A SSOCIATION
CONNECTIONS
OF INDEPENDENT INFORMATION
PROFESSIONA LS
Volume 16, Number 2
Page 1
Association of Independent Information Professionals
Summer 2002
President’s Message
Pam Wegmann, INFORMATION MATTERS, LLC, [email protected]
As I write my first column as AIIP President, I am pleased to report
that AIIP is “a-movin’ and a-shakin’.” I am amazed at the number
of ongoing activities and efforts this organization has to serve its
members. I belong to seven different business and professional
associations and have observed that the level of activity and benefits
AIIP puts forth and manages is rivaled only by organizations with
much larger membership and budgets. For what we pay in dues,
AIIP is the best bargain in town! I am even more impressed by the
dedication of the Board and committee members who continually
and unselfishly strive to make AIIP even bigger and better.
We have just come off one of our most successful annual conferences.
For the first time, we partnered with another organization, the
Southern California Online Users Group (SCOUG), taking
advantage of synergies and marketing AIIP to an entirely new
community. Coordinated by Debbie Bardon, the Conference had a
record attendance, including members, vendors, speakers, SCOUG
members, and other interested attendees. We had great feedback
from the exhibitors, who were particularly pleased with the foot
traffic resulting from the Conference Committee’s decision to hold
all breakfasts and breaks in the exhibit area. The conference speakers
brought a wealth of new knowledge to the participants. While final
numbers are not in, the cherry on top of this multi-layered
information feast is that we definitely made a healthy profit on the
2002 Conference. Kudos to Debbie Bardon and her army of
volunteers who made this happen.
At the annual business meeting held during the Conference, four
members rotated off the AIIP Board, finishing their terms. While
we will miss having them at the Board meetings, they will be present
in the background, contributing their expertise and tribal knowledge.
content, and brought more advertising into the mix. Jim Cowan will
now take her place as Editor-in-Chief, having worked on the
Connections staff as Senior Editor for more than a year.
Peggy Carr has handled one of the least glamorous, most formidable,
and most underappreciated jobs associated with an organization:
managing the bylaws and policies and procedures documents. In her
capacity as Immediate Past President, Peggy has worked countless
hours going through our bylaws line-by-line and word-by-word with
a professional parliamentarian. While there were not too many
substantive changes, the language was made clearer and more
consistent, verbiage was streamlined, and policies were updated,
enabling state-of-the-art practices, such as electronic voting. The
results, with copious and meticulous footnoting by Renee Daulong,
went out on a ballot for a vote at the end of May. At this writing, the
returns are overwhelmingly favorable.
Lynn Ecklund remains on the Board, but has rotated into the
Immediate Past President’s position, and will take over the tending
of the policies and procedures manual and the bylaws. Lynn will also
be responsible for elections. You will hear from her in about eight
months, when new Board elections will roll around. Lynn did a great
job this past year as President, keeping the AIIP moving forward,
keeping us all on track, and managing the inevitable small-to-medium
crises that arise in any organization. Lynn was also the instrumental
person in developing our partnership with SCOUG for the Conference
in Long Beach.
Coming on the AIIP Board this year, are Karl Kasca as Treasurer, and
Susan McDonald, Kent Sutorius, and Sheryl Ranes as Directors.
Continuing on the Board are Federico Turnbull and Debbie Bardon
as Directors, Sheri Lanza as Secretary, and Cindy Shamel, now ViceSusan Weiler made a major impact during her three years as the President/President Elect.
Board member in charge of Vendor Relations. She struck new deals, In accordance with a previous vote to change the bylaws, we have
increasing the number of Vendor Partners and Vendor Discount reduced our Board size, continuing to implement AIIP’s Strategic
Companies. She also enhanced and cemented established Long Range Plan to move to a “managing” Board from a “doing”
relationships. Although Susan is no longer chair, she’s still serving Board. We are trying to relieve Board members of being chairs of
on the Vendor Relations Committee and helping the new chair, Jane full committees (except as dictated by bylaws) as well, as the two
John. Susan will also continue to represent AIIP on the Dialog jobs are just too demanding for a volunteer Board. Since it is necessary,
Customer Advisory Board Committee.
with a reduced Board, for any given Board member to oversee more
Debbie Hunt has chaired Electronic Communications, managing our than one committee, we have realigned Board assignments by
main electronic venues. She worked diligently to revamp the website functional area: Operations & Administration; Finance; Marketing
and make AIIP-L a better place for communicating. With help from & Communications; Membership; and Community Care. A detailed
Larry Mrazek, her handiwork on the website will soon be visible as discussion of this realignment appeared in the previous issue of
we continue to give our site a facelift and improve its functionality. Connections (vol. 16, no. 1, Spring 2002, page 26).
The website baton has been handed off to Renee Daulong, and Larry The new alignment will allow the individual Board member to focus
will now chair the AIIP-L.
on a given area that serves our membership organization as a whole.
Crystal Sharp has, over the last few years, nurtured and polished the These Board members have multiple committees reporting to them;
print communications vehicle you hold in your hand at this moment, individual Board members in turn report on progress and keep the
Connections. Crystal has developed themes, improved and updated entire Board informed on news or issues, while communicating
the look, brought in more authors providing diverse and excellent
(Continued on page 10)
AIIP C ONNECTIONS - Volume 16, Number 2
Page 2
Inside this Issue
AIIP would like to thank the
for its consistent support of AIIP
and for sponsoring the printing
and mailing of Connections.
AIIP
CONNECTIONS
Association of Independent
Information Professionals
AIIP
8550 United Plaza Blvd.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809
Publisher ................................................................ AIIP Service Corp
President ......................................................................... Jane Malcolm
918-492-3983, [email protected]
Editor-in-Chief ................................................................... Jim Cowan
415-674-1321, [email protected]
Editor ......................................................................... Barbara Wagner
303-274-5309, [email protected]
Editor ............................................................................ Nancy Fawcett
612-866-8718, [email protected]
Editor……………………………………… ..................... Russ Singletary
404-635-0915, [email protected]
Advertising Director ............................................................ Eiko Shaul
416-544-0208, [email protected]
SciTech Watch Column ......................................................... Jane John
207-373-1755, [email protected]
Editor-in-Chief Emerita .................................................. Crystal Sharp
519-495-2889, [email protected]
AIIP Connections (ISSN 1524-9468) is published quarterly and is
copyrighted ©2002 by the Association of Independent Information
Professionals, 8550 United Plaza Blvd., Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809.
Subscriptions: Free to AIIP members. Material contained in Connections
is copyrighted. For permission to reprint, contact AIIP at 225-408-4400,
or at [email protected]
Submissions: Article submissions should be sent to Jim Cowan and ad
copy to Eiko Shaul (see contact information above).
President’s Message ..................................................................... 1
AIIP: How to Reach Us ............................................................... 3
Footnotes ..................................................................................... 3
Conference Reports
A View from the Skybox ............................................................. 4
Understanding the Content Game ............................................... 4
Who Plays on the Information Team? ......................................... 5
Hitting a Home Run ..................................................................... 5
Wrap Up Panel ............................................................................. 6
4th Annual Roger Summit Award Lecture .................................. 7
Teaming up for CI ....................................................................... 8
Straight from the Source’s Mouth ............................................... 8
2002 Conference Committee ....................................................... 9
Pack up for Providence ................................................................ 9
How Dialog Commands Really Work ....................................... 11
Needle in a Haystack ................................................................. 11
askSam ....................................................................................... 12
The Spare Room Tycoon ........................................................... 13
A Long-Awaited Good Time in Long Beach ............................. 14
Member News ...........................................................................15
Tape Order Form ....................................................................... 16
Working on the Cunard Line ..................................................... 17
A SSOCIATION
OF INDEPENDENT INFORMATION
PROFESSIONA LS
AIIP: How to Reach Us
President
Pam Wegmann, INFORMATION MATTERS, LLC
504-738-0070, [email protected]
Vice-President/President Elect/Planning
Cindy Shamel, Shamel Information Services
858-673-4673, [email protected]
Immediate Past President/ByLaws/Elections/aiipinfo
Lynn Ecklund, Seek Information Service
818-242-2793, [email protected]
Treasurer/Budget & Finance
Karl Kasca, Kasca & Associates
626-795-9568, [email protected]
Secretary
Sheri Lanza, Global InfoResources, Inc.
703-242-7512, [email protected]
Director/Awards
Federico Turnbull, AEID, SC
011-5255-5598-2623, [email protected]
Director/Community Care
Kent Sutorius, Informed Solutions Inc.
410-733-7416, [email protected]
Director/Marketing & Communications
Debbie Bardon, Bardon on Call
510-531-1050, [email protected]
Director/Membership
Susan McDonald
615-353-9070, [email protected]
Director/Operations & Administration
Sheryl Ranes, Satisfied Solutions
510-247-0254, [email protected]
AIIP Administrator Representative
Sara Sherburne
225-408-4400, [email protected]
Page 3
FOOTNOTES
Jim Cowan, Editor-in-Chief, Alturas Research and Information
Services, [email protected]
Welcome to the summer issue of Connections!
As is our tradition, the summer issue covers the AIIP Annual
Conference. This year’s conference was special in that we teamed
with the Southern California Online Users Group (SCOUG), and
this brought about some great cross-fertilization between our two
groups. Our hats are off to Debbie Bardon and the entire Conference
Committee for a job well done. We learned, networked, and had a
great time!
Thanks to our volunteer reporters (Susanne Bjorner, Krista Goering,
Christine Hamilton-Pennell, Debbie Hunt, Jane John, Jan Knight,
Stephanie Lyke, Robin Neidorf, Marydee Ojala, Marcia Rodney,
Kent Sutorius, and Mark Wettler), we have an account of nearly all
the conference sessions. Once again, Kent Sutorius organized the
reporting effort. If you missed any of the sessions, or wish to revisit
them, tapes are available for purchase at http://www.aiip.org/
order.html. An order form is also included in this issue.
Change and continuity seem to be the hallmark of Connections. As
was the case last year, we have a “new order.” Crystal Sharp has
“retired” as Editor-in-Chief. Those who know Crystal from the
Conference talent shows know that she is a tough act to follow!
Under her editorship, the content of Connections has grown in both
quantity and quality. Pam Wegmann’s presidential message on the
front page pretty much says it all about Crystal’s accomplishments,
so I won’t repeat them here. But I do want to thank her for her
extraordinary initiative, wisdom, high standards, patience, and good
humor in handling the many editorial duties, including breaking in
her successor!
Changes to the AIIP Board structure have also changed the
governance of Connections. We will now be under the oversight of
an advisory committee headed by Community Care Director, Kent
Sutorius. Our expanded editorial staff of Nancy Fawcett, Russ
Singletary, and Barbara Wagner gives us the muscle to keep moving
in the direction Crystal’s leadership has taken us. Fortunately for
us, Eiko Shaul continues doing her indispensable work as advertising
director.
Some major decisions regarding Connections may come this year.
We will be deciding whether and how fast to move away from the
organizational newsletter model and toward the model of a
professional or trade publication. Will we decide to have Connections
indexed by CINAHL (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied
Health Literature) and offer articles for sale? How much of
Connections should be made available on the Web and to whom
and for what price? Do our contributors get paid, and how? Of course,
for these questions to be meaningful, we must maintain our ability
to attract and publish quality articles.
Here is where you come in. We encourage you to write for
Connections. Our next issue will have as its theme Client
AIIP Home Page: http://www.aiip.org
(Continued on page 9)
AIIP C ONNECTIONS - Volume 16, Number 2
Page 4
Conference Reports
A View from the Skybox
Presenter: Anthea Stratigos, President, Outsell
Reported by Marcia J. Rodney, The RSL Research Group, [email protected]
Anthea Stratigos, cofounder and president of information industry
analyst Outsell, kicked off the Friday session with a hard-hitting
talk about the rapid changes in the industry, providing the vendor’s
viewpoint with an analyst’s twist and offering strategic ideas both
for the enterprise buyer and independent users.
Mergers and acquisitions were rising in 2001, and continue to do so
in 2002, according to Stratigos. However, the resulting growth
statistics can give a misleading industry overview. Outsell has
analyzed numerous companies over past several years, and
determined that if you remove acquisition activity, underlying growth
is static, which shapes content providers’ motivations.
In addition to significant M&A activity in every sector of the
information industry in 2001, there was notable divestiture as well,
particularly in IT-related content. No change is expected this year;
indeed, acquisition is expected to continue as big companies with
deep pockets pick up good deals. Stratigos held out prime player
Jupiter as an industry poster child. It’s now on the market, and she
expects it to sell for between $4 million and $5 million, complete
with underlying subscription revenue.
Stratigos emphasized that it’s important for both the enterprise buyer
and the independent buyer to be aware of the supply chain, and to
understand what motivates the supplier when negotiating. “The
market is not about eyeballs now, but about maintaining the ones
you have,” says Stratigos, encouraging AIIPers to recognize that
independent information professionals represent a potential new
revenue stream to content providers, and one that is not going to
consolidate. In this turbulent market, there is often sales force
turnover, and following an M&A deal, very unclear product and
branding strategies. There is big pressure to maintain revenue, and
for a period, uncertainties and disconnects prevail.
Independents have opportunities for consortial purchasing and
collaborative work. Stratigos recommends offering to be a beta test
site, a safe haven for the new operation, as well as emphasizing
relationships. That is what the survivors in this changing market
will understand—the significance of relationships.
Understanding the Content Game
Presenter: Corilee Christou, Vice President, Corporate, Library & Educational Licensing for Reed Business Information (formerly
Cahners Business Information)
Reported by Susanne Bjorner, Bjorner & Associates, [email protected]
From her current position with Reed, and with extensive prior
experience at LexisNexis, Christou spoke from both a broad and
deep perspective about licensing data, especially in the electronic
arena. Though she characterized her talk as “Survivor V: Lost in
the Content Jungle,” she imparted key information and concepts so
that anyone—whether negotiating content licenses as a publisher,
aggregator, enterprise information professional, or content end
user—could find their way.
Recommended survival tactics for any player in the content jungle
include: determining needs, analyzing the offering to see whether
and how it meets needs, and remembering that everything is
negotiable. (“Don’t dig your heels in,” she admonishes. “Find a
middle ground.”) Christou reviewed the implications of various
links in the content food chain: authors and journalists (both freelance
and staff); photographers (freelance and staff); the role of the original
distribution medium (paper, broadcast, video/film, the Internet);
content owners/publishers; and syndicators/aggregators. She
reminded the audience that the current Web environment allows
anyone to be a content creator—there are hardly any barriers to
entry. Licensees should examine the content offered carefully,
looking at quality, archives, images, and embargoes, and asking a
question that perhaps has a new answer: Is more better?
Christou offers these Rules of the Game for anyone involved in
licensing content: (1) Know your use requirements; (2) Understand
the license grant and terms; (3) Understand assignment if ownership
changes; (4) Don’t get hung up on cost or cost structure; (5) Assess
the merits of just-in-time vs. just-in-case; and (6) Have an
understanding of collection development for the 21st century. To
win, she says, be creative, understand what is needed and why it is
needed, do not be bulldozed by price, look before you leap, and
address the short term but prepare for the long term.
Christou recommended Lesley Ellen Harris’s book Licensing Digital
Content: A Practical Guide for Librarians (Chicago: ALA Editions,
Jan. 2002; ISBN: 0-8389-0815-2) as a more detailed guide. (A
review of this title from Library Journal (Cahners) is on the
Amazon.com site.) Christou’s talk was audiotaped and is available
from AIIP Service Corp. (tape no. T02-02) and copies of her
PowerPoint slides are downloadable from http://www.scougweb.org/
spring2002.htm and viewable in PPT format.
“WANTED”
AUTHORS
for the next “Connections”
See the Footnotes column for details.
A SSOCIATION
OF INDEPENDENT INFORMATION
PROFESSIONA LS
Page 5
Who Plays on the Information Team? A
Panel Discussion
Reported by Marydee Ojala, Ojala Associates, [email protected]
Playing along with the baseball theme of Friday’s joint SCOUG/AIIP
program, the team of Cindy Hill, representing special libraries; Chad
Kahl, representing academic libraries; Bo Simons, representing public
libraries; and Amelia Kassel, representing independents, stressed
collaboration, partnering, and teamwork.
Cindy told us of lessons learned from several projects at Sun
Microsystems. She talked about partnerships and the need for constant
communication. Keep all the players informed, she said, or the
collaboration will fail. She also talked about the partnership life cycle.
There comes a time when the collaboration is at an end, she said.
Staff who have invested time and effort in the project will have a hard
time accepting this, so Cindy recommended that librarians should plan
their exit strategy in advance. She also talked about the pace of creation.
It can be fast or, in the case of the five-year Sun/Addison-Wesley deal
to create SMI Press, slow. Library staff worry about gaining new skills
and the redeployment of existing skills; management worries about
liability and sustainability.
California State University at Long Beach’s Chad Kahl detailed the
library’s outreach program to community colleges. It plays a role in
encouraging a significant number of students to transfer to CSU. His
program involves site visits, a tiered program concentrating on
information literacy skills, and mutual user agreements so that
community college students, and even high school students, understand
library resources. Chad stressed patience and persistence in putting
these types of programs together.
Sonoma County’s Wine Library is far from an archetypical public
library operation. Bo Simon talked about the industry partnership and
local wineries that support it and the library’s business, scientific/
technical, and historical collection on the dominant industry in the
county. This special collection within the county library system took
enormous persuasive skills to create. Bo pointed to the http://
www.winefiles.org website project as an example of a collaborative
effort. He believes that passion is what makes things work within a
partnership. On a more practical level, he noted that you must
understand the institutions involved.
Amelia stressed the value of networking for independent information
professionals. In her view, it’s the informal alliances that benefit both
parties. Learning from each other and developing new skills create
the chemistry between people that make collaborative projects succeed.
The four panelists work in very different environments, but they agree
on several points: collaboration is not only possible but essential;
relationships dictate the success or failure of collaborative efforts;
communication should be a constant; flexibility, all agreed, was
essential. The only thing the panel disagreed on, in response to a
question from the audience, was the value of contracts. Some thought
them useful; others distrusted them.
Hitting a Home Run
Presenter: Marissa Mayer, Google Inc. Product Manager
Reported by Krista Goering, Krista Goering Research Group, [email protected]
As an avid Google fan, I was excited to hear Marissa Mayer, Product articles ever assembled and a fascinating first-hand historical account.
Manager for Google Inc., speak at the recent AIIP Conference. Anyone Searchers can currently conduct Google searches in 74 different
who uses Google on a daily basis will agree that Google lives up to languages, using country indices to search any country domain.
its mission “to organize the world of information, making it universally Meanwhile, information in foreign languages is automatically
accessible and useful.” Google has its headquarters in Mountain View, translated into English for the English speaker.
Calif., where it processes 150 million searches per day.
New search capabilities are planned, which will allow users to conduct
Google strives to set itself apart from other search engines by gaining product catalog searches. To make this happen, Google is already
a reputation for accuracy, integrity, performance, comprehensiveness, scanning hundreds of images from catalogs.
and global reach. It has a patented PageRank technology that “returns
the right results first.” More than 100 factors are considered in the As someone said, “There’s no free lunch,” so even Google must devise
PageRank system, which is updated once a month. Google’s a way to make money on its free website. Currently, Google is
performance is extremely fast because each query is handled by profitable because of advertising (premium ad spots and small “pay
several computers instead of one. Mayer spoke at a tempo that rivaled for performance” ads on the side) as well as licensing agreements.
the lightening speed of a Google search. She explained Google’s Google is also beta-testing a fee-based information service. Users
special features, such as the “smart snippet,” the “cached pages,” the will sign up for an account, then submit the search query, along with
“advanced search,” and such nuggets as the “one-box” feature which how much they are willing to pay and when they need the answer.
gives stock quotes, news, maps, dictionary, and white-page Anyone in cyberspace who can answer the search query gets paid the
information. Another new feature is the Google toolbar, which can stated amount, less a service charge collected by Google.
be installed on computers to enable searches without having to go to What is the future direction of Google? That would be Google Voice
the Google homepage to conduct a search.
Search, which could soon become available in your car. As you sit in
One of the most interesting new features is Google Groups, where traffic you will be able to “ask” Google to conduct a search and then
searchers can post and read comments in Usenet discussion forums. view the information on a display in your car. Just by saying the
Google Groups also offers access to more than 700 million messages search result number out loud, you will be able to trigger the search
dating back to 1981 — by far the most complete collection of Usenet to jump to that result.
AIIP C ONNECTIONS - Volume 16, Number 2
Page 6
Wrap Up Panel:
Partnering for
Better Times
NEED
INFORMATION
FROM FRANCE
OR EUROPE ?
Moderator: Mary Ellen Mort, Director, Jobstar; Panelists:
Sue Brewsaugh, Corilee Christou, Linnea Christiani, Amelia
Kassel, Marissa Mayer, and Randy Marcinko
Summarized by Debbie Hunt, Information Edge,
[email protected]
Thanks to a broad range of local European
electronic sources and our keen expertise in
database & deep Web searching, as well as
Internet investigating,
we can provide you with :
• Company profiles
• Press articles (general, regional, specialized…)
• Market research reports
• Proceedings
and more…
on every subject :
• Marketing, Business,
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• Science & Technology
• Humanities
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Contact our research team
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Tel : +33 1 45 82 75 75
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(in French but we are used to
working in English)
An informative afternoon of presentations was wrapped up with a
lively panel discussion featuring the day’s presenters. The session
was moderated by Mary Ellen Mort, who set a humorous tone for
the session when she shared some of her haikus with the audience.
She then quoted Yogi Berra who said, “You can observe a lot by
watching.” She then encouraged both the panel and the audience to
make statements, share stories, and ask questions.
Here are a few of the topics covered:
“Googlewhacking”: Marissa Mayer from Google shared the latest
craze—a game, wherein a searcher tries to get Google to return
only one hit/search result for the product of two search terms (e.g.
palominos aviaries). Want to learn more? See http://
www.googlewhack.com/.
What would Google do differently if it were being designed
today? Marissa replied that it is always being redesigned. Asked
about Google’s minimalist look, she revealed that the founder of
Google, Sergey Brin, didn’t know HTML.
“Google bombing”: Website creators try to get their sites as high
as possible in the search returns hits so they draw more traffic to
their sites. Read more about it at http://www.microcontentnews.com/
articles/googlebombs.htm.
Cultural clashes in partnerships: Various panelists answered that
both sides learn a lot and that you can’t make assumptions. It’s
imperative to bond with others and not isolate yourself as that may
create resentment. There is a cultural shift going on in our society,
and we are all a part of it. We are moving from information hoarding
to information sharing.
Why will the general public pay for sports and pornography,
but not other types of information? - Answers ranged from
“someone who needs information to make a business decision will
pay for it” to “the public is annoyed when they are asked to pay for
information.” There is more content than ever before, but so much
of it is of questionable quality. Sources of free information are going
to dry up. More subscription models may be what’s next on the
Web. There are libraries that now offer free (supported by tax money)
24/7 reference services, but people aren’t using them. Many people
don’t know what libraries do or the services they provide. Libraries
need to do a better job of market research to find out the needs and
wants of their users.
What Happened to Northern Light? In 1997, at the Internet
Librarian Conference, it was all the rage. But in 2002, we mostly
hear about Google. NL was bought out by Divine, which is
swallowing up all kinds of companies.
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4th Annual Roger Summit Award Lecture
Clifford Lynch: Information Agents in the Age of Abundance
Reported by Mark Wettler, Wettler Information Express, [email protected]
Clifford Lynch, who gained fame by developing the University of
California’s MELVYL Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC)
system, pioneered a new paradigm in scholarly research. Availability
of databases like MEDLINE at no cost to academic patrons was
unheard of until Lynch loaded them into MELVYL in the mid-1980s.
This unprecedented ease of access used the standard OPAC
command language, making it powerful and handy. Prior to this
wonderful digital apparatus, we were, according to Lynch, in an
age of information scarcity, due to difficulty of access. The choices
and tools available to us now define the age of information
abundance that we have just entered. But some tools, like Google,
being so easy and becoming more powerful, obscure the availability
of traditional and more advanced tools and sources. Trends towards
reliance on the Web and the need for information agents are examples
of changes in the information landscape discussed by Lynch.
Lynch is currently in the forefront in the development of Internet2,
but he would be the first to squelch any suggestion that the Web is
the new “world’s library.” He describes the Internet as a giant web
in the sky catching all broadcasts or printing, from publishers to a
wedding invitation to a 5th grade report, indiscriminately stuck up
there for our use, and coming and going without much ado. He
emphasizes the need for information agents (human and otherwise)
to minimize the potential for malicious cacophony (index spamming,
content hacking), to promote digital-rights management, and to make
the invisible web visible. Reputation management and recommender
systems are tools in which he sees lots of promise for the future of
Web commerce. The beauty of the Web, of course, is its low barrier
for entry, speed of dissemination, and ability to cater to extremely
narrow niche audiences. His lecture touched on the AIIP member’s
role as mediator within the information chain, or even as content
broker for a myriad of unlikely sources. He predicts a consumer
demand for surveillance images and streaming media, and historical
data not currently marketed for resale. An example of unpredicted
demand for information was demonstrated by the enthusiastic use
of recently released 1930s U.S. census data, and the meltdown of
the U.K. website when they posted their 1904 census data.
While he is still an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley’s School of
Information Management and Systems, Lynch is the executive
director of the D.C.-based Coalition for Networked Information
(CNI) that develops standards and provides advocacy for the
advancement of networked information. He suggests our age of
abundance will intrigue, inspire, and tempt us to seek new
possibilities as information professionals. Semantics—providing
information in context rather than simply “find and deliver”—may
be our service. As all AIIP members may agree, knowing your
client’s needs is the only way to provide value-added research
services.
Lynch provided an important example of networked information
failure: the Johns Hopkins clinical-trial case, where a life might
have been saved if anyone had bothered to look at the pre-online
print Index Medicus for abstracts on the drug tracked. People with
deep subject expertise will always do data mining, and they will
always be needed to form web page evaluation criteria and vetting
tools.
Clifford Lynch shared his view of the long and interesting road
from the age of scarcity to information abundance. This age was
predicted in the 1960s by Marshall McLuhan, and was engineered
in later decades by those selected by AIIP to give the Roger Summit
Award Lectures.
AIIP C ONNECTIONS - Volume 16, Number 2
Page 8
Teaming up for CI
Presenters: Jodi Gregory and Amelia Kassel
Reported by Stephanie Lyke, Lyke & Associates, [email protected]
“Teaming up for CI,” presented by Jodi Gregory and Amelia Kassel,
gave audience members an opportunity to learn more about the
intricacies of competitive intelligence research and the contractor/
subcontractor relationship. The pair walked us through an actual
project, bringing to light the challenges of competitive intelligence
research and methods for overcoming those challenges.
For the project, the competitive analysis of Tyco International Ltd.
and Tyco Healthcare Group, Jodi and Amelia conducted secondary
research in online databases and other sources and primary research
through an in-house sales-force survey. Amelia, who is often
questioned about which vendor or which database to use for CI
research, stated, “There is no one vendor to be used when doing
competitive intelligence or company research. You have to use all
the vendors; you have to use many sources.” Following this
philosophy, Amelia and Jodi used databases on Dialog, Factiva,
Lexis-Nexis, the FDA website, and multiple analysts’ reports as well
as other sources to collect and synthesize information for their client.
In addition to these secondary sources, Jodi conducted a survey of
the sales force through a website on the client’s intranet. She
formatted the questionnaire for yes-and-no responses and provided
room for the participant to elaborate if needed. To encourage
participation, Jodi gave each district manager a gift check from
American Express for a certain level of participation. This successful
strategy yielded a rate of return of 35 to 40 percent and invaluable
information for the client.
The duo also discussed the ingredients for a productive and
successful contractor-subcontractor relationship. They mentioned
the importance of getting the contractor’s explicit directions for the
final product’s format and the need for both parties to discuss their
expectations of each other.
Jodi and Amelia’s final product included a table of contents, a
summary of key findings with highlights, an overview of the
corporate structure, financial performance and management
philosophy, a compilation of the sales-force surveys, and current
awareness monitoring through the Radar Screen. In addition, they
provided reports on regulatory issues, marketing and advertising
capabilities, worldwide market position, and competition. The client
was extremely pleased with this up-to-the-minute competitive
intelligence report,
Straight from the Source’s Mouth: Using
the Telephone to Gather Information
Presenter: Risa Sacks
Reported by Jane John, On Point Research, [email protected]
Risa Sacks’s presentation started with the many reasons telephone
research is so important and ended with details on what to do after
you hang up. In between there were tips on preparing for an interview,
getting to the right source, eliciting hard-to-get information, and most
of all, enjoying the process. Here are a few highlights:
Telephone research is a critical tool in any researcher’s skill set.
Experts can shed light on new technology trends two to three months
before these trends show up in print. They can help resolve
information conflicts, provide updates to published statistics and
reports, and convey opinions, perceptions, and flavor you can’t get
from print.
Don’t underestimate the time it takes to do primary telephone
research. Risa noted one guideline: allow three to five times the actual
phone time to write up your findings. And, just as with online
research, you also need to do your homework before you get
“onphone.”
Preparing for an interview has several components. You may need
to use secondary research to identify potential experts. Leads include
associations (using sources such as the Gale Encyclopedia of
Associations or National Trade and Professional Associations of the
United States), nonprofits (http://guidestar.org, http://idealist.org),
or government agencies.
You will need some background about the person and why you are
calling them. Risa recommended reading something by them if
possible, and knowing some of the buzzwords, key issues,
competitors, and regulations in their industry. She suggested
preparing “trading beads” to give in return—statistics from another
association, or leads to reports they may not know about. Prepare
your list of questions and know which one or two are the most
important.
Get referrals. Wherever possible get a referral to the expert so you
can start the conversation with something like “Bill suggested I call
you.” Make the easier calls first to learn the industry and hopefully
to arrive at a referral to your most critical expert. Easier calls include
in-house calls and associations. At the end of one call, always ask
for referrals to other experts.
When you make the call “sit up, lean forward, and smile!” Body
language does come through on the phone and most of your message
is conveyed by your tone of voice and body language. Your unspoken
message should not be “I really dreaded making this call,” but rather
“I’m really fascinated by this topic—can you help me?”
Most important, be appreciative. Ask if the expert is on deadline, be
a good listener, stay engaged, offer something back, and sincerely
thank them. Those of us at this session sincerely thanked Risa (author
of Super Searchers Go to the Source, which was reviewed by several
AIIP members in vol. 15, no. 4 of Connections) for sharing these
tips and methods from her 20-plus years of experience, and most of
all for sharing her enthusiasm for primary phone research.
A SSOCIATION
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PROFESSIONA LS
2002 Conference
Committee Worked
Hard to Make
Conference a
Success
by Debbie Bardon, Bardon On Call, Conference Committee
Chair, [email protected]
Mother always said, “Many hands make light work.” And, as usual,
she was right. A very special thanks goes out to all who served on
the conference committee. We could not have has an Annual
Conference without the hard work and commitment of these
volunteers and Tracy Burr at the AIIP office!
2002 Conference Planning
Committee
Debbie Bardon, chair
Lynn Ecklund, SCOUG chair
Tracy Burr, AIIP office
Debbie Wynot, co-chair
Program
Barbara Heuer
Susan Detwiler
John Lescher
Sheryl Ranes
Kent Sutorius
Exhibitors/Sponsors
Debbie Bardon
Edna Paulson
Elizabeth Farley
Michelle Fennimore
Jane John
Robin Neidorf
Jan Goudreau
Marcy Phelps
Lynn Ecklund
Registration/Program
Brochures
Debbie Bardon, copy
Debbie Pflanzer, graphic
designer
Publicity
Debbie Wynot
Ruth Balkin
Cindy Shamel
Gala
Jan Goudreau
Dessert Reception/Talent Show
Roger Summit
Risa Sacks
Crystal Sharp
First Timers & New
Members Orientation
Jim Cowan
Jane John
Conference Close
Debbie Wynot
Jan Goudreau
Conference Bags
Chris Dobson
Debbie Bardon
Audio Tapes
Jane Malcolm
Door Prizes
Susan McDonald
Signage
Peggy Carr
Registration Table
Diane Stubbs
Optional Tours
Debbie Bardon
Peggy Carr
SCOUG Committee
Lynn Ecklund
Mary Ellen Mort
Barbara Quint
John Dobbins
LaTonya Jefferson
Lys Chuck
Merrill Lishan
Lorraine Raglin
Caroline Bordinaro
Eva Perkins
Pearl Yonezawa
Barbara Busch
Page 9
FOOTNOTES
(Continued from page 3)
Management, with the emphasis on how our approaches differ,
depending on whether the client is corporate, small business,
nonprofit, government, or a private individual. Deadline will be
August 15, 2002. Aside from theme articles, we invite you to submit
other contributions on any topic of interest to our readership,
including brief reports on other subject-specific meetings or
conferences. We’ll also welcome book reviews. Please contact me
if have any ideas for contributions.
Once again, the Connections staff would like to offer a big “Thank
you!” to the Dialog Corporation for continuing as our generous
sponsor.
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PACK UP FOR
PROVIDENCE
Don’t let a year go by without the cameraderie, education
and networking opportunities of an AIIP conference.
Join us May 1-4, 2003 in Providence, Rhode Island.
Keep your eye on Connections for more information.
AIIP C ONNECTIONS - Volume 16, Number 2
Page 10
President’s Message
(Continued from page 1)
organizational guidance and policies to the committee chairs.
While the 2002–2003 Board continues to move in many areas to make
AIIP better as a whole and for individual members, two specific
challenges face this administration.
You have already received the announcement that the AIIP will not
renew its contract with its current association management company.
We need a company that will make sure daily administrative tasks are
seamless and at the same time help us get to the next level as an
organization. Feedback from the announcement was very close to 100
percent positive. By the time you read this, the Board will have viewed
final presentations of the two companies that were selected as finalists
after careful review of their bid response documents, reference
interviews, and site visits by both the President and President Elect. If
you have not received the announcement of the selected management
company by the time this issue of Connections lands in your mailbox,
you will receive it soon.
A transition team has been established to oversee the move of data,
documents, and responsibilities from the former company to the new
one. This transition will take place during July and August, and
although we expect it to be smooth, a few minor glitches may occur.
Please bear with everyone involved as we work to make AIIP a better
association for you.
The second challenge that faces this Board is growing the AIIP
membership. Given the missions and values of the current organization,
a larger number of members will have the following multiple benefits:
•
A larger AIIP will be more attractive to vendors, and the larger
base will eventually allow the benefits for members to increase.
•
Greater benefits will attract more members.
•
AIIP will have even more clout and an even better image in the
industry.
We can expand our national exposure, indirectly bringing more
business to our individual members as more potential customers
learn how our members can be resources for them.
•
•
We will build revenue, improve the financial infrastructure, and
build greater financial security.
•
We can improve fiscal management by reducing our dependence
on budget cuts to manage finances and will therefore have the
flexibility to make decisions based on financial security.
•
An Information Professional
since 1971
and Information Broker since 1982
TEL: 707-829-9421 or 800-533-5924
FAX: 707-823-2713
E-mail: [email protected]
www.marketingbase.com
It will allow transition to a managing board.
To meet this challenge, an Ad Hoc Committee on Membership
Growth has been formed to explore target markets consistent with
AIIP values, develop a campaign to secure more members, and
implement that campaign. The committee is chaired by yours truly,
and reports to Susan McDonald, Director and Membership Chair. The
committee is already at work and expects to launch a campaign in the
fall.
The next ten months are going to be quite a ride! I am honored to
be at the helm, and am highly confident about what we can accomplish
as the AIIP team. Come along for the ride by volunteering for whatever
committee moves you and by encouraging qualified colleagues to join
the best information organization going, AIIP!
A SSOCIATION
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Page 11
How Dialog Commands Really Work
Presenter: Roger Summit
Reported by Kent Sutorius, Informed Solutions, Inc. [email protected]
Roger Summit’s presentation, illustrated with graphics showing the
Dialog file structure and its relationship to Dialog commands,
demonstrated the uniqueness, simplicity, and preciseness of Dialog
searches and databases compared to other database retrieval systems.
His presentation gave participants two interesting insights. One was
that an understanding of the process enables a person to perform
better searches when using Dialog. The second insight was that even
thirty years since its inception, Dialog contains search features and
capabilities that remain unique. These features and the system’s
uniqueness can be attributed to Dialog’s design objectives, file
structure, and posting format (For an account of the history of Dialog,
see Roger’s article in Connections, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 11ff).
Dialog’s design had four objectives: (1) It had to be command driven.
(2) It had to be interactive, providing feedback. Results could be
displayed and then easily modified with additional queries. (3) It
had to provide a recursive element. This would allow immediate
results to be saved and the search then limited or extended without
the need to re-enter search steps. (4) It had to have an index display
that accessed master indexes, so users could see and select the best
index terms to use for their searches.
The command language, the file structure, and posting format
fulfilled the design objectives. The commands were: Begin (file(s)
to be accessed); Expand (alphabetical display of near terms to the
term entered); Select (creates a subset of results from the search
files, from search language and terms used); Type (outputs an item
or range of items from the results [set] indicated).
The file structure was designed to allow inverted file searching.
Before this, most searching was linear in nature: records were
processed by the computer one-by-one, for the words or terms being
sought—a very slow process. With inverted searching, files are first
converted into a standard format, are then parsed, and an index is
created. The inverted file—the index file—is searched, a much more
efficient process.
Three main files are used in Dialog: the linear file, the inverted file,
and the user set file. Roger used the analogy of a book to illustrate
the file structure and how it works. The linear file can be thought of
as the entire book, while the inverted file is like the index in the
back of the book, where the words of the book have been sorted
alphabetically. The page numbers of the book’s index, like the
pointers in the inverted file, indicate the location of the individual
words. The user set file provides temporary storage for the search
results.
The Begin command is analogous to pulling a book from the shelf.
The Expand command would be like looking at words in the section
of the index that surrounds the word sought. Select would be
somewhat analogous to looking through the lists of page numbers
in the index associated with the desired terms to identify those pages
that the terms have in common in the lists, i.e., the “hits.” The hits
are saved in the user set file. As you modify the search, the number
of items in the latter file changes. Type extracts the “hit” pointers,
goes to the corresponding locations in the linear file, and displays
the relevant items.
Dialog’s search capabilities are enhanced by its unique posting
format, which offers the flexibility of multiple-field and proximity
searches. It also uses very little computer memory, which was
expensive in the early days.
Needle in a Haystack
Presenter: Bill Wilder, Bullseye Product Development Manager, Intelliseek
Reported by Jan Knight, Bancroft Information Services, [email protected]
As bad luck would have it, Bill Wilder
couldn’t get an Internet connection, so he was
unable to demonstrate the Bullseye product
during his presentation, “Needle in a
Haystack.” Instead, he provided targeted
search sources along with general
information on the product.
Overlooked Resource: The “invisible web”
is often publicly accessible but overlooked
by traditional search engines. According to
Bill, Google searches 0.2 percent of the
invisible web and 23 percent of the visible
web so he suggests using targeted search
tools to more efficiently access the
information you need.
Gateways to the Invisible Web:
Invisible Web
http://www.invisibleweb.com
Over 10,000 sites compiled and reviewed
by editors
Librarian’s Index to the Internet
http://lii.org
Over 800 human-edited “gateway” sources
Direct Search
http://www.freepint.com/gary/direct.htm
Government, legal, academic and reference
sources
Digital Librarian
http://www.digital-librarian.com
More than 100 categories of Invisible Web
resources
Complete Planet
http://www.completeplanet.com
Over 100,000 specialty databases and
engines
Report Gallery
http://www.reportgallery.com
Yahoo Finance
http://finance.yahoo.com
CEO Express
http://www.ceoexpress.com
Corporate Information
http://www.corporateinformation.com
Intelliseek
http://www.intelliseek.com
Bill describes Intelliseek as an information
(Continued on page 18)
Page 12
AIIP C ONNECTIONS - Volume 16, Number 2
askSam
Presenter: Phil Schnyder, President of askSam Systems
Reported by Christine Hamilton-Pennell, Mosaic Knowledge
Works, [email protected]
After you find all your information, what do you do with it? askSam
is a remarkably flexible database program that allows you to turn
text, e-mail messages, Web pages, word-processing documents, and
spreadsheets into searchable databases. It does a better job than MSAccess for organizing unstructured information, such as the various
bits of information that we gather from our e-mail, online research,
and Web-surfing activities. With askSam, you can create a database
with records containing six words, six pages, six-hundred pages, or
more.
Founded in 1985, the company set out to address the need to collect
research into a database that didn’t require a lot of predefined fields.
In this session, Schnyder demonstrated the database creation and
search features of askSam. The software provides predefined
templates and import options for MS-Word, text, MS-Excel, HTML,
and other programs (Adobe PDF is not yet available). Schnyder
imported messages into askSam from an electronic discussion list
on recipes, and showed how to turn the messages into a database
searchable by keyword and Boolean operators. If you collect
information from sources such as Lexis/Nexis, you can use askSam’s
field-recognition capabilities to create fields that you can use to
search, sort, and create reports. You can also design your own
database and type text into it directly.
Other uses for askSam include organizing and archiving your email messages (there are import filters for many popular e-mail
programs); creating a database of Web resources, with live links to
the Web sites; and organizing your files of personal notes, articles,
and other resources. Reports are created using an easy drag-anddrop interface. When creating a report, you can sort by field—even
by last word in a field, which makes it easier to create a directory of
names and addresses.
If you want to create a searchable database on the Web or an Intranet,
you can easily do it with no programming required. You can either
install the askSam Web Publisher software on your server, or they
will host your database on their site starting at $50.00/month.
In the question and answer session, Schnyder clarified that you can
import askSam database files into MS-Access or other database
software as delimited data if the database is structured, or RTF or
HTML if it is unstructured. You can also export a file to MS-Word
for a mail merge. New fields can be added to a database after records
have been entered, and you can specify whether you want the field
to be added to earlier records or just to new ones. In terms of database
capacity, Schnyder reported that no one has yet overrun the
capabilities of askSam with the size of a database. The main
difference between the Standard and Professional versions of the
software is that the latter offers full-text indexing for faster search
results. askSam offers technical support via phone or e-mail during
business hours, and an online reference guide.
AIIP members receive a significant discount on all askSam
products.
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Page 13
The Spare Room Tycoon: Humor and Wisdom
on the Experience of Self-Employment
Presenter: James Chan
Reported by Robin Neidorf, Electric Muse, [email protected]
James Chan has been an independent consultant in Asian relations
for nearly 20 years. With an infectious enthusiasm, he has a gift for
connecting with individuals and eliciting their gifts. By the end of
the Long Beach conference (in which he fully participated), he knew
many of the attendees by name and even boned up on their
specialties.
“Don’t undercharge. You have 2,000 possible billable hours in a
year. If you are lucky, you can bill one-third of your time. Charge
enough to make what you want in those hours and not feel resentful
when you work.”
This gift comes through both in his book, The Spare Room Tycoon:
Succeeding Independently, The 70 Lessons of Sane Self-Employment
(Nicholas Brealy Publishing, 2000) and in the free-flowing, comic
and heartfelt keynote address he offered us near the conference close.
“Don’t be an abusive boss.”
“We will philosophize,” he said in his opening remarks. “But we
will also get down with specific examples. There are so many
difficult, emotional questions [in self-employment]. And if there is
one question you are afraid of, ASK ME. I am the Dr. Ruth of selfemployment!”
In his book and in the paper he distributed prior to speaking, Chan
outlines the SPARE model for successful self-employment. SPARE
stands for Self-Knowledge, Passion, Action, Realization, and
Evolution. These are all components that each of us as independents
must bring to our businesses if we are to make our way in the world.
Chan illustrated these principles with examples from his own
experience and from those of the interviews with entrepreneurs he
conducted for his book.
But the delightful learning of his talk really lay in his generous and
humor-filled running commentary on the self-employed life. Some
of Chan’s Gems:
“The essence of ‘tycoon’ is autonomy. Nobody else feeds us, and
we don’t have to kowtow. We have deep psychical feelings about
our talents and value. And people throw money at us. This is a
great reason for three-martini lunches.”
“The key is to connect. There is no magic in selling; the magic is
believing that it happens. Look people in the eye, be genuine—not
just interesting but also interested. That’s when people tune into
you.”
“You have to trip over money. You have to smell blood. Once
you’ve smelled blood, you know you can be a good vampire and
sink your teeth into anything.”
“Clients do not make the decision to work with you while you are
talking to them. They make up their minds when you are not there.
You must allow silence to close the deal.”
“Do your work and then let it go. It will happen when Providence
wants it. Self-employment truly has a strong spiritual dimension.”
“Selling should be like breathing. Get over the idea that it’s uncouth
or undignified. Be gracefully shameless or nature will take care of
you.”
“Practice saying your rate with a straight face. Confidence is
money.”
“There are three components to pricing: math, guesswork and
happiness. When you put a price on a proposal, ask yourself if you
are happy with this amount.”
“Consulting is like a relationship. When a client wants to date you,
they pay you hourly. When they want to go steady, they pay by the
project. When they want to marry you, you get a retainer.”
Get the tape from the conference or read Chan’s book for a great
pick-me-up when you’re feeling the crunch or the drought. And
keep enjoying yourself – that’s clearly at the heart of Chan’s own
success.
Those in the KNOW rely on
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AIIP C ONNECTIONS - Volume 16, Number 2
Page 14
A Long-Awaited Good Time in Long Beach
Angela Kangiser, Online Business Research, [email protected]
What a great pleasure and honor it was for me to attend the AIIP
16th Annual Conference as the Myra T. Grenier Award recipient!
As a first-time attendee, I found this conference to be a rich
experience—filled with genuine camaraderie, timely and pertinent
sessions, and stimulating conversation.
Arriving at the conference, I was instantly struck by the level of
volunteerism and cooperation among the members. The conference
coordinator and her team of volunteers were busy assisting with setup and last-minute details. The other volunteers—those highly
committed to board, chair, and committee participation—were
providing support wherever needed. Although I recently began
assisting the PR Committee in a limited capacity shortly before the
conference, the enthusiasm that was present motivated me to explore
opportunities to participate more fully as a volunteer in the association.
I appreciated the two veteran volunteers who took the time to sit
down with me to detail the responsibilities of potential areas for
involvement and to illuminate the rewards of this level of dedication.
I accepted the position of PR Chair shortly after returning home.
As the conference unfolded, I was inspired to see the genuine interest
members showed for one another. During a networking event, I took
a moment to step back, look around the Catalina room, and absorb
what was occurring—newer members and first-time attendees
exchanging information about themselves, their businesses, their
interests—seasoned members openly providing experiences,
insights, and wisdom to members of all experience levels—the
handshakes, hugs, and laughs. Rarely, I noticed, was anyone ever
standing alone. Attending a business conference of this nature for
the first time, I couldn’t help but wonder: Do all associations exhibit
this level of camaraderie?
The conference sessions were engaging sources of education and
provided a forum for attendees to ask focused questions of the
masters in our profession. Because CI is an integral part of my service
offerings, I attended Amelia Kassel’s and Jodi Gregory’s “Teaming
Up for CI” seminar with much interest. This case study described
techniques for preparing and delivering CI research (including online
database sources), complementing secondary research with primary
research, and compiling the deliverable. The presentation of these
hands-on insights was invaluable, enabling me to draw from their
knowledge specifics that would help me in my CI research. In
addition, their synergy will be a model for future projects that might
involve my teaming with other AIIP members.
Since launching Online Business Research three years ago, I’ve
been afforded the opportunity to work on several projects that
involved extensive telephone research. For this reason, I attended
Risa Sacks’s “Straight From the Source’s Mouth” session with much
anticipation. Risa provided useful tools and tips about conducting
primary research. It was reassuring to learn that other researchers
are sometimes apprehensive about making those difficult telephone
calls, too. Session attendees contributed their personal insights and
experiences, and I was able to carry home with me strategies for
locating and securing the most comprehensive interviews possible.
The conference’s final Keynote Address, James Chan’s “The Spare
Room Tycoon,” was captivating and provided much food for
thought. James’ real-life stories about those who have triumphed
over amazing obstacles revealed that the feelings of pressure and
uncertainty when launching and maintaining an independent
business are commonplace among self-employed professionals. His
words of wisdom taught me about the traits of successful
entrepreneurs and useful approaches for marketing to and managing
clients. James provided that impassioned, motivational challenge
perfect for wrapping up a conference.
I formed some wonderful friendships while in Long Beach—and
what a good time we had getting to know each other! There were
many late-night conversations where “war stories” were shared about
being an informational professional—client negotiations, research
strategies, project deadlines, and the client that got away. The talent
show and Queen Mary gala provided relaxed atmospheres for
conversation and networking. What can sometimes be a lonely
profession for this people person has become companionable, as
these friends are now my associates in the cubicles that figuratively
surround me.
Well, that’s the long and short of it about Long Beach. I’m ready to
“Pack Up for Providence” in 2003. I look forward to seeing you
there!
C O N N E C T I O N S
Advertising Rates
AIIP Connections is a quarterly publication with an average print
run of 1,500, including prospective member packets and conference
distribution. It is also available electronically via the AIIP website.
Basic rates for single color ads:
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Members in good standing receive a 50% discount on single color
rates, but no discount on two color advertisements. Ads must be
submitted in electronic copy. In addition, a copy of the ad must be
faxed to Advertising Director, Eiko Shaul, at 416-544-0253. Any
advertisement not submitted in electronic copy will be charged a
one-time conversion fee of $40 per new ad. Ads must be received
by the following deadlines: April 31 (for Vol. 16, No. 2), July 31
(for Vol. 16, No. 3), October 31 (for Vol. 16, No. 4) and January
31, 2003 (for Vol. 17, No. 1).
Make checks payable to AIIP Service Corporation.
Mail checks to: Eiko Shaul, Shaul InfoResearch
209 Cranbrooke Ave., Toronto, ON, Canada M5M 1M8
Tel: 416-544-0208 • Fax: 416-544-0253
E-mail: [email protected]
A SSOCIATION
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PROFESSIONA LS
Member News
The Special Libraries Association awarded Mary Ellen Bates its
Professional Award “for her significant contributions to the
Association and information profession as an innovator, contributor,
and teacher throughout her career.”
Debbie Hunt, Information Edge (http://www.exo.net/
informationedge/), and Cynthia Shamel, Shamel Information
Services (http://shamelinfo.com) and President-Elect of AIIP, both
spoke at “Digital Libraries: Lighthouses for Today, Tomorrow, and
the Future,” the topic of the SLA San Diego Chapter Spring Seminar
on March 22 in La Jolla.
Debbie, who is also Senior Information Specialist at the San Francisco
Exploratorium, gave a presentation on the newly launched
Exploratorium Educator Portal, of which she is also project manager.
The Portal (http://www.exploratorium.edu/educate/) is a special
entryway to the Exploratorium website (http://www.
exploratorium.edu) that helps educators access award-winning online
resources, including Webcasts, activities, publications, and the latest
information on professional development programs.
Cindy’s talk was based upon two years of experience providing digital
reference services to a consortium of community colleges. Attendees
learned how to set up e-mail reference and were given points to
consider in evaluating the need for Web-chat reference service.
Susan Fingerman, principal of SMF Information Services, LLC
and editor of Business Information Alert, spoke on a panel at the
Special Libraries Association Conference in Los Angeles in June.
She presented an update of her e-Books article in the April 2001
issue of Business Information Alert at the session titled “Learning
by Doing: Electronic Books in Libraries.”
Amelia Kassel’s article, “Practical Tips to Help You Prove Your
Value,” made the cover story for the May issue of MLS (Marketing
Library Services). The article is geared toward special libraries, but
may have application, conceptually speaking, in other settings too.
See http://www.infotoday.com/mls/may02/kassel.htm
Barbara Wagner of The Access Point in Colorado has started
teaching Computer Literacy courses in the Veterans Upward Bound
Program at the Metropolitan State College of Denver.
Southern Searchers Meet
Southern Searchers held their latest meeting May 31, 2002 on the
campus of Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Karalyn Kavanaugh
with EBSCO and Marcia Abrams of the Cadence Group gave
excellent presentations on knowledge management and value-added
services. The morning session consisted of two individual slide
shows/discussions by each presenter on the products or services
available from their organizations.
After a wonderful lunch at the nearby Museum Cafe we returned for
our afternoon session. We shared business ideas, stories about funny
and/or disastrous projects, and suggestions based on the products
discussed that morning as applicable to our various job settings.
In attendance:
Joanne Tobin - Georgia Tech Library
Marilyn Pahr - Emory University Library
Sue Carlson - CDC National Prevention Information Network
Roger Magnus - Georgia State University
Andi Plotsky - IRIS
Mickey Jones - IRIS
Russ Singletary - Cadence Group
Barbara Thompson - Research Solutions
Page 15
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Euromonitor International. Since 1987, the Consultancy has
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AIIP C ONNECTIONS - Volume 16, Number 2
Page 16
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A SSOCIATION
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PROFESSIONA LS
Page 17
Working on the Cunard Line: John Goldring’s
Story – In his own words
Edited by Susan Goldring Rubinstein and Ruth Goldring Balkin
For those of you who did not get a chance to talk with John Goldring at
the conference gala on the Queen Mary about his work experience on
the Cunard line, here are some of his own recollections of that time period.
My Story
After the end of the World War II, I resigned my commission in the
Royal Navy and went back to civilian life. I was not qualified or
experienced in any civilian occupations and was unable to find a
job. A fellow Royal Navy officer, who knew somebody in Cunard
White Star Lines, told me to look up this chap; maybe he could do
something for me. I took the train from London to Southampton
and met this person who promptly sent me up to Liverpool where
the employment people were located. In Liverpool, I showed them
a note from this chap in Southampton, and they hired me on the
spot as a tourist class dining room steward on the Mauretania, which
at that time was the third largest of the Cunard “big ones,” the others
being the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary.
After I worked one round trip as tourist-class steward, the second
steward called me to his office and asked me if I was Jewish. I was
ready for a fight, but he then asked me if I knew anything about
kosher food, and of course I said “yes.” I was then assigned to first
class as dining room steward in charge of the kosher table.
The union contract required that a first-class steward needed special
training, so I was sent to a Cunard White Star Line school in
Liverpool for a month-long crash course in first-class cuisine
preparation and service. The course was based mainly on the famous
French chefs, Escoffier and Soulnier. It encompassed knowing
everything about how the dishes were prepared and how to serve
them, as well as the general duties of a steward.
On my first trip, the chief executive from the Jewish National Fund
had an ulcer and ate nothing of the beautiful dishes prepared in the
kosher kitchen!
The ship took close to five days to cross the Atlantic during the
summer months. I did very well financially on those trips. The
average tip was $20.00 per person and I usually had six people at
my station. My salary was $92.00 a month, plus room and board. I
also was allowed to use any of the beautiful duty-free shops in the
shopping arcade.
At the end of 1948, I transferred to a beautiful ship called the
Britannic. This was the last of the White Star Line ships, the same
company as the Titanic. The Britannic had been refurbished after
the war and was one of the most elegant ships I had ever seen. All
the furnishings were French provincial. For the cruises, everything
was one class. The cruise I did was out of New York to Buenos
Aires via every major port along the way. This trip lasted 48 days.
The tips were fantastic. I had a couple who were on their honeymoon.
He was a big butter-and-egg man from the Midwest, and every time
he went ashore, which was two or three times a week, he slipped
me $20.00.
After that cruise ended, I rejoined the Mauretania and stayed until
the end of October 1949, when I decided to emigrate to the U.S.
My Duties
We would “rise and shine” at 5:30 a.m., and have a hot cup of tea.
We’d then “broach cargo” (stock the bars) and scrub out. We would
take tea and toast in the kitchen before cleaning up and dressing for
breakfast (white jackets, blue pants), which started at 8:00.
We had no free time between breakfast and lunch. After breakfast
we had to clean a section of the dining room except when we were
assigned to serve a mid-morning snack (bouillon and crackers) on
the outside decks.
Then came inspection—we had to fan out all silver and glass on the
table. We were responsible for cleaning our own glassware and table
silverware, but not wineglasses or any silver serving platters.
However, after we had finished with our passengers, we helped clean
the serving silver, using brushes nailed to some kind of a draining
board; we used silver polish by the gallon.
After we set the table we’d get cleaned up and dressed for lunch
(blue uniform, black tie), which started at 12:30. After lunch, we
had free time (taking naps) unless we were on a rotation list to serve
afternoon teas in the first-class lounge.
Dinner was usually at 8:00 p.m. unless there were two sittings, when
it started about 6:30. Before dinner, we changed into blue uniform,
white waistcoat, stiff white shirt with wing collar and white bow
tie. We never wore white gloves. There was always a hand inspection
before each meal.
Dinner was quite an elaborate meal; everything was served from
silver platters with a spoon and fork.. Soup was served from a tureen;
plates were kept warm on a hot plate at each station. They were
very strict about hot food on hot plates, cold food on cold plates.
Napkins were never folded fancy, just laid on the cover plate.
A cardinal rule, which was very strictly enforced, was never to ask
the passenger if everything was all right. You knew that the food
was good, if not the best, so why ask?
At every dinner, a cart with a large rib roast and a sirloin of beef
was brought to the table where a chef carved the meat and served it.
I took care of the rest of the dinner. My duties might include filleting
Dover sole, boning chicken into portions, or making crepes suzette
right at the table.
Our port duties consisted of cleaning the dining room, carrying
luggage, and helping to load provisions, laundry, etc. Just before
sailing we had to stand by for package deliveries to passengers.
Sometimes we had to stand nighttime fire watch, which consisted
of patrolling the passenger decks. This was only in port with no
passengers aboard.
Celebrities & other stories
Some interesting and well-known people were assigned to my table.
On one occasion, some famous movie stars nearly prompted a strike:
they were given a table in the center of the salon, but wanted my
table in the corner because, as they said, “It gives us a little more
privacy.” I was promptly removed from that table and one of the
(Continued on page 18)
AIIP C ONNECTIONS - Volume 16, Number 2
Page 18
Working on the Cunard Line:
(Continued from page 17)
“pets” was assigned to it. I went right to the union shop steward
who demanded that I be given my station back or else!
In the crew recreation room, the “Pig and Whistle,” Charles
Laughton once came in to have a beer with the boys and they asked
him to perform. We expected some of his Mutiny on the Bounty
shtick, but instead he got a couple of the stewards to hoist him up
on one of the tables and then recited the Gettysburg Address, which
he had done in Ruggles of Red Gap. These Englishmen had probably
never heard of the Gettysburg Address, but Laughton was so
eloquent, you could have heard a pin drop.
Rita Hayworth could drink anybody under the table. She had to be
helped to her cabin by a stewardess at the end of the day. She had
breakfast and lunch in her cabin and showed up to dinner looking
like a million dollars. She was one gorgeous gal! Alan Ladd, contrary
to what a lot of newspapers said when he died, was a teetotaler. The
strongest I ever saw him drink was tomato juice straight. He was a
very nice person. He borrowed a pack of cigarettes from me one
day and gave me back a carton the next. Most of the movie stars
were very unassuming and nice people to converse with. They
weren’t demanding or snobbish.
On one trip I had a passenger who ordered honeydew melon, which
we served together with a fingerbowl. The fingerbowl had a thin
slice of lemon floating in it. The passenger looked at the fingerbowl
and very carefully spooned some of the liquid over his melon. The
following day, he ordered honeydew melon again, but requested
that I not bring the sauce, as it did not have any taste. I really had to
keep a straight face all through that episode.
My mother once come aboard as a passenger. Although she traveled
cabin (second) class, I was able to keep an eye on her and see that
she was fed from the first-class kitchen. To visit her in her room I
had to get special permission from the staff captain, as no crew
members except those on duty there were allowed in passenger
quarters.
My decision to leave the Mauretania was the result of seeing a very
gradual decline in passengers and the coming of air travel. I can
honestly say that I really worked hard, but it was rewarding
financially and I had the chance to travel and meet some very
interesting people.
“Breaking News,
Current Events, Peer
Consultation, Debates You find it all on AIIP-L”
Not a subscriber yet?
Go to http://www.aiip.org/cgi-bin/aiipopnpg.cgi?page=molist.html
to find out how to participate.
Needle in a Haystack
(Continued from page 11)
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ProFusion.com
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Intelliseek Web-based product. Free. Over 1,000 sources built into
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Bullseye, Bullseye Pro and Bullseye Plus.
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A SSOCIATION
OF INDEPENDENT INFORMATION
PROFESSIONA LS
Page 19
AIIP C ONNECTIONS - Volume 16, Number 2
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