11/9/50-11/26/05

Citation

Barbara Watstein, S. and Mitchell, E. (2006), "11/9/50-11/26/05", Reference Services Review, Vol. 34 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/rsr.2006.24034aaa.001

11/9/50-11/26/05

On Sunday, January 22, 2006, friends and colleagues of Ilene Rockman gathered at the American Library Association Midwinter conference in San Antonio to remember her. Ilene passed away on November 26, 2005 from non-smoker’s lung cancer. She was 55 years old. Many of her friends and colleagues knew, of course, that Ilene had been ill, courageously facing the extreme realities of lung cancer, but knowing does not always prepare us for, help confront, or accept loss.

How to begin?

Ilene was Manager of the Information Competence Initiative for the Office of the Chancellor of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) System, and many of her friends and colleagues present had the privilege of working with her over the years.

Ilene had also served as Editor of this journal for 20 years, and as a mentor and an advisor. Her deep passion for, and commitment to, not only RSR but the information management profession in general made a profound difference in the lives of first-time writers as well as established writers. Ilene was not only an outstanding editor, she was also a kind and wonderful person. She consistently made time for authors – for the “wannabes” and the more established among us.

Ilene was also an active speaker, author and consultant, intellectually engaged in the myriad complex issues that define and challenge our profession – information literacy, reference and user services, the perceptions of libraries and information resources, the future of the library and the role of the librarian. As a speaker, author and consultant, she had inspired many by her example, her passion and her extraordinary contributions to the profession.

Ilene’s outstanding accomplishments in the reference services field are staggering. There is no question but that if she were alive today she would be actively debating OCLC’s new membership report, Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources, challenging her colleagues to rethink what they think about the information-seeking habits of information consumers. There is no question but that she would be thinking – deeply and analytically thinking – about the future of the library as place and the role of the librarian, challenging her colleagues to probe the promise of digital libraries. Of course, she would be tracking best practices for electronic scholarly publishing, carefully monitoring the top priority issues in electronic resources, as well as current best practices. And, yes, she would be seeking out librarians and students as to their experience as users of reference services and as researchers in order to gain insight into the development of reference sources, particularly as more and more resources move from the print to the online environment. Unabashedly yes, Ilene would be a player.

But how to begin?

How to best honor Ilene’s outstanding accomplishments with RSR as well as in the reference services field?

Perhaps it is best to begin at the beginning, with respect. In lasting tribute to Ilene’s outstanding accomplishments with RSR as well as in the reference services field, the first issue of 2006 (Vol. 34 No. 1), this issue, is dedicated to her memory. This issue features her last writings for the journal.

Or, perhaps it is best to begin with her friends and colleagues: Gordon Smith, from the CSU; Irvin Katz from Educational Testing Service; and Eileen Breen from Emerald Group Publishing. The passages below encapsulate what was said by them at the Memorial.

Dr Gordon Smith, Director, Systemwide Library Programs, CSU Office of the Chancellor

Ilene worked for the CSU for over 30 years as librarian, faculty member, and administrator at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and CSU East Bay before moving to the CSU Chancellor’s Office in 2001.

“Encountering Ilene at a conference was always an amazing experience. She would invariably be accosted with a hug by a seemingly endless number of friends and admirers anxious to catch up on the latest happenings and to seek her advice on some pressing issue. Ilene liked to introduce me as ‘her boss’; while flattering, it would always make me cringe just a bit. As if Ilene needed to be supervised!

Some of you may not be aware of just how incredibly productive and dedicated Ilene was. Before each quarterly meeting of the CSU Council of Library Directors, Ilene would prepare a report of her various activities and accomplishments for me to transmit. I’d like to share with you an excerpt from one of her recent reports. These are Ilene’s words:

• •

  At the invitation of ACRL and the Teaching/Learning/Technology Roundtable, I participated in, and led, a session of the three-week online seminar and webcast in May on “Information Literacy across the Curriculum.”

  The University of New England in Australia asked me to serve on the doctoral dissertation committee for “Working Information: Developing a Grounded Theory of Information Literacy in the Workplace”.

  The California Clearinghouse on Library Instruction-North asked me to participate in the Spring program as a panel reactor to the opinion piece in the Chronicle of Higher Education by Stan Wilder at the University of Rochester, “Information Literacy Makes All the Wrong Assumptions.”

  UC Berkeley invited me to attend the Spring Symposium, “From Information Overload to Information Rich: Teaching and Critical Thinking in the Point and Click Age.” I had the opportunity to participate in several small group discussions, listened to the Berkeley experiences, and suggested consideration of several CSU successful strategies.

  San Jose State University invited me to attend the spring workshop, “Critical Thinking, Information Literacy, and Lifelong Learning”, sponsored by Faculty Development and featuring Patricia Senn Breivik as keynote speaker.

  I continue to work with the ACRL Student Survey Task Force, integrating information literacy questions into the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement.

  I am working with Esther Grassian at UCLA on a “Sequential Information Literacy” outreach project in Southern California, involving school, community college, CSU, and UC librarians.

  I attended the CSU Academic Technology Leadership Forum with presenter Diana Oblinger, Vice President of Educause. In large and small group discussions I served as a strong advocate for information and ICT literacy.

Mind you, this partial list of Ilene’s activities over a three- or four-month period is not from a report of several years ago; it’s from a report prepared just this past June when Ilene was struggling with the cancer that was gradually but inexorably progressing.

Ilene’s passing represents an enormous loss to my organization, to the California State University, and to the library profession, but I think we can all find inspiration in her unflagging determination and spirit.

I was privileged to be called ‘her boss,’ and I miss her greatly.”

Irvin Katz, Educational Testing Service

Ilene served as a consultant to the Educational Testing Service on the development and implementation of a new performance-based test to assess higher education students’ information and communication technology (ICT) literacy skills.

“The ETS ICT Literacy Assessment would not exist today, were it not for Ilene Rockman. Although the idea for the test had been explored previously, it was Ilene and Gordon Smith, of the CSU, who approached ETS with the idea. The support of someone as prominent as Ilene – and as big a client as CSU – was a key element to the continued support of the assessment by ETS senior management.

Ilene was the assessment’s staunchest ally. She did so much to promote the assessment, to pave the way for its adoption not only by CSU but by other institutions as well. Gordon will attest to her coordination of the CSU campuses. I saw her most at conferences. She seemed to handle questions so effortlessly, turning even a criticism into something positive that left no room for further complaint. When I asked her about this skill she said that it was the one thing she learned from the Republicans – answer the question you want to answer, rather than the one asked.

Not only was she the assessment’s staunchest ally, she was its sharpest critic. The ETS project team still refers to the “May 7th meeting”. Ilene and Gordon contacted us because they felt development of the test had strayed from the needs of the academic clients. They flew cross-country to set us straight. And they did; that meeting led to several changes to tasks to make them appeal more to students. Once again, the test became better thanks to Ilene. Based on her comments, we created a project web site to communicate better with our higher education partners and began weekly teleconferences to review tasks as they came through the pipeline.

Ilene contributed more than her expertise in information-literacy, she gave insights into the students who would be taking the assessment. In particular, I remember the phone conversations that led us to create scenario-based tasks – little storylines that would pull the students in during the task. Ilene wanted the students to be engaged in the assessment; it wasn’t only important to her that the assessment tap the right skills, it also needed to be fun. The students were being asked to spend a long time doing challenging tasks, and Ilene saw that, without a little bit of fun, the assessment would not be a success.

Throughout the development of the assessment, Ilene’s influence was felt. She was the only client to attend every one of the weekly development meetings in which we reviewed the newest tasks. Speaking personally, I know that many times throughout the project, as we contemplated new ideas, I wondered first what Ilene would think of them. Could I defend the position to Ilene? When creating a product, you always want to be attentive to the client’s needs, but Ilene put a personal face on the word ‘client.’ We tried to incorporate many people’s ideas, but Ilene’s ideas (and likely reactions) were the ones we discussed most often. The question in the back of my mind was always ‘Yes, but can I convince Ilene of that?’ or ‘What will Ilene think?’

On a more personal level, Ilene was welcoming. The folks at ETS were neophytes in the big world of Information Literacy, and Ilene helped guide our learning. She was gracious with praise, and I appreciate more than I can express her thoughtful words of feedback after each shared conference presentation.

She taught me what I know about information literacy. How can someone be so firm in their convictions and at the same time be such a good mentor? I miss Ilene. I will miss her at each presentation, each time I answer the question that I wanted to be asked rather than the one asked. I will miss her insights and laughter. I hope that the assessment she worked so hard to develop and launch will be a fitting tribute to Ilene.”

Eileen Breen, Emerald Group Publishing

Ilene served as Editor-in-chief of Reference Services Review, and on the editorial boards of American Libraries, Library Administration and Management, The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Reference Quarterly, and Library Hi Tech. In 2005, she received the Leading Editor award from Emerald Publishing Limited of the UK for her 20 years of editing Reference Services Review.

“I got to know Ilene through her editorship of Reference Services Review. Emerald became its publisher in December 1998, and I had the opportunity to first meet Ilene during the ALA Midwinter meeting of 1999, in Philadelphia.

In those first months of transition, I was grateful for the generosity of Ilene, who introduced me to the way the journal operated and the editorial board who worked with her.

Over the years since, we had an easy relationship, in no small measure because of Ilene being open to new ideas and the publisher point of view.

Reference Services Review meant a great deal to Ilene. She continued to edit the journal until the very end. This seemed to be what she wanted. She was Editor for 20 years. It is a legacy to be proud of, and Emerald is grateful to her and her editorial board for making it what it is today …

I, and everyone at Emerald who knew her, miss her.”

But, how to begin?

Ilene was a tireless advocate for integrating information literacy into the higher education curriculum, active nationally and locally as a speaker, author, and consultant. She held leadership positions within the American Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL, and its California chapter), and the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA).

In 2003 she received the ACRL Distinguished Education and Behavioral Sciences Librarian award and in 2005 the ACRL Instruction Librarian of the Year award.

She was the Editor and contributing author to the best-selling book, Integrating Information Literacy into the Higher Education Curriculum (Jossey-Bass, 2004), found in libraries around the world.

Numerous recognitions in her honor continue to remind us of her many gifts to each of us and to the profession, including the following:

• •

  Memorial Resolution passed by American Library Association (ALA) Council at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Conference in San Antonio, 2006;

• •

  The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Board of Directors, at its January 21, 2006 meeting in San Antonio observed a moment of silence and approved a Special Presidential Recognition Award in honor of Ilene’s significant contributions to ACRL and academic libraries, particularly in the area of information literacy;

• •

  Emerald Group Publishing Limited will fund the annual ACRL Instruction Section (IS) Instruction Publication of the Year Award for five years, beginning with the 2006 Award, and the Award will be renamed the Ilene Rockman Publication Award;

• •

  The Emerald Literati Network Award, the Reference Services Review Outstanding Paper Award, will hereafter be known as the Dr Ilene Rockman Award;

• •

  Nominated for an Emerald annual Awards for Excellence Outstanding Service Award, which is to be made in April 2006.

Let’s begin!

RSR is dedicated “to the enrichment of reference knowledge and the advancement of reference and instructional services.” In ways too numerous to enumerate, Ilene herself was dedicated to the very same goals. In her role as Editor, she strove to help RSR readers understand and embrace current and emerging technologies affecting reference functions and the information needs of library users. Ilene’s standards for RSR were consistently high; her professional and service ethic consistently strong.

Let us begin to accept her loss by maintaining both. She would want nothing less.

Obituary

Ilene’s obituary, including her donation wishes can be found at www.emeraldinsight.com/info/journals/rsr/obit.jsp

Sarah Barbara Watstein, Eleanor MitchellCo-Editors, RSR