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The Park Library Staff consists of one full-time professional (Barbara Semonche, Library Director) and four to five part-time journalism/mass communication graduates and undergrad students as well as UNC-CH SILS graduate students.

Barbara Semonche's professional vita.
Barbara Semonche's speeches and presentations.

Barbara P. Semonche, for 13 years the Durham, NC Herald-Sun news research librarian, became the Librarian for the UNC-CH School of Journalism and Mass Communication in January 1990. In July 1999 she moved the collection into the expanded, state-of-the-art Park Library in Carroll Hall. She has recently taught a course in computer-assisted reporting and research, Database Journalism, which guided students through information storage and retrieval systems such as commercial online databases, Internet navigation, and construction of World Wide Web sites. She is also a frequent class speaker and cybercoach for Internet and WWW training sessions for students, faculty and international media scholars.

Semonche was the list administrator of NewsLib, an international mailing list she launched in 1993. By the time she relinquished this responsibility in 2006, the subscribers to NewsLib numbered nearly 1,200 news librarians, journalism educators, library science students, reporters, and media researchers from 30 countries. Semonche also launched and maintained NC/SLA chapter's list and web site from 1993 to 2001. In 2000, she is launched an electronic discussion list and web site for SLA-FELLOWS, a group of distinguished leaders of the Special Libraries Association.

Semonche earned a MA degree in 1967 from UNC-CH School of Education. In 1976, she earned a MLS degree from UNC-CH's School of Information and Library Science. In 1986, she served as President of the Alumni Association of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science. Born and raised in Iowa, she has resided in North Carolina since 1962 .

Semonche is active in professional associations such as the Special Libraries Association. Semonche served as chairman of SLA's News Division in 1984 and as its Bulletin Editor from 1984-86. She was the 1993-94 president of the North Carolina Chapter of SLA.

In 1996 she was the recipient of North Carolina Chapter of Special Libraries Association's Meritorious Achievement Award for distinguished service. She was honored in 1991 with the News Division's Agnes Henebry Award.

In 1995 she was elected a Fellow of the Special Libraries Association and was presented with the News Division's meritorious achievement honor, the Joseph F. Kwapil Award.

In May 1998, Semonche was named the Distinguished Alumna of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science.

In 2000 Semonche won SLA's Rose Vormelker's Mentoring Award.

In August of 2001, Semonche was presented with the Eleanor Blum Research Award at the Association for Journalism and Mass Communication Educators' (AEJMC) annual conference in Washington, DC.

In June 2002, Semonche was honored with the SLA "President's Award" at the annual SLA conference in Los Angeles. 

In June 2004, she received SLA's John Cotton Dana Award at the annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The award, named in honor of the founder of SLA, is conferred upon a member for exceptional service in special librarianship, longstanding contributions and lifetime achievements in his/her career as information professional. 

In June 2007, Semonche received the David Rhydwen Award for Outstanding Scholarly Contributions to the Field of News Librarianship. 

Mrs. Semonche is author of several articles on news librarianship and is the editor of the 1993 Greenwood Press book titled NEWS MEDIA LIBRARIES: A Management Handbook. Library consultation activities have taken her to a half-dozen newspaper and journalism libraries in the South and West. She has toured over 40 special libraries in the United States, Canada and Europe.

In 1996 Semonche was awarded The Freedom Forum/Special Libraries Association Fellowship to travel to Romania and Poland to offer Internet and WWW training to librarians in those countries. She created web sites for The Freedom Forum International Libraries in Romania and in Poland.

In Spring 2001, Semonche was in Budapest, Hungary where she offered Internet tutorials to media archivists at The Freedom Forum's news library at the Center for Independent Journalism. During her time in Europe, Semonche also made presentations on the evolution of news librarian roles and toured media archives in Amsterdam, Netherlands and Copenhagen Denmark.

In July 2004, Semonche was selected as a Knight Journalism Fellow to attend a global seminar, "Librarians in the 21 Century," scheduled for October 2004 in Salzburg, Austria. [Photos]

The Chapel Hill Herald published in its Dec. 18, 2008 issue an article (with photo) about Barbara Semonche's forthcoming retirement. 

The UNC Journalist has published several articles about Mrs. Semonche and the JoMC library. Consult the following issues:

1. Summer 1990: 10-11. "Semonche says fourth career best so far," by Carole Caldwell (with photo)
   
2. Fall 1994: 4. "School library is the resource behind the resources," by Alanna Signon (with photo)
   
3. Summer 1995: 14-15. "Exploring the School's role in the Information Explosion," by Nancy Fonti (with photo)
   
4. Spring 1997: 6. "Semonche shares technology know-how with news librarians in Eastern Europe," by April Johnson (with photo)
   
5. Fall 1999: 16. "Park Library Deemed School's Showcase," by Sherisse Steward.
   
6. Fall 2000: Cover photo in the School's new publication, "Carolina Communicator."
   
7. Spring 2003. Article titled, "Semonche's knowledge, experience support School's mission of research, education," by JoMC student Tess Hussey. Color photo.
   
8. Spring 2004, page 12. Article titled, "Semonche to receive Special Libraries Association award." By Juanita Covert. Color photo.
   
9. Winter 2005, page 13. "Semonche meets with librarians from around the globe." With two color photos.  

OTHER PUBLISHED ARTICLES ABOUT SEMONCHE:

1. UNC-CH School of Information and Library Science: Information and Library Science @ Newsletter, Spring 2004, page 12.  "Librarian helps make headlines by casting large nets." By Jena Wittkamp. (Photo by Catherine Lazorko; illustration)

Semonche's office phone is 919/843-8300. Last updated February 2009