From the University Librarian

May was a month for completion. More than 2,000 students graduated and several administrative searches were finalized on campus. The University received approval from the Council on Postsecondary Education for the proposed research programs including the one-time funding for the Libraries new automation system. The contract with Endeavor Information Systems, Inc. was finally signed.

May was also a month of beginnings. The implementation process for the new system, Voyager has started. Many facility projects have been initiated to be completed by the fall semester. We are all aware of the fact that it will be a very busy summer.

The Virtual Library project is on hold while we are waiting for the final report from the Council of Postsecondary Education from consultant, William Potter.

I would like to share with you some information from the National Forum on Information Literacy, located in Washington, D.C. The Forum, created in 1990, is a coalition of more than 65 education, business, and governmental organizations working to promote national awareness of the need for information literacy and encouraging activities leading to the acquisition of information skills. Patricia Breivik, Dean of Libraries, Wayne State University, is the Chair of the Forum. A web site for the Forum is under development. I was privileged to be invited to attend the Forum's last meeting on May 15 and participated in a very exciting and productive program and discussion on "Information Literacy and Consumer Health Issues." Dr. Mary Jo Dearing, Director of Health Communication and Telehealth in the Office of the Secretary, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was one of the presenters. Betsy Humphreys, Deputy Associate Director of Library Operations, National Library of Medicine, was the other speaker.

Among the many items discussed related to information literacy was The Progress Report on Information Literacy: An Update on the American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report. (The Report is available through Ekstrom Reserve.) The publication summarizes progress made since 1990 and presents five challenges for the future. This is an important document for all of us who have an interest in helping students and others become information literate.

--Hannelore Rader, University Librarian