Towers
A Newsletter for Supporters of the University of Idaho Library
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Towers A Newsletter for Supporters of the University of Idaho Library
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Winter 2000
Editor: Kerry Brent, University of Idaho student
The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,
And all the sweet serenity of books.-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Defining Idaho at the Turn of the Century
Library Receives Carpenter Boundary Surveys
Winter 2000 Issue
By virtue of a generous gift from Nellie and Frederick Widel, the University of Idaho Library recently added the surveyor's notes from the 1904-1906 survey of the Idaho-Montana state line to its collection of primary sources documenting Idaho's history. Mr. and Mrs. Widel brought the three leather-bound volumes from their home in Priest River, Idaho, and presented them to Ron Force, Dean of Library Services. Nellie Widel's grandfather was Howard Brady Carpenter, the government surveyor. She explained that there were four copies of the notes compiled, one each for the states of Montana and Idaho, one for the federal government, and one set for the surveyor. It was the latter that she and her husband presented to the library in memory of John T. Carpenter, '31, Mrs. Widel's father.
Howard B. Carpenter was born in 1848 in Illinois of Quaker antecedents. He taught school for a few years in New York before learning civil engineering and surveying, on-the-job, from a cousin. In 1874, he headed west to San Francisco where he went to work with the city, laying out roads, water supply lines, ferry terminals, and cable car routes. Subsequently, he practiced mining engineering in Colorado and land surveying in Wyoming. In the latter place, he struck up a friendship with the Surveyor General of Wyoming, and later Governor, William A. Richards. Richards soon became Commissioner of the General Land Office in Washington, DC. In this capacity, he hired Carpenter as U.S. Deputy Surveyor to sub-divide the Shoshoni Wind River Reservation. This was followed by the job of resurveying the boundary between Colorado and New Mexico, and then that of the Bitterroot Range between Montana and Idaho. Retiring to a fruit ranch at Meridian, Idaho, in 1908, Carpenter and his wife settled into a less strenuous life. Eventually, they sold the ranch and moved into Meridian proper. As director of the Nampa and Meridian Irrigation District, director of the Meridian's First National Bank, trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church, member of the school board, and founder of the Building and Loan Association; Carpenter played an active part in the community. He died of typhoid at age 69 in 1918.
Charged to survey the watershed divide at the crest of the Bitterroot Mountains between Idaho and Montana, Carpenter marked and noted each mile of the survey. Idaho history is plagued by stories of supposedly drunken surveyors taking a wrong turn and mistakenly following the crest of the Bitterroots instead of the Continental Divide, thereby shrinking Idaho's boundary. However, University of Idaho history professor Dr. Carlos A. Schwantes has established that the surveyors, led by Carpenter, correctly marked the boundary set by Congress in 1864, charting a route from north to south that would have made "taking a wrong turn" impossible.
Carpenter's notes include brief comments on the landscape, the geology, and the vegetation. The latter were particularly important because his crew of 21 men (with a pack train of 44 horses) blazed the trees along the survey line and built markers of brass caps on iron pipes or raised mounds of earth or rock approximately every quarter mile. Depending on the terrain and the weather they could make about 1.5 miles to 2 miles per day, usually working seven days a week. A typical entry on June 9, 1904 notes that the marker "falls on a point where it is impracticable to establish a corner. I continue this course on next mile. Land mountainous. Soil, rocky, 3rd rate. Formation, sandstone. Vegetation, pine and fir timber, dense snow brush." On June 10 and 11 he writes, "No line was run on account of storm, rain and snow." In addition to the surveying equipment, he brought along a photography outfit. Each volume contains over 30 photographs of particular locales as well as camp scenes. The working season in the mountains was the four summer months of June, July, August, and September; accordingly the project took three summers from 1904 through 1906.
Dean Force, in thanking the Widels, noted that the surveyor's contemporary descriptions would be "invaluable to researchers studying vegetation changes in Idaho's mountains." The survey notes will be placed in the library's Special Collections and Archives department. Terry Abraham, Head of Special Collections, observed that "primary sources such as these are essential for students and scholars studying Idaho's history."
From the Dean
Winter 2000 Issue
For many years, the business of library acquisitions was stable. Publishers, wholesalers, and libraries all knew their place and roles in the system, and aside from the usual minor competition and jockeying for position, business relationships were relatively cordial.
However, there are always a few snakes in the Garden of Eden. In the postwar world of expanding science, Robert Maxwell realized that the demand for places to publish new scientific articles had so outstripped supply that he could start large numbers of new specialty journals and charge outrageous prices for the same, and continue raising prices, year after year. He eventually came to a bad end, but his business model was picked up by other large multinational publishers, leading to thirty years of unprecedented inflation, and a dramatic shift in library spending from books to journals.
The advent of the Internet looks like it's going to be an equally destabilizing event. On one hand, "free" stuff is proliferating, from reprint servers where researchers post their latest papers to Napster, where undergraduates trade music tracks "ripped' from CDs. On the other hand the multinationals are attempting to re-write copyright law to extend their control over intellectual property, to extend the length of copyright and to eliminate the tradition of "fair use". The Digital Millenium Copyright Act generally eliminated most fair use provisions for electronically encoded information. The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) would enable license restrictions for any work incorporating, or derived from an electronic format, such as a book with an enclosed CDROM. Hypothetically, "shrink-wrap" licensing included with such a book could forbid the purchaser from letting anyone else read the book, selling it to a third party, or even publishing a critical review of the work!
The Acquisitions Department of the future may have fewer people who know books but more lawyers!
Behind the Walls of Books
Winter 2000 Issue
Have you ever paused as your finger ran along the spines of the books on the shelf in the library, perusing the call numbers for the one on the slip of paper you held in your hand, to wonder how those books came to be there? Unless you happen to be a librarian yourself, you probably have a pretty fuzzy picture. However, the library, like many infrastructures we take for granted, has a complex hierarchy of procedures, staff, and, of course, books that dictate how the books end up on the shelf where you find them.
Although it is hard to imagine, libraries existed even when "books" as we know them today were written on scrolls. Of course, the current incarnation of the library has gone through countless changes since that time, many of which have been documented by Henry Petroski in his book, The Book on the Bookshelf (1999). Petroski, using the lens of the bookshelf, tracks the evolution of books and libraries through the stages of history. Because they contain knowledge, and it is generally accepted that knowledge is power, books have been closely guarded throughout that history. They were kept in chests under lock and key in medieval times, chained to shelves well into the eighteenth century (most often with their spines facing inward), and eventually lined up on the shelves (oriented vertically, spines facing the reader). The "natural" orientation of books on the shelf we take for granted today really took centuries to refine.
Like most libraries today, the University of Idaho Library utilizes this legacy to organize books. However, the question remains, which books? How is it decided which materials will be in the library?
Collection development is the overall process of adding materials to the library. Mary Bolin, Head of Technical Services at the University of Idaho Library, explained that the process is broken down into three major areas, Science, Social Science, and Humanities. There is a subject librarian for each area, who has budget and subject authority. These librarians, then, ultimately decide which books will be acquired for the collection. "Their choices are based on their own knowledge and interest, the collection, faculty and department requests, and general requests. It's really an art. I'm sure each librarian would have his or her own techniques and point of view," Bolin said. These three librarians might ask other librarians to manage more specific subjects that fall under their major area, such as Philosophy as a division of the Humanities. Each collection development librarian monitors changes in research and the curriculum for each subject, matching the library's collection with the university's needs. As a result, every university has a unique collection, responsive to local needs and opportunities.
While the Acquisitions Unit has various means of obtaining materials, they come through two main channels, approval orders and firm orders. Approval orders come from a plan set up by the library with a book vendor. The vendor submits slips to the library with descriptions of newly-published books, including a price, and the subject librarian then approves or disapproves each book for the library's collection. When the book comes in, the librarian has another chance to decide whether or not they want the book. Bolin commented that "This process has the goal of efficiency, because the approval titles are meant to be things that we would likely order in any case. We don't send much back after it comes in on approval. It's a quick way of getting books into the library." Approvals also help the library obtain books before they go out of print, since print runs for academic books are generally smaller than they used to be. By contrast, firm orders are specific requests by the librarians. The librarians are "firm" that they want the books, so Acquisitions will do their best to get them in. In either case, Acquisitions will try to get the books in the quickest amount of time for the best price.
Harley Wright, Cataloging Supervisor, interjected that "90% goes routinely, and it's the other 10% that actually takes time. There are problems and things that don't go routinely, such as books that are out of print, lost, or just worn out." Bolin agreed that their work could be divided into three categories, including the routine, the non-routine, and the problems. She also explained that out-of-print selections have gotten much easier to find with the Internet. "There are many OP sites that bring a bunch of sites together, and clearinghouses are much easier to access as well."
The acquisition of serials, which includes such materials as journals, periodicals, and newspapers, parallels the process of acquiring books, but it is a little different because the serials are continuously coming in. The subject librarians deal with serials as well, but they don't need to do as much selection. "It is a fairly stable collection, where more things stay the same than change," Bolin stated. However, the library is grappling with a smoother system for their electronic journals. Currently, there is no system to deal with problems as they crop up and no easy mechanism of communication between users and librarians concerning those problems. The electronic revolution is, as yet, missing the system of checks and balances and the sophisticated organization that have evolved in the library for the management of printed materials.
Despite the prevalence and convenience of electronic sources, the library remains a steadfast institution, preserving the knowledge of civilization for those who have yet to discover, growing every day with new discoveries. The books on the shelves provide endless fodder for purposeful, as well as serendipitous, exploration. The tangibility of the physical (as opposed to virtual) library is an opportunity and a necessity, not just for those who love books, but for everyone.
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Editor: Kerry Brent, University of Idaho student
These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves.-Gilbert Highet
Librarians Teach Surfing?
Finding Good Information on the Web
Spring 2000 Issue
Seductive and mind-boggling, the World Wide Web beckons with endless digital data a mere mouse click away. The Web is a powerful informational tool, recognized by many as a viable source for research. As with any resource, however, it takes some discernment to separate the genuine sources from the propaganda, the incomplete, the misleading, and the error-laden. The University of Idaho Library is taking an active approach to teaching students to use this new tool by including it in library orientation taught to English 101 and 102 students. Last fall, ten librarians taught library orientation to 69 sections of English 101 and 102, benefiting over 1,725 students.
"In the fall of 1998, the library and English Department made the commitment to include Web research in library orientation. Freshman English classes now spend a whole week in the library, with one third of that time spent on the Web," explained Diane Prorak, the Reference Librarian organizing the program. "The class includes a little on Web searching, but we found that the real difficulty facing students, and really anyone using the Web, is deciding which search results contain good information."
"As the use of the web has increased, we were concerned about the information students were using. Students often don't understand what they're getting," Prorak said. Traditional information sources like books and journals found in the library have some credibility simply because they are part of an academic library. The fact that they are there shows that some evaluation has taken place already. The publishers have chosen to publish the books, and the librarians have chosen to purchase them. Professional journals are refereed, or examined for content by scholars in the field. The same is not true of the web. "Anyone who wants to put up information or express their opinion is free to do so. The Web is really democratic that way: everything's out there," commented Prorak.
Therefore, the challenge for Web researchers is developing the savvy to recognize whether they have found the Web equivalent of the National Enquirer or the Journal of American Studies. In other words, researchers must learn to separate the sensational from the reliable. In the English 101 and 102 library orientation, students learn how to recognize the good and bad by viewing two Web sites concerning a similar topic, looking for clues to tell them which is more trustworthy. "The same kinds of criteria are used to evaluate books and articles, just with a different perspective," clarified Prorak. The relevancy of a Web site depends on criteria like authority and currency, just like print sources, but the clues usually aren't present in the form of a publisher's name or copyright. Students are taught to look for the domain of the URL (Uniform Resource Locator), the name and purpose of the organization sponsoring the page, or the credentials of the creator as part of determining the relevancy of a site to their research.
Extending the scope of library orientation to include Web research has elicited positive responses from students and instructors, indicating the library has found another way to fulfill the needs of its users. The University of Idaho librarians' active approach to educating people about the Web shows their commitment and expertise for locating valid information, whether it be in the library or the vast reaches of the Internet, while helping library users refine their research skills as well. In doing so, librarians are fostering critical evaluation skills that will serve researchers well both in and out of the library.
The library orientation classes are held in the University of Idaho Library's Spencer Room, dedicated in recognition of a gift from Carmelita G. Spencer of Grangeville, ID, in memory of her husband, John W. Spencer. With the aid of the Spencer Endowment, the library has also furnished the room with the projection equipment and computers necessary for Web instruction. Educating students for today's world requires more than books and journals. Gifts make it possible for the library to meet these needs, undreamed of decades ago.
Help Is Out There
Spring 2000 Issue
Confused about how to find what you're looking for on the Web? You're not alone. That's why the University of Idaho Library makes their researching tips available on the Web. You can find information about Web searching and evaluation by visiting the University of Idaho Library Web site. Two very helpful sources are the Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) program, profiled in the first issue of Towers, and the Web Site Evaluation page that is part of the English 101 and 102 library orientation.
The CAI program, now called "Library and Web Research: Strategies for Success," has been updated since it was last featured in Towers and is now available to all researchers on the Web. The tutorial goes through the steps of researching a topic for a paper and includes a good section on searching techniques for the Web, describing some common search commands. It also points out some clues that can help you determine the validity of a site.
The Web Site Evaluation page has a link to a list of the criteria the University of Idaho Library has deemed important clues for evaluating Web sites, along with links to other Web evaluation pages. You can also take a look at the Web sites the instructors have chosen to demonstrate the differences between objective, factual sites and those that merely express an opinion.
From the Dean
Spring 2000 Issue
In the spring, the Deans here at the university get together and share plans for the coming year. The Library's plans for this year include a number of technology upgrades, suggested by the information we've been getting from the focus groups we've been conducting with students and faculty. These objectives include:
It's an ambitious agenda, but some of it is already done. Check out our new Web pages at .
The migration to electronic resources is being driven by the demands of students and faculty, who find the convenience of electronic resources irresistible: available at your desk, twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week, never off the shelf for binding, pages never torn out…
The cost of these resources is greater than their paper equivalents. But, thanks to your generosity, we're able to bridge the funding gap to make them available to the campus community.
The Library and the Internet: Forging the Link
Spring 2000 Issue
About a year and a half ago, the University of Idaho Library began cataloging Internet sites in the online library catalog. In an institution that houses books and print journals, this may seem odd, but it is part of the library's undertaking to keep up with the changing nature of information. Now, much information is right at researchers' fingertips. Adding Internet sites to the catalog means that credible Web sources will appear in the results when students search for print materials. Since the catalog is Web-based, students can access the Web sites directly by clicking on the link provided. Internet sites in the catalog can be easily identified by the word "Internet" in front of the call number.
Structured subject headings provide a more useful organization of Web information than most search engines. "It's a matter of reeducating people that there are all different formats of information in the catalog. It integrates everything, so they don't have to try other methods to search for information," explained Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Catalog Librarian at the University of Idaho Library. In addition to books and journals, the library catalog contains CD-ROMs, videos, maps, government documents, and electronic journals. While some of the information is available to anyone on the Web, some is only accessible from the library. "For example, the library just purchased access to 2,000 electronic books from a company called netLibrary. These are books that actually exist in print, but we have access to them over the Internet," said DeZelar-Tiedman.
The catalog provides a structured language, so while search engines are busy picking through millions of sites that might have the key words the researcher specified, the catalog lists the sites based on established terms, controlling and narrowing down the number of hits, for a more precise way of finding information. Another advantage the catalog offers researchers is the option of browsing both keyword and subject matches for their queries, as well as displaying useful links to related subject headings under individual records.
According to DeZelar-Tiedman, "More and more people prefer access on the Web. When librarians find useful information out there, we add the sites." Librarians at the University of Idaho Library began compiling lists of Web sites a few years ago when the library's Web page was created. These sites were, and still are, listed by subject on the library's Web site, but now that many of them are in the catalog, students have another way to find relevant information on the Web through a consolidated search. There are currently 267 journals and 503 other sites cataloged, with hundreds more on the way. In addition to online journals and periodicals that the library subscribes to, government information, and organizations associated with certain disciplines, there are also a number of University of Idaho projects represented.
With a growing number of cataloged sites, the issue of upkeep arises. Sites and addresses on the Web often change or disappear, and no one wants to find useless links when they are searching. DeZelar-Tiedman described the process currently used to test the sites: "A library assistant checks them all every so often to make sure they are current. Pretty soon, we aren't going to be able to do that, though. Right now we're looking into software that will perform that function." As information specialists, the librarians carefully evaluate each site's content. "We look for sites that have a lot of substance, not necessarily just a lot of text, and not just really general information. If a site looks like it will only be useful for a limited time, we probably wouldn't put it in," reflected DeZelar-Tiedman.
Though the world of information is changing at lightning speed, the University of Idaho Library continues to anticipate these changes, making information available to users in ways that weren't even imaginable a few years ago. In fact, OCLC (Online Computer Library Center, Inc.) has determined that the World Wide Web has about 3.6 million sites, nearly three times as many as there were just two years ago (see http://www.oclc.org/oclc/research/projects/webstats/). In this often confusing melee, it is comforting to know that principles of organization that have been developed over centuries are being applied to the Web, as the University of Idaho Library makes the virtual world part of its information holdings.
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