A Day in the Life: Jill Ford

This account was written for the MidAtlantic News Research Conference on July 18-19, 1997.

Jill Ford
News & Record
Database and Archive Manager


Thursday, July 10

I usually get to the office around 8:00am.  This gives me about 30 minutes
to get organized before everyone else starts coming in.
I check my  voice mail for messages, and my in box for mail that may have
arrived late the day before.
I am leading the Technology Team meetings this month, and I leave for my
meeting which begins at 8:30am.   Our weekly morning meeting is just an
information share.  The team is comprised of representatives from News,
Systems Services (MIS),  Business (Business manager), Infinet,
Advertising and me - representing database and marketing systems.  Today we have
invited the team leader for our new Imaging Department to update us on their
activities.  

By 9:15 I am back upstairs, and I stop by the library to check-in.  My
Library Director is retiring in August, and we talk about the interviews
we've had for a part-time position, his retirement, and some training we
need to schedule.  

The library is next door to my database marketing team, so I stop in and
get an update from this team next.  Larry  informs me about the problems we
are having getting the vehicle registration database from the State, and we
discuss 3 advertising projects that are in the works.  Toni stayed late
last night running our subscriber update files, and notifies me she will be
attending a circulation retreat from 12 noon to 5pm.  She's hoping they
will be able to reach consensus about circulation marketing projects we will
work on for the next 3 months.  I also get their ideas about the database
marketing training I will be doing this afternoon for the sales staff.

When I get back to my office a sales rep is waiting, and I spend 30
minutes helping her with a database proposal for our coliseum.  Then my boss stops
by and wants an update on our selection process for a new database system.  I
spend the rest of the morning preparing for our database marketing project
team meeting tomorrow.  I pulled together all the information we've
received from vendors, develop a matrix to evaluate the systems, call our technical
representative to remind him to bring some expense information with him to
the meeting.  I also start the outline for my report since my boss just
informed me he needs it Tuesday morning to take to the Divisional
Leadership Team.  I find out we can't install the next upgrade on our circulation
system until we decide on our new database system.  This will save us
paying to have extracts written twice.

After lunch, my marketing coordinator asks for my help with some computer
problems.  Apparently the tech guys installed Windows 95 on his system,
and he can't locate our advertising presentation software on his desktop, and
is having trouble with his e-mail and co-op system.  

At 1:30pm I'm off to another Technology Team meeting.  This is our
"regular" bi-monthly meeting where we discuss key topics related to systems.  Today,
we hear a presentation on front end systems from the group that attended
NEXPO.  I leave before the meeting is finished because I am presenting
database marketing training to our sales staff at 2:30pm.  

After the training which ends at 4:00,  I go back to my office.  I have a
lot of e-mail messages.  Mostly from our sales automation team.  I'm the
sponsor of the team, and the homework assignment I gave them Tuesday  was to
e-mail me a proposal, or something off the net.  After I respond to their
e-mails, I send a message to the sales managers involved in sales automation,
requesting a meeting Friday to discuss our team measures, meeting frequency and
training issues for the team.

My marketing coordinator stops by and we discuss his trip to Boulder next
week for training on our sales presentation software - Immediate.  The AD
Director gave us the go ahead to do some mailings to our contract
advertisers outlining the free services we provide.  Mike and I discuss the format,
the creative, and timing of the mailings.  We agreed to get back together when
he gets back from his trip.

I process a few bills I've collected over the last few days, gather some
reading materials and the file of applications we've received for our
opening in the library --- and GO HOME.  It's been a busy day,  but not too bad.
  Definitely a typical "Day in the Life."


A Day in the Life
SLA News Division Home

Last Updated: 09/16/02
Amy Disch
Send comments or suggestions to newsdivisionweb@yahoo.com