ERIC ED359964: Research and Academic Librarians: A Global View. Proceedings of a Special Session on International Librarianship Held during the National Conference of the Association of College and Research Libraries (6th, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 12-1

141 Pages·1993·3.9 MB·English

by  ERIC

ED 359 964
IR 054 532
AUTHOR
Sharma, R. N., Ed.
TITLE
Research and Academic Librarians: A Global View.
Proceedings of a Special Session on International
Librarianship Held during the National Conference of
the Association of College and Research Libraries
(6th, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 12-14, 1992).
INSTITUTION
Association of Coll. and Research Libraries, Chicago,
Ill.
PUB DATE
93
NOTE
151p.
PUB TYPE
Collected Works
Conference Proceedings (021)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC07 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
*Academic Libraries; Foreign Countries; Higher
Education; *Information Needs; International Studies;
*Librarians; Library Research; *Research Libraries;
Research Universities; Research Utilization
IDENTIFIERS
Africa; Australia; India; Kenya; New Zealand; Russia;
United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
Five speakers of international prominence from around
the world presented a program dealing with the research efforts of
academic librarians .ad the effect of research
on academic libraries
in Australia and New Zealand, India, Russia, Africa (with
an emphasis
on Kenya), and the United Kingdom. This proceedings includes the
following papers presented at the session:
(1) "Research and Academic
Librarians in the United Kingdom" (Stephen W. Massil); (2) "Research
and Academic Librarians in Africa with Emphasis
on Kenya" (James
Mwangi Ng'Ang'A); (3) "University Libraries, Librarians
and Research
in India: An Overview" (P. B. Mangla); (4) "Research
and Librarians
in Russia" (Ludmila F. Kozlova); and (5) "Research
and Academic
Librarians in Australia and New Zealand" (Colin Taylor). Biographical
sketches of the contributors are included. (Contains 74 references.)
(SLD)
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from the original document.
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U.S. DEPARTMENT
or EDUCATION
Office Or Educational
Research and
EDUCATIONAL
improvement
RESOURCES
INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
r" This dOcumant
has been reproduced
recaowscl from
as
the person 0
originatin
organizahor-
it
C MmOr changes
nave been maw.
reproduction
ro improve
ouarity
Points of we*
or open
sa
anent do not
in this dOCu
necessarily represent
OERiposhonwPolicy
otticial
RESEARCH AND ArADEMIC LIBRARIANS:
A GLOBAL VIEW
Proceedings of a special session
on International Librarianship
held during the Sixth National
Conference of the Association of
College and Research Libraries,
Salt Lake City, Utah, April 12-14, 1992
Edited by
R.N. SHARMA
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
R. N. Sharma
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
j.-
v)
19 2.
--
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
Research and Academic Librarians in the
United Kingdom
Stephen W. Nassil.
1
Research and Academic Librarians in Africa
With Emphasis on Kenya
J.U. Ng'Ang'a
35
University Libraries, Librarians and
Research in India: An Overview
P.D. Mangla
qr
Research anl Lihrrians in Russia
1.F. Fo7lova
Ref.-;earch and Academic Libraries in
Australia and New Zealand
Colin Taylor
92
Contributors
111
FOREWORD
Whether this
Information in which the world is said
Age of
today to turn is simply a self styled conceit
concocted by those
endowed
deal successfully with a
sufficient patience
with
to
microcomputer
characterization
accurate
post-
the
or an
of
indestria], post Cold War world, it remains vitally important for
academic librarians to inform themselves as to the research being
conducted
affect their libraries and their
areas that
the
in
jobs, not just in
their own
countries, but
globally. With this
thought in mind, at the Sixth National Conference of ACRL hell in
April 1992 in Salt Lake City,
ACRL Research Committee
Utah, the
sponsored five
speakers of
international prominence from around
theworld-to present -jointly y-a prograni-dealing--with the research
academic
efforts
the effect of research on
of
and
3ibrarian:,-
academic libraries in Australia
and New
Zealand, India, Russia,
Africa, with
emphasis on
the Republic
of Kenya, and the United
Kingdom.
The program
presented in
City turned
Salt Lake
out to be
both interesting
own account
and stimulative experience
its
for the participants and
the aulience
of ACRL
conferees. It is
sincere
hope
Research
the
Committee
ACRL
the
of
that
the
publication of Pesearch and
Academic Librarians:
A Global View,
consisting
prepared
the five international
the
of
of
paper: -:
speakers who gathered in Utah in the spring of 1492
will help to
further broaden the numbers of academic librarians in the United
States
whose appreciation of the role of
countries,
and
librarianship
academic
research
field
the
will
in of
he
engendered or enhanced by this unique program as reflected in the
works that follow.
Vicki L. Gregory, Chair
ACPL Research Committee
1991-199?,
ii
INTRODUCTION
Academic librarians
have always
helped faculty
and students in
But research and publishing did not become
their research needs.
popular with librarians until 1930s.
It was Dr. S.R. Ranganathan
India
encouraged librarians
who
students
of library
and
of
science to
do research
and publish
results of their investiga-
tions for the benefit of all professionals. In the United States,
University of Chicago took the lead in research for librarians by
awarding fifty Ph.D. degrees between 1930-1946 to librarians.
It was after the second World War that
many librarians
took re-
librarianship
seriously
to the rapid growth of
due
sear:11
in
libraries, introduction
their
collections,
technology and
of
availability of
funds for research.
In 1972 academic librarian
in the United States were given the faculty status.
Since then,
like the
teaching faculty,
academic librarians
have been given
all faculty
benefits
academic
institutions including
many
in
promotions, tenure,
sabbatical leave,
and research grants. They
research and
A few librarians
publish also.
are re:-1uirPd t- do
active and are always eager to investigate and discover
are very
new facts whete as other librarians are still not very interested
in research and publishing.
that Research Commitae of the
concerns
these
was
due
to
It
Association of College and
Research Libraries
(ACRL) decided to
invite speakers
from all continents to find how academic librar-
ians were doing in other countries. A special
session was organ-
National Conference
ized during
the Sixth
of ACRL held in Salt
Lake City from April
known speakers were
12-14, 1992.
Six well
invited to
discuss the role of academic librarians and research,
the rewards and impact
of research
and the
success of academic
program entitled
librarians.
The
"Research
and Academic
was
Librarians: A Global View."
the session were
speakers for
The
Kozlova of Russia; Professor P.B. Mangla, University
Its. Ludmila
University
London, England;
of Delhi, India;
Massil,
S.W.
of
Ng'ang'a,
of Nairobi,
Kenya; and Colin Taylor, University
spear
of South Australia.
sixth
The
Carvaho de
A.L.
Dr.
Miranda
Brazil
unable
was
unavoidable
come
of
due
to
to
circumstances.
certainly
academic
was
opportunity
American
rare
for
It
a
views
librarian:J from other
librarians
listen
the
to of
to
countries on research and the status
of academic
librarians. It
first tine in
wiE. the
hi7tr,ry of ArPL that speaker
fro? all
continents same to the United States to speak
on the
same topic
,nd on the same stage in on
'ThnferPnce.
i i i
of this special session includes all five papers
The proceedings
presented during the meeting. In his paper "Research and Academic
United Kingdom,"
emphasis
Librarians
Europe
with
the
on
in
factors that
Stephen Massil has traced the historical and social
the life and culture of universities in Europe. He
have affected
have to meet
academic librarians
has examined
the requirement's
publishing for appointment; promotion and
through research
and
the scholar
why
reasons
discussed
advancement.
has
the
He
of the past-and why in the United Kingdom
librarian is
a figure
the teaching
standing
librarians have not
enjoyed
with
equal
faculty, and not significantly rewarded by the employers.
background
historical
given
Ng'ang'a
James
has
the
of
M.
Universities in
emphasis
Africa He has
with
Kenya.
an on
research in academic libraries and
discussed the
development of
picture countries which
African
have
given clear
of
a
encouraged academic
uccessfully
librarians to do research ,ind
concludes
have given them
that the
faculty
status.
He
the
many African countries is still gloomy due to poor
situations in
and not enough
inadequate staff,
facilities, lack of resources,
academic
librarians
but the trends z:rg, there for a
funds
for
bright future.
Profesr-or P.B. Hangla in his paper describers the development in
irf-:'itutionf. of higher learning and their libraries in India.
He
the_rple played_
deals with the faculty status of _iihrar_laps-_ and
in research and publishing for academic
S.R. Ranganathan
by Dr.
discussed
activities
research
librarians.
also
has
He
of
the present status. The
librarians,
their
and
claalifia.ations,
quality )f research and publishing
librarians has
India
by
in
promote research
suggestions
also
been
anl
to
discusf7e'f
publishing have been included.
Lodmila Kozlova in her
discussed status of
paper
has
the
reserch and
given examples of
librarians in She has
Russia.
libraries and librarians because the
diffel,,,nt type of ar.ademic
education in
Russia is different than that of Western
system of
the research librarians working in
shown how
nations. She has
State Library
conduct rese arch on different aspects
the Russi:tn
the USSr,
of librarianship.
TrooblPs in
inadequate' bodgPts and
been mentioned for the slow
salaries
librarians
poor have
of
progress in achieving all goals.
Taylor discussed
results
Colin
survey of all
has
of
a
P.
university liharieE
7111:,-.trAliF2 and New Z.-aland oariied out in
in
1991 for this pre:,entation.
he has
given a short
7!4 his paper,
history of UniYer!-,ity libraries in both countries, has identified
the
research and publishing,
active in
and eources af funding to support researoh in both countries have
indicated that much of the
Taylor
been
identified.
has
Ur.
research by
Universities is
of the developmental
librarians in
that academic
paper
His
suggests
"try
and type.
see"
it
librarians in Auer;-alia and New Zealand need to dc better to gain
recognition for funding for research.
to "hair this impertant and historic session
the pleasure
T had
The success of
during the ACRL Conference. the program
was due
to our
Bourdon and
Cathleen
her staff at the ACRL
team work.
headquarters was very helpful.
speakers were
excellent and
All
delegates who were in attendance spoke very highly of them.
The
program was
made possible due to the financial help given to the
7eseareh Committee by Air India, Air Proflot, Jerry
Alper,
Blackwell North America, Delta Airlines, ?MSc° Subscription
Servic,
Research
Kenya Airways, Chic State
Data
Associates,
University Libraries, Ru!:lic Affairs Information Services (PATS),
Quantas
Walter and Gerda B. Uortenscn Center,
Airways,
and
C.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I would like to thank
Ur. Paul
Nauta,
f,-,rmer Secretary General of IFLA fe-r his help in
selecting best speakers for this
special session
ACRL. Us.
of
Regina
Secretary
Fdgersen,
to type the
very
my
hard
7:),rl--.ed
-manuEcript for pltlication purposes' and my
to her for
thank y-lei
this contribution.
Dr. Charles Townley, Immediate Past Chair and
Pr. Vicky Gregory, Present Chair
Research
Committee of
the
of
ACRL
all arrangements fo_r_thispecial
program
and
thanks
my
them
special
help ant
their
to
for
ceoperati-.,1.
P.N.
Sh=:-rm.,,
n
n
" : = n
i
RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC LIBRARIANS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
Stephen W. Massif
been
have
aware
changing
image of the university
the
"I
of
librarian from that of a scholar
administrator to one
acting as
manager
basing
actions
on the basis of a scholarly
his
of
a
background"
My quotation from an article by K.W. Humphreys is dated 1974
and the
situation of
the scholarly
librarian has receded still
further over the years
since
Pafford, Goldsmiths,
then.
Dr.
Librarian at
the University
of London until 1967, is also known
as the editor of The winters
tale in
the Arden
edition but few
British librarians
since then
have supplied
such a niche, with
the exception of the poet
Philip
Larkin
is another
but his
arena.
The literature
is remarkably
blank so
far as the standard
indexes
British
librarianship
concerned:
the topic
of
are
"research activities
of academic librarians" is not featured and
any trawl of
terms
such
'academic
research', professional
as
revelopment',
'scholar-librarian',
'staff development', 'roles'
'functions'
academic
or
library
produce extensive
of
staff,
results
explored
will
(which
further
show just where
be
to
research and development energies are directed)
but none showing
interest or a thrust of what I take to be the theme of this
The concept
session.
of scholarly research and the function of
librarians
developed
only
writings
is
the
such
in
of
personz,litie
Ratcliffe, Foskett and others,
as Humphreys -,
generation, and Ratcliffe in particular
librarians of
the older
primarily
characteristically,
course,
and
the
(in
of
festschriften in honour of notable individuals)
contributions to
speaks forcibly on the subject.
sources, incluJing the
In other
textbooks
substantive
animadversions
university
and
on
university
librarianship,
management
library
the
and
like,
remarks are fugitive so the net impression is that the topic just
ignored
does
arise;
with
not
sense of
not any
and
it
is
disparagement,
something
that does not happen and for
just
as
there
which
Where
agenda.
there
the
on
are
is
rr)om
references, the
subject is
alluded to
of an old debate
as par
reflecting
outlated
discussion
position
although
an
the
is
recognised-as a time-ho-nored-tarting pOint for the consideration
function and
backcround of
of the
the graduate
recruit to the
academic' library staff.
One recent
exception has been a treatment of the subject in
*trivial'survey
otherwise
seven
deadly
the
sins
an
of
of
librarianship'
Library
Association
our
Record under
the
in
or the desire to be
healing "Envy:
a scholar"
(Wills) and both
Ratcliffe (1?91)
and the ensuing (minimal) correspondence in tlae
journal tcok this essentially
dismissive and
negative viewpoint
to task.
1c7Cs stands
out like a beacon
Another .411:,tiatiu
fJom trhe
"Academic librarianship without scholarship is a nonsense"