Information Outlook, June 2005

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Information Outlook, 2005 Information Outlook, 2000s

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2 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 Features Columns and Departments 21 5 Information What Does Information Really Mean? Executive Outlook Coming Together—Clicking Together By Willem Noorlander By Janice Lachance 6 27 Letters to the Editor Toyota Kaizen Meets Dewey 8 By James Wiser SLA News 38 8 Web Sites Worth a Click Librarians By Carolyn J. Sosnowski Fringe Librarianship By Melissa Aho, Erika Bennett, and Susan Wakefield 16 News Briefs 41 18 Working Business Management Network, The Importance of Understanding Organizational Culture Know Your Customers, By Debbie Schachter and Sell By Karen Santos Freeman 61 45 Coming Events/Ad Index Taxonomy Knowledge Taxonomies 62 By Jo Anne Côté Copyright Corner Digital Licensing Questions By Lesley Ellen Harris 55 66 Viewpoint Information Tech Radical Reference Tiny Libraries By Shinjoung Yeo, Joel J. Rane, By Stephen Abram James R. Jacobs, Lia Friedman, and Jenna Freedman 68 Information Management One Small Step for Cinderella By John R. Latham

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 3 The Monthly Magazine of the Special Libraries Association Vol. 9, No. 6 June 2005

Publisher, Editor in Chief: John T. Adams III ([email protected]) Editor: Loretta Y. Britten ([email protected]) Columnists: Stephen Abram Lesley Ellen Harris Janice R. Lachance John R. Latham Ethel Salonen Debbie Schachter Carolyn J. Sosnowski Layout & Design: Nathan Yungkans

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4 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 Coming Together—Clicking Together

If it’s June, then thousands of us are gathering togeth- for anyone who wishes to join us. Refreshments and free er for the SLA Annual Conference. I’ve been to three since gifts will be available on a limited basis, and you’ll get to I joined the staff as executive director, and I already look here more about the wonderful course libraries and servic- forward to them as a source of excitement, optimism, and es available exclusively to SLA members. Best of all, you’ll fellowship with members and industry partners. get to try out Click University that day, no matter where This year, we’re in Canada for the first time in 10 you are in the world—as long as you’re an SLA member! years, in “the world within a city,” as Toronto likes to call Finally, I’d like to turn your attention to an article in itself. What better place for the global community of this issue of Information Outlook that profiles Jane information professionals to gather than one of the most Cooney, an SLA member and another native Canadian. I culturally diverse cities in the world? Judging by our data, felt so inspired by the story of her career and the success thousands of you are planning to be there! We’re expect- she has experienced. She’s a perfect example of someone ing a very large turnout for SLA 2005, and I think you’ll who has used SLA to her advantage, and given back to be pleasantly surprised by the continued focus on quality her profession as well. Talk about clicking! in our programming. What’s more is that the Info-Expo If you’re with us in Toronto, best wishes for a super looks to be the largest we’ve had since 1997, when we conference. If you’re not with us, we wish you were here! were in Seattle and Bill Gates was our featured keynote speaker. Things are really coming together for SLA 2005, including you, our membership. We’ll be coming together in many ways while in Toronto, with hundreds of learning events, networking opportunities, and scores of social activities designed to get you connected with peers, the information industry, and the wonderful city of Toronto. Two native Canadians are serving as our first two keynote speakers: Don Tapscott will offer a lively assessment of your role in driving organizational transparency; and Bill Buxton will delight you with insights on the importance of human-centered technology design. These are criti- Janice R. Lachance cal subjects for us to consider for the future, and they can aid in enhancing the profession’s value in an organization. Special thanks to LexisNexis and Dialog for their support in bringing these leading thinkers to SLA 2005. SLA Executive Director On the last day of the conference, we’re in for a real treat. Through the generous support of Factiva, we are able to present Gary Hamel, the world’s reigning guru on business strategy and innovation. Mr. Hamel is widely viewed as one of the top thinkers, writers, and speakers on strategy as a competitive advantage. Friends, if there’s one thing we all must embrace, it’s the core belief that organizational strategy can lead us on the path to success. I’m certain you will find Gary Hamel to be inspiring and informative—the perfect combination for a conference on library and information management. Lots of things will be happening at SLA 2005 that will excite you and inspire your imagination. Chief among them will be an announcement of something that really isn’t a secret at all. For the past year, we’ve been telling you to look forward to a new order in professional learning and development. Now, we’re ready to deliver. Are YOU ready to CLICK? Click University launches on Monday, June 6, just as we are in the heart of SLA 2005. We’ll hold a launch party

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 5 letters to the editor

Did the March Cover Photo Depict a Professional?

The following items were posted on the SLA leadership discussion board following publication of the March 2005 issue of Information Outlook:

No Way Did any of you besides myself find the cover of the [March] issue of Temporarily embarrassed to be a Information Outlook embarrassing, member—Earl Mounts, president-elect offensive, or silly (just pick one), a of the Greatest Chapter in the history of depiction of the members of our associ- SLA International or of any association ation and profession as ineffectual A Ridiculous Photo or society in the history of humankind. mousey milquetoasty types? What message does this cover send to the person To the editor: Of a good beginning cometh a good end. who is considering becoming a profes- The photo on page 27 of the April sional librarian and information 2005 issue of Information Outlook Heywood Earl Mounts provider, to the person who is consid- accompanying the article “How to Have Alcoa Technical Library ering joining the association, to the a Great Time in Toronto” is ridiculous! Is Alcoa Center, PA manager who is considering slashing there no other photo available to portray the library budget, to the manager who the city and people of Toronto other than is considering cutting library staff, to I Welcome Diverse Covers an image of an old man who hasn’t the manager who is considering elimi- Are you addressing the March 2005 shaved in days? nating information services, to the issue, with the blonde female on the While there are many ethnic groups world? I know we don’t have any per- cover? in multicultural Toronto, unshaven men sons of this type in the Pittsburgh She does look a bit perplexed, but I are not their best representatives. Chapter and I don’t remember meeting attributed her look to the fact that she’s I can’t help but wonder if the same any at the annual conferences. wondering how she can be a manager photo would accompany an article on a I see all of the chapter bulletins and when she’s a solo librarian. conference in Chicago or Boston or New many publications for other profession- I am almost offended that you find York. Somehow, I think not. al associations, and I have never seen her embarrassing, offensive and stupid, I expect much, much better from a any that blatantly and consciously den- because I personally identify with the professional publication. igrate their own profession in any way. model’s look (minus the unsure and Who makes the final decision on the hesitant expression). I am not blonde, Kate Bird cover art of Information Outlook? Do but am a young female with a similar News/Graphics Research Librarian any of our members have direct input— style of dress. I am also an active mem- The Vancouver Sun & The Province if not, it’s certainly obvious that we ber of SLA, a recent past president of Pacific Newspaper Group Inc., A should. Where are the covers that cele- my chapter and chairperson of various CanWest Company brate our members, the recently named committees at my institution. I am 200 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C. Fellows, newly designed libraries, new sorry that you think the model’s look and innovative projects and programs? denigrates our profession and associa- I would recommend and think that tion. I think that I have always repre- the membership should demand that sented the association, my chapter, and the latest issue be republished with a my employer in a positive light, and I cover that adequately exemplifies and hope that I have misinterpreted your celebrates the achievements and strong reaction to the model. accomplishments of the association’s I think that your suggestions for members. future cover art are good, and I would like to see items such as these on the

6 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 letters to the editor

cover someday myself. Until then, how- every place I have worked in the last 20 companies. Now what do you think I ever, I welcome Information Outlook years. So that’s quite subjective from look like? covers that depict the diversity of our organization to organization as to what About 30-40 y/o, with a polished association members. constitutes management. If anything, the hairstyle, wearing a sweater set, and my cover is good because it generates discus- black rimmed glasses? Erin Lanham sion amongst the association members. No. I am 30 years old with 12 tattoos, Past President Those who haven’t looked at the issue five piercings, and very short stylish hair. St. Louis Metro Area Chapter will now look at it, others will now take I do dress very professionally, and my a second look. brains outweigh my looks in the commu- The Cover Is Good After reading the issue, I thought it nity. I was just hired to work at an aca- I can’t say I had any strong feelings was one of the best in quite awhile. demic library part-time to do library about the cover. I did like the fact that the automation and no one thought twice of cover model was younger than one tends Denise M. Watkins me when I came in my skirt and heels. to think of librarians, thus showing that President They were impressed with my resume to we don’t have a particular “look.” As to Philadelphia SLA be a leader and a good librarian. her expression, I thought it represented Think twice before you judge the next the cover story and the “Do you make Taken Aback generation. enough money?” question. I have to say I am taken aback by I am recently unemployed, but in my your comments. I am ON one of the Sandra M. Schock former company, if you didn’t have peo- boards for SLA, run the Archival and Project Manager ple reporting to you, then you aren’t a Preservation Caucus, and work as a man- HP Services Public Sector manager. That has been my experience in ager for one of the big two computer Voorhees, New Jersey

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 7 sla

By Carolyn J. Sosnowski, MLIS 2006 Board Candidates Announced

This installment in our blog series offers additional A dozen SLA members comprise the slate of candidates who suggestions for keeping current in your workplace will stand for election to the association’s board of directors in and career. If you have other recommendations for 2006. The candidates were presented by the SLA Nominating resources that you find particularly valuable, send Committee and approved by the board earlier this month. The can- them to me at [email protected]. didates are: For president-elect: Stephen K. Abram, vice president of innova- Beyond the Job tion, Sirsi Corporation, Toronto, Ontario, and W. Davenport “Dav” http://librarycareers.blogspot. Robertson, library director, National Institute of Environmental com/ Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. If you are looking for a job or avenues for pro- For treasurer: N. Bernard “Buzzy” Basch, president, Basch fessional development, don’t forget to stop by or Subscriptions Inc., Concord, New Hampshire, and Sylvia R. James, subscribe to this blog, the work of Sarah L. principal, Sylvia James Consultancy, West Sussex, UK. Johnson and Rachel Singer Gordon. In addition to For Division Cabinet chair-elect: Robyn C. Frank, director, job notices, the authors post links to relevant arti- library and research services, Executive Office of the President of cles and information about networking and learn- the United States, Washington, D.C., and Lawrence S. Guthrie II, ing opportunities (conferences, symposia, work- interlibrary loan librarian, Covington and Burling, Washington, shops), all good resources to help you move for- D.C. ward on your career path. For Chapter Cabinet chair-elect: James E. Manasco, special collections librarian, University of Louisville, and Libby Trudell, senior Confessions of a Science Librarian vice president, Dialog, Sunnyvale, California. For director (two to be elected): Kate L. Arnold, head of knowl- http://jdupuis.blogspot.com/ edge management, NHS Direct Online, Hampshire, UK, Carol L. John Dupuis, an academic librarian at York Ginsburg, president, CLG Consulting, New York, LaJean University in Toronto, writes this informative Humphries, library manager, Schwabe, Williamson and Wyatt, weblog that covers science and technology topics, Portland, Oregon, and Tamika Barnes McCollough, engineering with a smattering of science fiction thrown in. The services librarian, North Carolina State University, Raleigh. blog, begun in 2002, explores Web sites, publica- For information about SLA’s governance practices and leader- tions, news, and other resources of interest to the ship, see www.sla.org/content/SLA/governance/bodsection/ research community. Recent topics: weblogs in sci- index.cfm. tech libraries, podcasting, and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. An interesting mix.

Free Range Librarian http://freerangelibrarian.com/ News and refreshing commentary on the library world from Karen G. Schneider, who is also the director of the Librarians’ Index to the Internet. Frequent Blog with postings and comments make this blog multi-dimensional and full of interesting tidbits on technology, intellectual freedom, writing, and controversy. Schneider also reviews books and posts a list of what SLA in she’s reading. This blog offers one stop shopping and a good excuse to postpone that lit search you’ve been working on. Toronto

www.sla.org/conferenceblog

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For Professional Development, Click University New Online Education Service Will Take Learning to Members’ Desktops

By John Lowery Coming June 6 Starting this month, SLA’s To a Computer new Click University is coming to an Internet connection Near You near you. In fact, to your very SLA will launch Click University during its annual own desktop. conference. The launch party is scheduled for 3 This new service will enable p.m., Monday, June 6, at the SLA Marketplace in the members to study from their exhibit hall. work or home offices to improve their knowledge of To see the site, point your browser to information management, busi- www.clickuniversity.com. ness management, software applications and more. costs were prohibitive for them Click University will debut flexibility. An SLA online tiveness of distance programs personally, or their employers at the SLA annual conference in community would be able to for students, instructors, and were unwilling to invest in pro- Toronto. It all started with a bring the collaborative model institutions. fessional development on their meeting in Chapel Hill… of online education to our That said, embracing online behalf. My instincts told me In 2003, Janice Lachance membership. education is not a simple task. right then and there that we was sitting in a room with a Over the past 10 years Potential students may wonder needed to do something.” group of librarians at the online education has moved whether online education offers I first met Janice on University of North Carolina at beyond the initial “no signifi- convenience at the expense of October 23, 2003. It was my Chapel Hill. Having rarely cant difference” paradigm. quality. Fortunately, there is an first day on the job at SLA. Five spent much time with librari- Instructors in developed dis- emerging body of research minutes into our conversation, ans during her tenure as direc- tance education programs are informed by theory and prac- it was apparent that we were tor of the U.S. Office of finding that online education tice to guide this transition. in agreement on the need to Personnel Management, she has advantages over traditional Library and information sci- lower the barriers for partici- wasn’t quite sure what to face-to-face delivery. The bene- ence is particularly well suited pants in our learning experi- expect. This was one of her first fits of well-designed online edu- for online education. Before the ences. We agreed that an meetings with members of the cation include delivery of advent of online education, online learning community Special Libraries Association, courses anytime and anywhere, information professionals rec- could be the primary initiative where Janice was now serving an increased level of student-to- ognized the value of profession- necessary for achieving that as executive director. instructor and student-to-stu- al networks to increase access goal. There are many factors “My first thought was, dent interaction, participation and improve quality in meeting that make this true. ‘what the heck are they going by otherwise isolated student a wide range of information The rapidly changing world to expect of me?’ I think they populations, and the cost-effec- needs. Learning online serves of library and information sci- were in awe of me, but what ence requires that 21st century they didn’t know is that I was information professionals just as much in awe of them!” update their skills through con- As the discussion ensued, tinuing education. Many infor- “You will be able to do Janice did what she always had mation professionals seek con- done with groups of unfamiliar tinuing education in informa- everything from finding people: She asked them what tion science and professional they needed. development topics, but are “It was pretty obvious with- an article in the library limited to either attending pre- in the first few minutes that conference workshops or seek- they were starving for new all the way to taking an ing local workshops available learning experiences. But they within driving distance. Online also intimated that participation education offers an alternative advanced degree.” in live learning events was point of access and program often very difficult. Either the

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 9 sla

as a model for LIS profession- Center—i.e. chat rooms—and als. Online communities pro- share information and ideas vide opportunities for develop- with fellow students. ing skills and knowledge that may later be directly applied to Click University Content providing services during their When Click University goes careers. It is not surprising live this month, there will be then, that according to the 200 six major content areas: the Association for Library and SLA virtual seminar program, Information Science Education continuing education sessions, Statistical Report, approximate- course libraries, university ly 80 percent of LIS schools partner programs, adjunct fac- now offer part of their pro- ulty, and research partner programs at a distance. gramming. One of SLA’s objectives for The virtual seminar pro- 2003-2004 was to “explore, gram has been expanded for evaluate and, if feasible, estab- 2005, and will continue to lish an on-line learning center grow. Each month, we present to bring just-in-time profession- two seminars on a common al development opportunities to full of success stories—people skills such as software and theme. Themes so far this year each member at their worksite who have made it big. But the technology use to manage- have included content man- or home.” In January of 2004, I majority of our members are ment, communications, and agement, competitive intelli- met with the Professional working hard to succeed, and leadership strategies and effec- gence, identifying client needs, Development Committee, and we needed to find a way to get tive practices and methods for and weblogs. All of our semi- we agreed to pursue the evalua- them there.” the collection, sharing, and use nars from this year and most tion of an online learning com- At the meeting in October, of information and knowledge from 2004 have been recorded munity. Staff evaluated its feasi- the SLA board unanimously in the modern working world. exactly as they originally bility and determined that it approved the creation of an occurred and are available could and should be done. online university to serve the The CLICK University Concept online. This means that as Learn.com, a learning man- library and information pro- As a student or community Click University goes live this agement system and Web por- fession. The new service, member, when you have access month, you will have access to tal provider, was selected based titled, “Click University,” will to a university campus, you more than 30 excellent infor- on cost-effectiveness, refer- reverse the 20th century have access to a wide range of mation studies seminars. ences, and reliability. At the model that required people to learning experiences. You can Several of our continuing 2004 SLA Annual Conference go somewhere for learning take an advanced degree; you education sessions in Toronto in Nashville, I gave a one-hour experiences. Click University enroll in a specific career- will be captured as courses. The presentation to preview the will bring learning experi- enhancing program that leads audio will be recorded and syn- online learning portal. We ences to the learner. to a certificate; you can take chronized with the slide pres- negotiated the best price possi- Now scheduled for launch advantage of courses that help entation so the experience will ble and submitted the proposal in June at the 2005 SLA confer- you achieve your professional be available online. This means to the Finance Committee and ence in Toronto, Click and personal goals; you are that if you are unable to attend subsequently to the SLA Board University is expected to lower able to sign up for seminars; the conference—or if you’re of Directors. We gave a presen- the barriers to access for many and, when you all you need to attending a different session— tation to the board in October information professionals and do is find an item of informa- you can still virtually attend explaining the operation and knowledge workers who are tion, you can go to the library sessions you might have value of the online university thirsting for low-cost, easy-to- and locate the right resource. missed. In the coming years, concept and outlining the pro- access learning opportunities. Our vision is that as a member this technology will be jected content of the site. The initial course library will be of Click U, you will be able do improved and our library of “Once I visualized the con- based on template programs all of this and more. You will be courses will grow and improve. cept, I was on board,” quipped from the arsenal of Learn.com, able to do everything from find- Click University has several SLA President Ethel Salonen, the developer of the technology ing an article in the library all excellent libraries of courses to who is an information manager behind Click University. But the way to taking an advanced enable both professional and for Mitre Corporation. “It just SLA expects the offerings to degree. You will also be able to personal development. The makes sense. Our profession is ultimately range from core go to the lounge in the Student Office Application libraries pro-

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vide access to more than 150 have three or four individuals courses that can enable you to on our “virtual staff,” but as of become proficient in Microsoft this writing there is only one Office products. There also are for whom arrangements have courses in applications from been finalized, Lesley Ellen other vendors, such as Adobe, Harris. Lesley—who writes the Lotus, and Corel. The “Copyright Corner” column in Professional Development Information Outlook—is well libraries offer 70 courses that known for her expertise in cover a wide variety of career- copyright law and digital enhancing skills, including licensing, and she will be offer- management, communication, ing her online courses to our assessment, and coaching and members at a discount on the team dynamics. The Business Click University campus. These Fundamentals libraries contain offerings include courses in 50 courses to enhance your basic copyright law and more career knowledge in topics advanced topics such as man- such as leadership, project aging copyright issues, digital management, change manage- licensing, and profiting from ment, and financial planning. partnership with Syracuse student at the University of digital property. Our adjunct Perhaps the most important University that will allow mem- Pittsburgh who needs a particu- faculty will expand rapidly. component of Click University bers to take courses at a signifi- lar course offered by Victoria is its collection of university cantly discounted rate. The University of Wellington will be Click University’s Future partnerships. As of this writing partnership began with the able to take the course and As we roll out Click we have formed partnerships Regnier Summer Institute 2005 receive the credit. Also, as part University this month, we are with Drexel University, courses. Syracuse is offering of this project, teachers who laying the foundation for the Syracuse University, and the SLA members courses at a 40 develop and/or deliver online future, and you can be assured WISE consortium. percent discount on tuition, so courses will be trained in a that this is only the beginning. SLA has entered into a part- long as students are not taking standard pedagogy for online All of our programs will nership with Drexel University these for graduate credit. For education that will be devel- increase in value and scope. We eLearning, whereby any SLA graduate courses, SLA mem- oped as part of the funded pro- are exploring partnerships with member who wishes to take bers a 10 percent discount. The gram. We are exploring ways other institutions. We will advantage of online degree and 40 percent discount makes the to allow Click U students to hopefully be able to offer cours- certificate programs offered by cost comparable to the CE take advantage of this collabo- es via the WISE consortium, the College of Information courses that SLA offers at con- ration. WISE will be at the con- giving Click students immedi- Science and Technology will ferences, and students will get a ference in Toronto. In fact, that ate access to 12 universities receive a 20 percent discount certificate that they have com- is where the consortium will throughout North America. In when they identify themselves pleted the class. hold its official launch of the partnership with Syracuse as a member of SLA. The mas- The WISE initiative is an WISE initiative. University, we have applied for ter's and graduate certificate exciting new development in The online offerings of Click an IMLS grant that will fund programs are available at dis- the field of online education. University will be greatly the development of courses counted rates to our members. WISE stands for Web-enabled enhanced and expanded specifically for Click University When you apply, you will need Information Science Education. through what I have termed by the Syracuse faculty and will to use the code “SLA” to qualify WISE is a consortium of 12 uni- our adjunct faculty. These are enable us to hire instructional for reduced rates. Drexel has versities that share classes, stu- online instructors/professors designers to develop our own also approved a proposal to dents, and resources online. who already have online cours- courses. We can also be sure offer courses that will satisfy The initiative, funded by an es that they present on a regu- that the technology underlying the objectives corresponding to IMLS grant and spearheaded by lar basis and who have agreed online education will improve our Core Competencies. This Syracuse University and the to work with Click University exponentially. You might say, will enable you to take courses University of Illinois at Urbana- to enable our members to take “The future’s so bright we gotta at Click University to complete Champaign, is specifically advantage of these courses. wear shades.” a certificate in each of these charged with developing a col- In a sense, they will be fac- competencies. laborative model for online edu- ulty members at Click U. By the John Lowery is director of pro- SLA has also entered into a cation. As a WISE participant, a time we launch, we expect to fessional development at SLA.

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SLA to Honor ‘Info Heroes’ at Awards Ceremony

SLA will celebrate its 2005 “Info Heroes” at the annual conference in Toronto with a black-tie- optional awards ceremony and reception at 7 p.m. June 5 in the Ontario Room of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. The ticketed event will be presided over by SLA President Ethel Salonen and sponsored by LexisNexis, Factiva, and FactSet.

Carol L. Ginsburg Phyllis Waggoner Sylvia A.E. Piggott Carol A. Berger Hall of Fame Hall of Fame John Cotton Dana Award Rose L. Vormelker Award

Tony Stankus L. Susan Hayes Tom Rink W. Davenport Robertson Rose L. Vormelker Award Fellow Fellow Fellow

Hope N. Tillman Richard E. Wallace Barbie Keiser Karen Melville Fellow Fellow President’s Award Professional Award

14 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 sla

Brandy King Defense Technical Information Center Innovations in Technology Award Innovations in Technology Award

Susan Tarr Susan Fifer Canby John Latham Honorary Member Factiva Leadership Award Member Achievement Award

John J. DiGilio Gayle Lynn-Nelson Judith C. Russell Laura N. Gasaway H.W. Wilson Company Award H.W. Wilson Company Award Professional Award H.W. Wilson Company Award

Tamika Barnes McCollough Tatiana Pashkova Phebe Poydras Matildah M. Sakala Diversity Leadership Diversity Leadership Diversity Leadership Diversity Leadership Development Program Award Development Program Award Development Program Award Development Program Award

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 15 Artist Directory Seeks women’s and gender studies. fielded searching on such Innovative Print and Paper Data on Collections It will direct users to primary access points as art genre, (RCIPP). source materials of and about style, and movement, and the Members of the WAAND All archival repositories contemporary women visual geographic regions of the Advisory Council include holding primary source mate- artists active in the U.S. artist’s activity. WAAND has Mary Garrard, professor rial about female visual artists Participating repositories been funded by the Getty emerita, American University, active in the U.S. since 1945 will be asked to complete an Foundation. and author of The Power of are invited to be included in online repository survey form WAAND’s principal inves- Feminist Art; Camille Billops, WAAND—the Women Artists for each artist in their collec- tigators are Dr. Ferris Olin, artist, filmmaker, and founder Archives National Directory— tions, describing the nature of head of the Margery Somers of the Hatch-Billops Archives, a Web directory under devel- the primary source materials Foster Center, Rutgers New York; and Janis Ekdahl, opment by Rutgers University they hold. The WAAND repos- University Libraries, and long- retired chief librarian, Libraries and on the Web at itory survey form will be time curator of the Mary H. Museum of Modern Art http://waand.rutgers.edu. ready for release by summer Dana Women Artist Series at Library, New York. WAAND is designed as a 2005. Please sign up now if the Mabel Smith Douglass For information or to partner research tool for scholars, you wish to receive the survey Library, and Judith K. with WAAND, contact: Nicole artists, curators, students, and upon release. Brodsky, Rutgers distin- Plett, WAAND Project Manager, collecting institutions around WAAND users will be able guished professor emerita in Mabel Smith Douglass Library, the world, as well as to access data through artist the Department of Visual Rutgers, 8 Chapel Drive, New researchers in cultural and name, archival repository, or Arts, Mason Gross School of Brunswick, NJ 08901-8527, intellectual history, American collection title. The directory the Arts, and founding direc- [email protected]. studies, material culture, and will also be structured for tor of the Rutgers Center for

AAM Honors IMLS Chief Feds Keep More Secrets, Study Shows

The board of directors of the American Association of The federal government set a new record for keeping Museums has honored Robert S. Martin, director of the secrets in 2004, during which government employees chose Institute of Museum and Library Services. Martin's term to classify information a record 15.6 million times, accord- ends in July. ing to new government figures released this week and "On behalf of the entire museum community, the AAM highlighted in an update to OpenTheGovernment.org's Board of Directors wanted to recognize the extraordinary Secrecy Report Card. contribution made by a man who has proven himself to be The total number of secrecy decisions is 10 percent a forceful and effective advocate of museums,” said higher than the total in 2003. The new data, released by Edward H. Able Jr., president and CEO of the association. the government's Information Security Oversight Office, The Institute of Museum and Library Services is a fed- show, secrecy continued to grow in 2004. For example: eral grant-making agency charged by Congress to support • When given a choice, government employees last year the nation's 10,000 museums and 122,000 libraries. It is chose to keep their new secrets longer than in years past: the primary source of federal funds for these institutions. Two-thirds (66 percent) of the time government employees Prior to his appointment to the Institute, Martin was pro- chose to keep those new secrets for more than a decade. fessor and interim director of the School of Library and • At the same time, the flow of old secrets to the public Information Studies at Texas Women's University. From dropped to its lowest point in nearly a decade: 28 million 1995 to 1999, he was director and librarian of the Texas pages in 2004. State Library and Archives Commission. • The government must declassify 260 million pages of During Martin’s four years as director, the institute has existing old secrets by the end of 2006. awarded 4,318 grants, totaling more than $861 million dol- OpenTheGovernment.org is a coalition promoting open lars. These federal grants help museums and libraries government, sponsored by the Fund for Constitutional advance their public mission with funding for educational Government. programs, community outreach, leadership development, and care and digitization of collections.

16 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 You're the Expert Share What You Know Here Are Information Outlook's Major Topics for 2005

We're always looking for new authors for Information Outlook. That's one way we get new ideas, learn new ways of doing things. The editorial calendar below shows major topics we want to cover for each issue in 2005. Please note: The editorial calendar is only a starting point. We need more articles on more topics than we've listed below. If you want to write on a topic that isn't on the calendar, or on a topic that isn't listed for a particular issue, we want to hear from you. For example, articles on topics like marketing, searching, and technology will be welcome throughout the year. We want to hear all of your ideas for articles. Also, our descriptions of the topics may not fit your approach. If you have a different idea for a topic, let us know.

October Deadlines Marketing library services. In general, we need to receive completed articles six weeks prior to the month of publi- November cation: for example, October 15 for the Trends in library design. A library is more December issue. than a collection of books and periodicals. However, we prefer that authors inquire How can design make a difference for your before submitting a manuscript. If you are clients? Or, with increasing digitization of infor- writing for a particular issue, your query mation, are the days of physical libraries nearly should be early enough to allow for writing through? the article. E-publishing. For more information on writing for Information Outlook, see www.sla.org/con- December tent/Shop/Information/writingforio.cfm, or write [email protected]. Purchasing. How do you get the best deal for your company’s information needs?

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 17 business management The Importance of Understanding Organizational Culture

By Debbie Schachter organizational culture if you Types of Culture which to work, while a mar- want to make changes to how The assessment we used ket culture is often found in When I was an MBA stu- work is done, what type of to assess the organization’s organizations that are dent, as part of a manage- work is being done, or at the culture used questions that results-oriented and sales- ment course I had the broadest level, to affect the sought to determine and driven. opportunity to conduct a organization’s standing in its enumerate such organiza- The assessment deter- “culture assessment” at the industry. Understanding the tional traits as symbols (such mined that the existing cul- organization where I was culture and, as required, as images, things, events), ture was very hierarchical working. The organization changing it, can mean the organizational-espoused val- and quite clannish. The staff was somewhat new to me— difference between attracting ues and beliefs (for example, also indicated, through the I had been hired as a senior and retaining good employ- the mission statement, con- anonymous written survey, manager only a year ees and driving away the best stitution, espoused goals of that they would prefer the before—and the ability to employees with an environ- the ED, slogans). Then the culture to be more adhocrat- quantify and analyze the ment that doesn’t encourage, espoused beliefs and values ic and less hierarchical, organizational culture was a challenge, or reward them. were compared with the while at the same time being new concept to me. The organizational cul- symbols and culture identi- slightly more market culture As an employee in any ture assessment that I par- fied through the written sur- and clannish. This showed type of organization can ticipated in didn’t provide vey and staff interviews. the positive and optimistic attest, organizational culture any surprises regarding the The written survey asked view of the staff towards is as prevalent and as varied existing culture—most peo- staff to answer questions change. as individuals themselves. ple with any level of sensi- related to the current cul- The process I used for Organizational culture is tivity can get a sense of ture and then asked how assessing the culture involved enduring and complex, and what type of culture is they would like to see the conducting group employee may have both a positive and prevalent in an organiza- culture change. Responses interviews and written staff a negative effect on the staff tion. What was surprising were tabulated to determine surveys, followed by analysis and the workplace. In many were the results from the which type of culture exist- of the information. Staff ways culture will determine survey to determine what ed among the four metrics responded to a series of the survival of an organiza- type of culture staff would of organizational culture: prompts and questions tion over the long term, espe- prefer to see the organiza- hierarchy, adhocracy, clan, regarding organizational sym- cially in volatile industries. tion develop. and market. bols, organizational-espoused Cultures that can be a lia- As background, the The hierarchy aspect of values, and beliefs. These bility to an organization organization had just gone an organization refers to how responses were analyzed, cre- include those that create through a major change. The structured, inflexible, and ating a pattern showing com- barriers to change, create executive director had process-driven an organiza- parisons between espoused barriers to diversity or barri- departed after 20 years; there tion is in the way it operates. belief/values (in the form of ers to mergers and acquisi- had been a period of several At the opposite end of the phrases or statements) with tions. (Stephen P. Robbins. months with an acting ED scale, adhocracy refers to their associated symbols Organizational Behavior, 8th followed by a new, external how flexible, informal, inno- (both positive and negative), ed., 602-603.) ED appointment. The assess- vative, and dynamic an and related culture types Understanding the orga- ment took place only a organization is. A clan cul- (hierarchy, adhocracy, clan, nizational culture can help month after the new ED was ture supports a very friendly and market). you to understand why in position. and social environment in change does not take place, or why a project fails. It will Debbie Schachter has a master's degree in library science and a master's also help you to determine degree in business administration. She is the associate executive director of where to strive to make the Jewish Family Service Agency in Vancouver, British Columbia, where changes to the culture. she is responsible for financial management, human resources, database As managers and library and IT systems, and grant application management. Schachter has more leaders, why do we need to than 15 years’ experience in management and supervision, technology get a sense of the prevailing planning and support, in a variety of nonprofit and for-profit settings. She organizational culture? It is can be reached at [email protected]. essential to understand the

18 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 business management

For a new leader or man- Ask the Staff do so. For a start, make sure empower staff to make more ager, understanding the orga- From interviews and sur- that departmental statements decisions for their own areas nizational culture that is in veys, staff will provide a vari- and staff actions reflect the of expertise. place is essential for success ety of examples of symbols type of culture you want. As the library leader, you in providing direction, espe- that reflect particular cul- For example, to increase should always be aware of cially when the direction is tures. For example, symbols the market culture, try your actions and model the different from what has come that might reflect a clan cul- increasing the measurements behavior you expect of your before. Are staff willing and ture might include: coffee of service activities and have staff. Ensure that the state- eager to take on new chal- parties, potlucks, Halloween staff involved in developing ments you make are consis- lenges and to follow a new parties, postcards from staff metrics and outcomes for tent with the values and the direction, or will they provide trips, gifts from patrons. services (as part of the per- symbols of the culture you passive or active resistance to Symbols that indicate a hier- formance management sys- would like to develop. You any changes? What is impor- archical culture could include tem, for example). may not be able to change tant to people today, based on procedures manuals, statis- Reward staff of particular the overall organizational their view of where the organ- tics, stability, structure, and service areas who respond to culture immediately, but the ization is and where it should insistence on punctuality, changes in customer demands positive results and positive be? Where are there discon- accuracy, respect, politeness, through developing new pro- impact at the departmental nects between espoused val- privacy, efficiency. From grams or services. To reduce level should have some level ues, such as the mission state- these examples, you can hierarchical culture, for exam- of spill-over effect onto other ment, and the over symbols quickly get a sense of the ple, begin by empowering departments. Moreover, it and culture type? types of symbols you could staff to provide suggestions will make it a more pleasant For example, if the organi- attribute to our own organiza- and to help implement their culture for you and for your zation’s mission is to provide tion’s culture. new ideas. You should also staff to be working in. expert customer service, yet As a library manager, it the strong hierarchical struc- may not be possible for you to ture means that employees change the organization’s over- are not empowered to assist arching culture. Understanding customers by providing cre- the culture, however—especial- ative solutions or don’t have ly if you want to adapt your the required authority to pro- departmental culture to create vide responses or results, a more positive culture—is pos- there is a disconnect. sible. Departmental cultures The organization that I may differ greatly in organiza- surveyed was eager to see tions, depending on the leaders positive change and the time and the staff within those was right for providing departments. You may not be impetus to staff to follow a able to have an effect on the new path. The assessment organization overall, depend- can reveal the opposite, ing on your position in the however, which is just as organization and how large it valuable to managers or is, but with work you will be library leaders. If there is able to make a difference at the resistance to change, if the library level. espoused values of the Some ways that you can try organization don’t match to change the organizational with the staff perceptions culture include reviewing the and prevailing culture, you mission and vision for the must try to change the cul- library with the staff to ensure ture or change the objectives that they are accurate. If and mission to reflect reality. changes are needed to reflect the reality of what you want to do and what you can do, then

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 19 (//6%23%$)4)/.3 3!6% WHENYOUORDERTHE(ANDBOOKSSETDIRECTLYFROM(OOVERSFOR/.,9

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20 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 Information

By Willem Noorlander Willem Noorlander has served in domestic and international positions with several global banks and consulting firms and has a wide The name of this publi- range of experience in the financial and information industries. His cation is Information experience includes finance/accounting, operational management, Outlook. More than likely, risk management, and general management. During the past 14 you are an information pro- years he has focused on information management, including in-depth fessional and hold degrees knowledge of usage requirements, information sourcing, and contract that make you a specialist negotiations. He is a principal in BST America, a market data con- on how to use and maxi- sulting and outsourcing firm in New York City. He is the partner in mize the value of informa- charge of BST’s market data consultancy practice. Contact him at tion. You are also a mem- [email protected]. ber of the Special Library Association (SLA) and pos- The common theme in your profession, your mem- work environment. We have sibly other information everything I have said so far bership in professional a common theme, but do industry associations that is the word “information.” It organizations, and, most we have a common under- focus on information and describes and relates to the important, the tasks you standing of what the word learning. magazine you are reading, perform every day in your “information” means? Your

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 21 Information

initial reaction is probably have many different ideas 3. Research departments. information from both cur- “Yes, of course we do.” In about the meaning of the This function appears in rent and historical sources, my experience, the true word “information,” and many industries; the pri- including information on answer is “not always” and they attach different degrees mary focus is on subject specific people and events, “with a lot of exceptions.” of importance to different matter data, including his- case histories, and trends. Read on. kinds of information. torical, industry, sector, 7. Medical sector. For the past four years, I The following list and indicative data. Information in this sector have been a consultant in describes how people in 4. Academic sector. The may be general (including the market data and infor- various sectors/functions academic information user medical trends and mation sector. When I am relate to, define, and use requires current and histor- research) or very granular selling the services of my information: ical data and often per- (such as medical data firm or working on a con- forms in-depth research regarding specific clients). sulting engagement, I have 1. Financial trader. The over a long period. 8. Manufacturing sector. many conversations with average trader is interested 5. Compliance officers. Information in this sector clients about their informa- in financial and economic This role applies to all includes patent data, indus- tion requirements, the busi- data and related financial industries and is becoming try workflow analysis, and ness purpose behind their and industry news. Timing more important as more competitive review. requirements, how they cur- of the information is of pri- government regulations and 9. School librarian. A good rently use information, and mary importance. industry standards are friend of mine is the librar- how they can get more 2. Financial analyst. The imposed on every sector. ian for a local elementary value and optimize the analyst is in the same indus- The compliance officer school. She, like most of return on their information try as the trader but is more requires information on you, holds a master’s investment. The discussions focused on financial per- government regulations, degree in library science, vary according to the indus- formance, industry trends, industry standards, guide- and I would describe her as try, the size of the company, and earning and pricing his- lines, and other related an avid and dedicated and the information tools tory. He or she requires a documentation. information professional. and resources available to combination of current and 6. News and media. The She uses information and the company. Respondents historical information. media uses a wide range of knowledge to teach her stu-

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22 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 Information

Win Money for Your Library Collection dents about awareness, val- sum worth more that the at the SLA Conference in Toronto! ues, and how to be a good value of the parts. human being. 6. The desire to know Bring your business card to Booth #1219 and you more, the level of hunger This is an interesting list, one has for more informa- could win $100 towards the purchase of critically but it is far from complete. tion, and the amount of Consider the range between energy one is willing to acclaimed, award-winning titles from Bernan Press. the Wall Street trader, who expend to get the right is selling hot new financial information source. These Everyone who stops by will qualify for a derivative products, and the personal characteristics vary 20% discount . elementary school librarian, widely among information on their next purchase who may, in fact, be teach- users and professionals. ing the future trader of Enough talk about what YOU 2025. Both individuals information means to us. require and depend on Let’s go to the ultimate CAN’T information, but they have expert, Webster’s, which very different levels of use, defines information as “the require very different kinds communication or reception LOSE!! of information, have differ- from investigation, study or ent timing requirements, instruction and intelligence and differ in the sources of and news.” Bernan is the leading private distributor of U.S. government and information that apply to My definition focuses official intergovernmental publications and online subscriptions. their profession. more on application: Where We have been focused on serving the needs of special libraries Why are the definition is the value in information; for over 50 years. Please visit us in Toronto to see our latest and use of information so dif- specifically, how do we use publications and services! ferent across various sectors it to perform our profession- and types of users? I suggest al and business tasks? From the following reasons: my viewpoint, information is any data element in any 1. Specific job or informa- format that is used to make tion requirements. I think professional decisions, per- this is the dominant factor form job-related tasks and in how a person sees the functions, or enhance other value of information. We information products/ are all creatures of habit, sources. This includes infor- and we form our opinions mation elements that come based on our own habits. from all data sources (such 2. Past experience in using as real-time financial data, information. This is your medical and legal data, gov- “comfort zone,” where you ernment information) and set your values. in any format (as complex 3. Level of access to infor- as a data feed, Web access, mation. This defines what or CD-ROM, or as simple as you can get. If you do not the magazine or the sales have access, you cannot flyer I get with my monthly determine value, and it 401k statement). never becomes part of your Do we all need to have information equation. the same definition for 4. Level of funding avail- information? Probably not. able for information gather- Some of you may think you ing. The purse plays a key need a definition and use role in how you see and level that specifically value information. reflects your information 5. How people use internal and business requirements. and external information You may recognize that oth- sources. Your ability to ers have different defini- maximize the value of vari- tions, but you see little ous information products value in looking at informa- and sources and make the tion use in those ways. It is

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 23 Information

not my intent to convince ent definition and different will be perceived as innova- information requirements. you otherwise, but it could habits—would address the tive and as adding value to 2. Look for new information be interesting to look at same information request. It your organization. You will sources in your own compa- your information needs is essential to look for new deliver faster and better ny, or academic or informa- through the eyes of different information sources, to information products. You tion environment. types of users. If you choose understand what is available likely will do a better job of 3. Look at your industry— not to take advantage of this elsewhere, beyond your own relating to internal and what are others doing? opportunity, you could be department, your company, external information prod- 4. Look at sources beyond shortchanging yourself—not your industry and the global ucts in your organization. your industry that might be getting the full picture of information sources with A further comment on pertinent to your company’s what information is avail- which you are familiar. Put the last statement about the needs. able or not meeting your yourself at the desk of the relationship between inter- 5. Think about the current professional or business other person, who may be in nal and external data: A few and potential relationship of information objectives. a different industry, and years ago, I had a discussion various information sources, Some of you may already from that perspective, imag- with a senior information both internal and external, have worked this approach ine how you would get the executive at a major global at your disposal. into your information and data. There will likely be bank. She expressed the 6. Assume that money—the data collection strategy. overlap with what you view that the true informa- cost of information—is not a already do, but you will tion professional knows how problem and identify what Shifting Perspective identify new information to relate to various informa- you would like to have. Assuming we accept the sources and expand your tion products, both internal Figure a way to source that benefit of trying a different definition of information. and external, to maximize information at the lowest perspective, how do we do What will this approach the information use equation price or find a low-cost or this? To get beyond your do for you? It will broaden and the firm’s information free substitute. own information-gathering your scope concerning investment. She said, 7. Put yourself in the place of habits, try to imagine how where to source and how to “Anyone can source the another information profes- someone else—with a differ- optimize information. You appropriate external infor- sional. Think about how using mation and anyone can his or her information habits manage various internal data could be of value to you. sources. The value lies in how you combine them.” I A word of warning. Be could not agree more. careful not to fall into the On the other hand, what “too much of a good thing” is the risk, if any, if you problem. It’s easy to get lost, keep doing what you are looking beyond what is rea- doing? The impact could be sonable and losing your that you do not have access focus. You do not want to to all information sources, gather nonpertinent informa- you will not be getting good tion, become distracted, use value for your information your time in a nonproduc- investment, and, therefore, tive manner, or lose sight of the job may not be complete. your information and busi- Your ultimate goal should be ness objective. to fully meet the industry or I believe there is a wide business objective for the range of understanding information request or pur- about what information pose. means and how it is used. What specific steps can There is opportunity and you take to broaden your value in taking a look at approach to information how you perceive and use gathering? I suggest the fol- information—looking lowing: beyond your current information environment, looking 1. Take off the blinders and at information sources and think beyond your own products at all levels, and space. Don’t be a creature of looking at your requirements habit. Seek out new or alter- from someone else’s point native approaches to your of view.

24 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 Fern Brody, Associate University Librarian, The University of Pittsburgh, USA

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vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 25 Ovid Introduces a Next Generation Federated Search Solution: Ovid SearchSolver TM

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Kaizen Meets Dewey

Applying the Principles of The Toyota Way in Your Library

By James Wiser effery Liker’s The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer has given full voice to the most envied and admired management principles in contemporary industrial manufacturing. Surprisingly, organizations from all industries—from Internet startups to hospitals to universities—are successfully implementing these principles with resounding success.1 J How can these principles be transferred and implemented in the special library? This article discusses how knowledge from the “old” economy of manufacturing can be put to work in the ever-changing arenas of library and information services. During the early 1950’s, Eiji Toyoda came to the United States to visit the manufacturing plants of Ford and General Motors in an attempt to bolster his fledgling auto company. He returned to Japan and admitted that he learned nothing from Ford or GM. Instead, after a chance visit to a local market he became fascinated with American grocery stores and how their “just-in-time” supply chain could revolutionize the automotive business.2 Likewise, librarians can often learn effective and innovative principles from industries we think have little in common with our own. The principles of kaizen (continual improvement) and lean manufacturing contain knowledge that can be put to work in all libraries—if we remain receptive to their message.

Whether in trade jour- the heels of perennial leader James Wiser, MLS, is infor- 4 nals, academic journals, or General Motors. The success mation services librarian at the popular press, one can- is remarkable—particularly Pepperdine University in Malibu, not read about Toyota Motor for a company that has not California. This article is sched- Corp. and not be impressed. yet celebrated its’ 50th uled to be presented as a paper Lauded as the “smartest” anniversary of operations in at the 2005 SLA conference in company in 2004 by the United States, the world’s Toronto. Over the coming 3 Business 2.0 magazine, largest vehicle market. While months, Information Outlook Toyota recently passed Ford its sales volume makes will publish other articles from as the world’s second largest Toyota the No. 2 automaker, the presented paper series. automaker and is nipping at its market capitalization and

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 27 Toyota profit margins are easily the product. Liker also encour- best in the industry. Further, ages the use of “visual con- its groundbreaking success trols” on the assembly plant with alternative propulsion floor. Both of these specific and its commitment to the principles are effective for environment justify its status creating a more egalitarian as the world’s most admired workplace, but I believe their automotive company.5 methodologies have little So what is Toyota’s transference for library set- secret? From Tokyo to tings. Nevertheless, the Stuttgart to Detroit, this majority of the methods uti- question is consistently lized by Toyota can have asked by its rivals all over direct application for us in the world. While at least one special libraries. automaker has hoped to learn from Toyota by engag- Base your management ing in collaborative manufac- decisions on a long-term phi- turing projects,6 more often losophy, even at the expense the question remains unan- of short-term financial goals. swered. Let’s face it: it’s a reason- In 2004, Jeffrey Liker, an ably good time to be a librar- expert on Japanese produc- ian. Demographics are cer- tion systems and a professor tainly working in our favor, at the University of for as thousands of librarians Michigan, authored The near retirement age, job Toyota Way.7 Luckily, Liker openings are not in short did not intend his book to be supply.9 Indeed, if a librarian read by just the automotive has the luxury of remaining cognoscenti. Instead, he geographically flexible, he or insists that all industries can she can enjoy enormous benefit by implementing the career mobility. principles Toyota has used so While librarians may ben- successfully.8 Though it may efit from this job market, seem odd for librarians to libraries themselves may suf- look to the literature of fer. Indeed, it is too easy— Photo by Toyota Motor Corp. industrial engineering for and increasingly too com- inspiration, I believe Toyota’s mon—for librarians to begin ognizes that this practice is vision of their larger organi- management principles (as a new job, make significant not helpful, so it encourages zations. By doing this, they defined by Liker) can be and meaningful changes in managers to base their deci- can inform potential job can- applied in an assortment of their organizations, and sions on a well-articulated didates at all levels the library settings to improve move on to another position long-term vision—even if details of the mission state- efficiencies, provide better without enduring the long- those decisions contradict ment and leave the decision patron services, and create a term consequences of the what might be financially in the applicants’ hands as to smooth-running organization decisions he or she made (an beneficial in the short-term. whether or not they will that will better succeed over ironic reversal of roles from Libraries would be well- uphold it. Pithy statements time. The Music Man). For exam- served to follow this model. alone do not constitute a Many of the management ple, your company’s new It remains obvious, then, mission; look no further than principles Liker discusses do electronic resources librarian that libraries should make an Toyota’s Charter with Planet not have relevance to may have successfully imple- effort to incorporate a well- Earth10 to see that any suc- libraries, even though they mented the hottest federated defined, long-term mission cessful mission statement is may relate to other indus- search product on the mar- statement that will transcend written to be a driver of tries. For example, Liker ket—only to move on to even the current library organizational behavior. encourages the use of pull another challenge before director’s proposed mission Perhaps the most tempting systems in manufacturing your database vendors (for library management may decision that could benefit settings. Pull systems are demand an increase in sub- be the most common perpe- special libraries in the short assembly-line mechanisms scription fees that correlate trator of this scenario!). term that may not serve that allow any employee to to their increased usage over Libraries should attempt them well over time is the stop production at any time time. to align their long-term decision to outsource. Jette in order to fix a defective Toyota’s management rec- vision to the long-term and Dixon discuss the bene-

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vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 29 Toyota fits of library outsourcing, tant than short-term cost sav- (libraries are no exception) run roughshod over the and they assert that the key ings. As a result, Toyota out- suffer from organizational greater organization. reasons libraries would out- sources far fewer business whiplash whenever upper Admittedly, applying all source many of their func- processes than its competi- management foists a new of these principles to the spe- tions are costs, flexibility, tors.14 Libraries would be strategic mission on the cial library may not be prac- alleviation of staff shortages, wise to follow that example. masses; these new strategic tical. I doubt anyone would responsiveness to user needs, missions almost always coin- want to be limited by a spe- allowing for staff to focus on Grow leaders who thor- cide with turnover at man- cific term of office in his or core business needs, and oughly understand the work, agement levels. her current position. How- improved efficiency.11 live the philosophy, and Toyota intentionally ever, the articulation of a However, when one close- teach it to others; develop avoids this potential by man- long-term philosophy that ly examines these reasons, exceptional people and teams dating specific terms of office understands that no one per- each variable, though cer- who follow your company’s for upper management, and son in the organization is tainly a challenge for any philosophy. requiring all candidates for “bigger” than that philoso- library, is only assuaged by Tying this highly-special- senior management positions phy—from entry-level para- outsourcing in the short ized management principle to agree to support the over- professional to director— term. Even Jette and Dixon to special libraries is some- all mission of the company. seems like an idea whose note that cohesion, trust, what nuanced; however, the By using this strategy, no time may be near. It clearly staff expertise, loyalty, con- basic philosophy behind it employee ever wonders what works for Toyota. sistency, and staff morale are suggests a more egalitarian Toyota’s mission as a compa- harmed by outsourcing.12 organizational structure that ny will be, for a foundational Standardized tasks are the Further, Barthelemy notes works in large measure from tenet of Toyota’s philosophy foundation for continuous the hidden costs of outsourc- the bottom up. is the belief that no individ- improvement and employee ing in the information tech- Mission statements and ual (or small groups of indi- empowerment. nology industry, namely the strategic plans can be benefi- viduals) has the right to Librarians, like most pro- enormous costs of vendor cial. Most large organizations make any decision out of fessionals, are hesitant to selection, transitions, and have such policies or docu- line with the company’s adapt standardization meth- management.13 I would argue ments; Toyota is not an well-articulated vision. In ods to manage the more that these costs manifest exception. However, many contrast, domestic automak- mundane tasks within their themselves equally in mission statements or strate- ers have been long criticized daily responsibilities. Just as libraries. Toyota realizes that gic documents are so vague for their cult-of-personality employees of auto assembly the intangible notions of they add no value to an orga- management approach,15 an plants resisted the automa- cohesion, trust, loyalty, and nization’s mission. For exam- approach that allows whoev- tion of their factories for fear consistency are more impor- ple, many organizations er is in charge at the time to they would be replaced by robots, we librarians often suffer from perpetual para- noia that factors beyond our control will render us obsolete. Therefore, we have perhaps placed an unnecessarily large premium on specialization, priding ourselves on being the best cataloger/reference specialist/systems librarian around and resist- ing any attempts at cross- training. I believe this is unfortu- nate, for if we observe the lessons learned in the automotive industry, we would realize that cross-training by itself does not render anyone obsolete. In fact, it enhances efficiencies that help organizations survive. A tenet of industrial engineering says that the more Photo by Toyota Motor Corp. people or processes you

30 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 31 Toyota insert into any workflow pattern, the more you slow down that process and con- tribute to greater inefficiency. In most libraries, several individuals “touch” an item between the purchase decision and the final deployment to patrons. From acquisitions librarians, to catalogers, to paraprofessional staff—every time one additional person becomes involved in the processing of materials, the workflow is delayed and patrons are not served in the best manner. Perhaps it could benefit libraries if technical services professionals were all trained in the areas of acquisitions, cataloging, and processing. Obviously, some value-added functions should still be left Photo by Toyota Motor Corp. for specialists (metadata specialists, etc.), but the default ple of best practices within an early adaptation of any ing them improve. attitude held by library man- its organization. software package or technol- In my experiences with agement should perhaps ogy product is not always Toyota and another large view cross-training more Use only reliable, thor- beneficial, for it may create automotive manufacturer, I favorably. oughly tested technology that unrealistic or unsustainable noticed a striking difference But will this practice, at serves your people. expectations that will only between the two in the area best, render librarians mere Most likely, every organi- frustrate patrons if the level of vendor relations. Toyota automatons, and at worst, zation wants to be on the of service is not consistent— has carefully adopted a holis- unemployed? Not if we cutting edge of technology, a bad public relations move tic approach to its vendors, employ Toyota’s methods. or at least send that message for libraries. In my own realizing that they are an Whenever Toyota employees to the public. One might con- experience, I worked in an extension of the Toyota find themselves without sider it counterintuitive to organization that was an enterprise that should be positions or tasks because of avoid embracing the latest early adopter of a federated encouraged, nurtured, and streamlining methods, technologies. However, search product. The initial supported. That is not the Toyota reassigns these Toyota understands that tech- joys of our patrons were tem- case at all automakers: At employees to other areas nology providers often need pered when they (and we) my previous employer, ven- that match their skills or to months, if not years, to work realized its success rate was dors were often derided and committees or task forces out the kinks of any new far from 100 percent. viewed confrontationally. that look for other potential system, and the automaker is Allowing time for initial Indeed, many have surmised services or markets. By perfectly happy to let its glitches in technology prod- that Toyota’s reliance on rela- “reinvesting” their knowl- competitors work out those ucts can only ensure a tively few vendors/suppliers edge workers this way and problems first. Toyota’s oft- smoother deployment for has contributed to its consis- rarely terminating positions, quoted “under promise and one’s own installation. tent dominance of JD Power 16 17 Toyota’s efficiencies actually over deliver” mantra perme- Assuming there are few mis- quality ratings, for only allow the company to grow ates many organizations sion-critical technologies when an automaker truly in a cost-effective way. Can within the company, and libraries have not yet knows its suppliers can it librarians be treated in the company executives often deployed, libraries might be successfully cultivate future same manner? Perhaps not take a wait-and-see approach well advised to moderate products in a smooth, finan- by themselves, but by effec- to adopting new practices or their desire to be on the cially beneficial manner. tively modeling their knowl- technologies that face inter- bleeding edge. Numerous parallels can edge of efficient manage- nal or external audiences. be drawn between the ment practices, one can hope In our field, the applica- Respect your extended automotive industry and the library or information tions of this principle are network of partners by our own. While we may center can become an exam- obvious. I would suggest that challenging them and help- prefer that the account rep-

32 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 Toyota resentatives who call on us In contrast, its competitors would be well-served to all Toyota employees to have MLS degrees and are often guilty of a “cult of determine if the strategy is actively seek improvement at know our industry as well personality” approach that truly beneficial or if it is all levels of the organiz- as we, it benefits no one to entrusts too much authority mere justification for procras- ation.18 By doing this, he adopt a confrontational to single executives. tination. Corporate and other evangelizes the notion of posture when these reali- Rather than engendering special libraries may not be kaizen to all Toyota employ- ties are not apparent. paralysis, however, Toyota affected by this challenge. ees, not just those on the Establishing good rela- maintains its competitiveness assembly plant floor. tionships with library ven- by hastening the implemen- Become a learning organi- Libraries should not be dors can pay enormous divi- tation schedule of most deci- zation through relentless afraid to acknowledge their dends. At Pepperdine, we sions. On this front, unfortu- reflection. strengths or their weaknesses. (along with the University of nately, I am not sure libraries The final management While many may believe that Toronto and Oxford follow suit. It behooves any principle highlighted is per- an acknowledgement of University) partnered with organization to consider haps the most important. weaknesses is an admission Elsevier in the development carefully the timing of any Toyota regularly encourages of poor management, Toyota’s of Scopus, Elsevier’s abstract- major announcement, but its employees to objectively attempts to create a transpar- ing and indexing product. Toyota cultivates an organi- and humbly evaluate the ent organization serve as a This partnership allowed us zational culture that appreci- organization to assess its good example for all organi- to “peek” at the product ates the quick implementa- strengths and weaknesses. zations. Further, by asking before it was released to the tion of its strategies. By mov- When a company summa- each employee to continually public. Beyond merely pro- ing rapidly, Toyota shows rizes its yearly accomplish- look for methods of improv- viding us with an excellent internal and external parties ments, the tendency to exag- ing the organization’s serv- product, the partnership that it has confidence in the gerate its successes is com- ice, libraries would more allowed us to better under- decisions it has carefully monplace. Toyota is not fully vest each employee in stand other products in its made. immune from a desire to por- serving its patrons. Again, market. Had we maintained Too often libraries (espe- tray itself well to its share- it may seem counterintu- an adversarial (or even neu- cially those in academic set- holders, but it is certainly itive to actively locate orga- tral) approach to Elsevier, we tings) roll out decisions not afraid to adopt a pes- nizational weakness. But if would not have had the based on the greater organi- simistic tone when needed. Toyota’s methods have been opportunity to share in this zational calendar. While this Even CEO Fujio Cho actively proven so successful, per- product’s development. approach might make sense downplays Toyota’s success- haps we should learn from Indeed, in a previous posi- in some instances, librarians es, preferring to encourage its example. tion I held where vendor relations were somewhat strained, we rarely had the opportunity to serve as development partners for new products. Instead, they were offered to us with little opportunity to adapt them to our own needs and patrons.

Make decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all options; implement decisions quickly. Humorous remarks regarding academia aside, libraries are often quite good at encouraging consensus and not rushing towards rash decisions. Toyota’s emphasis on the collective over the individual applies to its decision making. For example, Toyota actively encourages managers to ask questions and fully understand every Photo by Toyota Motor Corp. angle of a potential decision.

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 33 Toyota

Conclusion Toyota. Hot cars. Hot brands. News, 11, no. 26. (August Administration & Management, At face value, many of Hot technology. Here's how 1999): 13. 12, no. 4 (Fall 1998): 220-225. these management principles Japan's largest automaker 15 may seem obvious. Upon keeps firing on all cylinders.” Hakim, Danny. “The Next Kirkpatrick, Ronald. pers. closer inspection, however, Business 2.0, 6, no. 1 Spokesman to put a Human comm. we librarians must realize (Jan/Feb 2005): 65-71. Face on Ford Comes with a that the implementation of Pedigree.” New York Times, Liker, Jeffrey K. The Toyota 4 these principles in special Makintosh, James, and February 20, 2002. Way: 14 Management libraries would require a par- David Ibison. “Toyota leaves Principles from the World’s 16 adigm shift that could cause Ford behind in global race,” Kirkpatrick, Ronald. pers. Greatest Manufacturer. New massive discomfort or desta- Financial Times, July 20, comm. York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. bilization of our organiza- 2004. 17 tion. Admittedly, introducing Liker, 201. Liker, Jeffrey K., and Thomas 5 these principles might dis- Tilen, Business 2.0 (n. 1). Y. Choi. “Building Deep 18 rupt cohesion and organiza- Mikami, Mariko. “Act. Supplier Relationships.” 6 tion consensus, thereby vio- Michael Isikoff, “FTC Let Improve. Repeat.” Business Harvard Business Review, 82, lating one of Toyota’s preem- GM, Toyota Create 2.0, 6, no. 1 (Jan/Feb 2005): no. 12 (Dec 2004): 104-113. inent goals. Library man- Company,” Washington Post, 72. agers should therefore use a March 8, 1984. Makintosh, James, and David healthy dose of discretion in Bibliography Ibison. “Toyota leaves Ford 7 determining which, if any, of Liker, Jeffrey K. The Toyota Associated Press, “To help behind in global race,” these concepts might bear Way: 14 Management recruit and educate librari- Financial Times, July 20, fruit in their library. Principles from the World’s ans, administration awards 2004. However, the potential to Greatest Manufacturer. New nearly $10 million in grants,” destabilize should not justify York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. October 28, 2003. Mikami, Mariko. “Act. ignoring the ways in which Improve. Repeat.” Business 8 Toyota has become an indus- Ibid, 290. Barthelemy, Jerome. “The 2.0, 6, no. 1 (Jan/Feb 2005): try leader. We may, in good Hidden Costs of IT 72. 9 faith, quibble over the Associated Press, “To help Outsourcing.” MIT Sloan specifics of implementing recruit and educate librari- Management Review, 42, no. Tilin, Andrew. “The Smartest these strategies, but we ans, administration awards 3 (Spring 2001): 60-70. Company of the Year. And would not serve anyone— nearly $10 million in grants,” the Winner Is...Toyota. Hot ourselves, our patrons, or October 28, 2003. Chappell, Lindsay. “Japanese cars. Hot brands. Hot tech- our profession—by turning a Auto Transplants Eye nology. Here's how Japan's 10 blind eye towards other Charter with Planet Earth, Outsourcing.” Plastics News, largest automaker keeps fir- industries for inspiration or Toyota Motor Corporation, 11, no. 26. (August 1999): ing on all cylinders.” benchmarking. Just as Eiji 2003. 13. Business 2.0, 6, no. 1 Toyoda found inspiration for (Jan/Feb 2005): 65-71. 11 his company by visiting Karen D. Jette, and Clay- Charter with Planet Earth, American grocers, not Ford Edward Dixon. “The Toyota Motor Corporation, or General Motors, we librar- Outsourced/Contingent 2003. ians might be well served to Workforce: Abuse, Threat, or adapt his methodological Blessing?” Library Hakim, Danny. “The Next ecumenism. Administration & Management, Spokesman to put a Human 12, no. 4 (Fall 1998): 220- Face on Ford Comes with a Endnotes 225. Pedigree.” New York Times, 1 Liker, Jeffrey K. The Toyota February 20, 2002. 12 Ibid. Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Isikoff, Michael. “FTC Let 13 Jerome Barthelemy, “The Greatest Manufacturer. New GM, Toyota Create Company,” Hidden Costs of IT York: McGraw-Hill, 2004, Washington Post, March 8, Outsourcing.” MIT Sloan 269. 1984. Management Review, 42, no. 3 (Spring 2001): 60-70. 2 Ibid, 23. Jette, Karen D., and Clay- Edward Dixon. “The 14 Chappell, Lindsay. 3 Tilin, Andrew. “The Outsourced/Contingent “Japanese Auto Transplants Smartest Company of the Workforce: Abuse, Threat, or Eye Outsourcing.” Plastics Year. And the Winner Is... Blessing?” Library

34 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 The precision tool when negotiating online resource contracts.

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Fringe Librarianship Career College Librarians Introduce Themselves

By Melissa Aho, Erika Bennett, and Susan Wakefield

Career colleges have gone by many names: for-profit schools, nonpublic trade schools, proprietary schools, “those schools with the late-night TV ads.” In turn, librarians at some of these schools don’t know quite how to categorize themselves. Academic? Corporate? Special? Peerless? It’s understandable that this sector of the library world is virtually invisible in professional groups and academic literature. Maybe the career-college librarian is fated to eternally forge her own path, justifying her worth at every turn, sneered at by corporate administration, faculty members, and even her fellow “legitimate” librarians. We hope not. As three of the founding members of the Minnesota Career College Association Libraries (MCCAL), schools (www.career.org). we see great promise in our peers and our ability to col- A career college is a for-profit postsecondary institution laborate and influence this growing area of American that provides professional, career-specific educational pro- higher education. We are the front-row witnesses to the grams leading to diplomas, certificates, associate degrees, corporate transformation of our nation’s colleges and serve bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctorates. There on the front lines of the effort for information literacy. are 4,536 career colleges; they make up approximately 46 Compared with the rest of the library world, career-college percent of all postsecondary institutions in the United librarians face a unique set of challenges. Pleased to meet States, according to Nicholas Glakas, president of the you, library world. This is our story. Career College Association. Career colleges offer a wide variety of environments. They can be large multi-state, multi-program schools or What Is a Career College? quite small, with only one campus that specializes in a The continuing increase in the number of for-profit particular area. They can be online, residential, or both. schools will mean more opportunities in the coming years Most schools are accredited by one or more state or nation- for librarians who want to work in this expanding and al bodies, including the Accrediting Council for challenging area of the library profession. Currently, the Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) or the Higher four largest campuses in the United States are for-profit

38 | information outlook | May 2005 | vol. 9, no. 5 Librarians

Learning Commission for the North Central Association of Students range from recent high school grads to adult Colleges and Schools (NCA). learners looking for a career change, and include ethnically The life cycles of the schools also vary. Some career col- diverse students, immigrants and refugees, and students leges have been around since the 19th century and have from lower income families. Often students have personal changed owners many times. For example, the Minnesota challenges to overcome in education and in the library, School of Business was established in 1877 and has gone such as language barriers, special needs, and economic through numerous owners. It offers many different pro- hurdles. grams and degrees ranging from a diploma to an MBA; it Finally, for the librarians, there is the challenge of has six campuses and online classes. On the other hand, esteem. Like the late Rodney Dangerfield, it seems we the Institute of Production and Recording, the new “don’t get no respect.” Because career college librarians do Minneapolis career school on the block, was established in not fall into any of the traditional library niches (i.e., col- 2002 to provide an education in the music industry. lege/university, community college, or corporate), we are A unique characteristic of a career college is that the often disregarded by our fellow librarians. Some career col- curriculum usually hinges on current market trends for lege librarians have reported disdainful attitudes from employment. Current hot areas include massage therapy, “real” academic librarians, but the designation of “special nursing, veterinary technology, paralegal studies, and busi- librarian” carries too many corporate connotations for our ness. When the market turns, programs are usually discon- mission statements. We often must wrestle with the ques- tinued as quickly as they were created. tion of where we fit into the grand scheme of things. We have the goals of postsecondary education with the What Is a Career College Librarian? accountability and variables of a corporation. We are nei- Career-college librarians come from all over the library ther traditional academic librarians nor corporate librari- world. Some are right out of library and information sci- ans. At times, our work seems to encompass all library ence graduate schools. Others have worked in public fields and none. libraries, corporate libraries, and academic libraries before landing in the career-college environment. Most have an Minnesota-MCCAL MLIS or MLS, and many have other degrees as well. Many In spring 2004, Susan Wakefield decided to create an accrediting bodies, such as the ACICS, require that career- organization for for-profit librarians. She called together all college librarians have an MLS from an institution accredit- the career college librarians in Minnesota to organize. ed by the American Library Association (ALA). There were some complications, both internal and external, The library is a highly visible center of the school, and but after one year, MCCAL is still going strong. Some peo- librarians can be a voice for students. The students are our ple have been surprised that the librarians have found com- number one priority, and in an open environment, we can mon ground and are able to cooperate with each other, in funnel student feedback—concerns and problems—directly spite of their affiliations with competing proprietary to the administration. In some schools, the librarian reports schools. But because of the nature of librarianship, the directly to the campus director or the dean of faculty. members of MCCAL share a desire to cooperate with one Answers can come fast and changes can happen quickly in another to serve their patrons. a career college—the library and the librarian must be equally quick and adaptable. Why Work for a Career College? Career-college librarians are working in a nonresearch Career colleges often are small enough that we get to academic environment. We do not have tenure and, there- know the individual students, and we enjoy the personal fore, do not feel pressure to publish or serve on various contact every day. It is rewarding to watch students become committees; however, we also have less job security. The self-sufficient in research after we have assisted them in the career-college librarian’s job depends not only on how well early stages of their education, and we take great pleasure he or she performs as an individual and team member in in seeing them grow and develop into confident individuals. the organization (with annual and quarterly reviews by students) but also on how the organization as a whole does Want to Know More? in the market. Contact the librarian at a local career college. Unsure of where to start? Let us help you. Role, Identity, Services, Respect Proprietary schools are as unique as their owners. If you Career-college librarians are the multi-taskers of the are interested in making a difference in someone’s life, library world: We do it all. We are catalogers, directors, there is a world of opportunity in the career college setting. instructors, referrers, managers, collection stewards, and IT troubleshooters—and that’s just in one day! The for-profit Melissa Aho, MLIS, MS, works for the Minnesota School of librarian often must make do with a limited staff; some- Business at the Brooklyn Center campus. Erika Bennett times, with no staff. works for the Institute of Production and Recording. Susan Another characteristic that sets career colleges apart Wakefield, MLIS, is the former campus librarian for the from more traditional schools is the diverse population. Minnesota School of Business, Plymouth.

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 39 THE ANSWER IS IBISWorld INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE

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40 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6

55450_IBISWorld_SLA_Ad.indd 1 29/4/05 11:24:05 AM Working

fessional and problem solver. That’s when, in the early 1980s, she got a call from the Bank Marketing Association in the U.S. The executive director sought to entice her south of the Canadian border. After initial reluctance, she accepted the job in Chicago and became the association’s vice president and director of Information Services. But her heart was still in Canada, and she returned home in 1986 to take the helm of the Canadian Library Association as its executive director. All the while, books in her heart, the gears in her head were spinning like Swiss watch parts. In 1990, Cooney gathered her courage, wits, and resources and struck out on her own. Applying the lessons learned over three decades in libraries, classrooms, commerce, and associations, she launched Books for Business, a business book specialty store in her beloved Toronto. As they say, the rest is history. Readers who make pilgrimages to leg- endary book stores like the Tattered Cover in Denver or Kramerbooks in Washington, D.C., or who enjoy their neighborhood Barnes & Noble or Borders on a weekend afternoon, will understand that customers don’t consider Books for Business just another book store. And Jane Cooney is not just a librarian-turned-bookseller. Every step of Cooney’s path from the newspaper library to the classy polished glass and steel storefront near the corner of Adelaide and Bay in downtown Toronto was a learning experience. Her personal and business success are directly related to her uncanny ability to apply what she has learned. By Karen Santos Freeman principles for infor- And she is, as in the beginning, joyful- mation manage- ly surrounded by books and rows of book- Jane Cooney’s career has covered a lot ment, business lit- shelves. of ground—geographically, professionally, erature, and govern- How does a corporate and public and philosophically. ment publishing. librarian rise to become Canadian It started in the 1960s in a newspaper While still serving Bookseller of the Year? The answer is library in Montreal in the French-speaking in the classroom, easy to discern. Canadian province of Quebec. From there, Cooney joined the One of Cooney’s “Favorite Books of All her career took her to the mountains of Canadian Imperial Time,” as listed on her Books for Business western Canada and the Calgary Public Bank of Commerce. Web site (www.booksforbusiness.com), is Library. She worked happily surrounded There she worked Customers for Life by Carl Sewell and Paul by books and rows of bookshelves. Then Jane Cooney for 14 years, rising B. Brown. Drawing on that favorite book she returned to Montreal before heading to become the bank’s manager of informa- and a lifetime of experience, Cooney has home to Toronto. tion resources worldwide. learned the art of phenomenal customer There, her career took a turn and she By this time, people were starting to service—she may be the quintessential began teaching at the University of hear about Cooney. She was gaining a rep- practitioner of the art. What she knows Toronto, imparting to students the basic utation as an innovative information pro- first-hand might not fit into a book.

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 41 Working

Treating each interaction on each day “The principles are the same, whether made it a point to figure out each new with the knowledge that you have the you’re talking about business, manage- president’s likes and dislikes. opportunity to create a customer—a rela- ment or being a librarian,” Cooney says. “One president was from Pittsburgh tionship—for life, has made all the differ- “Librarians need to understand who’s in and loved big-city sophistication and ence. charge of their organization and then fig- Chinese food,” she says for example, “and “We work really hard to get to know ure out what that person needs. Get to every meeting we had was in New York the customer,” Cooney says. “Know your know them. Get to know what direction and we always served Chinese food. customer, get under their skin, see what the organization is going.” Another president was from Missouri and makes them tick. Then tailor your service Twenty years or so ago, libraries used loved ice cream, and every meeting we toward that.” to be the central sources of information, had was near a place where he could fish, Cooney strives each day not only to Cooney observes. That’s not the world we and we served ice cream.” meet her customer’s needs but to exceed live in today. She believes some librarians Learning your customer’s likes and their expectations. Her Books for Business need to “catch up with the times,” times dislikes, she says, can help make each staff members greet many customers by when information is readily available to interaction a success. It creates cus- name and offer friendly assistance to anyone in many different ways. tomers—and relationships—for life. everyone. They pay attention to detail and Despite information professionals’ Reading SLA’s Information Outlook on the customers’ unspoken needs that may have arguments about quality, the fact is that bus riding into downtown Toronto on a nothing to do with what they are looking people often bypass the pros and perform recent spring morning, Cooney found her- for on the shelf. their own research. Cooney observes that self pondering SLA and what the associa- “It’s hard for a customer to look for a the library profession has been slow to tion has meant to her career. book when they’re standing with a wet absorb and adjust to that reality and learn “I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am coat and umbrella,” Cooney advises. to succeed within it, rather than struggling without being an SLA member,” Cooney She and her staff take the traditional against it. says frankly. “SLA as an organization and retailer-customer exchanges to new “Librarians need to change their as a networking opportunity is largely heights. She has been known to telephone behavior and adapt to the culture they are responsible for what I am able to do now.” customers to request one-on-one meetings. in,” she says. SLA’s organizational goals stress creat- Cooney goes to them, to their office or a How? For one thing, “Librarians need ing and providing learning, advocacy, and coffee shop nearby, and asks about their to be selling themselves all the time,” networking opportunities for members. experience at her store. What do they Cooney says, “I don’t think there’s enough She advises that members cannot underes- think of the products and services? Were of that.” timate the value of the association as a their needs met? What would they suggest As SLA focuses on providing greater network. The banking association in for improvement? learning opportunities that click with Chicago, she points out, would not have “You have to ask the right questions,” she members, Cooney says, “There’s a tremen- sought to recruit her if the executive direc- says. “You can’t tell the customer what dous amount of professional development tor had not heard about her through her they want; you have to listen to them as on technology and Web, which librarians SLA contacts. they tell you what they want. Then you need, I guess. But I think they would be “Because I was in SLA, I knew a lot of adapt to that.” well-served by having courses in sales- people,” she says. There’s another aspect of dealing with manship and customer service—and not Cooney says members should consider people that’s vitally important, Cooney given by other librarians.” the value of the association as a network emphasizes. “You have to treat people— Cooney sees salesmanship and cus- when considering their membership and everyone—with respect, dignity, and good tomer service as increasingly important as dues. humor.” organizations continue to cut costs and “All of my experiences reinforce my These views and practices have com- libraries continue to face financial pres- view that working with a network of col- bined for a winning strategy. Books for sures. Librarians and information profes- leagues is a very valuable reason for Business has steadily grown as a retail sionals must find new and innovative belonging to a professional association store, and Cooney has expanded into mail ways to demonstrate their worth to their and to SLA,” she says. order, acquiring a business she operates as internal and external customers. As Cooney enjoys her hard-earned suc- “Britnell Book Wholesalers.” “Librarians need to be able to seize an cess and continues to strive for improve- Cooney’s success has resulted in her opportunity when it is presented, but we ment, what advice would she offer her becoming highly-sought as a marketing need to be proactive,” Cooney says. “We network colleagues? and information management consultant. have to get ahead of the pack.” “I would encourage people to be will- She also serves on the jury for Canada’s Consider the story of the executive ing to take a few risks,” she says. “I don’t National Business Book Award. director of the banking association that think the profession does enough of that.” As Cooney has learned from all of her Cooney worked for in Chicago. The execu- experiences as a librarian and information tive, she says, served in that role for 20 Karen Santos Freeman is director of com- management professional, library and years, which is rare in the association munications at SLA. information professionals can learn from world. He was successful with each suc- Cooney’s success. cessive association president because he

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GAD16805 InfoOutlook 6-05.Indd 1 4/29/05 9:35:41 AM Taxonomy Knowledge Taxonomies

What’s the Role for Information Professionals?

By Jo Anne Côté sification arrangements, they In a presentation to the encompass many different can be hierarchical systems American Society of Indexers aspects of information; for Taxonomy—the classifica- that also use controlled in May 2004, Denise Bedford, example, content, metadata tion of items within subject vocabularies and thesauri, thesaurus manager and sen- and metadata repositories, domains—is especially effec- but they are not always ior information officer for the navigation architectures, tive in helping with today’s based on the accepted stan- World Bank Group, search architectures, and information access difficul- dards used in a traditional explained taxonomy architec- portal architectures. These ties. These structures are par- library setting. The multifac- ture (see figures 1–4). Her structures can be presented ticularly good at representing eted subject headings of a overview of this architecture explicitly (through data open systems and are useful taxonomy have the added is helpful in understanding structures or interface fea- in the visual world of the bonus of reflecting connec- the taxonomical approach tures) or implicitly (by Web. They are helpful in portions and processes in a and how library and infor- being designed into applica- traying abstract concepts and semantic structure, or ontol- mation professionals can tions or content). reflecting the various forms ogy, allowing for potentially integrate the approach with knowledge can take, whether wider consultation and appli- their existing skills and com- tangible or intangible. cation of knowledge objects. petencies. Taxonomies Taxonomies do not necessari- Taxonomies ly use pre-existing classifica- leave room for Jo Anne Côté has an MLIS from McGill University, a tion schemes and are often growth and bachelor’s degree in music, and a certificate in educa- based on a synthesis derived constant revi- tional technology. She is currently providing reference from user need and lan- sion, depend- services at the McGill Music Library and the Reginald guage. ing on external J. P. Dawson Library in Montreal. She is interested in Like traditional library or internal fac- music librarianship, and knowledge management and and information science clas- tors. information literacy in public libraries.

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 45 Taxonomy

Traditional LIS Skills and another. This semantic struc- TableTable 11:Jo Anne Côté Competencies ture is another form of con- Traditional LIS Skills Relevant to Taxonomies trolled vocabulary or authori- Taxonomies can be con- Abstracting x Ability to create a written summary of the main features of a document or ty control. Traditional LIS information item. structed by building on the skills such as analysis, the- x Requires editing and writing skills. many practices typically con- saurus creation, and index- sidered part of the librarian’s x ing would definitely be appli- Analysis Determination of the individual parts that make up a whole. skill set, such as analysis, cable to network taxonomy. abstracting, research skills, Cataloguing x Process of creating a surrogate record for each item in a collection and In addition to information assigning a cataloging number to ensure retrieval. cataloguing and classification management skills, library systems, synthesis, subject and information profession- Classification x Arrangement by subject of items on shelves, and of catalog and index entries headings, controlled vocabu- most useful to information seekers. als are traditionally taught laries, indexing and thesauri x Uses existing schemes (e.g., Library of Congress, Dewey). basic interview and listening (see table 1). skills, and are expected to be Controlled x Standardized/authorized terms used to access information (also known as It is clear that many of vocabularies authority control). Use/UF. able to communicate effec- the traditional skills of LIS x Must consider homographs, synonyms, variant word forms, abbreviations and tively in both written and acronyms, popular vs. technical terms, level of specificity, etc. professionals would be trans- verbal formats. These capa- Subject heading lists: Developed in library communities, use preferred terms ferable to taxonomy creation, (single terms or pre-coordinated phrases). Usually general in scope. Indicate bilities are useful in the con- broad terms (BT), narrow terms (NT), and related terms (RT) in a hierarchical perhaps modified to apply to struction of knowledge tax- fashion (e.g., LCSH, Sears, MeSH) wider, more open organiza- Thesauri: Developed in indexing communities. Made up of single terms onomies, especially in ascer- tional structures. For (descriptors) or bound terms representing single concepts. Narrow in scope. taining a common user lan- Strictly hierarchical; each term usually has only one BT. NT and RT also used. instance, the lists of house- Often multilingual. guage and appropriate sub- hold items, countries, or con- ject categories. x trolled vocabularies given as Indexing Provides access to items in collections, journals, anthologies, conference Another factor to consider proceedings, etc. examples of a flat taxonomy x Retrieval tool – indicates larger work in which the smaller work can be found in assessing the applicability structure (figure 1) could but does not give physical location. of traditional library and x Does not necessarily have authority control. easily be the bibliographies information professional or lists of books that librari- skills to taxonomy is the Reference skills x Ability to understand user’s information need. ans traditionally create using x Assists with information retrieval. common notion that a library research skills, analysis, and is a physical structure—a abstracting abilities. Research skills x Gathering information on a particular topic. school, university, or public In the cataloguing library—dealing in physical Synthesis x process, librarians are Representing complex subjects by combining various elements to develop manifestations of knowledge, class numbers, subject headings, or indexing terms that provide better already familiar with the specificity. usually in print format. This process of creating MARC one-dimensional vision of a records, in which aspects of library is no longer accurate. a document are analyzed Special libraries—for exam- Figure 1 and entered into the record ple, corporate or digital as metadata. These skills libraries—often do not fall are applicable to facet tax- into this category and do not onomies (figure 2). necessarily share the same Hierarchical taxonomy educational or public-orien- architecture (figure 3) direct- tated goals. The needs of ly reflects the broad-term and these libraries are not usual- narrow-term relationships ly reflected in the traditional and the notion of authority LIS curriculum. In figure 5, I control apparent in tradition- list the traditional LIS skills al subject headings. Further, that are relevant to knowl- the process of synthesis can edge taxonomies. would be useful, especially visualizing multifaceted be applied in both instances with regard to taxonomy applications of subject head- to more accurately render New LIS Skills and development. In particular, ings that reflect as much as concepts or contents. the ability to see the big pic- possible the relationships Network taxonomies (fig- Competencies ture, think conceptually, and and value of knowledge ure 4) are more complex, While existing LIS skills deal with ambiguity are objects to their user groups. existing as a combination of provide an adequate base on important to synthesizing a Also, the traditional book- hierarchy and star architec- which to build an under- useful taxonomy. Lateral library focus must be broad- tures and expressing very standing of today’s informa- thinking and general contex- ened to include other kinds rich knowledge objects and tion reality, certain additional tual awareness are also of libraries, information for- their relationships to one competencies and mind-sets important abilities when mats, and users.

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3698 COM08827A Taxonomy

By their nature, tax- Figure 2 the universe in terms of enti- onomies can be inclusive, ties and their relationships, which can produce complexi- which is similar to network ties because of the subjec- taxonomy. tive, contextual, and tacit LIS skills must be updat- quality of some knowledge. ed continuously, and infor- To accurately assess the mation professionals must be knowledge environment and constantly aware of available the user group, including software tools, not only with their needs and language, respect to taxonomy but to one must rely on effective every facet of professional communication and interper- life. Library and information sonal skills. New LIS skills professionals should be able should include grounding in to live in “flatter,” less stable facilitating communication environments, where infor- and consultation, building on mation and technology con- the reference interview skills Figure 3 stantly change; this is very that are traditionally taught. different from the stable, Basic psychology and even hierarchical libraries their journalistic abilities also formal education may have would be useful to gain the prepared them for. The idea confidence and cooperation of the librarian as protector of the group of people one or intermediary of knowl- must study in order to suc- edge is another traditional cessfully build a taxonomy. role that affects taxonomy Effective writing skills are development and usage. The important, too, especially for librarian as knowledge shar- the Web (intranet, extranet, er, supplier, or educator is Internet), where much taxon- better positioned to develop omy is in evidence. Library and communicate tax- and information profession- onomies. als should have these competencies and should be famil- Advantages of LIS Profile iar with effective Web Figure 4 In the knowledge map in design, online usability, opti- figure 5, it is evident that mum information architec- there are many advantages to ture, and system design. having an LIS profile in the Taxonomy can help pro- field of taxonomies. Many of mote an organization’s goals the competencies cross over and vision, but the creation easily to taxonomy. of a taxonomy requires good Librarians and information writing and design skills, as professionals are trained to well as effective marketing of think in terms of biblio- the classification tool. The graphic control that renders dynamic nature of the information readily identifi- knowledge environment able and retrievable. necessitates continuous mon- Descriptive cataloguing, sub- itoring, evaluation, and size synthesis and taxonomy information and make it ject headings, classification, appropriate adjustments to development to better pre- available. Facility with the authority work, and MARC the taxonomy to keep it rele- pare library and information International Federation of tagging are traditional infor- vant, competitive, and valu- professionals for all aspects Library Associations and mation tools, and the under- able. This is very different of the current information Institutions’ Entity lying philosophy of coherent- from traditional classifica- environment and that of the Relationship (ER) model for ly organizing information to tions, which change slowly future. An understanding of bibliographic records would provide logical access points or allow synthesis only with Natural Language Processing, help in adapting traditional remains applicable today. many rules and regulations ontology in general, and the cataloguing skills to more Library and information or conferences with peers. potential of keyword search- abstract and conceptual ways professionals are accustomed The teaching of classifica- ing would help in determin- of organizing information. to deciding what something tion schemes should empha- ing how best to organize The ER model characterizes is, how it is useful, and to

Taxonomy

Figure 5 ing it by not being able to provide as true a surrogate as possible. The old image of sitting quietly cataloguing—with the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules and the Library of Congress Subject Headings at hand, and occa- sional suggestions from the reference librarian of better ways to represent the collection—is obsolete. Much more personal interaction is needed to determine what kind of taxonomy is required, how best to structure it, and what language to use, and to mon- itor it over time for changes. To create a taxonomy in an organization, all explicit knowledge must be reviewed and efforts made to uncover whom—precisely what tax- tation, synonyms, homo- online. This process connects tacit knowledge. These onomy development phones, and so on. They are directly to the notion of the processes require interaction requires. LIS professionals already working with meta- surrogate record; in fact, it and people skills, especially already know about hierar- data and are traditionally becomes more authentic in the search for tacit knowl- chical classification according trained to analyze, identify, this process, but traditional edge, which is often where to broad or narrow terms; in and organize information. classification schemes typi- semantic relationships are fact, faceted classification Adapting these competencies cally do not provide the extra revealed. Everyone in the (currently a buzzword for to an evolved information levels of information. organization must be con- taxonomists) was invented environment is a matter of A major change to con- sulted and involved to build by S. R. Ranganathan in being open to complex ventional methods of organi- a successful taxonomy. The 1927 as part of the Colon knowledge structures, zation relates to the accept- role of lone cataloguer does Classification scheme, notions of context, and the ance of non-standardized not prepare library and infor- although it has never been adaptation of old methods to classification schemes and mation professionals for the popular and is only for print better fill the needs of the the creation of one’s own realities of taxonomy; howev- documents. new information user. authority control. If Library er, I believe that traditionally Indexing, also part of the of Congress or Dewey no trained library and informa- LIS profile, is an information Disadvantages of longer sufficiently describe tion professionals can be retrieval tool that is applica- Traditional Methods information, what can be important assets to the field ble to the world of taxono- used in their stead? Who has of knowledge taxonomies if While many traditional my. According to Hawkins, authority control? Where are they can embrace the reali- information organization Larson and Caton (2003), an the rules? The biggest change ties of today’s knowledge methods map to taxonomies, abstracter or indexer uses of all is the shift from per- environment and use their it is often not without some taxonomy to choose where to ceiving information as one- backgrounds creatively to adjustment. For instance, classify articles in a database. dimensional, tangible items help their clients identify and analysis becomes semantic The fact that indexing located in physical structures access fully formed knowl- analysis in taxonomy. does not require authority that must be accessed in per- edge objects in a structure Cataloguing no longer means control prepares the LIS pro- son, with little thought to the that fits their needs. just describing the concrete fessional for the ambiguity relationships that make the physicality of something and that is common in the open information meaningful. giving it a call number but References And information systems where Contemporary views of and also refers to more intangible Additional Information taxonomies live. Library and demands for information are concepts, such as mapping Eileen Abels, Rebecca Jones, information professionals are not well served by traditional the relationships among John Latham, Dee Magnoni, already very familiar with ways of structuring knowl- pieces of information and Joanne Gard Marshall. June the notion of controlled edge. Traditionally, organized making the information and 2003. Competencies for vocabulary and the problems knowledge creates obstacles the relationships accessible Information Professionals of created by language: conno- to the best way of represent-

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 51 Taxonomy

the 21st Century. Special Taxonomies? Topic maps? Lynch, Beverly P. 1985. ence education. Journal of Libraries Association. Making sense of it all. Libraries as bureaucracies. In Education and Information www.sla.org/content/learn/ Journal of Information Management Strategies for Science 41(2): 129–42. comp2003/index.cfm Science 30(4): 378–391. Libraries, 59–67. New York: (accessed September 26, Neal Schuman. Previously Van House, Nancy. 1996. The 2004). Gendron, Céline. published in Library Trends panda syndrome. An ecology Competency Profile of 27(4), 1979. of LIS education. Journal of Bedford, Denise A.D. 2004. Information Management Education for Library and Enterprise Taxonomies: Specialists in Newton, Robert, and Dixon, Information Science 37 Context, Structures, and Archives, Libraries and David. 1999. New roles for (2):131–147. Integration. Presentation at Records Management: A information professionals. the American Society of Comprehensive Cross- User education as a core pro- Wheatley, Margaret. 1992. Indexers Annual Conference, Sectoral Competency fessional competency within Searching for order in an Virginia, May 15. www.asin- Analysis. Resources, the new information environ- orderly world: A poetic for dexing.org/site/ confer- Canadian Library ment. Journal of Education post-machine-age managers. ences/conf2004/Enterprise.p Association. for Library and Information Journal of Management pt. (accessed October 13, www.cla.ca/resources/ Science 40(3): 151–160. Inquiry 1(4): 337–342. 2004). competency.htm (accessed October 9, 2004). Perell, Beth C., and Mercer, White, Martin. 2001. Bertolucci, Katherine. 2003. William M. 2002. Keeping Architecture, Search, Happiness is taxonomy: Four Hawkins, Donald T., Larson, Knowledge Management Integration: Classification is structures for Snoopy. Signe E., and Caton, Bari Q. Alive. Paper presented at the the Common Denominator. Information Outlook 2003. Information Science SLA Annual Conference, Los EContent, September. (March): 36–44. Abstracts: Tracking the litera- Angeles, June. www.econtentmag.com ture of information science. www.sla.org/documents/ (accessed October 3, 2004). Bhatt, Ganesh D. 2001. Part 2: A new taxonomy for conf/Keeping_Knowledge.doc Knowledge management in information science. Journal (accessed September 2004). Williams, Robert V., and organizations: Examining the of the American Society for Zachert, Martha Jane K. interactions between tech- Information Science and Shera, Jesse H. 1972. The 2000. Specialization in nologies, techniques, and Technology 54(8): 771–781. Foundations of Education for library education: A review people. Journal of Librarianship. New York: of the trends and issues. Knowledge Management Henczel, Sue. 2004. Becker and Hayes, Inc. Journal of Education for 5(1): 68–75. Supporting the KM environ- Library and Information ment: The roles, responsibili- Taylor, Arlene G. 1999. The Science 41(1): 30–44. Chan, Lois Mai. 1994. ties, and rights of informa- Organization of Information. Previously published in Cataloging and Classification. tion professionals. Englewood, Colorado: Journal of Education for 2nd ed. New York: McGraw- Information Outlook 8(1): Libraries Unlimited, Inc. Library and Information Hill, Inc. 14–18. Science 26(4), 1986. Tenopir, Carol. 2000. I never Corcoran, Mary. 2002. Jeng, Ling Hwey. 1993. From learned about that in library Wilson, Scott J. 2002. In a Corporate taxonomist. New cataloging to organization: A school: Curriculum changes Do-It-Yourself World, Who role of cataloger reinvented? paradigm for the core cur- in LIS. Online 24: 42–46. Needs Librarians? Paper pre- Practice Innovations (July): riculum. Journal of sented at the SLA Annual 1–4. Education for Library and Tillett, Barbara B. 1994. IFLA Conference, Los Angeles, Information Science 34(2): Study on the Functional June. www.sla.org/ Feldman, Susan. 2004. Why 113–126. Requirements of documents/conf/In_a_Do-it- categorize? KM World 13(9): Bibliographic Records: Yourself.doc (accessed 8–10. Law, Derek. 1989. Education Theoretical and Practical September 2004). needs for the 1990s. Foundations. Paper presented Field, Mark. 1999. Catalogue and Index 94: 1–7. at the 60th IFLA General Woods, Eric. 2004. The cor- Workplace libraries, skills Conference, Cuba, August. porate taxonomy: Creating a that fit the bill: Why classifi- Levy, Philippa. 1992. www.ifla.org/IV/ifla60/ new order. KM World 13(7): cation is sexy. LA Record Dimensions of competence: 60-tilb.htm (accessed October 8–10. 101(10): 580–582. Interpersonal skills develop- 12, 2004). ment within the LIS curricu- Garshol, Lars Marius. 2004. lum. Education for Trosow, S.E. 2000. Research in action. Information 10: 87–103. Organizational theory in Metadata? Thesauri? library and information sci-

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54 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 Viewpoint Radical Reference Taking Information to the Street

By Shinjoung Yeo, Joel J. Rane, carefully crafted “ready reference kits” skill-sharing sessions on infoshops James R. Jacobs, Lia Friedman, that included maps, transportation and alternative library resources, as and Jenna Freedman information, lists of emergency phone well as fact checking at American numbers, and so on (http:// Library Association (ALA) confer- Radical Reference (RR) is a volun- radicalreference.info/RNC_RRkit). ences. We have plans for projects as teer collective of library workers Teams of “home support” volun- diverse as holding copyright activism (librarians, support staff, and library teers were also on call for questions sessions at ALA, creating indexes of school students) who believe in pro- that could not be readily answered alternative media resources, and creat- moting social justice and equality. We on the street. Home support also ing an image archive for the New York provide independent journalists, com- acted as a virtual affinity group by City Independent Media Center. There munity activists, and the general pub- monitoring local mainstream and are more than 150 RR volunteers lic with reference services and access alternative media to keep the street across the United States, from a vari- to information that may not otherwise reference volunteers informed about ety of professional backgrounds and be easily available, via our Web site various events and police activities with the ability to provide services in and on the street at political events. during the convention. 10 languages. RR was launched July 2004 to sup- In less than a year, RR has Three factors have contributed to port citizens and activists protesting become well known in the activist our group’s success: recognition of the Republican National Convention in communities, where people recog- community needs, well-managed col- New York City. During the convention, nize the critical role that information laboration among RR volunteers and RR volunteers went into the streets to professionals play in the movement with outside groups to meet those serve visitors from out of town, jour- for social justice. needs, and the skillful implementation nalists, and anyone else who had a In response to this increased visi- of open-source computer technology to reference question. This “street refer- bility, RR has expanded its services to facilitate RR’s work in the virtual ence service” was conducted using include fact-checking workshops and environment.

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 55 Viewpoint

Recognition of Community Needs vide services that are both responsive because of copyright restrictions. This RR emerged in a political and and proactive. For example, at the screening was part of a nationwide social environment in which civil request of media activists in New York event—Eyes on the Screen—organized rights are under attack, corporate City, RR began providing research and by Downhill Battle (www.downhill media fail to inform citizens in favor fact-checking workshops, teaching battle.org/eyes/). As part of the event, of entertaining them, and information people how to locate, analyze, and RR led a discussion on copyright and its itself has become a commodity to be verify information. RR believes that to effect on public access to information. bought and sold to the highest bidder. invigorate and empower underserved We also enjoy close collaboration RR library workers advocate for the communities, it is crucial to teach among our 150 volunteers, who bring public interest and support activist them to recognize and satisfy their diverse skill sets and social and politi- communities with professional skills own information needs. cal backgrounds to the group. RR’s and expertise. reference system is designed specifical- Many activists and organizations Collaboration ly to tap into this collective knowledge rely on quality information in their The second of RR’s strengths is its base by allowing for various avenues work; however, few have access to commitment to collaboration. In the of input by volunteers, providing a reliable and diverse information beginning, RR worked closely with the wide range of resources to those seek- resources, or the time and skill sets to organizations planning for the ing information. In addition, during obtain that information in our rapidly Republican National Convention outside events, street reference and changing world. By identifying this Convergence, and we have continued home support volunteers work closely unmet information need, RR has been to seek opportunities to collaborate together to ensure quality service. able to fill an important niche. RR vol- with many other groups. RR and the unteers have attended meetings of Boston Independent Media Center, for Open-Source Technology local activist organizations and partici- example, jointly organized a screening As a largely virtual community, RR pated in local events. at the Lucy Parsons Infoshop of the could not offer its collaborative servic- As a result of this direct participa- film “Eyes on the Prize,” a documen- es without the creative use of Internet tion, RR has become integral to these tary that has not been publicly technologies. RR consciously uses activist communities and able to pro- screened for more than 10 years shared open-source technology, non-

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commercial software, and noncommer- negative or extreme connotation. • Lucy Parsons Center (www.lucypar- cial Web hosting, maintaining our As one RR volunteer, Discordia, sons.org) beliefs in synchronicity with our said in response to a comment about • Radical Reference (http://radical- actions. RR on LISNews.com: “[L]anguage is reference.info) RR’s Web site content is managed not a static thing; rather, it is a place • Txtmob (www.txtmob.com) by Drupal, software developed and where social struggle takes place. The maintained by a community and dis- term itself is interpreted within a spe- The authors are members of the tributed under the GNU General Public cific social context. By using the term Radical Reference Collective. License (www.gnu.org/copyleft/ ‘radical’ to define our service, we are gpl.html). This software is written in challenging the mainstream meaning, Shinjoung Yeo is a reference librarian PHP with a mysql database backend which largely marginalizes the term at the University of California San and integrated with various features and, along with it, certain groups” Diego and San Diego Community such as a blog, wiki-like collective (www.lisnews.com/article.pl?sid=04/0 College. She promised her mother that book modules, and other cooperative 8/01/0640217&mode=thread&tid=28). she would return to Korea in a year; reference tools. As the original meaning of radical that was 15 years ago. She lives with RR is also poised to become only implies, the goal of RR’s work is to go her tall partner in a small apartment. the second organization to implement to the roots of our communities, the new Lightning Bug software, which thirst for information access, in Between adventures in Europe and which will facilitate and track refer- order to promote the growth of the Canada, Joel Rane works as a public ence transactions among our volun- entire community. librarian in his hometown of Los teers. In addition, during political Angeles. His ancestors came across the events, we use Txtmob, a Web-based Conclusion stormy ocean, killed too many Indians, cell phone text-messaging service, to In the midst of today’s social and and lost the Civil War trying to give enable synchronous communication political turmoil, we believe that him a better life; after 15 years of pay- between street and home support vol- library workers have a professional ing off student loans, he finally has it. unteers; this service also connects us duty to reach out to their local com- He is also a writer and a leftist no- with many other affinity groups. Most munities, to use their skills and goodnik. crucially, the Web hosting, technology knowledge to foster a more egalitarian support, and software development society. Radical Reference has become James R. Jacobs is a government infor- that Lightning Bug provides for RR is a place where anyone can ask a ques- mation librarian at the University of offered gratis by Interactivist, a non- tion and expect a carefully researched California San Diego. He used to keep profit organization that supports answer. This adaptation of traditional bees and grow organic vegetables; now groups working on issues of social reference is a new and badly needed he keeps books and lives in a small justice. service, providing information to sup- apartment with his small partner. In the name of convenience, port not only independent journalists libraries often overlook the underlying and progressive organizations but also Lia Friedman has been involved with economic philosophies and principles students, teachers, and anyone who Radical Reference since July 2004. She of the technologies they employ. RR wants access to information that may received her MSLIS from Pratt Institute, insists on being a holistic example of be hard to find. is employed as a music and research how a society can infuse technology Radical Reference also strives to work librarian, lives in Brooklyn, and is also with a sustainable organizational phi- within local communities to strength- a member of theexperiment.org, a free losophy. en the ideas that knowledge is power news experiment. and that information should be free to What’s in a Name? all. Our organization continues to Jenna Freedman is the coordinator of Some have questioned the use of evolve and grow, and we welcome oth- reference services at Barnard the word “radical” in RR’s name and ers to join us in working to make College/Columbia University, where she have not been able to see beyond the information activism a part of every recently founded a zine collection. work into RR’s utility. According to community and the Internet. Those the Oxford English Dictionary, “radi- interested should contact RR at cal” has the following meanings: [email protected]. “going to the root or origin; touching For more information, visit the follow- or acting upon what is essential and ing Web sites: fundamental; thorough.” In a biologi- • Drupal (http://drupal.org) cal sense, “radical” implies going to • Eyes on the Screen (www.downhill- the base in order to nourish an entire battle.org/eyes) body. The word emerged in the 18th • Independent Media Center century as a political term; not until (www.indymedia.org) the 20th century was it assigned a • Interactivist (www.interactivist.net)

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 59 60 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 10K Wizard 31 June 2005 August 2005 October 2005 www.10kwizard.com Advanced Productivity Software, Inc. 35 CoLIS 5: Fifth International Sixth World Conference on EUSIDIC Annual Conference www.aps-soft.com Conference on Conceptions of Continuing Professional European Association of AM Best 47 Library and Information Science Development—Preparing for New Information Services www.ambest.com University of Strathclyde Roles in Libraries October 9-11 June 4-9 IFLA Innsbruck, Austria American Chemical Society Inside Front Cover www.acs.org Glasgow, Scotland, UK August 11-13 http://www.eusidic.org http://www.cis.strath.ac.uk/ Oslo, Norway Annual Reviews 2 external/colis5/ http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla71/call Internet Librarian www.annualreviews.org s-e.htm#cpdwl International 2005 Bentham Science Publishers LTD. 49 SLA 2005 Annual Conference Information Today www.bentham.org June 5-8 World Library and Information October 10-11 Bernan 23 Toronto, Canada Conference: 71st IFLA General London, UK www.bernan.com http://www.sla.org/toronto2005 Conference and Council http://www.internet-librarian.com BNA 50 IFLA www.bna.com Joint Conference on Digital August 14-18 Part 1: The Principles of Oslo, Norway Dialog Back Cover Libraries 2005 (JCDL) Conducting a Library www.dialog.com June 7-11 http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla71 Benchmarking Project Denver, CO, USA October 12 Dow Jones 65 http://www.jcdl2005.org/ http://www.sla.org/virtualseminar www.djnewsletters.com September 2005 Elsevier 1 2005 CLA Conference Hypertext 05 3rd International Evidence Based www.elsevier.com Association for Computing Canadian Library Association Librarianship Conference Gale 44 June 15-18 Machinery (ACM) Australian Library and Information www.gale.com Calgary, Alberta, Canada September 6-9 Association (ALIA) Hoover’s 20 http://www.cla.ca/ Salzburg, Germany October 16-19 www.hooversbooks.com conference/2005/proposals.htm http://www.ht05.org Brisbane, Australia http://conferences.alia.org.au/ IBIS World 40 www.ibisworld.com 2005 Biennial CRMA Conference ASIDIC Fall 2005 Meeting ebl2005 Career Resource Managers Association of Information and IEEE 58 Association Dissemination Centers Internet Librarian 2005 www.ieee.org June 16-17 September 11-13 Information Today IHS 19 Bethlehem, PA, USA Napa, CA, USA October 24-26 www.ihs.com http://www.asidic.org/meetings/ http://www.crmaonline.org/ Monterey, CA, USA INSPEC 53 conference.html fall05.htm http://www.infotoday.com/il2005 www.iee.org/inspec

International Press 12, 13 American Library Association ARMA '05: 50th Annual Part 2: Integrating Benchmark www.intlpress.com Annual Conference (ALA) Conference & Exposition Findings Into the Information June 23-29, 2005 September 18-21 Marquis Who’s Who 22 Product Development Lifecycle www.marquiswhoswho.com Chicago, IL, USA Chicago, IL, USA October 26 http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsand http://www.arma.org/conference http://www.sla.org/virtualseminar NOTEbookS 67 conferencesb/annual/2005a www.rasco.com 9th European Conference on Ovid 26 Umbrella 2005 Research and Advanced November 2005 www.ovid.com/searchsolver Technology for Digital Libraries Part I: Unlocking Knowledge CILIP Powell’s Books 23 June 30-July 2, 2005 (ECDL 2005) from Text www.powells.com Manchester, UK September 18-23 November 15 NERAC Inside Back Cover http://www.umbrella2005.org.uk Vienna, Austria http://www.sla.org/virtualseminar www.nerac.com http://www.ecdl2005.org Part II: Case Studies and Rittenhouse 56 www.rittenhouse.com July 2005 Your Career: A Straight Shot or a Implemention Roadmap 7th ISKO-Spain Conference: The Shot in the Dark? November 29 Sage Publications 36, 37 Human Dimension of Knowledge September 21 http://www.sla.org/virtualseminar www.sagepub.com Organization http://www.sla.org/virtualseminar Scopus 25 University of Barcelona www.scopus.com July 6-8 InfoX Conferences December 2005 Society of Financial Service Professionals 64 Barcelona, Spain Information Today www.financialpro.org http://bd.ub.es/isko2005/en September 27-28 Copyright for the Corporate Librarian: The Importance & SPIE Digital Library 54 New York, NY, USA www.spiedl.org AALL 2005 Annual Meeting http://www.infox-ny.com/ Consequences of Copyright Issues American Association of Law in the Digital Environment Springer 56 www.springeronline.com Libraries SARC III: Experience a Timeless December 7 July 16-20 Information Journey: Revolution http://www.sla.org/virtualseminar Thomson 43 San Antonio, TX, USA and Evolution Continue www.thomson.com Communicating the Value of Your http://www.aallnet.org/events September 28 Wiley 29 Williamsburg, VA, USA Service www.wiley.com http://www.sla.org/conf/ conf_sar December 14 http://www.sla.org/virtualseminar SLA Notices 2005 LITA National Forum 2005 Annual Conference 4 Career Center 7 September 30-October 2, 2005 Information Outlook Editorial Calendar 17 San Jose, CA, USA Information Outlook Subscriptions 24, 63 http://www.ala.org/ala/lita Virtual Learning Series 60

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 61 Digital Licensing Questions

By Lesley Ellen Harris negotiations and a single docu- ensure that the final license principles with caution and as a ment that sets out the terms meets your needs. checklist, rather than following Licensing digital content is and conditions of use. A written them blindly, and adapt them increasingly part of the lives of agreement also helps if you are Can your warranty and indem- to meet your particular needs librarians, so we must all take managing multiple digital nity protect you from a content and circumstances. the time to fully understand licenses entered into by your holder who does not really this licensing. The following organization. U.S. state law and hold the rights to the content Is it necessary for our library to questions are often asked by Canadian provincial law have being licensed? have a licensing policy before licensors and licensees of digi- different requirements regard- It is always best to enter into entering into negotiations? tal content. The answers may ing when a legal agreement any licenses or negotiations No. A licensing policy is not lead you to a better understand- must be in writing. with content owners whom part of the negotiations with ing of your own licensing you trust. If you are suspicious content owners and, in fact, arrangements. What if the content owner that the content owner does not should be kept confidential. does not provide you with a own some or all of the rights Such a policy functions as an General Questions written license? being licensed, it is best to ter- internal guide, ensuring a con- What would a perfect digital Ask about terms and condi- minate your negotiations and sistent approach for negotiating license contain? tions. Ask the content owner if find and work with a more all licenses. The policy should There is no such thing as there is a license with terms trustworthy content owner. be developed through a consen- one perfect license, because and conditions of use on their Although a warranty and sus among various people and each agreement must reflect the Web site or if they could e-mail indemnity may protect you to based on accumulated experi- needs and requirements of the or otherwise send you a copy of some extent, they can be expen- ence; it should guide you involved parties. Although that license. If a license is not sive to enforce; and you may through the negotiation some model licenses have been available, ask the content find that the content owner process, setting goals and bot- developed, each situation is owner to set out the terms and does not have the funds to tom lines for your organization. unique, and you must ensure conditions of use in a letter to indemnify you against any loss- that your license meets the par- you, so you have a record of the es or legal fees resulting from Homework Before ticular needs of your library nature of the license. using content that belongs to Negotiations another party. and the content owner with How does a library determine What if a license is not whom you are entering the what rights should be in the negotiable? license. The perfect digital Aids in license? Except for click-through, license would be one that sets Negotiating Licenses Determine how the content Web wrap, or shrink wrap out terms and conditions that How can principles endorsed will be used, then ensure that agreements, most licenses are satisfy both the content owner by an association help our the license reflects these uses. It negotiable. If you are faced with and the user of that content. organization in negotiating is best to determine these rights a license that does not meet licenses? in advance to ensure that you your needs and does not appear Are license and assignment the You can use licensing prin- are meeting your needs and not to be negotiable, ask the con- same thing? ciples as a checklist. Similar to simply reacting to the licensing tent owner about the portions No. A license is mere per- model licenses, these principles offer from the content owner. mission to use content accord- of the license that you would can be a helpful guide in devel- ing to specific terms and condi- like amended and try to open a oping your own policy and in tions. An assignment is an out- discussion and negotiation to negotiating licenses. Use these right purchase of the rights to that content. Most digital con- Lesley Ellen Harris is a copyright lawyer/consultant who works on tent is licensed on a nonexclu- legal, business, and strategic issues in the publishing, content, enter- sive basis. tainment, Internet, and information industries. She is the editor of the Copyright & New Media Law Newsletter: For Libraries, Archives Must all licenses be in writing? & Museums, and the author of several books, including Licensing They should be. This is not Digital Content: A Practical Guide for Librarians. She often speaks at always necessary, but it is a conferences and teaches online courses on copyright and licensing. good idea as a summary of your For more information, visit http://copyrightlaws.com.

62 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 Consult various people in your someone else. In any situation, ies might be helpful, but There is no single definition organization, from your lawyer be sure that the licensor actual- because you will be defining of the term “commercial use.” It to your acquisitions librarian to ly has the right to license the the words for the specific pur- is up to the content owner and your reference librarian. content to you. It is prudent to poses of your license, it is best the library to define commer- Consult your patrons and include a warranty clause in to ask various staff members— cial use in a manner that meets researchers when that is possi- the license stating that the especially those who deal the needs of the license. This ble. licensor actually has the right directly with the content may be negotiable. to license that content to you; involved—how to define the Does the publisher/distribu- however, do not rely on this terms for your purposes. Does “personal use” in a tor/aggregator always own the clause. If you have any doubts, Sometimes the definitions will license include an individual content being licensed? look for a different licensor. have to be negotiated with the researcher who is paid $30 an In some situations, you will content owner, as different hour for his research? license content directly from Understanding Terms meanings given to different There is no set definition of the owner; however, in many Where can we find definitions words can affect the terms and “personal use.” For each situations, you will be licensing of words that we need to conditions of the license. license, personal use should be from a publisher, distributor, or include in the definition sec- defined to meet the needs of aggregator who has rights to tion of our license? Is there a definition of “com- that particular license and license content owned by Some technology dictionar- mercial use?” arrangement.

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 63 Fair Use and Interlibrary copy of a journal but not is something you will need What if we need a right that is Loans from an electronic copy? to address in your license. not included in the license; for Many publishers are con- instance, the right for a patron Is fair use/dealing applicable cerned that electronic copies to e-mail herself a copy of a arti- when content is subject to a Frequently of content will be distributed cle from a licensed database? license agreement? Negotiated Areas beyond their intended audi- If the right is not specifical- If the agreement does not How can we avoid entering ence. For instance, if one ly included in the license or mention fair use/dealing, into the same license year after library electronically lends a cannot be interpreted as an then fair use/dealing is year? journal to another library, authorized use in other rights applicable. However, the You can negotiate a license the publisher may have little granted or uses permitted, the license may limit the scope for a longer duration than one control over who else may patron will not be able to e- of fair use/dealing. This is year or you can include a access the electronic copy. mail the article to herself. You something you may wish to clause for automatic renewal in Unlike a print journal, an may be able to amend the discuss with the content certain circumstances, so that if electronic journal can be e- license with the content owner owner. the license is working well, you mailed to millions and even or to include this right when do not need to renegotiate it billions of people around the the license is renewed. Can a license prohibit interli- each year. world in seconds. In some brary loans (ILLs)? situations, publishers will May an organization archive Yes. A license may pro- What if the content owner allow a print copy of an elec- licensed content and provide hibit ILLs. However, this may wants a higher fee for the con- tronic article to be loaned to access to it after the license has be a point of negotiation. tent than we can afford? another library, while the expired? If you cannot negotiate a same article in an electronic That would depend on the Why does the same publish- lower fee for the electronic con- form may not be loaned. This terms of your license. If this er allow ILLs from a print tent, try narrowing the terms topic is not addressed in your and conditions of use. For license, you should not be mak- instance, offer to restrict the ing archive copies or providing number of users who will have access to these copies after the access to the content or the expiration of the license. Access number of years to be covered to previously licensed content in the license. is a controversial issue and one that is difficult to address in a After You Sign the License license. Currently, it is the sub- Groundbreaking, peer-reviewed What if the content is not avail- ject of much discussion among articles and regular columns able for the duration of the libraries and publishers, and license? by industry experts in all areas these discussions are well Consider this possibility worth following. of financial planning, includ- before you sign the license. Ask ing estate planning, retirement the content owner for some These questions and answers planning, insurance, invest- guarantee with regard to maxi- are adapted from Licensing ments, tax, employee benefits, mum downtime for mainte- Digital Content: A Practical nance and so on, and ask for economics, and ethics. Guide for Librarians by Lesley either a reduction in the license Ellen Harris, published by the Bimonthly, 6 issues/year. fee or an extension in the American Library Association ISSN 1537-1816 license to compensate you for in 2002. downtime beyond this amount. Published by Consider including a clause that will release you from the contract obligations or at least provide for a reduction of license fees if the content is not Tel: 1-800-392-6900 available over the duration of Email: [email protected] • www.financialpro.org the license. Visit us at Booth 832 at the SLA Annual Conference.

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By Stephen Abram do a great job of letting us agement solution). clients called the library move software, documents, The big leap is that read- and we sent the relevant You know you’re an old and files from one computer ers will need a PC, laptop, rule to them by photocopy fogy when you tell stories of to another. Their capacity is or PDA to read off the in internal mail. It got faster the dinner plate-size disks also getting huge. It’s easy BookLocker. Given the stor- when fax became ubiqui- we used in the early eight- to find affordable USB age capacity, one can imag- tous. The rules are online ies. Ours were about 10 drives with 40 GB of space. ine a whole class collection and on CD now too. inches across and held just It’s also easy to find cheap easily and cost-effectively It’s easy to see how one a few documents. They ones that work on nearly delivered to our learners. of these USB tools can be could only be used on an every PC and beyond. Since fewer than 1,000 purposed for auditors’ or AES word processor, and we They’re so ubiquitous that books cover more than 80 accountants’ needs. The couldn’t easily port them to most PC manufacturers percent of the U.S. K-12 cur- USB collection would have another machine. We have moved the USB slot to riculum, there’s hope for no need to be online (which thought that people who the front of the computer the backpack toters of the the CD was meant to fix) could do “word processing” box with the other drives (if future. Some schools of den- but would be easily update- (rather than merely typing) there are any; they’re disap- tistry have loaded the entire able (which CDs do poorly). had advanced technical pearing) so we can get at it first year’s reading onto a No need to increase the lap- skills, and their pay at my easily. I get frustrated when CD. Why not a USB top cost and weight with a firm was more than that of I use hotel business centers drive that allows you to CD drive. Ahhh, modern the librarian—me! and have to crawl under the make notes on the text technology. Once we got our first desk to access the USB port. (highlighting at a mini- SanDisk is releasing a Osborne luggable PC and I always make the point on mum) and fill in exercises secure digital (SD) card with some early Apples, the mys- the comment card: evolve! and quizzes? built-in USB, so it may even be tique vanished, along with One manufacturer has In my first job, I support- time to retire your memory the WP jobs and the WP gone beyond supporting ed a national accounting card reader. It’s about the size supervisor. Personal com- storage of just what we and audit practice. The huge of my thumbprint. Amazingly, puting became personal— choose. SanDisk’s Book- shelves of statutes, rules, SanDisk has managed to no more WP pool. We hap- Locker was released in early regulations, and guidelines embed high-speed USB 2.0 pily stored files on cassette 2005. Have you felt the were far too big for an audit connectivity into the SD card, tapes and then 5¼-inch weight of our kids’ back- bag. FASB, ICAEW, AICPA, bringing plug-and-play con- disks, followed by 3½-inch packs? We are building a IASC, CICA, etc., were the venience to a new level. diskettes. ’Twas still pretty steady future income for alphabet soup of my life. In Now all you have to do is small portable storage until chiropractors, drugstores, my day (old fogy talk), plug your SD card directly CD-ROM and then DVD and manufacturers of back came along. I even recall pain relievers. Our little Stephen Abram, MLS, is vice president, innovation for Sirsi the day our AES hard drive tykes should cart USB Corporation. He is past president of the Ontario Library disks crashed, with an ear- thumb drives instead of Association and current president of the splitting noise heard huge tomes of textbooks to Canadian Library Association. In June throughout the office tower. and from school. SanDisk 2003 he was awarded SLA’s John Cotton Yep—I am an old fogy. aims to change the face of Dana Award. This column reflects Most of us are familiar textbooks by providing class Stephen's personal perspective and does not with the small keychain collections on a secure drive necessarily represent the opinions or posi- drives we now use instead called the Cruzer USB drive, tions of Sirsi Corporation. Products are not of floppy diskettes. Variably which carries the Book- endorsed or recommended for your person- called USB drives, flash Locker software that secure- al situation and are mentioned here as use- memory, or thumb drives, ly provides electronic texts ful ideas or places to investigate or explore. these neat and inexpensive for educational applications Stephen would love to hear from you at devices are gearing up to and markets (using a pro- [email protected]. change our world. Yes, they prietary digital rights man-

66 | information outlook | June 2005 | vol. 9, no. 6 into any USB port to begin sharers, voice over Internet special libraries to improve puter game and moving transferring your data, protocol (VOIP) clients, fire- ease of use, personalization, apps, data, and docs). images, audio, or video walls, and more), document and internal and licensed They’re already trained! between devices. The new applications (text editors, content distribution. There you go. Our world mechanical design does spreadsheets, database, PDF Now, just imagine when really is getting smaller, and away with the need for a readers, and more), tiny your iPod can do all this, so are our devices. The tini- removable cap (which old Trillian instant messengers, and back up your PC. It can est devices will change the fogies like me are continual- graphics tools, system tools, now! Oh yeah, it can also way we think about our ly losing!) and even features file management tools, and work on your smart phone. world of work and play. an LED that blinks when other cool tools (media and Cool. And many of our Keep watching this technolo- data transfer is taking place, music players, calendars, users already have an iPod, gy. It’s not just about storing all on the tiny form factor. clocks, converters, security or a laptop, and a smart and moving files anymore. What I find most exciting tools, and more). phone and easily move files is the potential to cost-effec- What is a tiny app? As back and forth (no differ- tively bring your own con- defined by this Web site, a tiny ence between moving a tent and storage device and app (application) is software song as an MP3 or a com- your own personalized soft- consisting of 1.44 MB or less. ware to your library. All you Tiny apps range from the need to do is plug in your minuscule Tiny IDEA (a mere thumb drive and start to 448 bytes) to the awe-inspiring work; when you unplug, no QNX demo disk, which pretty one need know you were much fills an old-style floppy. there. Imagine being able to To qualify for TinyApps, a pro- use your own bookmark lists gram must: wherever you go, your own files of Word and Excel, your 1. Not exceed 1.44 MB. IM buddies list, your e-mail 2. Not be adware or spyware. contacts, and your own per- 3. Not require the VB/MFC/ sonalized browser default .NET runtimes. Also, prefer- settings! Sounds a bit like ence is given to apps that are the CIA’s or KGB’s spy tech- 100 percent self-contained, nology in the hands of requiring no installation, reg- teenagers. Cool. istry changes, etc. So, how do you get 4. Preferably be free, and small, fulsome applications ideally offer source code. to put on your thumb drive? Shareware will be listed Well, it’s easy. You go to a only if there is no freeware site called TinyApps.org. alternative. (http://www.tinyapps.org), where downloads of mostly So, the day is here when FREE tiny applications are we can put simple, stan- available. The site supports dardized applications, per- Windows, Palm, and OS X sonal preferences, e-books tiny apps. There are hun- and textbooks, and other dreds of tiny applications on resources on a small, cost- the site. They include soft- efficient device that any ware for the Internet (tiny user can run on nearly any Web browsers, pop-up computer. Not bad—and blockers, e-mail clients, file surely an opportunity for

vol. 9, no. 6 | June 2005| information outlook | 67 informationmanagement One Small Step for Cinderella

By John R. Latham that work now. Vendors will sell you excel- ensure as far as possible that you have staff lent products, but however good they are, buy-in. They are unlikely to make a system I may be telling tales out of school, but their success will depend on whether staff is work if they do not see an improvement over my impression is that records management able or willing to make them work. A sim- what they are already doing. is the Cinderella of most organizations. It ple procedure that works is one small step Develop a standard file plan and naming took on a slightly more important air when for Cinderella, but one giant leap for the convention. Some staff may have excellent we were being tantalized by knowledge organization. Apologies to Neil Armstrong. filing plans already, but most file in General management software systems a few years The onset of e-mail and e-records has or Miscellaneous, if they file at all. They ago. But when we found out that—because had a significant effect on communicating. may be using Copernic or Google to search they required human buy-in—these sys- We appear to have gone from a period, not for e-mails and electronic documents, but tems were not the be-all and end-all, back long ago, when we were bemoaning the many staff will need help in choosing file she went to scrubbing floors. death of the written word, to now panicking names and simple hierarchies. Assume the Let’s be honest, until Sarbanes-Oxley about the excess of written communica- worst when it comes to considering what came along, most senior management tions. The problem is that there is such a you think staff understand and do automat- could not have been less interested. Unless surfeit of electronic communication that it is ically (although you might be pleasantly a company had lost a law suit because of either instantly deleted or totally inaccessi- surprised at their initiative). the lack of supporting evidence, which had ble because it is not organized. Obtain buy-in from senior management. either been destroyed or could not be We used to think that nothing impor- Without that support you will probably be accessed, records management was grossly tant or legal was sent or received via e- flogging a dead horse. Management will under funded. The problems are getting mail, so controlling it did not matter. How need to see real value in implementing the bigger every day. wrong we were. I never knew, nor did not procedures, but if they are sold on the idea, In many cases the responsibility for bother to inquire to find out, that elec- their support will be invaluable. For a start, records management, if given to anyone, is tronic signatures, in whatever format, are properly implemented procedures can save assigned to the library or information cen- valid with limited exceptions. A signature computer space, avoid expensive litigation, ter, generally because management does is anything that you intend to be a signa- and save significant time in the retrieval of not know the difference between records, ture…even a thumb print or initials at the records or information. archives, and books. Even if for the wrong end of an e-mail. It is too easy to behave With management support, staff can be reasons, this responsibility is now within like an ostrich, and hope that if we do made accountable if they do not comply. the right area. Who better to oversee sys- nothing, it will go away. Nothing encourages staff more than some- tems heavily dependent on access than the This subject cannot be covered in a col- thing that affects their evaluations, career information professional? umn, and every organization has totally dif- progress, and remuneration. Try to have SLA’s HQ is no exception in having the ferent issues, or already has systems in compliance added as a criterion for annual Information Center in charge of records place, but here are some ideas to consider evaluations. retention, archiving, and the dissemination about e-mail management. Perhaps there Identify high-risk areas when working of information. In a fit of honesty, I also will be one little gem that will be the on the retention schedules. Not everything have to admit that Cinderella is alive and epiphany to spur you to action. needs to be retained. The legal require- well at HQ, but writing this column will Start by working on procedures for ments for retention are generally less oner- spur me on to greater action. organizing e-mails within MS Outlook, or ous than one may think. As so often is the case with me, some- whichever system you use. Spend some These are just some random sugges- thing said at a course sets me off on my time with, or survey, staff to find out what tions. If staff consistently adhere to a filing road to Damascus. At a local ARMA chap- filing systems they use, if any, and what plan and retention schedule for their e- ter presentation on managing e-mail and they are trying to achieve from this system. mail records, you then have the basis for e-records, the presenter, John Montana, Often staff is not aware of functions avail- implementing knowledge or records man- explained that it is better to have a simple able that would meet their requirements. I agement systems that will really save time and sub-optimal rule complied consistent- know that I often see and improve communication and informa- ly than a Rolls-Royce system applied someone doing some- tion sharing. Without being able to install inconsistently or not at all. (See thing that is exactly a simple system that is universally adopt- Cunningham & Montana Inc., www. what I would like to ed, the expensive sophisticated systems cunninngham-montana.com.) do, but was not aware will never work. Perhaps that’s stating the obvious, but of that function. It is all up to people, so keep it simple. by starting from that premise, you are much Before the launch more likely to develop simple procedures of new procedures, The Information Center is sponsored by Factiva, a John R. Latham is the director of the SLA Information Dow Jones and Reuters Center. He can be reached at [email protected]. company.

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