News Library News Online
Vol. 22, No. 4/Summer 2000

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Regular Features

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People
By Kate Bird

 

Kathy Foley of the San Antonio Express-News was promoted to the position of Assistant Managing Editor in charge of online news, research, training and systems. "Kudos to the San Antonio Express-News for recognizing your strength and creative contributions," commented News Division chair Debra Bade. Jalyn Kelley will oversee day-to-day operations of the news research department.

At the Los Angeles Times, Jacci Cenacveira has been promoted to the position of Deputy Manager for Reference. Jacci has worked in the news research industry for thirteen years. She was a researcher with the Los Angeles Daily News and the St. Petersburg Times before joining the LA Times in 1992. Jacci will be responsible for managing workflow, assignments and training for daily reference work as well as for coordinating updates of subject category pages on the Library's intranet.

After three years as Director of News Research at the Tuscaloosa News, Jeff Graveline has decided to pursue a new career path. Jeff will be starting law school at the University of Alabama in August. Jeff thanks members of the News Division for "the enormous amount of help and support you have given me over the years."

Also leaving the News Division is Carol Follett of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, who has taken a web development position in Richmond. Carol notes that the Newslib list has been "a tremendous help to me and to the reporters with whom I have worked. The News Division has been as much a source of inspiration as information."

Sadly, Donna MacHutchin, Chief Librarian at the Montreal Gazette, died suddenly of a massive heart attack on April 10th. A moving tribute to Donna by book editor Bryan Demchinsky in the April 12th Gazette stated that "Donna, as well as being dogged in pursuit of facts, was the most human of beings. Her answers came accompanied by good humor, often with an editorial comment or a joke attached." Donna also wrote books reviews and travel articles for the paper and was to have been recognized as one of the unsung heroes of Canadian journalism by being a presenter at Canada's National Newspaper Award ceremonies in Montreal in May 2000. Demchinsky wrote that "word of Donna’s death had the impact of a bomb going off in the Gazette newsroom. We missed her instantly and will miss her for a long time."

A number of News Division members were recently honored. Sherry Adams of the Houston Chronicle was awarded the Hearst Eagle Award, one of two awards given at Hearst's metro newspapers to honor sustained excellence. Sherry received an all-expense paid trip to New York to celebrate with other Eagle winners. Sherry acknowledges News Division programs over the years as providing her with information needed to make intelligent decisions that impressed management. She also appreciates the support and assistance of News Division members. Sherry commented that "the most wonderful thing about winning the award was that it proved how much the Chronicle valued our library" and added that the good wishes and congratulations by Division colleagues "have touched me in a way that I'll always treasure."

On May 2, 2000 Bob Isaacs, retired Editorial Research Manager of the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, was presented with the SLA Hall of Fame Award from the Florida and Caribbean Chapter. Suzi Hayes, President of SLA, 1998-1999, presented Bob with the award, an engraved garden stone. The Hall of Fame Award is given to a chapter member at or near the end of his/her career who has made outstanding contributions to the chapter, the association and/or the profession. In Bob's case, he meets all the criteria.

Bob began his library career in 1960 at the Winston Salem Journal & Sentinel. He was Head of the Orlando Sentinel library from 1969-1972, then from 1972-1982 worked as Director of the Greensboro Daily News & Record. Bob was Editorial Research Center Manager at the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel from 1982-1999, where he received the Sun-Sentinel Management Award in 1997.

Bob's career in SLA is equally impressive. Bob was a charter member of the Florida Chapter of SLA in 1969, is past President and current Director of the North Carolina Chapter of SLA (1981), chaired the News Division (1987-88) and received a Kwapil Award in 1991. In addition, Bob served on just about every committee and sub-committee in SLA and was President of the Florida News Library Association.

Sammy Alzofon, Library Director of the Palm Beach Post and the current News Division Membership Chair, is now President-Elect of the Florida and Caribbean Chapter of SLA. This chapter has a membership of roughly 275.

Kara Whiting, photo librarian at the Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is the recipient of a New Media Fellowship from the Newspaper Association of America. Kara is the only news librarian among the 16 people chosen. During the year-long program, designed for women and minorities with little or no background in new media, Kara will be learning how to create and operate web sites. This fellowship is both a great opportunity for Kara and a benefit to the Journal Gazette, who will soon have a news librarian with new media expertise.

There are a number of staff changes at NLN. Jennifer Small Evert has completed her two-year term as Editor, and Leigh Poitinger of the San Jose Mercury News has agreed to take on the job. Andrea Diconi has done a terrific job during her two years as Webmeistress of the News Division Web site. She and Jennifer Small Evert went a long way in improving the online version of NLN. The new Webmeistress is Chandra Pierce, News Research Manager at the Herald-Journal in Spartanburg, SC. Chandra earned her M.L.S. from the University of South Carolina. Her work history includes experience in academic, public and special libraries and she was most recently at the South Carolina State Library. She is excited about the opportunity to work in a news library.


Kate Bird is Graphics Librarian at the Vancouver Sun and The Province. You can reach her at kbird@pacpress.southam.ca.


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