Report on the Library and Information Services Policy Forum - May 1996

SECTION IV: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM DISCUSSION GROUP SESSIONS

The Discussion Group Chairs and/or Recorders presented findings and recommendations resulting from the discussion group sessions:

Group I: Library Services to Educationally and/or Economically Disadvantaged (including literacy programs)

Jim Scheppke, Chair
Christie Koontz, Recorder

Detailed Findings and Recommendations

What are the needs of the disadvantaged from the library?
What are the gaps?
What are the solutions?

  1. Local policies that promote or enable public library services.
  2. What percentage of this disadvantaged population is receiving library service? What services are they using, and for what? Which are most effective?
  3. If the disadvantaged do not come into the library, how can we be the gateway?
  4. The disadvantaged need to not perceive the library as too formidable.
  5. Need for the library to go to where they are—not ask them to come to us.
  6. Read Building Communities From the Inside Out, Northwest Institute for Public Policy.
  7. Package strategies for communities to offer library services to the disadvantaged including services, funding, distribution. Offer "weapons." This could come from NCLIS or NCES with ALA.
  8. Educate stakeholders in their own language about the need for library services to disadvantaged.
  9. FSCS Data GAP—need check off for adult programming, e.g., literacy, senior citizens, job and career, small business information, etc.

    In selecting areas for research. . .

  10. Need to utilize strategies that align libraries with issues already on the table, such as, teen pregnancy, violence, immigration, even as simple as getting libraries mentioned in local marketing.
  11. Track on a baseline level of what libraries offer.
  12. 'Best practices' of businesses could be adapted to libraries, e.g., publicize five libraries doing literacy programs best, ALA initiatives, or demonstration programs. Emulate or network on 'best' programs or services, however possible.
  13. Partnerships on gathering and disseminating local, state, and federal studies including standards, volume definitions, etc.

SUMMARY

What does equity really mean?

Group II: Library Services to Multicultural Populations (including limited English-Speaking)

Karen Watkins, Chair
T. K. Cassidy, Recorder

Recommendation

  1. Librarians can use technology to share workable multicultural programs—not national statistics operations.
—Composition of collection with regard to language/cultural tradition
—Do you have collections targeted at subpopulations? (Multicultural population)
A. Prepare inventories of software useful and relevant to multicultural groups.

B. Portion of total expenditure is used for support of multicultural programming?

C. In reporting on library programs, include percentage of public service staff speaking languages of multicultural groups in the community.

D. How many appropriate languages is your OPAC (etc.) in?

E. Case study/methodology could be applied for studying service to multicultural population segments as alternative to traditional survey methods to determine if there are appropriate national issues?

F. Percentage of staff development/training services to multicultural population?

G. What percentage of staff (public service) is representative of multicultural population?

Group III: Library Services to Physically Handicapped

Judith Dixon, Chair
Mary Jo Lynch, Recorder

Special Recommendation

The group on library service to the physically handicapped recommends that data be collected for all types of libraries in the following areas:

  1. College and report data on availability of assistive devices, such as TDD for deaf persons, computer input devices for persons with motor impairments, and computer output devices for persons with visual impairments.
  2. Accessible library materials such as recorded books, large print materials, descriptive/captioned video, CD-ROM's Internet access (for use in library/or loan), along with circulation statistics for each.
  3. Targeted services such as document conversion, awareness training for staff and training of disabled persons in use of equipment and services.
  4. Accessible information developed by libraries for the Internet, adherence to emerging standards.
  5. Access to ongoing program activities and services, such as interpreter services for public programs, OPAC's for access from home, accessible newsletters.
  6. Outreach, publicity, and promotion of targeted and ongoing services to disabled and at-large communities.
  7. Work with other organizations in a partnership role to provide access to information and services.
  8. ADA-compliant physical-access to building.

Group IV: Library Services to Rural and Rural/Remote Populations

Bernard Vavrek, Chair
Jan Ison, Recorder

Special Recommendation

Encourage the participation in data collection process by Native American, Insular areas, and Alaskan and Hawaiian Natives.

Group V: Library Services to Seniors

Hugh O'Conor, Chair
Jan Feye-Stukas, Recorder

Data gaps needed to be filled by questions to libraries and questions to users.

Questions to Libraries
1. Does the library have special services targeted for seniors,
e.g., identifiable staff, special budget (line item)?
2. Does the library collaborate with agencies that deal with aging?
3. To what extent are your services used by seniors?
4. Does the library have:
a. these assistive devices —
large screensaccess to Internet
special mouseson-line catalog
voice outputetc., etc.
b. alternative formats —
voice output large printmultimedia kits
book on tapeetc., etc.
5. Does the library provide services to sites that serve or house the elderly?
Including technology applications?
6. Does the library include seniors in planning/reviewing library services?
7. Is information technology integrated into various library programs/services?
8. Does the library have a senior volunteer program?
9. Does your library provide guided access to use of technology/Intemet/web?

10. Do you attempt to assess the qualitative value of library services to your users?
How do you implement the findings?

Users Perceptions—Discussion Group/Survey Questions

  1. To what extent do you use library services print-reference technology programs?
  2. What is value?
  3. How does it affect quality of life?

Group VI: Services to Businesses and Employers

Sam Memberg, Chair
Joseph Shubert, Recorder

Recommendations

NCES should conduct a "fast response survey" of public library services to business.

For "costs," "values," and "marketing," NCES should support research to identify studies, summaries, findings, and draw conclusions on the national significance of the findings.

NCES should design and create electronic reporting mechanisms for fuller data gathering.

Extend these surveys to the broader areas of non-profit, government, education, and other employers.

APPENDICES

Appendix I

NCES/NCLIS
FORUM ON LIBRARY AND
INFORMATION SERVICES POLICY


Topic: Impact of Information Technology and Special
Programming on Library Services to Special Populations

RAMADA PLAZA HOTEL OLD TOWN
Alexandria, Virginia

PROGRAM OUTLINE May 20 - 21, 1996

Monday, May 20, 1996

Time

Function

Speaker(s)

8:30 - 9:00 a.m.Opening SessionLee Ballroom
Welcome and Introduction of Emerson Elliott, Forum ChairJeanne Griffith, NCES Acting Commissioner
Introduction of SpeakersEmerson J. Elliott, Forum Chair
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.SpeakersBetty Turock, President, American Library Association, "Information Technology and Equity of Access"

Peter Young, NCLIS Executive Director, "Information Technology and Measuring Change in Library and Information Service"

Shelley Quezada, Consultant, Library Services to the Unserved, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, "Programming for Special Populations and Measuring Results"
10:30 - 10:45 a.m. Break
10:45 - 11:15 a.m. Introduction of Discussion Group Chairs and Recorders David Penniman, School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Chair, Panel on Measuring Value of Library Services
Summary of Objectives for Discussion Groups
Panel on Progress in Measuring Library Services Outputs and Plans for Measuring Value of Library Services
11:15-12:15 p.m.Group Discussion Session I

Group I: Library Services to Educationally and/or Economically Disadvantaged (including literacy programs)Jim Scheppke, Chair
Christie Koontz, Recorder
Group II: Library Services to Multicultural Populations (including limited English-speaking)Gary Strong, Chair
Karen Watkins, Recorder
Group III: Library Services to Physically HandicappedJudith Dixon, Chair
Mary Jo Lynch, Recorder
Group IV: Library Services to Rural and Rural/Remote PopulationsBernard Vavrek, Chair
Jan Ison, Recorder
Group V: Library Services to SeniorsHugh O'Conor, Chair
Jan Feye-Stukas, Recorder
Group VI: Library Services to Businesses and EmployersSam Memberg, Chair
Joseph Shubert, Recorder
12:30 - 2:00 p.m.Lunch
Introduction of Luncheon SpeakerPaul Planchon, NCES Associate Commissioner
SpeakerLygeia Ricciardi, Policy Advisor, Office of Plans and Policy, Federal Communications Commission, "Planning for Universal Service for Libraries under 1996 Telecommunications Act"
2:15 - 3:45 p.m.Group Discussion Session II[Same as above]
3:45 - 4:00 p.m.Break
4:00 - 5:30 p.m.Group Discussion Session III[Same as above]

Tuesday, May 21, 1996
Time

Function

Speaker(s)

8:00 - 8:30 a.m.Coffee
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.Panel, Measuring Value of Library Services David Penniman, Panel Chair
Forum DiscussionPanelists:
John Bertot, University of Maryland - Baltimore , Department of Information Systems;
Glen Holt, Executive DirectorSt. Louis Public Library;
Paul Kantor, Rutgers, School of Communication, Information & Library Studies;
Don King, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, School of Information Sciences;
Bruce Kingma, Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Economics, State University of New York, Albany
10:30 - 10:45 a.m. Break
10:45 - 11:45 a.m.Reports from Discussion GroupsEmerson Elliott, Forum Chair
11:45 - 12:30 p.m.Forum Evaluation and Recommendations for NCES/NCLIS and Future Forums Emerson Elliott, Forum Chair

Appendix II

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Fourth Annual Library and Information Services Policy Forum
May 20-21, 1996
Carol Adams, Virginia State Library and Archives, 11th Street at Capitol Square, Richmond, VA 23219Cesar Caballero, 812 W. Yandell, El Paso, TX 79902

John Carlo Bertot, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland - Baltimore County, Department of Information Systems, 5401 Wilkins Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21228-5398

T.K. Cassidy, Librarian. Nieves M. Flories Memorial Library, 254 Martyr Street, Agana, Guam 96910

John Christenson, Director, Traverse Des Sioux Library System, 110 S. Broad Street, P.O. Box 608, Mankato, MN 56002-0608

Adrienne Chute, Postsecondary and Library Cooperative Program, National Center for Education Statistics, 555 New Jersey Ave., Room 311A, Washington, DC 20208-5652

Edwin Clay, Director, Fairfax County Library, 13135 Lee Jackson Highway, Fairfax, VA 22033

Robert Croneberger, Director, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080

F. Kurt Cylke, Director, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1291 Taylor St., NW., Washington, DC 20542

Denise Davis, Maryland Department of Education, Division of Library Development and Services, 200 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-2595

Christine Dunn, Office of Library Programs, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey, Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20208-5571

Emerson Elliott, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2010 Massachusetts Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20036

Leigh Estabrook, Dean, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Graduate School of Library. and Information Science, 501 E. Daniel, Champaign, IL 61820-6211

Janice Feye-Stukas, Office of Library Development. and Services, 440 Capitol Square Building, 550 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55101

Don Fork, Office of Library Programs, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey, Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20208-5571

Jeanne Griffith, NCES Acting Commissioner, National Center for Education Statistics, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20208

Andrew Hartman, Director, National Institute for Literacy, 800 Connecticut Avenue, NW., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006

Mary Alice Hedge, Associate Executive Director, U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, 1110 Vermont Avenue, NW., Suite 820, Washington, DC 20005-3522

Jane Heiser, Office of Library Programs, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20208-5571

Glen Holt, Executive Director, St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103

Barbara Humes, Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning Institute, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Room M 627B, Washington, DC 20208

Jan Ison, Lincoln Trail Libraries System, 1704 West Interstate Drive, Champaign, IL 61821-1068

Mike Jaugstetter, North Dakota State Library. Liberty Memorial Building, 604 E. Boulevard Avenue, Bismark, ND 58505-0800

Patricia John, National Agricultural Library, 10301 Baltimore Boulevard, Beltsville, MD 20705-2351

Paul Kantor, Professor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, 4 Huntington Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1071

Carrol Kindel, Program Director, Institutional Records Operations, National Center for Education Statistics, 555 New Jersey Ave., Room 311, Washington, DC 20208-5652

Don King, School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 804 Volunteer Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37996-4330

Bruce Kingma, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, SUNY - Albany, Albany, NY 12222

Robert Klassen, Director, Office of Library Programs, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20208-5571

Andrew Kolstad, National Center for Education Statistics, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Room 300V, Washington, DC 20208-5653

Christie Koontz, Florida Resource and Environmental Analysis Center, Florida State University, 1035 East Paul Divac Drive, Suite 130, Tallahassee, FL 32310

Roslyn Korb, Program Director, Postsecondary and Library. Cooperative Program, National Center for Education Statistics, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Room 311B, Washington, DC 20208-5652

Elaine Kroe, Institutional Records Operations, National Center for Education Statistics, 555 New Jersey Avenue; Room 315A, Washington, DC 20208-5652

Keith Curry Lance, Colorado State Library, Director, Library Research Service, 201 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80203

Sylvia Riggs Liroff, National Council on the Aging, Inc., 409 Third Street, SW., Second Floor, Washington, DC 20024-3212

John G. Lorenz, Coordinator, Library Statistics Program, U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, 1110 Vermont Avenue, NW., Suite 820, Washington, DC 20005-3522

Mary Jo Lynch, American Library Association, Director, Office for Research and Statistics, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611-2795

Bob McDermott, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1291 Taylor St., NW., Washington, DC 20542

Sam Memberg, New York Public Library, 5th Avenue and 42 Street, New York, NY 10018

Jon Messenger, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 5419, Washington, DC 20210

Kim Miller, Special Assistant (Technical), U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, 1110 Vermont Avenue, NW., Suite 820, Washington, DC 20005-3522

Evaline Neff, Office of Library Programs, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Room 300M, Washington, DC 20208-5571

Kathy Nims, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Public Library, 501 Copper NW., Albuquerque, NM 87102

Carolyn Norman, State Board of Community Colleges, 1107 9th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

Hugh O'Conor, Director, American Association of Retired Persons, Research Information Center, 601 E. Street, NW., Washington, DC 20049

David Penniman, School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 804 Volunteer Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37996-4330

Barbara Peterman, Statistician, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1291 Taylor St., NW., Washington, DC 20542

Paul Planchon, Associate Commissioner, Survey and Cooperatives System Group, National Center for Education Statistics, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20208-5652

Shelley Quezada, Specialist, Special Needs, Massachusetts Board of Library Commission, 648 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02215

Lygeia Ricciardi, Federal Communication Commission, Office of Plans and Policy, 1919 M Street, NW., Washington, DC 20554

Marilyn Ridgeway, Phoenix Central Library, 12 East McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Eleanor Jo Rodger, President, Urban Libraries Council, 1603 Orrington Avenue, Suite 1080, Evanston, IL 60201

James Scheppke, State Librarian, Oregon State Library, State Library Building, Salem, OR 97310-0640

Judith Senkevitch, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin Library School, 1110 Enderis Hall, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201

Joseph Shubert. State Librarian, New York State Library, Room 10C34, Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY 11230

Trish Skapteson, Office of Library Programs, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Room 300L, Washington, DC 20208-5571

Gary Sudduth, Minneapolis Urban League, 2000 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411

Sheryl Swed, Assistant Administrator, Minority Enterprise Development, Small Business Association, 409 Third Street, SW; 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20416

E. Walter Terrie, Center for Study of Population, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4063

Diana Ray Tope, Georgia Department of Education, Public Library Services, 156 Trinity Avenue, S.W, Room 101, Atlanta, GA 30303

Betty Turock, President, American Library Association, 39 Highwood Road, Somerset, NJ 08873

Connie Van Fleet, Associate Professor, Louisiana State University, School of Library and Information Science, Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Bernard Vavrek, Clarion State University, College of Communication, Computer Information Science and Library Science, Clarion, PA 16214

Karen Watkins, Chief Officer, New Mexico State Library, 325 Don Gaspar, Santa Fe, NM 87503

Jerry West, National Center for Education Statistics, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Room 417B, Washington, DC 20208-5651

Barbara Whiteleather, Special Assistant, U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, 1110 Vermont Avenue, NW., Suite 820, Washington, DC 20005-3522

Jeffrey Williams, National Center for Education Statistics, Institutional Records Operations, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Room 311, Washington, DC 20208-5652

Savan Wilson, Director, University of Southern Mississippi, Teaching Learning Resource Center, P.O. Box 5082, Southern Station, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5082

Peter R. Young, Executive Director, U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, 1110 Vermont Avenue, NW., Suite 820, Washington, DC 20005-3522

Helene Yurth, Smith Memorial Library, Chautauqua Institution Library, Clark and Miller Avenue, P.O. Box 1093, Chautauqua, NY 14722

Stan Zenor, Executive Director, Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20005

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