President's Corner: End of Summer Odds and Ends By Diane R. Schnurrpusch, dschnurr@dtic.mil This month’s column is a combination of odds and ends and news. I am still working on my 23 Things and hope to have more to report on next month. If you are also working on this SLA technology initiative, please share your thoughts with me. I plan to compile one article about our experiences. If you complete at least 13 of the 23 Things by September 15, I will list your name in a future Chapter Notes. Please let me know when you reach that pinnacle-- let’s make the DC Chapter one of the most technologically savvy!
September 2008 Volume 69, No. 7 Inside this issue: President’s Corner …..……..1 New Chapter Archivist…......4 MLG Tours Masonic Memorial…………………...5 Stargazing with MLG...…….6 More from SLA 2008...…….8
And the winners are ………
DC/SLA Board Nominees...10
Last month’s Chapter Notes was full of interesting reports about the 2008 Conference. One fact not mentioned was the large representation of DC/SLA members receiving SLA awards at the conference. It was announced via email, but once again, here is the full list of honored DC Chapter members and their awards:
Scholarship Recipients…....17
• • • • • •
Innovations in Technology sponsored by JJ Keller: Sabrina I. Pacifici Rose L. Vormelker Award: Shirley Loo Fellows of SLA: Holly Chong Williams, Anne Caputo SLA Professional Award sponsored by Springer: Lynne McCay Dow Jones and Company Leadership Award: Richard Huffine SLA Hall of Fame: Sue O’Neill Johnson (posthumous)
During the presentation ceremony, each recipient was highlighted in a brief, professionally-created video. (View the videos here.) If you view the videos, you will see the award winners as well as many of our chapter members speaking about the recipients. You can read more about what each award entails on SLA's website.
September Dine Arounds....17 Book Club………….......…18 Lubuto Book Drive…….....18 Nominations for SLA Awards…………….……...20
Read about products and services from: • • • • • •
Library Associates Gale Cengage Learning Research Solutions OCLC Leadership Directories TRAK Companies
Check us out on the Web! www.units.sla.org/Chapter/cdc
Chapter Notes is the newsletter of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Special Libraries Association (SLA). It is distributed ten times per year—monthly, except for combined issues in June/ July and November/ December. 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: Chapter Notes is free to DC/SLA members. Subscriptions are available to non-members at a rate of $10 per year. The newsletter is also available electronically at the chapter's website, www.units.sla.org/Chapter/cdc. Advertising: 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, Charlotte White.
SLA Conference in Pictures If you attended the 2008 Conference, you may have been spotted by the professional photographer. DC/SLA members are featured in photos of events like the International Reception (co-sponsored by our chapter), the Global Info Ethics Summit, the Frozen in Place event (our Chapter’s promotional event for SLA 2009), and many other sessions. If you would like to view or order photos from the conference, you can download them for free (in high or low resolution) or order prints. 1. Go to http://www.thephotogroup.com/ 2. Select Online Proofing 3. Your password is sla08
The deadline for the October 2008 issue is September 22nd. The issue will be distributed approximately one week after the deadline. The preferred submission format is a Word document sent via email. You should receive an email acknowledgement of your submission. Materials for Chapter Notes or requests for mailing address changes should be sent to the Editor. Chapter Notes Editor: Jenny O'Shea Library, U.S. News & World Report Phone: 202-955-2087 oshea.jenny@gmail.com Chapter Notes Business Manager: Charlotte White cwhite@fmc.gov DC/SLA Webmaster: Krista Mantsch National Geographic Society Libraries and Information Services 1145 17th St., NW Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 202-457-8450 kmantsch@ngs.org DC/SLA Discussion List Manager: Gulnar Nagashybayeva Government Documents Librarian NOAA Central Library SSMC-3, 2nd fl., E/OC4 1315 East-West Hwy. Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301-713-2607, ext. 143 gulnar.nagashybayeva@noaa.gov
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 2
DC/SLA’s Michele Masias at the 2008 Conference in Seattle. Dozens more photos of the event are available online at the Photo Group website. (Photo by Mark Reinertson, The Photo Group, courtesy of SLA.)
Exercise your rights …..VOTE! There are two SLA elections in the near future. I encourage you to study the options. Plenty of information has been provided to help you make your decisions. • SLA Board of Directors Election: SLA eVoting will begin September 10th at 12:01
•
a.m. Polls will close on October 1st at 5:00 p.m. Read the candidate bios and hear their speeches online at SLA's website. If you can’t find your email from SLA during the election period, you can submit your vote online here: http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/governance/2 009bodelect/index.cfm. Requests for paper ballots should be received by SLA Headquarters by September 10th-- email evote@sla.org or call 703-647-4950. (Don’t forget that three of the candidates are members of the DC Chapter: Anne Caputo for President-Elect, Holly Chong Williams for Division Cabinet Chair-Elect, and Ann Sweeney for Division Cabinet Chair-Elect.) DC/SLA Election: In this newsletter you will find the slate of candidates, their bios, and the voting schedule for our chapter election in October. The Nominating Committee (Chair- Shirley Loo, Erin Clougherty, Susan Fournier, Kenlee Ray, and Sheryl Rosenthal) has put together an impressive group of candidates. Take the time to get to know these potential future officers.
September Line-up of Events! September is Dine-Around month for DC/SLA. See Lea Wade’s article elsewhere in this issue for the latest schedule—but it's not too late if you would like to host one of these Dutch-treat dinners yourself. These events have been some of our most popular activities in recent years. Don’t miss out on the fun, good food, and conversation ranging from what you did on your summer vacation to innovative practices at work. Also in September, there will be an evening tour of the Naval Observatory with the Military Librarians, and a late-afternoon panel discussion on “Research Trends” led by Barbara Ferry at the National Geographic. The month’s regular Click U sessions are on two different topics: “Best Practices for Setting-Up Wikis” and “How to Be an Effective Meeting Facilitator.” Also, the Young Professionals will be meeting for Happy Hour at Solly’s Tavern. Check the online calendar for the most up-to-date details on all these happenings at http://units.sla.org/chapter/cdc/events.html. DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 3
“Knowledge to Go Green” Presidential Citations SLA President, Stephen Abram, is seeking nominations for “Knowledge to Go Green” champions among our membership. Two categories will be accepted: • SLA Members that have applied green principles in their daily work. • SLA Units (Chapters and Divisions) that have applied green principles to the way SLA events and programs are conducted. To learn more, to apply, or to submit a nomination by the November 15th deadline, go to http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/pressroom/pressr elease/08pr/pr2808.cfm (Another environmental note: if you are willing to stop receiving our chapter’s print calendar, please contact calendar editor Alison Ince at aince@ngs.org. You will receive a monthly email from Alison to remind you about the online calendar. This is just one way we are attempting to go green.) Email tip: Have you ever "misplaced" a DC/SLA electronic list message? With all the email we receive each day, it is often hard to sort through work email to find that SLA message about a job opportunity or an interesting meeting. You can find all your DC/SLA messages in one place. 1. Go to http://sla.lyris.net/read/. 2. Enter the e-mail address you use for your list(s) and click 'OK.' 3. Once logged in to the SLA site, using your SLA membership number and your password, click the button 'My Forums' in the left navigation bar. 4. Select the list you would like to read. Volunteer Notes I am grateful for the time and talents of our chapter members every day as they keep our programs running. This month, Karen Stahl Danoff agreed to take over the duties of Archivist. Karen, Judy Grosberg (former archivist), and I met with Derek Gray, the new archivist at the Washingtoniana Division of the
Martin Luther King Library where our archives are held. We plan to feature some of the gems of our collection in newsletters and our 2009 SLA Centennial activities. On the subject of the Centennial, I have heard from 17 members willing to work on a celebration committee. If you missed that request on our electronic list and would like to help, contact me at dschnurr@dtic.mil or 1st VPPresident-Elect, Greta Ober, at gretaob@gmail.com. We will meet soon to brainstorm some ideas for celebrating at the local level throughout 2009. One more note: Carrie Port and Cheri Widowski recently joined Emily Huston as organizers of the Young Professionals group. This very active group holds events each month. Thanks to Karen Danoff and Michelle Melencio for several years of dedicated service to this group.
DC/SLA President Diane Schnurrpusch reminds Seattle conference-goers where next year’s SLA Centennial conference will be held. (Photo by Mark Reinertson, The Photo Group, courtesy of SLA.)
Meet the New Chapter Archivist By Karen Danoff DC/SLA Chapter Archivist Hello. My name is Karen Danoff, and I would like to introduce myself as the new Chapter Archivist. I was a member of the DC/SLA Students/Young Professionals Group committee in 2007 under my maiden name, Karen Stahl.
Traditional and Cutting-Edge Positions for Information Professionals Contract and Interim Staffing Executive Recruitment Outsourcing Solutions for Information & Knowledge Management Projects Global Information Solutions Contact us today: West Coast 800-987-6794
East Coast 800-775-0388
www.libraryassociates.com
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 4
I am currently a reference librarian and project officer at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Public Document Room in Rockville, MD. I focused on archives and records management while in library school at University of Maryland. The chapter archives are housed in the Washingtoniana Division of the District of Columbia Public Library (Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library) on 9th and G streets in Northwest Washington. Derek Gray is the archivist responsible for our chapter records, and he can be contacted at 202-727-2272 and at derek.gray2@dc.gov . Please let me know if you have material that can be added to the chapter archives, or know of other chapter members who may. I can be contacted at 301-415-2151 or at karen.danoff@nrc.gov. I look forward to this new position.
of the fraternity’s more well-known members. A special room off of this main hall houses many historical artifacts that belonged to George Washington and were used by him during Masonic rituals. Each of the seven additional levels of the memorial structure is styled to reflect a different Masonic subgroup. For example, one floor contains a collection of fez-styled hats worn by the Shriners, while another is decorated like a Gothic cathedral to represent the Knights Templar.
Members of the DC/SLA Military Librarians’ Group (MLG) on the steps of the Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, VA.
Military Librarians’ Group Visits the Masonic Memorial By Deborah Keller On Saturday, August 9, members of the DC Chapter, along with family members and friends met for a tour of the Masonic Memorial in Old Town Alexandria. We chatted over donuts and coffee, tailgate style, as the group gathered together. Once inside, our group received a customized tour of the multistory obelisk and education about Freemasonry and its role in the United States, both historically and today. The George Washington Masonic Memorial was built by the Freemasons of the United States in honor and memory of George Washington, one of the most well known and esteemed members of the Fraternity. The building itself was erected during the 1920’s and 1930’s by the masons, whose origins come from stone masonry guilds in Europe. Its engineering and interior decoration is unique. The building sits atop a hill on the north end of Alexandria’s Old Town neighborhood, facing the Potomac River and Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. The wide base of the structure houses meeting rooms, which are used for Freemason gatherings and community events. A pyramidal structure rises from the center of the building, supported by massive marble columns. Even the building’s elevators rise along its 7-degree angle. In the building’s entrance hall, large murals reflect the traditional work of stonemasons, and depict some
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 5
Our guide for the day was John Tillery, a long-time Mason and guide for the memorial (and the husband of a retired DoD information center employee). Throughout our tour, Tillery shared the history, symbolism, and social involvement of the Masons. Masons derive their origins from the stone masons of the ancient Middle East. Many of these tradesmen were obligated to serve the rulers, particularly those in Egypt, by building palaces and temples in their honor. As the centuries passed and building requirements lessened, these builders were released from slavery, becoming known as freemasons. During the Middle Ages, these tradesmen formed guilds, protecting their professional training and credentials, but also slowly transforming it into a fraternity. During the American Colonial period, freemasons were involved with building the colonies, and many of these landowners became the “founding fathers” of our nation’s political structure. Tillery explained that many of the phrases and symbols which we recognize in the United States have their origins in Freemasonry in the early United States. Both Freemasons and colonial revolutionaries frequently conducted their business during meetings in taverns. Unsurprisingly, “bar fights” often broke out. The Freemasons sought to distance themselves from local rabble-rousers by instructing their members not to get involved. This behavior became known as being “square,” adopting the terminology used for the T-square often used in building. Similarly, Freemasons were said to have a “moral compass,” a term which again borrows from tools which were used by stone masons. The square and compass are used in the symbol of the Freemasons, which can often be found carved into bricks of older buildings. By the late 19th century, very few Freemasons were actually employed in the building trades. In the
United States, Masons held prominent positions in government or business, and as such, some were quite wealthy. Some of the main tenets of Freemasonry include working to improve one's moral character as well as compassion and help for others, and modern Freemasons take these guiding principles to mean that they should give back to society in some way. Many Masonic groups are philanthropic, and identify with particular organizations to help fund research and support medical care. Masons support children's hospitals, orthopedic care, heart research, and many other medical conditions. Although the Masonic Memorial is open to the public daily, most visitors are not able to see the library there. Located in a lovely wooden-paneled room partway up the structure, the collection is perhaps more of an archive of Masonic activities than it is a modern library. A significant amount of the collection is composed of the reports of individual Grand Lodges. Today, there are 51 Grand Lodges, representing each of the states as well as the District of Columbia, and the complete records of each Grand Lodge from its inception are contained in bound volumes in the library. Currently, the library is undertaking a project to digitize these records because they are so extensive-- many, like those of Pennsylvania and Virginia, date back to the 18th Century. In addition, the library has extensive print materials on ethics, symbolism, religion, philosophy, history and other broad topics of interests to Masons. Like most of us, the Curator of Materials lamented the lack of resources available to the library. Only the most rare and fragile of the materials are physically housed in archival boxes. Although the collection is not used very often, very few finding aids exist to assist with research questions. It is also difficult to determine the contents of the libraries in each of the Grand Lodges. He explained that the libraries were in the process of joining OCLC so that they could more easily share materials with each other. The materials will be available to the public through interlibrary loan as well. Because there is not a professional librarian in charge of the collection, this process may be slow as the majority of the materials are not cataloged. The curator is very interested in finding volunteers to work with the library materials, and stated that he had responsibility for the library, object collections, and other areas within the memorial. DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 6
The visit to the Masonic Memorial was an educational experience for me. The memorial is a landmark and tourist attraction in this area, yet most of those who accompanied me on the tour stated that they had often driven past, but had never stopped to look inside. I think that sentiment captures many people’s familiarity with Freemasonry as well. I have seen many Masonic symbols and have heard the fraternity mentioned in association with many prominent American citizens, but did not know much about it. As he began our tour, Tillery asserted that Freemasonry is often misunderstood. After this visit, I feel that I have been given a privileged look into the ideas and traditions that helped to shape our country.
Next for the Military Librarians’ Group: Stargazing By Deborah Keller Join the DC/SLA Military Librarians Group on Tuesday, September 16th for an evening of stargazing at the U.S. Naval Observatory. The group will tour the Observatory's Gillis Library, which contains a wide variety of materials on astronomy-- from the old and rare to those supporting the Observatory's contemporary research efforts. Afterward, we will spend some time gazing at the stars and satellites above the Washington, D.C. area. This event is free, but an RSVP is required by September 12th because of the security procedures at this U.S. Navy installation. Please contact Deborah Keller (deborah.eb.keller@us.army.mil or 703-4287432) to sign up. For more details about this event, please see http://units.sla.org/chapter/cdc/events_files/Sep2008 MLG.html.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 7
Seattle Conference Reports Due to an editing error, the following Seattle conference recaps were left out of the August issue. We regret the delay, and hope you will enjoy reading about these interesting sessions.
A scene from Seattle-- the International Reception, cosponsored by DC/SLA. (Photo by Mark Reinertson, The Photo Group, courtesy of SLA.)
site, may be particularly useful to the information literacy instructors in our ranks. Jackson started his discussion with examples of outrageous commercial claims, such as the unending variety of promises for weight loss drugs. From there, he rapidly moved on to political communications, giving the audience numerous examples of disinformation from the American political right and left. He explained that while national regulation of commercial disinformation is present but ineffective, national regulation of political disinformation does not exist at all. Political speech has long been protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In defining disinformation, Jackson says it doesn’t really matter what type of lie it is, if it can support a wrong decision or action. He also asserted that a falsehood is not made any more right by the claim that the speaker truly believes it. Jackson enumerated guidelines for fact-checking, including: •
A Session with Brooks Jackson, Author of unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation
•
By Peggy Garvin "Unspinning the spinmeisters" was the focus of a Seattle session coordinated jointly between the SLA Government Information Division (DGI) and the News Division. Brooks Jackson, an SLA-designated “Spotlight Speaker,” spoke about the work of his team at the political fact-checking site FactCheck.org. Jackson and co-author Kathleen Hall Jamieson have summarized many of their lessons learned in the book unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation. Jackson noted that unSpun originally was going to be about disinformation in the 2004 presidential election. The authors quickly learned that after that election and its endless associated reportage and commentary, nobody wanted to read or hear another word about it. So, instead, the book became a more general handbook on disinformation—how to uncover it and debunk it—based on the FactCheck.org experience. The book, along with FactCheck.org and its companion FactCheckED.org DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 8
• •
Look for agreement among experts. This goes beyond finding agreement in the “echo chamber” of Washington. Check primary sources. For example, look at the full transcript of a talk when all you get is a partial quote. Know who is talking. On websites, read the About Us section-- and verify it. If there is no information about the source, do not use it. Cross-check everything. Get a second source!
The session was moderated by Anne Caputo, DGI member and 2008 SLA Fellow. The session was generously sponsored by Dow Jones & Company and by Thomson Reuters.
DC/SLA members “freeze in place” at the 2008 SLA Conference in Seattle. (Photo by Mark Reinertson, The Photo Group, courtesy of SLA.)
From USA to Deutschland: Government Libraries in Germany By Peggy Garvin “If it’s Tuesday, this must be the Saxon State Library!” After reading the tour schedule for a group of U.S. government librarians visiting government libraries across the Federal Republic of Germany last fall, you might imagine them saying something like that. The study tour had them visiting parliamentary, judicial, and other libraries and institutes in Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden, Munich, Karlsruhe (Germany’s judicial center), Strasbourg, France (for the European Court of Human Justice), and Frankfurt (for the book fair) on a tight schedule. But, listening to the insights gained by Government Information Division (DGI) members making the trip, their visit sounded far from superficial. Eileen Deegan (DGI chair), Chris Zammarelli (DGI chair-elect), and DGI member Donna Scheeder shared their library travelogue as part of the division’s annual business meeting at the SLA conference in Seattle. Their presentation, “From USA to Deutschland,” highlighted the people and collections they encountered as part of the professional development program sponsored by the German Initiative Fortbildung and the Checkpoint Charlie Foundation in October 2007. Other Americans on the trip included state legislative and U.S. congressional librarians. Scheeder observed that getting to know more of her U.S. colleagues was an extra benefit of the experience. (DC/SLA member Jerry Mansfield was also on the trip, but not present at the SLA session.) Deegan, Zammarelli, and Scheeder mentioned several factors that contribute to different roles for German government libraries, including a unified, parliamentary system, the federal relationship to the 16 states (Laender), European Union membership, and relatively recent unification with the East. At the same time, they found plenty of common ground on topics such as digitization, the relationship of librarians to the information technology staff, and the special challenges of serving legislative bodies.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 9
Trip photos from Zammarelli illustrated the presenters’ stories about the libraries and information centers on the tour. The Stasi Records Office, the archives of the former East German Ministry for State Security, was fascinating for many. Another highlight was the Bavarian State Library, home to the Munich Digitization Center, one of two national digitization centers. Deegan wrapped up the session with the news that a group of German librarians will be visiting the U.S. this fall, touring libraries and information centers in New York, Boston, and Washington, DC. (The session was generously sponsored by BNA.) Save the Date! The Medical Library Association will hold a webcast on Disaster Preparedness on Wednesday, November 5th from 1:30-5pm. It will be held at the National Library of Medicine’s Lister Hill Auditorium. For more information, see the NLM website at www.nlm.nih.gov.
Over the next six pages, you will read biographies of the officer candidates for the upcoming DC/SLA chapter election. Please consider them carefully for the election in October. Members may vote electronically or by mail. Paper ballots will be sent out to those members who receive the print Chapter Notes. Thanks to Layla Voll for her work formatting these candidate pages.
CANDIDATE FOR FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT ELECT Marie Kaddell is a Senior Information Professional Consultant at LexisNexis (2000 - present). Prior positions include: PTFS Project Manager (1997-1999); Howrey & Simon, Library Director, Assistant Library Director, Reference Librarian (1977-1996), She has over twenty-five years of experience as a librarian with a focus on law librarianship, government librarianship, and technology in libraries. She authors and maintains the Government Info Pro Blog and also produces the Government Info Pro Podcast (available on iTunes). In 2007, she was named the LexisNexis Government Consultant of the Year for her work within the government library community. She spoke at SLA in Toronto in 2005 as a panelist on the topic of blogging and RSS. She was a panelist speaker at a jointly sponsored DC/SLA and MLG program exploring podcasting in libraries in 2006. She co-presented a CE workshop at SLA 2007 entitled Podcasting 101: Leveraging Podcasting in Your Special Library. In 2008, she co-taught the SLA CE full-day Web 2.0 workshop: Toolboxes for Info Pros. She edits and compiles the annual Best Practices for Government Libraries. Her articles have appeared in the SLA Legal Division Quarterly, BITE: Bulletin of the Information Technology Division of SLA, and The One-Person Library: A Newsletter for Librarians and Management. She was an official conference blogger for AALL, ALA, Internet Librarian, and SLA in 2007 and for ALA Midwinter, CIL, SLA, and AALL in 2008. She is blogmistress for MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association’s Migraine Blog and has participated as a judge in MAGNUM’s annual poetry contest for the last 3 years. Marie Kaddell is the SLA/DGI Membership Chair (2006– present) and an SLA/DGI Communications Committee Advisory Board Member. She was Chief Editor of the DC/SLA Chapter Newsletter, DC/SLA Chapter Notes, (2001-2002). Marie is a member of the SLA Learning 2.0 Workgroup. She developed four of the learning modules for SLA's 23 Things, released in June 2008. She has an M.L.S. and her B.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland. She earned her M.S. in Technology Management and her M.B.A. from UMUC. Statement of Interest: SLA helps its members achieve their career goals by providing opportunities to stay informed, increase their level of professional expertise, and easily connect with others in their field. The local chapter is a big part of what makes that happen. DC/SLA has a strong foundation of pertinent programs, events, and resources, including outstanding member talent. If elected, I plan to build on the strength of these successes and advantages. I commit to bring my enthusiasm, diverse professional experience, passion for innovation, and desire to create community to the role. I am honored to have been selected as a nominee for this office and I look forward to the opportunity to serve.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 10
CANDIDATE FOR FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT ELECT James King is the Digital Library Innovations Librarian for the Ruth H. Hooker Research Library at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). James has worked in various roles at NRL since 1990 (including Chief Librarian), using his IT background and Library experience to transform the NRL Research Library from a printbased library to a cutting edge digital library. James has served SLA as a Board of Directors candidate (2007); convener of the SLA Information Futurist Caucus (2007-present); SLA Seattle national conference planner (2007-2008); chair of the Innovation in Leadership Awards Committee (2008-present); and member of DC/SLA, the Government Information Division and the Military Libraries Division. James currently holds various consortial leadership roles at the Navy and Federal Government levels (chair of the Consortium of Naval Libraries and the National Research Library Alliance); has been a member of several industry Library Advisory Boards (American Chemical Society, IEEE, Society for Scholarly Publishing, Springer, and Thomson Scientific); is the recipient of SLA's 2006 Lexis Nexis Innovation in Leadership Award and ALA's Federal and Armed Forces Libraries Round Table 2006 Achievement and 2003 Distinguished Service Awards; and is currently the chair of the FLICC Libraries & Emerging Technologies Working Group. James received his Bachelor's in Computer Graphics from Salem College (now Salem International University in Salem, WV) and earned his Masters in Library and Information Science degree from Catholic University of America. In his 'free' time, he and his wife Carla are active in their church's children's ministry and are Civil War reenactors. Statement of Interest: Thank you for the honor of being nominated as a candidate for President-Elect of the SLA DC Chapter. My early exposure to SLA was through the DC Chapter and the student group at CUA which helped me to broaden my vision beyond the four walls of my job, it provided me with professional and social opportunities to meet with great minds in the DC area, and has inspired me to volunteer for additional responsibilities in my office and in the profession. I'm thrilled to have an opportunity to give back to my home chapter and lead us into the exciting future that is already around us. I've coordinated a number of programs over the past decade in the DC area through FLICC and nationally through SLA and ALA exploring the impact of technology and the future of our profession so I'm excited to be able to use my networks, my experience, and the wealth of resources available in this area to the benefit of our local community and our chapter. Moving into the SLA Centennial year as the host city, I see a great opportunity to springboard into a series of events over the next several years that will explore our rich heritage and the exciting future of our profession.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 11
CANDIDATES FOR SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT Jessica Beauchamp is currently employed as a special librarian by the Food Marketing Institute, a trade association in Arlington, Virginia which conducts programs on behalf of its 1,500 member companies — food retailers and wholesalers — in the United States and around the world. Previously Jessica was the Chief Operations Officer for a small business which she helped to build to over 40 employees providing communications products and services to the federal government for over 14 years. Jessica has been an active member of SLA since 2005, and currently serves as the co-Ethics Ambassador for DC/SLA. Jessica is a member of the Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition Division, as well as the Information Technology and Knowledge Management Divisions. Jessica received her MSLS from Catholic University and holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Wellesley College.
Kris Vajs has a federal library career extending over three decades. In March 2008, she became the Chief Librarian at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Research Library. From 1998-2008, she was Director of the Scientific and Technical Information Center at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Under her leadership, the information center was named the Federal Library of the Year in FY2000 and FY2005. At CRS, she was head of a section that developed and delivered innovative current awareness policy tools and products to the Congress and CRS research staff. Kris has received a Superior Service Award from the Library of Congress and the Department of Commerce Bronze Award for exceptional leadership of search and information services. Kris is particularly interested in library marketing, communication with stakeholders, strategic planning, and the role of the library in an organization. Kris has an MLS from University of Michigan and a BA in history from Michigan State University. She is a member of the Business and Finance Division, the Information Technology Division, the Leadership & Management Division, and the Science-Technology Division.
CANDIDATES FOR COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY Angela Titone has been Manager of the Consumer Electronics Association Library since 1996. Her previous stints involved Reference Librarian at the USA Today News Library and Head Librarian at the American Embassy Library in Germany. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois, where she served as the Daily Illini newspaper librarian during her studies. Her first job out of journalism school was as the public relations assistant at her local public library. Angela is a Friend of the Cleveland Park Library and a user of all local libraries. She has been a member of SLA since 1992. Angela is a member of the Business and Finance Division, the News Division, and the Association Information Services Caucus.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 12
Bill Tuceling has been one of four librarians in the Technical Library at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Washington, DC, since 1988. He supports the GAO teams for contracting, defense, and foreign affairs with reference, research, classroom training, and website design. Bill's previous Federal positions included reference and head librarian at the US Army Engineer School at Ft. Belvoir, VA, and archives technician and archivist at the National Archives & Records Service at Suitland, MD. His education includes post-graduate courses in history at George Mason University and Shippensburg University, an MLS from the University of Kentucky, and a BA from Gettysburg College. Bill has volunteered as DCLA Scholarship Committee chair, Secretary, Joint Spring Workshop representative, Treasurer, and Membership Committee chair; as ALA Convention Local Arrangements Committee co-chair and National Library Legislative Day registration desk staffer; and as FLICC/FedLink Educational Working Group member and "Great Escape" library tours coordinator. He received the Distinguished Service Award from DCLA in 2004 and in 2008.
CANDIDATES FOR RECORDING SECRETARY Eileen Deegan has worked for the U.S. Government as an information professional for 19 years. Currently, she is a program analyst / librarian for the U.S. Department of State’s American Corners Program. (American Corners are partnerships between U.S. embassies and host-country libraries, which feature U.S.-focused collections and programs. Previously at the Department of State, she was an electronic resources librarian, coordinating access to commercial databases (2002 – 2006); and was a reference specialist for the Economic Security Team (1994-2002). Eileen has been active in the SLA for a decade. She is currently Chair of the Government Information Division (DGI). As Chair-Elect in 2007, she served as the Division’s 2008 SLA Convention program planner. In 2005-2006, as co-chair of DGI’s communications committee, she directed the development of the Division’s website. In 2004-2005 Eileen served on DC/SLA’s Board of Directors as Second Vice-President. She led the DC/SLA Book Club from 2005-2006; and from 1999 to 2003 co-edited DC/SLA’s Chapter Notes, followed by the Washington Area Library Directory 3rd edition. Eileen has a BA in French from the University of Alabama, an MA in journalism from the University of Texas and an MSLS from The Catholic University of America.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 13
Anne Linton is Director of the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, The George Washington University. She has served in that position since January 1998 and in various other positions at Himmelfarb since 1984. Ms. Linton also holds the rank of adjunct associate professor in the Department of Medicine and is a distinguished member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals. She is a graduate of Georgetown and Drexel Universities. Her main areas of interest include access to electronic resources, health informatics, and information literacy. She has served as a lecturer in the School of Library and Information Science of the Catholic University of America. Recent service to the Medical Library Association includes: Chair, Nominating Committee, Leadership and Management Section (2006-2007), Chair, Leadership and Management Section (2005-2006), Program Chair, Leadership and Management Section (2004-2005), Co-Chair Local Arrangements Committee for 2004 Annual Meeting (2002-2004), and Secretary, Leadership and Management Section (2001-2005.) Recent service to Mid-Atlantic Chapter of MLA includes: Professional Development Committee (2006-) and Nominating Committee (2004-2005). Anne was the chair of the 2008 Joint Spring Workshop representing DC/SLA.
CANDIDATES FOR ASSISTANT TREASURER/TREASURER-ELECT (Officer serves as Assistant Treasurer for the first year and Treasurer for the second and third years of the term.) Gulnar Nagashybayeva is the Government Documents Librarian/Contractor at the NOAA Central Library. She previously worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Maryland Center for Substance Abuse Research and as an intern at the National Geographic Map Library and the American Beverage Association. Other positions include the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the U.S. Peace Corps/Kazakhstan and USAID/Central Asia Region. Gulnar has been a DC/SLA member since 2005 and is currently serving as the Discussion List Administrator. She was an SLA Maryland Chapter member from 2003-2006 and she served as Treasurer for the UMD Student Chapter of SLA, 2004-2005. She has a BA in English and Russian Languages from the Kazakh State University of World Languages and an MLS from the College of Information Studies, University of Maryland. She is a member of Beta Phi Mu, Iota Chapter (DC).
Lisa Haakon Pogue has more than 20 years experience in libraries, starting as a community relations coordinator at the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock. After she moved to the DC area, she was Director of Technology Transfer for the American Public Works Association, where she ran a small special library. She is the current treasurer of the SLA Transportation Division. She has a BA from Eckerd College in philosophy and writing and an MA in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has an MSLIS from Drexel University as an online student. She is now working at the Association for Financial Professionals. DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 14
CANDIDATES FOR DIRECTOR Kimberly Ferguson is the Head of Information Services in the U.S. Senate Library. She oversees information architecture and publishing on three Senate Web sites: Webster, LIS.gov, and Senate.gov. She also supervises a team of nine reference librarians who deliver real-time, concise information to the Senate community. “In recognition of outstanding innovation, collaboration, and leadership in the Library and Information Science Profession� Ms. Ferguson was the first recipient of the Raymond von Dran Memorial Award issued by The Catholic University of America (CUA) School of Library and Information Science (SLIS). Von Dran was the dean of CUA's SLIS, and founder and dean of the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University. Von Dran's vision spearheaded a movement to focus on the relationships between information, technology, and people. Ms. Ferguson has more than 15 years of legislative research and teaching experience. She has an M.L.I.S. from The Catholic University of America, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Greek and Roman Ancient Civilization from the University of Iowa.
Catherine Kitchell is a reference librarian at the Bureau of National Affairs. She has been the editor of BNA's Directory of State and Federal Courts, Judges, and Clerks, since 2001. She was the head librarian at the Marin Independent Journal in Novato, California from 1989 to 1990. Previous to that, she worked at USA Today from 1983 to July 1989. She has a B.A. in art history from the University of Virginia and an MLS from the University of Maryland. Catherine has been an SLA member since 1991. She has served as managing editor of News Library News (1996-1998), DC/SLA Treasurer (1999-2002), and News Division Treasurer (2001-2003). She received the DC/SLA Board of Directors Award in 2002. She has also been the newsletter editor and chair for the Potomac Pedalers Touring Club, the second largest bicycling club in the U.S.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 15
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 16
2008 Scholarship Award Winners Announced By Lorraine Bell The DC/SLA Chapter and the Scholarship Committee are pleased to announce the winners of the DC/SLA 2008 Scholarship Awards. The Scholarship Committee evaluated 17 strong applications, and it was a difficult to task to select the winners. However, after careful review and discussion, two candidates were chosen and submitted to the board for approval at the August 7th board meeting. The 2008 InfoCurrent Scholarship is awarded to Stacy Bruss. Ms. Bruss will begin her MLS studies in the fall in a distance education program at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville School of Information Sciences. She is currently a library technician in a government library, and she plans to continue to contribute and advance in the field with a professional degree. Library Science is a transition from her original field of study-- engineering. In her essay, Ms. Bruss pointed out the value that a highly trained special librarian brings to the library and its clients: an understanding of the specialized field, perspective on the way the information will be used, and the ability to obtain not only the information requested, “but also the information that they need.” Jennifer McDaniel is the winner of the 2008 Catherine A. Jones Memorial Scholarship. Ms. McDaniel is a part-time student at the Catholic University of America’s School of Library and Information Science. In her essay, she tells of being recruited into librarianship by a library director who recognized her potential for leadership, and described career positions where her science background and librarianship could intersect. Ms. McDaniel has experience in two special library settings, private sector consulting and currently in an academic health sciences library. She is intrigued by a setting “where the collections and services are driven by the results.” Ms. McDaniel is very interested in teaching, advocacy, and outreach, and hopes to use all these talents in a medical and health sciences setting. DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 17
Both candidates displayed a passion and dedication to the field of special librarianship and the DC/SLA Chapter congratulates them on being the 2008 scholarship award winners. The Chapter would like to thank the award sponsors: InfoCurrent, the grantor of the InfoCurrent Scholarship, and the DC/SLA Board of Directors for funding the Catherine A. Jones Memorial Scholarship. Their continued generosity and support is greatly appreciated. The Chapter would also like to acknowledge the Scholarship Committee members, Michael Kolakowski, Kari Anderson and Alicia Koundakjian, for their hard work and dedication in selecting these two excellent award recipients.
Out on the Town for Dine Arounds By Lea Wade The first three DC-SLA Dine Arounds have been scheduled! Please join your friends and colleagues for an evening of conversation and cheer! Notify the hosts listed below if you plan to join them for dinner, so they can be sure the reservation is correct. Remember-- it’s not too late if you would like to host an evening yourself. Contact your dine-arounds organizer (leawade at gmail.com) to make the arrangements. Thank you and enjoy! When: September 16, 6:00pm Where: Matchbox 713 H St NW, Washington, DC 20001 (202) 289-4441 from Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro to H St NW: Exit station using 7th St NW & H St NW exit Walk a short distance West on H St NW http://www.matchboxdc.com/ Hosts: Alison Raab Labonte (alabonte at rand.org) and Gail Kouril (gkouril at rand.org) When: September 16, 8:00pm Where: Lotus Cafe 8077 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Telephone: (301) 588-8888 Located about 5 blocks from the Silver Spring Metro station. Parking is available on the street and in county parking garage. Reviewed in Silver Spring Penguin: http://silverspringpenguin.com/2008/07/23/dining68/ Host: Monica Fulvio, contact: mfulvio at gmail.com When: September 23, 7:30pm Where: Luigino Ristorante 1100 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005 (Corner of 12th & H Streets) (202) 371-0595 The restaurant is one block north of Metro Center at the corner of 12th and H Street. Valet parking is available and there is complimentary parking after 5 PM. http://www.luigino.com/ Host: Dawn French, contact: dawn.french at cristalglobal.com
DC/SLA Book Club and Reputation Layla Voll DC/SLA Book Club Chair The DC/SLA book club is pleased to announce that we will be meeting on Wednesday, October 29th, to discuss The Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor and Privacy on the Internet by Daniel Solove. We will meet at 6:30pm at the 17th Street Cafe (1513 17th Street, on 17th between P and Q). Directions: From the Dupont Metro Station: leave from the South exit; walk a short distance NE on Dupont Circle; turn right on P; walk 2 blocks East on P; turn left on 17th Street; 17th Street Café is on the right. Their website is www.cafe17.net. About the Book: From the book jacket: "Daniel Solove, an international authority on information privacy law and a professor of law at George Washington University, offers a fascinating account of how the Internet is transforming gossip, the way we shame others, and our ability to protect our own reputations. Focusing on blogs, Internet communities, cybermobs, and other current trends, he shows that, ironically, the unconstrained flow of information on the Internet may impede opportunities for self-development and freedom." DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 18
From the first chapter: “An entire generation is growing up in a very different world, one where people will accumulate detailed records beginning with childhood that will stay with them for life wherever they go. . . . The Internet is bringing back the scarlet letter in digital form—an indelible record of people’s past misdeeds.” How to Get It: The book is, of course, available to purchase on Amazon. The full text of the book is also available online for free on Daniel Solove’s website. This site also includes additional information, discussion questions, and reviews. It is well worth a visit, as are Concurring Opinions, the blog he coauthors with several other legal scholars, and Professor Solove’s own GW web page. I look forward to seeing you all! Please RSVP (layla_voll@hotmail.com) to let me know if you are planning to come.
Lubuto Library Project Needs Book Donations By Kenlee Ray The Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Library is holding a book drive for the Lubuto Library Project through the end of this month. If you have school age children who have outgrown some gently-read children's books that you would like to drop off at Morgan, Lewis for the book drive, you can do so until September 30. Donations should be boxed and dropped off at the firm's interlibrary loan pick-up desk, which is located in their mailroom (1st floor, 1111 Pennsylvania Ave NW. Enter on 11th Street) Please help us make certain that the donated books fit Lubuto's collection policy. The Lubuto Library Project needs picture books, fiction and non-fiction, but especially informational books with lots of illustrations or photographs along with simple explanations and definitions. Books should be in brand-new condition, not outdated, and in English. Reference books should be current and in complete sets. Hardcover is preferred, but sturdy trade paperback books can also be included. Please – no Disney books or other U.S. popular culture tieins! You can find more detailed guidelines for book donations on the Lubuto Project website at www.lubuto.org/.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 19
Nominate Someone for an Association or Chapter Award! SLA and DC/SLA both have Awards & Honors Programs created to honor individuals or groups and their achievements and contributions to the Association, to the DC Chapter and the information profession. The Association bestows awards in twelve categories and the Chapter presents two annual awards. Check the Association Awards on the SLA website. Nominations can be submitted individually to SLA or can be sent via our chapter’s Awards Committee. Our Chapter awards will be presented at the DC/SLA Annual Meeting and Banquet, to be held at the Woman’s Democratic Club in Washington on Thursday, December 4, 2008. Our chapter award categories are: Chapter Member of the Year - Given to a chapter member in recognition of outstanding contributions to the chapter, public service activities, assistance in professional development, promotion of special librarianship or publication of a professional paper. Board of Directors Award - Given to an individual or group, who may or may not be a member of the DC Chapter, in recognition of special achievements or contributions to the field of special librarianship.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | September 2008 | pg 20
The DC/SLA Awards Committee is seeking your input in suggesting names of individuals or groups to be nominated for any of these awards. Nominations should include the following information, much of which can be found in the SLA Membership Directory: Name of Award Name of person submitting nomination Name of nominee or group Nominee address, telephone and email Career Information Employer, Job Title Association Information SLA Member, SLA and/or Chapter Affiliations Reason for Nomination The DC/SLA Awards Committee is made up of Sheryl Rosenthal (chair), Anne Caputo, Susan Fifer Canby, Richard Huffine, Shirley Loo and Barbie Keiser. Please send your nominations to Sheryl Rosenthal at rosenthalsk@comcast.net. • •
Nominations for Chapter Awards must be received by October 10, 2008 Nominations for SLA Association Awards – to be submitted by our chapter Awards Committee - must be submitted by December 4, 2008