May 2000 v.22, no.4
Table
of Contents:
Member News
FROM
THE CHAIR - Pam Weaver
It's been an interesting year, full of changes and challenges,
for all of us in the Energy industry. Those who haven't
experienced mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, rightsizing,
etc., are wondering when it will hit. But at the same
time, we've had some opportunities to grow professionally
through the transitions.
Serving PER as Chair has been an extremely educational
and rewarding experience. You'll see later in the Bulletin
that the slate of officers for next year is incomplete.
I would challenge you to give service to your professional
organization a try. It will definitely be worth it!
I want to thank all of you for the opportunity of serving
as your Chair this past year. Special thanks go to those
who have served on the PER Board and as Committee Chairs
this year. The Division wouldn't have survived without
you!
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Contents
PER
DIVISION NEEDS YOUR HELP - Ed Walton, Chair Elect
I know all of you are very busy people. Asking you to
add another task to your list of things to do is not popular
right now, but PER needs find some volunteers to fill
a couple of positions.
We have some officer positions that need to be filled.
If you are interested in being a part of the PER Board
and would like to serve the membership in a leadership
position, please contact Nancy Bourque at 519-339-2617.
Nancy is the Nominating Committee Chair for the PER Division.
Also, PER experimented with combining the Networking
Chair and the Bulletin Editor last year and found that
it is too much work of one person to handle. We have decided
to separate the positions to make the load easier. The
current Networking Chair/Bulletin Editor, Linda Musser,
has agreed to continue as the Bulletin Editor. If you
are interested taking on the task of maintaining the PER
Divisions website and Discussion List, please contact
me at 972-733-1183. Some previous experience in webpage
design is helpful, but not necessary.
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Contents
FROM
THE CHAIR ELECT - Ed Walton
It has been an interesting year as the Chair-Elect for
the PER Division. I've gotten a taste for the enormous
amount of "behind the scenes" work the Chair
is required to do to keep the Division running according
to the Association's rules. My hat's off to Pam for the
EXCELLENT job she has done. I now know what I've gotten
myself into and hope that I'm up to the challenge.
It is sometimes hard to put on paper the stark reality
that is staring you in the face, but there comes a time
that reality must be faced head on. Last year as the Chair-Elect,
I was tasked with the responsibility of surveying the
PER membership (full
survey). In my opinion, there were three very significant
pieces of information that jumped out from the survey:
Networking opportunities was a continuous theme throughout
the responses to the survey. It was clear from the comments
that the membership wants more opportunities to get together
with other members for the sole purpose of interaction
on the professional level. Many of us have had to face
one or more difficult years with lay-offs, downsizing,
shrinking budgets, etc. The membership wants an informal
forum to discuss these types of issues with their peers.
The Board will look for opportunities to provide more
networking opportunities to the membership this year both
at the annual conference and in other forums outside the
annual conference.
Communication within the Division is not effective at
this point. The decision to switch from paper to electronic
communication has created a situation where more than
half of the Division members do not access the Division's
information. This means that somewhere between 60-75%
of the Division will not read this article. The Board
has talked about this much over the last couple of years.
Balancing the cost of paper distribution verses the need
to get information to the Division has surfaced in many
discussion. With the ever-shrinking budget, the clear
answer has been to switch to the cost-effective electronic
distribution systems. However, this has been negatively
impacting effective communication. We have had some suggestions
for improving communication that the Board will explore.
Only a small percentage of the Division's membership
is actively involved in the Division activities. The survey
is a good example of declining involvement. Only 27% of
the surveys were returned. Every member was giving the
opportunity to provide valuable input into the future
of the Division, but just over 1/4th of the membership
responded. Only 16% of the membership attended last year's
annual conference. I understand the financial and work
restraints that have been affecting our industry; however,
the average attendance for other divisions last year was
27%. The PER Division had the 3rd lowest percentage of
attendance. How does the Division increase the participation
level? Is it possible to increase the level of participation?
The Board will look at these issues.
Finally, membership in the Division has been declining
over the past few years. 75% of the survey respondents
believed the cause to be downsizing, lay-offs and constricted
budgets. Is it time to begin to look for the demise of
the PER Division? Is the lack of interest in the Division
coupled with the declining membership an indication that
the Division has outlived its usefulness? In my opinion,
"No!" It means that it is time to infuse some
life into it. The question is: "How?" This is
where you come in! If you can answer yes to any of the
following question, please contact me.
Do you
want to be involved, but don't know how?
Do you
think that the Division can have new life breathed into
it?
You can contact me anyway
you want to, but contact me!
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Contents
PER
ANNUAL CONFERNCE - A last minute reminder
You may want to go to the web (SLA
Annual Conference web site) to read an expanded abstract
of the programs and to see any changes, which have been
made since the Preliminary Programs were printed.
PER has some strong programs for your consideration this
year:
Monday, June 12
Start your day with a continental breakfast and session
at 7:30 AM on "Petroleum Industry Information Resources,"
presented and sponsored by Engineering Information. This
will focus on the Oil & Gas Village, and will bring
us up-to-date on APIEncompass.
The Conference General Session at 8:45 AM features will
be in an interview format, featuring Terry Gross, National
Public Radio, and David Talbot, SALON Magazine. Following
this session, the official opening of the exhibits will
include entertainment from one of Philadelphia's oldest
entertainment groups.
At 1:30 PM, PER is co-sponsoring a session on the National
Geologic Map Database. This topic is one suggested
by one of our members.
6:30-10:00 PM is the conference-wide celebration of Inspired
Thinkers. Factiva, a Dow Jones & Reuters Company (and
a PER sponsor) invites you to join them at the Franklin
Institute. You must check the box on your registration
form if you plan to attend, but tickets are FREE.
Tuesday, June 13
We begin again at 7:30 AM with continental breakfast
and "The Modern History of Energy Conservation,"
presented by PER Secretary Don Wulfinghoff.
Right after breakfast, PER is co-sponsoring a session
titles "Negotiating with Vendors." Again, this
is a session suggested by a PER member, and will focus
on negotiations from the perspective of a librarian and
a vendor.
The annual PER Business Meeting and Luncheon is at Noon.
This is a good time to network with other PER members
and find out what's going on in the Division. It is a
ticketed event, so be sure to mark it on your registration
form.
Tuesday evening PER is a co-sponsor of the All Sciences
& Technologies Reception at the Independence Seaport
Museum on Penn's Landing. This will be a great time to
network with colleagues in PER and other SciTech divisions
of SLA. Tickets are going fast, so be sure to include
it on your registration form.
Wednesday, June 14
One more continental breakfast at 7:30 AM, followed by
a session on "Temporary Librarian: When, Why and
How to Utilize." Chris Dobson and Carolyn Ernst,
F1 Services, some of our favorite speakers in the past,
return to discuss this topic.
At 11:30 AM, after the SLA Business Meeting, PER is co-sponsoring
a session titles "NTIS Update." The session
will start with a presentation from NTIS on its past,
present and future, then will conclude with a discussion
moderated by the SLA Government Relations Director so
participants can address their concerns on the future
of NTIS.
PER has set aside 1:00-2:15 PM on Wednesday to emphasize
the exhibits. Please take this time to visit our sponsors
and thank them for their support.
Thursday, June 15
PER is a co-sponsor of a field trip to the Institute
for Scientific Information. This field trip is FREE and
includes a FREE lunch, but you have to register. As of
May 1, the first tour was filled, but a second one is
being negotiated. Be sure to contact Ann Koopman (Ann.Koopman@mail.tju.edu
or 215-503-0441) to be put on the waiting list if you're
interested.
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Contents
INTERNET
CORNER - Reflections on Change
Eight years ago, as part of a research organization,
I was aware of the use of FTP to transfer data files.
My library organization quietly, upon request by the occasional
researcher, downloaded a file to compliment a book purchase.
Online meant searching databases provided by Orbit, Dialog,
Lexis-Nexis, etc. E-mail exchanges were limited to internal
company mail and computer savvy professional colleagues. Gophers
were the "hot " topic for making the Internet
easier for the "average " person to use. Six
years ago listservs were a source of information exchange
and the World Wide Web was becoming useful through the
use of first Mosaic and then Netscape. What tools
were there to use this new way of accessing information
and was the "skill " of using the Web really
needed/useful in the workplace? There was a need to share
information about the Internet by with the many colleagues
that did not have the time to explore its' usefulness.
So this column, in a print publication, was started by
the Division.
Now the use of the Internet and World Wide Web has become
an important tool in providing information. The Division's
Bulletin is an electronic publication. SLA is becoming
a "virtual " association based upon the Web.
Search options for the Internet are so numerous and changing
that professional publications have monthly columns or
frequent articles about them. E-books are moving from
being a curiosity to something to consider as a part of
a collection. Negotiation of licenses for electronic products
is a skill or role becoming more needed. Information literacy
is taught in all types of libraries. A physical location
and a collection of print resources no longer define what
we do. As an Internet or Intranet librarian, collection
development includes the virtual collection and reference
includes the remote customer using telecommunications
and the Web. Constant over time is the need to cope with
sharing information about tools, resources, changing technology,
and changing roles. There is the need to keep asking,
"Where do we go from here? or What now? " What
are some of the changing roles and new technologies that
you want this column to explore? Send your comments and
suggestions to coppin@pacbell.net.
Some additional thoughts about "change" concern
changes in "who" performs a particular task.
Organizations are shifting the burden of the time required
for interaction with a customer from employees to the
customer. More and more the customer is expected to receive
help from "Frequently Asked Questions " lists/databases.
When phoning an organization, a customer spends time working
through several levels of automated choices before being
allowed to be put in a queue for a live customer service
representative. As information providers can we provide
the human touch being lost to automated systems? Service
concepts do come back. Once there was delivery of milk
(and groceries) to a house. Urban supermarkets replaced
that with 'self service' stores. Now three Internet businesses
are competing for my grocery order and will deliver to
my home.
Web Searching
Online:
the Leading Magazine for Information Professionals Internet
Search Engine Update is a regular column. The March
'On
The Net' column is on "Search Engine Inconsistencies"
The Librarians'
Index to the Internet now has eight subsections on
leading to search tools and databases. The "Searching
About" section leads to various tutorials on how
to search.
Search
Tools Chart
This chart displays the features of the best Internet
subject directories and search engines. It also provides
links to these resources.
Search Engine
Watch
This site includes searching tips, search engine listings,
search engine news, and reviews, ratings and tests. It
is provided by internet.com.
Search Engine
Guide: The Guide to Search Engines, Portals, and Directories
There are over 3230 search engines to choose from. This
database is searchable or listings by subject categories
can be viewed. Other Information includes: analysis, research
and reviews; pay-for-placement search engines; search
engine spying; top search terms; and search filters.
Guides to Specialized
Search Engines
An annotated directory to search engines.
Google
This search engine uses link popularity as part of its
relevance ranking system.
"Going
Gaga for Google" From PC World.com by Liane Gouthro,
PC World, April 20, 2000
"A
Search Engine Worth Gambling on" From PC World.com
by Lisa Moskowitz, special to PC World September
24, 1999
Temporary Librarians
Advanced Information
Management (AIM)
AIM has offices in Southern and Northern California. They
are staffing services firm specializing in providing library
and information personnel to special, public and academic
libraries. Services include temporary and permanent placements.
The site also offers wage converters from hourly to monthly
or annual or annual to hourly or monthly wages.
C. Berger Group, Inc.
CBG is located in Carol Stream, IL, a western suburb of
Chicago. They specialize in providing temporaries and
contract workers, direct hire, temp to hire and executive
search, project management, consulting services and outsourcing
services to libraries nationwide. Under "Job Search
Hints " includes an article on the "Benefits
of Being a Temp."
Library
Job Hunting
Site maintained by Ann E. Robinson. It provides links
to a variety of resources including pertinent professional
organizations.
Futurework
- Trends and Challenges of Work in the 21st Century Comprehensive
report by the U.S. Department of Labor issued September,
1999. It makes predictions about the future of labor in
America based upon current trends and information compiled
from prior years.
Negotiating
"Negotiating
the deal and price from an end user point of view"
by Stefano Caporusso, Information Outlook, March 1998.
Effective
Negotiating Techniques for Licensing Content
The SLA video conference on October 14, 1999, covered
negotiating. The preconference activity section includes
a link to the Yale University Library's Council on Library
and Information Resources website about licensing. The
Follow-up Questions include references to additional resources.
Map and GIS Resources
SGS National Geologic
Map Database
The National Geologic Map Database is managed by the USGS's
National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program in cooperation
with the Association of American State Geologists. Geologic
maps are searchable by location or geologic theme. The
Geolex database contains 16,005 entries. 75% of the unit
names from the USGS Geologic Names Committee (GNC) card
catalog have been entered in the searchable database.
National
Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program
Information about the geologic mapping program including
Program Priorities for 2000-2005.
National Atlas
of the United States
The USGS last published a print national atlas in 1970.
In 1997, work began on a new and innovative National Atlas.
This new edition includes both electronic and paper map
products and exploits information management, access,
and delivery technologies such as CD-ROM and the World
Wide Web.
Geographic
Information Systems
This page provides starting points for finding maps and
digital geographic information. Included are databases,
catalogs and indexes as well as pertinent web sites. From
University Library at University of Washington
About
GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. provides
an explanation of what a geographic information system
is and how it can be used.
Geographic
Information Systems - GIS
This is the USGS site explaining geographic information
systems and provides links to USGS node of the National
Geospatial Data Clearinghouse - a component of the National
Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), Manual of Federal
Geographic Data Products, and Other Useful GIS Links.
USGS National Geospatial
Data Clearinghouse
The USGS node of the National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse
is a component of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure
(NSDI). It provides a pathway to find information about
geospatial or spatially referenced data available from
USGS. USGS's four principal data themes are Biological
Resources Information, Geologic Information, National
Mapping Information, and Water Resources Information.
http://gort.ucsd.edu/mw/waml/waml.html"
Western Association of Map Libraries
The WAML is an independent association of map librarians
and other people with an interest in maps and map librarianship.
There is information about WAML, including publications,
news and events, and links to the WAML principal region
Map and GIS sites on the World Wide Web.
Energy Conservation
California
Energy Commission Appliance Efficiency Database
This database lists appliances "which exceed California
and Federal appliance efficiency standards. " Includes
refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps,
and central gas furnaces.
Home Energy
Saver
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S.
Department of Energy provide this site. By entering your
zip code you can find ways to save money on energy costs.
The Librarian section links to energy conservation topics,
non-profit organizations and state energy resources.
American
Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
The ACEEE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing
energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic
prosperity and environmental protection. It is based
in Washington, D.C., and works with the U.S. Department
of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, other
federal agencies and with a wide range of states, utilities,
and international organizations. It has links to Energy
Efficiency-Related Web Sites.
Association for State
Energy Research and Technology Transfer Institutions
ASERTTI is a confederation of state and regional organizations
with energy research and development (R&D), and technology
transfer responsibilities.
International Institute
for Energy Conservation
The IIEC is a non-profit organization based in Washington,
D.C. It works to bring the power of sustainable energy
solutions to developing countries and economies These
solutions include energy efficiency, renewable energy,
and integrated transport planning.
Other Sites of Interest
AsiaSource
The Asia Society is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan
educational organization which provides a forum for building
awareness of the more than thirty countries broadly defined
as the Asia-Pacific region - the area from Japan to Iran,
and from Central Asia to New Zealand, Australia and the
Pacific Islands. Information available ranges from news
to special reports to embassies to business protocol to
maps and statistics to links to related resources.
Annual Report
Gallery
The Report Gallery currently lists over 2,200 Annual Reports
and covers the majority of the fortune 500 companies.
The International Gallery has links to annual report services
from other countries. The site is provided by Cornerstone
Investor Relations.
Weatherplanner
Weatherplanner provides forecasts beyond the three day
forecasts found on regular weather sites linked to portals.
Forecasts are available up to a year so this is a useful
site for planning trips or for special events.
Webby Awards
They are presented by The International Academy of Digital
Arts and Sciences and hailed as the "Oscars of the
Internet " by worldwide media. Nominees for 2000
are listed according to 27 categories.
Back to Table of
Contents
Member News
Donald Wulfinghoff, who is currently serving as the Secretary
of the Petroleum & Energy Resources Division, is the
author of the newly released Energy
Efficiency Manual. It was just announced that
the Energy Efficiency Manual is a finalist in the
Benjamin Franklin Awards, the publishing industry’s
primary recognition of excellence. This makes it one of
the top three books among thousands of entries. It has
the rare distinction of becoming a finalist in two subject
categories, Reference and Science/Technical. The winners
of the awards will be announced on June 1st, on the eve
of Book Expo America, in Chicago. At the upcoming SLA
Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Don will be giving
a PER-sponsored presentation, "The Modern History
of Energy Conservation: a Perspective for Information
Professionals." It is scheduled for Tuesday morning,
June 13, at 7:30 AM. There will be a drawing for a free
copy of the Energy Efficiency Manual, to be given
immediately after the talk.
From
the Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the following
candidates for Division office for the 2000-20001 term:
Chair-Elect/Chair: Janice C. Anderson (Access Information
Association, Inc.)
Treasurer: Connie Bihon (Sperry-Sun Drilling Svcs)
As provided in PER's bylaws, since there is a single
candidate for each position, the election will be held
at PER's annual business meeting on June 13, 2000.
I would like to thank everyone who suggested names to
the committee. A special thank you to the Nominating Committee,
Anne Krum and Julie Lemerond.
Nancy Bourque
Nominating Committee Chair
Send comments, corrections, and submissions to PER Bulletin
editor Linda Musser
105 Deike Building, University Park PA, 16802; Lrm4@psu.edu.
PER DIVISION
