Southern Ohio Chapter of the Association for Information Science
Volume 18, Number 3 July, 1997
I hope everyone is enjoying the summer! This is a short newsletter, so that you may get out and enjoy the waning days of summer. Included in this issue are:
We look forward to seeing you all at the next SOASIS program!
Victoria Whipple
SOASIS eNewsletter editor
Message from the Chair Greetings from the National Information Learning Center (NILC) in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia! The NILC is a center that provides medical resources -- including Internet and other electronic resources -- to members of the health community on a cost-recovery basis. I have been in the position of Co-Director of NILC for three months now, and what an experience it has been. My responsibilities are largely administrative, though I have done a little staff training in Medline and computer applications, as well. Cultural differences are apparent. Some of the culture of Georgia, I will aspire to emulate at home. I believe that other aspects counter the best interests of a center that seeks self-sustainability. Aspects of the Georgian culture that I most admire include the hospitality (too mild a word, really), the generosity, and the pride. In Georgia, a business relationship is rarely just that. The Georgian Table is a wonderful tradition, a feast of marvelous food and charming toasts, which turns business acquaintances into friends. I have not seen business per se conducted at the Georgian Table, but the ties developed there definitely influence professional work. Georgian pride also has a positive influence on professional work. Georgians are so thrilled at their independence, so proud of the culture they have maintained despite years of oppression. The energy derived from that pride drives businesses like the NILC forward at a breakneck speed. The flipside to all of this is that pride, hospitality and generosity are not always compatible with sound economics. Only by charging money for resources can the NILC maintain economic viability, but NILC resources are sometimes shared in much the same way as a Georgian feast. For the staff to withhold these items from friends is a true challenge, felt in the heart. SOASIS newsletter v.18 no. 2 July 1997 As an American Co-Director, I have brought my culture with me. Sometimes it is hard to know when one view should be imposed over another. I have tried to be objective and to separate business from friendship. The irony is that in Georgia the two are inextricably intertwined. Karen Marsh SOASIS Chair
SOASIS presented another successful program Thursday July 24th. Lisa Santucci, Electronic Information Services Librarian at Miami University Libraries, spoke on her experience of creating a library web system in a team environment. CQI techniques were used when Miami University Libraries undertook the re-design of their web page. The primary tenets of CQI are customer focus, continual improvement, and respect for others, which are very applicable to library service, in fact, similar language can be found in the ASIS Professional Guidelines. Miami University Libraries can be visited at http://www.lib.muohio.edu Gearing up for the next program - we are looking forward to the return of our Chapter Chair from Tbilisi, which is in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. Karen Marsh, an Information and Education Librarian at the University of Cincinnati Health Sciences Library, will speak about her experience working at the National Information Learning Center in Tbilisi from April - August 1997. If you would like to hear about opportunities to get involved in SOASIS, or be added to our mailing list for programs, please contact Elna.Saxton@UC.edu, 513/556-1413, SOASIS Chair-elect. Elna Saxton SOASIS Chair-elect
SOASIS Member News Elaine M. Gillam will be receiving her MLIS from Kent State University on August 23. Congratulations Elaine! Victoria Whipple has left the employ of the University of Cincinnati for a position at Lexis-Nexis.
Barbara Davis, Nominations & Elections davisb@taftlaw.com 513-381-2838 Yvonne Davis, Workshop Committee Chair ydavis@tso.cin.ix.net 513-651-6810 Elaine Gillam, Membership gillamem@ix.netcom.com 513-429-6235 Doug Kaylor, Chapter Representative dkaylor@library.wright.edu 937-873-3142 Karen Marsh, Chair karen.marsh@uc.edu 513-558-3374 Elna Saxton, Program Chair elna.saxton@uc.edu 513-556-1413 John Tebo, Secretary tebo@ucbeh.san.uc.edu 513-556-1494 Gail Thornburg, Past Chair thornbug@oclc.org 614-718-9705 Marianna Wells, Treasurer marianna.wells@uc.edu 513-556-1324 Victoria Whipple, eNewsletter Editor victoria.whipple@lexis-nexis.com 937-866-3860If you would like to know more about upcoming programs or activities, please contact any of the board members listed above.
Document date 08.25.97