Lewis, Merwin D.

CAML Review / Revue de l'ACBM (Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres / Association canadienne des bibliothèques, archives et centres de documentation musicaux)

-3-  E D I T O R I A L  F o r  t e n  y e a r s  L a r r y  Lewis  was t h e  L i b r a r i a n  i n  c h a r g e  o f  The L i b r a r y ,  F a c u l t y  o f  M u s i c ,  The U n i v e r s i t y  o f  W e s t e r n  O n t a r i o .  D u r i n g  t h a t  t i m e  a n d  u n d e r  h i s  g u i d -  a n c e  t h i s  l i b r a r y  grew t o  b e  o n e  o f  t h e  f i n e s t  m u s i c  l i b r a r i e s  i n  Canada .  Now L a r r y  h a s  l e f t  t h e  Music  L i b r a r y  t o  t a k e  ori a  new c h a l l e n g e  a s  t h e  L i b r a r i a n  i n  c h a r g e  o f  t h e  H e a l t h  S c i e n c e s  L i b r a r y  a t  W e s t e r n ,  a n d  I h a v e  b e e n  c h o s e n  t o  t a k e  h i s  p l a c e .  To b o r r o w  a  c l i c h e '  f rom a n o t h e r  f i e l d ,  i t  w i l l  b e  a  t o u g h  a c t  t o  f o l l o w .  Music  l i b r a r i a n s h i p  i n  Canada c a n  l e a r n  much f r o m  L a r r y ' s  e x a m p l e ,  h i s  commitment t o  p u b l i c  s e r v i c e  a n d  h i s  b e l i e f  i n  t h e  i m p o r t a n c e  o f  d e t a i l s .  Bu t  t h e  o n e  t h i n g  w h i c h  b e s t  e x e m p l i f i e s  h i s  a p p r o a c h  t o  l i b r a r i a n s h i p  i s  h i s  a b i l i t y  t o  f o r e s e e  a n d  t o  p l a n  f o r  t h e  f u t u r e .  I n  t h i s  e r a  o f  financial r e s t r a i n t  i t  i s  p r e c i s e l y  t h i s  a b i l i t y  w h i c h  w i l l  b e  t h e  m e a s u r e  o f  o u r  s u c c e s s  a s  l i b r a r i a n s .  To b e  a b l e  t o  c h a n g e  w h e r e  c h a n g e  i s  i n d i c a t e d  r e q u i r e s  o f  u s  a n  a w a r e n e s s  o f  t h i n g s  a s  t h e y  a r e ,  a n  o p e n n e s s  t o  new i d e a s ,  a n d  t h e  w ? l l i n g n e s s  t o  p l a n  a h e a d .  B e c a u s e  m u s i c  i s  s o  o f t e n  r e g a r d e d  by " t h e  powers  t h a t  b e "  a s  a  " f r i l l " ,  m u s i c  l i b r a r i a n s  w i l l  p r o b a b l y  h a v e  t o  work h a r d e r  t h a n  e v e r  i n  t h e  f u t u r e  j u s t i f y i n g  wha t  we c o n s i d e r  n e c e s s a r y  t o  m a i n t a i n  o u r  l i b r a r i e s  a n d  c o l l e c t i o n s .  When a d m i n i s t r a t o r s  s u g g e s t ,  f o r  i n s t a i i c e ,  t h a t  by  s t a n d a r d i z i n g  p r o c e s s i n g  p r o c e d u r e s  c o s t s  c o u ~ d  b e  c u t ,  t h e y  mus t  n o t  b e  p e r m i t t e d  t o  d i s r e g a r d  t h a t  w h i c h  makes m u s i c  u n i q u e .  One o f  t h e  c o n c e p t s  w h i c h  L a r r y  i m p a r t s  t o  t h o s e  who work w i t h  h im i s  t h a t  t h e  de -  f i c i e n c i e s  o f  o n e  l i b r a r y  f u n c t i o n  ( s u c h  a s  p r o c e s s i n g )  m u s t  b e  c o m p e n s a t e d  f o r  by  a n o t h e r  ( i n  t h i s  c a s e  r e f e r e n c e  s e r v i c e )  i f  optimu,n u s e r  a c c e s s i b i l i t y  i s  t o  b e  m a i n t a i n e d .  N o t h i n g  i s  g a i n e d  i f  i n  t h e  e n d  t h e  u s e r  l o s e s .  T h a t  i d e a  was c e r t a i n l y  o n e  o f  L a r r y ' s  g i f t s  t o  me, a n d  I h o p e  t h a t  we a l l  c a n  b e n e f i t  f rom a n d  p r a c t i c e  o u r s e l v e s  t h a t  k i n d  o f  commitment t o  o u r  p r o f e s s i o n .  Merwin L e w i s .  

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https://caml.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/caml/article/view/4103/3302

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CAML Review / Revue de l'ACBM (Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres / Association canadienne des bibliothèques, archives et centres de documentation musicaux)