PNLA Quarterly, Vol. 62 No.1 Fall 1997

From Vellum to Virtual Reality: Trapped Between Two Worlds
Will Manley, Assistant Director of the Community Services Department, Tempe, Arizona

Let's talk about that bridge for a moment. It's been a part of our everyday vernacular since President Clinton coined the phrase during last year's Presidential campaign. It's an interesting metaphor because it creates the image that at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 1999, we will be leaving one world behind forever and entering another one that will be far different from anything we've seen before. In my mind's eye the bridge is held together with fiber optic cables. Consequently it's very light and very fragile and requires that we tread quite gingerly across it. Presumeably only the most resilient and most change adaptive among us will be able to get across to survive and prosper in the brave new world on the other side.

So how do we prepare for the trip? The conventional wisdom is that we move farther and farther away from vellum and closer and closer to virtual reality because books are the historical artifacts of an industrial society and microprosessors and cathode ray terminals are the tools of the electronic age. In short all the "experts" are telling us to begin phasing out the book and start replacing it with the computer. We don't want to be seen by our patrons as the "blacksmiths" of the electronic age.

If we've been paying attention to the mass media we don't have anything to fear on that issue. Increasingly the outside world is beginning to see the library more as a computer center and less as a bibliographic center. How can they see it in any other light? We've virtually abandoned the word "library" by making its use an act of political incorrectness. Library schools are no longer library schools; they are institutions of information science. Libraries are no longer "libraries"; they are information centers. As for the term "librarian" all you have to do is check the professional classified ads to see that the term "information specialist" is being used on an increasingly frequent basis. Information specialists don't seem to be paid more than librarians, but the title sounds a lot sexier, and that's important because our distaste for the word "librarian" has to have something to do with all the dreaded connotations that it conjurs up about bespeckled, hair-bunned spinsters. It's probably a lot easier for an "information specialist" to get a date than a "librarian." How else do you explain the language contained in "ALA Goal 2000," the major policy document of the Executive Board of the American Library Association. The plan is highlighted by nine key indicators of success to be reached by the 21st century. The word "information" is found in all nine indicators, the word "library" or "librarian" is found only once, and the word "book" is found no where. Can you imagine the American Bar Association publishing an "ABA Goal 2000" without making references to laws or lawyers?

Clearly then we are ready for that bridge to the 21st century. We have positioned ourselves in the fast lane and our new sporty "electronic" image has not gone unnoticed by the public. The irony, however, is that the public isn't all that happy with our makeover. In fact you might say that they want the specs and the hair bun back. In the past twelve months three major criticisms have been leveled against librarians in magazines of general interest (Newsweek, the New Yorker, and Harpers). These critics take on three different libraries (the Science, Industry, and Business Library of the New York Public Library, Multnomah County Library, and San Francisco Public Library), but their points are basically the same: librarians have abandoned their traditional user base by abandoning their commitment to developing quality book collections. What is particularly significant is that all three critics work in information-based professions and are greatly frustrated with the kind of 21st century information centers that have been developed with the express purpose of serving professionals like themselves.

There's another development that casts doubt on whether our embrace of all things electronic is really the best strategy. Consider what is happening in the bookstore business. In the past few years a new kind of bookstore - the so-called "super bookstore" - is beginning to emerge. This new creation with its exterior pillars, traditional library furniture, wide diversity of books, story hours for children, book discussion groups for adults, and reader's advisory counters looks very much like a traditional library. Clearly what is happening is that public librarians, by abandoning their traditional clientele, have opened up profitable opportunities for the private sector to pursue.

While librarians have lost confidence in the book, the public has not. Perhaps that's because the public has developed a great sense of skepticism about the promise of technology as an educational tool. While it's nice to think that connecting every classroom in the country with the Internet will fix the wasteland that we call public education, experience teaches us differently. In the 50's weren't futurists pointing to television as a tool that would solve all our educational problems? Fifty years of Gilligan's Island and Jenny Jones have taught us differently.

Learning takes place in the context of human relationship and technology actually interferes with that relationship. Let me relate a sad saga about Silicon Valley that illustrates this point. My oldest son, who is in the computer industry in the San Jose area, tells me that snakes are a big problem in many of the apartment buildings there. Computer people, he says, put in weird obsessive hours. It's not unusual for them to work 36 straight hours and then crash for 36. Toiling 36 straight hours alone at a cathode ray terminal can cause eye strain, drowsiness, and loneliness, especially when you consider that many computer people have difficulty sustaining meaningful human relationships because they have such weird and obsessive work habits. This is why pets are so important to the lives of computer people. They provide companionship. But because of their lifestyles, most computer people cannot keep mainstream pets. Dogs, cats, and even tropical fish need periodic feedings and have daily hygenic and psychological needs. That's why the snake is the pet of choice for many computer professionals. They are definitely on the low maintenance end of the pet spectrum. They can go days and even weeks between feedings and do not seem to have the same need for human validation that is craved by most domesticated animals. The downside, however, is that it is difficult to set territorial boundaries for snakes. They love to explore and have the body to slither into almost any crack or crevice that piques their curiosity, especially inside pipes and plumbing fixture and in between walls, which presents a great challenge for property managers, maintenance men, and tenants, who like to use their toilets without rude intrusions from representatives of the reptile family.

What relevance does this have on our topic? Simply this: do not believe all the gloom and doom stories about traditional libraries. The fact that computer programmers are willing to resort to snakes for companionship means that living the virtual lifestyle results in loneliness, and we all know that the only remedy for loneliness is company. People who need people are the luckiest people in the world, which includes most of us with the exception of maybe the Unabomber. Even Trappist monks live in communities. All of the bold predictions, therefore, that traditional gathering places like libraries, museums, galleries, and even shopping centers will be replaced by on-line services are all nonsense.

Speaking of bold predictions that turn out to be nonsense, let us get into our virtual time machine and go back to the turn of the twentieth century when Dr. Guido Biagi, the renowned librarian of the Royal Library of Florence, shocked a World's Fair audience in St. Louis by predicting that in the 20th century most people would prefer to listen to spoken records than to read printed books and that writing would quickly become a lost art. The phonograph, you have to understand, was a fairly recent invention. Like today's computer it was a mechanism that would usher in significant social change and cause librarians to re-examine their traditional frame of reference. The revolutionary implications of the phonograph seemed obvious to several librarians by the beginning of the 20th century. They pointed out that if libraries had justified themselves in including books in their collections of recorded knowledge it seemed contradictory not to support the inclusion of the phonograph and phonograph records, for like books these newer tools could be used by a librarian to either preserve the record of civilization or aid in the dissemination of ideas. Dr. Biagi, however, got a bit carried away when he advocated that librarians seriously consider converting their book shelves into storecases for phonograph records. As might be expected, Biagi's ideas were not completely original. He was simply relating his interests as a librarian to some of the speculations being voiced by the futurists of his day. The argument centering around the obsolescence of the book was something that had first been raised by Thomas Edison shortly after he had unveiled his first fragile phonograph in 1878. At that time he boldly suggested that his new talking machine would in many ways supplant the printing press as a transmitter of culture. By 1894 Scribners Magazine published an article entitled "The End of Books" in which the author envisioned the day when libraries would be transformed into "phonographotecks." To him reading was an exercise that wearied the eyes and distracted them from their natural function, the contemplation of the beauties of nature.

Thus the recent controversy over the future of the book is no new phenomenon, a fact which suggests that the book is a more viable instrument of communication and scholarship than it has been given credit for by both its past and present detractors. Dr. Biagi, although a terrible prophet, was an impressive trend setter. From his speech on, everytime a new method of transmitting information has been invented, someone has popped up to officially announce the death of the book. However, it's ironic, isn't it, that now a hundred years after his speech, it's the phonograph that is dead and not the book.

What else lies in the coffin of dead media formats? The list is impressive: reel to reel tapes, eight tracks, 16 mm film, 8 mm film, film loops, and betamax videotapes. These are all resources that librarians sunk money into at the expense of the book. But when we're talking obsolescense we really need to talk about computers. It's an oddity that World War II is a much easier war for historians to research than the Viet Nam war. Why? Because most of the Pentagon documents dealing with Viet Nam are on tapes that can only be accessed by computers that no longer work. Those records you might say are virtually lost.

The problem with electronic resources, therefore, is that they become worthless when the equipment needed to support them becomes obsolete. That is why if the book had been invented last month, everyone would be hailing it as a work of pure genius. I can see the reviews now in Library Technology: "Finally we have a full color, full text document format that needs no batteries, is portable, easy to handle, and can be read when you are sitting down, standing up, lounging in bed, or taking a bath. It can also serve a number of other useful functions such as an interior decoration accessory, a prop to hold up a broken bed, a place to hide money, a tool to press leaves, and a missile to project at someone who is antagonizing you. No doubt about it, this new format will make floppy-disk and CD-ROM formats obsolete. No other medium today can match the book for its handiness and attractiveness."

To close tonight's session, I would like to make a bold prediction of my own: The books in your libraries will last longer than the computer resources you now have.

Young Readers Choice Award Acceptance Speech
Eve Bunting, Winner of the 4th-8th Grade Division, YRCA

The idea for Nasty Stinky Sneakers came one day at breakfast when I was reading the Los Angeles Times. The Times is a common source of many of my book ideas. This particular article told of a Stinky Sneaker Contest to be held in a local park. Judges would sniff and smell. How repulsively disgusting, I thought. My next thought was, but won't kids love it? And wouldn't they love a book about it. I began to plot and theme. Shortly after that I started writing.

A couple of weeks later I was talking with a friend, Nancy Levinson, who is another children's book author. She said that the day the article appeared she was talking on the phone with another mutual writer friend who first asked if she'd seen the article and then said: "Wouldn't that make a great children's book?" "Don't even think about it," Nancy said. "Eve's probably got it half done already. She doesn't mess around." Which I'm afraid is true and one of the reasons why I have over one hundred fifty published children's books.

HarperCollins put a great cover on Nasty Stinky, as I affectionately call it. And that helped. We all know we're not supposed to use that criterion to judge a book but we know something else, don't we? Nancy Kellogg, the California Sales rep loved the book and put a lot of effort into promoting it to booksellers. She was the inspiration behind these T-shirts. My grandchildren became instant walking billboards and I actually saw one of those T-shirts walking down the street in Newport Beach, with a child's body in it of course. Wow wait! . . . that could be a ghost story right there! MMM?

Troll, who bought the subrights decided to have a Nasty Stinky Sneaker contest, not involving the actual sneakers, thank goodness, but stories about, essays about, paintings about. They informed classes all over the United States and Canada . . . perhaps one of yours? They probably wrote about it in their book order leaflets, I'm not sure. The prize would be a new pair of cool sneakers for each member of the winning class. Troll asked me if I would be the judge. A request that terrified me. I suspected how many entries they'd get. They did not suspect. When I resisted they asked if I would at least judge the final five and I agreed. Well, I was right about the number of responses they got. They said they could barely get into their offices because of the mail, some of it extra large and bulky. And I, poor thing, did not understand that the final five meant the final five in all different grade levels, separately, for the United States and Canada. Well, we could hardly get into our house!

The Book, Then and Now, from Cuneiform to Electronic
Dr. Grant Skelley, University of Washington

Although his purpose was not to debate the future of the book, he argued convincingly that no other material artifact in our lives has a longer or more enduring tradition. The focus in his overview of the history book was not the mechanics of the process of publishing but on the presentation of text through history. In this context, he dispelled the idea that electronic publishing is a cataclysmic change, but simply another change in a long history of changes. Through all these changes, the presentation and use of text is strong

From the first writing, pictograms for business purposes around 4000 BCE to the cuneiform writing that then developed in Mesopotamia, the development of writing launched the presentation of text. Skelley outlined the broad sweep of history and pointed out the wide variety of materials (clay, papyrus, parchment, paper, bark, leather, leaves, wood, metal, and textiles) and physical formats (clay tablets, rolls, scrolls, orihon [Japanese accordian books], codex, and digital/electronic) on and in which text appears. He drew a broad picture of the various settings in which text was produced in the more recent historic era (commercial scriptoria, monastic scriptora, cathedral schools and universities, households of the nobility). In some cases the wealthy employers of scribes were themselves illiterate, but the power of the text was such that nobility were often patrons of its presentation. Skelley characterizes literacy in the Middle Ages as very different from the emotional, intellectual involvement that the twentieth century mind often associates with act of reading. The laborious production of text in the thirteenth century might cause a scribe to end his text thus, "Now the book is finished, let us break our master's bones,"or "If the scribe has erred, the reader must make the corrections. "In fact, until the seventeenth century, most of the people of the world were not literate, and oral tradition reigned even among the rulers, clergy, and elite.

Skelley explained that many of the devices we now admire as art in illuminated manuscripts were practical devices that served in place of conventions later established for the convenience of the reader in the era of printing. The rubrication, ornamental initials, and illuminations served as visual guideposts to the text as page numbers, chapter headings, table of contents, and indices did not come until much later. In fact, the earliest page numbers were often added later by the owners, rather than the producers, of the texts. Skelley credits Charlemagne with influencing text to a standard hand, Carolingian minuscule, for the first time and points out that even with a standard hand, word spacing--taken totally for granted by modern readers and publishers of Western languages-- was not important. The indentations that we recognize as paragraphs were a relatively recent development and were preceded by the paragraph sign, at one time itself a "modern" innovation.

After 1456, the manuscript and printed book coexisted. The new-fangled printed books were made to look like the old form, the manuscript. The first children's books in the form of chapbooks did not appear until the facility to read and the time to read was available to children.

Skelley pointed out that the evolution of text does little or nothing to predict its future. He posited six measures that any form of text in the future must meet: produciblity, affordability, durability, usabililty, covetablity, and archivability.

Following the presentation, one member of the audience suggested that virtual presentation might take us back full circle to the oral tradition.

Reported by Sue Sherif

Expanding the Resources of Your Library: Using the World Wide Web for Reference
Patrick Grace, Coordinator of Magazines and Government Publications Department, Seattle Public Library; and
Mary Ross, Branch Manager, Greenwood Branch of the Seattle Public Library

Grace discussed the movement of U.S. federal information into Web form and the need to actively search for sites that in particular provide information to the very current information needs of the patron. These would include sites like the Federal Register, Commerce Department publications, new legislation etc. Seattle Public provides basic internet training, and they have found the patrons very competent in finding information.

Ross has been working with the Web for a number of years. Her comments were especially relevant to the uses that the Web can be put to in branch libraries.

Ross's recommendations included an extensive bookmark system. Her experience suggests that pre-selecting items to answer common reference questions is much more effective for the staff and the patron than just telling the staff or the patron to browse the Web using a Web browser such as Yahoo and Alta Vista. If the librarian can anticipate what questions could effectively be answered by the Web they can then search out sites and make them available. She also recommended using meta-sites or pathfinders which have been developed by others. These sites offer a preselected collection of good sites with quality content.

She also stressed the need to be familiar with a number of search engines and to move from one to another depending on the question that is asked. The librarian should also know when to use a reviewed directory such as Magellan.

Overall Ross felt that the WWW has become a valuable reference tool. It allowed a small branch without a large reference collection to answer questions that would be impossible otherwise. She also stressed that librarians and the public need to be aware of the limitations of the Web and not to waste time searching for material that is not there.

The session was informative and showed the positive benefits of using the Web and taking the time to set up bookmarks and pre-select key sites for ease of reference use.

Linda Pierce, Reporter

Copyright and Libraries: An International Overview of the Issues

Shira Perlmutter, Associate Register of Copyrights for Policy and International Affairs, and Adam Eisgrau of ALA's Washington office, discussed both American and international copyright laws and treaties. Many current issues are controversial, including the fact that digital use means a copy has been made, even if only temporarily, and that U.S. copyright is for the life of the creator plus 50 years while in Europe, it's life plus 70. International copyright treaties require 30 countries to ratify; two are currently awaiting U.S. ratification. The New Copyright Treaty recognizes the need to protect copyright owners, encourage information distributors, and assure the public access to information. Useful sources are:

The Other Side of the Tale
Alvin Grenowski, Ph.D.,
Vice President for Education and Community Service for World Book Education Products

In "The Other Side of the Tale," Grenowski explored the villain's point of view in famous folk tales to demonstrate the need to listen to the other person's point of view and not to be judgemental with stereotypes. He told the tale of "Jack and the Beanstalk "from the giant's wife's point of view. She invites Jack into her house and feeds him. What does the greedy boy do? He steals everything they have and then tries to kill her husband! When Jack gets back home, his mother congratulates him on stealing beans. Think about if Jack lived next to you. Wouldn't you worry about your house being cleaned out when you're gone? The mother could justify the stealing by her son because giants are bad, so the victim can be blamed. When people/characters are dehumanized, then you can do anything you want to them and it's OK. A scary approach, Grenowski points out, but we see it every day in the news.

The "other side" of "The Little Red Hen" story shows the hen as a totally dependent character. Her animal friends tried to help her gain independence by encouraging her to do things herself. At the end, they realized they must now teach her to share. Grenowski stated that we make judgements based on our standards and values. These values are taught, thus libraries have the duty to educate our communities. We need to learn to talk out our differences and to stop hatred just because we are different. Literature gives us opportunities to discuss real life at an arm's length.

The Grimm Brothers wrote about three of the most famous wicked stepmothers in literature and librarians spread the stereotypes! Grenowski is adamant that it is the responsibility of librarians to open the minds of children. We cannot do it unless our minds are open.

Dr. Grenowski challenged each of us in the audience on our ability to see the other side of the tale. He made us laugh and almost cry as we struggled with Snow White's stepmother as she fights to save her marriage. His inspiration touched many of us and renewed our belief that literature does makes a difference and that is why we're in the library business.

reported by Gloria Langstaff, Bitterroot Public Library, Hamilton, MT

Libraries in the Pacific Northwest: What Issues Are We All Facing?
Panel Discussion

Common themes were dealing with change and funding. Change involved providing services through world wide web connections instead of opening more new small libraries. Every area had regions that either chose not to support library service or could not afford library service. In order "to do more with less" provinces and states were trying to service these areas through telecommunication connections and web page information. Many of the provinces and states are forced to do more with less because of tax payer revolts which impose property tax freezes, thus affecting library funding.

Oregon libraries, hardest hit through ballot measure 47, have found strong support from the Oregonians for Libraries. This group of Oregon citizens has rallied citizens to put libraries at the top of a poll for new support. British Columbia libraries are developing partnerships to extend library services to the public.

Several states mentioned the decreased emphasis on school libraries which has occurred through rule changes in their states. Alberta has enacted new regional library systems. Money has been allocated to link these public libraries together over the next four years. Idaho is encouraging multi-type library environments. Montana will begin work on library law revision. Washington is developing a world wide web for statewide access by the public. Alaska's SLED project already provides internet access statewide.

Even though funding for libraries varies greatly in the Pacific Northwest, all libraries have a positive outlook and are using the new electronic connections to expand library service and make it vital to all the areas they serve.

Reported by Karen Hatcher, Dean, Mansfield Library, The University of Montana, Missoula

Virtual Education Environments
Randy Burke Hensley, University of Hawaii

How should libraries support and participate in these new environments? Because of our longstanding efforts with computerization of information access and delivery, librarians are very knowledgable about the new environments. However, the recent era of librarians as information providers may be passing in favor of librarians as educators. There are many examples of k-12 educators turning to public and academic librarians for assistance in developing technology based educational courses and support. Many libraries now exist in the virtual world of websites, email reference, and other forms of distance assistance for remote users. Virtual space becomes our new geography, a new place for us to move into to provide educational experiences and support.

Libraries need to consider five educational themes for developing a role in the new virtual educational environments: tools, learning, community, communication, and narratives.

Tools
Many libraries have a wide variety of computer technology and capabilities available, and many librarians are playing vital roles in monitoring and experimenting with new technologies such as MOO's, interactive web pages, multi-media platforms, and different ways to provide full text document storage and delivery.

The selection of appropriate tools for the virtual education environment is driven by a short list of factors. First, the tools must be widely accessible to the user; to be too ahead of the technology wave is to present an environment in which insufficient users can participate. Second, the tools must be supportable by the library and reliable for the user. The principle advantage of these environments is that they are available when the user chooses to participate. The library with walls and limited hours of service must become the classroom without walls and set class times. Third, the recognition that the technology is rapidly and constantly changing which requires regular programs of upgrade, training, and experimentation becomes central to the organizational life of the library. Finally, a realistic assessment of advantages and disadvantages of technology must be made so as to match the technology capability to the learning outcomes of the virtual educational environment. Establishing information retrieval and evaluation competencies to guide the establishing of the library's virtual presence becomes a key aspect of the library's involvement.

Learning
Libraries participating in virtual educational environments can become more conducive to differing learning styles. While the research literature has not concluded that computers appeal better to different learning styles, it is clear that alternative approaches to teaching and learning do appeal to learning styles. Utilizing technology to offer different ways to use information and learn about retrieval, utilization, and evaluation will support users' different learning styles, thus enhancing overall learning outcomes.

The crucial learning need has become determining credibility and validity of information sources. The resources available on the World Wide Web have clearly communicated this need to users. Librarians are knowledgable about the techniques for determining credibility and validity and are fully capable of providing this instruction to library users in their virtual environments.

In general, instructing users of our libraries in terms of the metaphor of database and thinking of the skills needs in terms of the categories of structure and navigation can help organize the learner to experience confidence and competence in using virtual resources. If our libraries are understood as databases of different resources, structured in particular ways, with certain techniques for moving within the database, our libraries become comprehensible and similar to other experiences in the virtual environment. It is creating this similarity for users that will ennable the perception of value for what libraries offer.

Once again, the expansion of learning time and place is a key benefit of virtual educational environments. By participating in these environments, librarians also expand the experience of the library beyond the traditional physical limitations and hours of access that have impeded library users in the past.

Community
When we engage in reflection about the elements that define the existence of a physical community, we use such terms as: shared values, conversation, shared experiences, common interests, common language, familiarity, a sense of belonging, common goals, and diversity. These elements can also be present in virtual communities. Our job is to examine how libraries provide these attributes in our physical environments and build our participation in virtual environments to provide them there too.

One new learning approach is that of learning communities, groups of learners organized around master who participate together to create learning objectives, activities, and outcomes. This approach is gaining wide credibility in education and often places information utilization and evaluation in a central position in the overall work of the course. Librarians need to be familiar with this learning approach and examine how their libraries can participate in learning communities.

Communication
Computer technology ennables communication, in forms and in content that is provocative, extensive, and different in the way it faciliates interaction. Asynchronous communication in the form of email or listserv learning activities or library services for users greatly expands the ability of librarians to teach and respond to information needs by providing additional means to communicate needs. Synchronous communication in the form of MOO's, chatrooms, and interactive video technology embrace the remote user in real time communication. These capabilities expand who we can contact and involve in the teaching and learning process as they increase the timeframe in which these interactions can occur.

Furthermore, many of these communication approaches emphasize the use and value of text, the importance of word and written communication. This re-emphasis on text in communication is creating a renewed appreciation for text information resources. The use of ongoing email and listserv discussion in virtual educational environments has brought increased interest in discourse as well. The notion of ideas evolving over time has become more obvious to many users, and the need to review the history of that evolution has become more vital. Libraries have historically played the role of cultural discourse repositories.

Narratives
The End of Education, Neil Postman theorizes that American educational institutions need a new narrative or story that explains their purpose. Without this narrative, an institution loses focus on what it is supposed to do and loses credibility with its constituency because the institution's value is no longer understood.

Perhaps libraries also need a new "story" to explain their role in America. At a recent American Library Association program, a speaker from Disney Imagineering, the arm of Walt Disney Corporation that creates the Disney theme parks, explained that change comes at different rates of speed. A few things change dramatically while other things change more slowly. Furthermore, the key to successful institutional change is to know what elements of an institution's "old" story are valid. These old elements can then be incorporated into the "new" story so that the institution thrives from both its past and its future.

Libraries in the United States played a key role in educating an incredible number of "new" Americans during the expanded immigration of the late 19th and early 20th century. Even today, the testimonials of users growing up in small towns or in some intellectual or other type of isolation, finding the library as a refuge and window to new opportunities, are far from uncommon. Perhaps the library's renewed narrative is that of educational institution rather than information provider. Perhaps these virtual educational environments are offering librarians an opportunity to tell this new story, which is actually an old story about libraries, in a new way at the right time.

The new job of libraries is to consider these five educational themes, develop a plan for entering the virtual educational environment that addresses them, and partner with other players in the virtual educational landscape, using these themes as the common language of discourse for developing the new role of the library.

Bringing Book Talks to the Radio Audience: The Story of Storylines
Georgia Lomax, Manager, Covington Branch, King County Library System, Seattle

Residents of the Northwest--Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming--will share their thoughts about the books and explore the values and beliefs that are part of living in the Northwest. The programs are funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

"StoryLines America" is based on the series "Big Sky Radio" that aired on KUFM and KEMC, two NPR stations in Montana from 1993-1995. It too was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The program was so successful that the American Library Association joined with us to expand the program to larger areas. The result was "StoryLines America"--actually two series, one to air in the Northwest and one in the Southwest. We plan to continue to expand to other regions in the future.

During "Big Sky Radio," thousands of residents of Wyoming and Montana listened to programs focusing on classic literature of the area and used them to examine the experience of living in the West. The series combined author interviews, commentary and listener call-ins. Authors, tribal leaders, western historians, mountain men and storytellers were among the guests on the program. Each program began with an overview of the book and its historical background, literary significance and connection to the region. Interviews with the author and guests followed, and then the phone lines were opened so listeners could call the toll-free phone number and participate in the dialogue.

This successful format will be repeated in "StoryLines America". The vastness of the land and space in the West and how it shapes the consciousness of those who live there will continue to be an important theme in the books and in the discussions.

In "StoryLines America,, discussion of the books will lead to consideration of broader themes about what it means to live in the Northwest. In a time when people move constantly, listeners will have a chance to explore what it means to be part of the community of the

Northwest and what makes our area unique. The books turn discussion toward characteristics of life in the region, the values and beliefs we have in common and our differences. They also focus our attention on how these characteristics contribute to the Northwest's identity and ultimately help shape that of the nation. We'll also explore the myths and stereotypes that exist, what draws others to our area, and why we want to live here.

While that all sounds scholarly and dry, these themes come from the stories people share about their life in the Northwest and provide the most compelling moments of the programs. Whether you're a local or a newcomer, everyone has a story to tell about how they came to live where they do, and that provides a link among our diverse population.

One of the reasons for creating "StoryLines" was to take the library out to the readers--and nonreaders--and to engage more people in discussion of books. With today's busy schedules, many people find it difficult to just get to the library, much less to attend a book discussion. People are tired after a day at work and don't return to town (especially if they do not live close to the library) for a discussion. Others feel they cannot participate in book discussion groups because they don't have time to read a book in advance, or because they don't want to actively participate and share their views even though they would enjoy listening to what others have to say. Radio was an easy way to make discussions convenient (listen from your home, or as you drive or work), and to let people choose whether to participate in an active or passive way.

"Big Sky Radio" was especially well received by residents of institutions, including retirement homes, jails and hospitals.

"Big Sky Radio" also challenged some of our preconceived library notions. For instance, much of the audience read the book after the program rather than in advance, so our fears that the weekly discussions required by radio scheduling would be a problem didn't materialize. A case of the "what if no one calls in" jitters also was unfounded as our listeners took up the challenge, and some of the most riveting moments came as the audience shared their own stories and insights.

We also found that the program didn't end when its radio run was over. The audio cassettes of the programs continue to be heavily used by patrons and by libraries in Montana and beyond. I talked to one librarian in Florida who uses them.

Libraries participating in "StoryLines America" will receive a set of the 13 books, promotional materials and audio cassettes of the discussions that can be circulated or used as part of local discussion groups. In return, participating libraries are asked to make the materials available to their community, promote the programs as appropriate and complete a brief evaluation of the series at the end of the program. "StoryLines" is meant to be easy for libraries to participate in without investing a lot of money or staff time since both are always at a premium.

Library Instruction: New Models and New Directions
Panel Discussion

Cataloging the Internet
Steve Shadle, Serials Cataloger, University of Washington Libraries

The main discussion however, was on the technical description of the site, focusing on the bibliographic record description, such as the boundaries of the resource, chief source of information, and other internal/external sources of information for discription. MARC tags descriptive of the format are the 246 $i to provide variations in title information and the bibliographic utility unique number (e.g. OCLC #), the 037, source of acquisition, 270, address field which can include e-mail addresses, 506, restrictions on access note, 538, mode of access, and last but not least, the 856, electronic location and access designator.

Upcoming changes are the inclusion of more specific material designators and the debated GMD of [computer file] and [interactive multimedia] appears to have been replaced with the new GMD of [electronic resource]. Stay tuned!

Virtual Reality: oxymoron vs. cutting edge technology
Toni Emerson, presenter

VR is a "new age suspension of disbelief" where one needs a "sense of presence". A very important concept is "immersion" and it was evident that Toni, the enthusiastic cybrarian who founded the Human Interface Technology Lab's (HITL) special library, is totally immersed in her field. Her slide presentation and lecture were comprehensive and informative for beginner and holodeck aficionado alike. Toni described the real life holodecks, which now available, as small caves with multiple projectors and shutter glasses. The inputs to the computer in VR come from body movements, voice, or the autonomic nervous system (handicapped applications) and the outputs are visual, aural , tactile or proprioceptive.

Besides holodecks, the many other applications of VR range from art to visualization. Art applications include performance art, virtual museums like Pompeii, and tourism, e.g. experience Hadrian's Wall the VR way so it won't be destroyed. VR was used in behavior therapy to desensitize a woman who had a spider phobia. In the education and training arena, NASA has been using VR since the eighties, online virtual communities are increasing, and there are many applications for the do-it-yourself learner. The Learning Center has found that kids synthesize and remember the VR worlds they create.

Medicine is very active in developing new applications in telemedicine, tele- and micro-surgery, rehabilitation and the virtual medic, in which the soldier wears sensors to send data back to an expert. Augmented reality (AR) is a new subfield of VR being used in surgery in which the virtual image is super-imposed on the real world. Manufacturing is another big user and Boeing designed their new 777 using VR, which shortened the design cycle considerably.

Virtual communities include Usenet, MUDs and MOOs, chat forums and distributed VR. Japan now wants to use virtual reality modeling language (VRML) for shopping. Visualization is being used in oceanography, and for large financial and scientific databases, and even for large document databases. Themescapes are used to process the database and indicate where the major themes are in underlying documents great method for combating information overload!

Sex, 'net & Videotape: Coping with New Media
Randy Pitman, presenter

What is a novel? We are now experiencing the first experiments (badly done) with "multimedia books" in which readers are directed to play music or look at pictures or eat chocolate (!), etc. during peak moments of plot. One can imagine when technology may allow the evolution of books into virtual reality environments where the "reader" (viewer?) picks a role within the story to play and speak. This will have profound effects on librarians and libraries.

We often state that the format is unimportant. The format is in fact very important and our actions have always stemmed from this. The current stance that the internet is just another format has also gotten us (as a profession) in trouble. It is in fact not just another format.

In a Sept. 96 survey (E. Worth, State of Censorship) it was reported that: 98% of libraries own Catcher in the Rye. However, despite the fact that Madonnas Sex book was number one on the New York Times bestseller list - less than 10% of libraries own it. What other book that was a bestseller is so little owned by libraries? We do in fact differentiate between text and images.

A 6 year old child capable of reading and understanding the works of the Marquis de Sade would be precocious and twisted. A 6 year old child unable to use a videorecorder to view a videotape would be considered technologically backwards. When we insist that we do not differentiate by format we not only are not being accurate about our actions - we are facing a Public Relations loaded gun. Common sense tells us that there are distinct differences between formats (text and images and moving pictures, etc.). Most of us could not easily substitute video for book in our intellectual freedom statements. Most Public Libraries do not buy R rated videos. However, video ratings are typically based on mathematical formulas (i.e. counting particular actions/sounds/images) and do not indicate the aesthetic or moral content of a video and should NEVER EVER be used to include or exclude videos from libraries.

We don't talk about what we know (as a profession). We say we don't differentiate between words and images and moving pictures but in fact we always have. One survey revealed that less than 10% of libraries allow unrestricted access to videos by children. In that survey 36 out of 50 libraries placed the age restriction at 18 (the movie ratings at theaters are less restrictive!). This is in opposition to the Library Bill of Rights language and intent. The majority of practitioners (i.e. librarians) do different than what their association (i.e. ALA) guidelines state.

How many libraries have the book, Joy of Sex versus how many libraries have the video equivalent? Few to none have the latter. And yet tomorrows taxpayer is arguably more video oriented. Most libraries only collect in one genre of video (e.g. Feature Films or Kids videos or How to videos, etc.) instead of collecting diverse viewpoints in a variety of genres. Most librarians use publisher flyers and catalogs as their main selection tool for videos. For libraries collecting feature films their meager collections often result in a video collection on par with the corner gas stations collection. To better serve their future users libraries should not only better select and collect videos but should also hire an interior decorator and add an espresso cart!

The Internet is another new format that libraries have embraced, and we probably haven't seen anything yet - with real time, surround sound, 3-D environments coming. One recent survey indicated that 77% of teenagers would rather get information from the net than from a book. Most libraries do not select internet materials and our patrons have ready access to a variety of objectionable materials including: pornography, hate speech, mis-information, etc. Many libraries (in direct opposition to ALA guidelines) have looked at ways to prevent children and other library users from encountering objectionable materials (i.e. primarily pornography). Internet access policies and procedures in libraries range from:

1. Unrestricted, Open Access for all (the Gold Card of Intellectual Freedom). This upholds the constitution and provides the most information for all. However it is a Public Relations nightmare.
2. Restricted Access. This results in less angry parents and media problems. However, children may not be able to find what they need and objectionable material may still be accidentally or otherwise found.
3. Filtering Software and Ratings Systems. This results in users shielded from sexually explicit and violent material. However the software cant differentiate well between sexual education vs. titillation and the software doesn't block every site.

Reported by Barry Brown, Mansfield Library, The University of Montana

High Tech, High Touch: Making Human Services Effective in an Electronic Environment
Panel Discussion by Jodee Fenton (Seattle Public Library), Megan Stearns (Seattle Public Library) and Stephan Silha (writer)

When you enter into partnerships with community organizations it's a serious commitment. You need to take it seriously because the organizations will definitely take it seriously.

When you enter discussions with groups you need to really listen to the groups. Don't just push your own agenda.

The emerging principles of Delivering Services in Cyberspace include:

• connectivity
• trust
• appropriate technology
• training
• partnerships

• training the trainers
• a spoonful of sugar (don't go in with a fixed idea about library services; be flexible)
• work with existing leaders
• expect to crawl before you walk
• tailor your services to your communitys needs, beliefs, values
• develop and evaluate the project with community input
• use innovative approaches

Community Partnerships: What is the Library's Role in Community Cyberspace?
Panel Discussion

Building Collections for the Conservative Christian Community
A Panel Discussion

Other panel members expanded on some of Sally's points. Nancy Hesch, retired librarian and editor of Christian Library Journal, pointed out a number of publications which review many titles in varied formats that target this user group but which may not be reviewed in standard library review journals. She also mentioned that important criteria of readers coming from a Christian perspective are not necessarily appropriate for a mainstream journal. One certainly would not expect Booklist to comment on the extent to which Christian values are upheld in a title under review, but this must be an important criterion in selection for this user group. This is the niche Nancy has carved out for her journal. She also noted that often publications targeting this group are not carried by standard library distributors, so she makes available order forms for the titles reviewed in her journal.

Eric Fields, Solutions Manager for Spring Arbor Division of Ingram Book Company, picked up the ball at this point. After years as a premier distributor for gospel bookstores, Spring Arbor was purchased by Ingram just as it was beginning to pick up on the library market. Eric gave background of the gospel publishing field and talked about how libraries can most easily acquire titles of importance that are not specifically marketed to them. He talked about the building of bridges between publishers of these types of materials and libraries which serve as a potential major market.

It is clear that libraries are realizing the call for materials currently selling in gospel bookstores. At the same time publishers and distributors are seeing the potential of libraries as outlets. While these materials are finding their way into the library mainstream, it is important for us to find ways to coax them out into the open where we can acquire them for our patrons.

Reported by Mike Wessels, Chair, Serving the Christian Community Interest Group

Connecting the Threads: Tradition and Innovation in the Book Arts
Sandra Kroupa, Conservation Supervisor, University of Washington Libraries, and
Kate Leonard, Book Arts Librarian, University of Washington Libraries, Seattle

Sandra Kroupa, who has already been at U-W for 29 years and wants to "go out in a body bag", opened with 26 slides in pairs, the first a historical model and the second slide a modern work of the same structure or form or concept. Most slide pairs gave new answers to the question, "What is a book? For example, are the ancient and modern clay tablets so similar to one another books or sculptures? Are the ancient and modern carved necklaces with images and words books or jewelry? And the modern linen fabric roll paired with the Dead Sea Scrolls? Stories and histories are revealed when one "reads" these pieces. We viewed medieval manuscripts on animal skins sown together and a modern animal skin of a Madonna image with the artist as scribe. We compared the historic Book of Hours to a modern cowboy book of hours, and learned how hand painted blocks evolved into cards. The old books kept chained and locked by the monks were paired with a modern coffee table book made of lead (impossble to steal).

The audience was entertained by slides of "books" made of wooden boxes, palm leaves, cards held together with binder rings, a series of laminated sheets of newspaper articles which told the story of a man stalking the artist, postcards depicting the horror at Dachau, and a saddle book with individual pages in a leather bag. We were treated to a pie book in hand painted wedges, made while the artist was working at a food bank and feeding hungry people pies, which dealt with feminist and age issues.

Our notions of "books" were further challenged with collaborative pieces such as Canned Condensed Art, sculpture and image books, wood blocks and pop-ups. Does a book need text or narrative when it has symbolic text, such as the pictographic Chinese "book" and the Mayan images on which modern day silk-screen is based? Accordion books with pop-ups and pop-outs cover a lot of topics. In one accordion, double spine technique, Susan E. King compares a bout with breast cancer to a trip through Europe. This parallaxes form uses both sides of the accordion with two different points of view on each side. Another fascinating example of this form with symbolic text was a story of gay and heterosexual men who each board a train, go to work, and at the end of their day/end of the book, end up sitting beside each other going home on the train.

The book arts collection at the University of Washington has about 5000 pieces now, with most objects purchased in the $15 - $30 range since Sandra has a small budget. She stated that one could start a small collection with $800; however, she also trades a lot and has baby-sat, provided lists of labels, and gardened in exchange for book arts pieces. Sandra usually buys "books" or objects from the artists themselves, not dealers or vendors. She wants the artist to know the piece is being used, and how and why. She buys from many Pacific Northwest artists, but also deliberately buys from some afar so that our area artist can be exposed to what others are doing as well. Some of the names in the field are Elsie Ellis, Keith Smith, Gary Frost, Katie Kyle, Katie Gillmore, Mare, and Jim Koss.

Sandra believes we need to encourage people to make books, and she worked closely with one Master of Fine Arts candidate to create an intimate photo accordion book about four men transforming themselves into women, each living two different lives. This is a fine example of a book with symbolic text which undoubtedly tells a complex, rich, emotional story. Sandra also obviously likes to choose works for their structure and content. She and the students like autobiographical themes, such as death and war which are universal and transcendent.

Kate introduced the audience to models of books, starting with codex of boards and covers sewn together at the same time and progressing to modern sturctures such as computer paper. She passed the models around so we could examine them. The ancient codex were very durable with covers and pages exactly the same size. Kate compared and contrasted the ancient and modern physical models as Sandra had done with the concept of book with the slides. Some artists are taking ancient sturctures and producing modern ones, such as a sewn board made of mesquite from Texas.

Kate covered the spectrum and explained how we are adapting old technology to fit our current needs. For example, the older structure allowed flat opening which is very desirable now for photocopying. After the Florence flood, conservators studied the older limp structures that survived being dried out. Other forms or structures have modern day applications too. The old concertina form was totally flat, a continuous series of boards (of any length) that could be unfolded for display; its modern day equivalent is continuous feed computer/ printer paper.

Now it was time to practice what we'd learned! Kate patiently taught us how to make a concertina or accordion style book with only paper and a popsicle sick (a bone in ancient times). After a series of folds, we were each proud creators of our own blank book with a beautiful Pacific Northwest Library Association cover with Seattle background. Everyone seemed thrilled with this well-prepared presentation by Sandra and Kate. Maybe one of the participating librarians will create a concertina book art of symbolic text to display at the PNLA Idaho conference?

Reported by Monica Weyhe, PNLA Treasurer