42n5_2ndcorrex.qxd 08/19/2003 5:24 PM Page cov1 cover cov1 42n5_2ndcorrex.qxd 08/19/2003 5:24 PM Page cov2 Baker & Taylor 4c page cov2 42n5_2ndcorrex.qxd 08/19/2003 5:24 PM Page 269 AWE 4c page 269 42n5_2ndcorrex.qxd 08/19/2003 5:24 PM Page 270 BWI 4c page 270 42n5_2ndcorrex.qxd 08/19/2003 5:24 PM Page 271 Renée Vaillancourt McGrath Feature Editor Kathleen M. Hughes CONTENTS Managing Editor September/October 2003 Vol. 42, No. 5 300 Extra! Extra! Read All about It! Fundamentals of a Good Library Press Release Jane Kessler and Carol Anne Germain 303 The Fragile Future of Public Libraries Michael Sullivan 309 What Goes Around Telephone Reference Rotary Wheels Sharon McQueen and Douglas Zweizig 315 Bridging the Value Gap Getting Past Professional Values Gary Deane IN EVERY ISSUE 274 Editor’s Note 294 Internet Spotlight Renée Vaillancourt McGrath Steven M. Cohen 275 From the President 296 Tech Talk Luis Herrera Paula Wilson 275 On the Agenda 320 News from PLA 282 Tales from the Front Kathleen Hughes Jennifer T. Ries-Taggart 322 By the Book 284 Perspectives Jennifer Schatz Nann Blaine Hilyard 327 New Product News Vicki Nesting PLUS . 272 Readers Respond 290 Book Talk 278 Verso Writing about the Peripheries: An Content Management and Library Interview with Chris Bohjalian Web Sites Brendan Dowling Edwin S. Clay III 298 Opportunities, Awards, and 280 Verso Honors Deinstitutionalization of People Rochelle Hartman with Mental Illness: Challenges 325 Index to Advertisers and Solutions for Libraries Gwen Collier 288 InterViews Understanding and Promoting Fair Use Carrie Russell 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 42n5_2ndcorrex.qxd 08/19/2003 5:24 PM Page 272 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; Join the Club Marcia Schneider, San Francisco, CA; Luren E. Dickinson, Jackson, MI; Cindy Lombardo, Orrville, OH. I very much enjoyed Diane Nevill’s article, “A Passion for Cultural Understanding EX OFFICIO: Jo Ann Pinder, Gwinnett County Public Makes ‘Let’s Talk English’ a Success” in the May/June issue. Research shows that Library, 1001 Lawrenceville Hwy., Lawrenceville, GA merely learning the grammar and vocabulary provided in our adult education ESOL 30045-4707; [email protected] classes is not enough. Public libraries can help by providing the sort of conversational PLA PRESIDENT: Luis Herrera, Pasadena Public Library, 285 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91101-1556; context described in the article. In the last year, the Montgomery County Public [email protected] Library has tripled the number of branches offering English conversation groups, and PUBLIC LIBRARIES (ISSN 0163-5506) is published I hope to see many of the rest follow suit in the coming year. I think this article will bimonthly at 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. It is help. Thanks!—Peter Fekety, Senior Librarian, White Oak Library, Silver Spring, Md. the official publication of the Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association. Subscription price: to members of PLA, $25 a year, included in membership dues; to nonmem- Public versus Academic Libraries bers: U.S. $50; Canada $60; all other countries $60. Single copies, $10. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and at additional mailing offices. POST- As I read Renee Vaillancourt McGrath’s “Editor’s Note” in the May/June issue (“Our MASTER: send address changes to Public Libraries, 50 Friends in Academia”), I heard myself thinking, Yes, yes, exactly. When I moved from E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. a public library to an academic library I had many similar responses—the rich collec- SUBSCRIPTIONS tion including electronic databases, the deadening effect of the imposed query. I Nonmember subscriptions, orders, changes of address, remember in particular a student who approached me looking for the meaning of and inquiries should be sent to Public Libraries, Sub- “carpe diem.” (This was in the mid-1980s, before the Internet and before the movie scription Department, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; 800-545-2433, Dead Poet’s Society, which popularized the term.) I took him to three sources that press 5; fax: (312) 944-2641; e-mail: subscriptions@ gave explanations supplementing each other. But that was not what he wanted. He ala.org. wanted the information to be preblended and from one source; a self-imposed query ADVERTISING in which he had very little stock. William N. Coffee, c/o Benson, Coffee & Associates, This question serves as an example of another contrast I noticed. The next year, 1411 Peterson Ave., Park Ridge, IL 60068; (847) 692- at about the same time, another student asked the same question. And this was just 4695; fax (847) 692-3877. one of many of the same questions asked the next year at the same time. I remember PRODUCTION thinking that after a few years of predictable questions, a reference librarian would be ALA PRODUCTION SERVICES: Troy D. Linker, Kevin pained to bring energy to the same old questions coming up at the same old times. In Heubusch; Ellie Barta-Moran, Angela Hanshaw, Kristen fact, that revelation prompted me to return to public libraries in another state. McKulski, and Karen Sheets. That memory leads me to yet another observation. Recently, representatives from MANUSCRIPTS my library met with a group consisting of people from academic, public, and special Unless otherwise noted, all submissions should be sent to libraries. They were choosing a periodical database to share. The academics the feature editor, Renée Vaillancourt McGrath, 248A N. Higgins Ave. #145, Missoula, MT 59802; publiclibraries@ “strongly” recommended one database over another. I overheard a conversation of aol.com. See the January/February issue or www.pla.org people who had attended the meeting and realized that they had been led to believe for submission instructions. that the academically supported database was somehow more intellectually satisfying INDEXING/ABSTRACTING than the other. But having worked with both, I knew that the database preferred by Public Libraries is indexed in Library Literature and the academics actually was the one that was dominated by articles with sort of closed Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE), in addi- answers, complete enough to satisfy an assignment, brief enough to discourage further tion to a number of online services. Contents are ab- investigation. The other database tended toward more varied sources and articles. I stracted in Library and Information Science Abstracts. was reminded how intimidated by academics public library representatives can be. MICROFILM COPIES And I was further reminded of how much more challenging public library reference Microfilm copies are available from University Micro- is, with its preponderance of questions coming from the patron’s need to know. films, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Imposed query research has a clear end—knowable or at least estimative—from the The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for beginning, while in the self-imposed query the end is not clear, and, in fact, there is Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed often not an end. Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. ¥ continued on page 281 ©2003 by the American Library Association 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. 42n5_2ndcorrex.qxd 08/19/2003 5:24 PM Page 273 OCLC 4c page 273 42n5_2ndcorrex.qxd 08/19/2003 5:24 PM Page 274 EDITOR’S NOTE everal years ago I worked at a The Career of Every once in a while, I dream that I library that was in the process of haven’t yet ordered a book that in wak- constructing a new building. As a Our Dreams ing life I have. Like, five people are department coordinator, a lot of standing at the desk demanding the new my time was spent in planning Renée Vaillancourt McGrath (shudder) Pat Buchanan book that I meetings and in discussions with Feature Editor ordered right away when it came out Sarchitects and other designers. Although I and another librarian is saying to me, left that library before the new building “Did you order this?” And I did, but the opened, I often dream that I’m going back to catalog says I didn’t. I would classify work in the new building. In these dreams, I that as a I-Feel-Like-I’m-Not-Doing- usually don’t know my way around, and I’m My-Job dream, and it’s been frequent not entirely sure what my position is, but I lately, because, with increased desk traf- don’t want to ask anyone for fear of sound- fic, I’m definitely getting less done.