Judith Tapiero
Library consultant/owner
The Organized Library, Baltimore
Salary --$80,000
Age --63
Years on the job --20
How she got started --Tapiero holds a master's degree in library science from Rutgers University. She began her career as a librarian 30 years ago in New Jersey. Eventually her work transitioned into starting and setting up libraries for corporations, then staying on to run them. The last place she worked was in the library of a 24-hour financial services firm in New York. When it was time for a job change, she decided to start a business in 1988 as a library consultant. She moved to Baltimore four years ago and brought along her business. "The kind of work I do, it doesn't really matter where I am. I go to the clients. All I need is my computer and my telephone."
Typical job --"It depends on why they need me," said Tapiero, who averages about five clients a year. "What I have evolved to be doing is mostly strategic. If I'm called in, there's something that's not working."
As a consultant, Tapiero focuses on revamping libraries and information centers for organizations or businesses. A job starts with Tapiero finding out how the library works, what the needs are and what problems exist. From there, she writes a detailed report that includes what she found, recommendations and a timetable.
Tapiero said she usually is hired to implement the plan. Sometimes her work involves only personnel issues, while other times it could be as complex as overhauling the operation. She is also called in to start libraries, to combine libraries if companies or organizations are merging, and to build personal collections.
Technology --A combination of published and online materials is crucial to any library, she says. "But not everything is online. The Internet is just one tool in the tool box."
A good library --"One that serves the functions of the organization it's in."
Clients --American Association of Advertising Agencies, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, American Council for the Arts and the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Most interesting job --The United States Golf Association. "They have the largest collection on golf in the world. They really had the coolest stuff." The library is housed in a museum with items such as the golf club used on the moon by astronaut Alan Shepard.
The good --Seeing the finished product.
The bad --Prying away company documents and materials to be used in the library from employees who don't want to part with them.
Philosophy on the job --"To save the libraries. There are so many libraries that go under. I can't save them all. But if I can make them better, that's really what I'm about."