Reprint from Collections & Connections
Fall 1999, Vol. 4, No. 1

Connie Foster, WKU Libraries' Serials Coordinator, was selected as the "Outstanding Academic Librarian for 1999" by the Kentucky Library Association (KLA), Academic Library Section for her many efforts, publications and services to academic librarianship. In addition, Ms. Foster was elected to serve as president for the North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG), an international professional association. This past September, Ms. Foster, in her capacity as NASIG president, presented a paper on "Professional Growth in Libraries" to the annual meeting of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma Mexico in Mexico City. Ms. Foster received her award at the KLA Fall meeting in Louisville on October 14, 1999.

Haiwang Yuan, WKU Libraries' Web Site and Virtual Library Coordinator, was this year's recipient of the Kentucky Library Association Award for the best article published in Kentucky Libraries. The article, "Librarian, Educator, and Parent Partnership: Keeping Children Safe on the Internet," was selected by the Member Services Committee as the best of the feature articles published last year in the journal Kentucky Libraries. The award was presented at a KLA Awards Luncheon at the KLA Fall Conference in Louisville on October 14, 1999.

~Beth Knight and Jack Montgomery

We're not taking over the Hollywood scene, but WKU Libraries is dramatically altering its collection landscape with new scholarly resources. Researchers can experience the excitement of historical events enhanced with sounds, art, photos, maps, and other interactive links. These interactive features, known as multimedia, will soon be part of the library collection in the form of CD-ROMs.

A new multimedia workstation in the Reference area will offer patrons the ability to hear and see events, link to maps and pictures relating to a topic, and generally explore all aspects of a topic. Headsets will subdue the sounds associated with these interactive products.

To launch our collection is the Encarta Africana, two CD-ROMS by Microsoft. Encarta Africana is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Black history and culture with more than 3000 articles, 2500 videos, audio clips, maps , cultural artwork and photographs, and an interactive time line of Africans and people of African descent. History really does come alive through interactive products such as this. Encarta Africana is a major breakthrough for our emerging multimedia collection.

~ Beth Knight and Jack Montgomery

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association (ALA) administers 12 major awards to recognize outstanding achievement by members of the library profession. This year, Western Kentucky Universty's Head of the Department of Library Public Services, Dr. Brian E. Coutts, was the recipient of RUSA's Louis Shores/Onyx Press Award for his continued excellence in reviewing books. Dr. Coutts was presented the award, consisting of a citation and a cash award, during the annual ALA conference in New Orleans last June. The award was given in recognition of the reviewing excellence in the body of work he has produced over the last thirteen years with co-author John B. Richard, and for the quality of their annual column "Best Reference sources" which comes out in the April 15th issue of Library Journal every year.

~ Beth Knight