News Library News Online
Vol. 23, No. 2/Winter 2001

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News Division Honors Leaders
By Ginny Everett

 

The 2001 News Division Kwapil and Henebry award recipients include three News Division leaders who have been described by their colleagues as "the A-Team"; "original thinkers who contribute to the progress of our profession by constantly moving beyond 'the way we've always done it'"; who "have given their time, experience and enthusiasm to the News Division for years"; and "are not only driven to achieve great things for themselves, but also to mentor others in our profession to do the same."

Who are these paragons about to enter the News Division Hall of Fame? They are three of the News division's finest.

Joseph F. Kwapil Memorial Award

Kathy FoleyKathy Foley is the recipient of the Joseph F. Kwapil Memorial Award, given for major achievement in the field of news librarianship and outstanding service to the News Division. Upon hearing that Kathy was to receive the Kwapil, her staff said on newslib, "We benefit daily from her tactical genius, visionary thinking, and just as important, her boundless optimism and energy."

After graduating with a BA in History at the University of Dallas and receiving a MLS degree from Catholic University, Kathy began her professional career as a librarian at the Houston Post in 1974. She was promoted to Assistant Librarian at the Post in 1975. In 1978 she left newspapers briefly to start a library for the Superior Oil Company, but she missed the newsroom too much and returned to the Houston Post later that year as Chief Librarian.

In 1986 she joined the Washington Post as Deputy Director of Information Services and in 1997 joined the San Antonio-Express News as Editor of Information Services. In 2000 she was promoted to Assistant Managing Editor, Online News, Research and Technology.

Throughout her career, Kathy has been a leader in developing research resources and developing and implementing archive systems for news content no matter what its format - text, images, pages or web content. For example, while at the Houston Post, Kathy installed and implemented a VuText text archive. At the Washington Post, she led the team to launch PostHaste (a text archive), and installed a T-One Merlin photo archive. At the Express-News she installed an EyeQ Publisher text archive and in 2001 is installing a NICA/MediaStore digital asset management system for photos.

Her research bona fides are just as impressive, from serving as the president of the Houston Online Users Group to launching a company-wide intranet for the Express-News.

She has shared her expertise - serving as visiting faculty at Poynter Institute seminars for news librarians, speaking at the NPPA Digital Conference, organizing a full day of programming on digital photos for the Pittsburgh SLA conference as well as a digital photo archive workshop at EPW in 1995. She has also spoken on web archives at Interactive Newspapers and on archiving web content at last year's SLA conference.

In addition to numerous speaking and teaching engagements, she served as the News Division Chair-Elect in 1985 and was the planner for the Winnipeg Conference. She served as Division Chair in 1986 and as Awards Chair for the Anaheim conference in 1987. She has served as chair of the News Division Technology Committee, wrote specifications for a digital photo archive and participated with a team of others from the News Division who worked with the Associated Press to establish a strategy for archiving PhotoStream. Kathy received the Agnes Henebry Award in 1991.

Kathy continues to lead the way in bringing her news judgment to bear on the Express-News' web site and we all continue to benefit from her vision.

Agnes Henebry Roll of Honor Award

Charlie Campo of the Bangor Daily News and Teresa Leonard of the Raleigh News & Observer are the recipients of the Agnes Henebry Roll of Honor Award, given for service to the News Division and for participation in Division programs and projects.

Charlie CampoCharlie Campo has been Chief Librarian for the Bangor Daily News in Bangor, Maine since 1980, the year he joined the News Division. After receiving his MLS from the University of Maine, Charlie worked from 1974 to 1980 as head of the Serials Department of the Fogler Library at the University of Maine. He is a past chair of the Maine Academic and Research Librarians Association and has been active in the Maine Library Association and its Special Libraries Group.

Charlie has represented special libraries on the executive board of the Northern Maine Library District and has helped present news library workshops for the New England Newspaper Association.

In addition to serving on numerous News Division committees, Charlie has chaired the Audio-Visual, Nomination and Election Committees. He also has handled the Employment Clearinghouse and he developed the first News Division calendar. As Director of Publications from 1991 to 1993, Charlie collaborated with News Library News editors Elizabeth Haworth and Mona Hatfield.

As Chair-Elect, Charlie was the News Division conference planner for the Montreal conference in 1995. He served as Chair in 1996 and as Awards Chair for the 1997 Seattle conference.

He says he fondly remembers his frustrating but fascinating service as a member of the SLA Division Cabinet Advisory Committee that examined the formation of a proposed Health Sciences Division in 1996.

Fellow New Englander Linda Henderson says: "Charlie has been a friend, mentor and counselor over the years. He is the consummate professional - running the library (and about half of all of the other newsroom support functions) at one of the best small newspapers in the country on a shoestring. I like to think that the Bangor Daily News is so good because they've had Charlie there to keep it on course. He is one of the Division's yeomen and inspires others to do likewise. He is also one of the truly nicest people in our world, but with a wickedly funny streak that he shares on occasion. Even when confronted with life's potholes, he maintains his gentlemanly demeanor and his Maineac good humor."

Fellow Mainer Marcia MacVane says: "When you enter the city of Bangor, the first giant you encounter is a statue of Paul Bunyan. The second giant you will be lucky to encounter is that giant of librarianship, our own Charlie Campo. Known for his giant heart and giant willingness to teach and share his knowledge, Charlie is an example of the best of what makes being a news librarian fun and exciting."

Charlie is known to countless other News Division members as a steady hand, a source of encouragement and a parliamentarian extraordinaire. His latest project has been installing a Merlin text and photo archive and he continues to provide outstanding news research services to his own paper and to share his knowledge with colleagues far afield.

Teresa LeonardTeresa Leonard, Director News Research at The News & Observer, showed early professional interest in newspapers, graduating in 1982 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism. Her first job was as a photographer with a small North Carolina daily newspaper. Her career took a different direction when she enrolled in the UNC-CH School of Library Science, earning her MS in 1987.

While a grad student, Teresa worked as an intern first with Barbara Semonche at the Durham Herald-Sun newspaper library and then with Lany McDonald at The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina. At the 1987 annual SLA conference, Teresa became the News Division's Vormelker-Thomas Student Award recipient.

Almost simultaneously, Teresa accepted a full-time position in The N&O's news research department and plunged directly into supporting the News Division's professional activities and programs. A SLA member since 1985, Teresa has been an active leader in both her North Carolina Chapter and the News Division. She was appointed Chair of the Vormelker-Thomas Student Award Committee and Membership Chair in 1990. In 1991, Teresa was elected Director of Education, and served as Chair-elect in 1995 when she was program planner for the 1996 Boston Conference. She served as News Division Chair in 1997 and as Awards Chair for the 1998 Indianapolis conference.

In addition to serving as a strong, creative leader for the News Division, Teresa has helped coach, educate and support dozens of library science students, reporters and working news research professionals in a variety of ways. She was an adjunct instructor at the UNC-CH School of Information and Library Science and a frequent speaker/lecturer at numerous conferences and workshops (including the Poynter Institute for Media Studies and Investigative Reporters & Editors). She has written substantive articles on computer-assisted research, database development and intranet creation for professional publications and newsletters. For two summers (1997 and 1998), Teresa was coordinator of the Mid-Atlantic News Research Conference held in Chapel Hill, NC. Finally, she has been a mentor to interns. At least one (Susan Ebbs) has been a recipient of the Vormelker-Thomas Student Award. This is about Teresa's past record; her future, however, shows every potential for being even more outstanding.

Other Awards

This year we also honor Debra Bade with the Ralph J. Shoemaker Award of Merit as she leaves the office of News Division Chair. The Award of Merit, signifying service to the News Division, is given in honor of Ralph J. Shoemaker, formerly a librarian at the Philadelphia Public Ledger and Louisville Courier-Journal.

In addition, the division will grant the Vormelker-Thomas Student Award, a $1500 stipend, which will allow the winning student to attend the conference. C.B. Hayden, Director of Research for ABC News, heads the Student Stipend Award Committee.

(Note: Debra Bade is the new contact for Vormelker-Thomas Student Award. Debra.bade@turner.com 3/22/2001)

This year's award committee for the selection of Kwapil and Henebry recipients included Richard Geiger, San Francisco Chronicle; Bob Jansen, Minneapolis Star Tribune; Julie Kirsh, Toronto Sun; Barbara Semonche, University of North Carolina; and Ginny Everett, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chair.

The Awards Banquet will be held this year on Monday, June 11 at the Southwest School of Art and Craft. The School of Art and Craft, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was the home for more than a hundred years to the Ursuline Academy and Convent. A cocktail reception, sponsored by Bell and Howell, will begin at 6:00 on the grounds of the School overlooking the San Antonio River. The banquet will follow in the 19th century French chapel. You will not want to miss the opportunity to honor these News Division leaders in a setting not to be forgotten.


Ginny Everett is the head of the library at the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. You can contact her at geverett@ajc.com. Barbara Semonche contributed to this article.