Slany Chapternews Newsletter Winter 2005

ChapterNews Volume 76, #5 Winter 2005

Letter from the President

IN THIS ISSUE

The Chapter Budget

Letter from the President: The Chapter Budget ..................1

The Chapter Board is in the process of preparing the budget for 2005. Many of our members may be unaware of some basic facts regarding Chapter finances, so I wanted to take this opportunity to explain some of the basics, give some quick insights, and clear up some possible misconceptions about the Chapter’s budget. I hope this will make the Chapter budget process more transparent to our members.

Message from the Director of Publications: Person to Person .......................3 New Year’s Resolutions.................4

The budget consists of items that are either essential or optional activities. Essential activities include: conducting our Annual Chapter Business Meeting, producing ChapterNews, maintaining our Discussion List and website, etc. Since we can’t operate as a Chapter without engaging in these activities, they must be considered absolutely “required” and our allotment money from headquarters must be used to fund these activities first.

Party On!........................................5 Movie Review -The Librarian: Quest for the Spear ...................7 Chapter Announcements..............8

Optional activities would involve everything else: topical programs of current interest to members, professional development activities, library school liaison efforts, student scholarships, Career Day, and the Holiday Party. As we read these budget items, it is obvious that many of our optional activities are actually some of our most worthwhile and popular activities.

SLA Interview with a Court Law Librarian .................10 Tsumani Relief Effort....................11

The Chapter receives all of its annual operating revenue from three primary sources: Web Site Resources:

▲ Our per-member annual allotment from Association Headquarters

The Manufacturing Sector .......13

▲ Advertising revenue from ChapterNews ▲ Sponsorship from vendors

ADVERTISERS

In 2004, our annual allotment was only $15,348 (down from well over $16,000 in 2002) and we anticipate that our allotment will be considerably less in 2005 because of fluctuations in membership. Our allotment from the Association is $12 per member, which represents only 9.6 % of the full membership rate of $125, however, we do receive the same amount on Student memberships as well. To my mind, the overall allotment ratio from Headquarters merits further serious exploration by the membership.

Dialog.............................................9 Donna Conti Career Resources .....8 EBSCO...........................................3 EOS International...........................5

Advertising revenue was around $6,000 in 2004 but we are increasing the rates in 2005.

Factiva .........................................12

In 2004, our combined vendor sponsorship for our “topical programs” and for Career Day amounted to only $5,150, which was much less than we had anticipated. However, vendors were willing to pay $7,200 to fully-sponsor a single B&F Vendor Fair, which enabled them to demo their products. The upshot in 2004 was that program contributions totaled $12,350 while program costs totaled $18,200 and the Chapter had to make up the shortfall.

Global Securities Information, Inc...6 Heller Information Services............4 InfoCurrent...................................11

The challenge of the current Chapter Board (and all future ones) is to find the means to pay for worthwhile programs and activities, while managing the budget in a rational way through economic downturns. We must also face the fact that whenever funding sources cannot be found, then even traditional programs and

Pro Libra ......................................14 Wontawk......................................11

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ChapterNews New York Chapter Special Libraries Association Summer Vol. 76, No. 5

events have to be questioned, restructured, scaled back, or cut out entirely in any given year. There are some tough choices that the board may have to face this year. Some good news, however, is that our new sponsorship strategy is already working. The Board is now using a tentative calendar of events for 2005 to seek sponsorship for programs. We are also requiring formal commitments from sponsors who express interest in specific programs. If particular programs don’t generate sufficient commitments among sponsors, then for lack of funding they probably won’t happen.

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE 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 Winter issue Spring issue Summer issue

In addition, it was very clear from the Vendor Fair event in 2004 that companies are more forthcoming with sponsorship dollars when they can demo their products. In tough economic times, vendors’ budgets are also cut back, and they require more justification when giving away sponsorship dollars. For this reason, we are offering “product demos” to vendors as part of our new sponsorship strategy. We will also provide greater recognition to sponsors through our website, discussion list, and other means. Several sponsors have already responded favorably to these ideas.

September 24 December 15 March 15 May 14

Submit all material to:

Jennifer Kellerman 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.

Furthermore, since most SLA chapters are already charging ticket prices for their programs, the New York Chapter Board will explore this possibility in 2005. Some members are aware that the Chapter maintains a Reserve Fund, which is kept on deposit at headquarters in a Pooled Fund. Going forward, the Reserve Fund can no longer be relied upon to make up shortfalls in funding annual Chapter activities since we are required to maintain a minimum reserve balance that must be comparable to our annual budget. The Chapter is no longer “awash in reserve money” as some of our members mistakenly believe. At one time that may have been the case, but no longer.

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]

We will keep you posted on our successful sponsorship efforts for 2005. Please feel free to contact me with any ideas you may have to increase sponsorship levels. Wishing you all the best in 2005!

DESIGN & LAYOUT:

Gatta Design & Company, Inc. For inquiries call (212) 229-0071 or www.gattago.com

Thomas Pellizzi 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 ChapterNews

Mike Gruenberg Jennifer Kellerman Nancy Bowles Michael Rivas 2

Vol. 76, #5 Winter 2005

Message From The Director of Publications

Person to Person By Mike Gruenberg

remember the famous newscaster, Edward R. Murrow, had a television show entitled “Person to Person.” Every week, Murrow would sit in his television studio with his trademark cigarette burning between his fingers while he interviewed celebrities of the day, their images on a giant screen before him. Murrow spoke to these people as though he was visiting them at home. He had a great charm and wit about him. He posed intelligent questions about the pressing issues of the day.

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Recently, I attended the annual Holiday Party sponsored by the New York chapter of the Special Libraries Association. In years gone by, the party has been held in a variety of venues. For the most part, I have attended these get-togethers as a vendor and my primary concern has always been to see my clients. No thought was ever given to the cost of the party since I simply paid my admission fee and proceeded to eat and drink while merrily mixing with the many people I knew.

Massachusetts to come to New York for the Holiday Party in support of the chapter. I saw a number of other vendors with members of their sales staff also in attendance. By encouraging increased attendance at chapter events such as the Holiday Party, we really help to help bridge our budget gap, but to me there is more to this story.

This year, in my role as a Board member, I viewed the party in an entirely different light. I now understood the amount of work that had to be done just to find an adequate location. I also became acutely aware of the costs associated with such an event and, much to my chagrin found out that, even with a $40 fee, the chapter loses money on each and every participant. Moreover, the chapter does not differentiate between “members” and “non-members” when deciding an entrance fee, which means that both groups pay exactly the same amount to get in. Quite a charitable gesture…but the chapter seems to have forgotten that charity begins at home.

At the Holiday Party, I felt a bit like Edward R. Murrow as I looked into the imagined television screen and watched members and vendors mingle. I wondered how many members would go back to work the next day and remark to their colleagues about who they saw at the party. I wondered if anyone would say that they were disappointed that a particular vendor did not have the time or the inclination to attend and if that cavalier attitude on the part of that vendor would influence future purchases of their product. I wondered if vendor participation had any direct effect on library purchasing preferences.

At the Board meetings to discuss how our financial budget gap can be lessened, the old “let’s get a vendor to sponsor this event” solution always seemed to be raised. Since Tom Pellizzi and I are the only vendors on the Board, all eyes usually turned to us for our comments. Since I work for a large company that sells its products to libraries, I often give my views on how to figure out ways to approach the vendor community to help underwrite the costs of an event such as the Holiday Party.

It’s easy to say that a particular vendor should help underwrite the cost of the party or any SLA event, but it is clearly another more difficult thing to actively support the products of that vendor. If, as an organization, we seek out vendor support, then it is incumbent upon the membership to seriously support the products of that vendor. For example, which vendors attended the party

At this years’ party, the Senior Vice President of Global Sales and the Vice President of Global Sales from my company made a special trip from our home office in ChapterNews

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New Year’s Resolutions

and as such, supported the organization and which vendors did not show up? Which vendors’ names are consistently associated with SLA programs and which ones are not? Virtually every product you buy in your libraries has a competitive product that, in most cases, is just as good or, in some cases, better than your current one. Obviously, the most important aspect of any purchasing discussion is to provide your user community with the best possible information at the most reasonable cost. That being said, all chapter members must look to themselves and actively support the products sold by vendors that actively support the organization. By supporting the vendors who support the organization, we send a clear message to those companies that do not. If the vendors that ignore SLA begin to feel that their revenues are adversely affected, then it will be only a matter of time before they rethink their lack of involvement and begin to support the chapter. As an organization, if we are unwilling to consciously buy from the vendors who support us, then we really have no right to ask for carte blanche from the entire vendor community. It’s a matter of quid pro quo.

very year, at about this time, many of us make resolutions for the New Year. Renewing interest and excitement in one’s career might be one of those resolutions. Often, we find ourselves in a job rut, merely getting through the day without the passion with which we started. SLA has begun to focus on professional development with a Campaign for Professional Development. An online auction which runs through January 25, 2005 will raise money for SLA’s Professional Development Center. (For more information on SLA’s Professional Development initiative, go to www.sla.org/content/learn/index.cfm)

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Other career development ideas include taking continuing education classes, attending lecture series given by professional associations or volunteering. For instance, by volunteering in your local SLA chapter, you may meet new people (network), develop or strengthen skills (perhaps by writing for your chapter’s newsletter) or help people just entering the field (mentoring).

Michael Gruenberg can be reached at 516 576-1575. His e-mail is [email protected]

☛ For more on career development in library and information sciences, go to www.liscareer.com/index.htm

Global Library & Records Staffing Specialists Over 25 years of staffing experience Providing temporary, permanent and consulting services New York Office Charles Heller, Founder Gail Heller, President

Heller Information Services 2 West 45th Street, New York, NY 10036 Tel: 212-819-1919 Fax: 212-819-9196 www.hellerinformation.com e-mail: [email protected]

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Party On… By Chuck Lowry

n Monday, December 13, 2004, almost 200 members of the New York Chapter of SLA gathered for the chapter’s annual holiday party. The festivities were held at Planet Hollywood in Times Square, at 45th Street and Broadway. There was the usual collection of food and drink, hot appetizers and a cold buffet, augmented by a visually appealing collection of cookies, which were tastily gobbled up by the enthusiastic attendees.

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Since we have all been, on other occasions and in other company, to Planet Hollywood, either that particular one or another one much like it, your correspondent thought that it would be more interesting to skip any more detailed description of the food and drink — except to note with great pleasure, especially to this cranky fiftyfive-year-old whisky drinker, that potables beyond beer, wine and fizzy water were available and dispensed with charming smiles — and instead concentrate on some of the activities and people that make SLA the kind of organization it is. To begin with a single example, the only reason I knew that there were 208 paid reservations and a couple of no shows was because of the work of David Man, librarian for CASA at Columbia University. Any of us who have attended SLA events in recent chapter history have sent our RSVPs to David and have worn name tags made up from lists prepared by David. It is a task that David carries out with competence and grace, a combination that is as endearing as it is rare.

chase library supplies. Rita reported that, through the generosity of ticket—purchasing Holiday Party attendees, almost $300 was raised. The New Media/Digital Resources at the Universidad Francisco Marroquín, in Guatemala and the Universal Basic Education Programme (UBEP) Library in Abuja, Nigeria will receive certificates from the Global Outreach Committee to purchase supplies from Broadart. Rita reports that other SLA chapters have asked about this kind of outreach program, so the good we do goes beyond the generous certificates.

To give another example, there was a raffle at the Christmas party for a $50 gift card for Posman Books, in Grand Central. The large bookstore is located at the bottom of the Vanderbilt Ramp. I had an opportunity to speak briefly with Eric Buscher, the manager of Posman Books. He describes it not as a train station bookstore, but as a bookstore that happens to be in a train station. I think that a group of librarians would appreciate that distinction. Posman Books has donated a gift card to the last several chapter functions. If any New York chapter members have occasion to visit a bookstore in the Grand Central area, be sure to express your appreciation! The gift card, by the way, was won by a librarian at Scholastic Inc., who indicated that she would use it to buy some book regarding children’s literature.

So another year ends, appropriately commemorated by the New York chapter’s Holiday Party, and we note with appreciation the good works of the past year, as we anticipate greater efforts in the year to come. Chuck Lowry is Director of Client Relations for ALM Research. He can be reached at 212.592.4932 or [email protected].

Finally, Rita Ormsby, of Baruch College, organized a raffle on behalf of the Global Outreach Committee, a special effort by the New York chapter of SLA to help needy libraries, especially in less developed countries, to purChapterNews

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ChapterNews

LEADING THE WAY IN SECURITIES RESEARCH

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holds the Sword in the Stone to Flynn’s neck. Now the long chase and the fun begins.

Movie Review The Librarian: Quest for the Spear

A piece of the mythic all-powerful Spear of Destiny is stolen from the Library by the Brotherhood of the Serpent and Flynn is told he must retrieve it. There are two other pieces hidden around the world and a book written in the dead language of the birds provides the clues to their whereabouts. Flynn must find those pieces of the Spear and retrieve the stolen piece. Off he goes, not feeling too certain about his ability to translate a dead language or to find the missing pieces. Flynn meets a beautiful woman, Nicole Noone, on a plane. She turns out to be a superb fighter who saves Flynn numerous times as they find themselves in life-threatening adventures. The chase culminates in a fight scene in which the mad, power hungry Edward Wild, the previous Librarian who was thought to be dead, has fused the three pieces of the Spear and become all powerful. He is defeated by Flynn’s arcane knowledge of pyramids. Hallelujah, the good guys won and love has triumphed! Flynn has found his love with Nicole. He fondly calls her a psychopath, while she tenderly addresses him as her geek.

By Patricia Humphreys n December 5th, The Librarian: Quest for the Spear aired on TNT and was billed as an adventure with a bumbling librarian. Well, Flynn Carson was definitely a bumbler in both social and physical situations, at times acting like a child. As Flynn himself says, “I don’t get facts wrong, its everything else I screw up.” He is not a librarian, but a perpetual student who suddenly is thrown out of school, told to experience the real world and get a job.

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The movie itself is a parody, almost cartoonish at times, of adventure movies and in the tradition of magical adventure stories you have to allow yourself to suspend belief. You can see where inspiration has been drawn from movies such as the Indiana Jones trilogy, James Bond series, Galaxy Quest, Harry Potter series, Lost Horizon, even the Pit and the Pendulum. Flynn Carson is an amalgam of the bumbling Chevy Chase spy in Spies Like Us, Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones. There are pratfalls, moments of brilliant deductive reasoning and narrow escapes from archaeological traps.

The movie was fun, but definitely not up to the standard of the Indiana Jones movies. Olympia Dukakis as Flynn’s mother was given a miniscule part and the character was given to delivering homilies and endlessly worrying about her son’s love life. Jane Curtin and Bob Newhart, playing the parts of Charlene and Judson, were under-used and under-valued. They would have added more spark to the movie if their parts had been fleshed out and more deftly written. Kyle MacLachlan as the villain Edward Wild was not given enough latitude to do justice to that part. Sonja Wagler as Nicole played her part as a super woman well, but was unbelievable as a woman in love. The movie was a vehicle for Noah Wyle to show his comic abilities, which were adequately displayed. The Librarian: Quest for the Spear was written as a screenplay by David Titcher and was not derived from a book. It shows its origins. My rating for this movie on a scale of 1-10 is a 6.

The movie starts out with Flynn Carson displaying his extraordinary knowledge of Egyptian archaeology by telling another student about what happens if a pyramid’s corner support stones are even one inch out of alignment. He loves to display his knowledge, but does not like to get his hands dirty, does not know his fellow students and the other students definitely do not like him. One student puts it very succinctly and calls Flynn a freak. Because Flynn Carson is thirty-two and has twenty-two degrees, he is encouraged to leave student life and find a job. Shortly after having graduated, Flynn receives a blank letter that glows upon opening and magically writes itself. He is told to present himself for an interview for the position of Librarian at the Metropolitan Public Library, which looks suspiciously like the New York Public Library’s main library. Flynn is interviewed by a grim disdainful librarian named Charlene and an omniscient administrator named Judson. He gets the job after displaying his Sherlock Holmes-like deductive reasoning. Security guards attend both Flynn and Judson as they go through extraordinary security measures and a long downward elevator ride to get to the Library. (I finally realized this was reminiscent of the television series Get Smart.) Flynn sees things that are mythic and magical, such as the Ark of the Convenant, Pandora’s Box and the Sword in the Stone. Judson swears Flynn to secrecy about the Library and the Society of Librarians while a ghost ChapterNews

Patricia Humphreys is currently working as a part-time reference librarian at the Chappaqua Library in Westchester County. She has just received her MLS degree from Southern Connecticut State University and is looking for a full-time librarian position in the Westchester area. Patricia has been a member of SLA for the past two years, and was elected to the office of secretary for the Hudson Valley chapter in 2004. Like many librarians in the U.S., Pat has had prior careers before deciding to become a librarian. She previously worked as a paralegal and a research laboratory technician. However, Pat will tell anyone “the world of librarians is the nicest place and I never expect to leave it.” Contact: [email protected] 7

Vol. 76, #5 Winter 2005

CHAPTER ANNOUNCEMENTS CHAPTER ANNOUNCEMENTS Welcome to the New York Chapter Sarah Warner, Membership Chair

Unique New York Chapter Benefit: Midtown Executives & Chemists’ Club

We would like to welcome the following new members to the New York Chapter. You will find many benefits to being a member of the New York Chapter. We look forward to meeting you at our Spring meeting.

Now is the Time to Sign Up or Renew Your Individual Membership th the Midtown Executive and Chemists’ Club for 2004/05. It is conveniently located at 40 West 45th Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues). The privileges include: dining room, club room, hotel accommodations at low rates and reciprocal accommodates in New York and other cities, free use of computers and club room, catering and conference room facilities and prefix theatre menu.

Molly Eger Eric Emeric

Sibhan Reardon Miriam Jean Redrick

Lisa Ferrara

Rosalie Sanderson Ronit Socoloff

Mark Levine Sam Li Katherine Mitchell Lea Myohanen

The annual rate for one-year membership (November 2004 – October 2005) is only $25.00 for SLA New York Chapter members. It is $25.00 through January 31st 2005, $30.00 thereafter.

Sheri Wanamaker Michael Warner Pamela Wilson Jennifer Wilson

Virginia Papandrea

The Club’s website is www.clubquarters.com and the password is CQBAM.

Career Resources, Inc. DC On-Line, Inc.

Sign Up or Renew Now!!! It is so Easy: Send your business card with your address, telephone number(s) and email address along with a check for $25.00 ($30 after January 31st, 2005) made out to “SLA New York Chapter,” to Sarah Warner at: Wontawk 25 West 43rd Street, Suite 812 New York, N.Y. 10036

ChapterNews NEEDS YOU! ChapterNews is seeking volunteers! Get involved! You can suggest topics for articles…or write articles… or edit articles. ☛ Please contact Jennifer Kellerman at [email protected] or 212.373.2457.

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Interview with a Court Law Librarian

specialized collection. The Danbury judicial law library has some New York legal resources and another library has a Native American legal collection.

By Patricia Humphreys

This year, the budget for the judicial libraries has remained level, which means the same amount of money is available for collections whose prices have increased, a situation many librarians encounter. Several years ago, the budget was cut for the judicial libraries. Linda, lacking the needed seniority, was laid off. She went to work for a law firm for four years and then regained her position as a judicial law librarian at Danbury when monies were restored to the budget. The pay was better at the law firm, but the hours were also longer. Linda prefers the 9-5 working day of the court law librarian.

Linda Mellick has worked for the last ten years as a

law librarian in both the Danbury, Connecticut judicial library and in a private law firm. Prior to working as a law librarian, Linda worked as a paralegal for three years and as ab adult program coordinator in a public. Linda received her degree from Southern Connecticut State University. She applied for a job as a court law librarian, which entails a long process of interviews and tests. Linda met with the Director, a Supervising Librarian and an Affirmative Action Officer. Finally, she was selected for the Law Librarian 1 position at the law library in the Superior Court building in Danbury.

Because they are smaller, Tier 2 and Tier 3 librarians tend to be solo librarians. Tier 1 libraries, which are administered by the Supervising Librarian, will have several librarians who will rotate in a number of positions – cataloging, reference, administration, etc. As many reference librarians know, there is not such a thing as a “typical day” in the library. The users of Linda’s library include judicial personnel, solo attorneys and the public. The library has an average of 300 patrons a week, mostly members of the public who require a great deal of assistance. Generally, Linda starts her days at 8:30 a.m. by preparing the library for patrons. A portion of her week is spent on administrative duties but the majority of her time is spent maintaining the library and assisting patrons. Linda said that some of the most challenging questions come from members of the public.

Linda is currently a Law Librarian 2 in the Danbury court law library and reports to her Supervising Librarian who is located in Stamford. The Supervising Librarian rarely meets with her but they communicate regularly by telephone or e-mail. As a result, Linda has a certain amount of autonomy. The hierarchical structure of the judicial law library system in Connecticut entails several levels for law librarians – Law Librarian 1, Law Librarian 2, Supervising Librarian, Deputy Director and Director of Judge Support Services, who is not a librarian. A Law Librarian 1 has to work for one year before being promoted to Law Librarian 2. Law Librarian 2 can basically have the same duties as a Law Librarian 1. A Supervising Librarian oversees a number of court law libraries within his/her region and a Tier 1 law library containing several law librarians. The Deputy Director is the top level in the library hierarchy and is in charge of the way the libraries function. All judicial law library positions are unionized, and promotions and layoffs are strictly determined by seniority.

Linda has to maintain accounts and ledgers for her library, as well as do periodic statistical reports. The statistical reports show how many reference requests she receives and how often resources like microfiche are used. Linda also maintains different accounts and ledgers for the copier, titles maintained, etc. When asked how she would describer her “ideal” library, Linda first said that there would be more space and windows. This is understandable since there is almost no space left on the shelves in her library and it is underground. She also sais she would have more online resources. Digest materials would be available both in print and online. But, statutes would be available in print format, since using the online version can be very confusing. The print collection of treatises would be expanded. There would definitely be a full-time assistant. She would also have control over what equipment, especially computers, she would have in the library and how often it would be updated. Linda would also have control over library hours, so that special projects and administrative work could be

The judicial law libraries are categorized as Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3. Tier 1 libraries are the largest with the most complete law library collection. Tier 2 is next in size and has a smaller collection and Tier 3 libraries are very small with a minimal collection. The budget is determined by the Connecticut legislature and is distributed by the Library Director. Tier 1 libraries get the largest share of the budget since they have to maintain a larger collection and meet many mandated requirements. Tier 2 libraries have fewer requirements and more discretion in the use of remaining funds. Tier 3 libraries get the little that remains. The law libraries can also have a ChapterNews

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Interview continued from page 10)

done in a timely fashion. She thought setting up appointments would be a good idea. Linda believes keeping current on legal issues and professional training are important. Linda keeps up with her training and library news by attending SNELLA workshops, being a member of American Association of Law Librarians (AALL), subscribing to the Law-Lib listserv and the LLRX Exchange, and using Gary Price’s Resource Shelf. Linda is allowed to take time off to go for training or conferences, but she has to pay for it herself. Linda was highly informative, as well as very entertaining. She is very helpful, which is a common trait in the world of librarians. Patricia Humphreys is currently working as a part-time reference librarian at the Chappaqua Library in Westchester County. She has just received her MLS degree from Southern Connecticut State University and is looking for a full-time librarian position in the Westchester area. Patricia has been a member of SLA for the past two years, and was elected to the office of secretary for the Hudson Valley chapter in 2004. Like many librarians in the U.S., Pat has had prior careers before deciding to become a librarian. She previously worked as a paralegal and a research laboratory technician. However, Pat will tell anyone “the world of librarians is the nicest place and I never expect to leave it.” Contact: [email protected].

Tsunami Relief Effort

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n December, southern Asia experienced destruction and devastation on a level difficult for most of us to comprehend when a tsunami hit the area. Relief efforts continue and many organizations are requesting financial donations. SLA is helping in the effort to provide assistance by providing a list of relief agencies and charities on its website. The association hopes to be able to provide information about the needs of libraries affected in the region and how the community of information professionals can help.

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For more information, please go to the SLA website: http://www.sla.org/content/resources/tsunamirelief.cfm

New York City Metro area: 212-642-4321 [email protected] Washington, DC Metro area: 202-775-1890 [email protected] www.infocurrent.com

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{New York SLA Chapter :} THE FACT IS CLEAR:

FACTIVA SUPPORTS YOU.

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The fact is clear. For robust professional development and innovative products, you can rely on Factiva. Take advantage of content and e-learning tools just for information professionals — including selected professional meetings. Apply for the SLA Leadership or SLA-EIP Award, attend one of our Webinars, or visit FreePint, the global network of information researchers. Whether it’s taxonomies, end user search tools or targeted news for your intranet, Factiva delivers products you can use with confidence. Sign up today for Factiva’s monthly information professional e-mail newsletter at www.factiva.com/infopro.

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Website Resources:

IndustryWeek

The Manufacturing Sector

http://www.industryweek.com/

By Louise Klusek

This weekly magazine for manufacturing executives is available in full-text on this site. “Research” includes the IW/MPI Census of Manufacturers, a survey of executives that includes data on practices underway in their plants, and the IW Best Plants Benchmarking Database. The archives contain past issues of such special series as “America’s Best Plants” and the “IW 1000,” a ranking of the largest publicly held manufacturing companies.

This look at the manufacturing sector was prompted by a recent report from the Conference Board titled “Can Manufacturing Survive in Advanced Countries?” (Number 93 in their ExecutiveAction series).

Center for Economic Studies

Institute for Supply Management’s Report on Business

http://www.ces.census.gov/ces.php/home

http://www.ism.ws/

The Census Bureau’s CES database consists of annual cost and output data on manufacturing plants. Data is taken from the Census of Manufactures, the Annual Survey of Manufactures, and special Census studies. It is presented in a consistent format. Qualified researchers must register to use the database but all research supported by the CES is freely available in its working papers series. The latest New York CES Research Data Center is expected to open in Spring 2005 at Baruch College, CUNY.

The ISM, formerly the National Association of Purchasing Management, compiles the monthly ISM Report on Business, a purchasing survey that forecasts economic trends in the manufacturing sector. Regional business survey reports, including one covering the New York area, are also available.

Current Industrial Reports

This research organization publishes a monthly composite index of future business activity in their Survey on the Business Outlook and each quarter they offer a detailed look at over 20 industries in the manufacturing sector in their Quarterly Industrial Outlook. Reports are free to members; press releases are posted on the Website.

Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI http://www.mapi.net/index.cfm

http://www.census.gov/cir/www/alpha.html

The Census Bureau’s Current Industrial Reports provide production data for key manufacturing industries. The reports measure industrial activity, production, and shipments. Monthly and annual reports are available, with historical files beginning in most cases with 1996 data.

Manufacturing Fact Sheet http://www.nemw.org/mfgfact.htm

Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization

This monthly review of key economic and labor data affecting manufacturing is posted at the Website of the Northeast Midwest Institute, a non-profit research organization that supports the Congressional and Senate Task Forces on Manufacturing.

http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/G17/

This Federal Reserve report provides the latest monthly production data and growth rates for the manufacturing of durable and nondurable goods. The report is released around the 15th of each month.

The Fact Sheet is updated daily as new data is made available from government and industry sources.

Manufacturing in America http://www.commerce.gov/DOC_MFG_Report_Complete.pdf

This U.S. Department of Commerce report, issued January 2004, used input from twenty national roundtables of industry leaders to identify challenges facing American manufacturing.

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NBER-CES Manufacturing Industry Database http://www.nber.org/nberces/ This data file, downloadable into spreadsheet format, provides annual statistics on 459 industries from 1958 to 1996. The data includes output, employment, payroll and other costs, investment, capital stocks, and industryspecific indexes. The database is a project of the National Bureau of Economic Research and the U.S. Census Bureau’s Center for Economic Studies.

Quarterly Financial Report http://www.census.gov/csd/qfr/ The U.S. Census Bureau’s QFR presents aggregate data on the financial condition of the manufacturing sector in the U.S. It includes profit and loss and balance sheet statistics, and financial ratios for industry groups and groups based on asset size. The data is collected via surveys of all corporations with assets over $250,000.

UNIDO Industrial Statistics http://www.unido.org/en/doc/3474

Manufacturing, Mining, and Construction Statistics

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization maintains databases of global industrial statistics on manufacturing and commodity supply and demand balances. This Website presents selected industrial statistics by country; the data includes manufacturing value added (MVA), MVA per capita, MVA’s share of GDP, and manufactured exports and imports. Tables comparing MVA, labor productivity, and wage rates across all countries are also available. The UNIDO databases and Yearbook are only available to subscribers.

http://www.census.gov/mcd/

This Website is a gateway to all manufacturing data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, including the Census of Manufactures, the Annual Survey of Manufactures, and the Current Industrial Reports. These reports provide data on employment, payroll, value-added capital expenditures, assets, and inventories.

National Association of Manufacturers http://www.nam.org/s_nam/index.asp

NAM is a trade association dedicated to improving the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers. Their “Manufacturing Statistics” include such titles as the Annual Labor Day Report and the Business Outlooks. The Business Outlooks are quarterly surveys of large and small manufacturers’ business expectations, and are also published as the NAM/Fortune Manufacturing Index in Fortune magazine.

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