Robyn C. Frank
Good afternoon.
It is truly an honor for my name to be placed on the new electronic ballot for Division Cabinet Chair-Elect. I thank the Nominating Committee and the Board of Directors for making it possible. SLA has always been an important part of my professional career and I appreciate this opportunity to play a more pivital role in staking out SLA’s future.
Early in my career, I took on leadership positions in the Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition Division. At that time I was putting together a Food and Nutrition Information Center for the National Agricultural Library. One of the attractions of this Division (and to SLA as a whole) was that I had the opportunity to network with information professionals from all aspects of an industry sector – in my case it was the agricultural sector. It was the first time that I met librarians from food and agricultural corporations. Prior to this experience, my contacts had been limited to federal, academic, and non-profit organizations. SLA was the only professional society to provide this opportunity. My view of agriculture was broadened because I heard about issues not just from the perspective of government regulators, but also from the companies that were being regulated. I also learned about the importance of marketing your services, calculating return on investment, and communicating your value to your organization. This big picture perspective has helped me throughout my career.
Our Divisions are in a unique position to attract and retain new members. First-timers to the annual conference should be mentored by Division members so that they will feel welcome and will want to continue to be active in SLA. Getting them involved in leadership roles early on will help them feel that they are important contributors to the organization
Conference programming is one of the most important responsibilities of the Divisions. Except for the large general meetings, the Divisions are responsible for providing programming that meets the information needs of its members. In addition to providing sessions on current issues, Divisions should also identify programs that need to be updated each year.
This past year, Pam Rollo asked me to chair the Research Now Task Force. Our Task Force is working on a research project that will support the value of the information professional to the organization. As I started delving into this project, I became aware that all relevant research is not regularly presented at SLA’s annual conference. If elected, I would strive for ensuring that research organizations and companies supporting research projects such as Outsell, OCLC, and LexisNexis are given the opportunity to present their latest findings. This may be achieved by the support of one or more divisions or as a part of the general programming. In fact, I would like to see SLA become THE venue for the latest research results that impact our role as information professionals. SLA staff and its members can then take these findings and leverage them to advocate the value of the information professional to their organizations.
One of the strengths of SLA is the mechanism for adding, reconfiguring, or closing divisions in order to adjust to the current work environment. Last year for example, there was a merger of the Materials Research and Manufacturing Division with the Chemistry Division. Each year SLA members should take a fresh look at the division structure to be sure that their needs are being met.
In recent years we have witnessed SLA transforming and revitalizing itself with efforts such as Click University and hiring highly qualified staff members. But there is more work to be done. I am committed to making SLA a stronger, more vital organization – not only by raising membership numbers but also in ensuring that the professional development and network opportunities for which SLA is known, continue to thrive. My proven experience in reinventing libraries, benchmarking best practices, strategic planning, and marketing enables me to plan and bring about necessary change. I would be honored to be the Divisions’ voice to the Board of Directors. Thank you.
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