Both the Library and AIT were lauded in the report of the College's Middle States evaluation team:
"Clearly, the Brooklyn College Library has a forward-thinking and innovative staff who already have many major accomplishments and are seeking positive and innovative ways to prepare for the new information era." Middle States Report, p. 11"As community and college libraries reshape their collections and restructure their organization and procedures in response to the new information era, the Brooklyn College Library is emerging as a leader in the application of technologies to learning." Middle States Report, p. 10
"Among [the Library's] major strengths are: the integration of technologies into resource and service programs, including a significant Web presence, and 350 networked computers in its facility; its plans for a more advanced online library information system for the management of circulation, acquisitions, cataloging, and serials systems, with support from the CUNY central system; and a large and growing collection of bibliographic and full-text electronic resources that include both CD-ROM and Web-based resources, electronic journals and reference works; and the increased availability of its collections through the recent completion of a comprehensive inventory as a way to ensure the accuracy of its bibliographic records. The Library also has many successful grants, including the FIPSE virtual core grant, the TIIAP high school electronically-based learning grant, and the new visions grant for archival and community programs." Middle States Report, p. 11"The Team especially commends the Library for its development of the new Library Café as a high tech, inviting environment for student computing. Though open only a few months, the Library Café appears to be well appreciated by students who are using it heavily. Faculty also are bringing students to the facility to work with information technology, a sign of both the need for and success of this kind of facility." Middle States Report, p. 11
"The Team believes that Brooklyn College is definitely on the right track in planning and developing the new Library as a hub for teaching multimedia and information technologies." Middle States Report, p. 11"The Library's outreach to public high schoolsis an excellent way of serving the community and helping to strengthen the information literacy and academic performance of students who, as a result may be better prepared to succeed in college." Middle States Report, p. 11
Our needs (especially for increased staffing, when we occupy the new building) were also recognized:
"While the Library is addressing collection and information needs in innovative and creative ways, including cost-sharing with others in the CUNY system and building the Friends of the Brooklyn College Library, staff frequently cited the many years of budgetary difficulties as factors which have made (and will make) it difficult to maintain and develop collections, to adequately staff the new facility, and to support new and emerging student and department needs." Middle States Report, p. 11"The College needs to recognize that the expanded capacity and services [of the new Library building] will require additional staffing, ranging from computing and technical personnel to student workers and custodial personnel. Moreover, the new Library building underscores the need for the Library to participate as a major information service provider in the College-wide technology planning process." Middle States Report, p. 11
The team also recommended that the College allocate special funds to replace volumes found missing in the inventory.
In 2000, Chief Librarian Barbra Higginbotham was selected to be a Middle States evaluator. Her training occurred on September 19, 2000. On March 4-7, 2001 she will be part of her first evaluation team, visiting Slippery Rock University, Pennsylvania.