SLA at 100: Conference Preview

When SLA convenes its annual conference in Washington, DC, June 14–17, 2009, the association will be celebrating its 100th birthday. This occasion allows for grand gestures—the SLA Salutes! Awards and Leadership Reception (Tues., Jun. 16, 7:30–10 p.m., #830, $75) will be held in the Library of Congress's Great Hall (“a great coup,” said SLA president Gloria Zamora). The conference also draws upon Washington notables as speakers. Librarian of Congress James Billington will address the SLA President's Series (Tues., Jun. 16, 1:30–2:30 p.m.). Former Secretary of State Colin Powell will be the featured keynote speaker at the Opening General Session and Awards Presentation (Sun., Jun. 14, 5:15–7:15 p.m.), to be immediately followed by the SLA Centennial Reception (7:30–9:30 p.m.). Noted journalist Judy Woodruff will moderate a panel of “thought leaders” at the Closing General Session and Membership Meeting (Wed., Jun. 17, 12:30–2:30 p.m.).

Zamora told LJ that this year's meeting will again offer fewer but longer sessions. Conference planners are studying metrics for three concurrent years to improve the conference model. In this second year, they asked divisions once more to contribute fewer programs but cosponsor more with one another. Zamora characterized the sessions as higher in quality, more advanced, and broader in appeal. Additionally, seven Spotlight Sessions, introduced last year, will focus on popular topics and are expected to attract some 300 people. Conference planners will examine metrics after the conference to make adjustments.

As usual, SLA offers a comprehensive choice of continuing education (CE) courses for the two days (Jun. 12–13) preceding the conference. They range from all-day Click University offerings, part of the knowledge management and competitive intelligence certificate programs, to stand-alone courses on a wide variety of topics.

Recognizing that many information professionals may be at a career crossroads (those working—or not—in the financial and newspaper sectors, among others), SLA has made several accommodations. It instituted a new dues level, only $35, for those earning less than $18,000 in annual income. SLA members no longer have to pay extra fees for webinars or any other online instruction outside of the Click University certificate courses, which are now open to nonmembers. “We hope our members are paying attention to what our association has to offer,” SLA director of public relations Cara Schatz told LJ. “We're beefing up our professional development offerings without extra fees.”

SLA has moved forward in its realignment project, a two-year initiative that seeks “more effective ways to communicate with those outside of SLA about the information profession” and “to help refine SLA's current positioning in the marketplace.” SLA's research shows that “there's an issue of trust out there in corporate America,” Schatz said. “Info pros are in the position to provide that trust.”

The communication firm Fleishman-Hillard, along with Outsell, Inc., conducted extensive research among information professionals and their customers to define a position both for SLA and for the profession. Preliminarily, results show that core values for the profession should include leadership, accountability and results, and service; for SLA, continuous learning and professional development, knowledge sharing and collaboration, and advocacy and empowerment. Key messages for the professional to use are knowledge sharing, global networking, competitive advantage, and bottom-line benefits. For SLA, the key messages are professional development, global networking, and a unified voice.

Even in this centennial year, SLA is devoting most of its energy to looking forward. Further discussions on the alignment findings will take place during the conference at the SLA Leadership Development Institute (Sun., Jun. 14, 7:30 a.m.–noon), open to all attendees.