The McGill Tribune Published by the Student’s Society of McGill University
Vol. 2 No. 7, Tuesday, October 19, 1982.
The Road to Automation by Joanne Bayly
Library introduces microfiche readers as replacement for old cardfiles.
Painting the Town Orange?
Residence Hi-Jinks Patrick H.F. Baillie F o r y ea rs it has been k n o w n as T he W eeble H u t. F o r y ears, resid e n ts have sch em ed w h a t to d o to it. F in ally , on T h a n k sg iv in g F rid a y n ig h t, th e secu rity o u tp o s t a t th e to p o f U niversity becam e a la n d m a rk : a flu o re sc en t, o ra n g e beaco n . A lth o u g h d etails a re sk etch y a n d eye w itn ess re p o rts v a ria n t, so m e facts are k n o w n . H isto ric ally , th e sm all sq u a re sh a n ty o n th e n o rth e rn en d o f U n iv er sity St. has been th e n o te d tu rn -o ff p o in t fo r ta x is, deliveries an d p a re n ts try in g to lo c ate M cG ill’s R esidences, so m e w h at tu c k e d in a m o n g th e trees. M a n n ed fro m 6:00 a.m . to 11:00 p .m ., th e h u t serves as h o m e to a secu rity g u a rd w ho m o n ito rs th e flow o f tra ffic to M o lso n S ta d iu m , th e M c C o n n ell A re a a n d th e fo u r u p p e r residences. E v ery th in g a b o u t th e s p o t is r a th e r p la in o r, m o re ac c u rately , w as r a th e r plain. O n F rid a y , O c to b e r 8 th , so m e festive in d iv id u a ls g a th e re d p a in t ro lle rs a n d
o th e r e q u ip m e n t an d set o ff to m a k e th e sh a ck so m e th in g m e m o rab le . P rev io u s R esidence p la n s h ad in clu d ed to w in g th e h u t, c o m p le te w ith g u a rd , b u t th e logistics w ere o v erw h elm in g . F in ally , th o u g h , th e tin y stru c tu re m et its fate. In a m a tte r o f m in u tes, w hile th e g u a rd s w ere o ff-d u ty , a g ro u p o f s tu d en ts p a in te d th e fo u r w alls o f th e h u t a flam in g , n e o n o ra n g e a n d lab elled it “T h e W eeble H u t.” T h e resid en ts re s p o n se w as sw ift. “ F o r y ears, sm all p izza places d id n ’t believe th a t U niversity w ent p a st th e R o y al Vic (H o sp ita l), so th ey w o u ld n ’t deliver. T h e reg u la rs k n o w it, b u t n o w ev e ry o n e w ill be a b le to u n d e rsta n d o u r d irectio n s. It’s alre ad y a la n d m a rk !” re m a rk e d o n e resident. H ow lo n g th e W eeble H u t w ill rem a in in its p re se n t sta te is a m a tte r o f co n je c tu re . A lth o u g h u su ally m a rk e d by a p resen ce o f m e m o ra n d a , th e R esid en ce c o m m u n ity h as y et to h e a r fro m e ith e r M cG ill S ecu rity o r th e R esid en ce A d m in is tra tio n o v e r th is la test sign o f resi d en ce e n th u sia sm .
S in ce last M ay , w ith th e in sta lla tio n o f th e new m ic ro c a ta lo g u e system , M cG ill’s lib ra rie s have fin ally en tered th e c o m p u te r age. A lth o u g h n o t yet as ad v a n c e d as Q u e e n ’s U n iv ersity , w here stu d e n ts ca n fin d o n th e ir c o m p u te r screens in fo rm a tio n a b o u t b o o k s w ith o u t g o in g to th e c a rd s o r to th e stack s, o r as efficien t as C o n c o rd ia , w h ere s tu d en ts need o n ly flash th e ir I.D .’s to b o r ro w a b o o k , M cG ill is h a lfw a y o n th e w ay to ev e n tu a l full c o m p u te riz a tio n . B ecause o f its p e rp e tu a l lack o f f u n d ing an d b ecau se o f th e lib ra ry sy stem ’s low p lace in u n iv ersity p rio ritie s, it m ay be a lo n g w hile b efo re M cG ill can b o ast o f a c o m p letely a u to m a te d c a ta lo g u in g a n d c irc u la tio n system . A m a jo r b lo ck in M cG ill’s p la n s to m o d e rn ize its lib ra ry facilities is its v ery size. O n e o f th e la rg e st u n iv ersity lib raries in C a n a d a (at last c o u n t, o v er 3,000,000 item s), M cG ill’s h uge system will ta k e m u ch lo n g e r to c o n v e rt th a n th e m u c h sm a lle r lib raries o f Q u een ’s o r C o n c o rd ia . J a n e A itk e n , o f th e U n d e rg ra d u a te L ib ra ry , believes th a t th is new m ic ro c a ta lo g u e sy stem , a lth o u g h it co u ld be called o n ly an “in -b etw een ste p ” in th e ro a d to a u to m a tio n , has m an y a d v a n tag es. T h e m ic ro -fich e system , in rep la c ing c a rd s, saves a g re a t d ea l o f sp ace a n d o f m oney.
E asy to o p e ra te , th e m ic ro c a ta lo g u e is m ad e u p o f sheets o f m icro fich e, each ab le to list a p p ro x im a te ly 5,000 reco rd s in m ic ro fo rm a t. Item s a re listed a lp h a b etically in tw o sectio n s o f a u th o r /title a n d su b je cts. E ach sh eet o f fich e has its o w n in d ex to fac ilita te fin d in g y o u r s u b je c t. M a te ria l c a ta lo g u e d p rio r to J u n e 1979 will be fo u n d in th e ex istin g a u th o r /title a n d su b ject c ard catalo g u es. A n o th e r a d v a n ta g e o f th e m ic ro c a ta lo g u e sy stem is th e fact th a t th e m ain ca ta lo g u e will in clu d e all m a teria l c a ta lo g u e d sin ce 1979 fo r m o st o f M cG ill’s lib raries. T his m ean s th a t if y o u h ap p e n to be in th e E d u c a tio n lib ra ry an d w o u ld like to check o u t a title in th e S ocial W o rk o r M c L e n n a n L ib ra ry , y o u d o n ’t h av e to go a n y fu rth e r th a n y o u r n earest fiche read er. A lo n g w ith m o st o f th e lib ra ry ’s titles, all o f M cG ill’s serials (40,000 o f th em ) will be in clu d ed in th e m ain catalo g u e. S ta rtin g n ex t sem ester, w o rk sh o p s will be held to te a c h stu d e n ts h o w to use an d p ro fit fro m th is c e n tralize d c a ta lo g u e system . T h o u g h M cG ill will p ro b a b ly alw ays h av e so m e re m n a n ts o f th e c a rd c a ta lo g u in g sy stem , it is e n c o u ra g in g to n o te th is larg e ste p to w a rd s m o d e rn izin g a sy stem w hich stu d e n ts no w reg ard as b u lk y an d inefficient.
INSIDE J .P . S chuller: The Registrar Has M any H a ts . . . .3 F o u r H urt in Cam pus H it-an d -R u n ......................................... 5 D are T o H o p e .......................................6 B ask etb all T o u r n e y ............................. 8 B ooks G alo re ........................................ 8
A vailable: Diligent students for late night painting assignments. Fast service with low rates included in our “Decorator Package".
F eatu res: C o m m en t ................................................ 2 L e t t e r s ..................... 2 M a rtlets an d M u d p ie s .........................2 T u e sd a y ’s C h i l d .................................... 4 R a d io M c G i ll......................................... 4 S p o tlig h t o n C lu b s ................................5 R e c o r d s ..................................................... 7 T h e a tre R e v i e w .................................... 7 T rib S c o r e b o a r d .....................................8 R ed a n d W h ite S ta n d in g s ..................8