American Library Association
Association of College and Research Libraries
ANSS CURRENTS
The Newsletter of the ACRL Anthropology & Sociology Section
Vol. 16, No. 1 ISSN 0888-5559 November 2001
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Anna DeMiller
Last year ANSS had a truly banner year. Much was celebrated and accomplished. At ALA annual conference in San Francisco, a special program heralded the 30th anniversary of the section. The ACRL Board of Directors marked the event by passing a resolution congratulating the section on its anniversary. In addition, the Executive Board approved the formation of a new Subject and Bibliographic Access Committee and welcomed the Criminal Justice/Criminology Discussion Group, already active in ACRL, into the section. These new groups will provide more opportunities for members to become involved and to make contributions to the profession.
The section is always looking for opportunities to build relationships with other professional associations in anthropology, sociology, and related fields. An effort is underway to establish a Scholarly Communications Interest Group within the American Anthropological Association. Wade Kotter has taken the lead in drafting of a statement of purpose to submit to the association’s executive director, the first step in the process for approval. Anyone who belongs to AAA is urged to contact him as a minimum number of prospective members are necessary.
With special funding of $1,500 from ACRL, the ANSSWeb site is being revamped and will debut soon. It will continue to feature the familiar Jaguar man logo, only now in color. Many thanks to Joyce Ogburn, under the guidance of the Publications Committee, for proposing this project and following through. The new design will improve organization and navigation while the creation of templates and style sheets will make it easier to update. Completion of these changes facilitates its possible move to the ACRL server.
The committee reports in this newsletter detail other accomplishments during the past year. The section is fortunate to have so many willing and hard-working participants. Anyone considering volunteering for a specific committee is welcome to sit in on meetings (all are open except Nominations). Visitors are also invited to attend Executive Committee sessions; it’s a great way to get an overview of what’s happening in the section. To volunteer, please contact Royce Kurtz, Vice- Chair/Chair-Elect or fill out a Volunteer Form.
Below is the final schedule and hotel/room assignments for ANSS meetings at midwinter in New Orleans. All meetings are open to visitors with the exception of the Nominating Committee. You’re welcome to come and investigate a committee on which you might want to serve, or to just see what’s going on and meet colleagues with similar interests.
Conveners of the three discussion groups will be sending out information about their discussion topics at a later date. Anna DeMiller ANSS Chair 2002
| Preliminary Midwinter Schedule 2002 Saturday, January 19th Executive Committee (1 of 2) 8-9 am Bibliography Committee (1 of 2) 9:30-11 am Liaison Committee 9:30-11 am Nominating Committee 9:30-11 am Review and Planning Committee 9:30-11 am Subject and Bibliographic Access 9:30-11 am Sociology Librarians Discussion Group 11:30-12:30 Publications Committee 2:00-4:00 pm Criminal Justice/Criminology Dis. Group 4:30-5:30 pm Sunday, January 20th Conference Program Planning 2002 8-9 am Bibliography Committee (2 of 2) 9:30-11 am Membership Committee 2:00-4:00 pm Anthropology Librarians Dis. Group 4:30-5:30 pm Monday, January 21th Conference Program Planning 2003 8:00-9:00 am Executive Committee (2 of 2) 9:30 am-12:30 pm |
CANDIDATES FOR ANSS OFFICES, 2002
Submitted by Sally Willson Weimer, Chair, Nominating Committee
VICE CHAIR/CHAIR-ELECT
James Haug. Smithsonian Institution
Will Wheeler. Yale University
MEMBER AT LARGE
Stephen Fowlkes, Tulane University
Lynne C. Hattendorf-Westney, University of Illinois
Vice Chair/Chair-Elect Candidate’s Statement:
HAUG, JAMES D. Education: University of Colorado-Boulder: B.A., 1960 (Anthropology); M.A., 1966 (Anthropology); Ph.D., 1977 (Anthropology); University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, M.S.P.H., 1987 (Epidemiology); North Carolina Central University, M.L.S., 1991 (Library Science). Present Position: Reference Librarian, John Wesley Powell Library of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution, 1999-. Previous Positions: Reference Librarian, Joyner Library, East Carolina University, 1992-99; Information Specialist, CDC National AIDS Hotline, 1987-92; Assistant Professor, Anthropology, University of Northern Colorado, 1975-83; Instructor, Anthropology, University of Northern Colorado, 1966-69, 1971-75. ALA Divisions: ACRL: ANSS: Bibliography Committee, Member, 1994-99, Chair, 1998-99; Anthropology Librarians’ Discussion Group, Co-convener, 1997-98; Review and Planning Committee, Member, 2000-01; Executive Committee, Member (ex officio), 1998-99, Secretary, 2000-01; Liaison Committee, Member, 2002-. Membership in Other Professional Organizations and Learned Societies: Sigma Xi, Member, 1962-; American Anthropological Association, Member, 1988-; American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Member, 1977-85, 1996-. Honors, Awards, Prizes, Citations: Beta Phi Mu, 1992-; M.L.S. with honors (cum laude), 1991. Publications: “S.R. Ranganathan’s Contribution to American Librarianship,” in Ranganathan and the West, ed. R.N. Sharma, 1992; “MEDLINE via Ovid Retrieval Software: A Research Tool for Physical and Medical Anthropology,” ANSS Currents 11 (2): 5-8, 1996; “Physicians’ Preferences for Information Sources: A Meta-Analytic Study,”” Bulletin of the Medical Library Association 85 (3): 223-31, 1997; “Guidelines for Analyzing Bibliographic Resources for ANSS Currents,” ANSS Currents 14 (1): 5-7, 1999.
Statement of Concern: During my seven years of membership, ANSS has met several challenges. It has, among other things, adapted to the manifold innovations in information access and to the requirements of its superordinate organizations. Above all else, it has maintained and asserted its intellectual core and resisted pressures to conform to faddish themes originating in the culture of management. It must continue to do so. But these challenges have not vanished, and still others have emerged. Besides the nagging problem of declining membership, persistent challenges include enhancing bibliographic control and developing liaisons with discipline-based associations. Formation of a Subject and Bibliographic Access Committee and a Scholarly Communications Interest Group are appropriate steps. Nonetheless, securing dependable funding for liaison activities presents a difficult challenge. I offer no simple solutions to these problems. Yet I believe that my academic background, service on ANSS committees, and experience as Secretary should enable me to provide leadership in dealing with them.
2001 ANSS Conference Program, San Francisco
Submitted by Erin Daix
The ANSS program, “Social Movements, Marginalized Groups and the Internet: Issues for Librarians and Researchers,” was held on Sunday, June 17. There were about 95 people in attendance. The program consisted of four speakers who described various uses of the Internet to increase the visibility of social movements and marginalized groups.
Harry Cleaver, University of Texas at Austin, examined the electronic environment developed by advocacy organizations to publicize and evaluate their activities and disseminate news and research. He counseled libraries to collect, archive and preserve documents, listserv discussions and websites of these movements. Mark Becker, Truman State University, founded NativeWeb to extend technology resources to indigenous peoples and to serve as a repository for their original documents. He described the possibilities and pitfalls of bringing modern technology to marginalized areas in the world. Mark Graham, Vice-president of Technology for iVillage, spoke about the involvement of progressive social movements in reshaping world politics. He referred to several web projects that offer access to and archiving of information (sites are listed at http://www.well.com/user/mgraham/plists.html). Librarian Itibari Zulu, Director of the UCLA Center for African American Studies Library, described projects that promote examination of the relationship between information resources and social justice issues.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Bibliography Committee
Wade Kotter, Chair
The Bibliography Committee met from 2:00 to 5:30pm on Saturday, June 21 in San Francisco. The major part of the meeting involved discussion of Janet Stein’s review of Zoological Record, which was approved for publication in ANSS Currents. It was also announced that Cambridge Scientific Abstracts had added a link to their web site pointing to the web version of Mimmo Bonanni’s recent review of Ecology Abstracts. Finally, committee members were reminded of the importance of sending letters to the publishers of reviewed products and were encouraged to include in their letter the URL for the electronic version of the review. Pauline Manaka plans to prepare a draft review of Alternative Press Index for discussion at the next committee meeting.
Conference Program Planning Committee 2002
JoEllen Broome, Chair
In the absence of the chair, who became ill suddenly, Anna L. DeMiller guided the meeting. Basic guidelines for speakers and honorariums were reviewed. The theme agreed upon at the Midwinter meeting in D.C. was “Shamanism or Journeys Within” with the usual definition and background information on shamanism. It will include explanations for its appeal in high tech information driven societies like ours and for professions like librarianship. A better program title is needed. The traditional panel format followed by a Q and A session will be the preferred approach. Members suggested names of possible speakers in Georgia who have name/national recognition in this area of anthropology. They reside at Emory University and Georgia Southern University. Since Broome lives in the host state, she will contact these potential panelists. The committee welcomes any further suggestions for possible speakers in the Atlanta-Athens metropolitan area who might address this topic. Manaka will gather information on a tour of the Jimmy Carter Center and Presidential Library.
Executive Committee
Cathy Moore-Jansen, Past-Chair
The ANSS Executive Committee meeting heard reports from election committees, discussion groups, ACRL liaisons, and organizations of interest to section members. The following is a summary of key discussions and decisions made at the two meetings:
The Executive Committee voted unanimously to form a third discussion group, the Criminal Justice/Criminology Discussion Group, after the ACRL Criminal Justice/ Criminology Discussion Group decided to affiliate with ANSS. CJCDG will have its first meeting as an ANSS discussion group at Midwinter 2002. In addition, the Executive Committee voted unanimously to establish a new Subject and Bibliographic Access Committee which will also have its first meeting at Midwinter. In another unanimous vote, the Executive Committee agreed to spend a $1500 allocation from ACRL on the redesign of ANSSWeb. Pending final approval from ACRL, ANSS will contract with a professional Web designer. It is hoped that the redesign will be completed sometime this fall.
Robert Rose, ACRL Director at Large and Board liaison, reported on ACRL initiatives, the ACRL Membership Survey, virtual membership on section committees, and the possible replacement of the ACRL Initiative Fund with a Strategic Implementation Fund. Janet Stein reported on the Tozzer Library. Maggie Dittemore of the John Wesley Powell Library at the Smithsonian reported that the National Anthropological Archives will remained closed until late fall and the Plains volume of the Handbook of North American Indians is in press.
Liaison Committee
Christine Whittington, Chair
The Liaison Committee discussed how to implement the Ask ANSS form for submitting reference questions to anthropology and sociology librarians through the ANSS website. The following was decided:
- Determine the moderator. The moderator should be an ex officio member of the committee or attend meetings. Whittington volunteered to be the first moderator.
- Establish a directory of subject specialists and query members about their willingness to participate.
- Work to put the form on the ANSS website. Initially, all questions would be directed to the moderator.
- Track questions so that we can create a FAQ if feasible.
- Ask users to complete a brief survey that would give us information on who uses the service.
- Research organizations to advertise with or to link to our service. Wheeler volunteered to do the research.
- Investigate other Ask-A services in our subject areas. Whittington volunteered.
- Investigate developing a pool system in which librarians could select questions to answer. Wheeler volunteered.
Membership Committee
Christine Whittington, Co-Chair
The Membership Committee decided to send letters of welcome to new members and needs to obtain a membership list or mailing labels for new members. The Committee had a spirited discussion of possible Committee events in New Orleans at Midwinter, with possible locations for a Friday evening social, Monday lunch, and informal museum. Members discussed the possibility of establishing a tradition of informal Dutch Treat lunches following programs or Executive/ Membership meetings in addition to the Friday evening socials. The group also drafted a new description of ANSS for the “ACRL Professional Interest Sections” sheet for presentation at the Executive Committee meeting.
Publications Committee
Erin Daix, Chair
Principle items under discussion were the brochure and the web site. The Committee discussed the new design of the brochure as well as the frequency of updating and the process of reproduction. Production of updated editions (at least annually, preferably for each meeting) will be arranged on an ad hoc basis. Erin Daix discussed the ongoing ANSS Currents scanning project. She reported that hopefully the project will be completed by Midwinter.
Review and Planning Committee Report
Sally Willson Weimer, Chair
The committee reviewed the committee’s charge and checked the ANSS section manual for appropriate duties and responsibilities. It also discussed the proposed grant money from ACRL for needed projects and activities: $1500. Members talked about working to help the new membership committee with its functions and projects, as well as the draft annual section (strategic plan) activities report. The proposed criminology/criminal justice discussion group was endorsed. This discussion group proposal was subsequently approved by both the ANSS Executive Committee and ACRL Executive Board. The new Subject and Bibliographic Access Committee was also discussed as a means of providing subject expertise, particularly to anthropology.
Subject and Bibliographic Access Committee
Karen Davis, Chair
This new committee was officially approved at ALA Annual, 2001. Its charge is to provide a forum for exchange of information and to serve as a clearinghouse for issues and concerns related to bibliographic access to materials in anthropology, sociology, criminal justice, and related fields. The committee will also deal with LC subject headings, including changes to existing headings, additions of new cross-references to existing headings, and new subject headings. Anyone interested in serving on this committee should contact the ANSS Vice-Chair, Royce Kurtz, ulkurtz@olemiss.edu, who will be making committee appointments for the section. The committee will have its first meeting at ALA Midwinter.
DISCUSSION GROUP REPORTS
Anthropology Librarians Discussion Group
Brita Servaes, Co-Convener
Co-conveners Brita Servaes and Gail Egbers, as well as fifteen librarians, were present. The main discussion topic was the formation of a Librarians Interest Group within the American Anthropological Association (AAA). This group would not be limited to ANSS members, but would hopefully include anthropology librarians working in museums and other institutions who are often not ANSS members. However, all interested need to be AAA members. It was agreed that at an organizational meeting for this group will be scheduled during the AAA annual meeting in November in Washington to discuss the statement of purpose for the Interest Group. Wade Kotter agreed to collect ideas from ANSS members. Pauline stressed that the need for the group is based on the gap in many anthropologists’ knowledge about resources and services librarians and archivists can provide.
Sociology Librarians Discussion Group
Stephen Fowlkes, Co-Convener
The discussion topic was: Librarian-Faculty Liaison and Cooperation: Activities and Strategies. “Librarian-Faculty Liaison in Academic Libraries: a Brief Bibliography” was distributed. Twenty participants attended. The topic was discussed in general terms, with a focus on regular and special opportunities taken for contact/communication. Opportunities for contact mentioned by participants included regular e-mail announcements, mass-mailings, attendance at departmental faculty meetings, seminars, and brown-bag lunches, and attending departmental retreats. Several people mentioned being included on departmental listservs, regularly visiting the department, and “wandering the halls” to stay informed about posted announcements relating to research projects, foreign study, conferences and seminars, etc. Others reported contacting new faculty members, being involved in the interview process, and surveying faculty members. Participation in sociology-related professional associations was also mentioned by several people as another means for interacting with faculty and for increasing the knowledge base within the field.
GET INVOLVED IN ANSS!
ANSS-Web
Please visit our ANSS Web Site to learn more about officers, committees, discussion groups, programs, and publications.
ANSS-L
To subscribe to the ANSS-L listserv, send an e-mail message to LISTSERV@UCI.EDU containing the following message, SUBSCRIBE ANSS-L (your name). It’s a great way to keep informed on new topics and developments.
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REVIEW
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ANSS Currents (ISSN 0888-5559) is published by the Anthropology and Sociology Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago IL 60611; (800) 545-2433, ext. 2515.
����American Library Association, 2001.
Co-Editors: Isabel del Carmen Quintana, Tozzer Library, Harvard University, 21 Divinity Ave., Cambridge MA 02138- 2019. (617) 495-2292 quintana@fas.harvard.edu
Mary M. Nofsinger, Holland Library, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-5610, (509) 335-8614; (509) 332-1274. mnofsing@wsu.edu
Production & Circulation Office: 50 E. Huron St., Chicago IL 60611.
ANSS Currents is published semi-annually in May and November and is distributed, at no additional charge, to members of the section. Back issues are available from ALA/ACRL, 50 East Huron St., Chicago IL 60611.
Chair, 2001-2002: Anna DeMiller, Morgan Library, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1019. (970)491-1858. ademiller@manta.colostate.edu
Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, 2001-2002: Royce Kurtz, University Libraries, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677-2944. (601)-232-7985. ulkurtz@olemiss.edu
VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON AN ANSS COMMITTEE!
ANSS is now seeking volunteers for committee assignments. Please fill out the volunteer form. Go to descriptions of committees for information on the committees.