Linda- I note your personal sense of loss should you write a job description that eliminates a friend from your staff by redefining their work tasks. But are you really sure that including information management as a task that you will in fact eliminate them from their position? I carefully avoided computers when I was in college because I was afraid of the "programming nerds" around my campus and also because, as an environmental studies major with deep misgivings about the role of technology in our lives, I preferred my manual typewriter to the word processor. You know what? My first job required not only that I work with computers, but that I help a small city government computerize most of its office operations. Another entry level staff administrator and I had to learn, in three seemingly endless days, how to configure a group of HP 150s (PCs didn't use to come out of the box ready to run) to communicate with our new mini computer and a variety of printers, load the spreadsheet and wordprocessing software, and give a basic introduction to the software to a pool of support staff. I survived that and many other computer systems challenges, and now am considered to be one of the more computer literate people at several of the jobs I have since held. Don't assume that your friend can't make it if "information management" is a part of the job description--they may make the conversion from manual to electronic systems much more quickly and capably (if not painlessly) than you think. Good luck! Richard Chute [log in to unmask] Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Claremont, CA 91711 Phone: (909) 625-8767, ext. 222 FAX: (909) 626-6760