Quantum² : InfoStars : Marilyn Redmond

Marilyn Redmond

Check the Special Libraries Association member directory under the business name SEMATECH. You will be astonished at the number of library professionals employed there. In an era of libraries being perceived as more and more dispensable, why exactly are information specialists so highly valued by this Austin, Texas-based computer chip research consortium? In the Spring of 1995, OpenDialog contacted Marilyn Redmond, the manager of SEMATECH's Strategic Information function, to find out.

Charting Tereritory Early
SEMATECH was founded in 1987, a research consortium made up of fourteen semiconductor manufacturers and the U.S. Government. Described by the Washington Post (April 8, 1993) as "designed to boost U.S. competitiveness in the production of computer chips," SEMATECH's growth was astonishing. In April 1988, when the firm moved to Austin, there were 35 employees. By December, employment was more than 400.

Marilyn Redmond joined the firm in that explosive year. In retrospect, she realizes that it was advantageous to be hired early in the life of the firm. "We were able to establish systems and chart our territory from the very beginning. Today, people don't question the fact that the library is responsible for certain things because that's the way it's always been done. It's much easier to perpetuate a procedure than create or change one." However, this doesn't stop the library from constantly re-evaluating how things are done, questioning whether functions are being done in the most efficient way or if they need to be done at all.

From the beginning, Marilyn understood the vital role the library would pay, and set out to make sure that everyone else understood it, as well. "SEMATECH's product is information, so there has always been an understanding that information has value," she explains. "But I perceived library services as part of the main business of the company, not an add-on. We had the good fortune of landing on the operations, not the administration, side of the house," she says. "I've fought hard to maintain this. The reporting structure directly effects how you're perceived, whether you're considered a valuable contributor or overhead."

Going Beyond Searching to Add Value
As Manager of Strategic Information, Marilyn is responsible for the library, the records department and archives, and executive reference group. The executive reference group, two "and a half" people, is responsible for research, competitive analysis, speech and presentation preparation and synthesis and analysis for the CEO and the three people who report directly to him.

As the creation of this last group attests, the focus at SEMATECH is not just on conventional research, it's on adding value to search results. "Librarians have to move more and more into synthesis and analysis. We have to do up front work. People don't want documents, they want answers. We must either produce the definitive answer, or offer a report with a list of possible solutions. That's how we can add real value," she says. It's also how the profession will secure its future, she explains.

"Even in the best of times, we can't relax. People quickly forget what you did yesterday. We must continue to produce things of value, and have a vision of what information services will be in the future. We need to provide evaluations of emerging technologies so that our companies can be transformed into effective users of information tools."

Each of the 10 librarians has the title Information Analyst, although despite the progressive job titles, the library is called the "library," not the "information center." Redmond laughs, "No matter what I might call it, once we describe what we do, everybody says, 'Oh yeah, you're the library,' This is true just about everywhere. Why fight it?" Marilyn reserves her energy for more important battles. "We are successful in getting the message through that a library is more than books. That's what counts," she says.

The library is, indeed, a lot more. Marilyn is offering more "self-service" options to employees. There are eight CD-ROMs networked to every workstation in the building. Every workstation can also access the library's catalog online. Messages can be sent and research can be conducted 24 hours a day. The library is undertaking a number of other special projects, including setting up a "virtual library" on Netscape. Marilyn has created a SEMATECH home page that directs employees to information related to the business available through the Internet.

Acting As Connectors
"One of the many things we concentrate on is keeping people from re-inventing the wheel," says Marilyn. "Many researchers are on loan from member companies. Sometimes they only have a month or two, not enough time to take in what everyone else is doing. We try very hard to cross connect within the company, so that we can guide researchers to the other people who are working on similar projects. This saves everybody time and money." Making these internal connections is among the valuable services the library performs.

SEMATECH's rapid staff turnover provides an educational challenge to the library. Redmond and her staff must constantly communicate the mission of the library to the researchers. "This sort of visibility takes effort," says Marilyn. The library produces an electronic newsletter and ongoing training on a variety of information tools.

Maintaining visibility among a fluctuating staff is critical. "We regularly ask those we're searching for to give credit to the library if we produce a good result. Fortunately, SEMATECH has a culture of giving recognition, and people are very willing to let their bosses or colleagues know that the library has helped," she says. This visibility sometimes comes in very handy. "One employee was on a one-year contract. The time came to renew, and I didn't have the money in my budget. I went to three directors that she had worked for. Each of them knew who she was, what she did, and the ways in which her work contributed." They quickly contributed the dollars that would allow her contract to be renewed."

Promoting Services Effectively
Marilyn and her colleagues promote their services incessantly and stay open to new and unusual service opportunities. "We operate on the theory that librarians can do anything. For example, we took over the task of circulating laptop computers when our Systems Department wanted to get out of that business. And we got into beta testing of software. It just seemed a natural outgrowth of bringing together the best practices," she says. Today, no one questions when Marilyn or her staff decide to attend tehnical conferences or training.

As for advice, Marilyn says, "Even in the best of times, we can't relax. People quickly forget what you did yesterday. We must continue to produce things of value, and have a vision of what information services will be in the future. We need to provide evaluations of emerging technologies so that our companies can be transformed into effective users of information tools." What she doesn't state, perhaps because it is too obvious, is that in the process, librarians and the information profession will be transformed, as well.