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[This text is machine generated and may contain errors.]
North Carolina Libraries
Fall 1999
The Formula for
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Volume 37, Number 3
ISSN 0029-2540
PERIODICALS/MICROFORMS
EAST CAROLINA UNIVERS!*
AGE
ROLINA
| ibraries
gums «LIFE AND Lime: [ssUuES OF SECURITY AND SAFETY EEE
Page Life, Guest Editor
93 Ergonomics in the Library, Tamara James and Philip L. Witt
100 Clearing the Air: Indoor Air Quality and Employee Health, Betty Waynick
10 4 Hours, Safety, Security Concerns: Issues, Context, Resources, and Checklists,
Margaret Foote and Teresa L. McManus
110 A Medical Library for the Public: Starting and Running A Consumer Health
Library, Daniel C. Horne
114 Measuring the Sight of Your Web Site, Diane Kester
mums 0 PEATURES Pes ARSE, alt NM ctalipie ue RR SANS ROTI SRA SAT oA ES abe NS
92? From the President
103 About the Authors
118 Between Us: Library Security = Eyes Wide Open, John Zika
120 And in Edition ...: NC Live @ home: Throwing Open the Doors to Information,
Greg Rideout
121 Wired to the World: FEMA and NHC Web Sites, Ralph Lee Scott
AP Lagniappe: Honoring a Friendship: The Blake-Stoudemire African American
Collection, LincolntonTs Jonas Branch Library, Thomas Kevin B. Cherry
124 North Carolina Books
130 NCLA Minutes
Advertisers: Baker and Taylor, 123
Broadfoot's, 103
Brodart, 119
Checkpoint, 98
Current Editions, 127
Davidson Titles, 128
Ebsco, 117 ; :
Mumford Books, 128 Cover: Clip manipulations by Pat Weathersbee.
Phibig, 133
Quality Books, 109
SIRS, front cover
UNC Press, back cover
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
NCLA, the swift passing of two
years astonishes me. I have been
professionally energized by the
responsibilities that belong to the
president of NCLA so that the time has
seemed very brief. In 2004, NCLA will
enter its second century of service to
its members. I believe that what we do
in the next four years is vital in
shaping what we need to be for the
next 100 years. As the soon-to-be past
president, I will still have the opportu-
nity to observe closely and participate
in shaping the future of the associa-
tion. Let me mention briefly some
issues that are of immediate impor-
tance to us.
I n these sunset days as president of
One Unified Yet Diverse Association
The first and most important issue at
this time will be the work of the NCLA
Commission on School Librarians that
will be in place and at work by
November 1, 1999. The Commission
will identify key issues vital to school
librarians and school librarianship
throughout North Carolina; identify
remedies and resolutions to those
problems that are creative, innovative,
and appropriate for assuring that
school librarianship remains strong
and able to meet the needs of students
throughout North CarolinaTs schools;
and create an action plan that
remedies and resolves key issues for
school librarians with clearly
established timelines and lines of
responsibility. This Commission was
proposed by the Executive Committee
of NCLA and agreed to by the
Executive Board of NCASL following a
meeting with the members of the
Executive Board of the North Carolina
Association of School Librarians. At
that meeting the Executive Board of
NCASL announced their intention to
form a new organization for school
librarians outside of NCLA. Clearly the
NCASL contingent believed that NCLA
was not working for them the way it
should.
One Cooperative Initative for
Licensing Library Resources
Closely related to this issue is one that
now has two separate statewide
92 " Fall 1999
yyy i
initiatives to license library resources
underway. With the Public Schools of
North Carolina now licensing data-
bases for K-12 through a project called
NC WISE OWL and the libraries of the
University of North Carolina, the
North Carolina Community College
System, the Private and Independent
Colleges and Universities and the
public libraries cooperating through
NC LIVE, we now have two parallel
licensing ventures. I believe strongly
that this is not in the best interest of
libraries and the people of North
Carolina. Surely, all libraries will have
better and more equitable access to the
kinds of information resources that all
deserve if we were working together as
one community of libraries. Although
it appears that the course is set for this
year, we must not allow this to become
a permanent arrangement. I wonder if
the appearance of NC WISE OWL is
not another symptom of broken
communications lines between school
librarians and the rest of the library
community?
Interlibrary Cooperation in North
Carolina
Certainly, we have many types of
libraries in this state, but we have
many common issues and concerns.
We must work diligently to build a
continuum of library services that
meets the diverse needs of all the
people of North Carolina. Right now,
however, there are some rifts and
problems within our library commu-
nity needing attention. When prob-
lems arise we have regrets that things
are not going smoothly and tend to
want to avoid facing the tension and
discomfort surrounding the situation.
But I think it may be useful that, at
last, the issues are on the table and are
now being openly discussed. Maybe,
just maybe, we can begin to resolve
any differences and heal any rifts that
may exist. Where frustrations are
allowed to simmer and are kept
hidden, then healing is not possible.
While we have strong momentum
and some history of Interlibrary
Cooperation in North Carolina, it is
abundantly clear that the newly
developed plan prepared by the
Interlibrary Cooperation Committee of
the North Carolina State Library
Commission and the NCLA Commis-
sion on School Librarians provided the
strength and the means for a renewing
and refurbishing a cooperative envi-
ronment for all types of libraries that
meets all the needs of all people of
North Carolina.
Cooperating for Continuing
Education
Watch for more from the NCLA
Continuing Education Committee.
This committee has begun work that
will lead to a more coordinated and
visible program of continuing educa-
tion for North CarolinaTs librarians and
library staff. We have many wonderful
professional development activities in
place thanks to the work of the
sections and roundtables of NCLA, the
State Library and its imple-mentation
of the LSTA plan, the excellent library
schools in the state, and the plethora
library-related but institutionally
sponsored workshops. The Continuing
Education Committee can lead the
way in making sure that all of us have
a good way of knowing what is
available and having programming
available to meet all our needs. Their
work will succeed only if done in an
environment of open communication
and cooperation among our diverse
library community.
Being president of NCLA has been
one of the wonderful professional
experiences of my career. In addition
to having the opportunity to work
with librarians and library staff from
across all types of libraries in this state,
being president has given me the sense
that maybe I can help make a differ-
ence. Surely, though, the difference is
not one that anyone of us makes
alone, but only as we work together for
the cause of library services to all the
people of North Carolina. I thank you
for allowing me to be president of NCLA
and wish that you might have similar
joys and opportunities in your life. I
am grateful for those of you who have
served as the Executive Board of NCLA.
It has been my honor to stand before
you and before all the members of the
North Carolina Library Association.
North Carolina Libraries
Ergonomics in the Library
rgonomics is a science that has
been around for hundreds of
years. In 1713, an Italian physi-
cian, Bernardino Ramazzini, wrote
in De Morbis Artificum:
So much for workers whose
diseases are caused by the
injurious qualities of the material
they handle. I now wish to turn
to other workers in whom certain
morbid affections gradually arise
from other causes, i.e. from some
particular posture of the limbs or
unnatural movements of the
body called for while they work.
Such are the workers who all day
long stand or sit, stoop or are
bent double; who run or ride or
exercise their bodies in all sorts of
ways.!
In the nineteenth century a Polish
educator, Wojceich Jastrzebowski, was
the first to introduce the term oergo-
nomics� when it appeared in a Polish
newspaper.� Ergonomics is from the
Greek word ergos, meaning owork,� and
nomos, meaning onatural laws.� In other
words, ergonomics is the laws of work.
Not much was heard again about ergo-
nomics until World War II when a great
deal of mismatch was discovered be-
tween military equipment operators and
the equipment they operated. This re-
sulted in significant performance prob-
lems for the military.
Today one of the simplest defini-
tions is: Ergonomics is the scientific study
of human work. Since ergonomics is con-
North Carolina Libraries
by Tamara James and Philip L. Witt
cerned with the interaction of human
beings with tools, machines, and sys-
tems involved in performing work and
daily activities of living, the following
phrase is more comprehensive and sum-
marizes the general approach of ergo-
nomics: Ergonomics is the science of
matching the job to the worker and the prod-
uct to the user. The goal of ergonomics is
to adapt the job or workplace to fit the
person, rather than force the person to
fit the job or workplace, with the ulti-
mate goal of making the job or work-
place safe, comfortable, and efficient
with no adverse health effects.
Why the renewed interest in
ergonomics?
In recent years, concerns about adverse
health effects as well as productivity and
job satisfaction have increased, produc-
ing a renewed interest in ergonomics. Er-
gonomics traditionally focuses on de-
signing tasks and work environments so
that people can work within their ca-
pacities. When people must work be-
yond their capacities they are more at
risk for developing musculoskeletal dis-
orders (MSDs). MSDs create major health
and financial problems in the work-
place. MSD is a term used to describe
syndromes characterized by discomfort,
persistent pain, impairment, or disabil-
ity in joints, and soft tissue (muscles,
tendons, ligaments, skin, connective tis-
sue), with or without physical manifes-
tations. MSDs account for 66% of occu-
pational illnesses. Slightly over 6 million
MSDs occur each year, requiring lost
work time or medical treatment beyond
first aid. MSDs are sometimes referred to
as cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs).
Factors that place individuals at risk
for developing a musculoskeletal disor-
der in a library or office environment
are:
Repetitive Motion " performing the
same motions repeatedly without
adequate recovery time. Examples of
repetitive motion are data entry
tasks such as in cataloging, and
using a hand-held bar code scanner
to sensitize or desensitize library
materials.
Awkward Posture " prolonged use
of non-neutral joint positions
causing stress to the tendons, nerves,
or other tissues. Examples of awk-
ward postures are work performed
above shoulder height, such as when
re-shelving books, or keying tasks
when keyboards are at improper
heights.
Sustained Static Posture " pro-
longed use of a single posture,
causing static muscle loading and
fatigue. Static postures may occur
while holding a telephone in one
position for a long period of time or
when pressing large books down on
scanners.
Forceful Exertion " any activity that
requires excessive force such as
gripping, lifting, pushing, or pulling.
Examples include pushing book carts
Fall 1999 " 93
or lifting boxes such as in a receiving
area.
Contact Stress " compression of
tissues between the bone and a hard,
external surface such as a table edge.
Contact stress can occur on the
forearms at computer workstations
or from simply holding a pen or
pencil too tightly.
Months or even years may pass be-
fore the risk factors listed above are iden-
tified as sources of an MSD. During this
period, a great deal of money and time
can be spent to return a worker to good
health when the true culprit is the work
area design. This underscores the impor-
tance of ergonomically-designed furni-
ture and equipment in library work en-
vironments. When ergonomics is incor-
porated into the design of the work-
place, exposure to the risk factors (which
may lead to a musculoskeletal disorder)
can be minimized or eliminated. One
case study involving over 200 library
employees at a university in the south-
east demonstrated that the frequency
and severity of pain and discomfort
dropped significantly after ergonomic
improvements were made to worksta-
tions. The average cost of these improve-
ments was $150 per employee.*
Proper planning and attention must
be given to the design of workstations
and workspace. Some questions that
must be answered in order to achieve
this include
e Why is there concern over sitting
and chairs?
e What features make up an ergo-
nomic chair?
e What is the ideal workstation
arrangement?
e Where is the best location for
monitors?
e What are lighting requirements for
computer workstations?
e How important are accessories (like
copy holders, glare screens, and
footrests)?
e What about other (non-office) work
areas in the library?
¢ What are the best designs for dis-
abled workers?
Why is there concern over
sitting and chairs?
Although musculoskeletal disorders of
the upper extremity such as carpal tun-
nel syndrome are often the focus of the
media, most common among office
workers is back pain. Cases involving
lost work days due to back injuries are
four times more likely than cases involv-
94 " Fall 1999
ing repetitive motion of upper extremi-
ties.4 Lifting heavy objects is just one
mechanism for back pain. The manner
in which people are injuring their backs
has changed over the years as the num-
ber of seated jobs has increased. The ad-
verse effects of prolonged sitting and
poor chair design are the culprits in cases
of low back pain in office workers.
Humans are designed to be upright,
walking, running, and on the move
rather than sitting for extended periods
of time. Prolonged sitting can be detri-
mental to health and productivity. Poor
sitting posture is actually one of the lead-
ing causes of back pain in seated work-
ers. Statistics show that back pain is still
the number one reason for lost work
time and that approximately 90 percent
of Americans will suffer from a signifi-
cant episode of back pain in their life-
times. Of those, 7 percent will become
chronic back pain sufferers.
Poor sitting as a cause of back pain
is multifaceted. Sitting in a typical
slumped posture stretches the ligaments
and muscles that extend the back. Over
time, stretching the ligaments and
muscles weakens them so they are less
likely to be able to work correctly when
called to action. The stretched position
causes the back extensor muscles to be-
come chronically active. This low-level
activity can cause a decrease in circula-
tion to the working muscles. Alterations
in circulation like this can cause pain.
Stress on muscles, tendons, and liga-
ments is only part of the story when it
comes to back pain. Consider what sit-
ting does to intervertebral discs, the
oshock absorbers� separating the verte-
bral bodies. Standing or lying down puts
little pressure on the intervertebral discs
of the lower back. Simply sitting cor-
rectly more than doubles the pressure,
while sitting in the slumped position
increases the pressure four times. Lean-
ing back into the backrest of the chair
relieves much of the pressure. As work-
ers sit poorly over extended periods of
time, they subject their discs to pro-
longed pressure elevations. Also, the
slumped posture tends to push discs out
of their normal alignment. The nucleus
of the disc pushes toward the back and
can press against the outer layer of the
disc, called the annulus fibrosis. Pro-
longed pressure could cause a bulge or a
herniation of the disc and back pain.
Pushing the nucleus toward the back
puts the disc at risk of injury from some-
thing as simple as bending over and
picking up a pencil.
Poor sitting posture causes workers to
disrupt the normal curves of their spines.
They create one long, flexed curve. This
posture causes stress within the spine at
places stress is not meant to be absorbed.
It also forces them to sit more on their
sacrum and less on their ischial tuberosi-
ties (sit bones). Therefore, they put abnor-
mal stresses on their bones, ligaments,
tendons, muscles and discs.
In an attempt to make the libraries
and offices of today as ergonomically
efficient as possible, workstations are de-
signed so that workers hardly have to
move. Bodies are poorly positioned and
movement is minimized. This decreases
the flow of nutrients to parts of the body
that are working which results in in-
creased back pain and contributes to
musculoskeletal disorders. Many work-
ers stay in the same position much of
the day, without proper exercise breaks
or altering their work position from sit-
ting to standing, and then donTt under-
stand why they have back pain.
Needless to say, the chair is an im-
portant component in the total worksta-
tion design. The operfect workstation�
cannot be used to its fullest extent if one
is unable to sit at the workstation in the
proper posture. Well-designed chairs al-
low workers to function in a supported,
healthy position which is crucial for
long term health and productivity. Some
studies have shown that proper seating
can increase productivity anywhere
from 40 to 80%. Good chairs have been
shown to have a positive influence on
reduced error rates.°
Providing ergonomically-designed
chairs that are correctly adjusted for
workers can be shown to pay for itself
through reduced medical and workersT
compensation costs. Medical costs asso-
ciated with low back pain are approxi-
mately $20 billion per year. Some esti-
mates of costs (including medical and
non-medical) lost to back pain reach
$100 billion per year. The cost to indus-
try from a non-surgical back injury is
about $7,000 and a surgical case is about
$100,000.�
What features make up an
ergonomic chair?
A well-designed ergonomic chair allows
95% of the population to sit properly
while working efficiently at their work-
stations. Individuals should be able to
get close to their work while maintain-
ing proper posture. Movement and pos-
tural changes should be easily achieved
throughout the day without having to
get out of the chair. Listed below are sev-
eral features to look for when evaluating
ergonomic chairs. According to the au-
thorsT review of available research and
North Carolina Libraries
ANSI standards, chairs should have, at a
minimum, the seven features listed be-
low. Different chair manufacturers may
choose to incorporate these features into
chairs in many different ways. Of prime
importance is that all of the chairTs fea-
tures must be easy to reach, and adjust-
ment should be possible while the user
is sitting in the chair.
Backrest " The backrest is for resting
and supporting the back. A backrest
should be adjustable in height and
should not protrude in order to
support the spine. It should be placed
high enough to allow space for the
buttocks between the seatpan and the
prominent area of the backrest to
maintain the lordotic curve of the
lower back. Unless the job requires
the user to lean back much of the
day, a high-backed chair is not
needed. A small backrest that does
not get in the way of turning and
reaching for objects is best. The
backrest should be mounted so that it
moves as the chair moves. Although
some believe the backrest must move
forward with the body, this movement
does not provide lumbar support.
Armrests " In general, a person should
not rest his arms on the armrests
while working. If this occurs, fewer
joints participate in performing the
movement or activity. The fewer
joints participating in the activity, the
more stress those joints have to
absorb. For example, if a computer
operator uses a wrist support or wrist
rest while entering data, a motion
that once used the shoulder, elbow,
wrist, and fingers now uses fingers
only. Thus, the fingers are at risk due
to a greater amount of stress the
fingers must absorb.
If one sits for a fairly short period of
time, performs a task, and then gets
up, armrests are not needed. If one
sits for most of the day, armrests may
be helpful if used during rest periods.
Armrests should be set back far enough
that they do not interfere with sitting
or with getting close to the work
surface. Also, they should be individu-
ally adjustable for height and width.
Many workers carry their shoulders
too high because of stress in the
upper trapezius muscles (the muscle
used to shrug the shoulders). When
armrests are adjusted, the shoulders
should be dropped to a relaxed
position with the upper arms relaxed
against the body and forearms either
parallel to the floor or slightly angled
away from the user. This is the proper
North Carolina Libraries
position for armrests.
Seat Height " The chair should easily
adjust so that the hips are just slightly
higher than the knees. This is
contrary to how many individuals
learned to sit, tilting backwards with
knees higher than the hips. This
position is acceptable for short
periods of time; however, most work
tasks are in front of users, therefore
they must sit upright to reach their
work while maintaining a low back
lordotic curve.
Seat Pan - The seat pan is the most
important part of the chair and many
times the weakest. A traditional seat
pan should be fairly flat with some
contour and should include a high-
density foam pad. It should feature a
contoured front end or a owaterfall
edge� to help relieve pressure from
the back of the knees.
Highly-molded seats and edges are
not recommended. If a user does not
fit the mold exactly as intended, it
will be uncomfortable. Even if a
person does fit the mold, the chair
tends to lock the body in one
position and does not foster move-
ment. Also, highly molded seats with
a great deal of contouring puts
additional pressure on the hips.
The seat pan should adjust front to
back. The seat pan depth should
adjust approximately 3.5 inches.
Since most individuals are propor-
tioned differently from the hip to the
knee (femur bone), the length of the
femurs should fit in the chair with
approximately a fist distance from the
back of their knees to the front edge
of the chair. This is an important
adjustment. If the seat pan is too
short, it will make a person feel like
he is falling out of the chair. If it is
too deep, he will feel too much
pressure behind the knees and will
tend to perch on the edge of the chair
without adequate back support.
The seat pan should freely tilt
forward and backward which allows
free rocking without additional
adjustments to the chair. Locking
mechanisms are available, although
they are not necessary. Allowing the
chair to rock encourages movement.
The seat pan should be stable at any
angle. In forward-leaning tasks, a
forward tilt of four degrees is good. In
backward-leaning tasks, 17 degrees is
good. If a task requires a large forward
tilting angle, a chair that supports the
chest rather than the back may be
required.
Tilt Tension " The tilting seat pan
should have a tension adjustment
that allows a small person to make
full use of the chair and a large
person to tilt back without feeling like
he is going to fall over. The tension
should be kept fairly stiff so you have
to use your feet and leg muscles to
push yourself back. This keeps the
blood pumping out of the legs and
back into the circulatory system.
Swollen feet are a side effect of
prolonged sitting. Using a chair that
free floats forward and back, and has
a tension control that can be set so
that a person can exercise his feet
during the day by pushing back
occasionally, is beneficial. This will
help pump some of the fluid out of
the feet. Also, standing part of the
day has been shown to decrease the
amount of swelling in the feet.
Tilt Location " Biomechanically, it is
logical to put the tilting mechanism
at the center of mass, which means
directly under the seat. In this
position, it is easy to move forward
and backward. The chair encourages
movement without excess effort, and
the design of the mechanism is fairly
simple. If the tilting mechanism is
located close to the knees, the chair
tilts backward easily but is difficult to
get forward.
What is the ideal workstation
arrangement?
Workstations that are designed for com-
puters typically use adjustable work sur-
faces, shelves, and drawers, and are well
suited to meet the task demands of to-
day and to accommodate the changing
work force. The typical worker is no
longer a 5T10�, 170-pound male. Work-
stations need to accommodate men and
women of varying sizes, and physical
abilities, particularly if disabilities are
involved. Therefore, adjustability is the
key issue. A good workstation should be
accessible to all populations, and should
be height adjustable to fit whoever is
working.
Studies indicate there is a wide
range of opreferred heights� for work
surfaces and not one true standard
height. A work surface should be adjust-
able so an individual can position him-
self in a good seated posture with arms
positioned correctly.® Studies have
shown that, if given the opportunity to
alternate between sitting and standing at
the work surface while performing daily
tasks, workers will experience decreased
back strain and feet swelling, and pro-
Fall 1999 " 99
ductivity may actually increase.T
Computer workstations should be
designed to handle the different compo-
nents of a computer system (see figure
below). There should be adequate
workspace for the monitor to be placed
correctly (distance and angle); adequate
placement of the CPU in an accessible
location; height and angle adjustable
keyboard surface or tray; and an adjust-
able mouse surface or tray. The work sur-
face should have sufficient space for gen-
eral paperwork, reading, and other tasks.
All paperwork should be within easy
reach. Edges of work surfaces should be
rounded or beveled.
Workstation shelves are usually
placed over the work surface. Fre-
quently used materials and supplies
Adjust the seat height so upper
arms hang vertically, elbows bent
at about 90 degrees, shoulders
relaxed, and wrists fairly
straight.
Adjust the backrest to
support the small of
the back and provide
firm support.
Designed by Duke Medical Arts, Duke Ergo Program
96 " Fall 1999
should be placed within easy reach
without the need to twist, or reach over-
head. Heavy items should be stored at
waist height; light items should be
stored between waist and shoulder
height. Small portable file cabinet (ped-
estal) drawers should pull out easily and
should be attached to the work surface
to allow for flexibility in work surface
height. Pedestals should be placed un-
der the workstation to ensure there is
plenty of room for knee space (approxi-
mately 36 linear inches). In order to en-
courage movement within the worksta-
tion, place shelves, drawers and files so
that they require users to get up to ac-
cess them. This may mean locating
some components such as printers out-
side the workstation.
Position the monitor about
an arm's length away,
directly in front of you.
The top of the screen no
higher than eye level.
Use a document
holder close to the
moniter rather
than laying
papers flat.
Knees comfortably bent with
feet resting on floor or on
a footrest if the chair must
be raised to adjust for height.
Mouse
should be
next to
keyboard.
Keyboard trays should pull out eas-
ily, be sturdy enough to withstand im-
pact force, but not so stiff that they can-
not absorb some of the shock. Users
should be able to get their legs under the
table and the keyboard tray comfortably.
The tray angle should be adjustable from
a flat position to slightly tilted away
from the user in a negative tilt. Height
adjustability is equally important. The
keyboard should be aligned with the
monitor. For jobs that primarily require
keying, a high quality keyboard tray
should be~used.
Shoulder pain in computer users is
often caused by poor positioning of the
mouse. If the mouse is too high or too
far to the side, the shoulder muscles will
have to support the arm for long peri-
ods of time. This static
muscle loading leads to a
decrease in circulation,
muscle spasms, and pain.
Bringing the mouse into
the functional reach posi-
tion (upper arms at side of
body, forearms slightly be-
low the horizontal, and
fairly close to the side of
the body) will minimize
the risk to the shoulders
and make mousing easier.
For this reason, mousepad
trays or a mouse obridge�
which fits over the key-
board should be available
for all mouse users.
Mousepad trays should ad-
just independently of key-
board trays. They should
also adjust up and down
and swing in and out so
the mouse can be placed
within the functional
reach position.
Individuals who injure
their fingers while mousing
may be holding or clicking
the mouse too hard. Ad-
justable mousing accesso-
ries and appropriate input
devices that are properly
sized to fit a userTs hand
can solve many mouse-re-
lated problems. Trackballs,
glide pads, stylus devices,
and foot mice are all alter-
natives to the mouse. For
jobs that require intensive
mouse use, forearm sup-
port boards, which attach
to the worksurface and
have a large support area as
well as a mousing pad, may
be an option.
North Carolina Libraries
In recent years, a number of split
and angled keyboards have been intro-
duced. A few studies have shown a posi-
tive effect for some of the alternative
keyboards; however, most of the evi-
dence shows that these keyboards do
little to reduce pressure in the carpal tun-
nel or significantly reduce muscle strain.
One has to significantly ulnar deviate
(turn wrists to the side) to the end range
to get a significant increase in pressure
in the carpal tunnel. The standard key-
board, positioned correctly, with the
shoulders in a relaxed position, upper
arms at the side, forearms in a slight
negative tilt, wrists in the neutral posi-
tion, hands floating over the keys, and
arms free to move, is the best solution.
Where is the best location for
monitors?
The computer monitor is one of the
most common pieces of equipment in
libraries and offices today. Coinciden-
tally, eye strain is the most common
complaint for computer users. There are
many causes of eye strain such as the
glare from light, poor quality screen
resolution, poor screen angle, poor
screen height, decrease in eye blinking,
dust particles hitting the eye, and pre-
existing eyesight difficulties.
Substantial evidence exists for
proper monitor placement, although
there is still some confusion and dis-
agreement about monitor location. The
typical resting gaze for eyes is 15-20 de-
grees below the horizon. One can com-
fortably see 10 degrees above or below
that. In addition, the head can tilt
slightly forward approximately 10 de-
grees without an increase in muscle ac-
tivity. Therefore the most comfortable
angle for the monitor is anywhere from
15 to 40 degrees below the horizon, de-
pending on what is most comfortable
for the user and practical for the work-
station.
One thing to consider in monitor
placement is the location of overhead
lighting fixtures and the location of ex-
terior windows. To avoid both direct
glare from external light coming
through windows and also indirect glare
from light reflected off the screen, moni-
tors should not be placed directly in
front of windows. Likewise, to avoid in-
direct glare from light reflected off the
screen, monitors should not directly face
windows either. When monitors are
angled towards the ceiling, indirect glare
can result from overhead light fixtures.
Whenever possible, monitors should be
placed perpendicular to light sources to
minimize the effects of glare. Appropri-
North Carolina Libraries
ate window coverings or reduced over-
head lighting can help to minimize
these effects. :
Monitor distance from the eyes can
play a major role in eye strain. If the
monitor is too close to the eyes, the eye
muscles will have to overwork to focus
the eyes. If too far away, users may have
to squint. The typical focal length for
the adult is 28-36 inches. The monitor
should be placed somewhere within
that distance according to the vision of
the user.
Once the monitor is properly posi-
tioned, significant eye strain could still
be a problem if the operator sits in a
poor, slumped over posture. It is not
uncommon to see users sitting at the
forward edge of the chair, leaning back
against the backrest, with head tilted up
and forward to see the screen. This po-
sition stresses the neck extensor muscles,
which are used to keep heads up and
parallel to the ground. If the neck
muscles are strained, the eye muscles
attempt to compensate. The stress on
the eyes of doing two jobs instead of one
leads to premature eye strain. Also,
blinking is helpful to remove dust par-
ticles from the eye and to keep the eye
from drying out. Yearly eye examina-
tions are also important.
What about lighting?
Lighting experts recommend using uni-
form indirect lighting to reduce glare
and reflections on work surfaces and
VDT screens. Indirect lighting eliminates
direct glare and produces diffused light-
ing that minimizes problems with indi-
rect glare and reflections. Light sources
should not be placed within 30 degrees
of a workerTs horizontal line of sight
when his eyes are in the working posi-
tion, and all light sources should be
shielded from workers to avoid direct
glare.
In offices with high VDT usage, 20
to 50 footcandles* is an adequate illumi-
nation level for the overall room or am-
bient lighting. In general, the ambient
light level should be lower than the
lighting level at the work surface but
should not vary significantly so as to
minimize contrast. The contrast ratio
between the task and adjacent areas
should not exceed 3:1.10
Task lighting is used to individually
light the workerTs specific task area. Task
* Footcandle " the unit of illuminance when the foot
is taken as the unit of length. It is the illuminance pro-
duced on a surface all points of which are at a distance
of one foot from a directionally uniform point source
of one candela (formerly candle).
lighting fixtures should be easily mov-
able and changeable so that light can be
directed to suit the needs of the indi-
vidual and the task at hand. The fixtures
should have a fully articulating arm, an
opaque shade, and an asymmetrical
light distribution to help reduce glare,
shadows, and reflection.
How important are accessories?
In some cases, the use of computer oac-
cessories� such as footrests, palm rests,
glare screens, document holders, and
lumbar cushions may help increase user
comfort. Accessories can be an inexpen-
sive way to make a poorly designed work
area more tolerable. Manufacturers often
use the term oergonomically-designed�
in their advertising literature; however,
not all products help and some may ac-
tually harm. Listed below are a few of the
more common computer oaccessories.�
Footrests " Provide support to the feet
and legs when sitting in an elevated
chair with feet odangling.� Sometimes
a chair must be elevated to accommo-
date a work surface that is too high.
Because unsupported legs and feet
can lead to backpain and leg discom-
fort, using a footrest increases the
comfort for these users. Stool height
footrests are also available.
Palm rests " These attach to keyboard
trays and may help keep the wrist in
the neutral position and provide a
place to rest the hands when not
keying. These should not be confused
with wrist rests, which most people
use to rest their wrists while keying.
Resting the wrists while keying
increases the pressure in the carpal
tunnel area of the wrist and promotes
poor keying posture. Proper use of
palm rests eliminates both of the
problems associated with wrist rests.
Glare screens can help reduce glare
on monitors, thereby reducing eye
strain. Many types of screens are
available. Plastic screens should be
avoided since there is evidence that
they do not adequately reduce glare.
Mesh screens reduce glare effectively
but they also reduce screen resolu-
tion. Coated glass screens are the best
option for reducing glare without
sacrificing screen resolution.
Some guidelines to use in evaluating
glare screens are:
¢ It should be approved by the
American Optometric Association;
e It should have antiglare glass and
adhesive free;
e Wrap-around models aid in
keeping dust off the screen;
Fall 1999 " 97
e Contour filters keep light from
passing between the glare screen
and the monitor;
e Antistatic models help eliminate
dust.
Document Holders " These accesso-
ries are highly recommended for most
computer work areas to reduce
awkward neck postures and reduce
eye strain. Document holders can
attach to the monitor or be free-
standing. Text should be placed as
close to the monitor as possible so the
focal length for the eye is the same.
Ideally, free-standing text holders
should be height adjustable. Consid-
eration should be given to the type of
item to be held. For working with
items such as sheet music or large
bound volumes, specialized docu-
ment holders are available.
Lumbar cushions " When chairs
have inadequate lumbar support, a
lumbar cushion can be used to
provide greater support. Some models
may help reduce the depth of the
seatpan for petite individuals whose
chairs are too large and who therefore
are unable to utilize the back support.
What about other (non-office)
work areas in the library?
Ergonomics should be incorporated not
only into the electronic and computer
work areas throughout the library but
also into the design of non-office work
areas. For example, circulation desks are
not traditional office areas, yet most
have a number of computers. Circula-
tion work surfaces are typically designed
for standing height since patrons gener-
ally stand. Consideration should be
given to providing proper seating for
employees in these areas. Stool-height
ergonomic task chairs should be pro-
vided. Adequate knee space and appro-
priate foot support should be considered
as well. Adjustable monitor arms and
keyboard trays are also recommended to
ensure proper placement of keyboards
and monitors.
Circulation and reference desks of-
ten require the use of computers that
can be shared with patrons. Some librar-
ies utilize a olazy susan� swivel table.
This feature is helpful for patrons but
sometimes places employees in awkward
work postures when leaning over or
twisting to offer assistance. As an alter-
native, dual monitors allow patrons to
view the screen without compromising
the employeeTs posture.
Storage sites and book stacks are
other non-office areas where ergonom-
ics should be considered. Simple mate-
rial handling systems, ladders with elec-
tric lifts, or step stools can all aid in re-
ducing awkward postures and the forces
demanded by lifting and lowering li-
brary materials. Workers in book stacks
should avoid reaching over shoulder
height to prevent shoulder-related mus-
culoskeletal disorders. Step stools are in-
Tired of making
opermanent loans?"
i Chechpoint
Tomorrow's Technology for Today's Libraries�"�
Ralph M. Davis
Sales Representative
P.O. Box 144
Rockingham, NC 28379
1-800-545-2714
550 Grove Road ¢ P.O. Box 188 * Thorofare, New Jersey 08086
(800) 257-5540 * TELEX: 84-5396 * FAX: (609) 848-0937
98 " Fall 1999
expensive and allow employees to work
at or below shoulder height in most
cases.
Receiving areas are ripe for ergo-
nomic improvements, particularly
when lifting-related injuries are not un-
common. Through the use of simple,
inexpensive, material handling devices,
injuries can be prevented. In cases
where there is a mismatch between
dock heights and vehicle heights, a
dock plate may help with loading or un-
loading vehicles. Scissor lifts are excel-
lent for unloading vehicles in areas
where no dock exists. Dollies are invalu-
able as an aid for moving boxes of li-
brary materials. Pallet jacks are highly
recommended for libraries that ship or
receive palletized materials.
What are the best designs for
disabled workers?
The Americans With Disabilities Act
(1990) was the first civil rights law aimed
at protecting people with disabilities
against discrimination in the most im-
portant areas of life. The ADA intro-
duced the notion of oreasonable accom-
modation.� According to the law, rea-
sonable accommodations have to be
provided for people with disabilities in
order for them to access or retain em-
ployment. Because this usually involves
modifications to the work environment
or work procedures, it is clear that one of
the best ways to achieve this is to use
ergonomic science and principles. The
principles of universal design should be
incorporated into workplace designs for
disabled employees. These are
Equitable Use " The design is useful
and marketable for people with
diverse abilities. An example is the
use of powered doors at entrances to
libraries. This type of door allows
easy access for all individuals
regardless of ability and level of
mobility.
Flexibility in Use " The design
accommodates a wide range of
individual preferences and abilities.
An example would be purchasing
keyboard trays that are designed for
using a mouse on the left or right
side of the keyboard. This accommo-
dates left-handed or right-handed
individuals. This design also allows
users to switch to using the other
hand when one hand is fatigued or
injured.
Simple and Intuitive Use - The
design is easy to understand regard-
less of experience, knowledge, skills,
language, or concentration level. An
North Carolina Libraries
example is the use of instructional
signs that utilize diagrams and
provide clear instructions without
text. oNo smoking� diagrams that
display a cigarette with a bar
through it are intuitive and are easy
for everyone to understand.
Perceptible Information " The
design communicates necessary
information regardless of ambient
conditions or the userTs sensory
abilities. For example, elevators in
libraries could better communicate
floor numbers and materials on each
floor through the use of tactile,
visual, and audible displays. This
information would provide users
who have sensory disabilities the
ability to better navigate the facility.
Tolerance for Error " The design
minimizes hazards and the adverse
consequences of accidental or
unintended actions. An example
would be making sure that computer
screens for catalog systems allow
users to easily correct mistakes
without penalties. In other words,
pressing the wrong key should not
send you back to the beginning of a
search.
Low Physical Effort " The design
can be used efficiently and comfort-
ably with minimal fatigue. An
example in libraries is the use of
door levers rather than door knobs.
Levers can be easily opened using a
fist or an elbow, whereas knobs
require gripping with the hand.
Size and Space for Approach and
Use " The approach, reach, manipula-
tion, and use is appropriate regard-
of employees can be improved by ex-
plaining why it is important to sit cor-
rectly, alter posture often, adjust furni-
ture and equipment, and by demon-
strating and reinforcing good sitting
posture. Teaching the ohow and why�
to adjust furniture, establishing a pro-
gram of healthy work breaks, and pur-
chasing furniture and equipment that
meet the criteria presented in this ar-
ticle, are steps in the right direction to-
ward reducing certain health problems.
These changes will likely contribute to
increased productivity and a more
pleasing work environment.
References
! Cited in Stephen Pheasant, Ergo-
nomics, Work and Health (Gaithersburg,
MD: Aspen Publishers, 1991), 7.
2 Waldemar Karwowski as cited in
Martin Helander, A Guide to the Ergonom-
ics of Manufacturing (London; Bristol, PA:
Taylor & Francis, 1995), 1.
3 Tamara James, oSimple and Inex-
pensive Ergonomic ~FixesT Reduce the
Frequency and Severity of VDT Worksta-
tion Discomfort,� Proceedings of the Hu-
man Factors and Ergonomics Society (Santa
Monica, CA: 1997), 1383
4 Musculoskeletal Disorders and Work-
place Factors. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication
no. 97-141. [Atlanta, GA?]: U.S. Dept. of
Health and Human Services, National
Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, July 1997. Executive summary, x.
5 Philip Witt and Ruth Gress, oCrite-
ria & Rationale For Selecting Ergonomic
Equipment,� Facilities Management
(Nov.-Dec. 1996): 11.
® Patricia L. Thibodeau and Steven J.
Melamut, oErgonomics in the Electronic
Library,� Bulletin of the Medical Library
Association, 83 July 1995): 323.
7 Witt and Gress, 11.
8 Ibid., 14.
° D. P. Michel and M. G. Helander,
oEffect of Two Types of Chairs on Stat-
ure Change and Comfort for Individuals
with Healthy and Herniated Discs,� Er-
gonomics 37 (1994), 1231-1244; Human
Factors Section, Eastman Kodak Com-
pany, Workplace, Equipment, and Environ-
mental Design and Information Transfer,
vol. 1 of Ergonomic Design for People at
Work (New York: Van Nostrand
Reinhold, 1983), 16-18, 26.
10 Jeffrey Anshel, Visual Ergonomics in
the Workplace (London; Bristol, PA: Tay-
lor & Francis, 1998), 78.
Errata ...
In Summer North Carolina
Libraries, the photo captions on
pages 55 and 56 were reversed.
Please excuse this error.
less of the size, posture, or mobility
of the user. In libraries, an example
is the use of security/entry gates that
can accommodate users in wheel-
chairs as well as users carrying
briefcases, bookbags, or pushing
strollers.
Davidson Titles, Inc.Ts exclusive products and various
publishers are presented to schools and libraries by sales
people throughout most of the United States. Most of our
sales personnel have professional and efficient access to
all of our titles and prices through laptop computers; they
can provide fast and convenient ordering.
DEW (a ole
Titles, Inc.
Supphiing Libraries with * Distributor for over 100 publishers.
Summary
Libraries involved with long-term furni-
ture planning have the opportunity to
see dramatic, positive effects on the
health and productivity of their employ-
ees by purchasing furniture that adjusts
to fit individuals. Spending slightly more
for a chair or workstation now can save
workersT compensation benefits, which
can amount to thousands of dollars.
There is an important trilogy to
consider when thinking about ergo-
nomics: education, training, and prod-
uct. Through education, the well-being
¢ Publisher of 4 creative and exciting childrenTs series:
The Illustrated Rules of the Game
The Dinosaur Dynasty
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World Guides
Books and Other Media
for Children & Adults
* Customized ordering & processing.
Davidson Titles, Inc.
101 Executive Drive * P.O. Box 3538 * Jackson, TN 38303-3538
(800) 433-3903 + Fax: (800) 787-7935 * Email: dtitles@usit.net
North Carolina Libraries Fall 1999 " 99
Clearing the Air:
Indoor Air Quality and Employee Health
ook around you, and listen. Is
your work area stacked with pa-
pers, books, serials, old and new?
Are the people around you
coughing, rubbing their eyes, for-
ever telling you how tired they
are, or constantly plagued with
sinus infections, bronchitis, and colds or
flu? There may be a correlation between
these two situations. Even minor alter-
ations in the work environment could
make a difference in the health of em-
ployees in the workplace. This article is
not designed to give technical jargon on
either the medical aspects or building
mechanics of indoor air health prob-
lems, or provide engineering solutions.
Rather I intend to start with the most
basic and inexpensive changes possible
in the workplace and progress to a few
more complex and costly efforts that can
be made to protect the health of employ-
ees in libraries.
According to the Asthma and Al-
lergy Foundation of America one in five
Americans suffers from allergies, or ap-
proximately 54 million people.! The
facts presented in this article suggest that
the figure may be even higher among li-
brarians. In 1993 the EPA estimated that
pollution indoors is consistently two to
five times greater than outdoors. Since
the average American spends at least
90% of the workday inside, it is increas-
ingly important to have the best quality
air possible in our buildings. Documen-
tation has shown that the indoor envi-
ronment is having a marked effect on
worker's health. Approximately half of
100 " Fall 1999
by Betty Waynick
the health problems plaguing American
workers are in fact cold, flu, and allergy
related illnesses.� This is an enormous
health problem and a drain to both the
pocketbooks and the productivity of li-
brary and other workers. Many of these
problems may be caused by factors in the
work environment. Most of the follow-
ing environmental problems are at very
elevated levels in the library setting.
DonTt panic as you read through this ar-
ticle; the first three aspects mentioned
below can be controlled mainly through
an awareness of the situation and a joint
effort of the staff and management to
improve it.
Scents and other controllable
irritants that can be avoided.
In the average person, the sense of smell
is remarkably acute. Odors travel directly
from receptors in the nasal passages,
called nasal epithelium, to the brain.
These receptors are the only nerve cells
in the body exposed to the open air. As
few as 12 molecules can excite a recep-
tor and as few as 40 cells can induce the
sensation of smell.* PeopleTs sensitivity
to chemicals is higher at night than dur-
ing the day. Since your building accumu-
lates pollution all day, the night staff
should receive special consideration.*
The two seconds that it takes you to
put on perfume or highly scented after-
shave in the morning can spoil a
coworkerTs day, or perhaps several days.
Though most people donTt think of it as
such, perfume is a soup of chemicals that
can contain formaldehyde and other po-
tentially irritating substances causing
eye, nose and upper respiratory irrita-
tion, asthmatic reactions, headaches
and dizziness. The high dust levels in li-
braries can further aggravate these reac-
tions. Just as smoke-free buildings are
becoming commonplace for the health
of employees, groups of sufferers now
advocate the establishment of fragrance
odor-free zones in buildings.°
Clutter: dust mites, molds and
other inhaled substances, and
ways to improve the situation.
Most libraries are very concerned about
the preservation of their book collec-
tion. Endless workshops and articles are
devoted to this subject. Yet many of the
problems that attack books and other
materials are also harmful to the people
who process, catalog, and otherwise deal
with these materials. Clutter and dust
seem to be a ubiquitous part of library
office and shelving areas. Libraries are
virtual dust reservoirs, and this coating
provides a haven for mites and a variety
of bacteria. The dust alone that accumu-
lates in a library can cause asthma or al-
lergic rhinitis, a serious inflammation of
the mucous membrane. Because suscep-
tibility to dust mites and other organ-
isms that live in dust increases with ex-
posure, a person who is not sensitive
now could become so over years of
working in the same environment.® The
bacteria that live in dust should also be
of definite concern to workers. Samples
of this bacteria have been shown to con-
tain oa class of biological molecules with
North Carolina Libraries
certain characteristic toxic effects� called
endotoxin.T While endotoxin is preva-
lent in both indoor and outdoor air, it
can sometimes reach dangerous levels in
an enclosed space. The healthy immune
system fights off harmful bacteria all the
time, but with prolonged exposure this
system can accumulate an overload and
finally start to break down. The bacteria
that causes LegionnairesT disease is well
documented; recently endotoxins have
also been implicated in other types of
pneumonia such as hypersensitivity
pneumonitis and organic dust toxic syn-
drome.T
One of the least expensive, if not
easiest, solutions to the dust problem is
a regular cleaning schedule. This in-
cludes routine vacuuming and dusting
with a damp cloth, which should be
done several times a week in heavy traf-
fic areas. (There will be more about
dusting later.) Finding a consistent and
regularly scheduled way of dealing with
the mountains of paper, books, commit-
tee minutes, and other materials that ac-
cumulate is a good way of dealing with
clutter. This accumulation includes all of
the things which were originally going
to be temporarily stored on a desk, but
ten years later are still lying on the far-
thest reaches of a bookcase or table.
Molds and mildew are also associ-
ated with older books and papers that
have likely been stored in a backlog area
or closet. Most libraries receive a steady
flow of gift books, many of which con-
tain mold spores. The spores found on
these objects present a threat not only to
the infected material but also to the ex-
isting collections and, of course, to the
unsuspecting workers who process
them. Preservation departments are fully
aware of this problem and provide ad-
equate protection to their materials and
staff. Unfortunately, protection is not
always available in the central technical
services areas of many libraries where
the question of humidity levels and the
possibility for isolating offending mate-
rials becomes paramount to protecting
staff.
A steady, controlled temperature
and humidity setting can help tremen-
dously with the control of molds. If the
humidity gets above 65% or the tem-
perature above 70 degrees, there is a
good chance that ever-present mold
spores will begin to grow.T These spores
can quickly enter the air conditioning
system and spread throughout the li-
brary. In addition to increasing the
breakdown of older books through the
creation of sulfuric acid, high humidity
also makes other indoor pollution more
North Carolina Libraries
intense. It speeds up the out-gassing of
chemicals from furnishings by releasing
formaldehyde and other volatile organic
compounds from materials such as par-
ticle board, polyurethane foam and
other products commonly used in mod-
ern office, as well.
Inhaled chemicals also pose a grow-
ing problem for the library community.
A casual browse through a large book-
store, to those who are sensitive to
smells, can be a trying experience. Just
walking in the front door can immedi-
ately irritate the eyes and nose of those
people who are most susceptible. The pa-
pers and covering materials for books,
and especially serials, have much more
chemical processing than ever before. In
libraries, add to this publications from
other countries that may contain insec-
ticides, and books just entering the
building from an outside bindery. Newly
bound materials contain adhesives, and
many are covered with extensively pro-
cessed coating and finishes. The number
of chemicals that the library worker
must deal with is staggering.
Reducing chemical and all indoor
air pollution requires both a sufficient
intake of outdoor air and good air flow
within the workspace. While a well
maintained HVAC (heating, ventilation
and air conditioning) system is essential,
other more easily obtainable measures
also are important. The room partitions
and shelving that are currently standard
in most offices and libraries can block air
flow. One way of dealing with partitions
is to buy ones that stand on legs, with a
foot or more of air space at the bottom.
They also should be made no higher
than is absolutely necessary for privacy.
Shelving, too, should contain as much
air flow space below, above, and between
units as it is possible to provide.
Cleaning agents: what does
clean really mean?
What do you think of when cleaning is
mentioned? If cleaning to you means
pulling out the ammonia filled aerosols
for windows or other widely advertised
sprays for dusting, and the wax that
smells like shoe polish for furniture,
then you could be endangering your
health in a very big way. All of the clean-
ers promoted by the major magazines
and by television add to the air a signifi-
cant number of unhealthy chemicals,
some of which cause cancer. If several
people decide to polish their desks on
the same day in a closed workspace, the
petroleum distillates alone could reach
dangerous levels. When this happens it
is likely that the next day some people
will be so ill that they will be unable to
come to work; others will show signs of
respiratory distress. Headaches, fatigue
or asthma attacks may be evident that
same afternoon in workers who are at all
sensitive to chemicals.
There are much safer ways to ac-
complish the goal of cleaning your
workspace while keeping the air clean.
The truly safe products are oold-fash-
ioned� formulas such as borax, vinegar,
and baking soda. A number of popular
books give detailed recipes for making
your own cleaners, and commercial
cleaners which use nontoxic agents are
available to your janitorial staff. Possibly
the most important cleaning task in the
library is removing the layer of dust
which accumulates overnight. This is
best accomplished by using no cleaner at
all, but only a damp cloth. Hepa (high
efficiency particulate air) vacuum clean-
ers are also a necessity in the library en-
vironment. These vacuums remove even
very fine particles from the air and do
not redistribute the dust as most regular
vacuums do. In an article on healthy
cleaning in the online periodical
ENVIROS, Frank A. Lewis ~mentions
seven cleaning fundamentals for envi-
ronmentally safe cleaning.!° Among
these are safety and cleaning for health
first and appearance second: removing
the maximum number of pollutants
from the workspace while adding as few
chemicals, particles, and as little mois-
ture as possible.
It is most important for the library
manager to know what products both
the cleaning staff and employees are us-
ing in the building and request that spe-
cific non-toxic items be used. This is es-
pecially important with such routine
tasks as vacuuming and washing win-
dows, and with major jobs like the regu-
lar cleaning of carpets or stack areas.
More complex issues: HVAC
systems, filters, and fresh air.
Although HVAC (heating, ventilation
and air conditioning) systems are the
key to healthy, safe indoor environ-
ments, they can be extremely expensive
to replace or even upgrade. Before this
option is considered, try a few simple
measures that can make a noticeable dif-
ference in your system. Air conditioning
equipment is designed to be most effi-
cient with a clean filtering system. Even
the best system cannot function prop-
erly with clogged airways or dust en-
crusted filters. The next time you are un-
der an air or intake vent, notice the vis-
ible grids. If you touched or unscrewed
the vent, would the floor be inches deep
Fall 1999 " 101
in dust and grime? The air.that employ-
ees breath passes through these vent sys-
tems. A regular maintenance schedule is
needed to keep the filtering system as
free of contaminants as possible. Most
libraries need extra heavy duty filters
because of the enormous amount of dust
that they must handle. If your library is
part of a larger organization, housekeep-
ing and physical plant may have to co-
ordinate their efforts, the physical plant
first turning off the system for a brief
time so that the housekeepers can prop-
erly clean the vents. Thorough protec-
tion also must be provided to the house-
keeping or other cleaning staff who
vacuum the vents. Any type of vent
cleaning should be done at a time when
other staff are out of the building so that
the system will have enough time to
clear the dust that has been introduced
into the air from the cleaning.
Managers should know how the
HVAC system is being maintained and
that appropriate filters and cleaning
schedules are in place. It also is impor-
tant to determine if older procedures
implemented in the early 1970s are still
being used. In response to the oil em-
bargo of the 70s, conservation measures
were introduced that affected the opera-
tion of HVAC systems. Closing down the
system at night, reduction of airflow
during peak usage hours, and the reduc-
tion of outdoor air to a minimum are
practices that may still be in effect in
your library. ASHRAE (American Society
for Heating, Refrigeration and Air Con-
ditioning Engineers) has set standards
for air movement based on the number
of occupants in a building. The library or
building manager should be acquainted
with this and other air quality standards
and their frequent revisions.!!
Planning for renovation.
Renovation seems constant in some li-
braries, while in others it happens much
less frequently, but most employees have
experienced at least one major renova-
tion of their work space. This poses not
only the risks of lung damaging dust and
chemical contamination, but also the
challenge of choosing new furniture,
office partitions, and carpeting. It is im-
portant that planners not only have lay-
out, aesthetic, and functional concerns
on their agenda, but also consider the
comfort and safety of staff. The follow-
ing concerns should be considered.
The actual construction process
poses problems that must be discussed in
detail with the contractor. Workers near
the construction must be isolated from
the work area as much as possible, either
102 " Fall 1999
by moving them to a safer area or by seal-
ing off the work site. Temporary exhaust
ventilation systems should be installed so
that air contaminants can be exhausted
directly to the outdoors, protecting work-
ers from paint fumes, construction dust,
adhesives, and other harmful sub-
stances.!* For major projects like asbestos
or lead paint removal, strict federal guide-
lines have been set; however, for the more
routine projects such as installing new
carpet, reconfiguring and painting walls,
there is no set standard. Contractors often
provide only the most rudimentary con-
trols for protecting the staff, who are of-
ten expected to work in the very heart of
the affected area.
All furniture, partitions, carpet, and
carpet glues should have the lowest lev-
els of toxic emissions possible. All of
these products can contain noticeable
amounts of formaldehyde. Copiers and
laser printers, both of which emit ozone,
should be as far from the workspace as
possible. Ideally copiers would have
their own separate room ventilated di-
rectly to the outside. New carpets should
be aired out if possible before installa-
tion for a week or so. Large fans running
constantly for several weeks will allow
any chemicals in the carpet to dissipate
much more quickly.
Planning for a new building.
All of the above suggestions also apply to
a new building project. In addition, the
physical location of a new building must
be considered. Often the library man-
ager has no control over the site that is
chosen, but several factors can be dealt
with before construction begins. A soil
analysis can determine if the ground is
contaminated with radon, oil from im-
properly stored fuel from an earlier in-
habitant of the space, or other chemical
peculiarities that might later affect
people working in the building. Noting
what industries, utilities, or major roads
are located nearby will give the contrac-
tors a better idea of where air intake
vents should go, so that the outside air
being drawn into the building will be as
clean as possible. The workers in the
building should be shielded from major
generators or other high power sources.
Loading docks or other parking areas
where diesel fuel or other gases might
accumulate should be as far as possible
from both air intakes and doors that will
be constantly in use. For an excellent
explanation and list of considerations
for both renovations and designing a
new building, see the Bush and Enssie
article cited in note 11.
You are probably beginning to real-
ize that keeping the library environment
safe is a very delicate balancing act. Im-
proving the working environment re-
quires both concerned and knowledge-
able management and channels of com-
munication for employees to express
concerns related to their health and the
building in which they work. By work-
ing together, all staff members can iden-
tify, monitor, and eventually eliminate
dangerous situations. These efforts
should lead to better health, more job
satisfaction, and higher productivity for
all workers in the library.
References
1 World Almanac and Book of Facts
1999 (Mahwah, NJ: World Almanac
Books, 1998), 723.
2 Richard M. Silberman, oA Mandate
for Change in the Library Environ-
ment,� Library Administration & Manage-
ment 7, 3 (1993): 145-46.
3 Frank A. Lewis, oOdors, Fragrances,
and IAQ,� ENVIROS 6, 6 (1996): 2.
http://www.envirovillage.com/News-
letters/Enviros June 2, 1999.
4 G. W. Crockford, oContributions
From Outdoor Pollutants,� Indoor Air
Pollution, ed. G. B. Leslie and F. W. Lunau
(New York: Cambridge Univ. Press,
1992), 280.
5 Lewis, 1,2. June 2, 1999.
6 Matthew J. Simon, oThe Sick (Li-
brary) Building Syndrome,� Library Ad-
ministration & Management 4, 2 (1990):
88-89.
7 Donald K. Milton, oBacterial Endot-
oxins: A Review of Health Effects and Po-
tential Impact in the Indoor Environ-
ment,� Indoor Air and Human Health, 2d
ed., ed. Richard B. Gammage and Barry
A. Berven (Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Pub.;
CRC Press, 1996), 179, 185-86.
8 Harriet A. Burge, oHealth Effects of Bio-
logical Contaminants,� Indoor Air and Hu-
man Health, 2d ed., ed. Richard B. Gammage
and Barry A. Berven (Boca Raton, FL: Lewis
Pub.; CRC Press, 1996), 172.
9 oBreak the Mold!� Preservation Is-
sues, a periodic publication of the North
Carolina Preservation Consortium 3
(Summer 1997): 4.
10 Frank A. Lewis, oHealthy Cleaning
for Good IAQ,� ENVIROS 6, 9 (1996): 2,
http://www.envirovillage.com/News-
letters/Enviros June 2, 1999.
1 Carmel C. Bush and Halcyon R. Enssie,
oIndoor Air Quality : Planning and Manag-
ing Library Buildings,� Advances in
Librarianship 18 (1994): 216, 224.
12 David W. Bearg, Indoor Air Quality
and HVAC Systems (Boca Raton, FL.:
Lewis Pub., 1993), 37.
North Carolina Libraries
Selected Indoor Air Quality
Resources on the Internet
Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
Online http://allergy.mcg.edu
American Industrial Hygiene Assoc.
http://www.aiha.org
American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org
American Society of Heating,
Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning
Engineers
http://www.ashrae.org
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of
America http://www.aafa.org/
EnviroCenter
http://www.envirocenter.com
Environmental Health Center
http://www.ehcd.com
Environmental Health Clearinghouse
http://infoventures.com
(NIEHS)
Enviromental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/
National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences
http://www.niehs.nih.gov
i
ABOUT THE AUTHORS ...
Margaret Foote
Education: B.A., Mars Hill College; M.A., Ph.D., M.S.L.S., University of Kentucky
Position: Head, Cataloging Department, Joyner Library, East Carolina University
Daniel C. Horne
Education: B.A., University of California-Davis; M.L.S., San Jose State University
Position: Director, Coastal Consumer Health Library, New Hanover Regional Medical
Center, Wilmington, NC
Tamara M. James
Education: B.S., University of lowa; M.A., George Mason University
Position: Director, Duke Ergonomic Program, Duke Medical Center, Duke University
Diane Kester
Education: B.A., B.S., Texas Womanis University; M.A.Ed., M.L.S., Ed.S., East Carolina
University; Ph.D., UNCCH
Position: Assistant Professor and Chair, Department of Broadcasting, Librarianship, and
Educational Technology, School of Education, East Carolina University
Teresa L. McManus
Education: B.A., Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA; M.A., Graduate Faculty, New
School for Social Research, New York; M.L.S., UNCG
Position: Associate Director for Collection Development, Charles W. Chestnutt Library,
Fayetteville State University
Greg Rideout
Education: B.A., East Carolina University
Position: Account Executive, Capital Strategies, Raleigh
Betty Waynick
Education: B.A., UNCCH; M.L.S., UNCG
Position: Authority Control Librarian, Davis Library, UNCCH
Philip L. Witt
Education: M.A., M.S.L.S., UNCCH :
Position: Associate Professor, Division of Physical Therapy, School of Medicine, UNCCH
John Zika
Education: M.A., M.S.L.S., UNCCH
Position: Director, Person County Public Library
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MULTICULTURAL
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Full Color Catalog (free upon request)
Fall 1999 " 103
Hours, Safety, Security Concerns:
Issues, Context, Resources, and Checklists
by Margaret Foote and Teresa L. McManus
eports of libraries offering extended hours of service,
sometimes rumored to be twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week, have been circulating in North
Carolina. Interest in extended hours is widespread.
Consider, as an example, three responses to a user sat-
isfaction survey at Fayetteville State UniversityTs
Charles Chesnutt Library, Spring 1999:
I think that there should be an all-night open use
computer lab and the library should operate twenty-
four hours instead of just specified amounts of time.
I really think that the library should look towards
having an all-night library for those who have jobs and
just cannot get to the library in the time that is set.
The library is closed during holidays when students
who work would be able to access these services. This is
not true for NCSU and UNC libraries.
To learn more about safety and security concerns related
to extended hours, and to gather data on hours and pressures
for extended hours, the authors sent surveys to 200 public and
academic libraries in North Carolina in March 1999. Survey
results show North Carolina libraries are facing pressures to in-
crease hours, and that two-thirds of all respondents (68% from
academic libraries and 67% of respondents from public librar-
ies) consider safety and security concerns to be of medium to
high importance as factors in decisions about extending hours.
Protecting library resources, facilities, equipment, staff,
and patrons, often with no increase in staff and a reduced
level of activity, is a challenge in the context of increased
hours of service. Being concerned about safety and security is
realistic, as recent headlines from the June/July 1999 issue of
American Libraries attest: oMurder Rampage Culminates in
Colorado High School Library� and oGunman Kills Two at
Mormon Library.�! Understanding threats to and vulnerabili-
ties of libraries, and the extent to which increased hours mag-
nify security and safety challenges, is important for prevent-
ing losses and promoting safety. This article provides an over-
view of security issues in libraries, summary data from survey
104 " Fall 1999
respondents, and bibliographic resources for library adminis-
trators interested in enhancing safety precautions during regu-
lar and extended hours.
Overview of Library Security Issues
Security and safety concerns in libraries extend beyond issues
of crime. Natural disasters, accidents, and emergencies are po-
tential risks to safety. Injuries and emergencies occurring dur-
ing periods of minimal staffing present a somewhat different
set of challenges than those occurring during higher levels of
staffing. Fewer staff are available to assume responsibilities for
evacuating the facility, contacting emergency care providers,
and managing the situation to prevent additional injuries or
accidents.
Search terms that are useful for researching safety and se-
curity issues in libraries include ocrimes in the library,�
olibrarianship " occupational hazards,� oworking conditions,�
osafety measures,� and oproblem patrons.� News accounts of
bomb threats, anthrax hoaxes, arson, hate crimes, indecent ex-
posure, murders, robbery, theft and vandalism in libraries are
all too easily found. How many of us can say we work in a li-
brary where no pocketbooks or backpacks are stolen? While
risks to safety and security extend beyond crime and disrup-
tive behavior, librarians must pay particular attention to these
security issues if they are to take preventive measures.
Reluctance of librarians to acknowledge problems with
security is well known. When discussing oloss of inventory,�
librarians in the first half of the century focused on
misshelving. Ralph MunnTs 1935 article in Library Journal 2 was
indicative of a shift in librariansT thinking about omissing�
books.*4 Thomas Shaughnessy describes a second shift in li-
brariansT thinking about library security issues in 1984:
The problem today is not simply preventing the theft
of resources ... the whole question of library security is
a much larger, more complex matter. The emphasis
continues to be on the physical safeguarding of
materials; however, the concept must be extended to
include the safety of data and files, as well as the
North Carolina Libraries
a eae Ss
personal safety of employees and library users.°
The increase in the number of articles in Library Literature
dealing with library security in the 1960s as compared with the
1950s (385%), and the addition of subject headings in Library
Literature for ovandalism� (1964) and olibrary protection sys-
tems� (1970) are indicative of librariansT growing attention to
many types of security issues.®
Recognition that staff and patrons may themselves perpe-
trate acts of disruption or violence is increasingly evident in the
literature. Writing about oinsider� crimes in 1998, Sara
Behrman gave examples of ofraud, embezzlement, theft, lar-
ceny, mutilation of library materials, falsification of records,
misuse of public funds, policy violations and harassment.��
Do libraries have particular characteristics that make them
vulnerable to crime? On the basis of the data collected from
over 1,700 libraries,T Alan Jay Lincoln concluded that major
risk factors for libraries are oease of access� and the libraryTs
hours of operation:
The schedules of many libraries may facilitate crime
and disruption. Often the library is the only public
building that is open after dark and on weekends. The
late night hours can be particularly problematic.?
Safety and security, already a challenge for libraries during regular
hours, are even more challenging during extended hours. In
1990, Mary Ellen Heim stated that the four factors to consider
when expanding hours in an academic library setting are osecu-
rity, staffing, funding, and public relations.�!° Heim defines se-
curity as othe protection of people, collections, and facilities,�
and adds that othe questions of what safety measures must be
addressed and who will be responsible for taking them is a high
priority consideration.�!! In their 1998 discussion of academic
library hours, Scott DiMarco and Scott Van Dam concurred: their
concerns were staffing, services, and security, the latter includ-
ing the safety of employees, patrons, and the facility and its con-
tents. !?
With regard to extended hours and incidents of crime in
libraries, Alan Jay Lincoln reported in 1984 that libraries in North
ey
I
North Carolina Libraries
". ge
Carolina were more likely to change the schedule than libraries
in other states as a response to crime and disruptive behavior:
Thirty states never had to close a library as a result of
crime and disruption. Twenty of the states reportedly
never changed their hours because of crime. Among
the states that did have these problems, California was
most likely to have closed a library, and Tennessee was
most likely to have closed a branch due to crime.
Changing the schedule occurred most frequently in
North Carolina.'%
Since then, at least one library in North Carolina has closed due
to problems with crime.!4
Why are libraries extending hours despite clear indications
that such an action may magnify security and safety chal-
lenges? North Carolina libraries, like libraries elsewhere, are ex-
periencing rising expectations and demands for increased
hours. Whether rising expectations for increased access are
ultimately due to general socio-economic conditions and
trends, or to other causes, the result is the same. To meet the
needs of library users, libraries are under increasing pressure to
extend hours.
People care about when the library is open. Since 1981,
Library Literature has published at least 66 citations of articles
about library hours, 38 by U. S. authors and 28 by European.
Organized protests may occur when hours are reduced. Patrons
may petition to restore hours. Voters may approve increased
support or oust politicians blamed for reductions in hours. Li-
brary staff may organize action to address concerns about li-
brary hours. oEnthusiasts� who want the library open twenty-
four hours are not limited to North Carolina or the United
States. The challenge for librarians is to meet the needs of li-
brary patrons while responsibly doing all possible to reduce
safety and security risks, a challenge more difficult to overcome
when hours are extended.
Librarians are correct to take potential threats seriously. By
becoming knowledgeable about preventive steps, they can
address perceptions about the safety and security of staff, pa-
,| EXTENDED HOURS? What about
SAFETY of Users & Staff?
SECURITY of Property, Equipment?
STEWARDSHIP of Resources?
STAFFING? FUNDING? Hire a Guard?
LIMIT SERVICES? RESTRICT ACCESS?
|
Fall 1999 " 105
trons, and resources. Perceptions do matter, and perceptions of
increased vulnerability in the wake of the Littleton, Colorado,
high school shootings have heightened fears of crime in pub-
lic places. While it is true, as William Moffitt noted in 1994,
that oThere is nothing inherently ~libraryishT about violent
crime ... it occurs in all sectors of society,�! librariansT concerns
about taking steps and actions to address safety and security
concerns are realistic, responsible and necessary.
North Carolina Libraries: Hours of Service
In March 1999, we mailed out a survey on the security and
safety issues accompanying the extension of hours to the di-
rectors of 200 North Carolina libraries, 72 public and 128 aca-
demic. The latter includes the 16 UNC campuses, the 56 com-
munity colleges, 9 AHECs, 3 health sciences libraries, 5 law li-
braries, and 39 private colleges. The deadline for returning the
surveys to the authors was April 19, 1999. Of the 200 surveys
mailed out, the authors received 143, or 71.5% in return, 100°
(50%) from academic libraries, and 43 (21.5%) from the pub-
lic libraries.
The survey began with two questions. First, directors were
asked if inquiries about extending hours in the last twenty-four
months had been made at the library. Second, they were asked
if their libraries had considered extending hours in the last
twenty-four months. The answer to each question was either
yes or no. If a survey respondent answered ono� to both ques-
tions, he or she was asked to stop at that point and return the
survey. If either or both questions were answered with a oyes,�
the respondent was instructed to complete the remaining sur-
vey questions. Of the 143 surveys received, forty-seven, or 32.9
percent, answered ono� to the first two questions. A few respon-
dents, however, did answer some of the additional survey ques-
tions. In one instance, an academic library extended its service
to twenty-four hours, five days a week, more than twenty-four
months ago.
To develop a complete picture of library hours in North
Carolina, we sought information about a libraryTs current hours
of operation. Descriptive summary data on library hours is
provided below:
Average
Community Colleges (27 respondents provided hours)
Sun. Mon. | Tues. | Weds. | Thurs. Fri.
Average
Minimum
Maximum
Constituent Institutions in the University of North Carolina System
(13 respondents provided hours)
oPisa [iss Dos
op 132- [132] 132 | 1328s [21]
Minimum | 0 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 4 |o |
Maximum | 0 | 14.5 [14.5 | 145 | 145 [135] 8 |
Sat.
10.7 | 163 [163 | 163 | 163 | 12 [86 |
Pe RE 7 7 Wg RRB ee
No libraries reported being open twenty-four hours, seven
days a week, with services. North Carolina State University,
rumored to have twenty-four hour, seven-day-a-week service
during academic semesters, actually closed from 10:00 p.m.
until 9:00 a.m. the following morning on both Friday and Sat-
urday nights during fall 1998 and spring 1999 semesters. NCSU
reports that obetween midnight and 7:00 a.m., building access
is limited to individuals with a current university picture ID.�
Some libraries are experimenting with twenty-four hour service
during exam times, as did Greensboro College. Duke
UniversityTs Perkins Library reports its old building is available
by key-card access to students twenty-four hours, seven days
a week; however, there are no library services connected with
the privilege.
As expected, academic libraries are more likely than pub-
lic libraries to report pressures to experiment with extending
hours to the twenty-four hour model. Library administratorsT
comments show concern that, while demands and pressures for
extending hours exist, actual use is too low to warrant open-
ing extended hours. Additional concerns are that the library is
being used as a study hall or a computer lab, with limited ser-
vices and restricted access during extended hours.
North Carolina Libraries: Extending Hours
In seeking information about the extension of library hours,
we began by asking who had expressed interest in increased
hours of operation. For academic libraries, the survey respon-
dent was given three choices: students, faculty, or administra-
tion. For public libraries, the choices were community users,
library users, and others. The respondent could circle one or
more of these sources. Who, then, was most interested in ex-
tended library hours? For academic libraries this demand was
made by students, followed by administrators, and then fac-
ulty. In some surveys the request came from students and ad-
ministration, students and faculty, and, in eight cases, students,
faculty, and administration. One respondent noted that ex-
tended library hours had been a recommendation of a SACS
(Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) study. Another
reported that staff had requested extended hours; a third noted
the request came from the public; and a fourth men-
tioned an outside source. For public libraries, library us-
ers requested extended hours the most, followed by com-
munity organizations, and then others, one of which was
identified as the town council.
Had the respondentTs library extended hours in the
past twenty-four months? The majority of academic and
public library directors reported that extending their
hours of service had been considered. Thirty-two aca-
demic libraries extended their hours (one for a short
time); thirty-four libraries chose not to extend their
hours. Eight public libraries extended their hours; thir-
teen did not.
What were the primary concerns held by the directors
about extending library hours? The majority of both aca-
demic and public library directors clearly answered that
their concerns were staffing and funding. A number of
EY hac!
iat,
Independent and Private ee einer
(21 respondents provided hours)
Maximum
113
Public Libraries (37 respondents provided hours)
106 " Fall 1999
comments were made about the lack of funding to in-
crease staffing for extended hours. One public library
director mentioned that Sunday hours had been pro-
posed for the winter, but the library had not yet received
funds for those hours. Many respondents lamented the
lack of staffing for extended hours, or the strain on cur-
rent staff who had to provide the extra coverage. A pub-
lic library director specifically mentioned an overworked
staff, and added that his library was considering cutting
North Carolina Libraries
hours at certain locations. An academic library director wrote
that, even though they wanted to serve their customers, there
was not enough staff to cover extra hours. Several wondered
if low usage would justify the costs of keeping the library open,
and one respondent reported that, having tried extended
hours, usage was so low the extended hours were canceled.
Although much emphasis was placed upon staffing and
funding, safety and security were critical concerns as well, es-
pecially for the directors of academic libraries. The security of
patrons and the library building was mentioned by one direc-
tor; another was concerned about the security of student work-
ers at the circulation desk until 2:00 a.m. Once again, funding
came into play. Wrote one respondent, oStaffing, funding!�
Another respondent noted the costs of keeping the facility
open, including heating, cooling, and security. Another won-
dered owhether enough students would use the library to jus-
tify extra expense in salaries, heat/air, and security.� Still an-
other commented, oStaffing, costs, security.� That simple state-
ment expresses the chief concerns of library directors when
considering extending library hours.
Library directors were asked to describe any extended
hours and any restrictions on access or limitations on services
that would apply to the extended hours. In general, public li-
braries offered full services in their extended hours. For aca-
demic libraries, extended hours fell into two large categories.
First, a number of libraries offered extended hours only at exam
time. One library, for instance, provides twenty-four hour access
during final exams; between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. a security
guard staffs the building with some student workers. A few li-
braries are open longer hours throughout the semester, but are
used as study halls or computer labs. Staffing is minimal, and
there is no library service, such as reference, open to patrons.
Directors also were asked if library access during extended
hours was restricted to a particular clientele. The large major-
ity of respondents from both academic and public libraries
stated there were no restrictions for clientele. One academic
respondent noted that after midnight the library was available
only to those who had a key-card. Another stated that only stu-
dents and staff with the appropriate identification were allowed
access to the library. A law library and a medical library re-
ported that access to their libraries was restricted to their par-
ticular patron group.
Library directors were then asked if all library services were
available during extended hours. Most of the public library di-
rectors responded that all services would be available; one did
note that there was limited access to the public libraryTs history
room on weekends. Slightly more than half of the academic li-
brary directors stated that some library services were unavailable
to patrons during extended hours. Generally, one or more library
departments, such as reference, media, circulation or special
collections, were closed. In some cases no professional librarians
were available to offer service. In short, full library service is not
always available to patrons during the extended hours.
North Carolina Libraries: Security and Safety
We next asked several questions about the issue of security and
safety. Library directors were asked to rank the importance of
security and safety as a high concern, a medium concern, a low
concern, or not a concern. Twenty-nine academic libraries
ranked security as a high concern; fifteen ranked security as a
medium concern; sixteen a low concern; four, not a concern.
Among public libraries, nine ranked security as a high concern,
six ranked it a medium concern, four a low concern, and three
not a concern.
Directors were asked to expand upon their response con-
North Carolina Libraries
cerning security, and twenty-two academic library directors and
six public library directors did so. Security for staff was men-
tioned; in at least two academic libraries security guards are
used during hours of operation. One respondent reported that
campus police had been responsive to library needs; another
noted that a campus security guard is available on campus
twenty-four hours a day, and hand radios were available in the
library for getting in touch with the guard. Those in rural set-
tings expressed fewer fears about safety. Again, staffing was
mentioned as a concern. Security becomes a major challenge
for one academic library if staffing is down due to illness. A
public library director stated that owhen the staffing level is too
low, abusers of library services have ample opportunities to
strike.�
Library directors were then asked to describe any steps or
actions taken to address security and safety concerns during
extended hours. One public library director responded that
security was not a concern because the library branch with
extended hours is located across the street from the local po-
lice station. Not all academic or public libraries have such an
ideal location. One solution has been to install security cam-
eras at all egress doors (although the librarian who reported this
mentioned that this was done out of general concern, and not
just because of extended hours). Academic libraries rely more
on campus police. In some cases campus police visit the library;
in others, library staff stay in touch with campus security by
phone or walkie-talkie. Others have hired security guards, al-
though one libraryTs request for a security guard was not
granted by campus administration. Escort service for students
leaving the library is offered on some campuses.
Survey Conclusions
The majority of respondents reported pressures to extend
hours, and more than two thirds of respondents reported con-
sidering safety and security concerns as factors of high to me-
dium importance in making decisions about extending hours.
Common patterns for libraries that have extended hours to the
twenty-four hour model are to limit staffing to students or a
security guard, open only part of the building, restrict access
more than during regular hours, and limit services offered
during extended hours. No libraries were reported to be open
twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, with library ser-
vices.
Bibliographic Resources for Learning More About
Library Safety and Security
Resources available to assist librarians in taking preventive steps
and in being prepared to cope with safety and security issues
are included in a bibliography at the end of this article. Addi-
tionally, the Buildings and Equipment Section of the American
Library AssociationTs Library Administration and Management
Association has a Safety and Security of Library Buildings Com-
mittee which addresses these issues. The charge to the subcom-
mittee is oto deal with issues related to the safety and security
of persons and property in library buildings; to promote safety
measures in building design, interior organization, alteration,
equipment and furnishing, selection, and collection mainte-
nance.�!¢ A Security Guidelines Subcommittee of this Commit-
tee developed oLibrary Security Guidelines;� a draft document
of these guidelines was posted to the CommitteeTs Web site on
April 12, 1999 (and, by the time this article is published, will
have been finalized).'� In addition to fire and emergency pro-
tection, the guidelines offer valuable suggestions on lock and
key security; outline security duties and security staff; and de-
scribe security alarms and electronics. Appendix A of the guide-
Fall 1999 " 107
lines presents security staff qualifications and Appendix B pro-
vides library directors with staff pre-employment screening
guidelines. The final version of these guidelines should be very
useful to any library director addressing the issue of security.
The Buildings and Equipment Section also has a Library
Safety/Security Discussion Group that is oa forum for librarians
interested in safety and security issues as they relate to the de-
sign, construction, renovation, and equipment of library facili-
ties.�18 The group also serves oto identify and discuss common
concerns and to examine alternative solutions to problems.�!?
The Group has set up Safety-L, an electronic list on the safety
and security of libraries.
Susan Hildreth, a survivor of the 1993 Sacramento Public
Library violence in which two reference librarians were mur-
dered, stated oyou can never be prepared for something like
that.� Perhaps not; however, it is important to provide plans
and training for handling emergency situations. As Dennis Day,
director of Salt Lake City Public Library said in 1994 when an
armed man entered and began taking hostages, oDealing with
emergency situations and disruptive patrons, personal safety
and a thorough understanding of evacuation procedures are
critical concerns for all libraries ... Our experience strongly in-
dicates that a trained, committed staff and effective planning
can and does make a difference.�?1
References
1 oNews Fronts USA,� American Libraries 30 June/July 1999):
26-28.
2 Ralph Munn, oThe Problems of Theft and Mutilation,� Li-
brary Journal 60 (1935): 589-592.
3 Arthur E.Bostwick, oA New Kind of Inventory,� Library Jour-
nal 42 (1917): 369-371.
4 Arthur E.Bostwick, oFrequency of Inventory,� Library Jour-
nal 52 (1927): 827-828.
Thomas W. Shaughnessy, oSecurity: Past, Present and Fu-
ture,� in Security for Libraries: People, Buildings, Collections. ed.
Marvine Brand (Chicago: ALA, 1984): 2.
© Tbid, 1.
7 Sara Behrman, oWhen Trust IsnTt Enough,� American Librar-
ies 29 (May, 1998): 72.
8 Alan Jay Lincoln, Crime in the Library: A Study of Patterns,
Impact and Security. (New York: Bowker, 1984).
9 Alan Jay Lincoln, oIntroduction,� Library Trends 33 (Sum-
mer 1984): 8.
10 Mary Ellen Heim, oOpen Twenty-Four Hours: A Case
Study,� Occasional Papers, no. 187 (Champaign-Urbana, IL: Uni-
versity of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information
Sciences, 1990), 4.
1 Tid, 4.
12 Scott DiMarco and Scott van Dam, oLate Night in an Aca-
demic Library: Issues, Concerns, Planning,� Library & Archival
Security 14 (1998): 10.
Seal brbareto) bay lla beds
14 Leonard Kniffel, oCrime Forces Branch Library Out of Char-
lotte, N.C., Mall,� American Libraries 22 (Feb. 1991): 122.
1S Evan St. Lifer, Colleen McLaughlin, and Wilda W. Williams,
oHow Safe Are Our Libraries,� Library Journal 119 (Aug., 1994): 35.
16 oTAMA BES Library Safety and Security of Library Build-
ings,� June 14, 1999). http://www.ala.org/lama/committees/
bes/sslb.html
17 oTibrary Security Guidelines DRAFT DOCUMENT APRIL 12,
1999.� (June 14, 1999). http://www.ala.org/lama/committees/
bes/sslbguidelines.html
18 oTAMA BES Library Safety/Security Discussion Group.� (June
14, 1999). http://www.ala.org/lama/committees/bes/Iss.html
108 " Fall 1999
19 Ibid.
20 St. Lifer, 39.
21 Thid, 37.
22 o1 ibrary Security Guidelines DRAFT DOCUMENT APRIL 12,
1999.� (June 14, 1999). http://www.ala.org/lama/committees/
bes/sslbguidelines.html
Library Safety and Security Bibliography
A. J. Anderson, oHow Do You Manage?,� Library Journal 121
(Mar. 1, 1996): 59-60.
Jennifer W. Arns, oHealth and Safety Issues in the Library
Workplace,� Library Personnel News 3 (Fall 1989): 49.
Tom:R. Arterburn, oLibrarians: Caretakers or Crimefighters,�
American Libraries 27 (Aug. 1996): 32-4.
Randall L. Atlas, oDesigning Crime-Free Environments: Making
Our Buildings Safer,� Library Administration and Management
11 (Spring 1997): 88-93.
Colin Baddock, oCountering Crime: A Model Training Program
for Managers,� in Security and Crime Prevention in Libraries
(Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, 1992), 248-266.
Philip Bean, oAn Overview of Crime in Libraries and Informa-
tion Services,� in Security and Crime Prevention in Libraries
(Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, 1992), 13-31.
Carol D. Billings, oRights and Obligations of a Librarian,� LLA
Bulletin 59 (Winter 1996): 128-34.
Richard W. Boss, oCollection Security,� Library Trends 33 (Sum-
mer 1984): 39-48.
Betty Braaksma, oZero Tolerance at the Library: the Work of the
Thunder Bay Public LibraryTs Security Task Force,� Library
& Archival Security 14 (1998):43-9.
Robert Chadbourne, oDisorderly Conduct: Crime and Disrup-
tive Behavior in the Library,� Wilson Library Bulletin 68
(March 1994):23-5.
Otis A. Chadley, oCampus Crime and Personal Safety in Librar-
ies,� College & Research Libraries 57 (July 1996): 385-390.
Michael Chaney and Alan F. MacDougall, eds. Security and Crime
Prevention in Libraries. (Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, 1992).
Jennifer E. Chilcoat, oCreating a Safer Workplace-Personal Safety
Considerations for Libraries,� Arkansas Libraries 50 (Oct.
1993): 18-20.
James H. Clark, oMaking Our Buildings Safer: Security Manage-
ment and Equipment Issues,� Library Administration and
Management 11 (Summer 1997): 157-161.
Wilbur B. Crimmin, oInstitutional, Personal, Collection, and
Building Security Concerns,� in Security for Libraries: People,
Buildings, Collection, ed. Maurine Brand (Chicago: ALA,
1982).
Patricia J. Davis, oLibraries in Crisis: Safety and Security in
TodayTs Library; or, ITve Seen Fire and ITve Seen Rain,� Texas
Library Journal 71 (Summer 1995): 90-3.
Patty Duitman, oPerils, Pits and Pitfalls in the Library,� PNLA
Quarterly 60 (Winter 1996): 11-12.
George M. Eberhart, oGuidelines Regarding Thefts in Libraries,�
in The Whole Library Handbook 2. (Chicago:ALA, 1995)
436-439. |
Paulette D. Entrekin, oCrime and Violence in Mississippi Librar-
ies: A Preventive Approach,� Mississippi Libraries 59 (Sum-
mer 1995): 36-7.
oExperts Advise How to Minimize Library Crime,� (LAMA pro-
gram at the 1992 ALA Conference; reprinted from Nicolet
Compass 4/93), The Unabashed Librarian 88 (1993): 31.
Lillian N. Gerhardt, oSafe at Work?,� School Library Journal 39
(Feb. 1993): 4.
Mary M. Harrison, Alison H. Armstrong and David Hollenbeck,
North Carolina Libraries
oCrime in Academic Libraries,� in Patron Behavior in Librar-
ies: A Handbook of Positive Approaches to Negative Situations,
by Beth McNeil and Denise J. Johnson (Chicago: ALA,
1996), 87-94.
Gregory G. Heid, oHealth and Safety Issues,� in The Personnel
Manual: An Outline for Libraries, 2nd ed. Charles E. Krantz
and Valerie A. Platz (Chicago: ALA,1993), 44-46.
John Houlgate and Michael Chaney, oPlanning and Manage-
ment of a Crime Prevention Strategy,� in Security and Crime
Prevention in Libraries. (Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, 1992), 46-49.
David H. Johansson, oLibrary Material Theft, Mutilation, and
Preventive Security Measures,� Public Library Quarterly 15
(1996): 51-66.
Daniel P. Keller, oSpecial Problems in the Library Setting,� Li-
brary Administration and Management 11, (Summer 1997):
161-65.
Alan Jay Lincoln, oCommunity Crime Prevention,� Library &
Archival Security 9 (1989): 49-57.
Alan Jay Lincoln and Carol Zall Lincoln, oControlling Crime:
a Security Checklist,� Library & Archival Security 8 (Spring/
Summer 1986): 145-154.
Barry V. Lipinski, oA Practical Approach to Library Security,�
New Jersey Libraries 27 (Fall 1994): 19-20.
Beth McNeil and Denise J. Johnson, eds., Patron Behavior in Li-
braries: A Handbook of Positive Approaches to Negative Situa-
tions (Chicago:ALA, 1996).
John Morris, oPlanning and Design for Safety and Security,�
PNLA Quarterly 52 (Summer 1988): 22-4.
John Morris, oProtecting the Library From Fire,� Library Trends
33 (Summer 1984): 49-56.
Shelley Mosley, Anna Caggiano, and John A. Charles, oThe
~Self-WeedingT Collection,� Library Journal 121 (Oct. 15,
1996): 38-40.
James B. Nelson, oSafety in the Public Library,� The Unabashed
Librarian 88 (1993): 9-13.
Roland C. Person and Nelson A. Ferry, oCutting Down on Crime
in the Library,� College & Research Libraries News 55 (July/
Aug. 1994):428-9.
Kate W. Ragsdale and Janice Simpson, oBeing on the Safe Side,�
College & Research Libraries News 57 (June 1996): 351-4.
John Ramsay, oSafety in Small Libraries, Revisited,� The Un-
abashed Librarian 94 (1995): 5-6.
F. W. Ratcliffe, oChanging Times? Crime and Security as a Major
Issue in Libraries,� in Security and Crime Prevention in Librar-
ies, (Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, 1992), 1-12.
Ilene EF Rockman, oCoping with Library Incidents,� College &
Research Libraries News 56 (July/Aug. 1995): 456-7.
Thomas W. Shaughnessy, oSecurity: Past, Present and Future:
Checklist for a Security Survey,� in Security for Libraries:
People, Buildings, Collections, ed. Marvine Brand (Chicago:
ALA, 1982).
Bruce A. Shuman, oThe Devious, the Distraught and the De-
ranged: Designing and Applying Personal Safety into Li-
brary Protection,� Library & Archival Security 14 (1997): 53-73.
Bruce A. Shuman, oDesigning Personal Safety into Library Build-
ings,� American Libraries 27 (Aug. 1996): 37-9.
Herbert Snyder, oProtecting Our Assets: Internal Control Prin-
ciples in Libraries,� Library Administration and Management
11 (Winter 1997): 42-46.
Thomas M. Steele, oManaging Legal Liability,� Library Admin-
istration and Management 11 (Spring 1997): 94-102.
Robert L. Willits, oWhen Violence Threatens the Workplace:
Personnel Issues,� Library Administration and Management 11
(Summer 1997): 166-171.
John Higgins, Sales Representative
P.O. Box 21011
Columbia SC 29221
1-800-222-9086
Fax: 803-731-0320
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS ee QUALITY BOOKS INC.
North Carolina Libraries
Fall 1999 " 109
A Medical Library for the Public:
Starting and Running A Consumer Health Library
by Daniel C. Horne
o set the stage for a discussion of consumer health in-
formation and consumer health libraries, I will begin
with two quotations. The first is from Dr. Michael
DeBakey, the renowned pioneer heart surgeon, who in
a speech given at the National Library of Medicine, suc-
cinctly and eloquently captured the importance of con-
sumer health information: oEven with our modern ad-
vances in health care, I still consider good information to be
the best medicine.� ! The second and more matter-of-fact quo-
tation is a definition of consumer health information by Dr.
Alan M. Rees, the father of the modern consumer health in-
formation movement:
CHI is information on medical topics that is relevant
and appropriate for the general public. CHI covers not
only information on signs and symptoms, diagnosis,
treatment and prognosis of diseases, but also includes
information on access, quality, and utilization of
health care services.�
As librarians, we feel that all information sought by our
patrons is important, but few subject areas cause us as much
concern as consumer health information because few have
such a direct, serious, and potentially profound connection to
the well-being of our patrons. Consider the following example,
a scenario that will seem familiar to most public reference li-
brarians. A patron needs information on a medical condition.
She has a slip of paper with the medical term omyelodyspla-
sia� written down by her physician. You have little or no idea
what the term means, but you do what you can with the time
and resources available. The patron leaves with some photo-
copies, but you are left with a nagging feeling that you could
have done more, that the information was somehow not quite
enough. (ThereTs a trick in the question. For the key, see the
last bulleted item near the end of the article.) Public librarians
tend to be a little shy of medical questions. After all, most of
us were liberal arts majors. We are at ease with history, liter-
ary criticism, music, and even economics and basic science, but
the world of medical knowledge remains shrouded in mystery
and has a complex language all its own. We, along with the rest
of society, have learned that medical knowledge is the domain
of health professionals, particularly physicians.
The tendency toward a shortage of specialized consumer
110 " Fall 1999
health information in public libraries results directly from the
libraryTs very nature. Every area of human knowledge must be
represented in the collection. Budgets must be distributed in
order to ensure collections are developed according to the
greater general needs of the patrons. The amount of consumer
health information, although extremely important, and there-
fore warranting some special consideration in the budget, ul-
timately must be subservient to the mission of the public li-
brary " to provide material for all needs and interests. So what
is to be done? Currently our options are the same as for any
other request for material not found in the collection " inter-
library loan, or referral to another library or agency. The same
weaknesses that are inherent in these choices apply, i.e. time
and unpredictability of interlibrary loan subject requests and
the inability to follow up on referrals to make sure patrons have
obtained adequate information. The obvious solution, and one
which was recognized by New Hanover Regional Medical Cen-
ter and the Coastal AHEC Library, is a consumer health library.
Why is detailed and in-depth consumer health informa-
tion so important that it warrants a library entirely dedicated
to it? In answering this question, it is helpful to understand the
history of consumer health information. Consumer health
information has its roots in two concurrent social forces. The
modern consumer movement began in earnest in 1965 with
the publication of Ralph NaderTs Unsafe at Any Speed. In this
book, Nader exposed General MotorsT production of the poten-
tially lethal Chevrolet Corvair. The public began to question
its postwar blind trust that large and powerful corporations had
concern for our health, safety, and well-being. The feminist
movement of the 1970s was deeply concerned with womenTs
health issues and with womenTs taking responsibility for their
health care. This led to the publication in 1973 of the landmark
book Our Bodies, Ourselves in which women were given accu-
rate and empowering information on all aspects of health care.
The deconstruction of our faith in established corporate order
and the seizure of the power to make our own healthcare de-
cisions was fertile soil for the growth and spread of the con-
sumer health information movement.?
Since 1973, there has been a steady change in attitude
about consumer access to health information for all segments
of the population. The importance of this for librarians is that
there has been a corresponding increase in the availability and
North Carolina Libraries
quality of consumer health publications. Today consumer
health information publications, which include not only ma-
terial on medical conditions but also on related topics such as
diet, exercise, aging, health insurance, access to health care,
and complementary therapies, enjoy a large market share in
nonfiction publication.
In the late 1970s, changes in attitudes toward health care
slowly began to appear as official changes in institutions and
in the formation of organizations dedicated to consumer
health. In 1978, a group of consumer advocates, physicians,
educators, and business and cultural leaders joined forces to
form Planetree, an organization whose mission was to human-
ize the hospital experience as well as provide access to con-
sumer health information. (Planetree refers to a kind of Sy-
camore tree under which Hippocrates taught his medical
classes in ancient Greece.) The Planetree Health Resource Cen-
ter, a full-service consumer health library, opened in San Fran-
cisco in 1981. The Center even devised its own materials clas-
sification scheme for the cataloging and organization of con-
sumer health materials.* In 1982, Dr. Alan Rees published De-
veloping Consumer Health Information Services, the first of his
several books on the subject. Since then the number of con-
sumer health libraries increased dramatically. Now, the Con-
sumer Health and Patient Health Information Section
(CAPHIS) of the Medical Library Association lists 137 consumer
health libraries in its Consumer Health Library Directory
caphis.njc.org.
The increase in the number of consumer publications
corresponds to the change in consumer attitudes toward
health care. In the past, patients accepted, and indeed were
expected to accept, what they were told by physicians and
blindly follow prescribed treatments. Now more and more
patients are becoming savvy and particular. They want to know
as much as they can about their conditions, prognoses, treat-
ments, and options, as well as the cornerstones of wellness,
exercise, and nutrition. For these consumers, information and
understanding empower them to take control of the healing
process and to make healthy lifestyle choices. They are activ-
ists who know that knowledge gives them understanding as
well as the means to make sound decisions. They do not
merely succumb to disease, but consider it
their enemy and fight it any way they can.
To achieve this, accurate and in-depth medi-
cal information must be expressed in the
most accessible language possible.
The forces behind the publicTs change in
attitude towards health and the health care
system are complex. A significant and mea-
surable factor is managed care. Managed care
is a response to the double digit inflation in
medical care expenses seen in the 1980s. By
1997, 65% of Americans were enrolled in
managed care plans.° Managed care makes
health care more affordable and encourages
people to see their physicians more fre-
quently. But to make managed care eco-
nomical and to meet the demands placed on
the health system by it, the time physicians
have to see patients is stretched to the limit.
Physician-patient interaction time has an av-
erage range between 5 and 10 minutes.° It is
no wonder people leave office visits bewil-
dered. At the Coastal Consumer Health Li-
brary, approximately 25% of our patrons use
arisen, whether they are about diagnosis, terminology, medi-
cation, or tests, because office visits are so brief.
The growing realization that quality of life depends to a
large extent on good health is also a major factor. Good health
is no longer viewed as just the absence of disease. Proper nu-
trition and exercise, stress reduction, freedom from harmful
habits and addictions, interior and exterior environmental
health, and spiritual and emotional growth are now empha-
sized. Parents are concerned about the total health of their chil-
dren. Young adults and members of the baby boom generation
see health and fitness as vital to success in their careers and in
family life. People who have reached or who are planning for
the end of their careers know that retirement is more than just
not having to go to work anymore, but a time when dreams
of travel and accomplishments can be realized. Grandparents
want to be healthy so they can be a positive force in the lives
of their grandchildren. Baby boomers want to make sure they
make it to retirement while enjoying health and vitality along
the way. As librarians, we know that one of the major keys to
success in any endeavor is accurate and current information.
Nowhere is this more true than in matters of fighting disease
and maintaining health. Good information is truly the best
medicine!
In the year that the library has been open, I have enjoyed
immensely the challenge of providing medical reference to the
public. Becoming self-educated in an entirely new field of
knowledge has been a real pleasure and a humbling experience.
In conclusion, I would like to share with you some observations
I have made in the last several months of providing consumer
health information.
e There is a middle area between the general and often
too brief descriptions of medical conditions and health
concerns found in general consumer health sources
and the technical material prepared for health profes-
sionals. Most often, people want information that lies
within this middle area.
¢ Men donTt generally use the library. Women are avid
users for themselves, but they also do the research on
medical conditions for the men in their lives. Only
Interior of the Coastal Consumer Health Library, Wilmington, NC.
the library to answer questions that have
North Carolina Libraries
Fall 1999 " 111
25% of our library cards have been issued to men.
¢ Generally speaking, men use the library for them-
selves most often when they are confronted with
prostate cancer, or urological and gastrointestinal
problems.
e Consumers do not entirely trust the medical estab-
lishment. They are concerned about the quality of
doctors and hospitals and resent the often offhand and
even rude manner in which they are treated by medical
staff.
e Physicians often give the impression that the treat-
ment they prescribe is the only established one, when
in reality there may be several options or variations.
e Patrons often tell me about the importance of being
your own advocate in negotiating the maze of the
health care system. If you donTt take responsibility, no
one else will.
e Alternative therapies are popular because they offer
people the chance to control their own treatments
without the intervention of the medical establishment.
e Consumers seek medical information most often to
increase their knowledge of treatments and procedures
and to reduce fear and anxiety about their conditions.
This observation is drawn directly from our surveys.
e When confronted by potentially catastrophic health
problems, people very often convey a matter-of-fact
attitude and display a sense of humor about their
illness.
e When people cry or otherwise display emotion, it is
usually over the condition of a loved one rather than
their own.
e Some people seem to be shopping for an illness for
themselves. This might be hypochondria. These people
take their oconditions� very seriously and do not show
a sense of humor.
¢ People want us to give them advice. This is a great
danger, and we have to be very careful to phrase our
statements in such a way that what we are saying
Katherine Flake, a young patron, examines a heart model at the Coastal Consumer
Health Library, Wilmington, NC.
cannot be in any way considered advice.
e I never realized the extent of what can go wrong with
the body and mind. The names of certain diseases are
familiar to us all, but there are many, many more. For
example, The National Organization for Rare Disorders
has information on over 1,100 diseases in its database
and The National Cancer InstituteTs PDQ database lists
over 120 kinds of cancer.
e Medical information is usually very precise, but
sometimes there are important distinctions so it is
always best to consult several sources. For instance,
myelodysplasia means a kind of neural tube defect that
causes defective development of the spinal cord;
however, it also means a disorder of bone marrow that
can precede myelogenous leukemia.�
The following is a selective bibliography of consumer
health information reference sources and periodicals along
with a little bit of Internet advice.
Suggested Core Collection
*Asterisked Titles = First Choices
General Consumer
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Complete
Home Medical Guide. 3rd rev. ed. Crown, 1995.
*Consumer Health USA. Vol. 2. Oryx Press, 1997.
Everything You Need to Know About Diseases. Springhouse, 1996.
*Mayo Clinic Family Health Book. 2nd ed. Morrow, 1996. Merck
Manual of Medical Information, Home Edition. Merck, 1997.
*Professional Guide to Diseases. 6th ed. Springhouse, 1998.
0874349265.
General Professional
Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 20th ed. W. B. Saunders, 1996.
ConnTs Current Therapy. W. B. Saunders, 1999.
*Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment. 38th ed. Appleton &
Lange, 1999.
*HarrisonTs Principles of Internal Medicine. 14th ed. McGraw-Hill,
1997.
Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. 17th
ed. Merck Research Laboratories, 1999.
*PhysicianTs Guide to Rare Diseases. 2nd ed.
Dowden, 1995.
Pediatrics
American Medical Association Complete Guide
to Your ChildrenTs Health. Random House,
OOS
Dictionaries
DorlandTs Illustrated Medical Dictionary. 28th
ed. W. B. Saunders, 1994.
StedmanTs Medical Dictionary. 26th ed.
Williams & Wilkins, 1995.
*MosbyTs Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health
Dictionary. 5th ed. Mosby, 1997.
*TaberTs Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. 18th
ed. E. A. Davis, 1997.
*Dictionary of Medical Syndromes. 4th ed.
Lippincott-Raven, 1997.
Mental Health
Caring for the Mind. Bantam, 1996.
*Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
112 " Fall 1999
North Carolina Libraries
Disorders (DSM-IV). American Psychiatric Association, 1994.
*American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Your Child:
What Every Parent Needs to Know. Harper Collins, 1998.
Medical Tests
*Everything You Need to Know About Medical Tests. Springhouse,
1996.
The PatientTs Guide to Medical Tests. Facts on File, 1997.
MosbyTs Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests. Mosby, 1998.
Drugs
Complete Drug Reference. Consumer Reports, 1999.
Essential Guide to Prescription Drugs. Harper Collins, 1999.
*MosbyTs Over-the-Counter Medicine Cabinet Medications. Mosby
Lifeline, 1997.
*The PDR Family Guide to Prescription Drugs. 6th ed. Three
Rivers Press, 1998.
*PhysiciansT Desk Reference. 53rd ed. Medical Economics, 1999.
Surgery
Current Surgical Diagnosis and Treatment. Appleton & Lange,
19977
*The Surgery Book: An Illustrated Guide to 73 of the Most
Common Operations, St. MartinTs Griffin, 1997.
Anatomy
GrayTs Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Medicine and Surgery,
38th ed. Churchill-Livingstone, 1995.
*The Human Body: An Illustrated Guide to its Structure, Function,
and Disorders. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
Nutrition
The American Dietetic AssociationTs Complete Food & Nutrition
Guide. Chronimed, 1996.
*Bowes & ChurchTs Food Values of Portions Commonly Used. 17th
ed. Lippincott, 1998.
*Nutrition Almanac. 4th ed. McGraw-Hill, 1996.
Nutrition Bible: A Comprehensive, No-Nonsense Guide to Foods,
Nutrients, Additives, Preservatives, Pollutants.William Morrow,
1995;
Alternative/Complementary Medicine
The Medical Advisor: The Complete Guide to Alternative & Conven-
tional Treatments. Time-Life, 1997.
Dentistry
*Columbia University School of Dentistry and Oral SurgeryTs Guide
to Family Dental Care. W. W. Norton, 1997.
Oral Health Sourcebook: Basic Information About Diseases and
Conditions Affecting Oral Health (Health Reference Series, v.
30). Omnigraphics, 1998.
Periodicals
Indexing Codes:
HRC = Health Reference Center (Information Access)
HSP= Health Source Plus (EBSCO)
FT = Full Text
Child Health Alert HRC FT 1/95- HSP 1/92-
Consumer Reports on Health HRC 1/95- HSP 1/92-
FDA Consumer HRC FT 1/95- HSP ET 1/90-
Harvard Health Letter HRC FT 1/95- HSP FT 10/90-
Harvard MenTs Health Watch
Harvard Mental Health Letter HRC FT 1/95- HSP FT 1/94-
Harvard WomenTs Health Watch HSP FT 1/94-
Johns Hopkins Medical Letter: Health After 50
Mayo Clinic Health Letter HRC 1/95- HSP 1/92-
North Carolina Libraries
National WomenTs Health Report
Nutrition Action Health Letter HRC FT 1/95- HSP FT 1/94-
University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter HRC 1/95-
HSP 1/92-
Internet
Finding quality information on the Internet is always a challenge
for reference librarians, but because of its sensitive nature, medi-
cal information is a matter of special concern. ITm going to keep
it simple. All you really need to do is bookmark The National
Library of MedicineTs MEDLINEplus www.nlm.nih.gov/med
lineplus/. This site is an excellent new service of NLM and pro-
vides most of what you will ever need.
If you want to go further, Digital Librarian: A LibrarianTs
Choice of the Best of the Web " Health & Medicine www.setrv
tech.com/~mvail/health.html is an extensive and frequently
updated listing of Internet health and medicine sites and of the
sites of medical organizations and associations. The only draw-
back is that it is an alphabetical listing with no subject access,
so if you are under pressure at the reference desk, you will need
to stay calm and take your time.
The Coastal Consumer Health Library has a Web site, too,
which can be accessed from New Hanover Regional Medical
CenterTs site www.nhrmc.org. Choose oCoastal Consumer
Health Library.� The first page is brochure information, but at
the bottom is a section titled oInternet Links to Consumer
Health Sources.� Find the link consumer medical and health
information, which will take you to my own collection of sites,
as well as to the websites of other consumer health informa-
tion libraries that provide their own sets of links. Help"The
Health Education Library for People www.healthlibrary.com/
from Bombay, India, is my favorite.
Reference Assistance
Please feel free to call the Coastal Consumer Health Library at
1-800-759-7870, if you would like reference help.
References
1 Quotation provided by Donna Flake, director of the
Coastal AHEC Library, who has received permission for use
from Dr. DeBakey.
2 Alan M. Rees, ed., The Consumer Health Information Source
Book, 5th ed. (Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1998), 1.
3 Boston WomenTs Health Book Collective, The New Our
Bodies Ourselves: A Book by and for Women (New York: Simon &
Schuster, 1998), 8-9; Christiane Northrup, WomenTs Bodies,
WomenTs Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and
Healing, rev. and updated (New York: Bantam Books, 1998), 3-
7; and Michelle A. Spatz, Planning and Managing the Consumer
Health Library: Medical Library Association, CE 201, May 22, 1998
(Material from a continuing education course given at the
Medical Library Association Annual Conference, Philadelphia,
PA), 6-7.
4 Planetree Health Resource Center Information and Policy
Manual (San Francisco: The Planetree Health Resource Center,
1989), 1.
° Charles B. Inlander, The Savvy Medical Consumer (Allen-
town, PA: PeopleTs Medical Society, 1997), 85.
6 Barbara M. Korsch and Caroline Harding, The Intelligent
PatientTs Guide to the Doctor-Patient Relationship: Learning to Talk
So Your Doctor Will Listen (New York: Oxford University Press,
1997), 269-271.
� DorlandTs Illustrated Medical Dictionary (Philadelphia: W.B.
Saunders, 1994), 1089.
Fall 1999 " 113
Measuring the Sight of Your Web Site
hen the Internet was pri-
marily text-based (remem-
ber Gopher and Lynx?), elec-
tronic readers could follow the
text easily. The World Wide
Web, however, makes heavy use
of graphics, and the visually im-
paired have been unable to take full ad-
vantage of the wealth of information
stored electronically.
According to a policy ruling on Sep-
tember 9, 1996,! the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility re-
quirements apply to Internet Web pages.
Specifically addressing the needs of the
visually impaired, the policy identifies a
text format alternative for screen readers.
Because of this legislation, Web accessi-
bility issues are now being faced by edu-
cational institutions and libraries. A re-
cent article in the NASSP Bulletin dis-
cussed the concerns of school systems
that must meet the needs of the visually
impaired to use Internet information for
electronic reference, e-mail, and research
projects. For some schools and their stu-
dents, the first step is gaining access to
the necessary adaptive technologies.�
Classification of Visual
Impairment
There are two categories of visual impair-
ment: partial blindness and total blind-
ness. Those who are partially blind may
use computer systems by means of
screen magnification devices, and spe-
cial software that displays the screen text
in extra large fonts; however, a screen
magnifier enlarges only a portion of the
screen at a time.
For the totally blind, two devices are
114 " Fall 1999
by Diane Kester
available. The first is a speech synthe-
sizer that reads the screen aloud; how-
ever, it can usually read only printed
text, not graphic images. A second de-
vice turns lines of text on the screen into
Braille. A blind patron uses arrow keys or
special keys on a keyboard to scan the
screen. In order to browse on the Web,
a visually impaired person can use a
standard browser equipped with a screen
reader or use a special browser. Either
way, a blind user encounters a frag-
mented document, complex and diffi-
cult to understand.
Awareness
For four years I have been teaching dis-
tance learning classes on the Internet. I
design and create pages for the courses
and have been conscious of the difficul-
ties my students experience when ac-
cessing Web pages. I recently became
interested in Web accessibility to the vi-
sually impaired through an online
course produced by Equal Access to Soft-
ware and Information (EASI). The online
workshop was a collaborative effort be-
tween Dr. Norman Coombs and Richard
Banks. Dr. Coombs, chairman of EASI, is
a Rochester Institute of Technology his-
tory professor who is visually impaired.
Richard Banks is a visually impaired
adaptive technologist with the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin-StoutTs library who
also serves as moderator for EASITs
AXSLIB1 (the leading Internet discussion
list on library and adaptive technology
for persons with disabilities). EASI is a
support group affiliated with the Ameri-
can Association for Higher Education
and offers online workshops to help oth-
ers become sensitized to the needs of the
visually handicapped. Students taking
these courses soon realize that Dr.
Coombs, himself, is blind. During the
workshop, participants turn off the
graphic display on web pages and try to
navigate without using the mouse. Par-
ticipants are always surprised at the dif-
ficulties faced by the visually handi-
capped.?
Problem Areas in Web Page
Design
In DOS-based Internet programs, screen
readers and voice synthesizers encoun-
tered few problems. In a Windows envi-
ronment, however, graphics may be a
blessing to the computer novice but they
are a curse to the visually impaired. The
first challenge faced by the visually im-
paired who attempt to use the Internet
is the browser. Icons on the task bar and
pull-down menus make the browser soft-
ware difficult to use. Graphics can be
one of the most troublesome elements
on a Web page. Other problematic areas
include frames, interactive forms, tables,
and video.* Colorful or graphical back-
grounds just add clutter to a screen
reader.
In a feature article about a blind
computer consultant, Stroh reported
that the voice synthesizer software that
reads the computer screen may stumble
when it encounters elaborate designs of
Web pages. oFrames, tables or columns
can render a screen reader speechless.�*
Another problem is graphic images with-
out descriptive text. All the reader says
is ographic.�
Does this mean that Web pages
North Carolina Libraries
must be plain text on a white back-
ground? To address these concerns, the
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
formed the Web Accessibility Initiative
(WAD.
WAI
The mission statement of the Web Acces-
sibility Initiative (WAI) is as follows:
The W3CTs commitment to lead
the Web to its full potential
includes promoting a high
degree of usability for people
with disabilities. The Web
Accessibility Initiative (WAI), in
coordination with organizations
around the world, is pursuing
accessibility of the Web through
five primary areas of work:
technology, guidelines, tools,
education & outreach, and
research & development.®
The W3CTs commitment to lead the Web
to its full potential includes promoting
a high degree of usability for people with
disabilities. For example, they have
worked with other organizations and
recently published guidelines for con-
tent development and page authors. On
May 5, 1999, the World Wide Web Con-
sortium announced the release of oWeb
Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.,�
which provides Web content developers
with techniques to make their pages
more accessible to people with disabili-
ties.7 Not only will these guidelines be
helpful to people using a voice browser
or mobile phone, but they will also en-
hance the success of search engines.
The 16 guidelines are
1. Provide text equivalents for visual
information (images, applets, and
image maps).
2. Provide descriptions of important
visual information.
3. Provide text equivalents for audio
information.
4. DonTt rely on color alone.
5. Use markup and style sheets
properly.
6. Supplement markup to aid interpre-
tation of text.
7. Create tables that transform
gracefully.
8. Ensure that pages featuring new
technologies transform gracefully
(no frames, alternative presentation).
9. Ensure user control of time-sensitive
content changes. [AuthorTs note:
Ensure that moving, blinking,
scrolling, or auto-updating objects
or pages may be paused or stopped.]
North Carolina Libraries
10. Ensure direct accessibility of em-
bedded user interfaces.
11. Design for device-independence
(not pointer dependent). [AuthorTs
note: Provide for the user to interact
with a preferred input (or output)
device " mouse, keyboard, voice,
head wand, or other. If, for example,
a form control can only be activated
with a mouse or other pointing de-
vice, the person who is using the page
without sight, with voice input, or
with a keyboard, or who is using
some other non-pointing input
device, will not be able to use the
form.]
12. Consider interim solutions.
13. Use W3C technologies and guidelines.
14. Supply context and orientation
information. [Author's note:
Grouping elements and providing
contextual information about the
relationships between elements can
be useful for all users. Complex
relationships between parts of a
page may be difficult to interpret for
people with cognitive or visual
disabilities.]
15. Design clear navigation structures.
Offer a site map or table of contents.
16. Design for consistency and simplicity.
To allow developers to use the
guidelines easily, there is a checklist of
checkpoints for Web content accessibil-
ity. The full checklist may be found on
the Web at http://www.w3.org/TR/
1999/WAI-WEBCONTENT-19990505/
full-checklist.html. Each checkpoint
has a priority level based on the
checkpointTs impact on accessibility. Pri-
ority 1 is assigned to those that must sat-
isfy the checkpoint, priority 2 to those
that should, and priority 3 to check-
points that a Web content developer
may address to improve access.
Space does not permit the inclusion
of the complete checklist; however, pri-
ority 1 level provides minimum accessi-
bility to library patrons. The first reads
oProvide a text equivalent for every non-
text element (e.g., via oalt,� olongdesc,�
or in element content). This includes:
images, graphical representations of text
(including symbols), image map regions,
animations (e.g., animated GIFs), applets
and programmatic objects, ascii art,
frames, scripts, images used as list bul-
lets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds
(played with or without user interac-
tion), stand-alone audio files, audio track
of video, and video.�® Other areas ad-
dress the use of images and image maps,
tables, frames, applets and scripts, and
multimedia. Under the oAnd if all else
fails� category is oIf, after best efforts, you
cannot create an accessible page, provide
a link to an alternative page that uses
W3C technologies, is accessible, has
equivalent information (or functional-
ity), and is updated as often as the inac-
cessible (original) page.�?
Other organizations have suggested
the following practices to enhance acces-
sibility.
e Place a link label oD� at the very
beginning of any Web page. The
link is a description of the page,
including of any graphics and
buttons and the size of tables.
e Provide navigation tools and orien-
tation information in the pages.
¢ Separate the content from the
structure of the page as it is being
developed.
e Provide equivalent information for
documents. PDF is difficult for a
screen reader; provide alternatives.
e Test your Web pages without using
a mouse to give a sense of what a
blind person will encounter.
e Place the most important links at
the top of the page. This helps the
reader determine the most impor-
tant parts of the Web presence.
NCAM
A project announced in 1996 by the
CPB/WGBH National Center for Acces-
sible Media (NCAM) is also working to
make Web pages more accessible to us-
ers with disabilities. The Web Access
Project researches, develops, and tests
methods of integrating access technolo-
gies (such as captioning and audio de-
scription) and new Web tools into a
World Wide Web site, to make it fully
accessible to blind or deaf Internet users.
In 1997, the project focused its efforts
on Public Broadcasting Web sites. They
are working with Microsoft, the World
Wide Web ConsortiumTs Web Accessi-
bility Initiative (W3C/WAI), and
QuickTime to develop methods for mak-
ing video clips accessible. Captioned
audio files can provide access for the
hearing impaired.
NCAM uses a D link at the very be-
ginning of the page to describe the page
and graphics. A sample from the WGBH
Web page D link to the Image Descrip-
tion reads:
Five selectable images stretch
across the top of the page. From
left to right, they read: ~TV,T
~Radio,T ~Web,T ~Learn,T and
~Events.T Below is the WGBH
Fall 1999 " 119
logo, followed by the words,
~Public Broadcasting from
Boston. Check out our local
schedules, the PBS and public
radio programs and Web sites we
produce, our educational services
and our media access solutions
for people with disabilities.T
Return
Image Description:
Web Access Symbol. A globe,
marked with a grid, tilts at an
angle. A keyhole is cut into its
surface. Return!?
Web Access Symbol used by NCAM 1?!
Devices and Industry Efforts
Information technology companies rec-
ognize the different needs of special
populations and seek to improve the
marketerTs understanding of end-user
concerns by attending conferences.
Among those companies is Microsoft,
which has an accessibility and disabili-
ties group. It uses the Internet for mar-
keting and provides text-only format
http://www.microsoft.com/enable es-
pecially for the visually impaired.'? A re-
cent announcement in American Librar-
ies describes the IBM Home Page Reader
as oa spoken on-ramp to the Informa-
tion Highway.�!° The software com-
bines a speech synthesizer with Netscape
Navigator to convey the information on
the computer screen. Other companies
are developing software/modem combi-
nations that enable hearing impaired us-
ers to convert their computer into a Tele-
communications Device for the Deaf
system.!4
Evaluation of Web Pages for
Accessibility
The Web contains many resources about
accessibility. As the Center for Applied
Special Technology (CAST) states: oover
the last several years, CAST has under-
gone a major shift in its approach: CAST
now believes that the most effective
strategy for expanding opportunities for
individuals with disabilities is through
universal design for learning. The phrase
~universal designT refers to the creation
of computer software and learning mod-
els that are useable by everyone, includ-
ing individuals of all ages, whether they
are gifted, are typical learners, or have
specials needs.� http://www.cast.org/
116 " Fall 1999
about/mission.html (August 19, 1999)
Founded in 1984, CAST is a not-for-
profit organization whose mission is to
expand opportunities for people with
disabilities through innovative uses of
computer technology. CAST offers a
browser tool called Bobby http://
www.cast.org/bobby/. Bobby is a Web-
based public service that analyzes Web
pages for their accessibility to people
with disabilities. The analysis of accessi-
bility is based on the W3CTs WAI Page
Author Guidelines.
To become Bobby approved, a Web
site must
e provide text equivalents for all non-
text elements (i.e., images, anima-
tions, audio, video)
¢ provide summaries of graphs and
charts
e ensure that all information con-
veyed with color is also available
without color
e clearly identify changes in the
natural language of a document's
text and any text equivalents (e.g.,
captions) of non-text content
° organize content logically and
clearly
e provide alternative content for
features (e.g., applets or plug-ins)
that may not be supported
oBobby also analyzes Web pages for com-
patibility with various browsers. Analy-
sis is based on documentation from
browser vendors when available. Bobby
automatically checks sites for compat-
ibility with HTML 4.0. For accessibility
and tag compatibility with browser
specifications other than HTML 4.0, use
the Advanced Options.�?» If all of the
pages on your Web site receive a Bobby
Approved rating, you are entitled to use
one of the Bobby Approved icons. Just
make sure that the icon contains the al-
ternative text description oBobby Ap-
proved� and that it is a link to the URL
http://www.cast.org/bobby. You may
download the Bobby Approved image
you wish to use from their Web page and
place it on your own server.
CAST goes on to suggest the following:
1. Review the Bobby FAQ page. Some
aspects of accessible Web page
design cannot be tested automati-
cally by Bobby yet are still important.
2. Read the document from the W3CTs
WAI Page Authoring working group.
3. Request feedback from visitors to
your Web site.
4. Retest Web pages frequently with
updated versions of Bobby.
Evaluation of Web Pages of
North Carolina Libraries
Some library Web sites were selected to
be evaluated for accessibility by the
Bobby program. The first library page
checked belonged to the State Library of
North Carolina. It passed the accessibil-
ity test easily. oCongratulations! This
web page contains no accessibility errors
that Bobby can detect. There are, how-
ever, some checkpoints that an auto-
matic program like Bobby cannot exam-
ine.� The program then identifies items
for a manual check on the Priority 2 and
Priority 3 levels of the W3C guidelines.
In a check of the home pages for 48
North Carolina public libraries listed on
the Web site http://www.publiclibraries.
com/ncarol.htm, I found that only 10
(21%) were oBobby approved�; 28 (S9%)
were onot yet� meeting the require-
ments for Bobby approval status. Three
links were dead ends. It must be noted
that only the home page was submitted
for evaluation. Not only does the pro-
gram check the Web page for access to
the visually impaired, but it also checks
for browser compatibility. These checks
were performed between May 19 and
June 10, 1999. For a list of the results,
visit URL http://www.nclaonline.org/
Libraries have been proud of their
service and policy of equal access to all
users. It now becomes a challenge to keep
online and Internet resources equally
available to all users, including those who
are visually impaired.
North Carolina Libraries
bobby.
The list of North Carolina commu-
nity colleges on the Web was longer, and
a random sampling of eight library sites
yielded a slightly higher Bobby approval
rate of 37%. One library home page pro-
vides a text or graphics option on the
first page, making it easily accessible
with a screen reader.
If you would like to see the com-
plete evaluation results along with the
browser compatibility errors, submit
your URL to http://www.cast.org/
bobby. Libraries have been proud of
their service and policy of equal access to
all users. It now becomes a challenge to
keep online and Internet resources
equally available to all users, including
those who are visually impaired. As Tim
Berners-Lee, W3C director and inventor
of the World Wide Web, said, oThe
power of the Web is in its universality.
Access by everyone regardless of disabil-
ity is an essential aspect.�!®
Resources: Additional Web
References For Further Information
ScotterTs Resources. For The Visually Dis-
abled. Beyond sight, 1978-1996. http://
www.community.net/~byndsght
(newsgroups, listserves, Web pages)
References on Web Accessibility http://
www.w3.org
LE AD
North Carolina Libraries
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
http://www.w3.org
Web Accessibility Interactive (WAI)
http://www.w3.org/WAI
WebABLE http://www.yuri.org/webable
References
1 Cynthia D. Wadell, oApplying the
ADA to the Internet: A web accessibility
standard,� http://www.rit.edu/~easi/
law/weblaw1.htm (December 2, 1998).
2 Shannon R. Heinrich, oVisually im-
paired students can use the Internet,�
NASSP Bulletin, 83(607) (May 1999): 26.
3 EASI Equal Access to Software and
Information, http://www.rit.edu/~easi
(September 10, 1999).
4 Hailey Lynne McKeefry, oWebTs
double-edged sword: Accessibility vs.
complexity,� Computer Reseller News,
(October 5, 1998): 140.
5 Michael Stroh, oDisabled deter-
mined to make the Web theirs,� News
and Observer, Raleigh, NC. (September
30, 1998): E7.
© Web Accessibility Interactive (WAI),
http://www.w3.org/WAI/ (June 10,
1999).
7 World Wide Web Consortium,
http://www.w3.org/1999/05/WCAG-
RECPressRelease (May 5, 1999).
8 WSC, oChecklist of Checkpoints for
G RA=T ED
EN ROR MOA TO
ARC I = saerounentemenemnmemnnes
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
1.0,� http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/
WAI-WEBCONTENT-19990505/check-
point-list.html, June 11, 1999).
° W3C, oChecklist of Checkpoints for
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
1.0,� http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/
WAI-WEBCONTENT-19990505/full-
checklist.html, June 11, 1999).
10 WGBH Public Broadcasting from
Boston http://www.wgbh.org/wgbh/
(June 11, 1999)
0 The CPB/WGBH National Center
for Accessible Media (NCAM) http://
www.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/ncam/
June 11, 1999).
12 Michelle Wirth Fellman, oSelling IT
goods to disabled end-users,� Marketing
News, 33(6) (March 15, 1999): 17.
13 David Dorman, oA browser that
talks,� American Libraries, 30(5) (May
1999) e102)
M4 James M. Connolly and Amy
Malloy, oHelping hands: A sampling of
technologies for the disabled,�
Computerworld, 32(7) (February 16,
1988): 72-73.
1S W3C, Bobby http://www.cast.org/
bobby (June 11, 1999).
16 Web Accessibility Interactive (WAI),
http://www.w3.org/WAI/ ( March 20,
1999).
AN A.G.E oM*E NET
SE NA A PEPE AI
Fall 1999 " 117
Library Security =
Eyes Wide Open
by John Zika
our eyes open is the key to meeting our con-
stant challenges with security, general safety, and well-
being in our places of employment. Regardless of what type of
library we are in " special, academic, public, or school " we
are well served by keeping a high level of awareness of what is
going on around us.
One of my favorite oawareness is important� incidents: I
had worked all one Saturday afternoon registering voters for
the 1992 election. The library closed; I was the last one in the
building. I decided to check the bathrooms one last time be-
fore leaving. Lo and behold, there was an arm slightly visible
under the bathroom stall in the menTs room. A startling discov-
ery " and rather unnerving. A man had fallen off the com-
mode and was passed out on the floor. The individual had been
overlooked by a co-worker who had left before me, in a hurry
to get on with the weekend. I was tempted to help the man im-
mediately. It seemed like overkill to call the police, much less
911. But the 911 option won out in my mind, and call I did.
The police who arrived helped the gentleman (he was inebri-
ated) and told me that I had done the right thing in calling 911.
They said that if I had tried to help the man, and he had been
injured in the process, the library and I may have been liable.
It was the olast look around� which led to the situation being
handled, rather than the man waking up several hours later in
a dark restroom, inside a locked building.
After other incidents when we have needed to call 911, I
realized that the public should know that in an emergency they
can also call 911. In our building, however, a phone call re-
quires dialing an outside line. Can you imagine an emergency
in which a library patron is trying to dial 911, and cannot fig-
ure out how to get an outside line? A simple sign letting them
know how can be a lifesaver.
Certain situations seem so innocent, and actually are ac-
cidents waiting to happen. Children sitting in a library are a
welcome sight, but if they are unaccompanied by an adult, it
could mean they are being dropped off and left unattended for
hours at a time. This scenario occurred in a library where I
worked, and led to the formation of a oSafe Child Policy.� The
policy stated what was and was not considered appropriate be-
havior on the part of children in the library, as well as stating
our policy about parents leaving their children in the library.
Having our eyes wide open also should include the real-
: ae my perspective as a public library director, keeping
118 " Fall 1999
ization that the law enforcement community is a tremendous
resource in dealing with safety and security. Taking some time
to meet the resource officer at your school, the campus police,
or the community police officers in the neighborhood can be
time extremely well spent. Personnel in law enforcement can
offer mini-courses in personal safety, and help us to fine-tune
our awareness of what to do in situations involving security. I
have found the local juvenile justice personnel and the law
enforcement community to be very supportive educational
resources in dealing with adolescent and adult problem patrons
in the public library.
A little prevention can stave off a situation that might
become a nightmare. Awareness of the library environment is
a baseline requirement of our jobs.
Several years ago, a visitor to the library slipped on a
puddle of water that was left when a maintenance worker re-
paired a leaky drinking fountain. The repair was made, but the
puddle was not cleaned up. An oeyes wide open� approach to
the repair could have prevented the accident. As it was, the ac-
cident resulted in an out-of-court settlement.
Consider these threats:
1) A small puddle of water left in the lobby can result in
a big lawsuit.
2) A too-tall shrub can be a hiding place for a would-be
assailant.
3) Drop (extension) cords and /or space heaters used
anywhere in the building can trip people or cause fires.
These are loaded weapons that can backfire in a library,
wasting valuable time and causing needless hardship for librar-
ians who would rather be giving good public service than deal-
ing with lawsuits, injuries, irate customers, and damage to their
facilities.
We can look the other way when problems exist, but they
- rarely go away. In the matter of library security and safety, we
should engage in proactive troubleshooting to insure that em-
ployees and visitors to our libraries will be safe and secure.
EYES WIDE SHUT? This might work well as a movie title,
but in the realm of library security, we need to have EYES WIDE
OPEN. Over the course of about 15 years in the library profes-
sion, I have found that keeping the library safe depends on staff
keeping their eyes open to what is going on in and around our
facilities.
North Carolina Libraries
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and equipment to the front lines...
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) oTHE SHERMAN TANK�
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¢ Built like a tank to carry extra heavy
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e Extra-wide shelf apron for solid support.
¢ Holds up to 165 lbs. per shelf,
evenly distributed.
e 5°H, all-swivel casters (two locking).
e Attractive, durable Almond epoxy
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e Available with flat or sloping shelves.
e Call Michelle today at extension 4330
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sn sii}
North Carolina Libraries Fall 1999 " 119
SY ca edéliou
Editor's Note: North Carolina Libraries presents this feature in recognition of the increase in excellent unsolicited manuscripts that merit
publication, but are not necessarily related to each issue's specific theme.
NC LIVE @ home:
Throwing Open the Doors to Information
by Greg Rideout
EditorTs note: Users of public and academic libraries in North Carolina have benefited greatly from the addition of
NC LIVE (North Carolina Libraries for Virtual Education). North Carolina library patrons will soon gain greater acces-
sibility to these resources through the creation of NC LIVE @ home. Using a library-supplied password, patrons will be
able to dial into NC LIVE from a home computer via the Internet. Here one library user ponders the possibilities.
me. North CarolinaTs libraries are about to open a major
branch library on my desk at home. NC LIVE and its myriad
resources will soon travel over the phone lines and into my com-
puter. I canTt wait to have remote access and hereTs why.
I always wished I had a bigger library. As a kid, I remember
going to the library in Havelock and wanting more " more
books, more newspapers, and, in my case, more atlases.
It wasnTt until I went to college in Greenville that I found a
library big enough. There were times ITd stay in Joyner Library
all day, ignoring my classwork and wandering through the stacks,
amazed at the unbelievable variety of books. Other times, ITd sit
for hours in the periodicals room, reading whatever seemed in-
teresting.
With the Readers Guide to Periodical Literature, | could find
anything I wanted. And with a little help from a reference librar-
ian, I could find things I didnTt even know I wanted.
Now, I like my county library. I know it has one of the larger
collections in the state, but it canTt have everything.
Or can it? With NC LIVE @ home, it comes awfully close.
My Wake County Library card (member since 1993) powers up
more plastic magic than ever before. Now ITve got more " more
than the tens of thousands of books and more than the racks of
magazines and newspapers waiting for me to drop in and peruse.
My sneak preview of remote access to NC LIVE revealed to
me what other library users will soon realize: North Carolina has
thrown open the doors to information in an invigorating fash-
ion. Remote access to NC LIVE allows libraries to do what librar-
ies do best: order and organize information and make it avail-
able to the public.
I like the Internet, but finding anything of value on it can
be frustrating. The Internet may have the same information as
NC LIVE, but it doesnTt even attempt to organize it. ItTs like shov-
ing the holdings of the Library of Congress into a giant Yatzhee
shaker, scrambling them up and dropping them out on the floor.
Try finding the book you want in that mess. Soon, all of us can
click through all the clutter and on to the NC LIVE Web site, type
in a password and go exploring.
Librarians know what's on the site. But, perhaps what you
donTt know is how easy it is to use for an average library patron
like me. Facts, financial records, and soon-to-be-published books
| Es believe whatTs waiting around the electronic corner for
120 " Fall 1999
are only a quick search away. Indexed journals, health informa-
tion, and archived newspaper stories can be found fast and effi-
ciently.
I did a search on global trade issues using a variety of the
tools available through NC LIVE. I did the same search on the
Internet. The difference may not amaze a trained librarian, but
it certainly startled me. The junk that came up with my Internet
search included personal websites and other global garbage that
hurt more than it helped. The remote access search on NC LIVE
netted usable research nuggets I could use.
Some of those nuggets mean more research at the library.
But thatTs exactly the point. Remote access isnTt a destination; itTs
a midpoint. If ITm in Chocowinity or Cherokee, I can go on-line,
do preliminary research, and then decide if this is all I need. Do
I need to go to the next level? Do I need help from a librarian to
sort it all out? Do I need help from a librarian to find and read
indexed articles ITve found through my search? Sometimes the
answer will be yes; sometimes it will be no.
Remote access also will have what I believe will be an ener-
gizing effect on libraries. Like a trout fisherman with the right
fly, remote access to NC LIVE will lure new users into the library
and re-establish ties with lapsed patrons. I donTt believe remote
access users will just return to the library every six months, sneak
in, grab a password, and sneak out. ThatTs illogical.
My guess is theyTIl stay awhile, check out the latest bestseller,
or read an out-of-town paper. Remote access will bring them in,
not keep them out.
Libraries, like schools, fuel democracies. They are egalitar-
ian. They bring resources that only the wealthy can dream of and
place them at the feet of each and every citizen. Benjamin
Franklin understood that information was the milk of our Repub-
lic, helping us grow and making us strong. To him, too much in-
formation was an oxymoron. It just couldnTt be.
Were the penny-saving kite-flyer matching wits with us to-
day, ITm sure heTd immediately grasp the revolutionary nature
of remote access to the state and nationTs information resources.
HeTd say more is always better.
Library patrons like me will agree. I canTt wait to have more
than the sneak preview. I canTt wait for the feature-length cut.
Remote access to NC LIVE puts North Carolina on the leading
edge of tomorrowTs library. Just where we should be.
North Carolina Libraries
by Ralph Lee Scott
FEMA and NHC Web Sites
he Federal Emergency Management Agency Web site
www.fema.gov is a good place to get basic news about
assistance regarding disasters or emergencies in your area.
The FEMA site is in a frames format that provides navigation bars
in the left side margin. These bars consist of the following top-
ics: About FEMA, News, Maps, Project Impact, FEMA for Kids,
Y2K issues, Tropical Storm Watch, Disaster Assistance, (U.S.) Fire
Administration, Mitigation, Preparedness, Flood Insurance, Job
Opportunities, Info for Business, and Regional Offices. The main
frame has links to current news stories. For example, an early
August page has information on August Nevada Wildfires, Tropi-
cal Storm Outlook, East Drought Conditions, a FEMA grant to
Puerto Rico, and current news on the Emergency Information In-
frastructure Partnership (EIIP). The current picture gallery has
photographs from the Iowa Floods and an illustration Safe Room
Construction gallery.
Clicking on the oRegional Offices� link takes you to a FEMA
interactive map where you can link to the Atlanta (Southeastern)
Regional IV home page. Here the same frame navigation system
covers: About FEMA (including a message from and a picture of
FEMA Director James Lee Witt), Project Impact, News, Confer-
ence, Winter Storm Update Center, Mitigation, Regional Offices,
and Tribal Policy. These links appear to loop back to the main
FEMA server. In the right frame are links to About Region IV,
What's New in Region IV, Region IV News Desk, Region IV Part-
ners (state directors), Project Impact in Region IV, and the Chemi-
cal Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP). The lat-
ter is a map with locations of chemical weapon stockpiles in the
United States. Also on this page are a message from the Region
IV Director, John B. Copenhaver; directions to the Region IV
Office; details of Region IV organization; and hyperlinks to Re-
gion IV State Emergency Management Agencies (including the
North Carolina State Emergency Management Agency:
www.dem.dcc.state.nc.us).
The National Hurricane Center/Tropical Prediction Center
www.nhc.noaa.gov serves as a current database of historical
tropical cyclone information as well as a real-time source of cur-
rent official weather observations, forecasts, and warnings con-
cerning active cyclones (worldwide). Also constructed in frames
format, the NHC/TPC site contains the most comprehensive ar-
ray of tropical cyclone information available. Left hand naviga-
tion bars are divided into five broad categories: Current Season;
Historical Data; General Info (FAQ, Awareness, Saffir-Simpson
Scale, Forecast Models, Inland Wind Model, Glossary); Storm
Names; and Links About NHC/TPC.
This site also has a navigation bar across the top of the page
with hyperlinks to oOther NHC/TPC Products.� These links go
to Active Cyclones, Forecasts, Imagery, About TPC, and Recon-
naissance. The Tropical Cyclone Products Page (called Active
North Carolina Libraries
Cyclones in the top bar) is arranged by broad geographic areas
(Atlantic and East/West Pacific). In each area you will find posted
advisories, graphics, tropical outlook (what you hear most often
in the news media as a press release), and tropical discussion
(meteorological analysis of current conditions). The Forecasts
link provides access to marine forecasts, aviation products, sat-
ellite products and discussion, tropical analyses/graphics, and the
sea temperature analyses. Most of these links, while attractive
and interesting, are of prime use to meteorologists.
The imagery page contains links to current weather satellite
graphic images (GEOS 8 -Atlantic and GEOS 10 -Pacific). For each
satellite you get the current real time images for visible light, in-
frared light, and water vapor. In addition, a composite page pro-
vides full disk images from both orbiting satellites. The water
vapor link is perhaps the most useful. The oAbout TPC� page
gives links to more detailed information on the Center and its
branches. Other useful links are Personnel, NOAA locator, and
WhatTs New (with this Web site). Other links go to educational
sources such as FAQ, NOAA Educational Brochures, and general
information sources such as Storm Names, Glossary, and Histori-
cal Information. On this link you will find a downloadable Hur-
ricane Tracking Chart. The Reconnaissance link at the top of the
NHC/TPC page contains information about the 53rd USAF
Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (AKA Hurricane Hunters)
located at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. Here you
will find its daily flight schedule, oroutine� reports of hurricane
data, current observations from airborne aircraft, oVortex� mes-
sages, Dropsonde reports (weather balloons), a data archive of
previous flights, and a link to the oHurricane Hunters� home
page. The Hurricane Hunters home page includes neat stuff such
as a cyberflight into the eye of a hurricane, kid stuff, photo gal-
lery, history and aircraft, and a homework oSteering Winds�
page. This is a really interesting site and I urge you to visit it.
During times of active cyclones the NHC/TPC site gets a lot
of traffic. Additional links are available through the oAlternate
Cyclone Forecast Sites.� My favorites are the University of Ha-
waii Storm Page lumahai.soest.hawaii.edu or www.solar.ifa.
hawaii.edu or www.hawaii.edu/News/storm.tracks.html and
the Ohio State Tropical Weather Page asp1.sbs.ohio-state.edu.
A good commercial news hurricane site for east coast storms is
the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, newspaper, the Sun Sentinel Hurri-
cane Central page www.sun-sentinel.com/storm. Also of inter-
est is the Amateur Radio Hurricane WatchNet www.hwn.org,
an interesting mirror site that becomes much busier during ac-
tive storms when hams are sending in live reports. Hopefully
your library will not be visited by many storms this season, but
the above sites will prove useful to patrons needing information
about current and past disasters from a national and worldwide
perspective.
Fall 1999 " 121
compiled by Plummer Alston Jones, Jr.
*Lagniappe (lan-yapT, lanT yapT) n. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. [Louisiana French]
Honoring a Friendship:
The Blake-Stoudemire African American Collection,
LincolntonTs Jonas Branch Library
by Thomas Kevin B. Cherry
in February,� Lesley Levine, Head of LincolntonTs
Jonas Branch of the Gaston-Lincoln Regional Li-
brary laughed, oBut we had a crowd. Everyone had
a wonderful time. We didnTt have much of a program, though.
Basically people looked at the books and mingled.�
And those at that reception that could, surely remembered.
They remembered two little boys, Alan Stoudemire and Boyce
Blake, one White and one Black, who grew up on neighboring
farms in the 1950s. Playing in the creek and on improvised
ballfields, they were the best of friends. And although the world
they lived in didnTt promote interracial friendships, theirs sur-
vived.
It survived inequities that even a child could see: a pool
closed to Boyce but open to Alan. It survived the days of early
school desegregation when as seniors Boyce and AlanTs rela-
tionship helped ease tensions at Lincolnton High School. It
survived years of separation, in which Boyce became the first
member of his family to attend college, and Alan went to the
University of North Carolina, then on to medical school and
a residency at the University of Colorado Medical Center. It sur-
vived AlanTs struggle with depression following bone cancer,
and BoyceTs battle with Lou GehrigTs Disease.
The story of their friendship made the Charlotte Observer
and ReaderTs Digest and is told in AlanTs book, Sometimes a
Memory, which will be published in the spring by AtlantaTs
Cherokee Press. And now it is a story that is remembered and
honored by the Blake-Stoudemire African American Collection
at LincolntonTs Jonas Branch Library.
Following Boyce BlakeTs death from Lou GehrigTs disease,
Alan Stoudemire decided to honor his friendTs memory and
their friendship by establishing a collection of books concern-
ing African American culture and history at their hometown
library. Lesley Levine remembers, oHe just called me out of the
blue. ITd never met him. He said, ~Would you think about this.T
I said, ~Absolutely.T This is really an exciting prospect for us, and
it grew from there.�
Alan StoudemireTs mother, Louise Stoudemire, had been
LincolntonTs librarian for 25 years. oShe was at all three build-
ings,� he remembers, oI grew up with the library, and I felt like
it would be a nice community-oriented thing to do, building
up a really first-class African American Collection.� Alan who
is hospitalized with a recurrence of cancer continued, oIt was
a good way to combine my familyTs commitment to the li-
l é 7 ou might say it was a dark and stormy night back
122 " Fall 1999
brary and the community, as well as honor BoyceTs and my
friendship.�
Lesley Levine is excited about the way Blake-Stoudemire
has enhanced her collection. o[Alan] is pretty willing to give
us what we need. WeTve bought books and videos. WeTve
bought Roots on video, for example; we could never have af-
forded that before. We have interesting material on Black mu-
sic, church, a lot of social history and sets for children on Af-
rican-American authors, inventors, that sort of thing. Before
this gift, we would have had to have been selective, but with
this gift we have been able to buy the whole set.�
She explains, oIf we would have bought a book anyway, I
donTt use Blake-Stoudemire. I use it only if I would have said
before, ~If only we had the money.T�
It was that oif-only� money that Alan Stoudemire pro-
vided. oMy first goal was to give them discretionary funds,�
Alan recalls, but he couldnTt help but become more active, oThe
more I studied it, as the turn-of-the-century best-books lists
came out, I went through and picked out the ones that were
written by Black authors and about Blacks and picked out the
ones that the library had. Actually they had a good collection
before, but [the Blake-Stoudemire Collection] rounds it out.�
But Alan Stoudemire wants to do more than create a well-
rounded collection; he wants to maintain it. oI think that once
we complete this part of it, I want the library to have these
discretionary funds in perpetuity. It will be a discretionary,
private endowment.� After a pause he adds, oThere might be
o other funds like this that have grown out of a Black-White
friendship, but ITm not aware of one.�
BoyceTs sister, Donna Tolliver Blake, says that her family
appreciates the libraryTs Blake-Stoudemire collection, too. oPer-
sonally, it made me feel real good. That someone would do this
for somebody who wasnTt a president or anything like that. Just
somebody who had been good in life. A regular good person.
It would have made Boyce feel good. He wasnTt the type to
boast or anything like that, but he would have enjoyed the rec-
ognition of what he tried to do.�
When Donna Tolliver Blake goes to the library now, she
takes her sixteen- and twelve-year-old boys, both of whom
helped Boyce in his final illness, oAnd we look at those books,
and we check them out. The boys have enjoyed the collection.�
Lesley Levine sums it up, oIf ITm at the desk, I notice when
one of those books goes out.� There is a pause, oWe would not
have this otherwise.�
North Carolina Libraries
Instant calm by Paul Wilson
Penguin USA, 1999 ISBN:0452274338 Paperback $12.95
Stress that motivates
Natl Book Network, 1999 ISBN:1560525371 Paperback $12.95
Boiling point: the high cost of unhealthy anger to individuals and society by Jane Middletown-Moz
Health Communications, 1999 ISBN: 1558746676 Paperback $10.95
Calm at work: breeze through your day feeling calm, relaxed, and in control by Paul Wilson
Plume, 1999 ISBN:0452280427 Paperback $12.95
Every person is a collection of possibilities. They come to your library to answer questions, to find reasons, to
turn possibilities into realities. Making sure they have a wide variety of resources is no small task. WeTd like to
help. Ours is the largest selection of media in the industry, allowing you to provide your patrons with whatever
they need. Move quickly and easily through our offerings using our experienced staff and intuitive software to
place your orders both on-line and off. All orders are shipped promptly so neither you nor your patrons will be
kept waiting. It will be one less stress in everyoneTs day.
BAKER & TAYLOR
Information and Entertainment Services
1. 800. 775. 1800
www.btol.com
North Carolina Libraries Fall 1999 " 123
____ NORTH CAROLINA
aN
S
Dorothy Hodder, Compiler
he publicTs interest in military history"particularly the history of the American Civil
War " has no apparent limits, and publishers are rushing to meet the demand. This trend
has been a boon for North Carolinians who want to know more about the history of their
state and localities. Although the books being published vary in quality, they reflect a
commendable effort to balance popularity and scholarship, thus helping the reader to
place localized topics in historical context. Both Fort Macon: A History and Fort Anderson: Battle
for Wilmington will entertain and educate those readers interested in the history of North
CarolinaTs coastal defenses.
Branch, park historian at Fort Macon State Park, North Carolina, traces the history of
fortifications built at Old Topsail Inlet (now Beaufort Inlet) to protect Beaufort harbor, the only
port in North Carolina that opens directly to the Atlantic Ocean. He does this against a back-
drop of colonial, state, and federal plans for a system of coastal defenses. Following Forts
Dobbs, Hancock, and Hampton, Fort Macon was begun in 1826 as part of the countryTs oThird
System� of forts. Completed by 1834 and renovated during the early 1840s, the fort was named
for United States Senator Nathaniel Macon, who had championed the initial appropriation.
Branch devotes a third of the book to the fortTs role and capture
by Union forces during the Civil War and briefly describes
activity (or lack thereof) during subsequent periods of peace and
ie conflict, including the Spanish-American War and World War II.
Fo rt Maco n: A Hi. sto ry. The author also describes North CarolinaTs efforts, beginning in
1924, to develop the site as a state park. The bookTs extensive
Charleston, SC: The Nautical & Aviation Publishing endnotes and bibliography reflect a great deal of solid research.
Company of America, 1999. xiv, 292 pp. Cloth, $28.95. Also included are illustrations, appendices, an index, and "
Mason City, Iowa: Savas Publishing Company, 1999. v,
ISBN 1-877853-45-3. unfortunately " too many typographical and grammatical slips.
In Fort Anderson: Battle for Wilmington, Chris Fonvielle
continues his efforts to document the history of the Lower Cape
Fear region during the Civil War. Filled with excellent maps and
photographs of soldiers, officers, ships, and battle scenes, this
Chris E. Fonvielle, Jr. well-written paperback volume expands on one aspect of the
authorTs recent book, The Wilmington Campaign: Last Rays of
F ort Ander. SON: Departing Hope (Savas, 1997). Begun in 1862 on the west side of
the Cape Fear River at the site of colonial Brunswick Town, the
B attl e fe or Wi. I m i ng ton ° extensive earthen defenses that came to be known as Fort
Anderson were designed to protect Wilmington, one of the
121 pp. Paper, $12.95 . ISBN 1-882810-24-4. ConfederacyTs most important ports. Fort Anderson fell in
124 " Fall 1999
February 1865 during an attack of Union naval and ground
forces, an extensive action that sealed the fate of Robert E. LeeTs
Army of Northern Virginia several months later. The author
briefly traces the history of the site since the end of the Civil War and describes the develop-
ment of the Brunswick Town State Historic Site, which interprets both the colonial port and the
Confederate fort. FonvielleTs endnotes and bibliography thoroughly document his lively
narrative.
Public, academic and some school libraries, particularly those in the southern coastal area
of the state, will want to consider adding these books to their collections. The story of Fort
Anderson may be of broader interest to the general public.
" Maurice York
East Carolina University
North Carolina Libraries
Charles F. Price.
reedomTs Altar takes place in western North Carolina during the chaotic after-
math of the Civil War. The major characters are three returning soldiers who are
attempting to rebuild their lives and come to terms with the past. One is Daniel
McFee, who returns to the ruined plantation of his former owner, Madison
Curtis, to start a farm after serving in the Union Army. Daniel struggles to
reconcile his affection for his former owners with his anger at having been a
slave. The second is Andy Curtis, the only survivor of Madison CurtisTs three sons.
He is unable to reconcile the weakness he sees in himself with the responsibilities
he is forced to assume in order to ensure his familyTs survival. The third is Oliver
Price, a common Confederate soldier, who returns to his family in northern
Georgia only to find that his loyalty to the Curtis family and his moral convictions
once again call him away from his sickly wife. The catalyst for the story is Nahum
Bellamy, who brought slaves and Union sympathizers across the
border during the war and afterwards received an appointment
to the FreedmanTs Bureau. Part fanatic and part opportunist,
Bellamy is a radical Republican who seeks rights for former slaves
4 as a means of consolidating personal power. He also engages in
Freedom s Altar. an illicit terrorist campaign against people he believes to have
Winston-Salem: John F. Blair, Publisher, 1999. 291 pp. been war criminals, and singles out the Curtis family for persecu-
Cloth, $19.95. ISBN 0-89587-177-7. tion. Daniel cautiously sides with Bellamy, while Andy seeks
assistance from Oliver to achieve safety for his family and bring
Bellamy to justice.
FreedomTs Altar is PriceTs second book about the Curtis family
and their friends. His first, Hiwassee: A Novel of the Civil War, was published in
1996. Although FreedomTs Altar is a sequel, it is possible to read and enjoy this book
without having read the previous one.
Price successfully portrays the uncertainty and fragmentation of the Recon-
struction period. His descriptions of competing social and political factions and
their effects on the relatively isolated communities of western North Carolina are
compelling. He is not as successful at character development, too often identifying
the character's strengths and weaknesses without demonstrating them convinc-
ingly. Despite this failing, the evocation of the time and the place is vivid and
readable. FreedomTs Altar is recommended for public and academic libraries that
collect Civil War stories and regional fiction.
" Amy K. Weiss
Appalachian State University
eneral Bryan Grimes was an avid letter writer and this biography, the only full-
length work available on his life, was written primarily from his correspondence
to his father, brother, daughter, and second wife. Consequently, readers feel as if
they get to know General Grimes as they journey through his life.
The book begins with GrimesTs boyhood and student days at the University
of North Carolina before the start of the war. In this first section are many
references from letters between Grimes and his father concerning troubles with
classes and other school mischief. The author concludes that the father wanted
young Bryan to excel academically like his brother William and
strive for a professional career, instead of spending his life
farming the Grimesland Plantation as he himself had done.
T. Harrell Allen. BryanTs chivalrous character emerges during this period, and
reappears frequently throughout the book. One early instance
Lee ~S Las t M. ajor Gener al x was a confrontation with a fellow student that almost ended in a
duel on the Chapel Hill campus, an unimaginable event today.
Bryan Grimes of North Carolina. The majority of the book details GrimesTs Civil War
Mason City, Iowa: Savas Publishing Company, 1999.
347 pp. Cloth, $24.95.
ISBN 1-882810-23-6.
North Carolina Libraries
career in the 4th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, from his first
action just after the Battle of 1st Manassas to his part in the
Battle of Appomattox Court House and the eventual surrender of
the Army of Northern Virginia. GrimesTs detailed letters aptly
chronicle the history of the 4th North Carolina, which was made
up of soldiers from Iredell, Rowan, Wayne, Davie, Wilson, and
Beaufort counties. One of the more interesting aspects of
Fall 1999 " 125
GrimesTs career was his uncanny ability to dodge the bullet. On three
separate occasions, Grimes had horses shot out from beneath him. His
knapsack was once blown off his back by artillery fire, and on another
occasion his brass belt buckle was shattered by a minie ball. His worst
injury of the war came from being kicked in the foot by a horse, causing
him to miss the battle of Antietam. Since no commissioned field officer
from the 4th North Carolina survived Antietam, this injury may be said to
have saved his life.
The book concludes with GrimesTs return to civilian life and the
troubles he faced as a former high-ranking Confederate officer. He was
eventually murdered by William Parker, who was himself lynched eight
years later, after bragging about the crime while drinking.
This book is a must for academic libraries and public libraries that
emphasize the Civil War or North Carolina history in their collections,
since at this time it is the only available biography on General Grimes. It is
well written, has few typos, includes great photos and maps, and has an
extensive bibliography and index. The author is the Director of Communi-
cations at East Carolina University. His previous publications are in the
field of communications and the social sciences.
" Michael Seymour
Rowan Public Library
t 38, Maggie Sweet Presson is still waiting for her oreal life� to
begin. Maggie lives in Poplar Grove, a small North Carolina town
that must be just down the road from Clyde EdgertonTs Listre
(Raney, Walking Across Egypt). Poplar Grove is a place where every-
body knows everybody elseTs business, and the slightest deviance from the established
rules of conduct are not tolerated. Chic, short hairstyles, pierced body parts, and
divorce " especially divorce " are simply unacceptable.
Whisked off to nursing school by her family just a few hours after graduating
from high school, Maggie is unable to let the love of her life, Jerry Roberts, know what
has happened to her. She trades nursing education for beauty school (Maggie is a true
artist when it comes to precision cuts), but Jerry is gone, married to someone else. In
her grief, she marries a man ten years her senior, and exchanges
one child-parent relationship for another. Her husband, Steven,
does monthly meal menus, cutting costs at every turn except when
his hoity-toity mother visits. He spends the time he is at home
Judith Minthorn Stacy. locked in his study; he spends the vacation money for two cem-
etery plots, and, worst of all, he absolutely forbids her to work as a
5 tyl es b y M agg i e 5 weet. hair stylist. Now, after 19 years, Maggie is tired of always having to
Wilmington: Banks Channel Books, 1999. 222 pp. a red _ mei ee oo . me aed
Paper, $12.00. ISBN 1-889199-03-6. yond i ann patie: ta a soni ate
think Maggie has gone and lost her simple mind. Why, sheTs got
everything a body could want " a family, a house in the historical
part of town, and that add-a-pearl necklace.� Her twentieth high
school reunion is approaching, and two events occur almost
simultaneously that change her life forever. First she overhears
Steven tell a female friend that he can host a committee meeting
with refreshments at his house because oyou already work too hard and good, old
reliable Maggie doesnTt have anything else to do.� Then Jerry, in the midst of a
divorce, returns to Poplar Grove.
In this slight, easy-to-read story, Judith Minthorn Stacy leads us through the small
southern town version of the Stepford wives as Maggie and several of her friends strive
to begin their oreal lives.� The resolution may be simplistic, but the motivations are all
too real. Come on, Judith, give us a sequel"whatTs Maggie Sweet going to do next?
Styles by Maggie Sweet is StacyTs first novel and the winner of Banks Channel
BooksT Carolina Novel Award. It is recommended for all public and academic libraries.
" Suzanne Wise
Appalachian State University
126 " Fall 1999 North Carolina Libraries
n this new text, Timothy J. Minchin, an historian from England whose research
interests include the dynamic milieu of the labor market of the American
South, takes a fresh look at the often contentious issue of racial discrimination
in employment, along with the related areas of gender and unionism and their
relationship to hiring practices by southern textile companies during the 1960s
and 1970s. He expresses some provocative notions early on, declaring, for example,
that Martin Luther King, Jr., failed in the 1960s in his belated attempt to wage a owar
on poverty� in the North. He also alleges that the American Civil Rights Movement
failed to embrace economic equality as a high priority issue " thus resulting in
erroneous assumptions by scholars that ofew economic gains were made by the Civil
Rights Movement,� and that a growing labor shortage in the textile industry could be
seen as the main reason for the parallel rise of a racially mixed workforce.
Minchin goes on to demonstrate an alternative
interpretation, linked to what he identifies as another
major cause of racial integration " the impact of national
; Timothy J. Minchin. Civil Rights legislation. Specifically, over the course of
°° 5 eight chapters, he builds a compelling case for his central
H rin g th e B I ack Wor ker. , argument that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
(prohibiting racial discrimination in employment) played
The Racial In teg ration of th e a key role in removing barriers to job opportunities for
So uth ern Textile In dustry, African Americans in the South because it spurred litiga-
7,
tion that ultimately mandated ocolor-blind� hiring by
7 96 0 us 7 980. employers. Minchin makes judicious use of national labor
statistics, data from voluminous records of class action
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1999. lawsuits, and other documented resources, to show how
342 pp. Cloth, $49.95. ISBN 0-8078-2470-4. Paper, $19.95. textile companies finally had to admit African Americans
ISBN 0-8078-4771-2. into their workforce through the front door.
For example, he notes that one of the largest textile
companies, Cannon Mills of Kannapolis, North Carolina,
hired almost no Blacks before 1964, but had about 25% Blacks among its 22,000
workers by the early 1980s. He quotes from a statement made in 1982 by a Cannon
Mills public relations agent regarding class action litigation: oThis type of suit has
been initiated against every major textile company ... so itTs not the first of its kind.�
Unfortunately, just as this trend toward racial integration in employment ap-
peared to be assured for the forseeable future, the southern textile industry began a
decline in the 1980s, as Minchin acknowledges in an epilogue. The decline has been
exacerbated by the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). With its
required gradual elimination of tariff and quota protections, NAFTA has forced many
manufacturing businesses, including textile companies, to close down, drastically
reduce the labor force, or re-locate to cheaper labor markets outside the United States.
Consequently, in recent years many Black textile workers have become personally
familiar with another labor phenonemon: last hired, first fired.
This work includes extensive notes, bibliography, index, and seven pages of well-
chosen illustrations. For academic libraries, larger public libraries, and special libraries
containing labor information resources.
" Kathleen Murray
Queens College
CURRENT EDITIONS, INC.
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858 Manor Street 1-800-959-1672
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North Carolina Libraries Fall 1999 " 127
n 1865, Jefferson DavisTs attempt to flee Richmond in a train came to a
sudden stop just twelve miles outside of the city; the locomotive pulling his
train could not make the grade. In 1874, a group of railway executives
followed that same route in a plush railway coach that took them from
Richmond to Jacksonville, Florida. This remarkable transformation did not
come easily; political intrigue, violence, and greed all played roles in the rise
of a new southern railway system.
Prior to the Civil War, the SouthTs railroads were a mishmash of independent
lines that did not connect the region in any meaningful way, as the Confederate
army discovered when it tried to supply LeeTs Virginia armies from stores in
Georgia and Alabama. Southerners had feared the establishment of a unified
railway system, believing it would upset the economic
system and loosen the hold of slavery.
Scott NelsonTs book begins at the end of the war when
displaced Confederate soldiers, Reconstruction politicians,
and big northern railroads all vied for control of and
financial gain from new railroad lines. Southern state
legislatures, including North CarolinaTs, suddenly were
willing to do whatever it took to promote the building of
railroads, and former Confederate military officers found
Scott Reynolds Nelson.
Iron Confederacies:
Southern Railways,
Klan Violence, and Reconstruction.
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1999.
257 pages. Cloth, $39.95. ISBN 0-8078-2476-3.
employment in the management ranks of these rail lines.
Larger towns like Greensboro and Charlotte and many
smaller communities became a new southern market for
merchandise shipped from the North as railroads eased the
Paper, $18.95. ISBN 0-8078-4803-4. shipment of goods.
The fervor of railroad building was not without its dark
side. There were numerous acts of violence, intimidation,
and savage brutality in places like Alamance County, North
Carolina, and York County, South Carolina. Railroads
brought a great social change that threatened the pre-war power, labor, and
economic structures. Nelson notes that the railroads provided a focal point for
some of the Ku Klux KlanTs most violent actions during Reconstruction.
Iron Confederacies focuses on the railroad development that occurred primarily
in a corridor running from Atlanta through North and South Carolina to Rich-
mond. Nelson, an associate professor of history at the College of William and
Mary, has done meticulous research, much of it in original railroad documents,
that brings to light the personalities and tensions that characterized the dramatic
tise of southern railways. The text is complemented by an extensive notes section,
an excellent index and bibliography, and a series of black-and-white maps and
photographs. Although this book is not exclusively focused on North Carolina, it
should be included in all comprehensive North Carolina collections and in any
collections dealing with railroad and southern labor/social history.
"John Welch
State Library of North Carolina
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128 " Fall 1999 North Carolina Libraries
OTHER PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST ...
The Keepers is a collection of profiles of oMountain folk holding on to old skills
and talents� by Robert Isbell, with photographs by Arthur Tilley. Skills range
from canning to herb gathering to storekeeping, talents from playacting to
dulcimer playing to woodcarving. (1999; John F. Blair, Publisher, 1406 Plaza i DD
Winston-Salem, NC 27103; xi, 129 pp.; paper, $16.95; ISBN 0-89587-180-7.)
Also on the western end of the state, Robert L. Williams has listed 100 Practically
Perfect Places in the North Carolina Mountains. This useful guidebook is divided in
ten sections, covering the best of the mountains, waterfalls, cities and towns,
educational sites, get-out-and-go places, scenic driving tours, churches, homes,
lakes and streams, and graveyards. Illustrated with color and black-and-white
photographs, it is not indexed. (1999; Southeastern Publishing Company, 3613
Dallas-Cherryville Rd., Dallas, NC 28034; xvi, 437 pp; paper, $15.00 plus $3.25
shipping and handling; ISBN 1-893330-CO-1.)
Moving east, Pat Garber, an environmental anthropologist, licensed wildlife
rehabilitator, and author of Ocracoke Wild, returns with more ruminations about
living in harmony with nature in Ocracoke Odyssey: A NaturalistTs Reflections on
Her Home by the Sea. (1999; Down Home Press, P.O. Box 4126, Asheboro, NC
27204; 226 pp.; paper, $14.95; ISBN 1-878086-70-7.)
A little further down the coast, Betsy Brodie Roberts has documented a com-
pletely different category of wildlife in Wilmington Films and Locations: Movie
Power in North Carolina. She includes television movies and series as well as
feature films, and provides separate indexes for locations, actors, and directors.
(1999; Business Connections Group, 421 Pettigrew Dr., Wilmington, NC 28412;
121 pp.; paper, $15.00; ISBN 0-9640857-2-0.)
The fourth installment in M. L. StainerTs Lyon Saga is The LyonTs Throne. Lost
Colonist Jessabel Archade and her Indian husband and friends are captured by
Spanish pirates, rescued by an English ship, and transported to London, where
Jess seeks an audience with Elizabeth I. Previous books in this series of historical
fiction for ages 10 and older were reviewed in the Fall 1998 and Spring 1999
issues. (1999; Chicken Soup Press, P.O. Box 164, Circleville, NY 10919; 153 pp.;
cloth, $9.95; ISBN 1-893337-01-4.)
The Institute of Government announces new editions of several useful publica-
tions. Order from Publications Sales Office, Institute of Government, CB #3330
Knapp Building, UNC at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3330.
County Government in North Carolina, 4th edition, edited by A. Fleming Bell,
II, and Warren Jake Wicker, updates the 1989 edition with expanded cover-
age of water and sewer services and new sections on airports, off-street
parking, public transportation, aging programs, registers of deeds, and
community colleges. (1999; xi, 994 pp.; paper, $36.00; ISBN 1-5601 1-331-6.)
Legislative Zoning Decisions: Legal Aspects, 2nd edition, by David W. Owens,
treats new developments in North CarolinaTs laws since the bookTs initial
publication in 1993. (1999; x, 434 pp.; paper, $36.00; ISBN 1-5601 1-341-3.)
Suggested Rules of Procedure for Small Local Government Boards, 2nd edition, by
A. Fleming Bell, II, updates Suggested Rules of Procedure for Small Governing
Boards, by Bonnie E. Davis, now out of print. It reflects the requirements of
North CarolinaTs open meetings law and updates and enlarges treatment of
several other subjects. (1998; vi, 38 pp.; paper, $8.50; ISBN 1-56011-319-7.)
Finally, Punishments for North Carolina Crimes and Motor Vehicle Offenses, by
John Rubin and Ben F. Loeb, Jr., was last updated in 1995. (1999; vii, 124
pp.; paper, $15.00; ISBN 1-56011-359-6.)
North Carolina Libraries Fall 1999 " 129
NortTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
July 30, 1999
Joyner Library, East Carolina University
Attending: Beverley Gass, Al Jones, Ross Holt, Joan Boudreaux, Diane Kester, Barbara Best Nichols, Robert Cendida II,
Pauletta Bracy, Martha Davis, Eleanor Cook, Bill Gates, George Taylor, Steve Summerford, Dave Fergusson,
Catherine Wilkinson, Susan Adams, Maury York, Peggy Quinn, Carol Freeman, Ben Speller, Liz Hamilton, Teresa
McManus, Ginny Gilbert, Melinda Ratchford, Karen Perry, Patrick Valentine, Michael Cotter, John Via, Liz Jackson.
The meeting was called to order at 10:00 AM
by President Gass. ECU was thanked for al-
lowing us to meet in the Joyner Library.
Maury York invited board members to join
him on a tour of the library after the meet-
ing. Introductions were made and a review
of the agenda was conducted.
Corrections to minutes
The April minutes were approved with small
editorial changes.
PresidentTs Report
NCLATs new address is: NCLA, 4646 Mail Ser-
vice Center, Raleigh, 27699-4646.
Various members of NCLA board have
been elected to SOLINET. They are: Rhoda
Channing, Wake Forest University, Waltrene
Canada, NC A&T University, and Larry
Alford, UNC-CH.
Board members are encouraged to begin
preparation of their biennial report, due at
the next board meeting (the Executive Board
dinner at the conference). Frances Bradburn
requests a paper copy and disk copy. Exact
specifications will be announced in the let-
ter for the next meeting.
The President highlighted a meeting held
on June 22 with the leadership of NCASL.
The topic of the meeting was an intention by
NCASL to form a new organization outside
NCLA. After a meeting of the Executive
Board, an NCLA Commission on School Li-
brarians was proposed to NCASL. The com-
mission would include a chair, agreed upon
by he President of NCLA and chair of NCASL
and six members, three of whom would be
appointed by NCASL and three of whom
would be appointed by the Executive Com-
mittee of NCLA. The commission would seek
broad-based input from the library commu-
nity and begin work September 1, 1999 and
complete the work by August 31, 2000. The
commission would be charged with: identi-
fying issues vital to school librarians and
school librarianship throughout North Caro-
lina; identifying remedies and resolutions to
those key issues that are creative, innovative
and appropriate for assuring that school
librarianship remains strong and able to
170 " Fall 1999
meet the needs of students throughout
North Carolina schools; and creation of an
action plan that remedies and resolves key
issues for school librarians with clearly estab-
lished timelines and lines of responsibility.
The Executive Board supported the idea
of a commission as discussed.
TreasurerTs Report
Diane Kester announced that NCLA is in
good shape financially. Statements for each
section and round table were presented.
NCLA is moving into a premier business ac-
count so that monies in the account over the
minimum amount will be swept into an in-
terest bearing account. Interest earned will
be maximized. Further, accounts have been
consolidated to maximize growth.
The 990 form for the IRS has been com-
pleted for $750.00.
Section/Round Table Reports
ChildrenTs Services Section
A new board has been elected. Changes may
need to be made to the conference bulletin
due to a change in presenters.
College and University Section
A program at the biennial conference on
oCopyright and the Digital Age� is being co-
sponsored by CUS and CJCLS. Laura
Gasaway of UNC Chapel Hill will focus on
the Digital Copyright Act and how it relates
to academic libraries, faculty, students, staff
and publishers.
The BI Discussion Group is sponsoring a
session called oWhat We Wish They Knew
Before They Got to Us.� Panel members in-
clude Rhoda Channing, Donna Gunter, and
Libby Lasley.
The CUSTs Curriculum Librarian Interest
Group is sponsoring a breakfast meeting of
curriculum librarians Thursday morning,
September 23 at 7:30 AM.
The CUS nominees for the 1999-2001
Board of Directors was presented.
Community and Junior College Library Section
The CJCLS Executive Board did not have a
formal meeting last quarter. Fax and phone
contact was made with board members of
both CJCLS and the College and University
Section as talks continue about the feasibil-
ity of combining sections.
As a result of the July 7 resignation of
Lynette Finch as Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect,
Martha Davis has appointed Carol Freeman
to take her place on the CJCLS Board. A par-
tial slate of officers for the 1999-2001 bien-
nium was identified.
Documents Section
The Documents Section held its spring work-
shop oTechnical and Medical Literature on the
Web� on May 21 at the McKimmon Center.
Mary Horton, Documents Section chair-
elect, has agreed to serve as the section rep-
resentative for the NCLA Continuing Educa-
tion Committee until September 1999, at
which time Nancy Kolenbrander will be-
come the representative.
The Event Committee has made recom-
mendations regarding NCLA activities dur-
ing the non-conference year. They were to
schedule off-year, mini-conferences, an
NCLA leisure/social retreat, and a technol-
ogy mini-conference. This section already
offers two workshops a year in the spring
and fall, which it plans to continue. The
Documents Section may also be interested in
working with other sections to sponsor mini-
conferences.
Volunteers are being recruited to form a
study group on issues related to preservation
of state agency information in digital form.
North Carolina state agencies currently have
no plans for saving their digital information.
Arrangements are being finalized for the
Biennial Conference program oGovernment
Statistical Information on the Web: Interna-
tional, National, and State� to be held Sep-
tember 22 from 3:30 " 4:45. Speakers will be
Mary Ellen Spencer and Catherine Shreve.
Mary Horton, Documents Librarian at
Wake Forest, will present state data compiled
by Alex Hess, Librarian for the Institute of
Government.
North Carolina Libraries
Library and Management Section
The Mentoring Subcommittee met with mem-
bers from LAMS and NMRT on June 21 to dis-
cuss the mentoring match process, the re-
sponse from NCLA members to the initial bro-
chure, and next steps. The mentoring program
at the NCLA Biennial Conference was dis-
cussed. Barbara Moran will be the speaker for
the program. As a result of the meeting, a fol-
low-up program may be planned, using several
pairs of past mentors and mentees represent-
ing different types of libraries.
LAMS is sponsoring the pre-conference ses-
sion on Assessment and is anticipating strong
attendance. SOLINET is offering an assessment
training series and each program will serve to
enhance and reinforce the other.
The Personnel and Staff Development In-
terest Group is launched and plans a luncheon
with round table discussions at the Biennial
Conference. The Circulation Librarians Inter-
est Group, being organized by Robert James of
UNC.G, is just getting organized.
NC Association of School Librarians Section
The ALA representatives to the Affiliate Assem-
bly will be Karen Gavigan and Karen Perry. Nu-
merous presenteres for the Biennial Confer-
ence are scheduled. Grants are being consid-
ered for speaker Denise Fleming and for An-
drew Clemens, speaker and ChildrenTs Book
Award winner, presented jointly with CSS.
AASL has asked NCASL as an affiliate to
make a pitch for membership with college
programs. Karen Gavigan will coordinate the
distribution to volunteers at various colleges.
Laura Williams is working on a new host
and name ncasl.org. Invitations to join
NCASL executive board list serve went out.
The Web site address is http://
members.zoon.com/nscasl.
Summer conferences have been aban-
doned due to date conflicts. ChildrenTs Book
Award committee reported that voting may
have been down due to Easter break timing.
Current membership is 507. Applications
from Awards and Scholarships are moving
briskly. Members were asked to promote the
Carolyn Palmer Media Specialist of the Year
award.
NC Library Paraprofessional Round Table
The slate of officers for the next biennium is
not yet complete. A call for paraprofession-
als interested in serving should be made to
Susan Adams at 919-662-2265.
NC Public Library Trustee Association
No report.
New Members Round Table
A newsletter went out in June. An error re-
garding speakers for the conference program
has been corrected on the NCLA Web page.
A program on fundraising, oDoes Your
Piggy Bank Need to Be Fattened?� is being
planned for next spring.
The mentoring subcommittee met to fi-
nalize plans for a program at the conference
and brainstorm ideas for having pairs of
mentors and mentees speak about their ex-
pericares. The announcement of the pro-
gram has been met with an excellent re-
sponse. The first mentor and mentees will be
matched up in August.
North Carolina Libraries
A slate of nominees for officers in the
next biennium has been finalized and an
election mailing is being prepared.
Public Library Section
The section is continuing to meet quarterly.
A strong slate of officers for the next bien-
nium has been compiled. Consideration is
being given to streamlining PLS to take care
of overlapping committees.
PLS is encouraging members to volunteer
and attend the National Public Library Con-
ference in Charlotte in March 2000.
The AV Committee is sponsoring Celtic
Jam, a musical group, on Thursday at 4:45
PM at the Biennial Conference.
Reference & Adult Services Section
RASS will be sponsoring a luncheon at the
Biennial Conference on Thursday, Septem-
ber 23rd, featuring Maggie Jackson, Associ-
ated Press agent from New York. Her topic
will be oN-Gen, Gen ~Xers and WhoTs Next:
Our Patrons in the New Millennium.� A pro-
gram titled oManaging Electronic Resources�
will be co-sponsored with RTSS on Wednes-
day, September 22.
The 1999-2001 slate for the RASS Execu-
tive Board has been selected and sent to
members. All types of reference librarians are
encouraged to join the section. Those inter-
ested may contact Carolyn Price at
c_price@forsyth.lib.nc.us or Philip Banks
at pbanks@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us.
Resources & Technical Services Section
Mailings will soon be sent to RTSS members
and include a membership survey, a listing
of the RTSS programs at the NCLA confer-
ence, and the slate of officers for the 1999-
2001 biennium. Election of officers will take
place immediately prior to the major pro-
grams being co-sponsored by RASS. Summa-
ries of RTSS Biennial Conference programs
can be found on the Web page:
www.unc.edu/~ldsmith/rtss/ncla99.htm.
RTSS is presenting the following awards at
the general session on Thursday afternoon:
Best Article in North Carolina Libraries
Award, Student Award, and Significant Con-
tribution Award. In all three cases, the focus
of resources and technical services must be
present.
Round Table for Ethnic Minority Concerns
This section has been meeting via email.
Plans are being finalized for programs for the
Biennial Conference. Two events are
planned, one of which is a panel discussion
by recipients of the ALA Spectrum Initiative
Scholarships, moderated by Gerald Holmes.
Hilda V. Peacock, a Maryland based story-
teller will also read from her first book,
Happy Umbrellas. Peacock is a native of
Johnston County, North Carolina, the set-
ting of her book. She will also autograph
copies of Happy Umbrellas.
REMCo will also conduct a business meet-
ing where officers will be elected and
RoadBuilder awardees announced.
Solicitations are currently being sought
for officers and Roadbuilder nominees. Areas
in which awards are to be made are aca-
demic, school, public and _ special
libarianship.
REMCo reminded the Executive Board
that membership in the round table is open
to anyone with an interest in the materials,
publications, curricula, artifacts, realia, and
related areas as they pertain to cultural, eth-
nic, religious, challenged, or other areas of
minority involvement.
Round Table on Special Collections
Administrative Assistant Maureen Costello
was praised for her support of this round
table during the past biennium.
A program will be sponsored for the Bien-
nial Conference on Thursday, September
23rd, entitled oDocumenting the African-
American Experience: African-American Ar-
chives in North Carolina.�
Helen Tibbo published the newsletter,
North Carolina Special Collections, in June
containing an article on planning consider-
ations relating to scanning projects in librar-
ies and archives. The newsletter is on the
round tableTs Web site: http://library.rcpl.org/
ncla/spec_coll/. A state law has been passed
requiring several state agencies, including the
Department of Cultural Resources, to consider
cutting costs by putting resources on the Web
instead of in print format. While each agency
is charged with studying the impact this would
have, they are considering it from a cost cut-
ting standpoint, not one of preservation. This
round table, and the Documents Section, was
charged with preparing a resolution regarding
this impact to submit to the Executive Board
for action.
Round Table on the Status of Women in
Librarianship
At a July meeting of the RTSWL Executive
Board, final details for the September program
and business meeting were discussed and ap-
propriate decisions made for managing the
two meetings and the membership table. Con-
tent for the next two issues of the MS Manage-
ment was approved. A final slate of officers will
be presented at the September business meet-
ing. The Board discussed needed by-laws
changes and voted to make further discussion
and probable membership vote a top agenda
item in the next biennium.
Rex Klett was recognized as an outstand-
ing newsletter editor and has agreed to con-
tinue in this position.
Technology & Trends Round Table
The spring workshop was successful but con-
cerns were raised about the amount of
money returned to NCLA, leaving the round
table with little profit for the amount of ef-
fort put into the planning and implementa-
tion of workshops. It was urged that future
programming be planned with these limita-
tions in mind.
A project grant has been submitted to
cover speaker expenses for the Biennial Con-
ference program. The main program will be
held on Wednesday, September 22nd and
will feaure William Terry. Also on Wednes-
day a panel discussion is being co-sponsored
with the Recruitment and Placement Confer-
ence Committee. A membership luncheon
and business meeting will be held on Friday.
Executive Committee members are cur-
rently being recruited. A proposed slate should
be completed soon and an announcement to
Fall 1999 " 131
the membership mailed out in August.
Committee Reports
Administrative Office and Personnel Advisory
Committee
The NCLA Personnel Manual, which con-
tains policies and procedures relating to the
position of the Administrative Assistant, has
been completed. The manual, along with
the Administrative Assistant job description
completed earlier by this committee will
guide the association in its dealings with the
Administrative Assistant, and in her dealings
with the association.
Several issues dealing with the Adminis-
trative Assistant position were brought to the
attention of the Board about which the
Committee was uncertain how to proceed.
One item is the number of financial and ad-
ministrative tasks the Administrative Assis-
tant handles for the Conference Committee,
although not a member. Discussion fol-
lowed. A suggestion was made to include
this support as a job assignment rather than
serving as a committee member. Currently,
the Conference Committee pays for travel as
the Administrative Assistant attends Confer-
ence Committee meetings. Other issues dealt
with the Work Plan delineating duties, and
the performance appraisal instrument.
The NCLA Office has been readied for the
move from the State Library to the Library
for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.
Numerous other relocating staff within those
two buildings must move before the NCLA
move can proceed. No move is expected be-
fore September.
Archives Committee
The Archives Committee is continuing to
work on processing archival materials. At a
November 1998 meeting, James Sorrel from
the State Library Archives Department gave
helpful tips on preserving archival papers,
handling newspapers and photographs.
The committee asks that correspondence
papers, newspapers and photographs sent to
them be labeled and that members keep
prints of e-mail correspondence as it pertains
to NCLA duties. Headers and dates should be
included on e-mail correspondence.
A revision of the oRecords Retention and
Disposition Schedule� is being worked on to
include types of materials the Archives Com-
mittee solicits as follows:
12: E-Mail (Prints of E-Mail)
Conference Committee
The 53rd Biennial Conference will be held
21-24 September 1999 at the Benton Con-
vention Center in Winston-Salem. The
LAMS Pre-conference on Assessment will be
held on Tuesday, September 21st. The Execu-
tive Board Dinner for Board members finish-
ing their terms of office and newly elected
Board members will be held on Tuesday
evening, September 21st. The Conference
Schedule and Pre-registration materials have
been mailed. The booklet included the pre-
liminary schedule as of June 30th. Final cor-
rections will be made during late July and
early August before going to the printer in
mid-August. Over 70 programs and events
are scheduled. The Conference Web site will
have up to the minute changes included.
132 " Fall 1999
The pre-registration booklet also includes
a list of over 60 vendors who have registered
as of June 30th, 1999 and a volunteer form
for expressing interest in serving on NCLA
committees and becoming more actively in-
volved in NCLA Sections and Round Tables.
Constitution, Codes and Handbook Committee
Proposed changes to the NCLA Constitution
were brought before the Executive Board for
a vote in order to present them to the mem-
bership for a vote:
1. ADD Article XIII. Non Profit Status
a. The North Carolina Library Association
is not operated for profit. No profit shall
inure to the benefit of any individual con-
nected with the organization except in
consideration of services rendered.
b. In the event of the dissolution of the or-
ganization, its assets would be conveyed to
one or more types of organizations and in-
stitutions as set forth in NC G.S. 105-
164.14. The Executive Board will vote as to
which organization(s) will receive the as-
sets. The vote must be a 2/3s affirmative
vote. Entities eligible will be one or more
non-profit educational, professional, or li-
brary entities.
2. CHANGE: XIII: Amendments to XIV:
Amendments
Discussion included input from the trea-
surer that the language used in the proposed
changes was provided by the State. A mo-
tion was made and passed to accept the ad-
dition of Article XIII, subject to review by an
attorney.
A motion was passed to change Article 11
of the NCLA Constitution under Standing
Committees to include the Development
Committee. A description of the Develop-
ment Committee will be included in by-law
change announcement.
A proposed by-law to Article III. Member-
ship, #4, #5, and #6 resulted in much discus-
sion including concerns brought to the Ex-
ecutive Board by this committee, possible
wording of changes, and technology elimi-
nating some previous concerns about keep-
ing up with membership years. A motion
was made and passed to return this concern
back to the committee and charge them with
investigating how ALA, SELA, and SCLA are
handling membership renewals and report-
ing the results of this investigation within
one month to the Administrative Assistant
to put in the mailing packet announcement
of the next board meeting to Executive
Board members. An additional request for
the committee to consider pro-rated mem-
berships for first time members was made. A
change in this article would require a mail
ballot of the membership.
Continuing Education Committee
oDevelopment of Libraries and Library Per-
sonnel for a Multidimensional Global Soci-
ety� is the theme for six major contextual
and functional categories for continuing
education activities. These six categories are:
strategic issues and trends; reframing
through effective management and analysis;
concepts, principles, and developments in
organization of information; information
services and collection development; and
research expertise. Recommendations, prin-
ciples and strategies were presented to the
executive board. A motion was passed to ac-
cept this report as presented.
NCLA has its own calendar of only NCLA
events on the Web. A suggestion was made to
look into a state-wide calendar of all library
events.
A recommendation was made and passed
to conduct a state-wide needs assessment for
continuing education purposes by this com-
mittee. A sample survey was presented. The
survey would be put on a Web site, with a
cut-off date for completion. Then a report
would be brought back to the Executive
Board and results posted to the same site.
Development Committee
Procedures have been established for receiv-
ing donations, acknowledging them and
transferring the donated money to the
NCCE. These procedures have been con-
firmed with the president, treasurer, admin-
istrative assistant and North Carolina Librar-
ies editor where necessary.
A brochure is being developed to be in-
cluded in the conference registration pack-
ets to promote the endowment at the con-
ference and beyond. A table will be set up at
the conference and an announcement made
at the general session as well. A continuous
advertisement for the endowment will run
in North Carolina Libraries.
Finance Committee
The Year 2000 proposed budget is on the
NCLA Web site. Expenditures are about the
same this year as last year. It is thought that
there will be enough profit for project grants.
State Library projects are still being antici-
pated, which will bring additional revenue
to NCLA. The Leadership Institute is not a
line item on this budget as alternative fund-
ing sources are being sought.
A motion was passed to accept the bud-
get as presented.
Governmental Relations Committee
A North Carolina delegation went to Wash-
ington DC to meet with our elected officials.
It was suggested that NCLA may need to add
some North Carolina agenda items to the
charge of this committee.
Intellectual Freedom Committee
The IFC continues to respond to about one
challenge per week in North Carolina. A case
in Cumberland County is being followed
very carefully at this time. The Committee
will soon be choosing the recipient of the
1999 NCLA/SIRS Intellectual Freedom Award
to be presented at the fall conference.
Leadership Institute
Several issues have been discussed by this
group with regard to the next Leadership
Institute: location, facilitators, and
fundraising.
The Institute is sponsoring a contest at
the Biennial Conference. Participants will be
asked to complete the sentence oWhen I
imagine the future of North Carolina librar-
ies ...� Judges will choose three winners,
each of whom will receive $100.00 and a
rocking chair donated by Carolina Rocking
Chair Company.
North Carolina Libraries
Literacy Committee
At a May 27, 1999 meeting, plans were final-
ized for a presentation of best practices of-
fered by library literacy innovators.
A recommendation was made to the Ex-
ecutive Board that a formal relationship be
established with the North Carolina Literacy
Center. This collaboration would include: an
ex-officio position on the committee for a
person representing the Center and a plan
for regular exchange of pertinent informa-
tion between the Center and NC public li-
braries, community college libraries and
school libraries. A motion was passed to es-
tablish such a relationship.
After discussion, a motion was passed to
send to the Constitution, Codes and Hand-
book Committee a request to determine
wording that would add the Literacy Com-
mittee as a Standing Committee.
Membership Committee
The unduplicated membership count as of
July 14, 1999 is 1641, 1551 of which are per-
sonal memberships. Section and round table
member breakdowns can be accessed on the
NCLA Web page.
A revised brochure (minus art for the front
cover) is ready for Executive Board review.
The committee recommended purchase
of two three-panel displays for organiza-
tional use at conferences, seminars, and
other travel. A motion passed accepting the
recommendations of the membership com-
mittee in this regard.
This committee endorses the six nomina-
tions received from the membership for the
NCLA Life Membership Award (5 nominations)
and the Honorary Membership Award (1 nomi-
nation). The nominations were forwarded to
President Gass and Vice-President Jones.
Nominating Committee
The following people have been elected as
1990-2001 NCLA officers: Vice-President/
President-Elect: Ross Holt; Secretary: Sue
Ann Cody; Director, East: Patrick Valentine;
Director, West: Phil Barton; SELA Represen-
tative: John Via. They will serve with Presi-
dent Al Jones and Treasurer Diane Kester.
Non-Conference Year Event Planning Committee
A written report outlined suggested events for
non-conference year events and guidelines.
The events would be the responsibility of the
Executive Board. The committee itself would
be headed by the Past President and Directors,
with members serving from the various sec-
tions and round tables of NCLA. It was sug-
gested that two mini-conferences be held - one
towards the east and one towards the west.
Income would be shared with sections and
round tables, less the $5.00 returned to NCLA.
Event suggestions included: a social re-
treat, technology mini-conference, mini-
conference at NCASLTs biennial conference,
and virtual or electronic meetings.
A survey may be taken at the biennial
conference to determine areas of interest.
Publications and Marketing Committee
On August 13, this committee will have its
Biennium Wrap-up meeting. One of the
items on the agenda is a general clean-up,
which will include additions and deletions,
North Carolina Libraries
of the NCLA Web site. Corrections were
asked to be sent to Carol Freeman before that
meeting.
NCLA E-News, the organizationTs elec-
tronic newsletter, is up and running. A dem-
onstration was given to the Executive Board.
A question was raised about whether E-
News is being archived? This question will be
sent back to committee for discussion and a
report back to the Executive Board.
Scholarship Committee
The following recipients were chosen for
NCLA scholarships: NCLA Memorial Schol-
arship, Robin Imperial; Query-Long Scholar-
ship, Samra Childers.
Special Projects
Project Grants Committee
The committee met June 2 to discuss appli-
cation forms and procedures as well as the
proposal submitted by Public Library
SectionTs AV Committee. Another grant has
been requested from the NCLA Leadership
Committee. $500 was awarded to PLS AV
Committee. Funds are still remaining for
grants. The application can be found on the
Web and can be returned electronically to
speed up the grant approval process. Patrick
Valentine pvalentine@wilson-co.com can
also e-mail the application directly.
Other Reports
North Carolina Libraries
There was no report.
ALA Councilor
There was no report.
SELA Councilor
John Via, newly elected representative to
SELA, reported to the board.
SELA is in good financial shape at this time.
The next annual Leadership Meeting, a plan-
ning session which includes officers and com-
mittee members, will be held April 28-29,2000
in Atlanta, timed to coincide with the conclu-
sion of the SOLINET annual meeting. It is
hoped that this meeting could be an opportu-
nity to revitalize many areas of SELA.
The SELA journal, the Southeastern Librarian,
is not on schedule, but still being published.
The next SELA biennial conference, a
joint one with the Georgia Library Associa-
tion, will be held at Jekyll Island October 11-
13, 2000. It is hoped that the location will
attract attendees from other states. Efforts
are being made to minimize transportation
costs for those attending from out of state.
John considers this regional library orga-
nization to still be relevant and encourages
feedback on how communication through-
out the southeast can be maintained. It was
noted that NCLA has a link to SELA on its
Web page and that SELA must maintain a
current Web site.
Discussion was held on topics for the
SELA representative to consider as he serves
in this position including determining the
value of SELA to NCLA members, minority
concerns and membership benchmarks.
North Carolina State Library Commission
Joan S. Boudreaux, a Friends representative,
was welcomed by President Gass.
Charter & Home School Impact Task Force
Julie Hersberger has resigned as chair of this
task force. The Executive Board felt there was
a need to clarify the charge of this commit-
tee. A suggestion was made to send out a call
on E-News for those working in areas where
charter schools are located. The task force
could possibly be a joint venture among
ChildrenTs Services, Public Library Section
and NCASL. Susan Adams has agreed to con-
tact people from each of those round tables.
Respectfully submitted,
Liz Jackson, Secretary
FOREIGN BOOKS and PERIODICALS
CURRENT OR OuT-OF-PRINT
Specialties:
Search Service
Irregular Serials
International Congresses
Building Special Collections
ALBERT J. PHIEBIG INC.
Box 352, White Plains, N.Y. 10602 * FAX (914) 948-0784
Fall 1999 " 133
a
NortH Caro.ina Liprary AssociATION 1997-1999 Executive Boarp
PRESIDENT
Beverley Gass
M.W. Bell Library
Guilford Technical College
P.O. Box 309
Jamestown NC 27282-0309
Telephone: 336/334-4822
x2434
Fax: 336/841-4350
GASSB@GTCC.CC.NC.US
VICE PRESIDENT/
PRESIDENT ELECT
Plummer Alston oAl� Jones, Jr.
Catawba College
2300 W. Innes Street
Salisbury, NC 28144
Telephone: 704/637-4449
Fax: 704/637-4304
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
Randolph Public Library
201 Worth Street
Asheboro, NC 27203
Telephone: 336/318-6806
Fax: 336/318-6823
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
SELA REPRESENTATIVE
John Via
Forsyth County Public Library
660 W. Fifth Street
Winston-Salem NC 27101
Telephone: 336/727-2556
Fax: 336/727-2549)
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: 919/733-4762
FBRADBUR@DPL.STATE.NC.US
PAST-PRESIDENT
David Fergusson
Forsyth County Public Library
660 W. Fifth Street
Winston-Salem NC 27101
Telephone: 336/727-2556
Fax: 336/727-2549
D_FERGUSSON@FORSYTH.LIBNC.US
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Maureen Costello
North Carolina Library Association
c/o State Library of North Carolina
4646 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4646
Telephone: 919/839-6252
Fax: 919/839-6252
MCOSTELLO@NCSLDCRSTATENCUS
SECTION CHAIRS
CHILDRENTS SERVICES SECTION
Susan Adams
Southeast Regional Library
908 7th Avenue
Garner, NC 27529
Telephone: 919/662-6635
Fax: 919/662-2270
SADAMS@CO.WAKE.NC.US
COLLEGE anp UNIVERSITY SECTION
Shirley Gregory
Hackney Library, Barton College
Box 5000
Wilson, NC 28893-7000
Telephone: 252/366-6501
Fax: 252/399-6571
SGREGORY@BARTON.EDU
COMMUNITY anp JUNIOR
COLLEGE SECTION
Martha E. Davis
Davidson Co. Comm. College
P. O. Box 1287
Lexington, NC 27293-1287
Telephone: 336/249-8186
Fax: 336/248-8531
MDAVIS@DAVIDSON.CC.NC.US
DOCUMENTS SECTION
Ann Miller
Perkins Library
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0177
Telephone: 919/660-5855
Fax: 919/660-2855
AEM@MAIL.LIB.DUKE.EDU
LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION anp
MANAGEMENT SECTION
Rhoda Channing
Z. Smith Reynolds Library
Box 7777
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC 27109-7777
Telephone: 336/759-5090 _ -
Fax: 336/759-9831
CHANNING@WFU.EDU
NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION
OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS
Malinda Ratchford
Gaston County Schools
366 W. Garrison Blvd.
Gastonia, NC 28052
Telephone: 704/866-6251
Fax: 704/866-6194
MELEIS@AOL.COM
NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC
LIBRARY TRUSTEES ASSOCIATION
Peter Keber
Public Library of Charlotte/
Mecklenburg County
310 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Telephone: 704/386-5086
Fax: 704/386-6444
PK@PLCMC.LIB.NC.US
PUBLIC LIBRARY SECTION
Steve Sumerford
Glenwood Branch Library
1901 W. Florida Street
Greensboro, NC 27403
Telephone: 336/297-5002
Fax: 336/297-5005
GLENWOOD@NR.INFI.NET
REFERENCE anp ADULT SERVICES
Carolyn Price
Forsyth County Public Library
660 W. Fifth Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Telephone: 336/727-8456
Fax: 336/727-2549
C_PRICE@FORSYTH.LIB.NC.US
RESOURCES anp TECHNICAL
SERVICES SECTION
Ginny Gilbert
Perkins Library
Duke University
230C Box 90191
Durham, NC 27708
Telephone: 919/660-5815
Fax: 919/684-2855
VAG@MAIL.LIB.DUKE.EDU
ROUND TABLE CHAIRS
NEW MEMBERS ROUND TABLE
Tracy Babiasz
Durham County Library
300 N. Roxboro Street
PO Box 3809
Durham, NC 27702-3809
Telephone: 919/560-0191
Fax: 919/560-0137
TBABIASZ@NCSL.DCR.STATE.NC.US
NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY
PARAPROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
Frances Lampley
Southeast Regional Library
908 7th Street
Garner, NC 27259
Telephone: 919/662-2262
Fax: 919/662-2270
FLAMPLEY@CO.WAKE.NC.US
ROUND TABLE FOR ETHNIC
MINORITY CONCERNS
Barbara Best-Nichols
Reichold Chemicals, Inc.
6124 Yellowstone Drive
Durham, NC 27713-9708
Telephone: 919/990-8054
Fax: 919/990-7859
BARBARA.BEST-NICHOLS
@REICHHOLD.COM
ROUND TABLE ON SPECIAL
COLLECTIONS
Maury York
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858
Telephone: 252/328-6601
YORKM@MAIL.ECU.EDU
ROUND TABLE ON THE STATUS
OF WOMEN IN LIBRARIANSHIP
Marilyn Miller
4103 Friendly Avenue
Greensboro, NC 27410
Telephone: 336/299-8659
Fax: 336/334-5060
M_MILLER@HAMLET.UNCG.EDU
TECHNOLOGY AND TRENDS
ROUND TABLE
Eleanor I. Cook
Belk Library
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28606
Telephone: 828/262-2786
Fax: 828/262-2773
COOKEI@APPSTATE.EDU
NCLA
North Carolina Library Association
134 " Fall 1999
North Carolina Libraries
tore NORTH CAROLINA
AMERICATS INSTRUMENT
The Banjo in the Nineteenth Century
BY PHILIP F. GURA AND
JAMES F. BOLLMAN
A cultural scholar at the University of
North Carolina and a world-renowned
collector collaborate in this beautifully
illustrated history of the five-string
banjo, from its African origins to the
height of its popularity in 1gth-century
America.
7/4 x 11, 97 color / 156 b&w illus.
-2484-4 $45 cloth
TIME BEFORE HISTORY
The Archaeology of North Carolina
BY H. TRAWICK WARD AND
R. P. STEPHEN DAVIS JR.
A century of excavations and research
reveals the absorbing story of Native
Americans who had occupied the land
for 12,000 years before the Roanoke
Island settlement.
84 illus., 7 maps
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MAMA DIPTS KITCHEN
BY MILDRED COUNCIL
Chapel HillTs Mama Dip shares her life
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"Jean Anderson, author of The American
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THE COUNTRY HAM BOOK
BY JEANNE VOLTZ AND
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BROWN AND PALMER
MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
What One Young African American
Woman Could Do
BY CHARLES W. WADELINGTON
AND RICHARD F. KNAPP
The inspiring story of a pioneering
educator, the daughter of a slave, who
founded and led a premier academy for
African American children for more than a
half century in Sedalia, North Carolina.
65 illus.
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A FAMILY OF WOMEN
The Carolina Petigrus
in Peace and War
BY JANE H. PEASE AND
WILLIAM H. PEASE
The vivid life stories of three generations
of southern women across the tumultuous
century of the Civil War.
24 illus.
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RADIO FREE DIXIE
Robert F. Williams and the Roots
of Black Power
TIMOTHY B. TYSON
oThe 1950s roots of Black Power in Monroe,
North Carolina. ...[An] insightful and
provocative study of Robert F. WilliamsTs
militant resistance to white supremacy....
Profoundly moving.� " Darlene Clark Hine,
coauthor of A Shining Thread of Hope
33 illus.
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THE ULTIMATE NORTH
CAROLINA QUIZ BOOK
BY LEW POWELL
With more than 500 entertaining
questions and answers on Tar Heel
life and history, this enlightening little
book is guaranteed to put your knowledge
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TEACHTS LIGHT
A Tale of Blackbeard the Pirate
BY NELL WISE WECHTER
A classic time travel adventure for young
readers.
A Chapel Hill Book
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CALSANOAA AOIANAS SSTAAAV
hmm io " =
Winter 1999 Conference Issue
Spring 2000 Back to the Future: Digitization of Resources ~
David Ferriero, Guest Editor 1» San
Summer 2000 Preserving Local History = :
Plummer Alston Jones, Jr. and Thomas Kevin B. Cherry,
Guest Editors
Fall 2000 Research and Librarianship
Winter 2000 The Call of Story
Spring 2001 YA Services
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.