The Dialog Member Achievement Award
Granted to an SLA member for raising visibility, awareness, and appreciation of profession, SLA Unit or the Association at large. Recipients of this award receive a cash award in the amount of US$ 1000.
2008 Recipient of the Dialog Member Achievement Award
Rachel Kolsky
SLA Europe
London, United Kingdom
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In selecting her as the 2008 recipient, the SLA Awards Committee cited Kolsky's work to spearhead a 2007 advertising campaign designed to raise awareness of SLA in Europe. The series of advertisements in Information World Review (IWR) were born from Kolsky's idea and featured a number of information professionals from various industries and countries across Europe. She identified the subjects and gathered approvals, images and text for each. She also served as an invaluable liaison to SLA Headquarters for the duration of the campaign. Additionally, she was recognized for her commitment to organizing the annual SLA Europe Breakfast during the Online Information conference in London, as well as for staffing the SLA exhibit booth (stand) during that important meeting each year, activities that have yielded new SLA members and increased prominence for the association within the European information community.
Kolsky has served in several roles for SLA Europe, including 2004 membership chair and on the SLA Europe Board of Directors as president in 2006. During her tenure on the board she championed increased SLA presence in events outside of London, and SLA Europe was invited to participate for the first time in a Journee d'Etude held by ADBS, the French professional organization for information professionals. Kolsky was named 2006 IWR Information Professional of the Year, and was also the top recruiter during SLA's membership drive in 2004.
Kolsky has been an SLA member since 1997, but when she discusses what SLA has done for her professional success, Kolsky frequently talks about how, even after a decade of membership in SLA, she is still regularly what she calls "a first timer." Kolsky explains, "Through SLA I have been given my first chance to serve in a leadership role, my first chance to manage a large group of volunteers, and a chance to grow and to learn in a way that I wouldn't get anywhere else. The skills I have acquired and honed through participation in SLA have transferred directly to the workplace, and afforded me the confidence and success that I am experiencing in my career now." Kolsky continued, "I would like to thank the association as well as my fellow members and leaders from SLA for their support and encouragement over the years. SLA is such a great organization with wonderful benefits and I have really enjoyed promoting SLA to the European info pro community. I don't intend to slow down those efforts anytime soon!"
Past Recipients of The SLA Member Achievement Award
John J. DiGilio (2003)
Kenlee Ray (2004)
John Latham (2005)
Ann Sweeney (2006)
Karen Takle Quinn (2006)
Sharon A. Lenius (2007)
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