By JOHN Y. COLE
There have been two White House conferences about libraries and information services—the first in 1979, the second in 1991. How did these conferences shape—or fail to shape—library and information services? How successful were they in enlisting citizen and governmental support for libraries? To what extent did they help bridge the gap between the interests of library professionals and those of grass-roots library users?
A new 20-page booklet by Center for the Book consultant Virginia H. Mathews addresses these questions and provides initial answers. Its publication was marked at the Library of Congress at a May 3 reception celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first White House conference and the 25th anniversary of the citizen advocacy group established at that meeting, the White House Conference on Library and Information Services Taskforce (WHCLIST).
At the reception, WHCLIST Chair Rose Ellen A. Reynolds welcomed many WHCLIST members, state librarians and state center for the book coordinators from throughout the nation. She also presented Center for the Book Director John Y. Cole and the Library of Congress with plaques recognizing support of WHCLIST during the past quarter century by both the Center for the Book and the Library of Congress itself.
In his preface to the booklet and his remarks on May 3, Cole noted that WHCLIST, which was founded by a resolution of the 1979 White House conference to carry forward the conference's proposed resolutions and recommendations, "has emerged as an effective, spirited, national advocacy group .. keeping alive the flame of library advocacy, particularly at the community level." He also said that the Center for the Book is proud to promote the partnership and advocacy vision embodied by WHCLIST and the two White House conferences.
In her assessment of the outcomes of the two conferences, Mathews points out that WHCLIST has been especially effective at the political level, keeping the conferences' resolutions and recommendations in front of elected local, state and national officials.
A pamphlet highlight is a series of brief comments about the effectiveness and results of the two White House conferences by 11 conference observers or participants: William Asp, Mary Kitt Dunn, Marilyn Miller, Joan Ress Reeves, Patricia H. Smith, Renee Swartz, F. William Summers, Carol H. Tice, Alphonse F. Trezza, Marcia Trotta and Gretchen Wronka.
For example, Reeves, Rhode Island delegate to the 1979 and 1991 conferences and former chair, WHCLIST, observed: "The most important result of the two White House Conferences on Library and Information Services was the development of a cadre of committed library supporters nationwide, epitomized by the WHCLIST, whose members were inspired by high-level discussions. They, with many others, continue to be strong advocates at the state and national level."
And Swartz, chair of the New Jersey delegation to the 1979 and 1991 White House conferences, and coordinator of the New Jersey Center for the Book, wrote: "Here are some outcomes of the White House conferences, all of which WHCLIST has helped carry forward: a strengthened and increasingly dynamic role for citizen-trustees in guiding library development; the emergence of citizen leadership across the nation, spearheading a new synergy within the library profession; the concept of partnership-building as a means to advance the library agenda; and the use of information as the power to promote increased productivity, economic growth, and enhanced quality of life for all citizens."
Published by the Center for the Book with support from WHCLIST, "Libraries, Citizens & Advocacy" is available free from the Center for the Book: telephone (202) 707-5221, fax (202) 707-0269, e-mail: cfbook@loc.gov.
John Y. Cole is director of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.