News Division Program for the
Special Libraries Association Annual Conference 2004

June 5 - 10, 2004 in Nashville, Tennessee

More information about the conference, including information about hotels and online registration, is available on the Special Libraries Association Web site Nashville 2004. There is also a discussion list for the conference. SLA offers special registration deals, like a discount for early registration, a special price for attending on one day, and automatic SLA membership for nonmembers paying the complete nonmember price for the conference.

If you have questions about the News Division activities available during the SLA Annual Conference, please contact Jennifer Small Evert, chair-elect of the News Division. She is in charge of conference programming this year. Her e-mail address is jennifer.evert@lexisnexis.com.

More information about News Division offerings at the conference will appear on this page as information about them becomes available.

Webcast: Extreme Searching (Practitioner's Toolkit) with Gary Price was Webcast on Wednesday, June 10, from 1:15-2:30 pm CST.

A few people may be blogging the conference on NewsliBlog, the News Division's weblog.

Activities by Date

Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday

Additional Information

News Division Suite
General Nashville Information
Getting Around Nashville
What to Wear
What to Attend

Saturday, June 5

2:00-5:00
Tour of Nashville Tennessean News Library
(Ticketed Event #197 - $20)
There will be two rounds of buses for this tour. The first one will leave at 1:30 and return from downtown at 3 pm. The second one will leave at 3:30 and return at 5 pm. All bus departures are from the Delta Portico.

6:00-12:00
Networking in the News Division suite

Sponsor: LexisNexis

Sunday, June 6

8:30- 12:00

CE Course - Deadline Due Diligence (Ticket #281, Price: $199/mbr, $299/nmbr)
Location: Bayou C
News research is the sine qua non of our profession. Nobody does it better and we better be the best in the business. This course establishes the gold standard for news research in three areas, backgrounding individuals, researching companies and organizations and performing Internet research particularly with our tool of choice Google. We are raising the deadline research bar and taking it back to our newsrooms.

Our panelists are outstanding experts in deadline and Internet research.

Toby Lyles (Raleigh News & Observer) and Marion Paynter (Charlotte Observer) are experienced and talented news researchers who teach research skills to journalists at IRE and NICAR. Toby and Marion begin with the course they teach journalists and "take it up a notch". They will also assemble the practices from as many news researchers as possible.

Dr. Roberta Brody, Graduate School Library Information Studies at Queens College has an outstanding background in research. Dr. Brody is a founding member of SCIP (Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals) as well as a member of numerous SLA divisions and caucuses. She is a member of the News Division with experience teaching journalists and librarians.

Greg Notess can be described as a genuine Internet Guru. Gregg's website Search Engine Showdown has chronicled the world or search engines from the early days of the web. . He has been researching and covering Internet information resources since 1990. Greg is also a reference librarian and associate professor at Montana State University Greg will sharpen our research skills and help us maximize our research efforts through the customization of Google and other search engines and tools.


1:00- 5:00

CE Course - Accidental Archivist (Ticket #331, Price: $199/mbr, $299/nmbr)
Location: Bayou C
Do you have a Radio Shack Tandy? A newspaper carrier bag from the 1940's? A hot type page?

News librarians are often unofficial archivists or accidental archivists. We preserve the history of our news organizations as best we can but we could do better. This course will explores the truly archival aspects of our jobs, identify treasures and expediently manage the business of journalism history without overtaking our most important research functions.

Our panelists are outstanding experts in the preservation and management of journalism history.

Vincent Golden, newspaper curator of early American newspapers for the American Antiquarian Society. Vincent's presentation will cover the collection, valuation and preservation of the news product, including bound volumes, rare newspapers as well as microfilm & PDFs. Vincent is also a stand-up comedian and magician.

Carrie Christoffersen, Senior Manager/Collections & registration -for the Newseum. Carrie will provide a sense of what is important and why simply collecting artifacts is not enough. She will also provide a sense of how our own archiving efforts fit into a larger picture

Bob Jansen, Library Director of the Minneapolis Star Tribune has also been the archivist for the newspaper since 1982. Bob will share the expertise he has acquired over the years as well as provide us with a sampling of the best practices from around the country.

Materials:


5:00
Board Meeting in the News Division suite

6:00-12:00
Mentor Night, Newcomer Welcome, and Networking in the News Division suite

Sponsor: MerlinOne

Monday, June 7

7:30-8:45
News Research Without Borders (International Issues)

Moderator: Wil Roestenburg, PcM Landelijke Dagbladen (Laura Soto-Barra of the Syracuse Post-Standard moderated in Wil's absence.)
Location: Bayou D
An international panel, dealing with all kinds of issues on international news research; sources, cases, problems, solutions, new tools, international cooperation and networking, presentations and discussions."
Joan Sweeney Marsh, Toronto Star; Dana Gordon, Newsweek, and Madeline Cohen of Newsweek.
Sponsor: LexisNexis

12:15-1:30
Archiving Update (State of the Art)

Moderator: Peter Johnson, Los Angeles Times
Location: Delta Island E
Discussion of the archiving efforts at NPR as well as those of other TV, cable and radio companies. Presentation on guide to help news libraries understand their responsibilities, evaluate resources, raise awareness of preservation issues, and establish priorities for ensuring that their digital assets will be there for future researchers.
Speakers: Rob Robinson, NPR; Vicky McCargar, Los Angeles Times; Rande Simpson, MerlinOne

2:00-3:15
News Division Business Meeting (Networking)

Location: Canal E

3:30-5:00
SAVE User Group Meeting

Location: News Division Suite
NewsBank's SAVE User Group Meeting. All users of the SAVE Archive System are welcome.

6:00
Awards Banquet (Networking)
(Ticket #485, Price: $75.00 (Banquet) #486, $10.00 (Optional Transportation Ticket))
Location: Belle Meade Plantation
Buses will leave from the Delta Portico. Buses will start loading around 5:45-6:00 and will return at 10:00. Belle Meade is about 30 minutes from Opryland. Maps for those of you who drove will be available in the Suite.
Reception Sponsor: ProQuest

Tuesday, June 8

9:00-10:15
Intranets - Cool Content & Tools and Getting the Work Done (State of the Art)

Moderator: Carolyn Edds

Location: Canal C Come hear about newsroom intranets and different ways they are used in newsrooms. While newsroom intranets are traditionally considered a reference resource, providing access to news archives, subscription services, and compilations of Web sites, some newsrooms use them to assist staff with workflow automation tools and to build databases of new information.
Speakers: David Dwiggins, The Tennessean; John Maines, Sun-Sentinel

12:15-1:30
Public Records Access for Media
State of the Union (Practitioner's Toolkit)

Moderator: Libby Wallace, The Post & Courier
Location: Canal C
Panel will share experiences in obtaining public records and answer questions from the audience. The primary focus will be on media access to public records after the terrorist attacks of September 11,2001. Our goal is to discuss current issues pertaining to: DPPA, HIPPA, FOIA and the Patriot Act.
Speakers: Tom OíHara, The Plain Dealer; Donna Eyring, Post & Courier; and Frank Gibson, The Tennessean.

2:00-3:15
Taking Stock of CAR in Your Library (Practitioner's Toolkit).

Moderator: Mike Meiners, Sun Sentinel
Location: Canal C
A panel of CAR experts discuss the news librarian's role in Computer Assisted Reporting. Panelists will respond to questions on the role of CAR in their organization and give advice to librarians who want to get involved. Panelists will also discuss projects or procedures that are working in their organization.
Speakers: Teresa Leonard, Raleigh News & Observer; John Maines, Sun-Sentinel; Margot Williams, Washington Post

3:45-5:00
Election 2004 - Covering the Candidates and Their Campaigns (Practitioner's Toolkit)

Moderator: Denise Jones, The News and Observer
Location: Canal C
What sort of records should you check when backgrounding candidates. Where should you look? And what about the money? A look at how to find out more about the candidates and their campaigns.
Speakers: Libby Wallace, Post & Courier, Derek Willis, Center for Public Integrity
Sponsor: Factiva

5:30
Board meeting in the News Division suite

7:00
Networking in the Suite & Silent Auction!!!

Sponsor: ProQuest

Wednesday, June 9

7:30-8:45
Researching the Law from the Newsroom (Practitioner's Toolkit)

Speaker: Leanne Battle, LexisNexis
Location: Bayou A
A survey of the legal research process including tracking cases through the courts and legislation through the Congress.

11:30-12:45
Microfilm Digitization Is the world ready for this? (State of the Art)

Moderator: Mike Knoop, San Antonio Express-News
Location: Bayou A
The idea of microfilm digitization is very appealing. But is the current technology capable of supporting the product you want? What is the tradeoff between functionality and cost? Is there any sort of standardization? A talk with three researchers who are in various stages of microfilm digitization.
Speakers: Barry Arthur, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Jody Habayeb, Tamba Tribune; Linda Lynn, Daily Oklahoman
Sponsor: Heritage Microfilm

1:15-2:30
Extreme Searching (Practitioner's Toolkit).

Speaker: Gary Price
Location: Bayou E or virtually: Archived Webcast (.rm, 73M)
Looking for web search tricks that will wow the newsroom? Trying to fine-tune your knowledge of searching on the web? Come hear the expert talk about what's new and share tips and tricks that you can bring back.
Sponsor: RefUSA
Thanks to IRE for providing the technology for the Webcast.

3:00-4:15
Graphics Research- Tips, Tricks and Troubles (Practitioner's Toolkit).

Moderator: Lynne Palombo, The Oregonian
Location: Bayou E
Find out how to make graphic research a little easier. Learn from people who do tremendous amounts of graphic research. Hear about how one library is attempting to deal with this new responsibility. We will discuss workflow problems and offer solutions.
Speakers: Jeanette Brown, USA Today; Susie Hoffmann, Associated Press; Michael Knoop, San Antonio Express-News

4:30-5:45
Proving Your Value (Knowing & Growing Your Customers).

Moderator: Laura Soto-Barra, The Syracuse Post-Standard
Location: Bayou E
Panelists discuss ways to demonstrate the value of information services in the newsroom, activities for generating revenue and ideas for expanding your influence outside the newsroom.
Speakers: Stephen Abram, Micromedia ProQuest; Kathy Foley, San Antonio Express-News; Chris Hardesty, Newsday
Sponsor: Dialog

7:00-9:00
Reception at First Amendment Center.
(Ticketed Event #640 - $10)
Buses will leave from the Delta Portico. Bus plans to start loading at 6:15 and depart at 6:30. Reception will include barbeque and wine/beer/soda.
Sponsor: Freedom Forum

Thursday, June 10

9:00-12:00
Tour of Vanderbilt TV News Archives

Price: $20.00, Tickets must be purchased on a separate form (.pdf). Tickets will be sent directly from Gaylord Destination Sales. Tickets can be purchased on-site.
Buses will leave from the Delta Portico. The plan is to divide this into two tours if the number of people registered requires that. Right now there is one bus at 8:30 and one at 10:30. Based on the number of people registered, we will probably only do the 8:30 bus for a 9:00 tour. The bus will depart from the Vanderbilt TV News Archives to return to Opryland at 10:00.

All locations are subject to change. Please check the conference program distributed at the conference for actual locations.

If you have questions about the News Division activities during the SLA Annual Conference, please contact Jennifer Small Evert, chair-elect of the News Division. She is in charge of conference programming this year. Her e-mail address is jennifer.evert@lexisnexis.com.

News Division Suite

The News Division Suite is in the Gaylord Opryland D6090. That's D as in Delta.

General Information About Nashville

Barbara Borrelli of USSTM LP shared some useful information on the Solo Division discussion list and was willing to share it on this Web site.

"You can go to www.nashville.citysearch.com and search for hotels in the Opryland area. Just about any of the ones that have an address on Music Valley Drive will be within walking distance. The only one I can recommend from experience is the Radisson. But because that is a very touristy area, most of the major chains have hotels nearby.

Nashville is definitely not a 'walking city.' Everyone goes everywhere by car. The Opryland area is very tourist friendly however. Restaurants and shopping are all situated within a relatively small area. If you want to see any of the downtown sites on your own, (Country Music Hall of Fame, Frist Center etc.) you will need to drive or book a tour.

The Opryland Hotel/Convention Center is a large complex housed under one roof. You will rarely hear those of us who live here refer to it as a convention center, to us it's a hotel.

Opryland has a shuttle service to and from the airport [more on this below]. ... Opryland also runs a shuttle service between the Radisson and the Hotel/Convention Center. Last time I looked this shuttle service was free and departs every 30 minutes. You do not have to be a guest of the Radisson to use this service.  Opryland also offers transportation to the downtown area. Fees for this service vary. Many of the surrounding hotels also offer shuttle service to and from Opryland.  Schedules and times may vary, so you will want to check with the individual hotel.

Once you arrive at the Opryland complex arrangements can be made for just about anything you might need. My experience in attending conferences there is that all of the hotels and restaurants in the area are very accommodating.

Both the Grand Ole Opry House and the OpryMills shopping mall are an easy walk from the Convention/Conference Center.

Also, you may want to note that cabs in Nashville do not "cruise". We have taxi stands at the airport, hotels and major attractions."

Getting Around Nashville

According to information on the SLA Nashville Web site, Opryland operates a shuttle between the airport and the hotel. Their transportation page also offers special deals with some airlines and a car rental company.

What to Wear

Some good advice for almost any SLA conference is to wear comfortable walking shoes and bring leg and/or foot lotion for sore muscles. It's also a good idea to bring a sweater or jacket for cold lecture halls. How people dress varies. Business casual is the median. Some people choose to wear formal business attire; and, there are always people in shorts and jeans, too. People usually dress up for some of the fancier activities, like the Opening Gala and the News Division Awards Banquet. Some events state the dress code.

What to Attend

Go to anything that interests you. The majority of the sessions are open to anyone, regardless of division, caucus, or chapter affiliation. If an event is only for people from a certain division, caucus, or chapter, it will almost always say so.

Walk through the exhibit hall at least once. Some conference-goers plan several hours in their schedule to visit the vendors. Vendors help defray the cost of the conferences and many support SLA activities outside of the conference, so visiting their booths lets them know that their presence is appreciated. It's also a great opportunity to learn about products and professional development resources. The vendors often have free goodies, like pens, highlighters, and sticko-notes, that are good to grab. Some libraries get their year's supply of pens in the exhibit hall. Some people recommend bringing an extra shipping box to send stuff back to the office or home after the conference because it's easy to get overloaded with free stuff and conference handouts. Sharing conference goodies with coworkers can be a great way to earn brownie points.


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