new state standards for school library media services. She commented that "it is good to see the backing for this position on a national level." U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SEMINARS Because A Nation at Risk did not emphasize the essential role of libraries in undergirding and contributing to the nation's educational system, the Secretary of Education decided to sponsor a series of small regional seminars to bring together librarians, educators, library users, and other interested groups to identify the most effective role for libraries in the Learning Society. Participation in each seminar was by invitation, and five position papers on specialized aspects of library and information science were commissioned to serve as focal points for the discussion. Commission Members and the NCLIS Executive Director were invited to participate in the seminars as follows: NCLIS Chairman Elinor Hashim and Commissioner Margaret Warden participated in the seminar on Public Libraries held at the Boston Public Library; NCLIS Vice Chairman Bessie B. Moore participated in the seminar on Library and Information Science Education held at the University of California, Berkeley, Library School; Commissioner Paulette H. Holahan participated in the seminar on School Libraries held at the Dallas Independent School District, and Executive Director Toni Carbo Bearman participated in the seminar on Academic and Research Libraries held at the University of Chicago. When the Commission was first invited to participate in the seminars, the members noted that there were no plans to synthesize the results of the four disparate topics by bringing together representatives from each group (school, academic, and public libraries and library/information educators). NCLIS urged the Secretary of Education to conduct a fifth meeting to synthesize the results of the four initial seminars. The Commission's recommendation was accepted, and a fifth seminar was held in March 1984. It focused attention on recommendations concerning linkages that came out of the first four seminars. The Department of Education issued a report entitled Alliance for Excellence: Librarians Respond to A Nation At Risk, summarizing the recommendations and results of the five seminars on the role of libraries. Recommendations arising from the seminars supported two concepts: libraries have a major role in support of education, and libraries should provide leadership in the learning society. Recommendations in the educational area included the need to: strengthen the content of the elementary and secondary curriculum by teaching the effective use of information resources; raise standards for school library media services; and improve teaching and learning through improved school library media programs and strengthened academic preparation of specialists. Recommendations in support of the learning society included the need to: improve service to people of all ages; strengthen research; expand resource sharing in support of lifelong learning; and refine the educational preparation of library and information professionals in order that they may work more effectively. RESPONSE TO THE ALA "REALITIES" REPORT The American Library Association (ALA) also responded to A Nation at Risk by appointing a Task Force on Excellence in Education chaired by Joseph Shubert, New York State Librarian. The resulting report was entitled Realities: Educational Reform in a Learning Society; it identified four realities for effective educational reform. These are: 1) learning begins before school; 2) good schools require good school libraries; 3) people in a learning society need libraries throughout their lives; and 4) public support of libraries is an investment in people and communities. During its July 1984 meeting, NCLIS passed a resolution commending the ALA report and complimenting its authors. The NCLIS resolution also stated that the ALA report reinforces the Commission's overall mission and its plans in the coming year to promote a nationwide commitment to developing the necessary skills in all persons for finding and using information. CONTRIBUTION TO THE "BUILDING A In 1984 the Commission was invited by the Academy of Independent Scholars to contribute to a major conference on Building a Learning Society. The idea for the conference was stimulated by the need for more constructive linkages between school systems and their communities, with emphasis on essential community institutions such as libraries. NCLIS Vice Chairman Bessie B. Moore served as an advisor for the conference, and Executive Director Toni Carbo Bearman was invited to speak on "Libraries and the Learning Society." LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE In order for our society to be able to make use of information effectively and productively, America needs an adequate supply of skilled information professionals. NCLIS is already hearing from decision makers in industry and within the federal, state, and local governments that there are not enough well trained information professionals to meet their needs in managing information resources and helping their organizations and agencies cope with rapid developments in information technology. One of the Commission's objectives in the area of library/information education is to help bring together educators and potential employers in the private sector to determine how best to prepare information professionals for jobs in the coming years, and to encourage the private sector to help provide the resources needed for the education and training of information professionals. During FY 1984 NCLIS convened a small informal Roundtable on Support for Library and Information Professionals to launch this new program area. At the group's first meeting, it was determined that a smaller action group should be established to review existing recruitment material in the library/information field and develop any new material that might be needed. The action group will design a brief questionnaire about recruitment practices to be sent to deans of library/information schools and heads of associations. The resulting data will help the group design a strategy for the development of a coordinated recruitment effort for the field. An additional objective of the Commission's program in library/information science education is to determine the implications for NCLIS of the Department of Education's forthcoming New Directions in Library and Information Science Education study. The Commission also contributed to and participated in the January 1984 conference of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), and it was represented at the September 1984 ALISE/Wilson Foundation Accreditation Conference, which began a process of significant change in accreditation for library/information science education. At its April 1984 meeting, NCLIS accepted a request from the National Council on Quality Continuing Library and Information Science Education to: 1) endorse, support and recognize the important work of the National Council; 2) promote and publicize the Council's existence and worthwhile program through mailings, speeches, and news releases; and 3) provide limited staff assistance to assist the Council's efforts. |