Vol. 27, No. 3/Spring 2005

CONFERENCE ADVANCE A Wealth of History, Culture and Entertainment is Waiting in

BY MIKE FILEY, COLUMNIST, Brief oronto has a rich and storied history. To begin, Toronto was named for the Huron Indian word for “meeting Tplace.” And for good reason - the area was well used in this manner for centuries by people of the , and later by French traders, thanks to its naturally protected harbour. In 1788, the British purchased the land from the Mississauga Indians, and a settlement slowly grew around the waterfront area. In 1793, Lieutenant-Colonel established a military garrison and named the town York in honour of the Duke of York of the time. It was renamed Toronto when the city was incorporated in 1834. During the War of 1812, the town was twice occupied by the Americans (both times in 1813). By 1834, its citizens, mostly British and Scottish immigrants, numbered close to 10,000. Others, such as Jews from the United States, Russia and Germany, would soon arrive, as well as some 40,000 Irish fleeing famine in their homeland. Blacks escaping slavery in the U.S. soon followed, at a time when the seeds of Toronto’s current multicultural diversi- ty were already being sown. As the population increased, so did the city’s infrastructure. The opened its doors in 1843. Growth continued in spite of the Great Fires of 1849 and 1904. The new city includ- Toronto’s skyline at night, as seen across the harbour from the . Photo Credit: Tourism Toronto ed an extensive network of roads, railways, canals, shipping and telegraph lines. Continued on page 11

NOTES FROM THE LIBRARY PROFILE/ CONFERENCE AND THE WINNERS THE INSIDE CHAIR / 4 7 ADVANCE/ 10 ARE…/ 16 STORY In her last column as Amy Disch does a Current information Linda Henderson sets Division Chair, Jennifer thorough investigation on the program schedule the stage for the upcom- Evert talks about profes- of four key news libraries for the upcoming annual ing 2005 News Division sional development and in Torono. SLA confererence in Awards Banquet and membership. Toronto. introduces the winners. CHAIR, Jennifer Small Evert, LexisNexis, PUBLICITY-PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR, Dana NEWS Miamisburg, OH, 800/227-9597, x58037, Gordon, Newsweek Inc., , NY, 212/445- e-mail: [email protected] 4012, e-mail: [email protected] DIVISION CHAIR-ELECT, Denise J. Jones, News and SMALL LIBRARIES CHAIR, Marcia MacVane, EXECUTIVE Observer, Raleigh, NC, 919/829-9818, Portland , Portland, ME, 207/791- e-mail: [email protected] 6318, e-mail: [email protected] BOARD PAST CHAIR/DIRECTOR-AWARDS, Linda STRATEGIC PLANNING CHAIR, Jim Hunter, Henderson, Providence Journal, Providence,RI, Columbia Dispatch, Columbus, OH, 614/461-5039 401/277-7887, e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] SECRETARY TELLER/ELECTIONS CHAIR, Bill Van Niekerken, Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, CA, San Diego, CA, 619/718-5431 415/777-7230, e-mail: BVanNiekerken@sfchroni- e-mail: [email protected] cle.com TREASURER, Justin Scroggs, NewsBank, Inc., WEBMEISTRESS, Jessica Baumgart, Harvard Naples, FL, 800/762-8182, University, Cambridge, MA, 617/495-4739, e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] DIRECTOR-EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVEL- OPMENT CHAIR, Jim Hunter, Columbus NLN MANAGING EDITOR Dispatch, Columbus, OH, 614/461-5039, NLN STAFF e-mail: [email protected] Kathryn Pease Newsday DIRECTOR-PUBLICATIONS, Leigh Poitinger, San Jose Mercury News, San Jose, CA, 408/920-5972, Melville, NY e-mail: [email protected] 631/843-2333 e-mail: [email protected] COMMITTEE NEWS DIVISION COMMITTEE CHAIRS ARCHIVIST CHAIR, Teresa Leonard, News and CONTRIBUTING EDITORS CHAIRS Observer, Raleigh, NC, 919/829-4866 PEOPLE e-mail: [email protected] Jennifer O’Neill AUTOMATED-TECHNOLOGY CHAIR, Peter The Florida Times-Union Johnson, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA, Jacksonville, FL 213/237-3349, e-mail: [email protected] 904/359-4184 BROADCAST CHAIR, vacant e-mail: [email protected] BYLAWS CHAIR, Barbara Semonche, The Park LIBRARY PROFILES Library, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Amy Disch School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Wisconsin State Journal and Capital Times Chapel Hill, NC, 919/843-8300 Madison, WI e-mail: [email protected] 608/252-6114 DIVERSITY CHAIR, Kee Malesky, National Public e-mail: [email protected] Radio, Washington, DC, 202/513-2356, e-mail: [email protected] WHO WANTS TO BE A NEWS LIBRARIAN? Angelica Cortez GOVERNMENT RELATIONS CHAIR, vacant The Palm Beach Post INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS CHAIR, 561/820-3796 Wil Roestenburg, PCM Landelijke Dagbladen, e-mail: [email protected] Rotterdam, (NL), 31-(0)10-406-7741, e-mail: [email protected] Total membership: 703 MEMBERSHIP CHAIR, Alice Pepper, Detroit Free Press, Detroit, MI, 313/222-5135, e-mail: [email protected] NOMINATIONS CHAIR, vacant

News Library News News Library News (ISSN 1047-417X) is Special Libraries Association assumes To place advertisements or to obtain the bulletin of the News Division of the no responsibility for the statements and advertising information, you can con- Winter 2005 Special Libraries Association. SLA opinions advanced by the contributors tact Kathryn Pease, the managing edi- Vol. 27, No.3 Headquarters address is: SLA, 331 of the association’s publications. tor, at her e-mail address: kathryn.pease South Patrick St., Alexandria, VA Editorial views do not necessarily rep- @newsday.com 22314. The phone number is: 703/647- resent the official position of Special Copy for bylined columns should be 4900. News Library News is published Libraries Association. Acceptance of an submitted to the column editor. All four times a year by the division. advertisement does not imply endorse- other copy may be submitted to Reproduction in whole or part without ment of the product by Special Kathryn Pease at her e-mail address. permission is prohibited. Libraries Association.

PAGE 2 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS SPRING 2005 THE ASIDE BAR

pring is in the air. A time when many of us haven’t quite put away our winter wardrobes while others have already been basking in the breeze that an open window Sbrings. A time when the SLA annual conference is just around the corner, and many of us enjoy re-energizing our work lives while getting reacquainted with colleagues from near and far. Even if you can’t make it to Toronto this year, I hope you enjoy Mike Filey’s brief his- tory lesson and highlights of the city. Mike is a Toronto historian and author whose week- ly column,”The Way We Were,” has been a popular mainstay of the Toronto Sun since

KATHRYN PEASE 1975. For those of you able to attend, this year’s event promises to keep you busy with rele- vant sessions and continuing education classes courtesy of Chair-Elect Denise Jones and Education Director Jim Hunter. From creating Weblogs and intranets to public records accuracy and privacy concerns, copyright issues, and math skills, there is something for everyone at this year’s conference. Math in the newsroom was also a hot topic at this year’s CAR conference. Be sure to read what Julia Franco and Margot Williams had to say about this year’s Tinseltown gath- ering, and make note of Debbie Wolfe’s new Math for Journalists interactive Web site. Presently, my math abilities are being tested by learning to convert American dollars into Chinese yuan, as any day now I’ll be embarking on an Asian adventure. Until next time, I bid you farewell. Zàijiàn!

SPRING 2005 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS PAGE 3 NOTES ow! I can’t believe that the year great membership chair, Alice Pepper, has is over, and I am writing my these names and I’m sure is more than FROM Wlast column as chair of this happy to accept other volunteers. I think we great division. need to dedicate ourselves in the coming THE Before signing off, I want to say a little year to really examining why our member- something about two of the issues that have ship numbers continue to decline. Now is CHAIR been closest to my heart over the last year: the time to put some effort into turning professional development and membership. that around! I hope to stay involved in the division’s Now on to some new issues. At the mid- effort to reach out to other organizations, winter SLA Leadership Summit, we were such as the Poynter Institute, IRE and informed that we needed to change our NICAR. By partnering with other organi- election cycle so that our election calendar zations in our field, we increase the number aligned with SLA’s fiscal year (January- and variety of professional development December). In the future, our elections will opportunities that we can offer. We had be held in the fall. As a result, new cabinet such a successful Poynter seminar in 2004. members will take their positions on the BY JENNIFER SMALL The workshop participants still correspond board in January, rather than in June at the EVERT on a listserv that developed after the ses- annual conference. The board is still work- sions, and they keep in touch on the pro- ing out the logistics for how we are going to jects they started at Poynter. manage this change in the calendar, so stay I was disappointed that there was not tuned to NewsLib for further details. We enough interest in the Poynter seminar this may be holding a special election in the fall year to merit holding the course. I would to start shifting our schedules as well as the love to hear from the membership on the workloads for division board members. types of programs that you would like to see. Speaking of the board, I’d like to con- What types of programs would your man- gratulate our new board members: Jim agement support? Do we need to look at Hunter, Chair-Elect; Dana Gordon, more regional programs so that travel Director of Education & Professional expenses are not so high? Do we need to Development; and Peter Johnson, focus on certain topics to draw a larger pool Treasurer. Thanks to all the candidates for of participants? The Poynter Institute is your willingness to take part in the News willing to continue its partnership with us, Division elections. And a special thanks to and I hope to see another class offered in our illustrious vote teller, Bill Van 2006. In the meantime, please take a Niekerken, who makes this whole election moment to drop me a line and give me possible. some input on how the News Division can I’d like to close by thanking everyone continue to offer career assistance through who has provided assistance to me over the professional development. last two years. I’m honored to have served as I don’t think that you can completely the division chair. The News Division has separate professional development from offered so much to me over the years, and I membership. Afterall, if a professional orga- hope that I’ve been able to give a little bit nization doesn’t offer some tangible benefits back. I hope to see everyone in Toronto. to members, the organization will have a Denise Jones has put together a fabulous hard time keeping old members and getting program, and Jim Hunter has once again new ones. After my last column, some vol- created some great CE classes. This promis- unteers stepped forward to take part in an es to be a wonderful conference! expanded membership committee. Our

PAGE 4 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS SPRING 2005 SPRING 2005 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS PAGE 5 On the Move metadata team at the Indiana Humanities John Cronin, Council in Indianapolis. chief librarian at the Connie Carter of the St. Louis Post- Boston Herald for the Dispatch has been promoted to the position PEOPLE past 29 years retired of assistant librarian. Connie has been with on April 4, 2005. the department 16 years. Her new duties John has been an include supervision of the text, photo, extremely active graphic and page archives. member of the News Jaimi Dowdell has accepted the posi- Division serving on tion of assistant director of news Cronin numerous commit- research/CAR specialist with the St. Louis tees and in various chairs. He was awarded Post-Dispatch. Jaimi was previously with the Joseph F. Kwapil Memorial Award in Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) 2004 in recognition of his achievements in as acting resource center director, data ana- and contributions to the field of news lyst and instructor. librarianship. BY JENNIFER O’NEILL Continued on page 22 Alan Thibeault, formerly assistant chief librarian at the Boston Herald, has been named to replace “Cronin of Boston.” Chris Donnelly, formerly the Boston EXPERIENCE A TIMELESS INFORMATION JOURNEY Herald’s photo librarian, has been selected as the new assistant chief librarian. S A R C After nearly 21 years with the St. Petersburg Times, including 15 years as a news researcher, Kitty Bennett is retiring. 2 0 0 5 Kitty and her husband Bob, who live on a 36-foot sailboat, will be setting sail for REVOLUTION AND EVOLUTION CONTINUE Nova Scotia sometime before the start of hurricane season. Williamsburg, Virginaia • September 28 - October 1, 2005 Sandy Freeman, a news researcher at The Woodlands Hotel & Suites • Williamsburg, VA The Seattle Times, has retired after 45 years Keynote Speaker Make plans now to Attend of service. David Seaman to the Third South Atlantic Laura Soto-Barra has left her position Discuss Digital Libraries Regional Conference, “Explore as assistant managing editor for the library A Timeless Information Journey,” in Williamsburg, at The Post-Standard in Syracuse to become David Seaman, founding Virginia. director of the Electronic the new senior librarian at National Public Member registration is $215 Text Center at the University with Early Registration avail- Radio in Washington, DC. of Virginia Library, will dis- Lucy Shackelford of The Washington able through 8/15/05 for cuss issues of digitization $165. Registration includes Post was promoted to research editor while and their implications for opening reception, two deluxe Derek Willis, formerly of the The Center libraries. Since 2002, he has continental breakfasts, two been the director of the for Public Integrity, is The Post’s new lunches, breaks, and a pass to Digital Library Federation, a Colonial Williamsburg. research database editor. consortium of academic The conference hotel, the Andrea Mettert has rejoined The libraries. He has published Woodlands Hotel & Suites at Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne, Indiana, this widely on humanities com- Colonial Williamsburg is offer- puting and digital libraries. time as its photo librarian. Andrea had been ing an SLA rate of $99/night. an obituary clerk and general-assignment See the conference website http://www.sla.org/sarc3 for additional reporter at the before leaving to registration discounts, preliminary program, hotel information get an MLS at Indiana University. Most and registration form. recently, she was head cataloger for the

PAGE 6 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS SPRING 2005 LIBRARY PROFILE Toronto Rich in Media Outlets

BY AMY DISCH Editor’s note: Toronto is a city rich in media outlets. The four libraries pro- filed here represent three major news- papers and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. If you are interested in learning more about these libraries, the library will be open for free tours on Saturday, June 4 from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. The CBC library is offering a

BY AMY DISCH luncheon and tour on Thursday, June 9 from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Please see the conference advance in this issue for more information. Library The Globe and Mail library’s col- lections are comprised of between 7,000 to 8,000 books, 300 journal The Globe and Mail staff (L-R): Johanna Boffa, Amanda Valpy, Francine titles, clip files dating back to 1938 Bellefeuille, Paula Wilson, Celia Donnelly and Rick Cash and around 500,000 print photos are five staff members who work resources, we see our job as infor- beginning in the 1920s. Stories full time enhancing stories for mation coordinators, trainers, find- began being filed electronically in inclusion into the database. The ers of those impossible to find 1977 and are currently available library is open from 9 a.m. to 9:30 nuggets and, above all, as news- through the Factiva database. The p.m. Monday through Friday and room team members.” They also newspaper is also searchable in PDF from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday. hope to never encounter a typical format beginning with the 1844 The enhancing staff typically begins day on the job. “A typical day! editions. A digital image archive their evening shift at 8 p.m. There isn’t one and that’s what we was instituted in 1993 and at pre- The staff regularly gives presen- love about it.” sent contains 600,000 photos. The tations on the use of Factiva and Toronto Star Library staff estimates that electronic also offers sessions on other library resources, including the Internet, services, “such as property, corpo- The Toronto Star library and its phone CDs, databases such as rate, court and lien searches.” In staff provide a variety of services to LexisNexis, Factiva, Dialog, addition to having “an MLS or reporters, editors and the news- Infomart, Quicklaw and Newscan equivalent experience,” working in room at large. This includes train- are utilized for 75% of research the library requires someone with a ing courses, the writing and com- requests. Both the Getty and “broad background, eclectic inter- piling of about 200 graphics and Corbis digital photo archives also ests and a strong grasp of current sidebars per year, working on com- see frequent use. events.” Most importantly, they puter-assisted reporting projects, The library’s staff includes head must have “a strong grounding in maintenance of the newsroom librarian Amanda Valpy, as well as online searching and a free-wheel- research intranet and the answering two researchers, a photo librarian, a ing mind.” of an average 6000 reference ques- technical services librarian (who The staff notes that they “foresee tions each year. Staff members are also spends part of the day perform- — and welcome — constant also present at the daily news meet- ing research) and a part-time stu- changes in technology. As reporters ings, where they offer story ideas dent researcher. In addition, there get more and more access to online Continued on page 9

SPRING 2005 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS PAGE 7 WHO WANTS TO BE A NEWS LIBRARIAN?

hat a lively discussion that 3. Walk the walk; don’t just talk the occurred on NewsLib several talk. If you want to be a news librarian, weeks ago when the question don’t just say you do; show that you do. It W takes a little more than reading the news- of how one becomes a news librarian was paper every morning to show your inter- asked. Indeed, there are many people who est. Get an internship, and if you can’t, ask are interested in the profession, and unfor- a library if you can volunteer. For those of tunately the jobs are rather difficult to you still in school, most MLS programs obtain. require some sort of work experience. Take As you may remember, I started this col- BY ANGELICA CORTEZ advantage of this. The message I’m trying umn when I, too, was a frustrated candi- to get across is this: Do whatever you can date seeking employment in a news library, to get in there. and I was asking the same question: Just 4. Tailor what experience you do have. how does one land a position in a news Maybe you’ve been an administrative assis- library? I felt I had done everything I could tant, a teacher or a paralegal for the past to prepare myself to enter the profession, twelve years. That’s okay—in fact, it’s and yet the rejection letters kept piling up. great! Take whatever experience you do I wish there was some magic solution I have and relate it to the job you want. could give to those of you out there who are Librarianship encompasses a variety of experiencing the same frustration that I felt skills, and virtually any job you have had while seeking a full-time position in a news can somehow correlate to the responsibili- library. An answer to make you thump your ties of being a librarian. Be creative and forehead with your palm and say, “Doh! show what you have to offer. Why didn’t I think of that?” would be nice, Continued on page 15 wouldn’t it? I don’t have such a solution, but I can offer a few tips to help those of you trying to enter the field: 1. Great job! If you are reading this col- umn, you are already off to the right start. Why? Because it means you are at least interested enough to become familiar with the News Division. Now, before you start patting yourself on the back, move on to tip number two. 2. Get involved. It’s not really enough to simply scan over this newsletter, read NewsLib and/or browse the News Division’s Web site occasionally. Although that’s a great way to learn what news librarians do and to become familiar with some of the issues in the profession, take it a step further and get involved. There are many opportunities: attend local SLA meetings, volunteer to help with the News Division Web site, apply for scholarships to attend the annual SLA conference—do whatever you can. These are excellent ways to network and to spice up your résumé as well.

PAGE 8 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS SPRING 2005 LIBRARY PROFILE

Toronto Rich in Media Outlets Continued from page 7 and research suggestions and are involved in the early development of feature news stories. Library manager Joan Sweeney estimates that the library’s collections are split at 70% electronic and 30% print. Within the latter category are 7,000 books, 40 print journal titles and 15 newspaper titles, as well as “a small ready reference collection that is still invaluable.” The clip files go back to the 1890s, and microfilm of the paper is avail- Toronto Star staff (L-R): Rick Sznajder, Tony Yeung, Andrea Hall, Deborah Wingate, Joanne able from its beginnings. There is also a Madden, Virginia Doig, Kathleen Power, Astrid Lange, Joan Sweeney Marsh, Andy Murdoch and “Pages of the Past” product which offers the Peggy Mackenzie paper in PDF format. The photo collection is both print and electronic; however, prints are no longer retained and valuable histori- cal images are digitized for future use. The library has nine full-time and two part-time staff members. Library supervisor Andrea Hall says, “We all do a variety of tasks.” The library is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Library manager Sweeney’s background includes an internship at The Globe and Mail library while she was in library school and work as a radio, television and film spe- cialist for the Toronto Reference Library. She says that if looking for a new staff member, “I would look for someone inter- ested in new trends, well versed in current affairs and with an investigative mind.” A Toronto Sun staff (L-R): Roxana Rezavand, Adam Bishop, Clarissa Feliprada, Julie Hornby, Joyce comfort level with and adaptability to new Wagler and Julie Kirsh technology, a team player and a sense of humor are also invaluable. ships between researchers and reporters.” envelopes. As has been seen with other Sweeney states that “more and more we Toronto Sun News Research news libraries, the majority of questions are are becoming the gate keeper to the infor- Centre answered using electronic sources. mation world” and that includes constant The news research centre, headed by questioning. “What’s out there? Is it any The Toronto Sun news research centre director Julie Kirsh, has 8 full-time staff good? How do we adapt it to our newspa- has an impressive number of holdings com- members and 2 part-time enhancers. The per’s needs?” She adds that she envisions a prising its collections, including 550 gener- enhancers work exclusively on the archiving future where “the library manager will al reference books, 65 journals, 250,000 of ’s French language newspapers, become more and more like an editor ... clip files (including those of The Toronto but the rest of the staff does a bit of every- following a story closely from conception to Telegram) which date to the turn of the cen- thing. completion,” as well as “greater partner- tury, 15,000 photos and 200,000 negative Continued on page 14

SPRING 2005 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS PAGE 9 CONFERENCE ADVANCE 2005 News Division Programming

s if the multicultural excitement sites will offer a description and explanation of 11:30-1:00 - Managing Copyright and and mild temperatures weren’t the hardware and software that supports the Leveraging Revenue in Your News Organization intranet and discuss design and usability issues Moderator: Kathy Foley Aenough reason to attend this year’s as well as the degree of difficulty involved in A panel of seasoned copyright experts (not SLA conference in Toronto, just take a look creating high-powered intranets. Each intranet lawyers) will discuss copyright issues, including at the News Division’s programming. webmaster will discuss the technology used, encouraging your newsroom to follow good In addition to informative and practical development cycle and plans for future develop- copyright practices, managing reprint permis- daily sessions and two very interesting CE ment. sions and developing revenue by repurposing courses, you won’t want to miss touring the Speakers: Dana Gordan and Madeline Cohen, editorial content. If your news organization Newsweek; Mike Meiners, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; assumes you are an expert on copyright issues, Toronto Star Library on Saturday or the come join the conversation. Thursday luncheon at the Canadian Denise Jones, The News & Observer; Liz Donovan, The Miami Herald; Jennifer Ryan, The Atlanta Speakers: Sharon Clairmont, Orange County Broadcasting Corporation. Tuesday’s Journal-Constitution Register; Ginny Everett, The Atlanta Journal- awards banquet, in a castle no less, promis- Constitution; Peter Simmons, es to be as memorable as ever. 5:00 - Board Meeting in Suite 1:30-3:00 - Gary Price, Searcher extraordinaire If you have any questions on the pro- 6:00 - Networking in Suite Gary’s latest discoveries in Web searching. gram, please contact Denise Jones at MONDAY, JUNE 6 [email protected]. For general 3:30 - Board meeting in Suite conference and lodging information, see 7:30-9:00 - Vendor roundtable - public records 6:00 - Awards banquet at Casa Loma http://www.sla.org. vendors Moderator: Leigh Poitinger WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8 Come join us! A chance to meet and talk with representa- 7:30-9:00 - Ratios, Percentages and Statistics! SATURDAY, JUNE 4 tives from ChoicePoint, LexisNexis and Oh my! ReferenceUSA. This will be a Q & A session, so Moderator: Megan Gallup 2:00-5:00 - Tour of the Toronto Star Library bring your public records questions such as: Do you have trouble balancing your check- This tour is free. Please email Peggy What’s on the horizon for privacy concerns? book? Does looking at Census data give you a Mackenzie for directions at pmackenzie@thes- How does “newsgathering” fit in to allowable headache? You’re not alone. As a librarian or tar.ca. use definitions and disclaimers? How is the information provider you may have assumed data compiled? How do vendors ensure accura- that you were done with math when you were 6:00-12:00 - Networking in Suite cy-or do they? What is “credit header” data? done with school. But in a news organization, SUNDAY, JUNE 5 math skills are more important than ever. 11:30-1:00 - Mary Ellen Bates - The Next Researchers need to know how to calculate 8:00-12:00 - Blogging for News: Creating and Information Revolution, and Our Role as ratios and percentages and work with statistics. Managing Weblogs and Newsfeeds CE Course Revolutionaries Come learn (or re-learn) these skills and more, In this weblog workshop for beginners, the Looking ahead at the impact of technology then go back and teach your reporters! class will be divided into small groups, each and the Web on our profession and how we can Speakers: Stephen Doig, Arizona State using a laptop to create, post to and manage a thrive on this change and turn challenging sit- University Cronkite School of Journalism; John weblog. Small class size is very desirable to uations into new opportunities for professional Martin, St. Petersburg Times accomplish the objective and provide each growth. attendee with hands-on blogging experience. 11:30-1:00 - Enter the Matrix: Social Network There will also be an introduction to RSS feeds. 3:30-5:00 - News Division business meeting Analysis Participants are encouraged to bring laptops 7:00 - Silent Auction and Networking in Suite Moderator: Kathryn Pease with wireless capabilities or ethernet cards, if Sponsor: ProQuest Learn how matrices and graphs can be used possible. to unlock seemingly invisible relationships Speakers: Jessica Baumgart, Harvard University; TUESDAY, JUNE 7 between people, companies and even terrorist Liz Donovan, The Miami Herald organizations. Learn the concepts and tech- 7:30-9:00 - Top Ten Tips: Ten ideas to make niques behind SNA. What type of questions 1:00-4:00 - Design for News: A Live Tour of your library more effective should be asked? What type of software should Five Newsroom Intranets CE Course Moderator: Judy Grimsley you use? Join panelists as they explain how to Design for News will explore five newsroom Great ideas that your colleagues have used to create your own “matrix revolution.” intranets using Virtual Private Networks improve their libraries. Ten of the best are Speakers: Jaimi Dowdell, St. Louis Post- (VPNs) to gain real time access to these Web shared with you. sites. Library managers of the presentation Web Continued on page 12

PAGE 10 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS SPRING 2005 CONFERENCE ADVANCE

A Wealth of History, Culture and Entertainment is grew, particularly in the periods following Waiting in Toronto World Wars I and II. Toronto continued its transformation into a manufacturing and Continued from page 1 industrial powerhouse, thanks to its close proximity to natural resources, agricultural land, inexpensive energy and the nearby markets of the American heartland. With the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s, Toronto became a viable port and a surge of investment flowed into the city. In 1954, ’s first subway system was created by the Toronto Transit Commission. Since the 1960s, immigration from Europe has slowed, to be replaced by an influx of people from Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa. With the open- ing and subsequent expansion of Lester B. Pearson International Airport (one of three in the city), Toronto has become Canada’s major gateway and entry point. In 1998, the downtown core and five surrounding suburban cities were merged into a single “.” The city is governed by a mayor and 44 full- time councilors, and Toronto’s economic and cultural influence continues to extend throughout the “” of communities wrapping around the western end of . City Highlights The CN Tower Defining the Toronto skyline, the CN Tower is Canada’s most recognizable and celebrated icon. At a height of 553.33m (1,815 ft., 5 inches), it is Canada’s National Tower, the World’s Tallest Building, an important telecommunications hub, and the centre of . Each year, The inside of the , a multi-level shopping complex that is one of Toronto’s most visited attractions. Photo Credit: Tourism Toronto approximately two million people visit the CN Tower to take in the breath-taking In 1867, Canada was born and Toronto Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Art views and enjoy all the attractions it has to became the capital of the newly created Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario offer. province of Ontario. Between 1908 and Museum were all established. The CN Tower was built in 1976 by 1915, arts and culture flourished as the new Waves of immigration to Canada con- Canadian National (CN) who wanted to nation established its identity, and the tinued and the diversity of immigrants Continued on page 12

SPRING 2005 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS PAGE 11 CONFERENCE ADVANCE

A Wealth of History, Culture and Entertainment is 2005 News Division Waiting in Toronto Programming Continued from page 11 Continued from page 8 Dispatch; Brant , Investigative Reporters and Editors 1:30-3:00 - The Urge to Merge Moderator: Shira Kavon Consolidation of graduate library schools and schools of communication, information technology and other disciplines has become a fact of academic life in the 21st Century. Often as a result of these mergers, graduate library programs and journalism schools coexist under the same academic umbrella, a development that should benefit News Division member libraries. Have these mergers helped to build a better-skilled, more news-library-ready MLS holder? If not, have library programs merely become the “silent partner” of the new model grad- uate programs? Speakers: Michael Koeing, Palmer School of Information Science of Long Island University; David Spencer, University of Western Ontario 3:30-5:00 - Research Management Trends: Getting ahead of the questions Moderator: Donna Scheeder What happens when you combine research Trinity Street in the heart of the historic . Credit: Lucas Digital Art management software, including virtual refer- ence applications, and knowledge manage- demonstrate the strength of Canadian entirely dedicated to arts, culture and enter- ment techniques in order to respond to the con- flicting demands of newsroom research pro- industry by building a tower taller than any tainment. Internationally acclaimed gal- jects? What best practices are colleagues other in the world. In 1995, the CN Tower leries, artists’ studios and workshops, employing to facilitate knowledge sharing became a public company and ownership restaurants, bars and cafes, as well as live among de-centralized research staff? Is the of the Tower was transferred to Canada music, all form part of this new landmark investment worth it? The speakers for this ses- Lands (CLC) Company, a federal Crown cultural centre. sion will attempt share techniques, evaluations corporation responsible for real estate In addition to the history, arts and cul- of software and provide time for best practice sharing among the attendees. development. The CN Tower, on the north ture, The Distillery has been the location shore of Lake Ontario, is situated on Front for over 800 film and television produc- Speakers: Jody Habayeb, The Tampa Tribune; Michael Jesse, The Indianapolis Star Street, which is located in the heart of the tions in the past decade, including Entertainment District. The CN Tower is “Chicago,” “X-Men,” “Against the Ropes” easily accessible from as well and “The Hurricane,” making The THURSDAY, JUNE 9 as many major streets and highways. Distillery District the most popular film 11:30-2:00 - Lunch on the 10th floor of the The Distillery District location in Canada. Numerous festivals and CBC Building. special events attract tens of thousand of The speaker will be Evan Solomon, co-host Founded in 1832, the Gooderham and people each month. The Distillery District of CBC News Sunday and host of Hot Type, a book show in which he interviews fiction and Worts Distillery eventually became the is quickly becoming one of Canada’s top largest distillery in the . Set non-fiction writers. Lunch will be followed by destinations. tours of CBC libraries. This tour will be han- on 13 acres in , its 44 The Entertainment District dled by the News Division and pre-registration buildings constitute the largest and best- will be required. Lunch and tour will be lim- preserved collection of Victorian industrial You’ll find some of the city’s best the- ited to 50 people and cost will be $20. architecture in North America. The Please email Michele Melady at Michele_ Distillery is now a pedestrian-only village Continued on page 13 [email protected] for registration information.

PAGE 12 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS SPRING 2005 CONFERENCE ADVANCE

A Wealth of History, Culture and Entertainment is Waiting in Toronto Continued from page 12 atres, bars and dance clubs in this area of town. The undisputed entertainment capi- tal of Canada, the Entertainment District is a lively concentration of theatres, restau- rants, nightspots, retail shops and visitor attractions - located in the vibrant city core. Since the mid-19th century, the area now known as the Entertainment District has been animated with music halls, the- atres and entertainment palaces. However, by the 1950s, many of these venues had closed, deteriorated or been transformed into warehouses or office space. With the 1977 opening of the Eaton The Olde Town trolley takes visitors on a tour of the city. Photo Credit: Tourism Toronto Centre shopping galleria and the renova- tion of the , life Centre, and Massey plenty of ground in only a few hours. was breathed back into the area. The final Hall. The only access to the Islands is via a 15- catalyst for rejuvenation was the 1989 ❖ SkyDome - The first stadium in the minute ferryboat ride. The Toronto Ferry opening of the SkyDome stadium, which world with a fully-retractable roof, the Docks are located at the foot of brought crowds of up to 55,000 people into SkyDome is home to the Toronto Blue and Queens Quay, just west of the Westin the area for baseball games and other Jays, the football club Harbour Castle Hotel. events. Restaurants and entertainment and an exciting roster of big-name con- The ROM spots began springing up overnight - and certs, sporting events and trade shows. The is the the pace hasn’t stopped! ❖ CBC Broadcasting Centre - The home largest museum in Canada with an interna- Each of the streets in the Entertainment of Canada’s national TV and radio net- tionally renowned collection numbering District has its own flavor and its own spe- works. Regular tours are offered in this more than five million objects. Located on cialty. For example, Queen Street West is a state-of-the-art broadcasting facility, as are one of the most fashionable corners in funky retail street; West is lined concerts at the Glenn Gould Studio. Toronto and next to the University of with theatres, a concert hall and dozens of ❖ Dining - One of the most challenging Toronto, the ROM is a popular destina- restaurants. West features the aspects of dining in the Entertainment tion. From galleries of art, archaeology and SkyDome, the CN Tower and large, lively District is deciding where to go. There are science, showcasing the world’s culture and eateries, while Richmond and Adelaide dozens, if not hundreds, of choices. And natural history, to exciting public programs Streets are home to massive, three-storey the restaurant scene evolves so rapidly that and events, the ROM offers a truly engag- nightclubs and smaller, high-end restau- hot new opportunities arise overnight. ing museum experience. During the confer- rants. And that’s just the start. Toronto Islands ence, ROM is featuring, “Feathered Places & Events of Interest The Toronto Islands boast a lovely Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight,” a spe- ❖ Theatres - The area is home to lavish boardwalk, tennis courts, picnic areas, an cial ticketed event. Broadway musicals, traveling road shows, amusement park, beaches, yacht club, Editor’s note: For more information on what homegrown productions and classical con- restaurants and much more. The Toronto Toronto has to offer and getting around town, please certs. Theatres include the Pantages, the Islands exist just mere minutes from busy see the SLA Toronto Chapter’s Web site at Royal Alexandra, the Princess of Wales, downtown Toronto. Centre Island offers http://www.sla.org/toronto/2005/ the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre bike rentals for those who wish to cover

SPRING 2005 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS PAGE 13 LIBRARY PROFILE

Toronto Rich in Media Outlets Continued from page 9

A typical day includes the archiving of all of Sun Media newspapers’ stories in preparation for their inclusion in the SAVE database, the Sun Media Web site, which is known as CANOE (Canadian Online Explorer) and various online databases. In addition, the photo librarians archive approximately 250 images—in print, digi- tal and negative formats—a day. The library staff assists editors, reporters and other employees with reference and research questions and serves the public in a variety of areas including “photo resales, commercial usage, copyright clearance and usage permissions, back edition and tearsheet requests, and book and calendar sales.” They also are involved in the creation of advertisements for the products sold CBC staff (L to R): Louise Goldberg, Stacie Egerton, Cathy Ross, Anne Mercer, Michele Melady from the news research centre, which and Tyana Grundig include books, photos, front pages, sports memorabilia and “” items. either too pressed for time to do their own The typical practice is for one librarian to Director Kirsh cites a variety of skills searching or not confident enough in their spend half a day answering phone ques- necessary to work in the news research cen- searching abilities. They come to us because tions, while another responds to e-mails tre, among them “curiosity, attention to we can provide them with thorough, pro- and walk-ins. Then the two switch. At detail, perseverance, communication, com- fessional, prompt service.” around 4 p.m., the librarian who begins puter skills, a quick study and a good mem- In addition to Melady, the library is with the noon shift then assumes the phone ory.” In addition, one should possess an staffed by three reference librarians, a and e-mail questions to allow the other “interest in popular, news, sports and busi- library technician, a subscriptions clerk and librarians to finish their work for the day. ness culture, and a love for current and his- a generalist clerk. Each position has its spe- The library’s collections include over torical facts and events.” cific duties, with the librarians handling 12,000 book titles, mainly concentrated in CBC Reference Library research requests, arranging interlibrary the areas of “history, politics, biography, loans and indexing newspapers for the clip true crime, Canadiana, broadcasting and The CBC reference library is the files. The library technician is responsible media.” Several “core reference works, such Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s main for maintaining the library’s intranet, as Who’s Who, Europa World Year Book and source for reference and research assistance. acquiring and cataloging book titles and various almanacs, atlases and directories” Reference questions, which average 500 to troubleshooting the Inmagic databases; the are available. Trade publications, such as 600 a month, run the gamut, from subscriptions clerk for managing the vari- Broadcasting & Cable, American Journalism “straightforward requests such as `Who was ous newspaper and magazine subscriptions Review and Variety are represented, as are Minister of Justice when Diefenbaker was for all departments; and the generalist clerk 100 magazine and 12 newspaper titles. Prime Minister?’ to more in depth queries for book circulations, overdues, shelving Responding to their journalists’ prefer- such as `What are some of the longest jury and filing. ence to have articles e-mailed to them, the trials in recent Canadian history?’” Michele The library operates from 8 a.m. to 8 library “recently bit the bullet and decided Melady, who has served as the library’s p.m., with each of the three reference librar- to drastically reduce the amount we clip. manager since 2003, says she and her staff ians working a shift from either 8 a.m. to 4 “are busier than ever ... many employees are p.m., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Continued on page 15

PAGE 14 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS SPRING 2005 LIBRARY PROFILE

Toronto Rich in Media Outlets Continued from page 14

Generally the librarians select only 15 arti- cles a day from both the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail, whereas previously the entire paper, excluding wire stories, was indexed.” At present the library is “redirecting more of its money into the purchase of elec- tronic products.” These include “a number of newspaper and magazine databases from Gale, Ebsco and ProQuest ... and the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford Reference Online and Encyclopaedia Britannica Online,” all of which can be CBC Library accessed through the library’s intranet. Marketing practices of the library She adds that “we always endeavour to be as on building relationships with new users involve publicizing new resources on its welcoming and helpful to each and every through training and marketing of our intranet and presenting training sessions for user as we can. The best advertising for the resources, as well as strengthening our small groups of new users. Melady states library comes from satisfied customers who departmental ties to other CBC libraries that “we need to do more of this type of will spread the word to others about how and archives which house our television and outreach,” and notes that “in the next cou- fabulous we are!” radio assets.” It will also “continue to be a ple of months, we are planning on attend- In addition to continuing to designate a relevant and vital partner in the CBC ing morning story meetings and giving larger portion of its budget for electronic research process.” brief presentations on the services we offer.” products, the library “will continue to work

Who wants to be a news limit yourself to something too narrow. there.” I’m kind of a “reach for the stars” My last piece of advice: Keep your chin type of person who always dreams big. But librarian? up! Job-hunting can be a long, frustrating, who knows? Maybe an individual who is

Continued from page 8 Ramen noodle-filled process. Don’t give up. profiled in this column will apply for a Like most things in life, it takes hard work position and stand out from the rest of the 5. Be open. News librarian jobs are hard to and patience to reach the desired goal. applicants because of it. come by. So many people do “just fall into I sincerely want to help those of you There are two qualifications I must ask it” somehow, and then they stay for seeking to become news librarians. I would for those of you who would like to be fea- decades. (Frustrating, I know, for those of like to start spotlighting anyone out there tured here: us who do the internships, get the degree, who wants to enter the profession. Whether 1. You must have an earnest interest in get involved in the News Division and still you’re in school, out of school, never went becoming a news librarian and be able to get turned down. Trust me, I’ve been there.) to school or you’re working as a copy editor demonstrate it somehow. Be open to relocation, as well as to other but dreaming of becoming a news librari- 2. You must be a member of SLA and types of libraries. The beauty of earning an an—whatever your current situation is, the News Division. MLS is that there are so many possibilities write to me and let me know. I hope to fea- So, who wants to be a news librarian? out there. Yes, I know that the thrill of ture a different person in each issue of News Send me an email at [email protected] being involved in the news gathering pro- Library News. Hopefully, this will be bene- and tell me about it. I look forward to com- cess is very enticing. Remember, there are ficial in that it will help those seeking to municating with several of you and sharing numerous opportunities out there, so don’t enter the profession to “get their name out your experiences.

SPRING 2005 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS PAGE 15 CONFERENCE ADVANCE Join us at Toronto’s “House on the Hill”

BY LINDA HENDERSON The 2005 News Division Awards ban- quet will be held Tuesday, June 7 at Casa Loma, a restored “castle” that was built by one of Canada’s leading citizens. We will be honoring award winners Richard Geiger (Kwapil), Ron Larson and Alice Pepper (Henebry) and Andrea Nemetz (Vormelker-Thomas). This year we will also be instituting a new award to honor the late David Rhydwen. It is meant to acknowl- edge an outstanding scholarly contribution to news librarianship. The inaugural winner Casa Loma of the Rhydwen Award is Kathleen Hansen of the University of Minnesota. lic in the late 1930s. The five acres of gar- research director at The Chronicle since Casa Loma was the vision of Sir Henry dens at Casa Loma were restored in the late 1984. He previously was library manager of Pellatt, a financier of the late nineteenth 1980s by the Garden Club of Toronto and the San Jose Mercury News, 1980-84, and and early twentieth centuries. It was built at were opened to the public in 1990. The cas- was a librarian at The Chronicle, 1976-80. a cost of $3.5 million and was completed in tle is currently undergoing more extensive He received a master’s degree from the 1914. Sir Henry started out as a stockbro- restoration work, so you will see scaffolding UCLA School of Library and Information ker with his father, but he built his fortune and other signs of ongoing work. For more Science in 1975. He has worked in libraries by starting and investing in many business- information, go to http://www.casaloma.org. since 1969. es. He was an early proponent of electricity The reception, which is once again gen- Richard has been a member of SLA and founded the Toronto Electric Light erously hosted by ProQuest, starts at 6 p.m. since 1974, and his first SLA conference Company in 1883, which gave him a and the dinner will follow. Tickets are nec- was in Washington, DC in 1980. His wife, monopoly on electricity in the Toronto essary for both the bus transportation and Susan, and their babe-in-arms Brendan also area. He also anticipated the emigration to the dinner. Because it is the policy of the attended. Brendan is graduating this year in Canada’s western frontiers by investing in management of Casa Loma to allow only computer science and engineering from the Canadian Pacific Railroad and the one function at a time, we will be treated to UC Davis. North West Land Company. an exclusive evening at the castle. A limited Richard served as chair of the News Unfortunately, after losing his electricity self-guided tour of the upper floors will be Division, 1988-89, planning the 1988 monopoly to public ownership and suffer- available during the reception. Denver conference. He also served as trea- ing other losses due to unwise land specula- The Joseph F. Kwapil Memorial surer, 1985-87. He was president of the San tion and increased debt, Sir Henry and his Award Winner Francisco Bay Region Chapter, 1991-92. wife, Mary, were forced to sell the magnifi- He served two terms on the SLA Board Richard Geiger cent castle merely ten years after it was of Directors, as a director, 1993-96, and as of The San Francisco completed. SLA treasurer, 2000-03. He chaired several Chronicle will be this Casa Loma fell into disrepair until the SLA committees for the organization year’s recipient of 1930s when the Kiwanis Club of West including Public Relations, Strategic the Joseph F. Kwapil Toronto asked the City of Toronto, which Planning and Finance. He was named a Memorial Award. had come to own the property, to lease it to Fellow of SLA at the Nashville conference. Richard has been the club to use as a tourist attraction. Casa His professional activities have included library director and Loma was restored and opened to the pub- Richard Geiger program planning, speaking and moderat- Continued on page 17 PAGE 16 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS SPRING 2005 CONFERENCE ADVANCE

Join us at Toronto’s at News Division programs; served as found at http://www.wishistory.com. The “House on the Hill” Education Director, 1996-1997; the site is currently password protected but will Bylaws Chair, 2000-2003; and managing have free access beginning in June. (For Continued from page 16 editor of News Library News, 2003-2004. now, use mcf for the user name and pass- ing at SLA, KM World/Intranets and He also organized a regional news library word). Internet Librarian conferences. workshop in 1988 and two regional image Another publication of Ron’s is “Little Richard is known for enjoying a good archive workshops in the 1990s. Visits with a Journal Reporter.” It is a com- time, so when News Division members In 1987, the State Journal merged its pilation of columns written in the 1930s by were in town at the SLA winter conference library with The Capital Times library, and State Journal reporter Iver Kalnes, who is in 1989 and the annual conference in 1992, Ron was named library director of the Ron’s grandfather. Kalnes finished his jour- he and his wife invited them ALL over for merged library serving both newsrooms. nalism career as a reporter/columnist for dinner. In the latter case, that turned out to The library grew and evolved with the addi- The Capital Times, so it is fitting that Ron be dinner for 75! tion of text and image databases, access to now works for both newspapers as his He also has a reputation for bursting multiple online services, the Internet and grandfather once did. into song whenever he has an opportunity. the creation of an intranet. Ron received his bachelor of arts degree So be prepared in Toronto! During this period of technical growth, in 1976 from Luther College in Decorah, He met his wife Susan in the Art Library Ron made the library an integral part of the Iowa, majoring in history. He also played at UCLA where she was working before newsroom by assisting in gathering infor- percussion in the Luther College Concert entering library school. Richard was so mation, research and writing sidebars and Band where he met his future wife, DeAnn, smitten that he went to library school, too! timelines. Ron has won numerous awards who played the French horn. They have They spend their free time together boat- as part of newsroom reporting teams, been married for 23 years and have three ing, gardening and traveling. including the Milwaukee Press Club award fantastic sons, Karl, 20, who is currently a The Agnes Henebry Roll of Honor in 1991, 1993 and 2003; the Inland Press percussionist in the Luther College Concert Award Winners Association award in 1991 and 1994; the Band, Lars-Erik, 17, a percussionist in the James K. Batten award in 2002; and the Lee McFarland High School band, and Leif, 12, RON LARSON President’s Award for Excellence in News in a percussionist in the Indian Mound Three weeks after receiving his MLS 2004. Middle School band. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Ron grew up in McFarland, Wisconsin, ALICE PEPPER in May 1978, Ron Larson began his news a small town 15 minutes from the State There are still two major daily newspa- career as the librari- Journal and The Capital Times, and he has pers competing in Detroit. an for the Wisconsin not left there, either. Ron has been very Ironically, a librarian at the other news- State Journal. After involved in local history, serving on his paper helped Alice Pepper get a job with the 27 years, he has not hometown’s historical society’s board of competition: the Detroit Free Press. left. directors for 15 years (9 as president), and Alice and Diane One of Ron’s first by leading in the creation of a village land- Dunn were both duties as news librar- marks commission. He has written three active in the ian was to become a publications on McFarland’s history and Michigan Chapter member of the News received the Local History Award of Merit of SLA. Diane Ron Larson Division, soaking up from the Wisconsin Historical Society in worked for The as much knowledge 1991. Ron is currently leading the planning Detroit News. She and information from the division’s for McFarland’s 150th anniversary in 2006. dropped Alice’s newsletter and by reading “Guidelines for Ron also published a perpetual calendar name to Michelle Newspaper Libraries.” It was in 1981 when in 1998 in celebration of Wisconsin’s Alice Pepper Kapecky at the Free Ron discovered the true definition of news sesquicentennial. The daily historical facts Press. Alice had met librarian when he attended his first SLA were published throughout the year in the Michelle earlier when Alice arranged a tour conference and News Division programs. State Journal. He has now turned that infor- of the Free Press Library in her role as presi- Since then, Ron has served on numerous mation into a Web site that he markets to dent of the University of Michigan student division committees; written several articles schools throughout Wisconsin. The Web chapter. for News Library News; has been a speaker site, Wisconsin History Day by Day, can be Continued on page 21

SPRING 2005 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS PAGE 17 CONFERENCE ADVANCE Vormelker-Thomas Award Winner a Team Player

BY REGINA L. AVILA, CHAIR OF THE 2005 continue in journalism. “I find as my career of the State-Times Morning Advocate in VORMELKER-THOMAS STUDENT AWARD progresses, that I enjoy the research more Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is given to a COMMITTEE than the writing. I’ve always been consid- graduate student or recent graduate inter- his year’s Vormelker-Thomas ered a resource person at the paper, helping ested in news librarianship and is to be Student Award winner is Andrea my colleagues to find information in the applied toward the expenses of attending an TNemetz, a student at Dalhousie electronic archives or on the Web, and I SLA conference for the first time. The University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, whose would like to build on this.” $1,500 award is co-sponsored by ProQuest essay is titled, “Make Librarians Part of the Judy Dunn, Graduate Coordinator of and the SLA News Division. Newsroom Team.” the School of Library and Information The award committee for this year Andrea has been a reporter at The Studies at Dalhousie University, recom- included Astrid Lange, Library and Chronicle Herald in Halifax for several mended Andrea for the award. “Andrea has Research Specialist at the Toronto Star; Amy years. In her award application she said that been an active member of the SLA Student Disch, last year’s award recipient and news when she began her library studies she had Group since the group’s inception,” Dunn librarian with the Wisconsin State Journal intended to begin a different career. wrote. She touted Andrea’s participation in and The Capital Times; Maureen However, as she nears graduation, she feels a continuing education workshop, “Media Clements, a librarian at National Public that she’s drawn to stay in the news busi- Relations for LIS,” that the school offered Radio in Washington, D.C.; and Regina ness. “It’s in my blood,” she wrote. “Like last year. “Andrea was one of three volunteer Avila, assistant library director at The most reporters, I thrive on the deadline panel members who ran the event, and her Denver Post. pressure and like the feeling of being ‘in’ on presentation on writing news releases was Of the eight applications received, the top news events of the day.” outstanding.” Andrea’s was selected unanimously by the Now that her studies have shown her The Vormelker-Thomas stipend honors committee as the best. Her award-winning more about special libraries, she’s feeling Rose Vormelker, former Cleveland Press essay appears below. more confident about using her degree to librarian and Lou Thomas, retired director

Make librarians part of the newsroom team

BY ANDREA NEMETZ here’s a library at the newspaper where I work as a reporter, a daily with a circulation of about 120,000 serving not only the Tcity of Halifax, but of Nova Scotia. Many of the reporters haven’t visited the library since 1998, the year in which our stories began to be archived online. Now, if we’re look- ing for the facts of a court case, background data on an entertainment or sports personality or the history of a particularly troublesome municipal development issue, we can enter a name, a phrase or the Nemetz reporter’s byline into the archives’ search box on our desktop comput- er and the relevant information is available at our fingertips nearly instantaneously. The decline in use of the library’s extensive hard copy filing system actually began before the Web archiving started. Between 1992 and 1997, news stories were archived on CD-ROM and were available (and still are) at a special (though now rarely used) terminal within the newsroom.

Continued on page 19

PAGE 18 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS SPRING 2005 CONFERENCE ADVANCE

Make librarians part of Information Services,” prepared for Factiva of the newsroom both physically and as an the newsroom team with contributions from Mary Ellen Bates integral resource to daily operations. and edited by Donna Andersen, which says, Angela Edmunds and Anne Morris, Continued from page 18 “Of surveyed knowledge workers, 62 per- writing in an article entitled, “The Problem I occasionally get sent by the editors to cent believe anything is available on the of Information Overload in Business the quiet confines of the library—separated Web (Outsell, Super I-AIM study). But Organisations,” in a 2000 issue of physically from the bright, bustling news- new research shows that more than two- International Journal of Information room by a long, dark hall— most often to thirds of publications used most often by Management, discuss Helen Butcher’s sug- look for hard copies of photographs of local knowledge workers either do not have Web gestion that in the business world an infor- and national celebrities archived alphabeti- sites or do not make their material available mation worker could be part of each team 1 cally in vertical files. I remember searching on the Web for free.” in an organization rather than part of a sep- for photographs of Queen Elizabeth II for a While our reporters don’t have access to arate intelligence unit. Butcher, according retrospective on the 50th year of her reign, any outside databases, a librarian could to Edmunds and Morris, found that “man- pictures of Cape Breton fiddler Ashley make the case to the company to purchase agers often prefer to rely on verbal informa- MacIsaac as a boy at the beginning of his an aggregator like Factiva, LexisNexis or tion and may also be wary of using infor- career, as well as shots of entertainers who Dialog Profound to provide reporters with mation services if they believe this will just had performed in plays, films or jazz festi- information they can’t find for free on the add to their information overload but if vals in days gone by. Even this is happening Web. The librarian could also take a key role such a person were part of their team, there less often, as more and more of our inter- in educating reporters on the use of this would be fewer barriers, and in addition, view subjects have access to digital cameras type of product and situations in which it the information specialist would have a and computers and can send us current or might be helpful. A librarian could point greater knowledge of the team’s information historical photographs electronically. reporters to a fee-based government source needs.”3 Newspaper librarians need to remind like E-Stat (from Statistics Canada) and We reporters are already relying greatly reporters that they are not obsolete, that guide them through research which could on our colleagues for information. they cannot be replaced by the Internet and be used in a variety of stories from crime to Questions of spelling, grammar, geography that they are a valuable resource, not just for lifestyles features. The information could and history are frequently bandied around locating past stories or photos, but for find- also be used for internal marketing purpos- the newsroom as reporters seek information ing information for current projects—infor- es, such as discovering the number of Nova from their fellow writers and editors. By mation reporters might not retrieve them- Scotians who have access to the Web (and adding a trusted librarian/information pro- selves or even think to look for. who might read our product online), how fessional to our immediate midst, the orga- Before I entered the library and informa- frequently these citizens turn to the Web nization can gain a wealth of knowledge tion science program at Dalhousie and for what purpose. Computer-assisted from a skilled resource person to put out a University, I believed, like many other peo- reporting (CAR) workshops are offered at better product, more efficiently to the ben- ple (not just reporters) that anything I need- most journalism conferences. A librarian efit of the readers and the newspaper itself. ed could be found on the Web. Sure, could deliver such presentations in-house. Google might retrieve 25,000 hits on a Most reporters, I suspect, will continue 1 Andersen, Donna, editor. Bates, Mary Ellen, given subject, and many of those might bear to want to do their own research as it is their contributor (April 2002). “Free, Fee-Based and no relevance to the topic I was actually Value-Added Information Services.” The name on the story, and they will be held Factiva 2002 White Paper Series. p. 1. researching, but I was convinced that with accountable for the reliability of any infor- 2 Andersen and Bates, p. 5. perseverance I could find what I was look- mation they include. Reporters aren’t alone 3 Edmunds, Angela. Morris Anne (2000). The ing for. in this desire to perform their own research. Problem of Information Overload in Business Wrong. In the 2002 Factiva report, researchers con- Organizations: A Review of the Literature by While researching a presentation for my Angela Edmunds and Anne Morris.” clude that “68 per cent of knowledge work- International Journal of Information Resources For Business Intelligence course, ers prefer to look for the information they Management 20 p. 26. I came across an April 2002 paper entitled, need themselves.”2 “Free, Fee-Based and Value-Added Perhaps the key is to make librarians part

SPRING 2005 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS PAGE 19 CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS Hooray for CAR in Hollywood

BY JULIA FRANCO, TRAINING/COMMUNICATIONS and Broadcast News. (The co-sponsors of form. From now on, most of the demo- LIBRARIAN, LOS ANGELES TIMES the conference were KNBC-Los Angeles graphic data that journalists care most The 2005 Computer-Assisted Reporting and the Los Angeles Times.) I attended pan- about - income, education, school enroll- Conference was held March 17-20 at the els that featured the new census (a major ment, commuting, migration, immigration Renaissance Hotel in downtown change is coming), Internet searching, find- and housing - will come from the ACS each Hollywood, California. The complex that ing data on the “invisible Web,” and sever- year. The 24-page ACS questionnaire is contains the hotel, Hollywood and al that featured data from particular kinds very similar to the 2000 Census long Highland, is also home to the Kodak of agencies (transportation, geology, weath- form.” Theater of Academy Awards fame, and er, assessors, campaign contributions, The catch will be in the size of the places while there were no glamorous activities licensing, etc.). for which you can get information. Because during the conference, it was fun to walk I actually attended two of the census ses- of the rolling nature of the surveys, in 2006 past the theater on the way to get a Cupid’s sions because the census is going to change. you will be able to get an estimate for places hotdog. It’s a challenge for researchers as it is, so with at least 65,000 people. In 2008 you There were 359 registered participants, hold on to your hats. Beginning in 2005, will have a 2005-07 snapshot for any area many news librarians and researchers the American Community Survey will be with at least 20,000 people. In August 2011 among them. I counted at least nine panels released every year. Here is a quote from the the Census Bureau will offer a 2005-10 on which a librarian or researcher was a handout of Paul Overberg (USA Today) and data snapshot of every census tract in the speaker. People came from 26 states as well Danielle Cervantes (The San Diego Union- nation. as Canada, Norway and Mexico. At least Tribune): five of the major television networks sent “There will be no 2010 Census long representatives. The major western states’ Continued on page 22 newspapers all had registrants, along with those from the other 20 or so states. Many What’s the Buzz? of the western states’ universities sent par- ticipants as well. BY MARGOT WILLIAMS, DATABASE RESEARCH EDITOR, THE NEW YORK TIMES The first day, Thursday, was an For the advanced attendees on Thursday, the topics included using statistics in sto- “advanced” day that focused on serious ries, social network analysis, mapping, upcoming census data, tools and techniques for tools, such as string functions in Access, sharing data in newsrooms, open source software and SQL. SQL server, mapping and Web scraping. For the general conference, hot topics again were census, mapping, social network There were also myriad hands-on classes on analysis and numbers in the newsroom. Practical panels on using data on beats, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, taught on Internet research and tips on keeping stories error-free drew crowds. The hands-on three levels: Basic, Intermediate, and training sessions ranged from Web searching, Excel and Access to SPSS, ASP and SQL Advanced, as well as a mini-boot camp with and handy tutorials on data cleaning with UltraEdit, VBScript and Perl. a structured agenda. You could have learned The most innovative use of a computer tool at this year’s conference: simulation almost anything here. software, used by Paul Parker of The Providence Journal, to help in investigating the The panels on Friday through Sunday 2003 Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island, in which 100 people covered every kind of data resource a news died. librarian would use. Unfortunately, in the The best angle: graphics and visualization of data - mapping, social network dia- course of a month of reference work, we’ll grams and visual simulations. probably get asked about every one of The best advice: Improve the use of basic math in the newsroom. (For an online them, and we would be hard pressed to be course in math for journalists, check out Debbie Wolfe’s new interactive tool at an expert in each. Attending this and simi- http://www.newsu.org.) lar conferences at least gives us some famil- The most repeated warning: Get ready for the every year census. iarity with concepts and techniques—and a Tip sheets from the panelists are available to IRE members at http://www.ire.org place to start. thanks to Beth Kopine, IRE’s research director. There were two tracks of panels: Feature

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Jennifer Agresta Angie Drobnic Holan Rebecca Metzger Ingrid Redman National Geographic Society The Tampa Tribune Student, Jamaica Plain, MA Student, Brooklyn, NY Washington, DC Tampa, FL Maureen Milne Patricia Sharp Jennifer Behne Kathleen Gardner Ifocus University of Pittsburgh Student, Brooklyn, NY Student, Tucson, AZ East Grinstead, UK Pittsburgh, PA Mavis Belasse Shani Gentry Mary Molnar Jason Sokoloff Gleaner Co. Student, Somerville, MA Bank of America Student, Chapel Hill, NC Kingston, Jamaica Julie Graham Chicago, IL Christine Sorensen Victor Black Student, Yakima, WA Elizabeth Moran Factiva The Columbus Dispatch Helene Hertzlinger Student, Los Angeles, CA Princeton, NJ Columbus, OH Levittown Public Library Melanie O’Bannon Susan Szeliga Joseph Bohren Levittown, NY The Tampa Tribune Newsweek Tampa, FL Cecilia Hlatshwayo Tampa, FL New York, NY Linda Butterfield Dept of Homeland Security Stanislav Orlov Ruth Tenenbaum Kroll Associates Washington, DC Student, Toronto, ON Newsweek Oak Park, IL New York, NY Lisa Hyder Kathleen Quinn Kathleen Collins Student, Virginia Beach, VA Plaza Investment Managers Karen Wierucki Student, New York, NY John Klem Rancho Sante Fe, CA Ontario Legislative Library Toronto, ON Kathrin Dodds Knight Ridder Digital Ellen Ratchye Mississippi State University San Jose, CA Burning Glass Consulting Joyce Yasner Jackson, MS New York, NY Brooklyn, NY

Join us at Toronto’s Detroit on their Web site. Martin (Praeger, 1998). She has been con- “House on the Hill” Alice’s mother loved to travel and her ducting research about new information family went on road trips across the United technologies in news work for 24 years. As Continued from page 17 States every summer. That wanderlust has director of the Minnesota Journalism Alice ended up getting an interview at stayed with her. She doesn’t try get away Center since 1997, Hansen has organized the Free Press and became a newspaper from it all because she loves to visit other numerous professional development work- librarian. news librarians (you know who you are), shops for journalists and news librarians in “I am a poster child for SLA network- and she has checked the Free Press Web site the U.S. and internationally. Hansen’s work ing,” she says. from Amsterdam, Nairobi, London and has been published in Journalism and Mass Alice was born in Detroit and all of her . Alice’s latest sojourn was to Communication Quarterly, Journalism and special library jobs-at the Free Press, an auto Mexico. Mass Communication Educator, Special industry trade association and a utility The David Rhydwen Award Winner Libraries, Newspaper Research Journal, Editor and Publisher, Library Journal and company— have been within a few blocks Kathleen A. of where she made her entrance. That other scholarly and professional publica- Hansen is a profes- tions. hometown experience has been very useful sor in the School of to her in newspaper research, especially Hansen earned a master’s degree in Journalism and Mass library science and a master’s degree in when the out-of-town interns arrive each Communication at spring asking for the clips on Detroit. English, both from the University of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and she worked as a When Alice started working at the Free Minnesota. She is Press in 1981, the library was moving those serials librarian at the University of co-author (with Wisconsin-Milwaukee before joining the clips into an in-house electronic database. Nora Paul) of a lead- Kathleen A. Hansen faculty at the University of Minnesota in She has taken those e-clips through several ing text in informa- different configurations since then and 1981. She goes scuba diving in warm, trop- tion-gathering, Behind the Message: ical places as often as possible and tells her eventually followed them into the Internet. Information Strategies for Communicators Now her job is Web Editor and, 20 years friends and colleagues that from now on, (Allyn & Bacon, 2004) and of Newspapers she is “working to dive.” later, she helps the interns find clips on of Record in a Digital Age with Shannon E.

SPRING 2005 NEWS LIBRARY NEWS PAGE 21 PEOPLE Continued from page 6

Beth Kopine is the new Eugene S. Pulliam research director for IRE. She is also the contest coordinator for IRE. Prior to arriving at IRE, Beth worked as the visual resources curator for the art his- tory and archaeology department at the University of Missouri. She is new to the News Division and hopes to meet many of you vir- tually and perhaps in person at a future conference. Leslie A. Norman is the new assistant librarian at The Wall Street Journal in Princeton, NJ. Leslie graduated in January 2005 with a master’s of arts in library and information science from Rutgers University. Awards and Acknowledgements John Maines, database specialist at the South Florida Sun- Sentinel, was a 2004 IRE Awards finalist in the large newspapers category for his work on the story, “Cashing in on Disaster.” This investigation revealed that some relatively unaffected parts of Florida received more disaster relief than many areas that were directly hit by hurricanes in 2004. Associated Press researcher Julie Reed was credited on journal- ist Justin Pritchard’s award winning series, “Dying to Work”, for her contribution to the piece. The series, an investigation of the high rate of job-related deaths for Mexican workers in the United States, won a 2004 George Polk Award in Labor Reporting. Amy Disch was nominated by the faculty of the School of Kitty Bennett seen in the distance aboard the Equinox Library and Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin- Madison for membership in Beta Phi Mu, the International Passings Library and Information Studies Honor Society. Agnes Henebry Award winner Virginia Carter Hills, National Suzanne Kincheloe has been invited to participate in a panel Geographic Society Librarian from 1944 to 1983, died March 1, discussion at this year’s Society of American Business Writers and 2005. She served as an SLA consultant, was joint chairperson of the Editors (SABEW) conference in Seattle. The discussion is for SLA conference held in Washington, DC in 1979 and was a dele- smaller circulation newspapers who are putting together top com- gate to the White House Conference in 1980. She was also hon- pany lists and special sections. Suzanne has been the list researcher ored as one of Catholic University’s Outstanding Alumni in at the Washington Business Journal for nearly five years. Library and Information Science in 1983 and in 1984.

Hooray for CAR in Hollywood librarians from, among other places, Canada, Washington, DC, Continued from page 20 New York, Florida and Missouri, as well as Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, California. The advice from the folks presenting the sessions was: Get Even Sunday, the last day, was well attended. With the oppor- familiar now with the new format if you want to be one step ahead tunity to learn from the best practitioners of computer-assisted of your newsrooms. There is a link at the top of the page at reporting, it behooved all who had come to the conference to get http://www.census.gov for the American Community Survey. the most out of it, and I believe we all did. I returned to work with Check out the multi-year profiles for some quick comparisons. a sheaf of resources, many of which I’ve now added to our library’s On Friday night, after the CAR Reception, the news library intranet. I also came back inspired to expand our training program group repaired across the street to the Hollywood Hamburger and with more confidence to do it. If you have a chance to attend Hamlet, where at least 20 of us dined under a very large mural of the IRE conference in Denver in June, please take advantage. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, and Steven Spielberg. There were

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