SLA Preview 2004: Embracing Optimism

The concept of change has been, for many in the specialized librarian community, a negative concept. Changes in the past few years were perceived to be at the least disruptive and at the most catastrophic. Budgets were cut, physical space reduced or eliminated, jobs lost. Now, an ever-so-slight shift is emerging. That positive change will be evident at the 2004 annual meeting of the Special Libraries Association, now doing business as SLA, at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, June 5–9.

"People are working in lean and tough conditions, but they are working with what they have to make themselves and their services more visible," says Cindy Hill, SLA's current president. "There are indications of a trend to quiet, steady optimism about the association, the economy, and jobs in general. Things are slowly stabilizing, in part because there is a growing awareness that evaluated information is critical to organizations," she says.

Janice Lachance, SLA's executive director of nearly a year, characterizes SLA's new vision, mission, and values statements, as "succinct, memorable, forward thinking, and giv[ing] the membership and staff specifics to aim for without being overly prescriptive about how we get there." Lachance says, "Our vision statement puts to rest the issue of whether or not we are a global organization. It is now in writing, and we are making daily progress in changing our thinking and our programs to be more responsive to our international members."

All of this comes on top of the recent change to "doing business as" SLA. "Regardless of how individual members may feel about the decision, they should applaud the board for thoughtfully assessing the situation, consulting the association's leadership, and making a difficult decision," Lachance says.

There are several developments that bear watching at the conference and beyond. The "alternative" name (SLA) and accompanying tagline (Connecting People and Information) generated some warm discussion when they were introduced in February. Further reaction can be expected in Nashville, although cool heads and reasoned arguments to move SLA forward should prevail.

SLA staff expect to move to the new headquarters building in Alexandria, VA, prior to the annual conference. The sale of the current landmark headquarters building fell through once. It is now in a 75-day contract/inspection period to "an international organization," for an undisclosed sum. The financial impact on SLA could be significant if the sale is not completed expeditiously.

Two recent online surveys measured member response to the idea of creating a peer-reviewed journal for SLA. The academic community within SLA has favored having a place for the publication of research. Corporate membership, on the other hand, favors strengthening the content and execution of Information Outlook, SLA's monthly magazine. Watch for further discussion in June.

SLA has called itself "global" for several years, though actual practice and membership services never matched the statements of intent. Lachance reaffirms the commitment to globalization. SLA members should press staff and leadership to specify just how thinking, programming, and daily practice have changed to reflect globalization. Translation services on the SLA web site and payment services in multiple currencies—innovations this year—are just the beginning. The new emphasis on "Communities of Practice" and an alliance with Learn.com, the SLA Virtual Learning Community, may also move SLA in the long-anticipated global direction (see "Hot Topic Series," Wed., 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m.).

"New initiatives are underway in our three focus areas: networking, professional development, and advocacy," Lachance adds. Members should expect to hear specific details about these initiatives during sessions in Nashville.

The professional development sessions offered on Saturday and Sunday represent a broad range of general topics as well as issues that focus on the needs of specific groups. Of the 50 sessions, 18 are listed as "basic," 24 are "intermediate," seven have no designation, and there are none in the "advanced" category.

The presenters chosen for both CE sessions and conference programs can be a boon or a bane, depending on your perspective. Many of them are from the vendor community. Three consultants are doing at least three programs each; two of them are on SLA's payroll. Nevertheless, the new names emerging as presenters and experts in several fields provide an encouraging sign that the power of continuity is at work as some of the traditional names and faces fade.

Competitive intelligence, intranets, portals, negotiating, and branding are among the generic topics of multiple programs. Other programs are industry- or discipline-specific. There are many career strategy sessions, appropriate at a time when almost everyone is faced with rethinking their professional futures. If it gets too overwhelming, consider "Stress Management: Laugh for the Health of It," 9–10:15 a.m. on Tuesday!

12:15–1:30 p.m.

Internal Marketing — This is an overview of what worked and didn't work in creating and implementing a marketing plan—teamwork and communication skills are paramount.

Mining the Invisible Web for Competitive Intelligence — Look through the eyes of supersearcher Mary Ellen Bates. (Also, on Tuesday, from 12:15– 1:30 p.m., Gary Price offers "Specialized Search Tools—Making the Invisible Web Visible," as part of the "Hot Topic Series.")

Nanotechnology: What Is It and How Is It Used? —Experts share basic information on a cutting-edge topic, sponsored by SLA engineering/science divisions.

Outsourcing Selected Library Functions — This extension of the offshoring program at the 2003 conference features Lehman Brothers, PepsiCo, and Boston Consulting Group.

2–3:15 p.m.

Survive and Thrive in the Library! — Focus, innovate, and collaborate in order to make difficult choices about services and staff duties in times of cuts. This program continues at 3:45–5 p.m.

New & Evolving Roles of Business Information Professionals — Get the latest on opportunities for change and growth.

Let Us Save What Remains: Archiving as Though the Future Matters — Vendors and practitioners share models for ensuring long-term access to nonprint materials.

Customer Relationship Management for Solo's — For all attendees: learn how to use CRM tools and techniques to build, maintain, and improve relations with patrons and other key stakeholders.

Working Up the Food Chain with Competitive Intelligence — The information professionals at USAA reinvented themselves and increased their value and visibility. Hear how.

Multi-Office Management — Law librarians who manage staff in remote locations from a central location talk about the situations and solutions.

3:45–5 p.m.

Process of Going Global; or, How To Go Global Without Going Loco — Three veterans share lessons learned in crossing time zones, geographical boundaries, languages, and cultures.

9–10:15 a.m.

The Person Behind the Glass: Intranet Management That Focuses on the User — This presentation goes beyond content delivery and screen design, to field research for usability testing and other user-centric issues. See also "Intranets—Cool Content & Tools & Getting the Work Done," at the same time, for an overview of newsroom intranets.

The Semantic Web: Modeling the New Web with Librarian Input — Librarians will play a meaningful role in the future of the web.

12:15–1:30 p.m.

Nontraditional Pursuits: I Have My MLS—Now What? — A panel of placement specialists will describe how to make the master's in library science marketable.

Open Access Publishing — Open Access to scientific literature and scholarly communication is an emerging concept that all information professionals should understand.

2–5 p.m.

Marketing Brand You! — This interactive workshop covers how to maximize your skills and experience through "Ten Secrets To Manage Your Career for Enhanced Satisfaction."

3:45–5 p.m.

Coaching Employees for Success — Coaching instead of managing can provide an effective way to engage staff for greater results.

Negotiating with Vendors: Making the Most of Your Resources — Get tips on maximizing your budget and negotiating access across sites, continents, and cultures.

Building Self-Empowerment: Taking Control of Your Destiny — A short lesson in self-empowerment includes a focus on visioning, action, accountability, and celebrating success.

11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m.

Gray/Grey Literature: International Perspective — Learn how to overcome challenges in locating and managing foreign or domestic open source materials available only through special channels.

1:15–2:30 p.m.

Where's the Librarian? — Get the results of a patron survey that reveals their understanding of the role of librarians and libraries.

3–4:15 p.m.

The Completely Virtual Business Library — Three academic librarians share experiences in delivery of electronic content and services.