Member A-LIRT

Academic, public, or school library -- library instruction plays a vital role. Just ask Carol Derner, LIRT's 1995-96 president. She has been a librarian for 37 years, an ALA member for just as long, and she is the Library Director for the Lake County Public Library in Northwest Indiana.

The Lake County Public Library is the third largest library system in Indiana. It has 159 FTE employees and serves 200,000 people in 13 communities. The Lake County library system has a central library and 11 branches. Both the Lake County region and its libraries have been growing and that growth has led to a continual cycle of building and remodeling programs. It's a busy place. Still, Carol devotes a great deal of thought and energy to library instruction and to her involvement in LIRT.

"All types of libraries must realize their unique role in library instruction," Carol says, adding that in public libraries, library instruction plays a major role in addressing the need for every adult to be literate and able to compete in the workforce. Many people who use the library to become literate or enrich their lives through literacy have only the library to show them how these things can be accomplished.

Carol has been involved in many ALA activities. Over the years she has served on the ALA Council, ALA's Resolutions Committee, and the American Libraries Advisory Committee. She was a LAMA Women Administrators Discussion Group Co-Chair in 1982-1983. She has been a member of the RASD Business Services Committee, the LAMA Facilities for Specialized Library Service Committee. And, in LIRT, she has served on the Public Relations Committee and the 1993 and 1994 Program Committees.

Carol joined LIRT in 1989. She sees the round table as having the important function of advocating library instruction as a means for developing competent library use--as part of the lifelong learning process. "This mission is gaining importance as we impress upon decision makers the increasing need for training and instruction." The Lake County Public Library has been an early and active user of information technology. "We started with a book catalog produced in- house and grew through a microfiche catalog and now a third-generation online catalog," Carol explains. With the availability and demand for distance education programs, the library installed a satellite dish in 1981 to provide the Lake County region with continuing education experiences.

Carol began her own college education at Indiana University where she received a BA in American Literature in 1956. After graduating from Indiana University with a MALS library degree in 1958, Carol began professionally as a Children's Librarian for the Monroe County (IN) Public Library and went on to work in a variety of library settings in Indiana including School Librarian for the Valparaiso Community Schools; Head of the Popular Library and then the Extension Department at the Gary Public Library; Head Librarian at the Elmwood Park Public Library, and Assistant Director and her present position as Library Director at Lake County Public Library.

There are important challenges facing all librarians involved with library instruction, Carol says. These include promoting the library as a place for lifelong learning, helping patrons use new information technologies, and assisting patrons who use the library to cope with career changes. Library instruction librarians also face the challenges of keeping up with new library products, product formats, and instruction methods for teaching users how to use them. Another important challenge involves providing library services and information for off-campus students involved in distance education programs. The Library Instruction Round Table should be there helping librarians to meet these challenges as well. To do so, Carol says, LIRT and its members will need to become involved in ALA's reorganization study, collaborate with other ALA units, and work to retain the round table's current membership while adding new members too. Carol is looking forward to ALA's Midwinter Conference in San Antonio. "Committees have been actively working on projects and will be reporting on those activities. San Antonio is a great place for networking and recharging one's batteries."