Slany Chapternews Newsletter Summer 2007

The New York Chapter

ChapterNews Volume 79, #2 Late Summer 2007

Message from the President

IN THIS ISSUE

Summertime and the Living is Easy…

Message from the President: ........ 1 President-elect’s Message ............ 3

By Kevin Manion, Consumer Reports

UPCOMING Programs and Events Chapter Event: Career Day ........ 6 Lachance Visit ............................... 7 Candidates for President............. 10

s summertime draws its last breaths, many of us escape the hot days of our beloved city for ports near and far. Unlike other years, I’ve decided to spend most of my summer in New York City – with occasional jaunts upstate and to Vermont and Montreal and I’ve been enjoying the many charms that summer in New York has to offer – none greater than simply walking around this beautiful breathtaking city.

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SCIP NY Chapter ........................ 12 Metro Meeting Calendar.............. 13 SIBL Debuts Book Machine ........ 15

Over the past year, I have titled the columns for this newsletter based on the changing seasons and related the change to issues that were relevant in our profession. Spring talked about trying something new with the hope that this season brings; the Winter issue talked about technology and taking advantage of the uncharacteristic mild weather to listen to two speakers whose presentations focused on how information professionals need to stay on top of technological developments and stay relevant in today’s increasingly virtual world; the Newsletter from last Fall focused on “Change” and that particular feeling we all get when the air begins to get crisp and the leaves begin to turn.

Andrew Berner Honored.............. 16 ChapterNews Editor’s Note ......... 17 Perspective: 2007 Conference .... 17 CE Course Well Received............ 18 Global Outreach Committee........ 19

And now, my year as president (actually 18 months) and this series of columns are nearing an end. In the next few months my presidency will be over and I will begin to focus on other things, professional and personal. But more about that in the Fall issue.

ADVERTISERS Dialog ............................................ 4

The summer does provide, whether one decides to take a vacation or not, a time for reflection. Many of us read more in the summer, take on special projects at work – often with the help of interns, catch up on things that were left or uncompleted throughout the year and generally try to catch up on everything that did not get done.

Donna Conti Career Resources..... 9 EBSCO .......................................... 8

In many ways, I have often thought of the summer as the end of my own professional “fiscal year” in that the fall seems like such a time of change and an opportunity to begin anew. I have started many projects in the fall – and again that will be the case this year. I have used the summer to think about the year ahead.

EOS International ........................ 12 Factiva ......................................... 14 InfoCurrent .................................. 10

(Letter continues on page 2)

Prenax ........................................... 5 Pro Libra ........................................ 6 Wontawk ...................................... 16 ChapterNews

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(Letter continued from page 1)

As many of you know, I have taken on a new role at Consumer Reports with our Human Resources Department. I continue to stay very involved with the information profession but my focus has begun to shift to special projects and initiatives to help the organization move ahead.

ChapterNews New York Chapter Special Libraries Association Volume 79 #2, Late Summer 2007

This fall, I will begin a new initiative that will contribute to ensuring that Consumer Reports retains its strong position as one of the most well recognized and well regarded brands in the United States. Along with the Associate Director or Human Resources we will launch an initiative to build on the already strong diversity of our workforce.

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE ChapterNews, the bulletin of the New York Chapter of the

Special Libraries Association, is published four times a year. Visit our web site: www.sla-ny.org Deadlines for submitting materials:

For me this is an exciting opportunity to work with new people at Consumer Reports and to reach out to new constituencies externally. Professionally, it also gives me the opportunity to stretch my skill set and challenge myself in new ways.

Fall 2007 issue: October 15, 2007 Winter 2007 issue: December 15, 2007 Spring 2008 issue: March 15, 2008 Summer 2008 issue: June 15, 2008

So as I close my own “fiscal” year and look back on the successes and challenges of the past year, it is with great excitement that I move onto this new phase of my career. So the lesson learned for me is to never limit one’s self and never think that something is “not part of my job”. The opportunities that present themselves to us as information professionals are limitless. We just have to adjust our thinking in a way that allows to see what might have been hidden from us before.

Submit all material to:

Dr. Roberta Brody ChapterNews Editor E-mail: [email protected] 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.

How are you going to challenge yourself this fall?

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]

Kevin Manion, Consumer Reports. He can be reached at (914) 378-2263 or by e-mail at [email protected].

DESIGN & LAYOUT:

Gatta Design & Company, Inc. For inquiries call (718) 797-1070 or www.gattago.com 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 Communications ChapterNews Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor Advertising Manager Webmaster ChapterNews

Mary Muenkel Roberta Brody Corrina Moss Bert Schacter Nancy Bowles Toby Lyles 2

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Griffiths’ vision of the 21st and 22nd century knowledge professional resembles a cross between the Pope’s most trusted advisor and a Jedi master – with every corporate, government, academic and scientific leader relying on this individual to ensure that the information on which critical decisions are based is accurate, complete, unbiased and relevant.

Calling All Jedi Knights, Both Sexes By Dr. Stephen T. Kochoff, SLA NY Chapter President-elect and Regional Sales Director, Basch Subscriptions, Inc.

“Without trusted guides through the rapidly accumulating volume of recorded knowledge that is available, global society will lose both confidence and the innovative spirit,” Griffiths said. “As knowledge leaders, we must move immediately to shape curricula and career paths that respond precisely to emerging needs in industry, government, science and academia.”

“What you’re doing is so crucial to the future of our country” said Al Gore to a capacity crowd at the 2007 SLA Denver conference. The former Vice President went on to observe, “...And, of course, it’s no secret that in this day and time you face a challenge not only in keeping up with the incredible explosion of information on every topic relevant to the organizations that you serve – but also a challenge in describing to some people who ought to know better who you are and what you do and why it’s increasingly important to everyone.” (1) Another positive depiction appeared recently in The New York Times article entitled, “A Crowd of Hipper Shushers.” – The reporter introduced some new faces in our profession and talked about the cutting edge excitement our profession spawns. (2)

“Citizens of the world are increasingly aware that they need help in sorting and substantiating the information they require.” I agree with fellow Academy member James J. O’Donnell, Provost of Georgetown University, when he says “the librarian of the future will have to be a more active participant in decision-making or we will live in infochaos.” In O’Donnell’s book, Avatars of the Word, he writes, “If the traditional librarian has been conceived as a figure at home in the discreet silences and cautious dealings of a Henry James novel…now, perhaps the right model will be found in James Fenimore Cooper or the Star Wars films: something between the pathfinder Natty Bumppo and the Jedi knight.”

During the Denver conference, Jose-Marie Griffiths, Dean and Professor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science (SILS), presented an overview and progress report about an important new study focusing on “The Future of Librarians in the Workforce – What will it Look Like?” Dean Griffiths, who is the principal investigator, shared some tantalizing elements about our future.

In founding the Louis Round Wilson Academy, Griffiths and her colleagues intend to take on the extraordinary assignment of reviewing and re-designing roles and models for knowledge professionals who will assume more larger and pivotal roles for centuries to come. (3)

The Louis Round Wilson Academy was established in 2005 at the SILS. As part of the study, the Academy is comprised of esteemed luminaries from our information pantheon. The release announcing the Academy said:

“Centuries to come.” This is grand and rousing rhetoric about our profession. I am reminded that during the celebration of the year 2000 a cable television station’s survey of its audience placed Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press as the top accomplishment of the preceding 1000 years. The top accomplishment!!! – Some say that ours is a doomed profession, or at least that special librarianship is. This camp believes that special librarianship is in its death throes and that it will disappear. It is interesting to juxtapose views of these various Cassandras against the hosannas sung by Al Gore, The New York Times, and many other articles and writers. Many schools of information and library science report tremendously large enrollments. Taken together, these positive factors attest to the vibrancy and significance implicit and explicit in our world of information, and in our profession.

“Our faculty, and the faculty of every leading University in the world, realizes that the role of the 21st and 22nd century knowledge professional must be carefully shaped,” said Dr. José-Marie Griffiths, dean of UNC’s School of Information and Library Science and founding chair of the Louis Round Wilson Academy. “We understand that those who pursue careers in this increasingly important profession require an education that engenders responsibility for all knowledge that influences change.”

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We may be undergoing a period of transition within the profession, we may have issues related to marketing our profession and helping our parent organizations understand and value our contribution (as noted by Al Gore above, and many others.) These are most certainly issues that we need to attack and improve. Nevertheless, the negative views are short sighted and wrong. I am enthusiastically looking forward to the results of the Chapel Hill study and the role it will play in our fashioning a new paradigm as information Jedi Knights! References (1) John T. Adams III, “Information as a Key Strategic Resource,” Information Outlook July 2007, pages 22-23. (2) Kara Jesella, “A Hipper Crowd of Shushers,” The New York Times July 8, 2007, Section Style, Style Desk, p. 1. (3) Wanda Monroe, “Top Scholars, Leaders in Information Technology Launch International Academy to Anticipate, Address Needs,” News Release, University of North Carolina School of Information and Library Science, October 13, 2005, No. 490.

If you wish to make your views about the profession known or and learn more about the particulars of the study, “The Future of Librarians in the Workforce” and its expected results: Here is the link to the study on the IMLS home page: http://libraryworkforce.org/tiki-index.php Contact Dean Jose-Marie Griffiths at: [email protected] Contact John Latham who is a researcher and the SLA Staff representative on the panel at: [email protected] Steve Kochoff, SLA NY Chapter President-elect and Regional Sales Director, Basch Subscriptions, Inc. He can be reached at [email protected].

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UPCOMING PROGRAMS and EVENTS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2007, 2:00 to 6:00 pm:

Career Day 2007 Catherine Ciaccio, Research Associate, Credit Suisse

Career Day will be held on Monday, September 10, 2007 from 2:00 to 6:00 PM at Credit Suisse. The event will take place at the One Madison Avenue Auditorium, located between 23rd and 24th Street; entrance on Park Avenue. We are having three panel discussions: A Day in the Life… These panelists will talk about their experiences working in the information profession.

Speakers: Chuck Lowry, ALM Research

Terry Kirchner, Columbia University Lisa Ryan, Christie’s Moderator: Ellen Nasto, The Andrew W Mellon Foundation Improving Your Interview Skills These panelists will discuss how to best present yourself in an interview situation. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2007: 5:30 to 8:00 pm:

* If you have any questions you would like to submit in advance to the panel, please email me: [email protected]

SLA NY Chapter Annual Meeting

Speakers: Diane Goldstein, Diane M Goldstein & Associates

Speaker: Janice Lachance, CEO, SLA

Phyllis Hodges, Credit Suisse

Location: Skadden Arps.

Jennifer Rutner, Columbia University

Sponsor: BST America

Moderator: To Be Announced NOVEMBER 2007:

What Employers Want!

Happy Hour

These panelists will describe how they select the best candidates for a job.

Details to be announced.

Speakers: Tesse Santoro, InfoCurrent

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2007:

Bill Noorlander or Sarah Crowe, BST America, LLC

SLA NY Chapter Holiday Party

Moderator: More panelists and moderator to be announced

Sponsor: Standard and Poors

We will also have tables where you can meet with representatives from library schools, employment agencies, and other library-related organizations.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2008: Reception: 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Program: 6:30 pm

***To attend Career Day, please RSVP to Vida Cohen at: [email protected] by Thursday, September 6th. Picture ID’s are required to gain access to the building.

SLA NY Chapter Holiday Party Speaker: Stephen Abram, SLA President Location: Credit Suisse

I look forward to seeing you all at Career Day! ChapterNews

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Q: How do you think the current information-rich environment will shape the future working environment?

Interview with SLA Chief Executive Officer, Janice Lachance

A: I think the changes taking place today will increase rather than diminish the importance and value of information professionals. The rapid advances in information technology have focused primarily on the question of “How can we provide information quickly.” It is now time for all organizations to ask, “How do we know if the information we are getting is any good? And how do we get the right information to the right person, at the right time in the right format?” Information professionals know what good information looks like and how it can and should be used. In today’s hyper-competitive environment, companies and organizations must make the best business decisions possible and cannot do so without reliable, actionable information and data. Info pros hold the key to this treasure and, in my judgment, more and more organizations are coming to realize this.

Note: SLA Chief Executive Officer, Janice Lachance, will speak at the SLA NY Chapter Annual Meeting on October 10, 2007.

n preparation for Janice Lachance’s visit, we posited five questions; the answers to which appear below. For more about Lachance, please see biographical information and the “Chief Executive Officer’s 2007 Goals and Objectives” at the CEO’s Corner at the SLA website. For more about her ideas and her thinking on issues relevant to our work and the larger concerns of information professionals, you may also enjoy reading the text of her remarks and reports, which can also be found there. Best of all, come hear Janice Lachance speak here in New York on 10 October!

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Q: If you were to choose three from amongst the many important issues facing information professionals, what might they be?

Q. How has your vision of the world of information changed as a result of your contact with SLA members and their concerns?

A: It is always challenging to single out issues of particular importance to any one person or group. If, however, I were to name three issues of significance to information professionals, I would include the following: the need for information professionals to continually demonstrate their value to the organizations they serve; the need for info pros to become more visible as leaders inside their organizations; and the need for them to continually update their professional expertise and business skills in order to remain relevant in the face of rapidly changing technology.

A: Before I had the privilege of working with SLA, I relied heavily on the work of very talented law and government librarians and appreciated the knowledge and skills they contributed to the strategic success of my organizations. I was, however, unaware they were called information professionals and are part of a profession with members representing government, business, non-profit, educational and research organizations throughout the world.

While I could write extensively on each point, allow me to explain briefly why I think these issues are important. Organizations of all kinds are under tremendous pressure today to operate as profitably as possible. They can either increase revenues or reduce costs. In this environment, management will continually assess the contributions of info pros and others in their organizations to determine if they contribute to the bottom line. If managers do not understand the value you provide, they will be unable and unwilling to give you the respect and rewards you deserve.

During the four years I have been with SLA, I have come to respect you and what you do immeasurably. That is one reason I have been outspoken in my belief that no one can explain your value to your organization better than you. While we at SLA work tirelessly promoting the profession and seeking to enhance the standing of info pros generally, we can never impact perceptions inside your organization the way you can. That is why you must take advantage of very opportunity and participate in every effort that gives you the chance to communicate your value to your colleagues and to management. Advances in technology are changing the roles of info pros and creating new opportunities for leadership. You have the ability to become leaders and agents of change in your organizations and to help shape their future information needs today and well into the future. That is why it is important to me that SLA do everything it can to prepare info pros for these new roles by enhancing your knowledge and expertise. ChapterNews

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That is why it is essential that info pros make a sound business case for their positions, especially how they contribute to the overall success of the organization. One way to accomplish this is to think like a CEO. If you understand the broad strategic business needs of your organization, you are more likely to operate in a way that will enhance your value to the organization. You also will find you are able to articulate more successfully your contributions to your organization’s success. The need for info pros to be perceived as leaders inside their organizations is related to demonstrating value. Changes in information technology are making it possible for info pros to play not only a more proactive role in the strategic business direction of business units and organizations, but also to have influence over the selection of significant information technologies. After all, who knows more about the acquisition, management, and dissemination of information and is more qualified to advise a CEO on the best ways of using technology to ensure the flow of essential, timely and strategic information? In order to play such a broad consultative role in your organization, however, you must understand its broader strategic goals and function in a way that contributes to meeting these goals. Finally, unless information professionals continually update their professional expertise and business skills, they cannot become the leaders of change their organizations need. That is why SLA has been working extremely hard to increase offerings through Click University. In addition to easily accessible and affordable continuing education programs, the Association is making available to members free of charge more than a thousand books on business and leadership through an agreement with eBrary. We also are developing an online laboratory where info pros can experiment with new technologies in a safe, risk-free learning environment.

Q: Every SLA chapter has its unique qualities. How can the members of the New York Chapter best contribute to SLA and to our profession? A: Each chapter is unique, so it would be presumptuous of me to advise you on the best way for your Chapter to contribute to SLA and the profession. The ability of a chapter to address the specific needs of its members while sharing professional concerns with info pros in other chapters across the globe is one of the reasons SLA has been so successful. In my opinion, the New York Chapter and its members are already making a significant contribution through the professionalism with which they perform their responsibilities at work and through their ongoing participation in the Chapter. I encourage you to remain active in the life of your Chapter and to seek ways continually to enhance your professional skills. By enhancing your professional abilities and personal reputation, you enhance the stature of the profession and your colleagues in it.

And of course, the Association’s INFO-EXPO at SLA’s Annual Conference offers members the opportunity to learn about the latest innovations in information technology and services. Without question, I cannot emphasize enough the need for info pros to maintain and expand their professional competencies and to remain current on the latest information technologies if they want to assume positions of leadership and influence in their organizations.

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Working in and around New York City, you are fortunate to be at the very heart of the global economy. Many of the organizations headquartered in New York represent enormous enterprises with thousands of employees throughout the globe. You are in positions to influence the way information professionals and the profession are viewed. And because of New York’s special significance in the world I encourage you to reach out to the leadership of these organizations and do what you can to educate them on the roles you play and value you bring. Q: How can we best represent ourselves and the work we do to the larger community? A: Besides your commitment to being the very best professional you can be, I encourage you to become even more involved in SLA. Through the Association’s governance structure, members can get involved in a wide variety of issues and activities that interest them. One activity I believe to be especially powerful in defining info pros and in increasing their visibility and prestige in the larger community is advocacy. (I would add that I have two definitions of advocacy: the more traditional one where an individual or an organization attempts to influence public policy, and the one where we are champions of the profession. I have talked about the latter so please allow me to discuss briefly public policy. The Association has taken strong stands on the need for unfettered public access to information whether through government openness, international trade agreements or on the Internet. If you believe in the ability of information to teach, empower and inspire, free and open access to information is crucial. This is something people throughout the world seem to understand intuitively. SLA is playing a leading role in this international effort. Advocacy allows the Association to connect with people who might not otherwise understand or care what you do in your professional lives, but recognize the importance of what you are doing to protect their access to information when they need or want it. If you are interested in SLA’s public policy advocacy, I suggest you subscribe to Policy Connections at www.sla.org/content/Shop/ enewsletters/index.cfm. I also recommend you familiarize yourself with SLA’s Legislative Action Center at http://capwiz.com/sla/home in order to share your thoughts with members of the U.S. Congress on issues of importance to the Association and the profession. And, finally, work with your Chapter officers to identify local issues and initiatives in which the Chapter could become involved. Professional association gives power to a single voice and adds to the professional standing of everyone. No matter what you do, I encourage you to become more involved in SLA and I thank you so much for what you are already contributing to the Association. ChapterNews

e welcome your ideas and suggestions for future program topics and also venues; especially for our networking events / happy hours.

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Please email your suggestions to: [email protected]

A special thanks to Maria Astifidis of Beth Israel who led our Chapter to the venue, The Park, site of our very successful July and August Happy Hours with candidates for the SLA presidency. This was a great change of scenery (beautiful outdoor space) – and we thank Maria for suggesting The Park!

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Candidates for President-Elect

Y OUR S OURCE F OR S KILLED I NFORMATION N AVIGATORS • The premier source for high-caliber library & information management professionals

ur governance year is changing to a calendar year beginning in 2008. EVoting for the SLA Board of Directors will be held from 12 September through 11 October. Utilizing the SLA eVoting system is fast and easy. All members in good standing prior to the “vote start date” are eligible to participate in the election. You will only need your SLA Member ID and Password to login to the eVoting system. If you have questions about eVoting, you may send inquiries to [email protected] or call 1.703.647.4950

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The two candidates for President-Elect are Lynn Berard; Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA and Gloria Zamora; Sandia National Laboratories, Santa Fe, NM. Both candidates visited the New York Chapter earlier in the summer and met with members informally. Biographical information and the text of the candidate speeches at the Annual Conference in Denver may be found at the SLA website on the SLA 2008 Candidates page. Also, interviews with both candidates appear in Information Outlook. We thought it might be fun to ask the candidates somewhat less formal questions. Each candidate was asked the same three questions and their responses appear below:

[email protected] Washington, DC Metro area: 202-775-1890 [email protected] www.infocurrent.com

my colleagues to eventually achieve the right to become members of the faculty. As a member interested in international ventures I drew upon my SLA experience in getting to know and work with international information professionals; to eventually engage in consulting work and cultural exchanges overseas; and to have opportunities at work to host international visitors. SLA has opened many doors for me and provided me with the confidence and ability to walk through them. I hope to give back to my fellow members through my mentoring efforts and leadership.

Lynn Berard responds: Q 1: How has your membership in SLA enriched your professional experience(s)?

Q 2: How have the acquaintanceships and friendships that you have formed with other members helped you?

A: My membership provides me with a supportive environment in which to learn and takes risks in. As a student member attending my first conference (23 annual conferences ago) I volunteered to chair the student relations committee. As a soon-to-be graduated professional I felt that this was one way that I could contribute, as I was fresh out of school myself. My experience was very positive and so my journey of being a member and holding leadership positions in SLA began. And what a valuable journey it has been so far. Holding leadership positions in SLA built my confidence and provided me with professional experience and the opportunity to fail within a supportive circle of friends willing to mentor me, and by their actions, demonstrate how to be an effective leader. Soon I became confident enough to contribute my new skills at my workplace – holding positions on faculty senate, becoming a department head and working with

ChapterNews

A: This is a wonderful question and one that I could write pages and pages to but will instead attempt to illustrate my feelings with an anecdote. It is hard to choose just one but here goes: As I was finishing up the presidency of my local chapter I found myself taking on division leadership and faced with the charge of conference planning. I’d had some challenges in learning how to run a chapter (surrounded by fantastic mentors and excellent friends) but I felt stretched by this unfamiliar duty. As we were called upon to share program ideas, I stood up and pitched a few. I was awed by the amassed brilliance of the group and unsure how such a massive undertaking could be realized. (continues on page 11)

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I need not have worried. Several other division chairs befriended me, collaborated with me, and totally made my experience seem more like I had won the lottery than performing a duty. The conference was a great success, our programs widely attended and highly rated and we all had learned how to plan a conference – together. Out of the 18+ months of planning effort I gained several life-long friends and forged many valuable future friendships. I would eventually have the opportunity to serve with several of those friends and acquaintances on the board of directors. Having worked together as conference planners strengthened our bond and assisted us in finding our voices and putting our shared values to work together for the membership. As I often say about SLA – you are never alone – all you need to do is ask.

Gloria Zamora responds: Q 1: How has your membership in SLA enriched your professional experience(s)? Q 2: How have the acquaintanceships and friendships that you have formed with other members helped you? A: I do not know how I can possibly separate questions 1 and 2. It is exactly the acquaintanceships, friendships and mentorships, developed within SLA, that have not only enriched my professional experiences, but actually helped create my professional experiences. I joined SLA very early in my career. The Rio Grande chapter was the only game in town professionally. All of my colleagues at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory were members and they took me to my first meetings, my first conference, in Kansas City, and introduced me to librarians and information professionals doing similar kinds of information work. There was no e-mail. It was just the beginning of online searching and we were all eager to master this new technology that held promise; the promise of making our jobs easier and making us more efficient. I learned what it was to be a “professional librarian” from these people and, as a bonus, I had a great time. An early acquaintance and friend encouraged me to volunteer to be the chapter bulletin editor and my participation has never ended since that time.

Q 3: How can we increase the visibility of our work in the communities in which we work? A: Connecting our work to the mission of the organizations we serve should be the number one goal for all SLA members. I learned this early in my career as a working graduate student. My mentor in the library was brilliant at assessing the educational and political landscape of her community and acting on that assessment to create new services and to realize marketing opportunities. She was able to increase visibility politically; she held community events in the library, networked with clients at campus-wide organizational meetings and kept her boss apprised of the libraries goals and objectives. She created research courses tailored to teaching graduating engineers how to conduct research in their new career. She inspired me and so I took that lesson and applied it in my own environment. SLA is a font for collecting great ideas for community involvement and I’ve learned much from programs presented at conference, being active in the cabinets and in reading Information Outlook. My current outreach efforts include creating short 2-3 minute virtual voiceover demo’s of databases (using Camtasia software) available to my “virtual” clients to learn how to search the interface chosen, as they search remotely. This Fall I’ll become a “roving reference librarian”; armed with my wireless laptop and hanging out in the places where my clients live: the hallways, the classrooms, dorms, the student center and on the mall. Wish me luck!

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Because of this very early experience I knew there were people in my profession, in this Association, who were not only able and available but also anxious to help and answer questions and introduce new concepts, new technologies and the newest ways to provide service to the customer. What is the frosting is that many of these people, and many in the New York chapter, have become friends; friends that I can call on, friends that I respect, and friends that will outlast my professional career. My SLA relationships have shaped my career and enhanced my 30 year professional experience. Q 3: How can we increase the visibility of our work in the communities in which we work? A: We increase our visibility by being an integral part of the teams in the companies in which we are employed. We are proactive in supplying information. We go beyond the question asked and seek to supply information to the question that was not asked but should have been. We move beyond the library or information center walls. We are at the sides of the researchers, the executives, the lawyers, the engineers. We are active participants in the very life of the company.

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Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals – NY Chapter

Fall Events at METRO By Tom Nielsen, Member Services Manager, Metropolitan New York Library Council

By Staff Correspondent ooking to learn more about some of the hottest issues in the larger world of libraries and library science? This fall, the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO) invites you to a host of new and exciting events and opportunities designed to meet the needs of all library professionals. You can get started by checking out our fall course catalog at http://www. metro.org. which contains a full list of our offerings, among them brand-new introductory workshops including: Introduction to Greenstone Open Source Digital Library Software, Introduction to OpenCollection, Digitization 101, and Exploring Encounters with Chat Users: An Introduction to Virtual Reference.

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Leonard Fuld, President of Fuld & Company, will share

his insights on "the secret language" of CI, based on findings in his most recent book, The Secret Language of Competitive Intelligence; on Monday, October 22 at the DoubleTree Suites Hotel in Times Square. SCIP NY is privileged to have this experienced and popular speaker. Leonard Fuld is a pioneer and recognized leading authority in the field of competitive intelligence. Leonard Fuld created many of the intelligence-gathering techniques currently used by corporations around the globe. Mr. Fuld was among the first four people to be named a Fellow of the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) and was awarded the Meritorious Award, the highest award offered by SCIP, in 1998.

Our Annual Meeting on Friday, October 26 will also be an excellent opportunity to learn and network. This year we are pleased to announce that we will meet at the recently renovated Museum of Modern Art. We’ll begin with library tours in the morning and a business meeting in the afternoon. Our featured speaker this year is Roy Tennant, a giant in the library world who’s also a great speaker. So come to relax and network with fellow professionals, and do plan to stay late for complimentary views of the art galleries.

Mr. Fuld is a widely published author. His most recent book is The Secret Language of Competitive Intelligence (Crown, 2006). For more information on this book, click on http://www.fuld.com/Products/SecretLanguageOfCI.html. For more information about this program, please contact Roberta Piccoli, NY Chapter Co-Chair at [email protected], (212) 682-1011.

Finally, we are pleased to announce that METRO will introduce an individual membership category early next year. Regardless of affiliation, librarians will have access to a variety of benefits catering to their own professional development needs, including: discounts on professional development workshops, career-focused classes, access to referral cards, and eligibility for professional development grants. If you’d like advance notice when this program becomes available, please feel free to contact me, Tom Nielsen, METRO’s Member Services Manager, at [email protected].

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METRO: Fall Schedule

October 2007

September 2007

Thursday October 4, 2007 - 10:00am – 4:00pm

Advanced Digital Capture Systems and Imaging Techniques Part I

Tuesday, September 18, 2007 – 10:00am – 1:00pm

WALDO Update; Serials Solutions Update

Presenter: Peter Siegel, Director of the Cultural

Heritage Division of Digital Transitions, Inc.

Presenters: Robert Karen, Director of Member

Services for WALDO.

Thursday October 5, 2007 - 10:00am – 12:30pm

Jeff Riedel, Account Executive for Serials Solutions

Advanced Digital Capture Systems and Imaging Techniques Part II

Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 10:00am – 1:00pm

Introduction to Greenstone Open Source Digital Library Software

Location: Site Visit to Digital Transitions, Inc. Tuesday, October 9, 2007 - 10:00am – 4:00pm

Presenter: Ian Witten, Professor of Computer Science

Understanding and Implementing EAD

at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007 - 10:00am – 4:00 pm

Presenter: Tom Frusciano, University Archivist

Advanced Greenstone Open Source Digital Library Software

for Rutgers University Thursday, October 11, 2007 - 1:00pm-4:00pm

Presenter: Ian Witten, professor of Computer Science

Introduction to OpenCollection

at the University of Waikato in New Zealand.

Presenters: Seth Kaufman (Whirl-I-Gig.com) and

Megan Forbes (American Museum of the Moving Image) Friday, Sept. 21, 2007 – 2:00pm – 4:00pm Tuesday, October 16, 2007 – 10:00am to 1:00pm

Library 2.0 SIG Meeting

Making Meetings Work Better Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007 – 10:00am – 12:00 noon

Presenter: (Mr.) Eli Mina, M.Sc., P.R.P., a Vancouver-

Virtual Reference SIG Meeting

based Meeting Mentor and Registered Parliamentarian.

Thursday, September 27, 2007 – 10:00 am to 1:00 pm

Friday, October 19, 2007 - 10:00am – 4:00pm

Library Remix: Putting Library Resources Out Where Users Live and Work

Digitization 101 Presenter: Thomas Clareson, Program Director

for New initiatives at PALINET

Presenter: Matt Goldner, Executive Director

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 10:00am – 11:30am

of End User Services at OCLC.

Site Visit to Yeshiva University’s Production Services Lab Location: 500 West 185th St (at Amsterdam Ave.) Friday, October 26, 2007

METRO Annual Meeting at the Museum of Modern Art

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Library users have the opportunity to print free copies of public domain classics as well as appropriately themed in-copyright titles, such as Chris Anderson’s The Long Tail and Jason Epstein’s own Book Business. The company has access to over 200,000 out-of-copyright files provided by the Open Content Alliance together with approximately 2,200 World Bank titles and Arabic-language texts from the Library of Alexandria, Egypt. For this limited run installation, visitors will select a text of choice from a smaller universe of 20 titles and have it produced for them at no charge.

SIBL Debuts Espresso Book Machine By Staff Correspondent

ersion 1.5 of the Espresso Book Machine (EBM), a fully integrated patented book-making machine, is on exhibit at The New York Public Library’s Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL) through September 15, 2007. SIBL, whose mission is to help spur innovation, agreed to host the Espresso at its midtown location (188 Madison Avenue at 34th Street ) over the summer in order to provide the public with a first opportunity to see a convenient new approach to book publishing and information dissemination demonstrated.

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The titles available at SIBL during this exhibit are as follows: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Book Business A Christmas Carol

The book machine automatically prints, binds, and trims perfectly bound library quality paperback books within minutes. The EBM is a product of On Demand Books, LLC, founded by publishing executive Jason Epstein and business partner Dane Neller.

A Course of Pure Mathematics Einstein, the Searcher; His Work Explained – from Dialogues with Einstein Evolution of Mutation Flatland

The EBM’s direct-to-consumer model can potentially allow readers anywhere to obtain within minutes, almost any book title in any language, and eliminates both shipping and warehouse costs. These savings permit potentially lower prices to both consumers and libraries, and titles will never go out of print again. The machine requires minimal human intervention and maintenance, and is small enough to fit in a retail store or small library room. The EBM will be available to the public at SIBL through September 15, and will operate Monday through Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Immigrant and the Community An International Episode The Life of Galileo Galilei The Long Tail Macbeth Moby Dick The Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection The Tale of Benjamin Bunny Three Famous Short Novels Relativity, the Special and the General Theory; A Popular Exposition Songs of Innocence The Story of Jack and the Giants For exhibit specifics, contact SIBL’s director Kristin McDonough at 212 592-7080. For more information about the Espresso, contact Dane Neller, [email protected] 212-966-2222, On Demand Books, LLC 584 Broadway, Suite 1100, NYC 10013.

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Andrew Berner Honored at The University Club of New York LA Fellow Andrew Berner, Library Director and Curator of Collections at the University Club in New York City, was honored on June 11, 2007 for his 25 years of service to the club. Nearly 200 club members and invited guests attended the gala celebration, held in the elegant dining room of the landmark Fifth Avenue building. Berner, who came to the club in March, 1982, as Assistant Librarian, became Library Director in 1987, and was named Library Director and Curator of Collections in 1998.

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The University Club Library, with some 100,000 volumes, is generally recognized as the largest private club library in the world. The club’s charter, dated April 28, 1865, incorporates the club “for the purpose of the promotion of literature and art, by establishing and maintaining a library, reading room, and gallery of art.” The collection is primarily based in the Humanities, with emphasis on biography, American history, and British and American Literature. At the anniversary ceremony, a host of colleagues and club members presented tributes and toasts. Prominent among these was Guy St. Clair, former SLA president, who had preceded Berner as Librarian at the University Club. St. Clair spoke about his experiences when he hired Berner, and praised his “highest standards of excellence in management and service delivery for the library’s many patrons, users, and associates.” Robert Taisey, chairman of the club’s Library and Art Committee, noted that in addition to his usual management responsibilities, Berner is known for strengthening the library’s special collections and for his expertise in this area, having authored in 2003 the Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science essay on special collections.

the establishment of the Andrew Jay Berner Rare Book Fund for the continued support and enhancement of the library’s unique holdings. Berner has been a member of SLA since 1981. He has served as chair of the Museums, Arts and Humanities Division, as president of the New York Chapter, as a member of the Conference Planning Committee for the 2004 annual conference in New York City, and as a member of the SLA Nominating Committee from 2005 to 2007.

Throughout his career, Berner has taken a special interest in ensuring that the library’s users have access to and are able to enjoy the club’s collection of rare books, which has been built up by donations from members with strong interests in book collecting. In 1994, he began a series of bibliographic tours of European cultural centers for members. Funds raised by these tours are used to purchase books for the special collections. At the June 11 anniversary celebration, Taisey announced

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Late Summer 2007 SLA NY Chapter Newsletter:

Perspective on the SLA Annual Conference 2007: A News Division Focus

Editor’s Note

By Shira Kavon CNN NY Library s the new Editor of ChapterNews, I am looking forward to covering a wide variety of topics and news that will reflect the diversity of interests and work situations of SLA New York Chapter members. I hope that you will consider sending me your news and suggestions for features, ideas for themes which we should be exploring. Also, most welcome would be “people” news – news about your worklife and other activities that you would wish to share with NY Chapter members. In addition, please consider sharing relevant meeting, program and event notices from other nonprofit organizations in which you participate.

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Note: SLA Annual Conferences offer a wide variety of programs and events that reflect its members’ diverse interests. NY Chapter member Shira Kavon was asked by the ChapterNews Editor to write about her experiences attending the Annual Conference in Denver. Ms. Kavon focused on the activities of the New Division, of which she is also a member.

The News Division of SLA had a fun- and event-filled 2007 Conference in Denver. Our members in the host city, Vickie Makings and Regina Avila of the Denver Post, did double-duty and made an outstanding showing. Early in the week, they offered a tour of the Post’s library, and on Wednesday afternoon, they provided an illuminating session on their paper’s use of social networking sites in reporting. In addition, Vickie and Regina lured two of their Denver Post colleagues – computerassisted reporting editor Jeff Roberts, and Joe Murphy, Senior Developer for Denver Post Online – to address News Division sessions in their specialties.

I am fortunate to have two Associate Editors joining me for future issues of ChapterNews, Corrina Moss and Bert Schacter. Each Associate Editor will plan and structure an issue with a theme that they have chosen to pursue. The Winter issue of ChapterNews will feature an Education theme – special librarians as educators and students. This theme encompasses information literacy, research and database training, professional development, and continuing education. Associate Editor for this issue will be Corrina Moss; Research Librarian, Business Research Center, JPMorgan Chase; who may be reached at [email protected]. The Spring issue of ChapterNews will feature a Transitions theme. More details about this theme will appear in the Fall issue. Associate Editor for this issue will be Bert Schacter, Director, Roy Morgan Info Center, ARF; who may be reached at [email protected].

At this year’s conference, the “buzz” in the division was all about the growing value of social networking sites for news organizations. Many News Division members, from print and online organizations to television and radio, spoke of projects at their news outlets that were incorporating citizen journalists or data gleaned from social networking or Web 2.0 sources. Web-savvy information professionals including Mary Ellen Bates and the Washington Post’s Derek Willis were on hand to help us develop the new toolkit that mining the next-generation web requires. Other division sessions focused on genealogy resources, copyright, archiving of paper and web content, and best practices in content management.

Lastly, I would like to thank former ChapterNews Editor Chuck Lowry and Nancy Bowles, ChapterNews Advertising Manager, for their gracious assistance with this issue. Dr. Roberta Brody is an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, Queens College of the City University of New York. She may be reached at [email protected]

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After each hard day’s work, News Division members repaired to their hospitality suite at the Hyatt Regency for some much-needed R & R, and for special events including a Sunday kickoff evening for mentors-mentees who were matched up pre-conference, and Monday’s silent auction fundraiser. Our Division award winners were honored with a gala dinner held on Tuesday night at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. The News Division was pleased to welcome a number of conference newcomers from the NY Metro area including Consuella Askew of the new CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, David Klefane of the New York branch of the Museum of Television & Radio, and Palmer Yale of the CNN NY Library. 17

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Finally, Cliff explained the information needs that have to be compiled at each phase of the deal process to help librarians and information professionals understand their role in the process.

SLA New York Hosts Clifford Perry’s Private Equity CE Course

Cliff always receives high marks as an instructor, and this presentation was no different, with many of the attendees providing much praise. The New York Chapter makes every effort to present a wide variety of programs; however, based on the popularity of this course and its outstanding reception by its attendees, we hope to see Cliff’s course presented once again in the Spring.

By Miguel Figueroa

ver twenty-five people - SLA members and non-members - attended the SLA New York continuing education session, Private Equity Research: Tools of the Trade. Popular instructor, Clifford Perry; Director of Information Services, Warburg Pincus, LLC; always brings in a crowd but in this first offering for the New York Chapter, his enrollment exceeded even his program at the recent SLA Annual Conference in Denver.

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If you have any questions about professional development opportunities for the New York Chapter or suggestions for additional sessions or courses, please contact Miguel Figueroa at [email protected].

A diverse group of professionals representing various industries including manufacturing, media, competitive intelligence, advertising, legal, financial services, consulting and public libraries gathered at the midtown offices of Warburg Pincus for the four hour session. Attendees received an introduction to private equity (PE) research, an overview of global PE investing, and tips and tools for researching PE.

An Invitation to Our Readers Roberta Brody, the new editor of the newsletter reminds

all members of the New York Chapter of SLA that the pages of ChapterNews are open to all. The editor would be very pleased to discuss and accept submissions in any of the following areas:

Private equity, considered an alternative type of investment (i.e. alternative to “public equity” investment in the stock market), allows investors to invest in higher risk opportunities that are expected to generate a higher level of return. PE firms invest in various stages of a company, including venture capital, growth/development, or late stage. Cliff deconstructed the deal process and looked at the role of the various professionals involved. Attendees learned about investment and fundraising by various regions and countries, investments by industry, and the overall trends of the industry.

▲ Comings, goings, new jobs, new titles, retirements. ▲ Articles about day-to-day life in member libraries. ▲ Articles about SLA programs or social events you might have attended. ▲ Reflections on the profession: salaries, responsibilities, education, career path. ▲ Announcements of scholarships, awards, honors, whether those announcements are invitations to propose candidates or are announcements of winners.

After developing a knowledge base, Cliff then explored the resources information professionals may consult, including databases, directories, benchmark providers, books, news providers, and associations. He explained why some data is readily available and some may not be and the distinctions between free and fee resources.

▲ Library initiatives: acquisitions, marketing/awareness campaigns, organizational changes, etc. The ChapterNews is a wonderful way to maximize the value of the SLA experience, and a wonderful way to share your experiences and successes with your fellow librarians. Dr Roberta Brody is the new editor of ChapterNews. She may be reached at [email protected].

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An electric duster, a stool, and desk accessories were ordered by A. Janakiraman, a new manager of Information Services, Boothalingam Library, of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, in Chennai, India. All three expressed their thanks for the gifts received from SLANY members. Mr. Janakiraman provided a copy of the annual report for the research foundation, which focuses on sustainable agriculture and rural development, and also asked how his library could join SLA.

SLA-NY Global Outreach Committee Seeks Suggestions for Upcoming Recipients By Rita Ormsby

Do you know of a special library in a developing nation that needs some library supplies?

So where should we turn our attention? If you have a suggestion, please let me know at rita_ormsby@baruch. cuny.edu. One suggestion has been to help with supplies for the first Lubuto Library in Lusaka, Zambia. In a brief talk with Jane Kinney Meyers, at the SLA Denver Conference, she noted that such supplies are needed. To read more about the Lubuto Library project, for which she was honored, please see http://www.lubuto.org/. This is a special project for some very special children, and will be a “special library” aided by SLA members.

s chair of the SLA-New York’s Global Outreach Committee, I would like to hear your suggestions. Since its founding in 2001 by SLA-NY members Lois Weinstein and Lilleth Newby, the SLA-NY Global Outreach Committee has aided seven libraries. This has been done $1 at a time, through the generous purchases of raffle tickets at chapter meetings from dedicated Global Outreach Committee members. Proceeds provide special libraries in developing nations with $150 gift certificates for supplies of their choice from Brodart. The committee also provides the shipping costs, and when needed, the import duties.

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But there are others with needs, and if you have a suggestion, please let me know. We normally notify the library of its selection after the proceeds have been raised. Thanks again for your past support, and watch for upcoming raffles. Rita Ormsby, Newman Library, Baruch College, CUNY, Global Outreach Committee Chair, she can be contacted at [email protected]

Raffle proceeds have enabled two libraries to be helped a year, and the committee’s original list of needy libraries has been served…almost. The unstable situation in Zimbabwe has made for difficulties in corresponding with the first recipient, Shile Mloyi of Nkayi, Zimbabwe, but proceeds for a gift certificate remain earmarked for her library. Changes in personnel and, sometimes, heavy work demands have delayed the ordering of supplies after notification of a gift certificate. Since early 2007, three libraries have received their supplies. Some basic needs have been met. For Caroline Seed in Rwanda, the Brodart gift certificate provided 100 sets of bookends for the new Kigali Episcopal Theological College. Report covers and manila folders were ordered by Mary Stevens, Manager, British Council, Mombasa Management Center and Chair, Kenya National Library Services Board.

Remember the New York Chapter web site address!

www.sla-ny.org Check it out!

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