News Library News Online
Vol. 23, No. 3/Spring 2001

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Kate Bird People
By Kate Bird


C.B. Hayden, Director of the ABC News Research Center, died after a brief illness on March 6 at Cabrini Medical Center in Manhattan. He was 47.

C.B. was an employee of ABC News for 21 years. His work in research enhanced the content of ABC News shows both currently and previously on the air from "Good Morning America" to "World News Tonight" to "Nightline." He will be remembered at ABC for his energy, intelligence and, above all else, good humor.

Mr. Hayden revolutionized ABC News' Research Center by transforming it from a paper-based service to an intranet-based service that targeted electronic resources directly to individuals and programs. His innovations in digital information resources broadened access to the work performed by the Research Center throughout the ABC News Division. "CB was a cheerful and enthusiastic colleague whose innovations in research greatly enhanced our ability to report the news," said ABC News President David Westin. "We will miss him dearly."

News Division chair Debra Bade wrote that "C.B. was a bright, shining, energetic light in the SLA News Division - every time I spoke with him he shared some of that boundless energy with me and made me smile. ... I'll miss you C.B."

On The Move

Boston Herald Research Assistant Chris Donnelly, who has worked the Herald for over ten years, has been appointed to the newly created position of Photo Librarian. Also at the Boston Herald, librarian John Cronin celebrated his 25th anniversary at the newspaper on March 1.

Public Records Editor Sperry Krueger recently left the News & Observer in February after almost seven years. Sperry has begun a new job as a research librarian at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Sperry is looking forward to this new opportunity, noting "I get to be a librarian again! -- But I sure will miss being a part of this gang. I won't be at SLA in San Antonio, but hope you'll let a geeky science librarian hang out in the News Division suite at SLA in 2002."

Two news researchers with the Tampa Tribune Archive & Research Center have also left news librarianship for new careers. Lyssa Oberkreser has accepted a position in the public sector as the Director of Children's Services at the Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library system's 78th Street Branch. Lyssa explain the move as a return to her roots in teaching: "My main focus is Children's Services and teaching the public the wonders of computers and the Internet."

Jean Carey has also accepted a new job covering higher education for the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain. Jean worked for the Tampa Tribune as a news researcher from 1997 to March 2001 and designed an intranet serving three multimedia platforms: the Tampa Tribune, WFLA - Channel 8 and TBO.com. Jean, who will be using Atlanta as a base of operations, is also the Southeast Regional Coordinator for Sighthound Rescue.

Mary K. Means reports that due to budget cuts at the Bradenton Herald she is being reassigned to the features department as a copy editor. Mary will be going back to her roots as well, as she spent 11 years on the Herald's news desk as assistant news editor before moving to the library in 1989.

Leigh Poitinger of the San Jose Mercury News recently shifted duties from News Research Webmaster to Research Manager. Leigh reports: "In my new role, I'll act as the point-person for research requests and will coordinate research needs for projects and breaking news."

After sixteen years as Director of News Research at the Washington Post, Jennifer Belton has decided to work part time. Jennifer will be working on a project with Washington Post-Newsweek Interactive to create an archive of digital images of The Post going back to 1877 and to help WPNI market this archive to academic and corporate markets. Teresa Leonard reports that "Jennifer has left us a strong legacy. She was responsible for creating the newsroom's News Research Center and for bringing The Post's archives into the digital age by overseeing the development of PostHaste."

Research Editor Margot Williams is now the manager overseeing news research and the news library. Assistant Research Editor Bob Lyford has assumed some of Jennifer's former duties and is now the supervisor in charge of maintaining PostHaste and the books and periodicals in the library.

Awards & Acknowledgments

CAR guru John Maines of the Sun-Sentinel's Editorial Research Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida recently won the annual Editor's Award for his CAR contributions and journalistic dedication. John was recognized for this internal award at a formal award ceremony on February 28th. He also received a $1,000 cash prize and a caricature of himself.

For the second year in a row, a Hearst news librarian has received the Eagle Award from their newspaper. Last year Sherry Adams from the Houston Chronicle won. This year, librarian Jeanne Walls at the Beaumont Enterprise in Beaumont, Texas has been awarded the honor over all other journalists - reporters, editors, photographers and artists! Kathy Foley of the San Antonio Express-News reports that "although Jeanne has only a half-time person working with her in the library, during the past year she has brought up a SAVE library archive system and developed an impressive newsroom Web resources site. The Eagle award recognized her hard work and accomplishments."

Librarians in Ottawa and Toronto have been nominated for Canadian Association of Journalists awards that recognize excellence in outstanding investigative journalism. "A Day of Patronage," nominated in the computer-assisted reporting category, was written by Ottawa Citizen reporters Jack Aubry and Kelly Cryderman with the assistance of Citizen news researcher Liisa Tuominen and Southam News researchers Kirsten Smith and Brenda Thorne. Toronto Star librarians Andrea Hall and Joan Sweeney-Marsh are also nominated for their CAR work on the series "Homicide" written by Michelle Shephard and John Duncanson.

The CAJ has previously only awarded reporters in the computer-assisted reporting category. The winners will be announced May 26 at the CAJ awards banquet and annual conference in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Jacquelyn Cenacviera, Deputy Reference Manager at the Los Angeles Times, was a recipient of the SLA Diversity Leadership Development Award. The award recognizes individuals from multicultural backgrounds who have demonstrated leadership abilities within the library profession and a willingness to take on leadership opportunities within the Association.

News Researcher Carolyn Edds of the San Antonio Express-News used her skill and talent with public records to provide a breakthrough piece of information that was used to expose flaws in the story of Texas preacher Wesley Barrett "Barre" Cox. Carolyn received extensive thanks from the newsroom and was mentioned in a Sunday column by the managing editor.

John Marikos, News Librarian at the Statesman Journal in Salem, Oregon received a research credit for a special section celebrating the 150th anniversary of the newspaper in March. John thanks those "who blazed the trail. I figured if you could get credit, then I could ask for it too. As far as I know, this is the first time this newspaper has given a research credit."

Carol Taylor, librarian at the Daily Camera in Boulder, CO was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Boulder Historical Society. Carol remarks that she is very proud of the appointment: "I am honored to continue the newspaper's link to the historical society, which was founded by the editor and publisher of the Daily Camera in 1944."


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