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 | By ROBERTA de KAY LIBRARIES may walk an even tighter rope in the future unless ways are found to provide more services on the one hand while dealing with inflation, changes in tax support and a changing society on the other. More than 100 recommendations for ways to deal with the problems were made by 364 delegates to the Illinois White House Conference on Library and Information Services at a two-day conference held in Springfield last November. The delegates, one-third representing libraries and two-thirds representing the community, were later asked to rank those recommendations in order of priority. The two top priorities of each group revealed the most significant differences between the two groups. While library delegates ranked state and national mandates for quality school media programs at all grade levels as a first priority and a national library and information service network which would make use of computerized technology as second, the community delegates ranked those tenth and ninth, respectively. |
The community delegates' top priorities were, first, to ensure more efficient use of buildings and resources (by having more flexible hours, providing meeting space for groups and coordinating programs between school and public libraries) and second, to provide library services for those not now being served. Library delegates ranked those sixth and fourth, rather close to the community delegates' top recommendations, but different enough to suggest some disagreement between the groups.
Both groups gave an equal ranking of third place to the recommendation that tax support for public library and information services should not be decreased as patterns of local taxation change.
Overall, library delegates' recommendations tended to reflect more concern for national networks and state and federal funding programs, while thecommunity recommendations showed concern for services, cost effective programs and equal access to information for citizens of all ages.
It will be the combined priorities of the two groups of delegates that will be considered at a National White House Conference on Library and Information Services in October 1979. The five top priorities when each groups' rankings were combined were:
1. Libraries should provide services to those not now being reached. Residents of high rises, the physically handicapped, people in rural areas, non-English speaking people and prisoners were among those mentioned.
2. The level of tax support for public library and information services should not be decreased as local taxation patterns change.
3. Public libraries should use their buildings and resources more efficiently by providing more flexible hours, coordinating programs, offering telephone information services and assessing the effectiveness of their programs.
4. State and national mandates should be set for quality school media programs at all grade levels.
5. A national library and information service network which would make use of computerized technology should be established.
Illinois will send 19 delegates to the national conference. Community representatives are: Nancy Abbate, Chicago; John Armendariz, Chicago; William J. Boyd, Winnetka; Cullom Davis, Springfield; Christopher Donahue, Rockford; Dalyle Deal Eldredge, Springfield; Eugene W. Holmes, Peoria; Elizabeth Lawson, Chicago; Arthur Jackson, Rock Island; Elizabeth Maloney, Edwardsville; Patrick C. Racey, Chicago; David M. Truitt, Chicago, and Howard R. Veal, Sr., Springfield. Library-related representatives are: Howard W. Dillon, Chicago; David King, Chicago; Robert R. McClarren, Deerfield; Sharon Simmons, Clinton; Peggy A. Sullivan, Chicago, and Donald E. Wright, Evanston.
April 1979/Illinois Issues/15
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