The librarian is: BLOGGING | Journalism Library, Columbia University

The Journalism Library Blog has MOVED! This site is no longer being updated as of July 2009. Come find us at our new location:

https://blogs.cul.columbia.edu/journalism

See you there!

What’s happening at our local Morningside Heights branch of the New York Public Library? Check out their main page for events, hours, and a link to sign up for the NYPL newsletter - http://www.nypl.org/branch/local/man/cl.cfm

Where can you find transcripts of City Council proceedings? Go to the Office of the City Clerk; transcripts are available for a fee.

The Empire Center for New York State Policy now provides a database tool through the SeeThroughNY network where you can look up salary information for New York City Government, State Government, and Public Authority payrolls.

Click on SeeThroughNY to use the tool; database is searchable by name Title, Branch or Entity, Agency and Subagency. Data can also be exported to Excel.

The Journalism School along with the Center for New Media Teaching and Learning created an amazing new reporting resource for RW1 students - an electronic map of New York City that allows students to view census data by neighborhood, election district, etc. To use this resource, and for more information on how to use it, follow the link below (authentication required) -

http://jour6001-000-2008-3.wikispaces.columbia.edu/

Those who have used the Gotham Gazette as a resource for neighborhood reporting may be interested to know that they have a fundraiser going on. While those who donate $250 or more will receive a gift in recognition, isn’t the Gotham Gazette site just a gift in itself? See if you can’t manage a donation of any amount… after all, $10 gets you coffee at Starbucks for a couple of days, but Starbucks doesn’t have the latest NYC campaigns and elections info, or Community Gazettes, or great coverage of immigrants in New York.

The Village Voice has mounted a special 50th Anniversary website. Visit it to view a timeline of the paper, 50 years of covers, features that span each decade, as well as commentary on the Voice’s history and development.

An indispensable part of getting to know your beat neighborhood is exploring its public library branch. Public libraries across the US draw local residents for events and group meetings, and in New York, branch libraries of the New York Public Library system (serving Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island), as well as branches of the Queens Borough Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library, often have collections which highlight the unique characteristics of the neighborhoods they serve. If you’re having trouble finding neighborhood newspapers, the local branch library is a good place to start your search.

Before setting out, use the links above to locate your beat’s branch library and most importantly, check its hours of operation! To explore the branch library catalogs, here are some useful links:

LEOPAC is the catalog of the New York Public Library’s branch library system, which is not to be confused with the separate CATNYP catalog, which shows the holdings of NYPL’s Research Libraries. Keep in mind that to check out materials from the branch libraries, you will need a NYPL library card. Apply for one today! It’s a great benefit to take advantage of while you are living in New York City, and it even offers you access to online research databases which you’ll be able to use after graduating, when you no longer have access to Columbia’s resources.

Queens Library’s catalog can be searched from its main website, and Brooklyn Public Library’s catalog can be found here.

As you scour the city for your stories and come across the one that’s compelling enough to write for your Master’s project, here are some suggestions of places to do your research:

Finally, please don’t hesitate to email me for more guidance if you need it, or to set up an appointment for a research consultation - I am more than happy to help!

Looking for online NYC elections coverage and results? Try the Gotham Gazette Campaign 2005 site. It offers the transcripts of mayoral debates, a last-minute voter guide, spotlights on council races, and news from the campaign trail, and great links to government resources, organization websites, as well as political blogs. Starting at 9 p.m. on Tuesday 11/8, they’ll be posting results, too.

Some quick links to New York City election resources (also listed on Gotham Gazette) are:

• NYC Board of Elections
• NYC Campaign Finance Board (click “public disclosure” for a searchable database of contributions)