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Libraries Face New Challenges
Beyond Basic Reference

Library staff is part of reporting process

By: Peter Ford, Library Manager, Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle/Times-Union

Note: This article appeared in the December issue of Editorially Speaking

In today's info-world, a bewildering variety of electronic resources are at our disposal. But that's no time for newspaper librarians to sit back and rest on their reference books.

In newspapers across the country, librarians are moving from total reliance on basic reference tools of the past — clippings, photo prints, books, magazines, microfilm, printed indexes — to electronic information centers that can access on-line informatio n.

Newspaper librarians are scrambling to find that elusive on-ramp to the information highway, while at the same time, trying to determine their role in an evolving newsroom.

No longer are reporters and editors content to work with newspaper clippings that may not be filed for days or to waste valuable time laboriously over printed indexes or copying articles from microfilm.

The demands of information gathering and daily deadlines are too great to expect reporters to do it all by themselves.

To remain relevant in the newsroom of the ‘90s, newspaper librarians must support the urgency of their clients — the news staff — if they are to remain effective.

Librarians must be information pathfinders, guiding reporters through a maze of information avenues to the best possible source in the least amount of time.

To do this, librarians should be able to interpret their collection of information sources and solves the time-cost-accuracy question:

"If I do an on-line search, will I be able to find accurate information more quickly than if I spend several minutes trying to find what I want in many different reference volumes?"

Reporters and editors not only want information from their own newspaper, but from other sources as well. Cost-effective on-line searching is a valuable asset to any newsroom and helps elevate the level of involvement by the library staff in the news-gath ering process.

It also gives the librarian an opportunity to work closely with reporters on breaking stories or projects and helps reinforce the idea that newspaper librarians are there to lend their expertise.

At the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle/Times-Union, where we have a library staff of four full-time people, we are able to maintain up-to-date reference books, periodicals and on-line sources (Data Times, Nexis and Dialog and our own Digital Coll ections electronic library).

Newspaper librarians also must be adept at eliciting from reporters the information they really want. What reporters ask for and what they need often are two different things. For example, it is not uncommon for a reporter to ask: "What do have on Englan d?" when they really want Queen Elizabeth's birthday.

If possible, involve the reporter while searching on-line. Very often, the reporter will be able to quickly determine if the information on the computer screen is useful — rather than having the librarian print documents that aren't needed.

During the past year, our library staff has routinely searched on-line sources for information on work-place issues, social trends, demographics, crime stories and profile of biographical information on celebrities, people in business, authors and sports figures.

The success or failure of any newspaper library depends not only on the capability of the librarian, but also on the amount of support it receives from the top editor and a reasonable amount of funding for resource material.

Editors must place a value on information sources and be willing to support their growth. On-line services are not inexpensive and reference books cost more every year. The effective newspaper librarian strikes a fine balance between the cost of on-the-sh elf material and on-line services.

It is also important for editors to encourage librarians to stay active in the newsroom, join organizations and attend conferences that help increase the librarians' knowledge of information resources and professional development.

Editors must realize that every part of the news operation has an impact on the library — and that library touches every part of the news operation.

Copyright 2003 - The Park Library - School of Journalism and Mass Communication - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill