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Behind the stacks in the SUNY library system
May 26, 2005 Bill Drew of SUNY Morrisville This question-and-answer piece with Bill Drew, incoming president of the State University of New York Librarians Association, was conducted by New York Teacher assistant editor Liza Frenette. It takes a look at SUNY libraries meeting modern demands and access for K-12 teachers. Drew, who has a master's degree in library science from Drexel University , is a member of United University Professions, representing academic and professional faculty at SUNY. "Our campus libraries are an essential force in SUNY's educational mission," said UUP President William Scheuerman. "It is critical to continue to provide adequate funding to keep our libraries and librarians up to date with the latest technology." Drew is a librarian at SUNY Morrisville. He has been an officer with the SUNY Library Association since 1996. Q: What are the top five changes in the college library system in the past five years? A: 1. More than 45 SUNY libraries are now using Ex Libris (a library management system that provides access to collections of books and other materials through online catalogs on the Web), and this will be close to 100 percent by the end of 2006. 2. The ability to provide access to more than 12,000 different periodical titles in print or in full text online via our databases on our Web site. 3. Many technical breakthroughs such as SFX (a program that links databases to full text in other locations) that allow us to point our users to the correct copy of an item or article that is owned or subscribed to by us. 4. The wide availability of off-campus access to our resources by our college community. 5. Tight budgets. Q: Can K-12 teachers access SUNY libraries through the Internet? A: Yes. Every single SUNY campus has a Web site. You can access the libraries via those Web sites. Another way is to go to www.suny.edu and click on the link to the campuses. You can also go to the SUNYConnect Web site at www.sunyconnect.suny.edu/. Click on "Library Resources" on the left side of the page. You will then be able to access each library's online catalog. This site also gives a great deal of information on what SUNY libraries are working on together. Q: Do you communicate with any K-12 library organizations to update them on what's available at SUNY libraries? A: On a regular basis, through the state library's e-mail discussion group NYLINE, and through the various regional library resources councils. Information about NYLINE can be found at www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/nyline.htm. It is targeted at librarians, but anyone with an interest in New York state libraries may join it. It is an e-mail discussion list. Q: What is the most exciting thing about your job? A: To use Ex Libris. It is the system vendor for ALEPH500, the library management system that the majority of all SUNY libraries will be using in the near future. It provides access to our collections of books and other materials through our online catalogs on the Web. It also provides management functions for serial, cataloging and acquisitions. Much more detailed information is available on the SUNYConnect Web page. Q. What about the SFX technical breakthrough? A. SFX is an Ex Libris product called OpenURL Resolver. What it does is link databases to full text in other locations. It helps to solve the problem of finding the so-called "appropriate copy" owned or subscribed to by the library such as a magazine article. One could search in a database such as one of the NOVEL databases and get a link that would take you to the full text of a magazine article in another database. It can also take the user to the printed sources by going to the library catalog or lists of journals held locally in a library. Q: Do librarians show students how to carefully select information from the Web, to show them which sites are reliable? A: Most SUNY libraries provide instruction in a separate course on doing research and/or by providing instruction as needed to classes. These classes focus on how to find and how to evaluate information. Critical thinking skills are a central part of this effort. Q: What are the top five things a library can offer to a patron? A: 1. individual courtesy, respect, attention and assistance. 2. quality resources that have been selected by professionals for quality and authoritativeness. 3. books, magazines, videos, etc. 4. instruction on how to select and evaluate information. 5. help with information overload. Q: How does a SUNY library differ from a K-12 library? A. Mostly greater access to databases, larger collections, open longer hours, specialized collections and resources. Q: What is the biggest misconception about a college library? A: That libraries and librarians are obsolete. As the amount of information grows, the need for libraries and librarians grows as well. |
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