Info Newsletter Index

SIS INFO
Vol. 14, No. 2
March 2000

Editor’s Corner

Future Meetings

If you would like to host a future meeting, or if you have a suggestion for a future program, contact Ray Eydmann, SIS Vice-President, with your ideas. Ray can be reached by email at eydmanr@juno.com or by phone at TECO 813-228-1207.

News to Share

The SIS Newsletter is a great way to share news, conference announcements, achievements, and items of interest with all organization members. Please send your news to the Editor, Nancy Becker, so we can include it in our next newsletter.

Some Items of Interest

Are you making enough? Salaries for special librarians in Florida
by CD McLean

The 1999 Special Librarian's Salary Survey book became available in November of 1999. The overall median salary for a special librarian is $49,116 (Table 7a, p.7). However, as many of you have heard, Florida pays its workers in sunshine so we are conditioned to expect low salaries here. That is not quite the case though.

The truth is that the South Atlantic region of which Florida is a part makes a slightly higher median salary than the national average coming in at $50,000 (Table 11b, p. 19). The specific pay scale for Florida, including Tampa, Tallahassee and Miami, is between $50,000 and $52,000 ($50,000 for those having between 16-20 years experience, $47,000 for those having 21-25 years experience and $52,000 for those having 26 or more years experience (Table 23d, p. 76)). Now, looking at the data, you might be tempted to say, what the devil is going on with those librarians in the 21-25 years of experience range? According to John Latham, the Director of Information Resources at the SLA headquarters, it is a statistical anomaly. It could mean that those librarians stayed in one position for a long time and so missed out on large salary

increases that one may get when changing jobs. He also pointed out the statistical sampling is fairly small and that sometimes may affect the data. There were seven librarians surveyed in the 16-20 years of

experience range, eight in the 21-25 range, and nine in the 26 or more range. Unfortunately there were under six librarians surveyed in the 1-16 years of experience range. Mr. Latham said that when the response for a range is from fewer than six respondents, the data doesn't make it into the book.

While law librarians are considered to be special librarians, they also have their own professional organization (the American Association of Law Librarians), which published their last salary survey in 1997. Unfortunately for Florida law librarians, the South Atlantic region excludes metro DC, W. Virginia, N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, which means, according to their map of geographical locations that the data only covers Virginia. That being said, the median salary range for the South Atlantic region ranges from $35,448 (for 11-16 years of experience (Table 8, p.22)) to $91,500 (for 16 or more years of experience (Table 8, p.22)). AALL breaks down their salary survey by education (MLS and LLB/JD, MLS, MA/MS, BA/BS and other) and type of position (one person library, director/chief librarian, associate/deputy/asst. director/chief of branch, supervisory librarian/dept. head, computer/automation librarian, foreign/international librarian, govt. documents/legislative librarian). The Table 1 shows the median salaries by education and position:

Table 1: Salary of Law Librarians by Position and Education (Table 4, p.13 of AALL 1997 Salary Survey)

Now that you have some data to work with, take a look and see where you fall in the survey. And if you are a special librarian in the 1-16 years experience range, you might want to contact SLA and ask to be put on their survey list so they will have enough data points for the 2000 survey.

Note from Betsy King: SLA salary surveys only cover SLA members (annual membership fee $117+), which also affects the sampling.

“Virtual Collection: Gatekeeper versus User Selection”
By Harriet Thompkins

Report on the new roles of the collection development librarian from a Solinet workshop I attended in Atlanta.

What is Virtual Collection?

It is a collection of materials that the library provides access to without physical ownership. We don’t actually have our hands on it.

How is Virtual Collection different from traditional collection development?

Virtual collection development is about purchasing sets of new tools that are different from the traditional way. Before, we knew what to with them. We knew where to put them on the shelves. Before, we knew how to organize and catalog them. We knew how to make decisions whether to keep them or not to keep them.

One major difference is when you cancel a subscription in print, we own all those back issues, but that’s not the case with electronic subscriptions.

How has the role changed?

Gatekeeper versus User Selection. Traditional role was that of a gatekeeper. We picked out what we think the user needed and wanted. But as we move into the electronic environment, often we are just providing access to materials with more and more choices and the users are deciding what they need and want.

Librarians are taking on an instructional role. Reference questions may be decreasing but users will need instructions to guide them through this electronic maze. Also your role will take on a new meaning with vendor relations, preservation, censorship and intellectual freedom.

In conclusion, there is much too much stuff out there. There is stuff that is bad and there is stuff that is good. We don’t want to stop our users from using the Internet. We want our users to start with us first. We need to take a proactive approach. When we put stuff on our site, we are saying that we stand behind it. We select these electronic resources just like we select our print.

Transforming Traditional Libraries
Forwarded by Kathleen McCook, alis, 28 Feb 2000

The traditional organization and method of delivering library services has changed greatly in recent years because of the development of new technologies and the changing needs of library users. This transformation has had a profound effect not only on the nature of libraries, but on the types of services they offer and on the way they provide those services.

It has also forced librarians to reexamine and redefine their roles as they explore possibilities for meeting the information needs of their users. TRANSFORMING TRADITIONAL LIBRARIES is a peer-reviewed e-journal designed to explore the ongoing evolution of librarianship. Coverage will include resources such as digital collections, electronic indices, OPACs, Internet research, bibliographic instruction, as well as skill such as information literacy. The journal will focus on exploring how libraries and librarians integrate these new technologies and services with more traditional ones.

Transforming Traditional Libraries seeks papers for its inaugural issue. We welcome papers that will inform, enlighten, amuse, and further the discussion of librarians as they confront and solve the challenges of the modern library.

Manuscripts should be between 2,000 and 6,000 words. They should be submitted electronically, by either e-mail or by mailing the article on a floppy disc, to the editors in either ASCII of HTML format. For the full instructions for authors please see, http://www.lib.usf.edu/~mdibble/ttl/instruction.html.

Please consult Transforming Traditional Libraries web page (http://www.lib.usf.edu/~mdibble/ttl/ ) or e-mail the editors if you have any questions.

Recruitment Open House 2000 - sponsored by Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library

THPL is sponsoring a Recruitment Open House on Monday, April 17, at the John F. Germany Library Auditorium in downtown Tampa. The purpose of the Open House is to provide a venue for exploring career opportunities with the public library system. A morning session and an afternoon session will be held. To register, call 813-224-8670.

Some Sites of Interest?

404 Help Zone
http://404help.webjump.com

Designed to demystify the 404 Error commonly encountered on the web as well to provide ways to overcome broken links, find lost and relocated sites, and improve overall hyperlink practices.

There are sections here for general web users and webmasters. Other features include a "Lost Site Finder" and a free list, where 404s and site relocations/URL changes may be reported.

From: ResPool, 10, Nov 1999, Robert J. Tiess

Presidential Candidates on the Issues (Issues 2000)
http://www.issues2000.org/

Presents U.S. presidential candidates' positions on major issues. Accessible by clicking on the name of a candidate or on a specific issue. In addition to opinions and quotes on issues, the site includes biographies of each candidate, charts showing the candidates' position on issues, links to candidates' Web sites, and a schedule of primaries - am

Subjects: Elections | Politics | New this week
From: LIIWeek, 21, Feb, 2000

WebSerch - The Web Research Resource
http://www.clubi.ie/webserch/

This site has been "designed for use by librarians and information professionals, and is intended to assist in the evaluation and selection of information retrieval tools and information sources" on the Internet. The site contains information on evaluating search engines and Web resources; search engine specifications; search strategies and tips; and metadata. The site uses a Perl script that allows the user to view the metadata for each page. The author of WebSerch is a public librarian in Dublin, Ireland. - po

Subjects: Searching -- About | Metadata | New this week
From: LIIWeek, 14, Feb, 2000

Important Date

The 77th Annual Florida Library Association Conference will be held at the Marriott Waterside and Convention Center, Tampa, Florida April 25-29, 2000. Online registration is available at: http://www.flalib.org/

A reminder from CD McLean regarding FLA: Be sure to mark your calendars for Thursday April 27 from 4-6 pm. That is when the Special Library committee will be having its session. Featured speakers will be Theresa Burress (TECO Energy), Cheryl Dee (USF), Shirl Kennedy (City of Clearwater), and Wanda Barrett (Special Library Service, Inc.).

A Special Reminder about SIS Dues, Membership, and Directory

Every spring SIS publishes a printed membership directory of current, paid members. The directory is an excellent source for local networking information and library contacts. This year's directory will be distributed at the April meeting; copies will be mailed to members who cannot pick up directories in person. Your $5.00/year dues support the printing and mailing of this publication. What a bargain! If you are not currently a member (contact Betsy King at kingb@cftnet.com  to verify your status), you can find directions for joining at http://tblc.org/sis/membershipform.htm

April Meeting

The April meeting will be held on Wed. April 5 from 11:30 to 1:30. This will be a joint meeting Central Florida Association of Law Librarians - CFALL. The meeting will be held in the Auditorium of the John F. Germany Library (Main Library) 900 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa. Bill Raddatz from Pro Vise Management Group, Inc., an SEC Registered Investment Advisor, will be speaking on financial planning. Lunch will be catered in. Details about the cost of lunch will be announced later this month. RSVPs should be sent to Ray Eydmann at 813/228-1207, eydmanr@juno.com . Tentative cut-off for RSVPs is March 27.

• Directions from Pinellas County: Take I-275 N across the Howard Frankland Bridge. Turn right on ramp at sign reading "Ashley St to Downtown-West/Tampa St". Continue on N Ashley Dr and go South for 0.3 miles to 900 N Ashley Dr. The Library is on the right.
  
• Directions from north or east of downtown Tampa: Take I-275 S from north Tampa or I-4 W from the east. Bear right on ramp at sign reading "Exit 25 to Downtown-West". Continue on N Ashley Dr to 900 N Ashley Dr.
  
• Parking: Parking is available in the Poe Garage south of the Library, in the Times Building lot north of the Library, and on the street on Cass or Polk across Ashley from the Library. All parking is paid parking in downtown.
  
• Finding the Auditorium: The auditorium is in the West building of the Library (Ashley Drive entrance). Go through the lobby and continue straight through past the Business Reference desk area to the glass doors on the vestibule. The entrance to the auditorium is around to the right.

February Meeting

The February meeting was held on Wednesday, February 9, 2000 at the Morton Plant Hospital with Karen Roth as our hostess.

Ms. Roth introduced the video tape of Harry Beckwith by saying that she attended SLA in Minneapolis and that Mr. Beckwith was an outstanding speaker. He was only scheduled to speak for 45 minutes and instead spoke for almost an hour and a half. She said he was so fascinating that the crowd didn't get restless. She said that Mr. Beckwith runs his own marketing company and said while she is not impressed with marketers who call during dinner, that Mr. Beckwith is very good. Mr. Beckwith's book is titled "Selling the Invisible" and is available for about $17.

For this speech, Mr. Beckwith interviewed a group of special librarians. He also did a site visit. He opened his talk by giving an overview of what he would be talking about:

• Who is responsible for selling/marketing the special library
• What is involved with selling/marketing the special library
• How to establish relationships to succeed and stay alive

Who is responsible?

Everyone who works in the library is responsible for marketing the services of the library. That means your receptionist, your clerks, yourself. Everything you say or do reflects back on the library. He gave the example of Folgers coffee.

Do you remember the commercial where a fancy restaurant serves Folgers crystals as their after dinner coffee. Do you remember what everyone said about the coffee: "It is delightful; It is wonderful."

"For those of you who don't know (about Folgers Crystals), it isn't (delightful)!" His point was that price is a communicator and seducer of quality. We think it is better if it is expensive. Therefore libraries have a problem because our services are ostensibly free. Free is bad. He followed up with the example of Gibson guitars. The Japanese flooded the market with cheaper guitars and was knocking Gibson out of the market. Gibson tried lowering their prices, but nothing could staunch the red ink. Then, in what he called the Jack Daniels Moment (when you sit around a bar at 4 in the morning drinking Jack Daniels and trying to figure out how to save your company), the Gibson executives decided to raise their prices ALOT. What happened? People bought them. People are resistant to cheap prices, but here was a $1500 guitar next to all the $300-500 guitars from Japan. The $1500 guitars must be better.

It is our job to demonstrate the value of the information and services that we provide. If we get pressured to prove our worth, then we have failed to demonstrate our value.

Power of a Brand.

We operate on stereotypes. We experience reputations. You have to understand the stereotypes and the incredible power of brands because we all have brands. What is the library brand? The library is

• Where the librarian tells you to shut up
• You check out books (clerical).
• The librarian deals with books only.
• Associated with information, which isn't good because people are discovering that information is cruddy (the web and its millions of pages with less then accurate information).

This situation creates an opportunity for us to be filters, advisors, shepherds.

It's the package.

The package is seen rather than the substance. It is survival of the prettiest (book). We are seduced by beauty. Don't we all think that the oranger the orange, the sweeter the taste? It is not true! It is the power of the eye of the power of logic. The appearance you make affects the perceived quality of the library.

Does the library look welcoming?

Does the library feel welcoming?

Does the library sound welcoming?

How are you packaging your information? Does it look nice? Does it look professional?

Price, Brand and Packaging will always trump quality.

Do you have quality relationships?

The quality of your relationships with your patrons relates to their perceived quality of your delivered services. It is about being satisfied or has Mr. Beckwith put it: Satisfying the customer. We need to establish a threshold and when it is met, we have made ourselves the positively good choice. We are positively good. Don't try to enhance things that don't mean anything. It's not the technical stuff, it is the relationships. Relationships trump them all (price, brand and packaging). The stories that we can tell and the services we provide can be powerful vehicles to take us to success.

Ten keys to an Enduring Relationship:

1. Speed: Everyone wants it faster.
2. Affinity: Be aware of chemistry. If you have a clerk who can't get along with someone, make sure someone who can get along with that patron always deals with him.
3. Predictability: Integrity makes us predictable. When the patron comes to know we will only give the very best, he knows what to expect and we become predictable. Be consistent.
4. Comfort: What are you doing to make your patrons feel comfortable?
5. Expertise: Users look to us for advice. How clearly are we communicating our expertise?
6. Sacrifice: Making sacrifices for a patron (staying late, making them a priority), gives the patron the feeling that they are important.
7. Thanks: Thank your people more.
8. Welcome: Say Hi.
9. Follow up: Ask how you did.
10. Names: Call your patrons by name. Make them feel important and remembered.

Conclusion

• Everyone who works in the library is the marketing department.
• You need to have a brand and have a reputation.
• Look at your packaging
• Build relationships.

Remember that risks bring rewards. People who have a high sense of well being are the ones who have taken risks.

SIS Business Minutes, Feb. 9, 2000 (http:/tblc.org/sis/meetings/0002minutes.htm)

Mary Kaye Raddatz opened the meeting by asking for approval of the December minutes. The minutes were approved.

Treasurer's Report: As of 9 January 2000, the SIS treasury has $603.89, and 64 members have paid dues for the year 2000. In previous years we have had 90+ members.

Vice-president's Report: The next meeting will be in April. If anyone would like to host an SIS meeting, please contact Ray Eydmann at eydmanr@juno.com.

President's Report/New Business: Ray was thanked for the great write up for the presentation at TBLC.

Shirl Kennedy was also thanked for her contributions to the newsletter and the mailing list. It was announced that Nancy Becker will now be in charge of the website. Betsy has asked for some relief in her duties, so Ms. Becker kindly agreed to take on the website duties.

Trudie Root spoke about TBLC. She said they were trying to fill in the blanks on the members category and might possibly be creating a category for organizations and associations, which would allow us access to TBLC cataloguing, etc., for a much reduced cost. If you have any ideas on services that you would like

TBLC to provide please send them to Mary Kay Radditz or Trudie Root.

The President will be putting an email out on the SIS list regarding the SIS archives. She would like to have some discussion from the membership so we can decide on what to do with the archives at our April meeting.

Announcements: Betsy is recovering from surgery. We all wish her well and a speedy recovery. Ms. Root’s library is ready to go live soon. She will send out announcement to the list when it does happen.

Old Business: No old business.

There being no further new business, the business meeting was adjourned.

SIS Officers 1999-2000