News Library News Online
Vol. 21, No.4/Summer 1999

Table of Contents

SLA Conference

Regular Features

Web Extras

News Library News
SLA News Division Home

 

Bits and Pieces . . .
By Marcia MacVane

An employee of any small library uses the bits and pieces gathered from many different sources to enhance the library product. In our library at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, we try a proactive approach to engage our users and enhance our "standing" in the newsroom.

One of our methods is to use the news library listserv as one of our sources. Many times, a user on NewsLib will pose a question - a potential stumper - to the list. Within the space of a very few minutes several people will have provided quality answers to the query. We gather up the questions and bookmark the sources. When we have a few minutes to spare, we check out the URLs and try to relate the information available to beats specific to our newspaper. If there are tricks to searching on that specific site - or anything else a user might need to know - we note it in our descriptions for the bookmark. When we are all done, we gather up the URLs, write up another description along with a couple of examples of how the information could be helpful and e-mail it to an editor and/or reporter. We also offer our help in bookmarking - just in case!!! In some cases, the reporters might already be aware of the information, although most of them are gracious enough to thank us. A few of them are snooty enough to tell us they already have that information and have been using it for quite a while (la-de-da!)

However, it’s the ones who need this information the most who provide us with the most gratification. The first time I did this, the reporter practically came running into my office. He had been searching for this information - unsuccessfully - and found just what he needed on the site I provided. This reporter has since become one of the most ardent supporters of the library.

Sometimes, we won’t hear back from anyone for a long time. We were always slightly nervous to pass along information to the reporter who covered the technology beat. Although he was a very nice guy, we were a little hesitant to volunteer information on a topic to someone whose job it was to keep up on all the details of technology. However, I decided not to be intimidated and sent him an address for a listserv that I thought would be helpful to him. Months later, he confided to me that he used this listserv ALL the time and had found it invaluable.

We learned from this and are no longer reluctant to forward newly-acquired information. Because of this, people who might not have asked us for bookmarks in the past often will call and seek us out before wandering aimlessly around on the Web. We also have begun to set up training classes - small ( 2-3 at a time) and organized by ability. We have held only a couple so far, but the demand is high. We don’t really have enough extra staff to devote as much time to this project as we would like, but we all agree that it is important to continue despite the demands the extra work will place upon the staff. And of course we all hope that when budget time comes, we can receive some extra hours.

A little library meets a big and bigger library...

I was privileged to tour both the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minneapolis Star-Tribune libraries just before this year’s library conference began. I always try to take advantage of touring any news library and I always leave with the mixture of pride in my own library and a wish list about ten feet long. And so it was in Minneapolis and St. Paul. We began with a bus trip through a wild thunder, lightning and hail storm. Our hosts at St. Paul were extremely gracious, providing us with refreshments and gifts in a large, open "welcome" room. We went into their library and were able to watch and talk to several people hard at work. They were most informative and explained their jobs very clearly. There was a nice little nook with reference books and a conference table where reporters could sit and do research. The library was located in a large room, filled to capacity with cabinets and books. There were other departments for us to visit on our tour so we weren’t able to stay as long as I would have liked.

Back on the bus we headed for Minneapolis...

Oh gee! If I was envious when I left St. Paul, you could have nicknamed me the green alien from space after visiting the Star Tribune. And "space" is the right word to use...such space they have! Wide open areas filled with light...beautiful work stations ...windows ... built-in shelving filled with thousands of books! There seemed to be a place for everything...and everything was in its place. If one had to design a library, this would be a good place to look. I absolutely loved it! And the food they served at the end of the tour was similarly out of this world!

Despite the difference in appearance, the work that went on in both libraries was exactly the same as the work we do in our little corner of the world in Maine. Our carpet may be held together with duct tape and our collection may be divided up in three different rooms but it’s home. We have become comfortable with our own little adversities and rise above them. And we have accomplished so much despite these inadequacies! (This is when I get that old feeling of pride!) I shall continue to wish but remain content with what I have.

Working in a news library is such a great job - there have been times when I have felt a little guilty for being paid for doing a job I enjoy so much. (This lasts about as long as it takes for the next bill to arrive however!) I think so many of us deal with being the "poor kid on the block" simply because we enjoy our jobs so much! And P.S. for all the other "poor kids on the block" (AKA small libraries), please send me your e-mail address(or regular address if necessary.) I am trying to collect a distribution list for small libraries and I would like to include you...

Marcia MacVane is Library Director at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. Her email is mmacvane@pressherald.com.


News Library News
SLA News Division Home

The page was reformatted on 4/6/03. The content, including URLs and contact information, on this page has not been updated to preserve the historical record.

Comments about News Library News should go to the editor.
Comments about the Web site should go to the Webmaster: newsdivisionweb@yahoo.com