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Pittsburgh Chapter of SLA
Pittsburgh Chapter of SLA
History of the Chapter
The 1920s
- December 5, 1922 - Pittsburgh Special Libraries Association is formed.
- November 25, 1924 - Formal application is made to join National SLA.
- January 27, 1925 - National SLA sends a formal letter of acceptance.
- October 28, 1927 - Chapter unanimously votes to become a local chapter of national SLA.
- The first Union List of Periodicals is published in 1928.
The 1930s
- The 1938 SLA National Convention is held in Pittsburgh.
- The first Bulletin is published. Vivian McDonald is the editor, and Virginia Garland is the
cover designer. - The first Duplicate Exchange List is published in 1932.
- January 19, 1934 - The chapter makes a constitutional name change to SLA, Pittsburgh
Chapter. The Chapter's first Directory is published in 1936.
The 1940s
- "Due to War Conditions and the increase in prices, it is impossible for us to continue issuing
a printed Bulletin. We, therefore, have reverted back to a mimeographed Bulletin." - Eight large cartons of periodicals are forwarded to the American Book Centers at the
Library of Congress for libraries in war areas. An additional shipment is made to the
Netherlands Institute of Engineers and Technicians, The Hague. - Aid is pledged and individual members offer their services to the Pittsburgh Defense Council,
October 6, 1941. - The Chapter cooperates with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh on the War Emergency
Committee for the purchase of books for the Signal Corps, 1942-43 (Victory Book
Campaign). - The Chapter participates in the collection and distribution of periodicals for libraries in war
areas. Large shipments of scientific and technical journals are sent to Europe, the
Philippines, and Washington, DC. - December 5, 1947 - Seventy-five members and friends gather for the Silver Anniversary
Dinner marking 25 years of the Pittsburgh Chapter.
The 1950s
- The 1956 SLA National Convention is hosted by the Pittsburgh Chapter.
- The Union List of Periodicals is enlarged to become the Union List of Serials. Thirty-seven
women of the Secretarial Association do the typing and 32 SLA members volunteer to
proofread it. Work begins on September 25, 1950 and continues every night, Monday
through Friday, from 7-10, until the end of February, 1951, for the typists and March for the
proofreaders. Unfortunately, due to various complications, the Union List is never
published. The List later emerges as part of the Union List prepared by the Pittsburgh
Regional Library Center and includes academic libraries. - The Recruiting Committee sends out 158 letters to high schools with 3 pamphlets. "Make
Your Career in a Special Library," "Paging....Your Future," and "The Challenge of Modern
Librarianship." - The Superintendent of the Government Printing Office, Carper Buckley, is a guest speaker.
- In May 1958, the Chapter's Consultancy program is started to offer advice and referral
services for libraries.
The 1960s
- Membership decreases by 23 people, reflecting current business conditions.
- Dr. Harold Lancour, Dean of the newly established Graduate School of Library and
Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh, addresses the Chapter in 1961. - The 1966 H. W. Wilson Company Chapter Award is presented to the Pittsburgh Chapter
"for an exceptionally well-coordinated, chapter-wide, year long approach to the
communications role of the special library - including but not limited to communicating with
library colleagues and business leaders, communicating the information needs of the
region, and the study and use of mass communications and new communications media."
The 1970s
- The Pittsburgh Chapter hosts the 1973 SLA National Conference.
- The Employment Committee is affected by the general slow-down in the nation's economy
with very few job openings. - December 5, 1972 - 50th Anniversary of the Pittsburgh Chapter.
- In 1976, a Bicentennial Special Meeting is held with the Pittsburgh, Virginia, Baltimore,
Washington, DC, New York and New Jersey Chapters attending. Distinguished speakers
include the President of SLA, the Librarian of Congress, and the Chief, National
Commission on Libraries and Information Science. - October 31 - November 1, 1977 - Josephine Quartey and Mary Lee attend the PA
Governor's Conference on Libraries and Information Service. - Mary Vasilakis is elected as Library-Related Alternate Delegate to the White House
Conference on Libraries and Information Service held in 1979. - The University of Pittsburgh Student SLA Group is formed in 1979.
The 1980s
- A reception is held for 50 students from the Library School. As a result of closer ties with
the Student Group, a student will sit on the Program Committee and serve as liaison
between the two groups. - The Bulletin is renamed The Pointer.
The 1990s
- The 1990 SLA National Convention is held in Pittsburgh.
- Thanks to a generous gift from Knight-Ridder, SLIS students are able to attend Chapter
meetings at a reduced cost. - April 12, 1997 - Chapter's 75th Anniversary is held at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh
Regional History Center. - The Pittsburgh Chapter pulls off a hat trick in 1999 with SLA International Awards going to
three of our members - Ange Pollis, Barbara Speigelman and Lynn Berard. This may very
well be a singular accomplishment in the history of SLA, and certainly the Chapter. - Ange Pollis, recently retired Manager of the Knowledge Resource Center at US Steel
Technical Center and Adjunct Professor at the School of Information Sciences at the
University of Pittsburgh, enters the SLA Hall of Fame for her distinguished service to the
association in all capacities. - Barbara Speigelman, Manager, Technical Information Services for Westinghouse Electric
Company, is SLA Fellow for 1999 in recognition of her inspired and creative leadership in
the profession. Barb has served SLA in numerous positions and has chaired some of the
most influential committees, including the Competencies Document Publication Committee
and the SLA Logo Committee. - Lynn Berard, Head of the Engineering and Science Library at Carnegie Mellon University,
receives the Rose L. Vormelker Award for her exceptional service in the area of mentoring
students and influencing practicing professionals. A successful product of mentoring, she
has sought to carry on this tradition throughout her career.
The 2000s
- The Chapter print publication, The Pointer is renamed The Confluence, and is distributed
only electronically. - In 2001, two Pittsburgh Chapter members are nominated for positions within the
International Association. Barbara Speigelman is nominated for a Director position and
Lynn Berard is nominated for President.
*Information was gathered from the Pittsburgh Chapter, Special Libraries Association archives,
including Annual Reports, Bulletins and The Pointer.
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