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As you know, the AASL-ARLIS/NA Joint Task Force on NAAB Standards is
working on a revision to the NAAB's Condition 8: Information Resources.
Please see our proposed draft below. For comparison purposes, we have
included a link to the current Condition 8 (on the NAAB website) at the end
of this message. To review, the major issue raised by NAAB Executive
Director Elliott Pavlos in his original request to AASL (also attached
below) is the current 5000 NA minimum volume requirement for architecture
libraries. We greatly appreciate the feedback which AASL and ARLIS members
gave us last fall on this and related issues. Our proposed revision of
Condition 8 is brief, emphasizing a few key concepts. We will address
"specifics" later, in a revision of Appendix A-3, Guidelines for Writing a
Library Self-assessment. Our deadline is October, 2000.
This proposal will be discussed in meetings at the upcoming AASL and ARLIS
conferences. The AASL discussion, led by Kathy Brackney, is scheduled for
Monday, March 13 at 2:00. Janine Henri will lead the ARLIS discussion, on
Sunday, March 19 at 9:00 AM. We hope that many of you will be able to
attend these meetings.
Kathy Brackney and Janine Henri, Co-Chairs
Irene Askelson
Anita Carrico
Judy Donovan
Kay Logan-Peters
Deborah Thompson-Wise
Margaret Webster
[Our proposed revision to Condition 8]:
Library and visual resource collections are essential for architectural
study, teaching, and research. In addition to developing and managing
increasingly complex collections, architecture librarians and visual
resource professionals provide information services which promote the
research skills and critical thinking necessary for professional practice
and lifelong learning.
The architecture librarian and, if appropriate, the professional in charge
of visual resource collections, will provide an assessment of library
collections and services. Recognizing the unique character of each
architecture school, this report must specifically evaluate the degree to
which information resources support the school's mission, strategic plan,
curriculum and research specialties. The quality, currency and
suitability, as well as range and quantity of resources should be assessed.
Format is another important issue. Libraries and visual resource
collections require both traditional and electronic resources. Budgetary
support enabling continuous and appropriate collection growth must be
demonstrated. Finally, any significant problems which impact the
operations or services of the library or visual resource collections should
be clearly stated, with recommendations for improvements.
The librarian's report must cover the following areas: library collections;
services; staff; facilities; and budget/ administration/
operations. Consult Appendix A-3, Guidelines for Writing a Library
Self-assessment.
[Original message from Elliott Pavlos]
There are two ways to describe the new directions for NAAB:
1) very much in response to the Boyer Report and its call for diversity of
programs, there is much more emphasis on a school's strategic plan,
mission, and self evaluation. The NAAB would like to see schools defining
their own individuality and direction based on their local situation: who
they are, where they are located, the emphasis of the university, etc.,
measuring this through their own self-evaluation and the NAAB's evaluation
of (and assistance with) how well they are meeting their ( the school's)
objectives as well as the NAAB conditons and criteria.
2) following #1, freeing the present constricted library collection
requirements (for 5,000 NA titles), by developing a new broader standard
that recognizes the breadth of the profession and the diversity of
programs. This is where we especially need the help from members of the
AASL -- for ideas about how we might go about changing the standard,
information that might be used to set a new standard, etc.
Our timetable is to have a recommendation by the time of the next
validation conference, which is scheduled for October, 2000.
[URL for current Condition 8]:
http://www.naab.org/information1726/information_show.htm?doc_id=15293
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