Talk to Karl Kocher and within a few minutes of being in his fourth floor Shields Library cubicle you'll realize just how important access to information is to him. Not just any information, but reliable information that's speedily accessible. Got a question that he's only 99 percent sure of how to answer? Without a word, he quickly pivots in his chair, taps out a few keystrokes, checks his computer monitor and offers a reply he can back 100 percent.
This happens a few times, and you grow to more fully appreciate the level of information at the university's fingertips. And you also grow to more fully appreciate how important Kocher's work is as someone who helps maintain that high level of information.
A member of Shield's systems department, Kocher was presented the campus's Distinguished Librarian Award Tuesday afternoon by The Davis division of the Librarians' Association of the University of California. The association honors one of the campus's some 60 librarians with the award once every three years. An employee of Shields for almost two decades, Kocher will receive a plaque and a $1,000 check.
Kocher offers the campus what he calls "a first line of defense" against the limiting of electronic information for staff and faculty members, researchers and students. Specifically, he advises the campus on copyright agreements governing research and journals that are circulated via the Internet. As part of his work, he helps negotiate agreements and implement proxy services that allow UC Davis researchers working off-campus to access materials licensed only to university-recognized computers.
"Our goal is to make information as broadly accessible as possible, so people aren't forced to move to where the materials are. Wherever they might need them, that's where we want the materials to be available," he said. "That's what we're here for - two things really - service and collections."
Kocher also helped provide technical assistance for "Ask the Librarian," a special tool on the Carlson Health Sciences and medical center library Web site. The tool went live last fall and allows browsers to work remotely with librarians in real time, getting answers to questions like: Where can I find treatment information on chicken pox? and What's the most effective level of sunscreen?
Kocher's fondness for helping others negotiate a world catalogued by titles, authors and subjects dates back to his teen years at Phila-delphia's Fels Junior High School, where he worked as a student librarian. "I liked to read, of course, and it was organized and logical. It made sense." He went on to earn an undergraduate degree from Haverford College, a small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania and a master's degree in library science from Drexel University. He also attended the University of Chicago library program.
Kocher started with Shields in 1983 after three years of heading up library circulation for the University of Southwest Louisiana. He lives in Davis with his wife, Mary Banks Kocher, and their daughter, Mary Catherine, a Davis High School junior.
What's the most difficult aspect of your job?
Dealing with publishers who don't understand the university perspective. Some are treating the conversion to electronic media as simply an opportunity to increase their revenue or increase their control over resources or limit fair use. They envision a world where you won't be able to do anything with their information that they don't want you to do.
What are your hobbies?
I read, of course, mostly history. I've been reading Donald Kagan's history of the Peloponesian wars. And I listen to music - the ordinary classical stuff, mostly baroque through romantic, and opera, especially French grand opera lately and composers like Giacomo Meyerbeer, who was very successful in Europe during the early- and mid-1800s.
Who do you admire?
People who are able to do something to help others. Once in a while you get a Mother Theresa. She's in a class all her own. But there are a lot of people who have the ability to effect great change, like most of the instructors I've had. And there are a lot of impressive librarians here who I think are more distinguished than I am, quite frankly. I always admire the way they're organized and effective. It's a great treat to watch somebody get things done, to move things through administratively.
If you could change anything about the world, what would it be?
The most lamentable thing, which has probably always been true, but especially in the last 20 years, has been the influence of large corporations in determining laws and regulations. For instance, copyright laws go back to Queen Anne. They were an attempt to balance the interests of the creators of materials and the general public. But the laws are being slanted more and more to favor the holders of intellectual property and less toward society in terms of accessibility. That's sort of dangerous. I'd like to see those interests become more balanced again, perhaps as a consequence of campaign finance reform.
What's your guilty pleasure?
Buying CDs. I try to buy at a discount, though. I use the Web and frequent clearance bins or buy used at Armadillo or Tower. Also Bassett's Ice Cream, but that's only when I visit Philadelphia. We've never done it, but you can go to their online store and for $56 they'll ship you six hand-packed pints. It's all good - their French vanilla, their strawberry. I'm a chocolate nut myself. •