September 11thWhere Do We Go From Here?
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On September 11th, the world as we know it changed forever when terrorists attacked the United States. On that fateful Tuesday, SLA lost members who died serving in "active duty." While, fortunately, many of our members escaped the horrific tragedy, they suffered terrible losses among their loved ones and colleagues, and they may suffer more losses in their ways of life or livelihood. We mourn our members' untimely deaths, and we share the concerns of those who have survived to face huge uncertainty. The images of September 11th are etched into our psyche, and they will shape the world we live in. |
Sociologists, psychologists, and social commentators agree that the events of that morning will have more of an immediate impact upon us as a society than any other single event of the last hundred plus years. September 11, 2001, has already drawn dark comparisons to December 7, 1941. The political, social, and economic effects are evident as the world unites to wage a global war on terrorism. Certainly, we can see repercussions on businesses, governments, and professional associations, particularly on SLA, where the very nature of our members' beings is incorporated into information sharing, knowledge building, and global networking.
Like many organizations, SLA and its membership has stakes in the ground, which touch upon the worldwide aftermath of the events of September. On October 12th, during their monthly meeting, the headquarters staff shared views on these issues and attempted to gather some perspective on the overall ramifications of recent world events.
The discussion focused on topics like the vulnerability of information systems to sabotage and the impact that technological warfare could have upon us. We noted the changes in policy regarding the kinds of information freely available on many government web sites, and wondered how that might affect our members who rely upon that information to provide critical services to their clienteles. We wondered about our beliefs in information sharing, information censorship, and information privacy. We discussed some of our personal fears and concerns about our safety and the safety of our family and friends. We pondered what could we do as individuals to bridge the religious and cultural differences that have played a key role in the events leading up to September 11th, and continue to divide much of the world.
In the weeks since the attacks, we have all asked ourselves about the unique contributions that SLA can provide to make the world a better place. How, under these horrific circumstances, can we "put our knowledge to work?" We must recognize that our professional propensities to make decisions based on verifiable and source attributable information has greater value now. Our ability to organize information into intelligence has greater necessity. Our understanding of the confluence of content and connectivity provides more sensitivity to security concerns. As SLA members and knowledge leaders in the 21st Century, we have an obligation to put measures in place to help build a greater global understanding. Francis Bacon said "Knowledge is power." To paraphrase him a bit, knowledge is a powerful weapon!
Roberta I. Shaffer
Executive Director
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