Reva Basch
email: reva@well.com
Summary of Skills and
Experience:
• Consulting to the
information industry on product design, marketing, training and other issues
• Writing and editing books,
journal articles, research reports, technical documentation and marketing
literature
• Computer-based research in
all subject areas
Employment History:
July 1986 - present:
President, Aubergine Information Services, Berkeley and The Sea Ranch, CA
Consulting
to the online information industry. Writing and editing. Training in online
search techniques. Online searching in business, technology, medicine and other
subject areas. Data analysis and report preparation.
June - July 1988: Online
search consultant. Wells Fargo Bank, San Francisco, CA
Online searching in a high-volume, rapid turnaround
corporate environment.
July 1986 - June 1988:
Software Designer, Mead Data Central, Personal Computer Systems Group, Menlo
Park, CA
Designed
user interface software for searching Nexis/Lexis online service via personal
computer.
April 1981 - July 1986:
Information on Demand, Berkeley, CA
Vice President & Director of Research (October 1985 -
July 1986)
Director of Research (December 1983 - July 1986)
Assistant Director of Research (April 1982 - December
1983)
Research Associate (April 1981 - April 1982)
Administered
research department of for-profit custom information service. Supervised
professional staff.
Conducted
and supervised secondary research projects on a wide variety of technical and
business-related topics. Searched 14 online services. Wrote and edited research
reports. Edited client newsletter.
February - August 1981:
Consultant, Micro Courseware Corp., San Francisco, CA
Designed and wrote user manuals for Apple II-based
educational software products.
April 1980 - April 1981:
Technical Librarian, NuTech, San Jose, CA
Planned
and developed corporate library for startup engineering consulting firm in
electric utility market. Conducted computer-based and manual research. Edited
engineering staff reports for client and regulatory commission presentations.
September 1973 -
February 1979: Technical Information Specialist, Gilbert Associates, Inc.,
Reading, PA
Coordinated
all phases of library operations for the Utilities Division of a 3000-employee
engineering firm. Supervised professional (4) and non-professional (6) staff.
Developed information center procedures manual. Produced monthly newsletter.
August 1971 - July 1972: Head
Librarian, Cogswell College, San Francisco, CA
Organized
and maintained technical library in support of engineering technology
curriculum.
Education:
University of Pittsburgh,
1965 - 1966
University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, 1966 - 1969: BA, English Literature, summa cum laude. Phi
Beta Kappa
University of California,
Berkeley, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, 1970 - 1971:
Master of Library Science (MLS)
Professional Activities,
Affiliations and Honors:
Writing
and Editing:
"Reva’s (W)rap"
Columnist, Online (1998-2000)
Travel columnist, eBay
Magazine (1999-2000)
Contributing Editor, The Information Advisor (1989-1998)
"Critic’s
Corner" Columnist, Cyberskeptic’s Guide to Internet Research (1998)
News Editor, Online, Database and Online
User (1996-1997)
"Compleat Searcher"
Columnist, Online
User (1995-1997)
"Cybernaut"
Columnist, Computer
Life (1995-1997)
See under Publications for
books, articles, etc.
Memberships:
Association of Independent
Information Professionals (President, 1991-92)
Special Libraries Association
(Former; Program Chair, San Francisco Bay Region Chapter, 1993-94; Fundraising
Chair, 1991-92)
Association of Information
& Dissemination Centers (Former; Director at Large, 1995-97)
Information Bay Area
(Defunct; Co-founder)
Southern California Online
Users Group
Awards:
UMI/Data Courier Award for
best paper published in an Online, Inc. journal, 1990.
Dun & Bradstreet Online
Champion Award, 1993
Publications by Reva Basch (Partial List)
Books:
Executive Editor, Super
Searcher book series. 12 titles in print. Information Today, Inc.
Researching Online For
Dummies, 2nd ed., with Mary Ellen Bates. IDG Books/Dummies Press, 2000.
Researching Online For
Dummies. IDG Books/Dummies Press, 1998.
Secrets of the Super Net
Searchers. Wilton, CT, Pemberton Press, 1996.
Electronic Information
Delivery: Ensuring quality and value. Aldershot, UK, Gower Publishing Ltd.,
1995.
Secrets of the Super
Searchers. Wilton, CT, Pemberton Press, 1993.
Book Chapters:
"An independent
information professional," Chapter 30 in Sellen, Betty-Carol, What Else
You Can Do With a Library Degree," Neal-Schuman, 1997.
"A visit to The
WELL," Chapter 6, and "Seek and Ye Shall Find," Chapter 10, in
Kane, Pamela, ed., The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Electronic Highway. Holt:MIS
Press, 1994.
Articles:
"Timeline to the
Future." Searcher, millennium edition, January 2000, pp. 80-83.
"Information Online
--Value in the Eye of the Beholder." Information Highways, December
1999-January 2000, pp. 15-16.
"High AJeevers:
Valet-added Searching from Ask Jeeves." Database, June-July 1999, pp.
28-34.
"Bridging the Browser
Gap: Lexis-Nexis Universe." Online, March-April 1999, pp. 49-56.
"Big Picture: The Storm
before the Calm." Information Highways, August-September 1998, pp. 14-15.
"DIALing for dollars:
Dialog’s New Pricing Structure and the DialUnit Debacle." Online,
September 1998, pp. 34-54.
"Chaos, Copyright, and
Caffeine: The 1998 National Online Meeting." Searcher, July 1998, pp.
52-56.
"Re-tooling the
information professional," Searcher, April 1997, pp. 6-10.
"Proactive marketing:
Helping technologies emerge," Searcher, April 1997, pp. 50-51.
"Legends of the
Net," Link-Up, March-April 1997, p. 16.
"The electronic
porchstep: Getting your news online," pp. 138-141; "Magazines and
e-zines: Online publications offer more than their print counterparts,"
pp. 142-145. PC Novice Learning Series: America Online, Spring 1997.
"The Compleat Searcher:
Mark my words: Scoping out trademarks online," Online User, March-April
1997, pp. 53-55.
"The Compleat Searcher:
Business site location: Think global, search local," Online User, Jan-Feb
1997, pp. 48-49.
"The future of
information publishing: a cybrarian reflects," IRIS Universe (Silicon
Graphics), No. 38, Winter 1996-97, pp. 55-60. [edited entire issue]
"A business
professional's guide to effective research on the World Wide Web,"
Information Access Company White Paper, Nov 1996.
"The Compleat Searcher:
Sales development: Using online to prospect and profit," Online User,
Nov-Dec 1996, pp. 56-57.
"IBM infoSage,"
Link-Up, Nov-Dec 1996, pp. 17-18.
"How email changed
everything," San Francisco Focus, Nov 1996, pp. 59 - [cover story;
co-edited section]; "I love it," p. 60.
"Career networking
online," New Age Journal, Oct 1996, pp. 123-125.
"The Compleat Searcher:
All the news and nothing but the news," Online User, Sept-Oct 1996, pp.
56-57.
"Find anything on the
Web," Computer Life, Sept 1996, pp. 61-77.
"The Compleat Searcher:
Company Financials: Checking the numbers online," Online User, July-August
1996, pp. 43-44.
"Strictly business: the
AT&T Business Network," Link-Up, July-Aug 1996, pp. 6-7.
"The Compleat Searcher:
A strategy for market research online," Online User, May-June 1996, pp.
42-43.
"Campaign '96 on the
Net," Link-Up, May-June 1996, pp. 28-29.
"ProQuest Direct:
Document delivery (with images) to the desktop," Online, March-April 1996,
pp. 38-44.
"The Compleat Searcher:
Angling for answers," Online User, March-April 1996, pp. 42-43.
"Super Searching on the
Net," CyberSkeptic's Guide to Internet Research, Feb 1996, p. 5.
"Dun &
Bradstreet," Link-Up, Jan-Feb 1996, p. 10
"UMI," Link-Up,
Jan-Feb 1996, pp. 16-17.
"Internet research:
Above, beyond and beneath the Web," PC Novice Guide to the Internet, 1996,
pp. 143-146.
"What's online: A
trekker's guide to the online universe," Online User, Vol. 1, No. 1,
Oct-Nov 1995, pp. 16-21.
"The changing landscape
of online information delivery," Nordic Journal of Documentation, 50
(1995) 4, pp. 87-97.
"UnCover," Link-Up,
Nov-Dec 1995, pp. 12-13.
"Tools for finding
information on the Net," ComputerPages, Oct 1-15, 1995, pp. 4-5.
"Individual, Inc.,"
Link-Up, Sept-Oct 1995, pp. 6-7.
"Find anything
online," Computer Life, Sept 1995, pp. 115-123.
"Sociological
Abstracts," Link-Up, July-Aug 1995, p. 12.
"Interchange Online
Network," Link-Up, May-June 1995, pp. 8-9.
"The tip of the
priceberg: titanic changes in online pricing," Information Highways, Vol.
2, No. 4, April 1995, pp. 7-11.
"Icon cities, net
spiders, and the future of information publishing," FID News Bulletin, V.
45, No. 4, April 1995, pp. 128-135.
"The marriage of fax and
online," Online, Jan-Feb 1995, pp. 13-21.
"Speciality online
services" (4-part article), PC Novice Guide to Going Online, Vol. 3, No.
5, 1995, pp. 104-111.
"Annual review of
database developments: 1994," Database, Dec. 1994, pp. 14-16.
"The 24-hour
library," Searcher, Sept. 1994, pp. 34-39.
"The "new"
NEXIS: Major remodeling or redecoration?" Online, Sept./Oct. 1994, pp.
54-60.
"Dialog's new ERA,"
Online, May 1994, pp. 65-68.
"Annual review of
database developments: 1993," Database, Dec 1993, pp. 29-41.
"IIA meets SCOUG: Sunny
showdown in Santa Barbara," Database Searcher, Nov-Dec 1992, pp. 12-16.
"Sex, lies and politics:
The opposition research wars," Information Today, Oct 1992, pp. 17-18.
"Gale directories: A
steer in the right direction," Link-Up, July-August 1992, pp. 12-
"The seven deadly sins
of online services," Online, July 1992, pp. 22-25.
"Cost-effective
searching for tight economic times," Information Today, June 1992, pp.
44-46.
"A day in the life of an
electronic cottager," Link-Up, May/June 1992, pp. 28-29.
"Trends in information
broking: a view from the United States," ASLIB Information, Feb. 1992, pp.
62-64.
"Information brokers as
consultants: semantics and the bottom line," Information Today, Jan. 1992,
pp. 9-11.
"Dialog menus: Is it
worth the detour?" Online, January 1992, pp. 26-35.
"Living on the
Net," Artpaper, December 1991.
"Online and offline
communications in a growing organization: the case of AIIP," Infomediary,
v. 5 (1991), pp. 153-159.
"The user wish list
& system software for the '90s: How far so far?" Online, November
1991, pp. 42-47.
"Annual review of
database developments," Database, October 1991, pp. 13-19.
"Maxwell Online unites
diverse online services," Link-Up, Sept.-Oct. 1991. pp. 14-.
"Dedicated to doggedly
determined database delving: Database directories and database directory
databases," Database, August 1991, pp. 50-58.
"Books online: Visions,
plans and perspectives for electronic text," Online, July 1991, pp. 13-23.
"Dialog blends
innovation with tradition," Link-Up, May-June 1991, pp. 20-.
"My most difficult
search," Database, June 1991, pp. 65-67.
"The best places to live
online," Online, May 1991, pp. 38-40.
"In-person conferences
help the online user," Link-Up, March-April 1991, pp. 7-.
"The secret world of SF=
" Database, February 1991, pp. 13-18.
"Measuring the quality
of the data: Report on the fourth annual SCOUG retreat," Database
Searcher, Oct. 1990, pp. 18-23.
"Getting the big
picture: McGraw-Hill Publications Online," Link-Up, Sept.-Oct. 1990, pp.
24-25.
"PROMT access to
business research," Link-Up, July-August 1990, pp. 30-33.
"Databank software for
the 90s - and beyond," Online, March and May 1990.
"Read all about it
(newspaper searching online)," Link-Up, May-June 1990, pp. 14-16, 38.
"How do UK reporting
requirements differ?" Information Advisor, Vol. 2, No. 3, Dec. 1989, pp.
4-5.
"Database searching:
Beyond public records," The Legal Investigator, November 1989, pp. 22-23.
"The seven deadly sins
of full-text searching," Database, August 1989, pp. 15-23.
(Transl. and reprinted as
"Die sieben Todsnden der Volltextrecherche," Nachr. Dok. 41, 1990,
pp. 229-235)
"Finding foreign firms:
A survey of international company directories," Database, April 1989, pp.
13-25.
"The electronic client:
User expectations and searcher responsibilities," National Online Meeting,
Proc., May 1986
"Data-base and online
system usage in a for-profit general research environment," Information
Services and Use, 5, 1985, pp. 305-311.
"For electronic
cottages: Kudos and caveats," Technicalities, vol. 4, no. 5, May 1984, pp.
10-11.
"Telecom primer,"
Information Today, vol. 1, no. 3, March 1984, pp. 14-15.
Presentations by Reva Basch (Partial List)
“Delusions of Adequacy? Super
Searchers versus the Net,” Internet Librarian, Palm Springs, CA, November 4,
2002.
“Measuring our Research
Skills in the Internet Age.” Keynote, IP Lezing, Amsterdam, Netherlands,
October 3, 2002.
“State of the Union: Internet
Everywhere.” Keynote, Special Libraries Assn. Maryland Chapter Technology Day,
Washington, DC, September 25, 2002.
"What a Difference a
Year Makes: From Hype to Hard Reality on the Web." Keynote address,
WebSearch University, San Francisco, Stamford, CT, Washington, DC, Chicago,
Dallas, 2002.
"Will the Internet
Last?" Silicon Coast Computer Group, April 26, 2001.
"Search Strategies for
the Serious Researcher: Back to Basics." Online World, San Diego, CA,
September 18-20, 2000.
"The New Web
Order." Special Libraries Association Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA,
June 12, 2000.
"The Internet and the
Future of Reference Librarians." North Suburban (IL) Library System, May
19, 2000.
"The New Information
Landscape: Researchers at the millennium." Society of Competitive
Intelligence Professionals, Atlanta, GA, March 30, 2000.
"The State of the Online
Union '99: Intelligent Life on the Web?" Texas Information Professionals
Meeting, Dallas, TX, November 12, 1999.
"Content + Commerce +
Community: Rediscovering the Human Element Online." Internet Librarian
'99, San Diego, CA, November 9, 1999.
"Information Quality and
the Web: An Oxymoron?" Online World, Chicago, IL, October 26, 1999.
"The New Web Order: The
changing shape of the information environment." Special Libraries Assn.
Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN, June 8, 1999.
"The Evolution of the
Web as an Online Research Environment," NYlink Reference Conference, New
York, NY, June 4, 1999.
"When It's Good, It's
Very, Very Good...Social Engineering and the Human Dynamics of Community."
VirComm '99, San Francisco, April 26, 1999.
"The Storm Before the
Calm," Keynote, Canadian Online Information Summit, Toronto, March 30,
1999.
"The State of the Online
Union '99: Intelligent life on the Web?" Special Libraries Assn. Maryland
Chapter Technology Day, College Park, MD, March 25, 1999.
"Online research and the
Web: Order out of chaos?" Keynote, Online Northwest '99, Portland, OR,
Feb. 12, 1999.
"From Super Searchers to
Dummies: The online research environment continues to evolve," Internet
Librarian '98, Monterey, CA, November 4, 1998.
"Search engines, the
Web, and the future of the online industry," Research Triangle Institute,
NC, September 17,1998.
"Searching on the Net:
Today, tomorrow and next year," Pennsylvania School Librarians Association
25th Annual Conference, Hershey, PA, May 2, 1998.
Opening address, VirComm: The
Management Conference on Business-based Virtual Communities, Orlando, FL,
February 3, 1998.
"Secrets of Super Net
Searchers," Internet Librarian ‘97, Monterey, CA, November 18, 1997.
"The Internet: It’s here
and it’s hot!" 1997 AICPA Advanced Litigation Services Conference, Las
Vegas, NV, October 15, 1997.
"The future of the Web
for information professionals," Keynote address, Southern California
Online Users Group, 4 April 1997.
"Super searchers at the
millennium," Keynote address, Australasian Online and On Disc Conference,
Sydney, Australia, 2 February 1995.
"Online searching for
competitive advantage: How to do it for best results at least cost," Open
Source Solutions, Washington, DC, 10 November
1994.
"Gaps and gaffes: Issues
in database quality control," Computers in Libraries, Toronto, Ontario,
Canada, 22 Sept. 1993.
"Cost-effective online
searching," Computers in Libraries, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 21 September
1993.
"The future of the
information professional," Library College, Boras, Sweden, 4 May 1993.
"Online services in the
'90s," MIC User Meeting, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, 5 May
1993.
"Electronic cottaging,"
Librarians Association Annual Meeting, Ronneby, Sweden, 7 May 1993.
"An online searcher
looks at CD-ROM," Special Libraries Association Annual Meeting, San
Francisco, 10 June 1992.
"An end-user's view of
progress in the information industry," National Federation of Abstracting
& Indexing Societies (NFAIS) Annual Conference, Philadelphia, 24-27
February 1992.
"Biographical sources
for competitive intelligence," Online/CD-ROM '91, San Francisco, November
1991.
"Computer conferencing
for information professionals," Canada Online, November 1991.
"Electronic texts on the
Internet," California Association of Research Libraries, St. Mary's
College, Moraga, CA, October 1991.
"Quick tips for
post-processing search results," Special Libraries Assn. San Andreas
Chapter, Sept. 24, 1991.
"Finding our voice: the
user 'wish list' and the building of a searcher community," Online
Information 90, London, England, 11-13 December 1990.
"Fixing the future: The
user wish list," Keynote speech, Canada Online, November 26-28, 1990
(reprinted in Database Canada, December 1990)
"The Times it is a
changin': Searching newspapers online," Online/CD-ROM '90, Washington, DC,
6 November 1990.
"Full-text searching:
Strategies for success," Databases in Schools Conference, Washington, DC,
November 1990.
"Database reliability:
the black box," National Online Meeting, New York, NY, 1-3 May 1990.
"Full-text searching:
the seven deadly sins and how to avoid them," Online '89, Chicago, IL, 7-9
November 1989.
"Champagne products for
beer markets?" ASIDIC (Association of Information and Dissemination
Centers) Fall Meeting, Oakland, CA, 18-20 September 1988.
"Online research for
private investigators," Investigators Online Network, Phoenix, AZ, 4-5
March 1988.
"The electronic
client," National Online Meeting, New York, NY, 6-8 May 1986.
"Users speak out,"
ASIDIC, 1985 Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, 29 September - 1 October 1985.
"Reaching out with
computers," to American Institute of Architects, San Francisco Chapter,
Computer Applications in Architecture seminar, October 1984.