Library Services to Distance Learners in the Commonwealth |
Chris Adams
VOL. 11, No. 2, 135-138
Elizabeth F. Watson and Neela Jagannathan (Eds.).
Jeniphier R. Carnegie (Consulting Ed.).
Vancouver, B.C.: The Commonwealth of Learning, 1996.
ISBN 1-895369-47-9
viii, 247 pages; illustrated with maps and charts.
Library Services to Distance Learners in the Commonwealth is a collection of 22 articles prepared by practitioners of distance librarianship in Commonwealth countries, including Africa, Australia, Britain, Canada, the Caribbean, India, and New Zealand.
According to the promotional copy:
While distance education is an effective and versatile means of addressing the problems of human resource development in the Commonwealth, an important concern is adequate and appropriate services to support distance students. There is a growing recognition that the provision of good library services is a crucial factor . . .
The purpose of this collection . . . is to acquaint readers with distance librarianship as it is practised throughout the Commonwealth. The book will be of value to distance librarians, educators, administrators and planners, as well as to library school students.
As an introduction to the concerns of practising professionals who deliver library support to a wide range of academic, technical, and postgraduate or certificate programs in an incredibly diverse set of environmental, political, and technical situations, this reader fully achieves its stated objective. For those with limited exposure to the multiplicity of issues associated with international librarianship, the case studies enumerated here are eye openers.
The book is reasonably priced ($12.00 Canadian); its coil binding permits easy handling; and the type face, charts, and diagrams are easily readable. The editors and contributing authors have produced a high calibre of writing. The editors have been careful to elicit contributions from professionally known and lucid practitioners.
For every article that addresses the future or current issues faced by distance education library programs, there are two that are more or less descriptive of a specific library service program being delivered in a particular region. For those seeking an overview, this might be a matter for concern. However, at the same time, these two types of articles are balanced by those that do provide an overview or survey of a commonwealth geographical region. In the following comments, I have tried to identify authors whose articles were considered “must read”; those that were “very interesting or had “unusually informative content”; and finally those that were “of note.”
Readers will derive the fullest value of this work if they first read Michael Wooliscroft’s Introduction. He addresses each contribution in sequence and then summarizes its salient points. Wooliscroft then appropriately “places” that contribution within the overall context of “international distance education librarianship.” He then either ties the article into the next contribution or leads from it. In my opinion Wooliscroft was a brilliant choice for the introductory comments; he provides a ready mechanism by which readers can access the content, the issues of international librarianship, and descriptions of library service programs by particular institutions and in specific geographical regions. Readers can then readily flag those writers, issues, or regions that they wish to flip to first.
Immediately following Wooliscroft’s Introduction is an outstanding 30- page article by the lead editor, Elizabeth Watson, entitled “Distance Librarianship: A Perspective.” As its title suggests, the article provides a succinct assessment of the subject discipline. Ms. Watson discusses dual vs. single mode institutions; Third World issues; the role of technology in distance education; the literature of distance librarianship; standards and guidelines for library service; the interaction of educators, administrators, learners, and librarians; management; funding; fees; facilities; collections; and user services, including bibliographic instruction, reference, and inter-library co-operation. Ms. Watson is highly successful in educating readers about the current issues being faced by all distance education librarians, wherever they are located. Points addressed by Ms. Watson are drawn out in greater detail by the contributions of Alexander Slade; Anthony Cavanagh and Joan Tucker; Linda Claudia de Four; John Magnus; David Meacham; and Margaret Macpherson, all of which are “must reads.” Other noteworthy contributions include Bobb-Semple’s technical-vocational programme in Jamaica; Celia Brockett’s discussion of management issues for library services at Massey University; and Neela Jagannathan’s description of equitable service in India.
Although the rationale behind the ordering of the articles is stated to have been “contributions of a general nature, [followed by] reports on research studies and finally, country or region specific articles,” it will be difficult for those who do not read Wooliscroft’s introduction to understand how one article relates to the preceding or succeeding article. The editors might have given more consideration to grouping the articles physically into sections and then providing separate introductions or overviews. These overviews might not only have introduced the context for the section but also covered the major issues faced and addressed by the contributing authors and what was not covered.
The Canadian content is weak even though the sole Canadian contributor, Alexander (Sandy) Slade of the University of Victoria, is perhaps the most notable distance librarian within Canada. Also, Mr. Slade’s contribution, which is the 1994 survey of western Canadian distance education library programs, is highly descriptive. However, there are a number of other innovative Canadian distance education institutions and library support programs that merit individual consideration, including University of Northern British Columbia, Athabasca University, the Open Learning Agency, and many eastern Canadian institutions, including the universities of Western Ontario, Laurentian, Guelph, New Brunswick, Memorial, and Mount Allison. In addition, the article does not examine the issues faced by traditionally-oriented university libraries whose primary clientele are on-site, on-campus students and yet who are endeavouring to meet the needs of off-campus students located in distant and, in some cases, remote locales. There is no mention of access to computerized technology or proper access to, and appropriate training in the use and evaluation of, Internet resources. Nor is any attention focused on the role of regional college programs for certificate or skills programs that enhance lifelong learning or professional upgrading programs.
This concern for currency and a descriptive balance of programs may apply to other Commonwealth regions including India, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom. However, this might be a fruitful topic for future works that would survey in greater depth the issues faced by specific Commonwealth regions. This is a potential area for research that I hope the editors and the Commonwealth of Learning agency are considering.
Commonwealth of Learning Customer Service c/o The Open Learning Agency of B.C. 4355 Mathissi Place Burnaby, B.C. V5G 4S8 Canada Tel: (604) 431-3210 Fax: (604) 431-3381 E-mail: <mailto:catalogue@ola.bc.ca>catalogue@ola.bc.ca Cost: $12.00 Canadian
Chris Adams
U-Study Co-ordinator
Off Campus Library Services
University of Saskatchewan Library
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8
e-mail: chris.adams@sask.usask.ca