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Library Support for Science Research and Education in Leading Liberal Arts : Survey Results

Alison S. Ricker and Jeffrey A. Witmer

In this article the investigators present results of a 1988-89 survey of liberal arts li­ braries, focusing on science collections and science library facilities and personnel. The re­ sponses from colleges with strong science programs (here referred to as the "research col­ leges") are compared with data received from other liberal arts colleges. The research colleges as a group devote more resources to science collections than do the other colleges in the sample. In addition, library-staffed science libraries are found more often at research colleges. The sur­ vey helped to improve communication among science librarians in college settings, a process that has been further facilitated by the formation of an ACRL-STS Discussion Group for Col­ lege Science Librarians.

lthough dozens of books and LIBERAL ARTS articles that focus on research li­ COLLEGES PRODUCE braries or specific topics rele­ MANY SCIENTISTS vant to science libraries have The impetus for the survey came parti­ been written in the past two decades,little ally from two conferences hosted by in the literature documents the current in 1985 and 1986 on the fu­ level of college library support for science ture of science education at liberal arts col­ education and research.1 College science leges. Representatives from fifty colleges librarians and library directors feel this participated in the conferences. These in­ lack most keenly when they face difficult stitutions, sometimes referred to as "re­ decisions related to facilities planning, ac­ search colleges," had been identified as quisitions allocations, staffing patterns, being on par with the best American re­ and library automation. With the assis­ search at the undergraduate tance of a grant from the Council on Li­ level, based on various criteria of alumni brary Resources, the authors undertook a success. Those criteria, as outlined in the survey to determine the depth of library report prepared for the 1986 conference, support for the sciences, relative to the entailed a significant number of alumni number of faculty members and student having majors in science disciplines, at liberal arts • earned doctorates in the sciences, colleges.2 • achieved membership in American Men

Alison S. Ricker is Science Librarian and Jeffrey A. Witmer is Associate Professor of Mathematics at Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH 44074. The authors thank Oberlin College Director of Libraries William A. Moffett for his encouragement, support, and advice throughout the project. They also thank the many Oberlin students who assisted with data tabulation and the dozens of librarians who collectively spent well over one hundred hours answering the questionnaire. Support for this work was partially funded by the Council on Library Resources.

401 402 College & Research Libraries September 1990

and Women of Science, rate was high: ninety-six usable responses • been listed in Who's Who in Frontier Sci­ (70.6 percent) were received by January ence and Technology, 1989. The questionnaire was designed to • won National Science Foundation Fel­ gather data on physical facilities (includ­ lowships, ing automation), collection size, library • been among the 1,000 most cited au­ clientele, personnel, materials budget, thors in science, and building use, service hours, circulation, • been elected to the National Academy interlibrary loan, reference and other in­ of Sciences. 3 formation services, library instruction, The 1985 report pointed out that these and collection development issues. We relatively small, independent, and highly based the survey instrument loosely on selective four-year colleges provide a con­ one developed by the Committee on Com­ trast to national trends in science educa­ parison of Science and Technology Li­ tion. For example, while interest in sci­ braries, a standing committee of ACRL's ence has declined among freshmen Science and Technology Section.6 A copy nationwide, the colleges named in the re­ of the questionnaire is available upon re­ port continue to enroll freshman classes quest. A follow-up query regarding with very high proportional interest in sci­ 1988-89 acquisition allocations and the ence, and the percentage of all graduates percentage devoted to science collections from these colleges earned degrees in the was mailed in May 1989, since many re­ basic sciences held steady at 24 percent spondents were not able to provide the from 1975 through 1983. Authors David detailed expenditure figures we had re­ Davis-Van Atta, Sam Carrier, and Frank quested in the original questionnaire. Frankfort state in the report that ''these The survey population included forty­ colleges have consistently graduated stu­ nine of the colleges that participated in the dents in the sciences in much greater pro­ Oberlin science conferences, hereafter re­ portion than either the nation's colleges ferred to as Group I, plus a representative and universities as a whole or than those group of other private liberal arts colleges, public and private U.S. research universi­ which we designate as Group II. The ties that are top-rated by the National Group II colleges were all categorized by Academy of Sciences.' ' 4 the Carnegie Foundation as either Liberal Reports for both conferences focused on Arts I or II, based on the selectivity and what the colleges have been doing to en­ stated mission of the institution. 7 Student sure alumni success in science and what · enrollments at the surveyed colleges steps must be taken to ensure continued range from 1,000 to 3,500. We observe that success. Libraries were mentioned only although Group II undoubtedly includes briefly, however, primarily in the context many colleges with excellent science pro­ of increasing collection size to meet the de­ grams, undergraduate participation in mands of new faculty. Little consideration those programs is not as high as in the was given to the broader role of library for Group I colleges, and graduates from the supporting science education and re­ Group II programs do not undertake grad­ search. uate study and research or teaching Another impetus for our survey was the careers in science as frequently as do grad­ meeting of approximately sixty college li­ uates from the Group I colleges. Forty­ brary directors at Oberlin College in No­ seven of the respondents were from vember 1986.5 During the last session of Group I institutions and forty-nine were the two-day meeting, the directors pro­ from Group II. 8 Responding colleges are posed that a survey of their group be un­ listed in appendix A. dertaken, primarily to provide compara­ During January and February of 1989, tive data for their internal use. two student assistants entered the numer­ ical survey data into a Vax 11-780 com­ SURVEY METHODOLOGY puter. Another student compiled and cat­ Questionnaires were mailed to 136 insti­ egorized the narrative comments in June. tutions in November 1988. The response Over a dozen responses required clarifica- Library Support 403 tion and vedfication with the respon­ terials are housed: eighty colleges (83 per­ dents, and final corrections to the data cent) integrate science materials within were made in August 1989. We used the their main library, while fifty-six respon­ statistics program MINITAB in analyzing dents (58 percent) indicated that science the data, and a preliminary summary of materials were in branch libraries. The to­ the numerical data was mailed to each re­ tal of these two responses is greater than spondent on March 24, 1989. A revised ninety-six (the total number of usable version of that summary is available upon questionnaires returned) because most request. The narrative comments have not colleges with branch or departmental sci­ been distributed to the respondents but ence libraries also shelve some science ma­ are also available upon request (the com­ terials in their main libraries. ments were compiled without attribution Sixteen of the colleges maintain more to source). Some preliminary compari­ than one science branch library: eighty­ sons between and college sci­ nine branch libraries were described by ence libraries were made during a pro­ the respondents as . a whole. Fifty-six of gram at the Fifth National Conference of these are single-discipline collections, ACRL held in Cincinnati on AprilS, 1988. 9 while twenty-three of the branch libraries The program speakers focused on the sur­ house the materials of four or more disci­ vey results relating to bibliographic in­ plines. Nearly all (n = 85) of the branch li­ struction, personnel, materials expendi­ braries are located in buildings that also tures, and physical facilities. house academic departments, while four are in separate buildings designed solely RESULTS or primarily for the purpose of housing The most striking impression about the the science library. survey group as a whole is the variability The size of branch libraries varies from campus to campus. For example, the greatly, from small departmental collec­ percentage of the library acquisitions tions that offer seating for fewer than ten budget that is devoted to science materials users to multidiscipline science libraries ranged from 4.4 to 41.9 percent (sixty-one over 10,000 square feet in size and with institutions reported allocation figures seating for 250 or more users. The typical and are depicted in figure 1). Clearly, li­ science library on a college campus may be brary services, collections, and facilities best exemplified by those at Carleton, evolve to satisfy local needs. Clark, Haverford, Oberlin, and St. Olaf: square footage of these libraries ranged DECENTRALIZED from 4,500 to 6,200, seating capacity FACILITIES COMMON ranged from fifty-eight to 110, and the li­ Unfortunately, the length (eleven braries were designated as the primary lo­ pages) and detailed nature of the ques­ cation for the materials of three or more tionnaire resulted in many scanty re­ basic science disciplines. Larger science li­ sponses. All respondents were at least braries are found at Colgate, Earlham, able to indicate where science library rna- Holy Cross, Knox, Smith, Swarthmore,

...... •...... 07 .14 .21 .28 .35 .42

Each dot represents the percentage of the library acquisitions budget allocated to science materials at one institution. Note that the largest value is .419, which means that one college allocated 41.9% of its library acquisitions budget to science. Many figures are based on estimates, as not all respondents allocate along disciplinary or departmental lines. FIGURE 1 Percentage of the Total Acquisitions Budget Allocated to Science Library Materials 404 College & Research Libraries September 1990

will combine the science collections in an identi­ fiable location within the main library and plan ''Integrated science libraries, staffed to hire a science librarian. by a professional librarian, do not The branch was absorbed [into the main library] represent the norm on college cam­ because we never had a science librarian . . . puses." [it] was primarily student staffed, thus, there was no reference assistance for [indexing] tools. The science faculty, of course, will never for­ give us for closing their branch library. Wellesley, and Wesleyan. A new science library now under construction at Frank­ This last comment reflects the state­ ments of several other respondents. Sci­ lin and Marshall will be one of the largest facilities in the survey group. ence faculty are generally very much in fa­ vor of retaining departmental or branch UNSTAFFED DEPARTMENTAL libraries where they exist, and they often LIBRARIES LACK SERVICES propose that such collections be estab­ lished. In addition, science faculty may Integrated science libraries such as think that the supervision of those collec­ these, staffed by a professional librarian, tions by a professional librarian is of less are more likely to be found at Group I col­ importance than the proximity of the col­ leges (see appendix B) but do not repre­ sent the norm on college campuses, at ei­ lection. Science faculty are commonly ther Group I or Group IT institutions. A given unlimited access to unstaffed branch collections. Certain groups of stu­ more prevalent arrangement is the un­ dents are also granted that privilege at staffed departmental library, containing at many of the responding colleges. Inevita­ least a modest reference collection, cur­ bly, security problems are a nagging rent journals, and usually the major in­ worry for librarians at those institutions. dexing tool for a single discipline. Most of Chemistry materials are most likely to these collections are theoretically under the jurisdiction of the college librarian, but be found in a branch library (fifty-two re­ the narrative comments provide insight in spondents gave this reply), followed by how these collections are actually man­ and physics (thirty-six and thirty­ five respondents, respectively). Chemis­ aged (or left unmanaged, as the case may try department staff are also most likely to be). The following are comments from be involved in the management or super­ several respondents: vision of branch libraries, and often take No circulation statistics are kept for the science responsibility for teaching students how library, because, presumably, nothing circu­ to search the chemical literature. Narra­ lates. Faculty offices are, however, full. tive comments indicate that science fac­ The science libraries can be more accurately de­ ulty as a whole are often willing to take an scribed as reading rooms. Although they con­ active part in teaching students to use ref­ tain both library-owned and departmental­ erence sources. owned materials, no library service ... is provided. SCIENCE LIBRARIANS EMPLOYED BY 30 PERCENT Separate satellite libraries for the various sci­ ence departments have existed over the years OF SCHOOLS . . . these are basically reading rooms . . . unsu­ Twenty-nine colleges (30 percent) either pervised ... no library security systems. employed science librarians at the time of The science branches are not staffed. The sci­ the survey or were in the process of hiring ence departments are now discussing the need . a person to fill a temporarily vacant sci­ for more space and as a part of that discussion ence librarian position. Nine of the science they are considering the desirability, feasibility, librarians described by the respondents etc., of a combined science library. are actually located in the main library, ei­ There is only minimal structure in [our] branch ther because the campus does not have libraries, and none in two of them. We are plan­ science libraries or because the small de­ ning an expansion of the main library which partmental collections that do exist are not Library Support 405 supervised directly by the science librar­ by student assistants alone. The corre­ ian. A list of colleges with science libraries sponding average for main libraries is fif­ that are staffed by a professional science li­ teen hours per week of unsupervised stu­ brarian is given in appendix B. "Profes­ dent staff. These numbers were calculated sional'' was defined on the survey as a po­ only for those libraries that maintain regu­ sition requiring the M.L.S. degree or its lar hours and are not accessible to the gen­ equivalent. eral public when library staff are unavail­ A professional science librarian report­ able. edly supervised the science library or li­ braries at twenty colleges; other library MANY SCIENCE LIBRARIANS staff managed science branch libraries at LACK SCIENCE DEGREE seventeen colleges, while twenty-three re­ It is often assumed that an effective sci­ spondents said nonlibrary staff managed ence librarian should have an academic the science branch library(ies) on campus background in a traditional science field. 10 (appendix C). The total number of man­ Science librarian job postings frequently agers or supervisors of science branch li­ cite a bachelor's degree in biology, chem­ braries is greater than fifty-six (the total istry, physics, or an allied discipline as ei­ number of colleges that have one or more ther a requirement or a desired qualifica­ branch libraries) because several colleges tion. A position that entails collection reported more than one person with development for the sciences may require branch library responsibilities. graduate work in a science discipline. Most of the colleges that employ a sci­ Fewer than half of the science librarians ence librarian who is located in the col­ described by the respondents, however, lege's science library belong to Group I. had a subject degree in the sciences This may be an indication of greater sup­ (twelve out of twenty-seven, or 44 per­ port given overall to science education cent). This is remarkably similar to Joy and research at these institutions and a Thomas' findings on the subject back­ willingness on the part of faculty, library grounds of California academic science li­ staff, and college administrators to con­ brarians with bibliographic instruction clude that professionally staffed science li­ responsibilities (forty-three of the ninety­ braries are vital to the science program. eight academic librarians in her survey Conversely, Group II institutions are had a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral de­ more likely to have science branch li­ r,ee in a scientific or technical discipline). braries that are supervised by nonlibrary We did find, however, that if the science personnel and are also more likely to librarian held an advanced subject degree, maintain dispersed, unstaffed depart­ it was likely to be in science. A few respon­ mental libraries rather than a science li­ dents noted that while their major area of brary that includes collections for several study had not been in the physical or life disciplines. Several library directors indi­ sciences, they had taken a variety of cated in their narrative comments the be­ introductory-level courses that were rele­ lief that service for the science clientele vant (including philosophy and history of could be improved. Some respondents science) and that had proven useful over implied that bibliographic instruction, col­ the years. lection development, and reference ser­ vices for science faculty and students BIBLIOGRAPHIC INSTRUCTION could be better coordinated by one mem­ FOR SCIENCE STUDENTS ber of the library professional staff with The number of students present at all subject expertise in science. bibliographic instruction (BI) sessions for Student staff are relied upon more heav­ science classes per college varied from five ily in science libraries than in main li­ to 625 during 1987-88, with a median of braries, at least in terms of staffing circula­ 79.5 and a mean of 128 (n = 60). The num­ tion desks when full-time library staff are ber of students at science BI sessions at unavailable. College science libraries are colleges with a science librarian ranged staffed, on average, forty hours per week from twenty-five to 625, with a median of 406 College & Research Libraries September 1990

112, compared to a range of five to 336 stu­ dian for Group II (20.9 percent). The low­ dents and a median of sixty-three at those est percentage for science materials alloca­ colleges without a science librarian. Figure tion reported by a Group I college was 19.2 2 subdivides these data to compare Group percent, while the highest percentage for I to Group II institutions. Of the ten col­ a Group II institution was the highest re­ leges where more than 250 students re­ ported overall, 41.9 percent. ceived science-related Bl, eight are part of Library support for the sciences, at least Group I, and seven employed a science li­ in terms of relative proportion of the ac­ brarian at the time of the survey. quisitions budget, is thus shown to be Since we know of only twenty-nine sci­ quite significant for some Group II col­ ence librarians in the entire survey sam­ leges. This budgetary commitment is ple, it seems likely that many colleges are made despite the relatively low numbers relying upon other members of the library overall of science faculty or students en­ staff (or teaching faculty) to teach science rolled in science at Group II colleges. students how to use the library. Even when science librarians are available, the number of students who receive formal course-related instruction is sometimes 11 Science faculty are generally very very low. Employing a science librarian, much in favor of retaining depart­ while not ensuring an active science BI mental or branch libraries where they program, may result in reaching more stu­ exist and often propose that such col­ dents in course-related instruction. Obvi­ lections be established.'' ously, other factors are also important: en­ thusiasm and support for library instruction on the part of library staff, teaching faculty, and the library adminis­ Interesting differences became apparent tration are often just as crucial as hiring when we compared those institutions someone to do the job. with science libraries or science librarians to those that have neither. For example, ACQUISITIONS BUDGET colleges in the former category tend to ALLOCATIONS TO SCIENCE spend more money, per faculty member, Roughly one third of the respondents for science acquisitions than do colleges in said they do not monitor expenditures or the latter category (figures 3 and 4). This allocations for individual disciplines. Ex­ finding is not startling because the pres­ penditures for fiscal year 1987-88 varied ence of a science library or science librar­ widely, whether comparing different de­ ian should indicate that the institution partments at the same institution or the places a high priority on science education same discipline at different institutions. and is willing to invest the money and per­ For example, the number of dollars spent sonnel necessary to support the sciences on books and serials combined per faculty with specialized library service. The pres­ member in biology varied from $460 to ence of a science library (or science librar­ $14,619. These figures appear in table 1, ian) may also indicate that the science fac­ along with expenditures per faculty mem­ ulty are more library and research ber in chemistry, mathematics, and phys­ oriented and more likely to request mate­ ics. rials for the collection than are faculty at The 1988-89 allocation for all science other colleges. materials was reported by fifty-seven in­ stitutions and ranged from $5,000 to JOURNALS' PORTION OF $380,475. As noted earlier, the percent of COLLECTION AND BUDGET the acquisitions budget allocated to sci­ Information about the science collection ence varied from 4.4 percent to 41.9 per­ itself is somewhat sketchy, particularly cent with 24 percent as the overall aver­ because not all libraries with branch facili­ age. The median percentage for Group I is ties maintain separate statistics for indi­ 27.9 percent, slightly higher than the me- vidual collections. The median number of Library Support 407 ...... Group II ...... Group I ...... 0 120 240 360 480 600 Each dot represents one responding college. FIGURE2 Comparison of Students Present at BI Sessions for Science Classes by Group I or Group II

0

1

0 2000 4000 6000 8000

The bottom line indicates budget allocations for science library materials in U.S. dollars. The top group (0) represents colleges without science libraries; the bottom group (1) represents colleges with one or more science branch libraries.

NOTE: For. each group in Figures 3 and 4, the box extends from the first quartile of the distribution to the third quartile, with the vertical line within the box indicating the median. Lines extend down to the minimum and up to the maximum. For example, for colleges with a science library (group 1 above) The minumum budget allocation per faculty member for science library materials was $800, the first quartile was $2,100, the median was $3,200, the third quartile was $4,800, and the maximum was $7,000. FIGURE3 Expenditures for Science Library Materials Per Faculty Member. Variable: Presence or Absence of a Science Library current science serial subscriptions for the titles were currently received by one or entire sample was 228 (n = 65, range = more of the respondents. Many of these 13-812). More than half of the respon­ indexes reflected highly specialized fields dents make a substantial commitment to of scientific, technical, and health-related providing journal collection access in the research. form of print or CD-ROM subscriptions Not surprisingly, expenditures for sci­ and/ or online access to major indexing ence serials were significantly higher than tools. The General Science Index was re­ those reported for science monographs ceived by eighty libraries; Chemical Ab­ (with the exception of materials for com­ stracts and Biological Abstracts were re­ puter science). For example, the average ceived by seventy-nine and seventy-eight amount spent on biology subscriptions respondents, respectively; followed in was five times that spent on biology popularity by Index Medicus (n = 63), monographs, a ratio repeated with Mathematical Reviews (n = 61), Physics Ab­ slightly less magnitude for chemistry, stracts (n = 56), and Science Citation Index physics, and geology. Despite fewer users (n = 42). Over eighty additional indexing and, in most college settings, an absence 408 College & Research Libraries September 1990

0

1

0 2000 4000 6000 8000

The bottom line indicates budget allocations for science library materials in U.S. dollars. The top group (0) represents colleges without a science librarian; the bottom group (1) represents colleges that do employ a science librarian (position titles vary) . FIGURE4 Expenditures for Science Library Materials Per Faculty Member. Variable: Presence or Absence of a Science Librarian

TABLE 1 DOLLARS SPENT ON BOOKS AND SERIALS COMBINED PER FACULTY MEMBER Number of Department Respondents Minimum($) Median($) Maximum($) Biology 63 $460 $3,249 $14,619 Chenustry 62 329 2,906 9,026 Mathematics 63 92 1,896 4,505 Physics 57 240 2,775 10,764 of graduate students, patterns of college ings reflect the faculty-driven nature of library science expenditures are similar to collection development in the sciences at those of larger research libraries; reliance many colleges. Only two respondents in­ upon journals to support scientific re­ dicated that a science librarian has the pri­ search seems to be universal. mary responsibility for selecting science We also found that several variables re­ materials for the library; fifty-eight re­ lated to collection development are signifi­ spondents said that faculty and librarians cantly more highly correlated with the shared that responsibility, while thirty­ number of faculty than with the number of nine said that science faculty had the pri­ declared majors in the sciences at an insti­ mary responsibility for materials selec­ tution. For example, the number of cur­ tion. rent science journal subscriptions is more Many respondents commented that highly correlated with total science faculty print versions of journal indexes were be­ (r = .656) than with total science majors ing cancelled in favor of online or CD­ (r = .232). Similarly, the number of sci­ ROM access (different philosophies were ence monographs added per year is more revealed by those cancellations: some li­ closely related to the number of science braries cancelled the cumulative indexes faculty (r = .537) than the number of sci­ for Biological Abstracts and Chemical Ab­ ence majors (r = .100), and total combined stracts but retained subscriptions to the ab­ expenditures for materials in mathemat­ stracts, while other libraries did exactly ics, physics, chemistry, and biology is the opposite). Dialog was the service more highly correlated with total number available for online searching at most li­ of faculty in those disciplines (r = .677) braries (n = 88), followed by BRS (n = 47) than the number of declared majors in and STN (n = 25). CD-ROM products those disciplines (r = .133). These find- were more prevalant than we anticipated Library Support 409

(N = 29), based on surveys conducted of rative comments. Many of the responding ARL institutions in earlier years, indica­ colleges plan to upgrade or create science ting that the technology is becoming more library facilities, hire new personnel, accessible. change allocation patterns, install auto­ mated circulation or catalog systems, con­ COLLECTIONS OF OTHER tract with suppliers of databases of one INSTITUTIONS RELIED UPON kind or another, or initiate new user ser­ We asked respondents to indicate to vices. A repeat survey would document what extent selection decisions are influ­ these changes and provide a basis for ob­ enced by holdings in neighboring libraries serving trends. The ACRL-STS Commit­ for monographs and periodicals. Fifty­ tee on Comparison of Science and Tech­ four respondents said "not at all" for nology Libraries has made a commitment monographs, while seventy-four said to repeat its survey of research libraries on "somewhat" or "very much" for periodi­ a biannual basis, ''if interest in participa­ cals. Special arrangements exist on many tion and results is sustained.'' 12 It would campuses that facilitate the use of neigh­ be useful to solicit data from college li­ boring collections by college faculty and braries on a regular basis as well and com­ students. In-person borrowing privileges pare the data from the two groups. for faculty and students of nearby colleges This project grew out of a realization are granted by many university libraries. that science library facilities at research colleges are receiving more attention from library directors, administrators, and fac­ ulty than in the recent past. Our supposi­ 11While fewer than half of the science tion that single-discipline, departmental librarians had a subject degree in the collections are not adequate to meet the sciences, if they held an advanced demands of students and faculty for scien­ subject degree, it was likely to be in tific information was confirmed by many science.'' respondents in their narrative comments and in personal communications. Im­ proved service, from both technical and public services staff, can be achieved Interlibrary loans are often expedited by when these often haphazardly main­ telefacsimile transmission and/ or special tained, decentralized facilities are consoli­ courier service. Some hospitals and pri­ dated and brought under the manage­ vate research facilities open their collec­ ment of a professional science librarian. tions to college users, either informally or Evan Farber makes this argument in his through formal reciprocal arrangements, essay "Science Libraries in Colleges." 13 and other area colleges may provide re­ We found that improved service has also sources as well. Much cooperation is evi- · been achieved when consolidation of de­ dent among the responding libraries and partmental libraries meant bringing sci­ their neighbors, from cost-sharing of jour­ ence materials to the main library or to a nal subscriptions to, in one case, sharing a separate wing of the main library. A key science librarian. component of such a plan is assigning a qualified member of the professional li­ CONCLUSION brary staff the responsibility for coordinat­ The survey results contain more data ing collection development and services than can be adequately summarized here. for science users. We judge that the In addition, our information reflects a very "science-active" colleges in our survey brief period in time that does not capture are more inclined and capable of making the climate of change revealed in the nar- that commitment. · 410 College & Research Libraries September 1990

REFERENCES AND NOTES

1. See, for example, Ellis Mount, ed., One Hundred Years of Sci-Tech Libraries (New York: Haworth, 1988), also published as Science and Technology Libraries 8 (Fall 1987); Robert A. Seal, "Academic Branch Libraries," in Advances in Librarianship, ed. Wesley Simonton (Orlando: Academic Press, 1986), p.175-209. Seal's article gives a fine review of the literature, including many early publica­ tions on the question of centralization or decentralization of collections. He concludes with the observation that there may be a trend in academic libraries to consolidate departmental libraries, rather than creating new branch locations, but calls for further study to supplement recent surveys of ARL institutions. 2. Council on Library Resources, Washington, D.C., Grant no. CLR 4048-E, January-June 1989. 3. Sam Carrier and David Davis-Van Atta, Maintaining America's Scientific Productivity: the Necessity of the Liberal Arts Colleges (Oberlin, : Oberlin College Office of the and Institutional Re­ search, 1987). 4. David Davis-Van Atta, Sam C. Carrier, and Frank Frankfort, Educating America's Scientists: the Role of the Research Colleges (Oberlin, Ohio: Oberlin College Office of the Provost, 1985), p.10. 5. A meeting of the is reported in College & Research Libraries News 50:981-82 (Dec. 1989). 6. Emerson Hilker, Head of the Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, Oklahoma State Uni­ versity Library, provided a copy of the questionnaire. The results of the 1984-85 survey are sum­ marized by Hilker in ''Statistical Data for Stand-alone Science/Engineering Libraries in the and Canada 1984-85," Science and Technology Libraries 8:89-127 (Fall1987). Hilker reports on the 1986-87 survey in "Survey of Academic Science/Technology Libraries," College & Research Li­ braries News 49:375-76 Oune 1988). 7. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, A Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, 1987 ed., (Princeton, N.J.: The Foundation, 1987). Liberal Arts I and II colleges are pri­ marily undergraduate institutions that award more than half of their baccalaureate degrees in arts and sciences fields. An index developed by Alexander W. Astin at the University of California at Los Angeles was used by the foundation to determine the selectivity of liberal arts colleges. 8. After consultation with the respondent, an additional Group II college was dropped from the sam­ ple because the response had been limited to library services on a specialized campus for energy technology education. 9. An abstract of the conference program appears as ''Library Support of the Sciences in Liberal Arts Colleges,'' in Building on the First Century: Proceedings of the Fifth National Conference of the Associa­ tion of College and Research Libraries, Cincinnati, Ohio, AprilS-8,1989, ed. Janice C. Fennell (Chicago: ACRL, 1989), p. 346. Panel members were Alison Ricker; Jeffrey Witmer; Kimberly Douglas, head of Reader Services, California Institute of Technology Millikan Library; and Sara Penhale, science librarian, . Comparisons between university and college libraries were made by Ms. Douglas, who is a member of the ACRL-STS Committee on Comparison of Science and Tech­ nology Libraries. Her observations included the obvious differences in size (science libraries at universities are far larger, in terms of square feet, reader spaces, number of volumes, number of current journal subscriptions, etc.), in the breadth and depth of the collections, the diversity and number of clientele served, and overall expenditures, to name but a few areas. Ms. Douglas made the interesting observation that although overall expenditures in a college library are significantly lower than in a university library, journal subscription costs per faculty member are much higher in the college library group as a whole than in the university library group. 10. Recent papers that touch on this issue include Lorene B. Brown, "Recruiting Science Librarians," in Librarians for the New Millennium, ed. ALA Office for Library Personnel Resources, (Chicago: American Library Assn., 1988), p.65-71; Linda C. Smith, "Education for Sci-Tech Librarianship: Retrospect and Prospect," Science and Technology Libraries 8:75-88 (Fall1987); Joy Thomas, "Biblio­ graphic Instructors in the Sciences: A Profile," College & Research Libraries 49:252-62 (May 1988). 11. Thomas, "Bibliographic Instructors," p.253. 12. Hilker, "Survey," p.375. 13. Evan I. Farber, "Science Libraries in Colleges," Library Issues: Briefings for Faculty and Administra­ tors 7:3 Ouly 1987). Library Support 411

APPENDIX A. COLLEGES THAT RESPONDED TO THE "SURVEY OF LIBRARIES IN FOUR-YEAR LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES WITH RESPECT TO SCIENCE COLLECTIONS," NOVEMBER 1988

Adrian College, Mich. , Iowa , Mich.* , Minn.* , Pa. , N.Y.* , Mich.* Manhattanville College, N.Y. , Mass.* , Vt. * , Ohio* , Calif. Augustana College, TIL , Mass.* , Tex. College of Notre Dame, Calif. , N.Y.* Oberlin College, Ohio* , Maine* , Calif.* , Wise.* Ohio , Ohio* , Ky. , Calif.* , Maine* Randolph-Macon College, Va. , Pa. * , Oreg.* , Pa. * Regis College, Mass. , Minn.* Saint John's University, Minn. , Mass. Saint Joseph's College, Brooklyn, N.Y. , Maine Saint Joseph's College, Patchogue, N.Y. , N.Y.* Saint , N.Y. , Colo.* Saint Olaf College, Minn.* Columbia College, S.C. , N.Y. University of Dallas, Tex. Simmons College, Mass. , N.C.* , N.Y. , Ohio* , Mass.* , Ind.* Spring Hill College, Ala. , N.J. , Pa. * Earlham College, Ind.* Trinity College, Conn.* , Fla. Trinity University, Tex. Franklin and Marshall College, Pa. * , N.Y.* , S.C. University of The South, Tenn. Goshen College, Ind. , Pa. , Iowa* , N.Y.* , N.C. , Ind. Gustavus Adolphus College, Minn. Warburg College, Iowa , N.Y.* Washington and Jefferson College, Pa. , Mass. Washington and Lee University, Va. Hartwick College, N.Y. , Mass.* , Pa. * Wesleyan University, Conn.* , Ohio Western Maryland College, Md. College of the Holy Cross, Mass.* Wheaton College, ill.* , N.Y. Wheaton University, Mass. Immaculata College, Pa. , Wash.* Jordan College, Mich. , Calif. , Mich.* , Oreg. , Ohio* , Mass.* , ill. University, Ohio , Pa. * Wofford College, S.C. , ill. , Ohio* Lawrence University, Wise.

*Indicates that the college is part of Group I (i.e., one of the fifty colleges participating in the Second National Conference on "The Future of Science at Liberal Arts Colleges," Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, June 9-10, 1986). 412 College & Research Libraries September 1990

APPENDIX B. COLLEGES WITH SCIENCE LIBRARIES THAT WERE STAFFED BY A PROFESSIONAL SCIENCE LIBRARIAN AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY

Bryn Mawr College* College of the Holy Cross* Carleton College* Manhattan College* Clark University Pomona College* Colby College Oberlin College* Colgate University* St. Olaf College* DePauw University* Swarthmore College* Earlham College* Wellesley College* Grinnell College* Wesleyan University* Hamilton College* Williams College* Haverford College*

*Group I institution Colleges in the process of hiring a science librarian or planning to create a science librarian position included Bowdoin, Franklin and Marshall, Manhattanville, Mt. Holyoke, Reed, and Smith. Five of these colleges are Group I institutions.

APPENDIX C. POSITION TITLES OF SCIENCE BRANCH LIBRARY MANAGERS OR SUPERVISORS*

Library staff positions: Number in Survey Assistant librarian 2 Branch manager 2 Circulation staff 1 Clerk or secretary of the science library 2 College librarian 2 Documents/reference librarian 1 Head of circulation 1 Head of public services 1 Head of technical services 1 Library assistant 1 Periodicals librarian 1 Reference librarian 2 Total 17

Staff provided by other departments: Biology department faculty 2 Chemistry department faculty 7 Chemistry department chair 3 Chemistry department student assistants 1 Physics department lab assistant 1 Secretary (of various academic departments) 9 Total 23

*Other than a science librarian with M.L.S. or equivalent. ring the renowned Wilson Indexes to your institution with easy, B unlimited local electronic access. WILSONTAPE provides machine-readable monthly tapes for each Wilson database in a uniform format that makes the data accessible with the same system of commands and protocols as your online catalog.

Create a Customized High-Quality Data Integrate WILSONTAPE Databank in the Format That's with Your Library WILSONTAPE: Best for Your Library Automation System • Maximizes the use of Setting the standard for accu­ Call for details. existing hardware and rate, thorough indexing, the Call Toll-Free software and of periodi­ Wilson indexes offer access 1-800-367-6770, to an extraordinary range of cal and book holdings Ext. 758, for an individual­ high-quality information un­ • Promotes simultaneous ized price quotation or for matched by other indexes, use by multiple searchers more information about available in the format that's on a round-the-clock WILSONTAPE. basis best for your library. In New York State call • Supports a uniform set Customized Databanks 1-800-462-6060: of protocols at Individualized Rates in Canada call collect • Allows unlimited off-site The Wilson databases are 1-212-588-8400. access to centralized available for licensing at an Telefax 1-212-590-1617. reference holdings individualized rate based on • Saves substantial connect­ two factors: a charge for data time charges and a charge for user access. • Simplifies billing with a Your initial subscription brings single annual subscrip­ you a full year of retrospective tion rate. coverage plus monthly up­ dates; all in all, two full years of data. Microfiche Collections for the Serious Scholar ( Shakespeariana \ "---__ ~ UMI's Shakespeariana microfiche collection is a compila­ tion of four centuries of documents on William Shake­ speare and his work. Uniquely tailored to meet the needs of the scholar, it comprises the largest body of material ever assembled into a single published collection, total­ ling over one million pages, organized into thirty care­ fully structured units. Included is research material on Shakespearian literature and scholarship as well as the institutions and outside influences which shaped the Elizabethan world view. The thirty units of Shakespeariana cover a variety of aspects and include facts and fictions about William Shakespeare; institutions, trade, commerce and educa­ tional practices of the day; early texts of poems and son­ nets; literature which influenced Shakespeare's writing; Shakespearian theater; criticism; biographical data; and Shakespeare's editors. Other Collections For Uterature, Drama & Unguistics Scholars Concordances to the Novels of Virginia \\bolt The Complete \\brks of Genevieve Taggard Source Materials in the Field of Theatre British & Continental Rhetoric & Elocution The Linguistic Atlas of the Gulf States The Scrapbooks of Erskine Caldwell The Life & \\brk of Henry Irving Renaissance Rhetoric

For more information on our literature collections, contact your librarian or call UMI Research Collections. Research UMI• • Collections A Bell & Howell Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml48106-1346 USA Continental US : 1-800-521-0600 Michigan & Alaska: Collect 313-761 -4700 Canada: 1-800-343-5299