Penn State University - La Vie Yearbook (University Park, PA)

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t. T l INF A Gateway To ORMATIO he inscription on the ancient stone face of Pattee Library is deep and bold. It states with time-worn certainty that A TRUE UNIVERSITY IS A COLLECTION OF BOOKS. The assertion on the outsnde only begins to reveal the wealth of Information available inside. Through the wide portals of Pattee lie the Sltbjects 'of countless research papers, theses and dissertations. all accessible through the LIAS system. lleAS can serve as a gateway to t'nformattonfl said Jim Neal, assistant dean of libraries. . LIAS, developed at Penn State and lmPlemented in the fall of 1983, is a computer Innovation aiding the extensive network of Umversnty libraries. Frantic hunts for a book in the stacks are effectively eliminated by the computer's up-to-the-minute information. The convenience offered by LIAS is matched by fts simplicity. his quick and easy, said senior Lori Engle. illtls user-friendlyf' said Cordy Swinton, head of lending services at Pattee. For those leery of computers, fear not. . Perhaps the reason for the six percent Increase in library usage over the last three Years atiPattee can be attributed to the ease :Vlth which LIAS disseminates its information. When the system is down, the library empties, Swmton noted. ' Students may leave the library when the ?YStem. IS down, but the information does not. tems including government documents, and 5231 ? Papers and microforms have not been 3 ded t9 the LIAS database. In the future, as evlelopmg and planning continue, the libraryls entire collection to date and new formats such as software and computerized tape will be catalogued. llLlAS is a forward-looking system? king new ground in library said Neal. ltlt's brea systems. .New wrthout gr0und cannot be broken. however, People to help break it. In a university situation, a librarian must maintain contact with the universityis educational programs, objectives, and needs to establish collections. llLibrarians play an important role in outreach, Neal emphasized. In this age of information, a librarianls outreach extends far beyond the university. The LIAS system has opened lines of communication between all Penn State campuses. Students can acquire books and other materials from branch campuses as well as 3,000 other libraries nationally and internationally. Since 1982, the number of catalogued volumes has increased by more than 110,000 volumes 3 year, presenting an expansion problem, The LIAS system has freed some space for storage and seating, but additions to the system may change the space situation all over again. Attempts to solve the seating situation and to create storage space for the normal acquistion of information will be undertaken in the future as planning occurs and funds are allotted. The University Faculty Senate Committee on Libraries proposed several remedies for library expansion. These suggestions included the completion of the East Wing of Pattee, the creation of an applied sciences library to replace the Earth and Mineral Sciences and Engineering libraries, and the formation of a special collections library to accomodate the present Rare Books, Penn State Room. Historical Collections and Labor Archives. The collection of over 2.5 million volumes at University Park and its branch campuses, continual additions and renovations to their buildings and the dedication of hundreds of professional. technical, clerical and student staff have all made Penn Statels library system work. llCollections, facilities and people make the library go, Neal stated. Layout b y- m Pat H ogg Article bye-Lisa Hubbzfj SURROUNDED BY BOOKS. junior gcncml urtx and sciences major, Steven .Inncs catches up on his reading in thc Muthcnmtics Library il um Jones Sm: Marlin Sun M.ttlm LIAS' POPULARITY tlltr Icl'tl is readily apparent, II was often hard to find 1m open terminal in the information mum on the ll'rst l700r of Paltcc. CONFICNTRA TING ON HER LESSON, this student listens carefully at the Lcurning Lab in the Ifngincw'ing l,ibmrj', Then: were close to I 00 recorders mid headsets available for student use this year, l Ibrurles 2l

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20 I ,ibmriCs , , uses LIA 'V' Sciences Library with high speed; and dexterity J THE CIRCULA TION DESK in Pultcc opcns cvcry wcckdny at 7:45 11.111, and closcx l5 minutes bcforc Ihu library closcs :11 midnight. In om: ycur over 1.2 million IIIIIlL'rinls are checked out over this counter. Tom Jones THE STEPS 0F PA TTEE zIrc UIC pcrlccl place to study. Lari Gucnlhcr. :1 math major does some quick mlcululmns bclorc rushing off to class. a Suc Mi I

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22 V ISING THE EQUIPA'IENT in Cl'lmcgic building. UighU Humor Martin goes m'cr his film production. HARPENING his communication skills, wclow Jim Romoshcr prucliccs his I'h-nch. Ii Rm: UNI VER 91 n I EARNING CF NIF R. woumm Liberal Arls Trend Slcvc Kreppa Slew: KW LISTENING CAREFUL: v H .Iudum A tape in the k Slcvc Krtl