ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries November 1989 / 919 als w ere encouraged to give us feedback on th e system, its utility an d its shortcom ings. W e in ten d to do a follow-up survey to those volunteers id en ti­ fied in th e O cto b er survey an d to provide forms at library term inals for in-house users to fill out. W e will use th e inform ation g ath ered to d eterm in e possible changes in th e c o n ten t o f th e locally m o u n ted database and n u m b e r o f access points to th e records. W e are able to analyze transaction logs and oth er rep o rts g en erated b y th e N OTIS system to see how m uch th e various indexes are u sed and how suc­ cessful users are w ith th e ir searches. T hese tools are valuable ways to analyze th e effectiveness o f the training program . By identifying com m on p ro b ­ lem s and mistakes, fu tu re training will p erhaps be m ore effective. ■ ■ Trading places: Planning an international jo b exchange By David L. McChesney Reference Librarian University o f C onnecticut Key elements in a successful job exchange overseas. D urin g th e 1987/88 academ ic year, I ex­ changed m y position as referen ce librar­ ian at th e University o f C o n n ecticu t w ith T erry H anson, a social sciences librarian at P ortsm outh Polytechnic, England. I offer my personal observa­ tions o n th e experience and jo b exchanges in gen­ eral, w ith an em phasis on th e reasons for an ex­ change an d th e d etailed planning necessary. Exchanging jobs req u ires risk-taking by th e p a r­ ticipants. Q uestions relating to many issues have to b e investigated and resolved. C oncerns on th e quality o f schools for th e children, em ploym ent availability for spouses, and th e responses to having com plete strangers use o n e’s house an d personal p ro p erty com e to mind. T h e effect on library serv­ ice an d collections at th e institutions involved, and th e willingness o f th e library adm inistrators to ac­ c e p t som e o f th a t risk are also issues th a t m ust be addressed. T h e success o f an exchange d ep en d s on careful an d detailed planning. Before asking for official sanction, I ’d reco m m en d finding a specific librar­ ian in te reste d in an exchange and th ro u g h co rre­ spondence d o cu m en t th e com m itm ent to th e ex­ change; th e n p re se n t it to th e adm inistration. T he p lanning for o u r exchange sp an n ed two years and w ithin this tim e w e w ere able to develop a firm co m m itm en t and could resolve th e problem s th a t w ould have otherw ise com prom ised th e exchange. Since this was th e first tim e anyone h ad exchanged in e ith er o f o u r libraries, we b o th felt co m m itted to succeed so others could follow. Why exchange? W h at m ost attracted m e was th e challenge o f changing jobs and learning new service and collec­ tion dev elo p m en t m ethods. W ith th e stagnant job 9 2 0 / C&RL News m ark et and no n ew m em b ers o f staff, it was a way to experience th e benefits o f a new jo b and working environm ent. I t was a chance to see how effective one could b e in a professional situation in an o th er culture. I t was a chance to co n trib u te o n e ’s u n iq u e skills in a m eaningful way to a n o th er institution. T h e cooperating d irectors h elp ed encourage this by allowing us to co n trib u te in o u r area o f expertise an d th e re b y brin g benefits to th e host libraries w hich w ould n o t have o cc u rre d w ith o u t th e ex­ change . I t was also an opp o rtu n ity to encourage, by example, o th e r professionals, to exchange and share th e ir experiences w ith th e ir colleagues. Finding a partner I t is advisable to locate an individual w ith a sim ilar professional background in a desirable geographical location. C reatin g mailing lists from in tern atio n al library d irectories is one way to solicit in te reste d librarians. T h e library adm inistrators w ith w hom I co rresp o n d ed w ere m ore th an willing to advertise my req u e st in th e ir library new sletter. C ontacting your local, state, regional, and national library associations for a list o f contacts can yield useful leads. T h ro u g h th e Association o f College an d R esearch L ibraries, I was able to contact two librarians from Brisbane and M elbourne, Australia, w ho w ere in te reste d in an exchange. H ow ever, due to reorganization an d accom m odation problem s th o se contacts did n o t w ork out. In th e A n n u a l o f L ib ra ry a n d Book Trade Inform ation, p u b lish ed b y R.R. Bowker, I found a referen ce to th e B ureau o f In tern atio n al L ibrary S taff Exchange (LIBEX ), located at th e College o f L ibrarianship, Wales, U n ited Kingdom. I su b m itte d an application and was m atch ed w ith T erry H anson. L IB E X ’s aim is to m atch British librarians w ith p o ten tial exchange p artn ers from o th e r countries. At this stage, it is b est to d escribe professional qualifications in g en ­ eral term s to maximize th e possibility o f a m atch. Plan to exchange for at least o n e year. T h ere is a 3-4 m o n th p erio d w h ere energies are sp en t learn ­ ing th e jo b an d form ing th e staff relationships necessary to accom plish m eaningful contributions in th e rem aining m onths o f o n e ’s stay. I f th e choice is for a s h o rte r p eriod, a specific p ro ject o r task should b e carefully p la n n ed for com pletion during th e s h o rte r len g th o f stay. This provides exchange closure w ith a tangible accom plishm ent for th e p articip an t an d th e host institution. Investigate any academ ic visitor program s in place at th e institutions involved in th e exchange. At th e U niversity o f C onnecticut, th ro u g h its non- com pensated-scholar-from -abroad program , p ro ­ ce d u res are already in place for visiting academics. T h ro u g h this program my exchange p a rtn e r could g et his w ork p erm it, visa, a n d university id entifica­ tion arran g ed p rio r to arriving in th e U n ite d S tates. In tu m , I received sim ilar tre a tm e n t from th e Polytechnic in P ortsm outh. Finances In re c e n t years th e F u lb rig h t C om m ission, an organization d ed ica ted to th e p ro m o tio n o f cu l­ tural, educational, an d professional exchange b e ­ tw een th e U n ite d States an d o th e r countries, has r a n a program specifically for academ ic librarians. T h e aw ard covers travel expenses (for th e ex­ changee only) and, w h ere ap p ro p riate, helps w ith living expenses. H ow ever, th e re are few awards each year. T h e Com m ission req u ires aw ell argued justification for th e exchange detailing th e reasons for doing it, th e expected benefits to you an d your institution, an d specific research projects you in ­ te n d to pursue. As far as I know, th e re are no o th e r sources o f financial assistance specifically for librarian ex­ changes. C ontacting local, regional, an d national library associations for funding can b e productive. F o r exam ple, I received a P rogram for E d u catio n (PE G ) g ran t from th e C o n n ecticu t L ibrary Asso­ ciation. O ne could also check in th e G rants Regis­ te r p u b lish ed by St. M artin ’s Press (an annual), and th e A n n u a l R egister o f G rant Su p p o rt by N ational R egister Publishing to explore sources o f funding for exchanges. As an exchangee, th e re are tax advantages w hen o n e m eets certain conditions and stays o u t o f th e U n ite d States for m o re th an 365 consecutive days. U sing F o rm 2555, F o reig n E a rn e d Incom e, and m eetin g th e req u irem en ts o f R evenue R uling 72- 123,1972-2 (Internal R evenue C um ulative Bulle­ tin , page 446), one can exclude a p ortion o f th e ir incom e ea rn e d w hile w orking outside th e U n ited States. An explanation o f this b en efit can b e found in th e Tax G uide f o r College Teachers a n d O th er Personnel p u b lish ed by th e A cadem ic Inform ation Service, W ashington, D .C . (an an n u al). This allow­ ance can b e a deciding factor in considering an exchange. I t is easiest for all parties to c o n tin u e to receive th e ir salary an d benefits from th e ir h o m e in stitu ­ tion. A m oney tran sfer system to provide local cu rren cy can be w orked o u t w ith each p articip a n t’s bank. F irst, each p articip an t opens a n ew account in each o th e r’s bank. E ach m o n th A’s ban k auto­ matically transfers an ag reed -u p o n sum from A’s account to B’s new account in th e sam e bank. At th e sam e tim e, B w ould have his h o m e ban k tran sfer a sum from his account to A’s new account in th e sam e bank. Besides providing n e e d e d currency, this arran g e m en t avoids foreign cu rren cy changing fee s. I t is also b est to agree o n a fixed exchange rate for th e d u ratio n o f th e exchange to avoid changes in buying p o w er w ith exchange rate fluctuation. To p rev e n t financial m isunderstandings, a le tte r 922 / C&RL News o f ag re em e n t should b e draw n up. In this do cu ­ m en t, perm ission to use personal effects and p ro p ­ erty, banking arrangem ents, an d use/m aintenance cost responsibilities are in clu d ed and agreed to by b o th parties. E ven tho u g h such a d o cu m en t is not legally binding, it provides b o th parties w ith th e same fram e o f referen ce to h an d le m ost financial questions th a t w ould com e up d u ring th e year. Communication As th e dates o f an exchange move closer, th e re is a n e e d for quick and efficient com m unication. F o r a reasonable cost to libraries w ith a D IA L O G service contract, th e p articip an t can com m unicate th ro u g h D IA L M A IL on a daily basis. D IA L M A IL is an electronic mail service p rovided by D IA L O G , a m ajor electronic inform ation vendor. T h e service is m en u driven for ease o f use, a n d can b e accessed th ro u g h th e E R IC database on D IA L O G by typing in th e co m m and “begin D IA L M A IL ” o f “B M A IL.” C o n tact y o u r local D IA L O G office for details. This article has co n c en tra ted on th e general points th a t are useful to anyone planning an ex­ change. C areful planning insures th e success o f the exchange. I f you wish to discuss exchanges in m ore d ep th , please contact m e at: R esearch an d In fo r­ m ation Services D ep a rtm en t, U-6R, H o m e r Bab- bidge Library, University o f C onnecticut, 369 Fair- field Road, Storrs, C T 06269-1005; (203) 486- 2513. ■ ■ U.S.-Mexico interlibrary loan initiated T w enty-one libraries in th e Southw est U n ited States an d sev en in Mexico C ity are participating in a p ro jec t to te st th e feasibility o f in terlib rary loan service betw een th e U.S. and Mexico. T h e p ro ject will ru n th ro u g h F eb ru ary 1990 and is coordinated by th e U niversity L ibrary at th e U niversity o f Texas at E l Paso (U T E P ), th e L ibrary o f th e In stitu to Tecnológico A utónom o d e México (ITAM) in Mexico City, and th e Benjam in F ranklin L ibrary o f th e U.S. Inform ation Service in Mexico City. T h e goals o f th e p ro ject are 1) to p ro m o te and en h an ce academ ic research by facilitating th e ex­ change o f scholarly inform ation, and 2) to They’re counting on you T h e A m erican M athem atical Society re ­ cently n am ed an ad hoc L ibrary C o m m ittee to study library issues th a t affect th e m athem atics research com m unity. T h e C o m m ittee consists o f four librarians (N ancy D. A nderson, D orothy M cGarry, M ary A nn Southern, an d Jo h n W. W eigel III) an d fo u r m athem aticians (Richard A. Askey, R o b ert S. D oran, Jam es Rovnyak, and G eorge Seligman). T h eir objective is to assem ble inform ation th a t will assist th e m athem atics com m unity and librarians to b u ild an d m aintain quality m a th e ­ matics libraries. O f prim ary co n cern are issues th a t involve th e viability o r effectiveness o f th e m athem atics library as a research tool, such as: cost issues; th e inform ation-seeking habits o f m athem aticians; an d new technologies. F o r m o re in fo rm atio n , co n tac t Jam es Rovnyak, D e p a rtm e n t o f M athem atics, U ni­ versity o f Virginia, C harlottesville, VA 22903. stren g th en ties b etw e en th e library an d research com m unities in th e U n ited S tates and Mexico. M aterials in th e social sciences, h um anities, and business will b e m ade available for exchange. R equests are m ailed o r sen t by fax betw een Mexico City and th e U.S., w ith th e U T E P an d ITAM libraries acting as referral centers. To e n su re safe, fast delivery, m aterials are tran sp o rte d betw een Mexico City an d th e U n ited States using th e U.S. Em bassy C ourier. E xcept for th e Benjam in F ranklin Library, p a r­ ticipating libraries in Mexico City are all associated w ith privately fu n d e d universities: In stitu to Tecnológico A utónom o d e México; Instituto Tecnológico y d e E studios Superiores de M o n te r­ r e y (M e x ic o C ity c a m p u s ) ; U n iv e r s id a d Iberoam ericana; U niversidad de las Américas (Puebla); U niversidad Intem acional; and th e Cole- gio d e México. U.S. participants are all academ ic library m em ­ b ers o f th e A M IG O S Bibliographic Council: A bilene C hristian University; A rizona S tate U ni­ versity; Baylor University; L am ar University; L ared o S tate University; N ew Mexico S tate U ni­ versity; S o u th ern M ethodist University; Texas A&M U niversity; Texas S outhm ost College; Texas T ech University; T rinity University; U niversity o f Arizona; University o f Arkansas; University o f H ouston; U niversity o f N ew Mexico; U niversity o f Texas a t A rlington; University o f Texas at Austin; U niversityofTexas at Dallas; U niversity ofTexas at E l Paso; U niversity o fT ex as at San Antonio; U ni­ versity o f Tulsa. O th er A M IGO S libraries may also jo in th e p ro jec t in th e n e a r future. F o r m ore inform ation, co n tact R o b e rt A. Seal, U niversity L ibrarian, U niversity o f Texas at E l Paso; (915) 747-5683. ■ ■