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42n6_final.qxd 10/23/2003 4:39 PM Page cov1 cover cov1 42n6_final.qxd 10/23/2003 4:39 PM Page cov2 Baker & Taylor 4c page cov2 42n6_final.qxd 10/23/2003 4:39 PM Page 333 American Psych 4c page 333 42n6_final.qxd 10/23/2003 4:45 PM Page 334 42n6_final.qxd 10/23/2003 4:39 PM Page 335 SIRSI 4c page 335 42n6_final.qxd 10/23/2003 4:39 PM Page 336 BWI 4c page 336 42n6_final.qxd 10/23/2003 4:39 PM Page 337 Renée Vaillancourt McGrath Feature Editor Kathleen M. Hughes CONTENTS Managing Editor November/December 2003 Vol. 42, No. 6 367 Intellectual Freedom in Belief and Practice Michael Harkovitch, Amanda Hirst, and Jenifer Loomis 375 The College Connection Using Academic Support to Conduct Public Library Surveys James Simon and Kurt Schlichting 379 Lifescapes A Reading and Writing Program for Senior Citizens Julie Machado and Stephen Tchudi 383 Putting the User First in Virtual Information Services Michele Pye and Sue Yates IN EVERY ISSUE 342 Editor’s Note 362 Tech Talk Renée Vaillancourt McGrath Paula Wilson 343 From the President 388 News from PLA Luis Herrera Kathleen Hughes 350 Tales from the Front 389 On the Agenda Jennifer T. Ries-Taggart 390 By the Book 352 Perspectives Jennifer Schatz Hampton (Skip) Auld 394 New Product News 360 Internet Spotlight Vicki Nesting Andrea Mercado PLUS . 338 Readers Respond 358 Book Talk 344 Verso Book Lust: An Interview with Better Recall of Work Titles in Nancy Pearl Online Catalogs Kathleen Hughes and Brendan Herbert H. Hoffman Dowling 347 Verso 364 Opportunities, Awards, and But I Only Want to Read Books Honors with Happy Endings: Strategies Rochelle Hartman for a Successful Library Adult 393 Index to Advertisers Book Discussion Group 396 Index to Volume 42 Sherry Evans The Public Library Association is a division of the American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; www.pla.org. Cover design by Jim Lange, Jim Lange Design, Chicago Interior design by Dianne M. Rooney, American Library Association, Chicago 42n6_final.qxd 10/23/2003 4:39 PM Page 338 EDITORIAL FEATURE EDITOR: Renée Vaillancourt McGrath MANAGING EDITOR: Kathleen M. Hughes CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Hampton (Skip) Auld, Steven Cohen, Rochelle Hartman, Nann Blaine Hilyard, Vicki Nesting, Jennifer Ries-Taggart, Paula Wilson, Natalie Ziarnik EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Brendan Dowling ADVISORY COMMITTEE Isabel Dale Silver, Chair, Champaign, IL; Marilyn Boria, Elmhurst, IL; Nancy Charnee, New York, NY; Barbara Custon, Pasadena, CA; Nann Blaine Hilyard, Zion, IL; The Fragile Future of Public Libraries Marcia Schneider, San Francisco, CA; Luren E. Dickinson, Jackson, MI; Cindy Lombardo, Orrville, OH. Michael Sullivan covers a lot of ground in his article “The Fragile Future of Public EX OFFICIO: Jo Ann Pinder, Gwinnett County Public Libraries.” One subject discussed is the importance public libraries and librarians Library, 1001 Lawrenceville Hwy., Lawrenceville, GA place on reference and the amount of money we invest in reference materials. Yes, ref- 30045-4707; [email protected] erence work is important. However, public libraries that will survive for the next ten PLA PRESIDENT: Luis Herrera, Pasadena Public Library, 285 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91101-1556; years need to reassess reference collections. Here at Carroll County (Md.) Public [email protected] Library, we have heavily weeded reference collections 20–30 percent in some branches PUBLIC LIBRARIES (ISSN 0163-5506) is published with no adverse effect. Why? Staff uses the Internet heavily, and so do patrons. Don’t bimonthly at 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. It is fight the Internet as a reference source. Save your taxpayers some money and use it!— the official publication of the Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Linda Mielke, Director, Carroll County (Md.) Public Library Association. Subscription price: to members of PLA, $25 a year, included in membership dues; to nonmem- Thank you for publishing Michael Sullivan’s timely and thought-provoking article. I bers: U.S. $50; Canada $60; all other countries $60. Single copies, $10. Periodicals postage paid at wholeheartedly agree with him, especially on the issue of reference service.—Bruce A. Chicago, IL, and at additional mailing offices. POST- Adams, Associate Director for Public Services, King County (Wash.) Library System MASTER: send address changes to Public Libraries, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. Thank you for Michael Sullivan’s “The Fragile Future of Public Libraries.” It SUBSCRIPTIONS reminded me of my own belief that, all too often, we public librarians have stood on Nonmember subscriptions, orders, changes of address, the sidelines bemoaning (to each other, of course) the fact that people do not under- and inquiries should be sent to Public Libraries, Sub- stand us and our value. A more effective approach would be to get in the game and scription Department, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; 800-545-2433, develop the skills to be real players who listen well, are nimble, and take appropriate press 5; fax: (312) 944-2641; e-mail: subscriptions@ action.—Jim Fish, Director, Baltimore County Public Library ala.org. ADVERTISING In the longstanding debate of “give ’em what they want” versus “give ’em what they William N. Coffee, c/o Benson, Coffee & Associates, need,” Michael Sullivan firmly advocates the former as a survival strategy for the 1411 Peterson Ave., Park Ridge, IL 60068; (847) 692- modern public library. But survival at what cost? 4695; fax (847) 692-3877. Sullivan tells us to “Ask [our] customers what they want, early and often, and PRODUCTION actually give it to them . ask people to choose what they want to read. Resist ALA PRODUCTION SERVICES: Troy D. Linker, Kevin the urge to buy books based on a reviewer’s recommendation.” While marketing of Heubusch; Ellie Barta-Moran, Angela Hanshaw, Kristen this kind should play a crucial role in today’s public library, one must ponder the end McKulski, and Karen Sheets. result of employing such a strategy indiscriminately: increased usage perhaps, but also MANUSCRIPTS a catering to fad, a collection of little permanent value, and quite possibly a dumbing- Unless otherwise noted, all submissions should be sent to down of the library in the long run. the feature editor, Renée Vaillancourt McGrath, 248A N. Higgins Ave. #145, Missoula, MT 59802; publiclibraries@ Effective collection development policies in public libraries allow for a wide vari- aol.com. See the January/February issue or www.pla.org ety of material in different formats. But Sullivan, listing the standard elements of such for submission instructions. policies, questions the costs of “a long and orderly process of choosing the books and INDEXING/ABSTRACTING other items that will go on the shelves” and librarians who “read reviews . ., build Public Libraries is indexed in Library Literature and diverse collections, balance nonfiction and fiction, popular reading materials with Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE), in addi- ‘quality’ reading . [and] make sure that the library has materials from all sides of tion to a number of online services. Contents are ab- important issues.” Aren’t these the worthwhile traits which make public libraries so stracted in Library and Information Science Abstracts. valuable and which separate us from most bookstores and Internet sites? Indeed, these MICROFILM COPIES qualities make public libraries even more important in today’s corporate-controlled Microfilm copies are available from University Micro- world, where the lowest-common denominator rules and only the biggest voices tend films, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. to be heard. Look again at the traits listed above: diversity, balance, the popular coex- The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for isting with quality. They’re the bedrock of a good public library, and the day they Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed cease to matter will be the day public libraries cease to matter.—Mike Boedicker, Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. ¥ ©2003 by the American Library Association continued on page 341 All materials in this journal are subject to copyright by the American Library Association and may be photo- copied for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or Public Libraries encourages letters to the editor. Letters are used on a space-available basis and educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and may be excerpted. Preference will be given to letters that address issues raised by the magazine. 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. For other reprinting, photocopying, or translating, address Acceptance is at the editor’s discretion. Send to Renée Vaillancourt McGrath, 248A N. Higgins requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions, Ave. #145, Missoula, MT 59802; [email protected]. 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. 42n6_final.qxd 10/23/2003 4:39 PM Page 339 TLC 4c page 339 42n6_final.qxd 10/23/2003 4:39 PM Page 340 Reference USA 4c page 340 42n6_final.qxd 10/23/2003 4:39 PM Page 341 READERS RESPOND continued from page 338 Audiovisual Director and Webmaster, Danville (Ill.) Public vails.—Cameron A. Johnson, Everett (Wash.) Public Library Library I read Michael Sullivan’s article with great interest. However, I In “The Fragile Future of Public Libraries,” Michael Sullivan would like to offer one correction. The article states that eight concludes that if public libraries are to survive they will do so branch libraries closed in Multnomah County, Oregon, in only by adopting the role of community gathering place. But he 1997. What actually occurred was that eight libraries were offers next to nothing to substantiate this claim, and he fails to threatened with closure at that time following the passage of a develop or detail his vision.