| Volume 18, No. 2 | Winter 1999 |
By Marilyn Crane
This is the second ASDAL election where every member of the Association has the opportunity to vote for new officers and members of working committees.
The Nominating Committee this year consisted of Bob Baldwin, Allegany College of Maryland; Cynthia Helms, Andrews University; Morris Iheanacho, Oakwood College; and Gary Shearer, Pacific Union College. Marilyn Crane of Loma Linda University was Chair of the Committee and, on its behalf, would like to thank all who consented to run for the various offices and committee memberships.
Ballots will be mailed to all current members early in March. The ballots must be returned by May 31 in order to be counted. The results of the election will be announced at the annual conference and published in the Fall issue of ASDAL Action.
The list of nominees follows:
Maynard Lowry is Director of the Library at La Sierra University. He served as ASDAL President in 1983 and is currently a member of the SDA Periodical Index Board and Project Manager for ALICE, 1998-99.
Ruth Swan is Director of Media Resources, Eva B. Dykes Library at Oakwood College where she has been a faculty member since 1979. She recently completed her Ph.D. in Information Studies at Florida State University.
Petre Cimpoeru is an Associate Librarian at Loma Linda University with primary responsibilities in the Dept. of Archives and Special Collections. He has also had experience teaching history at several colleges and universities.
Tony Zbaraschuk is Special Collections Librarian at La Sierra University where he is responsible for the University Archives and the Heritage Room. History and computer science figure in his background.
Sandra Browning is Circulation Supervisor and Student Employment Coordinator at the La Sierra University Library. She served on the On-Site Planning Committee for the 1997 ASDAL Conference at La Sierra University.
Katie Hunt is the Director of the Adventist Network of Educational Libraries (ANGEL), a position she has held since July 1, 1982. The network is located at the McKee Library, Southern Adventist University.
Lorrane Grace is Cataloger and Director of Technical Services at the McKee Library, Southern Adventist University. She has served on the Classification Committee in the past as well as on the Site Planning Committee and planning committee for the School Librarians Section.
Linda Maberly is Cataloger and Head of Technical Services at the Pacific Union College Library and has been in this position since 1989.
Margaret von Hake is Library Director at Columbia Union College. She has served ASDAL as newsletter editor (1981-1983), President (1989-1990), and as a member of various committees including the SDA Periodical Index Board.
Adu Worku is Library Director at Pacific Union College. He has served ASDAL as President (1995-1996) and as a member of various committees.
David Rios is Director of the Del E. Webb Memorial Library, Loma Linda University. He was Editor, SDA Periodical Index from 1984-1987.
Sharon Wion is Periodical/Reference Librarian at Chan Shun Centennial Library, Southwestern Adventist University. She has served on the ASDAL Nominating Committee.
Clint Anderson is Coordinator of Bibliographic Services at the Chan Shun Centennial Library, Southwestern Adventist University. He was Chair and Co-Founder of the ASDAL Literary Awards Committee and has been a member of the Resolutions Committee on four occasions.
Joyce Van Scheik is Library Director at Canadian University College, a position she has held since 1993. Prior to that she was Reference Librarian. She has served ASDAL as Publicity Coordinator.
Marilyn Crane, Chair of the Nominating Committee, is Special Collections Cataloger at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California.
MONTEMORELOS UNIVERSITY TO HOST 19TH ASDAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE
By Chris Cicchetti
Montemorelos University (MU) in Montemorelos, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, will host the 19th ASDAL Annual Conference, the theme of which is "Working Together: Cooperation Among SDA Libraries." This theme will be addressed along at least three strands: cooperation through electronic means such as e-mail, the Internet, and the ALICE consortium; cooperation between all educational levels, K-16; and geographic cooperation, both regionally and internationally. This should be an exceptional conference with informative speakers and a spicy, south-of-the-border flavor!
This will not only be ASDAL's second international conference, but it will also be our first bilingual conference! MU has equipment which allows for simultaneous translation, so we plan to translate from English into Spanish, and vice versa. Speakers will use the language with which they feel most comfortable, so at times the Spanish-speaking members will receive the translation, and at other times the English-speaking members will receive the translation.
Obviously, the conference is still in the planning stages and there are details such as lodging and costs that ASDAL members will want to know soon. This information should be available within the month. Watch the ASDAL web page at http://www.asdal.org/ and the SDA Librarians listserve for further details shortly. For Spanish-speakers, the MU web page at http://www.umontemorelos.edu.mx/ will soon post details of the conference.
Speakers
Dr. Jesus Lau will give the keynote address on the topic of "Cooperation Beyond National Borders." Dr. Lau is the Dean of Academic Affairs at the Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez. He holds a Ph.D. in Information Studies from the University of Sheffield, England; a master's degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Denver, Colorado; and a B.S. in Law from the University of Sinaloa, Mexico. He has been a library director, senior researcher, and university librarian. Dr. Lau has received the national award "National Researcher" from the National System of Researchers (Mexico), which has been renewed three times. In 1997, he was named Librarian of the Year by the Border Regional Library Association from El Paso, TX / Las Cruces, NM / Juarez, MX.
Gilbert Abella, Director of Public Services at La Sierra University Library, will present a paper entitled "Latin America, the Internet and the SDA. College Library of the Future." This presentation will deal with the challenge of many academic libraries in Latin America and the world, namely to keep up with the latest technologies and the Internet without having adequate budgets and proper technical support.
Transportation
Conference attendees can fly to either Monterrey, Mexico, or McAllen, Texas. MU will provide transportation from both airports, although the airport in Monterrey is most convenient for them. The University charges $35.00 U.S. (one-way) for transportation from Monterrey; the charge is $60.00 U.S. (one-way) for transportation from McAllen.
Bruce McClay, an ASDAL member living in McAllen, reports that regular bus service runs out of McAllen to Montemorelos. The buses are clean and comfortable (they are air conditioned) and even, occasionally, show movies--usually in Spanish--during the three and a half hour trip down. Typically the first bus leaves McAllen at 6:00 in the morning, and the last one leaves McAllen at 6:45 in the evening. A bus leaves every hour or every two hours depending on the time of day. The cost is very reasonable--only $9.50 U.S. one way.
It is also possible to drive from McAllen. Bruce has made the trip several times, though always with someone familiar with the route and language. Those interested may contact Bruce for advice on insurance for Mexico, etc. Bruce is willing to be a contact person in McAllen. If you plan to fly into McAllen and would like a friendly face at the airport who knows the ropes, Bruce is willing to help. He is also willing to arrange car pools if enough people are coming through and would like to drive together. Arrangements should be made directly with Bruce.
Travel Requirements
Here are a couple of web sites that talk about Mexico travel requirements.
Christina Cicchetti, ASDAL President-Elect and Program Chair, is Curriculum/Reference Librarian at La Sierra University Library, Riverside, California.
By Keith Clouten
My Spanish is limited to a few partly intelligible sounds, but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying visits to Mexico on three different occasions. My first visit was back in 1968, when our family of four spent five weeks touring the length and breadth of Mexico in a VW campervan, stopping overnight wherever the spirit moved -- usually in or near a rural village. We got lots of unwanted attention, but we felt we were among friends.
More recently, I spent two days in December on a flying visit to the University of Montemorelos. I should explain that Andrews University operates a couple of graduate extension programs on the U of M campus, and since our regional accrediting association announced that they would like to visit there as part of their 1999 evaluation of Andrews, I was asked if I would take a look at library collections and facilities.
American Airlines has two daily non-stops between Chicago and Monterrey. From there it is a ride of a little more than one hour on a fine highway south to the town of Montemorelos, wedged in a valley between the high peaks of the Sierra Madre mountains. The Adventist university is on the northern edge of the town. I arrived there late one evening, and spent two interesting and busy days on the campus. I discovered a fine and well organized library occupying an attractive building in the center of the campus. There is a campus-wide computer network, and one of the three computer labs with full Internet access is on the top floor of the library. I was warmly welcomed by a friendly and competent staff who are bursting with enthusiasm about hosting the ASDAL Conference there next summer.
Librarians visiting Montemorelos next June will find a large and attractive campus. Its focal point is a pleasantly landscaped plaza surrounded by several fine buildings - library, administration building, campus center, and residence halls. A medical school and a dental school are important features of this university. There is a modern hospital at the southern extremity of the campus, and an architecturally striking church building with lots of interior marble at the northern end. I can testify that excellent meals are served both in the campus center and the hospital cafeteria.
Come to Montemorelos prepared for a great warm experience. The warmth will certainly apply to the friendly atmosphere, probably the food, and of course the balmy summer climate. And enjoy the difference! I like the advice which Insight Tours gives to the people who go with them: "Thou shalt not expect to find things as thou hast them at home, for verily thou hast left home to find things different." Going places with that outlook almost guarantees a fun and rewarding experience. And if you have the time, do some traveling in Mexico before or after the conference. It is a country of fabulous scenery, colorful villages, and fascinating history.
Keith Clouten is Library Director at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan.
ASDAL WEB SITE HAS NEW ADDRESS
By Stanley W. Cottrell II
In order to increase ease of use and promote name recognition, the ASDAL website has been relocated to www.asdal.org. When I was asked to become Web Site Coordinator, my first task was to gain access to the Web page files. They were being kept on the Andrews University computers, and since I work at Columbia Union College, I would not have been able to access those computers. The ASDAL Executive Committee thought that the best solution would be to register the domain "asdal.org" with InterNIC, the organization that keeps track of World Wide Web domain names and where they reside. Now the files that make up the web site can be kept on any computer. We just have to tell InterNIC what that computer's numerical address is, but the name address will remain the same. So bookmark www.asdal.org on your browsers, and visit the site often to get the latest information on ASDAL and upcoming conferences.
The ASDAL web site has always been an excellent source of current information concerning officers and members, and I hope to continue to keep that information up-to-date. I also hope to include more historical information -- including past officers and committee members, conference programs and even group pictures from the conferences. Of course, the information that is on the site is only as good as the information that I have been given, so if you see errors or omissions, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at scottrel@cuc.edu to give me the corrections or additions.
I would like to thank Harvey Brenneise for starting the web page, and Steve Sowder for maintaining it until I was able to start working on it. I appreciate all the work and contributions they have made, and hope to build on their foundation.
Stanley W. Cottrell II is Cataloging Librarian at Columbia Union College, Takoma Park, Maryland.
INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP PLANNED FOR 2000
By Keith Clouten
"Library Foundations for a New Millennium" is the title of a two-day "pre-conference" workshop for librarians worldwide who plan to attend the ASDAL 2000 Conference at Andrews University which is scheduled for July 11-16, 2000. This will be held after the General Conference Session at Toronto, Canada. The workshop, which will focus on library technology, begins on Sunday evening, July 9, and ends in time for the opening session of the ASDAL Conference on Tuesday evening, July 11.
The "Library Foundations" workshop will provide international librarians with an introduction to the new electronic technologies that will shape our libraries in the 21st century. It will feature demonstrations of library systems that are designed and supported for international use. Utilizing the new electronic instruction classroom in James White Library for many of the sessions, the workshop will cover a range of topics, including these: Introduction to computers and their library applications; The Internet and World Wide Web; International document delivery; Building library collections; Using electronic databases; and How to make the library more important on your campus. Some sessions will run concurrently and be repeated during the workshop. The instructional team will include library personnel from Andrews University and from around the world.
Attendance at the two-day workshop will be free for librarians from Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities outside of North America who pre-register. Some meals will also be provided at no cost to the participants.
According to Keith Clouten, who is chairing the planning committee, the workshop will enable visiting librarians to upgrade their library skills, prepare for the electronic library, see demonstrations of library systems, and try them out for themselves. There will be opportunity to visit the Services to Adventist Institutional Libraries (commonly referred to as SAIL) office at James White Library, to learn about its services, and to select free books for their libraries.
"The idea started with a desire to help visiting librarians to better understand the issues which will be discussed at the ASDAL 2000 Conference," said Clouten. "We hope the workshop will do this, and also be an event where librarians from different continents can meet and talk about common concerns." Question-and-Answer sessions will be a feature of the workshop, and there will be free draws of donated items.
A special "Library Foundations for a New Millennium" advertizing brochure is being readied for distribution to division education directors, college presidents, and librarians worldwide.
Keith Clouten is Library Director at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan.
SDA ACADEMIC LIBRARIES IN LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES:
AN OVERVIEW FROM THE ARGENTINE PERSPECTIVE
By Hernan D. Hammerly
During the four years I attended a school to become a math and physics teacher, I visited its library twice: one time in search of a book I was required to read (the book had been missing for years), the other time looking for another student (he was not there but I am not sure if I should blame the library for that). At the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) school I had previously attended, the library provided for most of my reading enjoyment and school needs. However, at the government-operated school I attended, the library was not a piece of the educational puzzle. It was in a dimly lit basement, and the collection was old and hidden in closed stacks. At this time my class organized benefit events to build an up-to-date lab collection on atomic physics, but nobody ever considered that the library could be involved in the project.
In a 1989 survey carried out by the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires, 92% of the students reported that they did not spend even one hour a week in libraries. 1 Faculty who earned their degrees with little or no library use tended to expect their students to repeat their own experience. I have had professors (and some of them were otherwise very good teachers) whose course bibliographies repeated their educational experience, such that not a single source cited in their bibliographies were published after they had been students in the same course. In Argentina students obtain their information from lectures, class notes, syllabi and coursepacks rather than from libraries. The search for alternate viewpoints is considered academically dangerous as the students believe, sometimes for a good reason, that the professor's opinions should be repeated verbatim to get good grades in the tests and exams. In my perception, this is part of the Latin American cultural and religious heritage that emphasizes that whoever has authority decides what is truth and disseminates it to everybody else.
Academic libraries are likely to find that most of their circulation concentrates on the textbooks they often acquire in large numbers. Department heads and faculty usually carry the full responsibility of the selection and allocation of the library collection budget assigned to their subject area. Collection budgets are volatile, i.e. a library may be able to pay for a subscription one year and not the next year. Publications requested by faculty are often out of print and the requirement to buy everything through a bidding process (a must at most government-owned institutions) makes that problem worse because of the resulting delays.
This is the situation in Argentina and it probably applies in some degree to other Latin American countries as well. This is the context in which our academic libraries are operating. There are 12 institutions of higher education listed in the Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook in the territories of the Inter-American Division. Three serve English-speaking populations, one a Francophone population, and seven are located in Spanish-speaking areas. The Inter-American Adventist Theological Seminary operates without its own campus or library but has branches in other colleges or universities. For the South American Division, there are four institutions of higher education serving a Spanish-speaking population and two for the Portuguese-speaking population (one of them with two campuses). The Latin-American Adventist Theological Seminary (SALT) is a multi-campus institution. There are therefore 14 academic libraries in Spanish or Portuguese language areas. Although I visited or advised at a number of these libraries, my recent experience is limited to the E. I. Mohr Library at the River Plate Adventist University (UAP). It is from this perspective that the following description derives. You should be warned, however, that unless the information is clearly specific the generalizations might not apply to every considered library.
SDA academic libraries have limited resources but still have some considerable advantages over other academic libraries in their geographical area because the Adventist Accrediting Association accredits SDA colleges and universities. Their library-related requirements are usually higher than the locally-held standards. College and university administrators are more aware of the role of the library in the educational program, and many of them do the best they can to provide the necessary resources for the library services and improvement. The fact that a number of our faculty members have studied abroad breaks the cycle of learning without libraries and the new generation is doing better.
Public services
Circulation and reserves are the main services offered to the users. Library loans are high in relation to the number of volumes resulting in rapid collection deterioration. Poor binding quality and the large number of paperbacks in the collections make things worse. Reference services are offered at the circulation desk. If the request is too complex for the circulation personnel (which are usually students), the patron is referred to a librarian. Interlibrary loan is practically non-existent in most Latin American countries. Bilateral or local agreements are sometimes in place to allow students to use other libraries or for obtaining copies of articles. Access to indexes is now increasing with the use of CD-ROM and Internet technologies. The use of these resources is usually restricted to library personnel and students engaged on advanced thesis or dissertation research projects. Different from the general practice of close stacks, SDA libraries usually have at least a significant part of their collection in open stacks.
Personnel
Most libraries now have at least one person with a library science degree among its personnel. College administrators are sometimes hesitant to place the library under the control of an academically prepared but what they see as a young or inexperienced librarians, and tend to keep them instead under the supervision of more experienced but unskilled persons. Because of this some librarians have been disappointed and have left for other positions.
In many libraries there is no provision for the succession of librarians and when one leaves, no one is prepared to replace him or her. We avail ourselves of student help, and some of these students eventually acquire significant levels of expertise in some areas of library work that would be more than acceptable to library employees. SDA libraries get their share of unrequested personnel. Burned out teachers who cannot stand the classroom or whose students say that they cannot stand them may be assigned to library services. Health problems brought about by the work environment, or the need to provide a job for a relative of a valuable faculty member or administrator may find a solution to their problem in a library job. This is not a practice exclusive to our libraries. 2 Sometimes the new arrivals become good team members, but this also means that librarians spend an inordinate amount of time training newcomers.
Library facilities
Over the last 15 years most SDA colleges and universities in the South American Division have built new library facilities. I know of some new libraries also built in the Inter-American Division. Buildings are often designed with limited or no participation on the part of librarians. As a library building consultant, I have been called to work on a new library project only to find that the expectation is that the consultant will just help find a way to fit the library into the building. On one occasion, the college president apologized at my arrival because the final blue prints were not ready.
There are no providers of library furniture, equipment and supplies in most Latin American countries. Librarians spend a considerable amount of time dealing with furniture makers and print shops. They frequently design or adapt products that are in the market for other purposes. We are beginning to import more furniture and supplies for our library in Argentina, but they are always expensive, they go through a lot of red tape, and they usually take several months before they arrive.
Library automation and cataloging
The Internet is slowly arriving at our libraries and a number of library users are already Internet literate from home. We are buying a few CD-ROM bibliographic databases and full text collections. There is no an equivalent to OCLC for Spanish or Portuguese catalogs. Even if we buy bibliographic databases in MARC format or access them via Internet, we need to edit extensively to use subject headings in our language and to check with authority files that are valid for Spanish or Portuguese users.
We do not have a universally accepted equivalent to the Library of Congress Subject Headings, and each library is developing its own lists by adapting and updating some of the published lists. As for classification schedules, the UDC prevails, followed by the Dewey Decimal Classification system. Isis, Micro Isis and now Winisis are the prevalent software for library databases mainly because they are free. There is also a tendency to create home made programs. Every library or group of libraries designs its own storage format. Sharing bibliographic records is neither intended nor practiced. None of these programs have proven user friendly for online catalogs and we are still using the old card catalogs in most libraries. At the E. I. Mohr Library at Universidad Adventista del Plata, we are trying to build a MARC format database as the first stage for a future integrated library software, but we have encountered difficulties in finding a software that deals well with the entry and output of diacritics.
Interlibrary cooperation
Here is one of the areas where we can most improve. There is limited coordination among libraries in general and this is also the case for the SDA academic libraries. We do not share our experiences; we have not used the capabilities of electronic mail, FTP, fax transmission, local purchase capabilities, and exchange of bibliographic cataloging records. We don't even know much about each other and our libraries as we should. There is a potential for coordinated library software purchase, or for us to benefit as a group from of ALICE. We should also join in the local library organizations to cooperate with them and obtain access to their resources. In the South American Division, SALT was instrumental some years ago in improving the coordination of library services and collections in the local campuses but there is much more to be done. I hope the ASDAL meeting to be held in Montemorelos this June will gather many Latin American SDA librarians and provide the opportunity to establish the connections we very much need to use the strength that comes with united effort.
Philip G. Altbach, ed. International Higher Education: An Encyclopedia (New York: Garland, 1991), s.v. "Argentina," by Carlos Alberto Torres, 1:881.
In a recent case, an individual was convicted for practicing as a physician for 42 years without having completed the requirements for the MD degree. Since apparently there were no major complaints about the quality of his care, the judge put him on probation and three years of community service. He also decided what kind of services were required and assigned him to work at the library of University of Buenos Aires' Faculty of Social Sciences. "Obligan a un falso medico a trabajar como bibliotecario" Clarin Digital (Buenos Aires: October 6, 1998) [http://www.clarin.com.ar/diario/98-10-06/].
Hernan D. Hammerly is Library Director of Universidad Adventista del Plata in Argentina and is on study leave at the University of Michigan where he is working on a Ph.D. in Library and Information Studies.
QUALITY SERVICE FOR LIBRARY USERS: CHALLENGE FOR THE FUTURE
By Lauren Matacio
Providing quality service to library users is one of the major challenges facing academic libraries today. Financial pressures, changing user needs, and the rapid advancement of technology all contribute to this challenge.
As costs for library materials, equipment, and operations have risen, library administrators have sought to lower expenses through outsourcing technical service operations, canceling periodical subscriptions, using paraprofessionals to do work formerly done by professionals, etc. While these techniques do save money and may even be viewed by some as more efficient, they do not necessarily result in better service for library users. According to Berry, the only valid measure of library service is how well and fully the library serves all of the members of its community. Before initiating cost-cutting measures such as these, the needs of library users must be a major consideration.
The fragmentation of postmodern society can be seen in the changing needs of library users. Library users in the 90's have become increasingly diverse even in the academic library setting. The rise in non-traditional students has brought demands on library hours and instruction. Users range from those who are highly computer literate to those who think a mouse is a furry, four-legged pest. They include probationary freshmen and doctoral students, professors, community high school students, and retirees. Cultural backgrounds include the many American cultures as well as a wide international student population. Distance education brings the challenge of serving a population seldom or never seen, thus increasing the importance of electronic access to materials. How can academic libraries provide quality service to such a diverse and fragmented population?
Technology is another force impacting library service. Libraries are struggling to provide equipment necessary to handle technological advances. Equipment must not only be purchased, but installed, maintained and updated on a regular basis or it is soon obsolete and unable to support advances in software. The growth rate of information itself has changed dramatically through the Internet. These rapid changes result in a continuous need for library instruction and staff training. Patron expectations have changed. Patrons without Internet connections depend on libraries for access and library staff to help them organize the vast amount of information on the Internet. They expect to find what they need instantly and in full-text. These factors exert tremendous pressure on libraries seeking to serve the community.
Are there any solutions to the problems presented by financial demands, technology, and changing user needs? There may not be a pat answer to this question, but two essential keys to any library's solution to these types of problems are collaboration and communication. Collaboration between similar or multi-type libraries in sharing materials and resources, acquiring grants for new equipment and training, and sharing ideas and expertise go a long way toward providing better library service. Collaboration with other campus departments and community agencies is important. Collaboration between library departments and staff members of all levels is essential in achieving this goal.
Through communication, collaboration can become a reality. Faculty, school administrators, and community agencies need to hear the library's needs and goals. Library staff need not only be informed of change but also be given the opportunity to communicate their concerns to library administrators and participate in solving the problems caused by change.
With the keys of collaboration and communication, libraries can meet the challenge of quality service for library users in the new century.
Berry, J.N. "The Measure of Outsourcing: Editorial." Library Journal. 1998 Feb; 123:6.
Diedrichs, C.P. "Using Automation in Technical Services to Foster Innovation." The Journal of Academic Librarianship. 1998 Mar; 24:113-120.
Lauren Matacio is Associate Cataloging Librarian at James White Library, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan.
Executive Committee
President: Randall Butler
President-elect: Chris Cicchetti
Past President: Per Lisle
Secretary: Violet Maynard-Reid (1998-2000)
Treasurer: Lee Marie Wisel (1997-2000)
ASDAL Action Editor: Cynthia Mae Helms (1998-2000)
Coordinators
Overseas Libraries Coordinator: Keith Clouten (1997-2000)
Publicity Coordinator: Jess Oliver (1997-2000)
Membership Coordinator: Linda Maberly (1998-2000)
Web Site Coordinator: Stanley Cottrell II (1998-2000)
Standing Committees
Constitution and Bylaws Committee
Jannith Lewis (1996-1999)
Chloe Foutz (1998-2001)
Margaret von Hake (1997-2000)
Randy Butler [ASDAL President (ex officio)]
Lee Marie Wisel [ASDAL Treasurer (ex officio)]
Nominating Committee
Marilyn Crane (1998-1999), Chair
Bob Baldwin (1998-1999)
Cynthia Mae Helms (1998-1999)
Morris Iheanacho (1998-1999)
Gary Shearer (1998-1999)
Scholarship and Awards Committee
Paulette McLean Johnson (1998-2001), Chair
Sallie Alger (1996-1999)
Morris Iheanacho (1997-2000)
Randall Butler [ASDAL President (ex officio)]
Lee Marie Wisel [ASDAL Treasurer (ex officio)]
SDA Classification Advisory Committee
Morris Iheanacho (1996-1999)
Stanley Cottrell II (1998-2001)
Carol Nicks (1997-2000)
Keith Clouten [Publisher (ex officio)]
Marilyn Crane [Editor (ex officio)]
SDA Periodical Index Publication Board
Keith Clouten [Library Director of Host Institution (ex officio)], Chair
Jim Ford [Managing Editor (ex officio)]
Marilyn Crane (1998-2003) [Loma Linda University Representative]
Chloe Foutz (1993-1999)
Carolyn Gaskell (1997-2002)
Maynard Lowry (1994-2000)
[General Conference Archivist (ex officio)]
Dalls Kindopp [North American Division delegate (ex officio)]
Site Planning Committee
Jannith Lewis (1997-2000)
Annette Melgosa (1993-1999)
Loranne Grace (1998-2001)
Statistics Committee
Peg Bennett (1998-2001)
Carolyn Gaskell (1996-1999)
Violet Maynard-Reid [ASDAL Secretary (ex officio)]
Jamie Walker [Past ASDAL Secretary (ex officio)]
Adventist Resources Working Committee
Merlin Burt (1998-1999), Chair
Jim Ford (1999-2002), Secretary
Randall Butler (1996-1999)
Minneola Dixon (1996-1999)
Linda Maberly (1998-2001)
Violet Maynard-Reid (1997-2000)
School Library Section Working Committee
5 members (including 1 chair, 1 recording secretary, 1 membership secretary)
ALICE Council
Keith Clouten (AU), Chair
Joyce Van Scheik (CaUC)
Margaret von Hake (CUC)
Maynard Lowry (LSU)
David Rios (LLU)
Jannith Lewis (OC)
Adu Worku (PUC)
Peg Bennett (SAU)
Chloe Foutz (UC)
Carolyn Gaskell (WWC)
Ad Hoc Committees
Committee to Study Certification/Curriculum for Paraprofessionals in SDA Libraries, 1997-2000
Adu Worku, Chair
Gilbert Abella
Nancy Kim
Keith Clouten, Advisor
Anniversary Committee, 1998-2001
Chloe Foutz, Chair
Keith Clouten
Marilyn Crane
Norma Greaves
Annette Melgosa
Conference Planning Committee, 1998-1999
Chris Cicchetti [President-elect (ex-officio)]
Adan Suriano (On-site coordinator)
David Rios
Task Force 2000
Nancy Kim, Co-chair
Paulette McLean Johnson, Co-chair
Bob DuBose
Loranne Grace
Katherine Hunt
John Kihlstrom
10 REASONS WHY THE WRITINGS OF E.G. WHITE ARE STILL RELEVANT TO ME TODAY, Part 1
(Worship devotional given at the ASDAL 18th Annual Conference, Columbia Union College, Takoma Park, Maryland, June 1998.)
By James R. Nix
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7)
Since the beginning of our movement, Seventh-day Adventists have believed that Ellen White was the recipient of the gift of prophecy. My purpose this morning is not to discuss questions regarding her inspiration; books have been written on that topic. Rather, today I want to share why I still find Ellen White's writings relevant for my life. Some of the facts I'll cite came from Dr. Herbert Douglass's new book, Messenger of the Lord. In 1907 Ellen White wrote:
abundant light has been given to our people in these last days. Whether or not my life is spared, my writings will constantly speak, and their work will go forward as long as time shall last. 1
For many Seventh-day Adventists, this prediction has proven true. However, tragically, especially in recent years, increasing numbers of people have been turning from these special messages God has given us. Some are outrightly rejecting everything bearing the name "Ellen G. White." Often these same individuals also attempt to undermine everything good and positive about the church. Predicting this, Ellen White warned:
There will be a hatred kindled against the testimonies which is satanic. The workings of Satan will be to unsettle the faith of the churches in them, for this reason: Satan cannot have so clear a track to bring in his deceptions and bind up souls in his delusions if the warnings and reproofs and counsels of the Spirit of God are heeded. 2
A second group views Ellen White as a devotional writer, but beyond that, they are unwilling to give her any real authority. These people also miss the blessing God intended for us. My observation is that often, rather than trying to see how close they can live to God's ideal, these individuals prefer trying to see how far from it they can live while still remaining in the church. What a sad way to live. Though they claim to retain Ellen White's writings devotionally, they want nothing else to do with the counsels God has given through her.
There's a third group who also puzzle and trouble me. These individuals thrive on misinterpreting God's messages found in Ellen White's writings. They find a quote or two, and turn them into their entire religion. In their missionary zeal, such misguided souls usually try to force their narrow views upon everyone else. Sadly, they often end up turning off the very people they were hoping to win to their position. For whatever reason, they have overlooked the fact that God's plan for His church, as found in Ellen White's writings, is balanced, not one-sided.
Today I want to share with you ten reasons why the writings of Ellen White are still relevant--and authoritative--for me. What follows are not deep theological reasons. Rather, I have chosen simple, practical things that speak to my heart. Hopefully some of them will resonate with you also.
No. 1
Ellen White constantly uplifted Christ, and pointed people to Him. One cannot read very far in her writings without coming across references to Jesus and comments that reveal her deep love for Him, and her strong desire for others to come to love Him also. Several of her most beloved books deal directly with Christ: Steps to Christ; The Desire of Ages; Christ's Object Lessons; Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing; and The Great Controversy Between Christ and His Angels, and Satan and His Angels.
To me, Ellen White's constant uplifting of Christ, and pointing people to Him, are very persuasive evidences in favor of her claim. Would Satan continually urge people to go to Christ? I doubt it! So, as a sinner, realizing my own deep need of Christ, going to a time-proven source of help in this area is one reason I find Ellen White's writings so valuable in my own life.
No. 2
Ellen White's teaching of the Great Controversy theme makes sense out of our troubled world. Rather than the view of many people that God is angry with us, Ellen White's understanding was that the real struggle is between Christ and Satan, not between Christ and me. That insight permeates all her writings.
As one interested in Adventist history, I find it fascinating that in 1858 two books entitled The Great Controversy were published. The earlier one was written by H. L. Hastings, an Advent Christian writer. It contained 167 pages. The full title of his book was The Great Controversy Between God and Man, its Origin, Progress, and End.
Several months later the second book, authored by Ellen White and containing 219 pages, appeared. It was called Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1. The full title was The Great Controversy, Between Christ and His Angels, and Satan and His Angels.
Hastings began his account of the controversy with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; Ellen White started hers with Satan in Heaven before the fall. For Hastings, throughout his entire book, the controversy remained between God and His fallen creatures, while for Ellen White, the controversy from start to finish is between Christ and Satan, the perpetrator of sin.
Describing the results of Christ's life on earth and death on the cross, Hastings wrote, "The personal efforts of the Messiah failed to adjust the controversy between God and the arrogant sons of men." 3
In contrast, Ellen White wrote regarding the results of Christ's death,
Satan did not then exult as he had done. He had hoped that he could break up the plan of salvation; but it was laid too deep. And now by Jesus' death, he knew that he must finally die, and his kingdom be taken away and given to JESUS. 4
When bad things happen to God's people, thanks to our understanding of the great controversy that is going on between Christ and Satan, we can keep our perspective. Although not able to explain the whys and wherefores of every specific thing that happens, we realize that there is a larger battle raging. And though we are caught in the midst of that battle, when the controversy is finally finished, the score will be settled with Satan, and with those who have chosen to ally themselves with him, not with God's followers!
This to me is another positive reason for accepting Ellen White's writings. Her understanding of God and His controversy with Satan is so persuasive. Why would I want to adopt something else, especially since her entire understanding is based upon Scripture?
No. 3
Following the counsels God has given us through Ellen White results in positive lifestyle blessings. Let me start with some spiritual/devotional examples.
In 1980, the North American Division conducted a church growth survey. Some 8,200 Adventists from 193 different churches took part. In 1982 the data was re-analyzed to see what impact regular reading of Ellen White exhibited in the lives of members. One of the survey questions asked about the extent of one's regular study of Ellen White's books. From their answers, 2,848 were classed as "readers," and 5,375 as "non-readers." 5
There were eleven other categories that I did not read. In every single category, those who read Ellen White regularly ranked considerably higher than did the non-readers. Often we hear the criticism that some Adventists elevate Ellen White above the Bible. However, as we have seen, the survey discovered that regular readers of Ellen White also had daily personal Bible study, 82% versus 47% for nonreaders. A similar ratio was discovered regarding daily family worship: 70% of readers versus 42% for nonreaders.
So another reason why I find Ellen White's writings valuable in my own life--as was borne out by the survey results--is that my walk with the Lord and my experience as one of His followers will be the richer for having spent time with God's counsels as given through Ellen White. I can't speak for anyone else, but I need that!
No. 4
Besides the spiritual benefits that come from reading and adhering to the counsels found in Ellen White's writings, there also are health advantages. During recent years there has been considerable discussion regarding what Mrs. White said about health. Some critics have claimed she obtained her teachings from other nineteenth century health reformers. Of course she says that her health principles came from God.
In the late 1860's and early 1870's, a number of health reformers in America were advocating that no salt at all should be used. Ellen White saw things differently. Her reason for doing so is of interest to me.
I use some salt, and always have, because from the light given me by God, this article, in place of being deleterious, is actually essential for blood. The whys and wherefores of this I know not, but I give you the instruction as it is given me. 6
I'm not here today to discuss the pro's and con's of where she acquired her health message. Rather, I am sharing with you why I find her counsels still relevant. However, I must say that I do find it very odd that now when in so many areas of health the world is catching up with what God showed Ellen White 135 years ago, many Adventists are abandoning her counsel. Sadly, some think they gain their freedom by eating their meat, drinking their coffee, or other caffeinated beverages (including soft drinks). If I am stepping on any toes, please forgive me. But I do find this observation in our church a very curious phenomenon.
Why do I say this? Well, Time magazine phrased it better than I ever could. In their October 28, 1966 issue, reporting on the initial results of the first Adventist Health Study done in California, the findings were so phenomenal that Time described them as "The Adventists' Advantage." 7 Obviously we do not have time to cite that study in great detail, but even a few facts from it, and subsequent health studies, are worth noting.
The first Adventist Health Study was conducted between 1958 and 1965 on California Adventists. The researchers did not differentiate between Adventists who ate meat daily, weekly, monthly, or not at all. Nor did they distinguish between lacto-ovo-vegetarians vs. total vegetarians. Even so, Seventh-day Adventists (including the non-vegetarians) had significantly fewer deaths from a number of common killers as compared to the control group. It was found that Adventists had only
According to a subsequent study started in 1974, Adventist men live 8.9 years longer than the general population; Adventist women, 7.5 years longer. Vegetarian Adventist men live 3.7 years longer than their non-vegetarian "brothers." 9
Similar studies in other countries yielded comparable results: (a) In 1982 Denmark's Cancer Registration Office in Copenhagen reported, after a 35-year study, that only one in ten Adventists developed cancer, whereas the rate for the Danish population was one in four. (b) In 1983 a Dutch study reported an 8.9-year life expectancy advantage for Adventist men, and a 3.7-year advantage for Adventist women compared to the general population. (c) A Polish study reported in 1985 that Adventist men had an advantage of 9.5 years, and Adventist women a difference of 4.5 years.
Let's just mention a couple of other areas, though many could be cited. The Adventist Health Study found that the use of even one cup of coffee per day was associated with a 33 percent increase in the risk of fatal heart disease in men. Adventists who use two or more cups of coffee daily are reported to have a greater risk of colon and bladder cancer.
You have probably heard about the recent study done at Loma Linda University regarding walnuts. Although the scientific community has long ignored nuts, or thought them too high in fat to be recommended, evidence now substantiates Ellen White's teachings. She included them in the "diet chosen for us by our Creator." 10 Further, she said that "some nuts are not as wholesome as others. Almonds, she taught, are preferable to peanuts." 11 Aware of some of the dangers of too many nuts in the diet, Ellen White warned that "too large a quantity of nut food is an injury . . . but let all who can eat freely of fruit." 12
In the recent Adventist Health Study men who ate walnuts four to five times a week had only half as many fatal heart attacks as those who rarely ate nuts. Walnuts and almonds have been shown to lower serum lipids (reducing the risk of atherosclerosis).
And the statistics just go on and on. I don't know how you react to such facts, but for me, they make me sit up and take notice regarding what Ellen White says God told her about health issues. Is Ellen White still relevant to me? I should say so! In a world gone crazy over new health diets, programs, and fads, the messages God gave our church through a woman with only three years of formal education are right on target--they have borne the test of time.
No. 5
Another compelling reason why I personally find Ellen White's messages authoritative is that she gave Adventists no new Bible. Throughout her long life Mrs. White continually pointed people to the Scriptures. In her first 64-page book published in 1851 called A Sketch of the Christian Experience and Views of Ellen G. White, the 23-year old author closed by writing the following: "I recommend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith and practice." 13
Toward the close of her long life, the nearly 82-year-old servant of the Lord attended the 1909 General Conference session held in Washington, D.C. As it turned out, this was the last such session she ever attended. Elder W. A. Spicer, then secretary of the General Conference, recalled Mrs. White's last talk to the delegates.
...she came to the platform, on the last day of the session, to speak a . . . few words of good cheer and farewell, and then turned to the pulpit, where lay a Bible. She opened the book, and held it out, with hands that trembled with age. And she said: 'Brethren and sisters, I commend unto you this Book.'
Without another word, she closed the book, and walked from the platform. It was her last spoken word in the world assembly of the remnant church. 14
Throughout her long life, Ellen White constantly uplifted the Bible. Nowhere in her writings can one find her claiming that her writings supersede the Bible. On the contrary, she always said that her writings are to be tested by the Scriptures. Not once does she say that the Bible is to be tested by her writings. This makes her unique among those who claim to have been given new light. The Mormons, for instance, claim that Joseph Smith's writings are a "new witness" that supersedes the Bible. Ellen White wrote: "Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light." 15
Thankfully our doctrines were not based on Ellen White's visions, but rather upon deep study of the Word of God. Still, history records that during the Sabbath and Sanctuary Conferences of the late 1840's, as well as several other times, God chose to confirm and help our pioneers settle into Bible truth through the visions. Knowing this to be true, I find Ellen White's doctrinal insights to be more than just devotional; for me they hold authority. I did not say, as some of our critics charge, that she is an infallible commentary, but for me, I invest her doctrinal comments with more authority than those of other writers because of the Source (capital "S") of her insights. This is in harmony with No. 17 of our Statement of 27 Fundamental Beliefs which says in part: As the Lord's messenger, her [Ellen G. White's] writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested.
When reading Ellen White's comments about a particular text, it should be remembered that more often than not she is using the text homiletically rather than exegetically. But even so, the points she makes, or the principles she sets forth, need to be taken seriously because of the inspiration under which she was making them.
Ellen G. White. Selected Messages from the Writings of Mrs. White. (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald, 1958), 1:25.
Ibid, 48.
H.L. Hastings. The Great Controversy between God and Man: Its Origin, Progress, and End. (Rochester, NY: H. L. Hastings, 1858), 85.
Ellen G. White. Spiritual Gifts; The Great Controversy between Christ and His Angels, and Satan and His Angels. (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald, 1858), 1:61.
Roger Dudley and Des D. Cummings, Jr. "Who Reads Ellen White?" Ministry, October, 1982, 10.
Ellen G. White. Counsels on Diet and Foods. (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald, 1976), 349.
"Cancer." Time, 28 October 1966, 68.
Loma Linda University School of Health. "Summary of Results and Adventist Mortality Study-1958-1965," 1-2. (Unpublished Report).
Jan W. Kuzma. "Why Adventists Live Longer." Ministry, September 1989, 28.
Ellen G. White. Counsels on Diet and Foods. (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald, 1976), 363.
Ibid, p. 364.
Ellen G. White. Manuscript Releases. (Silver Spring, Maryland: Ellen G. White Estate, 1993), 21:285.
Ellen G. White. Early Writings. (Wash., D.C.: Review and Herald, 1963), 78.
William A. Spicer. The Spirit of Prophecy in the Advent Movement: A Gift that Builds Up. (Wash., D.C.: Review and Herald, 1937), 30.
Ellen G. White. Colporteur Ministry. (Mt. View, California: Pacific Press, 1953), 125.
(To be continued in the next issue)
James R. Nix is the Vice Director of the Ellen G. White Estate, Inc., General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Some Favorite Web Sites
By Nancy Kim
I would like to share with you some of the web sites that I find helpful, interesting, intriguing and/or delightful in my work as school librarian.
Have fun surfing!
Answers to the quiz in the last issue:
Who was Harriet Tubman?
Who was Alice Ramsey?
Who was Abigail Adams?
Who was Deborah Sampson?
Who was Mary Ball?
Who was Sappho?
Who was Cleopatra?
Who was Mary Prophetissa of Alexandria?
Who was Ida Lewis?
Who was Wilma Rudolph?
Who was Pocahontas?
Who was Kate Shelley?
Who was Molly Pitcher or Molly Hayes McCauley?
Nancy Kim is Librarian at Redlands Junior Academy, Redlands, California.
Child Safety on the Internet, by the staff of Classroom Connect. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997.
By Daniel J. Drazen
The rules have changed. It's no longer simply a matter of creating a separate section in the library for children while keeping "objectionable" material under lock and key. As librarians struggle to cope with "libraries without walls" as created by the Internet, so librarians and parents also have to cope with the virtual world without walls created by the new electronic environment. And the availability of Net porn is only one of a host of issues covered in Child Safety on the Internet, one of a number of Internet related books and other media produced by Classroom Connect.
Practically the first lesson that can be gleaned from this book is: "Fear not." While technophobia is one impediment to wider use of the Net, there is also the sense (not without some justification) that finding sexually explicit material on the Net has become all too easy. Faster, more powerful but less expensive hardware, and improved browsers have made this possible but so has the law of supply and demand.
Still, Chapter 1 details the situation without sensationalizing it or stigmatizing the Internet as a whole. More importantly, the book makes it clear that porn isn't the only problem with the Net. Other Net predators mentioned are scam merchants, quick buck artists, computer criminals, and political extremists.
The book includes a CD-ROM containing several access protection software programs (Cyber Patrol and SurfWatch), but the authors make it quite clear that installing blocking software isn't enough. So Child Safety on the Internet also lists low tech, commonsense strategies for avoiding objectionable material. These range from working with Internet service providers to the placement of computers/terminals so that parents/librarians can keep an eye on what's being searched. But there's far more to recommend
Like the Internet itself, this is a surprisingly well packed source of information for professional librarians as well as wary parents. There is, for instance, an entire chapter on Netiquette; a lot of Net users, myself included, could have used a resource like this when we were neophytes learning about it the hard way. The chapter on Acceptable Use Policies (for home and school) also takes the issue of information access into account and cites the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights. For those interested in the Bill of Rights, there is an FTP site listing for it at the end of the chapter. In fact, every chapter contains an extensive "bibliography" of URL's, FTP sites and email addresses relating to the topic, as well as citations to relevant print resources.
Chapter 7, "Information Literacy," may not deal specifically with child safety on the Net but it is one of the most valuable chapters in the book and should be required reading not only for librarians but for anyone thinking about putting up a Web site. It teaches the reader how to critically evaluate Web sites and to spot imposters (such as the fake Net '98 site), how to cite electronic sources in footnotes and bibliographies, and an excellent and sobering section details how the Internet has made cheesecloth out of the "Fair Use" provisions of the 1976 copyright law and how a good number of the vast majority of Web sites quite simply are in violation of Title 17.
There's still something of a Wild West flavor to cyberspace, a feeling that anything goes, and there are those who want to keep it that way. While librarians recognize their responsibility to their patrons in making information accessible, they cannot afford to be neither apathetic nor authoritarian as to what kinds of print and electronic information can be accessed by which patrons. Resources like Child Safety on the Internet represent a good start at bringing some form of back East justice to this newest frontier.
Daniel J. Drazen is Editor of the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index published at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan.
By Marilyn Crane
Abanes, Richard. End-time visions: the road to Armageddon? New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 1998. 428 p. $26.00. ISBN: 1568581041. A history of Doomsday movements written by an investigative reporter who "specializes in cults, the occult, world religions, and new religious movements." There is a chapter on William Miller and mention of David Koresh.
Cooper, Emerson A. To the unknown God: the God of science and the Bible. New York: Vantage Press, 1998. 252 p. ISBN: 0533122783. The theme of the book is the nature of the universe, its cause and origin played against the background of the existence of a Creator-God. The author is a Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at Oakwood College.
Doss, Frances M. Desmond Doss in God's care: the unlikeliest hero and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Collegedale, TN: The College Press, 1998 (available from Desmond & Frances Doss, 4600 Hwy. 157, Lookout Mountain, Rising Fawn, GA 30738). 190 p. A new biography of Desmond Doss by his wife.
Guttschuss, Heather. I never expected . . . that!: SMs tell their stories. [S.l.]: North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. Adventist Youth Service Network, [1998?]. 159 p. Brief narratives by student missionaries telling of their experiences. Also included are a variety of handy hints for preparation to be a student missionary.
Kaplan, Jeffrey. Radical religion in America: Millenarian movements from the far right to the Children of Noah. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1997. 245 p. $17.00. ISBN: 081562678 (cloth). The author looks at three "religiously based apocalyptic movements, their radical doctrines, and their rejection of mainstream American culture: the Christian Identity, . . . Odinism, . . . and B'nai Noah." He analyzes their "challenge to prevailing conceptions of constitutional rights." David Koresh and the Branch Davidians are mentioned.
Mole, Robert L. and Dale M. Mole. For God and country: Operation Whitecoat: 1954-1973. Brushton, NY: TEACH Services (254 Donovan Road, Brushton, NY 12916-9738), 1998. 197 p. $10.00. ISBN: 1572581387. A history of Operation Whitecoat, a medical research project conducted by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, MD in which over two thousand human volunteers from the Seventh-day Adventist Church were involved.
The role of social ministry in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. [Silver Spring, MD: Adventist Development & Relief Agency, 1998?]. 274 p. Transcripts from a symposium on mission and social action in the Seventh-day Adventist Church held October 10-11, 1997 in Maryland.
Women in ministry: biblical & historical perspectives. Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 1998. 439 p. ISBN: 1883925223. Another look at the subject of women and ordination in the Seventh-day Adventist Church based on research done by the Ad hoc Committee on Hermeneutics and Ordination of the SDA Theological Seminary.
Marilyn Crane is Special Collections Cataloger at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California.
By Randy Butler
How to "break-in" a new book! Sound incongruous? How often do we in our libraries, or at home, properly prepare books for use? More often than not we simply open a new book somewhere in the middle and fold back the two halves so that the book will lay flat on a table or our laps. Wrong!! The result is a damaged or broken binding.
There is a proper way to open books for the first time and prepare them for use or circulation. First, hold the book vertically or upright, spine down, on a flat surface. Second, hold the text block in one hand while allowing the front and back covers to slowly fall or settle to the table (or counter surface). Next, take 20-30 pages from the front of the book and lay them down, gently run the tips of your fingers (you can also use the edge of the palm of your hand) along the gutter (fold/crease line); repeat with the same number of pages from the back of the book all the while holding the remaining text block in a vertical position with your free hand. Finally, repeat this process with an equal number of pages each time, first one end and then the other, until the entire text block has been folded back into two even halves. The book is now ready for use.
This simple technique can add years of life to any title. It can be used with either sewn or double-fan adhesive bindings, albeit adhesive bindings are more easily damaged. Be sure to use only light pressure evenly applied while sliding your hand down the gutter of each group of pages. When using this technique with sewn bindings, try to avoid folding back an entire signature (a group or unit of folded and sewn pages that together with other signatures form a text block) at one time. Rather, fold somewhere within the signature in order to place less stress on the thread.
This technique is a good quality control test for either a publisher, or a re-binding contractor. Whether purchasing books for the first time or the hundredth, check the quality of the contractor or publisher's binding by using the above-described technique. If a binding cannot stand up to this simple test, the product should be rejected and returned.
Preservation of books can be as simple as explained above. Of course, you would never want to use this folding method on rare materials.
Write or e-mail me (Butlerr@swau.edu) with your questions or concerns and I will try to provide an answer within this column.
Randy Butler is Library Director at Southwestern Adventist University, Keene, Texas and current president of ASDAL.
Andrews University
Apart from the great Snowstorm of '99, the new year brought the completion of our library electronic classroom. By moving several doctoral carrels from the main floor to the further recesses of the periodical stacks, we have been able to renovate a sizeable chunk of space behind the Patron Services Department. After much planning and work by our Systems Office (Steve Sowder and Wendell Ward), we are proud to have a spacious instruction lab that accommodates sixteen people at eight networked Pentium II machines, an instructor work station, ceiling-mounted data projector, large powered screen, and whiteboard. There is an adjoining office for Sabrina Pusey, our newly hired Instruction Associate. The first library session met there on January 12, and an open house is planned for the near future.
Keith Clouten
* * *
Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies
The Leslie Hardinge Library recently received the good news that our funding proposal for library automation has been approved. A long time in coming, this approval means that we can now work towards the installation of a fully-integrated library system. The two main challenges we face are finding a reputable system with local support and installing a reliable network of "brownout-proofed" hardware. To those who have gone through this road (of irregular supply of electricity) before, wish us luck!
Felipe Tan, Jr., AIIAS Librarian, successfully passed the Philippine Government Licensure Examinations for professional librarians. This is cause for celebration as there is a fifty percent failure rate among those sitting for the exams. Pastor Tan was granted the status of Registered Librarian on Dec. 22, 1998.
We are also pleased to announce that AIIAS passed three accreditation visits in 1998. The Library fared well in all visits.
Annette Melgosa
* * *
Columbia Union College
Weis Library has at last joined the ranks of automated libraries. It is using the CARL system through the Maryland Interlibrary Consortium (MIC), a consortium of private colleges in Maryland which was formed in 1992 specifically to enable the libraries of these institutions to share automation costs. CARL is also used by the Baltimore County and Montgomery County public libraries and by most of the libraries in the University of Maryland system. The other members of MIC are Loyola College in Maryland and the College of Notre Dame in Maryland, both of which are located in Baltimore; Hood College in Frederick; and Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg. MIC is based at Hood College and employs a consortium director and a technical assistant to manage the system, which supports web-based online public catalogs in each member library, as well as such functions as circulation, acquisitions, and serials and database management.
Since May of this year, the library staff not only has been preparing to implement the CARL system but also has been planning a new library building. Columbia Union College has engaged The Hillier Group of Princeton, New Jersey, to design the building. It is hoped that a new library can mark the college's centennial in 2004.
Margaret von Hake
* * *
Pacific Union College
At last, the Nelson Memorial Library at PUC is getting ready to install phase two of Library Corp's integrated library system. The cataloging and circulation modules were installed one and a half years ago. Now, the acquisitions and serials modules are ready for installation. The price for all the modules was $27,000.
Adu Worku
* * *
Southern Adventist University
The only thing we have to report is that Pat Morrison, our Director of Public Services, is looking forward to retirement in May. She is gloating over the fact that Jan. 4 was her last registration! We will really miss Pat's efficiency and creativity, but wish her a fulfilling and happy retirement!
Peg Bennett
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ASDAL OFFICERS, 1998-1999 President: Randall Butler, SWAU President-elect: Christina Cicchetti, LSU Past President: Per Lisle, NC Secretary: Violet Maynard-Reid, WWC Treasurer: Lee Marie Wisel, CUC ASDAL Action Editor: Cynthia Mae Helms, AU For membership and other general information, write: ASDAL, Columbia Union College Library, 7600 Flower Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912. |
Editor: Cynthia Mae Helms Editorial Secretary: Ericca Erhard ASDAL Action is the official publication of the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Librarians. Its purpose is to keep members abreast with the association's activities, the collection development projects and activities related to SDA materials, and the progress of SDA libraries throughout the world. It includes book reviews, bibliographies, and articles that keep SDA librarians up to date with the profession. It is published three times a year: fall, winter, and spring. Deadlines are Oct. 15, Jan. 15, and April 15. |