SLA: Change Is Our Tradition
In preparation for taking on the role of president of this organization, I decided to do some research on our founding member, John Cotton Dana. What I discovered is the identity of both our profession and our association and a theme for my presidential year. Back at the turn of the last century, Dana talked about the print explosion the same way we talk about the information revolution:
"Worldly information goes on piling up; so much of it in print as to make that which is printed almost impossible of control."
His answer to this problem was to lead a change in the practice of librarianship. He saw the challenges created by the print explosion as an exciting opportunity for transforming the future of his profession. He believed that:"the old type of library must modify itself in accordance with the new needs which the evolution of knowledge and the growth of print have created."
He recognized and demanded changes in library methods and formed an organization of those who were leading those changes. That organization is SLA. It follows then, that for SLA, change is our tradition. To keep that tradition alive, we must lead change; change in our methods of practicing special librarianship, change in the education of new professionals, and change in the way our association continues to meet our professional needs.
Just as John Cotton Dana faced the challenges of the print explosion, we as a profession must face the challenges of the information revolution with the same willingness to lead a revolution of our own, particularly in our workplaces. Knowledge management, web-based information services, and virtual libraries are just a few of the developments that offer opportunities for our profession to take a leadership role, and all of us must aspire to lead. You do not have to be a manager to be a knowledge leader, but you do have to be an expert in your field. Knowledge leaders are those who are relied upon for their expertise and for their innovative and creative contributions to putting knowledge to work in their organizations. Our profession is well positioned to take a leadership role in the new knowledge economy. However, no opportunity comes without risks.
Just as our founder took the risk of abandoning what were some of the tried and true premises of librarianship of that day, we must abandon some of our familiar ways and places of operation for the new frontiers of the virtual world. The risk of not leading the change is greater. To refrain from taking a leadership role disempowers our professional function in our organization and creates a void that other professional disciplines will leap to fill. Critical decisions get made without the benefit of our professional knowledge and expertise. The library profession is invisible, and the function becomes devalued. Too many colleagues express surprise that the physical spaces called libraries close in favor of virtual collections stored on the desktop, and yet, they know this trend is the wave of the future. Would it not be better to ride the wave as its champion than disappear as it rolls over us? Since change is our tradition, why not lead the change? During the coming association year, SLA will also honor its founder by embracing change. Since our roles are changing, then SLA must change too, and the leadership of SLA will take action to transform the association and prepare it to meet the challenges of the knowledge revolution. Five task forces are working to shape the SLA of the future, one that will serve well the changing needs of the information professional. SLA will be recognized as the premier global professional association for networking with the vital, creative, and technologically savvy leaders of the knowledge revolution.
Donna Scheeder,
SLA President
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