Stephen K. Abram for President-elect
Stephen K. Abram, M.L.S. is vice president, Micromedia Limited / IHS Canada
(1999- present).
Past Employment:
Carswell, Thomson Professional Publishing: publisher, electronic information (1992-1994); Thomson Electronic Publishing: senior product manager, electronic information (1991); Hay Management Consultants / The Hay Group: director, information & marketing resources and director, administration (1989-1991); director, information resources (1985-1989); Coopers & Lybrand / Currie Coopers & Lybrand (Auditing, Taxation, Consulting): head librarian, national information centre (1980-1985).
Education:
M.L.S. Faculty of Library & Information Science, University of Toronto (1980); B.A. (hon.) University of Toronto (anthropology) (1978).
SLA Member Since: 1980
SLA Chapter Activities: Toronto Chapter: public relations committee chair (1999-2000); past president (1991-1992); president (1990-1991); president-elect (1989-1990); assorted positions including PR, nominations, continuing education (1988-1995).
SLA Division Activities:
Library Management Division: bylaws chair (1999-2000); nominations committee chair (1993-1994); chair-elect, chair, past-chair (1991-1993); Business & Finance Division: roundtable (1990); directory committee (1985).
SLA Association Level Activities:
Committee on committees member (1999-2000); board of directors (1996-1999); strategic planning committee chair (1997-1998); public relations committee chair (1995-1996); President's Visioning Committee member (1992-1994); President's International Inter-Association Task Force to Enhance the Image of the Information Professional member (1988-1990).
Other Professional Activities:
Various conference advisory boards, Internet World Canada, Online, and Computers in Libraries Conferences, Internet Librarian, ASIS, Internet Librarian, Internet Librarian International (1990-2000); Information Industries Committee chair, Information Technology Association of Canada (1994-1996); FLIS Graduate School Council-University of Toronto (1991-1992); Toronto Library Continuing Education Group co-chair (1984-1999); University of Toronto, Faculty of Information Studies (1989-1998); Ryerson Polytechnic University lecturer (1989-1995); CASLIS national treasurer (1985-1988); CASLIS Toronto chapter president (1984-1986); Toronto Inmagic User's Group founding chair (1985-1988); CASLIS Toronto Chapter program coordinator (1983-1984); Canada Online/Canadian Information Congress founding partner (1985-1986); University of Toronto, Faculty of Information Studies student council director (1979-1980).
Selected Publications
"Pushing the Pay Envelope, Y2K Compensation Strategies", Information Outlook, Oct. 1999 "Content and Technology", Information Today, Nov. 1999
"The Strategy Game at SLA", Information Outlook, Feb. 1998 (Issue Guest Editor)
"The Best Library Event I Ever Saw". MLS Marketing Library Services, July/August 1999
"Shift Happens", OLA Access, Winter 1998/1999 and NASIG Proceedings Fall 1999
"Post-Information Age Positioning for Special Librarians: Is Knowledge Management the Answer?", Information Outlook, June 1997
"Product Development: Five Insights", NFAIS Newsletter, Oct. 1997
"A Conversation with Bill Gates", Information Outlook, May 1997
"What is Your Information Outlook?", Information Outlook, Jan. 1997
"Public Relations and Information Professionals", AALL Newsletter, June 1996
"Marketing Your Valuable Experience", MLS Marketing Library Services, Oct./Nov. 1996
(Publications list has been edited. Please refer to www.sla.org for complete information)
Awards & Honors
Fellow, Special Libraries Association (1995); SLA Library Management Division Management Leadership Award (1999); Canadian Special Librarian of the Year (1998); Canadian Online Product Award (1997); Mecklermedia/Internet World Canada - Best Business Web Site Information Industry Association (U.S.) New Product Achievement (1992); SLA Toronto Chapter Member of the Year (1992); 1980-University of Toronto, Library Science Kathleen Reeves Award (1980); Beta Phi Mu - International Library Science Honor Society.
Abram on the questions:
Stephen Abram -
What is the most critical issue(s) facing SLA today and do you, as a candidate for the Board of Directors, see yourself formulating policies addressing these issues?
Our key issues are (1) positioning the key role our members play in the success of their employers and the knowledge economy, and (2) preparing the membership for increased expectations of employers. It is essential for SLA to develop a comprehensive marketing/communications plan and to implement it effectively. For increased success, our members must be provided with the tools, the context, and the power to effectively position themselves with key decision-makers in the environments where our members practice our profession. This means, to me, we must review our too-traditional public relations activities. In a broader context we need to develop a coordinated and assertive plan for marketing SLA and communicating the value and role of special librarians. That would necessarily mean professionally reviewing our ‘brand name' and integrating this with a reinvigorated professional development plan that enables members to recognize SLA as their first choice for continuous learning.
How do you see technology affecting the way SLA provides service to its members?
The time is now to take our valuable, virtual SLA infrastructure and turn it outward, positioning our members, and SLA, as leaders in the knowledge economy. I have been a strong proponent of SLA as an incubator, where our members experience emerging or recent technologies and practice their implementation and use in a non-threatening environment. Members are consequently empowered to take such competencies back to their organizations in the context of their deep understanding of information behaviours. When I proposed the term ‘Virtual Association' to describe our strategy, I hoped that the strategy would provide a focus for the development of an association that extended beyond headquarters and also broke the boundaries of networking only at annual conferences and chapter events. The strategy - 7/24/365 - has evolved through excellent financial management and planning, without our Association having to discontinue or diminish any of our traditional and valued print offerings.
Where to you see the information profession going in the new millennium?
As every century turns, history finds the fools of the moment. At the turn of this millennium we can identify them easily by their rallying cry--"I can find information I need on the web for free." Some of them lead our organizations and some are our clients. As fools are recognized for what they are, and as their decisions are made public through the mistakes they make in basing decisions on low-quality or false information, we will find our knowledge and competencies in high demand. SLA knowledge professionals help our clients ‘turn information into knowledge and put knowledge to work'. We are being handed a great millennial gift of information chaos that will ensure that our profession will prosper and ensure the success of our enterprises. We must have the courage and belief in our profession to take this gift and allow our profession to soar.
Hope N. Tillman for President-elect
Hope N. Tillman is Director of Libraries at Babson College, Babson Park, Massachusetts
(1991- present)
Past Employment:
Tufts University Arts and Sciences Library: assistant director for public services and access (1990-1991); head of reference services (1989-1990); Rider University Library: coordinator of information services (1982-1989); reference librarian (1971-1982); Trenton Public Library: branch librarian (1968-1969); Free Library of Philadelphia: library trainee (1965-1966) Fels Institute of Local and State Government at the University of Pennsylvania: special librarian (1963-1964).
Education:
M.B.A., Rider University School of Business Administration(1979); M.L.S., Rutgers Graduate School of Library Service (1966); B.A., English, University of Pennsylvania (1964). Also attended Goucher College and Middlebury College.
SLA Member Since: 1974
SLA Chapter Activities: Boston Chapter: president (1993-1994); president-elect (1992-1993); program committee (1990-1992); nominating committee chair (1995-1996); awards committee chair (1995-1997); discussion list manager, 1993- present ). Princeton-Trenton Chapter: twentieth anniversary committee chair (1987); director (1985-1986); president (1984-1985); president-elect (1983-1984); networking committee chair (1982-1983); hospitality committee chair (1980-1981, 1982-1983); bulletin business manager (1981-1982); nominating committee chair (1978-1979).
SLA Division Activities: Information Technology Division: chair (1998-1999); chair-elect (1997-1998); networking section chair (1992-1993); liaison from SLA Networking Committee (1991-1992); discussion list manager (1993- present). Education Division: chair (1988-1989); chair-elect (1987-1988); Education Libraries editor (1986-1990). Information Futurists Caucus: discussion list manager (1996-present). Business & Finance, Education, Information Technology, Library Management Divisions: member; Information Futurists Caucus: member.
SLA Association-Level Activities: Board of directors (1994-1997); strategic planning committee member (1994-1996); strategic planning committee chair (1995-1996); networking committee chair (1990-1993); SLA representative to Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee (1990-1992); Chapter and Division Programming Task Force Long Range Planning Committee (1984-1985); Innovations in Technology Award Committee (1997-1999).
Other Professional Activities: President, WEBNet (West of Boston, MA) Library Consortium (1993-1994, 1997-1998); Member of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners Statewide Technology Committee; Served on Executive Board of the Metrowest Massachusetts Regional Library System (1998-1999). Guest lecturer, Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science; Presenter at conferences and regional meetings in the U.S. and Canada, including Computers in Libraries (organizing committee 1996-to date), Internet Librarian (organizing committee 1997-to date), Internet World, and SLA CE courses and presentations. Member, Academic Business Library Directors Group, Boston Area Academic Business Librarians, ALA, Internet Society.
Awards and Honors: SLA Business & Finance Division Disclosure Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business Librarianship (1994); SLA Education Division Award for Excellence (1992): Beta Phi Mu. Biographical listing in Who's Who of American Women, Directory of Library and Information Professionals, Who's Who in American Education.
Publications (selected):
Maintains a World Wide Web site with access to my current publications and presentations, } Evaluating Quality on the Net, (1995-1999), } Internet Tools of the Profession: A Guide for Special Librarians. Washington, D.C.: Special Libraries Association, 1st edition, 1995, 2nd edition 1997; Internet and Special Librarians: Use, Training, and the Future. Washington, D.C.: Special Libraries Association, 1993 (book co-authored with Sharyn Ladner); Author of numerous articles, most recently Lessons Learned from Y2K , Information Outlook , October 1999.
Tillman on the questions
Hope Tillman
What is the most critical issue(s) facing SLA today and how do you, as a candidate for the Board of Directors, see yourself formulating policies addressing those issues?
The most critical issue facing SLA today is ensuring the relevance of the Association to a membership whose profession is undergoing continuing fast-paced evolution. Change will continue. As President, I intend to keep watching and listening to members in order to provide responsive leadership. We need to balance association unit needs with the best interests of the membership as a whole. As information professionals grow and assume new roles and careers, we need to adjust to their new needs and provide relevant services. I feel strongly that we need to continue to build bridges and partner with other professional organizations as well. Finally, I support the efforts of the Board to look at our governance structure to make sure bureaucracy doesn't get in the way of our initiatives as we move forward. I want to participate in SLA's development as a flexible, responsive, dynamic organization.
How do you see technology affecting the way SLA provides services to its members?
Technology is a tool, and we need to use it to members' advantage. The virtualization of the association is not an end in itself; it is designed to make us more responsive and enhance face to face activities. Early results include the discussion lists, chat services, and members' only section of the SLA web site. I see technology as an enabler of two-way communication, increasing the ability of association leaders at all levels to interact regularly with one another and the entire membership, not bounded by time and place. It can provide a way for those who cannot attend annual or local meetings to stay in touch or get involved. Technology can be used to provide customized professional development opportunities to meet member needs. We need to encourage and support members to embrace technology whether or not they have access from their workplace. Technology is only a tool and will help us only if members use it.
Where do you see the information profession going in the new millennium?
SLA members belong among those charting the course for the future of the information professions in the new millenium. We bear little resemblance to librarians at the beginning of the twentieth century, and we will continue to evolve. We will continue to provide services to best meet content needs of customers. More of us will not work within a library building. Services will continue to move out of the library and to the most convenient locations for customers. Some aspects of our jobs will be virtual and some face to face. We must track and anticipate organizational needs, and provide answers without waiting for specific requests. What will endure in our profession is our role in adding value to our organizations by our ability to evaluate information and create knowledge. I truly expect we will continue to enjoy our profession and be able to celebrate our increased value.
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