Hopkins, 'Midwinter Reports', LITA Newsletter v15n03
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/lita/lita-v15n03-hopkins-midwinter

V15N3.MIDREP LITANEWS
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Midwinter Reports


Emerging Technologies Interest Group
Forging New Relationships Between Libraries and Academic
Computer Centers

Steve Franklin (University of California, Irvine) and Rick Gates
(outgoing chair of the IG) led this discussion.
   Institutional issues faced by libraries and computer centers are
similar. What are the institutional/organizational forces that are
enabling us to work together? We share a common client base whose members
want scholarly information from us both.
   Academic computer centers, like libraries, are strategic university
resources. We work in the same university milieu, serving the dual
academic mission: education and research.
   Franklin referred to Hazard Adams' Academic Tribes in which he
discussed the features of contemporary American universities. Among
these characteristics are diffusion of academic authority;
diminishment of organizational allegiance; protective coloration of
eccentricity; and differing viewpoints on the role of the faculty:
"The faculty is the university; the faculty are employees of the
university."
   Computer networks connect systems and people; they lessen the
impact of spatial separation, facilitate resources sharing and promote
and sustain interpersonal contacts. Universities and (more often than
not) academic computer centers have played leading roles in broadly
accessible local and inter-institutional networking: BITNET, Internet,
NREN [National Research and Educational Network].
   Balancing change and continuity is our shared problem. While
continuing change is necessary, it also generates personal and
institutional stress. Faculty react differently to change. They are
used to being on the cutting edge in their own disciplines but
approach computing differently. Some prefer to keep up with the latest
in computing, others to stay with what they had (first) learned and
still others will not want change until they can see immediate
academic benefits.
   Noting that the academic computing center at UC-Irvine is providing
specialized resources, primarily for librarians first rather than general
public, Franklin asked "Why hasn't there been more collaboration between
libraries and academic computer centers"
   Gates asked: "If computer centers enable people to become
autonomous will they put themselves out of a job?"
   Someone else commented that one problem is that computer centers'
staff and librarians tend to stay in their own physical areas. We need
to get together socially (over coffee). We need to talk to each other.
   Another person pointed out that it is important not to overlook the
relationship between public libraries and city or county computing
centers.
   Another person said that we each need to figure out our unique
roles. Too often there is overlap in what is being offered and people
are confused about where to go for what.
   There are two competing models: in one there is a struggle over
sharing resources and one party wins and the other loses out; in the
symbiosis model, each benefits the other.
   We shouldn't seek a monolithic solution; but we must examine our
own assumptions about members of the other community.--Judith Hopkins


Microcomputer Users Interest Group

In a brief business meeting, chair Birong Ho asked for volunteers to
serve as Vice Chair, since the group had not held a business meeting
in New Orleans. Robert McGeachin (Texas A&M) is the new Vice Chair.
   The discussion focused on file transfer. Birong Ho described file
transfer in her environment using EXTRA, a connectivity program to
upload data from PC workstations to VM/CMS systems. She also discussed
file transfer from home workstations to the host computer.
   Robert McGeachin shared his experiences using Kermit for file
transfer. He explained troubleshooting in detail and answered members'
questions on setup and other issues. Stephen Westman discussed his
challenges with Procomm Plus.