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Information Outlook, 2003 Information Outlook, 2000s

3-2003

Information Outlook, March 2003

Special Libraries Association

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Recommended Citation Special Libraries Association, "Information Outlook, March 2003" (2003). Information Outlook, 2003. 3. https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_io_2003/3

This Magazine is brought to you for free and open access by the Information Outlook, 2000s at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Information Outlook, 2003 by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. information www.sla.org the monthly magazine of the special libraries association O u vol. 7, no. 3 march 2003

inside this issue: Value as Calculation Demonstrating Value and Return-on-Investment Communicating the Value of the Special Library Happiness is Taxonomy: Four Structures for Snoopy With KeyCite® Alert, you're always on top of the law. This exclusive

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I ;~ Feattres 10 Value as Calculation and Value as Contribution to the Organization To participate at a higher level in the strategic activities of your organization, you must be able to speak the language of the business, and that language always involves finances, according to Jan Sykes. 14 Demonstrating Value and Return on Investment: The Ongoing Imperative Will you have the necessary tools to craft a va lue statement when you're asked about your library's return on investment? Roger Strouse, director and lead analyst for Outsell, Inc, discusses qualitative and quantitative ROI me.isurenients you can employ to be prepared for the question. 26 Determining and Communicating the Value of the Special library As special libraries face budget and personnel c_uts, Librarians increasingly must justify the cost of their operations. Joseph Matthews, author of The Bottom Line: Oetennining ond Communicating the Value of the Spedol Library, offers guidelines you can use to measure your library's performance and justify its existence. 36 Happiness Is Taxonomy: Fou r Structures for Snoopy Katherine Bertolucci is an information manager who enjoys creating new gateways to knowledge, including building taxonomies (techniques that organize information into hierarchical categories) for everyone's favorite: Snoopy.

L mns 5 Executive Outlook 24 Communications Outlook Public Relations - Simply Defined 6 Making News 33 Viewpoints PEANUTS " United 21 Information Trends Communicating Our Value to Our Clients Featu re Syndicate, In c. Why Should I Care About Standards? 34 KEx Corner 22 Copyright Corner 2002 Needs Assessment Survey Enforcement of DMCA Criminal Penalties Suffers Setback 47 Conference Countdown New York, New York!

48 Advertisers Index 48 Coming Events

information outlook 6> march 2003 4 informationoutlook -····

The Monthly Magazine of the Special Libraries Association Vol. 7, No. 3 March 2003

Publisher Douglas W. Newcomb Editor Loretta Y. Britten ([email protected]) Associate Editor Stephanie A. Russell Contributing Editor Stephen Abram Contributing Editor Laura Gasaway Layout & Design Melissa C. Shriver Advertising Soles Vivian Cohen (301) 963-2622 ([email protected])

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.,.. Affordable: Just $1.09 per person* per day Advertising: Acceptance of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product by the Special Libraries Association. For 2003 advertising rate www.hoovers.com cards or other advertising information, contact Vivian Cohen at tel: (301) 963-3622; fax: (301) 869-8608; or e-mail: vivian @s la .org.

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Information Outlook Online Sponsored by Standard & Poor's 5 exec6\1tlook

Greetings Everyone

What's in a name? Many of us have been in an organization that changed its name, either by design or as a result of a merger. While the change may have been difficult at first, eventually we became accustomed to the new name. In the end, our attachment should be to the organization itself and what it repre­ sents rather than to what we call the organization.

This is an important point for all of us to consider. Our Branding Task Force proposes to rebrand SLA, which may involve a name change for our associa­ tion. To help us look objectively at this possibility, I call upon John Cotton Dana, who (along with Sarah Ball and Anna Sears) founded the Special Librar­ ies Association in 1909. From Dana's writings around the time SLA was founded , I get the feeling that what he felt was "special" about the libraries so desig­ nated was the subject-focus of their collections and a level of service that was higher than that of general libraries. And yet, writing in 1914, Dana said that the "name Special Libraries was chosen with some hesitation, and rather in default of a better"; so it seems we have never been completely happy with our name. In that same work, Dana did go on to say that the name "has seemed to fit the movement admirably." I think his use of the word "movement" is very interesting. I interpret this to mean that Dana saw our association as a grow­ ing, moving entity, much like the collections and services on which he based our name. The unique (or special) core values of these libraries can be seen in their ability to (1) acquire the information an organization needs, regardless of format; (2) customize that information to make it useful to as many people in the organization as possible; and (3) recognize when that information is no longer applicable, discard it , and move on to something more appropriate. If we think of our name as information that describes who and what we are, we must ask whether SLA has reached this third stage.

We need to focus on our core values, both as they exist now and as we see them 5 to 10 years in the future. Will rebrand.ing our association now keep us vibrant and viable to the people we want as members in the years ahead? As you think about this issue, don't assume that we will simply put a new name on the same old association. Consider other steps that we need to take to ensure that our association is an integral, vital part of the information commu­ nity of the 21st century.

From my reading of some of Dana's works, I believe he would support the upcoming bylaws amendment seeking to change the name of our association, seeing it as a natural response to how our profession and our association have evolved since 1909. John Cotton Dana won't be at the annual business meeting in New York City this June to vote on the issue; however, many of you will be there. Good luck with your decisionmaking.

Bill Fisher, SLA President 6

year, 18 outstanding individuals Times: 2:00-3:30 pm ET have been selected by the Special To register, go to www.sla.org/con­ mak~9ews Libraries Association (SLA) for their tent/Events/distance/virtsem2003/ exemplary contributions and index.cfm. achievements in the information in­ dustry. The class of 2003 Awards and When you register, your location be­ Honors winners are: SLA Hall of comes a virtual seminar site, and you Fame, H. Robert Malinowsky; The can host as many people as you like John Cotton Dana Award, Stephen for one low site fee, so be sure to in­ CAS to give away $5,000 at K. Abram; The Rose L. Vormelker vite your colleagues to learn with SLA Annual Conference Award, Robert V. Williams; Fellows you! Chemical Abstracts Services (CAS), a of the Special Libraries Association, major conference partner for the 94th G. Lynn Berard, Andrew Berner, Virtual Seminar Only Annual Conference in New York, New Sylvia R. M. James, and Mary Member $185 Nonmember $235 York, will be holding a $5,000 raffle "Dottie" Moon; The Factiva Leader­ on Monday, June 9, 2003, in the Info­ ship Award, Robert Bellanti; The In­ Virtual Seminar Plus V-Pak Expo Hall. Please check the SLA An­ novations in Technology Award, Nina Member $235 Nonmember $285 nual Conference website for further Pratt and Faerge & Benson Library details and updates as the conference Services; The H.W. Wilson Company V-Pak Only date approaches. Award, Lori A. Zipperer and Sara R. The V-Pak includes an audiotape of Tompson; The Member Achievement the session, hardcopy of handouts, SLA Announces 2003 Award, John DiGilio; The SLA Diver­ and instructions on how to access the Awards and Honors Winners sity Leadership Development Award, PowerPoint presentation on the Web. Since 1948, SLA has recognized Christina Birdie, Persko L. Grier, Jr., Member $95 Nonmember $145 those individuals who have distin­ Toby A. Lyles, Lian Ruan, and guished themselves in the informa­ Pradnya Yogesh. 2003 Elsevier Engineering tion profession through its the Information/SLA Awards and Honors Program. This SLA Virtual Seminar­ Engineering Librarian Award Organic Approach to Project The Engineering Division Awards Management Committee is accepting nominations SLA's 94th Annual Projects are an important feature of for the 2003 Elsevier Engineering Conference in NYC! the new organizational landscape, but Information/SLA Engineering Librar­ June 7-12, 2003. Be sure to managing them can be a major chal­ ian Award. The award is offered an­ attend, and don't forget the lenge if you're unclear on why a nually to honor a member of the INFO-EXPO Exhibit Hall! project is being started, what work it Engineering Division and is spon­ involves, or how the work is to be sored by Elsevier Engineering Infor­ INFO-EXPO Hours done. Unfortunately, getting clear mation, Inc. The honoree receives a Monday, June 9 answers to such important questions $1,000 stipend and a plaque, pre­ 8:00 am-4:00 pm can be difficult in today's fast-mov­ sented at the business meeting lun­ Tuesday, June 10 ing workplace. In the SLA Project cheon held during the annual SLA 11:00 am-6:30 pm Management Virtual Seminar, you conference. The Awards Committee Wednesday, June 11 will participate in an interactive, ac­ will select the 2003 winner on the 8:00 am-1:00 pm tion-oriented, and entertaining expe­ basis of criteria developed jointly rience that will get you started on cre­ with Elsevier Engineering Informa­ Networking Reception ating an environment for successful tion. Candidates are encouraged to Tuesday, June 10 projects. You'll learn the core concepts nominate themselves, or you may 5:00 pm-6:30 pm of project management, including nominate an associate. how success comes when you place SLA Relaxation Stations your focus on people. Many of you take your work-related The massage you've been competencies and contributions for waiting for! Open every day in Speaker: Randy Englund granted, and do not think of them as the Exhibit Hall. Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2003 extraordinary. We'd like to be the

information outlook C> march 2003 7 judge of that. Please send your nomi­ nations to the Awards Committee at the address below.

The criteria for nominations are- • Membership in good standing for one year in the SLA Engineering Division as of January 1, 2002. • Distinguished achievement in the engineering library profession, through an exceptional contribu­ tion on the job, in the SLA Engi­ Let MARCIVE give you neering Division, or in the indus­ try at large. This accomplishment a hand with your cataloging should have taken place within the calendar year immediately preceding the nomination; how­ For librarians who work solo or with very little help, ever, in selected cases, the Award MarciveWeb SELECT is a lifesaver. Overnight, affordable, Committee may recognize an on­ and easy to use, MarciveWeb SELECT will give you the going, long-term contribution. extra hand you need. There's no annual fee. There's not even a minimum order. Last year, Marilyn Redmond (former You pay just for the cataloging you want and nothing more. chair of the Engineering Division) was So take cataloging into your own hands ... and pass it right to honored for her outstanding work us. Order your FREE sample packet and 30-day no-obligation with the SLA Engineering Division preview online or call us today! and at International SEMATECH.

Nominations/more information MARC bib record, per bib ...... 27¢ Dave Hook, SLA-ENG Awards Chair MD Robotics Ltd. Authorities (LC, NLM), per bib ...... 11¢ 9445 Airport Rd. Smart barcode label, per label ...... 5¢ Brampton, Ontario, Canada, L6S 413 Book labels, per set ...... 8¢ [email protected] Audiovisual cataloging ...... $1.02 For more information, go to www. sla.org/division/deng/engdiv.html. MARC records • Retrospective conversion • Brief Record Upgrade TEACH Act Toolkit LC, NLM authority control • Deduplication • MARC Record Enrichment (TOC) The Technology, Education, and U.S. government document cataloging Copyright Harmonization Act 1-800-531-7678 [email protected] (TEACH) updates copyright law per­ MARCIVE , INC • fax 210-646-0167 www.marc1ve.com taining to transmission of perfor­ mances and display of copyrighted materials. Such transmissions and North Carolina State University Li­ TEACH says it is not copyright in­ displays are critical to higher educa­ braries, Office of Legal Affairs, fringement for teachers and stu­ tion distance education efforts, in­ DELTA (Distance Education and dents at an accredited nonprofit cluding online courses. Learning Technology Applications) , educational institution to transmit and ITD (Information Technology performances and displays of copy­ A TEACH Act toolkit has been de­ Division), this online tool includes righted works as part of a course if veloped as an online resource for un­ sections on education, implementa­ certain conditions are met. If these derstanding copyright and distance tion, and best practices. conditions are not or cannot be met, education. A joint project of the use of the material will have to

information outlook ,; march 2003 8 qualify as a fair use, or permission must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). To learn more, go to www.lib.ncsu.edu/scc/legislative/teachkit. Dynix Plans for 2003 President's 2004 Budget Recommends Dynix has announced several product development ini­ Record Funding for Libraries and Museums tiatives for 2003, including key upgrades and new prod­ President Bush's 2004 budget will include a proposal ucts. Major upgrades have been announced for the Hori­ for increased funding for the nation's libraries and mu­ zon information management system (version 7.3) and seums. Over the next 16 years, America's libraries are the Information Portal product (version 3.0), and Dynix projected to Jose 58 percent of their professional librar­ plans to enhance its current Interlibrary Loan offering (ver­ ians. The President's budget proposal addresses this loss sion 1.0). New product initiatives include Horizon Reports with a special focus on recruiting and training the next Manager 1.0, Horizon Debt Collect 2.0, and Horizon Re­ generation of librarians. Last year, the budget included ciprocal Borrowing 1.0. Dynix also announced Microsoft $10 million for this initiative; this year, it requests $20 SQL Server 2000 support for Horizon. For more informa­ million. tion, visit the company website at www.dynix.com.

The 2004 budget request includes a total of approximately Dynix and Sun Microsystems Collaborate on $242 million for museums and libraries, which is a 15 Library Automation percent increase over last year's request. Federal funding Dynix has formed an alliance with Sun Microsystems, Inc., for the 122,000 libraries and 15,000 museums in the United to develop new products using an open-computing model States is administered by the Institute of Museum and Li­ powered by the Sun Open Net Environment (Sun ONE) brary Services (IMLS). platform, an integratable product portfolio enabling the development and delivery of Java Web services. Grants from the IMLS help libraries and museums use new technology; attract state and local support; preserve our As a member of Sun's iForce initiative, Dynix will make Sun cultural heritage; and bring information, knowledge, and hardware available to its installed customer base of more ideas to children, families, schools, and communities. than 10,000 libraries and will act as a single point of contact for customers who wish to implement Sun solutions. Sun will reciprocate by providing the support necessary to main­ New Job Announcement tain momentum behind Dynix research and development efforts and by participating in joint marketing activities. Susan M. Klopper has accepted a new position as the manager of research services for the Goizueta Busi­ EOS International Announces Global Help ness Library at Emory University. Her responsibili­ Desk for Pacific Rim Clients ties will include acting as liaison to the Business EOS International has expanded its support hours. In addi­ School's accounting and finance faculty and PhD stu­ tion to 24/7 Internet-based support, as well as phone and e­ dents, developing training products and services for mail support from 5:00 am to 5:00 pm PST, EOS is extending accounting- and finance-related content, supporting its e-mail support until 11 :00 pm Sunday through Thursday the research needs of Business School students and PST. Clients can request either a phone call or an immedi­ faculty, negotiating with vendors, pursuing initiatives ate response via e-mail. The expanded hours will enable the to increase marketing and branding of the library's company to better serve its rapidly growing client base in programs in partnership with the Business School, Australia, Hawaii, and the Pacific Rim (www.eosintl.com). and developing the collection in her areas of exper­ tise. The Goizueta Business School was the recipient Factiva Offers Replacement Product for of Arthur Andersen's accounting and corporate col­ Customers of divine's Special Collection lection when its library closed in July 2002; Susan Service will work with a team from the Emory University Divine, Inc., is discontinuing its Special Collection digital Library to catalog and promote this special collec­ content subscription service, but qualified customers will tion. Before coming to Emory, Susan was director of receive a replacement version of Factiva at no additional Arthur Andersen's Southeast Region Business Re­ charge. Factiva offers similar research capabilities to the search Center for 18 years. She can be reached at Special Collection, but divine customers will benefit from [email protected]. Factiva's broader content collection.

information outlook " march 2003 g

Though it will no longer procure or license content di­ rectly for customers, divine will continue to offer content aggregation and normalization capabilities. In addition, We Buy divine has incorporated the search and classification tech­ nology that was core to the Special Collection into its con­ tent management products. Used Books Powell's Technical Bookstore is always To help divine customers become familiar with the new service, Factiva has developed a customized e-learning tool seeking quality technical, scientific, and in the form of a 10-minute multimedia briefing. Factiva academic titles. We offer cash or trade and and divine will contact customers directly to discuss the can help you get the most for your books. transition. • PHYSICS • CONSTRUCTION • MATHEMATICS • SKILLED TRADES Ebrary Launches New Database Collections • CHEMISTRY • OLDER EDITIONS for Libraries • ENGINEERING • DUPLICATES Ebrary has announced the availability of database collec­ • ELECTRONICS • SUPERCEDED TITLES tions that combine more than 20,000 books and other documents from more than 150 leading academic, trade, and professional publishers. POWELLS TECHNICAL BOOKS The Aggregated Collections cover subject areas such as 33 NW Park, Portland, 0 R97209 business and economics, computers, technology and engi­ 503-228-3906 • 800-225-691 l neering, humanities, life and physical sciences, and social and behavioral sciences. The company also offers a strong Fax: 503-228-0505 collection of Spanish language titles and aggregated collec­ [email protected] tions specifically for both academic and public libraries. powells.comllibrarians

Surpass Releases Version 4 Surpass Software has released Version 4 of Surpass Cen­ 1 tral, Surpass Safari, and Surpass Web Safari, the core com­ 'hlemoriam ponents of the Surpass library automation family of prod­ ucts. New features include universal check-in and check­ Richard Alban Davis out hot keys, customizable cataloging templates, user-se­ Richard Alban Davis, 79, died on December 22, 2002. An lected circulation category icons, automatic software up­ SLA member since 1956, Davis was professor emeritus of dates for Surpass Support subscribers, and Visual Naviga­ the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at tor, an icon-based search that is now integrated into Safari Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. During a teach­ and Web Safari. The new release of Version 4 also boasts ing career spanning more than 40 years, Davis taught at the availability of a wide array of enhanced content such Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia, National Uni­ as book jackets, author notes, table of contents, and even versity in Taiwan, and the University of Chicago. Through­ chapter excerpts that integrate directly into the Safari and out his career, Davis lectured extensively on the needs and Web Safari catalogs via a yearly subscription service. structure of libraries in the United States, New Zealand, and developing areas of the South Pacific. He worked as a con­ Version 4 of Surpass Central now features universal check­ sultant to numerous organizations, including Bell Systems in and check-out hot keys, allowing Central users to go to and the U.S. Department of Education. From 1956 to 1959, the check-in and check-out screens instantly from anywhere he was assistant librarian of the John Crerar Library in Chi­ in the program with one keystroke. Version 4 checks for cago. He served as librarian at the University of Chicago updates to Surpass software automatically. When there are Laboratories for Applied Sciences from 1959 to 1960, and as updates available, the automatic update feature gives the Director of the Midwest Regional Medical Library from 1968 Surpass Support customers the opportunity to download and to 1971. Davis was a U.S. Navy pilot and flight instructor in install them. Support customers can also have Surpass Cen­ World War II and the Korean War. He served as president of tral check for updates whenever they want by simply click­ the Philadelphia Chapter from 1964 to 1965 and of the Illi­ ing the Support button and selecting "Check for Updates." nois Chapter from 1990 to 1991.

information outlook ~ march 2003 By Jan Sykes

Jan Sykes is president of the Illinois Chapter of SLA and Information Management Services, Inc. in Morton Grove, Illinois. 11 · · Creating a Value Profile

CAN THERE BE YET ANOTHER ARTICLE WRITTEN ABOUT "VALUE" AND IN FORMATION PROFESSIONALS?

Given the increased importance of information resources With a big-picture view of the industry and competitive and the evolving role of information professionals, it is environment at the forefront of their minds, as well as a imperative that we have clarity on what value means and clear vision of corporate goals and performance targets, where and how we add value to the organizations for information professionals can prioritize their activities which we work. to help the company reach its financial goals. In a recent article on strategic competencies, Keith Orndoff suggests The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Lan­ that records and information managers "functioning at a guage, Fourth Edition (New York: Houghton Mifflin Com­ high strategic level in an organization must get close to pany, 2000), defines value as: the business of the business rather than be preoccupied with a service function at a tactical level, a function which l . An amount, as of goods, services, or money, consid­ can be easily outsourced." He further notes that when ered to be a fair and suitable equivalent for some­ the professional's view is "external and broad there will thing else; a fair price or return. be a constant search for improvement in value and orga­ nization-wide relevance." 1 2. Worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor; utility or merit. Demonstrating savings achieved from centralized purchas­ ing and management of information resources or the strate­ Value as an Amount gic outsourcing of certain information management activi­ Business executives are continually scrutinizing their ties and quantifying efficiencies gained from broader access operations for ways to be more competitive, to differenti­ to key resources are two ways information professionals ate themselves in the marketplace, reduce costs, and im­ can prepare for conversations about the financial perfor­ prove productivity. In a sluggish economy, all departments mance of their function. One information professional re­ and functional units within an organization are held ac­ ports having repaid his annual salary twice in three years countable for their contribution to the business. Thus, through contract discounts he negotiated for online services. information professionals have a heightened awareness Note that value is not always about saving money. Some­ of the need to measure and tie the financial contribution times it is necessary to invest money in information resources of their work to overall organizational goals. to help the organization make more money. Being able to present a sound business case for such investment increases To participate in the strategic activities of their organi­ the likelihood that those funds will be approved. zations, information professionals must be able to speak the language of business, and that always involves fi­ Cost-benefit assessments and return-on-investment (ROI) nances. They must grasp business fundamentals, includ­ scenarios for information services also document some ing company operations, corporate culture and values, of the value companies receive from investments in in­ the industry in which their company competes, the in­ formation resources in terms of actual dollar amounts. herent complexity in developing and selling products or Savvy information professionals now routinely collect data services, competitive vulnerabilities, customers, and the from their user population so they can calculate how the numbers that are critical for the organization's success. timely delivery of targeted information contributes to They can look to colleagues, mentors, additional developing new business opportunities, reducing cycle coursework, and participation in professional associa­ time, shortening learning curves, or meeting other busi­ tions to acquire greater knowledge of business funda­ ness objectives. They can then compare the costs of pro­ mentals. The company's financial report is also an ex­ viding information or knowledge resources with the hard tremely important, and frequently overlooked, source and soft benefits obtained for specific projects and make of information. well-founded assumptions about the financial benefit to

information outlook " march 2003 12 the organization. These assessments still have an ele­ the acquiring company from selling or practicing the ac­ ment of assumption and of anecdotal input, but the more quired intellectual property in key markets, destroying data collected, the more accurate the value calculations the financial benefits it expected from the acquisition. will become. In Valuating Information Intangibles, Frank Portugal ac­ For example, knowledges the challenges of determining the bottom­ • A client in a large technology company frequently asks line contribution of intangible benefits provided by in­ the information center staff to develop profiles of the small formation centers and libraries. 2 Besides ROI and cost­ and middle-market businesses that submit proposals for benefit analyses, he describes three other methodologies partnering with the larger company. The information for estimating the intangible value of libraries and infor­ center's findings regarding size of the soliciting company mation centers: knowledge value-added, intranet team and its products and personnel drive decisions about forums, and intellectual capital valuation. These meth­ whether to further test the soliciting firm's capabilities. odologies stimulate thinking about additional metrics for Every time a firm is ruled out because of the findings of expressing the value that can be derived from strategi­ the information specialists, the technology company saves cally selected, organized information resources as they many hours and thousands of dollars in the time of prod­ are applied to business activities. uct development specialists, attorneys, and negotiators. When a company meets the initial selection criteria, the Value as Perceived Usefulness information specialists' findings jump-start the negotia­ Conversations about value as perceived usefulness or tion process, because everyone involved knows more importance become murky, because information profes­ about the potential partner. Benefits like these are diffi­ sionals have different notions about what is being evalu­ cult, but not impossible, to quantify. ated. Depending on the mindset of the person, any of the following are potentially being assessed: * An information professional with high-level research skills and in-depth industry and product knowledge pro­ • Value of the role of the information professional or vides lawyers in the health care company in which he librarian. works with prior art research in preparation for invalid­ • Value of the contribution made by the information pro­ ity or patent infringement litigation. The research may fessional to the organization. lead to a summary judgment of invalidity, defusing the • Value of the products or services delivered. plaintiff's claims. More often, the prior art research is • Value-added activities (e.g., summarizing research re­ used as leverage to push the opposition to settle. The com­ sults or packaging information deliverables). pany knows its average daily costs for litigation and can determine real value when cases are thrown out or settled In the workplace, more value is placed on how profes­ out of court. If outside law firms conduct the search, the sional skills and competencies are applied to solving busi­ costs are often higher because the searcher is less famil­ ness problems and making the business successful than iar with the industry, terms of art, and critical inventions on a role or function itself. While information profes­ that an inside patent search specialist will know. sionals justifiably take pride in their training and experi­ ence, management justifiably looks for value in terms of • Intellectual property gathering and infringement risk performance results-contribution to the success of the analysis conducted during acquisition due diligence can business. Information professionals must also assume also assume tremendous value. The entity that may be responsibility for getting involved in business planning acquired generally provides a "comprehensive" list of its and decisionmaking; in other words, it is what they do intellectual property, along with other assets. But since rather than their credentials that determines their value. many small entities acquire and manage their intellec­ tual property through outside law firms, often a series of Enlightened senior managers recognize that accurate infor­ firms, such disclosures may have gaps. One must also mation-structured and unstructured content alike-is a vet whether the intellectual property has any title prob­ vital asset. Large numbers of individuals within an organi­ lems; for example, have any of the patents been used as zation can now access and manipulate staggering amounts collateral to raise funds, have any been reassigned of information as easily as information professionals have previously? Then one must build a context around the done for the past decade or two. But it is information orga­ target's claims of its intellectual property; that is, investi­ nized and presented so as to give insights into the business gate whether other competitors' patents may block the and shed light on the market that is perceived as having target's freedom to operate in the marketplace for its cur­ strategic importance, because such information can be le­ rent or intended products. If these steps are overlooked, veraged to expand organizational knowledge, increase prof­ a company may buy another company with only one or a its, and avoid wasted time as employees wade through and few products. Subsequent infringement litigation may bar analyze the morass of available information.

information outlook '> march 2003

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Knowing how to handle such a powerful resource that is the information center's name in front of its clients. The so much in demand is the stock in trade for information importance of the information specialists is further ac­ professionals. Knowing where to look for answers and knowledged in invitations to presentations and meetings insights and then knowing how to evaluate what is found; involving these product groups; the information flows in knowing where individuals and communities with spe­ both directions. cialized knowledge reside in the organization; and know­ ing how to work effectively across organizational bound­ * One mid-sized accounting firm has recognized that, es­ aries comprise a dynamite set of competencies that can pecially in the current business environment, it assumes be harnessed to help organizations deal efficiently with some risk with every new client it adopts. Thus, one of the complex information systems. corporate goals is to minimize that risk. It is now standard operating procedure that each accountant have a risk as­ Information professionals can participate in planning for sessment run before accepting a new client. Because the the content requirements to support key business initia­ assessment is very information-intensive, an information tives of their organization. They can help their colleagues professional must design it. Here, the information profes­ learn about market developments faster than their com­ sional has proven to be indispensable to the firm. petitors. They can identify and apply information re­ sources that will enable a project team to realize opera­ * A large client services firm is focusing on retaining rev­ tional savings, increase revenues, and achieve other cor­ enue from its largest customers. The information profes­ porate goals to contribute value. For information profes­ sional has helped design a strategic clients portal that sionals, the key is respecting their organization, taking includes background and news on these clients. This ac­ pride in their contribution, and seeking opportunities to tivity is perceived as having great value because it is be fully engaged in the mission of the organization and aligned with a major firm-wide initiative. committed to its success-even if that means abandon­ ing many traditional library activities. Like beauty, value is in the eye of the beholder-or at least in the belief system of the beholder. Value means different Information professionals can take a lesson from their col­ things to different organizations. The value of information leagues in IT. Technology is now so closely integrated with professionals' products, services, and value-added activi­ business operations that management recognizes that it ties must be examined with respect to their target market cannot formulate a revenue-generating business strategy and the culture of the organization. Christine Olson rec­ without considering the technology requirements to en­ ommends creating a value profile to "gain an in-depth able those initiatives. Chief information and technology understanding of how members of the target market de­ officers spend at least as much time on business issues as termine value, what comprises value for them, and how on technology design and implementation issues. It can they express it." She further notes, "Armed with a value be argued that quality information is as strategically im­ profile, an information professional has the advantage of portant as the infrastructure through which it flows. Infor­ insight-of knowing what it takes for information services mation professionals need to assume a greater role in se­ to be perceived at the highest levels of satisfaction.''3 lecting, organizing, and categorizing that information and then making it easy for users to personalize their informa­ Information professionals will be able to create and main­ tion requirements so they can deal with the challenges of tain strategically important products and services by being information quantity and quality for decisionmaking pur­ attuned to behaviors and perceptions of values of their user poses. If information professionals have a higher profile in communities. Being more immersed in the business of their defining and delivering vital business information, their business and more vested in pursuing corporate goals will role should become as essential as that of IT professionals. give them a framework from which to craft products and services that add value to their organizations. '> For example, * Information specialists in a large consumer products Notes company produce monthly reports on the various demo­ 1. Orndoff, Keith. "Developing Strategic Competencies: graphic markets that are targeted by specific product A Starting Point," Info171lationManagementloumal 36(4), groups throughout the company. These reports, in the July 2002, page 57. form of electronic newsletters, contain information from 2. Portugal, Frank H. Valuating Information Intangibles: articles in the trade and business press as well as inter­ Measuring the Bottom Line Contribution of Librarians and nal market research to keep the thinking of product de­ Information Professionals. Washington, DC ;Special Li­ velopers and marketing managers fresh regarding the tar­ braries Association, 2000. get demographics. These reports are time-consuming and 3. Olson, Christine A. "What's in It for Them? Communi­ require knowledge of company business interests to pre­ cating the Value of Information Services," Information pare, but they are perceived as valuable, and they keep Outlook, November 2002, pagel9.

information outlook " march 2003 By Roger Strouse

Roger Strouse is director and lead analyst for Outsell, Inc. , of Burlingame, California. He can be reached at [email protected]. 15

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AS LIBRARY STAFF SIZES CONTINUE TO SHRINK AND BUDGET PRESSURES MOUNT, libraries of all types are clearly doing more with less. Library functions have reacted to this dynamic in a number of ways, including refining the definition of their priority service markets; developing technology-reliant one-to-many information solutions; increasing user self-sufficiency; and redeploying staff and broadening job descriptions of library workers. In all the "busyness" resulting from these large-scale changes, however, strategic management initiatives, such as value and return-on-investment (ROI) measurement, have been pushed to the back burner.

With library budgets under scrutiny and executives look­ importance of this kind of measurement applies equally ing to squeeze maximum value from every expenditure, to all special library types. demonstrating value should be a high-priority activity for all special library managers. Strategically thinking li­ In the 2002 study The Changing Roles of Content Deploy­ brary leaders are preparing for the time when the hold­ ment Functions, participants were presented with a list ers of the purse strings ask the inevitable question: What of standard performance measurement metrics and asked is the return for the money I'm pumping into the library? to indicate whether they collect those metrics. The metrics The climate is particularly ominous for libraries that rely most directly related to demonstrating value and ROI were on overhead for their funding. Although overhead is de­ collection and publication of data on cost savings, for­ clining as a primary method of funding special libraries, malized tracking of how the service's users apply or use it is still the most common method. Nearly half (46 per­ the content provided by the library, and formal quantita­ cent) of corporate libraries rely on budgeted dollars, as tive ROI data collection. None of these measures was do 41 percent of government libraries and 25 percent of ranked higher than ninth, among the various performance academic libraries. 1 metrics, by any of the special library functions.

The State of Value Measurement Further, ROI metrics are collected in alarmingly low num­ Precious little attention is currently given to development bers. For corporate, academic, and government libraries, and collection of ROI data. Among the three primary types quantitative ROI data are the least often gathered value of special libraries (corporate, academic, government), metric, collected by 7 percent, 2 percent, and 9 percent, corporate libraries are most likely to study their value respectively. This is a drastically underperformed strate­ impact, and academic libraries are least likely. But all gic management activity, and the results are not much three types rank these performance measurements low better for other value metrics (see Performance Measure­ on their priority list. ment chart).

It is not surprising that academic libraries spend less time Suggested ROI Metrics on ROI measures, as they enjoy a high level of tacit accep­ The ROI metrics of most value in justifying the library's tance of the value of libraries among their executives. How­ budget are both quantitative and qualitative. Quantita­ ever, given the budget constraints colleges and universities tive measurements for a special library's ROI include time are facing, it would behoove even academic libraries to in­ saved by library users (when average salaries of users crease their focus on documenting their value proposition. are known, this can be translated into actual dollar sav­ ings); the money users save by using the library instead With changes occurring apace in all special libraries re­ of alternative sources; and revenue generated with the garding the portfolios of services offered (reference, assistance of the library. These values can be expressed intranet/portal support and management, physical librar­ in dollar amounts and speak directly to the bottom line ies, content management, etc.), it makes sense not only in a way executives can relate to. to measure the function's overall value but also to apply those value metrics to individual product and service of­ Qualitative measures include the reliance of users on library­ ferings in order to justify resource prioritization. The supplied content and services for decisionmaking; the

information outlook "' march 2003 16 level of decisions that the library supports; and the rela­ should be broken down by active and inactive users to tive value of having the support of a professional infor­ assess a utilization rate, as well as frequency of use among mation function that knows, in-depth, the subject matter active users. A representative sample for the survey should the parent organization works with and applicable be developed so that the conclusions reached are fully sources. Another key qualitative value metric revolves defensible and the data can be extrapolated to represent around the importance of information provided by the the full organization. library that the user would not have found or had ac­ cess to without the library's intermediation. Combin­ The other element of the user population that must be ing quantitative and qualitative data in the library's understood is the breakdown of functional areas and ap­ value statement provides decision makers with objec­ plications for information within the various departments. tive, dollar-oriented bottom line data and then goes on This is essential to design an effective questionnaire and to tell the story behind those data in users' own words. to segment the results.

The metrics of choice depend on corporate culture and ex­ Use a questionnaire to identify any benefits that have ecutive mindset. A university dean many have a substan­ resulted from using the library. A common example of a tially different definition of value than a corporate execu­ tangible benefit is labor savings. This can include time tive, and even within the corporate landscape, organiza­ saved looking for and using information or time saved in tions have different concepts of what constitutes value or the job because information was applied more effectively. ROI. Therefore, the specific metrics chosen by any given For example, it used to take two weeks to identify a part library should reflect what library management knows about for a customer, but by using X service, it now takes only the parent organization's leadership and how they think. one week.

Library managers must determine what the organization's Some other examples of tangible benefits are increased leaders look for in judging value. This can be accomplished productivity, improved quality, increased sales, and shorter through executive interviews or an executive library advi­ time-to-market. The resulting returns, easily understood sory board. Another tactic is to look around at the best­ and appreciated by decision makers, include reduced parts funded or best-valued departments and find out what they costs, speedier product launches, repeat business, savings do to demonstrate value. At any rate, before jumping into in staff time, or a sale that would not otherwise have been any data collection activities, it's critical that library man­ made. In the academic world, some examples of tangible agers make sure the information they're planning to col­ benefits might be reduced costs of course materials, quicker lect will provide metrics that resonate with funders. access to research materials by students and faculty, and increased publishing activities by faculty. Collecting Tangible ROI Data To accurately measure ROI, start with an understanding The specific questions asked of respondents in an ROI of the population being served. The universe of users survey will depend on what metrics have been chosen to

Performance Measurement

Measurement Methods Corporate Academic Government (Percentage That Perform Them) Libraries Libraries Libraries Base 251% 128% 94%

Conduct formal, quantitative studies on value/ROI (return on investment) of services 7 2 9

Collect and publish statistics on cost savings ( e.g., consolidation of vendor contracts, outsourcing) 20 4 9

Formally track how the service (research, training, etc.) provided is being applied or used 14 10 9

© 2002 Outsell, Inc. Reproduction strictly prohibited.

information outlook ,;, march 2003 17

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illustrate the library's value, but the following standard revenue in 37 percent of instances when they used the questions form the baseline for a survey of a corporate library. The median revenue generated is $10,000; $10,000 library's value (see Library ROI Questionnaire). generated times 21 percent times 37 percent equals $777 revenue generated per library use, on average. This fig­ Benchmarks for Corporate Libraries ure is driven by a small percentage of library interactions We have aggregated data from all our studies of end us­ that result in large amounts of revenue generated. ers into one normalized database, which we refer to as our Normative Database. Based on data in our Normative • Money saved: $42 per library use Database as of December 2002, the ROI for corporate li­ 1\venty-two percent of respondents report cost savings braries is very good. These data not only provide some that result from using the library. This may be cost-avoid­ general benchmarks but also illustrate how to calculate ance (using sources provided by the library that other­ ROI from survey data. For the 21,661 users profiled, the wise would have had to be purchased directly by the end ROI data provide the following benchmarks: user) or operational cost savings (an internal department ,, can now do something more cost-effectively as a result of • Time saved: $35 per library use information or services provided by the library). The 22 Forty percent of all respondents report having saved time percent say they saved money in 48 percent of instances, .., by using the library. That 40 percent report saving time and that the median savings were $400; $400 times 22 in about SS percent of library uses. The median number percent times 48 percent equals $42 dollars saved per ' of hours saved is four. The average reported salary is about library interaction. $39.93. Four hours times 40 percent times SS percent times $39.93 equals a $35.14 salary equivalent savings We often choose to use medians (half of respondents an­ per library interaction. swered higher, half lower) rather than means (simple average) when calculating ROI values, as was done in • Revenue generated: $777 per library use the examples above. This is the more conservative ap­ 1\venty-one percent of respondents report generating rev­ proach, because it mitigates the effects of notably high enue with the library's support. That 21 percent generated outliers that sometimes occur in user-reported numbers.

information outlook ,, march 2003 18

Library ROI Questionnaire

The following questions will address the impact that using the XYZ Library has had on your job. Thinking of the instances in which you used the XYZ Library in the past 12 months:

1. About how many times have you used the XYZ Library in the past 12 months (make your best estimate)? ___ times

2a. In approximately what percentage of those instances did using the Library save you time? ___% D Don't know

2b. On average, in each case when you saved time by using the Library, about how much time did you save (in hours)? __ hours Ci Don't know

2c. What is your annual salary (this information is strictly confidential and will only be used to calculate average wages)? $ per year*

3a. In approximately what percentage of instances of using the XYZ Library did information or services from the Library help you make money (for example, by providing information that Led to Launching a new product or closing a sale)? ___% D Don't know

3b. On average, each time this was the result, how much money did you/XYZ make? $ D Don't know

4a. In approximately what percentage of instances of using the XYZ Library did using information or services from the Library help you save money (for example, by helping you reduce an operating expense or by providing a market research report that you would otherwise have had to purchase)? ___% D Don't know

4b. On average, each time this was the result, how much money did you/XYZ save? $ D Don't know

5a . What kinds of decisions or projects were supported by the XYZ Library, and in what percentage of Library uses was each of those decisions or projects supported?**

Pursued a new technology ____% Pursued a patent _ _ __% Discovered a patent infringement ___ _ % Developed a market assessment _ _ __% Changed an operational process _ _ _ _ % Made a supplier selection ____% Pursued a Licensing or technology acquisition ____% Made project selections _ ___% Other, specify: ______%

*Requesting salary information on a survey can be problematic in certain instances. Alternative sources for salary averages are HR departments or salary surveys. Where it's impossible to get salary data, simply present the time-savings data as such, without converting it to a salary dollar equivalent.

** Response List options must be customized for each study to reflect the nature of the organization's work and the decisions that the organization's executives will regard as high-value.

© 2002 Outsell, Inc. Reproduction strictly prohibited.

information outlook ,, march 2003 19

I .I,,

While this approach may, in some instances, result in managers should not only be collecting ROI data, they understated ROI values, it also makes the results more should be focused on communicating the returns of li­ defensible. brary use to potential users.

To take the above calculations to their natural conclusion, Survey respondents may be using products or services pro­ the per-use figures can be multiplied by the total number of vided by the library without even knowing it. When asked library uses, if known, for a particular time period to create if they use the library, they may say "no," even though they an overall library dollar value. In the absence of usage sta­ are active users of desktop information products contracted tistics for a specific corporate library, our data show that and paid for by the library. But the primary reason for true actual library users use the library, on average, 35 times a non-use of the organizational library is lack of awareness. year. z Professional workers in general spend about 12 hours a week gathering and analyzing information.3 Implications for Special Libraries In an age of belt-tightening, special library managers must ROI Data as a Marketing Tool be prepared to demonstrate positive ROI. This means con· A powerful bottom-line argument for using the library ducting the research necessary to create an ROI state­ can be made using ROI data, but research shows a rela­ ment and value proposition now, rather than waiting until tively low preference for using the library as a primary it's too late. It is vitally important that library managers information source. Of study respondents who say they have the needs assessment, loyalty, and, especially, the actively seek information for their jobs, only 25 percent ROI data at hand so they can craft a library value state­ usually go to their company library for that information, ment that carries weight with executives. ~ and only 31 percent go to the company intranet, which may or may not be a product of the library.• I Outsell's The Changing Roles of Content Deployment Functions 2002 study. Most corporate information users clearly do not under­ 2 Outsell's Normative Database, December 2002. stand the potential benefits of including the library in 3 Ibid. their information·gathering and analysis tasks. Library 4 Ibid.

information outlook ~, march 2003 Special Libraries Association www.sla.org the Special Libraries Association for worldwide connections lo information professionals

Invest in your career by joining the thousands of information professionals who will convene in New York, NY, USA, for SlA's Annual Conference and Info Expo. Great News for Nonmembers! SLA is pleased to announce that any individual registering as a Full-Conference Nonmember will automatically be awarded a one-year membership in SlA, a bonus offer worth Sl 25. SlA invites you to toke advantage of this opportunity!

Stoy connected throughout the year to on even larger network. SLA membership helps you locate the companies, products, services and contacts you need through Who's Who in Special Libraries Online, learn with your colleagues where you work or live through on extensive network of chapters, and stay on top of your specific field through SlA's 24 divisions representing subject interests, fields, or types of information-handling techniques.

During the year you will also benefit through: -. Membership in one chapter and one division at no additional cost. Information Outloo~ -o full-color, monthly magazine for the most authoritative coverage of the information industry including news, analysis and opinion. -. SlA.COMmunicate - on a-newsletter with information on current challenges and trends in the profession, career-long learning, and management tips. Discounts on learning opportunities and publications. -. Complete access to Virtual SlA online information and fools. Career Services On-Line.

r-/'check the "Join SLA Now" box on the conference registration form if you ~ ~re ready to make a strong investment in your career. .~'l ,, ~~t7;--/ 21

and websites. You can now more safely add URLs that comply with this standard to your intranets, elec­ infort~ends tronic coursepacks, OPACs, and in­ ternal databases and files.

SFX (www.sfxit.com/OpenURL/) emerging standards that will have a from Ex Libris is context-sensitive Why Should I Care big impact on us. reference linking. Many vendors have made their products OpenURL About Standards? XML (www.xml.org) is the center­ and SFX compliant. This holds the By Stephen Abram piece of most developers' bets on opportunity for any abstracting and the future. It allows us to tag in­ indexing product, e-journal service, Librarians have had a long love af­ formation beyond traditional field­ OPAC or electronic catalogue, or e­ fair with standards, and we've in­ ing but without the hard edge of learning course to serve as an entry vented a few of the major ones. In avoiding delivery or user context. point into further information explo­ its list of the most important inven­ Simply put, we can use XML for a ration through articles, maps, charts, tions of the past millennium, Time few of our visions of nirvana. such and records. magazine mentioned the key role as these: the MARC record has played in the a. Setting display variables based on We're moving beyond mere organization of human recorded the user. Imagine controlling the interoperability and into a fully net­ knowledge for both physical and delivery of information based on worked and linked information intellectual access. How would the the user's skill level and familiar­ ocean. This is happening because basic systems that support librar­ ity with the actual specific content. content vendors, hardware and soft­ ies (from paper cards through com­ b. Sensing the user's device. Why ware folks, librarians, systems in­ puterized records) ever have should a single-stored database of tegrators, and the whole library/ reached today's levels of achieve­ articles deliver and display content geek world have converged on the ment without MARC? differently to a desktop PC, a digi­ issue of open standards that can tal telephone, or a RIM Black­ benefit all. Combine this with other standards berry? As devices proliferate, we we know and love-ISSN, ISBN, IS0- want to deliver information in our We are moving beyond mere re­ 2788 standard for monolingual the­ users' contexts, not make users trieval, beyond identification and sauri, ISO/ ANSI/NISO standards for adapt to our systems. reference, and into true research and 229.50-and you can see a rich ar­ c. Allowing for shared content tagging a world where the reinvigorated chitecture that underpins the devel­ definitions that are tied to specific tools of our librarian past serve as opments we're witnessing today. markets or user needs. Already, the entryways into a research future. there are emerging XML standards We have the opportunity to take our Librarians and publishers have for accountants, bankers, and other "pointing tools" and turn them into played critical roles in building the financial types, as well as for spe­ immersion ecologies for research interoperability standards that ulti­ cific content, such as securities fil­ communities. We can easily tie the mately become part of the architec­ ings and airline information. organized and classified flow of in­ ture we call Internet protocols. Imag­ formation and content to finding ine a library world without HTTP, XML holds the promise of doing all new insights and knowledge. r e-mail standards, WWW protocols, this and more. XFML Core - or ASCII. eXchangeable Faceted Metadata Lan­ Products mentioned are not en­ I guage is an open XML format for pub­ dorsed by Stephen Abram, So, what's next, and why on lishing and sharing hierarchical fac­ Micromedia ProQuest, or SLA and earth should we care? eted metadata and indexing efforts. are used here for illustrative pur­ Key emerging standards that should poses to highlight the types of tech­ matter to librarians include XML, OpenURL (http://library.caltech.edu/ nology opportunities that are com­ SFX, OpenURL, UDDI, SOAP, WSDL, openurl/) is the new generation of ing to market. and XSDL. Though you've probably the old DOI (digital object identifier) heard of most of these, you may dream. Open URL is based on the idea Stephen Abram is vice president of wonder why they are important. that links should lead a user to ap­ Micromedia ProQuest in Canada. propriate resources. It allows for per­ He can be reached at The following are highlights of two sistent deep linking into databases [email protected].

information outlook ,i march 2003 22 copy~1,trner

a company that has been in existence Adobe initially supported Sklyarov's Enforcement of DMCA for a decade and that produces a arrest but ultimately backed away number of password recovery pro­ because of the public relations de­ Criminal Penalties grams. Some of its largest custom­ bacle spurred by the protest of com­ ers are law enforcement agencies.4 puter programmers and others Suffers Setback Sklyarov wrote the program, a prod­ around the world. Prosecutors even­ By Laura Gasaway uct known as the Advanced eBook tually dropped the charges against Processor (AEBPR), which is a Win­ Sklyarov in exchange for his testi­ Section 1201 of the Digital Millen­ dows-based program that basically mony, but ElcomSoft was still un­ nium Copyright Act (DMCA) is "cracks" the eBook Reader by strip­ der indictment and faced $2.5 mil­ known as the anti-circumvention ping away the restrictions imposed lion in penalties. When it learned of provision, and it includes criminal by the copyright holder. This permits Adobe's concerns, the company re­ as well as civil penalties. The first a purchaser of an eBook Reader for- moved the software from its website. test of these criminal penalties was ElcomSoft CEO Alexander Katalov a case with important international worked for Sklyarov's release, and implications: U.S. v. ElcomSoft. 1 In Merely offering a product that Katalov and others warned computer this case, a Russian company was programmers that it was not safe to charged with creating software that travel to the United States, where could remove the use restrictions might be used to infringe they might be arrested for program­ contained in Adobe Acrobat PDF files ming activity that was legal in their and files formatted for the Adobe copyright is not enough, home countries but not legal here. eBook Reader, and selling the soft­ ware over the Internet. Use restric­ according to the jury. The anti-circumvention provision, tions might include reading aloud, which protects material more which a person with a visual impair­ broadly than does the copyright law, ment could well need. Interference matted electronic book to convert the has been challenged by legal schol­ with such technological protections format to one that is readable in any ars as bad public policy. Arguably, is prohibited under Section 1201.2 PDF viewer without any use restric­ the United States is attempting to tions, which leaves the ebook in a regulate the world, as producing cir­ The anti-circumvention provision cre­ "naked PDF" format that can be eas­ cumventing computer programs in ates a cause of action for manufac­ ily copied, printed, and distributed any country can violate U.S. law if turing, distributing, or using devices electronically. The uses that might the code can be accessed in this (including software) that circumvent be made of such an ebook may country. Lawrence Lessig, a law pro­ technological controls that a copy­ qualify as fair use and may not vio­ fessor at Stanford, said of Sklyarov right owner may have attached to a late the copyright law at all. On the during the time he was jailed that work to control access of use of that other hand, the user could make and he must wonder how a free society work. The DVD decryption case3 was distribute unlawful copies of the can jail someone for writing com­ brought under this statute, but copyrighted book in either printed puter code that was legal where it ElcomSoft represents the first crimi­ or digital format, which would con­ was written. nal prosecution. Had the circumven­ stitute copyright infringement. tion software been produced and The trial was slated to begin in Oc­ marketed in the United States, liabil­ Sklyarov, who undertook the research tober 2002, but the U.S. Embassy in ity would have been clear. The prob­ to produce AEBPR as a part of his Moscow at first refused to issue vi­ lem in ElcomSoft was that the activ­ doctoral dissertation, was invited to sas to Katalov and Sklyarov to travel ity was performed in Russia and was Las Vegas to present a paper at the to the United States, so the trial had not illegal under Russian law. Defcon convention in July 2001. 5 He to be delayed until December. Dur­ was arrested after giving a speech ing the trial, the U.S. government Dimitri Sklyarov is a programmer about the weaknesses in Adobe's soft­ stated that ElcomSoft had created a who worked in Russia for ElcomSoft, ware and served three weeks in jail. tool for burglars, that the company

information outlook " march 2003 23 was an affiliate of hacker networks, tion law itself. The outcome does not court basically ruled that once some­ and that it knew all along that sell­ bode well for future prosecutions one purchases a DVD, the copyright ing AEBPR was illegal. Katalov under the DMCA's criminal provi­ holder no longer has a lawful right maintained that the software was not sions, if courts and juries consider to control how the purchaser ac­ intended for illegal use but rather to the intent of code crackers rather cesses that film. permit purchasers of ebooks to ex­ than (as the law requires) just the ercise their fair use rights. The de­ fact that they created tools that can Do these two cases mark a turn­ fense argued that the company did be used for both legal and illegal around in litigation that threatens not believe its AEBPR software was purposes. the fair use of lawfully accessed illicit when it offered it for sale. On materials to which the copyright December 17, the jury acquitted the In a similar case, the United States owner has attached technological company of all criminal charges in this pressured Norway to file criminal protections? Stay tuned! crucial test of the DMCA's criminal charges against 19-year-old Jon provisions. The jury found that Johansen, one of the creators of the I Motion to dismiss, 203 F. Supp. 2d ElcomSoft employees neither knew DVD decryption software, developed llll (N.D. Cal. 2002). that their actions were illegal nor in­ when he was only 15. The DeCSS tended to violate U.S. law. Merely of­ software permits the playing of DVDs 2 See "Copyright Corner," June 1999 fering a product that might be used to on a Linux machine. Norway does and January 2001. infringe copyright is not enough, ac­ not have anti-circumvention legisla­ cording to the jury. Criminal cases may tion but does have criminal digital 3 See "Copyright Corner," July 2000. not be appealed by the government. piracy laws under which Johansen was tried. In January 2003, he was 4 See http://www.elcomsoft.com/. Some copyright watchers have pos­ acquitted, marking another setback tulated that the jury was not only for copyright holders who seek to 5 Defcon is a self-described hacker's deciding on this case but was stating impose more controls on the access organization see http:// an opinion about the anti-circumven- to and use of their digital works. The www.defcon.org/.

Vvn"t mitt JI.A"t ~4th Annual €vnterence In ,-.ew J"v,t .June 7-12. 21JIJ3

Thli l'ea ... , wnference featuri dl'namlc kem 11eake

Madeleine Albrighl David A\c(ullough Former US Secretary of State Pulilzer Prize winning -----outhor

information outlook , , march 2003 24

What did I learn from this experience? SLA needs to raise its profile with key people in the media. We are at a critical juncture: With membership declining, we need to position SLA as the primary organization for in­ As members of SLA's Public Rela­ formation professionals. We need a Public Relations­ tions Committee, we thought it sustained and concentrated PR effort would be useful to offer some guide­ to identify SLA and information pro­ Simply Defined lines on PR and to identify key ques­ fessionals in the media. At the local By Ellen Cartledge tions that SLA must answer to effec­ level, we must be prepared to pro­ tively position the information pro­ vide information about SLA to the Public relations (PR) is about repu­ fessional in the media. media. tation-the result of what you do, what you say, and what others think First, although we must be careful to Be tenacious. Business editors are about you. PR helps an organization provide objective information to the busy and get bombarded daily with and its publics adapt mutually to each public, we are trying to be advocates proposals for articles. Make your other, according to the Institute of for our profession. We are responsible proposal as brief and succinct as Public Relations (www.ipr.org.uk/ for looking after our reputation, with possible and suggest a hook to re­ index.htm) and Public Relations So­ the goal of earning understanding late the article to current local eco­ ciety of America (www.prsa.org). and support and influencing opinion nomic activity. and behavior. Our plan should be to • The personal touch is important. Layoffs across all industries are hurt­ establish and maintain goodwill and Try to speak to the business edi­ ing information professionals, and the mutual understanding between our tor, to establish a relationship, 2002 Occupational Outlook Handbook publics and us. however fleeting. says that employment for librarians is expected to grow more slowly than So, what steps do we take? As Tip • Follow up. If the article hasn't ap­ the average of all occupations be­ O'Neill famously said, "All politics peared within a certain timeframe tween 2000 and 2010 ("Tools to Jump­ is local." Let's look at our local ex­ (say, four weeks), follow up with Start Your Job Search," Information ternal environment and identify key the appropriate editor to see if he Outlook, January 2003, p. 11). In a media outlets where we might place or she needs more information. In meeting of the Connecticut Valley articles about our profession. For my situation, the editor said he Chapter of SLA in November, both example, I identified the Hartford didn't need information from me candidates for SLA president-elect Courant as one of the key publica­ but would probably ask the writer (Ethel Salonen and Doris Helfer) said tions read by executives in Con­ of the article to contact the inter­ that SLA has to do a better job of necticut. I spoke with the business viewee for more information. marketing information professionals editor about placing a story about to the outside world. one of the Connecticut Valley I was lucky that the Connecticut chapter's members. He said he had Valley chapter is located in the Hart­ You may say, "What does that have never heard of SLA and wanted ford area and that it is fairly easy to to do with me?" The answer is "a more information about the orga­ contact key media people. In other lot." As information professionals, nization. I sent him an abbreviated situations, that may not be the case. we have the responsibility of plac­ description of SLA (keep it short­ We must be able to stand out from ing ourselves before the public to that's important), then followed up the crowd, and we need the increase awareness of what we do with a series of phone calls. I spoke association's help. and how we do it-to help decision of how this individual had changed makers see the critical role we play his library to adapt to the changing Where do we go from here? As in all the organization whether cor­ economic conditions of his com­ members of the Public Relations porate, academic, or government. pany, and also provided a hook as Committee, we have identified some Key members of senior management to how his story could be ap­ questions that need answers so we are influenced not only by the role proached. Eventually the features can help our profession get the rec­ the information professional plays in editor of the business section ar­ ognition it deserves. the organization but also by how the ranged an interview with this per­ outside world views the information son for the first page of the busi­ 1. Do we need an image analysis? professional/librarian. ness section. Don Middleberg, in his book Winning

information outlook " march 2003 25

PR in the Wired World (New York: 2. What do we want the public to foundation has contributed exten­ McGraw-Hill, 2001), describes this know or understand about us? What sively to public libraries. He is also analysis: "... a team of individuals should our message be to the out­ passionate about special libraries. would use all available online infor­ side world? Again, we need to base Could we identify high-profile execu­ mation-including newsgroups, chat our strategy on factual information tives who might be willing to write groups, and message boards-and about the profession. op-ed articles that could be pub­ take a snapshot of a company's im­ lished in the Wall Street Joumal, the age in time, along with suggestions. 3. Do we need an international spe­ New York Times, and USA Today? The image analysis is used to quickly cial libraries PR campaign? This Are we influential enough in our assess and attack a problem, answer­ would be expensive, and we may own organizations to ask our CEO ing the most basic questions. Where not have the resources to do it. But about that kind of help? has the company been, what's work­ we may be at a critical juncture that 1 ing, and what's not working." (p. requires us to take the risk and in­ The need exists for a strong, sus­ 202). In our situation, librarians/in­ vest in a PR campaign. We know tained PR effort at both the associa­ formation professionals are the com­ that individual librarians can do tion and local levels. The Public Re­ pany. Surveys have been done for the only so much. We need to identify lations Committee wants to help you Branding Initiative, but we may need what steps SLA can take to help the in your efforts to get recognition and more specific information as to how local librarian. raise awareness. If you have any the public perceives us. How does questions or suggestions, please send our public currently form its opin­ 4. Do we need a high-profile celeb­ them to Ellen Cartledge, committee ion about us, and what factors in­ rity to help change our image? Laura chair, at [email protected]. fluence the public's opinion of us? Bush would be perfect, but so far we We need to look at both the online have not been able to make that con­ Ellen G. Cartledge is chair of the SLA and printed media. Some of that in­ nection. Would a high-profile execu­ Public Relations Committee and past formation will revealed in a future tive be better? Bill Gates spoke at president of the Connecticut Valley issue of Information Outlook. SLA's Seattle Conference, and his Chapter.

APRIL 10, 2003 International Special :tibrarians Day

For complete ISLD information go to www.sla.org/isld

Visit the SLA online store for all of your ISLD promotional materials at K§JL[J) 2003 www.sla.org/ merchandise Orchestrating A World ofInformation Special Libraries Association www.sla.org

information outloo k ,, march 2003 By Joseph R. Matthews

Joseph R. Matthews is president of Matthews and Associates of Carlsbad, California. He can be reached at [email protected]. This article was adapted from his recently published book The Bottom Line: Determining and Communicating the Value of the Special Library, Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2002. 27

••• • • • • • • LIBRARIANS HAVE LONG SEARCHED TO FIND SOME PERFORMANCE MEASURE that will indicate the "goodness" of the library and its services. Measures are a benchmark for many things. Measures can tell us where we've been, where we are, and in what direction we are heading. Intelligent use of measures can guide our decisions and help us make meaningful comparisons.

When a library is established, it is provided with a set of to indicate volume of activity. For example, annual cir­ resources. Those resources are organized and directed so culation, number of people entering the library, and that they have the capability to provide a set of services. number of reference questions answered are output mea­ These capabilities are then utilized to some degree. And, sures. Historically, output measures were regarded as once utilized, the information that has been provided has measures of goodness-after all, the library's collection the potential for a positive, beneficial impact or effect on and its services were being used, often intensively; there­ the organization. The relationship among these variables fore, the library was doing "good." is shown in figure 1. Outcome measures indicate the impact or effect of the As shown in the generalized evaluation model, feedback library and its information services on the individual. can and often is employed by the library to make adjust­ The impacts on individuals then have a cumulative im­ ments in other variables. For example, service levels may pact on the larger parent organization. Outcome mea­ decline as utilization increases, and feedback can be used sures are the most difficult to assess and, in a majority of to make adjustments by increasing resources so that ser­ cases reported in the literature, have involved the use of vice levels are improved. The feedback is facilitated a consultant and a major data collection effort. This area through the use of measures. is complicated by the fact that some outcome measures are assessed directly, while others are assessed indirectly. As shown in figure l, different types of measures are used To further complicate matters, the value being measured to assess each of the four variables. The input measures are may be tangible or intangible. associated with the resources or inputs that have been allo­ cated to the library. These input measures are also the easi­ Outcomes ultimately address the issue of effectiveness, est to quantify and gather. Llbrarians will often speak of and effectiveness answers the question "Are we doing the their collection size, annual budget, number of professional right things?" Outcome measures center on the impact of staff, and so forth. These are examples of input measures of the library on the parent organization; in other words, the resources provided by the larger organization. they have an outward focus as opposed to the inward focus of efficiency or process measures. One implication Process measures are focused on the activities that trans­ of focusing on process measures and outcome measures form resources into services offered by the library and is that the library may lose sight of the "big picture" and are internally directed. Process measures are reflected in concentrate on process improvements. Doing more things an analysis that will quantify the cost or time to perform faster is not a good alternative to doing the right things. a specific task or activity. For example, the cost to order an item, the cost to receive a journal title, and the time it A number of authors have suggested that the library takes from when a journal title is received until it is placed should calculate a return on investment (ROI) in order on the shelf for clients to use are process measures. Pro­ to identify its value for decision makers (Griffiths and cess measures are ultimately about efficiency. Efficiency King, 1993; Keyes, 1995; Koenig, 1992; Marshall, 1993; answers the question "Are we doing things right?" and Portugal, 2000). Once the data about the financial impact of the library have been gathered, a cost-benefit Output measures are used to indicate the degree to analysis can be prepared. On the one hand, the benefits which the library and its services are being utilized. from using the library have been identified by the cli­ More often than not, output measures are simply counts ents (quantifying the benefits); on the other hand, the

information outlook " march 2003 28 costs for providing library services are fairly well known can consider disparate elements of the competitive agenda, (using the library's budget and preparing a activity-based such as becoming more customer focused, shortening costing analysis to identify the indirect and overhead costs response times, improving collection quality, emphasiz­ to the organization). The preparation of the cost-benefit ing teamwork, and developing new services together. analysis allows the library to prepare an estimate of the library's ROI. Depending on the approach taken, ROI cal­ Viewing a variety of performance indicators that are fo­ culations range from 2.5:1 to 28:1 (the value of benefits cused on the four perspectives allows management to take compared to the costs of the library). a broader perspective. The library does not just pursue circulation or customer satisfaction or other services in For the special library, there is compelling evidence that isolation. Rather, the scorecard allows the management libraries provide information services that have real value team and library staff members to see how their actions to the larger organization. This value may be in the form are reflected in the performance indicators (Birch, 2000; of accomplishments, time savings, and financial impacts­ Brown, 2000; Kaplan and Norton, 1996a; both Kaplan both financial savings and increased revenues. And while and Norton, 1996b; Kaplan and Norton, 1994; Kaplan the range of benefits to cost that result from library and and Norton, 1993; Kaplan and Norton, 1992). information center services can be substantial, the posi­ tive financial impacts for the larger organization are sig­ The Original Balanced Scorecard nificant and should not be ignored. The idea behind the scorecard is to formulate targets in each of the four areas (three to five measures in each) One approach to communicating value and performance and design measures for each broad strategy. that has taken on an increasingly important role in profit, nonprofit, and government agencies is the use of the bal­ Customer Perspective (users) anced scorecard. Customer concerns tend to fall into four categories: time, quality, performance and service, and cost. A variety of What Is the Balanced Scorecard? customer-focused measures can be employed, including The scorecard approach is based on answering four customer satisfaction (although customer satisfaction questions: surveys must be used cautiously in a library setting be­ cause of their positively skewed results). • How do customers see the library? (customer perspec­ tive) Internal Perspective • At what must the library excel? (internal perspective) Managers need to focus on the critical internal opera­ • Can the library continue to improve and create value? tions that enable them to meet customer needs. This part (innovation and learning perspective) of the scorecard looks at the processes and competencies • How does the library look to stakeholders? (financial at which a special library must excel. For example, time perspective) and cost of processing new materials or cost and quality of document delivery might be addressed. Answering all four questions lets you see "whether im­ provements in one area may have been achieved at the Innovation and Learning Perspective expense of another." Using this approach means that you This perspective looks at the library's ability to grow, learn,

Figure 1. General Evaluation Model

Resources ... Capability ... Utilization ... Impact or Effect I t Feedback ~ Input Process Output Outcomes Outcomes Measures Measures Measures for the for the Individual Organization

Adapted from Orr, 1978.

information outlook '>march 2003 29 develop, and introduce new services. It focuses on mea­ (including physical items and electronic resources). Staff sures such as introduction of new services, technological provides services in an efficient manner. The customer infrastructure, and the skills of library staff members. uses the library's information resources and derives some benefits. Financial Perspective In the nonprofit and government arenas, financial mea­ The choice of performance measures a library uses will be sures such as profitability are not relevant. But the li­ determined by the strategies chosen by the library in terms brary can, and must, demonstrate that it makes effective of what services to provide to its customers. Thus, even use of the funding that is provided. For libraries in the though a number of libraries could be using the library for-profit sector, there should be a clear reporting of the scorecard as a vehicle to communicate with their decision financial impact of the library. makers about the value of the library, the specific perfor­ mance measures each used would likely differ and could The assumption is that the innovative perspective (deal­ range from input to output to outcome-based measures. ing with infrastructure and the quality of staff) will cre­ ate a more efficient operation (internal perspective). The For libraries that are a part of a for-profit company, it combination of staff, infrastructure, and internal opera­ would be appropriate to retain the original balanced tions will lead to products and services that will be more scorecard design with all perspectives leading to the fi­ appealing to customers. The customers are then going to nancial perspective. purchase more products and services, leading to better financial results (financial perspective). The library balanced scorecard will help the library com­ municate its value to interested stakeholders and it can Because traditional measurement systems evolved from be used to support the planning process by providing feed­ the finance function, the performance measurement sys­ back on how well the library is doing in meeting its ob­ tems have a control bias. That is, traditional performance jectives. The use of multidimensional metrics will change measurement systems specify the particular actions they the perspective when assessing the library's perfor­ want employees to take and then measure to see whether mance-away from past performance and toward what the employees have in fact taken those actions. In that your library seeks to become. way, the systems try to control behavior. Developing a Scorecard-Focus on Strategy The balanced scorecard, on the other hand, puts strategy In the past, library goals and objectives have not been and vision, not control, at the center. It establishes goals linked to the performance measures gathered by the li­ but assumes that people will adopt whatever behavior brary, as evidenced by a library's annual plan of pro­ and take whatever actions are necessary to help achieve grams and initiatives that includes no links to perfor­ those goals. mance measures. The implications of this fact are sig­ nificant: There is often a total disconnect between the The Library Scorecard daily activities of managers and staff members and the The balanced scorecard is a useful framework when a library's mission statement and vision for the future. library is trying to draw up performance measures. The The majority of performance measurement systems are system is based on the understanding that no single mea­ designed around the annual budget and operating plan, sure can assess all critical areas of the service. which results in short-term, incremental behavior rather than on strategies designed to move the library toward Rather than the original balanced scorecard, which was achieving its vision. created for for-profit firms, a revised scorecard may be more appropriate for libraries in the nonprofit and gov­ Strategy is about making choices and deliberately choos­ ernment arenas. In addition to a reorganized structure, ing to be different. Decisions about the strategic direc­ this scorecard introduces an additional perspective-in­ tion for the library should answer the following three formation resources-which refers to the library's physi­ questions: cal collection, access to electronic databases subscribed • The who: Whom do you think you serve, and whom to by the library, and resources obtained from other do you actually serve? sources, such as interlibrary loans or document deliv­ • The what: What information resources and services do ery services. you provide? • The how: What is your organizational structure-the Using this general model of a library scorecard, the li­ combination of people, facility, collection, and other brary is provided with funding. The funds allow the li­ resources? brary to hire and train staff, provide facilities and infra­ structure, and add to its collection of information resources Strategy is concerned with the organization's choice of

information outlook '> march 2003 30 business, markets, and activities. Strategy is about the with suppliers that effectively eliminate competitors. basic value that the library is trying to deliver to its cli­ Can the library provide so much value to its custom­ ents. Strategy allows the library to set limits and thus ers that it is always the first place they think of when focus on what it is trying to accomplish. Strategies can they have an information need? be grouped into five broad categories: 1. Differentiation. Identify ways in which the library can Broader Strategies for Change provide unique value to its clients. This might involve When a library wishes to consider adopting a new strat­ a customer orientation, quality service, innovation, egy or making modifications to an existing strategy, a reputation, branding, and so forth. number of options can be followed. Among these are the 2. Cost. Provide efficient services and identify the following: strengths of the library. • Expand service offerings 3. Focus and accessibility. What customer segments or • Narrow or refocus service offerings geographic focus will the library employ? Whom will • Narrow focus to "higher impact" customers it serve? Is it possible to remove any barriers to ac­ • Improve quality of service cess that library clients perceive or experience? • Employ vertical integration strategies 4. Synergy. Has the library identified ways to partner • Make customer convenience a priority with its clients? Does it provide personalized service? 5. The preemptive move. In some industries, it is pos­ • Increase product/service usage sible to establish standards or develop partnerships • Increase the frequency of usage

Table 1. User Criteria for Assessing Value

User Criteria Interface System (Value Added) (Examples of Value-added processes) Ease of Use Browsing Alphabetizing Formatting Highlighting Mediation Interface Linking Orientation Interface Ordering (Sorting) Physical Accessibility Noise Reduction Access (Item identification) Indexing Access (Subject description) Vocabulary control Access (Subject summary) Filtering Linkage Linking Precision Selectivity Quality Accuracy Quality control Comprehensiveness Editing Currency Updating Reliability Analyzing and comparing data Validity Maintaining URL links Adaptability Closeness to problem Provision of data- manipulation capabilities Flexibility Relevance output ranking Simplicity Focusing on the usability of Web pages Stimulatory "Suggesting" articles/materials that might be of value Time Saving Response speed Reduction of processing speed Cost Saving Cost savings Lower costs

information outlook ,i march 2003 31

• Increase the quantity of usage Mark Graham Brown. Winning Score: How to Design and • Find new applications for current users Implement Organizational Scorecards. Portland, OR: Pro­ ductivity, 2000. • Focus on new markets • Geographic Jose-Marie Griffiths and Donald W. King. Special Librar­ • Segments ies: Increasing the Information Edge. Washington, DC: Special Libraries Association, 1993. Note that providing a technology-based service is not a strategy but simply a means to an end. For example, FedEx Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton. The Balanced employs a wide variety of technologies to enable it to Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action. Boston: pursue one of its most effective strategies: providing up­ Harvard Business School Press, l 996a. to-the-minute status information to its customers regard­ ing the location of a particular package. Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton. Linking the Bal­ anced Scorecard to Strategy. California Management Re­ If a library wishes to consider adopting a set of strategies view, 39 (1), Fall 1996b, 53-77. that will be most responsive to its customers, it can con­ sider three broad avenues: Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton. The Balanced 1. Customer intimacy: Library staff members could use Scorecard: Managing Future Performance Video. Boston: a combination of manual and automated tools to in­ Harvard Business School Press, 1994. creasingly personalize the services provided to each client. Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton. Putting the Bal­ 2. Innovative services: The library might develop creative anced Scorecard to Work. Harvard Business Review, Sep­ new services that respond to the needs of its clients. tember/October 1993, 134-142. 3. Operational excellence: The library could become known for its timely, cost-effective, and accurate de­ Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton. The Balanced livery of information services. Scorecard: Measures That Drive Performance. Harvard Business Review, January/February 1992, 71-79. Library Specific Strategies Libraries can adopt a wide range of strategies as they Alison M. Keyes. The Value of the Special Library: Re­ seek to provide the best services to their clients. The most view and Analysis. Special Libraries, 86 (3), Summer important issue for a library is to identify the aspects of 1995, 172-187. its services and collection that add the most value for its clients. Value can be added in a number of ways, as noted Michael Koenig. The Importance of Information Services by Robert Taylor (1986)-see table 1. The library can use for Productivity Under-recognized and Under-invested. surveys, focus groups, and casual conversations with both Special Libraries, 83 (3), Fall 1992, 199-210. clients and nonusers to identify ways it currently adds value or could add value with the introduction of new Joanne Gard Marshall. The Impact of the Special Library services. on Corporate Decision-Making. Washington, DC: Special Libraries Association, 1993. Ultimately, the measurement of performance in a special library is simple: If the library is not making a contribution R. H. Orr. Progress in Documentation - Measuring the to the overall performance of the company or organization, Goodness of Library Services: A General Framework for it will not survive. The special library must be an essential Considering Quantitative Measures, in Key Papers in the part of its parent organization and make a contribution to Design and Evaluation of Information Systems. Donald the bottom line, however the bottom line is measured. W. King (ed.). White Plains, NY: Knowledge Industry Publications, 1978. The director and other staff members must identify and consistently communicate the value of the library's ser­ Frank H. Portugal. Valuating Information Intangibles: vices to its stakeholders, and one of the most effective Measuring the Bottom Line Contributions of Librarians ways to identify and communicate this value is to use and Information Professionals. Washington, DC: Special the Library Scorecard. '> Libraries Association, 2000.

References Robert S. Taylor. Value-Added Processes in Information Charles Birch. Future Success: A Balanced Approach to Systems. Norwood, NJ: Ablex, 1986, p. SO. Measuring and Improving Success in Your Organization. New York: Prentice-Hall, 2000.

information outlook '> march 2003 How do workers use intranets? Find out in SLA's latest usability study

On-the-Job Research: How Usable are Corporate Research Intranets?

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This full color industry report focuses on the usefulness Order Your Copy Today! and usability of research intranets-specialized internal Complete the information below and secure sites that make both internal and external and return to the Special Libraries research resources available to employees online. Based Association, Book Order Dept., on a research study conducted at seven major companies l 700 Eighteenth Street, NW, in diverse industries, On-the-Job Research offers: Washington 20009, or by fax at • A top 10 list of research topics employees frequently 1-202-265-9317. Order online at have in their daily work. http: //www.sla.org/onthejob. • 32 major findings from sessions with employees at For more information, contact seven major corporations who tested their intranets SLA's book order department at with us. 1-202-234-4 700. • 24 recommendations for creating sites that are Price easier to use. Print Report: • Three case studies of sites are featured. $100/SLA Members $135/Non-Members This report is a must-read for anyone who designs, *Licensed Digital Version/PDF manages, develops or evaluates corporate intranets. $150/SLA Members $185/N on-Members Visit http://www.sla.org/onthejob for complete details! *Buy one licensed copy that is in digital format and share it with other employees at your organization

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• found errors in names of authors and 1 dates and, in some instances, no spe­ cific dates. I haven't written to that v Points author yet, but I'm considering it in order to promote my colleagues in his institution. We all know that ex­ ecutives and other folks don't always search, especially about statistics. check their facts, or they get them Communicating Our They are easy to follow. somewhere else (gulp, the Internet).

Value to Our Clients But as I read chapter S, "Using Avail­ And what about the editors in these By Rebecca A. Smith able Data," I was struck by the out­ publishing houses? Do they take all dated information in the "On-Line the information presented for granted? Recently, I was preparing a guest lec­ Databases" section. Many of those If they had asked an information pro­ ture for a library science class on mar­ vendors have changed names or have fessional for a little help, it would have ket research sources. While checking more updated brands (e.g., saved them some embarrassment. As our acquisitions approval area, I LexisNexis has not been called Mead for me, I'm sending the books back. serendipitously spotted two new Data in years), have been purchased books on the techniques of perform­ by others, or are no longer in busi­ And there's one other important les­ ing market research. The publishers ness. The problem exists because you son here. At my first professional were reputable: Jossey-Bass and used Lorna Daniells' book from 1985. position, at a prestigious academic McGraw-Hill. I took a closer look at In case you haven't looked in your business library in New England, them to see if the material could fuel library, Ms. Daniells published an­ alumni would call the library look­ my lecture with a framework. While other edition in 1993; but even if you ing for help, not realizing that they the key concepts appeared to be fairly had used that book, the online data­ had great information centers in their well written, I decided to check the bases would be outdated. own organizations. I was always indexes to see what sources they happy to suggest that they contact the would recommend. Also, although some of the Web ad­ information professionals at their dresses are still valid, I was looking own company, often suggesting In the first book, I noticed that the at some of the annotations, such as names from the SLA Directory or author, who is very well known, Forrester (www.forrester.com), in people I knew. Whenever I give a listed Lorna Daniells' Business Infor­ which you mention that it has infor­ class to MBA students or seniors who mation Sources from 1985. I turned mation on the Web and other busi­ are considering their career options, to the chapter where her work might ness issues. Forrester is about IT strat­ they ask if they will have access to have influence. The chapter, entitled egy, and it does have technographics our great databases when they gradu­ "Using Available Data," contained an that are valuable, not just informa­ ate. At my institution graduates don't "On-Line Databases" section, which tion about the Web. have such access, so I recommend listed Orbit, Compuserve, Mead that they ask when they're interview­ Data, Central, Newsnet, and BRS. I am surprised you don't mention any­ ing if the company has an informa­ thing about other market research tion center. Another option is to get A few others were on the list. At least sources such as Mediamark, to know the librarians at the local DIALOG was there. Then I checked Simmons, etc., considering that your public library wherever they live. another source for the chapter. It was business librarian has developed a an ONLINE article from 198 7. I was help sheet on one of these databases, The need for an information profes­ stirred to action. I found the author's and it is available on the Web. Her sionals' network cannot be empha­ address on the Web and typed him a help sheet is linked by many business sized enough. As a group and as in­ note. To avoid causing any further libraries' Web sites in the country." dividuals, we must promote our­ embarrassment to the author and selves and each other to clients in others, I have edited this letter. But, Much to my surprise, the author order to communicate our value. in essence, it read: wrote me back within an hour and said that I had some good advice and Rebecca A. Smith is associate profes­ Dear Professor So-and-So, he would check with his librarian. sor and head of the Commerce Library I was reading your new book on mar­ at the University of Illinois at Urbana­ keting research. Some of your insights The second book was equally inter­ Champaign. She can be reached at are invaluable about some of the esting. In the brief historical context [email protected]. The opinions ex­ trade-offs of performing market re- given about marketing research, I pressed in this article are her own.

information outlook '> march 2003 34

Division Websites All SLA divisions now have websites. KEx These are listed in the Chapter/Di­ visions & Other Units section at corner http://www.sla.org/content/interac­ tive/chdivsites/FullList.cfm.

this feature very useful, as it en­ Chapter/Division Newsletters 2002 Needs ables me to chose when I want to Online read my discussion list correspon­ Many chapters and divisions produce Assessment Survey dence. For SLA-hosted lists, log on electronic newsletters and either send By John Latham to the Lyris Web Interface at http:/ them via e-mail or display them on /lists.sla.org/ and select Change the unit's website. In some cases, SLA sent an online needs assessment Your Current Settings at the bottom print versions are still sent out, but survey to members in December of the page listing the lists to which this is becoming less common be­ 2002. The response rate was just you are subscribed. Select Daily cause of the significant cost savings under 20 percent, which was excel­ Digest from the drop-down menu in e-newsletters. In some cases, ac­ lent, especially considering the against your lists. Lists not hosted cess to the online newsletter is be­ length of the survey. We are grateful by SLA also normally have a digest hind the unit's member firewall. If to the members who found time to feature-look at the instructions you are not receiving a newsletter, respond. The results were initially sent to you when you subscribed, contact the unit's editor, whose name used for a report to the board of di­ or e-mail the list administrator. If can be found at http://www.sla.org/ rectors strategy meeting in New Or­ you have any problems, contact content/chdiv/index.cfm. leans in January, after which infor­ [email protected]. mation on the survey will be made Mentoring available to the membership. Another useful feature of SLA­ Mentoring for SLA members is or­ hosted lists is the easily accessible ganized at both the chapter and the One point arising from the survey archive of all the correspondence division levels. The guidelines for es­ was that members do not know on the list. Although the correspon­ tablishing a mentoring program can about many of SLA's products and dence is listed chronologically, be found at http:/ /www.sla.org/ services. Clearly, there is a commu­ there is a search engine to facili­ pdfs/mentorsh.pdf. Check your unit nications and marketing problem tate access. website or contact the president or here that needs to be addressed. As chair for specific information on a start, I'll mention a few of them Member Login mentoring programs. Information here. For those of you who are fa­ We are aware of the inconvenience about SLA's mentoring programs can miliar with these products or ser­ of not having your own user-sup­ be found on Virtual SLA at http:// vices, please take every opportunity plied password. We are investigat­ www.sla.org/content/chdiv / to tell your colleagues about them. ing the cost of changing the proto­ mentors.cfm. col, and, if too cost prohibitive, we SLA Discussion Lists will defer until we upgrade our Requests via the Survey Are listservs the same as discussion membership database. Responses to the survey were confi­ lists? Yes. A few years ago the origi­ dential, so if you included specific nator of the software package Who's Who in Special Libraries questions or requests with your sur­ "listserv" claimed copyright on it, Online vey response and did not supply con­ and we were advised not to use it Who's Who in Special Libraries tact information, we won't be able to for the SLA discussion lists because Online, at http:/ /whoswho.sla.org, identify you. If you commented in the of potential copyright violations. includes the general information survey that you did not receive cer­ about membership that was included tain products or services, please let Many people are concerned about in the print version: Buyer's Guide, us know at [email protected] and we will the amount of mail received on SLA's Directory of Manufacturers and Sup­ pass your comments along to the HQ lists. However hard we try to ensure pliers, up-to-date chapter and divi­ department for action. that only relevant messages are sent, sion website and discussion list ad­ there is always going to be a certain dresses, committee lists and charges, level of unwanted mail. You can re­ chapter and division officers and ™LexisNexis™ duce the impact on your inbox by scope notes, past presidents, and 21 ST CENTURY PARTNER using the Daily Digest feature. I find award winners. is the sole sponsor of the KEx

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Special Libraries Association www.sla.org ly Katt. rl ertolucd

Katherine Bertolucci is taxonomy and information management consultant for Isis Information Services of Phoenix, Arizona. She can be reached at [email protected]. 37 · • Linnaeus, Dewey, and Modem Classification

AS INFORMATION ACCESS BECOMES INCREASINGLY VIRTUAL, LIBRARIANS AND information managers are creating new gateways to knowledge. One of these gateways is taxonomy, a technique that organizes information into hierarchical categories. In my practice as an information management consultant, I have built taxonomies that are used for filing systems, libraries, intranets, and Snoopy dolls. This experience gives me insights into the art of category creation that may be useful to anyone attempting to build or understand taxonomy.

Linnaeus Dewey and the Library of Congress Many of you first heard the word "taxonomy" in junior The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a hotbed of high science class when you studied Linnaeus and bio­ intellectual activity for library categorizers. First Melvil logic nomenclature. The word originated with the Greek Dewey developed his decimal system. Then the Library word taxis, meaning "to arrange," and is related to simi­ of Congress (LC) adapted Charles Ammi Cutter's alpha­ lar arrangement words like taxidermy. The other "tax" numeric system for its collection. Dewey, the only librar­ word comes from a Latin verb taxare, meaning "to col­ ian popularly known for librarianship, had a healthy ego lect money," and is linked to such collecting devices as and placed information science at the very beginning of taxicabs. his classifications. The librarians at LC followed Cutter and relegated their profession to the back of their own In the 18th century, Linnaeus arranged all known liv­ bus, in the Zs. ing things into a hierarchy. Figure 1 shows where dogs fit into the Animalia hierarchy, as identified in the Inte­ These two systems became the primary classifications ac­ grated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS, cepted by the library community. I was once chastised at www.itis.usda.gov). It's a straight drill down from the an SLA meeting for daring to design my own systems, Animal Kingdom to the species Canis familiaris. For and library schools that mainly train people for public domesticated animals, biology taxonomists rely on cat­ and academic institutions reinforce this idea. In addition, egories from animal breeding associations. So I added LC provides cataloging and call numbers for almost ev­ two facets from the American Kennel Club, "Hounds" ery book commercially published in the United States and "Beagles," leading us directly to that most articu­ and quite a few international publications. This is a se­ late and philosophical dog, Snoopy. ductive strategy for libraries that have little money and little time. Linnaeus's straightforward structure continues to serve life scientists after two centuries of development. The These two systems contain drawbacks for special librar­ whole Animalia taxonomy offers valuable information ies. Let's see how they treat Snoopy. I'll be using Dewey about the natural relationships of animals. It shows ex­ for this exercise. Dewey has an index, which facilitates actly where an organism sits in the vast complexity of classification analysis. In addition, LC is a larger system, life. Snoopy's extended family of coyotes and wolves lives and we have space considerations here. However, other one step above in the genus Canis. Foxes are added at the than length, call number building, and self-esteem, there next step in the family Canidae. is not much difference in the two theories. Figure 2 shows selected Dewey classifications for Snoopy, beagles, dogs, Because the Linnaean taxonomy must be scientifically and animals (Melvil Dewey. Dewey Decimal Classification accurate, it must also be flexible. If a new scientific dis­ and Relative Index. 21st ed. Edited by Joan S. Mitchell, et covery changes our knowledge of life, that change is al. Albany, NY: OCLC Online Computer Library Center, reflected by taxonomic revision. However, one impor­ 1996) . The call numbers are removed to emphasize hier­ tant grouping remains the same: In 1758, Linnaeus archy rather than notation. There are 234 categories. placed humans and apes together in the Primate order, 73 years before Charles Darwin sailed to the Galapagos Both Dewey and LC are designed to describe the whole on the HMS Beagle. of human knowledge. For historic reasons, they do this

information outlook " march 2003 38

from the perspective of an educated white male in 19th facet or as the next line in the same facet. If you don't century America. This perspective presents some prob­ already know the subject, this method creates confusion lems if your specialty is Snoopy. In "Generalities," news­ about subject relationships. Incidentally, the word paper cartoon strips are filed away under "Miscellaneous "Canoidea" does not appear in the ITIS taxonomy. information, advice, amuse- /' ment." However, a collec- In areas where they do get the tion of Charles Schulz car- hierarchy straight, many li­ toons would be shelved way braries use abbreviated call over in "The Arts -+ Draw- numbers. There is a separate ing and decorative arts," category for beagles in "Tech­ thereby separating two al­ ( nology (Applied Sciences) -+ most equal subjects by a very Agriculture -+ Animal hus­ wide distance. bandry -+ Dogs -+ Specific breeds and groups of dogs -+ The generic vocabulary re­ Sporting dogs, hounds, terri­ quired to describe all of hu­ ers-+ Hounds," but a library man knowledge is also prob­ might only categorize as far lematic for specialists. In as hounds, which scatters "The Arts -+ Standard subdi­ beagles among bloodhounds visions of fine and decorative and foxhounds and all the -v, arts and iconography," there rest of the hounds. -4 are five synonyms for miscel­ cu laneous before we get to a At this facet level, LC prefers )( real subject. Then it's another alphabetical order, creating 0 :::s six facets to get to the dogs. arrangements like "Cats, 0 wild, ... Dogs, ... European In a specialized collection, wildcat" (LC Subject Catalog­ - _,L '<- this lack of precision can be ing Division, Classification, - unintentionally whimsical. PEANUTS"' United Feature Syndicate, Inc. Class Q, Science. Washington, For example, beagles are DC: LC, 1989, p. 438). In well known for their bay­ Figure 1 - Snoopy According the LC schedule for Ameri­ ing. Snoopy has been to Linnaeus and the American can history (LC Cataloging known to indulge in it on Kennel Club Policy and Support Office. occasion. In "Natural Sci­ Library of Congress Classifi­ Kingdom Animalia ences and Mathematics -+ cation, E-F, History, Ameri­ Zoological Sciences -+ Spe­ Phylum Chordata can. Washington, DC: LC cific topics in natural his­ Subphylum Vertebrata Cataloging Distribution Ser­ tory of animals -+ Behavior Class Mammalia vice, 1995, p. 34), all the -+ Communication," Dewey Subclass Theria U.S. presidents are arranged terms this "Acoustical com­ Infra class Eutheria chronologically. Then all munication." Up in "Natu­ Order Carnivora the First Ladies are in a ral Sciences and Mathemat­ Suborder Caniformia separate chronology, and ics -+ Life Sciences -+ Spe­ Family Canidae then all the First Pets, in­ cific physiological systems Genus Canis cluding FDR's Scottish ter­ in animals, regional histol­ rier Fala and LBJ's beagles Species Canis familiaris ogy and physiology-+ Mus­ Him and Her, famous for AKC Group Hounds culoskeletal system," the their pullable ears. AKC Breed Beagles animals are doing the loco­ motion. Our Hero Snoopy Americans grew up with these systems, and their per­ According to Linnaeus, ception of librarianship is mammals are a subset of vertebrates, but Dewey has both formed at this interaction. The subliminal message is that at the same level. "Zoological Sciences" and "Life Sci­ LC is not sophisticated enough to separate the cats from ences" also share a facet level, as do "Canoidea" and the dogs or to keep the family together. On the other hand, "Canidae." The error is repeated throughout the system, Dewey's categories are false, and the librarians don't know because subordinate topics can either appear as the next the difference between beagles and bloodhounds.

information outlook ~ march 2003 39

Patrons who want to use classification as a gateway to cise language and appropriate groupings. That means the the collection are highly discouraged. At my local major client can actually use this taxonomy as an entry into the urban public library, the reference collection has the information system. penultimate version of the Dewey schedule. The most recent edition is backstage in the cataloging department. Remember, this new version is based entirely on Dewey. Another public library did not have a copy immediately I did not add any topics. So the revision is more remark­ available for telephone reference. able for what it lacks. First and foremost, there is no cat­ egory for our main guy, Snoopy. Certainly we cannot ex­ At my local major public university, I was directed to LC pect Dewey or LC to have a category for every cartoon schedules in the main reference collection, where the character. On the other hand, if the main topic is Snoopy edition for American history was current through and he's paying the bills, it might be nice to include him Eisenhower. Fortunately the catalogers allowed me to use in the hierarchy. their more contemporary versions. There are other topics that one might expect in a detailed At my not-so-local library school, the LC schedules are study of beagles. These dogs are often trained and shown not in reference. However, current editions are circulated. in packs, yet there is no specific facet for packs in the The volume I needed was checked out. No patrons, not 234-line hierarchy. There is also no clear place for the even library school students, get access to the full online beagle as hunter. In Dewey, information about hunting version of the LC schedules. According to a reference li­ with beagles is placed with all the other general beagle brarian in another library, "That's a cataloging tool." books. This is unacceptable in a collection whose pri­ mary topic is beagles. v, Of course, we all know that patrons don't look at the - classification schedules. These systems are not intended Of course, the subject headings and call numbers in the Qi to be points of access; they are designed to build call Dewey catalog explain exactly where that beagle-hunt­ x numbers. However, in the virtual world of information, ing book is shelved, so it's all right to hide it among the 0 ~ we don't need call numbers anymore. Now we do an rest of the hound books. Unfortunately, in a collection -0 online search and sift through thousands of hits. In 1994, devoted to beagles, all the subject headings would begin 3 Jerry Yang and David Filo designed a subject hierarchy with five words: animals, beagles, dogs, kennels, and '< for websites. They called it Yahoo. It became one of the veterinary (LC Cataloging Policy and Support Office. Sub­ most popular Internet resources and a model for the other ject Headings. 25th ed. Washington, DC: LC Cataloging search engines that now offer categories in addition to Distribution Service, 2002) . The important stuff in the searching. One of the differences between libraries and subject headings would be secondary to these five words. the Internet is that Internet patrons are allowed to use Genetics would appear as "Animals-Genetics," the classification system to find information. "Beagles-Genetics," and "Dogs-Genetics." We can as­ sume that a beagle researcher using a collection of beagle Dewey from Snoopy's Perspective materials already knows that the main subject is beagles. I redesigned the Dewey hierarchy to create a more usable So, for a beagle expert, standard library subject headings taxonomy for Snoopy, beagles, and dogs. Figure 3 holds are a hindrance to information access. the same information as the Dewey classifications-all I did was rearrange and streamline the categories and Semantics and ontology come into play here also. Word change the vocabulary. Instead of 234 categories, there selection and structural relationships affect the value of are now 50. The original Dewey has up to 14 facets lead­ taxonomy. Even such standard devices as alphabetical ing to a single subject; in the new, improved version, order can be used in this regard. For example, there is maximum drilldown is four. "Acoustical communication" great concern about the use of beagles in laboratory ex­ is now "Baying." "Locomotion" is now "Dancing." It's periments. This issue is included as "Beagles -+ Status -+ for Snoopy, after all. Laboratory Beagles." However, there are also categories dealing with the treatment of animals in general. If my Okay, I'm not really being fair here. Dewey and LC have to client is an activist organization, I might place the pro­ be general with lots of categories to fit everything in. Ob­ vocative phrase, "Animal Rights" at the front of the struc­ viously a system that's designed for one subject can have ture. However, if my client is uncomfortable with such fewer and more precise categories, but all of human knowl­ politically charged terminology, "Ethics" could be used, edge cannot be organized from the viewpoint of a dog. with additional structural advantage. The two major cat­ egories of "Beagles" and "Dogs" are now together at the Perhaps not, but all of dog knowledge can certainly be beginning of the taxonomy, and the two peripheral cat­ organized from the viewpoint of a dog expert. This new egories of "Ethics" and "Hunting" are also together but version reflects the way a beagle expert thinks, using pre- farther along in the structure.

information outlook '> march 2003 40

This method of custom designing taxonomies specifically served as intermediary between the Schulz enterprise and for clients, using their terminology and their preferences, other licensees. For example, a T-shirt company, such as creates systems that invite use by offering an efficient J.G. Hook, might work with Determined to develop proto­ and enjoyable information-gathering experience. types and then would submit samples for approval. These samples, along with many other collected items, were of­ Determined Productions Taxonomy ten used to generate new ideas for other products. When I worked for Determined Productions in San Fran­ cisco, I developed this type of taxonomy for Snoopy. De­ In addition, Determined ran a small mail-order busi­ termined had the major licensing agreement with Charles ness for its manufactured products. The taxonomy Schulz to produce Peanuts and Snoopy items. They also served two purposes: the first was to store and retrieve

Figure 2 - Snoopy, Beagles, Dogs, and Animals in the Dewey Hierarchy

Generalities Canidae (Dog family) Documentary media, educational media, news media; journalism; Canis publishing Natural and physical phenomena as subjects of folklore Journalism Scientific themes Features and special topics Animals - Miscellaneous information, advice, amusement Vertebrates --. Philosophy, paranormal phenomena, psychology Mammals Psychology Carnivora. Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Comparative psychology Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Animals Canoidea Comparative conscious mental processes and intelligence of Canidae (Dog family) animals Canis Comparative subconscious and altered states and processes Natural Sciences and Mathematics of animals Paleontology Ethics (Moral philosophy) Fossil vertebrates Other ethical norms Fossil mammals Treatment of animals Carnivora. Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Experimentation on animals Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Social Sciences Canoidea Law Canidae ( Dog family) Labor, social service, education, cultural law Canis Specific subjects in labor, social service, education, cultural Life Sciences law Physiology and related subjects Miscellaneous social problems and services Animals Veterinary public health Vertebrates Private law Mammals Standard subdivisions; laws; regulations; cases; procedure; Carnivora. Fissipedia (Land carnivores) courts; equity Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Property Canoidea Government control and regulation of specific kinds of Canidae (Dog family) land and natural resources Canis Other natural resources Specific physiological systems in animals, regional histology and Biological resources physiology Animals Musculoskeletal system Game animals Locomotion and related activities Vertebrates Zoological Sciences Mammals Specific topics in natural history of animals Miscellaneous orders of Eutheria (placental Genetics, evolution, young of animals mammals) Physical adaptation Lagomorpha Size, weight, shape Lepus Behavior Public administration and military science General topics in behavior Specific fields of public administration Intelligence Administration of culture and related activities Behavior relating to life cycle Recreation Family behavior Social problems and services; associations Communication Other social problems and services Acoustical communication Environmental problems Vertebrates Pest control Mammals Customs, etiquette, folklore Carnivora. Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Folklore Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Folk literature Canoidea Tales and lore of plants and animals Canidae (Dog family) Animals Canis Real animals Technology (Applied Sciences) Vertebrates Medical sciences. Medicine Mammals Experimental medicine Carnivora. Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Dogs Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Engineering and allied operations Canoidea Sanitary and municipal engineering. Environmental protection

information outlook ~ march 2003 41 a wide variety of products that might be required for the with a superceded database and is a classic victim of development of new ideas; the second was to warehouse the lack of digital preservation.* Therefore, in figure mail-order stock. 4, I have recreated the taxonomy, using my memory as jogged by two guides to Peanuts collectibles: Peanuts, Determined is a family company, and it changed its fo­ The Home Collection: A Collector's Guide to Identifica­ cus after I worked there in the 1980s. It now represents tion and Value by Freddi Karin Margolin (Antique licensing companies and manufactures corporate pre­ Trader Books, Iola, Wisconsin, 1999) and Peanuts Col­ miums. So the original Snoopy taxonomy suffered the lectibles: Identification and Value Guide by Andrea fate of many electronic resources by evaporating into Podley and Derrick Bang (Collector Books, Paducah, the virtual ether. It was built on a superceded platform Kentucky, 2000). engineering Canoidea Other branches of sanitary and municipal engineering Canidae (Dog family) Pest Control Canis .,, Mammals Drawing and decorative arts Land carnivores Drawing and drawings ·-· Agriculture Cartoons, caricatures, comics -. ' Plant injuries, diseases, pests Collections Animal pests North America Agricultural pests (vertebrates) United States Mammals Drawing and drawings by subject ' .. Carnivora. Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Drawing animals ..... Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Vertebrates Canoidea Mammals Canidae (Dog family) Carnivora. Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Canis Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Animal husbandry Canoidea - General topics in animal husbandry Canidae (Dog family) Young of animals Canis Specific topics in animal husbandry Painting and paintings Selection, showing, ownership marks Iconography Showing Other subjects Breeding Animals Breeding records Recreational and performing arts Care, maintenance, training Public performances Housing Animal performances Animal welfare Fis~ng, hunting, shooting Individual tending Hunting Training Hunting with the aid of animals Feeding Hunting with dogs Feeds and applied nutrition Small game hunting (mammals) Animals for specific purposes Vertebrates Laboratory animals Mammals Pets Miscellaneous orders of Eutheria (placental mammals) Sport and stunt animals Lagomorpha Veterinary sciences. Veterinary medicine Lepus Dogs Literature (Belles-lettres) and rhetoric Specific breeds and groups of dogs Rhetoric and collections of literary texts from more than two Sporting dogs, hounds, terriers literatures Hounds General topics in rhetoric Beagle Arts and literature dealing with specific themes and subjects The Arts Physical and natural phenomena Standard subdivisions of the arts Animals Special topics in the arts Vertebrates Physical and natural phenomena Mammals Animals Carnivora. Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Vertebrates Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Mammals Canoidea Carnivora. Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Canidae (Dog family) Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Canis Canoidea History, description, critical appraisal of more than two literatures Canidae (Dog family) Literature displaying specific features Canis Literature displaying other aspects Standard subdivisions of fine and decorative arts and iconography Literature dealing with specific themes and subjects Special topics in fine and decorative arts. History and description Physi cal and natural phenomena with res pect to kinds of persons Animals Iconography Vertebrates Specific subjects Mammals Nature and still life Carnivora. Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Animals Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Vertebrates Canoidea Mammals Canidae (Dog family) Carnivora. Fissipedia (Land carnivores) Canis Fissipedia (Land carnivores)

information outlook '1 march 2003 42

the classic Charles Schulz book Happiness Is a Warm Figure 3 - Revised Dewey Taxonomy Puppy in 1962. My task was to organize their collection for Snoopy, Beagles, and Dogs of Peanuts and Snoopy products so that a given item could be delivered instantly for art meetings in progress. Animal Rights A secondary organizational issue was the mail-order Laboratory Animals business. This stock took up more space but was not Treatment necessarily more important and could also be called upon Beagles Art and Literature for art meetings. Drawings and Paintings Comic Strips We could not use stock numbers exclusively, because the Folklore non-Determined samples had different kinds of numbers, Behavior and the artists were not going to ask for anything by num­ Baying Psychology ber anyway. A request by number, such as a mail-order Intelligence form, would also have the product's title. Subconscious Care One obvious organizing method would be to place the Breeding Determined products in one area, so mail-orders could Feeding Food be collected from one place. I didn't do that. We had plenty Nutrition of time to fill those orders and only a few minutes to Grooming fulfill the artistic requests. Better to do a little hiking for VI Housing the mail-order and get samples to the artists quickly. - Puppies Training ~ Status I designed a classified structure that placed similar items x together. For example, T-shirts were in the clothing sec­ 0 Companion Beagles :i Laboratory Animals tion. In general, all the Determined products were shelved 0 Treatment separately, and the samples, such as those from J.G. Hook, Performing Beagles were adjacent. When Connie and Jim asked for T-shirts, 3 Pedigreed Beagles '< Dog Shows they were swiftly gathered and delivered to the meeting. Dogs Biology In figure 4, there are separate sections for dolls and plush. Genetics Logically, the plush version of Snoopy is a doll; however, Musculoskeletal System in the gift business, "plush" is its own technical term. Dancing Physical Adaptation The plush products at Determined were a major part of Size, Weight, Shape the line and tended to overwhelm the smaller "Dolls" Evolution section, so a separate "Plush" section was created. Prehistoric Dogs Fossils As in the "Animal Rights" example, here alphabetical or­ Hounds Social Services der promotes organizational goals. The "Plush , Coutu­ Animal Welfare Agencies riers" area contained original fashions created for Snoopy Dog Pounds and his sister Belle by prominent designers. These were Veterinary Public Health sewn for a Parisian museum exhibit and photographed Hunting for the book Snoopy Around the World (Harry N. Abrams, Public Administration Laws New York, 1990). Snoopy and Belle pose in front of Sacre­ Recreation Coeur wearing Guy Laroche sportswear. Then they're at Small Game the Alamo in salsa outfits by Victorio and Lucchino. Rabbits Logically, these elegantly dressed plush dolls should be placed with the other plush materials. However, we had The art of taxonomy is in discovering the client's indi­ a safety problem here: The plush area was highly active vidual methods of interacting with information and com­ with mail-order. If I categorized the fashions as "Plush, bining this with the material's unique characteristics. Fashion Designers," they would sit right in the middle of Almost every line in the Determined taxonomy repre­ the regular mail-order dolls and their off-the-rack outfits. sents a decision based on the needs of the client and the That's an accident waiting to happen. Instead, I used the requirements of the information. In this case, the pri­ term "Couturier," which places these beautiful creations mary users were Connie Boucher and Jim Young, the at the beginning of the plush section, where they sat un­ founders of Determined Productions. They first published disturbed until required on the runway.

information outlook ,; march 2003 43

Figure 4 - Taxonomy for Determined Productions Babies Garden Linus Thumb & Blanket Dolls Accessories Bed and Bath Housewares Linens Bookends Sheets Lamps Towels Mirrors Pillows Picture Frames Sleeping Bags Vases Toiletries Kitchen Books Accessories Calendars Chef Outfits Coloring Books Dish ware Cookbooks Candy Dishes Diaries Canisters Titles Coasters Happiness Is a Warm Puppy Cookie Jars Snoopy Around the World Cups Christmas Drinking Glasses Dishware Mugs -· Christmas Mugs Steins Christmas Plates Plates Ornaments Serving Trays Bell Ornaments Music Christmas Ornaments Schroeder's Play Pianos - Decorations Office "' Banners Accessories ~ Bells Banks ')( Craft Kits Coins 0 Decorated Boxes Plush ::, Inflatables Couturiers Mobiles Balenciaga 0 Music Boxes Hermes 3 Dolls Guy Laroche '< Autograph Dolls Manuel Pina Autograph Doghouses Gunilla Ponten Cloth Dolls Victorio and Lucchi no Collector Dolls Diane von Furstenberg Greeting Dolls Dolls Jointed Action Dolls Belle Pillow Dolls Large Playables Small Pocket Dolls Snoopy Puppets Large PVC Dolls Small Electronics Special Editions Cassette Recorders 35th Anniversary Clocks Flying Ace Radios Joe Cool Telephones Peanuts Kids Fashion Charlie Brown Accessories Spike Clothing Woodstock T-Shirts Outfits Determined Productions Belle J.G. Hook Mrs. Santa Claus Jewelry Large Purses Small Shoulder Bags Snoopy Figurines Easter Beagle Bobble Heads Large Ceramics Small Crystal Santa Claus Stackables Large Papier-Mache Figurines Small PVC Figures Woodstock Trophies Christmas Elf

PEANUTS o United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

information outlook • march 2003

-j 44

Taxonomy can also be used to promote ideas within the The Future organization. Linnaeus did this by placing humans and Two centuries ago, librarians abandoned one of the apes in the Primate order. I did the same thing with the most important aspects of their profession, the ability term "Animal Rights." The very process of interacting with to organize information. They gave it away to Melvil categories can inspire thinking. For example, by placing Dewey and the Library of Congress. Now that books all the kitchen items in one place, two goals are accom­ are no longer the only means of storing information, plished. First, it is easy to collect and deliver similar items. the cyberworld is seeking organizational skills outside Second, the juxtaposition may inspire new designs. Per­ the library community. People believe, perhaps accu­ haps Determined is working with a cookware company. rately, that librarians do not create new systems; they By looking at the categories, the designer can quickly see only place books into clumsy and already established what has already been produced and possibly think of systems. new ideas or new variations. The future of structured information organization is tax­ Perhaps Determined is interested in producing more baby onomy. The standard library classifications are designed items and wants the artists to be thinking along those only for books, and books are increasingly becoming lines. There is one baby product: the Linus Thumb and objects of pleasure. Serious information gathering is Blanket Doll. These soft and cuddly dolls should be online, and the practitioners demand effective gateways. shelved with the other dolls. However, "baby" is right Information professionals must learn how to design new there at the beginning of the alphabet. By creating a baby organizational structures. section at the front of the taxonomy, where all the artists see it first, I have created a subliminal reinforcement of Your inspiration is your client. Your goal is to fit the struc­ the idea "think babies." ture to the user and not the other way around. Dewey and LC are classic examples of systems in which the struc­ In this case, I was able to use alphabetical order to achieve ture itself is the primary goal. Let's not make the same an enterprise goal. There are other techniques when the mistake as we move into new areas of information man­ alphabet doesn't cooperate. Perhaps Determined wants agement. The client's needs must drive the system. to promote shoulder bags. There is already a "Fashion -+ Purse" category. Unless we have a lot of shoulder bags, Effective taxonomy creates hierarchical relationships that there's no reason for a new facet. However, if I make follow a client's method of interacting with information shoulder bags a distinct subset of purses, regardless of and promote enterprise goals. It includes appropriate quantity, then I reinforce their importance. vocabulary-not just standard subject-based terminol­ ogy but words actually spoken by a given community of Of course, enterprise goals change and products change. practice. By using terms and structural techniques that An effective taxonomy must be flexible in order to be allow for expansion, it responds to the client's chang­ current, so I made some structural decisions at the be­ ing needs. ginning of this project. In the Snoopy taxonomy, each major division has at least one subdivision. For example, A carefully constructed taxonomy that promotes client in the "Garden" division, there is only one section, "Ac­ goals is a unifying structure and a source of motivation. cessories," which includes planters, small tools, and simi­ Clients enter into a comfortable system that invites infor­ lar items. The whole division could easily be called "Gar­ mation gathering. The taxonomy I designed for Deter­ den Accessories"; however, that might create an update mined Productions and Snoopy was personalized. It fit problem. Perhaps Determined will produce a greenhouse the company, the situation, and the products. In the online in the shape of Snoopy's doghouse. If the main heading world, personalized service is becoming routine, and in­ is "Garden Accessories," then we have a logic problem, formation users are demanding it. To provide this level of because a greenhouse is not really an accessory. If the service, information managers must enter the future and title is "Gardens" with at least one subsection, further reclaim their organizational skills. products and sections are easily added. * For those interested in digital preservation, SLA's Infor­ By incorporating current and future client needs into the mation Futurists Caucus and Library Management Divi­ structure-building process, the taxonomist offers a sys­ sion will host Kenneth Thibodeau, director of the Elec­ tem that does more than provide access to information. tronic Records Archives, National Archives and Records Working with semantics, hierarchical relationships, and Administration, at the June 2003 Annual Conference in adaptability techniques, an information manager can New York. build a taxonomy that supports and promotes the enterprise's mission. PEANUTS <> United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

information outlook Ii march 2003 1u•1 ~,th ~nnual £t,nti In ~ew '1or-k June 1-1~. ~t)

WWW. s I a. v r-a In '1 c ~ () 0 J

Sponsored by l exisNexis

April 30, '.i~O J ~~;' ©th~~ '1 ~~ 2003 Speaker: Randy Englund Speaker: Michael Kull Topic: "Organic Approach Topic: "Knowledge Management" to Project Management" lM 4'H f ~ tn1b~lr' ~ 9 ., 2.003 S~ptember '1'1, 2003 Speaker: Judy Seiss Speaker: Chris Olson Topic: "The Invisible Librarian" Topic: "Library Branding'' De ~ernber 3, 2 00 3 Speakers: Jane Dysart & Rebecca Jones Topic: "Business Planning" Valuating Information Intangibles: Measuring the Bottom Line Contribution of Librarians and Information Professionals by Frank H. Portugal, Ph.D.

A detennination of the bottom line value of libraries and information centers has proven difficult because of the intan­ gible nature of the value and the use of archaic accounting systems that for the most part focus on tangible or physical assets rather than intangible ones. The problem is that the intangible value of libraries and information centers may be orders of magnitude greater than their tangible value. To overcome some of these measurement difficulties this workbork presents four different approaches to the intangible valuation of information resources.

Complete the form below and return to Special Libraries Association, Book Order Dept., 1700 Eighteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, or by fax at 1-202-234-2442. For more information, contact SLA's book order department at l-202-234-4700 ext. 673 or email: [email protected]. Special Libraries Association

ISBN Title Price/Mem Price Qty. Amount Due

0-87111-512-3 Valuating Informa- $79.00 I $59.00 tion Intangibles

Member name:· ------Member n umber: ------Ship to: Name·------~ Organization ------Dept.------~ Address ------City______State/Province. _____Zip/Postal Code.__ _ Country______Phone------Fax·------~ Payment Options: Check enclosed: ---- Charge my D Visa D MasterCard D AMEX D Diners Club

SIJ~IJ :] ~ ~j: 11 ~ [8 Account#______47

Tom's Restaurant 2880 Broadway This diner is home to the famous conf4c8'ti ntd own "Seinfeld" set, and it's as basic as it looks on the television show, serv­ ing burgers, gyro platters, and very inexpensive breakfasts. was the Rainbow Room on the 65th New York, New York! floor of Thirty Rockefeller Plaza, the Club 21 tallest and most prominent build­ 21 W. 52nd Street The SLA Annual Conference 2003 has ing in the complex. The room was Hobnob with celebrities and ty­ much to offer-great educational pro­ designed to symbolize New York coons at this brownstone landmark, grams, networking opportunities, ex­ nightlife in all its elegance. a former speakeasy that opened in posure to new products and services 1929. The Grill Room is the place in the exhibit hall. And it will take In 1974, David Rockefeller oversaw to be, with its red-and-white place in a setting that has something a painstaking $25 million restoration checked tablecloths and ceiling for everyone: New York City. When and expansion of the Rainbow hung with toys. In the past, the res­ you 're not attending sessions or stroll­ Room, which many architects and taurant was mostly noted for conti­ ing the exhibit hall, there's one thing designers consider to be the "most nental cuisine and its costly signa­ you must do: EAT! Here's a list of some perfect room in New York." ture dish, the "21" burger, but un­ of New York's famous restaurants, and der executive chef Erik Blauberg, at a bit of the history behind them. Sardi's least half the menu features inven­ 234 W. 44th Street tive New American food. Four Seasons In the heart of New York's theater 99 E. 52nd Street district, Sardi's has been the toast of Carnegie Deli No restaurant is a better symbol of Broadway since 1928. The restaurant 1th Avenue between 54th and New York than the Four Seasons-a serves traditional continental cuisine 55th Streets modern classic that has been rede­ and features hundreds of caricatures The Carnegie Delicatessen is one of fining American cuisine since 1959. of theater and movie stars as artwork the most famous delis in New York Winner of Where magazine's Best in the dining rooms. City. From the 1850s to today they've Food in New York award, the Four offered wonderful deli dishes, such as Seasons recently seduced New York Tavern on the Green pastrami sandwiches and cheesecake. magazine with "adventurous new 1 W. 67th Street flavors and marvelous pairings." Built in 1870, the Victorian Gothic University Club structure now known as Tavern on 1 West 54th Street Le Cirque the Green housed 200 South Down Although the University Club is not 455 Madison Avenue sheep, which grazed across the street a restaurant, SLA will hold the offi­ When Sirio Maccioni opened his res­ in Central Park's Sheep Meadow. The cial June 7 Awards Reception here. taurant in 1974, he sent out a mod­ sheepfold remained intact for close Elegant surroundings will combine est little announcement. So many to 65 years, until legendary parks with wonderful food at this catered friends decided to drop in so he commissioner Robert Moses decided affair. Situated in midtown Manhat­ wouldn't be alone that the restau­ that the building had a higher call­ tan about halfway between Central rant was filled to the rafters. ing as a restaurant. Park and the Rockefeller Center, the University Club is the headquarters The secret of Le Cirque's success lies Embraced by New Yorkers, Tavern of one of New York's oldest and most in its style and attention to detail. on the Green became an integral part prestigious private societies. Le Cirque serves up classical French, of the city's social life and was oper­ Italian, American, and-under the ated throughout the 1940s, 1950s, Don't forget to buy your ticket for influence of Cambodian-born chef and 1960s. In the 1970s, the glass­ the Awards Reception. A coat and tie Sottha Khunn-Asian food. enclosed Crystal and Terrace Rooms are required for men, semi-formal were added. dress for women. Rainbow Room 30 Rockefeller Plaza Once so passe that it closed down, Hope to see you all in New York City When Rockefeller Center was com­ Tavern on the Green is currently for SLA 2003! pleted in the 1930s, the crown jewel one of New York's hottest dining destinations.

information outlook ~ march 2003 48

Keep June 7-12 open on your calendars for SLA's 94th Annual Conference indeaclverti sers com~"Vents in New York!

Dialog Back Cover American Library Association www.dialog.com March 2003 April2003 (ALA)/Canadian Library European Business Information Association for Information Dynix Inside Back Cover Association (CLA) Conference (EBIC) and Image Management www.epixtech.com June 21-24 March 18-21 (AIIM) Conference 2003 Elsevier Science Toronto, ON, Canada Paris, France April 7-9 www.elsevier.com www.ala.org or www.tfpl.com New York, NY www.cla.com.ca Hoover's OnUne 4 www.aiim2003.com www.hoovers.com Art Libraries Society of North Marcive America May 2003 August 2003 www.marcive.com March 20-26 69th International Federation Medical Library Association Powell's Technical Books Baltimore, MD of Library Associations and 9 (MLA) www.powells.com www.arlisna.org Institutions (IFLA) General May 2-7 Conference and Council SdenceDirert 1, 17, 19 San Diego, CA www.sciencedirect.com Information Highways 2003 August 1-9 www.mlanet.org Conference and Showcase Berlin, Germany West Group Inside Front Cover www.westgroup.com March 24-26 www.ifla.org Toronto, ON, Canada June 2003 www.informationhighways.net/ SLA 2003 Annual conf/cindex.html Conference June 7-12 New York, NY www.sla.org

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