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

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Kate BirdPeople
By Kate Bird


After 23 years as a news librarian at the Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bridget Janus has moved on. Bridget will be working part-time at a local hospital's foundation in a support job which, she reports "is low-keyed, unhurried with very little responsiblity. I love it". Her replacement has not yet been hired.

Bridget has this to say about the news division: "The best thing about being a news librarian has been the News Division and newslib. I can't begin to thank all those who've made my job so much easier and a lot more fun. And oh those conferences. For the doubting Thomases among my friends, I have attended a lot of sessions but, of course, I've always found time for shopping and partying. Don't worry, I won't be telling conference and suite stories, although some might still wonder why John Cronin and Justin Scroggs were seen in the women's restroom at the Seattle banquet. Oh sure, tell me about the view of Mt. Rainier."

"From my first conference in New York and my welcome by Barbara Semonche in a morning-after suite, I have been privileged to know and work with many of you. I would never have been successful in this career without the support and knowledge given to me by this group."

"So dear friends, as that wise political figure Earl Long of Louisiana once said, "I really think it's wise to retire . . . when you still have some snap left in your garter." Don't worry there's plenty left in mine. Best wishes, Bridget"

Bridget’s new e-mail address is gjanus1@home.com and her home address is 5213 Broadlawn Dr. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403.

Regina Avila has been promoted to the position of Assistant Librarian at The Denver Post. Regina has worked in the Post's library since 1998 and acquired her news expertise by working in a variety of other editorial departments at The Post since 1993. Regina is a graduate of Gordon College in Wenham, Mass. and holds a degree in English. Her particular interests include surfing the Internet and web design. Regina designed and implemented the Post's first live intranet page, "CyberLib," which offers the Post database, Internet links, links to other departments' (yet-to-be-developed) sites, Nexis forms, Quickfacts and a library guide. Regina's bilingual skills are frequently called into play when Spanish-to-English translation is needed.

Indianapolis Star library director Michael Jesse was featured in an article in Editor & Publisher on January 3, 2001. The article, written by David Noack and entitled "Putting Online Newspapers’ Archives Up Front," reports that Michael has "created a new Web site that provides readers with free background information about high-profile news stories, issues, and personalities, while hopefully driving traffic to the newspaper's paid archive database." See the full story at: www.editorandpublisher.com/ephome/news/newshtm/stories/010301n6.htm

Elizabeth Brennan an Information Specialist at ABC News in New York passed away on December 11th after a long battle with breast cancer.

Elizabeth joined ABC News as an Information Specialist in the ABC News Research Center in 1997. Prior to that she had held positions at the Columbia School of Journalism, the Ford Foundation and Newsweek. She received her Bachelor's degree from the State University of New York, Brockport and held a MPA from Baruch College and a MLS from the Pratt Institute. Elizabeth was also the co-author of Who's Who of Pulitzer Prize Winners (Oryx Press, 1999). She is survived by her husband Mark Ripatti and her daughter Molly Brennan-Ripatti.

Elizabeth's passing leaves the staff at ABC News deeply saddened. She will be remembered for her kindness, bravery, vitality, intelligence and love of a good news story. A colleague notes that "Elizabeth will remain in our memories always and for those of us she provided with kittens (half of the News Research Staff) she will be remembered fondly through them".

The Sporting News in St. Louis has promoted Archivist Steve Gietschier to the position of Senior Managing Editor, News Research and Librarian Jim Meier to the position of Senior Editor, News Research. Steve has been with TSN since 1986 with Jim doubling the research staff in 1995.

Editor John Rawlings said in his announcement, "I think it is important Steve Gietschier and Jim Meier be recognized not as archivists or librarians but as editors. Their contributions to our content - from the idea stage in content meetings through every phase of the editorial products - are most accurately described as work of editors… I find Steve and Jim's contributions invaluable in many ways, and these promotions reward their hard work, diligence and creativity, in addition to signifying the way their jobs have already changed and will continue to evolve as we move further into the wired world."

Terri M. Golembiewski, Library Director of the Chicago Sun-Times and a long time member of the News Division, passed away suddenly on January 2, 2001.

In response to the sad news, Diane Logsdon of The Pantagraph in Bloomington, Illinois said: "So sorry to hear about Terri. My symphany to her fellow workers at the Sun-Times. She was a bright star in our rather small group of news librarians in Illinois. She will be missed."

An obituary for Terri M. Golembiewski ran in the Chicago Sun-Times on January 4, 2001 and can be found at www.suntimes.com/output/obituaries/xgole04.html

Cards can be sent to: The family of Terri M. Golembiewski, 11 N. Wheeling Road, Prospect Heights, IL, 60070.


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