SLA-TSG

Interested in Health Librarianship?

2012-02-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

If so, the SLA-TSG has some interesting information for you!

We recently went on a tour of the St. Michael's Health Sciences Library on February 7, 2012 and had a fantastic time learning more about the library's mission, goals, and objectives. The library serves an integral role in helping with the research of students and professionals from various healthcare fields such as nursing, medicine, and mental health. The librarians help with a variety of research requests, but one of their most important roles is providing literature searches for researchers. This requires the librarians to have expertise knowledge of medical databases and to also have subject knowledge of specific medical fields. Some of the tips the librarians offered for becoming more comfortable with medical terminology is to take continuing education courses on medical terminology.

We also learned about the hospital's archives and found out a lot of interesting facts about the hospital's history. Finally, we had a chance to visit the hospital's innovative patient simulation centre. This centre allows "instructors to reproduce various scenarios from basic patient interactions to technical procedures to critical situations" and ultimately allows students to gain hands-on training without having to involve actual patients (St. Michael's Hospital, 2012).

While we were on the tour, the librarians also showed us St. Michael's Patient and Family Information Centre. This newly developed center provides a range of resources and services for inpatients, outpatients, their families and friends and is currently recruiting new volunteers!

If you're interested in health librarianship this is a great chance to gain some experience in the field and be involved in special projects that will help develop your professional skills.

Please check out the following link for more information about this great volunteer opportunity:
http://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/jobsite/2011/volunteer-role-0

Sources:
St. Michael's Hospital. (2012). Learning resources: Allan Waters Family Simulation Centre. Retrieved from http://www.stmichaelshospital.com/education/simulation.php

Reminder - St. Michael's Hospital Library Tour

2012-02-06T20:09:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

Just a reminder that the St. Michael's Hospital Library Tour will be taking place tomorrow.

Details are as follows:

When: Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

Where: 30 Bond Street

Time: 1 pm

More information about the hospital library and its new building can be found here.

View Larger Map

Student Stipend Awards for the 2012 SLA Annual Conference

2012-01-23T19:58:00.002-05:00

This just in from the Business and Finance Division of the SLA...

The Special Libraries Association Business and Finance Division is offering student stipend awards to help cover expenses at the 2012 SLA Annual Conference in Chicago from July 15-18, 2012.

The Division will award student stipends and professional grants for a total of up to six$1,500 awards.The direct URL for the Student Stipend announcement and application can be found here.

Please note that applicants should be members of the SLA Business &Finance Division by March 1, 2012 to be eligible for consideration. Students can join online at the following website:http://www.sla.org/content/membership/joinsla/index.cfm

Student membership in SLA is only $40.00. Students will need to apply prior to March 1st, in order for SLA staff to have time to process their application.

Information about the SLA Business and Finance Division can be found at:http://units.sla.org/division/dbf/

The conference theme is "Practicing Agility in an Open World Economy”.Participation in the programs, opportunities for networking, exposure to new information products and possible job leads at the employment clearinghouse will make this conference a valuable experience for students.

St. Michael's Hospital Library Tour

2012-01-16T08:58:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!

We hope everyone had a great holiday and is having a smooth transition back to school. To kick of this new year, we have organized a tour of St. Michael's Hospital Library for Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 at 1 pm. This tour can accommodate 20 people so please email us at sla.tsg.1[at]gmail.com to save a spot.

The tour will include:

St. Michael's Hospital Library
Patient and Family Learning Centre
discussion of their archival process

For more information about St. Michael's please see their website about the new building that we will be visiting.

We hope to see you there!

View Larger Map

SLA Toronto/FIAA/T-SLIS Joint Holiday Social and a Travel Stipend Award

2011-12-12T10:01:00.000-05:00

The semester is winding down, the holidays are coming and that means it is time to celebrate!

For those who will be joining us at the SLA Toronto/FIAA/T-SLIS Joint Holiday Social on Tuesday, December 13 (that's tomorrow!), a group of us will be meeting in the lobby at Bissel at 5:30pm before heading over together.

If you will be travelling to the event by yourself, please visit the event page for details.

Just a note: Registration for the event is now closed.

Finally, we would like to draw your attention to the following information about a great opportunity for current students! The SLA's Sci-Tech Division is currently accepting self-nominations for the Kirk Cabeen Travel Stipend Award. This award is valued at $750 and is to be used toward expenses for attending the SLA Annual Conference in Chicago, July 15-18, 2012.

However, please note that you need to be a member of SLA in order to apply for this award. If you purchase a student membership by December 15, 2011 and enter the promo code: SLA Toronto Student Group, you will be entered into a draw for a flip video camera. Please click on the following link to register for a membership: http://www.regonline.com/joinsla.

Stipend details follow:

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS: March 1, 2012

SCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY DIVISION S. KIRK CABEEN TRAVEL STIPEND AWARD

The S. Kirk Cabeen Travel Stipend Award is offered to a library school student or first time conference attendee. This $750 award is to be used toward expenses of attending the SLA Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois, July 15-18, 2012.

QUALIFICATIONS: Be a library school student or first time attendee; be a current member of SLA, preference going to Science-Technology Division members; if NOT a student, then must be attending his or her first SLA conference.

NOMINATIONS: Self-nominations are encouraged.
Send a typed and signed document including complete title, Library School and anticipated graduation date, employer, and all professional and personal contact information.

All nominations must also include the following:
A short essay (500 words or less) on the theme of the 2012 Annual Conference: “Practicing Agility in an Open World Economy” The essay should be double-spaced. Neatness, spelling and grammar will count in judging. Supporting documentation must include a current curriculum vita OR resume for the candidate, significant publications, supporting letters, etc.Applications should also mention if you are currently applying for other SLA division awards.

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS: March 1, 2012

Nominations and all accompanying materials should be sent to Sheila Rosenthal, Chair of the Sci-Tech Division Awards Committee, at the following email address: slr@sei.cmu.edu

POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS:1. Recipient (s) will write a brief article (approximately 1,000 words) on the conference experience for the November 2012 Sci-Tech News.
2. Recipient (s) will be asked to serve on the Science-Technology Division Awards Committee in the following year to provide for the continuity and enthusiasm of the awards.

NOTIFICATION:1. Applicants will receive notification of award status by mid March 2012. The award checks will be sent to the recipient as soon as the receipts are received by the Awards Chairperson.
2. The recipients’ names will be posted to the Science-Technology Division’s Web site.
3. The award will be announced and presented to the recipient at the Science-Technology Division’s Annual Business and Awards Breakfast.

The SLA-TSG wishes the best of luck to all who apply!

ROM Tour Reminder

2011-11-21T13:23:00.001-05:00

This is just a reminder for those of you who will be joining us on our tour of the ROM Library and Archives tomorrow.

Here are the details:
When: Tomorrow- Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
Where: Royal Ontario Museum - we will meet at the Bloor Street entrance
Time: 10:45am - 12pm

This tour will focus on the library and archives that specialize in natural history, art and archaeology. Following the tour, students are free to explore the ROM as Tuesdays are free for students!

View Larger Map

SLA Student Membership Contest

2011-11-19T15:06:00.000-05:00

If you are thinking of joining the SLA as a student member, now would be a great time to do so! If you apply for your SLA student membership by December 15, 2011, your name will be placed in a draw to win a free flip video camcorder .

Here’s how:

- Join through the special drawing application link at www.regonline.com/joinsla to become eligible to enter into a drawing to win a flip video camcorder.
- Enter the name of your student group as the promo code (SLA Toronto Student Group). Failure to use the appropriate drawing application link and failure to omit the student group name as the promo code will lead to ineligibility.
- Join SLA by December 15, 2011 so you and your student group will be eligible to win a prize. Winners are based on applicants received by December 15th.

Good luck!

Next SLA Toronto Student Group Tour - ROM Library and Archives

2011-11-01T19:19:00.001-04:00

The next tour for the SLA Toronto Student Group will be at the
Royal Ontario Museum Main Library and Archives.

Here are the details:
When: Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
Where: Royal Ontario Museum - we will meet at the Bloor Street entrance
Time: 10:45am - 12pm

View Larger Map

This tour will focus on the library and archives that specialize in natural history, art and archaeology. Following the tour, students are free to explore the ROM as Tuesdays are free for students.

The tour can accommodate 25 students, so email sla.tsg.1[at]gmail.com to reserve a spot soon!

General Meeting Reminder

2011-10-17T22:08:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

Just a reminder about our general meeting tomorrow. Please see below for details:

The SLA will be holding a general meeting on Tuesday October 18th at 12:10 pm in the 7th floor Student Lounge. The meeting should last about an hour.

Some of what we will be discussing:

1. Library tours
2. Professional profiles
3. Social outings
4. Elections for vacant SLA-TSG positions

This meeting is especially important for any first year students who would like to get involved in the SLA-TSG. Our goal is to find some first-year students who would like to run the SLA-TSG in 2012/2013. Positions include: First year co-chair, first year social events chair, first year webmaster, and secretary.

Hope to see you all there!

CBC Tour Follow-Up and Meeting Notice

2011-10-11T20:09:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone who came out for the first library tour of the season at the CBC! We all had a wonderful time and we hoped you enjoyed it.

Special thanks to our tour guides, Laura Warner (CBC media librarian) and Geoffrey Hopkinson (Director of CBC Libraries, Archives & Documentation) for letting us explore the libraries within the broadcast centre. The areas we visited were:

Media Centre
Visual Research
Reference
Music
Image Research
Film
VTR
DIVA Deep Archive

In Addition:

The SLA Student Group would like to invite all of you to attend our general meeting on October 18th at 12:10 pm in the Student Lounge. The meeting should last about an hour.

If you are interested in joining the SLA-TSG it is especially important that you attend. Our goal is to find some first-year students who would like to run the SLA-TSG in the 2012/2013 year. Positions include:

First year co-chair
First year social events chair
First year webmaster
Secretary

Stay tuned for more meeting information closer to the date!

Contest for free SLA membership!

2011-10-06T20:55:00.000-04:00

This just in from SLA Sci-Tech Division! Find out how you can receive a
free one-year student membership below....

Two Free SLA Student Memberships Available

Are you a Library/Information Science student interested in Sci-Tech
Librarianship? Would you like to join the Special Libraries Association
(SLA)? The Student Relations Committee of the Sci-Tech Division of SLA
is offering a FREE one-year membership in SLA (includes affiliation
with the Sci-Tech Division as well as one chapter affiliation of your choice)!

To be eligible for one of the free student memberships, all you have to
do is come up with some creative & relevant ways that the Sci-Tech
Division should engage with library/information science students who are looking
forward to a career in Sci-Tech librarianship.

Check out what we already do at the Sci-Tech Division website:
SCI-TECH/SLA

To apply, send your creative ideas, along with your name, email, phone
number, address, and the library/information science program in which
you are enrolled to theaallen[at]gmail.com.

Deadline: Monday, October 31, 2011

Winners will be selected and notified by November 14, 2011. If you are
not selected for one of the two free memberships, you can still become
connected to a wealth of professional development opportunities, colleagues, and
mentors by applying for the SLA one-year student membership, a bargain
at $40.

Visit the SLA Membership site for more details.

Good luck!

CBC Library Tour Confirmed!

2011-09-27T20:25:00.000-04:00

Our tour of the CBC Library and Archive has been confirmed! If you would like to join us on this tour then please send an email to sla.tsg.1[at]gmail.com. There are only 30 spaces available so make sure you let us know if you would like to join us as soon as possible to guarantee yourself a space. CBC has requested a list of all attendees by Monday, October 3rd, at the latest.

Here are the details:

Where: 250 Front Street West. We will meet at the Front St. entrance.
Time: 9:45am.
Duration: 1.5 hours.
What: On this tour will we be visiting the following - Media Centre, Visual Research, Reference, Music, Image Research, Film, VTR, DIVA Deep Archive.

This promises to be an interesting, exciting and informative tour. We hope you can join us on our first event of the 2011-2012 season.

View Larger Map

Thank You!

2011-09-24T14:07:00.002-04:00

Thank you to everyone who visited us at the iSchool's Clubs and Associations Open House. We had a great time talking to everyone about the SLA-TSG and our plans for the year. Thank you as well for all of the wonderful suggestions!

Some of you expressed interest in joining the Special Libraries Association. The cost to join is $40 for students. The SLA maintains a very active listserv. Membership allows you access to webinars, SLA events and a host of other benefits.
Please visit the SLA Membership page for more information and to join.

Also, a reminder: You are not required to be a member of the SLA to participate in SLA-TSG events. We welcome everyone who is interest to participate in our tours and talks.

Thank you again to everyone who visited our booth! We look forward to seeing you soon on our tour of the CBC Library and Archive.

Welcome to the 2011-2012 School Year!

2011-09-20T20:02:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the Special Libraries Association - Toronto Student Group (SLA-TSG). It's a new school year and that means we are ready to get back into the action.

Come meet us at the iSchool's Clubs and Associations Open House on Thursday, September 22nd from 4:00pm to 6:00pm in the student lounge (7th floor, Bissell Building, 140 St. George St.). Here you can sign up for our listserv and provide us with some input on potential library tours, panels of guest speakers, and any other events you think we should run.

Your SLA-TSG 2011-2012 Executive is:

Stephanie Quail
Jaclyn Derlatka
Shawna Delgaty
Lisa Detta Colli
Heather Buchansky
Kathryn Tippell

Stay tuned for a new blog, new professional profiles and details about our upcoming tour of the CBC Library and Archives!

Professional Panel

2011-04-05T11:57:00.001-04:00

"The best piece of career advice I received is..."

If you're interested in hearing how this sentence ends, come out this Thursday to the SLA-TSG Professional Panel!

We have a great line up of local information professionals who are excited to speak to current students about their career path and their passion for alternative or non-traditional library careers! It promises to be a really informative & fun event (with loads of home baked goodies!)

We know it's a busy time of year, but as the term winds to a close, there is also no better time to begin thinking about your summer job opportunities and future career options. This panel will be an excellent networking event!

We look forward to seeing you Thursday!

More Reasons to Get Involved!

2011-04-05T11:54:00.000-04:00

As a previous student group member shares:

"While I have since ended up at an Academic Library in a position that I love, the time I spent working with the SLA Toronto Student Group was invaluable. I was fortunate enough to have had a great job working at one of U of T's libraries, but the SLA-TSG gave me the opportunity to gain experience in areas that I wasn't able to participate in at work. During my time in the group I was able to plan events and organize panel sessions for our student body, while also managing the group's Professional Profile series - all of which I do in some capacity in my current position.

I got the job I currently have through the traditional application-based method, but having had the opportunity to network is a skill that I'm really happy to have (although, I will admit I am no expert). It's been key to creating and maintaining relationships with the faculty I work with, my colleagues, and the departments I touch base with as well. It's also put me in touch with a lot of great people in the library world - having just entered the 'working wold,' their help and advice has been a lifesaver."

If you're a first year student looking to get involved next year, email slatsg@yahoo.ca!

Professional Profile: Zachary Osborne - CIGI

2011-03-20T18:37:00.001-04:00

Zachary Osborne is a research librarian at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) located in Waterloo, Ontario. A few weeks ago, he was kind enough to answer some questions about his current role, his career path, and the advice he has for current students. Zach's incredibly helpful answers are below!

1. Describe your current position

I’m a Research Librarian in a special library at CIGI, a non-profit research organization (“think tank”) that focuses on international governance concerns: energy and environment, economics, development and security. I provide a wide range of library and research services to the organization’s researchers and experts. These users have strong academic credentials, extensive international research experience, and a wide range of policy expertise.

As a solo-librarian, I’m responsible for nearly all aspects of maintaining the library: acquisitions, cataloguing, collection development, subscriptions and serials management, research requests and support, special projects, outreach and communicating with the wider organization. It’s a lot of fun!

2. Describe your educational background

I have an honours Bachelor of Arts from Acadia University in history and sociology, and a Master of Information Studies (MISt) from the University of Toronto, with a focus on Library & Information Science.

Zachary Osborne

3. Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path

This is my very first job as a librarian. After graduating from my MISt, I worked briefly at the Information Centre of De Beers Canada (the mining company), and then landed my current position. I also held a handful of library positions while at the iSchool: I worked part-time at the Robarts Reference & Research Services desk, and did some cataloguing and reference for the Data, Map & Government Information department. In addition to this, I worked at the Royal Ontario Museum Library & Archives.

Regarding my current job, I was initially hired on a contract basis as the Collections Librarian, but after some restructuring, I was promoted and hired as a permanent full-time Research Librarian.

4. How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

I think that a combination of my experiences prepared me for the job I have now. Specifically, I owe a great deal to my work experiences while studying at U of T. I worked hard to get as much library experience as I could, because I felt that I would get more out of hands-on experience in libraries than I would in the classroom. I was very lucky, and landed some really terrific student jobs. In those roles I had the opportunity to assist with in-depth reference for a range of academic disciplines (humanities, social sciences, business, government documents, data and statistics), I performed original and copy-cataloguing, got involved with knowledge management and Web 2.0, and worked with archives. I was exposed to a diversity of information settings, user groups, and subject areas, and I think that a mixture of these experienced helped me to thrive in my current position where I handle most aspects of the Library. When I saw the job posting at CIGI, I thought to myself, “...this job description was written for your background and experience: apply.”

5. What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master in Information?

As a relatively new grad myself, I don’t think that I have a ton of wisdom to share, but here are some bits of advice that you might find helpful:

· I know it’s easy to get into doing this, but don’t just take soft skill “bird” courses. Especially if you’re looking for a job in special libraries, it’s crucial to have those practical, “hard skills”. For example: aspects of cataloguing; abilities with open source; knowing something about HTML, MySQL, or web design, data, etc. I think that employers are looking for people who can walk into a job with as little training as possible and who can make a real impact. Impress them with your knowledge, skills and innovative ideas!

· Speak to a few people in the field who have jobs that you want: inquire about how they got to where they are, ask them to critique your resume and/or CV, and in general, get your name and face out there. A similar suggestion is to request to speak to someone in Human Resources at a large library where you’d like to work. While I was job hunting, I met with the Head of Human Resources at UTL to have a mock interview and resume critique, and it was an invaluable experience. They see a lot of resumes, after all.

· Create an online presence! You should want to be found in a Google search on sites like LinkedIn, through your personal website, and on Twitter. It will show that you’re web-savvy, relevant, and have something to say. (N.B. At the same time, be vigilant about Facebook privacy settings... you don’t need potential employers to know too much about you.)

· Get experience. Realistically, everyone at the iSchool will graduate with the same degree. So what really counts (and what will make you stand out), is your experience. I think any experience is good for your resume and getting a job. If you can volunteer, great. If you can get part-time jobs, even better.

· In the end, I think that getting a job relies on the following: who you know, your experience, luck, and timing.

6. Any general advice for new information professionals?

Network with colleagues, collaborate and be nice. Sometimes I feel like there’s an aura of competition that exists within special libraries (but maybe it’s other places too), and I think it can make people uptight and insular. Participate in socials, activities, listservs, and collaborate. It would make our community even more pleasant than it already is.

7. What helpful lessons did you learn early in your career? Do any of them still apply today?

Don’t be overwhelmed, stay organized, and take it one day at a time. When I was at De Beers, I worked with the Manager of Information Services (it was just the two of us), and I was always impressed with her ability to stay calm under duress. The library was never in shambles, but there were some problem areas that I would have lost sleep over. I asked how she dealt with that kind of stress or pressure, and she said, “No library is perfect. You just have to deal with things in stride, and prioritize your time.”

I sometimes feel overwhelmed when I think of all of the things that need to be done at my library, e.g. backlog of cataloguing, responding to requests, maintaining print collections, broken links on the digital library, etc.; but I try to stay organized and prioritize competing long-term tasks, one day at a time.

A big thank you to Zach for his incredibly helpful advice!

-ZC

Library Tour!

2011-03-14T17:48:00.000-04:00

We have an upcoming library tour to bring your attention to!

On Wednesday, March 30th, the SLA-TSG will be touring the City of Toronto Legal Services Library with host Yasmin Khan. This promises to be an informative tour for anyone interested in a career in special librarianship in general, and more specifically, legal librarianship. Our host has been working in the field for many years, and has a wealth of knowledge and advice for those interested in such careers!

The library is located at 55 John St. (Metro Hall), on the 26th floor. The group will meet in the lobby of the building at 5:20.

Please email slatsg@yahoo.ca to reserve your spot! We have room for up to 15 students.

We look forward to seeing you on March 30th!

Stipend Alert - Extended Deadline!

2011-03-14T17:36:00.000-04:00

SLA's Environment & Resource Management Division Student Award Deadline is extended to May 1, 2011

The ERMD Student Award recognizes a student who is especially interested in pursuing a career as an information professional dealing with environment and resource management issues. The award is $500.00, plus a $750 reimbursement award if the student comes to the SLA annual meeting in Philadelphia. The student must be enrolled in an ALA accredited master's degree program. This award is meant to promote both current and future involvement in and commitment to the library and information science profession prior to, during, and after the master's program.

To be considered for the award, a student must be an SLA member and write a 300-500 word essay describing his or her interest in the issues facing information professionals in the environment and natural resources fields. Essays should be labeled with the student's name, contact information, and educational institution. Deadline for receiving submissions is May 1, 2011. Please send submissions via email to Liz Wallach at lwallach@bna.com.

The award will be presented at the SLA Annual Conference in June. The winner is encouraged, but not required, to attend the annual conference.

Questions?

Contact Liz Wallach, Chair, Environment & Resource Management Division at lwallach@bna.com

email for essay submission: lwallach@bna.com

Professional Profile: Elysia Guzik - Egon Zehnder International Inc.

2011-03-01T14:43:00.000-05:00

Elysia Guzik

Elysia is a recent Master of Information Studies graduate (U of T, Faculty of Information, June 2010), who specialized in the library and information science stream. Prior to attending the iSchool, Elysia received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Religion & Culture from Wilfrid Laurier University. She has always enjoyed organizing information – even before applying to the iSchool and entering the workforce – whether that passion was manifest in categorizing collections of books and photos or colour coding calendars. When she enrolled at the Faculty of Information in 2008, Elysia had every intention of obtaining a graduate degree and developing the professional skills required to become a dedicated academic librarian. But after learning more about specialized collections and attending a panel discussion featuring professionals in “alternative information careers”, she became increasingly intrigued by the world of libraries and information centres that provide specialized resources and services to users.

During her time at the iSchool, she completed two practicum placements – one at Our Ontario, drafting a marketing plan for the “Collections” service, the other at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, where she designed a “Library Catalogue and Resources” eLearning course to assist articling students and legal secretarial assistants in using the library catalogue and resources to conduct legal research. Before starting at Egon Zehnder, Elysia worked as a Co-op Student in the Records & Information Management Office at OMERS Administration Corporation. Prior to that, Elysia held roles at Research In Motion and the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery, and volunteered extensively with The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation.

Currently, Elysia is Research Analyst at Egon Zehnder International Inc., one of the largest privately-held executive search firms globally, with 63 offices in 37 countries. She conducts business research and analysis for business development projects and executive search assignments, in liaison with consultants, research associates and administrative staff in the Toronto office and with colleagues across North America. This year, Elysia is also thrilled to be part of SLA Toronto Chapter’s Executive Board as Programming Director, planning events that cater to the diverse professional interests of the chapter’s members.

Elysia started at Egon Zehnder in April 2010, as Records Management Analyst, after meeting one of the firm’s Senior Researchers at the iSchool’s Annual Job Fair & Networking Event. Although she had never considered executive search as a career option, the industry sounded intriguing, and Elysia welcomed the opportunity to work at Egon Zehnder as a new professional challenge. The role allowed her to expand her skill set while encouraging her to contribute her knowledge about information management to the organization. Between April and January, she addressed a three-year candidate file backlog to improve accessibility of records, created a records retention schedule and started to develop a records management policy, setting out guidelines for imaging paper records and the process for authorized records destruction.

In January 2011, Elysia transitioned to her current Research Analyst role. This role involves investigating candidates’ career backgrounds, updating and coding records in the firm’s global relational database, and collecting company information about revenue and executive compensation. She enjoys the firm’s fast-paced environment, the dynamic nature of the search industry, the diverse perspectives of staff with expertise in various areas, and the range of practice groups in which the firm specializes, from financial services, human resources and industrial, to information technology, communications and sustainability. Working for a globally-distributed organization is also an exciting opportunity to learn about what offices around the world are doing, and to interact with colleagues in various locations. Elysia appreciates working in a smaller office setting where everyone knows each other. This environment also offers a greater variety of responsibilities, including media monitoring, database administration, research, records management, digitization, and circulation.

For students interested in special libraries, and professional development in general, Elysia can’t say enough about networking. It’s something we all hear about constantly, but the benefits are endless. Join associations, go to events, speak at conferences, attend conferences, write publications, take part in “information interviews”, share ideas, challenges, and goals – you never know who can help you make those ideas happen. Joining SLA is an excellent way to facilitate connections between students and information professionals who can provide insight about what it’s like to work in the field, and share their knowledge. LinkedIn is becoming an increasingly helpful online networking tool, which can add to a professional, polished online presence. Continuous learning is another passion of Elysia’s, and something that is invaluable in establishing a rewarding career.

Conference Grants!

2011-02-16T12:38:00.002-05:00

Here is another exciting opportunity to attend the Annual SLA Conference!

SLA Toronto has again partnered with FPinfomart to offer the FPinfomart Student-to-Conference awards. With FPinfomart's generous support, two students will be chosen to receive grants of up to $1,500 to attend the SLA Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, from June 15-18, 2011.

"The Student-to-Conference Awards program is an effort to identify and encourage students who will make a difference in their profession," says Warren Cable, Vice President of FPinfomart. "FPinfomart is proud to participate this year and we remain committed to supporting the professional development of library and information science students as we recognize the importance of attending the conference," continued Cable.

Two students will be selected for these awards by the SLA Toronto Executive Board. Applicants must be willing to serve on the Executive or Advisory Board of the Toronto Chapter in 2011 or 2012."The SLA Annual Conference offers excellent opportunities for networking, continuing education and leadership development. The two students chosen for this award will benefit greatly from their experience in Philadelphia as they begin to transition into their professional careers. SLA Toronto is very appreciative of FPInfomart’s ongoing support of the Student-to-Conference awards and the development of information professionals,” says Jennifer Burns, SLA Toronto President.

Eligibility

· Applicants must currently be enrolled in an accredited library/information science program and be interested in a career in special librarianship

· The recipient may not accept a travel award for the 2011 conference from any other SLA division or chapter

· Recipients must be available to attend the FPInfomart Road Show in Toronto on Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Application Procedures

· Applicants must prepare a written statement of up to 500 words, in English, about what they hope to gain from the conference experience. These statements will be published in The Courier, SLA Toronto’s quarterly electronic newsletter.

· Applicants must provide a current resumé

· Applicants should submit these two documents, along with their address, telephone number, and email address no later than March 8, 2011 to Martha Foote, Chair, SLA Toronto Chapter Awards Committee, at mfoote@libraryco.ca

Good luck!

-ZC

Another Award...

2011-02-14T17:42:00.000-05:00

Another award to bring your attention to:

2011 Joe Ann Clifton Student Award submission

Submissions are now being accepted for the SLA Information Technology Division’s 2011 Joe Ann Clifton Student Award. This award is intended to promote participation in the SLA Annual Conference by an exceptional library science student who has submitted an outstanding paper regarding the use of information technology.

This award provides up to $1,500 to the author to attend the 2011 SLA Annual Conference in order to be recognized at the Information Technology Division’s Business and Award meeting, and in order to present the paper. The winning paper will also be published in the Information Technology quarterly bulletin, b/ITe

In order to receive the award, the author is required to attend the conference and to be present at the division's Business and Award meeting to present the paper. If the paper has more than one author, the authors must split the award. (For example, if there are two authors and both are attending the conference, each author would receive $750.)

This monetary award is to be used to cover the following conference expenses:

- Conference registration (student rate)

- Ticket for the SLA Information Technology Business and Award meeting

- Travel (economy class 30-day advance purchase airfare or mileage cost calculated using the IRS standard business rate)

- Lodging (3 nights maximum)

The award does not cover any meals or other incidental expenses.

After attending the conference, the award winner must submit original receipts and required paperwork to the IT Division Treasurer in order to receive the award.

Submission Requirements:

· The topic of the paper should pertain to the use of information technology. A paper which addresses a topic in a practical rather than a theoretical manner is preferred.

· Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited MLS or MIS program at the time of the award competition. Previous winners are not eligible for the award.

· Entries may be a paper which the applicant has written or is preparing for a class but has not been published. Only one paper per applicant will be accepted.

· IT reserves the right not to award the prize if it is the opinion of the judges that no submission is worthy of the award.

· IT will retain first publication rights of the winning paper.

Submission Deadline

The deadline for submission is Friday, March 18th 2011. E-mail your paper to Shawn Livingston, IT Membership and Awards Chair, at IT.Awards.SLA@gmail.com. Please include "SLA IT Student Award 2011" in the subject line.

E-mail is preferred (WORD or PDF), but entries may also be mailed to:

Shawn Livingston

William T. Young Library

University of Kentucky

500 South Limestone Street

Lexington, KY 40506-0456

(Phone) 859 257-0500 ext. 2113

IT.Awards.SLA@gmail.com

Good luck!

-ZC

Stipend Alert!

2011-02-08T14:35:00.000-05:00

Thinking about attending the Annual SLA Conference? Here's another stipend! The deadline is fast approaching, so apply soon!

The Special Libraries Association Business & Finance Division is offering student stipend awards and professional grants to help cover expenses at the 2011 SLA Annual Conference in Philadelphia PA, June 12-15 2011. The Division will award student stipends and professional grants for a total of up to six $1,500 awards.

Deadline: March 1, 2011

For information about this award go to: http://units.sla.org/division/dbf/awards/

Job Hunting - Some Tips & Tricks

2011-02-07T11:48:00.000-05:00

For many of us in second year, the job hunt is looming. While it is certainly a bit of a nerve-racking proposition, there are some tips that can make it a bit smoother.

While doing some reading, I came across this blog post, where the author doles out some pretty useful advice about the often dreaded job hunt. Some highlights:

Make sure your resume is up-to-date well before you start your job search. Have someone, preferably with an objective eye (or even better, a mentor or supervisor!) look it over for you and edit accordingly
Keep your resume on hand in both .DOC and .PDF formats
Confirm your references and send them a small description of the job(s) you have applied for, along with a link to the posting, so that they may be able to speak more intelligently about your qualification for the role
Consider building a digital portfolio/resume

I feel the most useful piece of advice, however, is the suggestion that you create a spreadsheet to keep track of all the jobs you have applied for. As Lisa suggests:

"This will make it easier to see where you’ve applied, where you need to apply and when to do (if any) follow-ups. I have eight columns on mine in the following order: Company/Library, Position, Salary, Web Address, End Date, Resume Submit Date, Type, Status, Followup. Explanation of some of the ones I am using: Salary is to keep track of who is paying what (when mentioned), also helps me gauge what the market is currently paying out for certain types of jobs. Lots of positions are accepted via corporate HR sites and are assigned a position number – this include this as well in the Position field. Resume Type: Did I apply online, email it, fax it or what?"

Even better: she provides a template (second bullet point) so you can begin your very own job tracker spreadsheet!

Good luck and happy job hunting!

-ZC

Why Get Involved?

2011-02-02T20:57:00.002-05:00

If you've thought about getting involved with the SLA Student Group or the SLA Toronto Chapter but haven't yet- it's never too late!

The benefits of joining professional associations while a student are enormous: not only are the fees often lower, you also gain so many opportunities to meet current professionals working in the area, who are often an invaluable resource in your future job hunt. Moreover, professional associations keep you well connected and up-to-date about the ongoings of the profession in your local community. As one member from last year's student executive states:

"The way that I found my current job was through more of a conventional application-based route. The networking emphasized throughout grad school wasn't as important in getting the job, but it certainly is important within the job and in expanding my contact base for the future. I learned a lot about networking by being involved in the SLA Student Chapter and gained a valuable group of contacts that I stay in touch with, some of whom work within my wider organization, and all of whom I can turn to for help. I continue to stay involved with SLA Toronto, volunteering for one of their committees, as well as attending their events. I find it to be a rewarding position that offers a different type of experience than I get at work. I've also found that it's valuable to maintain contact with fellow recent grads; while I navigate through work experiences post-school, it's been helpful to have others in a similar situation to talk to."

What better reasons could you need to get involved or join SLA today?! Particularly if you are a first year student, we would love to hear from you! Email slatsg@yahoo.ca to get in touch with the current executive about opportunities for the next school year!

-ZC

More Stipend Announcements!

2011-01-11T17:44:00.001-05:00

If you are thinking about attending the Annual SLA Conference, here are some more award and stipend opportunities for you!

**Special Libraries Association Engineering Division**

$1500 Inspec Travel Stipend Award - Call for Applications:

Award to attend the SLA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, 15 June 2011

Inspec is sponsoring for library school students the award of a $1500.00 travel stipend toward payment of expenses incurred while attending the annual Special Libraries Association conference in Philadelphia, PA, June 1215, 2011.

The Inspec Travel Stipend Award will be given to the qualified student who submits an essay of three or less double spaced typed pages that is judged to be the best essay submitted describing the following scenario:

"What is your vision of an Engineering Library in the year 2020. Describe the mission, services, collection, resources, staffing, location, etc."

Qualifications for Award Competition:

- Be a student member of the Engineering Division of the Special Libraries Association
- Special Instructions:

1. Give your full name, address, telephone number, e mail address, and a statement, on one page, of your qualifications, as given above, for entering the award competition. Include the name of your library school.

2. Type your full name (without any additional personal information) at the top of each essay page. Double space the typing on all pages.

Deadline for Submission: February 9, 2011.

Submit Entries for the award to:

Bette Finn, SLA Engineering Division Awards Committee
Georgia Tech Library and Information Center
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, Georgia 30332 0900
Phone: (404) 894 1790 Fax: (404) 894 8190

E mail: bette.finn@library.gatech.edu

**2011 Marion E. Sparks Award for Professional Development**

The Chemistry Division of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) is sponsoring a student/new member travel award to defray the costs of attending the 2011 SLA Annual Meeting June 12-15 in Philadelphia, PA. The award is intended to encourage the professional development of student members and new members of the Chemistry Division and encourage their participation in Chemistry Division activities.

TRAVEL AWARD: $1,500 stipend to attend the 2011 SLA Annual Conference. The winner will also receive a certificate of achievement and will be introduced at the Chemistry Division Business Meeting & Breakfast.

ELIGIBILITY: All student members of the SLA Chemistry Division and all new members of the SLA Chemistry Division (individuals who have joined since January 2010) are eligible. All applicants must have joined the SLA Chemistry Division by February 15, 2011 . See below for how to join.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Please submit the following:

- A brief essay that: a) clearly articulates your objectives for professional development; and b) indicates what you hope to gain from attending the SLA Annual Meeting. Maximum length: 2 pages.

- Resume

- Names of two references.

- Brief budget (expected expenses for registration, airfare, lodging, food and/or continuing education course).

Registration in a Chemistry Division or other Continuing Education (CE) course is recommended, but not required.

DEADLINE: All applications for the award must be received by March 1, 2011 ( all applicants must have joined the SLA Chemistry Division by February 15, 2011) . The winner will be notified March 18, 2011 . Essays will be judged by the SLA Chemistry Division Awards Committee.

HISTORY: The award is named to honor Marion E. Sparks, a chemistry librarian at the University of Illinois from 1913 until her death in 1929. Ms. Sparks contributed a great deal to the field of chemical information, her achievements include teaching courses on chemical information, and authoring and publishing what is argued to be the first book to formally address chemical literature and library instruction.

SUBMIT APPLICATION VIA EMAIL TO:

Cory Craig
University of California, Davis
Physical Sciences & Engineering Library
One Shields Avenue
Davis, California 95616-8676
cjcraig@ucdavis.edu

Good luck!

-ZC

Professional Profile: News Librarianship Special!

2011-01-10T12:21:00.002-05:00

Have you ever thought about applying your skills acquired at the iSchool in a position in the media or journalism? If so, news librarianship might be a career you should consider!

The first Professional Profile of 2011 is a special one, bringing to you the advice of three news librarians currently working at top Toronto papers. They have shared insights into their daily tasks and responsibilities, as well as tips on how to secure a career that appeals to you - whether it be in news librarianship or another special library role.

Professional Profile:

Ceclia Donnelly and Stephanie Chambers

Celia Donnelly (front) and Stephanie Chambers
Photo Credit: Paula Wilson

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Globe and Mail newsroom to talk with two of the paper’s news librarians, Celia Donnelly and Stephanie Chambers. This trip was both exciting and informative: it was fascinating to speak with these two interesting information professionals, and I was also able to catch a glimpse of the compelling Globe and Mail environment and learn a great deal more about news librarianship.

Celia is the manager of the library at the Globe and Mail who, in the past few years, has worked diligently to raise the profile of the library in the newsroom. Unfortunately for all aspiring news librarians, when budgets are tight, librarian positions are some of the first to be cut in any newsroom, making such jobs hard to come by. Yet, Celia has committed herself to raising the profile of the librarians at the Globe and Mail, in an attempt to prove their roles as indispensable to the organization and balanced reporting. Proving that Google is only the first step in any search, Celia and Stephanie often scour property and mortgage records; lien and outstanding loan reports; automobile histories; bankruptcy files; personal blogs; Facebook; Twitter; Stats Can data; and any other source of information they can get their hands on that will give them a clue or a lead into a story. They liken their occupation to detective work; which they say makes it exciting, but often times challenging. Usually, they are expected to produce results within a very short time, as journalists often work with very short deadlines. Moreover, they are expected to respect ethical practices for both finding and disseminating information.

However, Celia and Stephanie have taken many steps to minimize their daily stress levels and streamline their work. For instance, they maintain an Intranet with quick links to all the commercial databases they make use of, as well as ongoing research on current events and major public figures, in case this information is needed at a moment’s notice. They also maintain an editorial history and Excel charts chronicling the causalities in Afghanistan, for example. There is even a checklist of the steps to take when researching, which is always helpful in a rush. Additionally, Stephanie and Celia take the time to pass on their research expertise to the journalists, so that they may maximize their own searches and bring only the really challenging questions to the research department.

Celia was inspired to go to library school after her older sister completed the program. Celia had already obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Canadian history and literature, and was very interested in library work, but decided to first try her hand at it before committing to her master’s. Thus, after graduating from her undergraduate program, she found a job in a chemical library, where she worked for three years before enrolling in the library science master’s program at McGill University. From her previous experience, Celia knew that she preferred special library work, and thus kept this as her focus throughout her education. After graduation, she got a job at the library of Sun Life Financial; she secured a management position right away and worked here for two and a half years. She then moved on to the library at CN Railway before spotting an advertisement for a position at the Globe and Mail library. Celia was interested in this position and felt that she would be a great fit, given her background in Canadian studies, as well as her business and financial experience. She secured the job, and has remained in the position ever since; moving into an assistant management position after five years time, to eventually become manager of the department.

Unlike Celia, who focused on library work straight out of her undergraduate degree, Stephanie spent a few years working in the copyright field before becoming interested in the library profession. While she enjoyed working in copyright, she felt she was ready for a change and realized that library work would be a good fit for her. Stephanie had a friend who worked at the Globe and Mail, who encouraged Stephanie in her career change and put her in touch with Celia. This connection boded well for Stephanie; Celia became a mentor for Stephanie, giving her advice about the LIS program and about careers. Celia also served as a great network for Stephanie, letting her know about a summer position that became available at the Globe. This position gave Stephanie a foot in the door; after graduating with her degree in LIS from the University of Toronto, she obtained part time work at the Globe and Mail library, which eventually evolved into full time employment.

Both women agreed that their education was immensely helpful in preparing them for their current work; although they suggested that the practical courses better prepared them for their jobs than the theoretical courses. Nevertheless, both Stephanie and Celia agreed that most of what they learned in school has become useful in some capacity or another, be it reference knowledge or cataloguing experience. Their advice to current students, however, is to focus on the practical courses, such as government documents and reference. It is these courses that best prepare you for life on the job, they maintained. Moreover, both women were involved with professional associations while in school; Celia was — and still is — a member of the Special Library Association, while Stephanie volunteered her time with Knowledge Ontario.

As for final pieces of advice, Celia and Stephanie suggested that current students should try to find a mentor in some capacity, be it a professor or a professional. Such a relationship is beneficial when students are looking for work. However, they also suggested that students should always be willing to learn and grow, even if this means starting at the very bottom of the career ladder. Never think that anything is beneath you, and always be willing to work hard and be an engaged, proactive learner and employee. Particularly for those students interested in news librarianship, Celia and Stephanie maintained that one must be a people person, as well as a team player; have “nerves of steel” and a tolerance for stressful environments; be a good multi-tasker, and be adept at switching from one task to the next at a moment’s notice. Furthermore, an aspiring news librarian should be up on current events, have a wide range of knowledge, and of course, a sense of humor. While Celia and Stephanie agreed that there are very few news librarianship jobs out there, they noted the reason is because it is a fulfilling profession, so people don’t want to leave! Thus, as much as obtaining a news librarian job is about skill, it is also about serendipity in timing.

Professional Profile: Astrid Lange

Astrid Lange is a news librarian at the Toronto Star, where she has worked full time since 2000. Astrid’s daily tasks include conducting research and providing reference to the newsroom; maintaining a collection of books and magazines, as well as maintaining the Intranet, which consists of web resources that journalists make use of on a daily basis; and archiving the newspaper feed — the raw data newspaper that has to be cleaned up and sent off to various databases. As well, Astrid often prepares the old newspapers for microfilm, which is bought by libraries across the United States and Canada. Astrid is also involved in training new members of the newsroom, whether they are new hires or summer students; she gives them a crash course in journalism research, teaching them which resources to use and how to use them.

Astrid did not always know she wanted to be a news librarian, but rather came to her present career through trial and error. She went to the University of Toronto, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations. She stayed at the University of Toronto to pursue a Master’s degree in History, specializing in American history. After this degree, Astrid went into the workforce, where she began what would be a series of various research roles. She first worked for a television program on CBC Newsworld called Face Off. After this position, Astrid contemplated going back to school, and thought that law school would be a good choice for her. Before enrolling, however, she spent a year as a legal intern. It was here that a legal librarian noticed her penchant for research and suggested she look into a degree in library and information science. Astrid took this advice applied to library school. She then took on a few other research positions; specifically conducting prospect research for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and entertainment research at CTV.

Astrid (second from right) with her colleagues on "Desk Set Day"

While at school, Astrid had the foresight to scour summer positions she felt she had a serious interest in; and even if the company had not put out an advertisement, Astrid nonetheless sent her resume in. This lead to a summer position at the Toronto Star, which continued as part time work throughout the last year of her degree. After she graduated, she stayed on at the Toronto Star working part time. While she really loved this position, she was aware that she needed full time work, and thus applied for various positions that interested her. However, Astrid exercised a great deal of patience and perseverance in this job search, and chose to pass up on several job opportunities that she didn’t find herself too interested in. This patience paid off, as eventually a full time position opened up at the Toronto Star library, and Astrid was hired on.

Astrid credited her time at library school to introducing her to a wide range of professional associations, such as the Special Library Association, and the Canadian Library Association and their Special Library division (CASLIS); she is still actively involved in both the SLA and CASLIS. It is through these associations that Astrid was able to build up a network, which helped her a great deal when she was a new professional. Moreover, Astrid noted that many of the courses offered to her during her LIS education were extremely helpful in preparing her for her current work. Courses such as online research, legal librarianship, and government documents were essential in giving Astrid a broad education, and molding her into a “jack of all trades”; which she noted is a beneficial characteristic for a news librarian to have. She suggested that current students should take advantage of courses in web design or basic HTML and databases, as these prepare you for any work environment and give you a basic understanding of information technology; which is helpful for not only news librarianship, but nearly every other library profession. Astrid suggested that all students should take a variety of courses to prepare them for a variety of roles — even if you hope to obtain a specific job, you may not be get it right away. Thus, it is beneficial to be prepared for whatever may come your way.

Other pieces of advice offered by Astrid included the suggestion for current students to get involved with professional associations. As Astrid pointed out, this involvement helps one to start building a network of current, working professionals who may be able to help you in your job hunt. Such a network is also beneficial in making one aware of the variety of opportunities that are available to people with a library education. Moreover, Astrid suggested that students shouldn’t limit themselves to job postings. If you have an idea of where you might like to work or a position you would like to find, conduct some research and make some cold calls. Like Astrid, don’t wait for the job posting; you never know where a cold call might get you!

-ZC

Stipend Alerts!

2011-01-06T14:43:00.008-05:00

Each year, the Special Library Association hosts its annual conference in a dynamic city somewhere in North America. This year the conference will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from June 12-15. The SLA offers great rates for student members (only $175!) and the conferences are known to be not only an amazing networking opportunity and learning experience, but also a really fun time!

There are several awards and stipends made available to students each year to assist them with the cost of the conference, as well as travel and accommodations. We have two such stipends to bring to your attention:

**SCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY DIVISION S. KIRK CABEEN TRAVEL STIPEND AWARD**

QUALIFICATIONS:

Be a library school student or first time attendee; be a current member of SLA, preference going to Science-Technology Division members; if NOT a student, then must be attending his or her first SLA conference;

NOMINATIONS:

Self-nominations are encouraged.

Send a typed and signed document including complete title, Library School and anticipated graduation date, employer, and all professional and personal contact information.

All nominations must also include the following:

A short essay (500 words or less) on the theme of the 2011 Annual Conference: “Future Ready” The essay should be double-spaced. Neatness, spelling and grammar will count in judging. Supporting documentation must include a current curriculum vita OR resume for the candidate, significant publications, supporting letters, etc.

Applications should also mention if you are currently applying for other SLA division awards.

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS: March 1, 2011

Nominations and all accompanying materials should be sent to Sheila Rosenthal, Chair of the Sci-Tech Division Awards Committee, at the following email address: slr@sei.cmu.edu

POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS:

1. Recipient (s) will write a brief article (approximately 1,000 words) on the conference experience for the November 2011 Sci-Tech News.

2. Recipient (s) will be asked to serve on the Science-Technology Division Awards Committee in the following year to provide for the continuity and enthusiasm of the awards.

NOTIFICATION:

1. Applicants will receive notification of award status by mid March 2011. The award checks will be sent to the recipient as soon as the receipts are received by the Awards Chairperson.

2. The recipients’ names will be posted to the Science-Technology Division’s Web site

3. The award will be announced and presented to the recipient at the Science-Technology Division’s Annual Business

**BUSINESS & FINANCE DIVISION AWARD**

Thinking about attending the SLA conference and wondering how you can do it?

The Business & Finance Division of SLA is offering student stipend awards and professional grants to help cover expenses at the 2011 SLA Annual Conference in Philadelphia PA, June 12-15 2011. The Division will award student stipends and professional grants for a total of up to six $1,500 awards.

For information about this award go to:

http://units.sla.org/division/dbf/awards/

Attending the annual conference would be an amazing experience for any budding information professional - be sure to apply for these grants!

-ZC

Happy New Year!

2011-01-06T14:25:00.000-05:00

We hope your new year is off to a fantastic start!

The SLA-TSG has resolved to update the blog more frequently! So stay tuned for (hopefully!) very regular updates. We have lots to share with you - Professional Profiles, stipend announcements, and job hunting tips and tricks!

And if you are in first year, please consider becoming more involved with the SLA-TSG! We would love to hear from you if you have an interest in taking over the executive for the 2011-12 school year.

Best wishes to all for a productive and prosperous 2011!

-your SLA-TSG

Contest Alert!

2010-11-04T16:29:00.005-04:00

Are you a dedicated member of the Twitterverse? If so, this contest could be of great interest to you! Check it out!

Attention Library & Information Science Students - SLA's Legal Division Wants You to Get Your Tweet On!

The Special Libraries Association's Legal Division is sponsoring a Twitter contest. In 140 characters or less, including the mention @SLALegal, tell us either why you have interest in becoming a law librarian or your interest in becoming the ruler of the legal research domain. Be creative! Be funny! Just don't disrespect, or you'll be disqualified. The judges will select one winner from all qualified entries. The winner not only receives bragging rights, but a one-year SLA Student Membership, new or renewal. A qualified entrant is enrolled in a curriculum of library or information science at least part time (two or more courses).

Contest runs November 1-30, 2010. Read the full rules here.

Professional Profile: Daniel Lee - Navigator

2010-11-04T15:58:00.032-04:00

Daniel’s Current Position

Daniel Lee

Currently Daniel is employed with Navigator, a management consulting firm that specializes in public affairs. As Daniel explained, Navigator aims to apply the principles of a political campaign to help businesses and governments overcome and avoid public affairs challenges. Just like an election campaign, Navigator conducts public opinion research, designs an appropriate strategy, and implements an action plan to ensure their clients’ success. You can read more about Navigator here: http://www.navltd.com/

Daniel has been with Navigator for eight years, throughout which, his role has expanded and evolved. When he was first hired, Navigator had no system with which to organize their information, files or records. Thus, Daniel’s first task was to sort through the loads of information that had been casually accumulating in bankers boxes and computer files and come up with an organized way to store these records. He was then responsible for ensuring his coworkers understood and were able to use the system he had created. Of course, this all sounds much more simple and easy than it really was; as Daniel says, “There was literally a room full of stuff.”

As time went on and Daniel’s organizational expertise became institutionalized, his tasks grew. He is now involved at every level of the informational lifecycle: reference and research work; media monitoring; data analysis; proofreading; and fact checking. Additionally, he acts as Navigator's privacy officer and lobbyist registrar, ensuring compliance with the latest rules and regulations. This variety of tasks is one of the reasons Daniel enjoys his job. Moreover, as Daniel stated, he is able to see the direct impact of his work which isn't always possible in more traditional library settings.

Daniel’s Educational Background

Daniel grew up in Massachusetts, where he attended the University of Massachusetts, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Portuguese (yes, he speaks both; no, he is neither). Although he studied languages in school, he did so with no intention of pursuing a language-based career in the future; he knew that he had no interest in being a translator or a teacher, and wasn’t opposed to going back to school for more education or training to qualify him for another profession. Instead of jumping straight into another program, however, he decided to look for work and shortly after graduation found a job as an administrative assistant with a study abroad program. While he did enjoy this role, he found himself wanting more of a challenge and took an interest in the database his company was using. He noticed several areas for improvement and dedicated some of his time to streamlining this database.

After nine months, Daniel was ready for a change, but still undecided about what this change should be. Looking for guidance, he took some career tests to point him in the right direction; his top results were speech pathologist and librarian. After some consideration, he felt that librarian was probably better suited to him; after all, he had taken a great interest in the database at his work and had always shown an interest in organizing things. His choice of school was easy: he was offered a full scholarship to Dalhousie in Halifax. While he received a broad LIS education, he found himself most intrigued by courses in data mining and information technology.

Daniel’s Career Path

Daniel graduated from Dalhousie in 2001 and decided to pursue work in Toronto. Before making this move, however, he sought the help of a professor, who connected him with five professionals working in Toronto; Daniel was able to meet four of these five people. With each one, he conducted an informational interview and then asked for the contact information for two more professionals. Through this professional ‘snowball,’ Daniel was able to build a network of people he could rely on for professional advice and opportunities. While this was a fantastic way to network (Daniel still remains in contact with many of these people through SLA, of which he is still a member), it was unfortunately a bad time to find a job (he was in the final round of an interview when someone barged in, informing Daniel and the interviewer of the terrorist attacks on September 11th). He remained unemployed for nine months.

Eventually he found work as a webmaster for the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS), “Canada’s Association of I.T. Professionals.” He was signed on for a year long contract, but knew he would have to find a permanent position eventually. One particularly fateful night, Daniel went out for dinner with a small group of people. In discussion it came up that Daniel was a qualified librarian. This piqued the interest of one person at the table who inquired more about Daniel’s skills. As it turned out, he knew of someone who owned a company that was in need of the skills Daniel offered. A long story short: Daniel was put in touch with this person, and after completing a few freelance research reports, was offered a job. After nine months with CIPS, Daniel started his career at Navigator; he has been with this company ever since.

How did Daniel’s Education and Background Prepare Him for this Role?

As mentioned, Daniel felt he had received a really well rounded LIS education at Dalhousie. Nevertheless, when he started his job, as he stated, “I had no idea what I was doing” (as any recent graduate would likely feel). However, even though he was in an untraditional environment with absolutely no guidance, Daniel was able to apply the skills he had learned in school and use them to his advantage. For instance, he mentioned that he was able to use the reference interview as a successful way to glean information from his bosses and better understand what it was they were hoping to achieve with a filing system. Moreover, when creating such a system, Daniel put to use basic cataloguing skills, such a name authority, in an attempt to harmonize files. Other skills such as indexing, abstracting, data mining and database expertise were also helpful to Daniel.

Daniel’s Advice

As Daniel mentioned, there were several skills that he was not thoroughly taught in school that he was required to focus on in the workplace, such as project management; problem solving skills; interpersonal skills; and the ability to think creatively. In his professional life, Daniel has found that these skills are equally, if not more, important than the basic library skills taught in LIS programs, and his advice to current students is to begin developing these skills now. Additionally, Daniel suggests that current students should also focus on their professional development; skills such as networking, public speaking, and event planning are all crucial in the world of work. Daniel believes that all students should become involved with professional associations, like SLA, as this is the best way to meet people and develop a professional path; such involvement is always illustrative of one’s commitment to their profession.

Daniel's final piece of advice to students currently pursuing their Master of Information: "Stop dreaming that you will become a librarian one day!" As Daniel stated, current students have to think bigger and realize that the skills we are currently learning are incredibly useful, highly sought after, and transferable to a wide range of environments. Like Daniel, we just have to be ready to sell ourselves at a moments notice.

-ZC

SLA-TSG Blog Update!

2010-10-14T20:20:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our updated blog!

This school year was off to a busy start for the SLA-TSG, but now that we have settled in, we are hoping to update the blog more frequently. So stay tuned for more Professional Profiles, library tour updates and random musings from your SLA-TSG Executive!

Professional Profile - Helen Kula, MaRS Discovery District

2010-04-13T14:37:00.003-04:00

Helen is currently a Senior Information Specialist at MaRS Discovery District, a not-for-profit innovation centre. As described on their website, MaRS seeks to bring together “innovators from the private and public spheres” and are “eager to tackle specific projects, like creating successful companies. But also to learn from one another. To create new alliances. And unleash innovations that will shape the 21st century”.

A day in the life of Helen

Helen provides research and various information services to clients working specifically in information communication technologies, advisors and staff at MaRS.

A typical day for Helen includes a multitude of different tasks and is not limited to the following:

Responding to information requests (developing search strategies, conducting research, summarizing results)

Reviewing and selecting relevant news and developments from e-newsletters, RSS feeds and other sources, as well as forwarding this information to clients, advisors or staff
Managing the print publications at MaRS
Attending meetings with clients and/or advisors
Updating the MaRS case management system to capture market intelligence requests
Participating in training and development activities to further knowledge of sources, databases and the ICT industry.

Education & Career Path

Helen began her education at the University of Toronto completing a BA in English and French. She then went on to McGill University to complete her MA in English. Following this, she completed a National Certificate in Voluntary and Non-Profit Management from the University of Ottawa. It was after managing a small information and referral service at a non-profit organization that Helen found herself at the Faculty of Information completing a Master of Information Studies. While a career in library and information science may be in her genes (her father is an archivist), Helen says that her decision to move in this direction was because this program complemented her career path at the time.

After her graduation from the iSchool, Helen had the opportunity to work at the Rotman School of Management as both a Public Services Librarian and a Business Information Specialist for Infosolutions – Rotman’s fee-based research service to external business and clients.

With regard to her current position, Helen says she had heard rumblings about the opening of opportunities which could benefit from her skill set at MaRS. She explains that she reached out to an old colleague for a contact at UTL who might be connected with MaRS. Turns out, this contact happened to be involved in creating the cross-appointment that she now holds. The job was then posted and she was the successful candidate – Helen says, “It was the only job I ever interviewed for in flip-flops” (she had a phone interview in Florida where she was vacationing).

Advice

When asked if her background in library and information studies prepared her for her future career path, Helen says that it gave her the basic background and skills she needed to be successful in her future job positions. But, she also notes that she learned a huge amount from her peers and colleagues at the time – these individuals provided her with valuable advice that helped her get to where she is today.

Helen also says that she saw a lot of her peers get caught up in concentrating too much on their GPA’s – this, she says, was something she tried to avoid. She stresses the importance of doing your best in school and getting all that you can from your courses, but Helen also notes that it is so important to focus on the experience you can gain outside the classroom – whether it’s getting involved with the student council or a professional organization. These can provide excellent experiences and opportunities.

Some advice that Helen shares for current iSchool students is “to appreciate the power of the library network”. Helen explains that because the library community is so small, there is a huge amount of support you can find within this group; she notes that the SLA was incredibly useful to her. The organization allowed her to explore different career paths and options, and gave her the opportunity to get valuable experience and meet some wonderful people.

To find out more about MaRS, please visit www.marsdd.com or check out the MaRS blog at http://www.marsdd.com/blog/ for more interesting articles and findings!

Professional Profile - Jennifer Burns, YBP Library Services

2010-03-20T12:15:00.003-04:00

Jennifer Burns is a Collection Development Manager at YBP Library Services, a company that provides books and technical services to academic libraries all over the world. As Jennifer explains, “the company is based in Contoocook, New Hampshire; I work from my home office in Toronto, and my territory is Western Canada, so it’s a role that requires significant travel. I oversee the collection development process between the libraries and YBP to ensure that the libraries are getting the resources they need, according to their approval plans. The approval plan is a document that governs the library’s collecting in Library of Congress, Dewey or National Library of Medicine classes according to specific instructions that the library decides on in consultation with the Collection Development Manager. It’s a very logical document that evolves as a result of conversations and problem-solving, and it’s my job to have those conversations and work closely with the library and with my colleagues at YBP to ensure that everything is running according to plan.”

She has an Honours degree in English Literature from Concordia University in Montreal and a Master’s degree in Information Studies, LIS stream, from the Faculty of Information Studies at the University of Toronto. She has completed several professional development courses, including online searching, usability, HR fundamentals and training evaluation. Last year, she was also privileged to participate in the tenth Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute in Emerald Lake, British Columbia, where she was able to meet and learn from librarians from across Canada.

Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path.

Jennifer worked full-time as a Help Desk Analyst at BI&I, a speciality-lines insurance company, while she pursued her Master’s degree part-time. In this position she provided first-level technical support to employees across Canada – troubleshooting basic software and hardware problems, performing database maintenance, coordinating the servicing of equipment and visits from vendors, and purchasing supplies. She also updated the company website, wrote user documentation for the software developed in-house, and maintained the telephone system in the Toronto office. She then left this position to pursue her Master’s degree full-time, and while she did that, she also worked part-time as a student Business Reference Assistant at the Rotman School of Management. That was her first job working in a library. She also worked on a short contract as a Research Assistant at the West Toronto Junction Historical Society. This position allowed her to work in an area of great interest for her: built heritage and urban history.

Following graduation from the Faculty of Information Studies in 2004, she joined BMO Financial Group as an Information Specialist at the Institute for Learning, the Bank’s corporate university, where she gained a lot of knowledge and experience in the area of learning and development. She joined YBP Library Services, her current employer, in September 2009. She has also been an active member of the Special Libraries Association Toronto Chapter since 2004, serving on the Advisory Board and now the Executive as President-Elect.

How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

Jennifer had this to say:

“One of the beautiful things about being an informational professional, especially now, with information communication technologies transforming our culture - the way we get work done, the way we live our daily lives - is that learning is practically like breathing to us. I think most of us are almost constantly in learning-mode – we tend to be a naturally curious, inquisitive group of people, always asking ‘Why?’ and ’How?’ and generally wanting to know. I don’t have a formal background in collection development, but what I do have is the ability to learn, and to pass on my knowledge. For me, a big part of my professional training was learning to learn. That’s a great foundation to build on.”

What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master of Information?

Jennifer did a lot of her Master’s degree part-time while holding down a full-time job, and while she points out that everybody’s experience of this is different, but she would say that, if you can, study full-time. For one thing, you will be able to focus your full attention on your studies, and it’s also important to get to know your colleagues. You will learn from each other as well as in the classroom, and you will also support one another. It’s an experience that’s difficult to have when you are juggling work and school. Her advice is also to encourage students to look into part-time work or internships in libraries, information centres, and anywhere that you are connecting people to information, because this will provide you with valuable hands-on experience. Also, get involved in the professional associations that are related to your interests. Not only are there membership rates for students, but there are always lots of volunteer opportunities in the local chapters, which is another way to gain experience, learn new skills and to connect with like-minded professionals.

What skills and experience should they be building up at this point, if they would like to work in this specific field?

Finding, creating, evaluating, organizing, classifying and describing information so that users can access and use it are key skills right now, Jennifer says. She doesn’t think there is any doubt that e-content is going to be really central going forward, but she doubts that traditional print resources will be completely eclipsed. It will be interesting to see how the two formats will co-exist in the future. Social media and user-generated content is also transforming the landscape. If you are knowledgeable about these trends and their impact, and – even better - if you can identify and leverage opportunities that arise as a result of these trends, you will be on your way to success. Presentation skills, the ability to negotiate and persuade, and to be able to lead from wherever you are in the organizational hierarchy will also serve you well.

Any general advice for new information professionals?

Some of Jennifer’s major advice came naturally throughout the interview, for instance, as earlier mentioned, if at all possible the ability to study full-time rather than part-time – understanding that this is not always possible, but the ability to be involved in the program and with your colleagues will be incredibly helpful throughout the program and in the future, as well.

Another point that Jennifer made was regarding flexibility. In the beginning you may not find yourself in your dream position, but you should try to remember that in every situation that you find yourself there is an opportunity to learn; about yourself and your abilities and that self-knowledge and self-awareness are extremely important and can come from these experiences. These are qualities that will assist you in becoming a leader, if you can be open-minded about the possibilities.

In our profession, you have to make peace with dealing with change, and to find yourself in situations that are appropriately challenging. About five years into her career, her best advice is that you can’t do it all by yourself. This, as a concept of leadership, is vitally important, and possibly the notion of leadership is being distorted in our current society. To be a true leader you must learn to elevate those around you, recognizing their strengths and giving them a chance to shine. Real leadership begins when you are able to see the strengths of others and delegate tasks to those strengths and allowing credit to be given where it is deserved.

What helpful lessons did you learn early in your career? Do any of them still apply today?

Some of Jennifer’s helpful lessons from early in her career – beyond the above advice – is to, first, remember that organizations often hire for fit, but that this is a fit for both you and the organization. Remember that you are interviewing them, as much as they are interviewing you. Second, in relation to interviewing, use positive language - avoid words like “don’t” and “can’t”. Storytelling is a very effective technique in an interview as well: if you can provide specific examples of how you contributed to a successful project or solved a problem, rather than listing your skills, abilities and accomplishments, you will paint a vivid picture of what you have to offer a prospective employer and stand out as a memorable candidate.

Professional Profile – Kathryn FitzGerald, Rotman School of Management, Business Information Centre

2010-03-08T16:36:00.005-05:00

Describe your current position.

“I’m currently on a one-year contract covering a sabbatical leave at the Rotman School of Management’s Business Information Centre, in the University of Toronto Library system. I’m the Public Services Librarian, which involves interacting with Rotman faculty and students. I help students find and access resources for their coursework and teach them how to use library resources. On the faculty side, I provide services to support teaching and research – for example, adding resource links to course pages.”

Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path.

“I graduated from the Faculty of Information in 2007 and started working at MaRS, a non-profit commercialization engine, the week after graduation. My position at MaRS began as a one-year internship. I was essentially a University of Toronto librarian embedded in the MaRS corporate office, working with Ontario-based start-up companies and the University of Toronto’s tech transfer office. I provided market research to support their business plans and commercialization efforts. I stayed at MaRS for two and a half years before starting at Rotman last month.”

How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

“The best training I received as a student was working part-time on the reference desk. That position provided hands-on experience interacting with students and faculty and managing difficult requests. For coursework, the subject-specialized courses were very helpful – for example, a course on health sciences librarianship was great preparation for my work at MaRS. The cataloguing class was also really important for providing a thorough understanding of how information is structured and organized. Finally, the “big picture” classes on things like the social contexts of information and privacy issues helped me think more broadly about the practice of librarianship.”

What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master of Information?

“Take courses that interest you and look for ways to incorporate your interests into library work. If you don’t like cataloguing or reference, there are many other areas of opportunity. There are librarians managing data sets, building taxonomies, supporting grant applications, experimenting with social media, conducting research and so much more. The MI degree gives you a lot of flexibility.”

Any general advice for new information professionals?

“First, don’t say no. If someone asks you to join something or asks for your help or input, take him/her up on it. When you’re just starting out, everything can be a good learning or networking opportunity, and saying yes even to things that don’t sound like your cup of tea can lead to more interesting opportunities down the road. Second, pick the brains of your colleagues. Librarians have incredible expertise on a huge range of topics, and they are always willing to share that wealth of knowledge”.

Professional Profile: Candice Furman - PricewaterhouseCoopers

2010-02-19T18:10:00.003-05:00

Candice is a recent graduate that is currently employed as a Knowledge Management Operations Specialist at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Toronto. In this position, she is responsible for three main areas: taxonomy and control vocabulary, search engine content, and metrics analysis. Her primary responsibility, which involves all these facets, is helping to manage the company’s intranet site and its searching function. Her regular functions include providing information architecture on the intranet portal, and various projects regarding the search functions when they arise. The controlled vocabulary aspect of her position is ongoing, and includes adding new terms or removing old terms based on the requests of her clients. Candice’s position is very specialized, as she is the only performing this function in all of Canada. Furthermore, Candice is also currently part of an international PwC team that is implementing a new search engine for use on their intranet.

Describe your educational background.

Candice completed an undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science at the University of Windsor. Her experience working libraries before entering the program was restricted to a single summer position, but it was enough to let her know it was a possible career choice. She always loved books, and chose Information Studies over a possible career in law. Candice decided to attend Western because of the co-op program and the opportunities it presented.

Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path.

Candice got her start working in knowledge management through her co-op at Western. When she started there was a large cohort, and therefore she applied to a lot of different placements to keep her options open. She applied to 12 and was interviewed by 11, mostly government and private companies. This was how she got started at PwC. In her co-op, Candice was responsible for content management for the portal, which included a lot of meta-data maintenance. She held this position for 8 months, at which point she went back to finish her degree while staying their part-time and working remotely. When her degree was complete, by chance someone was leaving the company. She applied for the job position and was hired upon graduation.

How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

The position that Candice currently holds includes a mixture of duties that required specific skills she learned in school and some that did not. The metrics analysis involved in her position involved on the job training since it is not a typical library position, and she never took courses in controlled vocabulary and taxonomy. There were, however, many courses that helped prepare her for the role she has today. These include enterprise content management, web usability, and web design. Although she does not create them, Candice also said that the database design course was incredibly useful since it gave her an understanding of how the databases she utilized are running in the background. The co-op was also helpful, as it allowed her to be comfortable with the firm before working there full time. Most of her training and preparation, however, came from her experiences at the job.

What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master in Information?

“Use your networks as much as you can” is the advice that Candice gave as the most important. Her supervisor was very helpful in advancing her career in these early stages, and she advices that the people you know are very useful when you are staring out in the workforce. She also gives the advice that it is good to try different things while you are in school, and not to limit yourself to the one stream that you may be following. Restricting yourself at the early stages of your career can be limiting.

Any general advice for new information professionals?

“Take everything as learning opportunities”, Candice says. Large companies like PwC have a big knowledge management community, and it is important to take advantage of opportunities like it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t be afraid to call people and ask for help. Finally, when looking for a place to work, the most important aspect you can search for is a good organizational culture. Finding good people to work with is essential, and it can help improve jobs that may otherwise be less then exciting entry level positions.

FPInfomart Student-to-Conference Awards

2010-02-18T22:56:00.003-05:00

http://units.sla.org/chapter/ctor/about/student-to-conference.asp

SLA Toronto has partnered once again with FPInfomart to establish the FPInfomart Student-to-Conference Awards. With FPInfomart's generous support, two students will be chosen to attend the SLA Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, from June 13-16, 2010.

"Annual Conference is an invaluable experience as a forum for professional development. Beyond enjoying the convivial environs of 'The Big Easy' the winners of this award will also benefit immensely by the endless opportunities to network with information professionals from around the world," says Claire Lysnes, SLA Toronto President.

"The Student-to-Conference Award program is an effort to identify and encourage students who will make a difference in their profession," says Warren Cable, Vice President of FPInfomart. "FPInfomart is proud to participate again this year and we remain committed to supporting the professional development of students by recognizing the importance of attending SLA's conference," continued Cable.

Two students will be selected to receive a $1,500 award by the SLA Toronto Executive Board. Applicants must be willing to serve on the Executive or Advisory Board of the Toronto Chapter in the 2011 Chapter year and the winning essays will be published in The Courier, SLA Toronto's quarterly newsletter.

Eligibility

Applicants must be currently enrolled in an accredited library or information science program during the 2009/10 academic school year and be interested in a career in special librarianship.
The recipients may not accept a travel award for the 2010 conference from any other SLA Division or Chapter.

Application Procedure

Applicants must prepare a written statement, in English, of up to 500 words on what they hope to gain from the conference experience.
Applicants must also provide a current résumé.
Applicants should submit these two documents, along with their address, telephone number, and email address no later than 5 p.m. on March 16, 2010 to Daniel Lee, Awards Chair (danielplee @ sympatico.ca).

Recent Winners

Bruce Harpham and Kate MacDonald

http://units.sla.org/toronto/newsletter/courier.asp?eid=20&aid=223

Gillian Horwood and Julia Brewster

http://units.sla.org/toronto/newsletter/courier.asp?aid=177&eid=16

ALA Annual Conference travel award

2010-02-04T13:08:00.002-05:00

In the past few weeks we have been sending out several stipend opportunities to attend the SLA Annual Conference in New Orleans this June. We have received a travel award opportunity that is for the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference. These conferences provide a fantastic networking opportunity. Details are listed below.

____________________________

Send in your nominations!

The deadline for submissions for the 2010 Gale/Cengage Student Travel award has been extended until: March 1, 2010. Please forward this to your local library school listserv or to any other potential candidates!

The BRASS Gale/Cengage Student Travel award is a $1000 cash award given to a student enrolled in an ALA accredited master's degree program to fund travel to and attendance at the ALA Annual Conference and a one-year membership in the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS) of RUSA. Applicants should have demonstrated interest in a career as a business reference librarian, and a potential to be a leader in the profession as demonstrated by activities that may include (but are not limited to) coursework, internships, jobs, special projects, and publications.

More information as well as the nomination form can be found here:

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/awards/studenttravel/index.cfm

Please send the complete nomination or application packet in electronic format to the BRASS' Gale/Cengage Student Travel Award Committee Chair Diana Wu at diana.wu@sjsu.edu with this subject line: BRASS Gale/Cengage Student Travel Award.

Questions? Contact Diana Wu at diana.wu@sjsu.edu or 408-808-2087.

Professional Profile - Julia Brewster, Bennett Jones LLP

2010-02-02T14:59:00.005-05:00

Julia Brewster is a recent graduate from the Faculty of Information. Julia completed her Masters of Information Studies in April of 2009. In her time at the Faculty, Julia focused on government documents, business and legal resources as well as database design and project management. Prior to attending the University of Toronto, Julia completed her undergraduate degree in International Development and Spanish.

Both before and while at the University of Toronto, Julia gained a wide range of work experiences both inside and outside the field of librarianship. Prior to coming to Toronto, Julia worked at the Vancouver Public Library as a library assistant throughout her undergraduate degree. While at the public library, she was responsible for answering references questions and shelving books.

Between her undergraduate and master degrees, Julia worked at Queen’s University. While completing her masters degree, Julia worked at Bora Laskin Law Library shelving books and answering inquires. Julia took advantage of the practicum program at the Faculty and completed a practicum project at Goodman’s LLP. This practicum project involved Julia turning the firm’s staff manual into wiki. Following this experience working within a law library environment, Julia spent her summer between first and second year working at Blake, Cassels & Graydon, LLP. At this firm, she worked as a reference librarian. Julia also completed a second practicum with Blake, Cassels & Graydon, LLP helping develop research guides.

Since graduation, Julia has taken a contract position as a law librarian at Bennett Jones LLP in Calgary. Julia’s current position is largely made up of reference work. On a daily basis Julia sits at a reference desk and answers reference questions both via email and in person. She monitors legislation for Alberta, Ontario and Canada on a weekly basis. She is also asked to focus on specific pieces of legislation for individual lawyers and monitor any amendments or regulations concerning these pieces of legislation. Julia also monitors case law for those wanting to know what progress is being made with a particular case.

When asked how her information training and background helped to prepare her for the job she currently has, Julia believes if she had not taken the legal librarianship, government documents or business resources courses she would not be nearly as competent in her current positions. These positions helped to gain a familiarity with databases as well as the jargon many of these fields use. Julia mentioned that the practicum project she completed at Blake, Cassels & Graydon, LLP helped to prepare for her current position at Bennett Jones LLP. She feels that without the experience gained via her practicum project, she would not have been able to make such a seamless transition into her current contract position, helping cover another employee’s maternity leave. Julia feels her previous position at Bora Laskin library helped expose her to wide range of different legal resources and the skills gained at Bora Laskin helped prepare her for her current position.

Julia had some extremely helpful advice for students currently completing their Masters of Information or Information Studies. She believes one of the most important things to do is to stay broad with the courses and job opportunities you select because this helps provide you with diverse experiences. Julia also strongly recommended taking as many practical courses as possible because it exposes you to many different resources. However don’t discount the theory courses but this is also valuable information. Julia emphasized the importance of technology skills because the information profession is a very technical one.

Julia mentioned that if you already know what field of librarianship you are interested in getting into make sure to take courses that focus on that particular field. She also recommended getting out and meeting people currently working in the field you are interested to see just what kind of jobs are out there. This shows how professionals currently working in the field got to where they are. Even ask these professionals which courses they think it would be wise to take for that particular field.

When it comes to applying for jobs, she recommended applying for any and all jobs that sound interesting because even if you think you’re unqualified, often employers are willing to train you. It really all depends on who is applying for the same position as you are. As far as gaining work experience while in school, Julia feels it is important to get as much work experience in a library setting as possible. She believes that students should not be closed to opportunities that come their way even if they are in a field they may not have thought they were interested in. Many professionals end up working in fields they never thought they would.

The one key factor Julia could not emphasize enough was the value of networking. Getting out there and asking questions is important. In her first year at the Faculty of Information, Julia was one of the Professional Development Co-Chairs which provided her a wonderful opportunity to network with professional associations. She said it is crucial to get out to professional association events, introduce yourself and network. In her second year Julia was the President of the Masters of Information Studies Student Council which she said was a valuable skill for her resume because it showed she was able to manage her time between both school and extracurricular activities.

When asked what helpful lessons she learned early on in her job search after graduation, Julia has some valuable advice. She recommended starting to look for jobs before school is over if you are hoping to be employed as soon as you graduate. Julia mentioned that often it takes a long time to hear back from potential employers but just be persistent and don’t give up. Send out several applications but make sure you are discerning about which position you take. You should be excited about the job and not just take it because you feel you have to. If you don’t feel the job sounds interesting in the interview, it probably is not the position for you.

Julia pointed out again that talking to and networking with people currently working in the industry is helpful. She also mentioned that if you are willing to relocate and be mobile then definitely look for jobs outside of one particular city. Your chances of finding a position may be better if you are willing to travel.

Julia made an interesting point in that often librarians are asked to take on several responsibilities within an organization. Librarians have to be willing to take on these responsibilities and be prepared to takes risks. This helps show organizations who may not see why librarians are necessary understand the valuable role they play. Be prepared to go above and beyond what you learned in school.

In the end, Julia really emphasized that it’s all about networking and being able to market yourself. Once you get your foot in the door, it becomes far easier to find other positions.

NOTE: Since completing this profile, Julia Brewster has accepted a new position working as the Career Librarian at the Calgary Public Library.

Another Stipend!

2010-01-25T15:35:00.003-05:00

SCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY DIVISION

QUALIFICATIONS: Be a library school student or first time attendee; be a current member of SLA, preference going to Science-Technology Division members; if NOT a student, then must be attending his or her first SLA conference;

NOMINATIONS: Self-nominations are encouraged.

Send a typed and signed document including complete title, Library School and anticipated graduation date, employer, and all professional and personal contact information.

All nominations must also include the following:

A short essay (500 words or less) on the theme of the 2010 Annual Conference: “Entering SLA's Next Century: Let the Good Times Roll!” The essay should be double-spaced. Neatness, spelling and grammar will count in judging. Supporting documentation must include a current curriculum vita OR resume for the candidate, significant publications, supporting letters, etc.

Applications should also mention if you are currently applying for other SLA division awards.

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS: March 1, 2010

Nominations and all accompanying materials should be sent to Sheila Rosenthal, Chair of the Sci-Tech Division Awards Committee, at the following email address: slr@sei.cmu.edu

POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS:

Recipient (s) will write a brief article (approximately 1,000 words) on the conference experience for the November 2010 Sci-Tech News.
Recipient (s) will be asked to serve on the Science-Technology Division Awards Committee in the following year to provide for the continuity and enthusiasm of the awards.

NOTIFICATION:

Applicants will receive notification of award status by mid March 2010. The award checks will be sent to the recipient as soon as the receipts are received by the Awards Chairperson.
The recipients’ names will be posted to the Science-Technology Division’s Web site
The award will be announced and presented to the recipient at the Science-Technology Division’s Annual Business meeting/breakfast

Professional Profile – Pam Casey, Ontario 211 Services Corporation

2010-01-20T09:56:00.002-05:00

For the past four months, as she was just recently hired, Pam has held the position of “Data Initiatives Manager” at Ontario 211 Services Corporation. 211 is a service directed at people in somewhat dire circumstances, who find themselves in need of food, shelter, counselling, job services and/or other non-emergency, government and social service information. In essence, 211 provides human services data to people in need. Pam’s job requires her to establish relationships with data providers, for instance, libraries or governments, or the example she gave, HIP, Halton Information Provider. This service helps residents of Halton find the information they need to maintain general well being. Pam’s job requires her to connect with services like HIP so that 211 can forward their users to these resources.

Describe your educational background.

Pam has a background in social service work, for which she obtained a diploma from Mohawk College. While she very much enjoyed this career, when she married she moved to Montreal, and had to give up this work as she did not speak fluent French. Thus, she was inspired to pursue a new line of work and went to Sheridan College, where she obtained her library technician diploma. Pam is also a certified technical trainer, which is an accreditation from CompTIA (a computer trainer certification body).

Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path.

After leaving her career in social work, Pam found her first role in libraries at the Halton District School Board. Here, she worked in two different libraries, French emersion and Vocational. While she did enjoy this, she felt that she was working too much for too little compensation, and wanted to spend more time at home with her children. She thus chose to pursue a corporate library position and secured a job at GlaxoSmithKline, where she was required to work only three days a week, but was compensated more than when she worked full time at HDSB. At GSK, Pam was a business researcher, with this position changing into managing an offsite library. Eventually, Pam moved on to work for NPS Pharmaceuticals, where she worked as part of a team but was responsible for the library in Canada. Unfortunately, she was laid off from this position. Therefore, Pam decided to put more energy into her own business which she had been doing on the side for several years as a self described “hobby business.” Pam’s business is called Information Now and provides information management solutions to various companies. Although Pam’s attention is currently directed at 211, she is still committed to Information Now.

How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

Pam stated that her prior work experiences were mainly in data positions, which helped to expand her knowledge about data and information management. Her experiences and training have also helped her to learn a lot about taxonomy and information architecture, which helped her to secure her current job at 211. This employer was also impressed that Pam had a social work background, as 211 is in the market of helping those in need, which Pam had extensive experience with.

Further, Pam emphasized that she regularly updates her experience by taking classes and courses that teach her more about data and information organization, while keeping her knowledge updated. She is also an active member of the SLA; in 2009 she was voted Member of the Year. It is this networking and self promotion that has helped Pam obtain the job she now holds at 211.

What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master in Information?

“Think outside of the box!” Pam stressed that current Master of Information students should not have such a narrow focus when it comes to finding a job; there is so much competition for traditional library jobs. Instead, they should analyze what kinds of skills they have gained from their education and focus on making these skills applicable to various arenas in the world of work. In Pam’s case, she marketed her skills to the corporate and pharmaceutical world.

What skills and experience should they be building up at this point, if they would like to work in this specific field?

Pam said that if one was looking to work specifically for 211 in her position, they would need to have very up to date taxonomy knowledge, as well as knowledge about human services information. Moreover, Pam stressed the importance of having some knowledge of how government politics work, as she said that her job required her to be in contact with many government agencies. She was also required to learn how to draft contracts and agreements, something she had never had experience doing before.

Any general advice for new information professionals?

“Don’t sell yourself short.” Pam stressed the importance of being up to speed in all areas of the information profession; one should have current knowledge and up to date skills. Further, Pam emphasized how crucial it is to learn how to properly “sell yourself.” She suggested that new information professionals should use all social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (Pam uses all of them!), to build their advantage. She stressed the importance of networking, and mentioned that this was made even more possible by joining such groups as the SLA. Pam suggested that everyone should learn how to market themselves and the skills they have; just because one has a library degree does not mean that their skills are not applicable to another field.

What helpful lessons did you learn early in your career? Do any of them still apply today?

Pam expressed that her biggest mistake, career wise, was not getting her degree. While she has two college diplomas, she stated that she did not get many jobs she applied for, as employers only wanted to hire those who had a MLIS or MIS after their name. While she was completely capable of performing all the jobs she applied for, many times she did not even receive a call back as she did not have a MLIS, or similar degree. Therefore, according to Pam, the best thing one can do to further their career is obtain a degree, of any kind, as this really acts as a stepping stone to many jobs and careers.

Marketing your Skills Event

2010-01-14T23:08:00.005-05:00

If you have ever thought about working in a non-traditional library setting or wondered where your skill set can take you in the future, our panel of Information Professionals can help answer some of these questions!

Find out more about the different types of alternative careers and how your library and information science skills can be marketed for non-traditional position – or even in generating a new role within an organization.

Join us:

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2010

CLAUDE T. BISSELL BUILDING

ROOM 728

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Get Advice. Ask Questions.

Think outside the box.

Panel speakers include:

Daniel Lee - Research Librarian for Navigator Ltd.

Since 2002, Daniel has worked as a Research Librarian for Navigator Ltd., a research-based communications and strategic counsel firm in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Prior to joining Navigator, Daniel was responsible for managing web-based content at CIPS, Canada's leading association for information technology professionals. Prior to CIPS, Daniel provided information services to the marketing and communications department of an e-learning company in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Since moving to Toronto in 2001, Daniel has been actively involved in the Toronto Chapter of SLA, serving as President in 2008. He is currently serving as Director (2009 - 2012) on the SLA Board of Directors. Daniel graduated from Dalhousie University's MLIS program in 2001. He also has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Heather Wilson - Research Specialist, InfoSolutions at Rotman

Heather Wilson is a research specialist with InfoSolutions, the fee-based research service of the Business Information Centre, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Before joining U of T in 2006, Heather was primarily responsible for IntelliSearch, the fee-based research department of the Toronto Public Library. Heather began her professional career in special libraries, managing the resource centre for Resource Integration Systems, Ltd., an environmental consulting firm specializing in recycling and waste management issues. Prior to receiving her MLS from the then Faculty of Library and Information Science at U of T, Heather worked at the Ontario Legislative Library, the former Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library and the Northern District, Runnymede and Wychwood branches of the former Toronto Public Library system. Heather has also been actually involved in the Special Libraries Association. She served as the Toronto Chapter President in 2000-2001 as well as the positions of director, secretary, and programming. She also managed the local information booth for the Special Libraries Association annual conference held in Toronto in 2005.

Rani Pooran - Manager, Knowledge Services, KPMG

After graduating from the Faculty of Information, Rani has primarily worked in the UK, US, and Canada with leadership in the accounting industry to operationalize knowledge strategy. She is presently employed as a Manager, Knowledge Services, at KPMG. Rani also focuses on diversity issues from both a societal and organizational perspective. In this capacity, she is participating in a Diversity Reciprocal Mentoring program at KPMG, has worked as a volunteer mentor with the Toronto Regional Immigrant Employment Council and is past member of the Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Committee. Most recently, Rani launched her Diversity Spotting blog focused and is part of the board for Canada on Campus. Rani belongs to the Rotman Women in Business Initiative and is a graduate of the Rotman Emerging Leaders Program. Rani holds a BA Hon. (University of Toronto), MSc., International & European Politics (Edinburgh University), and MISt. Information Studies (University of Toronto).

Ulla de Stricker - President, de Stricker Associates

Founder and President of de Stricker Associates, a consulting business which serves a variety of clients by addressing challenges in intellectual capital, corporate memory, business and scientific intelligence, library services, and communication. She is also an accomplished public speaker and writer, having penned Business Cases for Info Pros: Here's Why, Here's How (2008), and Is Consulting For You? A Primer for Information Professionals (2008).

Juanita Richardson - Business Development Consultant, Cedrom-SNI

Juanita is a Toronto-based Business Development Consultant for CEDROM-SNi – a leading Canadian information services and solutions provider – and is Principal of Richardson Jalakas & Associates – an information strategy company which she founded in 1998. Prior to starting her own business, Juanita worked on both sides of the information industry: she was the Manager of Licensing, Product Strategy and Client Services with Infomart Dialog and, before “crossing the street”, was the Manager of the Business Information Centre in the Toronto Office of Deloitte & Touche and previously held positions in the Research Departments of CIBC Wood Gundy and ScotiaMcLeod. Her past clients have included corporations interested in implementing knowledge initiatives as well as information service companies interested in new content and marketing opportunities. Juanita holds a Master of Library and Information Studies from McGill University as well as a Master of Business Administration from Athabasca University. She has served on the Board of Directors of SLA and is also an active member of the Canadian Library Association, currently serving as President-Elect for CASLIS. She has spoken at various information industry conferences and has published articles in industry magazines.

Mari-Beth Slade - Risk Management Specialist, Deloitte

After earning an MLIS and MBA at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Mari-Beth moved to Toronto where she began her career in Financial Services, working as a research intern for consecutive summers at CIBC and RBC. From there Mari-Beth moved into the Professional Services sector with a role as Telecommunications Research Specialist at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Currently, she is employed in a non-traditional-library role at Deloitte. As Risk Management Specialist, Mari-Beth’s daily tasks include securities research, database management and dealing with independence issues to ensure Deloitte complies with regulatory standards. From 2007-2009, Mari-Beth was Advertising Manager for the SLA Business & Finance Division Bulletin and is currently volunteering outside the library community.

Kim Silk - Data Librarian, Martin Prosperity Institute

Kimberly Silk has over fifteen years of digital media experience and is actively engaged in the interactive media, library and education industries. She is currently the Data Librarian at the Martin Prosperity Institute, a think-tank at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Between 2001 and 2009 her consultancy, BrightSail, served a variety of clients including corporate, academic, government and non-profit organizations. Kim has a particular passion for digital collections and online communities. As a librarian, she prides herself on understanding how to provide the right information to the right audience at the right time, with a focus on providing a positive and rewarding user experience. Kim’s corporate experience includes several years at Rogers Media, most recently as Director, Strategic Internet Development. There, she collaborated with the New Media and Publishing divisions to develop Internet ventures from concept to market. Prior to joining Rogers, she was Webmaster for Discovery Channel Canada, the first Canadian specialty channel to launch an interactive online component. Kim is actively involved in several professional associations; she is President of the Faculty of Information Alumni Association for 2009-2011, serves as Marketing Coordinator for the Canadian Association of Special Libraries and Information Services (CASLIS), and is an Alignment Ambassador for SLA. Kim earned her M.L.S. (Library Science) from the University of Toronto, and a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Waterloo.

MORE Stipends for the 2010 SLA Annual Conference

2010-01-14T22:49:00.008-05:00

As promised we have received more stipend awards to attend the 2010 SLA Annual Conference. Descriptions are listed below.

Pharmaceutical and Health Technology Division

The SLA's Division of Pharmaceutical and Health Technology would like to provide financial assistance to students interested in attending the2010 SLA Annual Meeting in New Orleans. An award stipend of up to $1,500 will be granted to a maximum of 3 qualified applicants.

Applications are due by Friday, February 12.

For more information about the application please visit: http://units.sla.org/division/dpht/division_info/awards-travwin.shtml

Joe Ann Clifton Student Award Submissions from the IT Division

The deadline for this award is quickly approaching. For more details visit the website listed below. As the winner, we will:

Reimburse your travel expenses, not to exceed $1,500, to attend the SLAAnnual Conference June 13-16, 2010 in New Orleans.
Recognize and present the winning paper at the Annual Business Meeting ofthe IT Division.
Publish the winning paper in b/ITe, the official Division newsletter.

See Details: http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/itdivision/2010/01/2010-joe-ann-clifton-student-award-submissions-it-division.html

Engineering Division

Inspec is sponsoring their annual award of a $1200.00 travel stipend for a library school student toward payment of expenses incurred while attending the annual Special Libraries Association conference, to be held in in New Orleans, LA, June 13-16, 2010. The Inspec Award will be given to the qualified student who submits the best essay of three or less double-spaced typed pages describing the following topic:

"Describe and propose the use of a web 2.0 technology to connect users with information in an engineering library."

Qualification for Entering the Award Competition: Be a student member of the Special Libraries Association.

Special Instructions:

1. Give your full name, address, telephone number, e mail address, and a statement, on one page, of your qualifications, as given above, for entering the award competition. Include the name of your library school.

2. Type your full name (without any additional personal information) at the top of each essay page. Double space the typing on all pages.

Deadline for Submission: February 9

Submit entries for the award to:

Bette Finn, SLA Engineering Division Awards Committee

Georgia Tech Library and Information Center

Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlanta, Georgia 30332 0900

Voicemail: (404) 894 1790, Fax: (404) 894 8190

Email: bette.finn@library.gatech.edu

Professional Profile: Kim Silk - Martin Prosperity Institute

2010-01-12T21:17:00.003-05:00

Kim Silk is the Data Librarian at the Martin Prosperity Institute, a think-tank at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Kim’s position is unique from other library jobs at U of T. She deals with a very specific user group, which has allowed her to develop a subject specialty in a unique brand of economic geography. Kim works in a research environment that is based on creativity and problem solving, and performs research that will hopefully influence policy.

Kim noted that during job interviews she found herself spending a lot of time educating people on what an MLS is, and how being a librarian can go beyond the walls of a traditional library. Information professionals need to understand both the collection and the users and use this understanding to shape information to particular interests. To Kim, this is the core of information science and the essence of what information professionals do. Kim commented that “information is tofu – whatever you put with it changes its flavour”, and that it is important to look at what your collection is, who your users are, and how they are going to use it. When asked about courses she would recommend to aspiring information professionals, Kim noted that she thinks courses on classifying and organizing information are extremely useful.

Here are some further thoughts from Kim on her professional experience and her advice for aspiring professionals.

Describe your current position.

“This position is a unique combination of academic and “special” librarianship; in that I am a solo librarian who supports the research process here at the MPI. This includes a very wide range of initiatives including managing a data collection of over a terabyte, as well as a modest monograph collection. I am the liaison for a variety of ongoing projects with various external partners from the government and NGO communities. I take on the strategy and implementation for all of our technology (liaising with Rotman IT) and adopt new technologies that accelerate the research process and aid in distributing our research to an international academic and public audience.”

Describe your educational background.

“I have a BA in English Literature and a concentration in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo (1993). I earned my MLS from the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto in 1998.”

Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path.

“While attending the Faculty of Information part-time, I worked full-time at Discovery Channel Canada where I was their webmaster. During my studies and for the eight years following graduation, I worked in the digital media field, focusing on developing systems and web sites that were easy to use. Between 2001 and 2009 I was a sole proprietor who provided digital media consulting to a variety of clients including educational institutions and libraries, as well as clients who were not in the library industry. In June 2008 I began working at the MPI as a consultant to build, manage and maintain their data library, and I joined them as a staff member in March 2009. Now is the first time in my career that I have had the title “librarian”. I have always been proud to be a librarian, although I did not always market myself as such. Even without the title, I’ve found my MLS to be highly relevant to my work in digital media.”

How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

“Whether information is analog or digital, the foundations of organization remain the same. Another commonality is to always design systems from a user’s point of view. While I was studying at the iSchool, I was fortunate to be able to customize my courses to serve my interest in early Internet applications and ways of communicating. Another important skill is to be that “go-to” person for many things; I position myself to be as resourceful as I can so that my organization sees my value every single day. I think it’s really important to stretch yourself to gain new abilities so that you are seen as indispensible to your organization.”

What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master in Information?

“Don’t restrict yourself to your idea of what an information professional is. Be open to new definitions because the profession is changing rapidly and there are more and more opportunities for our skills. While some positions are fading away, many more are opening up. I encourage all information students to push themselves to consider organizations and environments that are new or foreign to them.”

What skills and experience should they be building up at this point, if they would like to work in this specific field?

“Technology skills are very important. For me, there is nothing more frustrating than hearing that an information professional is willingly ignorant of technology. Don’t fear it – embrace it! And it doesn’t mean you have to become a geek; rather, being the liaison and translator between your user group and your IT department is one of the most valuable roles we can play. Information professionals who refuse to adopt a basic understanding of how technology is changing our world should probably choose another profession.”

Any general advice for new information professionals?

“Try new things, and don’t restrict yourself to anyone’s definition of what it means to be an information professional. We are in an information and technology economy. The jobs of years ago are disappearing or are already gone – be prepared to create – and embrace – your own definition of information professional.”

What helpful lessons did you learn early in your career? Do any of them still apply today?

“Perseverance is very important in any career. Acknowledge that your career will evolve over time. Sometimes you will find yourself in a job that isn’t a good fit – but try to gain what you can from the experience while, at the same time, doing what you can to move to a better role. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. It’s a sad stereotype that information professionals don’t promote themselves as well as other professions. I encourage you to have pride in your skills and expertise, and don’t be afraid to be a part of the important conversations in your organization.”

SLA Annual Conference Student Stipend

2010-01-07T15:41:00.011-05:00

The Special Libraries Association Business & Finance Division is offering student stipend awards and professional grants to help cover expenses at the 2010 SLA Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA, June 13-16 2010. The Division will award student stipends and professional grants for a total of up to six $1,500 awards.

For information about this award go to:

http://units.sla.org/division/dbf/awards/

Professional Profile: Jan Dawson - Ask Ontario

2009-12-21T20:22:00.007-05:00

Jan Dawson is the Project Coordinator and a Virtual Reference Librarian for Ask Ontario (http://www.askon.ca/) which is a project of Knowledge Ontario (http://www.knowledgeontario.ca/, new website launching soon!).

As Jan describes, “Ask Ontario is Ontario’s virtual reference service and is available to all Ontarians. We have public, public-french, college, and university services which are provided by librarians from respective sectors from all over the province who collaborate to provide 45 hours a week of chat reference service to public library visitors and over 60 hours a week to post-secondary students.”

Describe what your job as the Project Coordinator and a Virtual Reference Librarian entails.

The askON Project Manager and Project Coordinator are currently the only two positions at askON and we do the work of several people. It is a very fast paced, dynamic work environment. I love it! As Project Coordinator, I oversee operational issues and perform duties such as: scheduling over fifty partners in the collaboration; monthly askON Staff Newsletter; askON Intern program; askON practicum placements; operational assistance with both the chat vehicle and the staff portal; staff accounts; training and professional development; virtual askON courses; presenting at conferences; and oh ya--working on the service as a VR Librarian! As well, I'm overseeing a pilot project called askON CALL where we are inviting our visitors to Skype within the chat interaction. Stay tuned for our reporting and findings to be presented at OLA's Super Conference in February 2010!Regarding my role within Knowledge Ontario, I sit on a Social Media committee where we've hired a consultant to work on our social media strategy. We are also getting ready to launch our new KO website in the New Year and I will assist with the development and maintenance of this site. Other than that, KO staff keep each other abreast with emerging technologies and innovative ideas in the library world and beyond! It's a wonderful, dynamic, and inspiring team that I'm so proud to be a part of.

Describe your educational background.

I have a Music degree from Mount Alison University and I got my MLIS from McGill University.

Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path.

This is my first job as a librarian and I feel incredibly lucky to have it. I’m still smitten and have recently celebrated my one year anniversary with askON. It’s been an incredible experience, working with over 600 wonderful people in the world of libraries. Everyone is kind, professional, and helpful. I love this profession.

How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

Alongside my MLIS courses, I did a lot of extra-curricular work. I co-planned a “Web 2.you Workshop” with a classmate and two alumni of McGill’s MLIS program which I’m thrilled to see has become an annual event.

What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master in Information?

Get involved with at least one professional association and be as active as you can. Also create opportunities for yourself. Maybe you have expertise in a certain area and can plan a workshop with your cohort. There’s lot’s of funding out there for these projects.

What skills and experience should they be building up at this point, if they would like to work in this specific field?

Multi-tasking; Collaboration; Communication; Resourcefulness; Opportunism; Information Literacy; Customer Service Excellence; and various other hats that information professionals wear! We do it all!

Any general advice for new information professionals?

Seek out opportunities. They don’t just fall on your lap. Yes, the economy is difficult at present, but BE PRO-ACTIVE. Use this time to write that article you’ve been meaning to start or start your own VR service for your peers (I think that’s what got me my present job!).

What helpful lessons did you learn early in your career? Do any of them still apply today?

I’m lucky to have a fantastic Manager/Mentor. Her motto is “honest and kind”. If you take a breath and think about what that means when dealing with challenges, you will always be successful. I think I will carry this with me for the rest of my life.

Professional Profile: Amra Porobic - Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC)

2009-12-11T17:39:00.005-05:00

I recently met with Amra Porobic, the Manager of Library Services at the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) to discuss her position, her career path, and her role as a solo librarian. Amra is also the chair of the SLA Toronto Chapter Solo Group. The discussion we had highlighted several interesting and important points about challenges faced by solo librarians, the ways Amra’s SLA membership has contributed to her job and skill set, as well as her beliefs about information needs in the future. The Insurance Bureau is a national trade association serving insurance companies who sell car, home and business insurance, and Amra operates out of its Kennedy/Martin Library. She also works at a branch office of the IBC library one day a week.

In her current position, Amra serves a very diverse client base. Her in-house clients are lawyers, economists, policy-makers, public relations officers, statisticians, investigators, and vehicle engineers. Outside clients include brokers, adjusters, law firms, consultants, government officials, students, libraries, and the public in general. As a solo librarian, she performs collection development and maintenance, reference and research, legislation and media monitoring, web content development, and staff training. Amra finds that her position as a solo librarian provides her with freedom in the workplace, from prioritizing tasks, to proposing and trying new approaches within her library and organization. As such, she is currently developing a framework for the strategic advancement of the IBC library and is advocating for a change in areas such as electronic records management and enterprise content management.
Amra did her Master’s degree in Library Science at the University of Sarajevo over twenty years ago. She was a part of the first generation of students in that university’s program. Prior to this, having post-graduate degree in librarianship was unheard of. Her B.A. was in comparative literature and librarianship. Before the establishment of the Master’s program, Amra’s 4-year B.A. earned her the title of librarian, and she began working following its completion.

Amra has a rich and diverse work background. She began with an entry-level contract job at a public library, then moved on to a research institute library, a national and university library, a hospital library, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (as an information officer). She immigrated to Canada in 1994, joined a co-op program, and gained her first Canadian experience while volunteering at the Ministry of Community and Social Services Library. Her first paid job was with the Library Service Bureau, an agency that sent its staff to about 50 law firms around GTA to maintain their non-staffed libraries. For 6 months, she worked two other jobs beside LSB (one with Princes Margaret Hospital Library and the other was an indexing job worked from home, for the Canadian Periodical Index with Gale Canada). When she joined the IBC in 1998, she continued indexing for Gale for a while.

Amra believes that membership and participation in an association like the SLA was crucial in her career. Two of her jobs were actually the result of networking at SLA events. She is also a member of the Insurance and Employee Benefits Division, TALL, CASLIS, and AIIM. Amra uses the SLA website resources for planning group meeting, for her own continuous professional development, and to educate her organization on web 2.0 tools and information management risks.

It can be difficult to volunteer time for the association as a solo librarian, but, in Amra’s experience, volunteering will make one try things they otherwise wouldn’t dare; it can be very rewarding and make one’s job more fun. Solos in general have a great desire to meet and share ideas, but a lack of time can make things difficult. Amra tries to counter this by responding to their needs and offering events with interesting topics.

Amra believes that the learning she has undertaken since completing her Masters degree has helped keep her skills sharp and up-to-date. Services such as webinars, Click University programs, and the Professional Learning Centre’s courses have been helpful in this, although finding time for them was a challenge. Amra has been diligent in encouraging her fellow solo librarians to explore the SLA resources. In order to maximize resources and save time, she invited members of the Solos Group to pick a webinar of their choice and report back to the group. Amra in particular has found courses in electronic records and content management, records retention, and taxonomy useful in her work. She also subscribes to numerous listservs and follows the blogs and tweets of “gurus” in the library field, finding it to be a quick and easy way to keep abreast of new trends and ideas.

Amra has a wealth of advice for students and new professionals, particularly as a solo practitioner. For new information professionals, a solo position can be intimidating. The employee will be expected to be proficient in all library practices, as well as in conducting needs’ assessments, news monitoring, database searching, and e-records and content management. However, this method of learning through trial by fire can suit dynamic and flexible graduates. She finds that several skills are necessary for a position at any stage of one’s career. Time management is fundamental for solos, with the ability to prioritize and plan the daily tasks essential to serving the organization’s many needs. She also finds several non-library tasks to be a very exciting part of her job. She has studied tools such as RSS feeds and Wikis and then helped other staff grasp the concept in order to be able to use it at work. She follows discussions on Facebook and LinkedIn and provides quick summaries for relevant staff members to show them how to benefit from relevant social media, as well as which pitfalls to avoid.

Amra believes that enterprise content management is emerging as an important issue for many organizations, and that the skills which underlie it will be important for students and new professionals to develop. With business information now created and stored electronically, an ability to manage this content, as well as to develop and implement a taxonomy, will be crucial for new professionals. As these enterprise content management endeavours tend to be large undertakings, involving the input of many departments, knowledge of project management practices is another recommended skill. In addition, knowledge of legal research and resources is important in this area, and for many other tasks, particularly in regards to the Sedona principles and e-discovery rules. Amra also cannot stress enough the importance of people skills in all work settings. Being able to read the culture and social atmosphere of your work environment, and adjust your personal communication style to suit that environment, is crucial to one’s progress and to that of the library.

My interview with Amra revealed much about the challenges, and also the opportunities, that face a solo information professional within an organization. The role of her SLA membership during her career, in both keeping a connection to the library field and providing opportunities for collaboration and skill development, speaks to the ability of the association to allow information professionals to improve their skills and their role in their organization. The tips and strategies Amra uses to update her skills, collaborate with her peers, and increase her relevance within her organization are important to all information professionals, whether they operate as a solo or not.

Professional Profile: Ulla de Stricker - de Stricker Associates

2009-12-07T19:35:00.013-05:00

Ulla de Stricker's name may sound familiar to iSchool faculty, staff, and students - her name is often plastered on posters for resume help and various workshops offered here. However, what you may not know about Ulla is she is the founder and President of de Stricker Associates, a consulting business which serves a variety of clients in addressing "challenges in intellectual capital, corporate memory,

business and scientific intelligence, library services, and communication", as stated on her website. She is also an accomplished public speaker and writer, having penned Business Cases for Info Pros: Here's Why, Here's How (2008), and Is Consulting For You? A Primer for Information Professionals (2008).

Please describe your current position.

De Stricker Associates works with organizations facing challenges of information management of any kind. In tailored projects, Ulla and her associates work with clients in private and public sector organizations to address the interplay of people, tools, content, and organizational practices in a wide range of typical information and knowledge related scenarios.

She explains that many organizations may be reluctant to invest in the resources needed to better manage their information, possibly leaning to solutions that are on the surface less costly (as in having no system at all), not knowing that they may "pay" dearly later through loss of productivity, risk of error, and so on. She emphasizes that the cost of uncoordinated practices or workarounds - invented by creative knowledge workers - may be many times the cost of "getting it right" in the first place. That said, "getting information right” does not mean buying expensive software (as an example). There is no one correct approach - appropriate information strategies require an understanding of what will work best for an organization depending on the information related needs of its employees.

How did you get your start in the information profession?

You could say that Ulla is an “accidental” librarian. After having completed her Masters in Jewish American Literature, she contemplated the giant hill she'd have to walk up to the nursing school in the icy Montreal winters and compared that option to the across-the-street library school. This easy choice put her into an area of studies she became very passionate about.

After completing her MLS at McGill University and working there for two years as the Assistant to the Director of the School of Library Science, she was hired by Micromedia/DIALOG (Toronto) when she called and told the manager "you can't do this without me" (Ulla laughs and attributes that phone call to youth & inexperience). Through the 1980s, she ran DIALOG's Canadian operations and held other posts at Micromedia; she was then headhunted to work for a Canadian unit of Thomson, building electronic publications. In 1992 she made another decisive move, walking into her boss’s office to quit her job, but promising to finish the current projects and offering to come back the next day as a consultant. With her employer’s support, that's exactly what she did - and thus her consulting career began.

What are some helpful lessons have you learned during the span of your career?

Ulla explains that at the time she had started her own consulting business in 1992, her name was already known. How? Ulla notes that she has always made a point of contributing; her article writing and involvement in professional associations and conferences allowed her to establish herself and show people what she was capable of doing. Going the extra mile - for example offering talks to local groups when she was traveling across Canada anyway - gained her the essential credibility that turned out to be so helpful for being an independent consultant. She stresses "it was not deliberate - it's in my nature to be generous with my time for my colleagues - but it worked out to my great favor that for 16 years as an employed person, I worked in my spare time too. As an example, I set up a program of courses at Ryerson, wrote a book with a US colleague, and so on. To this day I continue - I am active in several professional associations and speak regularly at the U of T Faculty of Information!"

What advice do you have for new graduates?

Ulla explains that our profession is unlike the "well understood" ones. Let’s say your cat is sick - you automatically understand that you must go to a vet. There is no equivalent "oh, I need an Info Pro to help with …” understanding in society - information professionals' skills are a mystery to many. That's why it is so important for us to be on a continual mission to shed light for others about what our profession can offer.

Ulla encourages Information students and new graduates to start thinking about themselves outside the traditional “librarian” box. With the way the field is changing today, it is crucial to focus on how the skill set we have achieved through our education here can lead us to opportunities we may have overlooked.

Bottom line: Join the appropriate associations and get yourself noticed. Volunteer galore! Write for a local bulletin! Offer tutorials in something you know well! You may start by holding the registrar function, taking signups, handling payments, and handing out name tags at an event, but in the end, every exposure counts.

For More Info:

Through her Information & Knowledge Management blog, Ulla shares - in substantive posts - her commentary and insight. Check out http://destrickerblog.typepad.com/ to discover aspects of your profession you may not have come upon until now.

Please visit http://www.destricker.com/ for more information on de Stricker Associates.

Professional Profile Series Coming Soon

2009-12-04T19:24:00.002-05:00

Are you interested in finding out more about what kind of jobs are out there for special librarians in the field? Keep your eyes on our blog because coming soon we will be posting the first of our many Professional Profile Series interviews. This profile series provides students with an opportunity to gain a better understanding of what is involved in a career in special libraries. This provides a great opportunity for students to learn from professionals working in the field today how they got to where they are. These profiles will continue to be posted throughout the new year. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to learn more about special libraries and the career opportunities they present from the people working in the field.

SLA Name Change Vote

2009-11-26T15:46:00.004-05:00

Don’t forget!!!! Those of you who are registered SLA members there is still time to cast your vote via email for the SLA name change. The email notifying you of the voting was sent on November 16th to whichever email used to register with SLA.

If you are an SLA member and have any questions about the vote the contact information is vote@sla.org or +1.703.647.4950. This is your opportunity to have your say in the future of SLA. Don’t delay, vote today!!!!!

Thomas Fisher Library Tour

2009-11-07T12:13:00.002-05:00

Tour time again!!! The SLA-TSG is hosting a tour of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto on Friday November 13th starting at 2pm. If you are interested email us at slatsg@yahoo.ca to reserve your space. The tour is filling up fast so don’t delay!!!

Librarians and Information Professionals

2009-10-31T12:32:00.002-04:00

Are you curious just what jobs there are out ther for librarians and information professionals? This link is from one of the recent SLA Connections emails and it lists the “Top 100 Jobs Where Librarians/Information Professionals Can Help.” Check out the link: http://www.sla.org/content/Events/centennial/jobs.cfm

SLA Name Change

2009-10-22T17:41:00.003-04:00

The SLA (Special Libraries Association) is proposing a new name!!! It has been found that the current name does not effectively capture the diversity of individuals who make up the membership of SLA. SLA conducted the Alignment Project to gain a better understanding of what some alternatives to the name SLA could be. After 3 years of research and discussion, the name being offered up is the Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals (ASKPro). This new name has already been subjected to surveying and now SLA wants to know what you think.

Beginning on November 16th, SLA members will be able to participate in an e-vote system that will serve as a referendum on this proposed name change. The voting will be open until December 9th and results will be announced December 10th. SLA has a specials page provided where you can go to see frequently asked questions and opinions and responses to these questions. The link to this page is http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/governance/namechange/qa.cfm.

If you are not already an SLA this would be a great time to join and have your say on what you think about ASKPro as the new and improved name for the Special Libraries Association.

Get Involved!!!

2009-10-01T18:37:00.001-04:00

Want to get involved with the SLA-TSG? Want to see what it’s all about? Come out on Wednesday October 7 from 5-6pm in the 7^th floor student lounge and meet with the SLA-TSG executive. We have a few executive positions open for first year students so if you think you the one for the job come out and tell us why. If you can’t make the meeting send us an email with a bio about why you think you are the one for the job.

If you are just curious about what professional association student groups do feel free to come out and ask any questions you might have.

Membership Dues Increase

2009-09-21T16:25:00.000-04:00

As of January 1, 2010 the Special Libraries Association will be increasing their membership dues by 15% as per a vote by the SLA Board of Directors. This will be the first fee increase in 4 years. What does this mean for students? If you register to become an SLA member after January 1, 2010 you will pay $40USD instead of $35USD. This is the link to the SLA website that answers some popular questions regarding the dues increase and also provides more information about membership finances http://www.sla.org/content/membership/duesqa.cfm.

If you are unsure about the benefits of being an SLA member you can come out to our event this Wednesday from 4-6pm in Rotman 151 and meet with members of the SLA Toronto Chapter and ask questions about membership or SLA Toronto in general. The website for the SLA Toronto Chapter is http://units.sla.org/chapter/ctor/. Wednesday’s event is a great opportunity to get all your professional association questions answered. If you are unable to make this event, this link to the SLA site will outline some of the many benefits of membership http://www.sla.org/content/membership/mbrbenefits/index.cfm.

We hope to see you on Wednesday at 4pm!

Special Library Tour

2009-09-18T15:57:00.007-04:00

Ever visit the ROM when you were a kid? Who doesn't like dinosaurs and mummys? Did you know the ROM also houses its very own library? The SLA-TSG is hosting a tour of the ROM library on Friday September 25 at 2pm. We still have spaces open for students to attend so send us an email at slatsg@yahoo.ca and get on the list before it's too late!!

JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!!

2009-09-15T21:21:00.001-04:00

Are you curious what kind of jobs are out there for students? The Professional Development Committee is hosting a job panel this Thursday from 4:30-5:30pm in Bissell 728. This panel will be made up of second year students who will speak about their summer job experiences and where they went to find employment. If you are already planning ahead or are just curious what’s out there this is the event for you. There will even be a few SLA executive members talking about their summer work experience. Come out and join us on Thursday!

Upcoming SLA-TSG Events

2009-09-11T17:41:00.002-04:00

A big thank you to all the students who came to visit us at the Professional Association Luncheon earlier today. We are still collecting emails for our listserv so if anyone forgot to sign up today or is interested in getting more information on upcoming SLA events just send an email to slatsg@yahoo.ca and we will add you to our list.

On Wednesday September 23, we are hosting our first event of the year from 4-6pm in Rotman Room 151. We are having two speakers, Ulla de Stricker and Juanita Richardson join us to talk about the role and benefits of professional associations. This is a great event for students to attend if they are unsure about the role professional association play both at the i-school and in the information community at large. This event will also be an opportunity for students interested in getting involved in the SLA student group to find out what we are all about and what positions we have available on the executive for incoming students.

On Friday September 25 we will be hosting a tour of the library at the ROM. This event will work on a first come, first serve basis so keep your eye out for the email announcing this tour and RSVP as quickly as possible.

As always, if there are any questions feel free to email us at slatsg@yahoo.ca.

Registering to Become an SLA Member

2009-07-14T17:34:00.009-04:00

If you're interested in receiving some of the great benefits that go along with being an SLA member such as frequent updates about SLA events and happenings as well as SLA's magazine publication, these are some directions for how to get started. The website to sign up to become an SLA member is http://www.sla.org. Click on the membership tab at the top and select the join SLA option. It is quick and easy to join online through the join online option.

The registration form will appear listing the different membership options. Students are offered a special discount rate of $35USD. Fill out the form provided with your personal information. Make sure you join the Toronto Chapter. Registering for other divisions and caucuses is entirely your decision. You can join one division for free however there is a fee to join caucuses. Your purchase will be charged to one of the credit cards listed on the site.

Becoming a SLA member allows you to stay in the know so sign up today!

SLA-TSG Listserv

2009-07-08T21:51:00.001-04:00

For anyone who is interested in receiving emails regarding events being by the SLA-TSG this coming academic year you should join our listserv. Just send us an email at slatsg@yahoo.ca containig your name and the email address where you would like to receive the listserv emails. It's that easy to stay in the know about upcoming SLA-TSG events.

Also feel free to send emails to us about any events you would like to see run by the SLA-TSG this year. Enjoy your summer and see you in September!!!

Professional Profile: Claire Lysnes - PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC)

2009-05-24T15:47:00.000-04:00

Although Claire Lysnes has been practicing as an information professional for just over five years, she has been very active in contributing to the field and has a great deal to share with current iSchool students. Claire graduated from U of T’s Faculty of Information Studies in 2004, and is currently the President-Elect of the SLA Toronto Chapter and President of the Faculty of Information Alumni Association. I met with her at the downtown PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada offices where she told me a little about her experiences thus far and her advice for aspiring special librarians.

Please describe your current position.

My title is Portal Manager, and I work within the Knowledge Management group at the Canadian PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) firm. Recently, my team, formerly known as the Portal Services Team, has broadened its mandate and become the Knowledge Management Operations Team, with responsibility for the Portal, by which I mean our corporate intranet, and also our search functionality, meta-tagging, and taxonomy. We are also responsible for tools that are used to facilitate knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer.

PWC provides industry focused assurance, advisory and tax services for public, private and government clients in four areas: corporate accountability; risk management; structuring and mergers and acquisitions; and performance and process improvement.

The Portal, which uses Microsoft SharePoint as its presentation platform, contains information and content for use by all of the firm’s Lines of Service (Tax, Advisory, Audit and Assurance, and Internal firm support services) and industry clusters, such as Consumer and Industrial Products and Services (CIPS), Financial Services (FSIP) and Technology, Information Communications and Entertainment and Media (TICE),. Also found on the Portal is information about the firm’s Sales Relationship Management initiatives, competitive intelligence analysis, and our strategy to make PWC distinctive in the market place, as well as administrative and human resources-related information. The product of my work is the Portal, and it has grown to become quite large, containing much content. There are over 5000 employees at the firm, and the Portal services all of them.

How has your position evolved?

I am at a more senior level now. When I joined PWC, my role was focused on very discrete deliverables and tended to be more operational in nature: My responsibilities included serving our customers and ‘keeping the lights on’ with the Portal. Over the past year, my role has evolved and changed, and I’m currently focused on managing larger projects. I am now more strategy-focused and perform higher-level thinking about the Portal and the Knowledge Management needs of our users. For example, what are our future plans? Do we want to take the Portal to a mobile environment? How do we address the changing needs of our customers?

Please describe your career path.

I had what you might call a circuitous career path. My undergraduate education was in child development, and I came to what is now the iSchool with the intent of becoming a children’s librarian. While there, I found I had more of an interest in courses such as knowledge management than the children’s literature courses. In particular, I enjoyed Professor Choo’s courses, especially Information Management in Organizations: Models and Platforms. As the major project for the course, we developed a mock-up of an intranet for the Inforum staff. It was a great project and really piqued my interest in the web development side of things and modes of presenting information online.

Also while at the faculty, I did a job shadowing placement with AlphaPlus Centre, a government funded non-profit organization that provided library and information services to the adult literacy sector in Ontario. As a happy coincidence, they had a full time position open when I graduated. I worked at AlphaPlus for three years, and that set me on the path of working as a special librarian focused on government-funded projects, website development initiatives, and project management. Two years ago I joined PWC, and have continued to pursue a similar path.

If a student were interested in your area of work, what would you recommend?

If this is your area of interest, gear your course choices towards it: take more of the IS and knowledge management courses. You have to have a natural aptitude for understanding technology and how it works, but I think that most successful people in the role of Portal Manager would have the ability to translate business needs into technical solutions – not necessarily the implementation of the technology, but understanding how the technology can meet the business need. That’s really where we can fit: right at that intersection.

Can you share any helpful lessons that you have learned during your career, or advice you would offer to students graduating in a difficult economic climate?

Don’t underestimate the importance of networking. And don’t let any opportunities pass you by. I would encourage students to participate in programs like the job shadowing program that will expose them to the types of jobs that are out there and the people working in the field. I would encourage them to approach such programs in a professional manner so that they can maintain that contact as it may develop into something advantageous for them.

Knowing the benefits that I’ve experienced, I would recommend that students consider joining professional associations. It really does help cement that network: you not only get to know people who are in your profession within your geographic locale, but if you join a division, you get to know people who are working in similar types of roles and you can enrich your knowledge and your subject matter expertise.

Be proactive about your career! Don’t just wait for the job ad: Reach out to organizations, start making connections, and start liaising with people so that you become ‘top of mind’ to them.
Can you offer any other tips for current students who might be interested in pursuing a career in special libraries?

Be cognizant of the fact that — while it might seem like early days to make these decisions — once you start working in one type of sector, you may be gearing your career to be within that sector. If students are interested in special libraries, they should pursue opportunities in that area. I would definitely encourage it because that is what I love.

I like special libraries and I like working for corporations. Things happen so quickly. It always keeps you interested and engaged. You’re exposed to so many different people and jobs and resources, and you can really broaden your knowledge of what’s out there. The projects you are exposed to are amazing and groundbreaking.

I would encourage people to remain involved with the faculty. Not only to facilitate your network, but to stay in touch with what is happening in academia or related to information studies. Being the President of the Alumni Association helps give me some perspective on what I do and how it fits in within the profession.

Finally, don’t be afraid to go down a path that may be slightly different than your Masters degree because it might lead to great things for you. Don’t take for granted the skill set that you have and do realize that it is valuable, and figure out a way to sell that to your employer.
Claire can be contacted at clysnes@gmail.com

Interview conducted by Monica Rettig

Professional Profile: Gayle Gossen - Dow Jones

2009-03-31T21:09:00.000-04:00

Gayle Gossen holds a degree in Library Science from The University of Western Ontario and is currently a Sales Specialist for Dow Jones working to introduce a new division of Dow Jones in Canada and in nine states in the U.S. In doing so, Gayle coordinates with the market and product managers in order to understand how to best sell and implement the Dow Jones solutions. The bulk of her responsibility, however, is to find buyers for the product itself. In my dialogue with Ms. Gossen, I was fascinated to learn how someone can go from a having a degree in Library Sciences to penetrating a high profile, competitive job in the business field.

Question: How did you go from being an information professional to what you do now? Where did it all start: how did you get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’?

“My mother worked for Oakville Public Library,” says Gossen, “and she was very overprotective, so in the summer, when I was about 11 or 12, my mother wouldn’t let me stay home alone, so she told me that I would become a library volunteer. I became a page and did shelf reading anytime my mom was working.”

In the early 90’s, when Gossen graduated from university, with a degree in English Literature, she knew it would be difficult to find a job during the ongoing recession (sound familiar?) So, she did some asking around and decided Library Science seemed like something interesting to do. Upon completing the 12 month, full-time program at Western University, Gossen looked up every library in the Micromedia Directory of Libraries in Canada and “papered” every single library within a set geographic region with her resume, and was finally offered her first job at the Toronto Star where she worked for a year and a half as a news librarian.

Question: How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

“Good question,” Gossen says through a smile. Throughout school, she had become familiar with, “a plethora of information resources and databases,” and various product lines, which she says, made it very easy for her to come along and try to sell one of them: “I understand about the structure of information. I understand about licensing. I know who publishes what, whereas people who come in from outside, that I’ve trained – they don’t have that kind of background and they find it very challenging to just sell Dow Jones.” Gossen’s familiarity with the competition gives her an additional edge, as she has a firm grasp of respective strengths and weaknesses. Her previous experience as a librarian has also taught her about information-seeking behaviour and what is important for users to be able to access.

When asked about the current economic situation and possibility of pay cuts/loss of a job, Gossen kids, tongue in cheek, “You’re happy to get a pay cut, if you still have a job!”

Question: What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master in Information? What skills and experience should they be building up at this point, if they would like to work in this kind of field?

“Try to get exposed to as many things as you can, on a general level and not specialize in any one thing. Also, be open to learning.” Gossen believes that too many people think it is enough to, “do your job and go home”, but it was her “natural curiosity” that has kept her learning, updating her skills, and willing to confront new challenges as they present themselves. She also emphasized the importance of building up management and people skills, which can be done, she says, through job or volunteer experience, and also mentoring relationships within your desired field. Finally, she emphasizes the importance of not being afraid to take on additional, or different, work when you have the opportunity, as you may be recognized for it and find that you are good at it.

Question: What lessons did you learn early on in your career, and how do they still apply today?

“Definitely, be solution oriented, not problem oriented,” she says in reference to dealing with a problem with a coworker or in a particular job. Gossen asserts that it is far more impressive to an employer to be proactive, and come to them with, not only the problem but also some possible solutions. She says that it is very important to be open to new opportunities, as well. When Gossen was initially approached to work in sales, she turned down the opportunity: “I could’ve made a lot more money, a lot faster,” in recognizing that, “they see something in me that I don’t see or don’t want to see.”

Gayle Gossen remains very active in the Special Libraries Association where she “tirelessly,” works for information professionals. Although it is true she does not work for a traditional library, her sales career has not been that much different than becoming a reference librarian – what she originally wanted to do. “It’s funny,” says Gossen, “once I moved into a sales role people told me that I’m no longer an information professional, and I take offence to that.”

In her sales position, Gossen tells me that she still has question and answer dialogs, similar to a reference librarian, which maintains her sense of curiosity.

Gossen enjoys working from home and having a great deal of professional freedom and flexibility in what she does, but what she enjoys the most about her position is, “building something from scratch (there is a lot of reward in that), and saying, I did that. That exists because of me.”

-Interview by Stella Palikarova

SLA-TSG WANTS YOU!!

2009-03-30T18:04:00.000-04:00

This Thursday, the SLA Toronto Student Chapter will be holding our final meeting and we are looking to pass the 'leadership torch' for 2009-2010.. to you!

If are you interested in special libraries, would like to make a contribution and be more involved with the iSchool community, and wish to gain great skills for your resume, we invite you to come to Thursday's meeting.

The current SLA-TSG executives will be graduating soon (although I'm here for the summer, so I may remain somewhat involved) and we are looking to for students to take on our positions. Please join us in the student lounge this Thursday to learn more about the group.

When: Thursday April 2, 4:00-4:30 pm
Where: 7th Floor Student Lounge

If you are strongly considering becoming an SLA member or are already one, we hope you stop by to hear about all of the great opportunities available in joining this group. We had a wonderful time this year (check out our earlier posts):
touring special libraries, bringing guest speakers/panel discussions to the iSchool,and joining students and industry professionals through the creation of our Professional Profiles series. Now it's your turn!

See you there,
Carolyn

SLA-TSG Event Report: Alternative Careers Panel (March 19th)

2009-03-21T22:43:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday the SLA Toronto Student Group, jointly with the TALL student representative, hosted a panel of information professionals employed in some of the alternative (meaning non-library) career paths available to iSchool graduates. The turnout was significantly higher than that of our other recent panel, with a head-count, this time, of somewhere between 35 and 40. There were enough attendees that the TALL rep actually had to go drag chairs in from a nearby student lounge to accommodate the extra bodies. Evidently iSchool students (many of whom will be graduating this Spring) are very interested in finding less-than-obvious uses for their degrees. It would be trite of me to pin this on the state of the economy, but it's a tempting conclusion to draw, nevertheless.

We had five panelists this time around. They were (from left to right):

Alison Colvin: An FI graduate from the early '80s, now working as Director of Information Services for the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal.

Eileen Lewis - An FI graduate from just last year, now working as an information officer for United Way Toronto.

Jennifer Toews: An FI graduate from 1998, who for the past nine years has worked at the Fisher Rare Book Library at U of T, arranging and describing author papers.

Sophia Apostol: A Western graduate (and recent Professional Profile), now working for Coutts Information Services.

Jennifer Zhang: An FI graduate from 1995, now working as a researcher for the Sunnybrook Foundation.

The positions held by these five panelists fell broadly into a few major classes. Jennifer Zhang and Eileen Lewis said they were involved, for the most part, in what's known in the non-profit world as “prospect research.” Prospect research, as these two explained it, is essentially the art of leveraging information to actively locate and solicit donations from wealthy individuals whose backgrounds and interests suggest they might be willing to donate sizeable amounts of money to whatever specific cause or organization is paying for the research. Jennifer put it most succinctly: “It's all about making the right ask, at the right time, for the right program,” she said. Eileen added that “there really is an impact” associated with this type of research; United Way studies have shown that well-researched donation requests always produce better donations than more passive methods of soliciting contributions. “It's a really nice sector to work in,” Eileen added, perhaps alluding to the fact that this kind of activity, while competitive, isn't exactly crass or corporate, either. To work in prospect research is to serve humanitarian causes. Jennifer and Eileen mentioned that the salary is great, as well.

Sopia Apostol and Alison Colvin both had positions that defied easy description. Their actual job duties sounded malleable, as though they could change at any time according to the dictates of whatever data and human resources requirements happened to arise. Sophia's job was mutable to the extent that she was actually able to mold its description to suit her own tastes—she made it up from scratch with input from a contact at Coutts. “I wrote out, like, this dream job description,” she said, which then became a working reality. Her job now consists, she said, of “a lot of train-the-trainer” duties. She's also involved in creating a wiki-driven knowledge base.

Alison said she was likewise involved in building a knowledge base for her employer, using Microsoft's Sharepoint product. Aside from the informational aspects of the task, which her years as a legal librarian had left her well prepared for, she said there was a pronounced human aspect to her work at the Tribunal. For instance, to convince Tribunal members, most of whom were in their seventies, to contribute to the knowledge base, Alison and her team hit upon the idea of moving payroll functions onto Sharepoint, to serve as an irresistible enticement to participation. In other words, no Sharepoint, no paycheck. Alison said that she looks to hire new employees who possess the “relationship-building skills” necessary to work and navigate in this highly social information environment.

Sophia and Alison were also in agreement on another very important point: being an information professional means finding ways to make oneself invaluable to an employer. “You want to be part of the solution,” said Alison. This means getting close to decision-makers and finding out what problems are facing an organization, then devising ways of using information practices to alleviate those problems. In Alison's case, this involved attending lots of board meetings and listening very closely to all that was being said. “I'm a nosy person,” she said. Her natural curiosity seems to have paid off.

Jennifer Toews was the member of the panel with the closest thing to what could be considered a traditional library job. Her primary job function at Fisher, she said, is arranging and describing personal papers of authors and poets, but she's also responsible for negotiating directly with some of those authors and poets for donations of new material. This aspect of her work coincides with some of the social competencies touted by Sophia and Alison. “Building interpersonal relationships is very important,” Jennifer said.

In general, it seems as though pursuing a career in any of the “alternative” areas of information professionalism requires a combination of talent, drive, and political acumen. It seems as though there's plenty of opportunity for the quick and the clever to find their place in some of the information world's interstices, recession or no recession. Oh, right--we weren't going to talk about the economy. Sorry.

Jennifer Zhang and Sophia Apostol left behind lots of business cards, many of which are still in the possession of the SLA-TSG. If anyone who attended the panel would like to get in touch with Jennifer or Sophia, they should not hesitate to contact us.

SLA Toronto Chapter Events for Spring and Fall 2009

2009-03-17T00:55:00.000-04:00

The SLA Toronto Chapter has announced a series of five professional development events to take place at the Faculty Club on the U of T campus (at 41 Wilcocks St., right by FI South). One of them, unfortunately, has already taken place. The rest seem pretty interesting. Definitely not your ordinary workshops.

I like this one particularly:

Self promotion, no cringe: Gaining visibility through giving

September 8th

Professional visibility is invaluable when it comes to pitching ourselves to employers.

How can we gain a reputation to precede us - without feeling awkward? Ulla describes how we can make ourselves known in the profession through activities focusing on delivering value to others.

Oh, and I love this one, too. Hello sartorial success:

Looking professional: Dressing up on a budget - with style consultant Wendy Buchanan

November 10th

Dressing to appear competent and authoritative need not cost a fortune. Come to learn the guidelines for "what not to wear" and see how simple means transform any outfit. Wendy Buchanan, a style and image consultant, demonstrates using real live SLA members as models.

See the rest on the SLA Toronto Events Page

Remember, all SLA Toronto events are free for students. Everyone else can pay by the event, which will cost $20 per for SLA members and $30 for non-members. No matter what your payment situation, remember to register for your events on the events page before showing up.

Yet Another Excellent Funding Opportunity for the 2009 SLA Conference

2009-03-17T00:33:00.001-04:00

The SLA is holding its annual conference in Washington DC this year. Would YOU like to travel to the place where all of America's best and worst decisions are made to hang out with throngs of your special librarian brethren (and sisteren)? If so, you might be interested in this press release, sent to us by our most recent professional profilee:

To: Toronto Chapter
Subject: [sla-ctor] CORRECTION - Student Stipend to SLA conference

The SLA Toronto Chapter is offering two student stipend awards, generously sponsored by FPinfomart, to help cover expenses at the 2009 SLA Annual Conference in Washington, DC. The Chapter will award both stipends for a total of up to two $1,750 awards.

Applicants must be willing to serve on the Executive or Advisory Board of the Toronto Chapter in the 2010 chapter year (Jan - Dec 2010).

Eligibility: Applicants must be currently enrolled in an accredited graduate level library or information science program during the 2009/10 academic school year and be interested in a career in special librarianship. The recipient may not accept a travel award for the 2009 conference from any other SLA Division or Chapter.

Application procedures: Prepare a written statement in English of up to 500 words on what you hope to gain from the conference. If your essay is available on a public web server, you may submit a URL in lieu of a document. Include a resume. Submit the above documents along with your address, telephone number and email address via email no later than April 6 to:

Juanita Richardson
CEDROM-SNi
120 Eglinton Avenue East #1000
Toronto M4P 1E2

Juanita DOT richardson AT cedrom-sni DOT com

Professional Profile: Juanita Richardson - Richardson Jalakas & Associates, CEDROM SNi

2009-03-14T20:26:00.000-04:00

I met with Juanita to discuss her more than twenty year career as an information professional in both financial services institution information centres and as an independent consultant primarily responsible for sales and business development for an online vendor. CEDROM-SNi is headquartered in Montreal with offices in Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa and Paris. CEDROM-SNi collects information from newspapers, trade publications, databases, newswires and radio and TV transcripts. Subscription to their website allows an organization to easily monitor the news, search the extensive archives, distribute information to user groups and post articles to the Internet or an intranet.

Question: Describe your job.

Juanita is the founder and managing principal of Richardson Jalakas & Associates, an information strategy consultant firm. She is also a Business Development Consultant for CEDROM-SNi in Toronto. Juanita has worked with CEDROM-SNi for seven years. Initially, she was responsible for negotiating licenses with publishers and broadcasters. Today, her emphasis is on developing and maintaining client relationships in order to develop new business in the Toronto market as well as ensure current clients are satisfied with the product. Many of her clients are corporate librarians. Juanita estimates that she spends approximately 70% of her time maintaining current clients and 30% of her time on business development.

Question: Describe your first job in libraries and subsequent career path.

Juanita has held a number of interesting positions over the course of her twenty year career as a librarian. She started her career as a Research Librarian in the ScotiaMcLeod information centre in Toronto in 1987. She supported her clients need for information about various public companies and business sectors at ScotiaMcLeod for two years. Juanita’s second permanent position was for one year in the research library at CIBC Wood Gundy. Juanita capitalized on her experience at Scotia and CIBC to manage the information centre at Deloitte & Touche for six years.

Following ten years working in financial services information centres, Juanita was compelled to move away from serving internal clients to contributing more directly to a corporation’s bottom line by dealing with external clients. Juanita worked as the Manager of Licensing and Project Strategy at Infomart Dialog for two years. Juanita started her own information consulting company in 1998 with a focus on information auditing, knowledge management consulting and vendor marketing development and licensing. In 2002, CEDROM-SNi became Juanita’s primary client.

Question: Describe your educational background.

Juanita has a B.A. from the University of Ottawa in Modern Languages and an MLIS from McGill University. Developing a proficiency in French while at the University of Ottawa and completing her library degree at McGill has been extremely helpful in her career at CEDROM-SNi. Following ten years of experience in corporate libraries and two years employed on the vendor side of the business, Juanita made the decision to start her executive MBA at Athabasca University. Completing an executive MBA built on the foundations she had established in information centres.

Question: What advice do you have for new information professionals?

Juanita provided a passionate perspective on the information profession today. She has really enjoyed her career as a librarian and feels that students graduating from information programs today have a very marketable set of skills. She emphasizes that students need to think of the term “librarian” in the broadest sense and not confine themselves to the “four walls of the library”. It is important that information professionals have a sense of what skills and value they bring to the company. She concedes that it is frequently difficult for the information professional to quantify their contribution to a corporation. Juanita emphasizes that new graduates need to be flexible and open-minded in order to be successful and that many exciting opportunities exist outside of the traditional library building.

For further information about CEDROM-SNi, please refer to the company website at www.cedrom-sni.com. Juanita encourages interested students to stop by the CEDROM-SNi booth at the CLA Conference or contact her directly via email at juanita DOT richardson AT cedrom-sni DOT com.

Interview by Alice Desrocher

SLA-TSG Event Report: Recent Grads Panel (March 5)

2009-03-06T17:35:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, The Special Libraries Association Toronto Student Group, jointly with the Toronto Association of Law Libraries (TALL) student representative, presented a panel of four recent Master of Information Studies graduates. We had (in order of appearance):

Mari Beth Slade: a research analyst with Deloitte, who graduated two years ago from Dalhousie University.

Amy Dietrich: a librarian at Blake, Cassels and Graydon LLP, who also graduated two years ago from Dalhousie.

Jenn Reid: yet another Dalhousie grad from two years ago, now working as a librarian for Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt.

And Erin Murphy: our sole FI graduate, now employed as a trainer at XPI Inc., a vendor of business information services.

Panelists had all been asked to describe the actual processes by which they were able to land their jobs after graduating. Remarkably, not one of them had struggled to find a position.

Mari Beth had worked a string of contract positions for various banks and investment firms before even graduating, and was able to transition smoothly into Deloitte on the strength of her existing experience when school ended.

Amy Dietrich started at Blake's as a Summer student and was invited to stay.

Erin Murphy found her job through a personal network and had been hired before even leaving FI.

Jenn Reid, meanwhile, said she'd taken a month to travel after graduating from Dal, then found her job in Toronto by searching relentlessly on job boards and sending out copies of a resume she'd polished with the help of a representative from the SLA.

Each panelist also talked about some of the graduate courses that had proven particularly useful to them. Mari Beth was unequivocal in her answer: "Research courses were the most important." The other panel members tended to agree. Jenn and Erin also stressed the importance of information literacy classes. Amy said that one of the most important things she'd learned in grad school was "how to structure a reference interview." Everyone agreed that grad school is only a beginning, and that a significant amount of training needs to occur on-the-job.

For me, things got especially interesting when the panel began to speak about the role of information technology in their working lives. Erin works for a technology vendor, so it went without saying that her job was essentially consumed with IT. She called XPI "the closest thing to a paperless office I've ever seen," and stressed the importance of being able to troubleshoot tech problems while giving presentations to clients.

Jenn said she'd set up a wiki at Osler. It was originally her personal repository for job-related knowledge, but she said it eventually became a valuable training tool for the entire firm. She also had an unusual suggestion for students in need of training with expensive vendor products: Jenn said that in the past she's been able to wrangle trial accounts with major commercial databases for her private use, just by telling companies that she was a librarian and that she was interested in "poking around." Very crafty.

Mari Beth said that information technology was a "big enabler" in her work, which includes updating databases of business and securities information.

Amy acknowledged that legal librarianship is still carried out partially on paper, despite the existence of sophisticated online search products. Lexis/Nexis and Quicklaw were the two products she mentioned by name, but she implied that there were many others in use at her firm.

There was a thirty-minute Q and A after the speaking portion of the panel, with good questions all around. I'd put the turnout at about twenty, including myself, the two SLA-TSG co-chairs, and Eve, the TALL student rep.

We extend our thanks to all the panelists; to the FI Student Tech Fund for help with catering and gifts for the panel; to all the students who showed up; and even to those who nabbed food and left!

Please note that we'll be having another panel on March 19th. This one will be composed of information professionals in alternative careers (meaning they have iSchool-esque training, but work in non-library settings). We know it's going to be taking place from 4:30 to 5:45, and we know it's being held in a room somewhere in the Bissel Building, but we don't have a precise room number at this time. Watch your inbox for details (if you're an FI student, that is).

Another 2009 SLA Conference Award

2009-02-24T14:24:00.000-05:00

If you're interested in attending this year's SLA Annual Conference, the Environmental and Resource Management Division of the SLA would like to cut you a break. All you have to do is write them a 300-500 word essay describing your interest in environmental and resource management librarianship.

That's a pretty low word count! You could probably knock that off in two or three paragraphs. Apply apply apply.

Here's the full release:

2009 ERMD Student Award announcement

The ERMD student Award recognizes a student who is especially interested in pursuing a career as an information professional dealing with environment and resource management issues. A $500.00 award, plus an additional $750.00 in SLA conference expenses will be paid to the student that writes an exceptional 300-500 word essay describing their interests in the issues facing information professionals in this field. For more information see the ERMD website at: http://units.sla.org/division/derm/student/student.cfm

Beth Wohlgemuth, Head Librarian

Professional Profile: Jenn Reid - Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, LLP

2009-02-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

Question: Please describe your position at Osler.

As a librarian at Osler, Jenn commits half her time to training and half to reference services. As a reference librarian, Jenn helps partners, lawyers and new hires with various legal reference duties. When performing these duties, half her day is spent at the reference desk located at the entrance to the library. Here she fields reference questions by phone, email, or in person. When not at the reference desk, Jenn acts as a reference partner at her own desk. Since many reference queries in her office are time sensitive, she can field reference questions by phone or email while the reference desk is busy, allowing her to locate the appropriate resources without distraction.

Jenn is the primary individual responsible for training employees in the use of library resources. Her busy season runs in May and August when articling students and new hires are taken on and the biggest training programs are run. Each of the sessions run one month, and include 10-11 programs. Each program runs about 1-3 hours each and is repeated 3 or 4 times based on the number of hires. Many of the librarians in the office run specialized programs during this time, but Jenn herself is responsible for approximately 50% of the learning process.

Although May and August may be the busiest training times, Jenn’s teaching duties continue throughout the year. She is responsible for producing and updating finding aids, user guides, and online resources. If individuals are hired outside of May or August, separate individual training sessions must be performed. Lunch and learns are also held throughout the year. When she is not teaching, new programs must be designed while old ones are retooled. Currently, Jenn is leading a major project that is evaluating the effectiveness of learning within the sessions. These training duties, combined with her reference responsibilities, keep Jenn very busy throughout the year, but it is an experience that she describes as rewarding and enjoyable.

Question: Please discuss your career path including education.

Jenn began her education at Queens University as a Classics and English major. A class visit from a librarian got her interested in information studies. On a visit to Dalhousie, she met with the Faculty of Information’s own Judy Dunn, who was working there at the time, and after an informative lunch decided to enrol in their MLS program. During this program, she began to become more focused on the technology and information literacy side of information studies, mostly through her TA duties. Jenn received hands-on experience through a practicum at the

ROM, which was completed during her second year.

Between her first and second years of the program, Jenn worked at Hewlett Packard in a non-library capacity. However, she decided to use the opportunity to gain valuable experience. Jenn’s job was to analyze customer feedback. She took the initiative and designed a database to come up with a matrix to track the feedback she was receiving. This led to a position at the Center for Management Informatics at Dalhousie, which gave her great research experience and directly led to her current job at Osler.

Question: What advice do you have for those in a Master of Information Studies (MISt) program just getting into the field?

Jenn’s primary advice is that a MISt student should not narrow their options while enrolled in the program. What a student may think they want at the start of the program may not necessarily be the perfect fit for them. There are so many different paths with a MISt degree that it is important to diversify your experience and keep an open mind.

It is also very important to network. Jenn said that her own experience as the student president of the SLA at Dalhousie was invaluable, and she advises that one should never be afraid to ask a professional for coffee to get some one-on-one time. Gaining these networking connections early in one’s student life will result in more opportunities later on. Jenn also says that alumni contacts should be maintained after graduation.

As a professional, Jenn is still networking outside of her workplace. She is currently on the education committee of the Toronto Association of Law Libraries (TALL) and has also recently been appointed the Finance Director for the Toronto Chapter of the Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD). These activities do not take up a huge amount of Jenn’s time, and yet they lead to invaluable networking opportunities.

Question: Where do you see the field going in the next 10 years?

Jenn explains that the livelihood of the librarian profession depends on our ability to market ourselves in the right way. As long as librarians can show that they are relevant and important, through statistics and services offered, then the profession will be treated as relevant and important. Jenn does not see the profession slowing down at all, with expansion into knowledge management and competitive intelligence. The toughest part may be escaping the “L” word, as it often invokes the image of someone who only stocks shelves in a public library. As long as librarians can continue to offer valuable research, training, knowledge management, and many other services that are valuable to private and public organizations, the possibilities are limitless.

-Interview conducted by Robert Keshen

Media Commons Lecture & Cold Storage Tour a success

2009-02-10T15:49:00.000-05:00

Last week, the SLA-TSG hosted a tour of the Robarts Library Media Commons and Cold Storage Facility . While the Media Commons and its holdings are open to the public, to researchers, students, and faculty, the Cold Storage Facility is restricted to Media Commons staff. Apart from those who work at the Media Commons and/or have studied with Brock Silversides, few people appear know of the facility's existence. But more on that later...

The third SLA-TSG tour of 2008/2009 began in the Media Commons, where we were treated to a candid and insightful discussion by Brock Silversides, Department Head and AV/Media Specialist. Throughout the evening, Brock discussed the digitization of non-textual documents, Media collections development, long-term storage methods required for AV materials, and the importance of capturing and archiving our ephemeral day-to-day pop culture.

In this informal, yet informative session, students were able to ask questions and address issues outside the scope of traditional library practice (and instruction, for that matter). All in all, the lecture/Q&A was a real eye-opener, and a fabulous introduction to the field of Special Media Collections Development and Preservation.

Following the discussion, Brock treated us to a 'Behind the Scenes' tour of the Media Commons, and showed us the equipment room. Reel-to-reel machines, beta (yes, BETA) and VHS players, CD-rom and DVD burners, and a host of equipment that I had never seen before was explained to us by the resident AV technician, aka McGyver.

Next, we proceeded to the Cold Storage Facility, where materials once belonging to Lions Gate Films, Alliance Atlantis, and several record labels are kept on ice (ok, not really on 'ice', but chilled to 5c). The facility is over 5,000 sq feet -- it's size rivals vaults belonging to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Library & Archives Canada (Gatineau) -- and utilizes 15 different chillers as it preserves films, videos, audio tapes, photographs and paper memorabilia. During the tour, preservation measures and logistics were discussed; AV materials are fragile, and not 'built to last', which is why special treatment and care is required.

For those students who might be interested: the iSchool summer session course, Special Topics in Information Studies: Managing Audio Visual Material runs the duration of the term and is taught by Brock Silversides. Be warned, it fills up VERY fast and is one of the highly coveted, 'waiting-list' courses.

--Carolyn

SLA Science & Technology division: S. Kirk Cabeen travel stipend award

2009-02-03T22:07:00.000-05:00

SLA SCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY DIVISION:
S. KIRK CABEEN TRAVEL STIPEND AWARD

http://units.sla.org/division/dst/Award/KIRKTRAVELSTIPENDAWARD.html

The S. Kirk Cabeen Travel Stipend Award is offered to a library school student or first time conference attendee. This $750 award is to be used toward expenses of attending the SLA Annual Conference in Washington, DC, USA June 2009.

QUALIFICATIONS: Be a library school student or first time attendee; be a current member of SLA, preference going to Science-Technology Division members; if NOT a student, then must be attending his or her first SLA conference.

NOMINATIONS: Self-nominations are encouraged.

Send a typed and signed document including complete title, name of Library School and anticipated graduation date, employer, and all professional and personal contact information.

All nominations must also include the following:

A short essay (500 words or less) on the theme of the 2009 Annual Conference:
"Information to Inspiration: Knowledge & Vision Shaping the Future."
The essay should be double-spaced. Neatness, spelling and grammar will count in judging. Supporting documentation must include a current curriculum vita OR resume for the candidate, significant publications, supporting letters, etc.

Applications should also mention if you are currently applying for other SLA division awards.

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS: March 1, 2009. Nominations and all accompanying materials should be sent to Sheila Rosenthal, Chair of the Sci-Tech Division Awards Committee, at the following email address: (substitute the "AT" for @)
slr AT sei.cmu.edu

POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS:
1. Recipient (s) will write a brief article (approximately 1,000 words) on the conference experience for the November 2008 Sci-Tech News.

2. Recipient (s) will be asked to serve on the Science-Technology Division Awards Committee in the following year to provide for the continuity and enthusiasm of the awards.

NOTIFICATION:
1. Applicants will receive notification of award status by mid March 2009. The award checks will be sent to the recipient as soon as the receipts are received by the Awards Chairperson.

2. The recipients' names will be posted to the Science-Technology Division's Web site.

3. The award will be announced and presented to the recipient at the Science-Technology Division's Annual Business meeting/breakfast.

SLA Centennial Video Contest! 10k in prizes!

2009-02-03T21:11:00.000-05:00

Information to Inspiration: Knowledge & Vision Shaping the Future.
Celebrating the Special Libraries Association Centennial, 1909-2009

The SLA Centennial Video Contest deadline of February 23rd is just a few weeks away, and while an Oscar may be in your dreams, $10,000 in prizes is pretty darn good (especially when you realize that there's $1,000 for a designated chapter AND division)!

So, if you are planning to submit a video, let the SLA know by e-mailing
this form:
http://www.sla.org/PDFs/centennial/video_contest_entry_form.pdf
to tbmccollough AT gmail DOT com

Any SLA member, individually or as a group, can submit a video, so get your cameras rolling!

More information on the video contest is at www.sla.org/centennial
(contest timeline will be updated very soon)
backup site:
http://wiki.sla.org/display/CCWIKI/Centennial+Video+Contest

Promotional Video on YouTube:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=yXR-e2tiDQs

Video Game Preservation Colloquium at FI

2009-01-29T21:02:00.001-05:00

Hi, I'm Steve, your mostly-invisible SLA-TSG blog minder. I've decided to use my editorial prerogative, just this once.

This is really only tangentially related to special libraries, but I feel it deserves a place here because it has something to do with the non-traditional library career interests of this blog’s (presumed) readership. Why this is so won't become apparent until a little later on, so don't give up on me.

Ahem.

Yesterday here at the Faculty of Information we had a visit from Megan Wingt, of the University of Texas, Austin. She just got a research grant from IMLS to fund her study of issues surrounding the preservation and description of video games. She didn't say how much the grant was for, but these IMLS awards max out at a million dollars, so it's probably a lot. She's actually been working with games for some time already in her role as head of the University of Texas Archives' Preserving Games Project, whose website you can visit.

What was interesting about this talk, from a career perspective, was Wingt's discussion of some of the measures she was taking to move the project forward. She made it sound like she'd really had to show some entrepreneurial spirit. It makes sense to me that a project like this would require such strong advocacy. Video games have an image problem. They are entertainment culture's acne-ridden offspring, and so it can't be easy winning approval for a project whose goal is to save them forever. People who care about them are not yet positioned to award grant money. They are, for the most part, too young.

Surprisingly, the crowd at the lecture was fairly diverse. I was expecting a roomful of nerdily-inclined students like myself (and we were well represented, to be sure), but actually there was a pretty thick contingent of FI faculty, older students, archives students, etc. Everyone really seemed genuinely concerned about the logistics of video game preservation, even if they hadn't--as one FI professor admitted during the Q and A--played a single video game since Pac Man.

To sell the project to administrators and grant-awarding bodies, who presumably, like the FI professor, had a familiarity with video games that began and ended with early-'80s arcade culture, Wingt had to learn to frame her project in terms of ethnography. Her grant is for the "study of creative behaviors and methods of game creators." In other words, she didn't get her money by simply telling IMLS she wanted to collect lots of cool stuff.

In fact, she said, she rejects the "closet of curiosities" model of video game preservation entirely (by which I assume she means shelves and shelves of old, defunct hardware). After analysis, she has decided that the project's real value to institutions and future users is in what it can say about the culture of games.

If the distinction between games and game culture doesn't seem clear, that's because it isn't, at all. What I took away from the talk and the subsequent Q and A is that the two things are actually inseparable. At one point Wingt was even talking about filming people in the act of playing video games as a means of capturing culture and game simultaneously. The two things are so close together that they can actually coexist on the same screen. (Researchers must not be denied the edifying experience of hearing people trash talk one another over Xbox Live!) Her message was that truly preserving games requires a record of how contemporary players are reacting to them. As it happens, the most eloquent possible centerpiece for such a record would have to be the game itself.

Wingt's project is very much involved with saving games, but its selling point is its cultural significance and its ethnographic rigor. She's trying to save the cool stuff, but she's doing it in service of a cultural record that may not prove its value for decades.

This is a project with roots in two very different communities of interest. To gamers, it's the games themselves that matter, but libraries and archives require a fuller understanding of the medium's nascent heritage before they'll actually collect them. Part of getting the funding for saving the games themselves involved weaving a story about their likely future value so that non-gamers could feel their importance.

My impression is that Wingt is not alone in this struggle. By which I mean the struggle to appeal to disparate interests. If I were a special librarian, working for a company whose management had trouble seeing value in the aspects of my service that didn't translate directly into revenue, wouldn't I also need to somehow convince those in power that what I was doing was worthwhile? This is basically the exact inverse of the video game problem. Instead of proving the long-term value of their activities, corporate special librarians have to attend to payoff at some point in the now. Regardless of timeframe, these notions of "value" and "payoff" in libraries are very slippery. Gaining traction in this environment might require librarians to occasionally construct good stories, in which to cast themselves as heroes and saviors.

Maybe writing good grant applications and budget justifications takes a little bit of a fiction-writing mindset. Which is not to say that librarians should make things up, but that they should be able to deploy the craft of representation to make projects with subtle payoff feel intuitively correct to the people who cut checks.

Thoughts?

Professional Profile: Sonia Solomon - Merrill Lynch Canada

2009-01-27T17:31:00.000-05:00

Question: How did you get your start in the information profession?

A friend of mine was studying for a library technician program and I occasionally helped with doing research for her homework. After becoming more and more interested in library and information work, I decided to enrol at the graduate library program at the University of Toronto. Sonia’s first work experience in the field was a summer position at the Legislative Library of Ontario.

Question: Please describe your current position.

I work as the Vice-President of the Corporate Library at Merrill Lynch Canada. I started at Midland Doherty shortly after graduation. After a couple takeovers, the company is now called Merrill Lynch Canada. Merrill Lynch was recently acquired by Bank of America. The Corporate Library is focused on serving internal clients – providing our staff with research to help them in their work, rather than the general public. The subject matter can range from Canada’s oil industry to questions on aerospace – anything Merrill Lynch is involved in can involve the Library.

One of the interesting challenges involves taking the time to learn the information needs of different offices and staff. We’ve supported brokers, marketing staff, the human resources department, and client development. You have to find the right thing for your client - there’s no one size fits all service here. Further, I represent the corporate library to others at the company. It is important to be out there and meet people – you have to create a lot of your own opportunities. I also work with other information professionals who work at Merrill Lynch’s offices across Canada (e.g. Edmonton and Montreal) and the world (e.g. London). For example, when the New York office went down on September 11, 2001, the Toronto office played a major role in supporting Merrill Lynch staff in the United States. We support and collaborate with each other to provide the best service to our clients, even though most of our day to day operations are independent.

Question: What advice do you have for new graduates?

Much of the library education I was familiar with was very focused on the public sector environment. If you wish to work in the private sector, address this by taking time to learn more about business; learn something about finance, sales and even communications. In this field, it helps a great deal to be interested and understand as much as you can of the firm’s business. Clients are not interested in cataloguing standards – they want quality service and help meeting their information needs. Many times the requests are challenging and can be difficult. My role is to provide the client with the materials they need to do their job. Delivering good results is the key to client satisfaction.

Finally, no matter where you are, you have to be curious and open to opportunities. In this field, you need to be prepared to wear a lot of hats. Roles evolve, new technologies emerge and it is vital to stay informed about changing trends. I wouldn’t trade this for the world – I find this profession to be fascinating!

Question: Can you comment on the role that the Special Libraries Association (SLA) has played in your career:

SLA, professional organizations and networking are very important. The experience and knowledge of others is invaluable at all stages of a career. In the early years of my career, I found that SLA was critical, to meeting others in the profession. Courses and meetings were a font of excellent information and insight. As time went on, and I became more experienced, I still valued the insight of others. Bouncing ideas off of others can be very helpful because working in a corporate setting you are usually the only person in the company doing the work that you do. The information specialists at Merrill Lynch who work in our offices around the world are important to us in that they support us in our reference work, providing information that we may not have available to us locally, and we have a forum to bounce ideas and strategies that we face in our business.

Contact: sonia UNDERSCORE solomon AT ml DOT com

-Interview conducted by Bruce Harpham

More Ways to Get Yourself To DC For (Close To) Free

2009-01-26T11:18:00.000-05:00

Check out this excellent post on the SLA Illinois Chapter blog.

Deadlines are drawing awfully close, though, so anyone serious about pursuing any of these awards had best get started.

Feel like spending a few days in Washington DC this Summer?

2009-01-23T10:42:00.000-05:00

This year's SLA annual conference is going to be held in Washington DC. If you happen to be a student with an interest in business librarianship, the SLA Business and Finance Division wants to give you $1500 to go there. Maybe Barack Obama will notice your fresh, eager face and offer you a position as the first ever Secretary of Information. In fact, I'd count on it.

Here's the full press release from the Business and Finance Division:

Subject: Student Stipend Awards
January 13, 2009

TO LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE PROGRAMS:

The Special Libraries Association Business and Finance Division is offering student stipend awards to help cover expenses at the 2009 SLA Annual Conference in Washington DC, June 14-17, 2009. The Division will award student stipends and professional grants for a total of up to six $1,500 awards. The enclosed announcement details the entry requirements and application procedures. Please post the enclosed announcement or distribute copies to the students who are interested in careers in business libraries. An electronic version of the announcement is available for posting on student listservs or websites at:
http://units.sla.org/division/dbf/awards/descriptions.html#pgssa

Please note that applicants should be members of the SLA Business & Finance Division by March 2, 2009 to be eligible for consideration. Students can join online at the following website: http://www.sla.org/content/membership/joinsla/index.cfm

Information about the SLA Business and Finance Division is at: http://units.sla.org/division/dbf/.

The conference theme is "2009 - "Information to Inspiration: Knowledge & Vision Shaping the Future (r)". Participation in the programs, opportunities for networking, exposure to new information products and possible job leads at the employment clearinghouse will make this
conference a valuable experience for students.

I appreciate your help in informing students about the stipend awards. Please contact me if you have any questions about the award or the application process.

Sincerely,

Awilda Reyes

Professional Profile: Sophia Apostol - Coutts Information Services

2009-01-06T13:50:00.000-05:00

Question: Tell me about your career so far.

Sophia began her library career at YBP Library Service as a library vendor that provided books (both in print and electronic) and supporting collection management and technical services to academic, research and special libraries. Through her co-op placement at the University of Guelph, she met a librarian who put her in touch with a manager at YBP, and she landed her first job with the organization even before she had completed her degree! Sophia worked as the Sales Manager for Canada, which entailed managing accounts for all of the organization’s Canada clientele. Sophia traveled all over the country, working with clients to determine their collections development needs and offering YBP’s products and services to help meet their demands.

Having established herself in the professional world, and sufficiently tired of the all-familiar “airplane smell,” Sophia decided to pursue a different field of librarianship by accepting a position at the Seneca@York campus of Seneca College. There, she worked as an Instruction Librarian, providing reference services, information literacy classes, and collection development. The knowledge she gained at YBP – working with academic librarians and academic library products – assisted her in understanding her new role in an educational setting.

Upon completing the contract position at Seneca, Sophia turned back to the world of library vendors to seek out her next position – a position for which she herself wrote the job description. Tapping into her personal network of information professionals, she wrote to a former colleague and described exactly what she was seeking in her next job. Her assertiveness paid off when the colleague called back to say he had the perfect job for her, which is how Sophia found herself in her current position as the Knowledge Resources Manager for Coutts Information Services.

Question: What does your current work for Coutts entail?

Coutts is a full service supplier of books and electronic content from publishers and distributors worldwide. They provide collections services and resources to libraries to make sure they get the books and e-resources they need to serve their patrons effectively.

As the Knowledge Resources Manager, Sophia ensures sound knowledge sharing practices within the organization to create better-informed team members and more satisfied clients. She ensures that people within the organization have access and exposure to the information and knowledge not only to do their jobs, but to do them better, by meeting clients’ needs and developing stronger, more usable products.

Sophia’s work is also client-facing: she provides user training on Coutts library products, working with collections development librarians and instructing them in how to use Coutts’ collections management products.

What’s more, Sophia is very excited to be embarking on interface design and information architecture for Coutts’ products. She works with the IT department on how to create usable, accessible products that meet the changing needs of academic and research librarians.

It is clear from her enthusiasm and positivity that she is incredibly excited about her role at Coutts, and is thoroughly enjoying her role with the organization!

Question: What are your tips for new professionals embarking on their careers in the information professions?

Network, network, network: Sophia got all her professional positions through professional contacts, and she cannot emphasize enough how important it is to meet people in the field and get your name out in the library world. This includes participation in professional associations, conferences, networking events and other venues, where you can meet members of the library profession, and maybe meet your future boss! We’re especially lucky in this profession: Librarians are friendly, approachable, and they love helping new professionals find their bearings, so don’t be afraid to network.

Be your own advocate: You have to be assertive with your employer if you want support for your professional development; time away from work to attend conferences, the ability to pursue continuing education, support in skills upgrades are all things you will have to negotiate with your boss, so be prepared to stick up for yourself and advocate for your needs. Librarians are not famous for being demanding and assertive, but it will pay off professionally, so don’t be scared to speak up!

All experience is good experience: Sophia gained a lot from the work experience of Western’s co-op program. Not only did she learn more about the field of librarianship, but she also figured out her professional likes and dislikes. It was in these co-op positions that Sophia made the first contact that has subsequently led to her various professional positions. So get exposure to a variety of library settings through work experience, job shadowing, or practicum classes – even if you don’t love it, it will help you make decisions about the direction of your career, and help you make professional connections in the field.

Question: Where do you see the future of our profession?

Sophia hopes that librarians will continue to explore collaborative technologies and become more and more proficient with social software. Make sure to maintain your technical skills and be curious about new and emerging tools – these collaborative tools have huge potential for improving information sharing and distribution, which will help librarians do their jobs better.

She also encourages librarians to be savvy with their marketing and advocacy approaches: When working at Seneca, Sophia created a Facebook page to answer students’ reference questions – and it was a big success! Know your users and your stakeholders so you can make informed decisions about how to meet the objectives of libraries: Making information accessible! Don’t be scared of applying some “business savvy” in your job. Being strategic, visible, and accountable is not a bad thing, whether you are in a public, academic or special library.

Although the economy is slowing down, there are lots of jobs out there for new professionals, but they’re not always posted. Get your name out there in the library world, and your chances of getting a call from an information organization will only get better!

-Interview Conducted by Meghan Ecclestone

Professional Profile: Laura Knapp, Manager of Knowledge Services - Ontario Securities Commission

2008-12-01T13:33:00.000-05:00

When executed properly, knowledge management is an activity which affects all parts of an organization. Laura Knapp, a graduate of U of T’s Faculty of Information, offers an excellent example of knowledge management done right. She is currently the manager of Knowledge Services at the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), the agency which administers and enforces securities legislation in the Province of Ontario.

Knowledge Services at the OSC has an organization-wide impact. This is partly the nature of knowledge management and partly a result of Laura’s advocacy. Laura is responsible for creating and implementing a knowledge management strategy for the entire OSC as well as overseeing the ongoing activities of the library. As a result, she works with every department within the OSC. Laura has learned just how important it is to make one’s self known to key people within branches of the OSC whose work is closely related to knowledge management. She uses these people as champions for her cause within their group of peers in order to ensure the success of her knowledge management strategies.

Laura has been a one woman team when it comes to creating the knowledge management strategy for the OSC. This year, however, she was able to hire a student to help her.

Laura sees the library as an ideal tool for delivering knowledge management - the two are complimentary as far as she is concerned. Librarians receive questions from all over the organization, a position which allows them to gain a unique perspective on the organization as a whole. They see how the activities of various departments and people within the OSC are related to one another and as a result, librarians are well positioned to easily facilitate connections between departments and people within the OSC who may not have known they had common interests.

Question: Describe your career path.

When Laura graduated from the Faculty of Information she began working at the Rotman School of Management. From there she went to work as a researcher for Egon Zehnder and was promptly laid off. The experience of being laid off was one that forced Laura to regroup and really rethink about what it was that she wanted to do. From personal contacts with in the SLA Toronto Chapter, Laura found herself working in sales for LexisNexis. This experience was invaluable to her as it allowed her to see the inner workings of a wide variety of libraries and she was consequently able to gain a greater insight into the workflows and organization of library settings. This experience also provided her with the skills needed to work as an information consultant at de Stricker Associates as an information consultant.

Working as a consultant, Laura gained further insight into the world of knowledge management and again the workflows of a variety of library settings. The OSC was a client of de Stricker Associates and Laura worked as a consultant for the OSC. In the end, the OSC suggested that she apply for the job of Manager of Knowledge Services.

Question: What are some helpful lessons you learned early on in your career?

Laura stresses that it is important to be realistic about what it is that you can achieve as a new professional. Do not over promise on what you cannot deliver. It is ok to say that you do not know the answer and that you will promptly reply to people with an appropriate answer once you determine what that is. Similarly, do not be afraid to ask for what it is that you need from a position. Ensure that you are able to negotiate what it is that you want out of a job during a performance review, such as an increase in pay or the time off to attend a professional conference. In Laura’s case, she would not work for an employer that did not support professional development in some way. While you cannot expect your employer to pay for every conceivable professional development activity, getting time off to attend some activities and asking for contributions towards attending are reasonable expectations from today’s employers. It is a give and take situation from both sides.

These lessons are as important to Laura now as they were when she first began work. Professional development never stops, especially in a profession that is changing all the time.

Laura’s thoughts on essential skills for students who are graduating from the iSchool now.

Laura feels that all graduates should have a basic understanding of IT concepts, to allow effective and easy conversations with their organization’s IT staff. There is often friction between the IT department and library staff because of differences in workflow and expectations. If you understand IT concepts, however, you are more likely to understand how they get their work done and are able to ensure that you can use their help effectively.
Library advocacy is another important skill that Laura suggests all graduates be familiar with. Marketing and advocating for yourself and your resource centre is essential when you are trying to sell your services and prove the value that you add to an organization. As the financial market is constraining, it is important to be able to quantify your efforts in a way that others can understand.

Lastly, information literacy is extremely important. It is the librarian’s job to help people understand how it is that they can search for information in a more effective way and how they can decipher the credibility of the information that they do find. Librarians will need to understand how to properly filter information for the use of their clients.

Question: What are your thoughts on the future of librarians?

Web 2.0 has opened up a world of opportunity for librarians as it is creating ways for people to interact with each other and facilitate the use of resources people would never have used otherwise. The average worker in an organization does not have time to play around with wikis and blogs to figure out how to use them well. Librarians can step in and do this work for them. Librarians will be there to help facilitate collaboration and connection among workers in an organization.

Further, much of the future of librarians will be focused on the concept of “the search”. With the obvious popularity of Google it will be librarians’ jobs to ensure that people can carry out their searches more efficiently. Ultimately, Laura sees most databases moving towards a federated search environment which means that creating complex search strings will only become more important as each search will be searching so many databases at one time.

Question: What is your advice for students who are graduating into the current financial market?

Laura has an optimistic outlook on the possibilities for new graduates as she sees that people are currently overloaded with information. This information overload is a best friend for librarians as our skill set is perfect for appropriately filtering information and being able to target it to the right people. Librarians will always be in demand, however, our titles may vary to include Knowledge Manager, Business Analyst, or Information Resource Specialist.

It is important for new graduates to be looking in non-traditional areas such as consulting firms and even the vendors. Librarians are there to help people understand the organization of their information and this means that librarians can work in almost any organization imaginable.
As for the idea that people are starting to retire, Laura acknowledges that this wave of retirement was predicted before and has yet to be realized. However, she sincerely believes that it is starting to happen now. That being said, it will be important for new graduates to be more aggressive and creative when it comes to finding jobs as they will not be found in the traditional locations. A good way to start with this is to set up informational interviews with professionals who work in your field of interest. From here you can ask them questions about their job and how they got there.

-Interview Conducted by Julia Brewster

Professional Profile: Laura Warner - CBC Reference Library

2008-10-18T18:19:00.000-04:00

Laura Warner is a reference librarian with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Located in the Broadcasting Centre in the heart of downtown Toronto, the reference library is a storehouse of a broad range of topics covered by the CBC on a daily basis. In addition to the in-house book, magazine, and newspaper collections and the production files of the various press releases and reviews of their television and radio programs, the reference library also provides access to various databases and an inter-library loan program to service the employees of the CBC.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Broadcasting Centre and speaking to Laura about her position at the CBC. Throughout the interview process, I found her optimism and genuine interest in her career to be both refreshing and inspiring.

Q: Describe your position here at the CBC.

As a reference librarian, Laura often receives research requests for the various radio and television programs of the CBC. It is her regular task to provide fact checks, legal research, and background research for the producers of a particular program. The information products, which are part of the library, allow Laura to research the various topics that have been requested. Such topics could include a biography of Alanis Morissette, press releases of Sesame Street, or photos of Don Cherry’s latest fashion trends.

The research that Laura and her colleagues provide is an essential part of every program at the CBC. Without these pieces of information, the programs would not hold the fullness and credibility that a media outlet should reflect.

As a side project, Laura has also taken responsibility for promoting the reference library within the CBC environment. She told me that people often do not even realise that there is a reference library within the Broadcasting Centre due to its hidden location in the corner room of the third floor. As part of promoting the library to the CBC employees, there are training sessions and tours of the library in order to familiarise more people with the richness of resources the library provides.

Q: What were some of the early academic and professional experiences of your career?

Her positive memories of being in libraries as a child and her love of learning led Laura into the field of library and information science. When she entered the MLIS program at Dalhousie, the most surprising element for Laura was learning about the field of special libraries. It was a field that she had not considered prior to entering her program, and from her satisfaction with her position now at the CBC, it is one that has suited her well.

Laura’s first job in libraries was at St. Mary’s University in Halifax as a cataloguer. It was through this position that she became familiar with working within an academic library setting as well as learning various database management skills.

Q: Since your first exposure to the library environment, what changes have you seen in libraries?

The most obvious changes, according to Laura, have been a result of the Internet. These changes have been experienced first-hand in the CBC reference library as several sources, such as biography and news clippings, are no longer available in print and have become more readily accessible through their online databases. In addition to the benefits of saving space and allowing for such features as multilingual interfaces, the increased usage of online databases to store information also gives the task of education and training to the reference librarian. One of the services the CBC reference library offers is a training session for anyone who needs advice on how to effectively navigate through their online resources.

Q: As the industry transforms and adapts to technological advancements, what professional qualities of the librarian will endure?

Laura believes that the incorporation of service skills with professional skills will be the most important qualities that will endure despite any advances in technology and accessibility. As a reference librarian, it is important to her that she is providing a "service" to help others find what they need. An essential part of this service is to develop an interpersonal relationship with each patron that requests her help. This requires patience, effective communication, and creativity -qualities that are lacking in a solely technological inquiry. In addition to these interpersonal skills, Laura also sees that with an increasing amount of information readily available through the Internet, the mediation of a professional in the field of information becomes that much more important in filtering out inaccurate and questionable sources for the benefit of the user.

Q: Do you have any other general words of advice for students who are pursuing a career in the field of library and information science?

"Everything’s going to be fine."

Laura sympathises with the anxiety felt by students in this field of study, especially when it comes to the prospect of finding a meaningful career, but she urges everyone to remain optimistic. In Laura’s case, her position at the CBC came as an unexpected surprise. After her initial application to a different position within the CBC was not met with success, Laura later received the good news that she had an offer to work instead in the CBC reference library. Persevere and be positive: these are lessons that Laura has learned throughout her own experiences and encourages students to remember them while embarking on their own careers in libraries.

-Interview By Joan Chung

SLA-TSG Event: Globe and Mail Resource Center Tour

2008-10-08T10:56:00.001-04:00

On October 3rd, myself and a handful of other Faculty of Information students toured the Globe and Mail Resource Center and Photo Archive. Our tour guides were Celia Donnelly, Department Head, and Marjan Farahbaksh, senior employee and FI graduate.

The thing that impresses me still, five days after the fact, is the quality of the computer resources Celia and Marjan showed us. The Globe and Mail uses a lot of really cool software to keep track of their daily intellectual output.

Each day's photos are stored in a computer database. The front end of the database is browsable, meaning someone could sit down and navigate through a random assortment of whatever images happen to have been submitted to the Photo Archive on a given day. Descriptive metadata is added by a technician (currently an FI student held over from a temporary Summer gig while the regular employee is on maternity leave).

The metadata makes it possible to search for photos by any of a number of different parameters, which means the Photo Archive can, in many cases, easily respond to reference requests for images of specific things, or requests for information about which images actually ran in the paper. Unfortunately, Celia explained, due to organization-wide staffing cuts (resulting from general shrinkage in the newspaper sector), there's never enough time in the day to describe every photo. C'est la vie.

Even more impressive than the photo archive software was the Globe and Mail's brand new (barely a month old!) internal knowledge sharing system. The whole thing is built on Microsoft Sharepoint (which Marjan strongly urges students to familiarize themselves with).

It's difficult for me to describe the capabilities of this system in detail, because it's basically a protean thing, with the ability to add and shed features depending on organizational need. The Globe has theirs configured to give every internal department its own webpage (essentially a wiki), for employees to share useful job-related information on. The Resource Center's site, for example, had pages and pages of instructions for answering different kinds of complicated reference queries. In this way, the system allows the knowledge of individuals to flow out to all their colleagues.

There were also some interesting collaborative file-sharing features we didn't get to see much of. Marjan claimed that with the system, it would eventually be possible for multiple individuals across multiple departments to collaborate on a story contained in a single, centrally-stored directory. There is a word for that, and that word is: neato.

The whole thing was customized, branded with The Globe's logo and the logos of all the participating departments. It looked slick.

I wonder if there's any open source software out there with similar functionality. Has anyone ever seen or used any?

In any case, all our thanks to Celia and Marjan.

SLA-TSG's tour of the Fisher library an overwhelming success!

2008-09-29T19:01:00.001-04:00

On Friday, Sept.19th, I had the great pleasure of escorting 24 excited students to the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.

We were treated to a fabulous, extended discussion of the library's history, a Q&A of "what defines a rare book", and an introduction to some of the Fisher's most precious holdings by P.J. Carefoote, Medieval Manuscripts, Incunabula, and Early-Books Specialist. P.J. indulged us well past our end-time and was a most wonderful host as he answered everyone's questions, and showed us a truly amazing showcase of the library's holdings.
As some of you know, the Fisher is one of my most favourite places in Toronto; by the end of the tour, the library had enchanted many, many others.

Special thanks to P.J., and to Anne Dondertman, Assistant Director for having us.

Oh, and last but not least: to the girl who asked P.J. if he wouldn't mind "grabbing that first folio", a thousand times, thank you!

Our next tour, "Special Libraries: Media Collections. The Toronto Globe & Mail" (Fri. Oct.3) has now reached capacity. Remember, you can RSVP in advance to secure a spot on our tours. Check our website for further announcements and upcoming events.

--Carolyn

SLA Toronto Event Report - Partners In Technology

2008-09-26T14:41:00.000-04:00

On September 18, SLA Toronto hosted the “Partners in Technology” talk. Eric Bergeron of CEDROM-SNi and Todd Peterson of XPI enlightened the crowd with glimpses of the near future of information searching and delivery.

Just as we were getting comfortable with the Web 2.0 world where boundaries between information consumers and producers were blurred, we are about to enter the universe of Web 3.0, according to Bergeron. New products are being developed that handle the analysis of the millions of results (and information overload) that many searchers experience. This analysis will organize results differently each time a search is performed. Essentially these new platforms will search the full text of each result, derive strings of words that occur repeatedly, and organize results under these derived headings allowing searchers to hopefully find more quickly and efficiently what they are in need of. This is somewhat similar to what ISI’s Web of Knowledge does, although ISI utilizes a controlled vocabulary in organizing its results.

Peterson similarly stressed the importance of creating solutions to better handle the abundance of information searchers are often forced to sift through. Peterson spoke strongly of reinserting human intervention into information to make it far more valuable, although it seemed to me that these new software developments are making human-information interaction less and less necessary. While human analysis will always be necessary, these continual web and software developments make the certain skills of the information professional less valuable, as end users will be able to find what they need more easily without our help. If the Web 3.0 developments are successful, the roles of librarians will quickly evolve. Prepare yourselves for this change and keep your eyes open for ways that information professionals can continue to insert value into the ever shifting world of knowledge!

--Andrea Gagliardi

SLA Student Scholarships - Application deadline Sept. 30!

2008-09-17T10:45:00.001-04:00

Note: The SLA Scholarship is open to Canadian Students. You do not need to be a member of the SLA to receive this award. Check eligibility criteria for other awards.

SLA's Scholarship Program consists of awards for graduate study leading to a Master's Degree, graduate study leading to a Ph.D., and for post-M.L.S. study.

Each year, SLA awards $30,000 to at least 5 students who have demonstrated their ability and desire to contribute to the Special Librarian field. Details regarding the different scholarships, requirements, instructions and applications are outlined.

DEADLINE to apply is SEPTEMBER 30, 2008!

--Carolyn

This Thursday: SLA Toronto event and speakers: "Seeking Information: More is not more..."

2008-09-16T22:53:00.001-04:00

This is a free event, open to all iSchool students, but you must register by September 17 (see below)


SLA Toronto Presents:  Seeking Information: More is not more - Why less is more

Join us as senior Research and Development professionals from SLA Toronto's 
partners in technology, CEDROM-SNi and XPI Inc., present an insider's 
perspective on what's next in the technology space.

Seeking Information: More is not more - Why less is more

When information is relevant and specific to you and your particular 
requirement, it has an impact.

The next level of value in information services lies in creating links 
between an understanding of the person seeking information, their 
requirements and the context for that information and then connecting them 
quickly to the information they seek.

Our Special Guests:

Stephane Jasmin, President and CEO, XPI Inc.

Éric Bergeron, Vice-President, Technologies and Operations, CEDROM-SNi

Date: September 18, 2008
Time: 5:30 PM (sign-in), 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (event)
Toronto Board of Trade
1 First Canadian Place
Fourth Floor

Cocktails (cash bar) and hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Register online for this event: 
http://units.sla.org/chapter/ctor/events/register.asp?eid=224

The deadline for registration is September 17, 2008.

--Carolyn

Toronto 'Word on the Street' Festival

2008-09-16T21:31:00.000-04:00

Listen up, bibliophiles!

Toronto's Word on the Street Book & Magazine Festival is two weeks away.

On the last Sunday in September, Queen's Park will transform into a booklover's paradise with a marketplace of more than 258 book and magazine exhibits, 248 of Canada's top authors, poets, storytellers and presenters and 198 readings, performances, workshops and other events.

It's fun and free!
Sept. 28th, 11-6. Queen's Park

http://www.thewordonthestreet.ca/toronto/home.asp

--Carolyn

Thomas Fisher Library Tour is now FULL

2008-09-14T23:44:00.000-04:00

***UPDATE: Rumour has it that the iSchool Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) Student Chapter is planning a tour to the Fisher in the upcoming months. Here's your chance to view the Fisher's collections if you missed out on our tour!! Date TBA. Watch for Kristen or Rebecka's announcement over the MISt listserv.

Please note that Friday's tour of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library has reached capacity and we are unable to accommodate further students. But don't fret! Our next tour, a visit to the Globe and Mail Media Resource Centre and Photo Archive will take place on October 3rd.

Remember, you can RSVP at any time to reserve your spot on one of our tours or events.

For information on upcoming events, announcements, and general points of interest, bookmark this page and visit our website

--Carolyn