Richard G. Geiger is library director for The San Francisco Chronicle, (1984- present).
Past Employment: San Jose Mercury News: library manager (1980-84); The San Francisco Chronicle: librarian (1976-80); San Francisco National Historical Park Library: librarian (1975-76).
SLA Member Since: 1974
Education: M.L.I.S. University of California, Los Angeles (1975), B.A. (environmental biology) and B.A. (art) University of California, Santa Barbara (1970).
SLA Chapter Activities: San Francisco Bay Region Chapter: president (1991-92); awards committee chair (1992-93); nominating committee chair (1993-94); strategic planning committee chair (1995-96); advertising committee chair (1979-80).
SLA Division Activities: News Division: chair (1989-90); annual conference program chair (1988-89); awards committee chair (1990-91); treasurer (1986-88); public relations committee chair (1983-84).
SLA Association-level Activities: board of directors (1993-96); strategic planning committee chair (1994-95); public relations committee chair (1992-93).
Other Professional Activities: Region II, Core Planning Group, Library of California (1999- present ); Internet Librarian conference, organizing/review committee (1997- ); BayNet board of directors (1996- ); California State Library Networking Task Force Steering Committee (1990-92); Associates of the National Maritime Museum Library president (1989-92).
Awards & Honors: San Francisco Bay Region Chapter Award for Professional Achievement, (1996); News Division Agnes Henebry Award (1994); News Division Ralph J. Shoemaker Award (1989).
Publications: "Copyright Corner: Reprints and Permissions," Information Outlook, May 1998. "Newspaper Database Pricing and Revenues," Seybold Publishing Conference, 1996. "Digital Photo Archiving," Digital '96 conference. Contributor, Media Libraries: A Management Handbook (1993). "Library's Role in the Age of the Electronic Darkroom," SLA Annual
Conference, 1990. "Managing the News Library," SLA, Annual Conference, 1990. "Coping with Change," Online, '87 conference, 1987.
Geiger on the Questions:
Richard Geiger
What is the most critical issue(s) facing SLA today and how do you, as a candidate for the Board of Directors, see yourself formulating policies addressing those issues?
SLA must continue to develop a global strategy for our organization. As our member organizations become more and more international in facilities and focus, the Association needs to respond in kind. We need to chart a new course for SLA on this new global landscape. But there will be a number or challenges. The "digital divide" within the United States, between information "haves" and "have nots" is magnified several times in the world information marketplace. Will SLA have a strategy to serve the full range of possible members, or will it serve only the information elite? We need to consider the pros and cons of the various positions on this issue. It is my hope that we will be able to offer at least some services to the widest range of possible members and not close off avenues for greater communication, education and understanding.
How do you see technology affecting the way SLA provides services to its members?
Thankfully, our increased need for quick communication and information sharing has been paired with the development of the Internet. Within SLA we have used this new technology to better serve members, and potential members. SLA's web site is an excellent first step to provide access to information about our profession. It also provides a proving ground and model that we can build on as we strive towards excellence. The use of chat as an avenue for communication in our organization will lead us to audio and video conferencing over the Net, as more and more members gain access to more powerful computers and electronic pipelines. Tools on the Web and
electronic forms of publication will allow SLA to consider less expensive ways to service members and avoid increasing dues to levels that are unacceptable to potential members. A cafeteria style of member benefits could work in certain categories of membership, providing electronic access to needed information, and avoiding expensive print versions.
Where do you see the information profession going in the new millennium?
The information profession, like virtually all other professions, is in a state of continual change. The old librarian stereotypes do not ring true today and soon, will seem as antiquated as the horse and buggy. The image of a librarian in a library is fading away as the amount of material available electronically continues to mount. Information professionals are moving out into the organization, working in teams and doing what needs to be done. They certainly are not sitting in a room waiting for a call. Members are spending their time training and coaching our increasingly "end-user" searchers. They are working as information consultants at the ground level of organizational planning. They are creating and contracting electronic research tools on the organizational intranet. They are managing their organization's digital assets for maximum benefit. And they are continually changing their roles in this fast-changing world. No position in the organization is beyond their purview.
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