Fairfield County Chapter
Members In Print
For a special library, a very special librarian
by Richard Gutwillig
Rockland Journal-News
Saturday, April 11, 1998 pg. 2A.
Libraries are special places.
Special is the word I’d also use to describe our librarians.
The question then becomes how to describe the “special libraries” maintained by businesses, corporations, hospitals and law firms, and any number of organizations specializing in a particular field or area of study?
And, how do we label those individuals who maintain these unique repositories of information?
Let me introduce you to Sarah Boroson, program leader in charge of Avon Products’ research library, a 10,000-volume facility at the company’s office, research and development and manufacturing campus in Suffern.
Avon’s library is one of many in Rockland. Other corporations, including Lederle, as well as our hospitals and law firms, maintain their own libraries as well.
Boroson’s staff includes Odessa White, her assistant for the last eight years, and library clerk Arleen Willis. [She is] a 16-year veteran of Avon.
Avons’ Library contains a collection of bound scientific journals, computer stations, dozens of magazines, and government reports, lists of patents, translations of foreign scientific articles, maps, catalogs and newspapers.
There’s even a section of fiction and nonfiction books that employees can borrow for lunch time or weekend leisure reading.
Another facet of Avon’s special library is the personal enhancement center, a parenting resource area complete with books, magazines, self-help tapes and videos for those employees with children or those about to become parents.
“What’s different about this and a public library? My patrons are scientists, microbiologists, and patent researchers,” Boroson said. “My expertise is finding information, theirs is research. One request can take weeks while others go quickly.”
Boroson said Avon has been online for more than 20 years and now routinely use monster-sized databases maintained by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Library of Science and other organizations.
Avon’s magazine subscription list of more than 300 includes periodicals on cosmetic science, dermatology, microbiology, government regulations, medical journals, packaging, engineering, metallurgy, as well as a wide selection of beauty and trend magazines so the company can keep abreast of the latest trends.
Asked if the general public can use the facility, Boroson said that by appointment, students and adults can access the library for research purposes.
The cluster of rooms include comfortable reading and research areas, as well as an “old fashioned” card catalog maintaining the inventory of books.
“Every other year, I bake thousands of cookies and brownies to sell to the employees,” Boroson said. “The money goes for development of the library, adding videos and other resources to enhance our offerings.”
“…As a special librarian, my work as an information resource expert is dedicated to putting knowledge to work to help our employees and management attain their goals,” Boroson said.
Her services include preparing research reports in response to staff requests, identifying research done at other organizations to avoid duplication, verifying facts for external and internal reports, creating databases, searching patents and trademarks, as well as training staff to use online databases.
People who like working in libraries like learning all the time,” Boroson said. “I was home with the kids for a lot of years, so this is not like I have been working all my life. I love getting up, getting dressed nicely, coming to work, and getting a paycheck at the end of the week.”
And, she said, there is always something rewarding about getting the
request, making the research quests and finding the answer.
Something special.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page last updated: 17 July 1999