Sallyport - The Magazine of Rice University - Winter 2002

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Fondren’s Ranking Makes Big Jump - Through the Sallyport Winter 2002 VOL.58, NO.2 Fondren’s Ranking Makes Big Jump It’s no secret that information is the name of the game, and while that’s probably always been the case, it’s never been more true than now. According to Nielsen/NetRatings, Internet usage in America’s 20 most-wired cities ranges from about 40 percent to about 60 percent. The point isn’t to marvel at how fast the Internet has grown but to realize how much sheer information power we now literally have at our fingertips. In essence, the average desktop computer with an Internet connection has become a personal library with vastly more information capacity than world-class libraries of even 20 years ago. Visit Web Site But that doesn’t mean the concept of the library is defunct. The old paperstorage facility of the past is being transformed thanks to an infusion of new life from information technology, creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Certainly, this is what’s happening at Rice. Just this past year, Charles Henry, formerly vice provost and chief librarian, was appointed vice president and chief information officer, with jurisdiction over both Fondren Library and Rice’s Office of Information Technology. “Information Technology and the library have responsibility for information management and delivery,” says Henry, “and both entities rely on technology for their fundamental services and programs.” Henry says that merging information technology with Fondren was a “logical and tactically sound move,” because it allows for greater coherency when developing new services and programs and bringing the respective strengths of both professional units to bear when building the strongest support for teaching and research at Rice. It also doubled the size of the staff and the library’s operational budget. The merger—and Fondren’s recent increase in its holdings—has had a positive effect on the library’s national rankings. In just five years, Fondren’s ranking among university research libraries in the United States and Canada moved to 63 from 104, according to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). “This dramatic jump in statistics represents a strategic change at Rice University,” Henry affirms. The ranking is based on an index developed by ARL to measure the relative size of university libraries. For the most recent ranking, 1999–2000, Rice is listed as having 2,116,862 volumes and 15,508 current serials in its library, with 62,684 volumes added during the previous fiscal year. Total expenditures amounted to $19,134,032—an increase of 109.8 percent since 1994–95, which is the largest increase in total expenditures during that fiveyear span. Fondren’s permanent staff numbers 213. http://www.rice.edu/sallyport/2002/winter/sallyport/fondrensrankings.html (1 of 2) [10/30/2009 11:00:26 AM]
Fondren’s Ranking Makes Big Jump - Through the Sallyport The ARL rankings are used mostly by libraries for comparison and analysis of annual budgets. Harvard University’s library ranked No. 1, with 14,437,361 volumes (289,322 volumes added during the previous fiscal year), 109,528 current serials, total expenditures of $80,862,137, and a staff of 1,088. —Christopher Dow with reporting by B. J. Almond [ back to top ] Featured Stories | Through the Sallyport | On the Bookshelf | Who's Who Students | Arts | Scoreboard | Yesteryear | Previous Issues Copyright ©2002 Rice University http://www.rice.edu/sallyport/2002/winter/sallyport/fondrensrankings.html (2 of 2) [10/30/2009 11:00:26 AM]
Page 1 and 2: Sallyport - The Magazine of Rice Un
Page 3 and 4: Unlike any in Europe Winter 2002 VO
Page 5 and 6: Unlike any in Europe - Beginnings W
Page 7 and 8: September 11 - Out of the Maelstrom
Page 9 and 10: September 11 - Out of the Maelstrom
Page 11 and 12: Campus Reacts to National Tragedy W
Page 13 and 14: Taking the Honors Winter 2002 VOL.5
Page 15 and 16: Taking the Honors have to promote t
Page 17 and 18: Taking the Honors academic life too
Page 19 and 20: Fairy Godmother Winter 2002 VOL.58,
Page 21 and 22: Fairy Godmother Featured Stories |
Page 23 and 24: One Ring to Rule them All my work.
Page 25 and 26: One Ring to Rule them All the way w
Page 27 and 28: Through the Sallyport Sloan Profess
Page 29: Putin Looks for Stronger U.S.- Russ
Page 33 and 34: Music Dean Tapped to Lead NEA - Thr
Page 35 and 36: The Ethics of Biotechnology - Throu
Page 37 and 38: Nano Meets H2O - Through the Sallyp
Page 39 and 40: Bio-Cartographers Unite! - Through
Page 41 and 42: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~giving/ -
Page 43 and 44: Rice Gallery: One saw; the other sa
Page 45 and 46: Sloan Professional Master’s Progr
Page 47 and 48: The Eyes Have It - Through the Sall
Page 49 and 50: Language Learning Receives Boost -
Page 51 and 52: Of Bugs and Men - On the Bookshelf
Page 53 and 54: Texas Tidbits - On the Bookshelf Wi
Page 55 and 56: Booknotes - On the Bookshelf Winter
Page 57 and 58: In the News - Who's Who Winter 2002
Page 59 and 60: Closet Full of Hats - Who's Who Win
Page 61 and 62: Welcome Back, Mrs. Rozek - Who's Wh
Page 63 and 64: Welcome Back, Mrs. Rozek - Who's Wh
Page 65 and 66: Segura Secures Schlumberger Fellows
Page 67 and 68: Rice Engineering Team Makes a Splas
Page 69 and 70: Scoreboard Winter 2002 VOL.58, NO.2
Page 71 and 72: Hearts of Champions - Scoreboard
Page 73: Yesteryear Winter 2002 VOL.58, NO.2

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