SLANY ChapterNews Newsletter June 1999

ChapterNews 1 Vol. 72, #1 June 1999

President’s MessageBy Nettie Seaberry, Chapter President

This will be my last opportunity to share my views with you in thisforum. I’d like to take a moment to recap the past years activities,accomplishments and future visions. In my first column I outlinedthree objectives that I hoped to accomplish.

Infusion of “New Blood”. Last year I referred to what I thought was an underutilization of a wealth of potential talents that we may have been overlookingbecause we weren’t tapping into our library school resources enough.

Thanks to the diligent efforts of the chapter’s Library School Liaison, contactshave been reestablished with our metropolitan area library schools. We havereceived numerous invites to several Career Day events. We’ve been able to solicit among our ranks individuals who have represented the New YorkChapter at these events. We disseminated information about the chapter andthe Association to many who had no previous knowledge of our existence, nor did they know what and who special libraries were.

Thanks to the Membership Chair who took the initiative to put in place anew members reception to welcome them to the chapter. This small gestureprovided a forum, which helped us to find exceptional individuals, who havedone remarkable jobs this past year.

The Outreach Committee has grown with the addition of a student memberand thanks to an idea generated by this individual, the Committee has putin place two successful Professional/Student Mixers. These forums haveprovided an informal setting for library students and professionals to cometogether and discuss issues and concerns that wouldn’t normally be coveredin a classroom setting.

The Luncheon Chairs have experienced the positive energies of a new volunteer.Several successful luncheons were planned during the course of the year;which attracted high attendance. The March luncheon sponsored a numberof library students and provided an opportunity for them to tour a midtownlibrary. And a first time ever Downtown/Midtown spring dinner was held inMay at a historical location in New York’s financial district.

Networking OpportunitiesThere have been plenty of occasions to network throughout the course of theyear and judging by the attendance at the various functions, I’d say we tookfull advantage of these opportunities. The Executive Board has been invited to attend various meetings and social events with other organizations in aneffort to find common causes and viewpoints that could be worked on in acollaborative effort.

IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Message .....................1

Networking Opportunities..............1

Innovations—Current and Future ..2

Welcome New Executive Board ....3

Editor’s Note..................................3

Sandra Kitt, Pres.-Elect .................3

Lettis wins Leadership Award........4

Student News Librarians' Forum...5

Social Sciences Group in News ....5

Q & A About Internet Resources....6

Welcome New Members ...............8

Donna Conti Scholarships .............8

Ormsby Receives Service Award ..9

SLA NY Chapter Annual Reports .10

Report Addendum .......................11

Outreach Committee ...................13

Insurance & Employee Benefits ...14

International Relations ................15

Library School Liaison .................16

Membership Chair .......................17

Publications Director ...................17

Listserv Chair ...............................18

Web Page Committee..................18

MAHG ..........................................19

Social Sciences Group ................20

ADVERTISERS

Inmagic ..........................................5

Pro Libra ........................................6

Wontawk........................................7

Information Express.....................10

EBSCO.........................................15

Welcome new advertisers! HighWire ........................................8

NKR Associates ...........................12

ChapterNewsVolume 72, #1 June, 1999

(Continued on page 2)


An interesting observation about being a chapter presi-dent is the number of calls referred to you as the contactfor the chapter. I’ve been afforded the opportunity tospeak with a number of individuals who have becomenew chapter members and wanted to know more aboutthe chapter and its activities. I’ve used this position toinvite several career changers to various chapter programs,where they in turn could meet and talk to our colleagues.These actions have aided them in making the decision toreturn to school for their MLS. We have also been ableto enlighten many at the undergrad level about this pro-fessional association and the unlimited possibilities ofcareers in the information profession.

During the year an article on special libraries was featuredin a major newspaper, and articles are being consideredfor future write-ups in several publications. The Chapterhas made budgetary provisions for the sponsorship oftwo international librarians to attend Global 2000, anSLA Worldwide Conference in Brighton, England nextyear. This conference entitled “The Information Age-Challenges and Opportunities” is being planned to supportand encourage interaction and networking among all toacquire knowledge about information services and gaininsights into other people and places. In an effort tocontinue outreach efforts, the New York Chapter willalso jointly co-sponsor a third candidate with the NewJersey Chapter. The New York Chapter will receiverecognition at the conference as a sponsor.

Innovations—Current and FutureWe have gone electronic. Thanks to the creative effortsof our web team, this medium (newsletter) is now availablein two formats. The September issue of ChapterNews wasthe first to be made available on the chapter’s web site. It is a dynamic site that contains an animated homepage.You can find information on subscribing to the chapter’slistserv; a ChapterNews index for previous editions, infor-mation about SLA and the NY Chapter, a calendar ofevents as well as culture and tourism sites and much more.The Chapter’s JOBLINE is a work in progress. Thereare plans on the table to move this service onto the web.There have been a number of compliments on the web sitepraising its structure and helpfulness. Please take a momentto visit the site. The address is www.sla/chapter/cny. Thesite will be continuously updated and we will always welcome comments and feedback.

(Continued from page one)

ChapterNews New York ChapterSpecial Libraries AssociationJune 1999 Vol. 72, No. 1

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE

ChapterNews is published four times a year: March, June, September and December

Deadlines for submitting materials:

Fall issue ....................August 10Winter issue...............November 10Spring issue................February 10Summer issue.............May 10

Submit all material via e-mail or on floppy disc to:

Maureen Mason, Lexis-Nexis125 Park Avenue, 23rd Floor, NY, NY 10017Telephone: (212) 309-7804. Fax: (212) 309-7835. E-mail: [email protected]

ADVERTISING inquiries should be addressed to: Laura Kapnick, CBS NEWS524 West 57th StreetNew York, NY 10019-2985 Telephone: (212) 975-2917 or E-mail: [email protected].

BACK ISSUES may be obtained from Leslie Slocum, British Information Services, 845 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022. Telephone: (212) 745-0258. Fax: (212) 758-5395. E-mail: [email protected].

Special Libraries Association assumes no responsibility for thestatements and opinions advanced by contributors to the Associa-tion’s publications. Editorial views do not necessarily represent theofficial position of Special Libraries Association. Acceptance of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product bySpecial Libraries Association.

CHAPTERNEWS STAFFEditor Maureen MasonAdvertising Manager Laura Kapnick

Having had the opportunity to attend the first ever SLAtown-hall meeting at the winter conference, the seed ofan idea has been planted. I will continue to cultivate thisseed, to nurture an idea where the chapter’s memberswill have an opportunity to give voice to their concernsand visions, as relates to the future of this chapter. Aleader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage tomake tough decisions and the compassion to listen to theneeds of others. He/she does not set out to be a leader,but becomes one by the quality of his or her actions andthe integrity of his or hers’ intent. It has been my plea-sure to serve as your president this year.

Welcome to the new Executive Board.

This year’s Nominating Committee members were:

Lucy Lettis, ChairVickie DawsonAndrew Gazzale

The slate of officers were presented at the annual business meeting, May 12. They are:

President-elect: Martha SchweitzerSecretary: Leigh HallingbyTreasurer: Cassandra MorrowDirector of Finance: Ruth KaplanDirector of Publications: Leslie Slocum

Editor’s Note

Well it’s the middle of the year already! I am happy to announce that starting with the September issue,ChapterNews will have some additional help in the form of Chris Lowden, a new member of SLA. Chrisexpressed interest in working on the newsletter and weare happy to have him aboard. For the September issue,please feel free to submit articles to either myself or toChris. Chris can be reached at 212-697-4131 or via e-mail at [email protected].

On another note, you might notice that there are nominutes from the meetings in this issue. In the interestof space, these were bumped in favor of including theannual report. Look for the minutes to appear in theSeptember issue.

Sandra KittPresident-Elect

It would be easy to say this is The End, as I finishedthe year as President-Elect of the chapter, but in factI’m just getting started. In some ways my term did

flash by in a colorful blur of events, people and things.It was easy to get caught up in the details of planningprograms and responding to the needs of chapter mem-bers. There was a lot of handwringing and angstingwhether or not an event would be informative or inter-esting. ‘If we build it they will come...’. You did.

In the final analysis, it was a very good year. I willremember that everyone was supportive and came out inrecord numbers for chapter events. I am grateful for theexcellent advice and guidance I benefited from. The yearwas both enlightening and entertaining. And just whenI was getting the hang of this the term is over!

I have stock-piled a cadre of ideas for the future which Iwill pass along to the next President-Elect. But do let ushear from YOU as well. If there are topics you want tosee covered, or issues addressed please tell us. Membersinput is always welcomed.

On a sadder note it was with surprise that I learnedindirectly of the passing of long time chapter member,Marvin Scilkin. Many of you might remember Marvinas a devoted advocate for librarians, publisher of “TheU*N*A*B*A*S*H*E*D* L*I*B*R*A*R*I*A*N”, and avery dear man. He was the retired Director of LibraryServices at the East Orange Public Library in New Jer-sey. I remember Marvin as a librarian who managed hiscollections very much keeping in mind the needs of hiscommunity. He was respected and loved by his patrons,as I was witness to when invited to do a program onwriting. I want to belatedly praise Marvin for his unfail-ing support of all of us, and for being the kind of caringprofessional that makes me proud to be doing what I’mdoing. And I’m grateful to be left with fond memoriesof him. He was a VERY Special Librarian.



Lucy Lettis wins prestigious Dow JonesLeadership AwardArthur Andersen’s Business Information CenterDirector Earns Top Information Industry Honor

Lucy Lettis, the Director of Arthur Andersen’s MetroNew York Business Information Center, will be presentedwith the Special Libraries Association Dow Jones Lead-ership Award: 21st Century Competencies in Action, atthe Association’s annual conference taking place inMinneapolis June 5-10. The award is presented annuallyto a member of the Special Libraries Association whoexemplifies leadership as a special librarian and meets arigorous criteria of personal and professional competen-cies. The Special Libraries Association is a professionalassociation of information resource experts. “As a leadingprofessional services firm, it is critical that we provideknowledge and unique solutions to our clients,” saidLouis P. Salvatore, Arthur Andersen Metro New YorkManaging Partner.

“As the Director of our Business Information Center,Lucy Lettis has raised the level of support to our lineorganization so that we can serve our clients in a value-added way. She is the consummate professional and topin her industry. We applaud her achievement and arevery proud of all she has accomplished,” he added. As the Director of Arthur Andersen’s Business Informa-tion Center, Lettis is responsible for a diverse array ofinformation collection, evaluation and analysis. Sheand her staff of specialists, all of whom have earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree, utilize a wide variety of electronic and traditionalresources, and are essential to the firm’s consistentlevel of superior client service.

Arthur Andersen is a global professional services organi-zation consisting of over 100 member firms in 81 coun-tries. Its more than 70,000 people are united by a singleworldwide operating structure and a common culturethat fosters innovation, knowledge sharing and qualityservice. This unique “one-firm”approach qualifies thepeople of Arthur Andersen to serve clients by bringingtogether any of more than 40 services in a way thattranscends geographic borders and organizational lines. Arthur Andersen’s people provide effective business solu-tions to more than 100,000 clients around the world.Since its beginning in 1913, Arthur Andersen has realized85 years of uninterrupted growth. With revenues over$6 billion, it stands today as a world leader in professionalservices. Arthur Andersen is a business unit of AndersenWorldwide.

IN MEMORIAM Beth O’Mahoney

Beth O’Mahoney, a former President of the New YorkChapter, died January 26th after a long battle with lungcancer. Beth received her M.L.S. from Pratt Institute inBrooklyn in 1974 and spent her entire professionalcareer at Goldman Sachs and Company. During hertenure at Goldman she rose from Assistant Librarian toVice President, with managerial responsibility for a varietyof service departments including the Library, RecordsManagement, the Mail Room, Travel and Food Services.She was a frequent speaker at SLA-sponsored events atthe Chapter, Regional and Association-wide levels.

Among the many honors she received spanning hercareer, Beth was the first winner of the Disclosure Awardsponsored by the Business and Finance Division. Asrecently as last year, the General Services Division atGoldman Sachs initiated the Beth O’Mahoney award tobe given annually to the manager who best exemplifiedthe traits that were a hallmark of Beth’s professional life:“bringing the spirit of integrity, teamwork, fun and cre-ativity to the workplace.” Appropriately, Beth was thefirst recipient of the award, last November.

All of us who were fortunate enough to know Beth willalways remember her quick wit, glowing smile and loveof life. She fought like a champion until the end andtaught us all how to face adversity with dignity.

Queens College SLA Student Chapter Hosts “A News Librarians’Forum”By Shira Kavon

O n Wednesday, May 5th, the Queens College SLAStudent Chapter hosted “A News Librarians’Forum,” as their closing event for the 1999 Spring

semester. The Forum featured information professionalsfrom broadcast and print outlets, and was open to studentsand others interested in the field of news librarianship.Mitchell Kweit of Fox News Channel, Laura Mann andGeorgina Martorella of Newsday, and Karen McGruderof Newsweek spoke of the challenges and rewards oftheir profession, and the excitement of working in anenvironment of constantly breaking news.

Each member of the panel shared stories of working withjournalists, laboring and receiving credit on such highprofile projects as books and special editions of publica-tions, and working their way up at their respective newsoutlets. All were clearly enthusiastic and devoted to thespecialty they chose. As colleagues in the New York newscommunity, the speakers shared jokes and praised eachother’s outstanding work. A lively Q & A session followedthe speakers’ presentations, and the audience had theopportunity to meet with the speakers at the program’send. The event was organized and moderated by ShiraKavon, a graduate student at Queens College GSLIS andstudent member of SLA’s New York Chapter.

Social Sciences Group in the News Again

On April 17, 1999, Social Sciences Group of the NewYork Chapter of Special Libraries Association sponsoredan all day spring trip to the West Point Academy andBoscobel Restorations. The trip was also co-sponsoredby the Museums, Arts and Humanities Group of NewYork. 26 people signed up for the trip. We left aboard achartered bus at 9:00 AM from the vicinity of New YorkPublic’s Main Library and headed north , reaching WestPoint’s Visitor’s Center at 11 AM. We were joined thereby a wonderfully vivacious West Point Tour Guide, whostepped on to our bus to give us a tour of the Academy.Rolling slowly along the narrow, curvy, and sometimessteep roads of the Academy, she gave us a backgroundhistory of the Academy, pointing out the sights, the PostOffice, the Commissary, the oldest house, and the picturesque views of the Hudson. We toured the Cadet’sChapel with its beautiful stained glass windows, eachwindow being a gift from a Graduating class, a WestPoint tradition. We stopped at the Trophy Point and sawthe Playing Field with some action there. We visited thelibrary, where we were given a demonstration of theirautomated catalog, and their ongoing digitization projectin which the biographical data on each graduate of theAcademy from inception on, along with his picture, wasbeing loaded on to the database.

We then sauntered to the Officer’s Club, where the RoseRoom had been reserved for us.

A wonderful luncheon in the West Point tradition wasserved to us. During lunch we all introduced ourselves,and Meredith made a membership pitch for the SocialSciences Group.

After lunch we boarded the bus once again to go acrossthe Hudson to Boscobel Restorations. Boscobel featuresa lovely Federal style mansion, situated on beautifulgrounds overlooking the Hudson. A truly inspired guidemade the mansion come alive for us with its period furni-ture, dainty china, and portraits of the family that ownedand occupied the mansion more than 100 years ago.

At the end of the tour, we were treated to freshly madelemonade and cookies, and reluctantly said goodbye tothose beautiful grounds, and boarded the bus once againto head back to New York


Questions and Answersabout INTERNET ResourcesBy: Rick Reid, Ernst & Young, Center for Business Knowledge

Question: I know Advertising Age has a listing of the top100 market research firms at their web site. Do they have asubject guide to the firms or is there anything more compre-hensive on the web that's free?

Answer: Probably your best bet for the Internet is theMarketing Research Association’s “Blue Book On-LineDatabase” At the home page (http://www.mra-net.org),just click on the Blue Book listing, or access the searchscreen directly (http://www.bluebook.org/scripts/blue-book/search.cfm). There are over 1,200 companies listed,organized for access geographically or by research exper-tise, about 40 specialties in all. A sampling of them: 50-Plus/Seniors/Elderly; African-American; Door-to-DoorInterviewing; Entertainment/Leisure/Sports; MysteryShopping; New Products; and Permanent Mall Location.Once entered, the search will bring up firm names withtheir city, state, telephone, and a contact name. Clickingon the firm name will, in turn, yield a mini-profile,adding a fax number, an e-mail address, and a paragraphsummarizing the firm’s products and services. And, yes,it’s free to non-members.

Question: The sites I’ve visited devoted to American Historyalways devote space to such topics as battles and presidents andthe like, but I can never find enough about what I really like,the history of building and construction. Any suggestions for me?

Answer: Engineering News Record, an industry trademagazine, is marking its 125th year of publication in1999. Yes—it has been continuously published since1854. Commencing with January 4th, this weekly hasbegun a year-long retrospective with articles lookingback at milestones in the history of construction throughwords and images taken directly from ENR and otherarchives. A sampling thus far: 1879: Taming the MississippiRiver (Jan. 11); 1913: The Country’s First Real Skyscraper (Feb. 15); and, 1914: The Panama Canal(Feb. 22). For those interested in New York City history,check out: 1883: Brooklyn Bridge (Jan. 18); 1917: HellGate Bridge (March 15); and 1927: Holland Tunnel(April 5). The ENR site is also rich with history ofanother sort: “Building Cost Index” data back to 1915(annual until 1977 and monthly to date), and “Construc-tion Cost Index” data back to 1908 (annual until 1976and monthly thereafter). It is also rich in archives ofselected articles, directories of the Top 500 Design

Firms, the Top 400 Contractors, and the Top 600 Spe-cialty Contractors, a comprehensive industry calendarand Internet links to every segment of the constructionindustry. Every trade magazine should be this abundant.To visit it, go to http://www.enr.com.

Question: I know there are all kinds of Internet sites to assistsmall business, but are there any that are designed for womenbusiness owners and entrepreneurs

Answer: How about the International Bottled WaterAssociation? If you’re ever asked for twenty years oftrend data on per capita consumption of bottled water inthe U.S. by geographic region, you won’t have to gofurther than http://www.bottledwater.org. There areother statistics as well as press releases, a list of experts tocontact for further information, seven color photos ofbottled water for downloading, plus Fact Sheets andFAQs to address all those matters you didn’t think to ask.For the heath-minded, you can use their “HydrationCalculator” to determine your body’s water need basedon your level of activity or just to learn water’s role in ahealthy body in general. Parents of young children maywant to especially explore the section, “Hydration Tipsfor Children.” The site comes equipped with a modestsearch engine, in case your query falls between their categories. Should you wish to join the more than 1,200U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliersthat are already members (and see what’s on the “MembersOnly Page” (not even a hint!), you can always fill out the


online Membership Application. And, to ensure you havea real ace in the hole for when you play business trivia,click on the segment, “Award Winners” to find out thewinners of the Aqua Awards. (I have the distinct feelingyou’ll never find them anywhere else but here.)

Question: I expect that by now, every department of the Federal government has a web site. Are they organized in anyeasy way to scan them all so I don’t overlook anything essential?

Answer: The “Federal Web Locator” (HYPERLINKhttp://www.law.edu/fed-agency/fedwebloc.html ) wouldseem to fit your requirements. Produced by the Centerfor Information Law and Policy, its self-proclaimed goalis “to be the one stop shopping point for federal govern-ment information on the World Wide Web.” The site isgrouped into six principal areas: Legislative Branch; Judicial Branch; Executive Branch (With Departments);Independent Agencies; Quasi Official Agencies; andNon-Government Federally Related Sites, which corre-sponds to the format of the annual directory to the federalgovernment published by the U.S. Government PrintingOffice, United States Government Manual. Its searchengine accepts either a Boolean Keyword Expression or aPerl Regular Expression, but if you know where you’re

going, a feature, “Federal Quick Jumps” can get youthere lickety-split. The main listings are also annotatedwhen needed. How many of us, for example, would knowto look under the “National Railroad Passenger Corp.”when we wanted Amtrak? The last section, “Non-Gov-ernment Federally Related Sites” is a real box of choco-lates (you never know what you’re going to find). Its 25listings includes caramels (CSPAN and the Bureau ofNational Affairs), creams (Congressional Quarterly), jellies (Government Executive Magazine) and nuts(Tax Analysts). Click and you’re there!


Welcome New Membersby Donna Abbaticchio, Membership Chair

I am pleased to announce the following new members whojoined the NY Chapter between February and April 1999.

Albert, Lauren - Economic Group Pension Serv

Antoci, Karen - Matthew Bender (B&F)

Antonetty, Anita - (ITG)

Aus, David - KPMG (B&F)

Bartolotta, Jacqueline - Center for Advertising Services (A&M)

Bazile, Grace - (SOLO)

Bornstein, Phyllis - Fidelifacts/Metro NY (LEGAL)

Cappelli, Silvia - Crie Servizi Informazione (B&F)

Chesterton, Richard - (B&F)

Collins, Catherine - (ITG)

Contreras, Teresa - SG Cowen (B&F)

Dougherty, Dorothy - Find/SVP (ITG)

Drain, Claire - (B&F)

Fenster, Stacie - Entertainment Weekly (NEWS)

Fox, Elizabeth - Parsons Brinckerhoff (ENG)

Frantz, Teresa - Spencer Stuart (B&F)

Galbraith, Jeanne - SUNY Stony Brook (ITG)

Herzig, Kim - NY Public Library (B&F)

Jimenez, Jesus - SG Cowen (B&F)

Misner, Michele - (B&F)

Moses, Don - Chase Manhattan Bank (B&F)

Murphy, Susan - LEXIS-NEXIS (NEWS)

Nam, Soeun - Lehman Brothers (B&F)

Pavelsek, Mary Jean - NYU (B&F)

Provenzano, Dominic - Prudential Securities (B&F)

Quade, Nancy - ABC News (NEWS)

Rivas, Michael - (ITG)

Rush, Harry - Lehman Brothers (B&F)

Ryan, Amy - Time (NEWS)

Segerberg, Anita - (MAHD)

Smythe, David - Warburg Dillon Rd (B&F)

Tan, Wendy - Hunter College (ITG)

Thomisser, Cara - Federal Reserve Bank of NY (B&F)

Worley, StephanieXiang, Roger - American Express (B&F)

Donna Conti Scholarships

Donna Conti of Career Resources has sponsored theDonna Conti Scholarship for four years now. This yearshe extended her generosity so that two students couldbenefit. The scholarships, two $1,500 awards, are awardedto students pursuing a Masters degree in Library Scienceat a school in the New York Chapter area. This year,entrants submitted essays on the topic of “TheInformation Professional in the 21st Century.” Therecipients of this year’s Donna Conti Scholarships, presented at the Annual Business Meeting, are MeaganHodges, a student at Queens College, and Jeannie Bail, a student at Pratt Institute. Congratulations to both winners, and our gratitude to Donna Conti for herongoing commitment to the student community.


Rita Ormsby Receives Distinguished ServiceAward

T he Distinguished Service Award is presented annu-ally to members who have made an outstandingcontribution, either specific or general, to the New

York Chapter or its groups. The recipient of this year’saward, presented at the Annual Business Meeting, is Rita Ormsby, reference librarian and instructor at theWilliam and Anita Newman Library at Baruch Collegeof the City University of New York.

Rita previously served as a senior librarian at the Brook-lyn Public Library’s Business Library and was promotedto Small Business Information Center Librarian. Rita hasbeen a member of the Editorial Review Board of Journalof Business and Finance Librarianship since 1997 and wasa contributing librarian to the 1999 Business RankingsAnnual. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from the Universityof Iowa, and an MLS from the University of Wisconsinat Madison.

Rita has been an exemplary role model in the New YorkChapter. She brings to each position she has held a levelof integrity and professionalism that has impressedeveryone with whom she has worked.

Rita has served as Chair of the Government RelationsCommittee of the New York Chapter since 1997. Whilein this position, Rita demonstrated her vigilance and per-severance during the U.S. Government’s efforts to revisethe Standard Occupational Classification Manual’s defin-ition of a librarian. Thanks to her hard work and herwillingness to get involved, Rita helped to alter the Unit-ed States Government’s definition of a “special librarian”to more accurately reflect the role and work that we do.

Rita served as editor of ChapterNews, the quarterlynewsletter of the New York Chapter, from 1994-1997.Although this position was to last for one year, Rita gra-ciously agreed to continue as editor for two additionalyears to ensure that the Chapter would continue toreceive its newsletter. This role has been described as“particularly grueling and time-consuming,” however, Ritawas more than up to the challenge, as evidenced by thetestimonial of Leslie Slocum, Director of Publications:

“The intelligence, concern and dedication that shebrought to that job were evident to everyone-includingour publisher, who still refers to Rita as ‘wonderful and a pleasure to work with.’ Rita brought a feeling of calmconfidence to a volunteer job that was often fraught withproblems, incessant deadlines and not enough copy. Shehandled all crises with amazing grace under fire!”

The New York Chapter recognizes Rita’s dedication and tireless support and thanks her for her service andcontributions



Annual Report

T he following contains excerpts from the AnnualReport that I felt would be of interest to everyone.Number one is the Administration of the New York

Chapter. This will help if you need to know who to turnto if you need information or it may lead you to seek outa member of the advisory council or a group chair if youhave an interest in getting more involved. The secondpart of the annual report that I included was the reportsfrom each reporting committee and reporting group.These provide a nice synopsis of the year’s events. I hopeyou find it useful.

—mm

NEW YORK CHAPTERPerson Submitting the Report:Nettie Seaberry, President

Administration: Please list officers who have served during this currentterm. (A new officer form with corresponding labels will be sent to your chair elect.)

Sandi Kitt President-electLois Weinstein Past PresidentAgnes Mattis TreasurerLouise Stoops SecretaryAlison Fraser Director of AwardsRuth Kaplan Director of FinanceLeslie Slocum Director of Publications

Advisory Council: Juana Alers-Quinones Affirmative Action ChairDebbie Martin Archive ChairLouise Masarof Arrangements ChairElizabeth Rivas Arrangements Co-chairPhyllis Hodges By-Laws ChairSuzanne Fedunok Career Day ChairLaura Kapnick ChapterNews Advertising ManagerMaureen Mason ChapterNews EditorMasha Zipper Consultation ChairShauna Bryson Employment Co-ChairHeather Harris-Martin Employment Co-ChairRita Ormsby Government RelationsJan Theisen GuidelinesAnn Gibson International RelationsJamie Russell International RelationsLilleth Newby Library School LiaisonSteve Johnson Listserv CoordinatorDeirdre Canavan Downtown Luncheon Co-ChairJennifer Federmann Downtown Luncheon Co-ChairEileen Daly Midtown Luncheon Co-ChairLianna Kelly Midtown Luncheon Co-ChairDonna Abbaticchio Membership ChairLucy Lettis Nominating ChairDebra Sherline

/Suzan J. Lee Outreach CommitteeSusan Gormley Public RelationsBarbara Hirsh Ways & Means ChairStan Friedman

/Jessica McBride Web Page Managers

Group ChairsJude Hayes Advertising and MarketingEd Vazquez Business and FinanceStephen Rubalcaba Information TechnologyCatherine Porta Insurance & Employee BenefitsClayton Kirking Museums, Arts & HumanitiesKamla Motihar Social Sciences

New York Chapter Programs

1998-99 Addendum

I. Chapter Meetings (1,407 members)

October 13, 1998. “SLA and the “Virtual Librarian”: Keeping Up withthe Future - Part I. Speaker: David R. Bender.

December 3, 1998. Annual Holiday Party - Coco Opera Restaurant

February 2, 1999. The “Virtual Librarian”: Keeping Up with the Future - Part II. Panelists: Carol Ginsburg (Moderator), GretchenReed, Myron Menewitch, Lynn Kasner Morgan.

May 5, 1999. WHAT NEXT? New Technology, Just Around theCorner. Speaker: Richard Hulser.

May 12, 1999. Annual Business Meeting and Chapter Social.

II. Groups

Advertising & Marketing (123 members)Programs

October 15,1999. February 25, 1999 Program: “Branding Your Information Center”

April 19, 1999. Program: “How to Conduct New Employee Orientations”

Business & Finance ( 684 members)Programs

September 17, 1998. Annual Cocktail Party

February 18, 1999. “Implications of the Year 2000 for Business Librari-ans, Panelists: John Bratkovics, Pam Rollo andStephen Rubalcaba

April 22, 1999. Program on Internet Technology

May 13, 1999.Intranet Open House and Business Meeting

Information Technology ( 276 members) (co-sponsored by METRO) Programs.

February 18, 1999.Co-sponsored with Business and Finance Group

April 14, 1999.Internet Training for SLA Members, “CreatingYour Library Homepage”

April 21, April 28, 1999“Refining Your Library Homepage”

Insurance & Employee Benefits (66 members)Programs

November 17, 1998.BNA, Alignmark and Charles D. Spencer & Assoc.showcased their electronic and Internet-based products

February 16, 1999.Panelist: Emily Kranis, Mindy Samitt showcasedtheir companies Intranets

May 25,1999.Annual Business Meeting and Program “Reflectionson 25 Years of ERISA”

Museums, Arts and Humanities (126 members)Programs

November 30, 1998.Introduction and tour of the Avery Architecturaland Fine Arts Library, and the Avery Archives andSpecial Collections, Columbia University

March 17, 1999.Introduction and tour of the Livingston MasonicLibrary and Museum, The Grand Lodge of New York

April 17, 1999.(co-sponsored with Social Science Group). All dayexcursion to West Point and Boscobel Restorationincluding tours by staff, lunch and transportation

May 4, 1999.Introduction and tour to the Fales Library and Spe-cial Collection, New York University

(report continues on page 12)



(continued from page 11)

Social Sciences ( 81 members)Programs

November 18, 1998. “Affirmative Action in Higher Education” based onthe book Shape of the River. Speaker: James Shulman

February 24, 1999. “The Internet and the Transformation of ThreeCommunities: Visually Impaired, Gay, Lesbian andBisexual and Transgendered, Urban Low-Income”Panelists: Gregory Rosmaitia, Tim Robers, Liz Cahill.

April 17, 1999. (co-sponsored with MAHD). All day excursion toWest Point and Boscobel Restoration includingtours by staff, lunch and transportation

May 19, 1999. Annual Business Meeting

III. Reporting Committees

Affirmative ActionAffirmative Scholarship award winner was selected from Long Island University, Palmer School of Libraryand Information Science. This year’s winner is ChristineMelendez-Lawrence.

April 24, 1999. Affirmative Action Breakfast

Downtown/Midtown Luncheons

October 21,1998.Bull Run Restaurant (downtown)

October 27, 1998.Cellini’s Restaurant (midtown) Guest: Barbara Semonche

January 6, 1999.Christer’s Restaurant (midtown) Guest: Donna Scheeder

March 3, 1999.Tour of Time/Life Library and Southside Dining Room. Guests: Student SLA Representatives

May 20, 1999.Moran’s Restaurant, Downtown/Midtown Spring Dinner

Employment ChairThe New York Chapter’s JOBLINE ran a total of 96advertisements this year. This was equivalent to a 68%increase over the previous year, when only 65 adsappeared. Income increased by about $3,000 from $6000to $9,000, and expenses decreased by nearly $700. Thechapter has made the new decision to run the JOBLINEthrough the Internet. Development is underway. Thetelephone system will continue to run simultaneouslyuntil the new system is operating at the optimum level.

Reporting Committees (see attachments)

Director of PublicationsLibrary School Liaison Listserv ChairInternational RelationsMembershipOutreach Committee Web Page Committee

Reporting Groups (see attachments)

Information Technology GroupInsurance and Employee Benefits GroupMuseums, Arts and Humanities GroupSocial Sciences Group

Reporting Committees and Groups

The Outreach Committee

1998-1999Annual Report

History:SLA NY Chapter’s Outreach Committee was establishedin 1995 under Chapter President Andrew Berner as an ADHOC Committee. The committee’s goal is to disseminateinformation about the profession to the general public;pursue innovative programs to introduce library and infor-mation science as a career goal to students at the under-graduate, and postgraduate levels; and to bring qualifiedand diverse groups of people into the profession.

Objectives:• To penetrate high schools and present information and

library science as a potential career choice. Since itsinception, the committee has packaged a program to pre-sent to graduating seniors in high schools. The programwas well received.

• To co-sponsor outreach programs with other NY chaptercommittees. The Outreach Committee has done so withAffirmative Action, Membership, and the Library SchoolLiaison to achieve its goal.

• To propose the installation of a New York ChapterInternship Program pairing library students to librariesor information centers.

• To provide library professional speakers for presentationsto local library schools. (Rutgers University, Pratt Insti-tute, Queens College, St. John’s University, Long IslandUniversity, Palmer School of Long Island University.)

• To provide an informative and social environment whereprofessionals and students can meet. On November 21,1998, a PROFESSIONAL/STUDENT MIXER tookplace. Over 100 students attended. All five library schoolswere represented. There were approximately 20 profes-sionals in attendance. Library professionals circulatedamongst the students and answered questions posed tothem. Students were introduced to other professionals.From this mixer, two internships were established as wellas a “Librarian for a Day” for one library student. Themixer was sponsored by EBSCO. Pratt Institute providedthe location. A second mixer has been planned for Sun-day, May 2nd.

• To initiate career development workshops. Two work-shops are planned and targeted towards undergraduatestudents. This effort is through the Library School Liaison.

Queens College, Tuesday, March 30 – coordinatedwith the Queens College Career Office. The programwas in two parts.Two to three librarians were scheduled to speak abouttheir experiences and the various facets of the profession.Librarians staffed a table with information resourcesand spoke to students who visited the area.

Baruch College, Thursday, April 29 – coordinatedwith the Baruch College Career Development Center.

• To solicit and invite student participation on chaptercommittees.

• To publish articles about special librarianship and spe-cial libraries in popular magazines targeted to specific audi-ences.

Respectfully submitted by the Outreach Committee

Members:Andrew BernerSuzan J. LeeSandra E. KittLilleth C. NewbyNettie Seaberry


Insurance and Employee Benefits

1998/1999Annual Report

The IEB division of the New York Chapter resumedactivity by hosting 3 meetings during the 1998/1999 year.Cathy Porta of PricewaterhouseCoopers served as Chair,Dave Kisacki of GHI assumed the Chair-elect role, andJulia Dorn of AIG continued in the Treasurer’s spot.

The Fall meeting was held on November 17 at the mid-town offices of PwC. At this meeting, representatives fromBNA, Alignmark, and Charles D. Spencer & Associatesshowcased their electronic and internet-based products.Members were given the opportunity to have 30-day freetrials of various products. This event was generouslysponsored by the Bureau of National Affairs.

The Winter meeting was held on February 16, 1999 at thePwC office at 1301 Avenue of the Americas. Emily Kranisof Ernst & Young and Mindy Samitt of PwC showcasedtheir Firms’ accomplishments in the Intranet arena. Dueto the interest in the topic, these presentations will beexpanded and presented at the SLA conference in Min-neapolis. Representatives from Reuters were on hand todemonstrate their Firms’ enterprise-wide offerings.Reuters was the sponsor of this event.

The annual business meeting/luncheon is scheduled forMay 25 at the College of Insurance. After the businessmeeting and election of officers, Mike McGoffin ofAlignmark will give a presentation entitled, “Reflectionson 25 Years of ERISA.”

Respectfully Submitted by,Cathy Porta, Chair

Information Technology Division

1998/1999 Annual Report

The Information Technology Group began this year withDana Gordan as chair of the division. Due to a familysituation Dana Gordan had to resign her position as chairand was replaced by her co-chair Stephen Rubalcaba. Twoevents which were scheduled to take place in November1998 and January 1999 were moved to February 18 andApril 14, 21, and 28.

The first event presented on February 18 was a joint program presented by the Business Finance Group andInformation Technology Group. The event was held atCredit Suisse First Boston with sponsorship fromBureau Van Dijk and Lehman Brothers. Panel membersincluded John Bratkovics, Chief Information Officer forWasserstein Perella & Co., Pam Rollo, vice president,Library, Corporate Services for Credit Suisse First Bostonand Stephen Rubalcaba, technical account developmentmanager, Gale Group. Total attendance for the eventwas 75 people.

The next event was another joint program with METRO,Metropolitan New York Library Council. METROprovides information to professionals and librarians in theNew York Metropolitan area with training in varioustopics and technologies important to this profession.Classes in basic and advanced HTML programming wereheld on three separate days April 14, 21 and 28. The classeswere held at METRO offices on 57 East 11th Street from10 am to 1 pm. SLA members were provided with a spe-cial rate of $55 the same special rate provided to METROmembers. The rate charge for the general public and non-METRO members was $100.

The first class was held on Wednesday, April 14 and pro-vided an introduction to HTML programming. The titleof the article, Creating Your Library Homepage, allowedbeginners to go through hands-on exercises to learn andapply basic HTML techniques. The next two classes wereheld on Wednesday, April 21 and Wednesday, April 28.This class provided instruction on advanced web design.The class, Refining Your Library Homepage, taught stu-dents to make their homepages more effective as a userinterface through analyzing graphics, colors and otherdesign elements.

METRO classrooms can only allow for a maximum of 25 students. I was told that all three classes were filledand closed only weeks after the classes were announced.

John Bratkovics, Chief Information Officer of WassersteinPerella & Co., would agree that the Y2K bug is a con-spiracy of small clocks. The media has effectively floodedthe general public with nightmare scenarios resultingfrom the Y2k bug. Beyond the hype information profes-sionals do have reason to be concerned about the impactof this global computer failure.

Respectfully Submitted by,Stephen Rubalcaba, Chair


International Relations Committee

1998/1999Annual Report

The International Relations Committee of the New YorkChapter has accomplished the following in the past year:

International Library MailingsThe Committee continued the adopt-a-library pro-gram initiated by Peter Edelman last year. We sentone shipment of periodicals to a group of designatedoverseas libraries. The Chapter reimbursed the cost ofthe mailing, which was $69.15. As something new thisyear, in the letter that went out with this mailing werequested that people contact us if they wanted us tocontinue sending materials. We received 5 responses.The second mailing will go out in April. Please see the addendum for a list of publication recipients.

ChapterNews articlesThis year the committee produced materials forChapterNews highlighting international libraries.Vandy Ranjan and Ann Gibson wrote an article on theIndian National Scientific Documentation Center(INSDOC) and Ann Gibson produced a bibliographyof articles on international librarianship. Ann met withJudith Klavans, who is Director of the Center forResearch on Information Access at Columbia Univer-sity. Ann hopes to complete an article on her researchon multi-lingual indexing before the end of the year.

Global 2000 ConferenceExplored possible sponsorship of an international /overseas librarian by SLA NY, to attend the Global2000 conference.

NY Chapter web siteWe supplied the Chapter Web site with a number ofinternational links as well as links to information onbook donation programs.

Future ProgramsIn October we held a brain-storming meeting on ideasfor future programs. Some of the ideas suggested were:

A program on international book donation programs.The Sabre Foundation, which has a book donation database, could be one potential speaker.

Create a directory of all special libraries in NY that alsohave facilities in foreign countries.

Sponsor twinning programs with foreign libraries.

In attendance at this meeting in addition to the co-chairswere Masha Zipper from Price Waterhouse, KamlaMotihar from the Mellon Foundation and Vandy Ranjanfrom Brooklyn Public Library.

Respectfully Submitted byAnn Gibson and Jamie Russell, Co-ChairsMarch 10, 1999


Library School Liaison

Activities for the YearSeptember 1998 to May 1999

Library School Contracts:Schools have been contacted to name one person to actas contact with the Liaison.

Representatives to date: Queens College - Karen KrugmanRutgers University - Linda BrownPratt Institute - Suzan LeeSt. John’s UniversityLIU CW PostLIU/NYU Palmer School

Contracts were Informed of the Following:• SLA Guidelines for Student Groups

Web address:http://www.sla.org/committee/sarc/studgrps.htm

• Guidelines for Advisors of SLA Student GroupsWeb address:http://www.sla.org/committee/sarc/advguide1.htm

Contacts were encouraged to petition the SLA for theformal membership of each student group.

Luncheon GuestsWorked with the Mid-town Luncheon Committee tosponsor students to lunch in March 1999.

ScholarshipsStudents were made aware of SLA’s Scholarship Pro-grams which include the Professional DevelopmentScholarship and the Affirmative Action Scholarshipamong others. The web address: http://sla.org/member-ship/hpschol.html

Affirmative Action Committee BreakfastThe Liaison worked with the Affirmative Action Chairon the promotion of the profession among minoritiesand people of color, as well as assist with planning theannual breakfast.

Membership Committee ProjectsWorked with the Membership Chair on potential publicrelations projects for new student members.

Promotional Presentations by LibrariansWorked with the Outreach Committee Chair on aSpeaker’s Panel to visit campuses and with groups oflibrary school students. Worked with the Student RelationsCoordinators at various campuses to plan at least threecareer-related talks to juniors and seniors in colleges. Thiswas meant to introduce students who have not yet decidedwhich career path to take. Contact has been made withSUNY Stonybrook and Baruch College.

ChapterNews ArticlesContacts from each library school have been encouragedto solicit, write and send articles for inclusion in thechapter newsletter.

“A Day in the Life of a Special Librarian” Project Karen Krugman of Queens College has initiated thisproject. She was seeking librarians to volunteer to have astudent work with them for the day. Several SLA librari-ans have participated in this effort. A list of volunteerlibrarians is being complied for other student groups.

Career DayQueens College, Tuesday, March 30, 1999 – coordi-nated with the Queens College Career Office. The pro-gram was in two parts.

Two to three librarians were scheduled to speak abouttheir experiences and the various facets of the profession.Librarians staffed a table with information resources andspoke to students who visited the area.

Baruch College - Thursday, April 29, 1999 – coordi-nated with the Baruch College Career DevelopmentCenter. Approximated 50 corporations and agencies will be present to meet students and provide them withcareer and employment information. This was also anopportunity to introduce students to the SLA StudentChapter as well as have dialog with students to informthem about special librarianship as a possible career path.

Respectfully Submitted by,Lilleth Newby, Library School LiaisonC/O HIV Resource Library


Membership Chair


The main responsibility of my job as Membership Chairis sending informational welcome letters to new members.They are alerted to the NY Chapter web page, listserv,luncheon groups, upcoming events and contact informa-tion for the Chapter President.

I have emphasized sending letters electronically. However,it is not a smooth road:

• Some email addresses are incorrect and bounce back

• If there is a fax number, I try faxing

• If there is only an address, or other methods fail, I mailletters

Lists of names, company’s and main subject group affilia-tion are provided to the ChapterNews editor.

Returned mail from Chapter meeting flyers are photocopiedand sent to headquarters. Many of these are changes ofaddress. If there are any extenuating circumstances, I tryto telephone to find out what happened. There are about10-15 letters returned with each Chapter mailing.

Twice a year, when a large number of non-renewals’ areprocessed, the Chapter receives notification. Because ofthe large number involved, I have not found a way ofdealing with these. As the Association changes the mem-bership year (1 year from the date of registration), thisnumber will be spread more evenly throughout the year.

Last year, I arranged an informal get-together for newmembers and students. Most of the response came fromthe message posted on the listserv, rather than the noticeI included in ChapterNews. The predominant responsewas from female students. Because of job changes and othercircumstances, I have not arranged a similar event this year.

I attended the student/professional mixer in the fall andplan to attend the next one in May. I signed up three stu-dents to serve at a SLA NY table at a Queens CollegeLibrary School career fair.

The Chapter’s membership hovers around 1,400. Thereare ups and downs around this number throughout theyear. There have been no recruitment campaigns for anumber of years. It might be time to get a committeetogether and attempt to sign on a larger percentage ofnew members. The Membership Development Sectionhas provided several documents for this purpose.

Respectfully Submitted byDonna AbbaticchioApril 25, 1999

Publications Director


The New York Chapter’s quarterly publication, ChapterNews,is alive and well, thanks to the efforts of Maureen Mason,Editor, and Laura Kapnick, Advertising Manager. Thisyear’s issues have provided informative articles on internetsources; upcoming conferences, meetings and events;new members; current members “on the move”; Y2Kissues; solutions to information overload, etc., etc., etc.!!Advertisers continue to find ChapterNews a useful way toreach special librarians, and Laura has tapped into somenew sources of advertising revenue.

One issue that hasn’t been resolved, though, is howChapterNews will look in the future. Will we produce anon-line version, an e-mail version, a paper version; all ofthe above, some of the above! Response by members toa questionnaire on this issue was, quite frankly, anemic. Thequestion of paper vs. electronic editions of ChapterNews willcertainly be revisited in the upcoming months.

Another New York Chapter publication, SPECIALLIBRARIES DIRECTORY OF GREATER NEWYORK was published during the past year. Those of uswho have come to rely on this Directory over the yearsare grateful to Cecelia Scotti for her efforts in editingand producing this publication.

During the past year, the Chapter also published anattractive, glossy information brochure that describes the work of the Chapter and the benefits of membership.The brochures have proved helpful and popular at Chaptermeetings and special events, and are useful in “gettingour message across” to schools, vendors and informationprofessionals.

Respectfully Submitted byLeslie SlocumDirector of Publications


Listserv Chair


As of today, SLANY-L has approximately 460 subscribers.Since my last report, the list has continued to functionmuch as it has in the past, as a low volume list on whichmost messages relate to chapter meetings and jobannouncements. As manager or coordinator of the list— I do not call myself “owner” since the chapter reallyowns SLANY-L — I see my primary role as providingservice to subscribers and potential subscribers and thosewho wish to post messages on the list, especially job andchapter related messages.

SLANY-L began in June 1986, a product of the work ofthe list committee: Brian Gerber, chair, and membersDonna Abbaticchio, Dana Gordon, Trudy Katz, NancyMary Panella, Karen van Rossem, and myself. Sincespring, 1997 I have managed the list with occasional helpfrom Harriet Schick. When my term ends in June, thenew manager will be Hovey Lee, webmaster of theBrooklyn Public Library.

Metro, the New York Library Council, has hostedSLANY-L since from the beginning at the price of $200per year. I have submitted the invoice for the year July1998-through June 1999 to the treasurer for payment.I recommend that the chapter continue to obtain listhosting from Metro. Because SLA headquarters makesone free list available to each SLA unit, I recommendthat the New York Chapter start a second list as a planningtool for exchanging messages among officers.

One of the main benefits of managing SLANY-L hasbeen the opportunity to meet many members of thechapter. Running the list has also had a significant pro-fessional benefit. By learning list management onSLANY-L, I was ready to manage a list at work when a list manager was suddenly needed. This is anotherexample of the benefits of involvement with chapteractivities.

Respectfully Submitted bySteve Johnson, Listserv ChairBaruch College.March 10, 1999

Web Page Committee


Past

The SLA NY website made its premier on the internet inOctober, 1997, the result of several months of work bythe Web Page Committee (Chairman Brian Gerber, StanFriedman, Jessica Whitney McBride, Donna Abbaticchio,Dana Gordon, Susan Gormley, Steve Johnson, RitaOrmsby and Jackie Richardson). In 1998, Stan Friedmanand Jessica Whitney McBride became Co-Chairs of thecommittee and found that, as with the other communica-tion groups within SLA NY (ChapterNews and the SLANY listserv), the website could best be maintained by oneor two people handling the mechanics, supported heavilyby voluntary submissions and suggestions from chaptermembers across all groups. Under this rule or order, thebreadth of information provided by the site has vastlyexpanded and the overall quality of the site has continuedto improve.

PresentAs of March, 1999, the SLA NY website has 10 major sections:ChapterNews

A hypertext version of the print edition of SLA NY’squarterly newsletter. This feature premiered this year,along with an email version that was distributed overthe SLA NY discussion list.

What’s New An ongoing bulletin board of news and events relatingto the Chapter.

About SLA and the N.Y. Chapter An introduction to the association and the New York Chapter.

What is a Special Librarian? An introduction to the profession.

Joining and becoming active in N.Y. Chapter membership information.

Services and Activities Events, awards and other SLA NY functions

Chapter Groups, Committees and OfficersDescriptions and contact information

Sites & Resources of Professional Interest An index to other important web sites

New York City Related Sites An index to web sites about the city

Calendar of Events The official SLA NY calendar of meetings and events


In terms of aesthetics, the web site boasts a homepagewith animated GIF photography showing sights andsounds around the city, and employs javascript program-ming that allows for the current date and time to be dis-played on the homepage, as well as for a drop-down nav-igational menu that simplifies exploration of the site.

Future:Future plans for the web site include:

Jobline OnlineA web version of the current Jobline phone service,providing employment information on job openings inthe New York area. Advertisers will pay for their list-ings, turning the web site into a money making ven-ture for the first time.

EventsAs interest in the site continues to grow, real-worldand/or virtual events dealing with the internet will beheld for division members.

RedesignsAs more suggestions are sent in, and more new andarchived information flow through the site, cleanerand more organized indexing of the pages will beimplemented.

New TechnologyAs the technology behind web site construction con-tinues to advance, new ways of constructing pages willbe looked at while keeping in mind the broad varietyof access speeds available to chapter members.

Membership SurveyTo gauge what SLA NY at-large would like to see onthe Web site and what would make them use it.

Respectfully Submitted byStan Friedman, Co-chairJessica McBride, Co-chairMarch 1999

Museums, Arts, and HumanitiesGroup, MAHG


The MAHG is regaining strength after a year of someneglect. Four programs were presented in the currentyear. These were:November 30, 1998.

Introduction and tour by senior staff (Angela Giral,Director) of the Avery Architectural and Fine ArtsLibrary, and the Avery Archives and Special Collec-tions, Columbia University Reception.

March 17, 1999.Introduction and tour by Director William Moore andLibrarian Jennifer Somerwitz of the LivingstonMasonic Library and Museum, The Grand Lodge ofNew York Reception.

April 17, 1999An all-day excursion to West Point and BoscobelRestoration including tours by facility staff, lunch andtransportation. Co-sponsored with the Social SciencesGroup.

May 4, 1999Introduction to the collections of the Fales Libraryand Special Collections, New York University. Com-ments by the librarian Marvin Taylor and a tour of theDavid Mojnarowicz exhibition, curated by Taylor.Annual business meeting Reception.

Because elections were not held during the previous year,the organization of these programs fell almost entirely tothe Chair. A complete roster of candidates for offices hasbeen prepared for the business meeting. Programming inthe next year will be handled cooperatively, until the newChair takes office in 2000/2001.

It has been a pleasure to organize, or assist in the organi-zation of the past year’s events. Parsons School of Designprovided all materials for mailings and programannouncements, for which the Chair is very grateful. Inthe next year, the Group should be back in a regularcycle of elections and programming.

Respectfully Submitted byClayton C. Kirking, Chair1998-1999



Social Sciences Group

1998-1999 Preliminary Report

The Social Sciences Group had the following events so far:

Fall Session 1998-99Our first event of the year, Fall Session 1998-99, was aworkshop on “Affirmative Action in Higher Education ,at the Rockefeller Foundation on Wednesday, November18, 1998. There was a presentation by James Shulman,Program and Research Associate, The Andrew W. MellonFoundation, based on a book “Shape of the River” co-authored by William G. Bowen, President, TheAndrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Derek Bok, formerPresident of Harvard University. The books deals withlong term consequences of considering race as a factor incollege and university admissions, with a follow-up studyof almost 40,000 black and white students admitted to 28elite colleges, by charting 20 years of their lives, incomesand contribution to the nation in a database developed bythe Mellon Foundation, in order to provide empiricalevidence on the impact of race-sensitive admissions.There were about 30 people who attended the session.Though the number was small, it was a very interestingand engaged audience who actively participated.

Winter Session 1998-99Our second event, Winter Session 1998-99 was a forumon “The Internet and the Transformation of ThreeCommunities: Visually Impaired; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexualand Transgendered; Urban, Low-Income” with a panelof three speakers: Gregory Rosmaita, American Foundationfor the Blind, World Wide Web Consortium, TimRoberts, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center (NewYork’s only health care center primarily serving the lesbian,gay, bisexual and transgender community), and LizCahill, Brooklyn X (online community information network and Internet/Web publishing training programsserving low-income neighborhoods in Brooklyn). Theprogram again was at the Rockefeller Foundation, onFebruary 24, 1999. There were 46 people who attendedthe session, a very targeted audience, truly interested inthe field, and again a very interactive session.

We are in the process of revising our bylaws, updatingour mission statement, and fine-tuning our procedures.Most of the work has already been done, and the bylawswould be submitted to the Chapter Bylaws Chair shortlyfor approval, before being presented at the Group’sAnnual Business Meeting.

Future Programs:Our next program will be a spring trip, co-sponsored bythe Museums, Arts and Humanities Group, to the WestPoint Military Academy and Boscobel Restorations. Wewill board a Chartered bus at 40th and Fifth, by the sideof the New York Public Research Library, which willdepart at 9:00 am sharp, reaching West Point by 10:30am. We will first tour the Academy and then the Library,followed by lunch at the Officer’s Club from 12:30 -1:45,after which we will go across the Hudson to BoscobelRestorations which features a lovely Federal style mansionsituated on beautiful grounds overlooking the Hudson.We will depart Boscobel at 4:15 and be back in NewYork by 6:00 pm.

Our Annual Business Meeting will take place onWednesday, May 19, 1999, at a vegetarian Indian Restaurant called Vatan at the corner of 29th and Third.

Respectfully Submitted byKamla Motihar, Chair

Documents

SLANY ChapterNews Newsletter June 1999