Friday, January 26, 2001
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Library proposal concerns faculty
Letter protests increased focus on technology
By Andrew Davies
writer @kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
University of Kansas faculty members and library officials will have a second meeting next week to iron out differences over the direction the library is heading.
Library officials and representatives from each department drafted a document last fall called the "Proposed Strategic Vision for the University of Kansas Libraries." The document outlined what University officials and faculty wanted the library to accomplish over the next three to five years.
David Smith, associate professor of sociology, and 11 other faculty members of the sociology department recently wrote an open letter to the administration outlining their concerns with the proposed future of the University library system. The main concern of the faculty members was that KU libraries were gradually relying more on electronic resources than books.
other faculty members to sign.
Smith said the letter was distributed to inform faculty of the issue.
The letter has not been sent to the administration, but is being circulated around campus for
Smith said the proposed strategic vision of the library system placed too much emphasis on electronic resources alone. He said he and others who signed the letter would not mind that if it would be balanced by an equal emphasis on books and documents.
Melissa Carr/KANSAN
"We're trying to invite more people to participate in an expanded dialogue," he said.
Faculty members are currently collecting signatures that support having an equal emphasis on printed documents as on electronic resources in KU libraries. The following numbers reflect the amount of funds spent on print and electronic resources in the past four years.
"So far, everybody who's responded to me has signed it," he said.
Electronic vs. Print Resources
As of Tuesday, Smith said about 65 signatures had been collected.
Smith and Joane Nagel, professor of sociology, met with Julia Rholes, interim library dean, last week. Both Smith and Rholes said the meeting went well and that library officials took their concerns seriously.
Rholes said this was a good opportunity to gather more input from faculty.
"Even though I think it may have come out of some initial misunderstanding, I think it's going to give us an opportunity to have more dialogue with the faculty and reach greater understanding." Rholes said.
Smith said the letter was intended to make the libraries better, not to create tension.
"We view ourselves as supporters of the library," Smith said. "It's not adversarial. Some of the faculty felt concerned about the implications of the proposed vision, so we're voicing our concern."
Rholes said the library welcomed and used faculty input when ordering books. She said bibliographers — librarians who order books — always consulted department representatives to find out what type of materials each individual wanted ordered.
son or book chair."
"The faculty have always been, I think, partners with our librarians who order the books," Rholes said. "The biographer is supposed to be working closely with the department through the liai-
Rholes said the library also would use faculty input when making the decision to order electronic resources or traditional books and documents. She said the decision for each department would be based on faculty needs.
departments and the bibliographers to figure out what works best for this particular subject area."
"There's not going to be one decision for all subject areas," she said. "I think we're going to have to go one by one with the
Smith said he thought both sides would work for a compromise.
"My guess is that we'll get a sympathetic response from the administration and reach a common ground," he said.
—Edited by Jennifer Valadez
Prank links library computer to porn
At 9:15 yesterday morning, Jennifer Rack, a tour guide at Watson Library, sat down at a computer terminal in the reference section to show me online operations.
By Melissa Cooley
writer @kansan.com
Special to the Kansas
When she clicked the online catalog link, we were shocked to see several pictures of naked women. She quickly called a colleague. Bayliss Harsh, for help.
"Minimize that, minimize that." Harsh said, flustered.
Rack minimized the screen and quickly moved her demonstration to another computer — one that was not affected.
An out of order sign was posted on the computer and the problem was quickly fixed so the link led to the online catalog as it was supposed to do.
Mary Rosenbloom, external relations librarian, said she was upset by the prank. She said that libraries, which are guided by a prin-
Libraries face complex information issues because they try to provide the most up-to-date information and protect people from offensive material, Rosenbloom said.
Mary Miller, reference technology coordinator at Watson Library, said that pranks such as this one occur infrequently at the library.
from tampering with the computer system, but problems sometimes occur, Miller said.
The library has a security software program that usually prevents pranksters
She said that when someone does manage to tamper with the computers, the automation department, which addresses computer problems, can usually fix them quickly.
Yesterday's prank was short-lived as well.
Marianne Reed, systems specialist in the Anschutz Library automation office, which provides computer technical support, said the
problem was easily corrected by a change in the security settings.
"We want to protect people from this," Rosenbloom said.
The library's quick action ensured that students received the bare facts of online catalogs, not the bare breasts of an Internet pornography site.
Editor's note: Coley is a reporting student assigned to cover the University libraries. This scenario occurred during her orientation tour at Watson Library. — Edited by Drew Parry
Study abroad director wants to help students experience the world
By Michelle Ward writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Gronback-Tedesco helping students explore.
From childhood, Susan Gronbeck Tecso saw the big picture, realizing the importance of the global village.
She will impart the significance of exploring this village to students as the new director of study abroad. Gronbeck-Tedesco looks to merge the adventure of a study abroad program with the practical needs of students.
"I think I understand how students feel," she said. "They have to cope with getting a
Di ana Carlin, dean of international programs offered Gronbeck-Tedesco the position at the beginning
degree while trying to take advantage of an international experience."
of this semester as part of a restructuring plan for the program. Gronbeck-Tedesco replaced Margareta O'Connell, who had led the study abroad program for four years. Carlin declined to comment on O'Connell's removal because it is a personnel issue.
The program hopes to reach a greater diversity of departments and students with study abroad.
While goals have been set forth, the program is working toward defining the specifics, to enhance participation. The office is creating a database to analyze which schools and students are utilizing study abroad and which are not.
With time constraints and numerous degree requirements, many students don't feel they have the option to study abroad. These students, who have not been part of study abroad, are the exact people the program is targeting, said Carlin.
"In terms of the big picture, we want to increase the number of students going abroad," Carlin said. "We have some wonderful programs with very creative faculty. We just want to expand the number of programs we are offering."
"I think I understand how students feel. They have to cope with getting a degree while trying to take advantage of an international experience." Susan Gronbeck- Tedesco
new director of study abroad
Carlin offers the example of the contrast between the University and the University of Kansas Medical School.
The Med Center boasts a participation rate of 20 percent. Many pre-med students don't take advantage of study abroad during their undergraduate years. Fearful of falling behind, they wait until medical school to travel abroad. In contrast, the Lawrence campus had fewer than a 1,000 students participate last year, leading to a small percentage of overall students.
"I hope to work with the faculty and the chairs," Gronbeck-Tedesco said. "The academic programs must help define what the experience should be. I hope to help provide the support they need to make this happen. I want to work with the Med Center to learn from their programs."
Gronbeck-Tedesco has worked at the University for more than two decades in everything from affirmative action to academic affairs. This included a six-year stint as the assistant director of the Center of International Programs.
Jeannette Johnson, an assistant to the provost, thinks Gronbeck-Tedesco will be a good fit for the department. A long time colleague of Gronbeck-Tedesco, Johnson said the director's extensive knowledge of the University and her interest in international matters will aid her in the new position.
"Susan likes interacting with people. She has very good interpersonal skills. She is quickly comfortable with a wide range of people," Johnson said.
— Edited by Brandy Straw
Anthony Elliot, a professor of music at the University of Michigan, will play the cello with Toni-Marie Montgomery, dean of fine arts, at the Lied Center on Tuesday. Elliot has performed with the New York Philharmonic and Detroit Symphony. Contributed photo
Music knows no color
Dean of fine arts, an accomplished chamber pianist, to play selections of Black composers at the Lied Center. Montgomery excited to give exposure to often overlooked musicians.
By Sarah Smrsch
writer@kanson.com
Kansson staff writer
You can hear the deep hum of a cello in classical music. You can hear the rolling melody of a piano. You can even hear emotion.
Maybe that's why some Black composers find the ultimate freedom of artistic expression in classical music, an area of music often viewed through a White lens.
But you can't hear color.
The 15-member ensemble has performed at major venues like Lincoln Center in New York and has been featured on NBC's The Today Show and National Public Radio's Performance Today. The group specializes in performing works by Black composers and promotes appreciation for Black musical heritage.
Montgomery, who holds a doctorate of musical arts in piano chamber music and accompanying from the University of Michigan, is a founding member of the Black Music Repertory Ensemble at Columbia College of Chicago.
The most important thing to understand, Montgomery said, is that the composer's race or ethnicity does not necessarily affect his or her music.
"You're not going to be able to
Tani-Marie Montgomery, dean of fine arts, has a doctorate of musical art in piano chamber music and accompanying from the University of Michigan. She will team with cellist Anthony Elliot to perform classical music from Black composers. Contributed photo
tell the difference between a composer of Greek ancestry or Black ancestry or Jewish or whatever," she said. Montgomery said the composer's life experience, not the color of his or her skin, would touch the music.
Montgomery will bring those "histories" to life when she performs for the first time in Kansas, taking the Lied Center stage as a pianist in "Music by Black Composers."
"They're going to bring their own histories," she said.
The program is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and will reunite Montgomery with renowned cellist Anthony Elliot.
Elliot, now a professor of music at the University of Michigan, has performed with Montgomery since 1985. He has played with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic and the Detroit Symphony.
The duo will perform two sonatas — "Sonata for Cello and Piano" by George Theophilus Walker, who in 1994 became the first African-American composer to receive the Pulitzer Prize in music, and "Sonata for Cello and Piano" by David Baker, director of the jazz program at Indiana University.
Also on the program are "Five Negro Spirituals," arranged by Laurence Brown; "Five Verses with Vamps" by noel DaCosta; "Suite for Violoncello and Piano" by Howard Swanson; and "Three Ways for Cello and Piano" by Augustus O. Hill.
"In all my years of training for musical history, I only ran across a brief paragraph on William Grant Still, who is considered the father of Black composition," she said. "Of course I was the only African American in the class."
Happy for the opportunity to broaden the narrow attention afforded Blacks in classical music, Montgomery pointed to her extensive training and three academic degrees as the
Montgomery said she found satisfaction in highlighting the work of such accomplished Black composers. She contrasted the experience with a moment when, as a graduate student at Michigan, she realized the lack of references to Black composers in textbooks.
What: "Music by Black Composers"
CONCERT INFO
Who: Toni-Marie Montgomery, pianist and dean of fine arts; Anthony Elliot, cellist
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday Where: Lind Center
Cost: $7, general; $5, students
keys that "opened avenues" in an area that's "not a usual field for us to pursue."
"That's part of my encouraging students to realize the importance of education and achieving their goals," Montgomery said.
Edited by Doug Pacey