News Library News Online
Vol. 23, No. 1/Fall 2001

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Jody HabayebNotes from the Chair
By Jody Habayeb


My fellow news librarians, the utter shock, anger, fear and total disbelief we all feel regarding the senseless attacks on the United States September 11 will remain with us forever. Eventually our open wounds will scar over as we find ways to cope and go on living our lives. We are different now. We have lost loved ones, our innocence and our sense of security.

As Leigh Poitinger and I began discussing the first issue of News Library News post the attack - she as managing editor and I as your chair - we thought it our obligation to document the events as they pertain to our profession and to dedicate this issue to the memory of those who lost their lives that day.

We wanted not to attempt to put the horrific events into some sort of context or make any attempt to explain that day, because it defies explanation. Nor did we want to trivialize the magnitude by doing a purely clinical analysis of how we covered research during the tragedies and the days and events that followed. We solicited comments from members who were willing to weave their thoughts and feelings of September 11 through a narrative of the day's research.

Many of us are not ready to share those experiences yet and we may never be able to. We understand and respect that.

International news librarians are particularly interested in how our profession worked through the enormity of the horrific events, knowing that if it could happen in the United States, the most powerful country in the world, it could happen anywhere and they want to be prepared.

In many countries terrorism is a daily occurrence. The loss of life and particularly the lives of civilians is equally tragic to the events of September 11. We in our profession know there would be no way to prepare for the scope and devastation of these events. Yet most news librarians I have spoken with feel there is value to talking about it.

One day, future news librarians, as they hear the stories of September 11, will want to know how we coped during this time in our history. Not only how the nation coped but also how we, individually and as a group, managed to do our jobs while suffering so much sorrow, hurt and loss. In our profession, like many others, we couldn't stand back and mourn with the nation and the world. We had an obligation to do what we are trained to do, because reporters and the public depend on us.

It is professional news librarians' experiences during the biggest life-altering story we have ever witnessed, one that has affected so many and changed the way the entire world thinks, feels and will act from now on, that will not be documented anywhere, unless we do it through News Library News.

How our profession coped during this time is only important to us. So as difficult and unimportant as it may seem and while so many are suffering, I believe we and those future news librarians will one day be grateful that we discussed it while the wounds are still fresh and our memories are sharpest. We are, after all, documentarians of history and these events are the most significant we will likely face in our profession or in our time. It is only appropriately discussed through forums related to news librarians, and News Library News is the logical place to air our thoughts.

Thank you to those of you who found your voice through the hurt and were willing to share with fellow news librarians in this issue.

As we all work through the pain, there are three things that will endure and sustain us as our nation heals: hope, faith and love; and in that, we can take comfort and look to a brighter future.


Jody Habayeb is the Archive & Research Manager at The Tampa Tribune/WFLA & Tampa Bay Online in Tampa, Florida. You can contact her at Jhabayeb@tampatrib.com.