Reach out with What You Know Best
First, I wish you all heartfelt best wishes this month in celebrating International Special Librarians Day, Now that we've done this for a decade, I think we all should be adept at finding unique ways to share the value we bring to our customers, our organizations, and our profession. After all, no one else is going to do it for us! So get out there and show the world what you can do.
Our theme for ISLD 2001 is "A World of Information Within Your Reach." For the second consecutive year, our theme has been selected from ideas submitted by SLA members by the association's Public Relations Committee. This year's theme was created by Ginger Roberts, technical information manager with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Arlington, Virginia. Her prize is a $200 check from SLA for submitting the winning entry.
Think about that theme: A World of Information Within Your Reach. A lot can be gleaned from those words that can help you to understand the magnitude of your role in the information economy. Applied to your daily work, it's easy to see that you can command a lot of power and influence in your organization or with your customers. Don't take that generically, either. There are so many ways to wield influence with your skills that you can pick and choose based on your own personality and working style. The important thing to remember is this: people need information and knowledge to succeed, and you are just the person to deliver for them! In keeping with our theme, Factiva (www.factiva.com) and Freedom Forum (www.freedomforum.org) are hosting a reception on the fifth of this month to celebrate ISLD 2001. Participants will have access to the Newseum, an interactive news museum in Arlington, Virginia, followed by a celebration that will include remarks by Jack Kelley, world affairs correspondent for USA TODAY.
As for your own efforts to celebrate, I challenge you to 1) seek out the people in your organization who can have an impact on the improvement of information and knowledge management (people who control the flow of money; people who know people; people who wield influence in the workplace); 2) impress the "non-believers" in the organization by delivering information they can really use now, so that they will think of you later; 3) roll out a new service or product that will change the way your users access information; 4) build a personal relationship with a senior executive in your organization who has not previously engaged your or your staff; 5) if you manage a staff, have a pre-ISLD training session to prepare everyone for a full day of interaction and service that will leave your organization talking for days after. The specifics are up to youjust don't sit around in your offices cheering each other and the fact that you all share the same beliefs about your profession!
Finally, commit yourself to enhanced support for your association. We truly value your membership in SLA, but the profession improves with increased involvement in SLA. Volunteerism, participation in learning activities, and activism on the issues facing the profession are critical components to our success. With you, all things are possible through SLA.
David R. Bender, Ph.D.
Executive Director
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