Fresno State librarian to retire
Fresno Bee 1/8/07
After nearly 20 years as dean of library services at Fresno State's Madden Library, he retires in February.
Gorman and his wife, Anne Reuland, are moving to be near family in Chicago, his favorite American city. In retirement, he plans to — what else? — write books.
An Englishman who considers himself a citizen of the world, the 65-year-old Gorman came to the United States in 1974 to teach at the University of Illinois. In 1988 he arrived at California State University, Fresno.
Gorman, who never became a U.S. citizen but has permanent-resident status, says he never really fit in the Valley. He never lost his English accent. He never got caught up in Fresno State football, keeping his boyhood fondness for cricket instead. And his politics remained distinctly liberal, a contrast to the conservative leanings of this region.
Yet Gorman says he enjoyed his work at Fresno State: "I think this university really does the Lord's work. This university really changes people's lives and I like to think the library plays a part in that for some of them."
Bee staff writer Doug Hoagland talked to Gorman — who is immediate past president of the 65,000-member American Library Association — in his office last week. Gorman talked about the Internet, the Patriot Act and the university. Here are excerpts from the conversation.
Question: With the Internet taking over the world, what future do you see for the printed page, books and libraries?
Answer: I see [the Internet] as being a useful form of communication between people that — like all other advances in communications technology — has been greeted with a kind of euphoria. I think as things settle down, and the kind of hysteria and hype die down, that it will be seen that books are a very good way of conveying and preserving recorded knowledge. Web sites vanish. You see people on airplanes with computers but you see twice as many people with paperback books.
Q: According to the American Library Association, the Patriot Act allows the government to get people's library records in terrorism investigations. In response, the Madden Library started more quickly clearing reader information from computers to better protect reader confidentiality. Don't you trust the government?
A: No. I think it's almost un-American to trust the government. I don't trust any government in particular, and I simply don't trust this administration. People are entitled to freedom of thought and expression, and that includes freedom in what they read. And they should be judged on what they do, not on what they think or say. The reason why librarians have objected to these arbitrary searches of library records is that they don't have any due cause. We've always complied with subpoenas. What we're not interested in doing is helping people going on fishing expeditions to try and convict people of thought crimes.
Q: How should the government balance individual rights, such as what people read, with national security?
A: Well, I think that the control of what people read is the hallmark of a totalitarian administration. There is a reason why the big public library in Shanghai has closed stacks. In other words, you want something from those stacks, you write it on a piece of paper and you hand it to someone and they go and get it. The government wants to know what you're reading. In a liberal democracy, you should have every right to read whatever you want.
Q: Table Mountain Rancheria, which runs a casino, is donating $10 million to the Madden Library, and Fresno State President John Welty wants to put the rancheria's name on the four-story tower that will anchor the new north wing. What do you think of President Welty's decision?
A: Well, I think recognition of donors is a prevalent practice. I don't think it's inappropriate at all, and I think that the money will be put to very good use.
Q: Fresno State plans to use the money on American Indian-inspired architecture and furnishings on the north wing. Do you think the money should have gone to buy books or equipment?
A: Books and equipment are in a different budget. The donation is for an upgrading of the design values of the library. I think it's entirely appropriate to do that. I really like the idea of the library as "a place," and one of the great things about the new library is that it will be "the place" to be on campus.
Q: Does Fresno State place too much emphasis on athletics at the expense of academics?
A: I wouldn't go so far as to say "at the expense of academics." I think all American universities place too much effort, or emphasis, on intercollegiate athletics. I'm all for [students] playing tennis or any kind of organized games, but I think this supplying entertainment to the masses is not one the functions of the university. I mean, is Boise State a better university because their football team won games and ours didn't? To me, it doesn't compute.
Q: What has been the best thing and the worst thing about being Fresno State's librarian?
A: Well, the best thing has been the commitment of the university administration to having a fine library. And the worst thing has been the perennial budget crises. I love California. I wish I had come here when I was young. I could have really enjoyed it. But the public policy of this state is about the most disastrous mess I have ever seen in my life.
Q: What book or books are you currently reading?
A: Well, I've just finished "In Search of H.V. Morton," who
was an English travel writer I loved as a child. I am reading an autobiographical
book by Alan Bennett, the English writer, and Gore Vidal's latest autobiography,
and a thriller called "The Geographer's Library."