This account was written for the MidAtlantic News Research Conference on July 18-19, 1997.
Ginny Hauswald Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal News Library Manager's Day, July 11 My habit is to thoroughly read the paper at home so I don't have too many surprises when I get to work at 8:30 a.m. First on the agenda is talking with the marker about any problem stories, graphics I've noticed. Then I begin checking system messages: voice mail, e-mail, Atex and Mac network. 9:00 a.m.--Selective search of AP Leaf Desk for all images designated for our temporary archive program. The temporary archive was started to relieve to space problems on the Leaf Desk. When a photo will not be used for several days or even weeks, we make a copy and store it on an optical disk that holds folders for each of the assigning news desks such as metro, state, features, business. The images are marked, copied to disk and compressed. Once a week a copy of the contents of each folder is distributed to the assigning editor to keep him aware of the photos he is holding and to sign off on photos that may be deleted. Answer phones, handle research and photo requests. 9:30-10:15--Editor's morning budget meeting. 10:15-10:30--Meet with photo chief to work on business plan for marketing photo sales. 10:30-11--Check messages, answer mail, pay bills and update my purchasing databases. 11:20-Noon--Write rough draft of photo marketing plan. Make list of additional questions for photo chief. Noon-12:20--Meet with features editor about more efficient handling of mountain of movie and music photos, slides we receive each week. 12:20-12:50--Memos to library staff, photographers, fill copyright permission request. Work with caller who is unable to locate recent stories on our web site archive. Lunch 2--Check messages. Review new photo and clip file database entries. Check Extensis web site for update news. Call Extensis and learn update delayed additional 2 weeks. Call systems information manager and request immediate addition of Fetch on new Mac since we are now almost two months behind in searchable archiving. (Learned at SLA Seattle conference that our archiving system problem is happening because we have filled it to its limit). Find and send more date specific information to our promotions director for the weekly page he produces commemorating the paper's centennial this year. 3:20--Research request for business editor, property tax records search for reporter. 3:30--Night-side librarian arrives. Bring him up-to-speed on tomorrow's stories, photos. Sort transfer and trash appropriately recently inherited 1950s-1985 photo negatives salvaged from a little used storage area. 4:45--Check with business editor after the 4:15 news budget meeting about additional research 6:00--It's been a fairly typical Friday, less hectic than most because so many folks are on vacation. Head home.
A Day in the Life
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Last Updated: 09/16/02
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