President’s Corner: New Members and New Digs By Sheryl Rosenthal, srosenthal@usnews.com
Winter 2004/2005 (Dec/Jan) Volume 64 No. 4 http://www.sla.org/chapter/cdc
The annual DC/SLA Holiday party has my vote for “Best Ever.” From the spectacular venue at the library of the University Club, to the holiday music provided by Sue O’Neill Johnson and Betty Landesman, with many stops along the way to sample the fabulous food and drink, a good time was had by over 120 members and friends of DC/SLA.
Inside this issue: President’s Corner
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In addition to thanking a hard-working core of volunteers, with special thanks to Lorraine Bell, Alphonse Vinh, and Shirley Loo, we thank Factiva for their generous support of the event. For more details, see Michael White’s column and photos.
Call for DC/SLA Officer Nominations
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And Speaking of Voting…
Watch “Desk Set” with your fellow librarians!
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Virtual Content Management Seminars Set for January
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Holiday Party Report/Pix
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Member’s Corner
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Challenges in Digital Libraries for Children: Report
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A shameless segue, to be sure, but Elections for the 2005/2006 SLA Board of Directors are almost upon us. Voting begins January 30th and extends through March 4th. You will be seeing more “Get Out the Vote” buttons popping up at DC/SLA events as we strongly encourage you to actively participate in choosing your leadership and VOTE. Estelle Alexander and Michael White head the “Get Out the Vote” committee and are doing their part to make sure that DC/SLA, the second largest chapter in the world, make our voices heard. Joining us at the party were two candidates for national office. Rebecca Vargha, library coordinator at SAS Institute Inc., was in town, visitng headquarters from Cary, NC. I was pleased to introduced Rebecca who is running for the office of Director of SLA. The second candidate certainly needed no introduction. Anne Caputo is well known locally, nationally and internationally for her many contributions to the profession. Our “favorite daughter” is running for Chapter Cabinet Chair-Elect and we support her in those efforts. Shirley Loo and I will have the opportunity to hear from all of the candidates at the upcoming Leadership Institute in Tampa, FL at the end of January. To learn more about the candidates, go to the SLA web site: http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/governance/bodsection/0405bodcand/index.cfm
Read about the new products and services from: • • • •
Capcon Dialog InfoCurrent Library Associates
Check us out on the Web http://www.sla.org/chapter/cdc/
Nominations for Local Chapter Officers Past President Susan Fifer Canby and Past-Past President Anne Caputo make up the nominating committee for our own upcoming chapter elections. If you want to make a difference, if you want to join a group of creative, hard working, giving individuals, and if you want to have a good time doing it, consider running for DC/SLA office, or volunteering for a committee or an event. Information on calls for nominations can be found on Page 2. New Members Congratulations to Mary Wardlow, the 1000th member of DC/SLA. Mary and Carrie Port, member 1001, took the challenge to put us over the 1000 member mark. We are down slightly from a recent high of 1014 and urge you to encourage your friends and colleagues to join us and experience all of the benefits of SLA membership. [Cont’d p.2] DC/SLA Chapter Notes | Winter 2004/2005 (December/January) 1
New Column! Making Connections Page 5 Next Newsletter Deadline is January 24. Email bferry@ngs.org
Special Libraries Association assumes no responsibility for the statements and opinions advanced by the contributors to SLA’s publications. Editorial views do not necessarily represent the official views of SLA. Acceptance of advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product by SLA. Subscriptions: Chapter Notes is free to DC/SLA members. Subscriptions to non-members are available at $10 per year. Advertising: Advertising rates effective September 1997 are: $95—1/4 page; $175—1/2 page; $290— full page. For information regarding advertisements, contact the DC/SLA Chapter Notes Business Manager: Kelley Weber, Surface Transportation Board Phone: 202-565-1668 Email: weberk@stb.dot.gov EDITOR’S NOTE: Deadlines for Chapter Notes are the third Monday of the month for the following month’s issue. Deadline for the February issue is January 24. The issue is distributed approximately two weeks after the deadline. The preferred submission format is a Word document sent via email. You should receive an email acknowledgement of your submission. Materials for Chapter Notes should be sent to the Editor: Barbara Ferry Libraries & Information Services National Geographic Society 1145 17th St. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Phone: 202-857-7051 Email: bferry@ngs.org Event announcements should also be submitted electronically to the: Listserv Moderator: Kelley Weber, Surface Transportation Board Phone: 202-565-1668 Email: weberk@stb.dot.gov
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[cont’d] Hug Your Favorite Librarian It is easy to see why Johns Hopkins University is consistently ranked in the top tier of universities with a university President like William R. Brody, who writes about the value of librarians with warmth, appreciation, and insight in the Dec. 6, 2004 issue of the JHU Gazette. Read the full article at http://www.jhu.edu/gazette/2004/06dec04/06brody.html. Please enjoy a joyous and safe holiday season and a new year filled with hope and peace. (Dr. Brody, may you receive hugs aplenty.)
First Call for DC/SLA Nominations Submitted by Anne Caputo, Anne.caputo@factiva.com It’s that time of year when we begin thinking of nominations for DC/SLA elections. Are you interested in joining the dynamic team of DC/SLA officers who plan events and make our Chapter run? This is a chance to practice your leadership skills in a safe environment, to meet and network with great local chapter officers, and to make a difference in our wonderful chapter. If you are interested or if you’d like to nominate someone we have four offices to fill: *1st Vice President/President Elect: The office is the first year fulfillment of a three-year commitment of the offices of First Vice President, President, and Immediate Past President. The incumbent is elected for a one-year term as First VP succeeding in the following year to the office of Chapter President and in the third year the office of Immediate Past President. The 1st Vice President assumes the duties and responsibilities of the Chapter President in the event of the latter's absence or incapacity and acts as Chair of the Program Committee, whose responsibility includes planning and organizing programs and annual social events in conjunction with the Advisory Committee throughout the Association year. The 1st Vice President establishes and maintains a close working relationship with the Hospitality Committee and be completely familiar with their techniques and operations. *2nd Vice President: Serves a one-year term and assists the First Vice President/President-Elect in matters relating to Chapter activities and publicity. The 2nd Vice President is also responsible for the maintenance and update of the Chapter Manual and the updates the manual on the Chapter's web site. *Treasurer: The office of Treasurer is a three-year term. The Treasurer handles all financial matters of the Chapter and is responsible for all of the Chapter's financial transactions including deposit of all receipts and disbursement of all authorized expenditures and prepares the annual budget at the beginning of every fiscal year. *Corresponding Secretary: The office is a one-year term. The secretary promotes major Chapter events and arranges for each major chapter event to be covered by a writer and photographer for Chapter Notes, and copyedits Chapter Notes and the monthly chapter calendar. *Director: Directors are elected to a two-year term. The year of election alternates between the two Directors so that only one director is elected annually. The Directors carry out special projects and assignments as directed by the Chapter President or recommended by the Executive Board. If you are interested please contact Anne Caputo, chair of the Nominating Committee at anne.caputo@factiva.com or 202-289-2103.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | Winter 2004/2005 (December/January)
Librarians Rule! Submitted by Shirley Loo, sloo@crs.loc.gov Come to see a delightful movie about a librarian with other librarians! It’s Desk Set (1957) starring Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. This is the eighth of nine Hepburn-Tracy films and their first in color. Katherine Hepburn, as Bunny Watson, is the library manager of the reference department at a big TV network. Spencer Tracy is Richard Sumner, a methods engineer, who wants to add a computer to her department which may put her and her staff out of work. Before we see the movie, we’ll meet Elizabeth Brownstein, the librarian at CBS who Katherine Hepburn followed around to get a feel for what librarians do. We’ll also hear a little about the film. The movie will be shown in the Madison Building of the Library of Congress. There is no charge for this event. Sign up with Ellie Briscoe at ebriscoe@ngs.org or 202-857-7050.
Tour of Senate Library Jan. 13 Submitted by Shirley Loo, sloo@crs.loc.gov Senate Librarian Greg Harness will be welcoming members who register for the January 13 tour of the Senate Library on Capitol Hill. The Senate Library has been providing information services to the Senate since 1871. The core collection consists of Senate and House materials dating from 1789. The book collection of over 25,000 volumes includes titles on American history, politics, political biography, and law. Participants will hear how the information professionals in the Senate Library handle numerous inquiries promptly and accurately each day. The library is in B15 of the Russell Building. The tour is limited to a maximum of 18 participants. Those coming from the Union Station Metro stop may enter the Russell Building at Delaware Avenue and C St. NE. Those coming from the Capitol South Metro stop may enter from Constitution and First St. NE. Allow time for the security check before the 10:00 a.m. tour. The tour will last an hour and 15 minutes. Send email reservations for the tour to Victoria Harrison (vharriston@nas.edu or 202-3342327. DC/SLA Chapter Notes | Winter 2004/2005 (December/January) 3
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DC/SLA Chapter Notes | Winter 2004/2005 (December/January)
Virtual Seminars on Content Management Set for January Submitted by Shirley Loo, sloo@crs.loc.gov SLA will have two virtual seminars a month on the same topic beginning in January 2005. Participants may come to both seminars or to one depending on their schedule. Howard McQueen will speak on content management January 11 and 25. The first seminar is entitled “Defining Content Management and Exploring Change Management.” The second seminar is entitled “Planning & Implementing Content Management.” The January virtual seminars will be held at the Library of Congress Madison Building (LM 316). To register, email Mary Talley at mtalley@axelroth.com (202363-1056). The February virtual seminars focus on competitive intelligence. Cynthia Cheng Correira of Knowledge inForm will be the speaker on Feb. 10 and Feb. 24. To register, email Charlotte White at cwhite@fmc.gov (202-523-5762). Come at 1:45 p.m. for any of the seminars. The ending time is 3:30 p.m. The virtual seminars are free to members. Nonmembers pay $10. An email and the DC SLA event calendar will provide the location of the February seminar. Thanks to Deborah Brightwell, Carla Evans, Matthew Hogan, and Karen Tate who took reservations and emailed the URL for the handout to participants for four of the virtual seminars the chapter sponsored in 2004.
Making Connections Submitted by Mary Talley, mtalley@axelroth.com I am always fascinated by businesses that connect with a previously unrelated product or service as a way to expand their customer base. Gas stations offering dry cleaning services and Starbucks’ promoting its own music CD compilations are just two examples of this kind of innovative thinking. I’m delighted when I learn about similar instances within our profession the British library that provides areas for talking and eating; the information professional who uses venture capital techniques to secure investment in library initiatives, and the information director who has replaced the acquisition of print material with a direct relationship between Amazon and company staff, all come to mind. How do they do it? They gather information and ideas from as many different sources and perspectives as possible. Most importantly, they view the outside world as any business would: from the customers’ point of view. My goals as Chair of the DCSLA Employment Committee include encouraging the broader perspectives that keep us marketable. This column is a step in that direction - a means to exchange the sources we go to for outside perspectives and approaches. To get the ball rolling, here are three e-sources I recommend: Marketing Profs: e-marketing news and trends, http://marketingprofs.com/ Wordbiz: writing eenewsletter, blogs, etc., http://www.wordbiz.com/ InnovationTools: innovation techniques, news and trends, http://innovationtools.com/ To share your sources in the next column, send the source name, brief content description, and how you have used the source to Mary Talley at mtalley@axelroth.com.
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | Winter 2004/2005 (December/January) 5
DC/SLA Members Make Merry at Holiday Party! Submitted by Michael White, Michael.White@uspto.gov
DC/SLA Board of Directors – 2004/2005 On December 6, more than 120 DC/SLA members, friends and guests enjoyed a jolly holiday party in the elegant atmosphere of the University Club, one of Washington’s oldest and most prestigious private clubs. Vice President Shirley Loo and Hospitality Chair Lorraine Bell did a superb job selecting the location and coordinating the arrangements. Guests from DCLA and the Potomac Valley Chapter of ASIST also attended. The party was made possible in part by the generous support of Factiva. The University Club is located just a few blocks north of the White House on 16th Street, next to the Russian Ambassador’s residence and across from the National Geographic Society. The party was held in the Keefer Memorial Library and the oak-paneled inner lobby, which were decorated with garlands and other holiday trimmings. President Susan Rosenthal and other members of the DC/SLA board welcomed guests and made sure everyone was having a good time. Special guests included Past President Anne Caputo, who is a candidate for Chapter Cabinet ChairElect and Rebecca B. Vargha of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who is a candidate for President-Elect. Former chapter presidents also present included Susan Fifer Canby, Roger Haley, Lynne McCay, Susan O’Neill Johnson, Lyle Minter, Nancy Minter and Kitty Scott. The club’s world-class catering staff served a variety of delicious hors d’oeuvres, beverages and desserts. At the midpoint of the evening, Food Services Manager Norbert Kupinski gave a brief talk about the history of the club and its membership, which includes every Supreme Court justice since William H. Taft, the club’s first president. In addition to a library, the clubhouse has an indoor pool, athletic facilities, dining room and private rooms. Past president Susan O’Neill Johnson and Betty Landesman provided live entertainment again this year by performing a selection of classic holiday music on piano and recorder. In accompaniment, Anna McGowan and May Knott sang carols and other festive songs. Alphonse Vinh generously donated the funds for rental of the piano.
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DC/SLA Chapter Notes | Winter 2004/2005 (December/January)
DC/SLA Members Make Merry at Holiday Party!
Anna McGowan, Erin Clougherty, and Judy Grosberg
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Guests Chatting in Keefer Memorial Library
Member’s Corner Welcome to our new members:
Maureen Adams, Leslie Barrett, Jennifer Boteler, Kathleen Brown, Neta Cox, Laura Gottesman, Brien Kinkel, Leigh McKenna, Timothy McCleerey, Heather Morgan, Margaux Douglas, Marcy Gascoine, Susan Olmstead, Michael Ravnitzky, Virginia Richards, Elizabeth Simmons, Jada Wells, Wanda Whitney-Smith
Member News: Margo Gustely, Librarian at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips for many years, will leave the firm for a position in Miami. She will be the Library Administrator for the Miami office of Greenberg Traurig beginning January 24. Greenberg Traurig has 24 offices in the U.S. and Europe and 1,280 attorneys and governmental professionals. Margo served as the Book Club chair this year for the Chapter. Congratulations! Robert Cagna is leaving the AARP Research Information Center and joining the University of Pennsylvania Biomedical Library in Philadelphia as the Head of Access and Document Delivery Services on January 10. (“I shall miss all my colleagues at AARP and at DC/SLA very much,” says Robert.) Alphonse Vinh gave the keynote talk at the annual President's Luncheon of the Wisconsin Library Association on November 5 at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Technical Challenges of Digital Libraries for Children See pictures of this event on page 9. Submitted by Margaret Turqman, mturqman@ngs.org Allison Druin and Ann Carlson Weeks of the University of Maryland described the International Children's Digital Library (ICDL) project (http://www.icdlbooks.org) on Nov. 5 at the Supreme Court . They demonstrated the interface and then discussed the technical issues and challenges they have faced. The project launched in November of 2002, with an interdisciplinary team comprised of people from computer science, library science, education, art, and psychology. Organizers also used children ages 7-11 as design partners. There have been challenges to creating an international digital collection, including: reflecting the culture of subgroups, and presenting books in their original language. In addition, all participation is voluntary, including selection, scanning, metatdata, and rights clearance. Public users have also faced challenges in installing plug-ins. The program was sponsored by the Potamac Valley Chapter of ASIS&T and DC/SLA. Judith Gaskell, Supreme Court Librarian, was instrumental in having the program at the Supreme Court. 8
DC/SLA Chapter Notes | Winter 2004/2005 (December/January)
Photos from “Technical Challenges of Digital Libraries for Children” Program All photos by Steve Petteway, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States
Shirley Loo, Vice President/ President Elect of DC/SLA; Nichole McNeely-Kallas, Chair of the Potomac Valley ASIST; Judith Gaskell, Supreme Court Librarian; Allison Druin, University of Maryland; Ann Weeks, University of Maryland
Shirley Loo, Vice President/ President Elect of DC/SLA;
Ann Weeks, Victoria Agee, Sharon Lenius, Shirley Loo
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