By
      Mike
      MacInnis
     
    

    
     
      A
      NEW
      AUTOMATED
      SYSTEM
      INTRODUCED
      AT
     
     
      Robertson
      Library
      promises
      to
      simplify
      the
      process
      of
      borrow-
     
     
      ing
      books
      in
      much
      the
      same
      way
      that
      Automatic
      Teller
      Ma-
     
     
      chines
      simplified
      every
      day
      banking.
     
    

    
     
      Last
      year
      alone,
      136,400
      books
      were
      charged
      out
      or
     
     
      renewed
      at
      Robertson
      Library,
      this
      occupied
      the
      bulk
      of
      the
     
     
      circulation
      staff’s
      time.
      Now,
      with
      the
      advent
      of
      the
      new
      3M
     
     
      SelfCheck
      System,
      routine
      checkouts
      can
      be
      done
      by
      students
     
     
      themselves,
      allowing
      more
      time
      for
      staff
      to
      complete
      other
     
     
      tasks.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Library
      officials
      have
      studied
      the
      system
      thoroughly
     
     
      and
      are
      confident
      that
      it
      will
      be
      a
      time-saving
      device
      for
      both
     
     
      library
      personnel
      and
      students.
      Twenty-five
      North
      American
     
     
      libraries
      with
      the
      system
      in
      place
      were
      surveyed
      to
      determine
     
     
      whether
      the
      SelfCheck
      would
      prove
      useful
      at
      U.P.E.I.
     
    

    
     
      ‘*The
      University
      of
      Toronto
      has
      five
      in
      heavy
      use
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Book
      borrowing
      goes
      high-tech
     
    
   
   
    
     
      stated
      that
      they
      are
      very
      pleased
      with
      its
      performance,’’
      ex-
     
     
      plained
      Susanne
      Manovill,
      Head
      of
      Circulation
      Services
      at
     
     
      Robertson
      Library.
      Many
      other
      Canadian
      Libraries
      already
     
     
      have
      the
      system,
      but
      Robertson
      Library
      is
      the
      first
      in
      Atlantic
     
     
      Canada
      to
      obtain
      the
      device.
      The
      library
      acquired
      the
      innova-
     
     
      tive
      system
      on
      a
      free
      trial
      basis
      ‘with
      an
      option
      to
      buy
      and
      the
     
     
      end
      of
      this
      year.
     
    

    
     
      The
      system
      is
      both
      quick
      and
      simple
      to
      use.
      The
      student
     
     
      simply
      places
      his
      or
      her
      Student
      I.D
      card
      in
      the
      space
      provided
     
     
      and
      then
      easy-to-follow
      prompts
      appear
      on
      the
      color
      monitor.
     
     
      After
      a
      few
      short
      steps,
      the
      book
      is
      desensitized
      and
      the
      student
     
     
      is
      printed
      a
      receipt
      indicating
      the
      name
      of
      the
      book
      charged
      and
     
     
      its
      due
      date.
     
    

    
     
      Concern
      has
      already
      been
      expressed
      over
      the
      fear
      that
     
     
      the
      automation
      of
      what
      used
      to
      be
      a
      staff
      duty
      will
      mean
      a
      loss
     
     
      of
      jobs
      for
      personnel.
      Manovill
      ensures
      that
      this
      will
      not
      be
      the
     
     
      case.
      ‘‘Jobs
      will
      not
      be
      compromised
      as
      there
      has
      been
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      backlog
      of
      work
      piling
      up
      for
      quite
      some
      time
      now,”’
      she
      said.
     
     
      According
      to
      Manovill,
      with
      the
      financial
      crises
      universities
     
     
      are
      now
      experiencing,
      it
      is
      very
      difficult
      to
      replace
      retiring
     
     
      employees.
      This,
      therefore,
      increases
      the
      workload
      for
      current
     
     
      staff.
      ‘‘Any
      time
      freed
      up
      by
      the
      system
      will
      be
      put
      to
      valuable
     
     
      use,
      maintaining
      the
      library’s
      commitment
      to
      serve
      its
      students
     
     
      efficiently,’’
      she
      added.
     
    

    
     
      According
      to
      Systems
      Librarian
      Suzanne
      Jones
      the
      need
     
     
      for
      staff
      at
      the
      circulation
      desk
      will
      not
      diminish.
      ‘*Not
      all
      items
     
     
      will
      be
      serviced
      by
      the
      system,”’
      she
      said.
      ‘‘Students
      wishing
     
     
      to
      access
      reserve
      materials
      and
      check-out
      items
      such
      as
      audio
     
     
      cassettes
      will
      be
      referred
      to
      the
      circulation
      desk.”’
     
    

    
     
      With
      the
      convenience
      the
      system
      has
      to
      offer
      comes
     
     
      added
      responsibility
      for
      the
      student.
      Up
      to
      $1,500
      worth
      of
     
     
      books
      can
      be
      withdrawn
      at
      any
      time,
      this
      is
      based
      on
      the
      fact
      that
     
     
      a
      student
      can
      borrow
      as
      many
      as
      30
      books,
      each
      with
      a
     
     
      maximum
      value
      of
      fifty
      dollars.
      Therefore,
      a
      lost
      I.D.
      card
      in
     
     
      the
      wrong
      hands
      could
      bring
      heavy
      fines
      to
      its
      rightful
      owner.
     
     
      If
      you
      loose
      your
      card,
      you
      are
      asked
      to
      notify
      the
      circulation
     
     
      desk
      immediately.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Science
      =
      fun
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Shannon
      Younker
     
    

    
     
      IF
      YOU
      WERE
      A
      TEACHER,
      WOULD
      YOU
      MARK
      THIS
     
     
      equation
      right
      or
      wrong?
      Science
      often
      gets
      a
      bad
      reputation
     
     
      among
      children
      and
      teenagers.
      Frontrunners,
      a
      group
      of
     
     
      scholarship
      science
      students
      at
      UPEI,
      have
      made
      it
      their
     
     
      mission
      to
      show
      younger
      students
      that
      science
      can
      be
      fun.
     
     
      Frontrunners
      began
      in
      the
      fall
      of
      1991
      as
      an
      invitation
      from
     
     
      Industry,
      Science
      and
      Technology
      Canada
      to
      two
      recipients
      of
     
     
      Canada
      Scholarships
      to
      form
      a
      group
      who
      would
      visit
      local
     
     
      schools
      to
      discuss
      science
      and
      technology.
      They
      have
      grown
     
     
      steadily
      since,
      both
      in
      number
      of
      students
      participation
      and
      in
     
     
      interest
      from
      the
      community.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      students
      in
      Frontrunners
      visit
      elementary,
      junior
     
     
      and
      senior
      high
      schools
      to
      promote
      science
      education.
      As
      well
     
     
      as
      visiting
      schools,
      they
      also
      participate
      in
      showing
      students
      the
     
     
      excitement
      of
      doing
      science
      by
      acting
      asadvisors
      and
      judges
      for
     
     
      PEI’s
      Science
      Fairs.
     
    

    
     
      UPEI
      coordinator
      Steven
      Ellis
      says
      having
      Frontrunners
     
     
      visit
      a
      school
      provides
      a
      good
      way
      to
      get
      the
      attention
      of
      school-
     
     
      age
      children
      because
      the
      younger
      students
      can
      relate
      well
      to
     
     
      university
      students.
      The
      people
      involved
      in
      Frontrunners
      are
     
     
      students
      themselves,
      so
      they
      are
      in
      the
      perfect
      position
      to
     
     
      answer
      questions
      about
      choosing
      courses
      in
      high
      school
      and
     
     
      university
      and
      the
      importance
      of
      not
      shutting
      one’s
      self
      out
      of
     
     
      jobs
      in
      science
      and
      technology.
      They
      are
      young
      enough
      to
     
     
      remember
      what
      demonstrations
      children
      will
      understand.
     
    

    
     
      Ellis
      suggests
      that
      students
      also
      enjoy
      the
      way
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Frontrunners
      presents
      their
      lessons.
      A
      visit
      from
      Frontrunners
     
     
      is
      a
      very
      concrete,
      hands-on
      experience.
      Students
      are
      encour-
     
     
      aged
      to
      get
      up,
      get
      moving,
      and
      try
      some
      experiments
      them-
     
     
      selves.
      Science
      class
      at
      school
      often
      entails
      a
      lot
      of
      writing
      and
     
     
      little
      ofanything
      else.
      Frontrunners
      shows
      kids
      that
      ifthey
      stick
     
     
      with
      science,
      they
      will
      get
      to
      have
      a
      lot
      of
      fun
      with
      experiments
     
     
      later.
     
    

    
     
      Frontrunners
      is
      not
      only
      educational
      for
      the
      students
      in
     
     
      the
      schools
      visiting.
      It
      isa
      learning
      experience
      for
      the
      universtiy
     
     
      students
      as
      well.
      Besides
      organizational
      skills,
      they
      found
      that
     
     
      you
      really
      have
      to
      know
      a
      subject
      well
      in
      order
      to
      teach
      it.
      The
     
     
      most
      important
      aspect
      of
      Frontrunners
      is
      the
      interest
      and
     
     
      excitement
      of
      more
      young
      minds
      being
      turned
      on
      to
      science
      and
     
     
      technology.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Debuking
      myths
      used
      to
      justify
      Axworthy
      cuts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Engin
      Isis
      (CUP)
     
    

    
     
      THE
      EFFORT
      TO
      SUGARCOAT
      THE
      SOCIAL
      CUTS
     
    

    
     
      telies
      onaseries
      of
      often
      unspoken
      beliefs.
      Here’s
      some
      of
      them
     
    

    
     
      --
      and
      some
      responses.
     
    

    
     
      Myths:
      The
      following
      are
      believed
      to
      be
      true
      among
      many
     
    

    
     
      government
      agencies
      and
      policy-makers:
     
    

    
     
      1)
      Markets
      can
      best
      determine
      the
      direction
      of
      higher
      educa-
     
     
      tion.
      Since
      the
      old
      economy
      based
      on
      ‘‘manual’’
      skills
      is
      dead,
     
     
      ‘the
      market
      demands
      university
      graduates
      skilled
      in
      research,
     
    

    
     
      writing
      and
      computer
      programming.
      The
      demands
      of
      the
     
    

    
     
      market
      must
      determine
      what
      skills
      are
      taught
      in
      universities.
     
     
      2)
      Education
      is
      training.
      The
      role
      of
      university
      education
      is
      to
     
    

    
     
      train
      students
      in
      professional
      skills
      and
      prepare
      them
      for
     
     
      professional
      employment.
      The
      only
      reason
      students
      attend
     
     
      university
      is
      the
      hope
      of
      such
      professional
      employment.
     
     
      3)
      Priorities
      should
      be
      shifted
      from
      research
      to
      teaching.
      Many
     
     
      professors
      consider
      themselves
      as
      primarily
      researchers
      and
     
     
      only
      secondarily
      as
      teachers.
      With
      declining
      funds
      available,
      in
     
     
      at
      least
      some
      universities
      this
      priority
      should
      be
      reversed.
     
     
      4)
      University
      students
      find
      employment
      in
      their
      fields
      upon
     
     
      graduation
      with
      relative
      ease.
      Obtaining
      a
      university
      degree
      is
     
     
      arite
      of
      passage
      to
      professional
      employment.
     
     
      5)
      Students
      don’t
      contribute
      enough
      to
      the
      cost
      of
      their
      educa-
     
     
      tion.
      Compared
      with
      other
      countries,
      Canadian
      university
      and
     
     
      college
      students
      pay
      a
      smaller
      portion
      of
      the
      cost
      of
      their
     
     
      education.
      This
      portion
      must
      increase
      to
      reflect
      not
      only
      the
     
     
      costs
      of
      education
      but
      also
      the
      increasing
      national
      deficit
      and
     
     
      debt
      situation
      in
      which
      we
      find
      ourselves.
     
    

    
     
      6)
      Instructional
      technology
      can
      be
      relied
      upon
      to
      sustain
      quality
     
    

    
     
      With
      declining
      resources.
      Various
      available
      technologies
      such
     
    

    
     
      as
      the
      Internet,
      video
      conferencing,
      and
      interactive
      multimedia
     
    
   
   
    
     
      eee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      January
      31,
      1995
     
    
   
   
    
     
      can
      be
      used
      to
      teach
      a
      greater
      number
      of
      students
      with
      fewer
     
     
      professors.
     
    

    
     
      Counter-myths:
      The
      following
      are
      alternative
      ways
      in
      which
     
     
      one
      can
      think
      about
      what
      governments
      are
      doing
      about
      Cana-
     
     
      dian
      higher
      education:
     
    

    
     
      1)
      Markets
      cannot
      determine
      the
      focus
      and
      role
      of
      higher
     
     
      education
     
    

    
     
      --
      Markets
      are
      short-sighted.
      Markets
      have
      a
      very
      short
      memory:
     
     
      what
      is
      needed
      today
      will
      be
      discarded
      tomorrow.
     
    

    
     
      --
      Markets
      are
      amoral:
      markets
      cannot
      make
      moral
      choices.
     
     
      What
      the
      role
      of
      higher
      education
      in
      our
      society
      should
      be
      is
      not
     
     
      a
      question
      that
      markets
      can
      answer.
      Rather,
      higher
      education
     
     
      and
      its
      focus,
      diversity
      and
      depth
      must
      be
      an
      outcome
      of
      the
     
     
      democratic
      will
      of
      students,
      teachers
      and
      parents,
      and
      the
     
     
      public.
     
    

    
     
      --
      Markets
      cannot
      guarantee
      employment.
      Even
      those
      fields
     
     
      that
      seem
      to
      be
      profitable
      and
      marketable
      now
      quickly
      get
     
     
      saturated
      and
      those
      students
      who
      are
      trained
      in
      these
      fields
     
     
      become
      either
      unemployed
      or
      underemployed.
     
    

    
     
      2)
      Training
      does
      not
      belong
      it.
      the
      university.
      Training,
      in
      the
     
     
      sense
      of
      teaching
      certair
      useful
      skills,
      is
      only
      a
      small
      part
      of
     
     
      university
      education,
      and
      in
      large
      part
      it
      is
      best
      left
      to
      the
     
     
      colleges.
      To
      expand
      and
      open
      youthful
      minds,
      make
      them
     
     
      aware
      of
      the
      intricacies
      and
      paradoxes
      of
      social
      life
      and
      nature,
     
     
      and
      to
      inculcate
      lifelong
      habits
      of
      learning,
      respecting
      and
     
     
      questioning
      our
      social
      norms,
      laws,
      and
      practices
      are
      among
      the
     
     
      most
      important
      roles
      of
      the
      university.
      Endowed
      with
      these
     
     
      values
      and
      knowledge
      acquired
      in
      the
      university,
      graduates
     
     
      become
      active
      citizens
      and
      leaders
      of
      our
      culture
      as
      artists,
     
     
      scientists,
      politicians
      and
      professionals.
      To
      reduce
      the
      univer-
     
     
      sity
      experience
      to
      training
      is
      risk
      the
      annihilatation
      of
      our
     
    
   
   
    
     
      culture.
     
    

    
     
      3)
      Research
      and
      teaching
      are
      inseparable
      activities
      in
      the
      life
      of
     
    

    
     
      an
      active
      professor.
      It
      is
      inconceivable
      that
      a
      professor
      could
     
    

    
     
      expose
      students
      to
      an
      exuberant
      and
      exhilarating
      mind
      without
     
    

    
     
      being
      at
      the
      frontiers
      of
      knowledge
      in
      her
      field.
      Similarly,
      it
      is
     
    

    
     
      difficult
      to
      imagine
      a
      professor
      pushing
      the
      frontiers
      of
      knowl-
     
    

    
     
      edge
      without
      the
      challenging
      and
      refreshing
      activity
      of
      teach-
     
    

    
     
      ing.
     
    

    
     
      4)
      University
      graduates
      do
      not
      find
      employment
      easily.
      Those
     
    

    
     
      who
      do
      find
      employment
      related
      to
      their
      field
      of
      study
      are
     
    

    
     
      considered
      lucky.
      Moreover,
      many
      students,
      in
      addition
      to
     
     
      incurring
      debt
      through
      loans,
      take
      up
      temporary
      employment
      in
     
     
      the
      service
      sector
      to
      finance
      their
      education.
      This
      can
      affect
      the
     
     
      quality
      of
      their
      education,
      which
      does
      not
      make
      finding
      em-
     
     
      ployment
      any
      easier.
      Asaresult
      of
      this
      decline
      in
      quality
      as
      well
     
     
      as
      of
      the
      difficulty
      inobtaining
      employment,
      many
      students
     
     
      enter
      graduate
      studies
      while
      incurring
      further
      debt.
     
    

    
     
      5)
      Students
      do
      contribute
      to
      the
      cost
      of
      their
      education.
      Along
     
     
      with
      their
      contributions
      to
      our
      culture
      as
      artists,
      scientists,
     
     
      politicians,
      and
      professionals,
      university
      graduates
      also
      di-
     
     
      rectly
      subsidize
      higher
      education
      in
      Canada
      as
      taxpayers.
      The
     
     
      argument
      that
      they
      should
      contribute
      through
      their
      tuition
      fees
     
     
      is
      a
      cloaking
      device
      for
      taking
      their
      freedom
      of
      choice
      away,
     
     
      which
      Canadian
      society
      has
      historically
      found
      valuable
      to
     
     
      grant.
     
    

    
     
      6)
      Technology
      cannot
      replace
      teaching.
      Technology
      can
      be
     
     
      used
      inthe
      classroom
      but
      it
      cannot
      replace
      quality
      teaching.
     
     
      Moreover,
      using
      technology
      while
      reducing
      time
      allocated
      for
     
     
      certain
      teaching
      tasks
      increases
      time
      spent
      on
      certain
      others.
     
     
      Overall,
      the
      higher
      use
      of
      technology
      does
      not
      reduce
      either
     
     
      time
      needed
      to
      teach
      (professors)
      or
      to
      learn
      (students).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      iether