Daille Pettit
In preparing this talk today, I realized that my friend and worthy opponent, Pam Rollo, and I feel very much the same way about the Special Libraries Association, and we both want many of the same things for the organization. We both feel passionately about SLA; we recognize that SLA has to grow and change in the future which means becoming more international among other things; we support using the latest technology in offering services; we want the most innovative services and those that meet our members’ needs; and we’re aware that it is crucial to promote our profession.
So what distinguishes us from each other and why should you choose me to lead the Special Libraries Association?
As many of you know I had the opportunity to live outside the United States for many years because of my husband’s profession. In chronological order, I lived in Jerusalem; Brussels, Belgium; Brasilia, Brazil; Jakarta, Indonesia; Paramaribo, Suriname; Bonn, Germany; Tokyo, Japan; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, spending one, two, or three years in each locale. Each place we lived helped shape who I am as an individual. Here are just a few examples of how these experiences were instrumental in my development.
We started in Jerusalem. There I learned the importance of culture and tradition. It’s so important that people are willing to die for it and still are! In Belgium, which has two official languages – French and Flemish – I saw the problems with communication when the population does not speak the same language. But in Brazil, I discovered that it was extremely important for me to speak the language! Indonesia gave me another viewpoint – there the unspoken was as informative as the spoken! In Suriname in South America, I learned to appreciate this small country’s many different ethnic groups and saw true diversity in action.
We came back to the United States for a while and there I faced one of my most difficult challenges – adapting to my own culture. When we moved out of the country the next time it was to Germany. There I learned from the Germans that even after a defeat, with hard work and perseverance you can move on.
Another short assignment in the US gave me an opportunity to return to school and get my MLS degree. I discovered that it was never too late to go a new direction in your life! The next move was to Japan. It was interesting to me that the Japanese are very innovative but they don’t always start with an original idea. They creatively adapt someone else’s ideas to their needs! In the Dominican Republic I saw first hand that there’s more to life than beaches and good weather – particularly when much of the population lives in poverty!
We returned to Washington in 1990, which ended the overseas assignment process, and I went to work at a trade association (the American Hotel & Motel Association). However, I don’t want to give the impression that I stopped learning. I learned a lot about association management at my job. I began my involvement with SLA and through it have had lots of opportunities for professional development, continuing education, leadership and so on. I got laid off and discovered that when one door shuts, another one opens.
But who am I as a result of living out of the country and why would these experiences help make me a good leader? For one thing, I have a willingness to go into new and unknown situations. For another, I have a true interest in listening and discovering things about other people. I have also learned to be adaptable and flexible, to appreciate a variety of beliefs, to recognize the importance of communication and being able to communicate both verbally and nonverbally, to be tolerant of others, to keep on trying even when you’ve failed, to be innovative even when an idea comes from somewhere else, and finally to ultimately know that working with others and for others gives life purpose.
Thank you.