreach.
Reading Incentive Programs
and ReadersT Theater
Willie Nelms, director of the Sheppard
Memorial Library in Greenville (Pitt
County), provides information on a
couple of his libraryTs special outreach
projects:
Since 1995, Sheppard Memorial
Library has operated the Re-
source Room at the Greenville
Housing Authority Moyewood
Cultural and Recreational Cen-
ter. The resource room functions
as a small library and is open
2:30 p.m. " 5:30 p.m. Monday
through Friday. Over the past
four years and as part of this
agreement, the public library
has offered reading incentive
programs and readersT theater
programs for children living in
public housing. The library of-
fers these services on a year-to-
year contract basis with the
Greenville Housing Authority.
In essence, the Greenville Hous-
ing Authority outsources its li-
brary service through the public
library.
Over the past five years, the
Friends of the Sheppard Memo-
rial Library and the Friends of
Joyner Library at East Carolina
University have conducted the
Celebrity ReadersT Theater as a
fundraising event. Well-known
local citizens (television person-
alities, civic, and political lead-
ers) are readers in plays per-
formed in a readersT theater for-
mat. The most recent produc-
tion occurred on Sunday, Febru-
ary 7, 1999. It was attended by
175 people and generated more
than $5,000. The profits from
the event are split equally be-
tween the two Friends of the
Library groups. This is a unique
event because it involves a co-
operative effort of the friends
Outreach to individuals and to people in institutions
and organizations who are not oregular� library
patrons enhances the public libraryTs role
as a good citizen in its community.
North Carolina Libraries
groups from an academic library
and a public library and also be-
cause it uses local celebrities as
the performers. Over the years
this event has generated increas-
ing public interest, and local
citizens consider it an honor to
be the readers.!
Reading and Discussion
Programs
For more than a dozen years, North
Carolina public libraries have hosted
LetTs Talk About It, reading and discus-
sion programs led by humanities schol-
ars/discussion facilitators. These schol-
ars are professors from area colleges,
universities, and community colleges
who bring experience, expertise, and
enthusiasm to their role as informed
guides for public audiences. ProgramsT
are attended by die-hard readers (oPut
it in my hands and Ill read it!�), by afi-
cionados of the author or the subject of
the book, and by innocent bystanders
who get dragged to the programs by
enthusiastic friends and then become
converts themselves. Discussion is the
focus of the programs, and this discus-
sion is active, energetic, and sometimes
difficult to bring to a halt!
The popular LetTs Talk About It pro-
gram model (adapted to numerous
other reading/discussion projects) uses
interesting speakers and discussions to
oTure� out-of-school adults in to the li-
brary where librarians also showcase
the wealth of library services, materials,
and resources. The hoped-for result is
the libraryTs being regarded as a lifelong
learning center in the community " a
place where people gather to engage in
the thoughtful consideration of ideas.
With hundreds of successful programs
in their repertoire, librarians began to
think of other places to do this type of
programming " places where groups
already were gathered " and senior
citizen centers were among the first on
the list.
During the 1995-98 Poetry Spoken
Then and Now project, which brought
scholar-led reading and discussion pro-
grams on modern American poetry to
public libraries in North and South
Carolina, some programs were held in
senior citizen centers. These programs
were a win/win situation for everyone
involved. The library got good public-
ity in the local media for outreach to
the senior center, freed its meeting
room for other uses, and provided an
accessible program location for
evening events (easily-accessed facili-
ties and spacious, well-lit parking lots
and buildings often are advantages of
retirement center locations). By host-
ing programs open to the general pub-
lic, the senior center provided a ready-
made, well-organized, quality program
for its residents (a real plus for the
centerTs program director!), and
showed off its facilities and services to
potential residents who might never
have visited them otherwise. Partici-
pants benefited most of all. A local li-
brary coordinator reported of her expe-
rience at a South Carolina retirement
center that 60% of the audience mem-
bers came from the town and ranged in
age from 16 to 70.2 This diverse mix-
ture was a wonderful asset to the dis-
cussions. Residents enjoyed talking
with local people whom they might
not have met otherwise, and the olo-
cals� enjoyed discussing poetry with
folks they did not see on a regular ba-
sis. Retirees from other parts of the
country found the programs an excel-
lent way to learn about poetry and
about the people and culture outside
their immediate home.
Some of these poetry programs
were held in workplace sites because
they are particularly adaptable to a
lunch hour format " scholar and par-
ticipants gather for a sandwich and dis-
cussion. One noontime series was held
at a hospital and was open to staff and
to the public. The scholar who led the
programs was oamazed and heartened
at the variety of people interested
enough in poetry to devote six weeks,
worth of lunch hours to it.� This
group, too, was a mixture " half were
hospital employees and half were from
the community.
Workplace programs also are a
win/win situation for everyone in-
volved. The workplace sites prided
themselves on providing lifelong learn-
ing opportunities for their employees,
enabled local people to utilize their re-
sources and facilities for an educational
enrichment opportunity, and hosted a
quality program they did not have to
develop (or pay for!). The library got
good publicity in the local media for
outreach to workers who have limited
leisure time for cultural/educational
opportunities and promoted its re-
sources and services to people who
might not have learned of them other-
wise. And for participants? Interactive,
stimulating programs were delivered to
them free of charge at their place of
work. Now thatTs outreach!!!
For information on book-related
programming in and out of the library,
contact Frannie Ashburn,Director,
North Carolina Center for the Book,
State Library of North Carolina, 109
East Jones Street, Raleigh, North Caro-
lina 27601-2807; phone: 919-733-2570;
fax: 919-733-8748; e-mail: fashburn@
library.dcr.state.nc.us.
References
1 E-mail from Willie Nelms to
Frannie Ashburn, Jan. 20, 1999.
2 Frances L. Ashburn, oPoetry Spo-
ken Then and Now Final Performance
Report (Raleigh, NC: North Carolina
Center for the Book, State Library of
North Carolina, 1999), 6, typewritten.
3 Tbid.
CURRENT EDITIONS, INC.
858 Manor Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
North Carolina Libraries
WHOLESALERS
TO LIBRARIES
1-800-959-1672
1-800-487-2278 (FAX)
"Support North Carolina Libraries"
Spring 1999 " 19
ALATs OLOS:
Reaching Out to Library Outreach Programs
oon after his arrival last year as
the new American Library
AssociationTs Executive Direc-
tor, William Gordon created a
panel at the entrance to the Ex-
ecutive Offices with the Asso-
ciationTs mission:
The American Library Associa-
tion provides leadership for
the development, promotion,
and improvement of library
and information services and
the profession of librarianship
in order to enhance learning
and ensure access to informa-
tion for all.
The boldness of the ALATs mission,
set in strong gold lettering, serves as a
beacon of purpose for staff. The Office
for Literacy and Outreach Services
(OLOS) supports the AssociationTs mis-
sion for access to information in local
library communities for traditionally
underserved populations.
OLOS was initiated in 1970 as the
brainchild of several members and
staff, including Virginia Matthews,
who was the first director of the then
Office for the Disadvantaged. Over the
years the office continued to support
librariansT efforts to address the needs
of people who felt disenfranchised in
libraries. Through the years the office
focused on library service needs of Na-
tive Americans and other people of
color, the elderly and new and non-
readers and their families.
Today the officeTs strategic plan ad-
dresses equity of access and 21st cen-
tury literacy, two of the five key action
areas of ALATs Goal 2000. OLOS initia-
20 " Spring 1999
by Satia Orange
tives encourage librarians to provide
opportunities for maximum intellec-
tual stimulation in AmericaTs libraries.
Priorities for the office include the dis-
semination of information and train-
ing as well as partnerships with other
national organizations serving similar
populations. For ALA, those popula-
tions now include new and non-read-
ers, people geographically isolated,
people with disabilities, rural and ur-
ban poor people, and people generally
discriminated against based on race,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, lan-
guage, and social class.
OLOS also serves as the staff liai-
son for the following committees and
round tables:
e the OLOS Advisory Committee
e OLOS Subcommittee for the ALA
Poor PeopleTs Policy
e OLOS Intergenerational
Subcommittee
e the Literacy Assembly
e the Social Responsibilities Round
Table (SRRT)
¢ the Ethnic and Multicultural
Information Exchange Round
Table (EMIERT)
e the five associations of librarians of
color
The office administers a three-year
Lila Wallace-ReaderTs Digest Fund Ini-
tiative, Literacy in Libraries Across
America (LILAA), funded in 1996. The
initiative provides separate funding for
thirteen project sites in four states, in
addition to a generous grant to ALA for
the provision of technical assistance.
The Literacy Assembly is one of
OLOST liaison groups, with representa-
tives from ALA divisions, round tables,
and committees in the Association that
address literacy in various formats. The
Assembly meets at each ALA confer-
ence to develop strategies for address-
ing twenty-first century literacy in the
Association. The new Literacy Officer
will assist the Assembly in focusing on
that objective.
The Assembly will sponsor a
preconference at the 1999 ALA Annual
Conference called oBuilding a Commu-
nity of Readers: Literacy in Libraries
Across America,� along with several
other programs that relate to literacy
and lifelong learning.
The OLOS Subcommittee on the
Poor PeopleTs Policy concentrates on li-
brary services to poor and homeless
people. The policy (6.1) addresses the
library needs of poor and homeless
people. It is accompanied by several
objectives to be addressed by the Asso-
ciation. At the June 1999 ALA Annual
Conference, the subcommittee will
sponsor its first pre-conference, oReal-
ity Check for Libraries: Making a Differ-
ence in Services to Poor and Homeless
People.�
A newly formed OLOS Intergen-
erational Subcommittee addresses the
availability of resources for the elderly,
and disseminates information regard-
ing program resources. The subcom-
mittee plans a pre-conference in 2001.
The officeTs new Web site, at
http://www.ala.org/olos, includes a
number of resources for library out-
reach support. The 1998 Diversity Fair
Notebook introduces odiversity-in-ac-
tion� initiatives in SO libraries that ex-
North Carolina Libraries
ae a
hibited at the 1998 ALA Annual Con-
ference. The List of Library Outreach Ser-
vices to Underserved Populations is a re-
source guide for librarians and the gen-
eral public. There is also access to com-
mittee and staff lists, schedules of con-
ference programs, and other library re-
sources to support the OLOS target
populations.
The degree of commitment, re-
search and collaborative effort of indi-
vidual libraries and communities can
define the secret to quality library out-
reach. Libraries across the country con-
tinue to demonstrate creative strategies
for reaching out to their users:
~a
e The Queens Borough (NY) Public
Library has the largest number of
ethnic groups in one county in
the country. Its Flushing Branch,
located in an Asian American
community and opened in June
1998, is situated at a busy intersec-
tion. The library is always busy
and the ample number of seats is
always filled with users. QueensT
WorldLinQ, an innovative and
multilingual Internet Web-based
information system, connects in-
ternational news and resources in
six languages, free of charge.
¢ The opening ceremonies of the
Greensboro (NC) Public LibraryTs
Central Library in November 1998
was the final step in meeting infor-
mation needs as identified by the
community. Through the use of
focus groups and other means of
direct community input, the
libraryTs staff and volunteers,
architects, corporate and com-
munity partners, and users de-
signed a building that resolved
the concerns for equity of access
to collections and services. As
children from GreensboroTs
branches helped deliver books to
the new childrenis room, com-
munity leaders marveled at the
open access computers and free
Internet resources. The oCom-
munity of Readers,� for which
the city has received acclaim,
has surpassed their goals by lis-
tening to their users.
e The Carver Road Branch of the
Forsyth County (NC) Public Li-
brary met one of its community
needs in an aesthetic manner.
The kente cloth shelving panels
and upholstered chairs provide
a welcome atmosphere to users
who openly demonstrate cul-
tural identity. Accompanying
exhibits, programs, and collec-
North Carolina Libraries
tions relate to the communityTs
interest in their history. The build-
ing replaces a smaller, older edi-
fice, which has been redesigned as
a repository for African American
history.
e Over 45% of the Dade County (FL)
population are foreign-born and
57% speak a language other than
English at home. The Miami-Dade
Public Library System has ad-
dressed this concern by instituting
a three-tiered approach for access
to information for its users. First,
the library enlisted the help of
community organizations to regis-
ter new immigrants for library
cards at fairs and new citizen cer-
emonies. Corporate support al-
lowed the library to fund concerts,
bilingual storytelling hours, art
exhibits, and other cultural events
featuring new citizensT native
countries. The third step was to
partner with the local school sys-
tem, government agencies, and
universities to conduct programs
at the libraries on citizenship, En-
glish as a Second Language classes,
and life skills. The library also de-
veloped a comprehensive collec-
tion of materials relating to these
topics. The nationally recognized
initiative increased library use by
10% annually.
e A once-a-month Library Disability
Chinese Dragon, 1998 Diversity Fair, ALA
Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.
Outreach provides homebound
services at the San Jose (CA) Public
Library. The staff visits library us-
ers in their individual homes, and
in convalescent and residential
care facilities.
e The Outreach Programs at the
William K. Sanford Town Library
in Albany, NY has a closed circuit
radio information service for
people who cannot read regular
print due to blindness, limited vi-
sion, or physical disability.
Access to information must be
valued in our society. As a commu-
nity, we must embrace libraries on
five levels to ensure our own survival
as a literate society:
e We must find those in our com-
munities who do not use the li-
brary and who see it as foreign to
their lifestyles. We must discover
their information needs and guide
them through the maze of data
vehicles and resources. We must
welcome them.
e We must talk with those who do
use the library to ensure that their
information needs are being ful-
filled. We must celebrate them and
welcome them to make them feel
comfortable in using their libraries.
e We must learn to be open and
non-judgmental and train our col-
leagues, up and down the chain of
command, to do the same. We
each must become connectors in
guaranteeing access to informa-
tion for all of our users and our-
selves in libraries.
e We must support our staffs by ad-
vocating for training and enrich-
ment opportunities. We must
challenge them to grow intellectu-
ally, and encourage them to fur-
ther their knowledge and under-
standing of new strategies and
techniques. We must value them
so they will value library users and
their needs. We must show them
respect and appreciation for their
efforts, so they will respect and
appreciate library users.
¢ We must become partners with
those who make access to infor-
mation a reality: the users, the
staff, the volunteers, the
policymakers, the philanthropists,
the community and corporate do-
nors. We must make them allies
and collaborate with them for bet-
ter libraries and services.
Finally, we must value libraries and
access to information ourselves.
Spring 1999 " 21
FW 00 to the \\
his issue of North Carolina
Libraries is devoted to out-
reach, and thus this column is
devoted to a paean in favor of univer-
sal access to the Internet as a means of
attracting patrons to libraries. Univer-
sal access promotes the idea that
individuals, regardless of economic
status, have basic societal rights.
Andrew Carnegie, an early advocate of
this idea, established a number of free
public libraries that provided access to
books for everyone. His hope was that
patrons of these libraries would be
able to better themselves through the
use of library materials.
Recently, this concept has been
extended to cover basic human
opublic services� such as universal
access to telephone, electricity, and
fuel. Libraries which embraced the
ideals of Carnegie have recently been
looking for ways to improve their
relevance to the communities they
serve. As the traditional print media
are replaced by virtual resources,
libraries are in a unique position to
enhance their offerings to the com-
munity.
The Internet provides just the
source of unlimited information
access that Andrew Carnegie envi-
sioned. Libraries need to increase their
public Internet access services. NC
LIVE is a start in this direction. We
have begun to divorce ourselves
from the idea of traditional book
and periodical resources as the
sole means of access, and to
embrace in a seamless way access
to the new technologies of the
Internet. FreeNets, such as the
pioneering Cleveland FreeNet,
were an opportunity for libraries
22 " Spring 1999
orld
by Ralph Lee Scott
Outreach
to offer the concept of universal
access to the masses. Most libraries
missed this boat. FreeNet assumes that
users have computer access at home
or work, but libraries need to provide
both in-house and remote access to
patrons.
Another way in which libraries
can provide universal access is to serve
as locations where patrons can send
and receive e-mail without charge. A
number of free Internet email services
(such as Geocities) allow patrons to
set up their own Web-based mail
accounts. This is an ideal way for
libraries to increase their visibility and
become indispensable to their con-
stituencies. Offering patrons free
instruction in the use of the Internet
is another way to build a loyal voter
base.
Librarians can help local groups
set up Web-based chat rooms on
topics of local interest such as geneal-
ogy, environmental issues, or city
ordinances. The local library home
page can direct Internet users to
bibliographies of popular local topics
found on the Web. Among the
features that can be included are links
or information on local book clubs,
scout troops, gardening clubs, and
hobby interest groups. A nightly
homework clinic run on the library
Web server can offer local students
The Internet provides
just the source of unlimited
information-access that
Andrew Carnegie envisioned.
direction when they are stuck on an
assignment and improve library
visibility to families at the same time.
Many traditional library services
may, in the future, be more Web-
based. Answering reference questions,
locating electronic resources, and
delivering requested documents are a
few that come to mind. Perhaps
distance education courses, such as
ZDU or various college offerings,
could be taken from library-based
Web work stations. A number of
librarians, however, cringe at the idea
of Web-based ochat rooms� jamming
up library work stations.
In fact, there is already consider-
able competition in many libraries
between traditional and virtual
services. The flip side of this, however,
is that libraries can and should
become the coffee shops of the future.
Instead of finding ways to keep
patrons out of e-mail and chat
sessions, we need to find ways to meet
more of these universal access needs
that Andrew Carnegie first tried to
meet with traditional print libraries.
Libraries can best meet these
needs of the future by finding ways to
provide increasing levels of Internet
access for those who cannot afford the
price of current technologies, as well
as by providing relevant links through
their home pages to local resources for
patrons with home computers.
Libraries can become visible in
the community by enabling
patrons to use these technologies
from their home or office,
thereby gaining the support of
local taxpayers.
North Carolina Libraries
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North Carolina Libraries Spring 1999 " 23
____ NORTH CAROLINA
ee
Dorothy Hodder, Compiler
or years, genealogists have searched through urban and rural cemeteries to
gather and confirm important facts about the lives of past generations as
recorded on old gravemarkers. In some instances, researchers sketched
tombstones to document information that was fast eroding away, but few
observed that the arrangement of graves, the design of markers, and the
Biblical and personal sentiments inscribed on them were clues to a deeper
understanding of the culture, life, and times of the deceased. Now, in Sticks
and Stones: Three Centuries of North Carolina Gravemarkers Ruth Little has provided gene-
alogists, general researchers, and casual readers with a study that is both fascinating and
instructive in its discussion of the ethnic and artistic characteristics inherent in these
fragile artifacts. Little surveyed 550 burials across a 35 county area ranging from the
Coastal Plain to the Piedmont to the Mountains. The book is, in her words, onot an
exhaustive inventory of every historic cemetery in the state, but a general overview of
chronological and cultural patterns.�
It is not only words that illuminate Sticks and Stones. Drawings of types of
gravemarkers including enclosures, boards, gravehouses, stones, tombs, obelisks, and
pedestals, as well as a variety of headstone shapes and symbolic designs, add to a deeper
understanding of the cultural associations of the markers over a period of two centuries.
Added to these, the book comes alive through a collection of resplen-
dent black-and-white photographs that seem three-dimensional in
their textural richness and clarity.
M. Ruth Little. Of special interest in the treatise is the comparison of vernacular
Sticks and Stones: White and African American cemetery traditions of the late nine-
teenth and twentieth centuries. The first group consists of bare,
Three C enturies of cleared, or landscaped areas with rows of graves in family groups,
some enclosed, others forming grave mounds and shell-covered or
North Carolina Gravem arkers. shell-bordered graves. African American cemeteries often are partly
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press,
hidden in woods, high grass, or thick undergrowth, are arranged in
1998. 328 pp. $45.00. ISBN 0-8078-2417-8 uneven rows creating an irregular rhythm of design, with families
24 " Spring 1999
loosely grouped, and have enclosures for individual graves. White
burials sometimes have a depiction of the home, trade, or hobby of
the deceased drawn in the face of the gravemarker, while African
American burials incorporate building materials and everyday items
used by the deceased. Several African Americans brought ocast stone� markers to the level
of an art form by their use of colored marbles, broken bits of mirrors, pieces of stained
glass, and brightly painted surfaces to suffuse the site with a sparkle that is both exciting
and touching.
In the conclusion of the study, the author makes an urgent appeal to protect and
respect historic grave markers: oGravemarkers continue to be the largest collection of
sculpture in the state and a unique record of culture and ethnicity. The sticks and stones
in North Carolina graveyards tell many stories ... let us remember as we pass by, and let us
also record and preserve.�
This valuable addition to the Richard Hampton Jenrette Series in Architecture and
the Decorative Arts was written by M. Ruth Little, an art historian who has worked for a
quarter of a century recording and interpreting the historic architectural and cultural
resources in North Carolina for the State Historic Preservation Office in Raleigh, as well as
being a private consultant. Tim Buchman, who created many of the sumptuous photo-
graphs, specializes in architectural photography, and has added his talents to other
important studies, including the award-winning North Carolina Architecture (University of
North Carolina Press, 1990).
" Edward F. Turberg
Preservation Consultant, Wilmington, North Carolina
North Carolina Libraries
orld War I veterans speak of the constant noise of the battlefront " machine
gun fire, artillery salvos, the cries of the wounded in ono manTs land.� Counter-
balanced against that battle noise is an ironic silence on the part of many
American veterans to discuss their war experiences. Memories of World War I
uses oral histories from 36 North Carolinians who served in the war to give a
human voice to the conflict. All of the interviewees were Army enlisted men serving on the
Western Front; many saw combat duty. Their stories illuminate an ill-prepared American
Army trying quickly to train and move new citizen-soldiers to French battlefields.
Memories follows doughboys as they leave home, train for war, are shipped overseas,
endure the dreadful horrors of the battlefield, and finally return home. The veteransT voices
state in matter-of-fact terms the difficulties they encountered "
poor training, lack of equipment, and, at the front, a lack of food
R. Jackson Marshall III. and medical care. Their comments are not the ordinary soldiersT
_ gripes about the Army; rather, they are the observations of older
Memories of World War I: men who, separated from the events they recount by many years,
° offer a more candid view of what they actually experienced.
North Carolina D oug hb oys Recounted in restrained voices, their stories ring true and the reader
on the Western Front. is once again left to marvel at how the human spirit survives such
awful tragedies.
Raleigh: Historical Publications Section, Marshall ties the various soldiersT narratives together with brief
Division of Archives and History, 1998. xiv, 208 interludes documenting the watTs progress on the Western Front,
pp. Paper, $15.00. ISBN 0-86526-282-9. especially the entrance of American troops into combat. An added
prize in this book is the numerous black-and-white photographs of
training and combat scenes. Marshall includes photographs and
brief biographies of the 36 soldiers whose narratives are the basis of
the book, and there is a bibliography and an index.
We are fortunate that Marshall, whose grandfather was a World War I doughboy, had
the foresight to interview some of North CarolinaTs last surviving veterans. As Marshall
notes, his late grandfather onever initiated a conversation about the war.� MarshallTs
research gives us a brief glimpse past the cacophony of the battlefield of a precious few of
the 86,457 North Carolinians who were in the owar to end all wars.�
This volume is highly recommended for all high school, public, and academic libraries.
"John Welch
State Library of North Carolina
he War Between the States holds a continuing fascination for writers, as
demonstrated by the number of authors on the subject. Dawson CarrTs Gray
Phantoms of the Cape Fear: Running the Civil War Blockade is yet another example
of that interest.
The book recounts the stories of the Federal NavyTs blockade of the inlets
to the Cape Fear River and how Confederate ships, such as the Giraffe headed by Lt. John
Wilkinson, effectively eluded capture. The text reminds us of ports of call for runners in
Bermuda and Nassau, and the influence of British companies who produced blockade-
running ships for the Confederate Government and private profi-
teers. Carr reiterates the Southern shipyard deficiency, lack of labor
and materials, and why foreign builders were needed.
Dawson Cart. A chapter on Wilmington describes the effects of blockade
3 running on that city. Carr tells us about the ill-fated ship Kate,
Gray Phantoms of the Cap e Fear: whose crew brought dreaded yellow fever and killed many citizens.
Running the Civil War Blockade. He details WilmingtonTs vital railway connection to other cities and
towns throughout the Confederacy and how greedy speculators and
Winston-Salem: John F. Blair, Publisher, 1998. blockade-running crews inflated the cost of goods and food beyond
227 pp. Paper, $14.95. ISBN: 0-89587-213-7. what local residents could afford.
Gray Phantoms of the Cape Fear, presented with illustrations,
appendix, bibliography, and index, is a good beginnersT book about
North CarolinaTs important Civil War blockade-running activity.
Other works particularly recommended are Stephen R. WiseTs
Lifeline of the Confederacy: Blockade Running During the Civil War and Chris E. FonvielleTs The
Wilmington Campaign: Last Rays of Departing Hope.
" Joseph Sheppard
New Hanover Public Library
North Carolina Libraries Spring 1999 " 29
Ete ci a RPGs ake ~ a ;
es, you can judge a book by its cover " most certainly by its translu-
cent dust jacket. In this instance, we have a large brown-and-white
slide, a Depression-era photograph of farmers in a tobacco field,
wrapped around a white cloth cover. You can read the words printed
on the surface of this film jacket, and through it you can read the
words printed on the spine label"all of it demonstrating the essence
of the words of the title, light and air. The cover is as thoughtfully and
beautifully conceived as the book itself, which enriches its 135 large
brown-and-white photographic plates, some published for the first time, with a
96-page discussion of the life and career of North Carolina photographer,
Bayard Wootten.
North Carolinians (and acculturated others) familiar with
Cabins in the Laurel are acquainted with WoottenTs work, if not
her name. Cabins was one of six books about our state, and the
South, for which Wootten provided numerous photographs
Jerry W. Cotten. during the 1930s and ~40s. Born Mary Bayard Morgan in New
Bern in 1875, she married Charles Wootten in 1897 and found
Ligh t and Air. . herself abandoned, with two sons, by 1902. To earn a living
The Photography of Bayard Wootten while doing what she most wanted to do, she became one of
North CarolinaTs first female professional photographers"no
Chapel Hill and London: simple accomplishment in a culture that did not permit women
University of North Carolina Press, 1998. to vote until 1919. As one son later put it, oMama was a
253 pp. $37.50. ISBN 0-8078-2445-3. womanTs liberation movement all by herself.�
Photographs by Carolyn DeMeritt.
A major factor that did not always help in WoottenTs career
was her adherence to a style of photography known as
opictorialism,� which emphasized creative expression in a scene,
particularly in its composition. While other photographers
(such as Ansel Adams) defined and rendered photography on its own terms,
WoottenTs work alluded to older arts, such as landscape and portrait painting.
Her photographs are neither sentimental nor political: they are beautiful,
lending grace to fact.
One of the marvelous things about CottenTs book is a thoroughness that is
unfailingly interesting. He provides a meaningful context for WoottenTs work
by including comparisons with the work of carefully selected contemporaries
such as Frances Benjamin Johnston and Doris Ulman. The result is an excep-
tionally well-informed and informative text. Best of all, an appropriate selec-
tion of small photographs enriches that text, leading up to the plates.
Light and Air includes an extensive bibliography and an index. It sets an
exceptionally high standard in the treatment of a native artist, and should be
part of the collection of every public and academic library in the South.
" Rose Simon,
Salem College
s the settlers arrived in the oNew World� and began to spread out
along the east coast, 90% of the Native American population, with
no immunities, died from the settlersT diseases. From that time on,
Native Americans struggled with stolen land, deportation, segrega-
tion, poverty, alcoholism, illiteracy, and members continu-
ally leaving tribes; but still, they survived. Taking its title
from treaties that declared land was promised to Indians
oas long as the waters flow,� this book celebrates Native
American survival.
Frye Gaillard, who has covered other Southern topics
Frye Gaillard.
AS Long as the Waters Flow: such as country music, Jimmy Carter, and Dixie heroes,
breaks down each chapter by geographical area or similar
Native Americans in the South and E ast. struggles of different tribes. A thread connects each tribe,
Winston-Salem: John F. Blair, Publisher, 1998.
xi, 242 pp. $21.95. ISBN 0-89587-219-6.
be they the Cherokees of North Carolina, the Wampanoags
of Massachusetts, or the Seminoles of Florida. Gaillard
examines how, confronted by the threat of their people
dying out and inspired by the Civil Rights Movement,
tribal leaders throughout the East began to wage a battle to
26 " Spring 1999
North Carolina Libraries
have their land returned. For many tribes, the first and most difficult step
has been federal recognition. Nations like the Lumbees of North Carolina,
who have been denied this recognition, continue to challenge the verdict.
The Catawbas of South Carolina, the Choctaws of Louisiana, and other
tribes, writes Gaillard, realize that after obtaining recognition, land, and/or a
monetary settlement for usurped land, their battle is far from over. While
the author considers problems still facing Native Americans " controversies
surrounding casinos, industrialization, pollution, tribal factions, and the
duality of living in both an Indian and a White world " Gaillard also
recognizes individuals who have given a renewed sense of identity, culture,
and self-esteem to their fellow Native Americans. From extensive interviews,
the author tells the story of todayTs Native American leaders, including
individuals like Wilford Taylor, a Mowa Choctaw chief, who knows that
identity is othe key to the future.�
Although GaillardTs writing is candid and inspirational, all of the
chapters follow the same format and can become repetitive in one reading.
Readers should savor one chapter at a time. Accompanying the text are an
appendix of Southern and Eastern tribes, an index, and Carolyn DeMerittTs
black-and-white photographs that reflect the pride of Miss Choctaw, older
Indian women with their handmade baskets, toddlers, grandmothers, chiefs,
and modern day medicine men.
An eloquent testimony to the spirit, courage, and tenacity needed to
survive, As Long as the Water Flows describes the Cherokee, Coharie, Haliwa-
Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, and Waccamaw-Siouan tribes of North Carolina,
making the book suitable for public and school libraries, as well as academic
libraries with North Carolina collections.
" Angela Leeper
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
his is definitely not your run-of-the-mill romance. Rather, this is a novel dealing with
cancer research, a pharmaceutical company, and reincarnation. Although the continual
intertwining of the main characters through the past hundred years is implausible, the
characters themselves are strongly drawn and capture your attention.
Alexandra Kaminski, a cancer researcher at Duke University Medical Center, is the
reincarnation of her great-great-grandmother Jeanne Lacombe, a cancan dancer in a Paris
cabaret. Alexandra meets Val Dorsainville, who just happens to be the reincarnation of his
great-uncle Victor, a French count, and JeanneTs lover. Val is the vice-president of a French
pharmaceutical company with offices in Research Triangle Park, which is funding a grant for
Alexandra and her co-workers at Duke. As Alexandra races to find a cure for
cancer, Val is desperately trying to get approval for an early, at-home cancer
test that will bring in millions for the company. Neither is aware that
1 someone is out to destroy Val, and in the process ensure the cancellation of
Julie Tetel Anderson.
the grant.
The Blue Hour. In the meantime, or rather in the past, Jeanne, the cancan dancer, is
trying to support herself with her dancing and her day job as a laundress.
Durham, NC: Madeira Books, 1998. She refuses to sell her body as the other dancers do. Then one night Victor, a
439 pp. $23.50. ISBN 0-9654499-1-2. French count, walks into the music hall. Jeanne resists him, but her resis-
tance only increases his pursuit. He purchases the music hall, Le Chat Noir,
and the former owners, who now manage the business, explain to Jeanne
that she must give him what he wants or lose her job.
On a visit to her grandmother's home in Chicago, Alexandra discovers a ribbon-tied pack
of letters written in French, along with an old newspaper. She takes the letters to the French
department at Northwestern University and finds three graduate students willing to translate
them. The letters turn out to be JeanneTs diary. Of course, it just so happens that the three
women are the reincarnations of JeanneTs fellow dancers from Le Chat Noir.
Implausible as it may seem, the plot actually works. Readers will be interested in finding
out what happens with Jeanne and Victor and wonder if history will repeat itself with
Alexandra and Val.
Julie Tetel Anderson is the author of many Harlequin romance novels, and this title with
its romance and mystery is recommended for public libraries.
" Lisa Driver
Pitt Community College
North Carolina Libraries Spring 1999 " 27
_
OTHER PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST ...
28 " Spring 1999
Hail to the Chief! NCLA President-Elect and longtime North Carolina Libraries editorial board
member Plummer Alston Jones, Jr., Ph.D., is the author of the newly released Libraries,
Immigrants, and the American Experience. (1999; Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., 88 Post
Road West, Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881; 256 pp.; $59.95; ISBN 0-313-30769-5.)
Law libraries, public libraries, and city and county governments should take note of Frayda
BluesteinTs A Legal Guide to Purchasing and Contracting for North Carolina Local Govern-
ments. Its question and answer format is as practical and easy to use as its looseleaf binder.
(1998; Institute of Government, CB#3330 Knapp Building, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-
3330; looseleaf, xii, 115 pp.; $28.00; ISBN 1-56011-330-8.)
Public libraries will want to add Carolina Wine Country: The Complete Guide, by Pamela
Watson, to their guidebook collections. It describes 13 operating vineyards and wineries in
North and South Carolina, and three that expect to open this year. Includes local attractions,
B&Bs, state parks and historic sites, museums, galleries, ferries, and other useful information
about what is to be found in the vicinity of each entry. With photographs, a bibliography,
index, glossary, and list of Carolina wine-related Web sites. (1999; Woodhaven Publishing, 104
Woodhaven Court, Greenville, NC 27834; 192 pp.; paper, $14.95; ISBN 0-9667116-0-2.)
Passport to North Carolina Historic Sites is more suitable for carrying in your pocket or glove
compartment than for library circulation, but state history collections and archives will want a
reference copy. Literally the size of a passport, this booklet is intended as a souvenir and guide to
the 22 historic sites in North Carolina. The bearer is instructed to present the passport at each site
visited in order to be eligible for gifts after covering each region and the entire state. Each entry
includes a color photograph, a simple map, and very brief background and contact information.
(1998; Historical Publications Section, Division of Archives and History, 109 East Jones Street,
Raleigh, NC 27601-2807; 52 pp.; paper, $5.00 plus $3.00 postage; ISBN 0-86526-281-0.)
If youTre building a comprehensive Mayberry collection, donTt miss A Guide to TelevisionTs
Mayberry R.F.D., by David Fernandes and Dale Robinson, a companion volume to The Defini-
tive Andy Griffith Show Reference by the same authors, published in 1996. Here you have summa-
ries of all the Mayberry R.F.D. episodes in syndication package order, with career biographies of
the cast, guest stars, writers, and directors, and notes on connections between the episodes and
The Andy Griffith Show. Includes photographs, bibliography, and index. (1999; McFarland &
Company, Inc., Publishers, Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640; 235 pp.; $35.00 plus $4.00 postage;
ISBN 0-7864-0426-4.)
The LyonTs Pride is M.L. StainerTs third book in the Lyon Saga, a young adult series following
the adventures of the Roanoke Island colonists. In this episode some of the colonists venture
out from Croatoan Island in search of survivors of the Chesapeake colony, braving renegade
Spanish soldiers and hostile Neusiok. For a review of the previously released LyonTs Roar and
LyonTs Cub, see North Carolina Libraries, Fall 1998, page 121. The final two titles in the series are
projected for publication this year. (1998; Chicken Soup Press, Inc., P.O. Box 164, Circleville, NY
10919; 163 pp.; cloth, $9.95; ISBN 0-9646904-8-9; paper, $6.95; ISBN 0-9646904-9-7.)
A New Age Christian: My Spiritual Journey is a spiritual autobiography by Nancy B. Detweiler of
North Carolina and Virginia. Using her own life as an example, the author argues that New Age
interests such as reincarnation, astrology, numerology, meditation, and psychic abilities do not
necessarily conflict with Christianity as depicted in the Bible. (1998; Bridging the Gap Ministries,
10230 Epsilon Road, Richmond, VA 23235; 236 pp.; paper, $24.95; ISBN 0-9658949-0-8.)
Postmaster of Julian, North Carolina by day, free-lance humorist by night and weekends,
Warren Dixon, Jr. captures the flavor of small town North Carolina life in his award-winning
newspaper and magazine columns, collected in Tarheel Hilarities (1996; Five Hawks Press, P.O.
Box 1203, Liberty, NC 27298; 192 pp.; paper, $11.95; ISBN 0-9648321-0-0) and Holiday
Hilarities (1998; Five Hawks Press, P.O. Box 1203, Liberty, NC 27298; 192 pp.; paper, $11.95;
ISBN 0-9648321-1-9.)
Crowfoot Ridge, a first novel by Ann Brandt originally published by Alexander Books, has been
picked up by HarperCollins. For a full review of this story about a disillusioned woman return-
ing to childhood roots, loves, and secrets in the North Carolina mountains, see North Carolina
Libraries, Winter 1997, page 175. (1999; HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd St., New York,
NY 10022-7901; 239 pp.; $20.00; ISBN 0-06-019215-1.)
North Carolina Libraries
compiled by Plummer Alston Jones, Jr.
Coastal Roots:
A Review of Genealogical Periodicals
of Eastern North Carolina
by Victor T. Jones, Jr.
In the Winter 1995 issue of North Carolina Libraries, Kevin Cherry lists six rules for
evaluating a genealogical journal. He states that locality, indexing, content, design
and layout, documentation, and regularity should be considered in the review
process. This reviewer, a native of eastern North Carolina, selected only genealogical
periodicals and newsletters of the Coastal Plain area of North Carolina and used
CherryTs guidelines to review them.
Originally 32 genealogical and historical societies were contacted and copies of
their publications were requested for review. Nineteen societies responded, but the
publications of three of them did not contain genealogical information. This review
thus includes periodicals and newsletters from 16 genealogical societies in eastern
North Carolina.
Addresses were obtained from Elizabeth Petty BentleyTs The GenealogistTs Address
Book, 4th ed. (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1998), ISBN 0-8063-
1580-6, $39.95, and o1998 Genealogical Societies,� EvertonTs Genealogical Helper 52
(July-Aug. 1998): 60-115.
Carolina Trees & Branches
(available from Family Research Society of Northeastern North Carolina, P.O. Box 1425,
Elizabeth City, NC 27906-1425). Quarterly. $20/year.
Covering the northeastern counties of Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank,
Perquimans, and Old Albemarle, this unindexed periodical contains articles on local history,
biography, and transcribed records. The design and layout change with each article, but this
format does not detract from the overall excellent design. Each article contains a brief introduc-
tory sentence that tells from where the information in the article was gathered or reprinted. The
journal appears regularly.
Clarendon Courier
(available from Old New Hanover Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 2536, Wilmington, NC 28402-2536).
Quarterly. $15/year.
www.co.new-hanover.nc.us/lib/oldnew.htm
Centered on Old New Hanover County, Clarendon Courier includes the areas of present New
Hanover, Bladen, Pender, Duplin, Onslow, Brunswick, and Columbus Counties. While not
indexed, the periodical includes well-defined articles, with good use of white space, and little
filler. Some larger articles, of necessity, continue between issues. It appears in a timely manner.
The Connector
(available from Tar River Connections Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 8764, Rocky Mount, NC 27804).
Quarterly. $15/year.
www.ncwc.edu/~necn/TRCGS/TRCHP.HTML
With the Tar River Basin as its focus, this journal concentrates on the counties of Person, Vance,
Granville, Franklin, Nash, Edgecombe, Pitt, and Beaufort. The journal contains abstracts of
North Carolina Libraries Spring 1999 " 29
i
30 " Spring 1999
original records and much filler, but no index. The articles often are continued throughout the
same issue to make use of space. Documentation varies depending on the submitter of the article.
Cumberland Chronicles
(available from Cumberland County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 53299, Fayetteville, NC 28305-3299).
Quarterly. $15/year.
With Cumberland County as its locale, this unindexed journal contains some filler. Design and
format vary from article to article, with some issues needing larger margins for libraries planning
to bind the periodical. Documentation also varies, as some articles contain the barest of docu-
mentation and others none. It maintains a regular schedule.
Footnotes
(available from Duplin County Historical Society, P.O. Box 130, Rose Hill, NC 28458).
Quarterly. $10/year.
Although published for Duplin County history, Footnotes also includes information from some of
DuplinTs neighboring counties. The page design and layout are excellent, making good use of
white space with little to no filler. Documentation varies, but the information is generally well-
documented. Alas, it has no index; but it appears regularly.
Genealogical Newsletter
(available from Albemarle Genealogical Society, 142 Waterlily Road, Coinjock, NC 27923).
Quarterly. $8/year.
This publication, which focuses on Currituck, Camden, and Dare Counties, contains about 32
pages per year, but is not indexed. The typical issue contains membership news, queries, and
articles on local families. The articles are clearly marked, although documentation could be more
complete. It is published on a regular schedule.
High Tides
(available from Hyde County Historical and Genealogical Society, Rt. 1, Box 74, Fairfield, NC 27826).
Semi-annual. $15/year.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~nchyde/NCHGS.HTM
This publication on Hyde County includes a name index with each issue, but contains no subject
index. The well-documented articles include family histories, local histories, and abstracts of
Hyde County records. The periodical also includes some membership news. The layout of the
articles is usefully arranged. It has a regular publishing schedule.
Johnston Journal
(available from Johnston County Genealogical and Historical Society, P.O. Box 2372, Smithfield, NC 27577).
Quarterly. $15/year.
This journal, with Johnston County at its center, contains an annual article index, but no name
or subject index. Chiefly comprised of abstracts of records, the Johnston Journal also includes
ohow to� articles and a mixture of local history. Documentation of the articles contains only the
basic information. It appears regularly.
KinTracks
(available from Kinfolk Trackers Genealogical Society, 8375 Hwy 306 S, Arapahoe, NC 28510).
Bimonthly. $12/year.
http://www2.always-online.com/kintracker
A newsletter for Kinfolk Trackers Genealogical Society, this unindexed periodical contains a
variety of information. Chiefly a tool for disseminating society news, occasional articles deal with
families in Craven and Pamlico Counties. Design varies between articles in a way that makes
good use of white space. Source documentation for many of the articles is excellent, while for
others it is lacking. The periodical appears on a regular schedule.
Lines and Pathways of Edgecombe
(available from Edgecombe County Genealogical Society, 909 Main Street, Tarboro, NC 27886).
Monthly (except July and December). $15/year.
With Edgecombe County as its focus, this periodical includes society news, queries, transcriptions
of records, and information on local families, but it contains no index. Articles are distinct from
each other, though the margins need to be wider if a library plans to bind the issues. While most
articles are documented, the quality of documentation varies. This newsletter appears regularly.
Olde Dobbs Trail
(available from Olde Dobbs County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 617, Goldsboro, NC 27533-0617).
Quarterly. $15/year.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncwayne/
With Olde Dobbs County as the primary focal point, this newsletter includes information on the
present counties of Wayne, Lenoir, and Greene. This unindexed periodical contains queries,
society news, and abstracts of original records. Each transcription provides basic documentation.
The design and layout are nice and readable; however, the headlines could be slightly larger to
North Carolina Libraries
indicate a new article has begun. Olde Dobbs Trail maintains a regular schedule.
Pamteco Tracings
(available from Beaufort County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1089, Washington, NC 27889-1089).
Semi-annual. $10/year.
This indexed periodical focuses on old and present-day Beaufort County. Each issue contains a
name index, but no subject index. The periodical uses white space nicely and design varies
between articles. Articles are usually kept together within an issue; however, for large series articles
they are continued from issue to issue. These serial articles always identify the issue from which
they are continued. Documentation varies between articles. It appears regularly.
Pitt County Genealogy Society Quarterly
(available from Pitt County Family Researchers, Inc., P.O. Box 20339, Greenville, NC 27858-0339).
Quarterly. $20/year.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/1908/
This periodical centers on Pitt County, with each issue containing a full name and place index,
but no subject index. Design and layout are excellent, making good use of white space, while
using little filler. Each article is labeled distinctly. While usually well-documented, the quality of
the documentation varies among articles. It appears like clockwork.
The Researcher and Camp Glen Dispatch
(available from Carteret County Historical Society, P.O. Box 481, Morehead City, NC 2855 7).
Researcher: Quarterly. Dispatch: Bimonthly. $30/year, includes membership to society;
subscription only, $20/year.
This quarterly publication focuses on Carteret County history and genealogy. While the design
and layout are nice, the journal would benefit from an index. The documentation varies, depend-
ing upon the submitter. Lately, the Researcher has been irregular, but the most recent issue prom-
ises to be back on schedule with its next issue. The Dispatch includes membership news and
information.
Trees of Wilson
(available from Wilson County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 802, Wilson, NC 27894).
Monthly (except July and December). $15/year.
http://www.txdirect.net/~hpeele/wilson.htm
While concentrating on Wilson County, this periodical also contains articles about WilsonTs
parent counties of Nash, Edgecombe, Johnston, and Wayne. Design and layout vary from page to
page in a way that does not detract from the periodical; however, libraries wishing to bind issues
would benefit from larger margins. The annual index appears in the March issue. Documentation
varies between articles. It maintains a regular schedule.
Washington County Genealogical Society Journal
(available from Washington County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 567, Plymouth, NC 27962-0567).
3 per year, plus monthly newsletter. $15/year.
Concentrating on Washington and Tyrrell Counties, this periodical contains a name and subject
index in every issue. The design and layout are nice, easy to read, and well-documented. The April
issue of each year has dealt with the Civil War in eastern North Carolina. The newsletter includes
society news, brief articles of history, and Bible records; however, it is not indexed. It arrives
regularly.
Tired of making opermanent loans?�
Ralph M. Davis, Sales Representative
P.O. Box 144
yo Rockingham, NC 28379
" 1-800-545-2714
oa Checkpoint ; Tomorrow's Technology for TodayTs Libraries�"�
550 Grove Road * P.O. Box 188 * Thorofare, New Jersey 08086
(800) 257-5540 * TELEX: 84-5396 * FAX: (609) 848-0937
North Carolina Libraries Spring 1999 " 31
Joyner Library at
East Carolina University
recently completed a
building project, yielding a
49% increase in square
footage. Features of the
renovated and expanded
building include shelving for
1.5 million volumes; seating
for 2,000; a television studio; 36 group study rooms; an assistive technology center; a faculty
instructional technology lab; 4 library instruction centers; and a state-of-the-art preservation and conservation laboratory.
The building was dedicated on March 9, 1999.
Through the Artworks for State Buildings
Program, Christopher Janney, a nationally
known sound artist, designed a Sonic Plaza
for the building. The four elements of the
Plaza are shown at rght.
The media glockenspiel is an 85-foot clock
tower with a ring of video monitors, in the
center of which is a set of 3-foot doors.
Four times a day the doors open and reveal
a rooster, steam whistle, pirate cannon, or
unique object. In the circle directly in front of
the glockenspiel is a 12-foot diameter
ground cloud well, from which emanates a
water mist that dances with the wind.
At the center backgound of this photograph are the
sonic gates, white classical columns that chime musical
tones as people walk through them; the tones change
in pitch and timbre throughout the day. To the right is
a percussive water wall, containing water jets that
create ever-changing patterns of mist.
72 " Spring 1999
Photos copyrighted by and property of
East Carolina University.
If you have suggestions for photographs of
library buildings or activities that could be
shared with others through this column,
please contact Joline Ezzell
(919) 660-5925 or jre@mail.lib.duke.edu
North Carolina Libraries
Getween Ys
Endowing the Future of NCLA
recurring theme at each North
Carolina Library Association
Executive Board meeting dur-
ing the 1996-1997 biennium was the fi-
nancial predicament of the organiza-
tion. A trend of declining memberships
and increasing costs caused the
treasurerTs report frequently to lean to-
ward the red end of the inkwell.
The Board itself and a special Fi-
nancial Vitality Committee chaired by
Robert Burgin put a lot of time and en-
ergy into addressing the shortfall. The
measures ranged from defunding the
grant-giving Special Projects Committee
to reducing by one dollar the amount
that each section or round table receives
from each memberTs dues, and levying
a five dollar surcharge on sections and
round tables for each paid workshop or
program registrant.
The picture is far rosier this bien-
nium because of the highly profitable
1997 conference. All costs are covered
and the Special Projects Committee is
back in business. Nonetheless, the cur-
rent budget still includes about
$18,000 in money from a couple of re-
serve funds.
NCLA can well afford to pull from
the reserves now, but obviously this
cannot become an annual practice.
That is why part of the Executive
BoardTs focus this year is to ensure a
sound financial footing in future years.
The Membership Committee is
implementing several dramatic but
commonsense proposals aimed at re-
cruiting and retaining members. Some
of these ideas cost money (e.g., more
aggressive pursuit of lapsed members
and better breaks for library school stu-
dents), but the efforts justify dipping
into the reserves to build a foundation
for the future.
The NCLA Development Commit-
tee, which I am presently coordinating,
is creating the Endowment for North
Carolina Libraries in order to protect the
North Carolina Libraries
a
association from the financial fallout of
expected vicissitudes in membership
and to enable the association to under-
take major projects. Initially, the
committeeTs goal is to raise enough
principal so that the interest returned
will fund one issue of North Carolina
Libraries per year. With future growth
the endowment might fund a major
portion of NCLATs annual budget, as is
the case in some other state library as-
sociations.
The committee elected the journal
as its first goal because it is a project
with a glowing track record and a tan-
gible product. Donors often like to con-
tribute to a particular project rather
than to an operating fund, and what
better selling point than a nationally
recognized, award-winning publication
with a hallowed tradition?
With an expected annual return of
five percent, funding one issue of the
journal means raising an endowment
of $160,000. This will offset the $8,000
cost of a single issue. Once the goal is
met, however, an annual $8,000
weight is taken off the shoulders of
NCLA budget writers and operating
funds can go toward other projects.
At its January meeting, the Execu-
tive Board appropriated $10,000 for
start-up of the endowment to go along
with $5,000 already pledged by a donor
who wishes to remain anonymous. The
money will be invested with the North
Carolina Community Foundation
(NCCF), a Raleigh-based organization
that manages investments for non-
profit organizations statewide.
The main purpose of the NCCF is
to promote giving aimed at rural devel-
opment. It has as affiliates over 40
county-level community funds that
draw from the overall endowment and
make grants on the local level.
The NCCE also manages individual
endowments for organizations such as
the North Carolina Library Association.
by Ross A. Holt
Usually the return is five percent of the
total value of the fund at the end of the
year; the NCCF gets a one percent fee
and any further gain is reinvested in
the fund.
The NCCF can handle any kind of
donation, including stocks, real estate,
bequests and cash, and takes care of all
reporting requirements. The Endow-
ment for North Carolina Libraries will be
promoted in all the NCCFTs publicity
material, raising NCLATs profile among
the stateTs philanthropists. As a result
NCCE staff can steer library-oriented
givers to us.
As this column goes to press, the
Development Committee is reviewing
the associationTs proposed agreement
with the NCCF in preparation for sign-
ing a contract. Soon, the committee
will begin making contact with North
CarolinaTs major foundation and cor-
porate donors to begin building the en-
dowment.
The committee also will be asking
for the help of NCLA members and li-
brary supporters around the state. Once
established, the endowment will be-
come a great vehicle for recognizing
people who are important to librar-
ianship in North Carolina. The commit-
tee will set up a mechanism by which
individuals can contribute to the en-
dowment in honor or in memory of
others, with a notice of the donation
sent to the person honored or the fam-
ily of the person being commemorated.
The committee also intends to publicize
all contributions to the endowment in
North Carolina Libraries.
With this endowment, the Devel-
opment Committee seeks to ensure the
financial future of the North Carolina
Library Association, and free its full
power for North CarolinaTs libraries
and librarians. Look for more informa-
tion about the Endowment for North
Carolina Libraries soon.
Spring 1999 " 33
NorTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
Minutes of the Executive Board
January 15, 1999, Greensboro Public Library
Attending: Beverley Gass, Patrick Valentine, Phyllis Stone, Lib Laney, Gerald Holmes, Phil Barton, John Zika, Ben
Speller, Diane Kester, Carolyn Price, Vanessa Work Ramseur, Shirley Gregory, Marilyn Miller, Liz Hamilton, Susan
Adams, Tracy Babiasz, Carol Freeman, Carol Truett, Frances Bradburn, Nancy Kolenbrander, Ginny Gilbert, Peggy
Quinn, Frances Lampley, Eleanor Cook, Dave Fergusson, Rhoda Channing, Martha Davis, Ross Holt, Melinda
Ratchford, Karen Perry, Al Jones, Marcus Trathen, Liz Jackson, Maureen Costello.
The meeting was called to order at 10:05 AM.
Introductions were made. Sandy Neerman
from the Greensboro Public Library wel-
comed us.
Corrections to minutes
A motion to accept the minutes as writ-
ten was approved.
Online reports to the board
TreasurerTs Report
1998 quarterly and annual reports were dis-
tributed. Some of the 1999 dues income was
reported in the 1998 budget because they
were received before the first of the year.
Account balances were reported for different
scholarships and savings accounts. The
McClendon Fund was explained as a loan
fund for library school students. Applica-
tions for the McClendon Fund are linked
from the Administrative AssistantTs office
web site. Individual copies of current budget
information per section were distributed.
PresidentTs Report
A draft of guidelines for workshop planners
was presented. These suggestions from the
Administrative AssistantTs office in areas such
as scheduling, confirming registration fees,
mailings and tallying information were pre-
sented in an effort to help plan for upcoming
workshops sponsored by NCLA groups. Sug-
gestions for additional information are en-
couraged. The draft will be posted on the
web and accessible through the Administra-
tive AssistantTs web page.
President Gass attended the State Library
Commission meeting on October 22, 1998.
Significant issues for the Commission in-
clude work of the Interlibrary Cooperation
Committee and the Advisory Committee on
Library Service to Children and Youth. The
commission was briefed on charter schools.
Discussion was held regarding the role librar-
ies and NCLA could play in providing library
resources for charter schools (which do not
have in-school libraries). President Gass
asked for volunteers to serve on an informa-
tion gathering task force.
President Gass reported on a statewide
74 " Spring 1999
invitational conference held on October 7-8.
Participants from all types of libraries met to
discuss interlibrary cooperation in North
Carolina. Notes of discussions will inform
the development of a discussion paper on
the topic that will be the focus of regional
meetings throughout North Carolina this
spring. From the meetings, the Interlibrary
Cooperation Committee will develop a vi-
sion and plan for North CarolinaTs libraries.
Special guest, Marcus Trathen reported
on his attendance at the ALA sponsored Law-
yers for Libraries Institute II, held in Chicago
in November. Mr. Trathen is an attorney with
Brooks Pierce McClendon Humphrey &
Leonard, a practice which specializes in com-
munications and high-technology law. The
Internet and First Amendment issues being
faced by libraries fit in with his practice and
Mr. Trathen will be working with NCLA. The
intent of Lawyers for Libraries is to try to get
a network of lawyers for the times when le-
gal issues arise. The conference dealt with the
Internet and libraries. Distinguished present-
ers focused on issues such as access, filtering,
and recent court cases.
Ideas discussed were distribution of ma-
terials regarding the First Amendment to the
NCLA membership, adopting acceptable use
policies and publishing them widely, a
hotline to attorneys, and a possible session
on some of these ideas at the biennial confer-
ence in September 1999.
Section/Round Table Reports
ChildrenTs Services Section
Susan Adams reported on a January 11, 1999
meeting. Hannah Owen has been appointed
chair of the CSS Membership Committee.
The winter 1999 issue of North Carolina Li-
braries is devoted to childrenTs services. Mel
Burton was congratulated as guest editor of
that issue. The oReading Renaissance� had 45
attendees for the overnight retreat. Evalua-
tions of the event were highly positive. Pre-
liminary planning for the biennial confer-
ence has begun. CSS is planning to host an
author breakfast, a workshop on successful
school/library collaboration grants, and a ohow
to� session on how non-Spanish speakers can
provide story times for Hispanic children.
College and University Section
A report on a fall conference on access to and
education for resources in the millennium
was given. Dr. Ben Speller delivered the en-
ergetic keynote address. Martha Davis, Chair
of the Community and Junior College Sec-
tion, joined the January 8th executive board
meeting to discuss the advantages and disad-
vantages of merging the two sections into
one representing libraries of higher educa-
tion. A preliminary discussion on procedures
and possible by-law changes was also held. It
was agreed that the two sections would co-
sponsor sessions for the biennial conference
and priorities were then set for topics and
times for participation. Priorities for topics
were: copyright and the college community,
leadership in higher education, and the aca-
demic library computer center relationship.
An all day workshop in the following year on lib-
rary renovation and construction for the future
was identified as a useful topic. Bobby Wynn will
lead NCLA conference participation.
Community and Junior College Section
The CJCLS section decided to draft a pro-
posal for merger with the College and Uni-
versity Section, to possibly be presented to
community and junior college librarians in
March at LRA, considered by the College and
University Section, and hopefully be ready to
present to the NCLA Executive Board meet-
ing in the summer of 1999. This timetable
would allow the proposal to be voted on at
the NCLA conference in September 1999, if
CJCLS and CUS both agree to an organiza-
tional change. In a January CUS Board meet-
ing, assurances were made that every oppor-
tunity would be given to be sure CJCLS mem-
bers had opportunities to serve on the CUS
board, to represent CUS on the NCLA Execu-
tive Board, and to run for NCLA President.
The Community and Junior College Li-
brary Section will co-sponsor a session on
copyright and the Internet with the College
North Carolina Libraries
and University Section at the NCLA 1999
Conference. CJCLS has also scheduled a ses-
sion at the conference on redesigning librar-
ies for the twenty-first century.
Documents Section
The NCLA Documents Section is currently
planning both spring and conference pro-
grams. The topic of the spring workshop will
be decided through a teleconference meeting
of the Documents Executive Board on January
21. The topic of the conference program oFed-
eral Resources on the Internet� will focus on
demographics, business, and health data pro-
duced by federal agencies.
Two new officers were elected in October
1998. Mary Horton of Wake Forest University
is Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect and Catherine Shreve
of Duke University is Secretary/Treasurer.
Library and Management Section
LAMS has submitted its programs for the
NCLA Biennial Conference. A preconference
on assessment, to be delivered by LAMS board
member Dr. Robert Burgin, is expected to be
very well received. A session on mentoring
will be offered, and a social event for mentors
and mentees will be scheduled as well.
The Personnel and Staff Development In-
terest Group is being formed by Debbie Lam-
bert and Lovenia Summerville. An announce-
ment of this group will be sent out shortly
over the LAMS and NCLA channels, soliciting
members.
NC Association of School Librarians Section
Karen Gavigan, vice-chair, has been working
on the 1999 NCLA Conference. Author
Denise Fleming will be coming for a meal
function and one to two sessions. The Depart-
ment of Public Instruction will be providing
five sessions.
Karen Gavigan, Karen Perry, and Melinda
Ratchford attended the North Carolina Con-
ference on Children and Youth in November
in Greensboro. The conference was a forum to
dialogue about the needs of the various library
organizations of the state. Common issues
were discussed.
NC Library Paraprofessional Round Table
Regional Director for Region 2, membership
chair and program chairs are still being
sought. By-laws options for placing Frances
Lampley as chair-elect were discussed. Discus-
sion was held, but no decisions made, regard-
ing a program at the NCLA Conference. The
group also talked about the direction of work-
shops to be offered in the future.
NC Public Library Trustee Association
No report.
New Members Round Table
The NMRT web site has specific information
about activities of the New Members Round
Table. Members working on the mentoring
program will be getting together the last week
of January and hope to have a brochure draft
ready soon. A new director of communication
is working on the NMRT web site. Brochures
have been sent to library schools. NCLA mem-
bers will be asked to speak to students at those
schools as a next step. A March program will
focus on grant writing in libraries.
Public Library Section
The board met on November 10. The Young
North Carolina Libraries
a
Adult Committee continues to be active.
Their publication, Grassroots, focusing on li-
brary services to young adults, is one of the
best in the country. This group is pursuing
grants that target YA services, and planning
staff development activities in cooperation
with the State Library.
The board discussed a proposal to present
a pre-conference at the ALA Public Library
Association conference that will be held in
Charlotte in March 2000. This idea is being
pursued with ALA.
A spring or summer conference on Library
Services to Hispanics is being considered. This
will be discussed with REMCO and other ap-
propriate NCLA sections.
Will Manley has agreed to speak at a co-
sponsored Public Library Section/Paraprofes-
sional Section event at the biennial confer-
ence. Book talking programs and one on ado-
lescent psychology will also be offered.
Reference & Adult Services Section
The fall workshop, oNC LIVE: Taking It to the
Limit,� held on Friday, November 20, 1998 at
the Friday Center was a success with 118 at-
tending.
Resources & Technical Services
The board will meet on February Sth to work
on program plans for the 1999 NCLA confer-
ence. The program will be an outgrowth of
the fall workshop co-sponsored by LAMS last
September. The tentative plan is to have a
major program and table talks sponsored by
some or all of the interest groups (acquisi-
tions, cataloging, collections development,
and serials).
Page Life, RTSS member of the editorial
board of North Carolina libraries, is editing
the fall issue entitled oLife and Limb.� This
issue is an outgrowth of discussion last year by
this group regarding the importance of hav-
ing an issue covering health, personal safety,
and ergonomics in libraries.
Margaret Foote and her membership com-
mittee will be updating the RTSS directory
later this spring. The directory is considered to
be a benefit of membership.
Round Table for Ethnic Minority Concerns
No report.
Round Table on Special Collections
This spring this Round Table is sponsoring
three practical workshops, oTelling Our Sto-
ries,� dealing with the basics of oral history.
Workshops will be held in Williamston in
April, Pinehurst in May, and Lenoir in June.
Round Table on the Status of Women in
Librarianship
The Board met in Greensboro in December.
Plans were finalized for the Biennial confer-
ence and tasks assigned to Board members.
Laura McLamb Hamilton will be the speaker.
Content for the remainder of the 1999
MSMANAGEMENT was discussed and specific
decisions made on continuing the successful
survey printed in the October 1998 issue.
The Board began a discussion on ways to
broaden membership participation in the
Round Table. The discussion will continue at
the March board meeting.
Technology & Trends Round Table
The December workshops were postponed
and rescheduled for April 22nd. The morning
session will feature oTechnology Nuts & Bolts
Bookcamp� with Suzanne White and Ron
Andrews. The afternoon session will be
oTrends: A Look to the Future of Librar-
ianship� with John Ulmschneider and David
Stratton. Workshops will be held in Medlin
041 on the campus of Guilford Technical
Community College.
Planning for the NCLA Conference in Sep-
tember has resulted in a main speaker, William
Terry, Director of Technology for NetPubs In-
ternational. Mr. Terry will be discussing trends
in electronic publishing and how it impacts
libraries. A session on Continuing Education
with the Recruitment and Placement Center
Committee is being co-sponsored. A reminder
was given to other round tables and sections
that the T&T Round Table is a willing cospon-
sor for other groups needing collaboration in
this area for the conference.
Committee Reports
Administrative Office and Personnel
Advisory Committee
The AA Committee met in October and again
in November. A new job description for the
Administrative Assistant has been drafted and
a personnel manual is partially completed.
Both will be presented to the Board for ap-
proval after work is completed.
Planning continues for the relocation of
the NCLA office from the State Library to the
Library for the Blind and Physically Handi-
capped. It is thought that the move will not
occur until May or later. MoversT estimates
have been obtained. This committee recom-
mends securing an additional telephone line
so faxes and messages both can be received.
Some items will be transferred to the archives
when the Archive Committee goes through
them. Other items will be discarded.
Decisions still pending involve a proce-
dures manual, membership database issues,
method of evaluation of Administrative Assis-
tant, who should serve as AATs liaison with
executive committee, and extent of Internet
presence.
Archives Committee
No report.
Conference Committee
All planning for the 1999 Biennial Conference
is proceding on schedule.
Bao-Chu Chang, Registration Chair, is
developing the conference web page which
should be available soon. The URL for the web
page in progress is http://www4.ncsu.edu/
bechang/welcome.html. Contact her directly
with suggestions for improvement at
bechang@unity.ncsu.edu.
The program planners from NCLA sec-
tions and round tables will meet with Phil
Barton, Program Chair, and the other mem-
bers of the Conference Planning Committee
at the Benton Center on Friday, January 11.
This meeting is designed to give program
planners an opportunity to discuss ideas for
conference programs. It is hoped that many
planners will decide to co-sponsor events to
bring segments of the membership with simi-
lar concerns together.
The fee structure for conference registra-
Spring 1999 " 39
tion, exhibits and advertisements for the con-
ference program were submitted to the Execu-
tive Board for approval. Fees were approved as
submitted.
Phil Barton asked for sections and round
tables to begin considering time slots for their
programs. Times preferred and events for ses-
sions not yet firmed up, will be included on
the master schedule.
Ads by vendors in the conference program
are being investigated, as are web page ads.
Preconference fees were clarified. Seventy-
five percent of the revenue for preconferences
is returned to the section or round table that
sponsored the conference. Preconference fees
will be determined by sponsors.
Constitution, Codes and Handbook Committee
No report.
Continuing Education Committee
The Continuing Education Committee is
charged with coordinating continuing educa-
tion efforts of all of the NCLA sections and
round tables. Dr. Speller asked for a represen-
tative from each round table and section to
serve on this committee. The committee will
be looking for common interests as continu-
ing education providers. A date will be se-
lected to hold meetings after hearing from
representatives.
Several documents were presented to the
Executive Board. They include: list of issues
serving as a focal point of decision making,
statement of the role and goals of the commit-
tee, and rationale statement.
Development Committee
Members of this committee and President
Gass are reviewing a proposed contract for
creation of an endowment administered by
the North Carolina Community Foundation.
Concern has been expressed over wording in
parts of the proposed contract. The NCCF
ABOUT THE AUTHORS ...
_ Frannie Ashburn
executive director, Anne Steele, has asked the
foundationTs attorney to contact us to address
those questions.
The committeeTs next step is to begin rais-
ing money for the endowment. Toward that
end, a donor who prefers to remain anony-
mous has pledged $5000.
On the recommendation of President
Gass, the chair of the Development Commit-
tee moved that NCLA contribute $10,000 to
start-up of the endowment from the Confer-
ence Fund. This is a money market account,
and the funds do not comprise part of the
NCLA operating budget. Discussion points
included other possible expenditures from the
conference fund, and investing in future
growth of the organization through this en-
dowment. A reminder was made to be sure
clear ideas of the target of the fund are publi-
cized so prospective donors will know how
their money would be used. The motion
passed.
As soon as the contract is signed,
fundraising will begin. The committee will
work with President Gass to recommend to
the board a means of handling proceeds from
the endowment once they are turned over to
NCLA by NCCF.
Finance Committee
Two proposals that will have an impact on the
finances of NCLA were addressed.
A proposal to permit paying dues through
MasterCard or Visa was discussed. It involves
a one-time expenditure of $600 for software
and a use charge of 4.06% of each dues pay-
ment collected by credit card. Tables were pre-
sented charting the changes that could be
made. In further discussion, the impact of the
assessment as well as the advantages of being
able to register immediately for conferences
and workshops via the Internet were debated.
Education: B.A., Wake Forest University; M.L.S., University of South Carolina
Position: North Carolina Center for the Book, State Library of North Carolina
Julie Davie
Education: B.S., Birmingham Southern College; M.L.S., Florida State University;
Ph.D., Florida State University
Position: Librarian, Je ge Elementary School, Guilford County Schools
Lena Gonzalez
Education: B.A., UNC-Greensboro; M AG UNC-Greensboro
Position: Coordinator, Multicultural Resource Center, Glenwood Branch,
Greensboro Public Library
Julie Hersberger
Education: M.L.S., Indiana University; Ph.D., Indiana University
Position: Assistant professor, Department of tice and Information Science,
i ; UNC-Greensboro
Ross A. Holt
Education: B.A., Davidson College; M.L.I.S., UNC-Greensboro
Position: Head of Reference, Randolph County Public Library
Victor T. Jones, Jr.
_ Education: B.A., Mount Olive College; M.L.S., East Carolina University
Position: Local History & Genealogy Librarian, New Bern-Craven Co. Public Library
Satia Orange
Education: B.S., University of Illinois; M.L.S., Atlanta (GA) University.
Position: Director, Office of Literacy and Outreach Services, American Library Association
36 " Spring 1999
The need to restructure membership re-
newals was addressed, stressing the impor-
tance of membership numbers and dues fluc-
tuating less than they now do.
A 1999 operating budget was proposed.
Discussion ensued concerning adjustments to
the budget, relying on conference profits and
reserves to balance the budget, and strategies
to keep the organization financially sound.
The motion passed as submitted.
Governmental Relations Committee
No report.
Intellectual Freedom Committee
An oral report was not made, but Executive
Board members were encouraged to access the
committeeTs report on the web.
Leadership Institute
The steering committee for the 1998 NCLA
Leadership Institute met on Monday, Novem-
ber 23, 1998 to evaluate the success of the
1998 Institute and make recommendations
for the next Institute scheduled for the year
2000. An in-depth compilation of practical
suggestions and comments in the areas of se-
lection process, finances and corporate spon-
sors, facilitators and mentors, facilities, pub-
licity and recruitment, and other general sug-
gestions were shared with the NCLA Executive
Board. Rather than being intended as a com-
mittee report, these were comments to be sent
to the committee planning the next Institute.
Much discussion took place in several ar-
eas. The committee was urged to keep to the
original mission of the Institute, one as a pro-
gram for emerging leaders, as they select par-
ticipants. A concern was raised that librarians
in current positions of leadership would al-
ready have more skills in place than the Lead-
ership Institute is prepared to deliver. Concern
about facilities and work vs. non-work activi-
ties while at the Institute was explored.
The Executive Board was thanked for gen-
erous support from sections and round tables.
Some donations were posted after the report,
and were reflected in the balance.
Literacy Committee
Preparation of a Position Statement for dis-
semination is in progress. A March meeting at
the North Carolina Literacy Center will deal
with the establishment of a formal relation-
ship between the Center and NCLA. The com-
mittee is awaiting conference-planning infor-
mation to be able to plan a program for the
Biennial Conference.
Membership Committee
Peggy Quinn presented a chart of member-
ship totals for 1997, 1998, and 1999 to date by
section or round table. Since declining mem-
bership is of concern to the entire organiza-
tion, the Membership Committee has been
asked to develop a formal plan for the organi-
zation to follow with regard to membership.
A draft of recruitment, retention and recogni-
tion strategies brainstormed by this commit-
tee was presented to the Executive Board.
Anew benefit of membership is automatic
access to the NCLA LISTSERV. Debuting in
1999 is NCLA E-News and the mentoring pro-
gram, also considered benefits of member-
ship. Two strategies were added to existing
ones by the Board. Someone should be iden-
North Carolina Libraries
tified at each library school, school system,
and institution to recruit members. And a
rolling membership should be considered to
aid in retention of members. Executive Board
members voted on which strategies efforts
should concentrate. Peggy Quinn will attend
the UNC Chapel Hill Career Fair on February
17 on behalf of NCLA.
Nominating Committee
Karen Perry reported on a slate of officers.
Sherwin Rice and Patrick Valentine have
been nominated to fill the Director East po-
sition. C.T. Harris and Rex Klett have been
nominated to fill the Director West position.
Sue Cody and William Durham have been
nominated to the position of Secretary. A
suggestion was made to nominate candi-
dates for Vice-President/President Elect at
large. At the heart of this issue is concern
that nominating at large would break with
the practice of having each type of library
represented through rotation in this leader-
ship position. This would be the year to elect
a school librarian to the post. NCASL repre-
sentatives agreed that they do not have a
candidate to present. A motion was made
and passed to open up nominations for the
position of Vice-President/President Elect to
the membership at large. Nominating com-
mittee members will accept names and re-
port back to the Executive Board.
SELA nominees were sent a letter ex-
plaining the possibility that their term could
be shortened if the Executive Board decides
to eliminate this membership.
Non-Conference Year Event Planning
Committee
Dave Fergusson presented a list of committee
members. The committee will report prelimi-
nary ideas to the next Executive Board meet-
ing. Anyone with ideas or suggestions should
email them to Dave at d_fergusson@forsyth.
lib.nc.us. Specific proposals will be presented
for adoption at the summer meeting.
Publications and Marketing Committee
A web site is in progress. The Board was asked
to let members of this committee know
names of webmasters or sites being created
so they can be linked to the NCLA site. A
newsletter should be out this quarter.
Scholarship Committee
A full description of Scholarship Committee
activities and applications for scholarships
can be found on the web site. The proposed
deadline for submitting applications is May
15. It was decided to extend that deadline
until June 1 since an announcement about
the scholarship will be made in the May is-
sue of North Carolina Libraries. The scholar-
ship will be widely publicized in all kinds of
libraries. The Spectrum Initiative (an ALA
scholarship) will be explored and discussed
at the next Executive Board meeting.
Special Projects
Project Grants Committee
Clarification was made regarding the grant
application process. Sections sponsoring
projects are charged with determining the
merit of the projects presented. Grants are
tt am lll a a iti
primarily used for the conferences. Money is
allocated fairly, but there are some param-
eters and time elements. Forms have been
revised including new dates and methodol-
ogy. The committee is working on a mecha-
nism for what the procedures should be for
money not utilized for the grants received.
Membership of the committee will be ad-
dressed in a meeting following the Executive
Board meeting.
Other Reports
North Carolina Libraries
The Winter issue of North Carolina Libraries,
ChildrenTs Services, is projected to be mailed
February 8th.
The editorial board held its annual re-
treat on November 13 and 14. Many impor-
tant discussions evolved. A decision was
made to begin the process of identifying sig-
nificant people across the state to interview
for the library innovators issue. An interview
will be a feature article. A new one-page
photo column that focuses on WhatTs Going
On in NC Librarianship will be featured in
upcoming issues and edited by Joline Ezzell.
ALA Councilor
No report.
SELA Councilor
No report.
North Carolina State Library Commission
No report.
" Respectfully submitted,
Liz Jackson, Secretary
Broadfoot's has TWO Locations Serving Different Needs
Broadfoot's
of Wendell
6624 Robertson Pond Road ~ Wendell, NC 27591
Phone: (800) 444-6963 ~ Fax: (919) 365-6008
SOFTWARE
VISUALS
Spring & Fall Catalogs
Are you on our mailing list?
Tar Heel Treasures
for
natives & newcomers
young & old
North Carolina Libraries
i
|Broadfoot
|Publishing
(Company
1907 Buena Vista Circle ~ Wilmington, NC 28405
Phone: (800) 537-5243 ~ Fax: (910) 686-4379
MULTICULTURAL
SELECTIONS
ecent Publications:
The Colonial & State Records of NC G0 vols.)
North Carolina Regiments (5 vols.)
Roster of Confederate Troops (16 vols.)
Supplement to the Official Records (100 vols.)
Full Color Catalog (free upon request)
Spring 1999 " 37
Nort CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 1997-1999 EXECUTIVE BOARD
PRESIDENT
Beverley Gass
M.W. Bell Library
Guilford Technical College
P.O. Box 309
Jamestown NC 27282-0309
Telephone: 336/334-4822
x2434
Fax: 336/841-4350
GASSB@GTCC.CC.NC.US
VICE PRESIDENT/
PRESIDENT ELECT
SELA REPRESENTATIVE
(election pending)
EDITOR, North Carolina Libraries
Frances Bryant Bradburn
Educational Technologies
NC Dept. of Public Instruction
301 N. Wilmington Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2825
Telephone: 919/715-1528
Fax: 919/715-4762
FBRADBUR@DPLSTATE.NC.US
Plummer Alston ~AlT Jones, Jr.
Catawba College
2300 W. Innes Street
Salisbury, NC 28144
Telephone: 704/637-4449
Fax: 704/637-4204
PAJONES@CATAWBA.EDU
SECRETARY
Elizabeth J. Jackson
West Lake Elementary School
207 Glen Bonnie Lane
Apex, NC 27511
Telephone: 919/380-8232
Fax: 919/662-2313
LIZ@WLE.APEX.K12.NC.US
TREASURER
Diane D. Kester
East Carolina University
105 Longview Drive
Goldsboro, NC 27534-8871
Telephone: 919/328-6621
Fax: 919/328-4638
KESTERD@EMAIL.ECU.EDU
DIRECTORS
Vanessa Work Ramseur
Hickory Grove
7209 E. W.T. Harris Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28227
Telephone: 704/563-9418
Fax: 704/568-2686
VWR@PLCMC.LIB.NC.US
Ross Holt
Raldolph Public Library
201 Worth Street
Asheboro, NC 27203
Telephone: 336/318-6806
Fax: 336/3186823
RHOLT@NCSL.DCR.STATE.NC.US
ALA COUNCILOR
Jacqueline B. Beach
Craven-Pamlico-Carteret
Regional Library
400 Johnson
New Bern, NC 28560
Telephone: 919/823-1141
Fax: 919/638-7817
JBEACH@NCSL.DCR.STATE.NC.US
78 " Spring 1999
PAST-PRESIDENT
David Fergusson
Forsyth County Public Library
660 W. Fifth Street
Winston-Salem NC 27101
Telephone: 336/727-2556
Fax: 336/727-2549
D_FERGUSSONG@FORSYTH.LUIBNC.US
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Maureen Costello
North Carolina Library Association
c/o State Library of North Carolina
Rm. 27 109 E. Jones St.
Raleigh, NC 27601-1023
Telephone: 919/839-6252
Fax: 919/839-6252
MOOSTELLO@NCSLDCRSTATENCUS
SECTION CHAIRS
CHILDRENTS SERVICES SECTION
Susan Adams
Southeast Regional Library
908 7th Avenue
Garner, NC 27529
Telephone: 919/662-6635
Fax: 919/662-2270
SADAMS@CO.WAKE.NC.US
COLLEGE anp UNIVERSITY SECTION
Shirley Gregory
Hackney Library, Barton College
Box 5000
Wilson, NC 28893-7000
Telephone: 252/366-6501
Fax: 252/399-6571
SGREGORY@BARTON.EDU
COMMUNITY anp JUNIOR
COLLEGE LIBRARIES SECTION
Martha E. Davis
M. W. Bell Library
Guilford Tech. Comm. College
P. O. Box 309
Jamestown, NC 27282-0309
Telephone: 336/334-4822
Fax: 336/841-4350
DAVISM@GTCC.CC.NC.US
DOCUMENTS SECTION
Ann Miller
Perkins Library
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0177
Telephone: 919/660-5855
Fax: 919/660-2855
AEM@MAIL.LIB.DUKE.EDU
LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION anp
MANAGEMENT SECTION
Rhoda Channing
Z. Smith Reynolds Library
Box 7777
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC 27109-7777
Telephone: 336/759-5090
Fax: 336/759-9831
CHANNING@WFU.EDU
NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION
OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS
Malinda Ratchford
Gaston County Schools
366 W. Garrison Blvd.
Gastonia, NC 28052
Telephone: 704/866-6251
Fax: 704/866-6194
MELEIS@AOL.COM
NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC
LIBRARY TRUSTEES ASSOCIATION
Peter Keber
Public Library of Charlotte/
Mecklenburg County
310 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Telephone: 704/386-5086
Fax: 704/386-6444
PK@PLCMC.LIB.NC.US
PUBLIC LIBRARY SECTION
Steve Sumerford
Glenwood Branch Library
1901 W. Florida Street
Greensboro, NC 27403
Telephone: 336/297-5002
Fax: 336/297-S005
GLENWOOD@NR.INFI.NET
REFERENCE anp ADULT SERVICES
Carolyn Price
Forsyth County Public Library
660 W. Fifth Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Telephone: 336/727-8456
Fax: 336/727-2549
C_PRICE@FORSYTH.LIB.NC.US
RESOURCES anp TECHNICAL
SERVICES SECTION
Ginny Gilbert
Perkins Library
Duke University
230C Box 90191
Durham, NC 27708
Telephone: 919/660-5815
Fax: 919/684-2855
VAG@MAIL.LIB.DUKE.EDU
ROUND TABLE CHAIRS
NEW MEMBERS ROUND TABLE
Tracy Babiasz
Durham County Library
300 N. Roxboro Street
PO Box 3809
Durham, NC 27702-3809
Telephone: 919/560-0191
Fax: 919/560-0137
TBABIASZ@NCSL.DCR.STATE.NC.US
NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY
PARAPROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
Frances Lampley
Southeast Regional Library
908 7th Street
Garner, NC 27259
Telephone: 919/662-2262
Fax: 919/662-2270
FLAMPLEY@CO.WAKE.NC.US
ROUND TABLE FOR ETHNIC
MINORITY CONCERNS
Barbara Best-Nichols
Reichold Chemicals, Inc.
6124 Yellowstone Drive
Durham, NC 27713-9708
Telephone: 919/990-8054
Fax: 919/990-7859
BARBARA.BEST-NICHOLS
@REICHHOLD.COM
ROUND TABLE ON SPECIAL
COLLECTIONS
Maury York
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858
Telephone: 252/328-6601
YORKM@MAIL.ECU.EDU
ROUND TABLE ON THE STATUS
OF WOMEN IN LIBRARIANSHIP
Marilyn Miller
4103 Friendly Avenue
Greensboro, NC 27410
Telephone: 336/299-8659
Fax: 336/334-5060
M_MILLER@HAMLET.UNCG.EDU
TECHNOLOGY AND TRENDS
ROUND TABLE
Eleanor I. Cook
Belk Library
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28606
Telephone: 828/262-2786
Fax: 828/262-2773
COOKEI@APPSTATE.EDU
NCLA
North Carolina Library Association
|
North Carolina Libraries
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor ChildrenTs Services Public Library Section
FRANCES BRYANT BRADBURN MELVIN K. BURTON JOHN ZIKA
Educational Technologies Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg Person County Public Library
NC Dept. of Public Instruction North County Regional Library 319 S. Main St.
301 N. Wilmington Street 16500 Holly Crest Lane Roxboro, NC 27573
Raleigh, NC 27601-2825 Huntersville, NC 28078 (336) 597-7881
(919) 715-1528 (704) 895-8178 jzika@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us
Aso anata gh ; mburton@plcmc.lib.nc.us Riterenos Adult Services
College and University SUZANNE WISE
Associate Editor ARTEMIS KARES Belk Library
ROSE SIMON Joyner Library Appalachian State University
Dale H. Gramley Library East Carolina University Boone, NC 28608
Salem College Greenville, NC 27858-4353 (704) 262-2798
Winston-Salem, NC 27108 (252) 328-2263 wisems@appstate.edu
(336) 917-5421 karesa@mail.ecu.edu
: Resources and Technical Services
simon@salem.edu
Community and Junior College PAGE LIFE
Associate Editor LISA C. DRIVER Davis Library CB#3914
JOHN WELCH Pitt Community College UNC-Chapel Hill
Division of State Library PO Drawer 7007 Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890
109 East Jones Street Greenville, NC 27835-7007 (919) 962-0153
Raleigh, NC 27601-2807 (252) 321-4357 page_life@unc.edu
ne HfOLbaee den erence Idriver@pcc.pitt.cc.nc.us Round Table for Ethnic Minority Concerns
IEG ia Documents BRIGITTE BLANTON
Book Review Editor MICHAEL VAN FOSSEN Greensboro Public Library
DOROTHY DAVIS HODDER Reference Documents PO Box 3178
New Hanover Co. Public Library Davis Library CB #3912 Greensboro, NC 27402-3178
201 Chestnut Street University of North Carolina (336) 373-2716
Wilmington, NC 28401 Chapel Hill, NC 27599 ncs0921@interpath.com
(910) 772-7858 (919) 962-1151 : :
dhodder@co.new-hanover.nc.us mike_vanfossen@unc.edu baby eee tara Coflpoiieas
Lagniappe Editor Library Administration and Wake Forest University Library
PLUMMER ALSTON JONES, JR. Management Section PO Box 7777 Reynolda Station
Corriher-Linn-Black Library JOLINE EZZELL Winston-Salem, NC 27109-7777
Catawba College Perkins Library (336) 758-5091
2300 W. Innes Street Duke University mulder@wfu.edu
Day cieh piers cg Durham, NC 27708-0175 Round Table on the Status of Women
(704) 637-4449 (919) 660-5925 in Librarianship
pajones@catawba.edu jre@mail.lib.duke.edu JOAN SHERIF
Indexer New Members Round Table Northwestern Regional Library
MICHAEL COTTER RHONDA FLORENCE 111 North Front Street
Joyner Library Florence Elementary School Elkin, NC 28621
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oe ORG i rholbroo@guilford.k12.nc.us Technology and Trends
ee N.C. Asso. of School Librarians DIANE KESTER
Advertising Manager DIANE KESSLER Library Studies and Ed. Technology
HARRY TUCHMAYER Durham Public Schools East Carolina University
New Hanover Co. Public Library 808 Bacon St. Greenville, NC 27858-4353
201 Chestnut Street Durham, NC 27703 (252) 328-4389
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(910) 772-7857 kesslerd@bacon.durham.k12.nc.us Wired to the World Editor
htuchmayer@co.new-hanover.nc.us North CAfolina Librity RALPH LEE SCOTT
Between Us Editor Paraprofessional Association Joyner Library
KEVIN CHERRY SHARON NOLES East Carolina University
Rowan Public Library Southeast Regional Library in Garner Greenville, NC 27858-4353
P.O. Box 4039 908 7th Avenue (252) 328-0235
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kcherry@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us ANNE B. WILGUS
N.C. Wesleyan College
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(252) 442-2662
(252) 977-3701 (FAX)
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ace pe ee cea eee em het eae) Stage ee eee ene tr ee oie a RE ek a, ess
TSmith ¢Emily Herring Wilson
FOREWORD BY DORIS BETTS
North Carolina Women
Making History
MARGARET SUPPLEE SMITH
AND EMILY HERRING WILSON
Foreword by Doris Betts
The only book that charts the influence
of women on the stateTs economy and
character.
oThis readable and carefully researched
history is a joyful circumstance for all
readers, who will realize anew how much
better our shared future becomes when
we learn from the shared past.�
"Doris Betts, from the Foreword
8.511, 12 color / 238 b&w illus.
(0-8078-2463-1) Apr $29.95 cloth
now back in print!
Mary
An Autobiography
MARY �,�. MEBANE
"A painful, funny, romantic, tragic,
intensely personal account of a young
black woman coming of age in the back
country of North Carolina.�
"Harrison �,�. Salisbury
(0-8078-4821-2) Mar $16.50 paper
A Chapel Hill Book
Mary, Wayfarer
An Autobiography
MARY &. MEBANE
Mary moves on: acquires a Ph.D., becomes
a participant in the Black freeedom
gulf stream� of her life"writing.
(0-8078-4822-0) Mar $17.95 paper
A Chapel Hill Book
The Outer Banks
ANTHONY BAILEY
The memorable coastal adventures of a
British travel writer.
(0-8078-4820-4) Apr $16.95 paper
A Chapel Hill Book
TeachTs Light
A Tale of Blackbeard the Pirate
NELL WISE WECHTER
This popular time-travel fantasy reveals
the story of Blackbeard the Pirate. For
young adults.
(0-8078-4793-3) May $9.95 paper
A Chapel Hill Book
struggle, and discovers what she calls othe
ShermanTs Civil War
Selected Correspondence of William
T. Sherman, 1860-1865
BROOKS D. SIMPSON
AND JEAN V. BERLIN, EDS.
The long-awaited edition of ShermanTs
wartime correspondence includes more
than 400 personal and official letters.
(0-8078-2440-2) May $45 cloth
Civil War America
Iron Confederacies
Southern Railways, Klan Violence,
and Reconstruction
SCOTT REYNOLDS NELSON
Uses the history of southern railways to
explore statesT rights, racial violence,
labor strife, and big business during
Reconstruction.
(0-8078-2476-3) May $39.95 cloth
(0-8078-4803-4) May $18.95 paper
Hiring the Black Worker
The Racial Integration of the Southern
Textile Industry, 1960-1980
TIMOTHY J. MINCHIN
Based on oral history interviews and
never-before-used legal records, this
book reveals how African American men
and women fought to integrate the
SouthTs largest industry.
(0-8078-2470-4) May $49.95 cloth
(0-8078-4771-2) May $19.95 paper
back in print in paperback
One of LeeTs Best Men
The Civil War Letters of
General William Dorsey Pender
WILLIAM W. HASSLER, �,�D.
NEW FOREWORD BY BRIAN WILLS
oPenderTs letters to his wife provide a moving
human document recording the response of
a young, talented, sensitive officer to his
war experiences.�"Choice
(0-8078-4823-9) Apr $16.95 paper
new in paperback
CatesbyTs Birds of
Colonial America
ALAN FEDUCCIA, ED.
Foreword by Russell W. Peterson
oReproduces [CatesbyTs] complete text
plus all his bird paintings and many of
the plants... . Highly recommended.�
"Library Journal
oBefore Audubon, there was Mark Catesby.�
"Roger Caras, president of the ASPCA
8'/2x 11, 19 color / 92 b&w illus.
(0-8078-4816-6) Feb $24.95 paper
Fred W. Morrison Series in Southern Studies
The University of North Carolina Press
fax [800] 272.6817
phone [800] 848.6224 -
chapel hill +
CA Guide to the
www.uncpress.unc.edu
HISTORIC
ARCHITECTURE
of WESTERN
NORTH
CAROLINA
CATHERINE W. BISHIR, MICHAEL T SOUTHERN, &
JENNIFER F MARTIN
A Guide to the Historic
Architecture of Western
North Carolina
CATHERINE W. BISHIR, MICHAEL T.
SOUTHERN, AND JENNIFER F. MARTIN
From log farmsteads to hydro-electric
dams, this book includes 1,200 sites in the
25 counties of the foothills and mountains.
oAn indispensable volume for resident and
tourist alike, [it] is also great fun simply
to read!�"Fred Chappell
313 photos, 30 maps
(0-8078-2465-8) Apr $34.95 cloth
(0-8078-4767-4) Apr $19.95 paper
Richard Hampton Jenrette Series in Architecture
and the Decorative Arts
Blue Ridge 2020
An OwnerTs Manual
STEVE NASH
oA book that needed to be written if we
are to have the public awareness that
will cause us to do the right things to
perpetuate the beauty and charm of
the mountains.�"Hugh Morton
8 color / 22 b&w illus.
(0-8078-4759~-3) Mar $19.95 paper
EmpireTs Nature
Mark CatesbyTs New World Vision
AMY R. W. MEYERS AND MARGARET
BECK PRITCHARD, EDS.
Interdisciplinary essays reveal CatesbyTs
important influence on the development
of art, natural history, and scientific
observation in the 18th century.
16 color / 42 b&w illus.
(0-8078-2459-3) Mar $60 cloth
(0-8078-4762-3) Mar $24.95 paper
Published for the Omohundro Institute of Early
American History & Culture, Williamsburg, Va.
call for a free catalog!
ee
2
poi ss O_"_"
Summer 1999 North Carolina Writers
Alice Cotten, Guest Editor
Fall 1999 Life and Limb: Security Issues
Page Life, Guest Editor
Winter 1999 Conference Issue
Spring 2000 Back to the Future: Digitization of Resources
David Ferriero, Guest Editor
Summer 2000 Preserving Local History
Fall 2000 Research and Librarianship
Winter 2000 The Call of Story
Unsolicited articles dealing with the above themes or any issue of interest to North Carolina
librarians are welcomed. Please contact the editor for manuscript guidelines and deadlines.
North Carolina Libraries, published four times a year, is the official publication of the North
Carolina Library Association. Membership dues include a subscription to North Carolina
Libraries. Membership information may be obtained from the Administrative Assistant of
NCLA. Subscription rates are $32.00 per year, or $10.00 per issue, for domestic
subscriptions; $50.00 per year, or $15.00 per issue, for foreign subscriptions. Backfiles are
maintained by the editor. Microfilm copies are available through University Microfilms.
North Carolina Libraries is indexed by Library Literature and publishes its own annual index.
Editorial correspondence should be addressed to the editor; advertisement
correspondence should be addressed to the advertising manager. Articles are juried.