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The University of Colorado library and its makers: 1876–1972
Reviews
97
Mason, Ellsworth. The Universityof Colorado Library and Its Makers: 1876-1972. Metuchen,NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1993.373 pp. $42.50 (ISBN 8101-2685-2). Reviewed by Robert D. Stueart, Professor and Director, Library and Regional Documentation Center, Asian Institute of Technology, GPO Box 2754, Bangkok 10501, Thailand. This reviewer is probably not the most objective person to write this critique of a tome, which is so obviously a labor of love for the writer and such a sweet reminiscence for the reviewer, the two of whom came under the captivating influence of both an institution, destined for greatness in its panoramic location and its most dynamic leader, whose tenure covered two episodes interrupted by 15 years of postwar depression, The primary developments of this institution’s library occurred during the tenure of a giant in American librarianship, one Ralph E. Ellsworth. Throughout the volatile years of his stewardship, a cast of characters with connections to Colorado paraded across the profession with a collective influence still felt today, revealing a mentoring relationship not likely to be repeated in the near future. His style and commitment produced a cadre of distinguished library leaders, a virtual who’s who of the profession, throughout the midcentury development of this library, an episode to which one fifth of this historical treatise is committed. But even with that giant’s contributions still overshadowing other less dramatic developments, this is much more than just a report of one man’s influence. It is a fascinating account, even to those who may never have had the privilege of working at the University of Colorado or the opportunity of visiting this treasure nestled at the foothills of the beautiful Rocky Mountains. The university’s academic prowess is well identified, and confirmed over 30 years ago by educational experts as the only university in the 13-state Rocky Mountain and High Plains area to have emerged with top-level graduate programs. Despite fluctuations in commitments on the part of the state legislature and the university administration itself, the library survived and even flourished from the first year when there “was not a book for the library” (p. 5) to the “millionth” milestone acquisition in the early 1960s (when Ellsworth remarked to this reviewer, at that time his administrative assistant, that perhaps the title should be How to Lie with Statistics) and beyond to the automation milestone of the early 1970s. Besides description of various personalities leading the library during its formative and later years, extensive description is given to the library building programs, and the iterations of various successful and not-so-successful additions and branch libraries. One can recognize that this overemphasis is because Mason, like Ellsworth himself, is a keen observer, critic, and consultant on library buildings. This thoroughly documented historical account is told with the tenacity of a sleuth and the wit of a maverick for which Ellsworth Mason has come to be known. In its own way, it is a tale of “How the West Was Won,” two stories intertwined: one of a university, opened in a state just removed from territorial status, which 17 short years later would claim a reputation as one of the dozen most prestigious universities in the country; the other of a library system destined to make its mark on academic libraries and librarianship during the first almost 100 turbulent years of the development of the profession. The story commences in the midst of controversy and concludes, just as the
98
Reviews
“informationage” begins, by describing tentative, yet formative, attempts at automation of processes in the ~versi~‘s library. It leaves the reader hanging, searching for a sequel. Except for minor technical flaws, such as the wrong running title for Chapter VII (pp.153-2011, and a couple of careless typographical errors (e.g., Plans instead of Plains), the format is pleasing. The index, with parentheses identi~~g divides by profession (e.g., architect, library director), is quite useful. Ellsworth points out in the preface that this work “contains sizeable chunks of library history” (p. viii) and indeed those events are peppered with fascinating personal recollections of many writers and interviewees, adding to the fascination and intrigue.
McClure, Charles R, Babcock, Waldo C,, Nelson, Karen A., Polly, Jean Armour, and Kankus, Stephen R. The Project GAZNReport: Connecting Rural P&ic Libraries to the Internet. Liverpool, NY: NYSERNet, 1994.43 pp. $10.00. Reviewed by Kathy J. Anderson, Global Business I~o~~ion Network, Indiana Center for Global Business, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405. To ensure that all citizens will have access to information, the democratic distribution of networked resources must occur. In The Pr~j~t Gain Report, the five authors have produced a benchmark study on the integration of small public libraries into the National Information Infrastructure @III). The report continues McClure’s line of investigation into the networking of public libraries. In this study, the research team chose the rural public library as a test site. Their alliance with NYSERNet, a nonpro~t Internet service provider for New York State, provided an ideal opportunity for implementing the study. Through grants from the J.M. Kaplan Foundation, the Apple Library of Tomorrow program, and several others, the team was able to fund project management, the data collection and evaluation process, and tele~o~~cation and equipment costs for participating libraries. Sites included five rural libraries and one Indian Nation K-8 school in upstate New York. Participants were given Macintosh computers, modems, software, printers, and Internet co~ectivi~ via a Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP} connection. Extensive training was carried out by members of the research team. Building on initial needs assessment studies by Vavrek (1990,1993) that revealed a demand for ~mpute~zed or networked notation access in the rural setting, the authors’main goal was the assessment of the utility of networked information resources in the rural public library. The main functional objectives of the study were to: l
l
l
Connect rural libraries to the Internet. Train site personnel to navigate the Internet using such tools as email, ftp, and telnetting. Acquaint trainees with the range of resources available on the Internet.
97
Mason, Ellsworth. The Universityof Colorado Library and Its Makers: 1876-1972. Metuchen,NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1993.373 pp. $42.50 (ISBN 8101-2685-2). Reviewed by Robert D. Stueart, Professor and Director, Library and Regional Documentation Center, Asian Institute of Technology, GPO Box 2754, Bangkok 10501, Thailand. This reviewer is probably not the most objective person to write this critique of a tome, which is so obviously a labor of love for the writer and such a sweet reminiscence for the reviewer, the two of whom came under the captivating influence of both an institution, destined for greatness in its panoramic location and its most dynamic leader, whose tenure covered two episodes interrupted by 15 years of postwar depression, The primary developments of this institution’s library occurred during the tenure of a giant in American librarianship, one Ralph E. Ellsworth. Throughout the volatile years of his stewardship, a cast of characters with connections to Colorado paraded across the profession with a collective influence still felt today, revealing a mentoring relationship not likely to be repeated in the near future. His style and commitment produced a cadre of distinguished library leaders, a virtual who’s who of the profession, throughout the midcentury development of this library, an episode to which one fifth of this historical treatise is committed. But even with that giant’s contributions still overshadowing other less dramatic developments, this is much more than just a report of one man’s influence. It is a fascinating account, even to those who may never have had the privilege of working at the University of Colorado or the opportunity of visiting this treasure nestled at the foothills of the beautiful Rocky Mountains. The university’s academic prowess is well identified, and confirmed over 30 years ago by educational experts as the only university in the 13-state Rocky Mountain and High Plains area to have emerged with top-level graduate programs. Despite fluctuations in commitments on the part of the state legislature and the university administration itself, the library survived and even flourished from the first year when there “was not a book for the library” (p. 5) to the “millionth” milestone acquisition in the early 1960s (when Ellsworth remarked to this reviewer, at that time his administrative assistant, that perhaps the title should be How to Lie with Statistics) and beyond to the automation milestone of the early 1970s. Besides description of various personalities leading the library during its formative and later years, extensive description is given to the library building programs, and the iterations of various successful and not-so-successful additions and branch libraries. One can recognize that this overemphasis is because Mason, like Ellsworth himself, is a keen observer, critic, and consultant on library buildings. This thoroughly documented historical account is told with the tenacity of a sleuth and the wit of a maverick for which Ellsworth Mason has come to be known. In its own way, it is a tale of “How the West Was Won,” two stories intertwined: one of a university, opened in a state just removed from territorial status, which 17 short years later would claim a reputation as one of the dozen most prestigious universities in the country; the other of a library system destined to make its mark on academic libraries and librarianship during the first almost 100 turbulent years of the development of the profession. The story commences in the midst of controversy and concludes, just as the
98
Reviews
“informationage” begins, by describing tentative, yet formative, attempts at automation of processes in the ~versi~‘s library. It leaves the reader hanging, searching for a sequel. Except for minor technical flaws, such as the wrong running title for Chapter VII (pp.153-2011, and a couple of careless typographical errors (e.g., Plans instead of Plains), the format is pleasing. The index, with parentheses identi~~g divides by profession (e.g., architect, library director), is quite useful. Ellsworth points out in the preface that this work “contains sizeable chunks of library history” (p. viii) and indeed those events are peppered with fascinating personal recollections of many writers and interviewees, adding to the fascination and intrigue.
McClure, Charles R, Babcock, Waldo C,, Nelson, Karen A., Polly, Jean Armour, and Kankus, Stephen R. The Project GAZNReport: Connecting Rural P&ic Libraries to the Internet. Liverpool, NY: NYSERNet, 1994.43 pp. $10.00. Reviewed by Kathy J. Anderson, Global Business I~o~~ion Network, Indiana Center for Global Business, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405. To ensure that all citizens will have access to information, the democratic distribution of networked resources must occur. In The Pr~j~t Gain Report, the five authors have produced a benchmark study on the integration of small public libraries into the National Information Infrastructure @III). The report continues McClure’s line of investigation into the networking of public libraries. In this study, the research team chose the rural public library as a test site. Their alliance with NYSERNet, a nonpro~t Internet service provider for New York State, provided an ideal opportunity for implementing the study. Through grants from the J.M. Kaplan Foundation, the Apple Library of Tomorrow program, and several others, the team was able to fund project management, the data collection and evaluation process, and tele~o~~cation and equipment costs for participating libraries. Sites included five rural libraries and one Indian Nation K-8 school in upstate New York. Participants were given Macintosh computers, modems, software, printers, and Internet co~ectivi~ via a Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP} connection. Extensive training was carried out by members of the research team. Building on initial needs assessment studies by Vavrek (1990,1993) that revealed a demand for ~mpute~zed or networked notation access in the rural setting, the authors’main goal was the assessment of the utility of networked information resources in the rural public library. The main functional objectives of the study were to: l
l
l
Connect rural libraries to the Internet. Train site personnel to navigate the Internet using such tools as email, ftp, and telnetting. Acquaint trainees with the range of resources available on the Internet.