CHAPTER Notes
Washington, D.C. Chapter http://www.sla.org/chapter/cdc October 2002 Volume 61, No. 11
October 5
October 8
October 17
October 24
October 29
Books, Brats and Beers Ft. Belvoir Oktoberfest Ft. Belvoir, VA (see September issue) Introduction to Open Source Software Washington, DC (see page 5) How to Find Your Library's Value and Sell it to Upper Management Washington, DC (see page 4) New Member Reception Washington, DC (see page 8) DC/SLA Young Professionals Happy Hour at Uni’s Washington, DC (see page 4)
November 6
President’s Corner: The Rest of the Story By Anne Caputo, DC/SLA President Buried in the text of the September Chapter Notes President’s Corner column is a suggestion that the October issues will announce some changes in the way Chapter Notes is distributed…..and now you get the to hear the rest of the story. The cost of printing and distributing our newsletter has been a topic of discussion at the DC/SLA Board meetings for at least 4 or 5 years. We have looked at the monthly cost of printing and mailing the 8-12 page newsletter carefully. These costs have increased every year. At the same time, we hear from members who would be just as happy to have an electronic newsletter only…and we hear from those who would definitely prefer to get the whole thing in print. We also hear from those who would like a monthly print calendar, but would be very happy to read the text of the newsletter on the web. We also know that as many as 1/3 of all SLA chapters, including New York, the largest chapter, have discontinued printing and mailing their newsletter altogether. In analyzing the cost of producing and mailing Chapter Notes, currently about $16,600 per year, we have realized a revenue loss in the range of more than $5,700 this year and more than $13, 600 last year after advertising support has been deducted. Advertising revenue is on a significant rise, but the actual cost of the publications is still our single largest Chapter expense. Moving to a larger portion of our distribution via electronic means will allow us not only to conserve our budget, but to also allocate budget expenditures for more varied programs and speakers. We believe this action will allow us to respond to more of the suggestions and desires expressed in the strategic plan. After much discussion and consideration, the DC/SLA Board has voted to bake the cake, serve it to you and keep it…all at the same time. This is what will happen: •
• •
•
In this issue you will find a mail-back form offering the opportunity to continue to receive the print version of Chapter Notes, just as you always have. YOU MUST RETURN THIS FORM TO REMAIN ON THE PRINT DISTRIBUTION LIST. Everyone will get a monthly print calendar of upcoming events with a brief description and a place to go for more information Everyone with an email address on our chapter list will get a notice when the new issue of Chapter Notes has been posted to the web site. If you are not already on this list, subscribe by sending an e-mail to lists@lists.sla. org, leave the Subject blank, type SUBSCRIBE SLA-CDC YOURNAME in the body of text. More information about posting to this list and unsubscribing can be found at http://www.sla.org/chapter/cdc in the communication area. We will revisit this distribution method at the end of the Chapter year in May and determine whether we need to make any additional changes.
Through all this, we welcome your comments and suggestions. An electronic newsletter has a number of advantages in that it can be published more quickly and economically, and it can be archived in the proverbial safe place. On the other hand, many people like a print reminder of meetings and activities to post in their office or carry in their calendar. We hope this mechanism will please everyone. So have that cake and eat it too!
Who Are Our New Members? Internet Gateways Washington, DC (see page 5)
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | October 2002
Anita Johnson My name is Anita Johnson. I recently moved to Washington, DC from Urbana, Illinois, three hours south of Chicago, where I completed a Masters in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois. I spent last year 1
Chapter Notes October 2002 Volume 61 No. 11 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. Chapter Notes is free to DC/SLA members. Subscriptions to non-members are available at $10 per year. Advertising rates effective September 1997 are: $95—1/4 page; $175—1/2 page; $290—full page. For information regarding advertisements, contact the DC/SLA Chapter Notes Business Manager: Kelley Weber, Surface Transportation Board Phone: 202-565-1668 Email: weberk@stb.dot.gov EDITOR’S NOTE: Friday, October 11th is the deadline for materials which can be included in the November 2002 issue. The issue is distributed approximately three weeks after the deadline. The preferred submission format is a Word document sent via email. Materials for Chapter Notes should be sent to the Editor: Cynthia Holt The Gelman Library George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington, DC 20052 Phone: 202-994-1352 Email: holt@gwu.edu Event announcements should also be submitted electronically to the DC/SLA Internet Committee Chair and Listserv Moderator: Kelley Weber, Surface Transportation Board Phone: 202-565-1668 Email: weberk@stb.dot.gov Webmaster: Kristina Lively, National Endowment for Democracy Phone: 202-293-0300 Email: kristina@ned.org Send address changes for Chapter Notes to: SLA Headquarters ATTN: Address/Name Changes 1700 18th Street NW Washington, DC 20009-2508
2
as the President of the Special Libraries Association Student Group at the University of Illinois where the cabinet cooperatively planned and implemented nineteen lectures, panel discussions, field trips, and other events. I previously studied Economics, Philosophy and International Development. In conjunction with my academic work, I spent six months living in Manila, the Philippines working with a micro-finance lending organization. My pre-library school professional experience includes work in both nonprofit and private sectors. Immediately before returning to school I worked for 3 1/2 years as a researcher and analyst in the Chicago office of Economics Research Associates, a leading consulting practice in the areas of tourism and real estate economics. My professional interests include web development, reference/ traditional librarianship, and in-depth research. I am also very interested in knowledge management: encouraging and supporting information sharing practices through the creative use of technology. My subject interests include international studies, economic development, urban planning/ development, and environmental sciences. I grew up in a small town in Minnesota, then spent nine years in the Chicago area before beginning at the University of Illinois. I enjoy traveling, swing dancing, gardening, and nearly any outdoor activities. I’m very excited to be a part of the DC/SLA Chapter. I can be reached at anita. johnson@illinoisalumni.org
Member News From Mike Conklin, Chief, Library and Information Services, Information Services Division, Departmental Offices, Treasury Department. FEDLINK's Kathy Eighmey and I are exchanging jobs from August 26 until December 20. Please welcome Kathy to Treasury. She will be acting Chief Librarian and, undoubtedly, be seeking collaboration from each of you, as I will at FEDLINK, for consortial agreement opportunities for desktop commercial information services. She brings a wealth of knowledge about federal libraries, publishers and information vendors, and the federal information procurement process. Our legal/legislative/reference librarian, Tom Storck, as you may know, is representing Treasury Bureaus' requirements for the IRS' re-contracting of its LexisNexis contract. Stay in touch with each other and with Kathy as we begin to craft a plan to have a consortium of shared products and services on TreasNet. Bill Turner was recently elected treasurer of the District of Columbia Library Association. He began his two-year term on July 1. At the same time for one year, Bill will be serving on the SLA Board as Corresponding Secretary. Shirley Loo was elected as director of DCLA for a two-year term. She joins Mike Kolakowski on the DCLA Board. Mike is serving the second year of his two-year term. Shirley had served as DCLA President 19891990. She received the DCLA Community Service Award at the annual banquet. Shirley and Betsy Knauff, past SLA Chapter President, are the cochairs of the DCLA Student Financial Assistance Committee. The committee awarded the first $5,000 Ruth Fine Memorial Student Loans earlier this year. Ruth Fine was SLA Chapter President in 1953 and she also served as DCLA President in 1963. (www.dcla.org) Greta D. Ober (goberbeauchesne@imf.org) was a speaker at the 2002 SLA Conference in Los Angeles. She presented a collection of International Business websites covering Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Other regions covered during that session: Middle East/North Africa, and Eastern Europe/former Soviet Union. The handouts and powerpoint presentations will be posted to the SLA's Social Science Division website (http:// DC/SLA Chapter Notes | October 2002
www.sla.org/division/dsoc/). Also, published in the August 2002 issue of "The OnePerson Library" is a bibliography on "State-of-the-Art" Libraries which was compiled by Greta.
Support DC/SLA – Complete the Washington Area Library Directory Questionnaire Submitted by Eileen Deegan and Amy Pass One of the most important contributions you can make to our Chapter this year will entail your “virtual” presence and relatively little time. We are producing a new edition of the Washington Area Library Directory and need your help to ensure that your library or information center is listed in this unique guide to our metropolitan area’s vast information resources. Specifically, we need you or a co-worker to complete an electronic questionnaire about your library’s or center’s resources and services. Your entry will appear in the forthcoming Washington Area Library Directory free of charge. Publication of the Directory is a joint project headed by Eileen Deegan and Amy Pass of DC/SLA, Mike Kolakowski of DCLA, and Judith Weiss of LLSDC. Last published in 1996, the Washington Area Library Directory’s third edition will be available for sale and distribution the first quarter of 2003. In the coming weeks, the libraries and information centers where Chapter members work will receive a letter in the mail from the Directory’s publisher, Data-Matic Systems Company. The letter will contain an URL, ID and password for accessing the questionnaire on the publisher’s website. Directions for filling out and submitting the questionnaire can also be found on the website. Should our letter fail to reach your workplace, you can request an ID and password via email. Additional details about this process will be sent through the DC/SLA email discussion list in the weeks ahead. The information your library or center provides will contribute immensely to our goal of producing the most comprehensive directory possible. Your support – either by completing the questionnaire or encouraging your library’s director to complete it – is vital if we are to meet this goal. Please watch for our letter and seize this opportunity to make a long-lasting contribution to DC/SLA and our region’s information community – quickly and remotely.
Picturing Cataloging? Suzanne C. Pilsk, Cataloging Liaison from the DC/SLA chapter It used to be that you had to have a well-designed letterhead. Pretty simple when we think back on it but I remember agonizing meetings about typeface, fonts, placement of letters, design integration, etc. etc. etc. Things have blossomed since then. You now need to not only have a "corporate image" but you have to be able to "sell your organization" with a web product. (Also known as webpage or homepage or site or whatever) So now we need to take our old letterhead and transform it into something that people will understand in a two second view of your website and will (please - we hope!) then stay on your website and explore the DC/SLA Chapter Notes | October 2002
extensive depth of knowledge we have placed on it and subsequent pages. Here in the cataloging world, what should we do to make our image shine? What picture do you add to the page to illustrate "Cataloging Department"? We have mounds of text that we could put here and there - mark it up in html or xml or whatever is the going markup language - we can link here there and everywhere - leap our viewers to important facts, figures, standards, even procedures. But you gotta catch their eye. You gotta draw them in to your world. Text on a screen ain't a big draw. Let's get visual. What would a representative image be for cataloging: the backlog. Picture this: pictures of shelves of backlog showing all the work needing to be done. And, therefore, how busy the whole department is – or should be. But that might also be sending a mixed signal, don't you think? Okay - librarians at work! Yes, pictures of people sitting at their desks staring at their computers inputting in-depth highly analyzed records. Ooo now that is exciting - NOT! Pictures of people's backs, humped over with bad posture. Yuck. Hands on the keyboard. The artistic shot. Dramatic shadows. Resting yet at the ready for quick input. Yes, I can see this. But what about the nails? Should they be manicured? How many catalogers do YOU know with a French manicure? And rings. There are issues associated with the meaning of rings. How about pictures of our "tools of the trade"? That use to be the big red books from Library of Congress, microfiche readers of the LC shelf list, our wooden card catalogs, even our beloved electric erasers. Sigh - what are our tools now? The computer - and well, OTHER WEB SITES. This is not picturesque. Are we going to take screen shots of other people's sites and put them on our site to show as our tools? This sounds very confusing to me. Let’s go with the simple group portrait. Do we have a way of taking the glare off all the glasses? What about the chains? Do we let everyone keep the distance glasses on their faces and have their second set of reading glasses on their customized eyeglass leash? Or do we make everyone throw their glasses off so that have that deer in the headlights look and have everyone saying in unison "bibliograFEEE"? This is way too hard. I think I'll stop being a web designer and go back to my "may subd geo" subject headings and leave the professionals to do their job. (Actually, I need to run - my manicure appointment is in a few minutes.) If you have ideas of pictures that illustrate your department, send the ideas or better yet, the link to you homepage for inclusion in Cataloging Corner: Suzanne’s email: Pilsks@si.edu Thank you for those who did submit reasons why cataloging is a public service. Congratulations to Caryn S. Wesner-Early at Biotechnology and Chemical Library, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for her winning play!
Chapter Notes Print Mailing Request Please continue to send me Chapter Notes in print. Name: ______________________________________
3
How to Find Your Library's Value and Sell it to Upper Management Date: October 17, 2002 Time: 6:00 p.m. –.8:30 p.m. Location: National Geographic Society Cost: $22 -- Includes appetizers and soft drinks! Note: ***Limited to the first 60 people to sign up!*** Directions: By Metro, go to Farragut North (red line). Exit the Metro at one of the far ends for Connecticut Connection (Connecticut & L streets). Proceed north for two blocks. Make right on M Street and enter National Geographic on the right mid-block. Follow the hallway to the left of the 6-bank elevators up the stairs to the reception area just outside the National Geographic Library. Food will be served at 6:00 p.m. and the program will start promptly at 6:30 on the second floor of this building, so please come on time. Parking: If you require parking, you must email bferry@ngs.org in advance by October 7th with your name and vehicle identification (license plate/make of car). Questions? Email bferry@ngs.org or rbraden@ngs.org We've all faced this dilemma -- you know your library is valuable, but how do you prove it? Join your colleagues in a panel discussion outlining successful strategies for finding the hidden value in your library and then illustrating that value for upper management. · Web Site Metrics -- Danna Bell-Russel, Library of Congress · Return on Investment -- Marilyn Bromley, Bureau of National Affairs · Surveys -- Barbara Ferry, Susan White Frazier; National Geographic · Benchmarking -- Robyn Frank, Office of the President · Storytelling -- Renee Braden, National Geographic Bring an example of your library's marketing materials, annual reports, benchmarking studies, Web site printouts, etc., to share with the group. The program will allow some time for participants to look over each other's materials. How to Find Your Library's Value and Sell it to Upper Management: Registration Form Name ______________________________ E-mail: _______________________ Phone: ________________________ Payment method: _______ Check _______ VISA/MC Send completed registration and payment to: Barbara Folensbee-Moore, Library Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004 Office: 202-739-5131
If paying by credit card, include: Card number: __________________________________ Card Type: ________ VISA _______ Mastercard Expiration Date: ________ Name on Card: ________________________________ Signature: _____________________________________ For credit card registrations, e-mail your information to: bfolensbee-moore@morganlewis.com. Due to the fees incurred, all payments made by credit card will be nonrefundable.
Join Your DC/SLA Colleagues for Happy Hour! Kick off your Halloween celebration a little bit early, by joining the DC/SLA Young Pros for happy hour at Uni's. Enjoy food and drink and lots of great conversation. I hope you can join us! For more information, please contact Beth Perell at 202/263-3983 or bethperell@hotmail.com Where: Uni's 2122 P St. NW Washington DC - see the write up in the Washington Post http://eg.washingtonpost.com/ profile/1026242/?&flavor_id=2&context=restaurants When: Tuesday, October 29th, 2002; Happy Hour prices from 5 pm - 7 pm, we will have the room until 8 pm. Directions: Take the Red Line Metro to Dupont Circle and exit at the South entrance. Head around the circle to P St. and turn left. Uni's is about halfway down the block past Hopkins St. There is limited street parking and there are garages nearby as parking can be difficult in the area. Prices: $2.25 rail drinks; $3 Kirin lager and house wines; $3 sake martini; $2.50 salmon maki; $3 kappa maki and edamame; $1 one piece sushi. 4
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | October 2002
Society for International Development (SID) Development Information Workgroup (DIW)
Society for International Development (SID) Development Information Workgroup
Submitted by Gail Wadsworth, gwadswor@smtp.cdie.org
Submitted by Romila Sudhir, rsudhir@smtp.cdie.org
Internet Gateways Two presenters will share their experiences disseminating reproductive health information using an internet gateway in this brown bag lunch. Peggy D'Adamo from the Johns Hopkins Center for Communications Programs will talk about the Reproductive Health Gateway that the Center's Health Materials Working Group established two years ago. http://www. rhgateway.org . Susan Pasquariella will talk about the Population and Reproductive Health (POP/RH) Portal on the Global Development Gateway. http://www.developmentgateway.org/ pop
Introduction to Open Source Software Adrian Mikeliunas, CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) Information Security Officer, World Bank Group will provide an introduction to the new and exciting field of Open Source Software. Please check out Adrian's web site on his interesting work with Linux at: http://www. mikeliunas.com/linux.htm
Date: Wednesday November 6, 2002 Time: 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. Location: Development Information Center (DIC), 1331 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 1425, Washington, DC. No reservations required. All are welcome. Please bring a photo ID. The closest Metro stop is Metro Center on the Red or Blue/Orange lines. Take the 13th Street exit from Metro Center. On the 14th floor of the building, go to Suite 1425. To find out on the day of the event if the meeting is cancelled, contact the DIC receptionist at 202.661.5800.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | October 2002
Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2002 Time: Noon to 2:00 p.m. Address: National Endowment for Democracy, 1101 15th Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005. Metro access: McPherson Square on the orange Line or Farragut North on the Red Line. RSVP: Allen Overland, via email (Allen@ned.org), or phone (202 293-0300) at your earliest convenience.
Book Club Meeting Date/Time/Place: Thursday, November 7th, 6:30 pm at the National Geographic Society. Book: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. RSVP: Susan Fifer Canby at sfiferca@ngs.org 5
6
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | October 2002
Special Libraries Association 93rd Annual Conference –- Los Angeles, California, June 7-13, 2002 “One-Dot Shopping: Best International Business Websites”
1. Hal Kirkwood, Assistant Professor, Purdue University - Middle East/North Africa websites; 2. Rita Costello, Collection Development and Reference Librarian, UCLA - Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union;
Submitted by Iris Anderson, ianderson@imf.org Note, this session was co-sponsored by Business & Finance Division A sequel to last year’s very successful session called One-Dot Shopping: Best International Business Websites, was held on Tuesday, June 11. The regions featured this year were the Middle East and North Africa; Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union; and Oceania, including Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Over 150 people attended the program and stayed to ask questions at the end. The exciting presentations were supplemented by printed handouts in the form of webliographies. Speakers had just enough time to present their favorite sites, so the handouts were an important additional resource for capturing the best authoritative, free (and a few for-a-fee) websites available for each region. All three presenters did outstanding jobs and the Social Science Division would like to thank them each again. The first two presenters have also been very active with the Business & Finance Division, who again co-sponsored this program:
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | October 2002
3. Greta Ober-Beauchesne, Research Librarian, Joint World Bank- International Monetary Fund Library – Oceania: Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands All handouts and presentations are posted on the Social Science Division’s website at http://www.sla.org/division/dsoc/index. htm Stay tuned as we plan for a third One-Dot Shopping program at next year’s annual conference in New York City. Regions to be covered will be Canada, Mexico and the United States. Since these three regions are critical for all aspects of international business information, we should be prepared for another big crowd to attend this popular, resource-rich series. Any questions or comments should be addressed to Iris Anderson, Co-Program Planner for the Social Science Division at ianderson@imf.org The Social Science Division is most grateful to the Dialog Corporation for supporting this program series.
7
Come Join Your DC/SLA Colleagues in Welcoming Our Chapter’s New Members! This is always a great social opportunity to meet and greet old and new chapter members. There will be food and drink and lots of great conversation so I hope you can join us! For more information, please contact Alphonse Vinh at 202/513-2352. Where: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW (18th and Mass.) Choate Room, 1st Floor. Check-in at Security Desk.
Price: Members $17; Non-members $22; New Members FREE (please indicate if you are a new member when you RSVP)
When: Thursday, October 24th, 2002; Reception: 6:30 – 8 p.m.; Cash bar; plenty of good eats Directions: Take the Red Line Metro at Dupont Circle and go 2 blocks east of the Dupont Circle South entrance. Paid public parking is also available across the street and around the corner on 18th Street. RSVP by October 21st to: Barbara Folensbee-Moore, Library, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, 1111 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC20004, Phone: 202-739-5131 Registration Form: If paying by credit card, include: Name ____________________________________________ Phone: ________________ E-mail: ____________________ Payment Method: _______ Check _______ VISA/MC _______ New Member (Free)
Card number: __________________________________ Card Type: ________ VISA _______ Mastercard Expiration Date: ________ Name on Card: ________________________________ Signature: _____________________________________
For credit card registrations, e-mail your information to bfolensbee-moore@morganlewis.com. The fax option is no longer available. Due to costs incurred, all credit card registrations are final. No credit card registrations at the door.