ChapterNews
IN THIS ISSUE Message from the President
Message from the President
Agnes Mattis.. ...........................1
SLA 12th Annual Career Day.......4
Members in the News...................4
The Open Door Policy:
Just Say Yes! (or...How
to Build a Better Workforce).....5
Knowledge Services
Misinformation on the
Internet: Use Your Expertise
to Raise Awareness .................6
The Librarians are Coming!
The Librarians are Coming! ....10
Website Resources –
Corporate Governance............12
ADVERTISERS
Dialog ............................................9
EBSCO ..........................................8
EOS International..........................7
Gatta Design & Co. .......................7
Info-Current.................................11
James Lafferty Associates .........10
The Library Co-Op ........................3
NKR Associates ............................6
Pro Libra........................................8
Wontawk .......................................4
ChapterNews
Volume 75, #1 Winter 2003
Agnes Mattis, President
our Executive Board is in the planning process for 2003. We approach
Y 2003 with enthusiasm but there will be challenges ahead. The year will
begin with the return of the Janus seminar. For those of you too young
to remember the Chapter held these professional development seminars
each January and got the year off to a great start. Janus, the two-headed Roman
god who faces the past and the future, is the god of beginnings. So we name the
seminar for Janus.
Pam Rollo is taking the lead in planning this 2 day seminar with assistance from
Guy St. Clair. The seminar will be built around the theme of looking back and
looking ahead. We will look at the economic climate we are in and what lies
ahead. We will re-think, re-orient and re-charge.
We will look at moving our careers into the next stage. On the evening of the
second day of the seminar a Chapter meeting will be held at which seminar
attendees and facilitators will summarize the program. Look for details in the
next month.
April 12th will bring the return of the very popular Career Day program.
Cliff Perry is heading up this year’s effort and I’m sure it will once again be a
success. The program will be at the end of National Library Week and will
bring together librarians working in different environments with students, and
those interested in a career change. The local Library Schools and specialized
employment agencies also participate. Cliff will be looking for volunteers so
please help out if you can.
In June the BIG EVENT happens. The annual conference comes to New York.
Ellen Miller is in charge of the Local Arrangements Committee. (See The Librarians
are Coming! page 10.) Her group will be preparing a restaurant guide, walking
tours and all sorts of activities to welcome SLA members to this great city. Ellen
will need lots of volunteers during the conference so please heed the call for help.
To get Chapter members excited and involved in advance of the conference we
will be asking for your “Top Three Lists” over the next few months. At Chapter
meetings and events we will be asking you to list your favorites, your 3 favorite
Italian restaurants, your 3 favorite places to shop, your 3 favorite quiet escapes
in the city, etc. The lists will be compiled (and screened) by the committee and
made available to conference attendees at the New York Chapter booth. So,
when asked, please contribute.
I mentioned challenges at the beginning of my message and so far all I have
listed are exciting events. The challenge for myself and the Board is doing more
with less. You hear this every day in your jobs and now the Chapter is in the
same position.
(Continues on page 2)
1 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003
 (Continued from page 1)
ChapterNews For all of my years working in the Chapter we were able
New York Chapter to obtain sponsorship for our meetings and events with a
simple telephone call. Our vendors were able to help
Special Libraries Association anytime we asked.
Winter Vol. 75, No. 1 They are now not able to help in the same way as in the
past. Our meetings and events are getting more and
PUBLICATION SCHEDULE more expensive to hold. This past year we took a larger
ChapterNews, the bulletin of the New York Chapter of the amount from our Project/Reserve fund just to cover
Special Libraries Association, is published four times a year. operating expenses.
Now we are not in desperate shape by any means but we
are faced with this challenge.
Deadlines for submitting materials:
Fall issue ....................August 15 Will our vendors be able to support us in the future? Is
this a temporary state of affairs? Will we have to charge
Winter issue...............November 15 the membership to attend meetings? The NY Chapter is
Spring issue................February 15 the only Chapter that does not charge for meetings so
Summer issue.............May 15 this would not be an easy decision.
The Board will be making a lot of tough decisions as
we go through the budget process. I will be able to tell
Submit all material to: you more in my next message.
Thomas Pellizzi
Interim ChapterNews Editor I have a favor to ask each of you. When you finish read-
E-mail: thomas.pellizzi@infospace-consultants.com ing this article I want you to go to the SLA website and
verify your membership information. I mean it, I want
you to do it now before you forget.
Submissions: Articles on topics of general interest to infor- Please be sure your email address is correct. The Chapter
mation professionals and the New York Chapter are welcome. no longer sends printed notices for meetings, luncheons
Authors can send submissions via e-mail as text file or MS and other chapter events. There is an announcement list
Word for Windows attachments, or with article in the body of (separate from the discussion list) but we must have a
the e-mail. Please use single-line spacing, Courier font, with valid email address to stay in contact with you. If the
minimal use of boldface and italics. Include a byline with your information on the SLA website in wrong, correct it.
full name and place of work. It’s a very simple process but each member is responsible
for their own information.
ADVERTISING inquiries should be addressed to: OK. I’m getting off my soap box now and getting back
Laura Kapnick, CBS NEWS to work. Until next time. — Agnes Mattis
524 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019-2985
Telephone: (212) 975-2917 or
E-mail: laurak@cbsnews.com

Special Libraries Association assumes no responsibility for the

statements and opinions advanced by contributors to the Associa-
tion’s publications. Editorial views do not necessarily represent the
official position of Special Libraries Association. Acceptance of
an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product by
Special Libraries Association.

CHAPTERNEWS STAFF
Director of Publications Thomas Pellizzi
Interim ChapterNews Editor Thomas Pellizzi
Advertising Manager Laura Kapnick
Webmaster Konrad Will

ChapterNews 2 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003

ChapterNews 3 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003
SLA-NY 12th Annual
Career Day
by Clifford Perry, Warburg Pincus

DATE: April 12, 2003

TIME: Noon-5PM
PLACE: Lighthouse International
111 East 59th Street
Refreshments will be served.

lans are underway for one of the Chapter’s biggest

P events of the year — Career Day 2003. This event

draws almost 250 attendees each year and is essen-
tial in promoting the information profession. Why not
play a part in making this day a success. There are many
ways in which you can contribute:
▲ Offer to serve as a host at the highly successful
Career Café, where you can share your experiences
and answer questions on a one-on-one basis with the
attendees. We need individuals from all library back-
grounds (medical, banking, museum, financial, etc.)
▲ Help the committee publicize the event in newspapers,
radio, TV and the Internet.
▲ Offer to be a panelist to discuss what convinced you
to become a librarian/information professional. Take
this opportunity to share a typical “day in the life” of
a professional.
▲ Send me a copy of your resume that you used in your
most recent position. Past attendees have asked to see Members in the News...
the resumes of successful applicants. Anything of a
Robin S. Sanders, formerly Library Manager at Bear
personal nature (i.e., names, addresses, references) will
be omitted. Stearns, is now the National Research Coordinator for
FTI Consulting, Inc.
▲ We are always looking for new ideas and new topics
that may be of interest. Perhaps you have an idea for FTI Consulting is a leading financial and litigation
a new program relating to the Career Day event. We support consulting firm, with over 100 employees and
would like to hear from you. 33 offices nationwide. Robin will be providing and
coordinating information resources and services to the
▲ Volunteer to help set-up, greet and assist the attendees. entire organization.
This is just one of the many ways our Chapter provides She will also be responsible for developing and organiz-
outreach in the metropolitan area. Your involvement ing a knowledge practice and network for the firm.
will not only enhance and enrich this program, but also
strengthen the ties between our Chapter and potential
new members. A number of past attendees have graduated
from library school, and have joined our profession. Come
join us at CareerDay to see old friends and to make new ones!

Join the Career Day Committee by contacting me:

email: cperry@warburgpincus.com
phone: (212) 878-9314
mail: 466 Lexington Avenue, 10th Fl., NY, NY 10017

ChapterNews 4 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003

The Open Door Policy:
Just Say YES!
(Or…How To Build a Better Work Force)
by Sandra Kitt
n my library I think I’ve gained a reputation as being
I a ‘blabber-mouth.” Not that anyone actually calls me
that, or would even think of saying it. However, my
largesse toward MLS students is becoming, among my
colleagues, almost legendary.
I invite MLS students to visit, email, or call me (and the
entire library staff, for that matter) as a source for their
class assignments. I encourage students to request appoint-
ments to shadow the staff as they perform their normal
routines, to volunteer for a day or longer, and to consider
an Internship…anything that gives them first-hand
insight and experience for the career they are pursuing.
“You must be out of your mind!,” I can hear someone
exclaiming, only to realize that it’s my own voice. Why
am I so generous not only with my own time, but with
that of my colleagues, interrupting important projects
while springing neophytes onto professionals who might
have better things to do? It’s because I believe in the
value of giving time to nurture the next generation of
information specialists.
We are, in effect, helping to train our successors. Not to
replace us, but to join us. In maintaining an open door
policy, we are taking an active part in making sure that
the profession gets the very best people, those who are
committed and enthusiastic. And I’m doing my part in
promoting special libraries as the best of all possible worlds.
I recently received an email from someone whom I’d
known many years ago. I remembered the name but
couldn’t conjure up an image. Under the circumstances
I might have been luke-warm at best about reestablishing
a connection…until he informed me that he’d just begun
library school at Pratt. He contacted me because he had
an assignment to complete for a class and wanted to use
me as a contact.
I welcomed him with open arms! Intending to stay only
a few hours, he was with my colleagues for almost the
entire day. He left bleary-eyed, slightly overwhelmed,
but delighted by his experience, and ready to forge ‘full
stream ahead’ on his studies.
Even a casual survey of New York Chapter members will
reveal that a surprising number of professionals became
information specialists after having begun their adult
working life doing something else.
ChapterNews
We may not always get the respect we deserve but two
facts hold true: a) as librarians we almost always get to
apply skills and experience from past work, and b) I can’t
think of a single profession (except maybe hockey or
belly-dancing) where knowledge of research and technol-
ogy skills aren’t critical to performing well.
Mind you, I do give warning to my colleagues when I’ve
invited students to come on down to pick our brains. To
a person, they have been gracious and welcoming. And
the benefits are two-fold, even if not personally realized.
The student goes away with a completed assignment and
a warm fuzzy feeling of having been taken seriously. And
we, the information specialists already in the field, can
count on eventually getting a well- prepared and enthusi-
astic librarian in our midst.
Two days after hearing from the first student I got an
email from a second. She’d been referred to me by one of
the Chapter’s most committed and involved leaders.
Unfortunately I was not able to accommodate the stu-
dent this time. Certainly not because I didn’t want
to…but because I was already booked! My dance card
was completely filled.
However, what this pointed out to me was a clear need
for more ‘open doors’, from more New York Chapter
members. It is less of an inconvenience than you might
think, and you will probably surprise yourself with just how
good it feels to know you’ve been able to help another
swing-vote in favor of our profession.
There is an African proverb (much used recently) that
states, “It takes a village to raise a child.” You know what
that means. We all need to be involved. We all have
something to share. We all need to remember that at
some point in our career, someone held the door open
for us.
Sandra Kitt, Richard S. Perkin Collection,
Astronomy & Astrophysics,
American Museum of Natural History
For more information on Mentoring, Internships, Shadow-
ing or hosting an MLS student for a few hours, contact
Suzan Lee, Suzan.Lee@ubsw.com. For feedback and
encouragement contact Sandra Kitt, skitt@amnh.org
5 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003
Knowledge Services
Misinformation on the Internet:
Use Your Expertise to Raise
Awareness
by Guy St. Clair
n my last ChapterNews column, I described how special-
I
ist librarians are uniquely qualified to practice as knowl-
edge services professionals. Knowledge services is the
new profession that has evolved from the convergence of
information management, knowledge management, and
strategic (performance-centered) learning.
It’s a profession that is made up of many knowledge
workers, from many different professions, disciplines,
and types of work. I contend that it’s the specialist librar-
ians who are naturally qualified for leading knowledge
services in their organizations. They’re the information
professionals who know best how to enable Knowledge
Development/Knowledge Sharing (KD/KS) — the
defining attribute of knowledge services — in the organi-
zations where they work.
Among our special competencies, as stated in the famous
competencies document published in 1996 (and currently
being updated), is an ability to “provide excellent instruc-
tion and support for library and information service
users” and to “assess information needs and [then] design
and market value-added information services and prod-
ucts to meet identified needs.”
The newest version of the competencies will, presum-
ably, continue this approach in describing our competen-
cies. In any case, it’s that reference to our learning and
teaching role, what I like to call “strategic (performance-
centered) learning,” and to the development of what I
like to think of as “high-level, value-added services,” that
so particularly positions specialist librarians for leading
knowledge services in their parent organizations.
One of the first challenges for us, though, is to identify
subjects and issues that are appropriate for us — as knowl-
edge services professionals — to bring to the attention
of our customers. In last winter’s issue of ChapterNews,
I wrote about how critical information protection (CIP)
is a subject that provides a perfect role for specialist
librarians as knowledge services experts.
In fact, The White House has now published its Draft
National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace and is offering it
to the public for comment. That document (www.white-
house.gov/pcipb/) can serve as an excellent discussion
document for knowledge services professionals, as they
seek to raise awareness about this critical issue in their
organizations. An equally important issue about which
awareness must be raised, and for which knowledge
ChapterNews
NKR Associates
Consultants to libraries, offices,
archives.
Get to know Davida Scharf,
Richard Steele, Nancy Nelson
They’re hands-on information
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services professionals (particularly specialist librarians)
can provide expertise, is what is usually referred to as
“misinformation on the Internet.”
Here again, we have an excellent discussion resource to
help us as we seek to provide information management,
knowledge management, and strategic learning for our
customers. It’s a new book written by one of our New
York Chapter members, Anne P. Mintz, and while this
column can’t serve as a book review [full disclosure: Anne
is one of my very special friends, and a review, as such,
would not be appropriate], I have delved into the book,
and I think it can be a very fine tool for knowledge ser-
vices professionals.
As I read Anne’s book, which is a compilation of very
thoughtful essays on this important topic, it became very
clear to me that this is just the kind of subject we special-
ist librarians can — and should — bring to the attention
of our organizations. And knowledge services is exactly
the methodology we should use for doing so. How?
Let’s look at the components of knowledge services.
Information management is what we do best, and when
we think about misinformation on the Internet, there are
few information professionals who are better qualified to
(Continues on page 7)
6 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003
 (Continued from page 6)
advise their customers about the dangers of bad and
incorrect information, particularly since so many people
— who do not have our expertise — seem to have the
impression that everything they read, regardless of its
format, is true.
Not so! And we know it. We completely understand
how to distinguish good information from bad. We have
expertise, techniques, and methodologies that have been
developed specifically to enable us to advise our cus-
tomers about what resources they should be using and
what resources they should not be using.
We engage in this sort of advising and consulting all the
time as we recommend to our customers that this source
or that site should be used — or avoided. Correcting
those uninformed misperceptions about the Web and
information on the Web is just part of our daily profes-
sional routine. We know how to manage information,
and that particular competency includes being able to
distinguish between what is good for our customers and
what is not good.
As for knowledge management…
Well of course! If we, as the organization’s specialist
librarians, have any role to play in content management TO SEE A SAMPLE
for our organization’s intranet (and even if we only advise
the “official” content management team in the enter-
prise, which is, sadly, often the case), we might want to
OF OUR WORK...
put together an experiential “knowledge store” (I would
call it) for the site. TURN THE PAGE.
Better yet, if our specialized library has a portal or home Gatta Design is proud to help SLA-NY design and
page of its own, we would want to put the knowledge
produce ChapterNews. We’d be happy to help
store there. What I’m suggesting is a smaller, more per-
you, too. With projects ranging from small business,
sonal (but well organized and well managed) site mod-
eled on the “lessons learned” sites often found in the mil- non-profit and corporate promotional collateral
itary or in other large organizations. to full-scale identity and branding programs,
packaging and illustration, creative design will get
It would be a little knowledge area that permits people
in the organization (including the staff in the specialized your message across. Call us for an SLA-NY discount.
library, of course) to report their experiences and their
findings when they run across misinformation on the
Internet.
Certainly these colleagues can’t report every such experi- 286 SPRING STREET, SUITE 301
ence (who has that kind of time?), but if we’re reasonable NEW YORK, NY 10013-1427
about it, reporting on sites that the specialized library’s TEL (212) 229-0071, FAX (212) 229-0074
e-mail: mail@gattago.com
customers might be going to on some sort of regular www.gattago.com
basis, or sites that contain information relating to the
subject or subjects of the parent organization’s field of
specialization, can provide a good “heads up” for others
in the organization who might need to have this informa-
tion. (And for one of the best discussions I’ve read about
the intranet-development process and building the team
to do it, see Roberta Piccoli’s article in last summer’s
ChapterNews.)
(Continues on page 8)

ChapterNews 7 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003

 (Continued from page 7)
It’s when we move into strategic (performance-centered)
learning that the specialist librarian’s skills really come EBSCO Book Services Offers:
into play, though, and it’s here that Anne Mintz and her
authors have provided us with the very tool we need.
The book presents so many examples of what to look for
• over 2.5 million titles plus
and describes so many issues relating to information on music and movies
the Internet that it can be truly said that it is the perfect • secure server for payment
resource for any seminars or workshops the specialized
library might sponsor on the subject. transactions
Even if formal learning programs are not part of the • multiple payment options:
library’s mission (since these are so often the purview of credit card, purchasing card and
HR or some other department in the organization),
those popular “brown-bag” lunches and discussion purchase order
groups we sponsor are guaranteed to become even more • competitive pricing
popular if attendees read some of these essays, and come
prepared to talk about what they’ve read and relate it to • administrative features
their own experience. to designate approval authority
In fact, from my perspective, since there are eleven chap- • level II capabilities
ters in the book, and each has a provocative topic and any
number of eye-popping examples, I could see setting up a for credit card transactions
series of hour-long discussion groups — one per chapter
— and watching them grow in popularity as word gets
out in the organization. What better opportunity is there
for specialist librarians to contribute to their customers’
understanding of this important issue? For more information, visit
Is this knowledge services? Is this KD/KS? Of course it www.ebscobooks.com
is. By helping our organizations manage information and
knowledge about misinformation on the Internet, and by
taking a proactive strategic learning role in knowledge
development and knowledge sharing for our customers,
we are doing exactly what specialist librarians have been
doing so well for so long.
It’s not called “putting knowledge to work” for nothing,
you know, and it’s what we are very good at. If we can
help our customers and our organizations avoid the pit-
falls that misinformation creates, we are doing our job.

References
Mintz, Anne P., ed. Web of Deception: Misinformation on
the Internet. (Medford, NJ: CyberAge/Information Today,
2002)
Piccoli, Roberta. “Essence of a Successful Intranet,” Special
Libraries Association. New York ChapterNews. 74 (4),
Summer, 2002.

Guy St. Clair is Consulting Specialist, Knowledge Man-

agement and Learning, SMR International, New York,
NY. He is the author of Beyond Degrees: Professional
Learning for Knowledge Services, just published by K. G.
Saur. A past president of the Special Libraries Associa-
tion and of the New York Chapter, St. Clair actively solic-
its readers’ responses to this column. He can be reached
at GuyStClair@cs.com.

ChapterNews 8 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003

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ChapterNews 9 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003

The Librarians Are Coming! The quest for sponsorship will be headed up by John
Ganly of The New York Public Library, who is also
The Librarians Are Coming! fulfilling this role for the Business & Finance Division.
By Ellen Miller This coordination of effort will allow us to best use the
resources available through the vendor community with-
out annoying our supporters by having numerous people
he Special Libraries Association annual conference contacting them with hat in hand. I’m sure John would

T for 2003 is fast approaching and will be held in

New York City next June 7th-12th. To help make
this a special week in this wonderful town, the Confer-
be happy to hear from anyone who would like to con-
tribute to our efforts or who has a contact with a possible
sponsor that might be helpful to him.
ence Committee and the New York Chapter President One of our most ambitious efforts is in the area of library
set up a Local Arrangements Committee last spring and tours. Changes in the Association’s approach to tours
asked me to chair the function. next year, and the increase in security throughout the city
I have been fortunate enough to enlist a group of long- since 9/11, are causing us to create formal guided tours
time New Yorkers to help me with this task and we began on the Thursday morning at the end of the conference
our efforts with preparations for last June’s Los Angeles instead of more free-form touring during the week.
conference, where our presence was a huge success (see Josephine Howell of Merrill Lynch and Bert Schachter
Sandra Kitt’s article in the last issue of ChapterNews). of Scholastic Inc. are co-heading this effort.
(Continues on page 11)
We will also have a small information table in New Orleans
at Winter Meeting in January, so that we do not lose our
momentum with the Association’s leadership. But most
important of all, and the thing that will make our efforts
remembered fondly by the membership, will be the job
we do to welcome them to “our” city next June.
Many plans are underway, some of which are just in the
talking stages and can’t be described in detail yet, while
others are farther along in the planning process. There
may be a conference-wide function (still in early discus-
sion), but we have decided to concentrate our energies
for the moment on a few activities that we can better
control and that will enhance the overall experience of
attending a conference in New York.
In the tradition of past New York conferences, we are
planning to publish a restaurant guide for the attendees.
Andrew Gazzale of Jeffries & Company is heading up
this effort and is working with a graphics designer to set
up a format that will group restaurants by neighborhood,
with indexes by restaurant name and type of cuisine. We
will indicate price ranges for each entry as well, so that
our visitors won’t face any unhappy surprises when they
encounter New York price levels. We are hoping to find
a sponsor for this effort who will pay for the printing and
design costs.
Sandra Kitt of the Museum of Natural History is heading
up the Information Desk for the conference and she is
working with a costume jewelry designer in Florida to
design an apple pin that can be used as a souvenir of the
conference. As many of you who attended the LA confer-
ence know, the NY taxi stick pins we gave away there
were a big hit, but we thought we would go a little more
upscale next year. Factiva has graciously sponsored the
New York Apple pins, which will be given to every attendee.

ChapterNews 10 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003

 (Continued from page 10)
They have some exciting ideas about how to present the
New York special library community to our visitors (and
to any of you who would like to see some local libraries
that you may not have had the chance to view until now).
They will be preparing a handout of the special libraries
in the city that are open to the public, along with some
ideas for places to eat, shop and tour in the same area of
the city. This leaflet will be available at the Information
Desk and we will encourage everyone to go to see these
libraries at their leisure. In addition, on Thursday morn-
ing they will lead a series of guided tours to “private”
libraries within different sections of the city.
People will have to sign up in advance for these tours at
the Information Desk and participating organizations will
be provided with a list of names in advance for security
clearance. Each group will visit three libraries and at the
end be given the option of returning to the hotel with the
tour guide or staying in the area for lunch and further
sightseeing. Once again, there will be a handout geared to
the local neighborhood and directions for getting “home.”
By now you may be wondering what you can do to con-
tribute to the Chapter’s efforts to make this a very special
occasion for the SLA membership at large. As we get
closer to the actual event, there will be many opportuni-
ties for volunteers at the Information Desk and, possibly,
leading tours if logistically we have to split groups to
accommodate the number of people who sign up.
We plan to use the Chapter’s website to post a form for
volunteers when the time comes to organize these func-
tions. However, since we know that many of you want to
feel that you are getting involved in now, we will be ask-
ing for your input for the various handouts mentioned
above. At the next few Chapter meetings and on the web-
site, we will be making available a form for members to
fill out. On it, we will be asking you to recommend your
favorite restaurants, off-beat shopping places, unusual tour
opportunities, and all those other things that make New York
unique and special to those of us who live and work here.
We urge you to fill out the forms and return them to us
so that we can ensure that our efforts are reflective of all
the members of the Chapter, not just the committee.
Obviously, we will not be able to include all suggestions
due to space constraints, but we will go through all the
forms and make sure to use those that receive multiple
“votes.” There will also be a place on the form to volun-
teer your library for the Thursday tour program.
In addition to the opportunity to make your ideas known
to us through the forms, we would appreciate your mak-
ing us aware of any handouts we might want to stock at
the Information Desk. Jane Reed of The University
Club is responsible for gathering material of this type
and is already working with the City’s Convention and
Visitors’ Bureau to get maps and event listings.
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She is also planning to have info from the major muse-
ums and tour companies available. We will have a small
library of books on shopping, sightseeing, restaurants,
etc. on hand for volunteers to use and hope to have a
computer hookup at the Desk with web access as well.
As you can see from all of the above, we have a lot on our
plates and the need to continue to communicate with you
and the membership at large makes the use of technology
very important to our efforts. We are fortunate that
Konrad Will of Lehman Brothers, the Chapter’s webmas-
ter, has agreed to serve on the Local Arrangements Com-
mittee since we plan to use the website to post notices
and articles about New York in general and the Confer-
ence in particular. We have already put up a list of New
York tourist websites so that those who are planning
their trip here can use these resources as guides. We will
also have information on the site about Broadway shows
and other ticketed events that attendees may want (or
need) to order in advance. If you have a suggestion for a
website that may be useful in this regard, please forward
it to Konrad for inclusion on this list.
June may seem a long way off right now, but the seasons
change quickly and we know that the conference will be
upon us sooner than we think. The New York Chapter
has always been a vital part of the Association and we are
committed to making this a conference that members
will remember with enjoyment for years to come.
We want to set a standard for all who succeed us and
look to you, the Chapter’s members, to give us your all in
this endeavor. It’s been fourteen years since SLA had a
conference in New York. Let’s leave them wondering
why it took so long to come back!
11 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003
Website Resources:
Corporate Governance
by Louise Klusek
American Bar Association. Special Study
on Market Structure, Listing Standards
and Corporate Governance
http://www.abanet.org/buslaw/fedsec/nosearch/20020517.pdf
Published in May 2002, this report looks at the role of the
listing standards promulgated by the Securities and Exchange
Commission and the stock exchanges in establishing corporate
governance practices for companies in the U.S. marketplace.
Business Roundtable Corporate
Governance Task Force
http://www.brtable.org/issue.cfm/2
The Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs and American
business leaders, has built a site dedicated to corporate governance
matters; it includes testimony, press releases, publications on
corporate governance issues, and the full text of the Roundtable’s
Principles of Corporate Governance, issued May 2002. Task Force
priorities include advocating the simplification of SEC regulations
and providing advice on issues relating to FASB accounting
principles and auditor independence.
Business Week. The Best & Worst Boards
http://www.businessweek.com
Since 1996 Business Week has published a ranking of the best
and worst corporate boards in America. This year’s list, appearing
in the October 7, 2002 issue, has added categories for the most
improved boards, boards that need work, and a Hall of Shame.
CalPERS Shareowner Forum
http://www.calpers-governance.org/
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS),
a large institutional investor and leader in the corporate gover-
nance movement, features its own shareholder proposals, proxy
voting record, and annual “Focus List” of targeted companies in
the “Shareholder Action” section of this site. CalPERS also posts
its desired “Governance Principles” for corporations doing busi-
ness in the U.S., France, Germany, Japan and the UK.
The Conference Board
http://www.conference-board.org
The Conference Board is a major publisher in the areas of
corporate governance, board structure, executive compensation,
and shareholder communication. This site features reports and
governance recommendations from their Commission on
Public Trust and Private Enterprise, a group composed of
business leaders, academics, and major investors.
ChapterNews
Corporate Governance NETwork
http://www.corpgov.net/
This site is designed to educate the private investor about
shareholder rights and corporate governance. The “Stakeholders”
page has a list of links to governance organizations and publica-
tions with descriptions and contact numbers. A monthly “News”
summary and a “Library” with an annotated bibliography of
relevant books and journal articles are useful tools. The site is
maintained by James McRitchie, author and activist.
Corporate Library
http://www.thecorporatelibrary.com/
Founded by activists Robert Monks and Nell Minow of Lens
Investment Management, the Corporate Library site publishes
research and presents weekly “News Briefs” about corporate
governance. An extensive arsenal of “Research Tools” includes
a database of shareholder proposals, a glossary, case studies,
shareholder focus lists, and proxy voting guidelines. The “Library
Catalog” is actually a searchable index covering more than 25
years of articles.
Encycogov:
Encyclopedia of Corporate Governance
http://www.encycogov.com/
This searchable encyclopedia contains definitions collected
from classic studies and recent academic research in the field
of corporate governance. “References” are provided. “Specific
Topics”, accessed via the menu on the left, offers information
on topical areas such as ownership structures, capital structures,
and incentive pay. Tables and statistics are generally included.
Georgeson Shareholder
http://www.georgesonshareholder.com/html/00_home.asp?f=1
Georgeson Shareholder, a well-known proxy solicitation firm,
posts its “Research and Insights” in the site’s news archive. The
annual Corporate Governance Wrap-Up is an especially valuable
review of the proxy season that includes summaries of corporate
governance proposals, voting results, and total outstanding shares
for the proposals. Historical data on proxy contests is included.
GovernanceMetrics International
http://www.governancemetrics.com/
GMI, launched in April 2000, is developing a global database
of governance ratings based in part on criteria developed by
the OECD.
International Corporate
Governance Network (ICGN)
http://www.icgn.org/
A forum for discussion established by major U.S. institutional
investors (TIAA-CREF, CalPERS, and others) and now open to
international members, the ICGN seeks to bridge the gap between
corporate management and shareholders. Its research, by-laws,
proposals, and monthly newsletter are available.
(Continues on page 13)
12 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003
 (Continued from page 12)
Investor Responsibility
Research Center (IRRC)
http://www.irrc.org/
IRRC is a non-profit research center that publishes in the areas
of corporate governance, shareholders’ rights, and corporate
social issues. They propose to launch a governance scoring system
with TrueCross in 2003. The site provides information on IRRC
products and programs; publications are available for a fee.
ISS Corporate Governance Quotient
http://www.isscgq.com/central.asp
The CGQ, Corporate Governance Quotient, is a ratings system
developed by Institutional Shareholder Services for use in its
proxy analysis service. Details on the criteria used in the CGQ
are provided. Access to ISS data, which covers the universe of
Russell 3000 companies, requires a corporate subscription.
NASDAQ Corporate Governance
http://www.nasdaqnews.com/
The Corporate governance section of the NASDAQ newsroom
reports on its proposals for rule changes in this area, including the
enhanced disclosure of material information, the increased role of
independent directors, empowering audit committees, accelerated
disclosure of insider transactions, and transparency of financial
statements for non-U.S. issuers. These new rule proposals and
a Summary of Nasdaq Corporate Governance Proposals, issued
July 2002, are available at this site.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-
bin/bdquery/z?d107:HR03763:|TOM:/bss/d107query.html
Signed into law on August 2, 2002, the Act expands the federal
regulation of corporate governance, increases financial disclosure
and reporting requirements, and significantly alters the accounting
and auditing regulatory regime. The procedural history of the
legislation and the text of the act as signed into law can be found
here, at the U.S. Congress’ THOMAS site.
Standard & Poor’s Corporate Governance
http://www.standardandpoors.com/Forum/RatingsAnalysis/
CorporateGovernance/
The S&P Transparency and Disclosure Survey, released in
May 2002, rates more than 1,600 global companies by the quality
of corporate reporting practices. Over 98 variables measuring
ownership structure and investor relations, financial transparency
and information disclosure, and board and management structure
and process are scored in this benchmark report.
Louise Klusek is the coordinator of the Research Services
area of the Corporate Library at Salomon Smith Barney, part
of Citigroup, where she has worked for the last fifteen years.

New York Stock Exchange.

Corporate Governance
http://www.nyse.com/abouthome.html?query=/about/report.html
On June 6, 2002 the NYSE issued regulations that tightened
corporate governance rules for companies whose shares trade
on the exchange. These rules, additional recommendations to
Congress and the SEC, and other information about the
changes can be found here.

ChapterNews 13 Vol. 75, #1 Winter 2003