ACRL Announces Top 10 Assumptions

I recently returned from Seattle, WA where I attended The Association of College Research Libraries conference. Keynote speakers Rushworth Kidder discussed ethical elements in every day life; author Sherman Alexie had a packed auditorium of librarians laughing and listening intently to his experience as a Native American growing up on a reservation, going to college, and just how important librarians are today. This timely talk resonated with me. I will finish my masters degree in library science this spring. Alexie pointed out that as a librarian, on top of helping students with research, we help people find their stories.
I also recorded Mr. Alexie as he read a poem titled, "My Sharona."

The convention continued with exhibits, poster sessions, workshops and wound down Sunday morning with Ira Glass, Host & Executive Producer of This American Life.

In 2007, ACRL Research Committee posted the top 10 assumptions for the future of academic libraries "after surveying member leaders and conducting literature review."

1. There will be an increased emphasis on digitizing collections, preserving digital archives, and improving methods of data storage and retrieval
2. The skill set for librarians will continue to evolve in response to the needs and expectations of the changing populations (student and faculty) that they serve
3. Students and faculty will increasingly demand faster and greater access to services
4. Debates about intellectual property will become increasingly common in higher education
5. The demand for technology related services will grow and require additional funding
6. Higher education will increasingly view the institution as a business
7. Students will increasingly view themselves as customers and consumers, expecting high quality facilities and services
8. Distance learning will be an increasingly common option in higher education and will co-exist but not threaten the traditional brick-and-mortar model
9. Free, public access to information stemming from publicly funded research will continue to grow
10. Privacy will continue to be an important issue in librarianship

Are there any other items that you would add to this list?

More information about this list can be found at ALA/ACRL

~Paul

The best of 2008

Okay, so it is already March of 2009 but it is not too late to add these titles to your reading list. Touted as the best of 2008, Booklist Online has suggested a wealth of great reading materials. Titles include stories about living in a Virginia coal-mining camp in 1948 in Little Audrey. If you still are interested in history, this narrative entitled We Are the Ship: The Story of the Negro League Baseball tells the the story breaking the race barrier in the time of segregation. This book offers the reader a scope into the lives and times of these young men who triumphantly played the game of baseball for the love of the sport while highlighting such characters as Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson.

Other titles include: Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood or or if you are interested in gumshoe crime novels try Lush Life by Richard Price, a crime fiction novel that takes place in New York's Lower East Side. Or for you studious types, there is the reference collection African American National Biography. This treasure trove contains records about the contributions and achievements of more than "4,000 African Americans—slaves, architects, entertainers, dentists, political leaders, artists, poets, and activists."

What better way to celebrate Spring Break?

Women's History Month

What began as week long recognition in the late 1970's highlighting the contributions of women "to our society and nation" has now flourished into a month long homage. Women's History Month honors the stories, trials, and lives of women that until recently has been over looked and under represented.

National Women's History Project offers resources and information about programs across the nation designed to honor women and their role in the advancement of education, science, government, and this years theme, "Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet." The website also contains press kit, tools, and resources to host similar celebrations in your community, schools, and organizations.

This year honors women taking steps to improve conditions on our planet. NWHP recognizes Rachel Carson as the founder of "the contemporary environmental movement." Honorees this year come from a diverse range of disciplines from scientists, engineers, business leaders to writers, filmmakers, conservationists, teachers, and community organizers. Each story unique and each one making a huge contribution to the advancement of women.

As the website declares, "If we don’t promote women’s history, who will?" Yes, March is declared Women's History Month, just as February is declared African-American History Month. It is essential that we honor and recognize the multi-cultural diverse community that we we all belong to and we don't have to let it stop at the end of February or March.

~paul