ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


Jan u ary  1991 / 45

Letters

C op ing w ith a quak e

To the Editor:
The article “Coping with a quake” (C &RL News, 

November 1990, 9 2 8 -3 3 ), though generally very 
instructive, makes one suggestion that is seriously 
misleading and should be corrected.

On page 932, the authors imply that patrons 
should have been reminded to take belongings with 
them when evacuating the building. In some dozen 
years o f disaster planning, every emergency profes­
sional I have dealt with has emphasized that when 
a situation calls for evacuation, getting out o f the 
building should be the only focus. In case o f Are or 
earthquake especially, there is simply no way to tell

whether seconds will be critical, and the assump­
tion should always be that they are. (And the few 
seconds required for each patron quickly add up.)

In the case reported, the problem was com­
pounded when staff were allowed to reenter the 
building to retrieve patrons’ personal belongings. 
If, as the authors report, the situation was still 
“potentially dangerous,” no one should have been 
permitted to go back in until responsible authori­
ties, acting on expert advice, had determined that 
the building was safe. The inconvenience was no 
doubt annoying to the patrons involved, but when 
that is weighed against the potential for serious 
injury or death there is no question which should 
prevail.—Jo h n  Lancaster, Curator o f  Special Col­
lections, Amherst College Library ■  ■

ACRL statem ent addresses academ ic library partnership 
with federal governm ent

A statement on the federal government’s role in 
the growth and development o f library resources 
has been released by the Association o f College and 
Research Libraries (ACRL).

Entitled "Academic Libraries: A Source o f Na­
tional Strength”, the statement recommends ac­
tions that will enable academic libraries to reassert 
their leadership position in the national effort to 
in crea se p ro d u ctiv ity , expand lite r a c y  and 
strengthen democracy.

“This statement addresses issues o f importance 
to academic libraries— the National Research and 
Education (N REN ), dissemination of federal in­

formation, preservation— and will orient White 
House Conference delegates and participants in 
preconference activities to the challenges facing 
academic libraries,” said Patricia A. Wand (Ameri­
can University), chair, ACRL Task Force on White 
House Conference on Library and Information 
Services. T he task force developed the statement.

A limited number o f statement copies are avail­
able from Academic Libraries: A Source o f Na­
tional Strength, ACRL/American Library Associa­
tion, 5 0  E . Huron St., Chicago, I L  60611.

T he statement also appears on the September 
issue o f College & Research Libraries News. H H

Academic librarians urged to adopt ALA Code of Ethics

A CRL and the ALA Professional Ethics Com­
mittee have joined efforts in urging academic li­
brarians to adopt ALA’s Code o f Ethics.

A joint letter from A C R L president Barbara J. 
Ford and ALA Professional Ethics Committee 
chair Anne Marie Allison will be published in Col­
lege and Research L ibraries News.

The Code o f Ethics states librarians must: “pro­
vide the highest level o f service through appropri­
ate and usefully organized collections,

fair and equitable circulation and service poli­
cies, and skillful, accurate, unbiased, and courteous 
responses to all requests for assistance; resist all

efforts by groups or individuals to censor library 
materials; protect each user’s right to privacy with 
respect to information sought or received, and 
materials consulted, borrowed or acquired; adhere 
to the principle o f due process and equality o f op­
portunity in p eer relationships and personnel 
actions; distinguish clearly in their actions and 
statements between their personal philosophies 
and attitudes and those o f an institution or profes­
sional body; and avoid situations in which personal 
interest might be served or financial benefits 
gained at the expense o f library users, colleagues or 
the employing institution.” ■  ■