College and Research Libraries Guest Editorial Surviving the Flood Higher education institutional effec- tiveness depends on the quality and delivery of their information resources. Traditionally, institutions have looked to their libraries and librarians for the ex- pertise and capability to fulfill this re- sponsibility. As institutions approach the twenty-first century, several agendas that change and challenge the traditional view of information resources are being developed. The amount of information being pro- duced each year doubles, flooding the marketplace. Formats become more varied. Faculty and students comment about information overload and the need to sort out relevant information. Users are requesting that libraries develop systems that provide fast access to multiple sources, so they can "sort out" the data for thier particular need. This access must be available from a variety of loca- tions, not just on campuses and in the library. Academic users are not willing to turn over their information needs to others for sorting and packaging. Recent developments in information technology have had a greater impact on academic libraries than any other single action. Practices, such as information or- ganization, storage, and retrieval, have been transformed. The implementation of information technologies could not have happened at a worse time for academic librarians. Academic libraries have been experiencing declining budgets since the late 1980s. While attempting to embrace the new technologies, most libraries must con- tinue operating with old technologies. Both the increase in the amount of infor- mation being produced and the im- plementation of information technology have occurred at a time when higher edu- cation institutions are rethinking the economic model for academic library fund- · ing. Access to personal computers by stu- dents and faculty have encouraged the assumption that information based activ- ity can happen any place at any time with the use of a telephone line. Access to tech- nology has also delighted faculty and stu- dents, who claim they can now bypass the library when searching for information. The rapid increase in the information available in electronic formats and further implementation of information tech- nology have initially allowed computing centers to take on new roles and re- sponsibilities. Some institutions have ac- cepted the challenge of bringing libraries and computing centers together in a single organizational unit. Other institu- tions are bracing for tough turf wars be- tween the computing center and the library to decide who will control cam- pus information. In general, computing center staff believe that librarians are in- capable of mastering the new tech- nology to the extent necessary for higher education institutions to receive the greatest benefits. Librarians are aware that information is growing in complex- ity and that delivery is only one com- ponent. With these conflicting levels of awareness, how can academic librarians even hope to lead the academic commu- nity into creating the information society of the twenty-first century? I recently read about alliances desired between corporations, including IBM and Apple Computer, as well as Digital and Microsoft. The press regularly re- ports on collaborations created among public school systems and businesses. 282 College & Research Libraries These models encourage cooperation for a common good. A question for aca- demic librarians is: What is our goal for an information society, and can the goal be reached in isolation? Think about the possibility of creating alliances. It seems to me there are five major questions: • Who are the natural players on your campuses? Obvious candidates are other infor- mation stakeholders such as the com- puting centers, communications centers, reprographics centers, and learning technology centers. • Wlzat are some of the day-to-day reali- ties? Missions of the obvious candidates are similar, but each area has developed from a different academically based expertise. • Wizen will the common good be achieved? Through combining efforts during periods of rapid technological and in- formation expansion and economic re- straints, multiple units can develop effective ways of meeting the informa- tion needs of the academic community. • Wl1ere will the information actually be? Through combining efforts, a variety of formats can be appro- priately housed. Naturally, most of the print will be in the library. Collabora- · tion with other campus constituencies will provide effective access to myriad available information resources. • How will information be accessed? There will be a variety of access points, and users should be educated July 1992 at their initial entry point. This could take place at the library, computing center, classroom, dormitory, or an in- dividual office. The education will encompass all information points ac- cessible to members of the campus community. Academic librarians have been success- ful in creating collaboratives. Collabora- tions between librarians and faculty are common occurrences. For example, when librarians work with faculty on a program or an instructional package, they usually share responsibilities. Librarians have also been skillful in reaching outside the academic commu- nity to create collaboratives. Examples include areas such as preservation, intel- l.ectual freedom, copyright, and futuris- tic collaborative planning such as the NREN. ACRL has a long history of strength- ening the role of the academic librarian in the academy. Creating collaboratives and building alliances are additional ways ACRL can support academic librarians and librarianship. The recent flooding in Chicago de- monstrated to me the horrors that can result from the lack of infrastructure up- grading. Academic librarianship is at a critical crossroad. Rapid changes . and growth are occuring in all information technologies. How can librarians bridge alliances to build the appropriate infor- mation infrastructures so our users don't drown in the flood of information? ALTHEA H. JENKINS ACRL Executive Director