News Library Staffing Survey 1997

The following information is from a survey performed in November, 1997.  Circulation figures not provided are taken from the 1997 Editor and Publisher International Yearbook.  Thanks to all who participated.   If you have any questions or would like your news library to be included please e-mail me at jgraveline@prodigy.net or Carolyn Edds at riverat@afn.org. To view the 1995 staffing survey, click here

Jeff Graveline, News Researcher/Librarian
The Tuscaloosa News
 
 
Time Inc. (New York City, New York)
 
Time Warner
Web page - We have internet page, and we supply content to Pathfinder, our Time Inc. magazine presence, also to various corporate internet sites.
The Research Center, Time Inc.
Circulation - various magazines(Time, Fortune, Life, Instyle, etc) at various levels of circulation
 
 
Total Staff - 50 on staff with a full time equivalency of 42
32 people do professional work, 8 are high-level paraprofessionals, and 10 are support staff.
 
Titles are:
Director
Assistant Director
Internet Specialist
Database Manager
Business Information
Manager
Central Research Manager
Administrative Assistant
Research Librarian
Senior Research Assistant
Research Assistant
Database Librarian
Database Assistant
Cataloger, Archivist
Library Clerk
Editorial Clerk.
 
 
U.S. News and World Report (Washington, DC)
 
U. S. News and World Report, LP
http://www.usnews.com
Library and Information Services
Circulation - 2.2 million weekly
 
Total Staff: 23
 
Reference: 9 fulltime (including the Assistant Director and the government information manager, who also writes a feature) and 1 halftime reference librarian.
 
Index: 1 Index editor/database administrator, 1 indexer/abstractor, 1 halftime database preparation clerk.
 
Technical services: 1 Print collection manager, 1 acquisitions librarian, 1 ILL/document delivery librarian, 1 subscription coordinator (for company), 1
library clerk (library subscription management, check-in routing; also circulation, shelving, etc.), 1 library technician (halftime).
 
Photo library: 1 supervisor, 1 full-time and 1 halftime photo library assistant (catalog, file, answer queries)
 
1 administrative assistant (helps in reference and supports budget/finance)
 
1 Director
 
We provide research support for contributing writers as well asstaff. We manage the book, subscription, newspaper and wire budgets for the news department. We negotiate agreements with commercial vendors of our magazine. We participate in the magazine's online ventures, from planning to ongoing operations.
 
Although we are definitely a part of the editorial department, unlike most newspapers, we provide support for marketing and advertising, as well as other departments, whenever we can and whenever it does not interfere with our editorial mission
The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland)
 
Tribune Company
http://www.sunspot.net
Library and Information Services Department
Circulation - 367,000(m-sat); 482,000(S)
Total Staff - 12
Library
1 Full time Director, Library and Information Services (strategic oversight of research, resources, and staff)
1 Full time Assistant Director, Collection Management (manages resources, staff)
4 Full time Librarian I (professional position: research, database development, training, Intranet)

1 Photo/Graphics Librarian (electronic archiving, photo collection maintenance)
5 Full time Collection Development Librarians (database archiving, indexing, preservation, etc.)

ABC News (New York, New York)
 
ABC Incorporated; A division of the Walt Disney Company
http://www.abcnews.com
ABC News Research Center
Total Staff - 20
1 Full time Manager, Research Center and Information Services
1 Full time Supervisor, Online Information Services
1 Full time Supervisor, Research Services
9 Full time Information Specialists
1 Half time Information Specialist
6 Full time Research Assistants
1 Half time Research Assistant

Professional - 12.5 ; Support - 6.5

USA Today
 
Gannett Co.
http://www.usatoday.com
Library & Research Service
Total Staff - 22
17 Full time Librarians
5 Part time Librarians
1 Director
1 Assistant Director
1 Library Coordinator
1 Administrative Services Librarian
14 FT librarians
4 PT librarians
<
We also have a fee-based service to the public and a copyright permissions office.
The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina)
 
McClatchy Newspapers group
http://www.news-observer.com - newspaper website
http://www.ibiblio.org/slanews/intranets/nerdpage/ - sample of their intranet page
News Research Department (NRD)
Circulation- daily: 150,951 ; Sunday: 202,913
 
Total Staff - 19
12 Full time
7 Part time
 
NRD includes a fee based research and republishing operation; provide computer assisted reporting for the newsroom
The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas)
 
A. H. Belo Corporation
http://www.dallasnews.com
Reference Department
Circulation - 478,181(m); 601,744(m-f); 564,124(m-sat); 785,934(S)
Total Staff - 12 Full time; 5 Part time
Total Staff - 17
1 Full time Reference Editor
4 Full time Research Librarians
1 Full time Office Manger
1 Full time Senior Librarian - Text Database Manager
1 Full time Senior Librarian - Photo Database Manager
4 Full time Library Specialists
5 Part time Library Assistants
The San Diego Union-Tribune (San Diego, California)
 
Copley Newspapers
http://www.uniontrib.com (SignOn San Diego)
Library
Circulation - 372,081(m); 372,081(m-sat); 450,984(S)
Total Staff - 15
1 Full time Library Manager
1 Full time Research Supervisor
1 Full time Secretary
13 Full time Librarians (2 in photo library)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri)
 
Pulitzer Publishing Company
http://www.stlnet.com/postnet
News Research Department
Circulation - daily - 322,000 ; Sunday - 539,000
Total Staff - 14
1 Full time Library Director
1 Full time Assistant Library Director
1 Full time Photo Library Graphics Coordinator (early 1998)
10 Full time librarians
1 Part time clerical position (30 hours per week)
 
Four members of the library staff have MLS degrees ; Two other librarians have masters in other fields ; Eight of the ten librarians have college degrees of one type or another.
The San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California)
 
The Chronicle Publishing Company
http://www.sfgate.com
Library
Circulation - 486,977 (m); 459 ,637 (m-sat); 633, 513 (S)
Total Staff - 14
1 Full time Library Director
2 Full time Assistant Head Librarians
9 Full time Librarians
1 Part time librarians (30 hours per week)
1 Full time Knowledge Engineer
 
Staffed 24 hours, Sunday, 9am through Saturday, 5pm.
The Toronto Sun (Toronto, Ontario)
 
Sun Media Corporation group
http://www.canoe.ca/Sunlib
The Toronto Sun News Research Centre
Circulation - daily: 228,731 ; Sunday: 403,118
Total Staff - 14
10 Full time
4 Part time
 
Toronto has three competing dailies and one daily financial; the Toronto Sun used to have the "smallest" newspaper library of the four but now has the largest; they operate revenue generating services such as calendar sales, royalties, public research service, etc.; they have an Intranet and corporate database (SAVE system) that includes all of the Suns (Edmonton, Calgary, Ottowa, Toronto and The London Free Press.
The New York Times (New York, New York)
 
The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com
Editorial Reference Library
 
Circulation - daily: 1,071,120 ; Sunday: 1,652,800
Total Staff - 11
9 Full time researchers/librarians
1 Part time clerk
1 News Research Manager
The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, California )
 
Freedom Communications, Incorporated
http://www.ocregister.com
News Research Center
Circulation - 353,812 (m); 353, 812 (m-sat); 415,553 (S)
Total Staff - 11 (4 have MLS and 1 has PhD)
1 Full time Director of News Research
6 Researchers
2 Research Assistants
2 Part time in the InfoStore (a different department supervised by the Dir. Of News Research)
Springfield Union-News & Sunday Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts )
 
Newshouse
No web site
Library
Circulation - 98,303 (m); 93,303 (m-sat); 147,021 (S)
Total Staff - 10 or 11
1 Full time librarian
2 Full time staff assistants
6 Part time staff assistants
1-2 Interns
Dayton Daily News ( Dayton, Ohio)
 
Cox Newspapers
http://www.library.activedayton.com
Library
Circulation - daily: 158,295 ; Sunday: 211,698
Total Staff - 9
5 Full time employees
4 Part time employees
The Kansas City Star ( Kansas City, Missouri)
 
Knight-Ridder Inc.
http://www.kcstar.com
Library
Circulation - daily: 279,305 ; Sunday: 416,812
Total Staff - 9
1 Full time Library Director
1 Full time Research Specialist
1 Full time Electronic Photo Indexer
2 Library Assistants
1 Nightside supervisor
3 Electronic indexers
 
Index from 10pm-6am so electronic copy is available at the same time as the hard copy (in the morning); the library does not supply the web page, as the web articles are treated as living documents while the electronic library is the copy of the record.
National Public Radio
 
http://www.npr.org
Reference Library; Broadcast Library; Music Library; Spoken Word Library
Circulation - 25 million listeners
Total Staff - 9
2 Full time Reference Librarians
1 Part time Reference Librarian
5 Full time Broadcast Librarians
1 Full time Music Librarian
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, North Carolina)
 
Knight Ridder
http://www.charlotte.com (newspaper web site but you can get to the library from there where you can search articles and download articles for a fee)
Library
Circulation - daily: 236,050 ; Sunday: 301,412
Total Staff - 8
1 Full time Library Director
1 Full time Librarian
1 Full time Photo Librarian
4 Part time Library Assistants[researchers/enhancers] (20 hours per week)
1 Part time Library Clerk/Filer (10 hours per week)
Savannah Morning News (Savannah, Georgia)
 
Morris Communications Corp.
http://www.savannahnow.com
Research Hub
Circulation - daily: ; Sunday:
Total Staff - 2
1 Head News Researcher
1 Assistant News Researcher
Not presently open to the public but we do take some requests for information. We will be electronically archiving sometime before the end of the year.
The Morning Call Newspaper (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
 
Times Mirror Company
http://www.mcall.com
Library
Circulation - 127,550(m-f); 142,882(sat); 174,401(S)
Total Staff - 8
4 Full time Librarians
1 Full time Library Assistant
2 Full time Library Clerks
1 Part time Library Clerk
Rocky Mountain News (Denver, Colorado)
 
Scripps Howard
http://www.InsideDenver.com
Editorial Library
Circulation - daily: 316,910 ; Sunday: 406,473
Total Staff - 8
3 Full time Librarians
1 Full time Library Director
1 Full time Assistant Library Director/Reference and Research Librarian
1 Full time Photo Librarian
2 Full time Library Assistants
1 Full time Text Database Assistant
1 Full time Text and NewsQuest Assistant  NewsQuest is their revenue generating public service)
3 Part time Library Assistants (30 hours, 30 hours, 24 hours) - shared responsibilities as Text Database Assistants, Photo Assistants and Evening coverage.
 
Weekend coverage is focused on text and photo processing not research assistance; emergency research requests require that either the Library Director or Assistant Director be contacted at home; they also staff holidays with the same philosophy; NewsQuest has allowed for the addition of the 24 hour position and must pay for the staff member or they will lose the position.
The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio)
 
http://www.dispatch.com
Editorial Library
Circulation - daily - 262,000 Sunday - 405,000
Total Staff - 7
1 Full time Chief Librarian
1 Full time News Researcher
5 Full time Library Assistants
Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan)
 
Knight-Ridder
http://www.freep.com
http://www.auto.com  
http://www.yakscorner.com
Library
Circulation - Daily (M-F) 384,624 ; Saturday - 620, 374 (jointly with Detroit News) ; Sunday - 829,178 (jointly with Detroit News)
Total Staff - 7
1 Full time Coordinator of Library Technology
1 Full time Coordinator of Library Research
3 Librarians
2 Library Clerks
The Press-Enterprise/The Business Press (Riverside, California )
 
A. H. Belo Corporation
http://www.pe.net
http://www.press-enterprise.com/news/ (web edition)
Library (also News Library and Editorial Library)
Circulation - 162,551 (m-s); 170,748 (S)
Total Staff - 7 Full time (1 MLS, 2 Mas, 3 Bas, 1 substantial college)
1 Full time Library Director
1 Full time Assistant Director
1 Full time Photo Librarian
4 Full time Librarians
 
also 1 Part time photo department clerk who works in conjunction with library
The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
 
E. W. Scripps
http://www.gomemphis.com
The Commercial Appeal News Library
Circulation - 206,028(m-f); 200,159(m-sat); 259,386(S)
Total Staff - 6
4 Full time Librarians (with MLS degrees)
2 Full time Library assistants
The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California)
 
McClatchy Newspapers
http://www.sacbee.com/
Editorial Library
Circulation - daily - 276,758 ; Sunday - 346,261
Total Staff - 6
1 Full time Research Manager (Library Director)
5 Full time Library Assistants

Two library staffers have MLS degrees

San Antonio News-Express (San Antonio, Texas)
 
Hearst Newspapers
http://www.express-news.net
News Research Center
Circulation - 2276,226(m-f), 273,103(m-sat), 374,425(S)
Total Staff - 6
1 Full time Editor, Information Services
1 Full time Assistant Editor, Information Services
1 Full time News Researcher
1 Full time Photo Librarian/News Researcher
1 Full time Database Librarian
1 Full time clerical position
The Boston Herald (Boston, Massachusetts)
 
Privately owned
http://www.bostonherald.com (no daily news content at present)
Library
Circulation: 284,794(m); 229,733(m-s); 196,442(S)
Total Staff - 5
1 Full time Librarian (MLS)
1 Full time Chief Librarian (MLS)
2 Full time Library Associates (1 with MLS)
1 Part time Library Associate
The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
 
The Oklahoma Publishing Company
http://www.connectok.com (archives are on this site also)
Information Center
Circulation - daily - 212,000 Sunday - 307,000
Total Staff - 5
1 Full time Information Center Manager
1 Full time Information Center Assistant Manager
3 Full time Information Specialists
 
Assistant Manager is currently also acting as the photo specialist but they hope hire additional person next year to fill this position
Titles are misleading because everyone does everything
Greensboro News and Record (Greensboro, North Carolina)
 
Landmark Communications Inc. group
http://www.greensboro.com/nronline
Information Center
Circulation - daily: 90,635 ; Sunday: 118,831
Total Staff - 5
1 Full time Information Center Manager
1 Full time Photo Archivist/Researcher
1 Full time Text Archivist/Researcher
1 Full time Database Analyst
1 Part time text enhancer
Portland Press Herald & Maine Sunday Telegram (Portland, Maine)
 
Guy Gannett Communications
http://www.portland.com (newspaper) and library web site coming soon
Library
Circulation - daily - 50,000; Sunday - 124,000
Total Staff - 5
1 Full time Reader Services Manager (Library Manager)
2 Full time Library Assistants
2 Part time Library Assistants (22.5 hours per week)
Open to the public Tuesday-Thursday 1-4 p.m.
The Providence Journal-Bulletin & The Providence Sunday Journal (Providence, Rhode Island)
 
A. H. Belo
http://www.projo.com (newspaper)
http://www.projo.com/newsweb
News Library
Circulation - daily - 170,000 ; Sunday - 240,000
Total Staff - 5 (+1 temporary)
1 Full time Professional
4 Full time Library Assistants
1 Temporary to help edit the annual Rhode Island Almanac
 
Supports news staff of about 300; some public service via telephone
Winston-Salem Journal (Winston-Salem, NC)
 
Piedmont Publishing Company, Inc. : A Media General
company
http://www.JournalNow.com
News Library
Circulation - 92,000 (m-s); 102,000 (S)
Total Staff - 5 (1 on-call position vacant)
5 Full time library staff members
The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts)
 
The Christian Science Monitor Publishing Society
http://www.csmonitor.com
Library
Circulation - 78,233 (m)
Total Staff - 4
1 Full time Librarian
1 Full time Researcher
1 Full time Research Assistant
1 Full time Photo Archivist
 
Not open to the public but other papers may call
The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California)
 
The New York Times Company
http://www.pressdemo.com
The Editorial Library
Circulation - 92,940 (m); 92,940 (m-sat); 102,726(S)
Total Staff - 4
4 Full time library staff members
The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington)
 
Cowles Publishing Company
http://www.VirtuallyNW.com (Virtually Northwest)
Newspaper Reference Library
Circulation - 118,555 (m-sat); 146,623 (S)
Total Staff - 4
4 Full time readers
 
Text archive (SAVE system) from July 1994; Digital archive (Leaf preserver); Microfilm to 1880’s and clipping to 1920’s and 1930’s; fee based research via phone requests
Springfield News-Leader (Springfield, Missouri)
 
Gannett Corporation
No web site
Information Center
Circulation - 69,000 daily, 102,000 Sunday
Total Staff - 3
1 Full time Information Specialist/Information Center Coordinator
2 Part time library assistants
Anchorage Daily News (Anchorage, Alaska)
 
McClatchy Newspaper Group
http://www.adn.com/ (archives not yet available on web)
Library
Circulation - 82,124 (m-fri); 71,934 (sat); 92,310 (S)
Total Staff - 3
2 Full time Librarians (with MLS degrees)
1 Part time clerical position
Corpus Christi Caller-Times (Corpus Christi, Texas)
 
Scripps Howard Newspapers
http://www.caller.com
Library (to public) ; News Research Center (in house)
Circulation - 64,819(m); 64,819(m-sat); 88,108(S)
Total Staff - 3
1 Information Services Editor
2 News Researchers
El Paso Times (El Paso, Texas)
 
El Paso Times, Inc.
No web site
Information Center
Circulation - 69,000 (m-sat); 102,000 (S)
Total Staff - 3
1 Full time Information Specialist/Information Center Coordinator
2 Part time library assistants

Began electronic archiving one year ago using DiGiCol for archiving text, photos and graphics; not open to the public

The Lincoln Journal Star (Lincoln, Nebraska)
 
Lee Enterprises Incorporated
http://www.nebweb.com (newspaper web site - 12 top news stories & opinion for the day - available for past six days; classifieds available for current day only; no library archives access yet)
Library
Circulation - 73,000 (m-s); 85,000 (S)
Total Staff - 3
1 Full time Library Manager (professional level - member of the 8-member
newsroom management team)
1 Full time photo archives library clerk
1 Part-time library clerk--electronic database processing (35 hours per week)
 
a. open for public access from 2:00-5:30 pm Tuesdays through Fridays
b. $5.00 library access fee plus $1.00 per page for photocopies/$1.00 per
article for printouts
c. $60.00 per hour research fee if we do the work for the customer
d. photo reprints sold - $18.00 for 5x7; $25.00 for 8x10; $35.00 for 11x14
e. we average 40 hrs. per month of public service and bring in an average
of $400.00 per month revenue from research & access fees and photocopying.
f. we average 40-60 photo reprint orders per month and bring in an average
of $1,500 per month revenue.
g. our in-house electronic archives began June 1, 1996 - DataTimes system.
h. old clip files goes back to 1951.
i. the library is under the jurisdiction of the newsroom and the Library
Manager reports to the Editor.
j. just beginning a digital photo archive using an AP MacArchive with
Aldus Fetch for the catalog.
The Register Guard (Eugene, Oregon)
 
Guard Publishing Company
No web page
News Library
Circulation - daily: 75,301: 83,561 ; Sunday: 78,636
Total Staff - 3
1 Full time librarian
2 half time library aides (clerk/typist)
 
converted clip files to Digital Technology archiving summer 1997
Columbia Missourian (Columbia, Missouri)
 
University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism
No web site
Library
Circulation - 5,021 (m); 5,118 (S)
Total Staff - 2
2 Full time library staff members (1 professional)
Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, South Carolina)
 
The New York Times Company
http://www.shj.com
Library
Circulation - 60,321 (m); 60,321 (m-sat); 68,113 (S)
Total Staff - 2
1 Full time News Researcher/Librarian
1 Part time Library Assistant
(NewsView and PhotoView)
Las Vegas Review Journal (Las Vegas, Nevada)
 
Donrey Media Group
http://www.lvrj.com
Editorial Library
Circulation - 179,845(m-sat); 220,000(S)(combined with Las Vegas Sun)
Total Staff - 2
1 Full time Librarian (with MLS)
1 Full time clerical Library Assistant
Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, Kentucky)
 
A. H. Belo Corporation
http://www.messenger-inquirer.com
Library
Circulation - 32,000(m-sat); 34,000(S)
Total Staff - 2
1 Full time Librarian
1 Part time Library Assistant
The News-Gazette (Champaign, Illinois)
 
Professional Impressions Media Group
http://www.news-gazette.com
News-Gazette Library
Circulation - 46,178(m-sat); 52,334(S)
Total Staff -2
2 Full time library staffers
 
No archives on the web except for those half-dozen stories published daily on our web site. We do conduct searches for a fee for archival material, both from clip files and from the electronic archives (different rates).
The Record (Stockton, California)
 
Omaha World Herald Company
http://www.recordnet.com
News Library (Newsroom Library)
Circulation - 54,030(m), 54,030(m-s), 60,835(S)
Total Staff - 2
1 Full time News Library Manager
1 Full time Library Clerk
Southam News (wire service) (Ottowa, Ontario)
 
Southam Incorporated
We have an intranet
Southam News Library
Circulation: We so provide copy to 32-40 daily papers
Total Staff - 2
1 Full time Librarian (with MLS)
1 Full time Library assistant
 
The wire service has a password protected site that
allows some subscribers to get copies of our material. Not and archive, nor a web site in the tradition sense. We are currently experimenting with journalism student interns who are supposed to be enlightened about news research. It's a temporary program.
Tallahassee Democrat (Tallahassee, Florida)
 
Knight-Ridder Incorporated
http://www.tdo.com
Library (News Research Services for the public)
Circulation - 54,695(m); 54,695(m-sat); 76,543(S)
Total Staff - 2
1 Full time Librarian
1 Part time Library Assistant (23 hours per week)
 
We are currently training two more news assistants on the SAVE electronic library system. Once trained, they will each work three hours a week on SAVE.
Ventura County Star (Ventura, California)
 
Scripps Howard Newspapers
No web site
Library
Circulation - 100,000
Total Staff - 2
2 Full time library staff members
 
One Newsview Connections, Photoview workstation since Feb. 1997
Alexandria Daily Town Talk (Alexandria, Louisiana)
 
Central Newspapers
http://www.thetowntalk.com
Library
Circulation - 38,739(m); 38,739(m-sat); 40,901(S)
Total Staff - 1
1 Full Time Librarian
Athens Daily News & Athens Daily Banner (Athens, Georgia)
 
Morris Communication
http://www.athensnewspapers.com
Newsroom Library
Circulation - 18,975 (m); 11,557 (e); 34,842 (m-sat); 35,538 (S)
Total Staff - 1
1 Full time Newsroom Librarian
The Tuscaloosa News (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
 
The New York Times Company
No web site
Library
Circulation - 37,151 (m-sat); 39,303 (S)
Total Staff - 1
1 Full time News Researcher/Librarian (MLS degree)

we will be moving to Photoview and Newsview in early 1998

 


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Jessica Baumgart
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