Database producer opening, Chicago

Company: Chicago Tribune Interactive
Job Title: Database Producer
Description: Chicago Tribune Interactive is looking for someone with a great nose for data and a knack for helping present that data to online users in compelling, innovative ways. This person should be a hybrid journalist-techie -- at home in both worlds and ready to lead its online database efforts.

The ideal candidate will have a record of innovation in online media and a proven ability to execute complex editorial database projects. This is not exclusively a programming position, but it will likely require a great deal of hands-on coding.

The position requires excellent communication and team skills, and a flair for explaining complex concepts and procedures to others in clear and compelling ways.

Duties:

-- Oversee development of useful public interfaces to local data collected by Tribune journalists and third parties. Key content areas include real estate, crime, education and sports.

-- Imagine novel ways for users to interact with information and, where appropriate, contribute to and edit information.

-- Work with the newspaper's database experts, Web editorial staff and product-development teams to plan and execute online database projects

Qualifications:

-- 2-4 years experience with database programming, preferably in a media environment

-- Bachelor's degree in computer science or related technical degree preferred

-- HTML/ DHTML/CSS

-- SQL/MySQL

-- PHP/Perl/Python

-- Web Scraping

-- Basic knowledge of Flash

Additional (nice but not required):

-- JavaScript/XML/AJAX

-- PostGreSQL

-- WEB Frameworks (Django or Ruby on Rails)

-- Google Maps/Yahoo! Maps API


If you are interested in applying, or know someone who would be a great candidate for this position, please direct resumes and cover letters to Ben Estes at bestes@tribune.com.

Student Stipend Applications Sought: $1500 to attend SLA. Deadline: Wed., 4/16

Hey LIS graduate students and recent grads interested in news librarianship: want $1500 to help fund your first trip to the Special Libraries Association Annual Conference? We members of the Vormelker-Thomas Student Stipend Award Committee eagerly await your applications! Complete application instructions are at: http://www.ibiblio.org/slanews/about/vormelker2008.htm.

Selection Criteria:

1. Applicants must be members of the Special Libraries Association when they apply for the stipend.
   
2. Applicants must be attending their first SLA conference.
   
3. Applicants must be graduate students or December 2007 graduates interested in a career in news librarianship.
   
4. Applications must include:
   
   
   • a word-processed essay (500-1,000 words) addressing an issue in news librarianship
     
   • a letter of reference from a news librarian, a news editor, or a faculty member
     
   • a resume
     
   • a list of course work undertaken
     
   • a statement of professional goals
     
   • a statement of what the applicant expects to gain from attending the conference
     
   
   
5. Applications must be e-mailed no later than Wednesday, April 16 at 5 p.m.
   

Yes, it seems like applying for the award is a lot of work, but it's worth it. The money really helps defray the cost of the conference and the award looks pretty on a resume. Few people apply, so your chances of winning are very good. Past winners include a lot of folks who go on to do great things for news librarianship.