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September 2003 Volume 63, No. 1 |
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On a lovely Saturday morning in July, more than 30 of your DC/SLA leaders came to plan and collaborate on goals for 2003-2004 over brunch on my deck. Despite the distraction of birds, food and catching up with each other, we were able to focus on the following goals for next year: Developing Leadership Communicating with You Offering Diverse and Collaborative Programming Managing/Streamlining our Chapter Partly in response to national SLA's encouragement to streamline our Bylaws and Manual, Kristina Lively and Estelle Alexander have begun the process of separating out and updating our manual. Treasurer Erin Clougherty will be working with us to help us manage within our budget, as Director Joan Gervino raises money from vendors to help underwrite our programs. Past President Sue O'Neill Johnson, with the help of Past Presidents Anne Caputo and Daille Petitt, will ensure we build chapter leadership succession. Ellie Briscoe will ensure that our elections run smoothly. The strategy for achieving our goals for the year will be to involve as many of us as possible. If YOU see a project that interests you, let one of us know and we will gratefully fold you in. Because as my mother used to say, "many hands make light work." |
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Michael Kolakowski: Gale Group Murray Wortzel Award Winner Michael Kolakowski, Librarian in the Government and Finance Division in the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress, received the Gale Group Murray Wortzel Award at the SLA annual conference in New York City. This award honors Murray Wortzel, a long-time leader in the Social Science Division, who was chair of the Division, archivist, member of numerous committees, and very active in the Association. Murray was inducted into the SLA Hall of Fame in 1989 and received the Education Division’s Professional Excellence Award in 1993. He was a Renaissance man: devoted to the profession, a lover of music, theatre and art. He was an extraordinary and generous mentor. Murray died in 1997. The Gale Group Murray Wortzel Award is given to a member of the Social Science Division who embodies the spirit of Murray Wortzel and who has made outstanding contributions through accomplishment and service to the profession and the Division. The Gale Group generously sponsors this biennial award. Roger Haley, Librarian Emeritus of the United States Senate Library, was the first winner of the Award at the San Antonio conference in 2001. Michael Kolakowski was honored for his many years of service to the Social Science Division and for his dedication and commitment to the profession. He chaired the Social Science Division twice, in 1995 and 1996, served as the Division’s representative to the Government Relations Committee, and served on the Division’s Nominating and Fund Raising committees. Mike was the inspiration behind the invitation to Doris Kearns Goodwin for the Division’s 75th anniversary celebration and was instrumental in the fund raising effort to support the project. Mike initiated the "Meet the Social Science Division" programs at the Association annual conferences, and the creator of many successful Division programs at various conferences. Mike has been a promoter of collaborative efforts with other divisions within the Association, which has been a boon to the fiscal and intellectual health of the Social Science Division. He is a founding member of the Gay & Lesbian Issues Caucus. Mike has also been an active member of the Washington, DC Chapter, and has been instrumental in publishing significant publications in the field of special librarianship. He compiled and edited the successful SLA publication, Sampler of Forms for Special Libraries (2nd ed.,1991), and he is currently serving on the editorial committee for the Washington Area Library Directory (3rd ed.) In 2000 Mike distributed over 600 free copies of a key CD-ROM for political science and government collections, The Annenberg/ Pew Archive of Presidential Discourse. Murray’s spirit and dedication live on in Mike Kolakowski. The many letters of nomination attest to his professionalism, high standards, generosity, compassion, diplomacy and scholarship. As one letter put it, "One other qualification for the award that Michael
holds in spades is his character … Michael is the best representative of a
special librarian that the profession could have." Amen to that! Larry Guthrie of Covington & Burling is a coauthor of the book Historical Aspects of Cataloging and Classification (Haworth Press, 2003, 606 pages). His chapter is "Monastic Cataloging and Classification and the Beginnings of Class B at the Library of Congress" and is a medieval history of taxonomies. He joins coauthor Jolande Goldberg, who recounts her devising the vast Class K (Law) at the Library of Congress. Caryn Wesner-Early, a contractor for ASRC at the US Patent & Trademark Office, has just had an article published in Dekker's Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science <http://www.dekker.com/servlet/product/productid/E-ELIS>. The article is on Self Publishing Online and covers all aspects of this subject, including its impact on libraries. |
Special Libraries Association assumes no responsibility for the statements and opinions advanced by the contributors to SLA’s publications. Editorial views do not necessarily represent the official views of SLA. Acceptance of advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product by SLA.
Subscriptions: Advertising: EDITOR’S NOTE: Materials for Chapter Notes should be sent to the Editor: Cynthia Holt Event announcements should also be submitted electronically to the: Listserv Moderator: DC/SLA Internet Committee: Send address changes for Chapter Notes to: SLA Headquarters |
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Research Tip of the Month: Who Cares? Way back in the year 19{mumble}, when I was in graduate school working on my library science degree, one of the things I kept hearing in my online research courses was, "who cares?" No, we weren't getting sassy -- this was the professors' reminder of one of the best ways to find validated, reliable, up-to-date information... by figuring out who cared passionately about whatever topic we were researching, and then contacting that person or organization directly. This was way before the days of the web, so it usually meant a lot of research in a library, to find out who was the expert on the construction of freeway overpasses or the removal of paint from historic buildings, for example. It's a lot easier these days, of course. But I still surprise myself when I forget that simple question of "who cares?" A couple of examples: I needed to find information on Acute Interstitial Pneumonia for a relative who had just been diagnosed with this disease. If you throw that phrase into Google, one of the first sites you get is from the Merck Manual -- a bible of medical information for the hypochondriac and those of us who just want to know that the twinge we feel isn't always fatal. But many of the other results are somewhat less authoritative or useful; in fact the next site was for interstitial pneumonia in cattle... not what I wanted at all! Then I got smart and called a friend of mine who is a medical researcher, who suggested I consult the American Lung Association. That turned out to be an excellent source of information on interstitial pneumonia, and it was written in language that patients could understand. Then a client asked me to identify the countries in which he should market a particular type of agricultural equipment. Sure, I could have started with a search in the market research report databases on Dialog.com or MarketResearch.com, but I decided to go directly to the US Department of Commerce, whose job it is to promote international trade and to help US companies create new markets overseas. Sure enough, the STAT-USA database (http://www.statusa.gov) had a report specifically on the best markets for the agricultural equipment my client manufactures, along with contact information on the appropriate government officials, the key industry conferences he should exhibit at, and the leading agriculture publications in those countries. These two research projects served as a reminder that the fastest way from question to answer is often not a search engine but an information tool -- a broad-based directory such as Open Directory Project (http://www.dmoz.org/) or Librarians' Index to the Internet (http://www.lii.org/), or even something as simple as searching a directory of trade and professional associations, such as the one maintained by the American Society of Association Executives (http://info. asaenet.org/gateway/OnlineAssocSlist.html). Once you have found one or two good web resources, you can always expand your search by looking for other sites that link TO those sites. Use the link look-up technique described in the October 2002 Tip of the Month (http://www.batesinfo.com/tip.html#October2002). So, try asking yourself, "who cares?" before you begin your next research
project, and see what you turn up. |
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Does an Everyday Activity Tell You the Kind of Job to
Have? Submitted by Suzanne C. Pilsk, PilskS@si.edu Personalities are interesting. Who chooses to be a librarian? What personality traits make up a librarian – and more specifically, what kind of person chooses to be what kind of librarian? Usually a Myers-Briggs test or some other kind of personality test is administered when someone wants to know if you are a control freak, micromanager or a spur-of-the-moment, emotionally-driven supervisor. I think these kinds of tests are cumbersome and sometimes really off base. I think simpler questions about the approach to life's little issues tell more about a person. And I have found something very basic. My scientific personality test is: Can the type of job one should have in a library be determined by the way one grocery shops? For example: Does the cataloger’s grocery shopping strategy differ from the reference librarian? How does the systems librarian's approach to the weekly shopping event compare to the library administrator's? Grocery shopping has fascinated me since I was a child accompanying my mother on regularly scheduled trips to the local grocery stores. I got the exam question right in my beginning physics class about the chaos theory based on my mother’s shopping system. Scattered here and there my mother circled and circled and backtracked. Maybe this was actually doubling as some sort of regular workout schedule. My mother is not a librarian. So let us look at librarians. I set up a very scientific polling structure – I stood in the hallway and just stopped various people. I came up with some rather interesting findings. Besides the fact that administrators were curious as to why I was not at my desk working, they approached grocery shopping on a needs only basis. Different grocery stores are approached for specific items, depending on their exact shopping needs. Rarely are there large shopping events, and at these the administrators still do not walk down every aisle. Specific items are sought and purchased. One administrator delegates all the shopping to her husband. The systems librarian has a list arranged by the layout of the major grocery store. That way the list and the walk through are organized. First on the list are the fruits and veggies. The fruits and veggies are right next to the entrance and grocery cart pick up. Milk products next – on list and in the store. The systems librarian does this aisle by aisle. There will never be any backtracking for a systems librarian. Some would have thought that the cataloger would be similar, but I found some conflicting information. Some do arrange the list similar to the store layout but more according to the layout of their kitchen and house. For example, the list first has the things that go in one specific cupboard, then the fridge, then the under sink supplies, then the next cupboard. You get the idea. And I found that many catalogers go up and down every aisle; even if there isn’t an item on their list from the aisle. (Skipping the obvious – no pet food if no pet- no medical supplies if there is no need, etc.) There are some impulse buying options for the cataloger. The acquisitions librarian pointed out that he shops differently at the local store than when he goes to the jobber, I mean, Costco super store. The local store he goes to for specific things quickly. No up and down each aisle. But, at Costco, there is a need to shop every aisle and see what they have to offer. The reference librarian surprised me some. They do have a list of needs – sometimes – and they do have a tendency to go up and down each aisle. Their list is arranged by memory. Kinda interesting, isn’t it? Sort of? (Well, it is to me!) The administrator organizes the food shopping and only goes to ones specific to their needs. Very departmentalized. Delegation is also an option. The acquisitions librarian likes to look at everything a large super store (an aggregator or book jobber of sorts) has to offer to see if there are some good deals there and goes to the small store for the known items. The systems librarian approaches the attack of finding food in a logical manner so that time is not wasted in the store and all items are gotten without the chance of overlooking a necessity. The cataloger, working with where the items will eventually be placed, still shops the store to make sure all items are given a chance to enter the cart and eventually the home. The reference librarian approaches shopping hoping for inspiration or serendipity to complete a good shopping event. Knowing that the store is laid out in some logical order, the reference librarian waits for inspiration as he or she walks the aisles. I think this is a way of determining if an applicant is right for the job! Next time you have to write a job description, interview someone, or are applying for a job, think about grocery shopping tendencies.
Next I think I'll ponder the way groceries are taken out of the cart and put on the checkout belt…or how one arranges food in the kitchen. Or maybe the need of special librarians to go to specialty food stores. Paper vs. Plastic? Hmmm. All very interesting. Well, to me anyway! |
Technology Day 2003: Virtual Delivery
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
Kossiakoff Conference and Education Center, Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD
| Registration Fees: Member "Early Bird" by September 29 $95 Member "Group" (3 or more) $140/person Member "Regular" $175 For more information, visit the chapter website at http://www.sla.org/chapter/cmd/events.html |
Presented by Special Libraries Association, Maryland Chapter Supported by |
| Opportunities to Exhibit
and Sponsor the 5th Annual
Technology Day "I’ve Seen The Real Future of Tech – And It Is Virtual" - Stewart Alsop, Fortune, April 14, 2003. |
For further information, contact the Maryland Chapter SLA Professional Development Chair, Peggy Carr at pcarr@carrresearch.com or 410-719-8630 |
Conference At-A-Glance
| 8:00-9:00 - Registration/Continental
Breakfast/Exhibits 9:00-10:00 - KEYNOTE "State of the Virtual Online Union" Diane Nester Kresh, Director of Public Service Collections, Directorate of Public Service Collections, Library of Congress 10:00-10:30 - Coffee Break & Exhibits 10:30-11:30 - Concurrent Sessions MA - Virtual Reference Panel. Joe Thompson, Baltimore County Public Library; Julie Arnold University of Maryland College Park Engineering Library; Marcia Dysart, State Library Resource Center; Catherine McGuire, Maryland State Law Library MB - Content Management Contracts & Negotiating Strategies. Ethel Salonen, Manager, External Content, Information Resources, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. MC - RSS for Customized Desktop Content. Steven M. Cohen, Assistant Librarian, Rivkin Radler LLP 11:30-12:30 - Lunch/Exhibits/Networking |
Poster Sessions with Suzanne Carbone (Selecting a Virtual Reference Package), Jill Konieckzo (Taxonomy Tips and Tricks) and Barbara Silcox (E-Journal Selection Process) 12:30-1:30 - Concurrent Sessions AA - Taxonomies and Structures. Denise Bedford, Senior Information Officer, World Bank Group AB - E-Documents, Open URLs and the Future of Publishing. Davida Scharf, NKR Associates, Inc. and Jennifer Bernardelli, The Gale Group AC - Semantic Web. Professor James A. Hendler, Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland College Park. 1:30-2:00 - Soda & Cookie Break & Last Chance to see the Exhibits 2:00-3:30 - SLA VIDEO CONFERENCE: Enterprise Strategy & Knowledge Management. Michael D. Kull 3:30-3:45 - Break 3:45-4:30 - Wrap-Up Session: Susan Fingerman, Steven Anderson, David Shumaker |
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National Library of Medicine (NLM) Tour and
ToxSeek Demo November 12, 2003 Event:Tour of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) followed by a discussion and demonstration of ToxSeek, the next generation in advanced meta-searching. Speaker: Dr. Tamas Doszkocs, Principal Investigator, Poly-Meta SBIR Project. Tour Description: The one-hour tour of NLM, the world's largest medical library, will feature a 12-minute HDTV presentation, "Expanding the Medical Universe," an overview of NLM programs and services, demonstrations of the Library's databases, and a walking tour of the computer room, reading room and stacks. The tour will also visit "Changing the Face of Medicine," a multimedia exhibition celebrating the achievements of women in medicine, past and present. The exhibit tells their inspiring stories with artifacts, interactive displays and a career resource center. Time: The one-hour tour will begin at 4:00 p.m. The demonstration will begin at 5:00 p.m. Where: If you are unable or do not wish to join the tour, Dr. Doszkocs will be presenting in the NLM Visitor Center, on the first floor of NIH Building 38A (the Lister Hill Center). Cost: Free RSVP: Please RSVP to Sheryl Rosenthal, srosenthal@usnews.com and please specify if you will be attending the tour, the demonstration, or both. Sponsorship: This program is co-sponsored by DC/SLA and the Medical Library Association (MLA). Additional Information: Here are excellent directions (via car, Metro, bus, taxi, train and air!) to the Library at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/about/directions.htm A good map of the NIH campus can be found at:
htttp://www.nih.gov/od/ors/graphics/ The Lister Hill Center is in the bottom right corner. There is a visitor parking lot ($2/hour) across Center Drive from Building 38A. The Library is approximately 300 yards from the Medical Center station on Metro's Red Line. Updated security information for visitors can be found at:
http://www.nih.gov/about/visitorsecurity.htm |
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