News Library News Online
Vol. 17, No.1/Fall 1994

News Library News

Fall 1994

News Division New Members 6/16/94 - 8/31/94
Employment Clearinghouse
Your Ideas Needed for the Small Libraries Conference Program
New Address?
Actions of the Executive Board of the News Division
Call For Nominations
Mark Your Calendar
Treasurer's Report
Creating an Online Card Catalog At USA Today
The Research Desk CD-ROM Network at ABC News
Seybold '94: The Undaunted Publishing Edge
Take Action for Yourself and for Your Library: News Division Education Opportunities in 1994-1995
Call for Photo Archive Specifications/Proposals
People
Notes from the Chair: Let's Get Internetworking
Awards Committee Seeking Nominations
Vormelker-Thomas Student Award
News Division Executive Board & Committee Chairs (1994-1995)
Aside Bar
Pay Attention to the Discussion Now or Lose out: This Is a Short Plea for Your Time and Attention.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.1
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 19

DIVISION NEWS

WELCOME TO THE NEWS DIVISION
NEWS DIVISION NEW MEMBERS 6/16/94 - 8/31/94

Abdulrahman Alhamidi
P.O. Box 914
Riyadh 11421 Saudi Arabia

Susan M. Bernstein
2245 Quebec Way S
St. Louis Park, MN 55426

Robert J. Beluschak
Lee County Planning Div.
2455 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33901
ph: 813-339-6200
fax: 813-339-6202

Terry J. Dean
Univ. of Calif. - Berkeley
Inst Govt Studies
109 Moses Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-2370
ph: 5110-643-6429
fax: 510-642-3020

Anne P. Dontzin
Goodall Wooten
2112 Guadalupe #710
Austin TX 78705

Deborah L Dufresne
518 Willow Dr.
Utica, NY 13502

Marlene S. Heroux
1148 Briarcliff Rd #2
Atlanta, GA 30306
ph: 404-876-1141

Darlene G. Hines
Verity Inc.
1420 Spring Hill Rd #450
McLean, VA 22102
ph: 703-734-1555
fax: 703-734-1250

William P. Hines
Scranton Times-Tribune
Library
149 Penn Ave.
Scanton, PA 18503
ph: 717-348-9140
fax: 717-348-9135

Luba Horvathova
Center Independent Journalism
Freedom Forum Library
9 Sturova
Bratislava Slovakia 81102
ph: 427/322707
fax: 427/322706

Evelyn E. Johnson
Amer. Postal Workers Union
Libr. Info. Ctr.
1300 L St. NW Rm 407
Washington, DC 20005

Janet L. Justis
516 N Person St. #B
Raleigh, NC 27604

Ann W. Lockhart
New York Times Sports Leisure Div.
Golf Library
5520 Park Ave.
Trumbull CT 06611
ph: 203-373-7065

Stephen McAuliff
Telegraph Herald
PO Box 688
Dubuque, IA 52004-0688
ph: 319-588-5770

Christel McCanless
3218 Panorama Dr. SE
Huntsville, AL 35801
ph: 205-536-3458

Hashita A. Patel
Salomon Brothers Intl Ltd
Libr - Victoria Plaza
111Buckingham Palace Rd.
London UK SWIW 0SB
ph: 071/721-2365
fax: 071/721-2860

Marion K. Paynter
Charlotte Observer Library
Box 30308
Charlotte, NC 28232-0308
ph: 704-358-5219
fax: 704-358-5172

Sara W. Pedersen
3 Berkshire
Moraga, CA 94556

Connie S. Pine
P.O. Box 27085
Houston, TX 77277-0805

Yun Song
Los Angeles Times
Editorial Library
Times Mirror Sq.
Los Angeles, CA 90053
ph: 213-237-7798

David M. Tenenbaum
T/One Inc.
Batterymarch Park I
Quincy, MA 02169
ph: 617-328-6645
fax: 617-328-9845

John D. Van Pelt
Christian Science Monitor
Design
One Norway St.
Boston, MA 02115
ph: 617-450-2361
fax: 617-450-7575

Anne E. Withers
109 W Alexandria Ave.
Alexandria, VA 22301

KEYWORDS: MEMBERSHIP

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 19
SOURCE: By Elyse Eisner

DIVISION NEWS

EMPLOYMENT CLEARINGHOUSE

How many of you can say you got your job through your connections in SLA? Every library position I've had since graduation (except for my short stint in Montana), I've gotten through networking within SLA.

Well, the News Division wants to help connect you with the right job. The Employment Clearinghouse helps match employers with job seekers. There is of course no charge for this service.

So far, all the jobs but two that I've heard of have been posted on the Newslib listserv on the Internet. If you have an open position that you are reluctant to advertise just yet, you can contact me and I'll fax you some resumes to look at before you even post the job.

In the past, few members have made use of the Division's employment service. Last year only three people sent in resumes. So far this year I've got five. We would like to advertise the service beyond the division, so that employers who are not currently Division members can avail themselves of the talent in our group. But to do this, we need more resumes. So if you are less than delighted with your present position and thinking of a change, send a resume, along with a note indicating any requirements (geographical, financial, etc.) you have.

To list a position, either post it on Newslib, e-mail it to me at eeisnerix.netcom.com, or US Postal it to me at UMI Information Store, 500 Sansome, Suite 400, San Francisco CA 94111. Mail resumes to me at the same address.

One more thing--when you fill a position that's been posted, or when you find a job and want me to remove your resume from the file, please drop me a note. I hope to be able to tally any success stories at the end of this Division year!

KEYWORDS: EMPLOYMENT

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 18

DIVISION NEWS

YOUR IDEAS NEEDED FOR THE SMALL LIBRARIES CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Small libraries deal with ''not enough'' - not enough time, not enough money, not enough help, not enough respect. Turn these negatives into positives by organizing, prioritizing, using technology to advantage, networking and marketing our services.

This is the theme of the Small Libraries Program which will be held on Wednesday at 1 p.m. during the Montreal conference. Three speakers will focus on the various issues and will include ideas from all of you. So even if you can't make it to conference, you can be a part of the program by sharing your experiences.

If you have practical ideas or projects that turn negatives into positives, please contact Diane Sponsler at the Pantagraph library, 301 West Washington, Bloomington, IL 61701 (phone 309-829-9411, fax 309-829-7000). We'd like to hear from broadcast, magazine and newspaper librarians.

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 18

DIVISION NEWS

NEW ADDRESS?

Have you recently acquired an e-mail address or a fax machine? Does SLA have your correct addresses and phone numbers?

Ginny Everett, the News Division Membership Chair would like to remind you that she will be putting together the new Division membership directory shortly.

You should have gotten a letter from Ginny reminding you to send any changes of address, e-mail address and fax numbers to SLA. Please complete the handy form she sent and mail it to SLA ASAP.

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 18
SOURCE: Submitted by Sherry Adams, Secretary of the News Division

DIVISION NEWS

ACTIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE NEWS DIVISION

The following motions were passed at the Executive Board meeting on June 14, 1994:

The board agreed to continue the Public Relations committee. The board approved a motion that directs the Public Relations committee to appoint a five-year ad hoc committee to plan the 75th anniversary of the News Division, preferably including someone from Minneapolis-St.Paul.

A motion that the board ask Dargan Richards to serve as the Nominations chair passed unanimously.

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 18

DIVISION NEWS

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

The News Division Nominations Committee is seeking nominations for the offices of Chair-elect, Treasurer and Director of Education. Members of the committee are:

Leone Earls, Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Patti Graziano, Cleveland Plain Dealer

Bridget Janus, Cedar Rapids Gazette

Cathy Tierney, Akron Beacon Journal

Dargan Richards, The State (Columbia, SC), Chair

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 18

DIVISION NEWS

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

ASIS Anual Conference: Alexandria, VA October 17-20, 1994

ALA Midwinter Meeting: Philadelphia, PA February 3-9, 1995

SLA Winter Education Conference: Raleigh, NC January 29-31, 1995

Great Lakes Regional Conference: Chicago, IL March 22-24, 1995

IRE: Chicago, IL March 31-April 2, 1995

ASIS Midyear Meeting: Minneapolis, MN May 24-26, 1995

SLA Annual Conference: Montreal, PQ June 10-15, 1995

Canadian Library Association Annual Conference: Calgary, Alberta, June 15-18, 1995

ALA Annual Conference: Chicago, IL June 22-29, 1995

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 18
SOURCE: By Lu-Ann Farrar

DIVISION NEWS

TREASURER'S REPORT

There has been little activity since the conference. We had not received the check from SLA for our conference income by presstime. This check will represent the income from the continuing education course registration fees, minus the conference expenses that the Division incurred. However, due to the diligence of the 1994 conference planners, the Division maintains a healthy bank balance of $3,680, with all outstanding debts paid. In the Winter issue of NLN, you'll see a full accounting from the conference.

KEYWORDS: REPORT

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 16
SOURCE: By Bruce Rosenstein, USA Today

REGIONAL NEWS

CREATING AN ONLINE CARD CATALOG AT USA TODAY

Reading Nicholson Baker's extraordinary 21-page paean to the card catalog (''Discards'', The New Yorker, April 4, 1994), I wondered if he would have felt differently if he had had to type catalog cards every day.

I suspect that he would have been even less enthusiastic if he had had to process cards in the USA Today library before automation. We had to type the cards and produce the sets on a bulky, balky IBM Memory Typewriter.

That became ancient history, however, when we inaugurated our own online book and magazine catalog. It is accessible to anyone in USA Today or our parent company, Gannett, in any city, via our online system.

All of our 5,000-plus book titles and our magazine collection are in the catalog. Users can search by title, author, editor, publisher, call number, subject heading, etc.

Barbara Ellenbogen, library director at USA Today, was the cataloging librarian before I assumed those duties in early 1990. She says that the genesis of the idea for the online catalog came in a discussion with former library director Dorothy Bland. When Bland asked Ellenbogen whether she had a wish list, she said that she would like an online catalog.

Ellenbogen had gotten the idea from the Domino's Pizza library, where she had previously worked. They had an online catalog through a network using DBase III Plus software. The franchisees around the country could dial in and see what books were in the library.

When Ellenbogen saw the typewriter that USA Today was using, ''the machine scared me. I thought it would chop off my hand. It just seemed very labor intensive to me, that in the age of technology we were still having to process cards that way.''

When Ellenbogen replaced Bland as library director, three cataloging options were explored. They were to change the way cards were being generated, use an outside online system or build our own system.

Deciding to build our own system, the first step was to begin using MARCIVE. This freed me up from a lot of the manual labor needed to generate cards. But Ellenbogen's ultimate goal was to make the catalog accessible to the newsrooms through the existing database.

She asked Sam Wenck of Gannett Corporate Systems to work toward that goal. He and his colleague, Ron Schutt, held several meetings with me and, later, with Ellenbogen, to learn exactly how we cataloged books.

Wenck needed to know what our current procedures were, how information was managed and tracked and the overall flow of information in the system. He and Schutt also did a lot of external research, talking to MARCIVE, the Library of Congress and OCLC, among others.

Ellenbogen and Wenck looked at other systems, but ultimately decided to put the catalog on the existing database software, BASIS, which would provide the search engine. It would also, then, make the catalog part of the menu users see when they log into the system.

There were some limitations to using the exisiting system (number of fields, indexed fields, simultaneous users, for example). This required some programming to get the system up and running.

A prototype was developed with a few titles, to see how it worked and what need debugging. Once a format was set, a temp was hired to type in the entries form the actual books on the shelves, not the shelf list.

Wenck designed the system so that entries could be typed in with a minimum of keystrokes, through the use of special codes and repeats for field descriptions, and code numbers for subject headings. There are also secure fields that only some of the library staff can see.

What advice do Ellenbogen and Wenck have for other news organizations considering their own online catalog?

Ellenbogen says it depends on the systems support at the paper. A larger paper will presumable have a larger systems staff that could custom tailor a catalog. But now there is software on the market that a smaller library could buy, such as Q&A database software, that could be used to build a simple catalog for under $500.

Wenck says that a big concern is access. Make sure you can make it as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. He also cautions that this is a labor-intensive project. There is no automated way to get the information into the system. ''Someone has to pull (a book) from the shelf and manually start typing.''

From my perspective, cataloging isn't nearly the chore it once was. A book can be processed in in far less time. I can also quickly track book orders and sources. I know if a book is on standing order and if a book has been donated. Weeding is a relatively simple process.

Nicholson Baker notwithstanding, I wouldn't even think about going back to using a printed card catalog.

KEYWORDS: ONLINE BOOK CATALOGING;

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 14
SOURCE: By Madeline Cohen, Manager and C.B. Hayden,

Supervisor, Computerized Research Services

NEW TECHNOLOGY

THE RESEARCH DESK CD-ROM NETWORK AT ABC NEWS

CD-ROM technology has developed rapidly over the past decade to become a major component in the arsenal of information resources. At the ABC News Research Center, we now have a CD-ROM Network reaching remote users as far away as Washington, D.C., London and Los Angeles. IN this article, we'll try to share our experience with other news organizations considering implementing CD-ROM networks.

The ABC News Research Center has a total staff of fifteen, (ten professional Information Specialists, five clerical assistants) and provides research to six daily and weekly network news broadcasts, other ABC news production and staff departments, selected CapCities/ABC departments, and ABC News bureaus worldwide. Our resources include a broad range of source materials which are used by both staff and users, including CD-ROM and magnetic databases. Online services such as NEXIS, DIALOG, DATATIMES and about twenty other database systems, are searched only by News Research Center staff for users.

The main impetus for setting up a CD-ROM Network came from trying to provide research to an increasing number of users without increasing staff. Over the past five years, ABC News added three weekly magazine shows, and several units producing news specials, videocassettes, and other products. All researchers and production assistants at these units are required to do research to develop stories for air. They depend upon the News Research Center for obtaining whatever information they need. It is up to our staff to advise the show researchers on which sources they should use on their own, and which information must be retrieved for them.

Until late 1993 when our CD-ROM Network was launched, the News Research Center subscribed to a host of CD-ROM databases which were running in stand- alone mode (each database on a single PC.) These databases included the following UMI products: General Periodicals Ondisc, Newspaper Abstracts, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today. Other databases running stand-alone included Newsbank's Los Angeles Times, Books In Print, EBSCO Serials Directory, Facts On File, Grolier Encyclopedia, Microsoft Bookshelf, Selectphone, Phonedisc, American Business Information, and other directory and full-text sources.

The experience we had training users to use CD-ROM databases as part of their own information gathering was invaluable preparation for expanding to a network of CD-ROM databases. Our experience with researcher's requests had taught us that most often their initial research involved a broad-based literature search in major newspapers and periodicals. This was precisely the kind of search that researchers could learn to do themselves. Our staff Information Specialists would provide more specialized information, more current information, or precision searches --anything outside the scope of the CD-ROM databases, or outside the range of capabilities of these databases (or the end-users).

Users had responded very positively to searching for periodical and newspaper articles on CD-ROM, and learned the techniques of basic searching quickly. These sources became so popular that providing enough terminals for multiple-user access in the News Research Center facility and providing remote desktop access was our next challenge.

ABC News management was totally committed to centralizing online searching (NEXIS, DIALOG, DATATIMES, etc.) in the News Research Center, and was convinced that a CD-ROM network would enable our staff to successfully manage increasing demands for research services. Thus, approval for capital expenditures was obtained to purchase the necessary hardware and software.

The plan called for twenty-one CD-ROM drives, one CD server, one remote access fileserver, CD-ROM networking software, database metering software, and any ancillary equipment required. An expansion of the network to twenty-eight CD-ROM drives, and to two remote access servers, was planned for the following year, 1994.

Critical to launching this venture was teaming up with the IS (Information Systems) Group at Cap Cities/ABC. Having their backing from the beginning was essential, for we require ongoing technical support to keep this system running. At the outset, therefore, we met with IS to explain our proposal, and obtained agreement to hire outside consultants to set up the CD-ROM Network.

CD Consultants (Howard McQueen) were selected, and they cooperated fully with IS, and vice-versa. Keeping the communication channels open between all parties is critical to our operation.

Selecting the database sources to put on the network was our next challenge. We decided to offer two or three years worth of several full-text newspapers, and several standard reference sources, so that remote users would be able to quickly obtain newspaper articles, and information they regularly require, without having to visit or call News Research. We did not put UMI's General Periodicals Ondisc on the network because this image database requires its own CD-ROM networking software and a jukebox for the CD-ROM disks--all of which is a major investment for large-volume article delivery, which is not a high priority.

In the 1994 expansion, we added several newspapers, and a magazine indexing/abstracting service with some full text. (See list below of database sources)

Remote access is available to all ABC News show units, and usage is substantial from every department, amounting to over 2000 searches per month. The metering software, APPMETER, tells us how many users have accessed each database. Also, the metering software monitors our license agreements for each database, so we know if we must add more simultaneous users to the license for each database.

We were concerned about the lack of currency on CD-ROM databases, and whether or not users would call our staff for more current information. Another concern has been the quality of searching, and the level of user awareness of the correct sources to use. These issues have underscored the importance of good, regular user training.

Immediately upon launching the CD-ROM Network, C.B. Hayden compiled a GUIDE TO SEARCHING which contained descriptions of each database along with search instructions, and these were given to researchers attending training sessions held at the News Research Center. We continue to train new staff, and give refresher courses regularly as well. We spend approximately four hours per week giving formal training, and additional time is spent by our staff Information Specialists giving ''on the spot'' guidance in searching. We are satisfied that most users acquire at least adequate skills, with some achieving ''power user'' status. A small minority remain very dependent upon our staff for their information. We consider these results good enough to support the continuing growth of the CD-ROM network.

If we had to cite the key benefit of the CD-ROM Network, it would be that our users have become more knowledgeable and sophisticated information gatherers and consumers. They are drawn to us more frequently, armed with more specific and complex questions for our staff.

Finally, there are PR benefits to the CD-ROM Network. We are a ''presence'' in all ABC News offices. New departments from different areas of the company are learning about this resource, and discovering who we are, and what our services can do for them.

Our advice to those embarking on a CD-ROM Network project is learn all you can about the technology. Think carefully about your users and your operation. Plan your network with specific goals in mind. Cooperate with your IS department. Hire consultants if you can. And plan to spend a lot of time on user education.

In conclusion, we think that CD-ROM technology is one of the best ways to enhance your information center's resources, and make your staff more visible and effective.

KEYWORDS: TECHNOLOGY; CD-ROM NETWORK; RESEARCH

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 13
SOURCE: By Alison Head, Library Director, The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, CA

SEYBOLD REPORT

SEYBOLD '94: THE UNDAUNTED PUBLISHING EDGE

Seybold, the publishing industry's newsletter and training leader, held its annual conference in San Francisco September 13-16. Seybold, which was recently purchased by Ziff Davis, has held conferences for the last 14 years focussing on new challenges of the technological world of publishing. New products are often unveiled at the conference and the industry's significant players serve as panelists and course instructors.

The annual Seybold conference is about as cutting edge as the industry gets. Presenters ponder how to resolve the challenges faced by today's publishing industry while touting the promises of tomorrow's future technologies.

This year's conference topics included the problems of bringing color and video to desktop publishing, publishing on the Internet, CD-ROM publishing and other new electronic media that are designed to change how information is produced, distributed and stored.

Despite the impressive scope of the three-day conference, John Schull, of Downtown Anywhere (an Internet publisher) may have best summed up where the publishing industry is headed when he described the dual world of new media development. He told the audience attending the session ''Publishing on the Internet'', that publishing has become ambiguous in nature - some view publishing as the activity of disseminating information while others view the industry as the sale of information.

These contrasting views are two very different ''takes'' on the publishing industry that cause difficulty in defining and attaining mutual goals, let alone making money.

The newspaper industry seems to divide along these lines as well. Publishers are on one side, seeking money-making opportunities to support a dying industry. On the other side, (some) editors and news librarians are trying to get information out to new audiences and to define an online ''community'' and ''content voice'', no matter the cost.

One conference day devoted a track to newspaper publishing. But the presentation on ''Reinventing the Morgue'' (uggh!), that focused on photo archives and the money-making possibilities was largely disappointing. The general consensus about photo archives was that none of the products are where anyone wants them to be.

Eric Meskaukas, Photo Director at The Daily News, cited a photo archive wish list that would include a system with the ability to store, index and retrieve all physical data. It would also store multiple data types, index PDF files, store photos taken but not used, display page views, operate from one terminal that is fast and easy to use and have both CD-ROM and online capabilities. Until that product is developed, he contended, he'll rely on the news library to copy pictures he might want and file them in a manilla folder to pull when he might need them.

The lack of a presence by a news librarian on the panel resulted in only a cursory discussion about the key issues of organization and access and a news librarian's role in the whole archiving process.

Another newspaper presentation, ''The Transition to a Digital World,'' was moderated by David Cole and previewed online newspapers including the Washington Post Extra (due out in December), Access Atlanta, Merc Center and Hotwired (Wired Magazine's Mosaic application on the New, due out later this year). The online products are somewhat predictable and similar to one another at this point, except for the Post's incorporation of photos and Hotwired's use of videos.

Some of the most interesting comments about online papers were elicited from the panel by Cole's questions. For example, online newspapers are labor intensive but just how many people does it take to put one out? The Post has eight to 10 employees, Merc Center has 16 (with three additions planned this year), Hotwired has 22 and Access Atlanta leads the pack with 30 employees.

Another question focused on the projects' biggest challenges. Mark Potts, from the Post, said that their biggest challenge was in making an online product look as little like a newspaper as possible. Chris Jennewein, from Merc Center, said it was remembering to invest in the process and not in building an online product for only one platform. David Scott, from Access Atlanta, said it was understanding the users and for what services they will pay. He added that from an operation standpoint, the challenge was to get people to learn proprietary software. Andy Anker, from Wired, thought that the challenge was just getting a project going and anticipating the next step.

Other presentations, beyond the newspaper track, were broader and dealt with the imperative need to replace the old paradigm (their word, not mine) of publishing with a new one. What that new paradigm is is open to interpretation. However, a few themes recurred: New media must have an emphasis on interactivity and timeliness. The old ''push'' model of information dissemination must change to a ''pull'' mode with possible market segmentation of one individual, if appropriate. New media must be experiential and query-based.

As far as publishing tools, new media techniques must be quick, relevant and allow for readers to be put in charge. Michael Spindler, Apple's CEO, told the group in a keynote speech that the industry must shift away from a heavy emphasis on computer capabilities to one on communication. And formats must be standardized yet flexible for future platforms.

New products that are currently being developed as automated editors for HTML, which is the style code needed to put text into a Mosaic format for the Internet, and as data converters (such as Adobe's new Acrobat 2.0, previewed at the conference) allow for the merging of documents of all types and sources into one readable file.

Overall, the general tone of the conference was that the publishing industry is largely undaunted by the apparent problems that plague them, turning instead to technology as the panacea. Notably absent from this conference, however, was any discussion of the issues of copyright and royalties, thievery in Internet commerce and possible privatization of the Internet.

KEYWORDS: TECHNOLOGY; PUBLISHING; CONFERENCE; REPORT

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.1
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 12

GRAPHICS: DRAWING
SOURCE: By Debra K. Bade, Director of Education

CONTINUING EDUCATION

TAKE ACTION FOR YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR LIBRARY:
NEWS DIVISION EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES IN 1994-1995

RECAP ON THE 1994 NEWS DIVISION CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE IN ATLANTA:

The 1994 CE course, ''The Electronic Landscape: New Products, Methods and Responsibilities'' was a successful one for the News Division. We had a total attendance of 95 people for the event and the revenue generated by the course through registration fees was $14,305.00. Final figures on expenses for the course had still not been tallied by SLA in time for this NLN deadline, but included some equipment charges (greatly reduced thanks to the generosity and support of the staff from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), charges for the luncheon and refreshment breaks, and air fare and hotel expenses incurred for one speaker.

Watch for upcoming Treasurer's Reports from Lu-Ann Ferrar for final figures on the Division's financial status.

I would like to thank again our speakers for their time and for sharing knowledge in their particular areas of expertise: Roger Fidler, Knight-Ridder Information Design Laboratory; Shari Steele, Electronic Frontier Foundation; David Scott, Access Atlanta, Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Earl Casey, CNN; and Kelly Frey, from the Copyright Clearance Center. Also my sincere thanks to the members of the Education Committee for their assistance and support - Ron Larson, Wisconsin State Journal; Marie McKenzie, McKenzie Information Associates; Elizabeth Sullivan, NPR; Ron Wilson, Newsweek; and Sherry Adams, Houston Chronicle.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES?

One of the things I would like to do as the News Division's financial situation becomes more stable again is to find ways to direct at least some of the income from annual CE courses back into other educational programs and projects. This might include regional seminars and events like the Great Lakes Regional Conference or some smaller event happening in your town.

For example, a news librarian might want to host a seminar or reception for library school students to help to broaden their image of what a ''special library'' is. This fund might help to defray the costs.

Or perhaps we could set aside a fund to be used for Division members to attend the SLA Professional Development Course or Middle Management Institute that they otherwise could not afford.

The Finance Committee of the Division has been asked to develop an application form that members will be able to use in requesting financial assistance from the Division for specific programs they would like to sponsor. I hope that once this is in place we will see a flurry of activity which will enhance the overall quality and quantity of educational opportunities available to News Division members.

LOOKING AHEAD

News Division members have a busy year ahead with several opportunities for professional development and networking.

Coming up at the Special Libraries Association Winter Education Conference in Raleigh, NC, January 29-31, 1995, are a number of Continuing Education courses sponsored by SLA headquarters. Course topics will include: Internet, Managing Change, Copyright Law, CD-ROM and Networking.

In March, the News Division will be participating in the Great Lakes Regional Conference, which will meet in Chicago, March 22-24, 1995. The conference hotel will be the Chicago Marriott Downtown, with all meetings currently scheduled to happen there. All-day CE courses will be offered on Wednesday, March 22, with topics including: Internet, Imaging Databases, CD- ROM Networking, Leadership Skills, Competitor Intelligence and Marketing Library Services. The sessions on Thursday and Friday will include keynote speakers each morning with general conference sessions also scheduled for each day.

The Division is contributing a general session entitled ''News Library Research: Resources and Choices for News Librarians on a Budget''. The session will look at how to make the best choices we can in CD-ROM products, online services, etc. when faced with budget constraints - how to get the most bang for the buck.

Friday sessions will be followed by library tours in the downtown Chicago area, which will be organized for conference attendees. A tour of the Chicago Tribune Research Library may be included.

Other general topics to be addressed at the conference include: multi-media libraries; the virtual library; copyright issues; supersearchers; working with your corporate MIS department; consultants; downsizing; and library school education.

Those of you who have time may wish to linger in the Windy City a few extra days and then attend the IRE seminar scheduled for March 31-April 2.

Moving on to June 1995, the News Division will be in Montreal for the SLA Annual Conference. The CE course that I am working on for the conference is ''Leaders in an Electronic Era: Information Specialists = Road Warriers?'' We will look at good what leadership is. Look for more details in the next issue of NLN.

TOPICS OF INTEREST AT THE POYNTER INSTITUTE:

News Research and the Newsroom, December 4-8; News Libraries: Management for the year 2000, February 26-March 3; Computer assisted Journalism, April 2-6; Converging Technologies, May 18-20; Teaching News Research, May 31-June 1.

If you have questions or information about scholarships or educational programming in your area which might be of interest to other news librarians, let me know. You can reach me at CNN Research Library, One CNN Center, Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30348 or (404)827-5833.

GRAPHICS: DRAWING (1) 1. No caption (Woman and man working at a computer terminal)

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 11

AUTOMATION / TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

CALL FOR PHOTO ARCHIVE SPECIFICATIONS/PROPOSALS

Do you have a set of specs or a proposal or a site plan for an electronic photo archiving system? Would you like to share it with other newspaper libraries who may be starting the proposal process?

The Automation/Technology Committee would like to make these available through the News Division Clearinghouse, along with our list of archive vendors.

Please send any proposals/specifications that you are willing to share to Sammy Alzofon, Palm Beach Post Library, 2751 S. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, FL 33405 (407-820-4958) or fax to (407)837-8409. Feel free to delete any proprietary information.

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 08
SOURCE: By Barb Hijek

PEOPLE

ON THE MOVE

Elyse Eisner has switched the color of her SLA Conference badge to vendor yellow and will be greeting you boothside next year. Elyse is the inside sales coordinator for UMI's San Francisco-based Information Store. The Information Store is a document delivery service aquired by UMI in May. Elyse's will be responsible for developing new clients and stroking old clients.

MERGING AT NPR

The librarians at National Public Radio (NPR) have for years been urging upper management to merge the News and Tape Libraries. Finally NRP hired a consultant (Guy St. Clair, former SLA President) who recommended merging the staff and resources. After another year of negotiations the new structure has emerged. Rob Robinson is Senior Librarian, Kee Malesky is head of the Reference Collection and Elizabeth Sullivan is head of the Tape Collection. The merger has permitted the NPR library to increase its hours, services and entrepreneurial activities.

NEW JOBS

New York Newsday has hired Karen McGruder, formerly of the Conference board, as a Librarian. Donna Mendell, an Assistant Librarian, was promoted to Librarian.

The Tampa Tribune has hired two News Librarians - Gail Bray, formerly of the Palm Beach Post, and Stephanie Williamson, a recent graduate of University of South Florida's MLS program and a former assistant producer at several Florida television stations.

Debbie Wolfe, St. Petersburg Times News Researcher, will be dedicated at least halftime to training/instruction of the newsroom staff. Debbie will help staff connect to relevant Internet sources and adapt to the ever-changing electronic landscape.

...CHANGES IN LATITUDE

The Miami Herald has hired Michael Clark as News Researcher. Michael, a former summer intern at the Herald, moved briefly to Idaho but decided that in his own private Idaho experience, the rent was high and the job market limited. So he moved back to Miami. The Herald hired him to fill the role of news library research slot person.

Barbara Gellis Shapiro, formerly of AP in New York, is now working as the Systems/Training Librarian for the Palm Beach Post. One of her primary roles will be training the newsroom on Internet Access.

Carolyn Hardnett, former Director of Library Services at the Baltimore Sun, and more recently Hardnett Enterprises and Emerge Magazine, will bring her considerable talents and over 20 years of library experience to the St. Petersburg Times. Carolyn will begin working at the Times as a News Researcher this October...just in time for the great jacuzzi weather.

BAY AREA AWARD WINNERS

A special congratulations to Marie McKenzie and Bob Britton for winning the San Franciso Bay Regional Chapter's Professional Achievement Award. Along with Zohreh Imam they found sponship (Dialog) and designed a chapter information line and job line for the San Francisco and the San Andreas Chapter using digital voicemail. Rich Geiger was a co-sponsor of the nomination and presented them with awards on September 13th - Rich's birthday.

Bob Britton is now working as a Researcher for People Magazine in the Big Apple. Bob worked the San Francisco Chronicle's library for 6 years and more recently for the Bangor Daily News.

NEW OFFICERS IN THE SUNSHINE STATE

The Florida News Librarians Association (FNLA) has elected new officers for 1994-95. Congratulations to new President Tom Banks (Tampa Tribune), Secretary Dottie Horrocks (Sun-Sentinel) and Membership Chairperson Dolores Jenkins (University of Florida - Journalism School Library).

KEYWORDS: BIOGRAPHY

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 06
SOURCE: By Mary Kate Leming, Chair - News Division Special Libraries

Association

NOTES FROM THE CHAIR

LET'S GET INTERNETWORKING

O.K., I'm finally reading my mail.

Pounds of it from SLA headquarters, megabytes of it from e-mail. Not to mention magazine subscriptions and newsletters.

So, here I sit - at home, on a rainy semi-tropical Sunday (two days past deadline.) I finally got caught-up on my e-mail yesterday at the office (3 hours worth!), and have put finishing touches on a couple of major research projects. The Palm Beach Post library is still short one staff position and we are deeply into vacation time. Sound familiar? Trying to stay on top of the information revolution is exhilarating, but a little bit like trying to tame a hurricane. Here goes:

FROM SLA HEADQUARTERS:

The cover photo of the new SLA board of directors in the July/August 1994 issue of SpeciaList proves that SLA Director, Richard Gieger is heads above the other board members! No offense Donna, he's just taller!

News Division membership has increased 7.81% during the last quarter. 1st quarter membership was 732, 2nd quarter increased to 794. We can now tell prospective members that we have a membership of about 800!

AND NOW, FROM THE NEWS DIVISION (E-MAIL AND OTHER.....)

Several of our Committees have been hard at work. Most of them have reports published in this version of NLN. I would like to give special kudos to Jim Hunter, John Janssen, Julie Kirsh and Kathy Foley of the Automation/Technology Committee for continuing to attempt to tame the hairy beast of Keywords for Digital Photo Archives.

Much is happening to develop standards for electronic transmission of news. This includes still and motion images, international text, archived data and text retrieval. It is critical that the News Division play a role in these developing standards. If you have an interest in this area, please contact me or any of the Tech Committee members ASAP, things are changing fast!

Special recognition also goes to Mona Hatfield for attempting to get feedback for a new and improved News Division membership brochure. The Publication Committee is also thinking about what it might take to create a multi-media membership presentation. Sounds like fun.

The Elections Committee has selected a nominating board. Expect a phone call. Elections are coming soon!

The PR Committee has finished designing letterhead, and will be continuing to badger all of us for submissions to our Clearinghouse.

Ginny Everett is working hard to make sure that internet addresses will be included in our next membership directory expect a letter from Ginny soon!

Elyse Eisner has been doing an excellent job with the Employment Clearinghouse. Be sure to list your openings and resumes with her. It helps us all.

Lu-Ann Farrar continues to birddog the treasury. Things are looking brighter. Many thanks to those of you have offered advice and expertise in this area. The entire division is greatful.

A major tip of the hat to M.J. Crowley for her involvement in the 6th annual NPPA Electronic PhotoJournalism Workshop. (editor's note: M.J. and others who attended will share their experiences in the Winter issue of NLN).

Charlie Campo has been working to pull together what looks like an excellent conference program for Montreal. Please give Charlie a call if you are willing to volunteer with any of the scheduled programs. Working together is what makes our annual conference programs so good. It should be a great conference and the exchange rate is in our favor!

The planning for the Montreal Awards Banquet is underway. Donna Scheeder has selected a wonderful venue.

These are just a few of the things going on within the News Division so far this year. As you can tell, we've been busy. A special thanks to all of you have contributed. Please keep me posted on your interests and concerns.

Now for my e-mail: The last time that I requested deadline column help from the members of the NEWSLIB listserv. I got several suggestions. They include:

1) Publish examples of our expertise at networking. How about a Networking column for NLN? It sounds like a good idea to me. If you'd like to volunteer, please contact Linda Henderson our fearless NLN editor. Excerpts from this column could be used in our membership materials.....

2) I believe that we should begin communicating our expertise as an organization to station managers, managing editors, publishers, producers, etc. If you have ideas or suggestions, please feel free to give me a call.

3) Budget preperation. UGH! Yes, sometimes we need to be reminded that we could use some refresher (or introductory) instruction on the budget process. Would anyone be willing to write an article for NLN on Successful Budgeting? I'm sure it would be well read.

4) How about more discussion of librarians as editorial team members? I know that many of our members are working as integral parts of the news gathering process. How are you doing this? What are the secrets (and possible pitfalls) of this relationship? Please take a few moments and share your expertise with our membership through NLN.

5) How about selling digital photos? Anyone doing this? How is it going? Making any money? Please let us know.

6) Training, training, training. I'm seeing a new use for my past teaching experience! We would all welcome insight and guidence from those of you who are already playing an active roll in the continueing education of your newsrooms.

7) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - Government has been using these systems for some time. Media organizations are beginning to buy into these systems for Marketing, Circulation, etc. How valuable are they for us? If you're using GIS as a part of news research, please share your experiences.

O.K. so what we are really requesting is MORE NETWORKING!

Most of these suggestions have come to me by way of our NewsLib listserv. As all of you who subscribe know, this is a valuable place to exchange information, insight, and humor. But I am suprised and distressed by the number of our members who still do not have internet access. This is why we still need News Library News, a membership directory, and Information and Employment Clearinghouses. Until we are able to get all of our members on ''the net,'' we must be diligent about providing our experience and expertise to these non-net resources.

How can we as a division address universal internet access for our members? Is there a vendor willing to offer free access to a commercial internet provider? Are there internet-savvy members who could as consultants to those are struggling to get connected?

Let's find a solution to getting internet access for EVERY member of our division. Newslib listowner Barbara Semonche has graciously agreed to field all calls, fax requests, smoke signals, and/or telepathic images towards making this a reality. Please give her a call if you are willing to help.

Remember that Information is power - please share.

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 04

AWARDS COMMITTEE SEEKING NOMINATIONS

The News Division Awards Committee is seeking nominations for both the Division awards and for Association awards. Committee members are Donna Scheeder, Chair, John Cronin, Bob Isaacs, Richard Geiger, Agnes McFarlane and Susan Fifer Canby. You may nominate in as few or as many categories as you wish, but all submissions must be accompanied by supporting documentation.

Division awards are:

The Joseph F. Kwapil Memorial Award, which is given for major achievement in the field of news librarianship and for outstanding service to the News Division. It is given to a member who has actively participated in the division's programs and projects for a continuous period of ten years or more.

The Agnes Henebry Roll of Honor, which is given to a member or former member for service to the Division and for participation in Division programs and projects.

The Certificate of Appreciation is given periodically to an individual or institution for outstanding contribution in the field of information science and/or news librarianship.

In addition, you may nominate Division members for the Association awards, which are listed in ''WHo's Who in Special Libraries''. These nominations must be to the committee by November 25th.

Please mail your nominations to Donna Scheeder, CRD LM215, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, 20540-7420 or fax to 202-707-1833.

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 04

AWARDS

VORMELKER-THOMAS STUDENT AWARD

Applications are being accepted for the 1995 Vormelker- Thomas Student Award, given annually by the News Division. The award, cosponsored by University Microfilms, Inc., offers a $1,500 stipend that will enable a graduate student interested in news librarianship as a career to attend the 1995 SLA conference in Montreal.

The News Division encourages graduate students in library science and journalism to explore careers in news librarianship. Our programs at the annual SLA conference provide opportunities to meet and exchange ideas with professionals in the news library field, to visit news libraries and to learn of new developments in the field.

The News Division conference programs and activities in Montreal will include:

* An information bazaar offering everything you ever wanted to know about news libraries.

* How to get the most bang for your research buck.

* Newsroom training.

* Deadline coverage during disasters,

* Geographical online resources.

1995 SELECTION CRITERIA

1. Applicants must be members of SLA at the time of application. To get information about membership, contact SLA at 202-234-4700.

2. Applicants must be graduate students interested in news librarianship as a career.

3. Applicants must be attending their first SLA conference.

4. Applicants will be judged on the basis of a typewritten essay (500-1000 words) addressing a current issue in news librarianship.

5. Applications should include a letter of reference from a news librarian, news editor or a faculty member.

6. Applications should be accompanied by a resume, including a list of coursework undertaken and a statement of professional goals. The applicants should also include a statement on what he/she expects to gain from attending the conference.

7. Applications must be postmarked no later than February 15, 1995 to:

Barbara Ellenbogen
USA Today Library
1000 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22229

The winner will receive a check prior to the conference in June. The division reserves the right not to award the stipend if there are no suitable applicants.

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 02

NEWS DIVISION EXECUTIVE BOARD & COMMITTEE CHAIRS (1994-1995)

Chair:

Mary Kate Leming, Palm Beach Post, West Palm Beach, FL, 407/820-4498; CompuServe 76666,151; Internet hwmp07a@prodigy.com

Chair-elect:

Charlie Campo, Bangor Daily News, Bangor, ME, 207/990-8160

Secretary:

Sherry Adams, Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX, 713/220-7312

Treasurer:

Lu-Ann Farrar, Lexington Herald-Leader, Lexington, KY, 606/231-3335

Director-Education:

Debra Bade, CNN, Atlanta, GA, 404/827-1125

Director-Publications:

Mona Hatfield, The Advocate, Baton Rouge, LA, 504/388-0327; CompuServe 76477,756; Internet mgh@well.sf.ca.us

Director-Awards:

Donna Scheeder, Congressional Reference Service, Library of Congress, 202/707-8939

COMMITTEES:

Archives and History, M.J. Crowley, Philadelphia Newspapers

Automation-Technology, Kathy Foley, Washington Post, and Julie Kirsh, Toronto Sun

Bylaws, TBA

Broadcast, Carol Ashurst, CTV, Toronto

Elections, Richard Ploch, Washington Post

Employment Clearinghouse, Elyse Eisner, Dublin, CA

International Relations, Phyllis Lyons, Freedom Forum

Membership, Ginny Everett, Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN

Nominations, Dargan Richards, State-Record, Columbia, SC

Publicity-Public Relations, Elizabeth Haworth, Columbia, SC

Small Libraries, Diane Sponsler, The Pantagraph, Bloomington, IL

NEWS LIBRARY NEWS STAFF

MANAGING EDITOR: Linda Henderson Providence Journal 401/277-7887 libpjbdelphi.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

CHANNELS:

Carol Ashurst, CTV Television, Toronto

Leone Earls, CBC, Toronto

PEOPLE:

Barbara Hijek, Tampa Bureau St. Petersburg Times Tampa, FL

BUSINESS EDITOR:

Gay Nemeti, Advertising-New Accounts The Miami Herald, Miami, FL 305/376-3403

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 02
SOURCE: Linda Henderson

ASIDE BAR

Welcome to my inaugural issue as managing editor of News Library News. Those of you who warned me that putting one of these guys together was hard work were right. But those who said that it could be fun and a great way to meet others in the Division were also right.

Mona, of course, took the latter tack when she asked me to take over this job. She also promised that she'd be there to help me through any rough spots and to answer any questions. She is as good as her word. Thanks, Mona.

I'd also like to thank all of you who have offered to contribute articles, who have given me ideas or who have just been on the other end of the phone when I needed to whine about missed deadlines and prepublication nerves.

Now I need more help. Are there big topics in our profession that you would like us to address - either in an entire issue or with one good article? Are there regular features that you would like to see? This is your newsletter, help me to make it as useful to you as possible.

I am looking forward to hearing from all of you.

END OF DOCUMENT.

To the top.

NEWS DIVISION of the SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

ARCHIVES INDEX

DATE: SUNDAY March 13, 1994
CATEGORY: NEWS LIBRARY NEWS 1994 Vol.*XVII*No.4
EDITION:*FALL*
PAGE: 01
SOURCE: By Jim Hunter

AUTOMATION / TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

PAY ATTENTION TO THE DISCUSSION NOW OR LOSE OUT
THIS IS A SHORT PLEA FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION.

The Automation and Technology Committee is about to spawn itself into a number of standing subgroups. Technology is so ubiquitous in our profession, it is unrealistic for one committee to stay on top of every new development. Some automation related problems really require long term study and commitment.

Included in this issue of NLN is a short survey from the Automation and Technology Committee requesting guidance from you as to where we should be placing our efforts. This group collects data, deals with vendors, produces publications and presents programs at conference each year.

Please take a few minutes to complete and return the survey. Your voice in this matters very much since technology affects us all large and small libraries alike. - Jim Hunter

The Automation & Technology Committee has been asked to contribute to the IPTC standard in field 25:2, or the keyword field you see on the AP Picture Desk. If we do this and do it well there will be further opportunities for the News Division to shape other fields and effect how news and images are stored and transmitted. If we fail to contribute now, we may not get another opportunity and may not like what someone else develops for us.

There are additional complications in the works. The AP Picture Desk is changing very quickly. AP is ready to beta test its new 486 based client server. This means first of all that the proprietary Leaf stations are now obsolete and the Picture Desk will run on ethernet. You also won't need those $6,000 Leaf cards for each MAC.

In the near future the AP GraphicsNet will disappear. Graphics will be transmitted directly to the Picture Desk. AP is looking at transmitting stories the same way, which means that they need standards, fields, and keywords to perform information management on what they call ''news event packages''.

In other types of libraries, digital image handling, classification and retrieval have become significant issues. For exampne, art & architecture libraries are well along in developing standards and classification schemes.

News librarians need to join in these efforts to set standards, develop common storage and retrieval mechanisms, and promote high speed image searching across what may be a virtual library. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE HERE?

The Automation & Technology needs your help, input and advice. We really need News Librarians to join us in a very long term commitment.

We need to expand the basic keyword list that we created and make it useful not only to news libraries, but to commercial photo houses, vendors and other institutions, as well. We need to think about coding this list numerically, translating the list into other languages, and synonym construction.

We also need to determine whether or not this list can function in SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language), which some people think is part of our future. We need to work with the NAA/IPTC committee to foster these classification standards, work within their plans and obtain from this body, additional fields for use in the architecture of our archives.

Given the fact that soon - within three years - hundreds of newspapers will be archiving thousands of images each day, newspapers collectively will represent the largest image archive in the world. And AP will be small potatoes.

Doesn't it make sense to speak the same language?

KEYWORDS: TECHNOLOGY; IMAGE ARCHIVING; PHOTO; COMMITTEE


News Library News
SLA News Division Home

The page was reformatted on 12/07/2003. The content, including URLs and contact information, on this page has not been updated to preserve the historical record.

Comments about News Library News should go to the editor.
Comments about the Web site should go to the Webmaster: newsdivisionweb@yahoo.com