Quantum² : InfoStars : Marlene Vogelsang

Marlene Vogelsang

The PG&E Pacific Energy Center's Marlene Vogelsang

At the Energy Resource Center (ERC) of the Pacific Energy Center (PEC), providing energy efficiency/sustainability/green design classes and training, consultations and information services to customers and building design professionals in Northern California, the library is managed by Marlene Vogelsang. She has been at the center since 1992 and has been a solo Resource Specialist since 1995.

Supplying information, research and support to the staff of the Pacific Energy Center, the Customer Energy Management Department at Pacific Gas and Electric Co., and to both residential and commercial customers, makes this information center unique in that Marlene supports both internal staff and external customers. To respond to the over 1500 requests received annually, she must rely on her webpage and her OPAC, the E-library. These channels provide customer access to the entire collection, but also to Marlene personally. She builds “special collections” of both print and electronic documents and weblinks to provide easy access to subject areas and resources. Additionally, she works closely with other departments within the company and the industry to catalog electronic documents in these “special collections” then builds webpages to provide more access to the resources. A current project is for the website is web-linked FAQ’s that offers answers to general questions.

When asked how her information services extend beyond the library, she enthusiastically explains, “Our department files energy efficiency programs (incentives and rebates) with the California Public Utilities Commission. When these programs are approved, we are able to offer them to our customers. The PG&E staff members use the research I provide to prepare work papers for the program filings. Ultimately, customers, both residential and commercial, use the information I provide to make more informed choices on building energy systems and energy use in their homes and buildings. This information helps them to save energy, save money AND help save the environment.”

Because Marlene is a solo librarian, she has become adept at thinking outside her own library, voicing that one of her goals is to partner with other energy centers, such as the San Diego Gas and Electric Energy Resource Center, to provide information services. Additionally, she understands the impact the internet has had on information technology in her organization, both negatively with the closing of the corporate library, due in part to the misbelief that “it is all online” and positively because the technology makes it possible to reach out to a much wider audience, as well as have near immediate access to information sources. However, the challenge is always to choose and use the right tool for a specific need and to be willing to admit when something is just not working. Another area of interest is expanding the Knowledge Services concept to develop ways to push OPAC functionality even further.

When asked about her involvement outside her organization, Marlene explains her deep commitment to SLA with activity in both her local chapter, the San Francisco Bay Region, where she served in a variety of roles including Chapter President, and now Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, as well as leadership in the Petroleum and Energy Resources Division, serving on the board in several capacities including Business Manager, Vendor Relations Chair, Secretary and currently as Division Chair.

She attributes her active involvement in SLA with influencing her career as an information professional. Marlene claims, “The leadership and management skills I learned with committee work prove invaluable in my day to day work.... I count my SLA experience the foundation for organizing, networking and managing efforts outside my own workgroup.”

Yet, when asked about her favorite part of being an information professional, Marlene turns to a less technical aspect of her job, the people, “I can’t begin to count how many friends are colleagues, information professionals and vendors,” and to the bigger picture of what she does, “I am really glad that what I do, the information I provide, can influence decisions that will reduce energy use, which lowers GHG emissions and helps to us to walk more softly on this earth.”

Beyond work, Marlene declares she loves baseball and spending time with her friends and “...when those two happen together, I am really happy!”