ISSN 0892-4546 International Leads

A Publication of the International Relations Round Table of the American Association

Volume 20 June 2006 Number 2

Studying eastern ’s library landscape

By Sam Dunlap and Barbara Walden From March 16 to 23, 2006, eleven members of WESS, the Western European Studies Section of ACRL, participated in a study tour of in the former . The Tour, “, Dresden, Weimar: Exploring a Library Landscape” was organized by the Goethe-Institut New York, with the financial support of the U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany, Public Affairs Section; and Bibliothek & Information International (BII), in cooperation with WESS. The trip acquainted us with developments in librarianship, and culture in eastern Germany since unification and increased our competency in our German-related subject specialties, and served to establish and strengthen our contact with colleagues at home and abroad. At either end, the Tour was anchored Photo by Dick Hacken by the Leipzig Fair and the 95th The Leipzig Book Fair opens to the public, March 18, 2006. German Library Conference. Germany is a nation of readers, and this year’s of new audio . Participants arrived which was further developed. Leipzig Book Fair featured over 2100 early in order to find a scarce seat in In 1945, the Bibliotheca Albertina was publishers from 36 countries and was standing-room only venues. two-thirds destroyed, although the attended by a record number of 126,000 In addition to a rainy-evening relocated collections survived intact. people, an increase of 17% over last reception at the American Consulate Partial renovation of the stacks began in year. It was amazing to see the throngs General in Leipzig, the group visited 1955, but financial resources remained of readers buying new, antiquarian, the University Library, “Bibliotheca scarce and work came to a stop. In and hand-made artist books, and the Albertina” and the German Library, 2002, after ten years of reconstruction many young people dressing up as their “Die Deutsche Bibliothek, Deutsche and addition, the library opened in 2002 favorite characters as part of the large as the University’s main library, and it Bücherei Leipzig.” The Leipzig area devoted to “Comics in Leipzig.” serves as the central humanities library University Library was founded in Within the city itself, every bookstore and houses the archival collections. featured from morning to 1543 and located on the premises of The closed stacks have a capacity of night, and major cultural venues were the secularized Pauliner Monastery 3.2 million volumes and the open stacks reserved for particular publishers to and the collections of several Leipzig Continued on Page 2 highlight their authors and productions monasteries formed the core library June 2006 International Leads  underground stacks, a devastating fire Germany broke out and destroyed the roof and IRRT Officers Continued from page 1 the second gallery of the magnificent Chair rococo hall. Fifty thousand volumes Jeannette E. Pierce areas contain 440,000 volumes and were destroyed and an additional 62,000 Johns Hopkins University space for 720 users. were damaged by fire and water. These The German Library, or Die numbers total more than one-tenth of Vice Chair/Chair-Elect Deutsche Bücherei Leipzig, comprises the entire collection and two-fifths of Susan M. Schnuer one part of Die Deutsche Bibliothek the library’s holdings published before University of Illinois collections that are located in two other 1850. Restoration efforts are under locations: Die Deutsche Bibliothek way, and should be finished by 2007, in am Main and the music Past Chair the 200th anniversary of the death of Nancy M. Bolt archive “Deutsches Musikarchiv” in Duchess Anna Amalia. Nancy Bolt & Associates Berlin. In April 2006, the German The next visit was to the new Parliament approved changing the library of the Bauhaus-Universität Secretary/Treasurer name of Die Deutsche Bibliothek Weimar. The university’s current to Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek name was conferred in 1995/96, but Sha Li Zhang (The German National Library). its roots date back to its founding as UNC-Greensboro The Deutsche Bücherei Leipzig an art academy in 1860. Over the years was founded in 1912 by the City of there have been various incarnations of Member-at-Large Leipzig, a historic publishing center, the school and its programs, including Judith Lin Hunt the Kingdom of , and the Walter Groupius’ founding of the Montclair State University association of German publishers and Bauhaus movement in Weimar in April booksellers, the Börsenverein der 1919. The library is a modern building Member-at-Large Deutschen Büchhändler. The task of that stands out in the urban landscape. Mary L. Boone the Deutsche Bücherei was to collect, As one of Germany’s 587 university State Library of North Carolina catalog, and make available German and libraries, it contains 435,000 volumes foreign language materials published and has over 1000 current subscriptions IRRT Web Site: in Germany and in the areas of architecture, engineering, http://www.ala.org/irrt/ materials published abroad. The oldest design and media. museum in the world devoted to the From Weimar, the group traveled history of the book and the development next to Dresden. This historic and of and typography, Deutsches beautiful city, capital of the state International Leads (ISSN 0892- Buch- und Schriftmuseum, was founded of Saxony, has been undergoing 4546) is published quarterly by the in 1884 and is now a department within extensive restoration and rebuilding. International Relations Round Table the library, which also houses numerous Included in this renewal is the of the American Library Association special collections including Exile Sächsische Landesbibliothek/Staats- in March, June, September, and Literature, 1933-1945; Sozialistica, the und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden, December. The first issue was German Labor Movement, 1830-1912; known familiarly as “SLUB.” Formed published in 1957. IL contains news and the Anne Frank Shoah Library for by the 1996 union of the Saxon State about international library activities, documentation on the Holocaust. More Library (Sächsische Landesbibliothek), the international work of ALA and information in English may be found at: whose origins date to the royal library other organizations, and people and http://www.ddb.de/eng/index.htm. founded in 1556, and the University publications in the field. IL is indexed The group traveled next to Weimar, Library of the Technical University of by Library Literature and Library the historic center of German Classicism Dresden (Universitätsbibliothek der and Information Science Abstracts and home to the literary greats, Johann TU Dresden), which began in 1828, (LISA) and is sent free to all members Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich the magnificent new SLUB central of IRRT (dues $15); non-ALA Schiller. The first visit was to the library building was opened to the members can subscribe for $12 per UNESCO World Heritage site, the public in 2002. year by writing to International Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Here the group saw the latest in R e l a t i o n s O ff i c e , A m e r i c a n where Goethe served as librarian beautifully modern and stack Library Association, 50 E. Huron from 1797-1832. The library and areas, combining well-lit and inviting S t r e e t , C h i c a g o , IL 6 0 6 11 . new research center which opened in group and individual study space with Materials for IL should be sent to February 2005, contain over 1 million larger reading venues and public service International Leads Editor, Heath items, with a particular focus on points, all designed to bring readers, Martin, Hunter Library, Western European cultural and literary history materials, and contemporary technology Carolina University, Cullowhee, between 1750-1850. On September together in a harmonious whole. NC 2 8 7 2 3 , U.S.A., e - m a i l : 2, 2004, only a few months before the [email protected] opening of the new research center and Continued on Page 8 June 2006 International Leads  Joint project aims to revitalize African libraries

By Barbara J. Ford and Susan Schnuer

The Partnership for Higher providing essential training for the with better access to the web and its Education in Africa is a joint effort of continent’s future leaders in the public resources. Carnegie Corporation of New York, and private sectors. Teams of librarians from and the Ford, MacArthur, Rockefeller, Technology and strong university the Mortenson Center completed William and Flora Hewlett, and Andrew libraries are essential to the progress and initial assessment visits to each of W. Mellon Foundations to support efforts development of universities. Lack of the universities (in Nigeria, Bayero to build the capacity of universities reliable electricity and infrastructure as University, Ahmadu Bello University, and the field of higher education in well as limited and expensive bandwidth Obafemi Awolowo Univeristy, Africa. As part of this project, the for web access have hindered progress University of Ibadan, University of Mortenson Center for International by African libraries in implementing Jos, University of Port Harcourt; in Library Programs at the University of technology. These types of issues must Ghana, University of Ghana-Legon and Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign be addressed at the university level, University of Education at Winneba; in has received grants from the Carnegie since libraries alone cannot solve Tanzania, University of Dar es Salaam; Corporation and MacArthur Foundation them. and in Uganda, Makerere University). to work with 10 university libraries in Some important steps already They visited these libraries in 2004 Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. have been made by the partnership, and 2005 and prepared reports for the These universities and their libraries including a bandwidth initiative. This foundations that can be accessed on are reemerging as critical engines for initiative will significantly lower the the Mortenson Center web site (www. economic and social development cost of bandwidth, providing libraries library.uiuc.edu/mortenson). Following progress in Africa. They serve as a with better access to key electronic the visits, the Center submitted grants to primary locus for innovation and resources and thus providing researchers the foundations proposing a three-year project to assist staff in the university libraries with using technology to address the information needs of IRRT Member Profile researchers, scholars, and students. Each year of the three-year grants, Hwa-Wei Lee, Ph.D. of information and site visits to the universities will Chief, Asian Division, e x p e r i e n c e w a s be conducted by Mortenson Center T h e L i b r a r y o f achieved. When I training teams to provide assistance in Congress, (Dean was the Dean of Ohio implementing library technologies. In E m e r i t u s , O h i o University Libraries November 2005 and February 2006, University Libraries) I a l s o i n i t i a t e d catalogers, reference librarians, and a n International information technologists visited the IRRT member since: Librarians Internship university libraries to assist them in I have been an ALA Program. Over a using technology to improve services member since the period of 20 years and access resources. Outcomes of mid-1960s and became an IRRT some 170 librarians these visits include increased visibility from many of the Asian countries member soon thereafter. of libraries on their campuses and as well as other parts of the world the opportunity to meet with campus participated as librarian interns. Most enjoyable international leaders to help them understand all library project/projects: I was Three words to new IRRT the libraries can contribute when the especially fortunate to serve as a members: Global librarianship necessary resources are available. key organizer for the series of three enriches our professional life and During April and May 2006, librarians China-U.S. Library Cooperation international understanding. from each of the ten universities spent Conferences, the first of which was eight weeks at the Mortenson Center held in Beijing in 1996. Through Compiled by Sha Li Zhang, IRRT to learn more about university libraries these conferences, attended by Membership Committee Chair. For and technology. This particular program library leaders from both countries, additional IRRT Member Profiles, see provided an opportunity to observe many cooperative projects were Notable IRRT Members at: http://www. best practices, see automated libraries initiated and a much better exchange ala.org/ala/irrt/irrtnotables.htm. Continued on Page 7 June 2006 International Leads  ALA 2006 IRRT Meetings and Programs

IRC/IRRT All Committee Meeting, Executive Committee Meeting, Bibliteca Movil, Nicaragara, speakers Saturday, June 24, 8:00 - 11:00 a.m., Sunday, June 25, 8:00 a.m.-11:00 will share their experiences with these Morial Convention Center - Room a.m., Morial Convention Center- projects. Facilitators experienced in 394-395 Room 263 international librarianship will then lead small group discussions on approaches The IRRT’s All Committee Meeting The IRRT’s Executive Board will to sustainability. provides one location, date and time meet to discuss current business for all committees to meet during ALA and items raised during the IRRT All Annual so that members can easily Subcommittee Meeting on Saturday, Chair’s Program, “Intellectual network and make connections. June 24, 2006. Freedom: Views through a Cross- There will be an IRRT Chair Cultural Lens,” Monday, June 26, Orientation session from 8:00-9:00 1:30 - 3:30 p.m., Morial Convention a.m. Anyone interested in a specific International Poster Session, Center - Room 393 committee’s meeting time should contact Sunday, June 25, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 the chair of that committee using the p.m., Morial Convention Center How is intellectual freedom viewed contact information via the Committees’ - Exhibit Floor and supported around the world? web pages. Are technology and globalization This is a forum for librarians from trends changing the dialogue about around the world to highlight their intellectual freedom in other countries? International Librarian’s libraries and share successful ideas with Intellectual Freedom is a concept that Orientation, Friday, June 23, 4:30 colleagues by presenting a research is fundamental to many librarians. p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Morial Convention study, a practical problem-solving effort However, understanding of intellectual Center - Room 394-395 or an innovative library program. freedom varies from country to country and may or may not be considered an An introduction to the ALA important part of a library’s philosophy. Conference and the city of New International Exchanges Committee This session will explore how the concept Orleans for international librarians Poster Session, Sunday, June of intellectual freedom is perceived by and other attendees from abroad. ALA 25, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Morial our colleagues in China, the Middle East members will provide an overview of the Convention Center - Exhibit Floor and Africa, and how intellectual freedom conference, including recommended is implemented in their libraries. programs and social activities. Learn The ALA-IRRT International The IRRT is also proud to host the about conference transportation, the Exchanges Committee will present a presentation of the John HumphryForest ALA’s Exhibit Hall and the meanings of poster session: “Benefiting from the Press Award for significant contributions the ALA’s many acronyms. Meet your International Exchanges Committee to international librarianship and mentors and representatives from ALA’s of IRRT.” the presentation of the Bogle Pratt many divisions and round tables who International Travel Fund award at the will help international librarians get the beginning of the program. Co- sponsor: most from the conference experience. Sister Libraries Discussion Group, Intellectual Freedom Round Table. Sunday, June 25, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Morial Convention Center - Room 270 International Librarians’ Reception, International Paper Session, Monday, June 26, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., “National Libraries,” Saturday, June The IRRT’s Sister Libraries Pimsoll Club atop the World Trade 24, 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Morial Discussion Group will meet. to discuss Center - Versailles Room Convention Center - Room 297 current business and items. Open to all conference attendees, The International Papers Session this reception offers a unique opportunity is designed to encourage the exchange IRRT-ISLD Program, “From Nepal to network with hundreds of information of ideas about library services and to Nicaragua: Sustainability in professionals from around the world. collections among librarians from International Projects,” Monday, Join us for a mixing of cultures and different parts of the world. This year’s June 26, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., ideas, regional cuisine, hors d’ oeuvres program focuses on National Libraries. Morial Convention Center-Room 253 and open bar. Free to International National Libraries have a unique mission Librarians outside the U.S. Tickets are in contemporary times as ‘custodians Join IRRT’s International available at conference registration area of the nation’s intellectual heritage’. Sustainable Library Development and at the door. Presenters will describe their national (ISLD) Interest Group for an exploration We would like to thank our sponsors library, organization, and role within the of sustainability in international library for this year’s International Reception: library community in their respective projects. Highlighting examples from Blackwell’s Book Services, OCLC Online country. READ Nepal and San Juan del Sur Computer Library Center, Inc., 3M. June 2006 International Leads  Gorman delivers keynote in Taiwan T h e LAROC A n n u a l Conference was one of the Conference was held on December most productive and successful 17, 2005, at the National Central conferences I have attended.” Library in Taipei, Taiwan. Under the leadership of Dr. American Library Association Fang-rung Juang, President of (ALA) President Michael Gorman the LAROC, Dr. Margaret Fung, was the keynote speaker. President Dr. Chen-ku Wang, Dr. Chao- Gorman spoke on “Library Values chen Chen (Secretary General in a Digital Age,” a very important of LAROC), Dr. Mei-Mei Wu, and timely topic. He also spoke Ms. Hsiao-ming Yu, Prof. Hao- at the National Taiwan University Ren Ke and colleagues at the Library on “Cataloging Today” LAROC, the conference was on December 18, 2005. Attendees ALA President Michael Gorman (center), presented well-organized and arranged. The were very excited about meeting a keynote speech at the Library Association of Re- warm welcome and hospitality public of China (LAROC Taiwan) on December 17, and hearing President Gorman in were truly memorable. All 2005. Also pictured are Dr. Rung-fang Juang (left), person and were deeply impressed participants went home with a National Central Library director, and Dr. James and inspired by his speeches. wealth of information. Hu, emeritus professor of National Taiwan Univer- The Chinese American We want to thank the LAROC sity. Librarians Association (CALA) and its Board of Directors for members from the United States their invitation and generous who attended this meeting included Ai-hua Chen, Doris Tseng, hospitality. Special thanks go to Dr. Fang-rung Juang, President Sally Tseng and Diana Wu. Wu spoke on “Information Literacy of the LAROC Dr. Margaret Fung, Dr. Chao-chen Chen, and Lifelong Learning,” while Tseng spoke on “Development Dr. Mei-Mei Wu, Ms. Hsiao-ming Yu, Prof. Hao-Ren Ke, of Resource Management in American Libraries under the and many colleagues at the LAROC for the well-organized Trend of Globalization and Digitization.” Eight more important conference and meetings, thoughtful arrangements and warm papers were presented at the conference together with lively welcome. President Gorman enjoyed his trip and meeting poster sessions and a systems exhibition. library colleagues in Taiwan. Sally Tseng, executive director of the Chinese American Librarians Association, said, “the 2005 LAROC Annual Submitted by Sally C. Tseng, CALA Executive Director

News in brief SEFLIN announces new project This is SEFLIN’s second major you like to give international visibility to provide books in Armenia partnership project with Armenian to your information literacy work? libraries. Then, you are invited to participate The Southeast Florida Library Through the support of Dr. William in an exciting new web directory, the Information Network (SEFLIN) has Miller and Florida Atlantic University International Information Literacy announced a new partnership project Libraries, Ariel document delivery Resources Directory. between SEFLIN, ten independent K- systems/services have been established This web repository has been 12 school libraries, and the IRC of the at the Papazian Library of the American designed by the Information Literacy U.S. Embassy in Armenia. University of Armenia, the Republican Section of IFLA in a UNESCO-funded The purpose of the project is Scientific Medicine Library, Yerevan project. The aim of the directory is to to build partnerships for providing State University Library, and the enable sharing of information literacy selected Armenian libraries with high Fundamental Scientific Library of the experiences around the world. Access quality English language books/media National Academy of Sciences. to the database is free to anyone. for children and young adults. To date, Visit the website at www.uv.mx/ the gift book project has provided more UNESCO-funded web repository usbi_ver/unesco, and contribute entries than 1,000 library books to the U.S. seeks information literacy resources for the resources you have found most Embassy in Yerevan, Armenia, for useful in your own information literacy distribution to the Khnko-Aper National Have you developed information endeavors. It is your participation that Children’s Library and the “American literacy resources, created a course, will enrich this website so that it can Corners” operating in two Armenian developed standards or assessment tools serve as a global clearinghouse for libraries. or written a thesis on the subject? Would Information Literacy resources. June 2006 International Leads  U.S. delegates travel to China conference By Sha Li Zhang

A U.S. Delegation It has been six years since a U.S. delegation participated in the annual conference of the Library Society of China (LSC), formerly China Society for Library Science (CSLS), the largest national library association in China. Coordinated through the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), a group of U.S. librarians wrote papers, gave presentations, and participated in discussion sessions during the conferences. The 2005 annual conference was held from July 20 -23, in Guilin, Guangxi Province, one of the popular Members of a U.S. delegation stand with Zhan Fu-Rui (second from left), president tourist destinations in China. Twenty- of the Library Society of China (LSC), at the 2005 LSC annual conference. eight librarians from public libraries, academic libraries, and special libraries chosen to be presented at the conference China. The eight-day post-conference in the United States joined their Chinese and to be included in the conference trip visited famous places including colleagues at the conference and post- proceedings. The conference theme was scenic sites in Guilin and Jiaxiu conference tour. Their papers and “Innovative Library Services for the Pavilion, to Anshun, Guizhou, the presentations were delivered in Chinese People,” which reflected a central theme great Huangguoshu Waterfall, the or English. of the Chinese government calling for Dragon Palace, the Stone Forest in Among them five papers were more attention to individuals’ needs Kunming, the ancient city of Dali, the awarded as Best Papers at the conference. when the country has rapidly marched Three Pagodas temple, the Jade Dragon Sally Tseng, Executive Director of to a market economy. Snow Mountain and sightseeing in CALA and the main organizer for Several presentations by the Lijiang, then back to Kunming to visit the U.S. delegation, encourages more Chinese librarians explained, among the Western Hill Dragon Gate and the U.S. librarians to take part in the other things, that libraries should pay Daguan Pavilion. conference through which a better more attention to users’ individual understanding will be gained, lasting needs, including confidentiality, identity The 2006 Library Society of China bonds of friendship will be established, security, privacy, and physical and Annual Conference will be held in late and potential exchange projects will be mental conditions when they seek July, in Kunming, the capital city of explored. library services. Yunnan Province. A U.S. delegation At the conference, Sally Tseng, will be organized to participate in The LSC Conference CALA Executive Director, and Hwa- the conference. The main theme is Professor Zhan Fu-Rui, president Wei Lee, Chief of the Asian Division “The Development of the Library and of the Library Society of China and at the Library of Congress, were made Building a Harmonious Society.” A Director of the National Library of honorary members of the society. It post-conference cultural tour is being China, gave opening remarks at the was the first time that honor was given planned for Xishuangbanna in the 2005 conference. He welcomed 1,200 to librarians outside China, for their southeast of Yunnan Province. It is a librarians, including those from South significant contributions in advancing place where travelers can still enjoy the Korea, Hong Kong, and the United librarianship in China. Both Tseng and beauty of nature. For more information States, to participate in this annual Lee are ALA and IRRT members. about the conference and the post- conference. conference cultural tour, please contact According to the conference A Post-Conference Cultural Tour Sally Tseng, CALA executive director organizing committee, 1,374 papers After the conference, a cultural at [email protected]. were submitted to the conference when tour took a group of U.S. librarians the committee issued a call for papers, and their families to the magnificent Sha Li Zhang is Assistant Director a record number since the association and mysterious provinces of Guizhou for Collections and Technical Services started its annual conference in 1999. and Yunnan where Chinese ethnic at the University of North Carolina, Among these papers, only 113 were groups reside in the southwest parts of Greensboro. June 2006 International Leads  Africa The Carnegie- and MacArthur- funded projects focus on providing ALA members Continued from page 3 better access to research and information in operation, and enhance technical materials for users. Written project bring together skills. plans with timelines, activities, The Mortenson Center has and staff responsibilities are under book donation developed educational programs for development. By Hong Wang more than 700 librarians from 86 In these early stages, however, countries who come to the Center for the university libraries already are Four ALA members from California continuing education. The Center has a developing visible and defined outreach State University, Sacramento (Sac strong history in working with librarians services to the user communities, and State) Library have been working in a variety campus support as a team for used-book donation to of settings to f o r s t r o n g the new library of Macao University s t r e n g t h e n The Mortenson Center research libraries of Science and Technology (MUST) libraries and is growing. The in China. Started in March 2004, this t h e s e r v i c e s has developed educational librarians are project of donating 1,500 volumes of they provide. programs for more than 700 beginning to used books has been going on smoothly I n a d d i t i o n work together with active coordination between the team, the MUST Library, the Friends to providing librarians from 86 countries t o d i s c u s s of the Library from the Sac State and education and consortiums and who come to the Center for the library Support Services. More than training, the continuing education. collaborative 300 volumes have been shipped to the M o r t e n s o n e f f o r t s t h a t MUST library and the rest will be on C e n t e r i s will help them the way for final delivery. working with move forward The library team, originally called library vendors to negotiate good in providing needed library resources CSUS-Asian Libraries Exchange rates and dependable service for and services. Librarians also understand (CALE), was set up in December 2003 online catalog systems and other that automation is the key to a strong under the direction of the Director and needed technologies. This is especially and vital presence in the university. Dean of the Library Dr. Terry Webb. important since the lack of a critical mass Teams of well-trained individuals in The goal of the team is to initiate and of libraries purchasing technologies has each of the libraries and more effective promote scholarly exchange programs resulted in the inability of vendors to relations with vendors will be critical to between Sac State Library and other provide needed support in some of the sustaining the progress made through libraries in Asian countries. There are regions. these important grants. six members in the team: Fang Gu, Joe Zhou, Bin Zhang, Hong Wang, Dr. Terry Webb, and Jenny Leung. The donation was awarded to the team as Growth of IRRT Membership, 2000-2006 a generous grant by the Friends of the Library. The books cover a variety of Year IRRT Members academic fields such as information and technology sciences, political science, 2000 748 public administration, law, business, management, medicine, and English literature. 2001 770 Macao University of Science and Technology is a comprehensive 2002 798 university established after the turnover of Macao to Mainland China and with 2003 799 the approval of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region. The library is in the early stage of 2004 815 development, including collection development of both Chinese and 2005 1132 English books. With this successful effort to establish an international scholarly 2006 1714 exchange program, the CALE Team will continue the professional activities Compiled by Sha Li Zhang, IRRT Membership Committee Chair with other libraries in Asian countries. June 2006 International Leads  Germany history introduced us to these ideas in of open access and scholarly publishing, their German setting, and provided us and Marzena Ermler of the New York Continued from page 2 with the basis for lively conversations Public Library focused on methods and In addition, the group was able with our German colleagues in the strategies for library instruction and to visit the SLUB’s state-of-the-art receptions and gatherings which information literacy. Thea Lindquist digitization facilities and learned accompanied the conference. of the University of Colorado took about major efforts underway in The size of this conference, part in an interesting and stimulating creation of digital resources. The about 2500 attendees, and its compact discussion panel on international German government, via the Deutsche location, gave us further opportunities exchange and cooperation sponsored by Forschungsgemeinschaft (German to network and experience librarianship Bibliothek & Information International Research Foundation), sponsors in Germany in a setting which was (“Perspektivenwechsel d u r c h significant digital initiatives in German less crowded than a typical ALA Auslandsaufenthalt? Möglichkeiten libraries: at the SLUB this includes conference. The exhibits provided us der internationalen Kooperation). Panel major projects in art and music as well with another international aspect to our participants talked about their own as historical newspapers and other study tour, as we encountered both new experiences abroad as well as other resources. A major SLUB digital vendors and resources as well as some opportunities available for international resource, the Deutsche Fotothek, Europeans whom we have met at the exchange. More information about is a growing collection currently ALA exhibits also. In the more relaxed the German Libraries Conference is consisting of about 644,000 digitized European setting, conversations available at: http://bibtag.slub-dresden. photographs. More information about with exhibitors were productive and de/cgi-bin/bibtag.pl the SLUB is available at: http://www. illuminating. By the time of our farewell dinner, tu-dresden.de/slub/ S e v e r a l g r o u p m e m b e r s held in a former tobacco factory which, The highlight of the group’s stay participated in a conference program with its exotic bulbous dome, dominates in Dresden was the 95th conference of on international librarianship focused the Dresden skyline near the Congress the German Librarians’ Association ( on librarianship in the United States. Center, we realized that our study tour Bibliothekartag), which was held in the At this program, Sem Sutter of the had provided us with a very special modern Congress Center overlooking University of Chicago described issues opportunity to learn about a library the Elbe river and city center. The surrounding the library as a place, landscape that, while new to us, has including plans for storage and retrieval unique and deep historical roots along conference theme, “Networking” was particularly appropriate for American of collections. Axel Schmetzke of the with pathbreaking modernity, as well as visitors attending this gathering for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens current concerns which are shared on both first time. Conference sessions on issues Point’s presentation focused on issues sides of the ocean. We are especially surrounding cultural heritage, issues of accessibility of websites in light of grateful to our tour leaders, Marilen of digitization and metadata, library new laws in the European Union which Daum (Goethe-Institut New York) and marketing and promotion, library mandate access for the disabled. Beth Jens Lazarus (Hochschulbibliothek cooperation, electronic publication and Remak-Honnef of the University of Merseburg), and to all who made this open access, accessibility, and library California, Santa Cruz discussed issues experience possible.

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