SPOTLIGHT ON SLA MEMBERS: An Interview with Kaycee Hale, Executive Director, Resource & Research Center, The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

Information Outlook, March, 2000

We want to increase our value to our customers...not only by what resources we offer, but also by the type of environment we provide for their studies, research, and entertainment. We've adopted the attitude that our research centers don't have to be drab and/or boring. Our customers are creative and we want to establish the type of environment that complements and enhances their strengths.

Is your library becoming more virtual? Do you have an Intranet? What role do you play in maintaining it? How was it set up? Were there teams/focus groups? What challenges did you encounter when working on this project? What suggestions do you have for other librarians involved in this process?

We are researching ways to provide services and resources access to all eligible users regardless of their geographic location. We need to provide these services as FIDM enters the realm of distance learning. The challenges abound in determining electronic collections and services, in keeping up with the hardware, software, and connectivity issues, in assessing the staffing and budget requirements, etc. We plan to set up focus groups of various user population segments.

Does your organization have a website? What is your involvement in that? How is the information on the site coordinated, kept up to date, and where does it come from?

The URL for FIDM's web site is http://www.fidm.com. Our college established the web site in 1996 and I was directly involved in the initial planning, design, implementation, maintenance, and marketing phases. I worked closely with the Information Technology department to develop content for the site. The R&RC provided research, interviews, and text; we developed three of the current features on the site ... Kool Connections, the Global Fashion Calendar, and FIDM Style.

Today, we continue to provide the content for those three features. Our site is updated monthly. The site is administered by an onsite Internet Team of which the R&RC is a member.

Are queries from your web site directed to the library staff? What kinds of questions do you typically get from the web site?

Most of the queries that come to our web site are related to our college majors, admissions, and campus sites. We have a feature entitled "Dear Fashion Girl" where Internet users submit questions about fashion trends and fashion tips.

Do you get involved in training library clients on library services? The Internet? How does your staff get involved?

The R&RC staff has developed a series of Internet lectures that are provided to four distinct FIDM populations: students; faculty; staff; and administration. Currently about fifty classes are taught by the R&RC each quarter. Internet 101 is for someone who has never touched a computer. Internet 102 is for the user who has surfed occasionally. Advanced Internet Searching is for the serious researcher who wishes to refine his/her skills. Our e-mail class teaches our clientele how to set up their own free account, how to use different browsers, and the intricacies of sending and opening attachments.