Evening Reception on November 17th at the Hampton Inn
Call for Proposals
Submit to www.utm.edu/wtts

Southern Expressions 2009 poster

http://library.utmem.edu/scmla09
October 28—November 1, 2009

Come join us in Memphis for the Southern Chapter annual conference! We will have everything ready for a supportive and beneficial connection with colleagues and friends.

Two speakers will talk about information technology and ways medical librarians can use it to professionally enhance themselves and their libraries. A third speaker will give some perspective on the role that Memphis has played in the history of health care.

We are also mindful of the hard economic times that have affected all of our institutions and organizations. Scott Plutchak will moderate a special panel of speakers from hospital, special, and university libraries on Surviving Hard Times. After short presentation by the panelists, listeners will be able to comment and ask questions about ways to promote themselves and their libraries when the importance of the library is challenged.

We’ll have continuing education classes, contributed papers, and a roundtable lunch to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to make the best use of the conference. There will be many chances to jam on the latest ideas and trends that are affecting our field.

The call for papers has gone out. If you have never presented a paper or a poster, this would be a great opportunity to get your feet wet. And even if you have, this is a great way to share your experience with other health care librarians.

If you can make it to only one conference this year, make it the Southern Chapter annual conference in Memphis!

SLA’S ANNUAL CONFERENCE PLAYS HOST TO MORE THAN 5,000 INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS AT SLA 2007 IN DENVER

Largest Gathering of Librarians and Info Pros in North America Included Members from Six Continents
Alexandria, Virginia, USA, 18 June 2007 – Exhibition and attendance figures for the Special Libraries Association’s (SLA) annual conference and INFO-EXPO held in Denver, Colorado 3 – 6, June exceeded planners’ expectations and included, for the first time, SLA members from every chapter around the globe.
“Once again SLA delivered an amazing conference this year. Going by our attendance figures and the steady stream of glowing reviews and compliments from members and exhibitors, I think it is safe to say SLA 2007 was a smashing success,” said SLA Chief Executive Officer Janice R. Lachance. “The speakers and sessions in Denver were as inspiring as the mountains surrounding us while we were there! SLA will continue to build on the success of 2007 as we look toward 2008 in Seattle. Plans are already underway to deliver another gem of a conference in ‘The Emerald City’ next June.”
Final attendance figures for SLA 2007 totaled 5,047 individuals from around the globe representing 41 nations. Of that number, 813 participants were first-time SLA conference participants. SLA’s INFO-EXPO, the largest information and knowledge management exposition in North America, was sold out this year and featured 275 companies and organizations and 445 total booths. SLA welcomed 38 new exhibitors.

Flashback

SLA 2007 officially began on 3 June at the Colorado Convention Center with the Grand Opening of the INFO-EXPO exhibit hall. Later that evening, SLA’s 2007 Award Recipients were honored for their accomplishments in the information industry during the Opening General Session and Awards Ceremony.
The opening session culminated with a keynote address by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who called himself a “recovering politician” and delivered passionate and poignant remarks on the need for good decision-making based upon valid information and data. Speaking before a full room of some 4,000 information professionals Gore said, “What you’re doing (as info pros) is so crucial to the future of our country.”
Gore concluded his inspirational, and often humorous, presentation by urging audience members to become deeply involved in helping countries around the world with navigating matters of information access. He asked that they continue to participate with SLA in shaping sensible information policies involving the Internet, including issues of net neutrality and free access. Speaking about the future of information, Gore said America’s strength and competitiveness in the 21st century will depend largely upon a free flow of information that will ensure the best policy choices possible. At the conclusion of his talk, Gore received a standing ovation from the audience.

A game change…

Following a well received report from SLA Treasurer Sylvia James, the membership heard from SLA President Rebecca B. Vargha who told them, “Our profession is facing rapid change and the rate of change forces us to be nimble, sure-footed, and strategic… We have a great responsibility to the future of SLA and our profession.”

Vargha was followed at the podium by SLA CEO Lachance who delivered her annual State of the Association address. Lachance also talked about tremendous changes reshaping the information profession and announced that SLA is undertaking an extensive, research-based examination of the profession, and of SLA’s position in the evolving information economy.
“Working with a team of researchers, brand experts and futurists, we will seek to define what the profession will look like in the next ten, twenty, or thirty years…and what you will need from SLA to continue to be successful.” Lachance explained that SLA members would be informed and involved in the project, “Throughout this alignment process, we will encourage your input and ask your opinions. We will keep you up-to-date on our progress and consult with you at points along this path.”
The meeting concluded with each of the candidates for the 2008 SLA Board of Directors addressing the membership and sharing their views on leadership, the future of SLA and the direction of the profession. The candidates’ presentations will be available to the membership on the SLA Web site prior to the start of the election and voting in September of 2007.

Librarians Are HOT!

The Closing General Session keynote remarks by Scott Adams, the creator of the popular Dilbert cartoon strip, offered some comic relief for a standing room only crowd of attendees. After telling the audience how he became one of America’s most popular cartoonists, Adams shared a variety of Dilbert comic strips from over the years and explained the real-life situations that inspired them. During a question and answer session with attendees, Adams was asked why one of his Dilbert characters was romancing a librarian. His answer drew a thunderous round of applause. “That’s an easy answer,” Adams said, “Because librarians are hot!”

SLA 2008

Next year’s Annual Conference and INFO- EXPO will take place 15-18 June, 2008 in Seattle, Washington USA. The theme for the event will be ““Breaking Rules, Building Bridges” and feature a keynote address from Seth Godin, well known blogger and author of a number of books including Small is the Next Big, Purple Cow, and Unleashing the Ideavirus.

About SLA

The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is a nonprofit global organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners. SLA serves more than 11,000 members in 75 countries in the information profession, including corporate, academic, and government information specialists. SLA promotes and strengthens its members through learning, advocacy, and networking initiatives. For more information, visit us on the Web at www.sla.org.

I've been invited to blog the 2006 Annual Conference. This is the first time I've done this, so it should be interesting--for all of us. Needless to say, I will concentrate on issues of interest to small or solo libraries.

Before I forget, I will have a special guest at the Conference this year. He is John Welford, proprietor of Welford Writes (an indexing and proofreading service) in Leicestershire, England) and the proofreader of my newsletter The One-Person Library. John helped me greatly with my newest book, The New OPL Sourcebook--he checked all the resources that make up the greater part of the book. My publisher, Information Today, Inc., is hosting a book signing at the conference and John and I will both be there. I don't know the time and place yet, so watch this blog for more information and "y'all come!"

Here is my list of sessions to take note of.

CE Events: Branding 101: What it Takes to Build a Library Brand, Chris Olson, Saturday 10 June, 8-12 a.m. Leadership 101, Rebecca Jones, Saturday, 10 June 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Making a Business Case for the Information Center, Lesley Robinson, Sunday 11 June, 1-5 p.m.

The Keynoters: Gwen Ifill, Senior Correspondent/Managing Editor of US Public Broadcasting’s The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Opening General Session, Sunday 11 June, 6:30-8 p.m. Walt Mossberg, Technology Columnist, The Wall Street Journal, Closing General Session, Wednesday 14 June, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – a “must see” for me, at least.

SOLO Librarians Division Events: Happy Hour: Meet and Greet, Saturday 10 June, 5-8 p.m. Open House, Sunday 11 June, 8-11 p.m. Communicating Your Value to Management (ticketed event), Monday 12 June, 7:30-9 a.m. Developing Leaders, Monday 12 June, 9:30-11 a.m. (with many other divisions) Cultivating a Champion: Partnering with Groups, Monday 12 June, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m (with CI Division) No-Host Dinner, Monday 12 June, 5-8 p.m. Open House, Monday 11 June, 8-11:30 p.m. Moving to Client-Embedded Service (ticketed event), Tuesday 13 June, 7:30-9 a.m. (with B&F) Luncheon and Annual Business Meeting (ticketed event), Tuesday 13 June, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Becoming a Value-Added Information Professional with Mary Ellen Bates, Tuesday 13 June, 1:30-3 p.m. Board Meeting (all welcome), Tuesday 13 June, 5-6 p.m. Silent Auction, Tuesday 13 June, 6-8 p.m. Open House, Tuesday 13 June, 8-11:45 p.m. Suddenly Solo: Dealing with Unexpected Downsizing, Wednesday 14 June, 9:15-10:45 a.m. (with Engineering) Success Stories of Solos, Wednesday 14 June 1-2:30 p.m. 

Programs of Other Divisions: Community Partnerships in Safety: Encouraging Police and Librarian Connections, featuring Solo’s own Tom Rink, Monday 12 June, 9:30-11 a.m. Stress Management; Laugh for the Health of It, Monday 12 June, 3:30-5:30 p.m. (I missed this in Nashville—heard it is wonderful) Grant Opportunities for Special Libraries, Tuesday 13 June, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (MAH Division) Association Awards Dinner (ticketed event), Tuesday 13 June, 8-12 p.m.—Solo Division supporter Judy Field will be honored with the John Cotton Dana Award, SLA’s highest honor Keeping Current, with Paul Hane of Information Today, Wednesday 14 June 1-2:30 p.m. (News) Value of Information, Wednesday 14 June, 1-2:30 p.m. (Chemistry, PAM, Engineering, and S&T)

Most of these sessions will be summarized in upcoming issues of OPL. If you're not a subscriber, you can request a copy of these issues by emailing me at <jsiess@ibi-opl.com>.  (Or, of course, you can subscribe. Subscriptions start at US$69/year for 12 issues.)

Well, I'll "talk" to you later. See you in Baltimore! (If you want to contact me, my cell phone is 216-375-1316--call and we can get together.)

Judith Siess
First Chair, SOLO Librarians Division
President, Information Bridges International, Inc.
Editor/Publisher, The One-Person Library
Author of various books on solo librarianship and library management and marketing

Technorati tag: sla2006

According the web site, Red Emma's is...

More than a place to find interesting books and a fantastic cup of coffee, however, Red Emma's also includes an important social and community aspect. Our space is used for a variety of events, from screenings and lectures, to computer classes (through the gracious donation of computers to the project, we have a FREE computer lab, as well as free wireless internet access for those with laptops), to poetry readings and acoustic shows. Local grassroots organizations and groups can use the space to hold small meetings or larger events.

Remember to check with the Maryland Chapter who can help you find all those intriguing places that you need to check out while in Baltimore!  There blog is here.

Technorati tag: sla2006

In the last couple of years, conference attendees has seen small changes both as a result of the Task Force and the locations we have used.  For example, the conference in New York City (2003) used three locations, which required sessions to be spaced differently (time-wise).  Conference planners have been collaborating more in hopes of stemming the tide of the ever-growing number of concurrent sessions.  And in Toronto (2005), the annual business meeting began on Tuesday evening, as a way of ensuring that enough time was allotted for discussion.  That change even shocked me at first!  (Note that I don't see the business meeting on Tuesday evening this year, perhaps do to a lack of business that needs our attention.)

This year, the first keynote speaker is on Sunday evening.  This is definitely an idea that the Task Force came up with.  Why?  Most conference attendees arrive on the weekend, so could we do more with the time on Sunday?  Could we start the conference on Sunday to give attendees more bang for their buck?  The answer was "yes."  So, this year there are not only continuing education sessions on Sunday and Info-Expo hours, but also the keynote by Gwen Ifill as part of the opening session (6:00 - 8:00 p.m.).

It will be interesting to see how this change goes over with attendees.  I hope it is seen as a positive, although it may take a little getting used to.  One positive -- besides giving us something else to do on Sunday -- is that it allows more time on Monday for conference sessions, since the rule had been to not offer anything opposite the keynote.

And while you are looking at the conference program, be sure to not the time change this year on Wednesday's general session (Walt Mossberg), which will include the State of the Association report.  (This is not described as the annual business meeting and perhaps there is no business for us to attend to this year.)

Saturday

• Registration
  • Check out booth promoting next year’s conference
  • Goodies!
• Continuing Education
  • ½ day or full day
  • developed by Divisions (therefore subject matter) as well as HQ (CLICK U)
  • cost effective way to increase knowledge – excellent opportunity for professional development
• Division board meetings
• City Tour (6-9pm)
• Open Houses – news division is famous!

Sunday

• Registration Cont’d
• Continuing Education
• Leadership Development Institute – get involved – check it out
• Administration cont’d – Division board meetings, etc.
• Some networking breakfasts/lunches
• Exhibits (12 -6 ) – usually a reception from 4-6
  • Excellent way to see new products
  • Low pressure
  • Goodies
  • Support the exhibitors – tremendous cost to them – necessary in your life
  • Floor plan is online – plan your most important visits but leave time to browse

6 – 7:30 – first keynote speaker - Gwen Ifill, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer / Washington Week

Open Houses – note IT division has a mystery author this year – competing with Social Sciences division

Monday

• Conference sessions start – each division has 10 time slots to present they feel will be of interest to you
  • Sessions run from 7:30am – 9am, 9:30 – 11am, 11:30-1, 1:30-3, 3:30-5
• Career connections
• Exhibit Hall 10 –
• 1:30-3 has been set aside for you to see some exhibits

• 3:30- 5 – SARC awards – our Toronto students usually get some attention!

• Pre-receptions and receptions – no excuse not to eat!

• Canadian Reception 5:30

Tuesday

• Copy of Monday except Annual Business Meeting from 9:30–11
• Administration meetings, etc – chapter cabinet
• Awards reception from 8 – 10 – Toronto Chapter's Juanita Richardson will be honoured

Wednesday

• Times change a bit
• No Exhibit Hall
• Conference wrap up from 11 – 12:30 with Walt Mossberg, author of the Wall Street Journal’s “Personal Technology” column
• Don’t go home – there are still sessions! 
• Executive board meeting

Thursday

• The tours

Insider Tips

• The chapter of the host city has a booth to recommend to you where to eat to get your dry cleaning – ask them anything – they are local
• The reality is that you will do less than you plan to do – so really prioritize your needs – what do you want from this year’s conference?  A new job?  A question answered?  To make some new friends?  This will help you plan your time as to when you should go back to your room and rest
• Canadian dollar is very strong – you can bring home $200 worth of shopping duty-free!
• Leave time for yourself.