Innovation drives Welch's future
Nancy Roderer, director of the William H. Welch Medical Library, says that in her line of work, innovation is essential.
   A medical library reliant on books and journals lined up on stacks, Roderer says, is an antiquated operation. Her customer base requires the absolute latest facts, figures and theories, and all within the touch of a finger. With that in mind, Roderer envisions the dawn of the "virtual library" where a visitor can peruse the institution's full catalog from any remote site--a reality, she says, that is fast approaching.
   "These days we find that our users often don't come to the library physically; they come to it electronically," says Roderer, who took her post a year ago this month. "They access from a computer the books, journals, databases that are available here. In some people's minds, they don't need a library anymore. But what is really happening is they have a new kind of need." Full story...

Intersession offers 'real world' skills
Whisper a message in someone's ear. Then tell that person to pass on the information to someone else. In turn, that person will tell yet another... . Well, you know the rest. It is a familiar game, the end result of which is often a garbled message that barely resembles the original.
   Linda DeLibero, an instructor in The Writing Seminars, says games like this are being played out on a large scale nearly every day. Yet, instead of "a message," it's hard news that is being passed on. DeLibero says, in the case of the recent presidential election, trying to find out what actually happened largely depended on whom you asked, or more precisely, to what media outlet you went. Full story...

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