Slany Chapternews Newsletter Fall 2004

ChapterNews Volume 76, #4 Fall 2004

Letter from the Chapter President

IN THIS ISSUE

Dear Chapter Members

Message from the President..........1 Message from the Director of Publications .............3

As President of the Chapter, it’s my duty to keep reminding everyone that there is still “no free lunch” in The Big Apple. Our Past President, Agnes Mattis previously wrote to you about the financial realities facing our Chapter. In prior articles, she had covered two trends in particular:

Basic or Not So Basic? Business Research at SLA Nashville.........5 Chapter Announcements:..............7

▲ The rising costs of venues and catering

Meet the Board and Advisory Council.................8

▲ The diminishing levels of sponsorship There is little that we can do about the rising cost of venues and catering. A typical venue for 150 – 200 attendees, including A/V set up, now ranges between $800 and $1,000. Many of our members no longer have the option of offering a free venue for Chapter events. Furthermore, the refreshment services for many of our venues have been outsourced as profit-making ventures with minimum perperson costs typically starting at $25. If we were planning an event with wine, beer, soda and water for 150 attendees, this would add $3,750 to the cost of the event. And, if we were paying a modest speaker fee, combined with hotel and transportation costs in NY, this could easily add another $1,250. In this example, the total cost of a single program could easily reach $6,000.

LaChance Outlines Plan for SLA ..11 In the Beginning… .......................12 Welcome New Members .............13 From Student to Librarian: SLA-NY is with you all the way ..14 A River Runs through It: University of Arizona’s Knowledge River Project .........15

For these reasons, we experimented last year with “refreshment-free programs” (as opposed to the “free-refreshment programs” of our heavily sponsored past). What we found was that if programs were interesting and current enough, then they were well attended anyway, and few people actually complained about a lack of refreshments. With this in mind, we will continue to use this cost-saving strategy, whenever it’s needed this year.

Mentors in Libraries .....................16 St. Clair Suspends Knowledge Services Column: Concentrating on SLA’s Centenary History.....17 Diversity Leadership Development Committee’s Career Day Brunch .....................................18

But I’m also happy to report that the Board has a new plan to “market our assets” as a Chapter to potential sponsors. How will we do this? Primarily, we will do it by reminding sponsors of our buying power. The NY Chapter consists of 1,300 members, representing about 11% of the entire Association. And an even more important point, but one that is difficult to put an actual number to, is the total amount of revenue that the NY Chapter represents for information providers. Think of the size of our Business and Finance, Legal, Advertising and Marketing, and other divisions comprising our member base here in NY. We know that the NY Chapter accounts for a huge volume of dollars spent on information, and we suspect that it may be even greater than the 11% that our membership represents within the Association. We will be actively reminding our sponsors of these simple facts, to help ensure that we garner our fair slice of the sponsorship pie.

ADVERTISERS Dialog...........................................10 Donna Conti Career Resources .....5 EBSCO...........................................3 EOS International.........................12

InfoCurrent...................................17

When economic times were good, the Chapter could ask sponsors for assistance on a program-by-program basis throughout the year, and vendors were forthcoming with funds. This no longer works. We realized last year that we needed a new model for sponsorship, and the Chapter Board (along with our Ways and Means Chair, Nancy Bowles) has worked out a better strategy for approaching sponsors.

Pro Libra ......................................14

(Letter continues on page 2)

Gatta Design & Co. ......................15 Global Securities Information, Inc...4

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ChapterNews New York Chapter Special Libraries Association Summer Vol. 76, No. 3

Going forward, we will be soliciting sponsors with two options for supporting the chapter, as follows: ▲ A general contribution to support the Chapter on an annual basis ▲ A targeted contribution that would be used for specific, high profile events, programs and scholarships.

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE

In the first option, an annual contribution would enable a sponsor to plan their contribution budget annually, which is also to our benefit in that it would enable us to prepare a budget for activities ahead of time. Sponsors would receive appropriate recognition by the Chapter based on the total annual dollar amount (i.e., range) of their contribution.

ChapterNews, the bulletin of the New York Chapter of the Special Libraries Association, is published four times a year. Deadlines for submitting materials:

Fall issue

September 24

Winter issue

December 15

Spring issue

March 15

In the second option, we will offer sponsors the chance to “fully fund” the cost of particular events, which would entitle the sponsor to “exclusive name recognition” for that event (e.g., The (insert sponsor name) Hot Topic Panel Discussion). Going forward, we will select a couple of high-profile events and market them to sponsors in this manner.

Summer issue May 14

Submit all material to:

Jennifer Kellerman ChapterNews Editor E-mail: [email protected]

The last important aspect of this strategy is to provide much greater “recognition” to our sponsors, using the Chapter’s website and other communication tools (i.e., ChapterNews and the Discussion List). In doing this, we will also be publicizing our sponsors in an open, fair and objective manner, based on their actual level of support to us. We are confident that this new plan will help increase sponsorship dollars for our Chapter.

Submissions: Articles on topics of general interest to information professionals and the New York Chapter are welcome. Authors can send submissions via e-mail as text file or MS Word for Windows attachments, or with article in the body of the e-mail. Please use single-line spacing, Courier font, with minimal use of boldface and italics. Include a byline with your full name and place of work.

Thomas Pellizzi ADVERTISING inquiries should be addressed to:

Nancy Bowles 235 East 22nd Street, Apt 9L New York, NY 10010 Telephone: (212) 679-7088 or E-mail: [email protected]

SLA-NY SNAP-SHOT

Special Libraries Association assumes no responsibility for the statements and opinions advanced by contributors to the Association’s publications. Editorial views do not necessarily represent the official position of Special Libraries Association. Acceptance of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product by Special Libraries Association.

CHAPTERNEWS STAFF Director of Publications ChapterNews Editor Advertising Manager Webmaster Assistant Editor ChapterNews

NY Chapter members enjoy cocktails before the start of the Fall Chapter meeting. Read about it on page 11.

Mike Gruenberg Jennifer Kellerman Nancy Bowles Michael Rivas Brenda Ling 2

Vol. 76, #4 Fall 2004

Message From The Director of Publications By Mike Gruenberg

It’s Your Right AND Responsibility y the time you read the next issue of ChapterNews, there will have been a presidential election. No, not the one for the New York Chapter! And, not the one for President of SLA. It will be the election for the President of the United States.

B

I just came back from a vacation in Europe. According to the preference polls taken there, if the Europeans could vote, they would overwhelmingly vote for Kerry. Even though they cannot vote for our President, the European newspapers and television news programs are keenly aware of our politics and report on it daily with great vigor. On our cab ride to the airport in Venice, we had a spirited discussion with our Italian driver on the effects of U.S. foreign policy in the world. In Vienna, in another taxi, our Egyptian-born driver, who has been a resident of that city for 25 years spoke with great insight on how the U.S. is viewed in Austria.

September has always represented to me a new beginning. It’s almost as though September is another New Year. For example, when we come back from summer vacation, September was the beginning of a new school year. In the world of sales, September means the beginning of the push to end the last four months of the year on a positive note. In every fourth year, September represents the beginning of the two months leading up to the November election.

I could relate to you what these and other people we met in Europe had to say about the candidates for our highest office, but I won’t since this column is not designed to be a political soapbox. What I will tell you is that their thoughts and concerns energized me to become more involved in the upcoming election. While I cannot say that I have no interest in which person you decide to vote for, I can say that not voting is sinful. The right to vote is an important right that, quite frankly, is not enjoyed by a large majority of the world’s eligible for voting population. In some cases, the vote in certain countries is simply a ruse to get people to think that they are voting even though there may be one candidate or many candidates from the same political party. At times, we may have trouble differentiating the policies of our candidates, but in essence, there are two major parties presenting two candidates. For that, we should be thankful.

Please take the time to review the positions on the issues of each candidate from the President on down to your local legislators. Voting is a right and you need to know the issues in order to make a logical choice. Take time to watch the three Presidential and one Vice Presidential debates. Seek out your local elected officials and find out what they stand for. Most of all, exercise your right and responsibility to vote.

Over the years, the American public could rightfully or wrongfully be accused of not making the best choices when they elected a President. However, the reality is that someone was chosen. The person with the most votes usually wins. Well, maybe not all the time, but nevertheless, votes were taken and the system produced a winner. I’m not here to criticize the system, but I am here to criticize those who do not vote.

ChapterNews

Michael Gruenberg is a Strategic Accounts Executive at OneSource Information Services. He can be reached at [email protected] or 646-336-4128.

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GSI and LIVEDGAR are registered trademarks of Global Securities Information, Inc. 419 7th ST NW Washington, DC 20004 | 800.669.1154 www.gsionline.com | [email protected]

ChapterNews

LEADING THE WAY IN SECURITIES RESEARCH

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Basic or Not So Basic? Business Research at SLA Nashville By Jane Suda

f you were asked to create a short list of the most useful business reference tools, what resources would you select? When faced with researching an unfamiliar topic in the field of business, how would you identify the most authoritative information?

I

Business research in an entrepreneurial society is unique in that anything can potentially become a business venture…and everyone knows that all business ventures require expert information as a foundation for sound decision-making. How can a novice to business research prepare for the myriad of potential questions? The “Back to Basics Business Research” program at the annual SLA conference in Nashville, Tennessee promised to provide some guidance for librarians overwhelmed by the vast field of business research. The primary speaker for the program was Roberta Brody from the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at Queens College. Using a PowerPoint presentation, Dr. Brody provided a framework for conducting business research. She explained the basics of how business information is structured. She distributed a handout listing core business reference sources. She led the program participants through exercises where they analyzed typical business reference questions, discussed research strategies, and recommended best reference sources. She discussed how to evaluate the authority of business information, and the importance of determining the business context of each information request.

use the SLA document, “Competencies for Information Professionals of the 21st Century,” as a tool to evaluate their own work performance, and as a guide for their own professional development. The program was well organized and expertly delivered. A key component of this very successful event was the lively group discussion, nurtured by Dr. Brody and Ms. Scharf. Surprisingly, despite the “Back to Basics” title, many of the attendees were far from novice librarians. Most had years of experience in special library collections in law, pharmaceuticals, associations, engineering, etc. These librarians had chosen this program to brush up on skills, fill in gaps, or gain confidence in business research. Each participant brought to the event a wealth of information unique to their various specialties, and yet very relevant to the broad range of business reference services. Dr. Brody presented exercises carefully designed to promote an open dialog between all of the participants. Her instruction methods were very effective; the result was an engaging discussion which reflected the diverse experiences of each person in the room.

Dr. Brody also invited Davida Scharf of NKR Associates Inc. to be a guest speaker. The two speakers shared their extensive experience working as information consultants, both independently and within information-outsourcing firms. Throughout the presentation, they offered anecdotes from their professional experience to highlight the guidelines and resources they recommended. Their stories were often humorous, always enlightening. In particular, the women discussed the methods they use to manage, track, and mine for information resources. They addressed how to ethically approach providing research in a subject area in which you have limited previous knowledge (they recommend letting the client know upfront). In addition, they discussed how they ChapterNews

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Starting Points: Business Research

At the end of the day, Dr. Brody distributed the registration sheet for the event. It listed each participant’s name, organization, and contact information. This cemented the collegial atmosphere which had been growing throughout the day. Dr. Brody and Ms. Scharf encouraged us to use each other as reference sources. They stressed that, despite all of the available print and electronic reference sources, often the quickest way to research an unfamiliar topic is to ask an expert. The program registration sheet provided each participant with a short list of specialists to contact for future research. Be they librarian, senior researcher, consultant, information specialist, manager, liaison, professor, or analyst, each participant possessed in-depth knowledge of the information resources in their specific field. The participants were pleased.

Below are some websites that can be used to obtain basic (and free) information on companies, stock markets and the economy.

Annual Reports www.annualreports.com

Big Char ts www.bigcharts.com

Bureau of Labor Statistics

What was the most valuable information presented at the “Back to Basics Business Research” program? Some might say it was the bibliography of core resources. Others might select the nine recommended research strategies, or the breakdown of how business information is structured. Some may have benefited most from the exercises on how to determine the authority of a source, or how to determine the context of a query. Still others might say that the professional development guidelines were most outstanding. Any one of these would have made the event well worth the expense.

www.bls.gov/

CEO Express www.ceoexpress.com/default.asp

EDGAR www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/webusers.htm

Federal Reserve Economic Data www.stls.frb.org/fred/

For me, the revelation that discourse can be as valuable as any list of print or electronic resources was paramount. The program introduced me to a number of individuals whose knowledge cannot be accessed via a book or website. The program reminded me that as members of SLA, and as conference attendees, we all are reaching out to create a network of professional support. We are creating a network to support ourselves, and to benefit us all.

Hoovers www.hoovers.com

NASDAQ www.nasdaq.com

New York Department of State Corporations and UCC

Jane Suda is a Reference Librarian and Business Liaison at Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus. Prior to working at Long Island University, Jane was a Reference Librarian for Goldman, Sachs & Company in New York. She received her M.L.I.S. from Simmons College and her B.A. from Smith College. She is currently enrolled in the M.P.A. program at Long Island University. Jane can be reached at [email protected] or at 718-488-1036.

www.dos.state.ny.us/#

New York Stock Exchange www.nyse.com

SEDAR www.sedar.com

Yahoo Business http://finance.yahoo.com/

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CHAPTER ANNOUNCEMENTS CHAPTER ANNOUNCEMENTS For Your Information SLA Connections is a series which includes newsletters and updates on the following topics: industry, learning, public policy, conference, board and leadership.You can find the resources at: www.sla.org/content/resources/lin/index.cfm

DLDC Award Winner Announced Millicent Emmitt is this year’s recipient of the SLA-NY Diversity Leadership Development Committee award. Millicent is a corporate information specialist at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Maegher & Flom LLP. She received her bachelor's degree from Hunter College, summa cum laude. She earned a Phi Beta Kappa Key and was recipient of a Mellon Fellowship. Millicent is a member of Golden Key Honors Society and has appeared in Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. We look forward to her participation in the Diversity Leadership Development Committee.

SLA has a new Competitive Intelligence division. The Board of Directors approved the division at meetings held at the Annual Conference in June 2004. Within six weeks, the division has grown to 175 members. Jerry Miller (Simmons College) is the Chair of the CI division.

☛ For more information, go to: www.sla.org/division/dci/cihome.htm.

Each year this committee awards $1000 to a library school student who represents our diverse global community and shows interest in special librarianship. This talented, meritorious and innovative student is nominated by the dean of library school. The award is circulated amongst the New York Metro area library schools on a rotating basis.

Reading Material “When there’s information to be stored, retrieved, analyzed or distributed, there’s a need fo special librarians.”

☛ To read the entire article, click on: http://careerpronews.bridges.com/explorer/browse/ et/librarin/main.htm The Shifted Librarian - http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/

HELP WANTED!!! The New York Chapter is looking for volunteers to fill the following positions:

Librarians in Entertainment: ...In the Comics ☛ http://www.comics.com/comics/frazz/archive/frazz-

▲ Discussion list manager ▲ Midtown Networking Chairs – two people ▲ Assistants to help Michael Rivas with the website ▲ Assistants to help David Man with Arrangements

20040918.html

☛ http://www.comics.com/comics/soup2nutz/archive/soup2nutz20040920.html

If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact Tom Pellizzi at [email protected].

….On TV Noah Wyle leaves ER for the library. The Librarian, a TNT

Time to Join or Renew in the Chemist Club Right Now for 2004/05

movie to air December 5, 2004, features Wyle as an actionadventure hero.

☛ For more information, go to www.usatoday.com/life/

We have great news! The New York Chapter is renewing our membership in the Midtown Executive and Chemist Club conveniently located at 40 West 45th Street, minutes from Times Square and Theatre District. Benefits include use of the dining room, reciprocal domestic and international clubs in places such as Washington DC, Boston, London, and hotel accommodations at low rates. It is a perfect central place for informal meetings. The dining room provides delicious food. There are rooms we can reserve for a fee for meetings and private parties.

2004-09-09-coming-attractions_x.htm.

The individual membership is $25.00 annually. The club accepts all major credit cards. If you have questions or wish to sign up, send your business card (with your telephone number(s) and email address) along with a check for $25.00 made out to “SLA New York Chapter,” to Sarah Warner at: Wontawk, 25 West 43d St., Suite 812, New York, NY 10036. Tel: 212/869-3348, [email protected].

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to coincide with the rebranding of the Association in 2003. This resource remains available at http://www.sla.org/ division/dam/resources/branding.html In her current role as President-Elect of the New York Chapter, Gwen is responsible for organizing Chapter programs and events for Fall 2004 & Spring 2005.

Last year, ChapterNews ran a special section introducing the board and advisory council members to the chapter. This year, some of the newest members of the Board and Advisory Council are profiled.

SECRETARY - Miguel A. Figueroa

BOARD

Miguel A. Figueroa is the Assistant Director of Publish-

ing at Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s School of Information Resources and Library Science (2003). Being new to the profession, the city, and the New York Chapter, he looks forward to learning more about the organization and the community of professionals here.

PRESIDENT – Tom Pellizzi Tom Pellizzi has been active in the NY Chapter for several years, serving as Mid-town lunch and breakfast co-Chair (2 years), followed by Director of Publications (and interim ChapterNews Editor) for 2 years, then President Elect, and now President of the Chapter. Tom also served as co-Chair of Programs for the Library Management Division at the Annual Conference in New York City in 2003.

DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – Catherine Ciaccio

Tom started InfoSpace Consultants in 1987 to provide design consultation and project management services for specialized libraries and information centers. He also consults on document management issues. Tom has designed specialized libraries and information centers for a prestigious group of clients within the NY Chapter and elsewhere. He enjoys an outstanding reputation for his designs.

Catherine Ciaccio is a librarian at Credit Suisse First Boston.

Catherine received her MLS from Pratt Institute and is currently serving as Director of Professional Development. Her interests are baseball, reading mysteries, and spending time with her family and friends.

ADVISORY COUNCIL ARRANGEMENTS CHAIR – David Man

PRESIDENT-ELECT – Gwen Loeffler

David Man holds an MS degree in Information Science

Gwen Loeffler is Senior Research Specialist at the global

and Library Services from Columbia University (1991). His first library position was as Reference Librarian at the New York Academy of Medicine. From there, he was the Educational Services Librarian at the Rockefeller University Library. Since 1996, he has been the director of the library at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University where he has designed and implemented the library on the web.

advertising and marketing network Young & Rubicam Brands. She has enjoyed receiving and responding to an unpredictable array of reference questions and requests from account teams, creatives and new business teams at Y&R since 1997. Gwen started work as Educational Program Coordinator at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution in New York, in 1989. Later, she served as the museum’s Public Affairs Officer.

(Advisory Council Continues on page 9)

Gwen received a BA in History with a minor in Museum Studies from Adelphi University, and was awarded both an MLS and a Certificate in Archival Studies from the Palmer School of Library & Information Science at Long Island University’s C.W. Post. Gwen has been a member of SLA since 1997. She served as Co-Chair of the Advertising & Marketing Division (2002-2003), and is currently the Division’s Publications Chair. She is contributor & editor of “The Branding Resource, “ an electronic bibliographic source published ChapterNews

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SLA ADVISORY BOARD

Meet the Board and Advisory Council

CAREER DAY CHAIR – Gretchen Ebeler Hazlin

NOMINATIONS CHAIR – Pam Rollo

Gretchen Ebeler Hazlin is Coordinator, Education &

Pam Rollo is currently SLA President - Elect and Principal

Outreach Services at the New York Academy of Medicine Library. Along with general reference duties, Gretchen is responsible for the Academy Library’s medical information classes and the library component of the Junior Fellows Program for middle and high school students. She also coordinates information outreach projects on HIV/AIDS, Asthma, and East Harlem health. Previous experience includes working as a librarian for a regulatory information center at Johnson & Johnson and serving as an Information Specialist at Grey Worldwide in New York. She also worked on the vendor side of the industry for two years at LEGI-SLATE, an online legislative information service. She received her MLS from Rutgers and earned her BA in English and History from Boston College.

with her consulting firm, Collaborative Consultations, Inc. Prior to that, Pam was Vice President, Premier Accounts with LexisNexis and Director for Information Resources with Credit Suisse First Boston. Her SLA service includes the current role as a as a member of the SLA Board of Directors since 2002, Chair (Chair-Elect and Past Chair) of the Business & Finance Committee 1998-2000 and Chair of the New York Chapter’s Business & Finance section in 1996. She earned her MS in Library Service at Columbia University and her BA in History from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York.

DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, VICE-CHAIR – Julie-Mae Stanley

Gretchen is the 2005 Career Day Chair and is hoping to enlist many of you as volunteers as this annual spring event comes together.

Julie-Mae Stanley has twelve years experience in library

services, systems and website development. She is an assistant vice president and systems librarian at Credit Suisse First Boston, where her current titles are web task force manager and Internal Client Services Group project manager. She manages six departmental websites and provide Technical and advisory assistance to the Library & Information Services and Archives & Record management Departments. She provides support to staff globally and is responsible for the third party applications, scripting and implementation. She is a graduate of the State University of New York - Oswego and holds a MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh, PA. Julie-Mae was responsible for the redevelopment and restructuring of the SLA-NY website in 2001 and received an Award for its success. Her long-term objective is to assist Libraries with their automation initiatives. Julie-Mae can be reached at julie.stanley@csfb or tel: 212-325-2552.

LIBRARY SCHOOL LIAISON – CO-CHAIR – Phyllis Hodges Phyllis Hodges is presently an Information Research Associate at Credit Suisse First Boston, in New York City. She has over 20 years of experience in the library and information field and has experience in the areas of legal, business, non-profit, and insurance. Ms. Hodges received a B.S. degree from John Jay College of Criminal and M.S. degree from Pratt Institute. In 1996,

In 1996 Ms. Hodges was the recipient of the SLA Diversity Leadership award, and the former president of the New York Black Librarian’s Caucus and a member of the scholarship committee. Her hobbies include volunteering, jewelry design, and accessory designs. She can be contacted at Library and Information Services, Credit Suisse First Boston, telephone (212) 325-7188, fax (212) 325-8271, email: [email protected] or mailing address Eleven Madison Avenue, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10010-3629.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CHAIR – Marlene Augstin-Lamber t Marlene Augustin-Lambert is a senior reference Librarian at Credit Suisse First Boston. Marlene has fourteen years of experience in the Special Libraries industry working in both legal Libraries and investment banking Libraries. Marlene worked full time while working towards her MLS from Pratt. At Credit Suisse First Boston she has been involved in global Library projects and initiatives.

– Paulette Toth Paulette Toth is the Information Services Manager at Kirkland & Ellis llp and can be reached at [email protected].

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LaChance Outlines Plan for SLA

In terms of expenses, Ms. Lachance said that SLA has reduced its operating costs by moving the headquarters from its old Washington, D.C., location to a renovated space in Alexandria, Va. She hopes that the Board of Directors will apply the $500,000 profit realized from the sale of the previous headquarters building to projects that will have a “direct, positive impact” on members.

By Thomas D. Sullivan SLA-NY kicked off the fall season in a 37th-floor conference room of the Conde Nast Building in Times Square. Thanks to the work of Agnes Mattis at Skadden Arps, who requested the space, members at the Fall Program had a very congenial setting – and startlingly good views of midtown.

“Let us know what you need.” SLA has also started a campaign aimed at raising $1 million to support professional development. Saying she was “thrilled with the possibilities” of learning for SLA members, Ms. Lachance spoke of applying the development funds to establishing “online communities of practice.” “Let us know what you need,” to learn the skills to grow professionally, she said. She aims for SLA to develop e-learning tools to members “so you get the service you need when you want it – at your desk.”

New Chapter President Tom Pellizzi introduced the featured speaker, Special Libraries Association Executive Director Janice R. Lachance. Mr. Pellizzi said that SLA members are counting on her “to do great things. “ Last year, after taking office, Ms. Lachance made the New York chapter her first visit. Both she and Mr. Pellizzi spoke of planning to arrange regular visits to our chapter.

Ms. Lachance added that SLA is negotiating with a university known for its distance learning programs to develop courses for members. She said that this initiative would be aimed at professional development, not to offer courses that might be in competition with MLS programs elsewhere. The aim of these learning programs is to “give you the kind of information that will help you map out your career.”

Learning, Networking, Advocacy Ms. Lachance zeroed in on “three critical needs” that will drive the actions of SLA at the national level: learning, networking, and advocacy. “Everything we do, “ she said, will be related to these aims. ▲ Learning is critical, Ms. Lachance said, for members to have confidence in their skills and take risks to grow professionally. ▲ Networking is “the primary reason why members join SLA.” ▲ Advocacy, said Ms. Lachance, is needed because, “We want to influence the external publics” of librarians. SLA will” focus on things important to the profession and the association.”

She also said that SLA is looking into the possibility of a certification program for the profession. SLA plans to expand the number of virtual learning seminars to 24 in 2005, Ms. Lachance added.

[email protected] Ms. Lachance made a special appeal to members of the New York chapter to contact her, making her aware of what’s going on. Her e-mail address is [email protected]

Among the ways to promote the profession, Ms. Lachance spoke of making SLA.org “more of a selling vehicle.” Ms. Lachance outlined initiatives to broaden SLA’s membership and improve its professional and financial standing. She’s hoping to expand membership in Europe, building on a “great base in the U.K.”

Later, during the question-and-answer session, she said, “You all have taken the biggest hit” of all the chapters, in terms of downsizing. She wants to know how SLA can help. One way members might help themselves, she suggested, is being active as members in SLA, and by voting in SLA elections. “Vocal, vociferous, difficult chapters” help her understand members’ needs, she said.

Domestically, she’s pleased with results from the July launch of a Competitive Intelligence Division, which has “gotten off to a gangbusters start.” Ms. Lachance was also very pleased to note SLA’s participation in a two-year study, led by the University of North Carolina and Syracuse University, on the future of the library profession. The research partnership will include SLA, the Association of Research Libraries and the American Society for Information Science and Technology.

SLA President-Elect Pam Rollo underlined Ms. Lachance’s appeal for us to make ourselves heard. Ms. Lachance”always welcomes comments,” and added, “She’s really interested in what we have to say.” Thomas D. Sullivan is a freelance writer and member of the SLA New York Chapter. He is currently enrolled in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at Queens College.

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In the Beginning… By Ellen Miller

hose of you who are regular readers of ChapterNews already know that I have spent the past year reorganizing and updating the Chapter Archives. I am now at the stage where I have the good fortune of going through the historic files. Somehow, it didn’t seem fair that I should have all the fun of discovering the life of the Chapter from its inception until now without sharing some of my findings with you, the members. Therefore, with Jennifer Kellerman’s enthusiastic support (ChapterNews editors will support anything if it gives them copy for the newsletter), I am going to write a series of articles throughout this Chapter year. I hope they will give all of us a sense of our beginnings and the ways that our predecessors toiled to make membership in the New York Chapter professionally and personally rewarding. Feedback would be welcome and specific questions will be answered if possible.

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I thought it would be most appropriate to start this process with a brief history of the Chapter, since I doubt that many of us know much about our beginnings. Much of the following information is courtesy of an essay in the front of the 1931 Directory of Members (my thanks, probably posthumously, to the anonymous author), an essay by Mary Paasch from an unattributed source and some articles written in commemoration of the Chapter’s 50th anniversary by Charlotte Madison and Ruth Savord.

In the beginning, meetings were held four times a year. Gradually, that number increased until they were monthly events, frequently held as dinners. By 1930 the membership had grown to 400 and many activities were born that have been mainstays of the Chapter for most of its history. The Chapter developed an Employment Committee in 1931, the precursor to today’s Job Hotline, and began publishing both a Directory of Members and a Union List of Serials in member libraries during this decade. The Chapter’s first salary survey was released in 1938, having been postponed during the years of the Depression. The Duplicate Exchange was begun in 1937 and functioned into the 1980’s as a successful way for libraries to share their excess materials with others who could use them. Subscribers to the Exchange prepared quarterly lists of items available for free to colleagues and these lists were coordinated into a master list and mailed to all subscriber members. If a librarian saw an item of interest, s/he would contact the offering library directly and an exchange would be arranged.

The Manhattan District members of SLA, 53 in number, met for the first time May 5, 1914 and organized as the New York Chapter in June 1915. The purpose was to show the world that this branch of the library profession had special issues and needed special methods to provide the special service which was, and still is, our trademark. By 1920 the Chapter had grown in size to the point that it decided to split into subject groups for some of its meetings. The increased size of the membership led to a need for a more widespread communications medium and ChapterNews was born in 1928. The New York Chapter was a leader in the overall life of the parent organization, as illustrated by the many firsts that can be attributed to this chapter: first to organize its members into groups by their subject interests, first to affiliate with the parent organization as a Chapter, first to set up a duplicate exchange system, an active employment committee and a student loan fund.

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Welcome New Members

From 1940 to 1945 the Chapter took part in so many war activities that a special War Activities Committee was set up to coordinate them and to keep members informed. A major organizational job was the preparation of a complete set of manuals for officers and committee chairman in 1944-45. It was also during this time that the tradition of Chapter luncheons began. The 1950’s saw an emphasis on education with the opening of The Ballard School in cooperation with the YWCA as a training facility for clerical workers in special libraries. Various members of the Chapter taught at the school, which generally offered four courses a semester and drew approximately 150 students during its heyday in the 1950’s and 60’s. In the fall of 1953, the Professional Training Committee developed, in cooperation with Queens College, an experimental program of professional instruction for special librarians and those wishing to enter the profession. In 1956, Chapter members were appointed as special library training representatives to take part in an Institute of the Alumni Association of Columbia University School of Library Service.

We welcome the following new members to the New York Chapter. You will find many benefits to being a part of the New York Chapter. We look forward to meeting you at the chapter meetings and events. Scott Armstrong Mary Authur Susan Banks Eleanor Barrett Dana Benini Barbara Bertram Janette Carver Zoie Clark Andrea Coles

Recruitment to the field of special librarianship has been stressed by the Chapter in several ways. In May 1962, a Career Day was held at which library school students were invited to tour eight representative special libraries in New York City. A Career Counseling Workshop held in October 1962 was attended by college placement directors and college librarians. Career opportunities and information about special libraries were given by a panel of speakers, exhibits and brochures. As a direct result of this Workshop, Chapter members were invited to speak directly to students at colleges in the metropolitan area.

Samar Das Frank Dell’Aquila Antonia DiGregorio Dina Dreifurest

Louis Naturman Shari Nazak-Dolan Melissa Nemchin Holly Nickle Elaina Norlin

Teresa Ehling

Norma Ortiz

Melinda Figueiredo Christine Florez Michael Ford Catherine Fortier

Jennifer Parkinson Janet Peros David Pieratt Stacey Pilson Susan Presley Joseph Puma

Danielle Galdi Kaura Gale Maria Gil Jodi Gregory Marilyn Gross Judith Israel

By this time, the Chapter had grown to 1,200 members and was a thriving example of the power of networking and volunteerism. I think we should all send a silent thank you to our predecessors whose hard work and care for the profession built the Chapter into such a successful endeavor.

Judith Jeroker Jodi Jirsa Sheila Johnson Timothy Johnson Linda Jones Mariko Kato Myrtho Kaven Elise Keller Dorothy Kelly Katherine Kenworthy Mi Sun Kim Geoffery Klein Zsusza Koltay

Ellen Miller is a 32-year member of SLA, who twice served as President of the New York Chapter. She retired from J.P. Morgan in 1999 and now spends her time gardening, singing in her church choir and doing occasional consulting assignments. She was inducted into the SLA Hall of Fame in June 2004. She can be reached at [email protected]

Adrienne MacWhannell Dennis Maffettone Elizabeth Mason Karen Mason Melanie McArthur Jessica McBride John McGovern Sharon McKenna Vijaya Menon

Marlene Lambert Donald Lemke Jessica Letizia

Audrea Quijano Fred Rascoe Claire Rivers Susan Robinson Rebecca Schultz Jennifer Segreto Anne Siejakowski Michael Simomson Nalini Singh Katherine Skibinski Lauren Skinner Alexandra Smith Tom Tierney Rufina Vyshedskaya Lisa Watkins Eric Werner Cara Wilheim Karen Wilson Linda Wood Natalie Wozniak Sheila Yanling Cui Sylvia Diaz Yanling Cui Snow Zhu

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Vol. 76, #4 Fall 2004

From Student to Librarian: SLA-NY is with you all the way By Dagfinn Senturia

little more than two years ago, I was unemployed but with plans to attend library school the following semester. Having plenty of time to scour the net for job ads and get-rich quick schemes, one day I stumbled upon an organization that has proven to be instrumental in getting me where I am today. Of course, I'm talking about the New York Chapter of the Special Libraries Association.

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The chapter has offered many benefits and opportunities for me throughout my library school career, which ended in May 2004. Throughout the year, the SLA-NY chapter organizes evening meetings with various database vendors, such as Dialog, Lexis-Nexis and Factiva. In fact, I got my first exposure to Factiva at one of these meetings - a full year before I used the same product at the law firm where I now work. The chapter keeps up with the latest products offered by the vendors. These meetings offer students the opportunities to bolster their skills and knowledge of products which can be a huge advantage when it comes time to look for internships.

and also to listen to the panel of various special librarians in different and fascinating fields. Finally, I probably wouldn’t be in this position at all if I hadn’t met Suzan Lee, the former library school liaison for the chapter. She was my initial contact with SLA-NY and has been a great source of information and advice. Her enthusiasm and dedication to the chapter is a wonderful asset. While my library school career has ended, it just means my involvement in SLA continues now as a full-fledged librarian.

The chapter meetings are a great way for students to understand the evolving field of librarianship. It was at one of these meetings that I learned of the obstacles and challenges facing librarians and what has to be done to save corporate and special librarians from disappearing. It was eye-opening but the presenter also outlined how librarians can adapt and use new technologies and methods to make for a brighter future. These meetings help show the”real world” side of librarianship and provide practical knowledge that often is overlooked in the academic realm.

Dagfinn Senturia is a May 2004 graduate from the Rutgers School of Communication, Information and Library Studies. Yes, he made the commute from Brooklyn to New Brunswick and lived to tell about it. He currently works at Fried Frank as a reference librarian and when he's not in the library he can often be seen running in Prospect Park. Dagfinn can be contacted via e-mail at: [email protected].

SLA-NY also sponsors a scholarship which is offered twice a year. Last year, I was a recipient of one of these scholarships. This summer, I began working as a reference librarian at a law firm in New York City. I got this position by attending SLA-NY Career Day two years ago. There I came in contact with members of LLAGNY (Law Librarian Association of Greater New York). An internship led to a part-time job which has now led to a fulltime position. Career Day is a rather exciting event. It allows participants to re-connect with fellow colleagues

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Vol. 76, #4 Fall 2004

A River Runs through It: University of Arizona’s Knowledge River Project

INFORMATION ORGANIZATION NEEDS GOOD DESIGN TOO.

By Kenneth Schlesinger

recently visited San Diego, my hometown. While visiting at museums, I was surprised to see wall labels printed in both English and Spanish. Even the Home Depot in Mission Valley had bilingual signage! Historically a reluctant border town, this kind of accommodation was unheard of in the San Diego where I grew up, which even ten years ago experienced controversy about calling the Children’s Museum Museo de los Ninos as well.

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As we’re all aware, the 21st century promises unprecedented population growth in the United States, with increasing diversification. Hispanics will constitute the largest U.S. ethnic group by 2010. The next two decades will also see the retirement of a major sector of librarians. The question remains, will our libraries be able to adequately and effectively respond to the language and specific information needs of a transforming society?

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In another border town – Tucson, Arizona – an innovative program is addressing the changing needs of libraries and information resources. The University of Arizona’s School of Information Resources and Library Science (SIRLS) introduced Knowledge River in 2002 to actively recruit and train Hispanic and Native American librarians underrepresented in the profession. Developed from a position paper by program director Patricia Tarin, the concept of Knowledge River is evocative of Native American traditions and resonates with water, a vital and precious resource in the Southwest. In keeping with the mixed Latino and Indian cultures, knowledge is a commodity not to be hoarded, but rather shared to benefit and empower all.

TEL (212) 229-0071, FAX (212) 229-0074 e-mail: [email protected] www.gattago.com

Given the IMLS funding parameters, the program is organized along two tracks: Digital Divide, addressing the information needs of the economically disadvantaged; and Archives and Museums, broadening the focus to acknowledge cultural centers since print collections are often combined with artifacts and repositories in these communities. Reservations, for example, may have only one institution housing all these functions. Correspondingly, the curriculum has been designed to incorporate information issues of these groups. Pat Tarin has developed courses on Information Environments from Native American and Latino Perspectives and Indigenous Library Services. Discussions are lively – sometimes controversial – but students are appreciative since some have remarked this is their first opportunity to discuss these viewpoints in a college classroom. Knowledge River has also collaborated with UA faculty in the Chicano and Native American Studies programs to facilitate team-taught courses highlighting critical social and political commentary.

Funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services, which is committed to diversifying library constituencies, the program provides a $12,000 stipend and tuition remission to applicants, many of whom face financial hardship. SIRLS has been successful in developing graduate assistantships with its partners the University of Arizona (UA) Library, the Tucson-Pima Public Library, and the Arizona State Museum. Surprisingly, the University of Arizona library had not sponsored these internships before, and has been pleased with the results: a motivated, committed (and cost-effective) workforce, an opportunity to diversify its own staff, while providing leadership role models for the student body. Needless to say, several hires have resulted from these assignments, truly a win-win situation for all. ChapterNews

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Mentors in Libraries

Mentoring is an important part of the program, both from faculty providing tutorials for specific skills and technical training, as well as student advisement and support from the program coordinators. Of course, the most effective aspect is peer mentoring from senior students to new recruits. While this is a close-knit cohort, consensus is not guaranteed. Although Latinos tend to bond fairly naturally, historically not all tribes have gotten along, and there is a wide disparity between Alaskan Natives and Southwestern Indians. Still, this represents an ample learning exchange.

By Catherine Ciaccio and Marlene Augustin-Lambert

emember your first job in a library? Were you fortunate enough to have someone take an interest in your development as an information professional? Did this person give you guidelines on to how to succeed in the profession, interact with clients, and improve your work and your outlook?

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One of the major factors of the program’s success is the enthusiasm and buy-in from SIRLS faculty. Courses are open to all students in the library school, which has deepened the exposure and enriched the perspective of the next generation of librarians. Job placement of graduates has been successful in Arizona and the Southwest, as well as other regions. Knowledge River alumni themselves have been the best recruiters, but the program also reaches out formally with a prominent advisory board and targeted mailings to Hispanic and Native American undergraduate organizations. Patricia Tarin hopes to expand the student body from regional to national representation to increase the flow of knowledge from newly minted librarians in the multicultural bibliotecas of the future.

If the answer is yes, then you probably had a mentor. The dictionary defines the word mentor as a wise and trusted counselor or teacher. It is our hope that beginner librarians will be encouraged to find mentors and that experienced librarians will be encouraged to serve as mentors and help the profession. It is important for the mentor to be interested in the development of the librarian s/he is mentoring. In turn, those librarians being mentored should be proactive and committed to their own development as a professional. Mentors should provide guidance and advice, based on experience, on how to handle challenges; and encouragement to improve, and continue to develop as a professional. Mentors should also help new librarians establish career goals.

For more information, contact: Knowledge River School of Information Resources and Library Science University of Arizona 1515 East First Street Tucson, Arizona 85719 (520) 621-6428 [email protected] http://knowledgeriver.arizona.edu/

Serving as a mentor is a great way to give back to the profession, raise the bar for service, and encourage new people to enter the field. We should view this profession as a community and help each other achieve our goals. Let’s work together and be better at what we do.

Kenneth Schlesinger is Director of Media Services at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY, a position he has held since 2000. He serves as Board President of Independent Media Arts Preservation (IMAP), and is President of the Library Association of the City University of New York (LACUNY) during 2004-2005.

ChapterNews

Catherine Ciaccio is a librarian at Credit Suisse First Boston. She is also the Director of Professional Development for the New York chapter of SLA. She can be reached at [email protected]. Marlene Augustin-Lambert is a senior reference Librarian at Credit Suisse First Boston. She is the chair of Professional Development. She can be reached at [email protected].

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Vol. 76, #4 Fall 2004

St. Clair Suspends Knowledge Services Column: Concentrating on SLA’s Centenary History

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Faithful readers of ChapterNews will notice that this issue is missing something – namely, Guy St. Clair’s column on Knowledge Management (KM). A staple in ChapterNews since 2001, Guy’s column explored all facets of KM, from knowledge development, knowledge sharing and knowledge services to critical infrastructure protection and the role special librarians play in KM. Each column provided a wealth of information and insight on a complex topic. And, Guy is uniquely qualified to provide such insight and information. His interest in and passion for the topic of knowledge management is well-known.

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In addition to his other roles (he is a consultant, teacher, author and speaker), Guy has long been an active volunteer with SLA and in the New York Chapter. However, much to our dismay, he is scaling back his involvement with ChapterNews. Instead, he will be focusing on writing a narrative history of SLA, to be published for the association’s 100th anniversary in 2009.

concentrating on academic, scholarly, cultural, and societal needs; the other providing practical and utilitarian information for the workplace. It’s taken us 96 years to get to the point where we’re willing to accept this distinction (and some in our field are still unwilling to accept it), but that’s where we are now. And now we recognize that it is Knowledge Services that will pick up on what specialized librarianship has been doing all along and take us into the future.”

The book, tentatively titled “Putting Knowledge to Work” to Knowledge Services: SLA—1909-2009, will trace the growth of the association from its beginnings. Starting with the library environment in late 19th-century and following the progress of leaders like John Cotton Dana, the book will attempt to describe how those pioneers in specialized librarianship moved toward a different type of librarianship, one that would meet the specific needs of business, research, and similar information consumers.

We wish Guy all the best and are eagerly awaiting the publication of his latest venture. And, of course, several column inches will be on reserve if Guy should ever feel the urge to write for ChapterNews!

As St. Clair noted in an interview in Information Outlook (September, 2003), “In this chapter, I assert that it was with the founding of SLA that modern American librarianship – as we know it – came into being. What Americans required was a two-track type of librarianship, one

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Vol. 76, #4 Fall 2004

Diversity Leadership Development Committee’s Career Day Brunch

CAREER DAY SNAP-SHOT

By Lorraine Moneypenny

he Diversity Leadership Development Committee (DLDC) strives to attract professionals of all backgrounds to the information gathering profession and provide opportunities for learning, networking and gaining recognition for accomplishments.

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The committee’s chair, Vandana Ranjan, has guided the committee’s discussion on what might be appealing about the MLS credential for research enthusiasts entering the business world. It is certainly not that employers are crying out for it. They are plucking information-literate graduates out of colleges and business schools confident that, with increasingly user-friendly research tools, their new hires can ramp up quickly from information retrieval to expert analysis.

Louise Klusek, Assistant Professor, Baruch College; Rita Ormsby, SLA-NY Global Outreach Chair and Julie Mae Stanley, SLA-NY Diversity Leadership Development Committee Vice Chair greet attendees at Baruch’s Career Day breakfast. The guests encouraged the diversity committee to pursue student outreach activities, as well. Colleges host career fairs where the option of studying information science is seldom presented to undergraduates. Rita Ormsby suggested setting up a table at an event Baruch holds every autumn. Baruch’s student body, like most in our area, is made up of people from many different backgrounds. Some of them might find SLA’s obvious commitment to diversity very persuasive.

The DLDC decided to engage MLS educators in a discussion about how to make library schools places where information junkies can access appropriate skills and models for success in the private sector. To that end, the committee sponsored a brunch on Career Day, which was held May 22, 2004. We enticed area library school deans and faculty to a working brunch with a promise of delicious food in an historic setting: Café St. Bart’s, adjacent to St. Bartholomew’s church on Park Avenue. Pam Rollo and Tom Pellizzi also generously agreed to come. Our committee shutterbugs, Jeff and Vandy captured the event on camera. To view the photos, go to the chapter website: www.sla.org/chapter/cny.

The breakfast guests certainly did. As we made our way to the Lighthouse for Career Day, all agreed that an essential dialogue had been opened between educators and practitioners.

Career Day Participants:

As representatives from Pratt Institute, Long Island University, Baruch College, Rutgers University and Queens College buttered their toast on the café’s patio on that rain-washed spring morning, Vandy posed the question: How can we work together to bring experienced professionals closer to students, to enhance their practical knowledge?

Virgil Blake and Marianne Cooper, Queens College: Millicent Emmit, Skadden Arps; Michael Koenig, Long Island University; Patricia Myers, KMPG; Virginia Papandrea and Marie Radford, Pratt Institute; Rita Ormsby, Baruch College; Jana Varlejs, Rutgers University. From SLA: Pam Rollo and Tom Pellizzi. From the DLDC: Jeffrey Dreiblatt, Carmen Hudson, Lorraine Moneypenny, Nettie Seaberry and chair Vandana Ranjan.

Dr. Jana Varlejs suggested that special librarians become more involved in teaching. Rutgers, for instance, hires practitioners as adjunct faculty, especially during the summer semester. Other library school faculty around the table agreed to communicate to SLA similar opportunities at their own institutions. Since the breakfast, the DLDC has posted two messages for teaching opportunities at Rutgers and Long Island University on the SLANY discussion list.

ChapterNews

Lorraine Moneypenny is currently working as Manager-Global Marketing Programs at MasterCard International and also serves as the reporter for the SLA-NY Diversity Leadership Development Committee. 18

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