From Dr. Alexey Root:
I will be presenting a paper Chess Moves for Libraries at the Texas Library Association meeting April 2008 in Dallas, TX. I would like to get quotes from librarians or from chess players who meet at libraries regarding how chess fits into your library’s functions. That is, does the chess club attract new or more diverse patrons to the library? Does your library have a good chess book collection (describe)? Who runs the library chess program or tournaments at the library?
Other comments also welcome; this is just to give you some ideas. In other words, I would like to get a picture of chess/library cooperation in Texas AND ALSO around the U.S. I am interested in K-12 school libraries, public libraries, and college/university libraries.
If you could help me with a quote, please either post your quote here with your full name and title or email it to me alexey.root@gmail.com. I would like to get your first and last name, and your title (librarian, library volunteer, chess club member) to put with your quote.
Thank you,
Dr. Alexey Root
I understood that it is only libraries in the United States. How about libraries in Israel?
Anyway it seems like a great subject for research. Good luck and best wishes
Abie Weiler
Dear GM Polgar,
I am happy to learn that you will be speaking to the Texas Library Association. I have an MS in Library Science and have worked as both an academic librarian and Professor of History at several colleges/universities throughout my career. Moreover, I am an avid chess player and wanted to inform you of my experience with chess and academic libraries.
I have been a reference librarian at major research universities and small private colleges. One theme is common to both types of institutions in my experience: They have very little contact with the chess clubs at the universities/colleges I’ve worked at and most have few (or quite outdated) collections of chess books for the public.
I would not hesitate to assert that public libraries, on average, are far ahead of academic libraries when it comes to not only the number of chess books on their shelves, but also their contact with students, factulty and staff upon the topic of chess.
I was fortunate in that I was in charge of collection development in my previous position and ordered several dozen chess classics and, by the time I left for my new position, the collection at my previous institution is well stocked in chess literature.
Yet, the only reason (in my opinion) that this library now has a well-stocked section of chess literature is that they had me…a chess enthusiast, in charge of the funds to order books.
You will see a high degree of ignorance amongst academic librarians of the need to spend money on chess books. Most view it as just a “game” and do not see it as we do and what I think needs to be done is to simply educate the academic library community of the relationship between chess and academic success.
However, most academic libraries are always short of funds. So, librarians such as myself had to go directly and meet with department chairpersons and ask them to allow money from their book budget to be spent on chess literature. I had the most success with departments of mathematics, computer science (I would argue that advances in chess computers was an important aspect of computer science…and it often worked and I got the money to buy chess books to add to the library’s collection from that department), and history.
I must add, though, that the primary reason I had success getting money from the history department’s book budget was that I always held a dual-appointment as a Professor of History and this made all the difference. If I had not been a member of the history faculty, I doubt I would have had any success.
In a nutshell, academic librarians are fairly isolated from other areas of campus. They are not seen as true “faculty” even if we have faculty status. Another problem is that faculty members in all departments, and especially chairpersons of each department, do not actively involve thmeselves in library matters. Even though the library is the heart of any campus.
My recommondation:
1) Stress to librarians the importance of chess in the success of students in the academic performence. Give examples. You know from personal experience how true this his.
2.) Stress the importance that librarians must get out of the library and sit in on departmental meetings to stress not only the importance of the library and the librarians role, but also form friendships with key faculty members which will prove fruitful in building a good collection of chess books and a good relationship with the chess club, if the college/university has one.
3.) It all comes down to money and who is going to foot the bill for any book that is put on the shelf in an academic library. If one desires the library to assist in the formation of a chess club, add quality chess literature to its collection, then librarians must recognize the importance of the relationship between chess and academic success.
4.) discuss the importance of chess and its relation to academic success to whomever is the supervisor/boss of the Director/Dean of libraries. Often you will find a very stubborn Director/Dean of libraries and they are so set in their ways no new ideas are welcome to them. I had success (and the students are better off now) by forming an alliance with the Vice-President of Academic Affairs and once I met with him, convinced him of the importance of chess, I succefully began a chess club at a college that had never previously had one and actually had the administration help fund it. Furthermore, once this occurred, I never had any problems finding money from the budget to purchase good chess books.
I will end by saying that since any state library association deals with both public, academic, and other types of libraries, I would concentrate upon building alliances with public librarians. They tend to be much more receptive of new ideas whereas in an academic setting there are many old rivalries and petty politics that will hurt the greater good of the student population. It is a sad fact but it is reality.
It is only my opinion, but I strongly recommend concentrating more upon public librarians and public libraries and, though try to create change in the academic library, it will most likely prove to be more difficult and frustrating. Yet, it is not impossible. I know. I am living proof that an academic librarian can create a chess club, build a good collection of chess literature in the library, and form good relationships with faculty members that are most likely to appreciate the value of chess as an intellectual endeavor.
I have many ideas that I am happy to share. I am a former student of your sister, Sophia, and she has my contact information. I do not wish to post it for everyone to see. Yet, I would be happy to share ideas with you. If you are interested, just ask Sophi to give you my contact info and I can Email you or speak by phone.
Thank you for your tireless efforts in the promotion of chess.
Respectfully,
Tim Harris