ASDAL Action Volume 23, Number 2

June and July are the worst weather months in Orlando. Expect temperatures in the 90s and humidity in the 90s (the average rainfall is highest during these months). We, of course, will be meeting in air-conditioned buildings and will be limiting our outside experience. In planning for your trip, think "comfort" and "shedding water."

The Local Arrangements Committee will be providing transportation from the Orlando airport at selected times. We have not yet determined these times. The registration form asks you to provide your flight plan. We will then schedule airport pickups around the times when most people are arriving.

No guest rooms or dorm rooms are available at the Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences. A list of lodging options is included in this issue. You will need to make your own arrangements. Comfort Suites is recommended because of its location. We have reserved a block of 25 rooms at the Comfort Suites, but you must confirm your individual reservation by May 15. Please identify yourself as part of the ASDAL group.

Except for the banquet Wednesday evening, you must arrange for your own meals. Comfort Suites provides a full breakfast and includes a microwave and refrigerator in each room. The hospital cafeteria provides an excellent selection and you can eat well for $4-$6. There are many other food choices in the area and we will provide you with a list of options when you arrive.

All meetings will be held at the Florida Hospital Seventh-day Adventist Church, 2800 North Orange Ave., Orlando, FL. A map and directions can be accessed on their Web site at: http://www.plusline.org/churchdetail.php?EntityID=12530. Sunday meetings will be in room 204. Monday and Wednesday meetings will be in room 105.

We are pleased to announce that the Central Florida Library Cooperative (CFLC), under the direction of Marta Westall, will be providing several of our presentations. CFLC is a member organization of more than 90 libraries in the Central Florida area.

Westall, our keynote speaker, has more than 25 years experience as a librarian, technology trainer, administrator, and manager. She began her career as a serials clerk, moving into positions in academic, special, state, and public libraries. At CFLC she enjoys working with many different types of libraries and seeing how collaboration and cooperation make each library better. She is immediate past president of the Florida Library Association.

Beau Herman, technology, database, and cataloging expert at CFLC will present "Disney's Costuming Library." Walt Disney Creative Costuming, the largest wardrobe department in the world, contracts with CFLC for library services. Herman designed a database, cataloged their collection and provides reference services. Although an employee of CFLC, he works full time at Walt Disney World.

Diane Henderson will be presenting "Technostress: Adopting Technology Successfully." Henderson, technology trainer and Web master for CFLC, has 25 years of experience in the technology field. She has worked in many different information technology roles, including Web designer, programmer, technical writer, trainer, and project manager. She has seen the industry change and grow in many different ways, and loves to share insights about the technology industry and how we humans fit in.

The Disney "Keys to the Kingdom" tour will take you in a full circle around the Magic Kingdom with stops for backstage experiences and attraction visits. You will be introduced to the history of the Magic Kingdom—how it has progressed from the early animation of Walt Disney to one of the most successful vacation destinations in the world. Venture into the Magic Kingdom "tunnels," visit the production center, see parade floats up close, learn how shows and attractions operate, and discover the secret of Disney special effects. This is a 4-5 hour mostly walking tour, so wear comfortable shoes. The tour's focus is educational. If you want to enjoy the theme park, plan to come at a different time.

After Disney, we will be visiting Winter Park, where there are a multitude of attractions, shopping, and food options. Some attractions are the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens, Kraft Azalea Gardens, and the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. There are many small, creative shops for your enjoyment and your money. You can find information on Winter Park at http://www.ci.winter-park.fl.us/2002/.

At 7:00 (we are still working on the arrangements) we will meet for a tour of the Rollins College Olin Library. This was Florida's first private college. You can find information on the college at http://www.rollins.edu/ and information on the Olin Library at http://www.rollins.edu/olin/.

Since the pre-conference starts Sunday and the actual conference begins Monday morning, we have not made Sabbath plans yet. We will wait to see how many will be arriving Friday and would be interested in some Sabbath activities. This is a challenge since it is not a good time of the year to be outside, and the Orlando area is not home to Adventist heritage. If you arrive Friday, we will arrange to provide you with a list of churches and Sabbath activities in the area. We will also plan to do something together but will wait to see how many will be coming early.

If you have questions, contact Bruce McClay, President-elect, (mcclbr@wwc.edu); or Deanna Stevens, Onsite Coordinator, (Deanna.Stevens@FHCHS.EDU).

Bruce McClay, ASDAL President-elect, is Assistant Librarian at Walla Walla College School of Nursing, Portland, Oregon (mcclbr@wwc.edu).

"Thinking Outside the Box," the theme for this year's ASDAL Conference, encourages you to contribute ways your library has demonstrated creative thinking, innovative solutions to conventional concerns, or challenges to traditional methods and assumptions. Please share with the ASDAL members things that have worked for you or things that you have seen working successfully.

Proposals for participation are now being received. In your proposal identify the problem or issue and outline how it will be addressed. You may submit a proposal individually or as a group. If you submit as a group, please identify the members of your group. Submit to Bruce McClay by email (mcclbr@wwc.edu) or fax (503-251-6249) by March 19, 2004 for the following:

We have already received requests for presentations on the following topics: (1) cooperation with faculty: ways and means to get faculty to do better library assignments, developing relationships with them, finding out things we can do for them; and (2) managing electronic journals. ASDAL members, are you willing to address one of these topics? These are areas of need, so please share your wisdom and expertise or organize and chair a panel that would discuss the issue.

Bruce McClay, ASDAL President-elect, is Assistant Librarian at Walla Walla College School of Nursing, Portland, Oregon (mcclbr@wwc.edu).

Each person is responsible for making their own arrangements. The following options are arranged in order of nearness to Florida Hospital. Rates are per night.

Pre-Conference: Sunday, June 20
7:30	Registration
8:30	Devotional
9:00	Adventist Resources Section
9:00	School Library Section
4:30	Executive Committee
7:00	ALICE Board
Conference: Monday, June 21-Wednesday, June 23
Monday, June 21
7:00	Registration
8:00	Welcome, Announcements, Devotional
9:00	Keynote Address - "Thinking Outside the Box," Marta Westall, Director, Central Florida Library Cooperative
10:15	Presentation
11:30	Lunch
12:30	Group Photo
1:00	Presentation
2:15	Business Session I
3:30	Breakout Sessions & Committees
4:30	Presentation - "Disney's Costuming Library" Beau Herman, Technology, Database and Cataloging Expert, Central Florida Library Cooperative
7:00	SDAPI Board
Tuesday, June 22
7:30	Bus departs for tours
9:00	Disney Keys to the Kingdom Tour
4:00	Winter Park
7:00	Rollins Library tour
Wednesday, June 23
8:30	Devotional & Announcements
9:00	Presentation - "Technostress: Adopting Technology Successfully," Diane Henderson, Technology Trainer and Webmaster, Central Florida Library Cooperative
10:15	Business Session II
11:30	Lunch
1:00	Presentation
2:15	Presentation
3:30	Business Session III
4:30	Committees
6:30	Banquet

Comfort Suites. Must be confirmed by May 15.
$69; with taxes $76.94. Based on room, not number of persons. Closest to Florida Hospital. 1-2 blocks walking distance. Two beds plus sofa bed, microwave and refrigerator in each room. Includes continental breakfast with eggs, waffles, fruit, muffins, bagels, doughnuts, and juice. Twenty-five rooms reserved. Identify yourself as part of ASDAL group. Phone: 407-228-4007. Fax: 407-228-3820. Address: 2416 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32804. Web Site: http://www4.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HomePage. Select Comfort Suites. Under Destination, type in Orlando and select Florida as the state. Select Orange Ave.

Radisson Plaza Hotel. Must reserve by June 5.
$79; with taxes $88.09. Single or double occupancy. 1.6 miles from Florida hospital. 337 rooms & suites with dual phone lines & data ports. Outdoor pool and whirlpool with sun deck. Restaurant. Identify yourself as part of ASDAL group. Phone: 407-425-4455 or 800-333-3333 (reservations). Fax: 407-425-7440.Address: 60 South Ivanhoe Blvd., Orlando, FL 32804. Web site: http://www.orlandofloridaradisson.com/location.html.

Best Western Mt. Vernon Inn
Standard room - $59; with taxes $65.79. Two queen size beds, iron and board, refrigerator, hair dryer.
Deluxe room - $69; with taxes $76.94. Two queens or one king size bed, iron and board, refrigerator, hair dryer, air purifier, high speed wireless Internet connection, 2 phone lines. 2 miles from Florida Hospital. Phone: 407-647-1166 or 800-992-3379 or 800-528-1234. Fax: 407-647-8011. Address: 110 South Orlando Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789. Web site: http://www.bestwestern.com/. Type in Winter Park, Florida.

Motel 6
$42.36 single rate (includes tax). $49.05 double rate (includes tax). Two double beds. 4 miles from Florida Hospital. Kids stay free. Small pets allowed. Outdoor pool. Restaurant within 1 mile. Phone: 407-647-1444. Fax: 407-647-1016. Address: 5300 Adanson Rd., Orlando, FL 32810. Web site: http://www.motel6.com. Select Orlando, Florida.

Days Inn
$41.23 Internet rate (includes taxes); $49.44 regular rate (includes taxes). Two double beds. 8 miles from Florida Hospital. Phone: 407-788-1411. Address: 150 South Westmonte Dr., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714. For reservations, call 800-544-8313. Web site: http://www.daysinn.com.

Bruce McClay, ASDAL President-elect, is Assistant Librarian at Walla Walla College School of Nursing, Portland, Oregon (mcclbr@wwc.edu).

Marylaine Block in "The Secret of Library Marketing: Make Yourself Indispensable" states, "Marketing is an ungodly, complicated problem for librarians ... we offer an immense range of products ... to an immense range of audiences. We need to define which product we want to sell, and to which audience." I disagree with Block. The bottom line in good marketing is essentially very simple, and what you are selling, more than anything else, is yourself. To sell yourself, you must get positive and personal.

Becoming customer obsessed underlies all successful marketing. You must believe the following. If you don't, then your marketing efforts will have a disappointing taste.

How can you let students know that they are number one in your library? Tell them regularly and frequently. Focus on their needs. Lose what is comfortable for you and focus on what is comfortable for them. Get to know them by name. This can be challenging if you have 2000 students on campus, but work on it. Each year I give serious study to the Mask, the Walla Walla College student mug (picture) book. I cut out the pictures of the new students and paste them on the bulletin board above my desk.

If you are the bibliographer for a particular department, then you should know the names and research interest of each faculty member in that department. Seek them out—be a prowler on the constant watch for the struggling, frustrated look—and then offer to help. When you see students or faculty both in and out of the library, greet them by name with a smile. Smile, smile, smile. The most important item you wear to the library each day is your expression. Your eyes and facial expression say much more than anything you actually say. Good old-fashioned positive friendliness works marketing miracles. This grand secret of successful marketing is so easy to implement.

Dare to be creative. This helps produce a positive atmosphere in the library and will draw students in. Food and music have long been kept out of the library, but the reasons don't always make sense. For instance, it is commonly believed that students learn best in a perfectly quiet environment, but this belief is not supported. Research indicates that subtle background music, especially classical, heightens retention and recall. I have experimented with music in my library with extremely positive results. Students have repeatedly said that they learn better with soft background music; it relaxes them and eases tension.

An important aspect of successful marketing that is often overlooked is to provide training in customer service. I have been through orientations in five different libraries (two small college, two large university, and one high school), and not one of the orientations included a component on quality customer service. It is often assumed, incorrectly, that a professional knows the basics of good customer service. There are specific skills that can be taught. Training in good customer service should be a major part of any orientation for a library professional, para-professional, or student assistant. Customer service skills should also be regularly reviewed. A training program for all new student workers was instituted in my library, along with a program of reviewing every other quarter the qualities of good service with returning workers. Encourage all service employees to have a positive attitude, and perhaps even make it a part of their job description.

Schumacher, Stewart, and Archbold (1998) identified expertise in three distinct and important areas which are needed in order to provide high quality service in healthcare fields:

These three areas are also important in the library, but I sometimes fear that we stop at number one. We have the skill—the knowledge and resources to provide good service—but without regular enrichment the service will never be complete or truly satisfactory.

Marketing has found a home in the library, and it is here to stay. Treat it well and you will reap rich rewards. It's not complicated. Get personal, get positive, and get active. A sign hangs on the wall above my desk reminding me constantly of what is most important, "They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel." If your library is a place that people dread, all the outreach and marketing in the world will be useless.

Bruce McClay, ASDAL President-elect, is Assistant Librarian at Walla Walla College School of Nursing, Portland, Oregon (mcclbr@wwc.edu).

From the editor . . .

I hope you'll enjoy our special "Behind the Scenes" feature in this issue. It has been exciting to receive the many and varied submissions on this theme. Thanks to all who participated!

Lauren Matacio

Libraries play a very important part in developing writing skills. As librarians we continue to encourage our students to read, to access information, to evaluate, to do research, to express themselves, and to put their thoughts on paper. Authors develop as a result.

In this edition of ASDAL Action which highlights aspects that include cataloging, acquisitions and collection development, I introduce just a few of the books written since 2000 by former students of Caribbean Union College.

In this age of global information, more and more volumes are being published. We are happy for the journalistic ability of our students, past and present, and we continue to wish them well.

Norma Greaves is Director of Alumni Affairs at Caribbean Union College, Trinidad (negreaves@cuc.edu.tt).

How does my library compare with another library in its holdings? In preparing promotional material for marketing the Seminary, we have always stated that we had an excellent collection. However, such statements were not backed up by objective data. We could list the number of books in the collection, and in that sense, we compared favorably to many seminaries, but the raw numbers are not outstanding. Even so, the number of titles alone does not give a complete picture of our relative strengths or the quality of the collection.

Thanks to a recently added feature in OCLC WorldCat, where it is now possible to compare holdings using single parameters with one other library, we have been able to compare our holdings with libraries at Harvard University, Princeton University, and Fuller Theological Seminary using the subject heading, Sabbath. Here's how to do it.

On the "Advanced Search" screen in WorldCat near the bottom is the option to "Limit availability to" and one can choose to limit to "Items in my library." I use that option to find numbers of titles in James White Library. Doing a subject search using Sabbath, for example, I find that today we have 950 items.

A second box in that section of the search screen is labeled "Library Code." In that box I can enter the OCLC code for any library I wish, for example, "cft" for Fuller Theological Seminary. There is also a "Find codes ..." link where the code of any institution can be identified. When I search Fuller Theological Seminary library using the subject heading Sabbath, I find 91 titles.

To see a table of how James White Library compares with a number of other Seminary libraries go to http://www.andrews.edu/library/Andrews.pdf. Of special interest are those areas where we have the largest collection among the libraries surveyed, including "Bible and Science," "Creationism," "Daniel and Revelation," "Second Advent," and "Sabbath."

Another way this feature of WorldCat has proved helpful is in the area of collection development. It is now possible to see what another specific library has recently purchased in selected areas. These findings can then guide in the selection of materials. For example, Fuller Theological Seminary has an exceptionally large collection in Church Growth. I can then search the Fuller library catalog using the subject heading Church Growth, and limit the search to 2002-2004 and books. In the "Library Code" box, I enter cft, and search. This results in 212 titles. Then I can mark the titles we do not have, email the marked list to myself, and I have a significant resource for new materials on the topic. I can also evaluate what we do not have. In this case, there are a significant number of dissertations, pamphlets, curriculum materials, etc., that we would not want to purchase anyway, so I end up with a short list of titles we really should have. Referring to the chart above, it is also encouraging to see that what we do not have on the topic of Church Growth may not be that significant.

In collection development, this tool can also be used in the opposite way. For those subject areas where the library does not collect comprehensively, it becomes possible to avoid purchasing items that may be available in a nearby library. For example, we may choose not to purchase items in medieval philosophy that are available at the University of Notre Dame.

This ability to limit searches to a specific library has other benefits. It allows distance education students to search the holdings of local libraries. Researchers are then able to plan visits to specific libraries that have items not in the home library.

Terry Robertson is Seminary Librarian at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan (trobtsn@andrews.edu).

Five years ago, Weis Library at Columbia Union College (CUC), joined a small consortium of private colleges called the Maryland Interlibrary Consortium (MIC). The original purpose of this consortium was to expedite the automation of its member libraries: Hood College in Frederick, Mount Saint Mary's College in Emmitsburg, and Loyola-Notre Dame in Baltimore.

In 2003 the consortium migrated from the CARL system to Endeavor and created a shared catalog which gives combined access to about 600,000 volumes. Patrons can request books electronically from any of the participating libraries. To augment the benefits of the shared catalog, MIC hired a courier service to pick up and deliver requested materials Monday through Friday. This service, which usually has a 24-hour turnaround time and can even result in same-day delivery if requests are timed just right, has proved to be extremely popular with faculty and students and has greatly enhanced the images of all of the libraries involved. MIC is currently exploring the possibility of extending the courier service to include other private college libraries in Maryland.

Margaret von Hake is Library Director at Columbia Union College, Takoma Park, Maryland (mvonhake@cuc.edu).

As a reference librarian, I see the end product of what goes on in technical services. In working with the public I come across bibliographic records on the screen that need to be referred to the cataloging or acquisitions personnel. While it has been useful to see some of the processing messages on the bibliographic records, such as "on order," "in process," etc., the patrons do not always care for them because the only thing they want is the book and they want it now. Besides these little encounters, most of us don't really know and appreciate what the acquisitions person does behind closed doors.

It would be helpful for us to know what is happening behind the scenes. How many of us really understand the joys and pains of people working in acquisitions? Library school did not really put us through all these details and yet we live with and see the results of their services. To satisfy my curiosity and yours, I have interviewed someone who does the acquisitions work in James White Library.

Tell us about yourself-your name, educational background, position, and length of service.

I'm Bernard Helms. I graduated from Andrews University in 1987 with a Master of Science in Information Science. In 1994, I started working on my Master of Library Science degree at Indiana University which I completed in 1997. I have been acquisitions associate at James White Library for 15 years. I currently work under the Head of Bibliographic Services.

What are the different aspects of your job and what are involved in each of them?

Receive requests - I process requests from the liaison librarians who are responsible for working with budgets assigned to them by the dean of libraries. Liaison librarians receive requests from the faculty members in their subject areas and pass them on to me.

Place orders - I use the Internet to order the materials requested using the acquisitions module of the Innovative system. While most of the ordering is done with vendors, some orders are sent directly to publishers and distributors.

Invoicing - Invoices for orders are assigned fund numbers before they are sent to the accounts payable office. The crucial part of this process is working cooperatively with the business office of the institution and keeping accurate records of all transactions.

Shipments - I deal with the shipments when they arrive and match them with the orders. Ordered items come either by courier or the U.S. Postal Service.

Returning - Returning videos is probably the worst part of the job, particularly when a lot of effort has been spent locating and processing a title only to find out that it has to be returned without any explanation and in some cases still "shrink wrapped" when it was supposed to have been previewed! I still cannot comprehend why requesters want certain items to be returned for reasons of expense, when the cost should have been checked against the budget before it was even ordered. Video distributors are not easy to work with when dealing with returned items.

Record keeping - There is a lot of record keeping in this job. Monthly statements have to be generated and accounts have to be reconciled. Working with certain vendors whose records can be tracked easily is the best solution but the reality is that I work with many other publishers and distributors.

People interaction - I work in coordination with catalogers, liaison librarians, the collection development librarian, vendors, publishers, accounts payable, etc.

Books, audio-visuals, and periodicals for the entire library: the stacks, reference, career center, seminary library, periodicals, Center for Adventist Research, Music Materials Center, and Architecture Resource Center.

Most of our publications come from Yankee Book Peddler. I also work with Otto Harrassowitz for German publications, Blackwell-United Kingdom for British publications, Ludwig Meyer for items published in Israel, D. K. Agencies for titles published in India, James Bennett Library Services for publications in Australia and Oceania, and Thorold for books published in South Africa. Orders for other European publications go to the European Book Center. I'm still looking for book vendors for African and South American publications. I search the entire world for Adventist materials and do all I can to find them no matter where they are on the face of this earth, and, at times, for months on end using various means of communication and making the right connections. Sometimes, I get in touch with authors or small desk top businesses that are obscure.

I like working with vendors for easy tracking, one payment for several titles, discounts, free shipping, and an easy interface with the Innovative system. There are times when people feel they are getting a good deal from purchasing books themselves from other sources but we end up paying more when we figure in the work it takes to process them separately and to pay for the shipping and handling.

Several years ago, we used the OCLC acquisitions subsystem to generate purchase orders which were sent to the vendor. The World Wide Web, electronic ordering, and e-mail have impacted my job. Now, I download the bibliographic records from OCLC into the local system to generate purchase orders which are sent to the vendors. With the online system, the whole world sees what we are doing and they can track a title from the time it is ordered, processed, and available on the shelves. I see more orders for out-of-print materials because the Internet advertises and offers them in a more visible manner. I have observed shrinking collection budgets. Acquisitions staffing has been reduced from 3 FTE to 1.25 FTE. There is a shift from printed materials to audiovisuals and electronics.

Joys? There are more pains, but yes, I do have the joys of acquiring unique items for our collection and making a contribution towards making James White Library the holder and sometimes the only one that has certain titles. One title I remember quite well is the Bibliorum Sacrorum Graecorum Codex Vaticanus B, which was hard to get; but it finally got here. I also processed a video entitled Potters Of Thrapsano which was listed in OCLC as having no date or place of publication. I searched for it on the Web and found it listed under someone's bibliography which clued me into contacting the University of Pennsylvania Museum.

All requests should be submitted on the primary source (Choice cards, catalogs, etc) or photocopies of the primary source instead of on pieces of paper with information transcribed from flyers, catalogs, advertisements, book reviews, etc. Besides reducing the chance of errors, the primary sources may contain information that will aid in the speedy processing of the orders.

One good illustration of a poorly submitted request is a photocopy of a page from a book that someone asked me to order. After all the digging and researching, I found out that the copy given to me was not the title page but a page with the publisher's name in big letters. What made this even more difficult was the fact that the requester wrote on the sheet that a particular library owns this book, so I looked up the catalog of that library and found no indication that it was held by that library. So herein lies the mystery of finding a book when all I knew was the name of a publisher which was not one of the big commercial ones. Fortunately, I solved that puzzle.

What ideas would you like to share with those who encounter the problems that you have had?

Network, network, network. We need to share ideas and let others understand our job. If there are other acquisitions personnel out there who would like to exchange ideas and solutions to their problems, let us email each other. My email is helms@andrews.edu. We may just be able to form our own little electronic discussion group.

Cynthia Mae Helms is Head, Department of Information Services at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan (helmsc@andrews.edu).

The James White Library is pleased to announce the formation of the Adventist Heritage Periodicals Task Force. Staff members from bibliographic services, periodicals, and the Center for Adventist Research (CAR), which was formerly the Adventist Heritage Center (AHC), are collaborating on a project to fully catalog the approximately 3,000 Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) periodical titles in our collection and add them to the OCLC Union List. Sallie Alger, Esther Tyler, and Warren Johns from the Bibliographic Services Department, Marilyn Gane from the Periodicals Department, and Lexie Tagaloa and Jim Ford from CAR comprise the task force, with Ford as its chair.

In initial meetings Ford shared the extent of the cataloging project and members brainstormed possible solutions. For many years these periodical titles were only accessible via finding aids in the Center. Since most SDA titles are not on OCLC, AHC personnel, over the past few years have created as many local records as possible, but were limited by time constraints and cataloging skills. Bibliographic services also contributed to this effort, but to a limited extent.

The following steps show how we are proceeding and what will be done in the future:

Gane and Steve Sowder, Systems Librarian, generated an alphabetical list of approximately 2,500 CAR periodical records already entered in the Library's online catalog, JeWeL. This number has risen significantly as we do more research. We soon discovered these records contained anything from a few lines of bibliographic information to complete OCLC records. Specially trained student assistants have begun tidying up existing records to enable easier identification and retrieval. Using the generated list, and a specially designed checklist, a student reviews the JeWeL record for completeness of holdings information, coding which identifies the title as a CAR title, ordering information, and availability status. Each record on the list is color coded to reflect the level of completeness: very brief record, more complete local record, or full OCLC record. Any other problems with the record, including missing holdings information, are also noted at this time. Student assistants then check the CAR shelves to complete the missing holdings information indicating the beginning date, ending date, and any major gaps. The list is then given to the cataloging unit.

In preparation for this project, Johns attended a serials cataloging workshop, as he will be performing the majority of the cataloging at K level or better. He also spent time researching and adding subject headings to existing local records, as well as doing some global changes. To expedite matters, the decision was made to focus on English language periodicals during this initial phase. Interestingly, Johns discovered that the New York Public Library has already cataloged approximately 300 SDA periodical titles, including many international ones, so he has already downloaded those into our local catalog.

After Johns finishes his part, he will return the lists to the Periodicals Department for one last check of the codes, formatting, and holdings ("Library Has" field). Then the lists will be given to Tagaloa (CAR), who will be responsible for adding what we call the specific holdings field (589). This is different than the more general holdings field mentioned above. The "Library Has" field shows in a general way the volumes or years held, but it does not identify precisely what issues are available. The 589 field will show exactly which issues we have and will serve as a permanent record of our collection. While this much detail may not be important to all users, it will be invaluable to others, who might decide whether or not to make a trip to our Center, based on whether there is enough material available to justify their time and effort.

Someone from bibliographic services will enter the holdings information into the OCLC Union List record for each periodical title.

The last step will be to repeat the above steps with our international titles. We would be grateful to any overseas librarians who would be willing to help us with this project by supplying us with catalog records for SDA periodicals published in their countries. You may send them to us by email (whjohns@andrews.edu) or by fax (269-471-6166).

We realize that this whole project will take several years, but it will be worth the time invested in making these records available to other libraries and the world church. Keep watching for updates on our progress!

Sallie Alger is Head, Bibliographic Services Department, at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan (salger@andrews.edu). Jim Ford is Associate Director, Center for Adventist Research, at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan (fordjim@andrews.edu). Marilyn Gane is Periodicals Librarian at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan (mgane@andrews.edu).

That's the short answer. It's also the answer I tell myself because I know at least I'll understand it. It's hard, though, to make other people understand what being an editor of a periodical index is all about. They have some idea of what you do when it comes to being an "editor," but after that people's eyes start glazing over.

That's when I came up with my stock response, a disarming, smart-aleck answer to the question, "What do you do?" When someone asks me that, I look at them and say, "I read magazines for a living." Which is true, but it's also such an out-of-left-field answer that I have to pause for a beat and let them know I'm not ready to change the answer or add, "But seriously...." Instead I say, "And then I key the information into a computer database, so that's the work part."

And it is work, for some periodicals more than for others. Conference publications are the easiest to index. It's all there in the headline: a church is dedicated, a company becomes a church, an evangelist completes a series, here's a cooking school that just finished, there's a minister retiring. It's the indexer's equivalent of wearing one's heart on one's sleeve. I've done hundreds of these by now. They're as automatic as breathing.

Scholarly articles aren't bad either, especially if they have titles that go on for two or three lines and effectively summarize the entire article. And if they're still obscure or just plain impenetrable, there's always the abstract. Origins is the toughest publication to index because I don't have a background in earth sciences or biology. It almost makes me glad that their publication schedule is somewhat ... irregular.

Then there are the articles where the title is no help at all; where it's poet vs. poet. Take the title of a recent article I indexed, "Fair game." Can you guess the subject, or even the magazine that it appeared in? Not by THAT title. So I have to live up to my own job description and read the article. Sometimes I have to read every column inch; sometimes it becomes clear fairly early on.

It is the job, make that the "task," of the poet to take something tangible or intangible, whether a sunset, a fragrance, a particular woman's smile, the glory of God, or the horror of war, and reduce that down like maple sap to the sticky stuff of words. And that's my job as well. I engage in what Stephen King referred to as the mental telepathy of writing from the receiving end, and then I get to practice it on whoever searches the SDA Periodical Index.

But I can't use just any words just as the poet can't use just any words. In the same way writers of verse from sonnet to haiku have to adjust their vocabulary to the demands of meter and rhyme, so I have to adjust my words. I have to exercise that poet's discipline that demands that I use not just any word but the right word, the right phrase. And most of these are found in the "Big Red Books," which is how I think of the Library of Congress Subject Headings.

It doesn't help matters, though, when my words get changed on me. As any cataloger can tell you, the Library of Congress won't leave well enough alone. That's why I recently had to change all my references for Aborigines, Australian to Australian Aborigines. But hey, it keeps me on my toes.

I won't talk about the small and great frustrations of the job, because you probably have your own set and don't need to hear me whine about my own. I do want to say that the indexer's trade is a solitary one—you and the text in incessant communion. It's not a job for everyone, certainly not for the people persons out there. But it suits me. It might suit you as well.

Daniel J. Drazen is Editor of the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan (drazen@andrews.edu).

On July 1, 2003, we migrated to a new system. As part of the NEOS consortium we moved from DRA Classic to SIRSI Link. The NEOS library consortium is made up of 19 libraries located in central and northern Alberta. Besides the University of Alberta, which hosts the system, it includes four government libraries and library groups, four health care groups, and 11 colleges or college universities. The migration was framed as a system upgrade, acknowledging the differences in the systems but based on current functionality, that is, policy files and work flows, as much as possible.

Starting in January 2002, committees were set up to oversee the various modules and functions that were involved. There was an overall steering team to oversee the whole project. Other teams were set up in the following areas: database conversion/cataloging/authorities, public access/interface, circulation, acquisitions/serials/financials, systems operations/infrastructure, and content integration.

As chair of the current ongoing NEOS Acquisitions Committee, I was asked to sit on the SIRSI acquisitions/serials/financials team. Our mandate involved drafting conversion or migration specifications to ensure data integrity, appropriate application of SIRSI functions to ensure equivalent functionality to DRA, monitoring and testing the completed conversion, assessment of SIRSI functionality to define new staff work flows, definition of SIRSI reports to maintain current reporting practices and define additional priority requirements, and organization for training of NEOS staff prior to implementation. It was a monumental task.

Weekly meetings were scheduled at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. In addition, there were many teleconference meetings and emails. It was also my responsibility to communicate with all the other college libraries regarding the transition in the area of acquisitions. Then we had to plan for training and write training documentation. Training in essential work flows began in January 2003. Pilot training for acquisitions took place the beginning of April, with actual training throughout the rest of April to the end of June.

We were in touch with the cataloguing and circulation implementation teams on a regular basis. I dealt with the cataloging issues and Joyce Van Scheik with circulation. Policies had to be agreed upon, and bibliographic and item records cleaned up in preparation for the migration. Training in cataloging and circulation took place in June.

We had the summer to become more familiar with the system and prepare procedures for our own workers in the fall. Since then, we have started using the serials module as well. Up to this time, we had been using the manual system for serials check-in. In October, Bernice Leavitt, Director of Technical Services, and I received training for serials check-in. As periodicals come in, Leavitt enters them into the SIRSI serials check-in module. The big cardex file has now been moved to a back room and there are only a few periodicals that still have not been entered.

As you can imagine, this past year has been a very busy one, but so far we are happy with the SIRSI system. As with any change, there have been challenges, but as part of the NEOS consortium we are working together to iron out the problems. We are thankful that we are part of this consortium and appreciate the help we receive from it.

Carol Nicks is Assistant Librarian at Canadian University College, Lacombe, Alberta (CNicks@CAUC.CA).

The late 70s to 80s. Computers. No more typing cards, labels, etc. Logon to OCLC, find your record, and make changes. Send your label to the printer with only a touch of a button.

The 90s. Barcoding. All cataloging activities came to a halt. The last book cataloged on June 12, 1992 at 5:23 p.m. was Matthew Lesko's The Great American Gripe Book. For three months staff and volunteers worked to barcode the collection. This was the forerunner of the Innopac system and the automation of the entire library.

The New Millennium. CatME. It saves money. All changes can be made offline. This was something worth trying and it proved to be all that was expected.

2004. Connexion. The new way to catalog. It will soon take the place of all the old ways. Browsing the tutorials has begun. Which features will be more beneficial to us? Which ones will save money and/or time? Ready or not, it's coming soon.

Who knows what feature will be introduced in the next ten years? And you thought cataloging was dull!

Norma Greenidge is Cataloging Associate at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan (greenidg@andrews.edu).

Many changes have been made in the cataloging process in the last 40 years. These include changes in personnel, catalog format, and procedures.

In 1964, personnel in the cataloging department consisted of the head of the department, two full-time and one half-time catalogers, one full-time staff cataloger, one 3/4 to full-time filing supervisor, four typists, and five or more student assistants. The head of the department cataloged material for which no Library of Congress card was available, checked temporary shelf list slips to see if they fit in the LC classification scheme correctly, and helped establish procedures on how series should be done. The cataloging unit now consists of two full-time catalogers, two full-time staff catalogers, and two student assistants who report to the head of Bibliographic Services. Since Cataloging, Acquisitions, and SAIL were incorporated into one department, the duties of the head of the department have changed to cover the needs of the three areas.

Formerly, one Library of Congress card was purchased for each title added to our collection. Catalogers double-checked LC classification numbers and subject headings with the classification schedules and the Library of Congress Subject Headings (this was later deemed unnecessary since there were not enough mistakes found to warrant it). Typists copied the cards with the catalogers' corrections onto multilith masters which were used to print sets of cards. Headings were then typed on these cards. Later, photocopying was used to produce a set of cards. When corrections or additions needed to be made, it was a tedious undertaking—pulling cards, erasing, retyping, etc. Student assistants filed cards with a supervisor checking and pulling filing flags. Global updating of headings online is no comparison with this process. Only two departments still receive catalog cards for their shelf list.

Call number, author, title, and accession number were all typed on each pocket and checkout card. Call numbers were hand printed in white ink on the book spines by a student assistant. Later a Se-lin labeling system was purchased. This consisted of a large print typewriter with special two-part rolls of label and covering tape. Another student assistant glued pockets in the book, put on the spine label, and stamped the book. After going on OCLC, labels for the checkout card and pocket as well as a spine label were generated on a printer attached to the three OCLC computers. As Circulation became automated, it was decided that checkout cards and the need for information on the pockets were unnecessary. Presently a printer is attached to each cataloger's computer and a single spine label is generated from a label screen. One student assistant now attaches the self-sticking pocket and spine label and stamps the books. Labels are heat sealed using a table top heating plate.

Esther Tyler is Senior Cataloger at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan (tyler@andrews.edu).

What is "special" about cataloging special collections material? The answer lies in the nature of the material collected and that, in turn, depends on what the library has decided to collect as described in its collection development policy. At Loma Linda University (LLU) there are three parts to our special collections: the Heritage Room collection (by, about, and related to Seventh-day Adventists); History of Science (primarily books on medicine published between 1850 and 1920); and Locked Case (medical and religious subjects published prior to 1850). Each collection is treated in a unique way depending on its particular needs.

The cataloging process describes a book from two perspectives: the intellectual content and the physical description. In special collections cataloging a deeper aspect of physical description is introduced. Our Heritage Room collects variations of Seventh-day Adventist titles published by the same publisher in the same year. Usually the "specialness" of the variation is brought to light by the notes that are used in the catalog record. For instance, "Issued in various bindings" is used to note binding variations in color, picture vs. plain cover, typography, or size. We note if the title page or edging varies or if there is a change in the secondary place of publication. It is also important to note if the item is autographed or has a notable provenance, or the title was in Ellen G. White's library collection, etc.

Not to be forgotten is original cataloging of one-of-a-kind materials. Working with each unique item provides the cataloger with an interesting and satisfying quest in using analysis, decision making, and intellectual query. Several favorite examples at LLU are: a handwritten Akawaio-English dictionary by A. A. Carscallen; expenses and annual meeting reports for the Health Reform Institute, 1882-1887; and a handwritten Russian transcription of Education, by Ellen White done in 1968 (when owning or creating such an item was dangerous).

It has been my pleasure to have worked with rare, old, or one-of-a-kind materials in the LLU Heritage Room for nearly twenty years. It wasn't something I planned to do while working on my MLS forty-some years ago, but I'm so glad it evolved that way.

Marilyn Crane is Special Collections Cataloger at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California (mcrane@llu.edu).

Alexander, Caroline. The Bounty: the True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty. New York: Viking, 2003. 491 p. ISBN: 067003133X. $28.00. Another look at the famous South Pacific mutiny in 1789. The author has gleaned "details from the wills, diaries and correspondence of figures not obviously connected to the events, from obscure news items and from the biographies and family pedigrees of seemingly minor players."

Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine. Notes with historical and theological introduction by George R. Knight. Annotated ed. Berrien Springs, Mich.: Andrews University Press, 2003. 597 p. ISBN: 188392541X. $30.00. Adventist classic library. The title was originally published in the 1950s and was the cause of theological debate in the years that have followed. This edition has an "extended introduction and extensive annotations."

Stefanovic, Ranko. Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary on the Book of Revelation. Berrien Springs, Mich.: Andrews University Press, 2002. 654 p. ISBN: 1883925320. $40.00. This verse-by-verse commentary is intended for scholars, students, and lay people. Describing the title as having a rich background of Old Testament, New Testament, and extra biblical material, Beatrice Neall calls it the "most comprehensive Adventist commentary on Revelation."

Thinking in the Shadow of Hell: the Impact of the Holocaust on Theology and Jewish-Christian Relations. Edited by Jacques B. Doukhan. Berrien Springs, Mich.: Andrews University Press, 2002. 223 p. ISBN: 1883925355. $20.00 (paperback). "Derived from the proceedings of a symposium held at Andrews University under the coordination of the Institute of Jewish-Christian Studies of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary and with the active participation of the International Religious Liberty Association."

White, James. Life Incidents. Introduction by Jerry Moon. Berrien Springs, Mich.: Adventist classic library. Andrews University Press, 2003. 373 p. ISBN: 1883925428. $22.00 A facsimile reproduction of the autobiographical title telling of James White's early contribution to the founding and organization of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

Willis, Richard J. B. The Kellogg Imperative: John Harvey Kellogg's Unique Contribution to Healthful Living. Grantham, England: The Stanborough Press, 2003. 110 p. ISBN: 1899505903. $15.00. The book "takes a look at Kellogg's achievements through the eyes of his contemporaries and later commentators."

Marilyn Crane is Special Collections Cataloger at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California (mcrane@llu.edu).

We are four years into the 21st century and already technology coupled with the ubiquitous Internet have revolutionized higher educational institutions to offer distance education courses anytime, anywhere. The first year of the new millennium saw 3 million online classes and when 2006 rolls over, there will have been 6 million (U.S. Department of Education, 2003). Professors are creating rich academic experiences with streaming video, virtual reality, and interactive simulations over high speed broadband connections. Changing lifestyles and consumer demands are prompting students to respond. They are investing in computers and Internet connections to secure value-added education that optimizes their chances for employment in a competitive global marketplace. They speak with their professors, or their class members, in real time audio and video chat rooms; or study one-on-one with each other or their professor. Some work on projects together with groupware. They watch streaming videos of virtual performances and interact with scientists and researchers during quality online class sessions. Others examine 3-D protein sequence data and DNA during their online laboratories. Many of the multimedia class enhancements employ techniques which test students' cognitive learning in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Digitized syllabi, homework assignments, and class forums are accessible around the clock. Indeed, the ubiquitous Internet is a medium of convenience for serious learners.

The North American Division of the Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) recognized the opportunity afforded by technology by forming the Adventist Distance Education Consortium (ADEC) composed of 13 member institutions. Its mission is "to achieve together, through cooperation, what cannot be achieved alone in developing, promoting, and delivering high-quality Christian distance education programs for the benefit of motivated independent learners" (2003).

Along with the delivery of distance education, learners expect comparable library support. Therefore, ASDAL librarians find their roles redefined as they adopt technological advances. They must translate their traditional expertise in organizing and disseminating information to meet the demands of 21st century clientele. One ADEC member, Southern Adventist University (SAU), has two programs to help distance learners to easily and quickly find what they need. The "Anywhere/Anytime Virtual Library" and "Live Assistance Research Chat" streamline access to resources and services. Non-traditional students with jobs, families, and other responsibilities specially desire this innovative library support.

"Anywhere/Anytime Library" provides virtual access to full text electronic databases from which distance education faculty choose class readings. Professors may link from their online WebCT or BlackBoard courses to readings for instant access. Since many ASDAL libraries subscribe, as the ALICE consortium does, to databases that offer full text, linking is easily possible (International Coalition of Library Consortia, 2002). In addition, several of the vendor search interfaces provide for language translations.

A good place to start in finding out who is teaching distance education at your institution is to contact the person shown as your institution's liaison on the ADEC homepage http://www.sdaedu.org/members. The liaison is usually a senior administrator who oversees the distance education program. The administrator will be able to tell you which schools and departments are preparing courses so you may contact the dean/chair. Your aim is to obtain the names of faculty members who will be developing and teaching the courses so you may offer your library's online resources and personnel support. It is wise to not wait until someone contacts you because the library is often skipped when librarians are not proactive. Often, courses are prepared with the use of authoring tools, such as WebCT or Blackboard. These tools have hyperlinks to Internet resources that exclude your institution's qualitative databases. Likewise, since technology revolutionizes access to information, students can also bypass your library if conscientious efforts to serve them are neglected.

"Live Assistance Research Chat" is an innovative approach that Marge Seifert, the Research Librarian at SAU may use to extend her sphere of professional service beyond the library walls. The technical requirements for both her computer and the student's computer are a sound card and a microphone. VoiceCafe (2003) is a stable performer but ASDAL libraries may tailor the development of an in-house product.

As the scope of education in an era of technology and global digitized information increases to an essential lifetime need, the prestigious cachet that the library is the heart of the university means even more to us. ASDAL librarians may become more familiar with information technology productivity tools in their work by taking advantage of the following opportunities for the year 2004:

Adventist Virtual Learning Network Conference
June 30 - July 2, Pacific Union College, Angwin, CA
http://www.avln.org

Ann Greer is Distance Education and Circulation Librarian at Southern Adventist University, Collegedale, Tennessee (atgreer@southern.edu).

Spring Issue of ASDAL Action

"Human Resources" will be the featured theme in ASDAL Action's Spring issue. Staff development, faculty rank, gender communication, and leadership are just a few of the possible topics. All submissions for this issue must be in by April 12.

Some of you may have received a letter from Ruth M. McCoy about the recent passing of Barbara Phipps on November 13, 2003 at the age of 88. Phipps was a well-known librarian at Emmanuel Missionary College (EMC) and later at Pacific Union College (PUC).

I met Phipps when I first came to EMC as a freshman in 1953. She was assisting us with job orientation. Helping her to hand out papers and materials was my future wife, Beverly Jorgensen, whom I first met that very same day.

Phipps graduated twice from the University of Michigan, earning a B.L.S. in 1942 and an M.L.S. in 1949. She was interested in freshman orientation both at EMC and PUC. Over the years she worked in various areas ranging from public services, periodicals, reserves, reference, and directorship to teaching. She served at EMC for 16 years and another 20 years at PUC.

Beverly worked for Phipps much of her college career in the periodicals department of EMC. Sometimes I also worked in that department during the 1950s and occasionally had conversations with Beverly, eventually leading to our marriage.

A graveside service was held at St. Helena Cemetery, St. Helena, California on November 22, 2003.

Manages function of providing access to library resources and services. Responsibilities include developing policies and procedures; marketing and participating in collection development; training and overseeing access operations including circulation, reserves, ILL, stack maintenance, and public access computers; working with consortium; maintaining library Web page; and participating in reference service.

Required: MLS from ALA-accredited program or equivalent, supervisory and communication skills, computer skills, academic library experience and/or experience in library public services. Preferred: experience with automated library systems, OCLC, and working with a consortium.

Send cover letter and resume to Margaret von Hake, Library Director, Columbia Union College, 7600 Flower Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912. Telephone: 301-891-4219. Fax: 301-891-4204.

IN THIS ISSUE