All Activities, Great and Small, Need to Be Documented

One of the many benefits of being ALCTS Newsletter Online editor is receiving copies of the committee and discussion group reports after each conference. This gives me a valuable “snapshot” of the many activities in which our division is engaged. I encourage you to read the two articles I compiled for this issue, because I think you'll agree there is a lot going on. However, these articles will be even more valuable if every committee, task force, and DG chair turns in a report. There are over one hundred committees and discussion groups in our division, but I received reports from fewer than sixty after the Midwinter Meeting in Washington. I am not asking for these solely for my own purposes; these reports are the official record of our divisional activities and provide continuity and history as leadership changes occur. If you are unclear about your reporting responsibilities, please read Documenting Your Work, a portion of the online ALCTS Policy and Procedures Manual. Perhaps you do not know that you can now submit these forms very easily online. They are available in either HTML or PDF format at www.ala.org/alcts/you/manual/forms/index.html, and the HTML version files the report electronically with both the ACLTS office and your humble editor.

This issue contains part 2 of the reports that our division representatives to IFLA filed on last August's conference in Jerusalem, and a Q & A session with the three candidates for ALA president in this spring's election. I want to thank Janet Swan Hill for her work on the latter article. We also have statements of concern from the two candidates for ALCTS vice president/president-elect, a report on division finances, and other news of our recent conference.

By the time you read this column, Karen Muller will have several weeks under her belt in her new position as ALA Librarian and Knowledge Manager. We wish Karen all the best in her new assignment, and extend hearty thanks to her for all she has done for us, individually and collectively, over the past fourteen years as our division executive director.

[ TOP ]

Leading Transition . . .
and Saying Farewell

Carlen Ruschoff, ALCTS President

photo credit: ©2000 George Singleton

January 9th, 2001, started out as just another birthday for me. As adults, most of us take birthdays in stride. Many of us approach the day as “another day in which to excel” and move on with the work at hand. That was my plan. With the ALA Midwinter Meeting just around the corner, I had my plate full of last-minute tasks as well as the routine work of the day for the University of Maryland. However, a phone call that afternoon from Karen Muller changed my focus from the immediate tasks at hand to long-term planning. Karen called to tell me that she had decided to accept the position of Librarian and Knowledge Manager within ALA and would be leaving the ALCTS/LAMA Office in early March. I was shocked, speechless, chagrined, and utterly deflated! Karen has led our association for nearly fourteen years. She has been a mover, a shaker, a mentor, and ultimately the historian for our organization. She has been a strong leader for ALCTS and has helped to move our agenda forward. You might even say that sometimes, she had to drag it forward. Those of you who have had the opportunity of working closely with her know how much Karen has contributed to the association and has done so, seemingly effortlessly! Her expertise will most certainly be missed by all of us!

The news of Karen’s departure had a major impact on the business of the ALCTS board at Midwinter. Our counterparts in LAMA decided that their association needed to have its own executive director. After discussing the pros and cons of finding another office partner, the ALCTS board agreed ALCTS also should seek a full-time executive director, rather than share a director with another ALA division. We recognized that this decision might mean that we will have to dip into some of our reserve funds short-term. But, after examining our strategic goals and anticipated income, we agreed that the association should have sufficient monies to support its own staff within a year.

Since the Midwinter Meeting, a new job description for the ALCTS executive director has been written, and an advertisement for the position was posted in February. A search committee that I will chair has been formed, including Bill Robnett (vice president/president-elect of ALCTS); Pamela Bluh (chair of the Fund Raising Committee); Marty Kurth (chair of the Membership Committee); Mary Ghikas of the ALA executive office; and an executive director from one of the other divisions, yet to be named. This group will be reviewing resumes and interviewing applicants for the executive director position in the spring months and we hope to make a selection by the annual conference in June.

The new executive director will work with the ALCTS board to create an office structure that works best for our association. We are in a very good position to make purposeful decisions about the office organization and the staffing levels, because the board already has developed and adopted a five-year strategic plan and has created a framework to strengthen our continuing education program. We have a clear picture, at this point, of what we need in terms of staff skills to support our activities over the next five years.

The transition period from the shared office staff to two single offices is expected to extend from March until September of this year. The ALCTS/LAMA office will remain intact until the beginning of the 2002 fiscal year on September 1, when separate ALCTS and LAMA offices will be established. Charles Wilt will be the acting executive director of both divisions during this period. And, of course, the ALCTS/LAMA staff-Yvonne McLean, Shonda Russell, Andrea Tobias, Elisa Coghlan, and Julie Reese-will continue in their dual capacity, serving both associations until the end of the fiscal year. I must say Karen is leaving us in very good hands with such a strong staff! On behalf of the association I would like to say: Karen, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For your expertise, your contributions, your leadership, and simply for being there for us, these past fourteen years! You have done an amazing job!

[ TOP ]

ALCTS Leaders Hold Tactical Planning Retreat During Midwinter Meeting

On Friday, January 12, the ALCTS Planning Committee facilitated a half-day tactical planning retreat as a follow-up to last summer’s strategic planning retreat. Invited participants able to attend included the following members of the ALCTS board of directors: Ross Atkinson (councilor), Suzanne Freeman (CMDS), Bill Garrison (CCS), Dina Giambi (AS), Deb Hackleman (CRG), Peggy Johnson (past president), Joy Paulson (PARS), Bill Robnett (vice president), Carlen Ruschoff (president), Marla Schwartz (SS), and Jane Treadwell (member-at-large). Representing ALCTS committees were the following chairs: Lynne Howarth (Education), Ed Shreeves (Leadership Development), Joyce McDonough (Organization and Bylaws), Brian Schottlaender (Planning), and Elizabeth Cramer (Research and Statistics). ALCTS Newsletter Online editor Miriam Palm and ALCTS vice-presidential candidate Karen Darling also participated.

The purpose of the retreat was to engage current ALCTS leaders in the next step of the division’s planning process: developing tactical plans with clear, measurable objectives to accomplish the mission and goals described in the strategic plan. Objectives need to be worded precisely, especially when identifying What is to be done, Who will do it, With What resources, and By When. Many activities in which our committees and sections are presently engaged fit these goals but have not been articulated in this way. Without clear objectives, our planning will remain theoretical; tactical planning helps ensure that we achieve results and allocate our limited resources toward the goals we have agreed upon.

Schottlaender reviewed the recent history of strategic planning in ALCTS, the objectives of the tactical planning retreat, the roles to be played by various individuals and groups, the fundamentals of tactical planning, and the components and implementation schedule of the ALCTS tactical plan. With input generated by Cramer and Freeman during brainstorming sessions by their respective committees (CORS and CMDS executive) prior to the retreat, the group carried out an exercise to associate tactical initiatives with strategic objectives as a means of illustrating for subsequent planning purposes the component elements of the ALCTS tactical plan and how they should be articulated.

At its meeting on Sunday, January 14, the Planning Committee reviewed tactical planning activities that had taken place in the various section executive committees following the previous summer’s retreat. All section representatives to the committee, and the CRG representative, reported that their respective executive committees had devoted at least some time to tactical planning, and in many cases, substantial time. Some brainstormed tactical initiatives, planning to map them to strategic initiatives later; others mapped current section activities to the strategic plan as a jumping-off point for further tactical planning. All intend to continue their work via e-mail after Annual Conference, with an eye toward forwarding input to the Planning Committee by the February 15 deadline. The Planning Committee will array the objectives on a spreadsheet for discussion and review by the ALCTS executive committee at the end of March. The tactical plan will encompass projects the division is working on as well as non-project activities. The Planning Committee recommends the following as the division pursues the tactical planning process:

• Sections should include their Planning Committee representatives in all executive committee tactical planning sessions, electronic and otherwise.
• Groups are encouraged to map their current activities to the strategic plan as a means of systematically capturing those activities and positioning themselves to carry out additional planning.
• Section and committee charges should be revised to explicitly reflect the need and expectation for tactical planning, as should chair handbooks and chair orientation sessions.

Further, the Planning Committee recommends that the ALCTS board of directors and executive committee develop mechanism(s) for holding section- and division-level committee chairs accountable for achieving their respective tactical objectives. The Planning Committee, for its part, will monitor the process, keeping the ALCTS board apprised of lapses or lacunae. The ALCTS office, finally, ought to have its own tactical plan that can be reviewed by the ALCTS board and executive committee. One critical role the ALCTS office will need to play in the ongoing tactical planning process is that of “reality check.”

At its joint meeting on Sunday with the Budget and Finance Committee, the Planning Committee agreed that the “care and feeding” of the ALCTS tactical plan needs to be the responsibility of the ALCTS office, that the document should be Web-accessible, preferably with RDB software running underneath it, and capable of being viewed by committee, date, etc. Further, the committees, which were joined for their meeting by Karen Muller, agreed that the “With What Resources?” component of the tactical plan will serve as the interface to the division’s financial plan.

[ TOP ]

IFLA Reports from Year 2000 Conference Held in Jerusalem,
August 13–18, Part 2

The 66th Council and General Conference of the International Federation of Library Associations and Insitutions (IFLA) met in Jerusalem, Israel, from August 13 to 18, 2000. This year’s theme was “Information for Co-operation: Creating the Global Library of the Future.” Approximately 1,800 people attended, including 400 Israeli librarians.

ALCTS sponsors representatives to seven IFLA sections: Acquisition and Exchange, Bibliography, Cataloging, Classification and Indexing, Conservation, Serial Publications, and Statistics. Four reports from the 2000 conference were included in the Winter 2000 issue (see volume 11, number 4, in the archives); here follow the remaining five reports.

Historical reports covering past IFLA conferences for these seven sections are located at www.ala.org/alcts/you/ifla/index.html.

Bibliography | Classification and Indexing | Classification and Indexing | Conservation | Serial Publications

Section on Bibliography

John D. Byrum Jr., Library of Congress

IFLA’s Section on Bibliography “is primarily concerned with the content, arrangement, production, dissemination and preservation of bibliographic information, especially (but not exclusively) where these pertain to national bibliographic services. It is also concerned with the promotion of the importance of the discipline of bibliography to library professionals in all types of librar[ies], to publishers, distributors and retailers, and also to end users.”

Committee Meetings

At its two meetings held during the 2000 IFLA Conference in Jerusalem, the section’s Standing Committee devoted considerable attention to its Medium-Term Program for 1998–2001 and the action items formulated to achieve the goals for the period. Specific topics of interest from the action plan are normally handled by working groups. At the moment, the members of the Standing Committee are involved in various projects of the section itself, in projects in cooperation with other sections of the Division of Bibliographic Control, and with the Section on Information and Technology and the Section on National Libraries. The Section on Bibliography’s Standing Committee has dealt attentively with the recommendations and results of the International Conference on National Bibliographic Services (ICNBS) held in 1998. The work showed main points of concern that should be pursued and promoted. Unfortunately, the status of the proceedings of this conference is still not quite clear, although most recently publication had been projected for autumn 2000. However, the Guidelines for Legal Deposit Legislation is now available electronically on IFLANET. This document is a much needed revision of earlier guidelines undertaken to consider changes resulting from a larger number range of jurisdictions and the advent of electronic publishing and publications.

Last year the Standing Committee established a small working group to (1) identify national bibliographic agencies that essentially comply with the recommendations of the ICNBS, mentioned above, and (2) to discover bibliographies that could be more effective if produced in greater compliance with the recommendations. An additional justification for this project is to determine and suggest ways by which national bibliographic agencies can use their limited resources more efficiently through voluntary cooperation. A preliminary report has been submitted, and a final version will be posted on IFLANET in 2001 prior to the Boston IFLA conference.

The section appointed another working group to develop and test a strategy for enlisting publisher cooperation in providing metadata for electronic resources it produces to assist national bibliographic agencies in preparing entries for these resources. This group also will investigate how best to utilize metadata from publishers to promote bibliographic control. In yet another project, the section will work with the Section on Classification and Indexing to undertake a survey of “subject gateways” as an emerging form of webliography of increasing utility to librarians and library users. Yet another working group has been formed to propose guidelines to serve as selection criteria to assist national bibliographic agencies in deciding which electronic resources to represent in their bibliographies. (This was also a major topic at the Library of Congress Bicentennial Conference on Bibliographic Control for the New Millennium; for recommendations visit its Web site at http://lcweb.loc.gov/catd ir/bibcontrol. In addition, the Standing Committee decided to revisit and update two earlier surveys in this field that it had commissioned, one by Ross Bourne titled “National Bibliographic Agencies and the Book Trade,” and the other by Robert Holley titled “Results of a Survey on Bibliographic Control and National Bibliography.”

Open Forum Papers

The section sponsored an open forum, which was well attended, at which three papers were presented.

Bohdana Stoklasova (National Library of the Czech Republic) presented a paper she prepared with a contribution by Marie Balikova, also of the National Library, titled “The National Bibliography of a Small Country in International Context.” Her talk described changes implemented in the compilation of the Czech National Bibliography, specifically the introduction of UNIMARC, AACR2R, and Library of Congress Subject Headings in both Czech and English versions (some of which link to UDC notations). Thanks to a retrospective conversion project, the majority of printed monographs published in the Czech Republic during the twentieth century are now available via the Internet and also on CD-ROM. She emphasized challenges faced by the introduction of international standards in a relatively short period of time, the question of “loss of national identity” versus joining the international community, and the importance of national authority files for cooperation on both national and international levels.

Rochelle Kedar (Bar Ilan University, Gamat Gan, Israel) presented “Bibliographic Projects and Tools in Israel.” The projects and tools described included the Israel Union Catalog (ULI) and the Israel Union List of Serials (ULS), the National Jewish Bibliography Kiryat Sefer, the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book, 1473–1960, The Index to Hebrew Periodicals (IHP), The Index of Articles on Jewish Studies (RAMBI), the Henrietta Szold Institute database, the Moshe Dayan Center bibliographical database, the Center for Computerized Research Services in Contemporary Jewry (Hebrew University) database, the Spielberg Jewish Film Archive (JFA), the Israel Filmography Database Project (JFI), the Felix Posen Bibliographic Project on Antisemitism, and the National Sound Archives database.

The final paper was prepared by Maria Patrizia Calabresi (Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Rome) titled “Two National Central Libraries in Italy: Bibliographic Co-operation or Competition?” In this presentation, Calabresi described the interesting Italian phenomenon of two national libraries, one in Rome and the other in Florence, explaining their origins, evolution, and unique characteristics. Each is designated as a copyright library and must provide complete documentation of Italian culture as well as extensive coverage of foreign literature. Together they are also responsible for supplying and coordinating the national bibliographic services. Calabresi stressed recent developments, especially those related to standardization and automation, as providing new opportunities by which these two institutions are challenged to better coordinate activities. Her paper provided an excellent overview of the national bibliographic situation in Italy over the past several centuries.

The Section on Bibliography also sponsored the half-day workshop “Teaching Bibliography Today in Primary and Continuing Professional Education of Librarians.” The workshop related to the section’s action plan for 2000–2001 and, in particular, to goal 7 of its Medium-Term program: “to promote the importance of bibliography at library and information schools.” Françoise Bourdon (Bibliothèque nationale de France) organized and chaired the workshop at the request of the section’s Standing Committee. The concept she developed addressed the topic from the experiences of a few library educators, with discussion to follow on such related questions as:

• What is the role of bibliography in library and information schools curricula today?
• What is taught in today’s classes on bibliography in terms of content and what methods are used for instruction in this field?
• How has new technology, particularly Web-related, affected how bibliography courses are taught?
• How much attention in bibliography courses is devoted to new tools in comparison to more traditional standard works?
• In terms of lifelong education, how are library and information schools preparing new reference librarians and enabling experienced practitioners to keep abreast with innovations in techniques, practices, and resources in today’s rapidly changing context?

Retha Snyman (senior lecturer in the Department of Information Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa) is a specialist in the fields of information and knowledge management, bibliographic control, and research methodology. She is also a member of the Section on Bibliography’s Standing Committee. Her talk covered “Bibliographic Control — Is the Current Training Still Relevant?” Mona Madsen (Department of Information Studies in the Royal School of Library and Information Science, Copenhagen), a member of the Danish Committee on Cataloguing for Electronic Publications and also a member of the Standing Committee of the IFLA Section on Cataloguing, focused her presentation on “Teaching Bibliography, Bibliographical Control, and Bibliographical Competence.” John McIlwaine (School of Library, Archive and Information Studies, University College, London) addressed the topic “Bibliographical Control: Self-instruction from Individualized Investigations.” He has participated extensively in teaching courses for the master’s degree in library and information studies in this school.

Their observations were followed by questions from the floor, where several important issues were raised and discussed:

• What is the best way to evaluate the knowledge acquired by students?
• Do existing courses prepare librarians for answering more complex questions that users ask at the bibliographic information desk?
• What is the role of bibliographic research expected of students in the curriculum of library and information schools today?
• Are the most innovative sectors represented in the course of training to encourage emerging professionals to keep up with and utilize technology as they enter service?
• How should educators evaluate the knowledge and preparedness of their students to deal effectively with changing bibliographic conditions and to provide new services resulting therefrom?
• Does the traditional role of the formal examination still pertain to ensure that students will be able to respond quickly and correctly to bibliographic questions of the users?

Plans for IFLA 2001

Plans are advancing in preparation for the section’s open forum and workshop to be held in conjunction with the 2001 IFLA conference in Boston. The open forum is based on the theme “Bibliography: Indispensable or Redundant?” Three of the planned presentations will address the challenges of new technology and publication patterns as well as the value of preserving traditional services. Michael Gorman, dean of library services at California State University, Fresno, and renowned speaker, will address the topic “Bibliographic Control or Chaos: An Agenda for National Bibliographic Services in the 21st Century.” Reinhard Rinn, head of the Department on Descriptive Cataloguing, Die Deutsche Bibliothek, will cover the increasingly important topic of “Global Publishing and National Heritage: Selection of Internet Resources for National Bibliographies.” John Celli, chief of the CIP Division, Library of Congress, will describe a recent R&D initiative in his presentation titled “The New Books Project: A Prototype for Re-inventing the Cataloguing-in-Publication Program to Meet the Needs for Publishers, Libraries, and Readers in the 21st Century.” In addition to these speakers, a representative from the National Library of Canada will celebrate the recent anniversary of Canadiana in a talk titled “The Canadian National Bibliography: 50 Years of Continuity and Change.”

The Section on Bibliography will also sponsor a half-day workshop on the theme “What Makes a Good National Bibliography Even Better? Current Situation and Future Prospects.” Barbara Bell, government information librarian at the College of Wooster, Ohio, and Anne M. Hasund Langballe of the Nasjonalbiblioteket, Norway, will summarize the results of the investigation they undertook at the section’s request to examine national bibliographies in relation to the criteria recommended by the International Conference on National Bibliographic Services. They will introduce issues of general interest, in particular covering the emergence of national bibliographies in electronic versions. Other speakers are being identified to cover additional perspectives of this important topic by way of stimulating exchanges of viewpoints.

I hope that it is clear from the major points covered in this report—the components of the section’s Medium-Term program, its past programs, and the activities planned for the 2001 conference in Boston—that there is much of direct interest to ALCTS in the Section on Bibliography’s purview!

[ top of article ]

Section on Classification and Indexing

Lois Mai Chan, University of Kentucky

Open Forum

The section’s open forum on the theme of “Current Issues in Information Retrieval” included three presentations. In the first paper, “A Draft Version of a Consolidated Thesaurus for the Rapidly Growing Field of Alternative Medicine,” Mosche Yitzhaki and Tzipi Shahar (Department of Information Studies, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat, Israel) described efforts to construct a thesaurus of alternative medicine based on keywords found in titles and in descriptors of some four thousand articles extracted from eighteen databases specializing in medical and scientific fields. The principles and rules of the thesaurus’ construction are discussed with illustrative samples of descriptors and lead-in terms.

In her paper “A New Classification for the Literature of Religion,” Vanda Broughton (School of Library, Archive and Information Studies, University College London) examined general problems involved in the classification of religious literature. Such problems include the Christian bias of existing systems, the proliferation of specialized vocabulary, and the variation in understanding the meaning of terms between different religions and cultures. The use of a facet-structured classification to deal with some of these problems was discussed, and the newly revised Class 2, Religion, of the UDC was presented with examples of schedules.

In the third paper, “Multilingual and Multi-script Subject Access: The Case of Israel,” E. Adler (Israel Centre for Digital Information Services, Jewish National and University Library, Jerusalem, Israel) described various library approaches to providing subject access to materials in different languages and scripts in Israel, “an extreme case of a multi-language and multi-script environment.” The use of subject headings and word searching, primarily in English, appears to be the prevalent trend in academic libraries, while public libraries are just beginning to evolve from classified catalogues to Hebrew language subject headings.

Workshop on Language Usage

In addition to the open forum, the section also sponsored a workshop on the theme “Crosswalks between Languages, Cultures, Religions in Classification and Indexing.” Three papers were presented:

Jolande Goldberg (Library of Congress) presented “Classification of Religion in LCC,” in which she analyzed the problems encountered in developing the classification schedules for religions from different cultural backgrounds and discussed some of the solutions.

In “Cross Concordances Classification and Thesauri,” Friedrich Geißelmann (Universitätsbibliothek Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany) described a project called CARMEN (Content Analysis Retrieval and Metadata Effective Networking), begun in December 1999. In this project, different subject access schemes are linked statistically and intellectually to enable integrated search. The concordance among schemes is built on links and hierarchies. Types of links include identity, narrower to broader, broader to narrower, and related.

In “The MACS Project: Multilingual Access to Subject Headings,” Patrice Landry (Swiss National Library) reported on the progress of the project MACS (Multilingual Access to Subjects), begun in 1997, which attempts to link entries from three authority files in different languages (English, French, and German): LCSH, RAMEAU, and SWD/RSWK. At the time of the report a prototype is in place, based on one thousand headings in sports and theater and five hundred most used headings in all fields. Further development will depend on available resources.

The Standing Committee on Classification and Indexing held two meetings during the conference. The activities, issues, and plans discussed at the two meetings included:

• The Working Group on State of the Art Survey of Subject Headings reported on the progress of the project. A follow-up questionnaire sent to 130 countries resulted in 88 responses. The results show that Library of Congress Subject Headings is the predominant controlled vocabulary and that the Dewey Decimal Classification and the Universal Decimal Classification are the most widely used classification schemes. The survey results, reported by Magda Heinver-Freiling from Germany, have been published in Cataloging and Classification Quarterly, 29 (1/2): 189–98 (2000), under the title: “Survey on Subject Heading Languages Used in National Libraries and Bibliographies.”
• The latest version of the document on OPAC displays is being distributed for general discussion.
• The program being planned for 2001 IFLA conference in Boston will be on the theme “Education and Knowledge Organization.” A satellite meeting, jointly sponsored by the Section on Classification and Indexing, the Section on Information Technology, and OCLC, will be held August 14 through 16, 2001, in Dublin, Ohio. The theme of the preconference will be “Subject Retrieval in a Networked World.” The tentative program includes papers on teaching in classification and indexing, trends in subject analysis, and building subject gateways. A call for papers has been announced. Suggested topics include language and communication in knowledge organization and retrieval; new retrieval technologies for a networked world; retrieval systems design and implementation; and search engines, classification schemes, and thesauri in a networked environment.
• For the 2002 IFLA Conference (Glasgow, Scotland), a workshop jointly sponsored by the section and the Section of Cataloguing is being planned. The theme of compatibility and integration of subject access tools is being considered.

Working Group on Guidelines for the Construction of Multi-Lingual Thesauri

The Standing Committee has established a working group, chaired by Gerhard J. A. Riesthuis from the Netherlands, for developing guidelines for the construction of multilingual thesauri. At its meeting during this conference, the working group agreed that the following aspects of the complex and multifaceted problem of multilingual indexing and multilingual information languages will be studied:

• Building a new multilingual thesaurus from scratch
• Mapping of existing uni-lingual and multilingual thesauri into a meta-thesaurus
• Harmonizing of thesauri with a multilingual result.

Metadata

Interest in the topic of metadata continues to rise. The IFLA Working Group on the Use of Metadata Schemes presented a workshop on metadata, which included a presentation by Lois Mai Chan, based on the report of the ALCTS Subcommittee on Metadata and Subject Analysis.

A Metadata Discussion Group, jointly sponsored by the Section on Information Technology and the Section on Cataloging, was established during this conference. The start-up meeting attracted approximately 160 attendees. The meeting identified a list of issues relating to metadata, from which a series of discussion questions will be developed for IFLA 2001 in Boston.

[ top of article ]

Section on Classification and Indexing

Edward Swanson

I attended the conference as one of the ALA-nominated members of the Standing Committee of the Section on Classification and Indexing. The Standing Committee had a complement of nineteen members, one member short of the full twenty-member allotment, representing Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Romania, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Standing Committee met twice during the conference, on Saturday, August 12, and Friday, August 18. Officers of the Standing Committee are Ia C. McIlwaine, United Kingdom, chair, and Edward Swanson, United States, secretary/treasurer. In the Division of Bibliographic Control, I continued for a second term as secretary of the coordinating board, and Ia McIlwaine began her first term as chair.

During its meetings the Standing Committee:

• Heard the final report from the Working Group on State of the Art Survey of Subject Headings. The report has been submitted to Cataloging and Classification Quarterly for possible publication in a special issue devoted to Library of Congress Subject Headings; if it is not published there, it probably could be published in Knowledge Organization.
• Made plans for the section’s open program at the 2001 IFLA Conference in Boston on the theme “Education and Knowledge Education.” Suggested speakers include Pat Oyler, who could present her experiences teaching in Vietnam, as well as speakers from Croatia, Germany, and South America or Mexico.
• Made plans for holding, in conjunction with the Section on Information Technology, a satellite meeting preceding the 2001 IFLA Conference in Boston on the theme “Subject Retrieval in a Networked World.” The satellite meeting will be held in Dublin, Ohio, August 14–16.
• Made plans for the section’s open program at the 2002 IFLA Conference in Glasgow. Suggestions included multilingual thesauri and classifications, a follow-up to the satellite meeting, concordances of classification, and the use of the DDC at the British Library. A possible theme is “The Compatibility of Indexing Languages.” A proposal also has been made to hold an all-day workshop with the Library Association Cataloguing Interest Group on a topic relating to the various projects involving networking disparate catalogues and indexes of libraries, museums, and archive collections in Scotland.
• Reviewed the section’s 2000–2001 action plan.
• Heard a progress report from the Working Group on Thesaurus Guidelines. The group hopes to hold an additional meeting in January.
• Heard a progress report from the Working Group on OPAC Displays, established by the Section on Cataloguing, with regard to concerns raised by the Section on Classification and Indexing at the meeting in Bangkok.
• Discussed a proposed questionnaire developed by the Working Group on Subject Access to Web Sites and Digital Libraries.
• Heard reports on classification activities in the countries represented on the Standing Committee. These reports will be published in the next issue of the section’s newsletter.

• a discussion of the development of a draft version of a consolidated thesaurus for alternative medicine, prepared by Mosche Yithaki and Tzipi Shahar of the Bar-Ilian University;
• a discussion of the development of the new classification for religion in the Universal Decimal Classification, presented by Vanda Broughton of University College, London; and,
• a discussion of subject access in the multilingual and multiscript environment of Israel, presented by Elhanan Adler of the Jewish National and University Library.

• cross concordances of classification and thesauri, presented by Friedrich Geisselmann of Universitatsbibliotek Regensburg;
• the development of the classification of theocratic law in the Library of Congress classification, presented by Jolande Goldberg of the Library of Congress; and,
• the MACS project, which provides multilingual access to subject headings, presented by Patrice Landry of the Schweiserische Landesbibliothek.

The open forum of the Division of Bibliographic Control included reports from the three sections in the division, as well as a report on the status of bibliographic control in Israel and the Arabic-speaking countries.

[ top of article ]

Section on Preservation and Conservation

Nancy E. Gwinn and Sophia K. Jordan, Smithsonian Institution Libraries

At the Jerusalem conference, IFLA members passed several important resolutions that reorganize the IFLA structure to allow for better and speedier communication and smoother, more efficient operations. IFLA officers will now include a vice president/president-elect, and the term of office has been shortened with the hope that more people will be willing to be nominated for office. Other changes streamline the structure and combine both program and management issues in a single executive board.

The Standing Committee on Preservation and Conservation held two meetings and sponsored both an open session and a workshop at the Jerusalem conference.

Johann Mannerheim (Royal Library of Sweden) organized the committee’s open session program on the theme “Preserving the Web.” He led the three-person panel with a paper “The WWW and Our Digital Heritage: The New Preservation Tasks of the Library Community,” in which he argued that libraries, especially institutions with stable financing that are clearly seen as “long-term,” have the responsibility to preserve selectively the information produced on the Web. To cope with the growth of Web pages requires some form of automatic collection. Other challenges are the short life of Web publications and the lack of a legal framework for Web preservation and access. Furthermore, experts specializing in preservation and maintenance of digital files are needed. Several projects are testing these waters, including those at the national libraries of Canada and Australia, in a private nonprofit organization called the Internet Archive in San Francisco, and in Finland and Denmark. Two papers describing in detail projects in their respective countries followed, one by Cliff Law (National Library of Australia) entitled “PANDORA: Towards a National Collection of Selected Australian Online Publications,” and the other by Allan Arvidson, Krister Persson, and Johann Mannerheim (Royal Library of Sweden) titled “The Kulturarw3 Project.”

The committee also sponsored a workshop at the National and University Library of Israel in which staff described the preservation of parchment and medieval manuscripts. In addition to this workshop, the Preservation and Conservation Section met with the Section on Rare Books and Manuscripts to discuss three common areas of interest. They first examined the standards used by other libraries in exhibitions and loans. Committee members from both sections agreed to send the chairs their institution’s policy and practices. They next discussed how special collections departments use “surrogates” when mounting exhibits, specifically microforms, facsimiles, and digital reproductions. The third topic discussed followed from the medieval manuscript workshop: how to document found manuscript fragments and how to create an international inventory or database of these fragments on the Web to facilitate finding matches among them. This was a topic that would be further explored at the sections’ next meeting. The joint meeting of the two sections was especially productive and reminded both sections of the many areas of common interest.

The Standing Committee’s meetings focused principally on planning for the 2001 IFLA Conference in Boston. Following up on the Jerusalem program, Nancy Gwinn and Sophia Jordan from the U.S. are coordinating the committee’s open session on the theme “Managing Digital Collections as Research Collections.” The session will provide a state-of-the-art overview, followed by specialist papers on technical metadata and preservation, artifacts and digital collections, and archiving digital collections. The committee will also hold a workshop on the theme of “Preservation and Digitization: Natural Partners?” which will feature a discussion among experts from a variety of institutions that are managing digitization projects. One of the conference’s main tours will feature a visit to the Northeast Document Conservation Center in Amherst, Massachusetts.

[ top of article ]

Section on Serial Publications

Karen Darling, University of Missouri-Columbia

My attendance at the conference was primarily to participate in meetings of the two committees on which I currently serve. The Standing Committee on Serial Publications held two meetings during the conference. During those meetings, we conducted committee business, including discussing our Medium-Term program and planning for future programs. Additionally, the section cosponsored with the Acquisitions and Collection Development Section an open meeting titled “Models for Acquiring Electronic Resources.” A second open meeting was titled “Serials of the Middle East and Africa.” Both were well received and quite informative. The section’s round table on newspapers also sponsored a workshop titled “Digitization of Newspapers,” in which we heard the latest information about this topic.

My second committee assignment is the Working Group on the Revision of ISBD(S). We met once during the conference. We are continuing to work toward preparing a final draft that will go out for worldwide review sometime in 2001. We worked on several important sections of the standard and planned a meeting of serials experts to be held in the fall, which will include ISBD(S) working group members, representatives from the ISSN manual review committee, and the Joint Steering Committee for AACR. That meeting will be used to reach consensus on the definitions of serials and to bring the three standards into harmony as much as possible.

As usual, the conference included cultural events and an opportunity to learn something about the host country and its libraries. All conference participants were given the opportunity to take a walking tour of the old city with a knowledgeable local guide. The tour gave us the chance to gain some historical perspective and insight into the difficult situation in the region.

[ top of article ]

[ TOP ]

Q & A with ALA Presidential Candidates

Three candidates are running for president of ALA in the upcoming election this spring. They are:

Maurice J. (Mitch) Freedman, director of the Westchester (N.Y.) Library System

Ken Haycock, professor and director at the School of Library, Archival, and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver

William W. Sannwald, assistant to the city manager, library design and development for the city of San Diego

We offered each of the candidates an opportunity to respond to five questions posed by ALCTS on behalf of the division membership, to acquaint ALCTS members with the candidates, and to acquaint the candidates with some of ALCTS’ concerns. Thanks to Janet Swan Hill for suggesting this article and for articulating the questions.

Editor's note: I suggested the responses be 1,000 words, but am publishing them in full as I received them.

1. Please describe any experiences you may have had in performing or directing (or using) the work of acquisitions, cataloging, serials control, preservation or collection development.

Freedman:

Following are the full-time jobs I have had doing or managing acquisitions, cataloging, serials control, preservation or collection development. Almost half my extensive career has been devoted to these functions as a line person, manager, teacher, consultant, and writer. My doctoral dissertation (1983) was The Functions of the Catalog and the Main Entry as Found in the Work of Panizzi, Jewett, Cutter and Lubetzky. (Seymour Lubetzky, age 103, has endorsed my candidacy.)

1966: Assistant Head of the African-Asian Exchange Section at the Library of Congress (LC). Was immediately responsible for all exchange relations between LC and African libraries and research institutions.

1966–1968: Executive Assistant of the LC Processing Department. Was part of the management team responsible for all of LC’s acquisitions, cataloging, serials control, overseas operations, and binding at a particularly fertile time for LC. In addition to reviewing all personnel and financial transactions, I worked on two major projects directly with the processing department's director, John W. Cronin. One was the establishment and operations of the Title IIC—Higher Education Act funded National Program for Acquisitions and Cataloging (NPAC)/Shared Cataloging Program; and the other was the planning and preparation of the Pre-1956 National Union Catalog (Mansell).

Under NPAC, LC cataloged virtually everything of research value acquired by the United States’' greatest research libraries from specific foreign countries and used as cataloging source copy the catalog records produced by the respective national libraries for those materials. The Pre-56 NUC took ten years to completion and is the single largest printed bibliographical work ever produced.

1968–1969: Manager of Library Processing, Information Dynamics Corporation as Manager of Library Processing. Working with the MARC I Pilot Project Format, created printed book catalogs for NASA’'s Electronic Research Center and for the Polaroid Corporation and pioneered in the development and use of Computer-Output-Microfiche as a storage medium for bibliographic information.

1969–1974: Manager of Technical Services [and automation] at the Hennepin County Library. Along with Jerry Pennington and Sanford Berman, created user-oriented, bias-free, authority-controlled book catalogs. We transferred the MARC field-recognition software pioneered by the University of California’s Institute of Library Research to build a MARC II database from the HCL shelflist, and the New York Public Library's automated authority control and book catalog software to create a printed book catalog with user-oriented and bias-free catalog records, and state-of-the-art photocomposition and computer filing (e.g., we didn't have to invert The Club to Club, The so it would file correctly in the “100” field).

1974–1977: Coordinator of Technical Services at the New York Public Library’s branch libraries. This was during the NYC bankruptcy era.

1977–1982: Associate Professor, School of Library Services, Columbia University. Taught cataloging, technical services, and technology. Also as an adjunct associate professor at Pratt Institute’s library school, I taught cataloging and technology as applied to technical services for the last ten years.

1982–Present: As Director of the Westchester Library System, have maintained a cataloging operation that still uses professional librarians to catalog materials, a not-so-common situation in today’s public libraries. See the cover story in Library Journal, (Sept 1, 2000) for information about the resource sharing success enjoyed by Westchester’s public libraries.

For more information, including information about the extensive technical services consulting I have done on four continents for every type of library, and the full-text of many of my articles on cataloging, tech services and technology, see www.mitch4pres.org.

Haycock:

I have worked in a wide variety of situations from a solo librarian to director of a system of one hundred sixteen libraries. In one position I did everything, in another I established a new technical services department, and in a third I directed an existing large department. I have also taught classification and cataloguing in two universities. As the director of an accredited program we recognize that the organization of knowledge is a core competency for all professional librarians and offer a variety of courses in this area, including a required foundational course.

Sannwald:

My first ALA committee appointment was to the old RTSD’s Out of Print Book Committee. I joined the committee because I was managing UMI’s out-of-print book program, and information I gathered at the committee helped me make needed changes to the way that UMI managed their program.

My first job was at a small library in Libertyville, Illinois, where I was responsible for almost all the professional aspects of technical services. I selected materials and cataloged original items that were not in the data file we were using.

At the Detroit Public Library, I was a deputy director responsible for managing the technical services operation. When I became director of the San Diego Public Library, I devoted a good deal of attention and time to the conversion of our records into electronic format, and I believe that we were one of the first major public libraries to offer an OPAC to our customers.

I have been an elected delegate to the OCLC Member’s Council for the last four years and participate in discussions and decisions that impact items of interest to ALCTS members.

Currently, as a consultant to a start-up library, I am establishing an initial book collection, having it cataloged, and setting up an account for the library with OCLC and an automated circulation system vendor. The library has not yet hired any staff, and I find it challenging to coordinate all of the roles involved in getting a library started. It has made me appreciate all the good work that has been done by ALCTS in establishing standards and guidelines.

[ TOP ]

2. What do you see as the greatest challenges facing those engaged in these areas of work in the near term future, and how can ALA assist them in meeting those challenges?

Freedman:

The greatest challenge today is continuously validating the work done by collection development, acquisitions, cataloging, and serials librarians in the face of the pressures to supplant them with commercial services or nonprofessionals. The outsourcing of collection development in Hawaii is a prime example of the lengths some management will go to cut costs, devalue core professional functions, and reduce if not eliminate the need for professionals in technical services and collection development.

ALA must play a proactive role by speaking out strongly and clearly on the core values of librarianship and the principal role that librarians play in the areas of collection development and bibliographic control. ALA must also condemn the elimination or reduction of professional responsibilities and address issues of privatization and outsourcing.

As president of the association I will promote the core values that define our profession and ask ALCTS to play a key role in the process.

Haycock:

One of the key issues will be the ability to represent a core competence in all of its complexity. The organization of knowledge is a critical disciplinary function of which classification and cataloging are two applications. The skills of the cataloger enable improved access to information, save time, and add value to searching and research. This is the unique contribution of librarianship. ALA needs to ensure that these contributions of librarianship are profiled as we work to position librarianship as the twenty-first century profession.

Sannwald:

The challenges facing ALCTS members are many of the same facing all librarians today. Some challenges that seem to be of greatest concern to ALCTS are:

• How to quantify the “goodness and effectiveness” of library service. One of the changes I see happening today is a need to measure “how well we are doing.” Questions I receive when I talk with decision makers are often related to “how and what.” How large should our new building be and how many books should it hold? What should we be spending on materials for students? These questions require an examination of best practices, standards, and guidelines. ALCTS has been the leader in developing standards at ALA, and other divisions could borrow from the ALCTS expertise in this area.
• Outsourcing is an issue that all libraries face and do to some extent, even if it is only renting a copy machine. Libraries need to understand the pros and cons of outsourcing, how to determine when a task or process should be done in house, and when it might be best to outsource it. ALCTS members with their work on collective acquisitions and shared cataloging need to be involved in outsourcing decisions.
• Licensing rights and UCITA are a concern. The extra work that is required of librarians, the threat to fair use, and the tension between copyright and contract/license law is troubling. I am pleased that a coalition of the major library associations has come out for tabling and reconsidering UCITA.
• The use of paraprofessionals needs to be examined. With the increasing use of shared bibliographic utilities and the automation of many tasks, the role and number of paraprofessionals has increased. I believe that performance standards need to be established in order to clarify the roles of both professionals and paraprofessionals.
• More attention needs to be paid to preservation. Recently I read that compact disks are not as indestructible as we first thought, so preservation must be concerned with all aspects of a library's collection. Libraries need standards and guidelines on how to preserve all types of library materials.

[ TOP ]

3. If you are elected, what will be your prime focus? What brought you to decide on it? What do you hope to accomplish with it? How does this relate to ALCTS, and what role might ALCTS have in helping you achieve your goals?

Freedman:

I will address three primary issues.

First, I want to do something about the low pay for library workers. As a past chair of the ALA Pay Equity Committee and an administrator today, I know that one of the major problems librarians continue to face is low salaries. My daughter Jenna, after ten years of working in the theater, went to library school. She is currently making about the same money on unemployment from a theater-related position as her take-home pay would have been from a NYC public library.

This relates to ALCTS and to every other unit of the ALA. Pay for library workers does not discriminate by division. ALCTS will be called on to help in developing job-specific and generic tools that can be used by library managers and staff in U.S. academic, public, school, and special libraries to improve salaries.

A second focus will be the struggle for intellectual freedom and fair use. Fighting off the Feds and others who want to impose filters on libraries will be crucial for learning and continued access to constitutionally protected speech. When coupled with the threat to fair use by licensing contracts and the excessive restrictions built into UCITA and advocated by the information industry (Pat Schroeder of the AAP, the latest example), the threat to intellectual freedom and library service in America is real.

ALCTS may not have a unique role here, but it is important that all librarians fight for intellectual freedom, access to constitutionally protected speech, and fair use. These are fundamental values of our profession we must all defend.

My third focus will be information advocacy and literacy. It is crucial that all Americans, be they on college campuses, city streets, or elsewhere, have access to information and the skills to use it. My lifelong commitment to the library as a democratic institution requires that the information riches available online and elsewhere must be made accessible to everyone, and in turn people must have the information literacy skills to be able to avail themselves of this information.

Bibliographic and information control have rightfully been the province of ALCTS. I will count on ALCTS to provide policy and technical support in dealing with the information issues that must be addressed.

Haycock:

My platform consists of four major goals: to position libraries and librarians as critical to the social, educational, and economic well-being of their communities, however defined; to guarantee equitable access to information; to recruit and support a diverse workforce reflective of the communities we serve; and to educate professions based on our core values and competencies. Clearly, these fit with the role of ALCTS and its members. The particular expertise of ALCTS will be important to ensure that everyone becomes a part of realizing these important goals.

For further information please visit my Web site at http://kenhaycock.com.

Sannwald:

I want to make a difference as president by telling the success story of libraries and librarians to all our constituents and explaining why libraries and librarians are even more vital in today's information age. Libraries are the heart of their communities, whether that community is a school, college, city, or district. The library holds a treasured spot in the hearts of people throughout the land because of the excellent public service delivered by those librarians who preceded us. It is time to reaffirm the fact that the library is the institution that best serves the informational needs of its community.

I decided on this theme because I think libraries have a problem with public perception. Although libraries seem to be doing well based on new buildings, funding increases, and the like, I believe there is something below the surface that is troubling, and that is public perception. This is an important time for libraries and ALA because of all of the attacks and questions about the role and viability of libraries. Every time I speak at a service club, someone will raise the question of why do we need libraries when people can get all the information they need over the Internet? Or why is pornography so readily available in the library? The president of ALA needs to be the spokesperson for libraries and answer these questions. Librarians and libraries are more important than ever, and I would spend my three-year presidential commitment telling the success stories of libraries all over the country. I'm under contract to write a book about image for ALA Editions, and I believe that my marketing skills will help me communicate all of the positive things that are happening in libraries.

As president of the American Library Association, I would take the library's story to our stakeholders in order to build their trust and support. If we are going to continue to thrive, we need to remind constituent groups that we are vital, make a difference, and are eager to meet their changing and evolving library needs whether it is for books, media, electronic information, or a place to be.

One of the key opportunities available to ALA is using “@your library.” This is a wonderful concept because it will create a “brand image” for all types of libraries, and a brand image is one of the most valuable assets that an organization can have. Coke’s prime asset is its brand name. I have become an evangelist for libraries, and when I go out to public meetings I talk about shared resources such as OCLC and networks. The average person loves hearing this because it makes sense and seems cost effective. ALCTS members accomplish the key component of sharing, and this story is woven into my presentation.

[ TOP ]

4. How can ALA make certain that members whose primary affiliation is to a “type of activity” division feel connected to the concerns of the organization as a whole? How might their involvement be increased? How might ALA’s awareness of their concerns be increased?

Freedman:

The issues that the president establishes as crucial for America’s librarians and libraries must be clearly identified, and there must be a consensus that they be priorities of the association. Members of ALCTS and other type of activity division members will feel connected to the organization as a whole if the issues identified resonate with them.

I believe that the primary issues raised by my presidency: better salaries for library workers; intellectual freedom and fair use; and information literacy and advocacy are as important to ALCTS members as they would be to the members of all of ALA’s divisions and units.

Getting ALCTS members more involved in ALA activities should follow naturally from ALA’s concern with issues that ALCTS members care about. (Certainly, some of the seemingly endless debates in ALA council would attract little or no interest among ALCTS or any other ALA members.) ALCTS members’ concerns will be addressed by my establishing an advisory group of division representatives that will help with the development of policy, identification of member concerns, and getting action on the platform issues I’ve adopted.

Haycock:

This is a mutual responsibility. ALA can ensure that each division is represented in association-wide committees and task forces that affect all members. ALA can ensure that each division is represented in association-wide assemblies that provide not only for the sharing of information and ideas but also the development of focuses for action. Conversely, “type of activity” divisions can ensure that they are including a wide range of members in their projects and are addressing the concerns of members in all “type of library” divisions and all manner, age and ability of users.

Sannwald:

As a former president of a “type of activity” division I know that at times identification with ALA as an umbrella organization was not always clear. However, as president I had an opportunity to meet with representatives of ALA and all the divisions at each conference, and I realized how the concerns of LAMA were concerns shared by all of the other divisions.

I have been a committee member for six ALA divisions, and my activities have been centered on those divisions and organizations that represent all types of libraries like LAMA and OCLC. The diversity of libraries represented by ALA and its divisions is a strong point that I appreciate. As a division president I felt that communication in my “divisional presidential class” was good, but that the tie to ALA as an organization needed to be stronger. This is a delicate balance because the divisions need to be strong and semi-independent under the ALA banner but still deliver a common voice for libraries. During the three-year commitment as ALA president, I would visit each division executive board at least once a year to share ideas and get input. If I had to speak to a group of interest to a type of library, I would call one of the people I respect in that type of library to get their thinking, and I would be sure that ALCTS’ concerns were incorporated into ALA’s goals. All divisions need to be partners because the strength of ALA is that it represents all types of libraries and all types of activities in libraries.

[ TOP ]

5. In recent years ALA has engaged in a variety of public relations and visionary activities such as Goal 2000; Libraries: an American Value; and task forces on core values, core competencies, etc. In some of these efforts it has been difficult for ALCTS members to “see themselves” or to see that the association embraces issues that are critical to ALCTS. Is it inevitable? Is it bad? What steps will you take to increase ALA’s inclusiveness within its own ranks?

Freedman:

When it comes to the association embracing issues that are critical to ALCTS, ALCTS will have an ALA president who, because of his career-length concern with technical services, understands those issues, and will act on them. During the great debates on the adoption of AACR2 and the closing of the catalog, I organized some of the most successful institutes ALA has ever seen-in terms of quality of speakers and attendance-to address everyone's concerns.

The outsourcing and privatization of work typically associated with ALCTS members’ jobs are issues critical to ALCTS members and they are critical to me. I will make them critical to the Association too.

I have to believe that ALCTS members will “see themselves” in the primary issues that I raise-as librarians they know that their salaries need improvement, and that they must fight for filter-free access, fair use, intellectual freedom, and information literacy and advocacy. These issues impact all library workers.

One of my most important initiatives for inclusiveness will be the establishment of an advisory council comprised of division representatives. I will do my utmost to ensure that for the appointments I make, ALCTS will be well represented.

As the only candidate whose career is so related to the careers of ALCTS members, I understand their work, their problems and their frustrations. See my Web site www.mitch4pres.org for some of the articles I’ve written on cataloging and technical services. And I’ve been a member of ALCTS for thirty years.

As the ALA president, I will be someone who will be responsive to and understand the work, the issues, and the aspirations of ALCTS members. I labored in those trenches for half my career. I am proud of what I accomplished during those years, and I am proud of my identification with cataloging and technical services work.

Haycock:

It is inevitable that not all priorities or projects will resonate with every division. At the same time it would be surprising to me that all members did not see overriding concern for the profession in the five Goal 2000 priorities or in the recommendations from the Congress on Professional Education, which I chaired. A critical recommendation from the congress was the identification of core competencies to ensure that the concerns of groups like ALCTS were addressed in accredited programs and recognized as essential to our professionalism and practice.

Sannwald:

ALCTS shines in best practices, standards, and guidelines. These skills and accomplishments must be included in ALA’s planning models, and the association’s initiatives must be broadened to include the nuances of standards development as a type of advocacy.

Some of ALA’s goals and initiatives have been somewhat nebulous, but I believe that the @your library campaign is a winner that will be one that can be used for all types of library activities.

I teach organizational behavior in the business school at San Diego State, and one of the things that I stress to my students is that if an organization is to be successful it needs people with all types of skills and personalities. If an organization has nothing but marketing types it might have great ideas but not much follow thru, or if it is all accountants, it will not accomplish anything because accountants don’t like to make expenditures. If ALA is truly to be great, it must incorporate the ideas of all its members, and the special skills inherent in ALCTS members brings organizational skills and practicality to ALA. I think we need ALCTS to make sure that “visionary activities” really work and really represent the interest of all ALA members.

[ TOP ]

Statements of Concern from Candidates for ALCTS Vice President/President-Elect

Karen Darling, Head, Acquisitions Department, University of Missouri-Columbia

Olivia M. A. Madison, Dean of Library Services, Iowa State University

I am honored to have been nominated for the office of ALCTS vice president/
president-elect as it represents the distinct privilege and challenge to lead a vital and distinguished division of the American Library Association. We face dynamic, challenging, chaotic, and increasingly legalistic times within our profession. Our times are characterized by fundamental changes in the nature of our collections, acquisitions processes and policies, increasingly Web-based online catalogs and systems, and evolving bibliographic, authority, and preservation standards. These changes are deeply embedded in rapid technological advances and a difficult narrowing yet expanding marketplace. Furthermore, we are in a demanding transition in which the traditional and the new must coexist. These fundamental changes impact not only how we conduct business and build online systems, but also how we develop effective and technical skills to meet shifting staff needs.

The ALCTS division must continue to be on the forefront of recognizing and influencing these fundamental changes as envisioned in its current strategic plan draft: “Traditional library roles are evolving. New technologies are making information more fluid and raising expectations. The public needs quality information anytime, anyplace. ALCTS provides frameworks to meet these information needs.” The division has an extraordinary record of contributing to national and international standards, to developing best practices as well as to providing educational programs and opportunities for professional development through research, publication, and professional service. These strategic goals are crucial to the future successes of the ALCTS mission and of the agendas of its leadership.

The enduring strength of ALCTS is the commitment of its membership to volunteer its experience and expertise to support the division’s many activities and programs that influence the future. Along with a strong divisional staff and necessary budgetary resources, I firmly believe that this commitment will ensure its continuing success. The president of ALCTS must provide collaborative leadership to ensure a dynamic and positive future through enhancing and capitalizing on past outstanding initiatives and activities while initiating new programs and directions that are grounded in our strategic planning efforts.

[ TOP ]

ALCTS Financial Reports:
FY 2000 and First Quarter FY 2001

Olivia M. A. Madison, Chair, ALCTS Budget and Finance Committee

Final ALCTS Fiscal Year 2000 Report

ALCTS ended its fiscal year for 1999–2000 with an unexpected net budget surplus of $35,333, a sound operating reserve of nine months, and an endowment of $50,454 (representing a ten percent increase). The budget surplus was due primarily to the extraordinarily successful metadata conference, sponsorships raised through aggressive fund-raising initiatives (primarily by Peggy Johnson, ALCTS president 1999–2000), and staff salary savings resulting from key vacancies. New Initiative funds continued to support strategic and tactical planning. As reflected by this past fiscal year, association revenues remain overly dependent on membership dues, and need to have growing reliance on continuing education, advertising, and fund-raising revenues. Given the association’s highly successful tactical planning (based upon our new strategic plan) that took place at 2001 Midwinter Meeting, the Budget and Finance Committee is confident that future budgets will reflect more balanced revenue streams.

Figure 1. ALCTS Fiscal Year 2000 Final Revenue

Figure 2. ALCTS Fiscal Year 2000 Final Expenditures

First Quarter ALCTS Fiscal Year
2001 Report

The fiscal year 2001 budget remains projected with a deficit of approximately $25,000. Central to this projected deficit is the level of FY01 continuing education programs—only one preconference and one regional institute are planned. The salary/benefits expenses are projected tentatively for full office staffing. However, it is anticipated that there will be some level of salary savings incurred this year, which might offset some of the projected deficit. Due to poor stock market performance, the ALCTS endowment stands at $44,836, an eleven percent decline. Fortunately ALCTS does not depend upon endowment earnings for its core budget—instead it routinely reinvests endowment earnings back into the endowment fund. During this fiscal year, the Budget and Finance Committee will be reviewing the association’s membership dues policy and finalizing an association financial plan for consideration by the ALCTS board of directors.

[ TOP ]

Key Actions from ALCTS Midwinter Board Meetings

Following are the key actions, in summary form, taken by the ALCTS board of directors during 2001 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Washington, D.C. Routine actions, such as adopting agendas and approving minutes, are not included.

• Re-adopted the Conflict of Interest statement.
• Confirmed the October 2000 electronic vote approving the ALCTS strategic plan.
• Confirmed support for CCS Subject Analysis Committee’s letter to the Library of Congress expressing concern that the subject authority file has been taken offline.
• Recommended that the ALCTS board seek a partner division within ALA with which to share an executive director and staff.
• Approved funding for the following ten (10) ALCTS members as official representatives to IFLA, August 16–25, 2001, Boston, at the amount of $400 each: Wanda Dole, Jean Farrington, Karen Darling, Dora Biblarz, John Byrum, Barbara Tillett, Lois Mai Chan, Whitney Coe, Nancy Gwinn, and Sophia Jordan.
• Approved offering international visiting librarians ALCTS member registration rates for preconferences and institutes.
• Adopted a memorial tribute to Crystal Graham.
• Approved the draft FY 2002 budget, with the expectation that the fiscal expectations regarding ALCTS staff will be reviewed and revised when final staffing decisions are made.
• Reaffirmed the Publication Committee’s request to publish the three guides (currently ready) by 2001 Annual Conference, using the most cost-effective and cost-beneficial option for publication in print.
• Tabled the report from the Research Proposal Task Force on the Big Heads Research Proposal.
• Directed the executive committee to explore with the ALCTS executive director the staffing possibilities for ALCTS and the costs involved with each possibility, and to report back to the ALCTS board of directors via e-mail by February 1, 2001, for further action.
• Approved several requests for cosponsorship.
• Approved a preconference on cataloging maps for 2002 Annual Conference in Atlanta.
• Approved the new charge for the ALCTS Pre-Order and Pre-Catalog Discussion Group: “To provide an informal forum for exchanging information discussing techniques, new developments, problems, and emerging trends in the bibliographic searching of library materials to be acquired and/or cataloged.”
• Approved extending ALCTS Pre-Order and Pre-Catalog Discussion Group (PPDG) through 2002–2003, with the proviso that PPDG follow the guidelines for discussion groups in the manual (specifically relating to reports and presentations), and that the Organization and Bylaws Committee review PPDG for compliance after 2003 Annual Conference.
• Accepted the draft document Guidelines for the Placement of Informal Publications on the ALCTS Web Site draft #4 and discharged the committee with thanks, with the final revision of the document to be considered this spring via e-mail and at the executive committee spring meeting.
• Defeated a motion that the board appoint a task force or panel to investigate the feasibility of creating a committee to track the metadata standards contained in the documents and Web sites created by all committees that comprise ALCTS.
• Authorized the executive committee to pursue restaffing the ALCTS office with an executive director and a mix of program officers, program assistants, and temporary office support at a cost not to exceed projected additional salary expense of $30,000 per year each of the next two years, to be reviewed at the end of fiscal year 2002.
• Directed the ALCTS president to send a letter of appreciation to NISO for making standards available on the Web free of charge.
• Adopted a resolution honoring Karen Muller on her dedicated service to ALCTS.

[ TOP ]

Board Photo

ALCTS Board of Directors

Front Row: Debra Hackleman, Ann M. Sandberg-Fox, Karen Muller, Bill Robnett, Carlen Ruschoff, Peggy Johnson, Miriam W. Palm, Charles Wilt

Back Row: Marla J. Schwartz, Suzanne H. Freeman, M. Dina Giambi, Ross W. Atkinson, Jane Treadwell, Joy Paulson, Karen A. Schmidt, Brian E. C. Schottlaender, William A. Garrison, Olivia M. A. Madison

[ TOP ]

ALCTS Committees Report from Washington

Below are brief abstracts, based on reports received by the editor as of February 6, 2001, of the activities of ALCTS committees at 2001 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Washington, D.C. Links are provided to committee information on the ALCTS home page. Contact information for committee chairs and members may be found there; in addition, some committees post minutes and other documents pertinent to committee work.

For information on committees not listed below, go to the ALCTS organization menu on the ALCTS home page and follow the links through the appropriate section.

Division | Acquisitions Section | Cataloging and Classification Section | Collection Management and Development Section | Preservation and Reformatting Section | Serials Section

Division Committees

The AAP/ALCTS Joint Committee discussed plans for its 2001 Annual Conference program, “What are E-books Anyway?” The committee plans to publish its 1999 conference proceedings, and is seeking permission to go outside ALA publishing to do this. It also received a report on publishers’ use of CIP, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in San Francisco with a program on the New Books Project and began discussions of a topic for its 2002 Annual Conference program.

The ALCTS/Blackwell’s Scholarship Award Committee met, evaluated candidates for the 2001 award, and selected a winner.

The Budget and Finance Committee reviewed the current FY 00–01 budget and the preliminary budget for FY 01–02; discussed the dues increase process and indicators and agreed upon a single scenario to follow; met jointly with the Planning Committee to discuss the strategic and tactical planning activities in preparation for completing a financial plan for FY 01–05; and set a preliminary summer agenda, including developing its own Web page.

The Duplicates Exchange Union reviewed its charge and activities during the past few years. The committee is participating in a self-review with the assistance of Organization and Bylaws.

The Education Committee moved forward under its new charge to focus on continuing education for the division, while the Program Committee will take charge of conference programming. The group achieved three objectives: identifying program models for division continuing education; determining sources for soliciting continue education programming; and outlining the modus operandi of the committee under its revised charge.

The Fundraising Committee hosted a focus meeting with six representatives of vendors that have sponsored ALCTS activities in the past. Questions discussed during the meeting included:

• What sort of requests for support do vendors and publishers receive, and how do they view such requests?
• Are vendors and publishers being asked once for substantial support or more often for lesser amounts and levels of support?
• In that same vein, do they prefer to give more to a few select organizations in support of programs and other activities, or less to a larger number of organization and programs?
• Do they prefer to be the sole sponsor of a program or to share sponsorship?
• At what time of year is it best to make requests for support, and what sort of lead time is considered appropriate?
• What are some common mistakes organizations make when asking for support?
• What pitfalls should we avoid in requesting support?
• What sort of recognition do vendors expect when they sponsor a program?
• Do vendors require involvement with the program planning if they support an event?

The International Relations Committee reviewed funding requests for IFLA 2001, to be held in Boston; acted on an initiative from ALA IRC suggesting that ALCTS offer international visitors member rates to attend institutes and preconferences; agreed to cosponsor a RUSA/MOUSS interlibrary loan program to be held this summer; discussed additional ways of publicizing available travel funds; and discussed participating in an ALA IRO database listing librarians with international expertise and interests.

The Leadership Development Committee discussed the strategic and tactical plan items relevant to its work; discussed the orientation for new officers and chairs for next summer; identified the next steps in the mentoring program; and discussed holding a program on leadership in 2003, as well as its role vis-à-vis the sections and other divisional committees.

The Legislation Committee agreed to submit a legislative awareness statement to ALCTS Newsletter Online; agreed to visit meetings of other ALA legislative committees at Annual; and recommended a joint meeting or open forum with certain other legislative committees at a future conference, in which representatives would be invited to discuss specific legislative issues of interest.

The LRTS Editorial Board discussed expanding the scope of types of scholarly publications the journal will accept and having the editor draft a statement of editorial policy for review. The group also discussed the appointment process for its members.

The Library Materials Price Index Committee reviewed the status of each index for 2000–2001 and set a deadline of March 1 for material to be submitted to Bowker. A subcommittee is coordinating documentation on the development of each index.

The Media Resources Committee discussed improving the standards for recording title and SOR information for videos by working on rule changes for chapter 7.0B2 and 7.7B6, as recommended by the PCC AV Core Task Group. The Standards Subcommittee was charged with taking the recommendations and discussion held by the MRC and drafting rule revisions to be submitted to CC:DA. Volunteers to work with the PCC Standards Group on possible revisions to the 007 field were identified. Work with OLAC’s Cataloging Policy Committee on developing a primer for DVD cataloging was postponed until the revisions for chapter 9 are issued to see what impact they may have. MRC welcomed the MARBI decision to list all narrators in the 511 field, and attendees said they would implement this change immediately. Four possible speakers were identified for the upcoming 2001 program on digital audio/digital video.

The Membership Committee has written a Library Support Staff Membership Outreach plan, which it proposed adopting as a three-year test project. The plan includes promotion support and booth staffing as important outreach methods. The committee also discussed promoting ALCTS membership at programs and discussion group sessions.

The Organization and Bylaws Committee developed a seven-year review schedule for division-level committees and assigned O&B committee members to review specific units. The committee also discussed updating documentation in the ALCTS Policy and Procedures Manual regarding discussion groups and ways to bring this material, in addition to the Web-based checklist “What Division Officers Need to Know” (under development), to the attention of new chairs.

The Planning Committee staged and managed the tactical planning retreat that was held on Friday before conference began. It reviewed the retreat and actions taken at section and committee meetings regarding planning and members’ work assignments; it will recommend to the ALCTS board that units be required to devote meeting time to strategic and tactical planning at each conference. It also met jointly with the Budget and Finance Committee.

The Program Committee noted that Annual Conference in San Francisco will use a new system for “tracking” programs to help eliminate overlap of programs on the same topic. The committee also discussed the need for preconferences and institutes as a source of revenue for the division; only one preconference is scheduled for 2001, but several are proposed for 2002.

The Publisher/Vendor/Library Relations Committee staged a discussion forum, “Strange Bedfellows: New Relationships, Shifting Boundaries.” Panelists discussed how traditionally separate facets of the library and information business worlds are cooperating and uniting to form unique new relationships and new companies. The panel was well attended, and discussion was both lively and productive.

[ top of article ]

Acquisitions Section (AS)

The Acquisitions Organization and Management Committee has developed a Web-based “Survey on the Role of the Acquisitions Librarian” that will be put up for sixty days and tabulated by the summer conference. They will hold a program in San Francisco titled “For Whom the Bills Toll: How Much Paper Does It Take to Track Electronic Resources?”

The Education Committee heard reports on two continuing education activities, the Business of Acquisitions preconference scheduled for summer 2001, and a Fundamentals of Acquisitions Web-based workshop being planned. The group also discussed “basic training” for acquisitions librarians in MLS programs, core competencies for practitioners and managers, the current acquisitions bibliography on the section Web site, and brainstormed ideas for a future conference program.

The Leadership in Library Acquisitions Award Committee met, discussed nominees, selected a winner for 2001, and drafted a citation to be presented this summer.

The Policy and Planning Committee drafted a description of the duties of AS section members-at-large for the section executive committee.

The Publications Committee’s Foreign Book Dealer Directories Subcommittee discussed its future direction, based on a “white paper” prepared by one of the members. The editions of all three directories are now current and posted on the Web. A brief survey will be posted on AN2 and ACQnet to determine future course of action.

The Research and Statistics Committee discussed holding a follow-up to the successful survey program at ALA 2000 Annual Conference in Chicago and the creation of a bibliography of research in acquisitions.

The Technology Committee reviewed feedback on its 2000 Annual Conference program, began a planning proposal for 2002 Annual Conference, and discussed updating its “Vendor R & D Survey,” as well as making it interactive and password-protected on the Web.

[ top of article ]

Cataloging and Classification Section (CCS)

The Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access accepted reports from three of its task forces and took action on these during Midwinter:

• ANSO/NOSI Draft Standard Z39.85 (The Dublin Core Metadata Element Set), was forwarded to the NISO representative.
• Descriptive Cataloging of Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, and Early-Modern Manuscripts was forwarded to ACRL RMBS, which had requested this review.
• Revising AACR2 to Accommodate Seriality: Rule Revision Proposals was forwarded to the JSC representative.

Reports from four additional task forces were heard:

• ISO Harmonization hopes to have a report by this summer.
• VRA Core Categories presented a summary of its conclusions, and its final report will be reviewed after conference.
• Specific Characteristics of Electronic Resources presented an interim report and will revise this for JSC by March 1, with a final report to be completed by this summer.
• Appendix of Major and Minor Changes offered a revised draft, and will incorporate further comments from this meeting by March 1.

The Subject Analysis Committee heard reports from several of its subcommittees: Metadata and Subject Analysis, Authority Records for GSAFD, and Subject Reference Structures in Automated Systems. Four subcommittees appointed at Annual 2000 to review proposed Dewey revisions and NISOZ39.85 were dismissed. Committee members have expressed a desire to initiate continuing education on subject analysis and SACO at a grassroots level.

[ top of article ]

Collection Management and Development Section (CMDS)

The Administration of Collection Development Committee continued work on a survey project it hopes to complete by 2001 Annual Conference.

The Collection Development and Electronic Resources Committee spent time planning its program for 2001, discussing a cosponsorship issue, and discussed a guide for selecting electronic resources.

The Collection Development Issues for the Practitioner Committee is planning an event on ‘evaluating and revising existing approval plans,’ which might take the form of a panel discussion and address questions such as: How often should the plan be reviewed? By whom? Using what criteria? What are some warning signs that an approval plan is in need of a review?

The Education Committee proposed the creation of a Web page listing CD Institutes, discussed an e-book program for 2003, and creating a list of recommended sections for CD courses.

The Publications and Publicity Committee discussed a joint publication with the Acquisitions Section on selecting, acquiring, and licensing electronic resources. The committee also discussed Guidelines for Placing Information Publications on the ALCTS Web Site, noting questions about right of first refusal and authors’ retention of copyright.

The Quantitative Measures for Collection Management Committee received an update on the North American Title Count Subcommittee, which may apply to ALCTS for money to place the results on the Web. The group also discussed its program for 2002 and a proposal for a research clearinghouse online database.

[ top of article ]

Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS)

The Books and Paper: Methods, Materials, Standards Committee discussed its 2001 Annual Conference program, which will be cosponsored by the ALCTS Commercial Technical Services Committee. The committee also reviewed efforts to gather information about stacks cleaning; discussed producing a letter to library system vendors about the need to follow through with their promise to develop binding modules; and the LC Process and Information Modeling Project.

The Education Committee heard reports on the Web-based Preservation Education Directory, the Preservation Film Festival at Annual 2001, a distance education proposal for 2002, and Web-based source of preservation-related graphic materials.

The Management Committee serves as a conduit for information about much activity within PARS related to ALCTS strategic plan objectives, especially to standards and best practices. It heard reports from the Cost Study Task Force, Cooperative Preservation Programs Task Force, and PADG (updates on activities at LC). The group discussed cafes in libraries. The topic on gray literature was postponed until Annual Conference.

The Photographic and Recording Media: Methods, Materials, Standards Committee discussed the current lack of practical reformatting guides for recorded media. Needed resources are quality control guidelines, procedures guidelines for audio reformatting, contract language, developing relations with recording studios and services, specs, and a manual like the RLG microfilming manual. Committee members agreed they should become advocates for the creation and dissemination of authoritative preservation information about recorded media. Members also agreed to talk with other conservation organizations and professional associations to promote the creation of information products and explore common needs and problems.

The Policy, Planning, and Research Committee drafted a revision of the ALA Preservation Policy from 1991. The committee also discussed research needs for the section, and whether there are too many discussion groups to serve needs best.

The Program Planning and Publications Committee reviewed current program proposals (2001) and received reports on their progress. The committee worked with planners submitting proposals for 2002, as well as the co-chairs who are planning the upcoming Library Binding Institute. The representative from the ALCTS Publications Committee reported on the status of publications submitted by PARS, and the committee heard a report on the revision of the Education Directory now in progress.

The Reformatting: Analog and Digital Committee discussed the convergence of electronic and microform publishers and will focus on preservation photocopying and analog materials at Annual Conference. It also considered a future preconference on training and education of staff for preservation microfilming.

[ top of article ]

Serials Section (SS)

The Acquisitions Committee reviewed the status of the updated Serials Glossary, which it hopes to make available on the Web, and finalized plans for its 2001 Annual Conference program, “What Should Your Serials Management System Do for You?”

The Education Committee discussed the syllabi in progress and met with the Acquisitions Committee regarding the summer program.

The Policy, Research and Publications Committee approved two documents on publishing procedures, an overview and a step-by-step guide. The committee discussed its program for 2001 Annual Conference and decided to withdraw Research Topics in Serials from consideration for publication at this time.

The Committee to Study Serials Cataloging heard reports from CC:DA, MARBI, NSDP, CONSER, and LC, as well as reports on subject access, the California Digital Library’s Shared Cataloging Program, and the JSC activities to revise AACR2, chapter 12.

The Committee to Study Serials Standards discussed maintenance of its standards bibliography and whether this publication should be available on the Web.

The Union Lists of Serials Committee discussed the uses of union list data. Consensus seems to indicate that interlibrary loan activity is the primary “consumer” of the union list product. OCLC studies have shown that consultation of union list information before initiating an ILL request significantly improves fill-rate. There was recognition that other systems are available to ILL staff. Direct “peer to peer” requests are evidently becoming popular. The group will coordinate with the RUSA MOUSS ILL Committee to study ways in which a joint effort might benefit others and to present their findings at a future ALA Annual Conference.

The Worst Serial Title Change of the Year Committee did not meet, as most of its business is conducted via e-mail. The committee will be sending out announcements to elicit nominations for the 2001 Worst Serial Title Change of the Year Awards, will work on its selections, and will present the awards at Annual Conference in San Francisco.

[ top of article ]

[ TOP ]

Discussion Groups Report on Conference Activities in Washington

The reports below are summaries of the discussions that took place in the meetings of ALCTS discussion groups held at 2001 Midwinter Meeting in Washington, D.C. Included are groups whose reports were received by the editor as of February 6, 2001. For information on discussion groups not shown here, see the ALCTS organization page on the ALCTS Web site.

Division Discussion Groups | AS Discussion Groups | CCS Discussion Groups | CMDS Discussion Groups | PARS Discussion Groups | SS Discussion Groups

Division Discussion Groups

The Automated Acquisitions/In-Process Control Systems Discussion Group’s topic was “EDI: A Cooperative Venture.” Three speakers addressed differing aspects of the EDI implementation process:

• William Hoffman (Swets Blackwell) discussed the materials vendor perspective, sharing the functions that can be processed computer to computer, the back room work done by a jobber, and the steps that a librarian can take to facilitate implementation.
• Kathryn Harnish (Endeavor) discussed the process for an ILS vendor, and helped all present to understand the behind-the-scenes steps. Many Endeavor users had questions and comments directly for Kathryn.
• Dianne McCutcheon (NLM) has library experience with many phases of C2C processing, and gave a very thorough presentation of these issues.

The Newspaper Discussion Group heard Karen Huffman (graduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park and Systems Specialist in the Archives and Records Library at National Geographic Society), give a presentation titled “Taking Another Step Forward: Digitizing Historical Newspaper Collections.” This academic project seeks out extant digital newspaper collections, with a goal of determining how best to connect to heterogeneous collections and design the interface and protocol for effective and efficient distributed searching while applying the open archives model. Local management, administration, and preservation of the physical holdings remain with the collection owners. Adherence to various standards is necessary, though the content and display of each collection may vary one from another. Digitization provides remote access to materials in a very immediate fashion, though Internet access speeds, navigation, and presentation present some obstacles. Short-term issues for this pilot project include recommending newspaper metadata standards, cross-walking systems, and designing a search interface. Long-term issues may include file degeneration, file formats, and copyright. Further information is available at http://newspapers.umd.edu/newspapers/index.html.

Other difficulties were discussed, such as microfilm collections in out-of-state libraries, cutting newspaper volumes to get the best photographic reproduction, ILL requests that ignore OCLC LDRs, multiple-formats (e.g., paper, film) description that makes research more difficult, and National Serials Data Program cataloging that goes unnoticed. The Group looks forward to Nicholson Baker’s Double Fold book just published, as well as his speech at ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco.

The Role of the Professional in Academic Research Technical Services Departments Discussion Group centered on the advanced technology skills required of technical services professionals as well as the unique skill sets needed to capitalize on sophisticated library systems and integrate new electronic resources into those systems. Deb Silverman (University of Pittsburgh, Health Sciences Library System) spoke on her experience increasing technical skills of her staff in order to reduce their dependency on the Systems Department. Rather than rely on IT staff for expertise, they developed the expertise within her department. Following her presentation there was a lively discussion. The audience had many questions related to the specific projects and offered comments on their own library situations. There was discussion about the relationship between technical services staff and IT staff.

[ top of article ]

Acquisition Section (AS) Discussion Groups

The Acquisitions Administrators Discussion Group reviewed e-book issues. Diane Kachmar (Florida Atlantic University) provided an overview of available e-book options—all of which were exhibited at ALA. She introduced netLibrary, Questia, and ebrary as well as other sources including Baker and Taylor (not yet available) and Blackwell’s (netLibrary). She also discussed Project Gutenberg, Gemstar, Etext Center, Books 24x7, IBooks, Glassbook, and Peanut Press, a subsidiary of netLibrary, which is not targeted to libraries and allows downloading titles to a Palm Pilot.

Nancy Gibbs (North Carolina State University) discussed the goals for the e-book collection at her institution. She identified the kinds of titles being collected and showed how the bibliographic records and circulation status appear in the online catalog. She mentioned how the cast of players involved in the acquisition of e-books differs from those involved in the acquisition of other library resources. In addition to collection management, public services, acquisitions, and cataloging personnel, other groups may need to become involved, including university personnel in risk management and legal services.

After commenting on how e-books required some workflow changes, Nancy identified the most popular subject areas and showed how those subject use patterns change from month to month, depending on class assignments. She discussed what North Carolina State University did to implement the e-book program, what it could do better, and what’s ahead.

Lynn Connaway (netLibrary) described how her company defines an e-book and what capabilities it should have. She outlined challenges for both librarians and publishers. Librarians need to consider budget allocations, usage and distribution models (group or single licenses), collection development strategies, and licensing models. Publishers need to consider the following:

• Contractual rights (electronic and territorial)
• Permission clearance (including multiple sources for various components of a document)
• Format identifiers, compositor and e-book file delivery
• Editorial and production workload
• E-book metadata maintenance and delivery
• Sales reporting and accounting, including royalties
• Marketing and publicity
• Storage for archiving
• Maintaining a competitive position
• Enhancing electronic publishing skills
• Avoiding devaluation of content
• Serving customers in a new way

Lynn also commented on other emerging trends: the utilization of e-book capabilities; the enhancement of bibliographic records, including tables of contents and indexes; the incorporation of full-text search capabilities within and across collections; access to e-mail, electronic text, audio, and video through wireless technologies; the aggregation of electronic content by individuals (e.g., Napster); and the need for librarians’ assistance to retrieve and evaluate information. She observed that Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly will soon start reviewing e-books. She concluded by noting that repurposing content for various devices and formats involves a rights issue, and digital rights management is becoming more and more important.

Participants engaged the presenters and each other in a lively discussion throughout the meeting, which concluded with Mike Echery of netLibrary offering a demonstration of netLibrary.

[ top of article ]

Cataloging and Classification Section (CCS) Discussion Groups

The Cataloging Norms Discussion Group heard presentations about changing to Pinyin romanization and what is left to do from the generalist’s perspective.

The Copy Cataloging Discussion Group heard presentations about the cataloging process at netLibrary, UC San Diego’s experience with using the “single record” approach in cataloging NBER working papers, and North Carolina State’s experience in cataloging e-books.

The Heads of Cataloging Departments Discussion Group discussed “When Former Copy Catalogers Become Paraprofessionals: Issues of Transition.” There is a general, growing trend toward copy catalogers’ responsibilities overlapping with tasks historically assigned to original, professional catalogers. Concerns identified include mandated cuts or retirements causing reduction of original cataloging pools; shifting backlogs, including more e-resources and other special materials; a need for on-site training for new MLS and copy catalogers; a need for clearly defined position descriptions and salary levels; and acknowledged need for more fluid departmental structure and for mutual respect among all staffing levels.

The LITA/ALCTS-CCS Authority Control in the Online Environment Discussion Group talked about “Current Developments in Authority Control.” Ann Della Porta (Library of Congress) reported on changes at LC related to restructuring of LCCNs, implementation of new MARC characters, IFLA perspectives on sharing name authorities, Pinyin conversion, the move to “African Americans” in subject headings, and upcoming ILS changes. Mary Charles Lasater (Vanderbilt University) spoke about her institution’s Pinyin conversion and undifferentiated personal name authorities. Glenn Patton (OCLC) talked about the utility’s experience with Pinyin and other conversion efforts. Lynn El-Hoshy also reported on Pinyin changes to subject authorities and LC classification. The discussion period focused on undifferentiated personal name authorities and identifying ways to reduce the mismatching of name headings by restricting the reuse of LCCNs when the identity named by an authority record changes from undifferentiated to unique.

[ top of article ]

Collection Management and Development Section (CMDS) Discussion Groups

The Chief Collection Development Officers of Large Research Libraries Discussion Group discussed several issues:

• Counting Electronic Resources: Julia Blixrud reported on the ARL e-metrics initiative and how it will affect the way in which we count holdings as well as manage use statistics. Libraries such as Ohio State University in OhioLink have already developed some methods for handling statistics.
• CD Research Topics: the ALCTS Technical Services Directors of Large Research Libraries continued a discussion begun at 2000 ALA Annual Conference regarding development of a research agenda. Some of the questions the group posed are of interest to collection development. The CCDO group expressed some interest in seeing results of this work.
• Moving Materials to Storage Facilities: Deborah Jakubs asked for guidance from libraries who have gone through off-site storage moves. A useful list of targets and common pitfalls came from the discussion:
  • Developing a rationale for the move that can be shared with faculty
  • Making it clear that items going to storage are not unimportant and that they can be called back
  • Setting a pragmatic goal of having eighty to eighty-five percent capacity freed up in the stacks area of the main library
  • Considering how to handle access issues, such as providing table of contents for items in storage
  • Needing to analyze large sets
  • Looking carefully at duplications
  • Considering a triage system at point of acquisition
  • Segregating items that are currently in electronic format.
• History E-books: The American Council of Learned Societies History E-Book project is underway. Eileen Gardiner and Ron Musto provided background and asked for future direction in developing this area.
• Bookplating Electronic Materials: Ann Okerson led a discussion of bookplating of electronic products. Yale has a draft statement that she will share with the discussion group members.

[ top of article ]

Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) Discussion Groups

The Cooperative Preservation Programs Discussion Group heard Steve Dalton (NEDCC) give an overview of a new NEDCC publication, Handbook for Digital Projects: A Management Tool for Preservation and Access. Mary Wooten and Alan Haley (Library of Congress) spoke of developing policy and procedures and cooperation between the Conservation Division and the National Digital Library Project at the Library of Congress. Tom Clareson (AMIGOS) described integrating digital education with a preservation field services program at AMIGOS. Robin Dale (RLG) reported on recent conferences held in the United Kingdom relating to the preservation of digital collections.

The Library Binding Discussion Group and the Binding Automation Discussion Group held a joint session. Their topics included:

• NISO Binding Elements (Z39.76) standard is up for five-year mandatory review. The complete standard is on the NISO Web site. Members interested in working on a committee to review the standard and those with comment should contact Karen Anspach.
• Library Binding Institute: The serial “New Library Scene” is being revamped and should be out by end of first quarter.
• ILS software and the lack of an interface with library binding software: It has been recognized for more than fifteen years that an interface is needed, and it has been acknowledged by many in the ILS community that such an interface would not be complex to program. The goal of the meeting was to identify strategies for making this happen. The group reviewed a letter, which it supports, drafted by members of the PARS Books and Paper Committee. The letter will be put on PADG-L for final comments and then sent to the PARS and ALCTS executive committees.
  • Other suggestions include urging our library directors to sign the letter and use it for contract negotiation with ILS vendors; moving the letter through ALA channels; placing articles in the literature (New Library Scene, LIRTS, American Libraries) to raise awareness of this matter; requesting LBI to investigate the cost of a full-page ad in American Libraries; sending a copy of the letter to appropriate electronic lists; and becoming active in user groups to make binding issues better known.

The PARS Discussion Group addresses topics of sectionwide interest and often summarizes conference activities and discusses unresolved issues. The topic raised was reducing the number of discussion group meetings during ALA Annual Conference so that members would have time to attend programs or meetings of other sections. There was a wide range of opinions on this proposal, including the fact that many discussion groups have adopted the format of a presentation; while no consensus was reached, the discussion was useful.

The Physical Quality and Treatment of Library Materials Discussion Group heard David Walls (Yale University) discuss the development of the mass de-acidification program at Yale, in particular the selection aspects of ramping up a new program and funding strategies. Bob Strauss of Preservation Technologies (a mass de-acidification service supplier) led a spirited discussion of the benefits of de-acidifying somewhat brittle items and the preparation decisions of bound versus manuscript formats. Topics suggested for 2001 Annual Conference include the ASTM paper permanence standard, stack therapies for mold, and interim feedback on the new IPI data loggers.

The Small to Mid-sized Preservation Program Discussion Group explored the topic “Building a Preservation Program: Politics or Persuasion.” Beth Schobernd (Illinois State University) shared her experiences in building a program from scratch, while Kay Walter (University of Nebraska–Lincoln) offered her perspective of building a program without a preservation librarian. The audience represented a mix of seasoned preservation professionals, librarians new to preservation programs, and preservation enthusiasts from libraries currently having no formal program. Those present shared experiences and brainstormed solutions to problems and situations raised by the group.

The Reformatting Discussion Group continued its exploration of preservation reformatting issues with the help of three speakers:

• Wesley Boomgaarden (preservation officer, Ohio State University Libraries) briefly reviewed the current state of selection, the impact of digitization projects on preservation programs, and the disposition of items that have been reformatted. Wes noted the usefulness of Janet Gertz’s “Selection for Preservation in the Digital Age” (LRTS, vol. 44, no. 2) and the new NEDCC Handbook for Digital Projects, edited by Maxine Sitts, which can be accessed online at www.nedcc.org/digital/dighome.htm. Wes compressed the key points in the digitization process down to: “identify good stuff to digitize; create excellent images; support access by others; don’t break the law; and be able to justify cost.” He noted that there isn’t sufficient data to estimate the impact of digital projects on traditional preservation, but it would not be surprising to discover that “imaging resources might come from cuts in many areas of library operations, including preservation units.” As for the fates of reformatted items, Wes shared his experience of being interviewed by Nicholson Baker and stressed that if anything was being discarded from collections, it was only the “most awful, unusable” items. The bottom line is that materials are being retained “unless they are absolutely unusable.” Wes commented that one of the effects Baker’s articles are having is to “undermine the public’s trust in librarians.”
• Margaret Byrnes (National Library of Medicine) reviewed progress NLM has made on developing a system of permanence ratings. The ratings will be used to indicate to users and other libraries what electronic materials NLM plans to archive. A report on this project is available online at www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/reports/permanence.pdf.
• Ken Thibodeau (National Archives and Records Administration) provided a brief overview of NARA’s involvement with two projects centered on the extended-term retention of authentic records created in electronic systems. Ken indicated that the lack of stable archival media is essentially a manageable problem. The challenge is to develop an archival framework as broadly conceived as possible, incorporating obsolescence into the solution. In addition to developing the Electronic Records Archives Program, NARA is involved with the InterPARES Project. Those interested in NARA’s efforts can also view its 1997–2007 strategic plan, “Ready Access to Essential Evidence.”

[ top of article ]

Serials Section (SS) Discussion Groups

The Journal Costs in Libraries Discussion Group chose as its topic “The (Un)logic of E-journal Pricing Packages: Free Electronic Information . . . at a Cost.” The speakers were Marilyn Geller, information management consultant, and Matthew J. Price, manager, Product Marketing, American Chemical Society, Publications Division.

The Research Libraries Discussion Group chose the theme “Archiving Print in a Digital Environment: Usage vs. Preservation.” Sheryl Davis (University of California, Riverside) spoke on archiving and Cecily Johns (UC Santa Barbara) spoke on using digital versions as the use copy.

[ top of article ]

[ TOP ]

CMDS Section Experiments with New Orientation Procedure

The Collection Management and Development Section of ALCTS initiated a new schedule for its “all-committees” meeting slot on Sunday during the recent Midwinter Meeting. For the first hour of this time period, the CMDS executive committee met with the current committee chairs to give them an opportunity to discuss concerns and problems before the committee meetings began. During the San Francisco Annual Conference, a similar session will be held, so the executive committee can provide an orientation session for incoming chairs based on the new CMDS Orientation Guide for Chairs, co-authored by John Haar, Genevieve Owens, and Marlene Manoff.

To assist section leaders in finding the resources they need to manage their assignments, the CMDS guide will reside on the CMDS Web site and contain links to appropriate resources within ALCTS. A printed version will also be handed out to committee chairs. Suzanne Freeman, chair of CMDS, reports that the initial one-hour session proved very helpful to the new chairs, whose leadership roles begin at Midwinter. She said “they feel much more connected to all of CMDS and to ALCTS now.”

[ TOP ]

Karen Muller Leaves ALCTS for New Challenges

Karen Muller, ALCTS executive director since June 1987, has announced her resignation effective March 5, 2001, to assume a new role at ALA, that of headquarters librarian and knowledge manager. RTSD (the Resources and Technical Services Division of ALA), which we all now know as ALCTS, was Karen’s first “home” in ALA, where she began by sitting on the sidelines of the old Descriptive Cataloging Committee. Many of the officers, committee chairs, and other division leaders in the past thirteen years have enjoyed Karen’s guidance and friendship, while we struggled through the division’s lean years, the development of the ALA Operating Agreement, transitions to electronic modes of information distribution, restructurings in the division, and so forth.

Thanks to more than a decade of Karen’s strong leadership, we have enjoyed many successes and built a strong financial base. As Karen returns to a traditional library role, she looks forward to having some time to attend one or more of the dynamic programs we offer and relying on our expertise as she undertakes to manage a live serials collection, get materials acquired, cataloged, and bound, and seek to make electronic materials available to her colleagues at ALA—all assignments her ALCTS colleagues know a great deal about!

In her letter of resignation, Karen states: “ What I will miss most about ALCTS is the people, and right now the ‘constellation’ of leadership is the strongest ever, with each and every one of you a ‘star’ and someone whose skills and thoughts I value. I have been looking forward to executing the ‘reinventing’ of our continuing education program and the expansion of our already strong publishing program into revenue-producing Web-based products. However, the opportunity to shape a new function at ALA comes along rarely, and I decided to test my skills in a new way. Finally, I thank you all for your wisdom and collegiality over the years.”

On January 16, 2001, the ALCTS board passed the following resolution:

Whereas Karen Muller has served as Executive Director of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services and, before that, of the Resources and Technical Services Division for a total of nearly fourteen years, and

Whereas Karen Muller has provided dedicated leadership and wise counsel to the Association since 1987, Therefore, Be it resolved that the ALCTS Board, on behalf of the ALCTS membership, thanks Karen Muller with deep appreciation for her service, and

Be it resolved that ALCTS wishes Karen Muller every success and satisfaction in her new position.

[ TOP ]

Interim Staffing Arrangements for ALCTS Office

With the resignation of Karen Muller as ALCTS/LAMA executive director, ALCTS and LAMA will continue to operate out of a joint office with shared staff from March through the end of ALA’s fiscal year, August 31. During this period, Charles Wilt will be the acting executive director for both organizations.

A search for a new executive director is underway. The Search Committee includes ALA staff and the following ALCTS members: Carlen Ruschoff (chair), Bill Robnett, Pamela Bluh, and Marty Kurth. Interviews will take place in the spring. We fully expect to have a full-time director devoted solely to ALCTS activities by the beginning of the next fiscal year, September 1, 2001.

[ TOP ]

Funding Available for Travel to International Meetings Other than IFLA

The ALCTS International Relations Committee (IRC) reminds members it has $1,000 in its budget to support the travel of ALCTS members to appropriate international meetings—other than IFLA—to represent the interests and concerns of the ALCTS membership. Announcements of such meetings regularly appear in the International Events column in American Libraries; in International Leads, the newsletter of the International Relations Round Table; and in two electronic lists—IFLA-L (IFLA) and alaworld (ALA).

The newly revised Guidelines for Selection and Appointment of ALCTS Members to Represent ALCTS at International Meetings are now available online. These procedures are also summarized below:

1. The requester must be a member in good standing of ALCTS and the ALCTS section he or she will be representing at the international meeting or activity.
2. The requester fills out the appropriate forms that are used when requesting approval to represent ALCTS at an international meeting as well as requesting funding to attend an international meeting. These forms can be found at www.ala.org/alcts/you/manual/forms/ircrep.pdf and at www.ala.org/alcts/you/manual/forms/fundingrequest.pdf.
3. The requester then submits these forms, to the chair (or his or her designate) of the appropriate ALCTS section.
4. The section chair (or his or her designate) has the responsibility of polling the section’s executive committee for its support of the candidate.
5. Once support has been approved, the section chair signs the form and forwards it to the IRC chair.
6. The IRC reviews the request and, pending approval, submits it to the ALCTS board of directors with a recommended dollar amount.
7. When the board approves the request, the individual is notified of ALCTS’ support and the amount allocated.
8. In accepting ALCTS funding, the candidate is required to submit a report of the meeting or activity to the appropriate ALCTS section, the IRC, and the ALCTS board. Requests that need immediate attention will be handled electronically.

[ TOP ]

NISO Standards Now Available Free Online

All standards and publications from the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) can now be downloaded as PDF files for no charge from the NISO Web site. From the NISO home page click on the NISO Press icon, and then click on Standards and Publications from NISO Press. You can search for a specific title or review a list of all the approved and published NISO standards and technical reports.

NISO is one of the few (if not the only) accredited standards developer in the U.S. making its standards freely available on the Web. The support of voting members such as our ALCTS representatives makes this possible. NISO is pleased to take the lead in supporting the widest possible distribution of its publications.

NISO is continuing its print publication program and will continue to sell the hardcopy standards. Please share this good news with your staff and your standards committees, colleagues, clients, and customers.

[ TOP ]

ALCTS Members Win Awards

Filiberto Felipe Martinez Arellano has received the “Best of Cataloging and Classification Quarterly volume 28” award for his paper “Subject Searching in Online Catalogs Including Spanish and English Material.” The award panel cited Martinez for his sound research and its future usefulness. His article demonstrates that traditional approaches, including a controlled vocabulary, still have validity, and speaks to the problems of bilingual and multilingual systems that are becoming increasingly important. The panel gave an honorable mention to Scott Dennis for his article “Aggravating or Aggregating? Providing Effective Access to Contents of Aggregator Databases: A Reference/Collection Development Librarian’s Perspective.” Mr. Dennis’s essay is based on his presentation made at the ALCTS Technical Services Administrators of Medium-sized Research Libraries Discussion Group at 1999 ALA Annual Conference. His article provides the CCQ readership with a public services perspective on a topic that is likely to continue to receive considerable discussion.

The NASIG Awards and Recognition Committee and NASIG executive board are pleased to announce that the winner of the Marcia Tuttle International Grant for 2001 is Taemin K. Park, serials librarian at Indiana University. The Marcia Tuttle International Grant was established in 1998 to provide funding for serials work of international scope that fosters international communication and education. Supported activities may include, but are not limited to, research, collaborative projects, job exchanges, and presentation of paper at conferences. This grant is named in honor of Marcia Tuttle, whose many accomplishments have had a dramatic impact on the serials profession, and provides $1,000 to help defray the costs of international travel.

Park will be presenting a paper at the 12th International Conference on New Information Technology in Beijing, China, May 29–31, 2001. Her topic will be on library education in information organization and access of networked resources, including online serials. Please join the NASIG Awards and Recognition Committee and the NASIG executive board in congratulating Park and wishing her the best of good fortune in her travels.

[ TOP ]

Calendar of Upcoming Events

[ TOP ]