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5*-%*/( 0..5/*49 4)& "-5& 0' &-0/(*/( What is the value of membership in a professional association? In SLA, DC/SLA? One benefit support from a strong network of colleagues - was brought home to me recently through my interaction with a DC/SLA member and new professional. Here’s what happened. A number of months back, I was contacted by a member who had been without work for an uncomfortable amount of time. She had searched the DC/SLA website for assistance only to find an out-of-date list of mentors on a dead page. She emailed me to ask whether DC/SLA had a more current program for someone in her situation. We didn’t; but I was able to offer her suggestions for pursuing help on her own, including the SLA website. Several months passed and she emailed again. None of her several interviews in the intervening months had resulted in a job offer - despite her excellent credentials and 5 years of experience. And, her efforts to find a mentor on the SLA website had gone nowhere. Now, she urgently wanted to connect with an experienced professional who would work with her to improve her chances for landing a job. Could I - or DC/SLA - help? It's not easy to keep reaching out and it requires some courage to look critically at yourself - and even more to ask others to be DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 1
April/May Volume 72, No. 3 President’s Corner
1-2
About Chapter Notes
3
From the Editor
4
Library Events
5-8
Graduation Time
9-10
Social Media as Tools of Engagement
11
Accomplishments, Accolades and Adventures
12-13
DC/SLA Dine-arounds for Spring 2011
14-18
Sunset Boulevard - I'm Ready For My Close-Up!
19
Disaster Information Outreach Symposium
20-21
SLA Conference 2011 Come Support DC/SLA Presenters!
22-24
Notes on the SLA Annual Conference for DC/SLA members
25
2011 Digital Citizen Satisfaction Summit
26
Career Column: “Librarian� = Electronic Resources Guru
27-29
International Special Librarians Day
30-31
Taxonomy Tuesdays
32
Joint Spring Workshop
33-34
Volunteer!
35
DC/SLA Website
36
DC/SLA WEB ADDRESS: HTTP://UNITS.SLA.ORG/CHAPTER/CDC/
part of the process. I felt as determined to support this member and she was determined to succeed. Even more importantly, I wanted her to be able to leverage DC/SLA’s powerful, supportive network of professionals and find the mentor she needed. For this, I turned to my own network of DC/SLA Board and Committee volunteers and many stepped forward with advice and to volunteer. A newly formed group of retired librarians with an interest in mentoring, Encore Group, chaired by Susan Fifer Canby, was especially helpful. In the end, two generous members, Joan Gervino and Kari Anderson, assisted her with resume presentation and interviewing techniques. Today, she has a part-time job in her chosen area excellent prospects of it becoming full-time. Now, we are looking at ways to facilitate this process of leveraging our network of professionals so it becomes a more natural and easy occurrence. Janel White, Coordinator for the Make-A-Connection program, with program members, Aimee Babcock-Ellis and Anna Forsher, have redesigned a former student/professional mentoring program that connects grad students professionals in specialized library environments. Beth KirtonCrane is in the process of forming a support group for DC/SLA members in job transition. On May 25th, DC/SLA is sponsored its fourth Speed Mentoring program, thanks to President-Elect Lois Ireland and Program Planning Committee member Layla Heimlich. Lea Wade, Second Vice-President, is working with Janel White and others to create multiple, online channels for current employment information. DC/SLA also provides many no- or low-cost events to promote stronger connections among its members. Two DC/SLA book groups (fiction and non-fiction) meet monthly: one fiction (coordinated by DC/SLA Secretary, Gretchen Sauvey) and one non-fiction (coordinated by Barbara Folsenbee-Moore). A student and new professionals happy hour also takes place monthly (and all members are welcome). In the Spring and Fall, DC/SLA members host dine-around events at local restaurants (coordinated by Rick Davis). All of these events are listed on the DC/SLA home page and on a separate Events Calendar on our website. And, we host SLA's monthly Click-U webinars. They're free, held at Dow Jones in D.C. and always topical. I welcome your ideas on the value of belonging to DC/SLA and your suggestions for leveraging our member network. You can find me at mary.talleyattalleypartners.com.
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About Chapter Notes Event announcements should be sent to the DC/SLA Calendar at dcslacalendaratgmail.com
Please submit your material for the June/July 2011 issue by 1 July. The issue will be published approximately three weeks 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 should be sent to the Editor -Submissions. Please identify people in any photos you submit. Event announcements should be sent to the DC/SLA Calendar at dcslacalendaratgmail.com
Chapter Notes Editorial Team Editors-in-Chief Aileen Marshall - Submissions - cynderaatgmail.com James Madigan - Production - cn12atme.com Business Manager & Vendor Relations - David Hemmingway-Turner - dnhemingwayatgmail.com Assistant Editors: Lisa Pogue - lisa.pogueathsi.dhs.gov Aimee Babcock-Ellis - aimeebeatgmail.com Jacquelyn Erdman - jerdmanatusgbc.org Britney Crawford - britneyncrawfordatgmail.com Diane Wunsch -dwunschatcomcast.net
DC/SLA Key Contacts Technology Chair - James King - james.kingatnih.gov Communications Director - Chris Vestal - cmvlibrarianatgmail.com Webmaster: Karen Spern - okeyrenatgmail.com Discussion List Manager - Lea Wade - lea.wadeatgmail.com Visit: http://units.sla.org/chapter/cdc/list.html Volunteer Coordinator Deena Adelman - deena.adelmanatmacrosysrt.com N.B., First Visit: http://signupgenius.com/go/chapter Chapter Notes is the newsletter for the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Special Libraries Association (SLA). It is distributed six times per year (bimonthly) as follows: January, February/March, April/May, June/July, August/ September, October/November. Special Libraries Association assumes no responsibility for the statements and opinions advanced by the contributors to SLA’s publications. Editorial views and content do not necessarily represent the official views of SLA. Acceptance of advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product by SLA. It is understood that Chapter Notes contributors are acting “in good faith” and shall be held harmless with regards to any content either published or omitted. Advertising:: Business Card $95 | 1 page $200 | 2 pages $300. For information and submission of advertisements, please contact the DC/SLA Chapter Notes Business Manager, David Hemingway-Turner - dnhemingwayatgmail.com. Tel: 202-536-4539 Fax: 202-747-2978
Chapter Notes is available electronically at the chapter’s website: www.units.sla.org/chapter/cdc DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 3
DC/SLA WEB ADDRESS: HTTP://UNITS.SLA.ORG/CHAPTER/CDC/
Welcome to April/May issue of Chapter Notes. This April/May issue of Chapter Notes features the efforts of many contributors. Mary Talley tackles the sensitive issues encountered by those pursuing employment opportunities in the library and information management field. Chapter Notes introduced “Career Column” last year as a way to talk about career maintenance. However, members in career transition face many frustrations along the way and the DC/SLA should be a ready and capable resource. Mary highlights our need to engage in developing chapter resources and programs in her touching account of the experiences of one of our members. Library Events is but a partial listing of the many and various “happenings” in our community. The yellow banner by these events is there to help you find them. As always, please submit your upcoming event announcements to dcslacalendar@gmail.com . We hope to have a central point of contact for all our events. This month, Aileen reports on a Webinar titled, “Tools of Engagement: Presenting and Training in a World of Social Media.” She also reports on DC/SLA’s well attended dine-around outing at Valpano Chinatown, as well as on a theatre group performance of the musical, “Sunset Boulevard,” and on the 2011 Digital Citizen Satisfaction Summit. You might want to congratulate Aileen on being awarded her MLS. Chapter President, Mary Talley, begins a new column, “Accomplishments, Accolades and Adventures,” this month. She also compiled a list of DC/SLA presenting members for the upcoming SLA Conference 2011 in Philadelphia and provides her account of another chapter Dine Around, one where the restaurant lost its electricity. Eileen Deegan provides a detailed report on “2011 Joint Spring Workshop Offers Insights into StrategicPlanning Fundamentals, Experiences, and Metrics.” Her detailed article will be continued in the June/July issue of Chapter Notes. On page 32, Jacquelyn Marie Erdman discusses “Taxonomy Tuesdays.” She also sends copy edits my way, and I appreciate how she helps to keep the newsletter on track. Techies... you are not left out! This issue’s Career Column is by Kerry M. Dhakal who pens, uh keyboards, <div id=“Librarian” alt name=“Electronic Resources Guru”</div> Figure that one out... I have a headache. Behind the scenes (well, not exactly, as she can be spotted in one of the dine-around photos), Lisa Pogue brings fresh ideas to DC/SLA’s Chapter Notes through her expertise and wisdom in design, layout and wikidom. Board member Hannah Miller brings us Shelia Jackson’s account of International Special Librarians Day, which was hosted by DC/SLA’s International Relations Committee. Zeinab Mansour, always present and willing to share her delightful hospitality at these events, sends us “dessert” in the form of a winning photo. You’ll find it featured this issue’s Chapter Notes nameplate. Have a great summer and I look forward to seeing *you* in the next issue of Chapter Notes. - Jim Madigan DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 4
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*#2"29 6&/43
Event announcements should be sent to the DC/SLA Calendar at dcslacalendaratgmail.com 1&&% &/402*/( Wed, May 25, 6pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8pm Held at Jenner & Block, 1099 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC The DC/SLA, the DCLA's New Librarians Committee, the Federal and Armed Forces Libraries (FAFLRT) and the Federal Library and Information Centers Committee (FLICC) Human Resources Working Group held a Speed Mentoring event for new and transitioning professionals on Wednesday, May 25th. Modeled on speed dating, speed mentoring is a low-stress, people were invited to a fun way to make connections with leaders in the profession and explore career directions. Over the course of the evening, all had the opportunity to meet with about six mentors for one-on-one, 10 minute conversations, in participants were able to showcase and get feedback on their skills and qualifications, ask for career advice, and learn more about a mentor's field of practice. Held at Jenner & Block, 1099 New York Ave NW 5:45. The event included networking and refreshments then speed mentoring. The Speed Mentoring Event will be covered in the June/July issue of Chapter Notes.
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*#2"29 6&/43 DC/SLA Fiction Book Club Wed, June 15, 6pm – 7pm Please RSVP: Barbara Folensbee-Moore at bfolensbee-mooreatmorganlewis.com; Additional Questions: Contact Barbara Folensbee-Moore (bfolensbeemooreatmorganlewis.com) DC/SLA: It’s 6 pm in Mumbai … what time is it in NY? The role of information services in global/IT consulting companies Thu, June 16, 6:00pm – 8:30pm Latham & Watkins, 555 Eleventh Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC (map) BP Prakash, General Manager of the Library & Information Center at Tata Consultants will talk about managing a global information center from an international perspective. Mr. Prakash is also the President of SLA’s Asia Chapter, the fastest growing chapter in the Association and is sure to have a compelling vision of the future of the profession! Refreshments and networking from 6 pm to 6:30 pm; program begins at 6:30. Register and pay. $10 Students/Retired/Unemployed Members $15 SLA Members $20 Nonmembers Contact dcslaprogramsatgmail.com with questions.
SLA Annual Conference & INFO EXPO in Philadelphia, June 12–15, 2011. Library of Congress June 3, 2011, Noon - 1 p.m. Verna Posever Curtis, along with several Library of Congress specialists, will discuss their book "Photographic Memory: The Album in the Age of Photography" Location: Mumford, Sixth floor, James Madison Building Contact: (202) 707-1519 Reclaiming Lost Languages June 16, 2011, Noon - 1 p.m. Leanne Hinton of the University of California at Berkeley gives a talk on "Reclaiming Lost Languages: The Breath of Life Archival Institutes for Indigenous Languages" Location: Pickford Theater, Third floor, James Madison Building Contact: (202) 707-5510
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*#2"29 6&/43 Intelligence Studies Then & Now June 2, 2011, Noon - 1:30 p.m. British Visiting Fellow Christopher Moran presents a lecture on "Intelligence Studies Then and Now: From Airport Bookstalls to Official Histories" Location: Whittall Pavilion, Ground floor, Thomas Jefferson Building Contact: (202) 707-5355 Association Roundtable Brownbag Lunch June 29, 12:00pm – 1:30pm Location to be announced 2011 SLA Annual Conference Wrap-up Wed, July 13, 6:00pm – 8:30pm The Catholic University of America If you didn't get to attend the SLA Annual Conference (or just had a schedule conflict and couldn't be in two places at once), come hear impressions and takeaways from chapter members. Co-sponsored by DCSLA and The Catholic University of America Special Libraries Association (CUA SLA) Location: The Catholic University of America School of Library and Information Science Information Commons Marist Hall Room, 132 Time: 6:00pm -9:00pm Networking with pizza 6:00pm - 6:30pm Program begins at 6:30. Cost: $15 for non-members; $10 for members; $5 for students/retirees/unemployed Contact dcslaprogramsatgmail.com with questions DCSLA Fiction Book Club Wed, July 20, 6pm – 7pm Please RSVP: Barbara Folensbee-Moore at bfolensbee-mooreatmorganlewis.com Association Roundtable Brownbag Lunch Wed, July 27, 12:00pm – 1:30pm Location to be announced (map) Information discussion of the Association Information Services Caucus. Group meets monthly. Topic TBD
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*#2"29 6&/43 DC/SLA Board Meeting Thu, August 4, 6:00pm – 7:30pm Dow Jones, 1025 Connecticut Ave, NW, 11th Floor, Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20036.
The Civil War for Librarians Who Slept thru Jr. High History Thu, August 11, 6pm – 8pm George Washington University Presented by the Military Libraries Group of DC/SLA Speaker: Mr. R. Lee Hadden, Army Geospatial Librarian Date: Tuesday, Aug 11, 2011 Time: Registration and Refreshments - 6 p.m.; Program 6:45 - 8 p.m. METRO: Foggy Botton, Blue and Orange Line Cost: $10 DC/SLA Members; $5 Students & Retiress RSVP: Sharon Lenius, by Aug 10, 2011 Space is limited leniussaatgmail.com
FLICC/FEDLINK 2011 Federal Librarians Networking Symposium Tue, August 16, 9am – 3pm Library of Congress, Madison Building Presentations: Dining Room A, 9 am - 1 pm Exhibits: Montpelier Room, 1 pm - 3 pm Questions: Contact Marianne Giltrud at GILTRUDatcua.edu DCSLA Fiction Book Club Wed, August 17, 6pm – 7pm Please RSVP: Barbara Folensbee-Moore at bfolensbee-mooreatmorganlewis.com DC/SLA Board Meeting Thu, September 8, 2011, 6:00pm – 7:30pm Dow Jones, 1025 Connecticut Ave, NW, 11th Floor, Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20036.
Event announcements should be sent to The DC/SLA Calendar at dcslacalendaratgmail.com
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$40;,7809> 5- "5:9/ (75204( "*/552 5- 0)7(7> (4+ 4-573(9054 "*0,4*, Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: As one of the 92 graduates, I thought it might be nice to share the day with the CN readers. The article was written by my friend Sara M. Rosensteel, who graduated with me that day. ~Aileen Marshall
On Friday May 6, 2011, The School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina performed its 38th graduation and third hooding ceremony in the historic Rutledge Chapel. The tradition of hooding departmental graduates, long performed in many universities, is respectful, reverent and rather personal event for the department, the graduates and their families. Through a warm sprinkle of rain, the graduates processed in a long line from Davis College to Rutledge Chapel followed by the faculty and filed into the graceful old church. After being welcomed and congratulated by Dean Charles Bierbauer and Director Dr. Samantha Hastings, the students were asked to turn around and honor and thank the 300 friends and family members seated behind them. A lively address by Ms. Melanie Huggins, Executive Director of the Richland County Public Library System and a SLIS Alumna gave new graduates some insight in the hard work, humility and patience it takes to be successful outside of the safety of academia. The graduates were then hooded, one at a time so that each could be honored individually. Ms. Ashley Stevens gave a moving closing address and reminded the graduates that no matter what, loved ones are always with us deep in our hearts. A recessional through applauding and beaming faculty and staff and out into pouring South Carolina rain led the graduates to a beautifully presented reception prepared and served by officers and members of the Library and Information Science Students Association. They morning was topped off with a group photo on the steps of Davis College and the traditional toast "Here's a health, Carolina, forever to thee!"Just as the crowd dispersed, the sun came out, warming the campus and lighting the way for a new batch of MLIS graduates. Sara Mason Rosensteel, MLIS
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Our very own Aileen Marshall with her newly minted MLIS degree. Be sure to congratulate her on her recent achievement! Without missing a beat, Aileen is a true, talented multitasker. She reports on a Webinar: “Tools of Engagement: Presenting and Training in a World of Social Media.” She can also be found in this issue reporting experience at Valpano Chinatown, as part of DC/SLA’s well attended dine-around program. She also contributed “Sunset Boulevard - I'm Ready For My Close-Up!” and the 2011 Digital Citizen Satisfaction Summit. DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 10
DC/SLA WEB ADDRESS: HTTP://UNITS.SLA.ORG/CHAPTER/CDC/
&,)04(7 @#5528 5- 4.(.,3,49 7,8,4904. (4+ #7(0404. 04 ( &572+ 5- "5*0(2 ,+0( A By Aileen Marshall - In my new position as librarian for the US DOT I am also one of the people
responsible for NTLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and (hopefully soon) YouTube. So this webinar was one of the ones that came just in time. Presented by GoGoTraining, the speaker Tom Bunzel (www.professorppt.com, @TomBunzel) introduced the 1400 and some attendees to different aspects of social media. What he called Socialnomics 2.0 refers to a new environment that, especially thanks to Facebook, has developed over the past years. Facebook, with all its members, is now the 3rd largest country in the world, and exceeds Google in weekly web traffic. How can you use this new environment to your advantage and understand its nature? Bunzel emphasized that the essence of social media is value, not vanity. Staff needs to learn how to use tools to engage the audience and connect with your followers/likers in an ongoing conversation. One of the most interesting aspects of this webinar was how to make use of the Twitter backchannels, which is actually nothing more than filter conversations using hashtags. The tag for this webinar was #toolsengage, and throughout the webinar the conversation was flowing. Attendees posted their impressions and/or valuable tricks, and soon these tweets could be seen on other feeds as well. It was a live demonstration of the power of hashtags. As a presenter it is important to monitor the backchannels and respond to comments from the audience. Again, show tthat hat you you are are interested, intereste and engage! Tom introduced tools for creating archives and compilation ooff tweets, tweets, how how tto o harness har the power of Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, Camtasia, and other sites. A ll of of his his tips tipps andd much mu more can all be found in his presentation slides at All http://img.en25.com/Web/CitrixOnline/051111-G2T-Webinar-FINAL.pdf ! " #%%($ $ $ %& * ( % +& * % % ) ! % ))'% )$
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$$0.1-*3).&/43 $$0-"%&3 "/% %6&/452&3 Compiled by Mary Talley
(4, 044,> ,>,78 97(;,28 95 (7 ,8 "(2((3 Jane Kinney Meyers, President of the Lubuto Project, is traveling to Dar es Salaam in late May to deliver a talk on the Lubuto Library Projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Zambian Language Literacy Project. The Lubuto Project was awarded a grant from EIFLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Public Library Innovation Project (funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) to encourage innovation with information technology in public libraries. Lubuto's project is developing early reading programs in seven Zambian languages, using an application on the One Laptop Per Child XO laptops in Lubuto libraries. The reading programs, created by experienced Zambian reading teachers trained in the OLPC application Etoys, addresses the critical need to teach all Zambian children to read in their original language. To see slides of the presentation follow this link: http://www.vimeo.com/ user1718022/videos.
/708904, (22 6(790*06(9,+ 04 9/, <572+?8 2(7.,89 6(07,+ 10+4,> ,=*/(4., (9 ,57.,95<4 $40;,7809> 58609(2 Christine Hall, Director of the Alexandria Law Library, was one of sixteen people who donated a kidney in the 16-way exchange, which took place over a two-week period in November, at three area hospitals. Four of the 16 donors, including Ms. Hall, were non-directed or altruistic donors, meaning they were not related to or donating on behalf of any of the 16 recipients. Ms. Hall was profiled on the NBC Nightly News report, "Making a Difference" on November 23, 2010, the Today Show, and a number of news sources, such as MSNBC. Hall, who lost 40 pounds in order to participate in the exchange, returned to work in early December, and said it was the best experience of her life.
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After serving two years in the position, Herd steps down. Herd describes the position as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;very exciting position that requires good communication skills and a willingness to work with vendors as partners for the good of the taxonomy community within SLA.â&#x20AC;?
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" 0 <(7+ Sean Smith reports that InfoDesk, wins the 2011 SIIA CODiE Award for "Best Business Information Resource."
&.#&2 5#-*$"4*0/3 Fifer-Canby, Susan. Are you ready for YOUR Encore Chapter? in Future Ready 365 (the new SLA Blog), April 2, 2011. This article offers the community actionable insights into the future of our profession and association. Smith, Sean. Information Solutions in the Age of Diffraction, by Sean Smith in Online, Vol. 35 No. 1 Š 2011, by Information Today. This article looks at how three different businessesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a mid-size law firm, a major pharmaceutical company, and a global financial services companyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;are successfully using technology to address the challenges created by information diffraction. It also addresses some information market trends from the perspective of an information professional working for a major information aggregator. This article was featured (full text) as an Editor's Pick in the February 2011 issue of Informed Librarian Online. Smith, Sean. Marketing Tips for Librarians from â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Social Networkâ&#x20AC;? in Future Ready 365 (the new SLA Blog), March 28, 2011. This article discusses the challenges libraries face in increasing their online presence and effectively driving usage of online resources. It shows how this is similar to the dilemma that Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin faced when they founded Facebook. The article provides marketing insight and resources that information professionals can use to help them address this issue. This post is based on another article I wrote that was recently published in The Huffington Post, entitled How Facebook Really Won the Social Media War.
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(> 04, 75:4+ (9 %(60(45 /04(95<4 First and foremost I have to say that the restaurant was an excellent choice. Thanks Aimee Babcock-Ellis, Britney Crawford, and Amelia Nuss! You made this a very successful evening. Vapiano is a great choice if you are looking to dine in a stylish but relaxed atmosphere. The food is prepared right in front of your eyes, and there is a ton to choose from. Secondly this was my first dine-around since I started my new job and graduated from USC with my MLIS, so this get-together was extra-special to me. The event was sponsored by the Students & New Professional Committee of DC/SLA, and it was interesting to talk to people in various stages of their careers. It opened up opportunities to talk to more experienced librarians, to find mentors and make new friends. I look forward to the next dine-around, and hope to see many familiar and new faces. Aileen Marshall
Photo from Valpano Chinatown .(9== &:!&+ )& ,'&*:') =1($' =IGHG=GP=GM GL HLJ LJN GP MKN IL PP H LNO@1& & &&+@$@OOOK@H:"(
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*/& 205/% /%*..&% #9 4)& "2, By Mary Talley The May 17 Dine-Around at the Indian Ocean in Northwest D.C. was anything but dull. Shortly after 10 of us were seated, the restaurant lost its electricity. Although storms were forecast, there was no apparent cause: sky was clear and the sun was shining. Happily, our drinks had already arrived, conversation was flowing and we gamely ordered our meals, The restaurant owner assured us he would deliver and he did. The chef soldiered on in the dark and heat (no air conditioning and 800 degree gas ovens) to prepare our food to perfection. We continued on with our conversations, which ranged from exotic travel (Sheila Jackson waded chest deep in water to reach a Mayan temple) to jewelry (Zeinab Mansour’s antique Russian rosary necklace) to drinking scotch (Jay Santiago enjoys it and Angela Titone recommended the best bar/ pubs to do it). And, thanks to Angela Titone we know that Zenith produced the first TV remote in 1950, dubbed Lazy Bones. It was cumbersome, attached to the TV by a cord that was a safety hazard in the living room. Pictured above are Ramona Howerton, Mary Talley, Zeinab Mansour. Great photos from Electronic House: www.electronichouse.com/slideshow/category/3891/656 . You just never know what you’ll learn or who you’ll see at a DC/SLA dine-around. DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 16
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4+0(4 *,(4 04, 75:4+ ,99> (4+,83(4 08( 5.:, !0*1 (;08 DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 18
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":48,9 5:2,;(7+ 3 !,(+> 57 > 258, $6 By Aileen Marshall On Sunday, 13 February, ten members of the DC/SLA Chapter met at the Signature Theater in Shirlington, VA, to watch the matinee performance of Sunset Boulevard. The venue, located right next to the Shirlington Library, is a relatively small theater but perfect for this noir musical. In addition to a very versatile stage (I am talking moving walls, chandeliers and stair cases!) we had the pleasure to listen to famous songs performed by a wonderful cast. Florence Lacey, star of Broadway's Evita and Signature's Follies, plays the faded and quite unstable screen star Norma Desmond, longing for the good old days when she was "the greatest star of all". The cast successfully brings the glamour of old-time Hollywood and Paramount Pictures to this charming venue and leaves the audience with a feeling of sadness in light of this lush romantic tragedy. Prior to the show we had the opportunity to speak with Ann-Marie Dittmann, the official Dramaturg for Sunset Boulevard. She presented interesting facts about the history of the musical and some interesting details such as Norma's movie script Salome, which she envisions to be the path to her great come-back. I greatly enjoyed visiting the Shirlington Library and the Signature Theater and look forward to going there again. In the meantime I will content myself with listening to Sunset Boulevard and With One Look ... they are stuck in my head. Aileen Marshall (Photos by Sandi Fox and Aileen Marshall) DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 19
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By Jacquelyn Marie Erdman On March 29th and 30th at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), around 240 participants came together for sessions on how information professionals can prepare, help during and after a disaster. Speakers included public librarians, health librarians, heads of government disaster departments and centers, and academic librarians came together to not only make a case that libraries and information specialists should be considered essential participants in the aftermath of a disaster, but also to give advice from personal experiences. Perhaps the main theme running through the Symposium was that of looking beyond library collection disaster planning and considers what other roles an information professional can take in a disaster. Such roles that the speakers mentioned in their own work within a disaster are: an information and communication hub, researcher and historian, and information manager. During the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, many of the libraries became an information and communications hub. They had a power source for their Internet servers so that people affected by the disaster could fill out FEMA forms. The Internet service also allowed people to communicate with loved ones. In one case, they were the only access to the Internet, which helped support all of the local rescue units to also communicate online. Libraries would have story time at the refuge areas and lend books to bring a sense of normalcy for the community. Because of the work done by the libraries in Louisiana, FEMA has declared that libraries can request a tent in order to provide information and communication services to the local populations. The Head of the Office of the Disaster Information Management Research Center, Stacey Arnes, at the NLM hired a historian to capture what happens during the decision making process of working through a disaster so that important lessons can be learned and important information is not lost. The reason a historian was hired is that Arnes found most historical records were created many years after a disaster, based on interviews and memory. But in recording the details as they happen, it is easier to assess what worked, what didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work, etc. The Center also has librarians to help with research in order to make as well informed decisions as they can. The Center could not stop praising one NLM librarian in particular, Alicia Livinski. DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 20
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This led to the discussion of the need for information professionals to be first responders. For example, when medical personal are triaging patients, they rarely have access to networked computers which will maintain a file on that person. Instead they mostly write on scraps of paper, which often get lost. Medical personal also do not or cannot take the time to keep stats on how many supplies are still available, fill out full reports so that overall statistics can be taken of the extent of the problem, etc. Having an information manger on the scene can improve communications both at the scene as well as to external constituents. For example, it took 4 days for information at the Haiti Earthquake to surface that they needed bulldozers before they needed food and water because they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to the people at risk. The last trend for the Symposium was concerning how social media has changed the role of information informants and perceptions about how disaster agencies should respond to the call for help. The Red Cross were sent many social media distress calls, such as someone tweeting that their loved one had sent them a text that they were stuck in rubble and asking the Red Cross to send help. As the Red Cross is not a first responder unit, they did their best to filter the requests for direct help to other organizations, but it did show the disconnect of communication between the different organizations and the role of social media. One study reported at this Symposium is that when someone puts out a call for help via social media, they expect help within an hour. The general take away from the Symposium is that libraries and information professionals do have a significant service and skill set to offer before, during and after a disaster. The trick is to embed oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self into the local, state, and national disaster plans, focusing on the local and state being the most effective stratgey. There are other libraries and librarians who have already successful found their niches who can help you embed yourself into the discussions. Please visit http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov for more information about this symposium and for resources about information management disaster planning.
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59,8 54 9/, " 44:(2 54-,7,4*, -57 " 3,3),78 by Mary Talley Hard to believe the SLA Annual Conference in Philadelphia is only a few weeks away. I don't know about you, but there is so much going on at the conference, I'm having a hard time keeping track of it all. Here is a reminder for all of us of just three of the many events we should know about.
*% 4-"/4*$ )"14&23 &$&14*0/ DC/SLA is inviting you to come mix it up with colleagues from the DC, Maryland, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Princeton-Trenton, and Virginia Chapters at the Mid-Atlantic Chapters Reception. When: Monday, June 13th from 7:30-10:00 pm Where: Marriott Hotel, Salon C. How: $5 admission - tickets available through your conference registration or at the registration booth in Philadelphia (sorry, no tickets available at the door) What: Food and drink (your admission ticket gets you a free drink!) Generously sponsored by Leadership Directories and Thomson Reuters.
&26*$& 20+&$4 00,*/( '02 "/ &"39 "/% 2&7"2%*/( 7"9 40 (*6& #"$, SLA is partnering with the Philadelphia office of Dress For Success, an organization that accepts clothing donations to help unemployed women obtain jobs in a down economy.
&&% .04*6"4*0/ 40 7&&% 9052 $-03&4 All you have to do is bring an interview-appropriate piece of womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clothing and drop it off when you check-in for the conference. SLA is accepting donations starting Sunday, June 12 until Wednesday, June 15 at 11:00 a.m.
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*(*4"- *4*:&/ "4*3'"$4*0/ 5..*4 By Aileen Marshall
I was fortunate to attend the summit at the Ronald Reagan Building and Trade Center . This annual Summit, a full day of educational presentations, case studies and panels to help people who manage websites and emerging digital channels in government and non-profit organizations. The amazing speakers (the best of all Todd Park, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) presented and discussed their strategies for collecting data and acting on citizen and constituent feedback to further organizational goals, and meet administrative initiatives. This was a free event, limited to government and nonprofit employees, or contractors working directly on government or nonprofit websites. The most important message that all the speakers agreed on was that today’s citizens are multichannel users, which means that the government will have to utilize these channels to reach as many citizens as possible. Another message that I will take to heart was said by Larry Fred, President and CEO, ForeSee Results: You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Numbers are important. They show you were you succeed and deliver great service, and they point out areas where your web site or service needs improvement. We also learned about how web sites should be designed to provide the most usability, as well as great navigation and content. My favorite part was to learn about “screen real estate”, white noise on web sites, links, contrast, etc. On my way home I went through my notes and was happy with what I got out of the summit. Oh, and plenty of good food was included, too!
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by Kerry M. Dhakal
As a 2nd year graduate student in library science Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m thinking more and more about what types of employment opportunities await me upon graduation. Frequently I search for job opportunities to see what types of positions are available and where they are located. I regularly see jobs listed with the following titles: Electronic Resources Librarian, System Librarian, Instruction and Technology Librarian, Electronic Access Librarian, Emerging Technology and Web Services Librarian, or more informally, Cybrarian. Even in my review of other positions such as Reference Librarian, I find there is the expectation of web site design and management experience, in addition to an understanding of the complexity of technology and its role in libraries today. This is not surprising to many graduate library students at the iSchool at the University of Maryland, College Park, as we all are required to take a core course called Information Technology. This course provides an introduction to web site design, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript languages. We also are introduced to relational database development and conduct a web site usability study. As all librarians know, the reference interview is an art and a science. It is an opportunity to try to understand what the customer really needs versus what they are asking about. In the practice of interviewing, the librarian is tested, challenged to be patient, aware, thoughtful and knowledgeable. All of these skills and qualities are also inherent in learning and doing web site design, at least that is what I learned after taking the Information Technology course at Maryland. These skills are transferrable from the reference interview process to the web site design process. It just is a matter of trying to learn about three types of customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; need versus one at one time. These customers include the people who will visit the web site once it is completed (i.e., librarians and patrons) and those people who are designing it (e.g., the web site builders). Ultimately, there is a fine balance between satisfying those three camps. One major issue with our group project is that we were working on a server where only one person could be updating the web site code at a time, and that ended up being me. Therefore, any review and subsequent changes made to the coding of the web site was done with all team members working face-to-face or by me on my own. For example, one person in our team wrote the JavaScript code for our website. The JavaScript code was responsible for the function on our main web page for rotating book covers of books we were featuring, each time you refreshed the page. However, to add the JavaScript written by that person to the HTML and CSS code that I DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 27
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wrote, the JavaScript (JS) coder had to copy and paste the JS code into an email and mail each document to me. Once I received the email, I copied and pasted it into the HTML and CSS code document that was the most recent and correct version of the web site that was saved on my computer. I then had to refresh the page and copy and paste the revised HTML and CSS code document to the server and refresh the server. Next I went to the Internet and went to the web site address of the server and opened the revised code document and then I refreshed the page to capture to new code and hopefully would see the changes that we made by adding the JS code. I say hopefully because there was always a good chance after taking all of these steps that something in the code document was incorrect and would either not load correctly or would not load at all. We took this step at least 100 times over the course of writing the code of the web site. It was time-consuming and because of our situation where only one of the three of us had access to the server at one time, patience became a key attribute of our success as web site designers. A point in our project where I had copied and pasted code such as the JavaScript code discussed above was when I was having difficulty with formatting the web site main page. We had 9 books with images and links that we were listing that had to be placed in rows and columns in the middle of the page. Our original idea was to have 3 books in each row. And so, I wrote the HTML and CSS code to divide the page into 3 rows and 3 columns. However, when I uploaded the revised code, the books were displayed in 4 columns and 2 rows, with an extra book starting a third row on its own. I went back to that code so many times to figure out what was wrong and finally had to request help. My professor emailed me code that he thought would make the necessary adjustments. When I dropped in and rewrote my code to accompany his code, and then walked through the copy, paste, refresh, transfer and upload process one more time, it did not fix the problem and what surprised me even more was that I noticed that my book cover images and links were now missing and/or broken. It took me a long time to figure out what this new problem was and how to fix it, but I eventually did. Unfortunately, there is not an â&#x20AC;&#x153;undoâ&#x20AC;? button to click to go back to the last revision of the code document. To put out this new fire, so to speak, I decided to perform a very close review of the code that my professor sent to me and the code that I had written. In doing so I noticed differences in what was listed as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;charsetâ&#x20AC;? in my code in comparison to new code. In the text at the top of my page the code was:
$)"23&4 ;
;
And in the new code it was:
$)"23&4 ;53 "3$**;
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A-ha! This small finding led me to the solution to my problem for the missing images and broken links. The Character Setting (or in the code the charset) is the formula that defines how links, text, and images will be listed and activated in the code itself. Adding code with a different character setting can change code that is not in that character setting, just as when you are formatting a Word document and you copy and paste text with hidden formatting into your document, it changes all the formatting.</p> Once I changed the new code to the ISO-8859-1 character setting, and retyped in my images and the correct links, and uploaded and refreshed the new code document, the book cover images and their links were displaying correctly again. The problem with the rows and columns however remained. And given the short amount of time that we then had to finish the web site for our final presentation, we decided to leave the rows and columns of book titles as they were. In the end, the web site we presented was successful at communicating the intended message and through trial and effort and lots of patience, eventually satisfied all its intended audiences. Learning web site design is a time-consuming process and we all know that everyone today has less and less time to set aside but I believe that learning this skills will really enhance a librarianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to be and be seen as relevant to the needs of customers today.
Some of the resources I recommend to those of you reading this column that are thinking about learning web site design are below: World Wide Web Consortium
(www.w3c.org)
This is the organization that creates the standards for web site design. There are several userfriendly hands-on tutorials and opportunities to practice coding on this web site. HTML Dog (http://htmldog.com/) This web site provides more tutorials for designers working at all levels including beginners. Usability.gov (www.usability.gov) This is a government website that provides templates, information and tutorials about web site usability standards.</div>
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/4&2/"4*0/"- 1&$*"- *#2"2*"/3 "9 by Shelia Jackson ~ Think differently was the theme of the night at the International Relations Committee’s (IRC) event honoring International Special Librarians Day. The event held on April 14 at the Georgetown Law Library featured three dynamic speakers who have redefined the role of the librarian and the perception of the library. Dr. Edna Reid was the night’s first speaker. Dr. Reid has utilized her library skills to find nontraditional librarian work both here and abroad. She trained diplomats on how to use the Internet in Malaysia, started the School of Information Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and currently works as a FBI Intelligence Analyst. Dr. Reid encouraged other librarians to have an overseas experience and look for work outside of libraries by thinking how they can apply their skills in other domains and use alternate words when describing our skills. Instead of using the word reference why not use research or search to explain what you do. It’s the same thing, just a different way of saying it. Listen to what people are talking about. For instance, people are talking about social media and not knowledge management. People outside of the library world talk about our skill sets using their own terms. Why not use these terms to illustrate your expertise? What happens when you combine a small grant with Open Source software and a lack of fear? You build a virtual library. That is what Allen Overland, Director for the National Endowment for Democracy’s Resource Center did. Capturing and/or collecting information is both a challenge and an opportunity. Thinking out of the box, the Resource Center decided to start a virtual library to take advantage of the numerous electronic resources available. The virtual library’s collection totals 2,000 full-text documents accumulated in just over a year. The traditional perception of a library is a brick and mortar building housing print materials. The night’s final speaker Dr. Sohair Wastawy, currently Dean of University Libraries at Illinois State University and formerly with the Bibliotheca Alexandria in Egypt, encourages libraries to defy this perception by rising to the challenge of the digital age. “The Transcendent Library” is an intellectual, social and cultural crossroads. Information behaviors have shifted from print to technology. This shift has motivated libraries to think differently about their physical space, services and resources. Libraries are now stunning architectural feats that draw people in by looks alone. The promotion of electronic resources in conjunction with mobile technologies has pushed libraries outside of their physical space. Libraries are home to museums, planetariums, restaurants and theaters. The Bibliotheca Alexandria in Egypt has its own orchestra. Some libraries have exercise bikes and treadmills. And don’t forget about the coffee. We all enjoy a piping hot cup of something while we are reading at home so why not at the library? Libraries are embracing the digital age by transforming into meeting areas where information and knowledge are shared through interaction between art, culture, technology and people. DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 30
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This photo was taken at the International Special Librarians Day PostHoliday Party in longtime DC/SLA enthusiast, Zeinab Mansour’s home. The photo includes Victor Monty, Zeinab Mansour, Jane Meyers, Hannah Miller and Young. Editor’s note: If you would like to upstage this photo, then submit your own winning photo and be featured at the top of the next issue of Chapter Notes: June/July.
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"80/0.9 5&3%"93 By Jacquelyn Marie Erdman
Taxonomy Tuesdays is an event hosted every third Tuesday of the month.
This month Heather Hedden, Author of “The Accidental Taxonomist” and Senior Analyst at the Project Performance Corporation gave a presentation titled “Taxonomy Implementation and Evolution”. The talk covered what a taxonomist should consider when updating or revising taxonomy, when combining two or more lists, and when creating multilingual taxonomies. In general, the talk spoke to people at a more beginner level of understanding, as the points can be found in Hedden’s book in chapter 11. As was found in the discussion and question after the presentation, the area of taxonomy requires a lot of problem solving as each list is handled. Key highlights from this talk that is relevant to any SLA member is the terminology of merging, integrating or mapping different taxonomy lists together. Why would this happen? Perhaps your organization is merging to departments and their resources, your organization finds out that two similar disciplines are maintaining two different thesauruses or you need to work with a third-party vendor, all these reason may lead to the merging, integrating or mapping of the taxonomy lists. Integrating taxonomies bring two (or more) unique taxonomies together into an authority list. To do this, one taxonomy needs to be identified as the primary in which the other(s) are folded into. If two or more lists have a lot of overlap, then the taxonomist needs to determine if they should be merged into one list (one authority file) or if they should remain distinct through mapping one taxonomy over the other, where certain points match up. The matching of words can be a little difficult and strategies to do this can be learned in a workshop. As was pointed out in the talk, taxonomists are paid by the hour, not the word, because their work takes a lot of problem solving and decision making than a translator or typist. For more information about this talk, you can either read the book “The Accidental Taxonomist” or contact Heather Hedden for her presentation slides, workshops and/or consulting services at heather.hiddenatppc.com. The following Taxonomy Tuesday’s event was a presentation on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) project with Joseph Busch and Richard Morey on Tuesday, March 29th from 12-2 at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Conference Room #5. For further information on Taxonomy Tuesday’s and other related taxonomy events, please send RSVP or a note to Amanda Wilson at: Amanda.Wilsonatdot.gov DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 32
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5049 "6704. &5718/56 --,78 480./98 0495 "97(9,.0* 2(4404. :4+(3,49(28 =6,70,4*,8 (4+ ,970*8 By Eileen Deegan Attendees of the April 29th Joint Spring Workshop (JSW), who were devotees of Britain’s royal wedding, got some planning practice even before this year’s workshop about strategic planning began. Managing to see “the dress,” the wedding ceremony, and “the kiss,” and, arrive at the Library of Congress’ Mumford Room in time for registration and breakfast, required more scheduling forethought than usual. Nevertheless, having the opportunity to hear keynote speaker DeEtta Jones, panelists Barbara Ferry and Pherabe Kolb, and presenter Raynna Bowlby offer their keen insights at the program “Strategic Planning: Moving Your Library Forward,” made any logistical juggling well worth the effort. JSW Co-Chair, DC/SLA’s Anne Linton welcomed the approximately 100 attendees and introduced the keynote speaker who regularly consults with libraries on planning and leading organizational change, via her firm DeEtta Jones and Associates. DeEtta began by remarking how strategic planning is the “doggonedest thing” that raises all kinds of questions. As predicted, during her keynote’s Q&A, audience members did ask a wide assortment of questions. DeEtta’s presentation primarily explored strategic planning fundamentals. She noted that vision, the leading component of a strategic plan, is about aspiration. Vision’s positive focus on the future, rather than fixing what’s wrong, is incredibly powerful. To underscore the benefit of creating a compelling shared vision, she displayed her favorite PowerPoint slide based on a model by Robert Fritz. In the center of the slide is the term “Current Reality.” An arrow pointing to the left leads to the words “Fear” and “Distress” connoting “emotional tension.” The arrow pointing to the right leads to the superior option -- a sketch of the sun rising from behind a cloud, and the word “Eustress,” connoting “creative tension.” For an organization to move from vision to results, it must undertake a strategic planning process comprised of identifying its mission (why we exist); critical success factors (what we need to do); goals (limited to 3-5); and action steps (our specific strategy for achieving each goal). Goals, she advised, must also be SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Once established, the goals should not be tinkered with. By contrast, the plan’s strategies can be modified -- preferably by a “strategy owner” who is assigned to monitor and guide the plan’s various action steps. Creating the strategies, DeEtta added, requires deciding what we prefer to DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 33
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do, and what we will do less of. She observed that accountability and follow through is a huge place in strategic planning where we fall down. To determine whether the strategies we decide to do actually work, our plan must incorporate appropriate metrics. Key metrics questions that the organization must address, upfront, include: “What number (metric) will tell us when we are making progress?” “Is the metric results-oriented or activity based?” Also necessary for a strategic plan’s success, DeEtta said, is that people get it, care about it, and are willing to do it. To generate such support, the plan must reflect the organization’s deeply rooted set of beliefs, its core values. Moreover, to create a high-performance plan, the plan’s strategy and structure must be aligned with the organization’s culture, its personality. She cautioned that such an alignment is hard to attain as organizational culture does not change easily. “Culture,” she asserted, “eats strategy for lunch.” DeEtta emphasized that carrying out all the nuts and bolts of strategic planning entails a significant commitment of time and resources. She highlighted other strategic-plan models that libraries are using. The “balanced scorecard,” a performance-measurement system that features a simple, helpful template, has finally taken hold in the library community, she noted. “Scenario analysis” she said, is a big-thinking exercise in which participants imagine long-term trends and issues, and consider how to position themselves now. Another model, the “strategic agenda,” provides a template for tackling a particular issue, rather than creating a full-blown strategic plan. During the Q&A, audience members asked DeEtta to elaborate on some of her keynote topics such as core values, cultural change, prioritizing strategies, and metrics. They also asked questions related to their own strategic planning experiences. For instance, one person asked – How do you step back from a failed plan? DeEtta advised that you shouldn’t assume that a whole plan will be successful. It’s more realistic to move in the right direction, working in consistency with the core values. Another person asked about how to avoid a ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’ problem. DeEtta recommended that the planning participants talk upfront about who the decision maker will be, while also making the planning process as open as possible. The workshop’s second morning session featured Barbara Ferry and Pherabe Kolb who described their strategic-planning experiences at the National Geographic Society and the Smithsonian Institution. (Editor’s note: TO BE CONTINUED ... next month!)
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DC/SLA WEB ADDRESS: HTTP://UNITS.SLA.ORG/CHAPTER/CDC/
"3 " *#2"/4 "-5&% 0-5/4&&2 Having a vibrant and diverse group of volunteers in DC/SLA is critical to our success as we move into the second century of SLA. In 2011, we will continue to strive to be the "recognized model of excellence as it prepares knowledge leaders for the future." Implementing this vision will be carried out through five goals, as detailed in the Chapter Strategic Plan. If you'd like to help our chapter and learn new skills at the same time, please check out our list of available opportunities at the chapter's sign-up sheet at
http://signupgenius.com/go/chapter If you would like to volunteer but do not wish to use this interface, please contact Deena Adelman, DC/SLA Volunteer Coordinator, deena.adelmanatmacrosysrt.com
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 35
DC/SLA WEB ADDRESS: HTTP://UNITS.SLA.ORG/CHAPTER/CDC/
!&# 3*4& The Washington, DC Chapter of the Special Libraries Association Web site provides a forum for information professionals in the Washington area to meet others, to learn, and to help each other develop skills for putting knowledge to work. We run an active email discussion list, publish a bi-monthly newsletter, and hold meetings, programs and networking events throughout the year. We reach out to students through scholarships and programs, and to the community through consultation and service activities. We reach out to our DC neighbors by working through our Community Outreach Project. To find out more about our varied Chapter events and activities, follow the links on this page. And if you'd like to get involved, contact me or any of our officers or committee chairs. I look forward to seeing you this year, Mary Talley (mary.talleygarciaatgmail.com) President DC/SLA, 2011
5< &, 533:40*(9, • • • • • •
Chapter Discussion List Chapter Notes, our e-newsletter Calendar of Events mailing Up-to-date Chapter web site Chapter Blog Chapter Wiki
Event announcements should be sent to the DC/SLA Calendar at dcslacalendaratgmail.com To see our Chapter's vision, visit Mission and Strategies. To see our Chapter’s past, visit Chapter Archives.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | April-May 2011 - Volume 72, No. 3 | page 36