Cara Schatz
703.647.4917
cara@sla.org
Janice R. Lachance Named Recipient of 2009 Dialog
Member Achievement Award
CEO of SLA Honored for Work to Promote Value of Information Professionals Around the Globe
Alexandria, Virginia, January 21, 2010 - The Special Libraries Association (SLA) has named its chief executive officer, Janice R. Lachance, as the recipient of the 2009 Dialog & ProQuest Member Achievement Award.
The award is bestowed on an SLA member for raising visibility, awareness and appreciation of the information profession or the association at large. Lachance was honored for her six years as SLA's leader and representative and her work to enhance the profile of the association and the information profession.
"Janice has elevated the status of SLA and the profession in general and has served us extremely well as a global ambassador," says 2010 SLA President Anne Caputo. "I am so pleased to be able to recognize her achievements with this honor, and I know that she will continue to live up to the spirit of this award for many years to come."
Lachance is a popular speaker and commentator at information industry events as well as the champion, spokesperson and public face for SLA and its nearly 11,000 members across the globe. Lachance travels extensively to promote the association to library and information groups and educate decision makers, executives and government representatives about the value of information professionals in today's knowledge economy.
"What I have tried to do as the CEO of SLA is to get out there and tell the world about the great work our members do," she says. "I hope that I can be their ambassador and their emissary to people who don't understand their value, or who may undervalue or take their work for granted. I am determined to turn that around."
Since joining SLA in 2003, Lachance has led a reformulation of the association's mission, vision and value statements and its strategic plan. She also has re-engineered the association's professional development program to meet the needs of information professionals across corporate, academic and government settings by creating SLA's groundbreaking online Click University. She has expanded SLA's public policy program, which has increased the association's influence in legislative, judicial and international proceedings, and has worked in support of an open, robust and independent Internet.
Currently, Lachance is leading the SLA Alignment Project, a multiyear comprehensive research effort to create an evidence-based vision of the future role of information professionals and SLA.
"Janice's passion and excitement for librarianship and the future of the information profession is contagious," says Suzanne BeDell, general manager of Dialog, which sponsors the Member Achievement Award. "For her ability to inspire those of us who work in this industry, and for so much more, she is exceptionally worthy of this recognition. All of us here at Dialog and ProQuest offer Janice our congratulations on this well-deserved award."
Upon learning she was the 2009 recipient of the Dialog Member Achievement Award Lachance said, "I was very surprised and a bit overwhelmed to learn I was receiving this award. I know it is extremely unusual for an SLA staff member to get an award, and I am so incredibly grateful to the volunteer leadership of this association who made this decision. I love it here, I love what I do, and I am thrilled to be recognized in this way! Thank you all so very much."
Recipients of this honor receive a cash award in the amount of US$ 1,000, which Lachance donated to the SLA Campaign for Tomorrow. This fundraising campaign will help SLA ensure its financial footing and its ability to continue providing valuable education, networking and advocacy services to members for many years into the future.
About Janice R. Lachance
Nominated by President William Clinton and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Lachance became director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in 1997, serving until 2000. She is credited with changing the strategic direction of OPM--the federal government's human resources agency--and transforming it into a flexible, innovative, entrepreneurial human resources management organization. Lachance was at the OPM starting in 1993 and prior to being appointed director, served as its director of communications, chief of staff, and deputy director.
An expert in governance and a dedicated community volunteer, Lachance is a member of the Joint Board of Directors of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and The Center for Association Leadership. Lachance is also a fellow, member of the board of directors and executive committee of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). She is a member of the Governing Board of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and chair of its Section on the Management of Library Associations. Lachance was a member of the U.S. delegation to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2005 and participates in the Internet Governance Forum sponsored by the United Nations.
Lachance earned a bachelor of arts degree from Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York, and a juris doctor degree from Tulane University School of Law in New Orleans. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Maine and in the District of Columbia, as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court.
About SLA
The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is a nonprofit global organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners. SLA serves about 11,000 members in 75 countries in the information profession, including corporate, academic, and government information specialists. SLA promotes and strengthens its members through learning, advocacy, and networking initiatives. For more information, visit us on the Web at www.sla.org.
Note to Editors: B-roll, headshots and high-resolution photographs are available. Please contact Cara Schatz in the SLA PR Office to schedule an interview or request additional materials, e-mail: cara@sla.org or 703.647.4917.
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