ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 136 / C&RL News Getting read y for C incinnati dining By Deborah Harmeling Library Director Athenaeum of Ohio A survey o f attitudes (or preferences) of academic librarians toward restaurants in the greater Cincinnati area. This article is a sum mary of a survey of dining preferences of librarians in the G reater Cincinnati area. This summary is designed to get your gastric juices ready for Cincinnati in 1989 and to comple­ ment the ACRL dining guide being prepared for your use at the April ACRL Convention. Bring it w ith you and be prepared to make hard decisions about food in Cincinnati! Background Since March 1988, a group of five academic li­ brarians (Deborah Harmeling, The Athenaeum of Ohio; Paula W arnken, Vicki Young, Xavier Uni­ versity; Emily Werrell, Northern Kentucky Uni­ versity; and Kathleen Tiller, University of Dayton) have been meeting at least monthly to prepare a dining guide for ACRL in Cincinnati. Co-workers report th at these five people seem to have devel­ oped an overwhelming compulsion to talk about food and restaurants. They undertook this difficult task (“Few cities of this size have a better mix of res­ taurants”1) w ithout benefit of expenditures to do extensive testing. Using their own experiences and formal and informal reviews, they hope to produce a dining guide th at will enable conference attend­ ees to choose among the many fine culinary experi- 1Lydia Chavez, “W hat’s doing in C incinnati,” N ew York Times, September 11, 1988, p.10. ences Cincinnati has to offer. But they were con­ cerned about the lack of empirical d ata to confirm th e ir choices. In a recen t su rv ey ,2 C in cin n ati ranked ninth in the nation for the num ber of res­ taurants listed in the Mobile Dining Guide (45 res­ taurants and a total of 106 stars). W ith th at type of d ata available, the committee thought it would be advantageous for visiting librarians to know where their local colleagues go to feed the body in Cincin­ nati. This article is a summary of a survey under­ taken among academic librarians in the G reater C incinnati area, and the committee recommends th at its data be used in conjunction w ith the ACRL Conference Dining Guide which will be available at the Convention. Methodology The survey committee sent out 165 surveys to li­ brarians and staff members in 13 academ ic li­ braries on both sides of the Ohio River; 42 surveys were returned. To provide the survey w ith statisti­ cal validity and to make it more complicated, re­ spondents w ere asked to classify themselves as m embers of adm inistration, public services, or technical services. We hoped to be able to provide readers w ith information about the preferences of 2L in d a P ark er, “ C in c in n a ti ranks high for taste,” Cincinnati Post, January 14, 1988, p.lA . February 1989 / 137 librarians in each of these categories. Respondents were asked to indicate their favorite restaurants or dining places in 19 categories. Three categories had sub-categories. Respondents were given the oppor­ tunity to comment on their choices. Not every re­ spondent answered every question, and one re­ tu rn ed a survey w ith “none” w ritte n in every category! His comment indicated th at he didn’t get out much, and we hope th at if you run into him at the convention, you’ll invite him to go out to dinner w ith you. Results C ontrary to our expectations, it was difficult to draw any clear-cut conclusions about the prefer­ ences of librarians according to types of jobs—e. g ., library administrators, technical services, public services. Frankly, we had expected library adm in­ istrators to gravitate tow ard the classier, higher- priced restaurants; public services librarians to flock tow ard the brightly lit, flashy, trendy estab­ lishments; and technical services librarians to pre­ fer the quiet, out-of-the-way places. One library adm inistrator recommended Covington Chili in dow ntow n Covington w ith the glowing recom­ m endation th a t it has “booths, individual juke boxes, Cokes in bottles, ‘real’ ham burgers, and waitresses th at never w rite your order dow n.” Two public services librarians praised the elegant, ex­ pensive N ewport Beach, the newest Comisar gift to palates in the G reater Cincinnati area, and the equally elegant Celestial w ith its super view of the city. And a technical services librarian raved about the Blue W isp’s great jazz band on Wednesdays at 10:00 p .m .! So do stereotypes bite the dust! T he 42 respondents m entioned 162 eateries; m any w ere found in m ultiple categories. The G rand Finale was the grand winner, mentioned 35 times! It was especially recommended for dessert and Sunday brunch. G raeter’s Ice Cream Parlors came in second, mentioned 25 times. The Maiso­ nette was counted as a favorite 19 times, followed by the Celestial w ith a score of 18, Skyline Chili 14, Crockett’s 13, the Precinct 11, and Mike Fink’s 10. An eclectic bunch, these librarians! See the accom­ panying Cincinnati quiche chart for a graphic rep­ resentation of these statistics. W ith 162 favorites, it is impossible to mention all of them in this short article. Members of the com­ mittee will be available at the convention w ith a listing should anyone wish to do a further study of these librarians’ preferences. For the purpose of this article we will just present the high favorites in each category. F a v o rite r e s ta u r a n t fo r fan cy or special occasions—dow ntow n: The Mobile G uide five- starred Maisonette was the high favorite in this cat­ egory, followed by the Mobile Guide four-starred Pigall’s. Orchids at the Palm Court located in the Omni Netherland Plaza Hotel was the third favor­ ite. Be prepared to spend time and money at all three. The Maisonette and Pigall’s feature fine French food; Orchids specializes in contemporary American cuisine. F a v o rite r e s ta u r a n t fo r fan cy o r special occasions—not downtown: The G rand Finale and the Golden Lam b tied for first place in this cate­ gory, followed by Heritage and Montgomery Inn. You will need a car to get to any of these places. The G rand Finale is known for crepes and desserts, the Golden Lam b for its historical atmosphere and traditional style food, the Heritage for its use of fresh herbs and Cajun, Southwestern, and regional American specialties, and the Montgomery Inn for sweet, moist barbecued ribs. F avorite all aro u n d re s ta u ra n t—dow ntow n: Arnold’s Bar and Grill was the most popular, fol­ lowed by Mullane’s Parkside Cafe and the Diner on Sycamore. Arnold’s combines an historical tavern with up-to-date, lively food and a social ambience. Mullane’s features interesting food (many vegetar­ ian entrees) at low prices w ith little ambience. The Diner on Sycamore is a transported 1950s diner blended w ith 1980s high tech and an extroverted menu and ambience. Favorite all around restaurant—not downtown: The G rand Finale was again the highest favored, followed by Germano’s, L enhardt’s, and Coach and Four. Germano’s (about 15 miles from down­ town) is a favorite of one of the committee mem­ bers. L enhardt’s specializes in German and H un­ garian cuisines (its potato pancakes are legendary). The Coach and Four (across the river in Covin­ gton, Kentucky) offers a cozy, comfortable atm o­ sphere w ith imaginative entrees. Favorite river restaurant: Mike Fink’s was the favorite, followed closely by Crockett’s and The W aterfront. Mike Fink’s is operated by the Bern­ steins, a family th at has contributed much to Cin­ cinnati’s fine dining. C rockett’s is actually two floating restaurants—the downstairs River Cafe is more formal and offers an American menu; the up­ stairs Crockett’s is more casual w ith a raw bar. The W aterfront is actually a complex th at houses a res­ taurant, a nightclub and an open air barge. All three establishments are on the Kentucky side of the river and offer a spectacular view of the city. Favorite restaurant w ith a view: The Celestial came in first, followed by the Quality Inn River­ view and the Sovereign. The Celestial w ith its view from the Eastern hills is elegant, w ith a French- American menu. The Quality Inn Riverview Re­ volving R estaurant offers a changing view from the Kentucky side of the river. The Sovereign (which has this w riter’s favorite view) perches on the west­ ern side of the city. You do pay for the view. Favorite restaurant for steaks: The Precinct was the top choice, followed by F & N Steakhouse and L a Normandie. A review of the Precinct in Cincin­ nati Magazine said, “If steak were a religion, this 138 / C&RL News Left: A rnold’s Bar & Grill on East 8th Street in D ow ntow n Cincinnati is a favorite eatery of Mary Ellen Rutledge Elsbernd, Local Arrangements Chair fo r A C R L ’s Fifth National Conference. February 1989 / 139 would be its cathedral.” F & N Steakhouse is lo­ cated on Rt. 8 in northern Kentucky along the river. Ask a native how to get there. L a Normandie (within walking distance of Convention Center) has as its motto “Dedicated to the Sheer Joy of E at­ ing & Drinking.” Favorite restaurant for seafood: J’s Fresh Sea­ food Restaurant, Dockside VI, Mike Fink’s, and Charley’s Oyster Bar & Grill. J’s is one of Cincin­ n a ti’s most p o p u lar fresh seafood restaurants. Dockside VI (in beautiful downtown Norwood— local joke!) is located in the Quality Inn in Nor­ wood. Charley’s Oyster Bar & Grill (about 10 miles from downtown) has served fresh seafood to C in­ cinnati for 12 years. F a v o rite C hinese r e s ta u ra n t: C in c in n a ti abounds in good Chinese restaurants. The prefer­ ences of the respondents were (in order): China G ourm et, Blue G ibbon, House of H unan, Sze­ c h u a n G a rd e n s, O rie n ta l W ok, an d C h in a Kitchen. The committee, along w ith every food critic in the area, highly recommends the China G ourmet. Favorite ethnic restaurant—downtown: Scotti’s ( I ta lia n ), H ouse of H u n a n (C h in ese), Iz z y ’s (Deli?), and Yum Yum (Chinese) were the only clearly downtown contenders. The atmosphere at Scotti’s is casual and family-like and Mama Scotti may tell you w hat to order. We’re not sure how a deli qualifies as ethnic but Izzy’s is sometimes an­ other world. The original Izzy’s on Elm Street is the more interesting experience. The Yum Yum is a small Chinese mom and pop operation w ith spicy specialties. F avorite ethnic re s ta u ra n t—n o t dow ntow n: M ay u ra (In d ia n ), E l C oyote (M exican), L enhardt’s (G erm an-H ungarian), T andoor (In­ dian), and Old Country Restaurant (Middle East­ ern) were the favorite choices. Favorite restaurant for Sunday brunch: The G rand Finale scored again, followed by the Exem­ plar Mariemont Inn, Josh’s, and the Quality Inn Riverview. If you’re in town for Sunday brunch, all are fine. Favorite restaurant for dessert: The G rand F i­ nale followed by Peterson’s and G raeter’s. Favorite mom and pop restaurant: Scotti’s was the favorite, followed by Izzy’s and Twin Trolley. Favorite restaurant w ith a creative menu: Al­ pha, followed by Mullane’s, Cristos & Drivakis, and the Bistro on Vine. Alpha offers any kind of omelet you can imagine and lots of vegetarian en­ trees. Cristos & Drivakis is out of business at the time of w riting this article, b ut rum or has it th at it may come back. The Bistro on Vine offers out­ standing desserts and fascinating taste combina­ tions. Favorite family restaurant: Uno’s (Chicago-style pizza), Rockwood Pottery, and Bill Knapps were the favorites. Rockwood Pottery offers great ham ­ burgers, salads, light entrees, and a sundae bar in an old pottery kiln. The Old Spaghetti Factory is also good. Favorite chili p arlor:3 Skyline’s was the chili of choice, followed by Gold Star, Dixie Chili, and Camp Washington. Favorite place for ice cream: G raeter’s was the overw helm ing favorite, followed by Aglamesi’s and St. Moritz. Favorite restaurant for good food and good en­ tertainm ent: Dee Felice’s (jazz and Cajun-style food), followed by Forest View Gardens (singing servers from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and a mini-musical each night) and Coco’s (jazz and ec­ lectic food). Favorite place to get together for drinks: Blind L em on in M t. A dam s, fo llo w ed by A rn o ld ’s (downtown) and Barleycorn’s (downtown and on the Kentucky side of the river). Favorite place for drinks and dancing: Appar­ ently librarians in Cincinnati don’t dance much; few responded to this section. Those who did indi­ cated the Dock, Glass Menagerie, C addy’s, the W aterfront, and the Top of the Crown as their fa­ vorites. All of these were public services librarians. Not to be missed: The Maisonette, Orchids at The Palm Court, Izzy’s. Conclusion Based upon an adm ittedly small sample, the committee feels justified in presenting these survey results to those who plan to attend the ACRL Con­ ference in Cincinnati in April 1989. Together w ith the ACRL Conference Dining Guide, this survey should have enough variety and choices of eating establishments to get you through the convention w ithout losing weight. Areas for further research The committee also feels th at this survey was not as complete as it could have been and th at further research is not only indicated but imperative. We would like to invite you to join us as we continue our efforts to do a definitive study on the prefer­ ences of academic librarians tow ard restaurants in the Greater Cincinnati area. The ACRL Conven­ tion will provide a unique opportunity to add a broader sample of academic librarians to our sur­ vey base. To facilitate continuing research in this area, the Dining Guide committee hopes to set up a Colleague Dinner Companion Program, (CDC, not to be confused w ith CD ROM). Through this program , local librarians will be available to pro­ vide transportation for 2 to 4 colleagues to their fa­ vorite restaurant. They will also provide compan­ 3For more information concerning the phenom­ enon called C in c in n a ti chili, see M ary E llen Rutledge Elsbernd, “Trivial Matters, Cincinnati style,” College & Research Libraries News 49 (De­ cember 1988): 782. 140 / C&R L News ionship and perhaps w itty conversation during the meal. Check every day at the Hospitality Booth for the evening’s possible selections and sign up by 4:00 p.m . In this way, we hope to provide you w ith every opportunity to sample the joys of eating in C incinnati and to p a rtic ip a te in research th a t makes a difference! Bon appetit! ■ ■ INNOVATIONS Automation orientation programs at the University of Delaware Library By Carol Anne Hert Senior Assistant Librarian, Systems D epartment University of Delaware Integrated online library systems (IOLS) are changing the way libraries function and how they are organized. As systems are implemented, new types of work are being created and old barriers be­ tween units are falling. Critical to the successful im plem entation of an integrated system is an en­ thusiastic staff: one not threatened by change, and able to think beyond the boundaries of current jobs to creativ ely assess a u to m a tio n ’s role in th e ir w ork.1 The creation of this kind of spirit requires more than task-oriented training, although th at is cer­ tainly an essential element of any training pro­ gram. Sokol and Bulyk have outlined a three-part model of training to enable the successful imple­ mentation of new technology.2 The components are: sensitization, education, and training. Sensiti­ zation refers to training to provide the emotional preparation for new technology. It should address concerns about change such as loss of control and job security, and should build staffs confidence about their ability to master the system. Education 1S h eila D. C reth, Effective On-the-job Train­ ing: Developing Library H um an Resources (Chi­ cago: American Library Association, 1986), 2. “Ellen W. Sokol and John C. Bulyk, “The T ruth About Training,” Journal o f Inform ation Systems M anagement 2 (Fall 1985): 75-76. is the process of teaching staff to think creatively about a particular technology’s possibilities and im plications w ithin the context of institutional missions. Actual task-related training to provide staff w ith the necessary proficiencies to employ the new technology is the final component of the Sokol and Bulyk model. At the University of Delaware Library, the Sys­ tems D epartm ent is charged w ith developing train­ ing for our IOLS, NOTIS. Recognizing th at task- specific training alone would not be sufficient for the smooth im plementation of the system, we de­ veloped a series of orientation programs designed to address the sensitization and education compo­ nents of Sokol and Butyl’s training model. We have merged these two components in our programs in the belief th at they can not really be separated. A feedback loop exists, w ith increasing confidence about the system making education about the ca­ pabilities and potentials of the system easier, and vice versa. The University of D elaw are L ibrary Systems D epartm ent’s orientation program s are of tw o types: programs to teach basic system competen­ cies, and programs focusing on general autom ation and system topics. Basic competency programs in­ clude introductions to the public catalog and to the technical services mode of the system. Among the