Edited by Kent C. Boese, Arts Cataloger, Cataloging Services Department, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Washington, DC, USA

Citation

Rochester Leighty, G. (2003), "Edited by Kent C. Boese, Arts Cataloger, Cataloging Services Department, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Washington, DC, USA", The Bottom Line, Vol. 16 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/bl.2003.17016aaf.001

Edited by Kent C. Boese, Arts Cataloger, Cataloging Services Department, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Washington, DC, USA

Edited by Kent C. Boese, Arts Cataloger, Cataloging Services Department, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Washington, DC, USA

TBL interviews Donna W. Scheeder, Deputy Assistant Director, Information and Research Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.

TBL: What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Scheeder: I always have difficulty with a question like this, since I have developed a philosophy of life that allows me to recognize that achievements are the product of many people, and not just one individual. Professionally, I am proud of my record of 33 years in public service. Personally, I would have to say that having a group of really close friends, all of whom love and support each other in all that we do, ranks pretty high on my list of personal accomplishments.

TBL: Who are your heroes in real life?

Scheeder: Right now, I deeply admire the dedication and fortitude of the librarians at the Pentagon. I went to an evening program at the Computers in Libraries conference last March and listened to them tell their harrowing tales of escape, and then their struggle to save their collections and rebuild their library. I am astounded by their courage and bravery.

I have also become a huge fan of John Cotton Dana. He was a visionary with the courage to champion change and challenge the old accepted ways of doing things. I am proud to be a member of the organization he helped to start, the Special Libraries Association, and I truly regret that we were not contemporaries.

TBL: What do you think of corporate sponsorships? While they bring significant funds to libraries, do they threaten the library's neutrality?

Scheeder: Corporate sponsorships offer libraries major opportunities to initiate programs and projects that might not otherwise happen. They provide corporate sponsors an effective way to demonstrate that they are responsible citizens. They are really partnership opportunities and like any partnership, the principals must be well-suited to each other. Before library leaders explore this area, they need to develop some policies and criteria by which to judge the appropriateness of potential partners. Are there potential conflicts of interest involved? Not all potential partners are suitable ones, and the potential for trouble exists when library administrators and boards do not choose their partners carefully and clearly lay out the nature of the relationship in advance.

A major caveat for library administrators is to resist funding core programs with gift and sponsorship funds. Funding sources may dry up when the economy is in a downward slide, and you do not want your core mission to be dependent on unstable sources of funding.

TBL: UCITA (Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act) has pitted publishers and large software producers against libraries, some business concerns, and consumer protection groups. Which side will win out in the end?

Scheeder: No clear winner will come out of this one. The issue will not be solved until those involved can reach a compromise that will provide some incentives for all involved. I think the fact that the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State laws recently downgraded its status and that so far only three states have actually passed it speaks to the need to go back to the drawing board. When 26 State Attorneys General oppose a proposed uniform law, and with consumer opposition growing, this issue is far from resolved.

TBL: If money were no object, what is the most significant change you would institute in your library?

Scheeder: I would invest in the people by paying the dues for every professional staff member to belong to a relevant professional association and sending them to the annual conference. I would also develop a career development plan for each nonprofessional staff member and provide funds for courses. If you want staff to be committed to life-long learning, a necessity in our profession, then what better way to do it than by getting them connected to a professional network?

TBL: What fund-raising activities have worked for your Library?

Scheeder: I am going to interpret this question broadly and talk about my library association, because I think there are some things that libraries could think about adapting to their use. For example, use corporate sponsorships to fund awards for staff excellence. Not only is there recognition and a reward for a deserving individual, but the publicity brings attention to the excellence of the institution as well. In my town, the Washington Post recognizes outstanding teachers, so why not find a company that wants to recognize and reward outstanding librarians?

Many libraries have active friends organizations. Why not start a Legacy Club to encourage those individuals to remember the Friends organization in their will? The important thing is that whatever fund-raising is undertaken, it should be part of the long-range financial plan for the organization as well as the annual budget.

TBL: What has been the hardest decision you have had to make in your career?

Scheeder: Early on in my career, I applied for a promotion which I did not get. I could either spend my time complaining that this individual was unfair and had it in for me, etc., or I could undergo some self-examination and attempt to determine what I could learn from this experience for the future. I chose to do the latter, even though it was hard to admit that I had some responsibility for what happened and why I was not chosen. Deciding to hang in there and to be honest with yourself is a difficult choice that I have observed is frequently not the route that people choose. It is always easier to lay some blame on others than to accept it for yourself.

TBL: If your budget were decreased by 10 per cent what would your response be?

Scheeder: Go to plan b. You should always do more than one budget. You have a best-case scenario where you ask for increases in certain areas; you have the status quo, where funding is at previous levels, which with inflation may mean a cut, in reality; and finally a worst-case scenario, an x percent cut. You pick the number. If you have been doing strategic planning, client needs assessment, and feedback, you will be able to run your worst-case scenario informed by the bigger picture.

TBL: From your years of service in the profession, is there one piece of advice on fiscal responsibility that you would like to give today's library managers to be?

Scheeder: Plan ahead, way ahead. Stay tuned to the trends affecting your organization and build a relationship with your funders. Be up front, and do not sugarcoat bad news.

TBL: How did you first get involved in library finance issues? Did you have a mentor?

Scheeder: I had a wonderful mentor who was also my boss, Cathy Jones. Cathy hired me into a managerial position and introduced me to library financing issues through involvement in a number of venues. I, of course, got involved in justifying our budget requests, estimating staffing needs, and justifying the acquisition of commercial databases when this was a new area. Cathy also got me involved in the Special Libraries Association (SLA). I served as chair of the Government Relations Committee, which meant getting involved in a number of issues relating to government funding of its own information services, including contracting-out and the never ending battle over GPO (Government Printing Office) and the depository library program. She served as treasurer of SLA and shared her experience with me in a way so that it was easy to say later, "sure, I'll run for treasurer." I served in that position for three years, in which, I could both lead and learn at the same time, a fabulous position to be in.

TBL: What do you think libraries can do/offer to make better funding of libraries a higher priority in our society?

Scheeder: Funding issues are political issues, and as the late Tip O'Neill used to say, "all politics are local." The lesson there is that libraries need to continue to align themselves with societal goals and strategies in order to be relevant to community life. Support for funding libraries must be strongest at the grass roots level. Not every community needs or wants the same range of services. Libraries must be constantly assessing the needs of the community and not just their users. If libraries are going to remain relevant, they need to be just as concerned with who is not availing themselves of their services as well as those who are. Libraries also need to go where people are, including their desktops. I see all kinds of wonderful examples of libraries doing this, but at the same time, we must look at the word library in its broadest sense. In this day and age, we need to welcome funding for virtual library initiatives in the same way we advocate for brick and mortar libraries.

TBL: What are the most important skills that new librarians need to succeed in the 21st century?

Scheeder: Recently, I was part of a panel that spoke before a special libraries class at Catholic University. Many of them were receiving their degrees shortly. The main message that I delivered was that getting their Masters was the beginning of their professional education. To be successful today, you have to be flexible, dedicated to life-long learning, be part marketer, a good communicator, and open to continual improvement and change. As for professional competencies, I would refer you to the SLA Competencies document which is available on the SLA Web site, www.sla.org

TBL: Are library schools doing enough to prepare librarians to be sound financial managers?

Scheeder: No. The business aspects of librarianship have yet to receive the attention required. There are some opportunities for educators to seize, however. Many universities now require schools to partner on courses. At universities that have both business and library/information science schools, I would like to see them work together to do more to ensure that librarians leave better equipped to become managers who can deal effectively with the bottom line.

TBL: Which authors or books would you recommend on management?

Scheeder: Anything written by Peter Drucker. He understands our profession, as well. I would also encourage my colleagues to branch out from typical management books and explore works on leadership, and also to read about the lives of great leaders. Management is really about leading and motivating people. They are the greatest resource, particularly in a library, which is a knowledge organization. There is a lot to be learned from the struggles of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. And because libraries are knowledge organizations, I highly recommend the work of Larry Prusak, especially Working Knowledge, which he wrote with Tom Davenport.

TBL: If you had the opportunity to do it all over again, would you still choose a career in this profession?

Scheeder: In some ways, this profession chose me, and I will be forever grateful. No two days are ever alike. I am constantly learning and reinventing what I do. Finally, I am privileged to be practicing my profession as a public servant for some of the best clients in the world. It is a profession that can make a big difference. What more can you ask for?