Idaho LibrarianVolume 51 Number 2 April 1999 ALA COUNCILOR'S REPORT ALA Midwinter Shadowed by Death of Marvin Scilkin As your chapter councilor, I attended the Midwinter conference of the American Library Association, held this past February in Philadelphia. This conference was marked by the sad death of Marvin Scilkin, longtime library champion, and publisher of the U*N*A*B*A*S*H*E*D Librarian. During Council's last session, Marvin's wife, Polly, graciously accepted an impromptu half-hour tribute to Marvin. Council Documents Available at ALA Webpage In the interest of saving space, I will not be including the entire text of resolutions that were discussed by council. However, please be advised that you may look at the text of these resolutions, and indeed all of council's actions, by going to the ALA webpage at www.ala.org. Click "ALA division, units, governance," then click on "ALA council," and on the next page, select "Council actions." The actions of council since 1997 are available here. If you do not have access to the Internet, and wish for more information, or a paper copy of a resolution, please don't hesitate to contact me (see ILA Executive Board directory in this publication for contact information). Revised E-Rate Resolution Passes This rather negative resolution on the e-rate was first distributed on the council listserv prior to the meeting. However, it was changed substantially during council caucus. Many councilors reported that in spite of the myriad difficulties in going through the application process, many libraries were beginning to receive actual monies, and they did not wish to see future benefits jeopardized by any ALA action. In the end, a new resolution was substituted for the original. It encouraged recipients to express appreciation to Congress and other agencies, it affirmed the ALA's commitment to preserve and strengthen the e-rate, it encouraged libraries to apply for second year discounts, and it set up a presidentially-appointed task force to work with the SLD to streamline and improve the application process. Council Listserv and Caucus Expidite Business This process convinced me of the value of both the council caucus meetings and the council listserv. Since councilors had the opportunity to review the proposed resolution on the listserv, they came prepared to discuss it at council caucus. And during the more informal caucus meeting, many important ideas were brought to the resolution's writers that they were able to incorporate into a new resolution that was very well-received when it came before council. Without good use of these two avenues for communication, this resolution in its original form would have caused time-consuming, divisive debate on the council floor. Outsourcing Task Force Recommendations Get Mixed Reviews Unfortunately, this process was not used for the debate on the report from the Outsourcing Task Force. The task force's charge was a difficult one from the start. Although this hardworking group met often and held many open forums for comments from the membership, the motions they brought before council were poorly worded and not very substantive. This resulted in the entire body trying to "groupwrite" many of their motions on the floor of council. And it was a good example of how council sometimes wastes time on motions that would have benefited from better preparation. The report presented to council was described by some as "too general, too speculative, and too anecdotal," while others thought it was "a remarkable consensus document." After three hours of (remarkably civilized) discussion, two "mom & apple pie" motions were passed after some rewording. Two other motions were referred to other committees for comment. And the last two policy statements were defeated. Many councilors, including myself, really wanted to pass a meaningful resolution that outlined the profession's responsibility where outsourcing and privatization was concerned. Unfortunately, no such resolution was presented to us. The most positive thing to come out of this session was a motion that charges the association to commission a formal study on outsourcing and privatization of library services. This motion was referred to the budgetary committee for review. When they present their analysis this summer, council can then opt to move forward with this study, in the hope that it will bring forward a meaningful position for the association to take. Overwhelming Support for "Libraries: An American Value." In more positive news, "Libraries: An American Value," was adopted as policy. The Idaho Library Association executive board endorsed this statement in October 1998, and I was one of many councilors who "seconded" this resolution. For the full text of this statement, point your web browser to www.ala.org/symons/statement.html. This statement will be featured prominently in an intellectual freedom tool kit being prepared by the ALA intellectual freedom committee. If you don't have access to the Internet, and would like a copy of this statement, please don't hesitate to contact me. Revised Boy Scout Resolution Passes I was also pleasantly surprised to see that a much more positive resolution regarding the Boy Scout organization's policies was brought forward. As revised, it "urges the Boy Scouts of America to reconsider their policy of discrimination in the areas of sexual orientation and religious belief and demonstrate a commitment to human rights, inclusiveness and mutual respect." National TV Turn-Off Week Nixed A resolution asking that ALA withdraw its support of National TV Turn-off Week was passed. Many councilors were concerned that ALA's support of this endeavor would signal that non-print resources were less valuable than print resources. It was pointed out that it was particularly ironic that this week fell during the week that A&E was creating the Captain Horatio Hornblower funding opportunity for ALA. The resolution recommends that ALA "invest its energies into promoting intelligent choices in selecting and using information in all formats and of all types." Endowment Investment Strategies Questioned Several councilors questioned whether the investment strategies for the endowment were effective. The report shows that the endowment's gains are below market averages. It was pointed out that the endowment could have done far better invested in index funds, and that use of index funds would also have saved thousands of dollars in management fees. Treasurer Raises the Spectre of Higher Conference Fees Bruce Daniels, ALA Treasurer, painted a rosy picture of the association's financial health. However, when he mentioned the possibility of raising conference registration fees to support funding of ongoing programs and new initiatives, he encountered fairly strong resistance from many councilors who feel fees are already very high. Annual Conference Reinvented? ALA's conference committee solicited reactions and comments on its report, which proposes to: 1) Develop a streamlined, focused schedule of programs, by using thematic "tracks," by scheduling programs within a track at the same (or nearby) hotel, by standardizing program length, and by scheduling adequate breaks between meetings. 2) Make committee meetings more efficient, by providing incentives to units to reduce the number of meetings, by blocking space at a hotel, or group of hotels for all similar meetings, and by considering ALA staff support relationships when assigning meeting space. 3) Encourage all conference attendees to visit the exhibits, by including "visit the exhibits" time in both program tracks and meeting blocks, by exploring incentives for visiting exhibits, and by working with exhibitors to market attendance to members interested in a specific program track. Council endorsed the concepts of the report, encouraged implementation at the 2001 conference in San Francisco, and commended the committee for its diligent work to date. The committee members met with nearly every division and at various other committee meetings to answer questions and receive comments. If these concepts are as successful for ALA conferences as they are for PLA (Public Library Association) conferences, they will surely make ALA conference much more user-friendly! The committee's report can be found at www.ala.org/alaorg/council/conference/index.html. Date Set for Congress on Professional Education The congress will take place in Washington, DC on 30 April and 1 May 1999. Invited participants will represent all groups within ALA, educators, students, and others. Anyone may also participate electronically by submitting testimony by email. Check out the website at www.ala.org/congress for more information. Executive Board Members Elected Alice Calabrese and Ken Haycock were elected to serve on the ALA executive board. As always, if anyone would like further information on these matters, please feel free to contact me. Camille Wood ACADEMIC/SPECIAL LIBRARIES DIVISION The Idaho Library Association Executive Board has asked members of the Academic and Special Libraries Division to consider extending the term of the division chair to two years. Currently, the chair serves a one-year term. The Educational Media Division Chair already has a two-year term and the other divisions are also being asked to consider the idea. The reason for the proposed change is that there are four board meetings per year and it takes a couple of meetings to get acclimated. By the time a person really feels comfortable and knows what is going on, her/his term is finished. Division members would need to modify the division bylaws to implement this change. I am hoping to get feedback from division members and bring the proposal up for a vote at the annual conference in October. Please let me know what you think. I can be reached at (208) 799-2235 or jashby@lcsc.edu. Jennifer Baldwin Ashby YOU DECIDE! Is it time for a change in the Idaho Library Association? The ILA executive board is asking for your input on two proposals that would change the way the association is structured. The first proposal will be featured in this issue, and the second proposal will appear in the June issue. The Restructuring Committee, after several brainstorming sessions, brought these proposals to the board for consideration at their January 1999 meeting. The board endorsed the concept of the proposals, but would like to hear from the membership before making any final decisions. Of course, any proposal that involves a change to the constitution or bylaws will come before the membership for a vote at the annual meeting in October 1999. We would love to hear your comments or suggestions about the following proposal. Please direct them to the committee chair, Camille Wood (see directory for contact information). She will incorporate them into her report to the board at the April meeting. Here goes…. Proposal #1: Reduce total presidential term from 4 years to 3 years, eliminating the position of second vice-president. In conjunction with this, create a new position for conference chair and chair-elect. Some possible candidates for ILA president are daunted by the lengthy four-year term. The board would really like to see at least two candidates on the slate for each office, and typically it has been difficult in the past few years to find people willing to commit to the four-year term of president. The duties now assigned to the 1st vice president would be shifted to a conference chair, which would allow her or him to take on the duties originally assigned to the 2nd vice president. These include overseeing regional conferences, maintaining the webmaster liaison, and reviewing the strategic plan. · Creating a conference chair position would allow more continuity in planning and executing our annual conferences, which are an extremely important function of the association. The conference chair could plan for more than one conference at a time, which can be important when obtaining popular speakers. This position would be appointed every other year, allowing time for an incoming chair to be trained and work with the prior chair. It would also allow the conference chair to learn from experience. Currently, the 1st vice president takes on these duties for one year only. Other details: · Three year position · Appointed by the president, confirmed by the board · Non-voting executive board position, similar to the editor of the Idaho Librarian · Travel to executive board meetings and annual conference would be covered by the association, similar to the president and treasurer There is some concern that it might be difficult to find people willing to take on such a demanding job (similar to the position of treasurer), but it was felt that giving it a try was important. If you yourself would be interested in this position, or know someone else who would be good at it, please let one of the board members know. Implementation: The board will consider comments from the membership. Then, if the proposal receives final approval by the board, a change to the constitution and bylaws would be required. The membership would vote to approve or not approve these changes at the membership meeting held at the October 1999 conference. If approved by the membership, no 1st or 2nd Vice President would be elected in the year 2000. A conference chair would be appointed by the incoming 1999-2000 president, and would work with the incoming (and last) 2nd Vice President, elected in 1999, on the 2000 conference. Then in 2001, another 1st Vice President would be elected to take office later that October. Fiscal impact: annual conference expenses for one more person. COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT The Idaho Librarian would like to indroduce a new feature. Each issue will highlight the activities of ILA's committees. Willing to give the gift of time? Ideas? Offer to join an ILA Committee. The Committee Chairs are listed on pages 15-16 of this issue; they'd love to hear from you! LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE The ILA legislative agenda was light this year, with just two bills proposed for action in 1999. The first dealt with a special levy authority for library districts, and the second addressed consolidation of districts. The special levy authority proposed would allow library districts to raise their levy amount up to the maximum allowed by Idaho code. It would involve a special election, with a 66 2/3 % majority vote for approval. The new levy amount would be subject to the 3% revenue growth cap. This bill was sent to the floor on a 16-2 vote with a "do pass" recommendation; it passed the House 65-2-3. We enjoyed the same success with passage in the Senate by a 27-3-5 vote. The bill is now on its way to the Governor for his signature. The consolidation bill was pulled at our request when we found some problems with the language as drafted, and when we became concerned that there might be an effort to change existing law without our input. ILA also lobbied for the entire amount of funding for the statewide database to be a part of the state library's budget. We were less successful on this front. The necessary dollars have been earmarked for the project, but more than half of it still resides in the Department of Education budget. This was ILA's first year to have the services of a paid lobbyist. From my perspective, it was money well spent. John Watts of Idapol definitely worked hard for the funds we paid him, and it made a difference in a year when the legislation we carried wasn't as critical to all libraries as, for example, last year's LiLI project was. Because ILA had not budgeted adequate funds for lobbying, John worked with us to come up with a creative solution—and he actually ended up donating much of his time! I hope that the ILA membership will see its way clear to generating enough revenue so we can continue to have John's services for many years. Success does not come without help from our profession, however. Thanks go to Barbara Greever, Karen Ganske, Heather Mather, Susannah Price, and Patty Younger for their assistance with the legislative breakfast; Cheryll Breidt, Karen Ganske, Susan Green, Paul Holland, Lori Keenan, and Mary Nate for their willingness to serve as regional coordinators to get legislative information to libraries and trustees; the staff of the Idaho State Library for their work in drafting legislation, educating our lobbyist, and always showing up at hearings; Adrien Taylor for his "inside info" and on-going support; and, of course, the ILA board for its support and responsiveness when I needed help or information. (If I have forgotten anyone, please chalk it up to galloping senility and not a lack of gratitude!) Most of all, I want to thank librarians and trustees for their assistance in getting this year's legislation passed; your calls, letters, and attendance at hearings were invaluable. It has been an honor and my pleasure to help with ILA's legislative efforts. Lynn Melton MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Thank you to all old and new members who have paid their dues for 1999. Your membership dues are an important source of income for our association. Old members will have noticed that our Membership Renewal form looked mighty different in 1999. The President and Membership Committee developed the new form with the aid of Anne Abrahms. We tried to think of everything but there's always room for improvement. This is your opportunity to participate in designing the renewal form for the year 2000. So far I have two suggestions as to how to improve it for next year. One, a box to check to indicate the type of membership, personal or institutional. Two, a space to indicate interest or willingness to serve on a committee. Any other suggestions, great or small, to improve the wording, the message or the appearance of our membership renewal form can be sent by email to Ruth Cochran<ruth@uidaho.edu> or by regular post to Ruth Cochran DRAFT ILA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES Boise, January 19, 1999 Present: Larry Almeida, Jennifer Ashby, Kevin Booe, Ron Force, Karin Ford, Barbara Greever, Max Leek, Dan Lester, Lynn Melton, Jennifer O'Laughlin, Susannah Price, Sandi Shropshire, Dawn Wittman, Camille Wood. President Wittman called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Announcements: On November 18, 1998, John Pool resigned as chair of the Trustees and Friends Division, since he is starting to pursue a Ph. D. and finds that his class schedule will not permit him to be absent in order to attend Board meetings or the annual conference. Jennifer O'Laughlin has agreed to finish out the remainder of his term, along with her own the following year. Wittman will be writing Pool to formally thank him for his years of service. O'Laughlin was welcomed to her first meeting as a Board member. The draft of the ILA Communications Plan for 1998/99- will be discussed at the Board meeting on April 13. Minutes: Moved (Wood/Ashby) that the minutes of the October 27, 1998 Board meeting be approved as submitted, passed unanimously. Restructuring Committee Recommendations (attachment #1): FIRST PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Reduce total presidential term from 4 years to 3 years, eliminating the position of second vice-president. In conjunction with this, create a new (presidentially appointed) position for conference chair and chair-elect. Discussion ensued. Advantages: continuity; learning the conference job as vice-chair before taking over as chair; can better take advantage of what you've learned in previous years; could plan for more than one conference at a time; gives first vice-president a chance to prepare for their presidency. Disadvantages: huge time commitment; would lose some of the present system's training by "moving up" from 2nd v.p. to 1st v.p. to president since there would be one less "step". Board consensus was to put this before the membership, and vote on it at the business meeting at the annual conference in October. Meanwhile, ILA will try to locate someone willing to fill the position of conference chair. If no one in the organization is willing to do that job, then the proposal could be withdrawn. 2. Abandon unwritten presidential candidate rotation among divisions and geographic areas; instead, ask each division to submit prospective nominees to the nominating committee. Board consensus was that diversity can be achieved without adhering to this policy, and geographic and division representation can still be encouraged. Since this has been an "unwritten policy," it does not require a change of any of ILA's documentation. 3. Encourage vital, active committees that accomplish meaningful work and communicate their activities to the Board and the membership. Ideas in addition to those mentioned in the document included blocking out a no-conflict time at the annual conference (3:30-5:00 on Thursday); listing committee members as well as committee chairs on the web page and in the Idaho Librarian; providing orientation at the annual conference for committee chairs; presenting some highlights of committee work in the past year at the annual conference; featuring a few committees and their progress in each Idaho Librarian issue; creating a committee interest form on the web page (and for the membership form?) listing the committees, their duties, and their projects for the past and upcoming year. The Board agreed by consensus to try these strategies. SECOND PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Extend division chair terms from one year to two years (for those divisions not currently using this pattern.) The Board agreed that this would be a good idea, but it is up to the individual divisions to decide if they want to do it. The Board can encourage, but not mandate. 2. Encourage divisions to promote roundtable activity. These function in ILA like interest groups. They are not mentioned in the policies and procedures, and don't have to be too formal. Ashby will do an article for the Idaho Librarian on roundtables explaining what they are and how to form them. 3. Merge the Trustees and Friends Division with the Public Library Division. There has been low attendance and interest by the members of the Trustees and Friends Division, despite attempts to entice them to conferences. Perhaps the time requirement of being a trustee or friend makes it hard to attend conferences, since attendance usually requires taking vacation time. Moved (Booe/Almeida) that Wood will draft a document proposing that the two divisions merge, passed unanimously. O'Laughlin will also be studying this. It would be good to have both pros and cons so that the issue could be sent to the ILA membership for their consideration, and voted on at the business meeting at the annual conference in October. 4. Information regarding the duties and responsibilities of board members, committee chairs and committee members will be available on the web page, and the nominating committee will ensure that prospective candidates have access to this information. Board consensus was to do this. 5. Incoming board members will be invited to the first board meeting at the annual conference. The Board will also do this. Restructuring Committee chair Wood reported that there were some suggestions that were not recommended for immediate action (attachment #2), but that there were some good ideas there that could be kept in mind for the future. Board Reports: President: Wittman reported that the newly revised membership forms (attachment #3) have been printed and mailed. All the feedback so far has been positive. Douglas Griffin and Anne Abrams helped with the creation and production of the form, and will be sent a letter of thanks. The Montana Library Association proposal: ILA and MLA keep each other informed of program and conference information. Moved (Leek/Price) that we do so, passed unanimously. ILA and MLA offer reciprocal conference rates for members, and with a differential of $25 between members and non-members for the full conference, and $15 between members and non-members for one-day attendance. Moved (Booe/O'Laughlin) that we do so, passed with one dissent. It was the consensus of the Board that the printed conference registration form is already quite complicated, so notice of the reciprocal rates could be published in the newsletters of the associations and put on their respective web pages rather than adding to the form. Stan Steiner, Associate Professor of Elementary Education & Specialized Studies at Boise State University, is in the process of writing a grant application to the Albertsons Foundation to establish an annual Idaho children's book award. It seems to be patterned after the (national) Children's Choice Award. Steiner's proposal is to choose a group of books (including at least one multicultural book) and provide them to the participating schools and libraries. The children would then choose their favorite. Steiner is concerned that his affiliation with BSU could interfere with this being perceived as a statewide award, so he has asked if the award could be sponsored by ILA if need be. How would this relate to the Idaho Book Award? The question was deferred - Price will contact Ruth Funabiki (ILA Book Award Committee chair), and will try to find out more about what our sponsorship would entail. First Vice President: Force announced that the Annual Conference Planning Committee had met from 8:00 to 9:00 (before the Board meeting), and many good ideas had emerged. The conference theme will be "Libraries Today: Vital, Virtual, Valuable." At previous Board meetings, the question of an equipment policy has been discussed, and Force will talk to the Doubletree before setting a policy for this conference. If ILA wants to publish the content of conference presentations in the Idaho Librarian, it should make that part of the contract for presenters. Then either the presenter can provide text, or an ILA member can attend the session to take notes. It was moved (Price/Ashby) that the Annual Conference Exhibits Chair be added to III. D. in the ILA Policies and Procedures. The section would then read: "The President, Treasurer, Conference Chairperson and Conference Exhibits Chairperson are allowed full expenses for meals, lodging, and transportation for the duration (not to exceed a total of three days) of the Annual Conference, including the hospitality room." This would be in effect for the 1999 annual conference. Passed, with two abstentions. Second Vice President: Almeida reported (attachment #5) that in November he held a conference call with the six regional conference chairs, Gard Hanks, and Shropshire. Each region will set their own theme, with an emphasis on library advocacy. Seed money has already been sent out to several regions, and three budgets have been received. Even if a region does not plan to request seed money, it still needs to send in a budget. Each region should be reminded to have an ILA officer welcome regional conference attendees, talk about ILA sponsorship of the event, and invite non-members to join and support the organization. Treasurer: Shropshire distributed the final 1998 budget figures and the proposed 1999 budget (attachment #6). For 1998 the net income was $13,559.12. This is mostly due to the fact that ILA did not hire a lobbyist in 1998, and the annual conference did well. The question arose about members who would like to belong to more than one ILA Division -could a member pay an extra fee to do so? The Membership Committee will explore the ramifications of this question. Moved (Price/Booe) that the proposed 1999 budget be accepted as presented, passed unanimously. Past President: Price is working on getting nominations for the next ILA election. Needed are: Chair-Elect for all four Divisions, Secretary (2 yr. term), PNLA Representative (2 yr. term), Second Vice President (4 yr. term). She has had some good suggestions, but would welcome more. Frederick Belzer, an attorney in Pocatello, was sent to ALA's Lawyers for Libraries training in Chicago. (Funding came from both ILA and a grant through the Idaho State Library.) He was very enthusiastic about the training, which focused on the applicability of First Amendment law to library policies, procedures and problems, particularly those relating to the use of the Internet in libraries. He and Leek will give a session at the Pocatello regional conference (April 29, Pocatello, Cavanaugh's), and ILA Annual (October 6-9, Boise, Doubletree Riverside). Belzer will also make himself available to talk directly to local librarians, trustees, and library advocates as they face issues or incidents where he can help. On the intellectual freedom front, the Loudoun case was defeated. Trustees can not say that all terminals must be filtered. Appeals will undoubtedly be filed. All of ILA's nominees were accepted for ALA's honor roll celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Office for Intellectual Freedom and the Freedom to Read Foundation. (The nominees were Eli M. Oboler, Susannah Price, Joe Reiss, Rand Simmons, and Adrien Taylor.) Price is the only one able to attend the banquet honoring them during the ALA Midwinter conference in Philadelphia. Moved (Almeida/Ashby) the expenditure of ILA funds up to $500, to cover expenses the Boise Public Library does not cover, so that Price can attend the ALA Midwinter meeting and go to the banquet. Passed with two abstentions (Price and Booe). State Librarian: Ford reported that Charles Bolles is in Seattle attending a meeting with the Gates Foundation, so she was representing him at this ILA Board meeting. Governor Dirk Kempthorne recommended that the Idaho State Library FY2000 budget include a $265,000 addition to the base to support the LiLI databases. (Last year it was part of the Dept. of Education's budget - this moves it to ISL.) Kempthorne also recommended that, in addition to funding for current operations, $10,000 be added to continue retrospective cataloging of the Idaho state documents collection. The LiLI databases are up, and may currently be accessed through the LiLI web page (http://www.lili.org/). Rand Simmons is working with the two vendors (Information Access Company and EBSCO) to set up individual accounts for all of Idaho's publicly funded libraries. Academic and Special Libraries Division: Ashby reported that she plans to send a follow-up letter to those in the division who do not renew their ILA membership. Educational Media Division: Marlene Earnest was unable to attend the meeting, but sent a written report (attachment #7). The division had been working with the State Dept. of Education to propose requiring that each publicly funded school in Idaho have a certificated library/media generalist. It has been decided not to pursue the requirement this year, but to develop a plan to increase the number of certificated library/media generalist positions in Idaho's elementary and middle school library media centers. Public Library Division: Leek has put a draft of the revised division bylaws on the web page, but has received no comments from division members. The minutes of the August division meeting in Sun Valley are also up. Leek will post the proposed standards for public libraries, and is seeking comment. He continues to work with chair-elect Robert Wright on the new Public Library of the Year Award. They would like the winning library to get some monetary award, and are seeking sources for $500 to do so. Perhaps a corporate sponsorship is the answer. Trustees and Friends Division: no report. Pacific Northwest Library Association Representative: Booe submitted a written report (attachment #8). The PNLA Executive Board is working on an action plan, the position of editor of the PNLA Quarterly is now open, and Ben Wicks will be the keynote speaker at the PNLA annual conference in Calgary, Alberta, August 11-13. American Library Association Representative: Wood reported that the ALA Midwinter meeting is coming up soon. A few issues have surfaced since the last ILA Board meeting. Council will be considering a resolution to be sent to the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). Council is concerned about the immense amount of paperwork required from those who apply for the e-rate, the slowness of the process, and the fact that very few libraries have actually received e-rate funding commitment letters. Council is also concerned about the number of schools that have removed the word "Library" from their Masters degree titles. Some librarians in Idaho are worried about the acquisition of Ingram by Barnes and Noble. The American Booksellers Association has already petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to look into the matter. Should ALA get involved? Wood expressed a willingness to raise the issue at Council Caucus. Should ALA offer life memberships for sale? Amounts of $1500 to $2500 are being discussed, along with the possibility of spreading payments for a life membership over a five-year period. Ad Hoc Communication/Web Guidelines Committee: Almeida presented a draft of the proposed ILA web site guidelines (attachment #9). The Board felt that the committee was moving in the right direction, and asked that a revision be brought for consideration at the April meeting. Issues discussed other than those listed in the draft document included: Should the Idaho Librarian be up on the web site? Currently, one perk for membership in ILA is receipt of this newsletter. If it is all put up on the web, freely available to all, is that just one more reason not to join ILA? Should only past issues be put up? Should there be "teasers" for the current issue? The Board felt that posting the back issues to the web, but not posting the current issue could solve the problem. The ILA Board meeting minutes that go onto the web site contain references to various attachments. These are the paper handouts that were distributed at the Board meeting. Until now, the handouts have not been available in electronic format, so they have not gone onto the web site. Beginning with this Board meeting, everyone who distributes material to the Board should also provide the Secretary with a copy in electronic format (either a floppy or e-mailed), and the Secretary will forward them to the Webmaster along with the meeting minutes. Due to the extreme length of some attachments, the minutes published in the Idaho Librarian probably will not include them. If anyone would like to compile lists of past ILA award-winners, the Webmaster would be happy to put the information up on the web. Should the Conference Exhibits Chair also serve as the advertising manager for the Idaho Librarian and the web site? Shropshire checked with an accountant on ILA's tax status as it relates to advertising revenue. As a 501 c (6) organization, we are OK if revenue from our communication media matches expenses or doesn't exceed expenses by more than $1000. If we exceed that $1000 amount, ILA would have to file, but might not owe tax. ILA's logo (adopted in 1991) looks almost identical to the Idaho State Library's logo (adopted in 1997). Do we want to change ours, to help people tell the two organizations apart? The Hewlett -Packard Library in Boise had several logos created by a Boise graphic arts firm. H-P is willing to donate the logo it decided not to use to ILA. Costs for changing the text to Idaho Library Association, etc., would run roughly $100. Moved (Price/Wood) that ILA accept the donation from H-P and decide soon whether or not to use it for our organization, passed unanimously. Lester reported that he had done some log analysis for the ILA web site. The most common ways people get to the page are by searching under "Idaho Library" or "Young Readers Choice Award." (A fuller report is available from him.) ILA Strategic Plan: Discussion was deferred to the April Board meeting. Not everyone has completed their reports listing what parts of the plan have been accomplished, and suggesting ways in which the plan should be updated. These reports should be sent to Wittman as soon as possible. In connection with strategic plan goal one, Greever distributed a list of strategies for retaining current ILA members and recruiting new members (attachment #10). These were "brainstormed" by the Membership and Public Relations committees, and Board members were asked to review them and offer suggestions. The committees will incorporate these into a formal plan, to be considered at the Board's April meeting. Mailing Labels: Cheryl Middleton, librarian at Oregon State University, contacted ILA to ask if she could do a mailing to ILA's members advertising a LAMA Institute: "Managing Education Services: Teaching and Learning in Libraries." The presenter will be Betsy Wildon, Associate Director of Libraries for Public Services at the University of Washington, and the institute will be held at Oregon State University (no specific date mentioned in the request). Moved (Price/Wood) that ILA make a set of mailing labels available to Middleton for the (minimal) cost of purchasing the sheets of labels to be printed. Passed unanimously. The understanding is that this ILA membership list would not be used her for any other purpose, nor passed along to anyone else. Legislative Committee: Melton reported that she has investigated the question of ILA hiring a lobbyist (attachment #11). She consulted with a variety of people, and has determined that salary would probably vary by year, depending on the number of issues and their complexity. It is important to have good two-way communication between the lobbyist (or "legislative advisor") and the Idaho State Library as well, since officials often confuse ILA with ISL and contact the State Library on Idaho Library Association matters. It is vital that the ILA membership knows what the lobbyist is doing for the membership and the organization. Important advantages of hiring a lobbyist include tapping their experience and contacts, as well as their knowledge of the legislative scene and ability to "read" what is going on/likely to happen. The lobbyist is also able to give the association a "heads up" when the unexpected arises. Melton asked the Board if they had any recommendations to add to her list of names of possible lobbyists. The lobbyist would report to Melton, who would take her direction from the ILA Board. Reports submitted to Melton by the lobbyist will be distributed by her to the Board. There should be an orientation session for the lobbyist, and this briefing should include a representative from the state library, Barbara Barrett, and Adrien Taylor. Moved (Booe/Wood) that Melton interview three candidates, send their biographies, salary requirements and her recommendation to Wittman, Almeida, Force, and Leek, and the four will decide whom to hire. The hiring should take place in two weeks, so that the lobbyist will be able to work for ILA during this legislative session. Passed unanimously. Meeting dates: The next ILA Board meeting will be on Tuesday, April 13. It will either be at the Helm in Lewiston, or at Wittman's house. Agenda items will include the communications plan, the ILA logo, Snyder's book award proposal, the web guidelines, the strategic plan, and the membership plan. Board meeting adjourned, 4:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Barbara C. Greever, Secretary. NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Young Reader's Choice Award Nominees Year 2000 4th-8th grades Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairies by Kristiana Gregory—176 p. Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech_240 p. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine—240 p. Iron Ring by Lloyd Alexander—256 p. Mouse Called Wolf by Dick King-Smith—108 p. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse—160 p. Schernoff Discoveries by Gary Paulsen—128 p. Searching for Candlestick Park by Peg Kehret—160 p. Skull of Truth by Bruce Coville—176 p. Virtual War by Gloria Skurzynski—160 p. Wings to Fly by Celia Barker Lottridge—212 p. Wringer by Jerry Spinelli—240 p. 9th-12th grades Doing Time: notes from the Undergraduate by Rob Thomas_192 p. Murdered My Sweet by Joan Lowry Nixon_176 p. Painting the Black by Carl Deuker—248 p. Shade's Children by Garth Nix—288 p. The Taking of Room 114 by Mel Glenn—192 p. YALSA Announces Grant Program The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), will receive $20,000 from the Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust in the third round of the Excellence in Library Services to Young Adults Recognition Grants. "My theme this year is `Come Together at the Library,'" said Joel Shoemaker, president of YALSA, "and there's never been a more important time to bring teens into the library. This grant will highlight exemplary programs that do just that." Shoemaker invites librarians who serve young adults in all types of libraries to consider applying for the 30 recognition grants that will be available. The top five applications, as judged by the YALSA Executive Committee, will receive grants of $1,000 each. The remaining 25 will each receive $200. All 30 winners will be featured in the third edition of "Excellence in Library Service to Young Adults," to be published by ALA Editions in spring, 2000. The publication will be subsidized with part of the grant monies. Mary K. Chelton, who edited the first two editions, also will edit the new edition. A program about the winning entries will be presented at the 2000 ALA Annual Conference. The categories for entrants to consider are: information services, reading promotion, youth participation, collaborative efforts, education support, staff development, intergenerational, special needs and Teen Read Week. Applications are available at the YALSA Web site: www.ala.org/yalsa. Applications are
due in the YALSA office by June 1. For more information, contact YALSA via e-mail at
yalsa@ala.org. PH: 800-545-2433, ext. 4390. Fax: 312-664-7459. PNLA Conference News Is change rearing its ugly — or not so ugly — head in your library? Would you like to establish more effective work groups and teams? Are you considering joining a consortium? Do you want to implement a top-notch customer-service training program? Are you concerned about the retirement "bug" and the future of our profession? Do you wonder if every little embedded chip in your library is Y2K OK? Do you worry about what to say when a reporter calls? Does the word "entrepreneurship" intrigue you? If you nodded "sure" or thought "maybe" ... we have a conference for you! These issues of particular interest to library managers are being addressed by experts from libraries, business and academia, during the PNLA Conference in Calgary, August 11-13, 1999. The Conference theme is "Common Ground" and the focus is on topics and issues Canadian and American library and information people have in common — management issues, literacy, intellectual freedom, children's/YA services, and advocacy. The registration brochures are in the mail. If you're not a member of PNLA, check www.pnla.org or contact klabuik@nucleus.com or shepparc@cadvision.com. Karen Labuik, Assistant Director Scroll Exhibit in Boise "Ethiopian Protective Scrolls, Inspired By," an exhibition of ten scrolls, scroll holders, text and photographs which chronicle scroll tradition, production and presentation, is on display at the Boise Airport and is sponsored by the Boise City Arts Commission. For those not able to re-route their itineraries through Boise, selections from the
exhibit may be viewed at the following website: http://english.boisestate.edu/ethiopian/. Pentzer Featured in American Libraries The fundraising efforts of Constance Pentzer, branch coordinator of the Prairie River
Library District, are featured on p. 30 of the March 1999 issue of American Libraries.
The article discusses Pentzer's efforts to raise funds to build a new, larger facility for
the Winchester Library by selling her locally famous designs of book-inspired jewelry and
knickknacks. BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW The following is a list of books available for review in the Idaho Librarian. If you would like to review one of these titles, please e-mail Christine DeZelar-Tiedman (chrisd@belle.lib.uidaho.edu). Postal address: University of Idaho Library, Rayburn Street, Moscow, Idaho 83844-2363 USA. Andrus, Cecil D. and Connelly, Joel. Cecil Andrus: Politics Western Style. Seattle: Sasquatch Books, c1998. [The review copy is signed by Andrus]. Attebery, Jennifer Eastman. Building with Logs: Western Log Construction in Context. Moscow: University of Idaho Press, 1998. Crandall, David. Fly Free as Easy as 1-2-3. Boise: Legendary Publishing, c1998. Elkins, Andrew. The Great Poem of the Earth: A Study of the Poetry of Thomas Hornsby Ferril. Moscow: University of Idaho Press, 1997. Frome, Michael. Green Ink: An Introduction to Environmental Journalism. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1999. Hochman, Jhan. Green Cultural Studies: Nature in Film, Novel and Theory. Moscow: University of Idaho Press, 1998. Hosac, Chet. The Orphan. Boise: Legendary Pub. Co., c1999. The Journals of Patrick Gass: Member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Edited and annotated by Carol Lynn MacGregor. Missoula: Mountain Press Pub. Co., 1997. Knudson, Barbara. Living in Chaos, Walking in Peace: A Matter of Ascension. Boise: Legendary Publishing, c1998. Kuhns, Michael. A Guide to the Trees of Utah and the Intermountain West. Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 1998. Madsen, Betty M. and Madsen, Brigham D. North to Montana! Jehus, Bullwhackers, and Mule Skinners on the Montana Trail. Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, c1998. Morrison, John, and Morrison, Catherine Wright. Mavericks: the Lives and Battles of Montana's Political Legends. Moscow: University of Idaho Press, 1997. Oehler, Mike. The Hippy Survival Guide to Y2K. Sandpoint, ID: Keokee Co. Pub., c1999. Peterson, John Alton. Utah's Black Hawk War. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1999. Russell, Bert and Marie. Rock Burst. Moscow: University of Idaho Press, 1998. Shoshone Tales. Collected by Anne M. Smith. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1998, c1993. Tilford, Gregory L. From Earth to Herbalist: An Earth-Conscious Guide to Medicinal Plants. Missoula, Mont.: Mountain Press Pub. Co., 1998. Waitley, Douglas. William Henry Jackson: Framing the Frontier. Missoula: Mountain Press Pub. Co., 1998. White Hat, Albert, Sr. Reading and Writing the Lakota Language. Salt Lake City:
University of Utah Press, 1999. IDAHO ACADEMIC LIBRARY STATISTICS 1998 JUNE 30, 1998 Albert. Coll. BSU CSI ISU LCSC NIC NNC RICKS U of I UI Law STAFF, FTE (incl. vacancies) 1. Professional 2.00 /18.00 /2.00 /17.26 /5.65 /6.00 /3.00 /14.00 /18.25 /4.00 2. Nonprofessional 6.00 /44.40 /8.00 /25.50 /5.00 /6.00 /3.20 /12.75 /34.75 /5.00 3. Student Assistants 7.00 /19.00 /1.88 /20.55 /4.51 /8.55 /6.62 /47.63 /13.20 /2.35 4. Total Staff 15.00 /81.40 /11.88 /63.31 /15.16 /20.55 /12.82 /74.38 /66.20 /11.35 LIBRARY EXPENDITURES 5. Salaries and Wages (excludes benefits) 211,465 /1,966,362 /272,771 /1,363,858 /357,353 /450,543 /179,081 /979,860 /1,732,089 /309,750 6. Collections 214,364 /1,882,354 /65,669 /1,303,726 /214,591 /177,305 /131,719 /462,024 /1,587,369 /350,180 7. Preservation 7,442 /50,000 /8,269 /54,272 /6,222 /4,000 /1,321 /5,811 /50,905 /5,412 8. Equipment 1,966 /442,924 /51,931 /217,543 /15,352 /22,739 /70,844 /295,797 /14,497 /3,960 9. Other Operating Exenditures 39,545 /396,281 /30,282 /163,635 /117,103 /136,407 /32,168 /276,032 /413,486 /37,342 10. Total Expenditures (all sources) 474,782 /4,737,921 /428,922 /3,103,034 /710,621 /790,994 /415,133 /2,019,524 /3,798,346 /706,644 LIBRARY COLLECTIONS* 11. Books, Bound Serials, & Govt Docs (vols.) 178,719 /514,348 /63,676 /637,831 /159,236 /53,069 /155,864 /367,661 /1,524,771 /133,379 11a. Volumes Added 4,528 /26,965 /9,694 /12,759 /6,392 /3,500 /4,261 /8,478 /39,139 /2,975 12. Total Physical Units of Microforms 27,433 /1,324,967 /7,579 /1,846,175 /132,322 /38,287 /146,909 /124,788 /1,373,002 /246,097 13. Current Serial Subscriptions (titles) 826 /4,996 /257 /3,336 /1,692 /720 /794 /889 /10,497 /2,758 14. Electronic Serial Subscription Titles 38 /693 /1 /54 /10 /2 /0 /0 /123 /0 15. A-V Materials (units) 2,270 /59,407 /1,858 /4,500 /6,761 /2,555 /3,729 /34,556 /7,931 /150 LIBRARY LOAN TRANSACTIONS 16. General Collection 15,061 /137,452 /15,961 /85,361 /82,138 /50,053 /27,725 /174,228 /150,670 /4,498 17. Reserve Collection 1,992 /51,635 /6,964 /22,683 /31,729 /7,883 /2,749 /64,604 /55,869 /N/A 18. Interlibrary Loans Provided 837 /6,712 /275 /5,974 /2,687 /639 /339 /1,046 /18,155 /501 19. Interlibrary Loans Received 299 /3,809 /481 /6,709 /1,982 /1,179 /853 /2,523 /12,282 /301 LIBRARY SCHEDULE 20. Public Service Hours per Typical Week 88.0 /101.5 /72.5 /102.5 /89.0 /80.5 /82.25 /84.0 /115.5 /92.0 *To correspond with 1998 National IPED Statistics, collection counts for Govt. Docs, Manuscripts & Archives, Cartographic, & Machine Readable materials have been eliminated. 1/22/99 Compiled by Tim Brown and Julie Clarkson, Albertsons Library, BSU ILA SPRING REGIONAL CONFERENCE PREVIEWS Region 2: Moscow/Latah County DATE: Thursday, April 22, 1999 There will be time to renew old friendships and make new ones, as well as attend the exhibits and enjoy the balmy climate of the "Banana Belt" of Idaho. Four sessions will he held, with a choice of three different workshops to attend during each session. There should be something for everyone. Here are some tantalizing examples of what will be offered: —Cataloging Internet Resources, with Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, UI Library —Building & Supporting Classroom/Library Collaboration, with Dawn Wittman, Lapwai Elementary School —LiLI Databases, with Rand Simmons, ISL —Grants 101, with Connie Pentzer, Prairie-River Library District —Only Connect! Using the Internet for Literature-Based Activities, with Deborah Hopkinson, award-winning author of historical fiction picture books A Band of Angels, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, and Birdie's Lighthouse —Other workshops will focus on new Web sources, children's book programming, marketing your library and more. COSTS: $35 for ILA members; $45 for non-ILA members. Includes lunch buffet, with vegetarian choices available. (After April 10, cost is $38 for ILA members, $48 for non-ILA members). If you do not receive a flyer or need more information, contact the conference chair, Nancy Young. PH 208-885-2514. FAX 208-885-6817. Email: nyoung@uidaho.edu. Region 1: Northern Idaho Date: Friday April 23, 1999 The schedule includes plenty of time to meet and mingle with new and old friends in the library community and our exhibitors. Program highlights are: 1. Literacy leads to libraries with Debbie Johannson and Nola Solt 2. The ISL and ILA HOT Seat - featuring Gard Hanks - ISL and Larry Almeida - ILA, with Joe Reiss as facilitator. (If you have questions or topics you would like addressed, let me know soon so I can warn them.) 3. The usual great lunch provided by Templin's with special music. 4a. "Star Attraction" - with Anne Abrams, Special Projects Coordinator-make your library the center of attention! 4b. Mike Lee, Athol Library, local author whose specialty is movement education. And then our special program with Shannon Stevens-Commers:Witness the assassination of political correctness as our storyteller resurrects the biting comments of Caroline Lockhart, journalist and author. Cheri Breidt, PH 208-682-3483, Email pklib@cin.kcl.org Region 5: Pocatello Date: April 29 Our conference will include the following: Ann Abrams from the state library Carolyn Klatt - 60 books in 60 minutes. Betty Holbrook - Young Reader's choice Fred Belzer - Legal issues in libraries Terra Allen, a storyteller from American Fork, Utah Rand Simmons discussing LiLI Gale Sherman - Brain development in children These are just some of the sessions we have tentatively planned. Larry Goold, PH 208-235-3222, Email gooldla@d25.k12.id.us Region 6: Idaho Falls Date: May 13, 1999 7:30 p.m. Free session for trustees and others interested in libraries at Eastern Idaho Technical College, 1600 S 2500 E, Idaho Falls, Idaho, Alexander D. Creek Building, Room 545. "Growing the Library" presented by KelleyRhoe-Collins. Light refreshments will be served after program. May 14, 1999 Spring Conference, Eastern Idaho Technical College, Alexander D. Creek Building. 8:30 a.m. Registration, Coffee and Juice with our Exhibitors in Atrium 9:00 a.m. Opening Session - "A Garden of Ideas" with Allen Wilson, Room 558 10:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions --Gardening with Allen Wilson (1st session only), Room 556 --Star Plantings with Anne Abrahms, Room 558 (Marketing) --Garden Display with Arlin Wilcock, Room 556 (Effective Presentations) --Healthy Harvest with Nancy Griffin, Computer Lab -Room 518 (PubMed, free web-based Medical Information) --Plant Selections with Sue Walker, Room 545 (Collection Development) 12:30 p.m., Buffet Lunch will be at JJ North's with Bill Chiles providing music & poetry 1:30-2:20 p.m. Table Topics on districts, filters, reference interviews, accelerated reader program, copy and printing costs. 2:30 p.m. Closing Sessions Read to Me with Peggy McClendon, Room 558 South East Idaho Consortium Development with Ryan Carstens, Library 3:30 Adjournment, Program Evaluations, Door Prizes. Full program details will be in registration packets. Costs: ILA members $32.00 includes lunch, Non-members of ILA $42.00 includes lunch. Registration prior to April 16, 1999, save $10.00; ILA members $22 with lunch, $18 if you do not want lunch. Non-members of ILA $32.00, $28 if you do not want lunch. No refunds, but substitutions allowed. Mail checks made payable to ILA Region 6 to: Kathy Nelson
BOOK REVIEWS Tales of Two Canines: the Adventures of a Wolf and a Dog by Koani and Indy, with help from Bruce Weide and Pat Tucker. Ill. by Amber Sidhu. Missoula, Mont.: Mountain Press Pub. Co., 1998. ISBN 0878423923. Koani was bred for a television program about wolves. With no skills to live on her own in the wild, Koani would always be dependent on man. Indy was number 27 at the local shelter and his time had run out when Pat Tucker and Bruce Weide rescued him. This unlikely duo joined forces with Pat and Bruce to form Wild Sentry, the Northern Rockies Ambassador Wolf program. Tales of Two Canines is a collection of letters written to "The Pea Green Boat," a PBS children's program out of Missoula, Montana. These letters were to keep the young listeners current with the adventures of Koani and Indy as they traveled around the country teaching the truth about wolves. "Just between you and me she's a barbarian," says Indy of Koani in "The Flashlight Incident." "Suddenly Koani's jaws snapped closed on the flashlight and off she dashed. The beam of the flashlight shone inside her big mouth. She looked like a wolf-o-lantern." Of Indy, Koani says, "he has absolutely no personal life—he's totally human-oriented." The dedication of Bruce Weide and Pat Tucker to educating people, especially children, about the place of wolves in the natural world, and to break down old stereotypes, is well beyond most of us. Keeping Koani, who is not a "pet wolf," meant leaving normal jobs and a normal life because of the care she requires. Koani takes two walks a day, each about an hour and a half long, rain or shine. She is attached to her "walker" by a long lead. Koani is encouraged to explore, so there is a question of whom is walking who, especially when she is over hill and dale and in and out of creeks. She lives in a one-acre enclosure that has a tunnel to a pen in the living room of her humans' home. Indy can go into the house, but Koani can't be a house-wolf because of experiences similar to the one in the chapter titled "The Shredder," in which Koani found a sleeping bag. "I got to wondering, what's in those sleeping bags that makes them so soft and comfortable? There's only one way to find out, so I ripped a hole in it and pulled out a bunch of stuffing. Big fun! You should have been there." She's not called "The Destructo Queen" without reason. Koani and her pack mates, Bruce, Pat, and Indy, are on the road much of the year. Indy is the groups' P.R. Man, a total extrovert who loves everyone and all new experiences. He is also the "alpha wolf" from Koani's point of view, so he helps her feel safe in unfamiliar surroundings. Pat and Bruce do the talking for the Wild Sentry team and also the letter writing since Indy is a miserable typist. It is through their human powers of observation that we get such a delightful view of their travels from a canine perspective. The sensitive artistry of Amber Sidhu makes this book almost as good as being there. Sit back, become young again. Enjoy Tales of Two Canines, and remember that Indy and Koani have another book, There's a Wolf in the Classroom. Diane Newcomer Mueller, Marge and Mueller, Ted. Fire, Faults and Floods: A Road and Trail Guide Exploring the Origins of the Columbia River Basin, Moscow, Idaho, University of Idaho Press, 1997. ISBN 0-89301-206-8, $19.95. How many times have you driven through an area such as that around the Grand Coulee Dam and wondered how it was formed? The next time you go to one of the areas in the Columbia River Basin, take this book with you and make some stops along the way. You will learn about the area and have a greater appreciation for the forces of nature that caused the various formations. The photographs, illustrations and maps found throughout the book are well done, serve as detailed guides to the sites discussed in the book, and whet one's appetite to take these trips. Marge and Ted Mueller have written an excellent guidebook to the outstanding geological features of the Columbia River Basin. The preface explains how to use the book and provides valuable information about general safety and what to take on the hikes. The Introduction explains theories about the shaping of the Columbia River Basin. This includes discussions about four main basalt formations, the Imnaha, Grand Ronde, Wanapum and the Saddle Mountains basalt flows and the theories about why they erupted at this spot on the earth. Also included is some human history connected with the exploration of these sites and the controversies that resulted. One early geologist, J. Harlen Bretz, "proposed catastrophic floods as a plausible geologic force" (page 22). Other experts proposed that his findings were "preposterous" (page 23). Aerial photos of the 1950s proved he was right. The authors point out that the investigation (or detective work as they call it) on these theories is still going on today. The book is organized into ten chapters, each covering one geographic area. Titles of the chapters show exactly what is included: · The Washington-Oregon-Idaho Border, the source dikes and vents for the Columbia River Basalt Flows · Hamilton, Montana, to Sandpoint, Idaho, the Basin filled by Glacial Lake Missoula · Spokane to Pasco, Washington, the Cheney-Pasco Scabland Corridor · Spokane to Ephrata, Washington, the Upper Crab Creek Flood Channel · Grand Coulee Dam to Quincy, Washington, the Grand Coulee and Other Northwest Flood Channels · Quincy to Vantage, Washington, the Middle Columbia River Drainage · Moses Lake to Richland, Washington, Lower Crab Creek and the Yakima Fold Belt · North-Central Oregon, the Picture Gorge Basalt Subgroup of the Columbia River Basalts · Biggs to Portland, Oregon, the Columbia River Gorge · The Oregon Coast, the Columbia River Basalt Flows Meet the Ocean Each chapter begins with a brief overview of the geological formations in the area, then describes road trips and short bicycle or hiking trips, and includes a brief description of facilities, when available, and a Drive Overview. The trip sections go into more detail about how to get there and what to see on the driving and hiking sections of these tours. Three of these sections (the lower Grand Ronde River and Joseph Creek Canyon, Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park, and Horsethief Lake State Park) also include information about Indian petroglyphs and pictographs found in the area. This is an easy guidebook to follow, and the glossary of terms is helpful for the layperson. Anyone interested in the origins and the geology of the Columbia River Basin will find this a very informative and interesting book either for general reading or for taking the trips discussed. Bob Hook Curnutt, Kirk. Wise Economies: Brevity and Storytelling in American Short Stories. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Press, 1997. 315 p. ISBN: 0-89301-202-5. This highly academic study of narrative form in American short stories has a somewhat misleading title. Wise Economies explores the evolution of the American short story, from the use of oral storytelling and framing devices in the work of Irving, Hawthorne, and Melville through the spare, minimalist style of writers such as Bobbie Ann Mason and Raymond Carver. Though Curnutt does not always make the connection clear, the concept of "brevity" relates to how each narrative style employs a particular device in order to achieve the desired effect on the reader in a limited amount of time and space. Curnutt has divided his book into four parts, dealing respectively with Romanticism, Realism, Modernism, and Minimalism. He provides an introduction to the narrative characteristics of each literary movement, then devotes a chapter to each of two to four stories that exemplify that particular style. The stories themselves are not included, but most are well known and can be found in any number of literary anthologies. Familiarity with the stories would help the reader follow Curnutt's discussion, though liberal quotations and excerpts are provided. One of the most interesting aspects of Wise Economies is Curnutt's inclusion of contemporary critical reaction to the stories. He demonstrates how literary critics often dismissed short fiction as an inferior form of literature, and how women's writing in particular came under attack as being overly emotional and sentimental. Curnutt does an excellent job of countering the criticism, defending short fiction as a uniquely American art form, and short stories as more complex than they might appear on a first reading. He also disputes claims that women were or are the only writers to use emotion to connect to readers, and that traditionally feminine forms of storytelling are inferior to more cerebral, "masculine" writing. He credibly defends the often-maligned contemporary minimalist style, found in periodicals such as the New Yorker, by showing how its emotional detachment and lack of clear resolution represents the quest for meaning and personal connection in a high-tech, materialistic society. Wise Economies is not an easy read; it is laden with the jargon prevalent in literary criticism. Curnutt might have reached a broader audience if he had presented his fascinating thesis in simpler language. As it stands, Wise Economies would be a good choice for academic libraries and those interested in literary criticism from an academic point of view. Christine DeZelar-Tiedman |
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