ACRL’s 10th National Conference
Scales the Heights in Denver
The nearby Rockies set the scene March 15–18 in Denver for “Crossing the Divide,” the Association of College and Research Libraries’ 10th National Conference, as a record-breaking number of academic librarians met to explore issues in higher education. ACRL National Conference Chair W. Lee Hisle announced the final attendance figures at the closing session—2,089 paid registrations out of a total of 3,342, nearly 300 more than their previous record set in Detroit in 1999.
The hottest topic at the conference was information literacy and how to assess it, undoubtedly a direct result of ACRL’s adoption in January 2000 of Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education and their subsequent endorsement by the Middle States Association and the American Association of Higher Education. “I’ve never seen a document resonate so well with educators,” ACRL President Betsy Wilson told American Libraries. At least two-dozen conference presentations focused on these standards and how colleges and universities have developed ways to test students’ online skills.
Other popular programs included a discussion session by Harvard Education Professor Eileen de los Reyes, who presented ideas on how librarians can become “pockets of hope” for students needing the safety net of a “humane and caring space”; an informal conversation with Clifford Lynch, director of the Coalition for Networked Information, who offered his thoughts on topics ranging from online privacy to the Napster decision; and a panel discussion led by Syracuse University Information Institute Director R. David Lankes on the future of 24/7 digital reference service.
ACRL is a division of the American Library Association. A full report on the conference will appear in the May issue of American Libraries.
Posted March 26, 2001.
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