Here are excerpts from the State of the Association address given Wednesday by Executive Director Janice Lachance:
As I walk you through a look at where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we’re headed as an association, I’d like to color the conversation by reminding you of our vision: We are THE global organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners. To clarify things, consider our mission: We promote our members through learning, networking, and advocacy initiatives.
We’re striving to be a broader, more inclusive community of information professionals, industry representatives, scholars, and leading thinkers. We are building that community by promoting interaction between and among members of the profession, representatives of the information industry, educators, thinkers, government officials and policy makers through better learning experiences; the fostering of networking and collaboration; and emphasizing the importance of the community that occurs as a result of such interaction.
With our vision and mission in mind, let’s look at the details of our overall performance.
Fact number one: we are a learning organization. We exist to provide a place where you can gain experience and knowledge easily and affordably. As of Monday, we became the first and only association in the world to provide the library and information profession with its own online professional development system. Click University sets a new standard for career development and transformation. I’m told that we can typically expect the education we receive from formal degree programs to benefit us for about 5 years. That means you must continue to seek out professional development opportunities throughout most of your career, if you are to continue your growth. Monday’s launch marked the birth of Click University, so please keep watching its development over the next year as we make it a truly comprehensive toolkit for the profession.
In many organizations, launching Click would be enough, but in the past year we have also redefined our Virtual Learning Series, developing twin courses each month to deepen your skill development. And we’ve done this while cutting the price in half.
Fact number two: Globalization is vital for success. In the past year, we’ve organized our newest chapter in Australia and New Zealand, a vital market for growth in the profession and our community. I visited members in the region earlier this year, some of whom are in the audience today. They are simply terrific. I can happily report that they are excited and eager to become a powerful force in SLA.
Fact number three: Community builds relationships that last. SLA seeks to create the kinds of interaction that adds value to your career, but also to your life experience. Nowhere is this more obvious than our Annual Conference. Just being here this week energizes us and helps us to realize that, when we pay our membership dues each year, there really is a global network standing by to help us, to support us, and to challenge us. Over 40 nations are represented here at SLA 2005, so I hope you’ve made the most of your time here by making YOUR network truly international!
Yesterday, the membership approved amendments to the association’s bylaws that will allow electronic voting in board elections and future bylaws changes. This is a significant move, as it will allow us to build stronger community in the profession by allowing ALL members to be involved in shaping the future of the association. It’s a perfect example of how YOU are helping to make community a priority for SLA.
Fact number four: Advocacy promotes our value and our values. Since I joined the staff at SLA Headquarters, we’ve made international outreach one of our highest priorities. By participating in conferences around the world, communicating our message to a variety of audiences, representing your interests in the making of government policy, establishing partnerships, and investing resources that communicate your value and the profession’s values, we have begun to reposition SLA as a global force, an advocate for change, and a calculated risk-taker.
Fact number five: Society can benefit from our work. Any profession must always consider its impact beyond the realm of its practice. There are global implications in the work you do, but there are great possibilities for generating positive results that help our fellow global citizens.
We’re now actively engaged in a number of projects that are pushing the boundaries of our impact in the world. The study on the future of librarians in the workforce – funded by the U.S. Institute for Museum and Library Services – is underway. SLA, along with our partners at the University of North Carolina and the University of Pittsburgh, will be working on this endeavor over the next two years. The results could help us determine our future course in preparing the profession to be competitive and adaptive to change.
And SLA was the only library association invited to apply for a training grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In partnership with the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and the U.S. Government Printing Office, we’ve proposed a pilot training program for librarians and information professionals to serve as trainers and information resources on emergency preparedness and disaster response. The program would involve recorded and live virtual training via Click University, along with some in-person experiences, to prepare our community for what could be a great public service that might have far reaching and global implications.
Fact number six: Smart financial management makes it all happen. At this point last year, our projections indicated that we might end the year in a deficit position. But the Board of Directors and staff mobilized to seek out new revenue streams and cost savings, and we ended the year with a small surplus. It was great to see that kind of coordinated focus, but all of us agreed that the time had come for smart planning and goals, and for innovative ways to generate revenue. Combined with a modestly growing global economy, we are very optimistic about this year’s financial performance. More important is that, with the birth of Click University, we have created a very important revenue stream for the future.
Fact number seven: Growth is the hallmark of a thriving SLA. An organization succeeds only if it is moving forward. We aim to set the standard for growth in the global community of information professionals. But growth requires multiple investments – and money is only one of them! It also requires a commitment from you, the heart and soul of the profession. It requires support from the information industry, our partners in progress. It requires a laser like focus on the specific growth needs and opportunities that will keep our momentum building and our watchers interested.
What does the future hold for SLA? I see us making great strides through expansion of membership in key areas of the globe. I see the birth of Click University as a seminal point in our history, as we can now offer affordable learning experiences for information professionals worldwide, anytime, anyplace. I see more private and publicly funded research and development opportunities around the world – U.S. based grants are great, but what about Canada, Europe, and Oceania? We seek to be the first and only association to do lots of great things, and we need you to help us get there.
Why should we think small? As my old boss President Clinton said once, "Big things are expected of us, and nothing big ever came from being small." To strive for great things, we must be motivated, energized, mobilized for the future. So my mantra for this year is "Enthusiasm is contagious!" Rather than simply hoping for optimism to beget opportunity, let’s make it happen. Let’s show the rest of the world that we are an association with a bright future ahead of us.
Thank you for being here this week.
In a non-computer environment, where do you view photographs? You might view photos sitting in your living room or out on the side porch. You might show off pictures over dinner or even at a ballgame. Now that we are taking digital pictures and e-mailing them, we tend to look at photographs not as we engage in conversations with friends and family, but in front of the computer. Is this where we want to be looking at photos?
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