ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


133

A C R L, 1978 National Conference 
New Horizons for Academic Libraries

Take the excitem ent generated by reliving part 
of our heritage— from Concord and Lexington to 
Bunker Hill and the Old North Church; combine 
that with the settin g  o f a m odern m etropolis; 
throw in the fact that this is the cen ter o f the 
educational universe— with over 70 institutions of 
higher education in the metropolitan area, add to 
all of this a provocative four-day conference with 
outstanding speakers and a liberal distribution of 
contributed papers and time for visiting exhibits, 
and one finds a perfect setting for the November 
8-11 ACRL 1978 National Conference at the Bos­
ton Sheraton Hotel in the HUB of activity. Con­
ference and hotel registration information will be 
mailed in early summer, but please reserve those 
dates now!

For further information, please contact Julie A. 
Carroll Virgo, executive secretary o f ACRL, at 
ALA headquarters, or George Parks, conference 
chair, at the University o f Rhode Island. ■■

At right, the S h eraton -B oston  H otel, h e a d q u a r ­
ters f o r  th e A C R L  1978 N ation al C o n fe re n c e.

Continuing L ib rary  Education— II
T h is m o n t h ’s g u e s t  e d i t o r  is J u l i e  A. C a r r o l l  
Virgo, ex ecu tiv e se c r e ta ry  o f  A C R L. B e fo r e  co m ­
ing to A C R L , V irgo w as th e d ir e c to r  o f  ed u cation  
w ith th e M ed ica l L ib ra r y  A ssociation . S h e c u r­
ren tly s e r v e s  o n  th e b o a r d  o f  d i r e c t o r s  o f  th e 
Continuing L ib r a r y  E d u ca tion  N etw ork a n d  Ex­
chan ge (C L E N E  ).

The term “continuing education” encompasses 
a large v ariety  o f a c tiv itie s. M ost com m only 
thought of, perhaps, are the short-term  work­
shops or institutes that are presented by associa­
tions, library schools, and commercial organiza­
tions. As conceptualized by the ACRL Continu­
ing Education Committee, the term includes not 
only these more formal activities but also experi­
ences such as on-the-job problem solving, keep­
ing up with the literature in the field, discussing 
a problem with a colleague, preparing a budget 
in a new or different way, writing a report, work­
ing on a project-oriented committee, developing 
interpersonal skills, and even visiting the exhibits 
at a professional meeting.

Continuing education is any exp erien ce that 
helps the individual perform b e tter or with increased

 satisfaction in a present job , or in a jo b to 
which he or she aspires.

S o m etim es one hears the arg u m en t, “ Why 
should I bother with professional development or 
growth? I do not receiv e additional salary in­
creases or promotions if I do these things and my 
colleagues do not; or, my employer does not pay 
my way to m eetings.”

Such rewards as increased salaries, promotions, 
and tenure are external rewards that are certainly 
nicer to have than not to have. But more impor­
tant are the internal rewards. The ever-changing 
interest in one’s jo b , the intellectual stimulation 
of attacking old problems in imaginative better 
ways, the challenge of attempting new situations 
and stretching one’s skills, contributing to a pro­
fession that is moving, fluid, and responsive— it is 
for these reasons that we need to develop con­
tinuously, to continue our education.

For some library staffs it is difficult to attend 
meetings because of cost, geographical distance, 
or because there is no one else on staff to provide 
service if someone is gone. Formal programs are 
not the only ways in which to nurture a fertile 
mind. Consider establishing a staff development