*Note: The following is from our archived collection of older documents, and may not reflect the most current information.
Welcome to SLA Connections, your source for news and information from the information profession and industry.
Making History – SLA’s First eVote
Have you voted yet? September 15, members started casting votes about whether to approve an amendment to the SLA Bylaws. This vote is particularly important for a couple of reasons. First, it’s the first time we’ve ever conducted a vote online. Second, it will decide whether we implement the new Membership Dues Structure recommended by the Finance Committee and approved by the Board. 
About the e-Vote… At the Annual Business Meeting in Toronto in June, members overwhelmingly approved a bylaws amendment that gave a voice to the rank-and-file member. No longer must everyone travel to Annual Conference and attend the Annual Meeting to exercise their right to vote in member elections. More members now can participate in determining the course of their professional Association.
So the staff and I went back to Headquarters and set about finding a tool to make eVoting a reality. An online voting tool is called a “secure remote electronic voting system.” That means you are assured the system is secure, your vote will be counted correctly, and the ballot box is not vulnerable to corruption. We reviewed systems and bids, chose “VoteNet,” put it into place, tested it, and on September 15, we rolled it out to you. We hope you like it.
If we have your correct email address, you should have received an email about the vote. We will continue to email you until you cast your ballot. The emails have a link to the secure site. You log in with your SLA ID and PIN, which are provided for your convenience. Your SLA ID and PIN function as your unique identifier, your “digital signature.”
If you don’t have email or elect not to vote online, you received a paper ballot in the mail or you can request one by calling +1.703.647.4950 or emailing bylaws@sla.org.
No matter how you vote, all full members are eligible, and we encourage you to participate in the process.
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The voting period goes through Friday, October 7th. eBallots must be in by 5:00 p.m. EDT on October 7 and paper ballots must be postmarked no later than October 7. |
To Amend or Not to Amend
The ballot question before members is related to a membership dues restructuring. (We haven’t had an increase since 1999.) The Finance Committee has warned that without more dues funding the budget will be in deficit within the next few years. They recommended an increase as part of a flexible new dues structure, and the Board approved it to take effect January 1. (Your dues will be recalculated when you come up for renewal.)
We held two electronic forums (that were not well-attended) on August 31 and September 8. President Pam Rollo and Board Treasurer Gloria Zamora will host a third and final forum on Thursday, September 29, at 1:00 p.m. EDT. Please join us if you have any questions at all about the amendment, the dues restructuring plan, or if you just want to learn more about our future plans.
The question actually before you, though, is not whether to raise or restructure dues—it is whether to amend the Association’s bylaws to lift a provision that prohibits dues increases higher than 12%.
That sounds like a lot, but the reality is that in the last two decades, SLA has had only three dues increases and ALL have been greater than 12%. The highest recent increase (in 1995) was 40%. The January 1 increase would be 28% or $35 a year for members earning more than US$35,000 a year. Members earning less would pay less dues (US$99).
The 12% cap is new—it was added in 2002. So far, it has served no purpose, and, indeed, if history is our guide, it hamstrings the Board as it works to exercise its fiduciary responsibility to keep the organization’s finances in the black.
To keep up with inflation, keep SLA’s finances stable, and continue to deliver, expand, and enhance some key member services, the Board and the Finance Committee recommend that your Association needs additional dues funding.
There’s more to the story. The request for a new, more flexible dues structure actually started years ago within the membership. And it’s interesting to compare what SLA could do with US$35 more per year with what you could do with $35 a year. For all that information, let me direct you to the Bylaws Information Center. Click on Learn More and review the information available to you.
As you consider your vote, though, there’s another Bylaws provision of which you should be aware. Your Bylaws provide that dues cannot be raised more often than three years. The Board intentionally left that protection intact—the Bylaws will continue to say that dues cannot be raised but ONCE in any three-year period.
Historically dues have NOT been raised every three-years—this is the first increase in seven-years; before that, it was four-years; and before that, it was eight-years.
The new structure also means allotments to chapters, divisions, and caucuses will go up 20% too to help strengthen and improve your SLA experience at every level.
Please review the information provided by the Board and ask questions if you have them. In addition to the member forum set for September 29, you can email bylaws@sla.org or email Pam Rollo directly.
Voting continues until October 7 and, so as to count all ballots that may come in by mail from around the world, results of the election will be ready to announce on or about October 14.
Janice’s List
What is more dangerous: a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? These may not sound like typical economics questions, but Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He and Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics, assert that economics at its root is the study of incentives—how people get what they want or need.
Burning Question
Have you visited Click University yet? You can get there by clicking here. Email me at janice@sla.org.
Consider This
“A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won’t cross the street to vote in a national election.”
Bill Vaughn, author
Survey: KM Technology Top Euro Biz Priority
Knowledge management solutions are now the most important strategic technologies for large companies, according to a new report and survey of European executives by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Of executives responding, 55% cited IT’s failure to prioritize information as the main barrier to effective decision-making. Read more from EIU and download the report.
China Bans Internet Telephony
In a move to protect the nation’s existing wired phone services, tools like Skype can no longer be used. Read more from Newsfactor.com
London Tops in International Bandwidth
Washington, D.C.-based Telegeography reports that 1.1 trillion bits per second of international Internet bandwidth terminate in the English capital. Also, Internet traffic in Latin America is growing faster than any other region of the world. Read more from Internet World.
Google Innovation Watch: Is Reuters in Google’s Sights?
Probably not, according to Outsell’s recent commentary in its weekly e-newsletter. But the fact that Google would even consider the notion proves that they are serious about innovating the world of content delivery and search. We’ve all been watching as the folks at the “Googleplex” churn out products like Answers, Print, and Scholar, gradually positioning the company as a more evolved content aggregator. Where will they fit in the global community of information professionals? We think there is plenty of room under our tent for Google to play.
Cool Site: Project Implicit
Do you really know what you think about things? A group of psychologists at Harvard has created this set of online tests you can take to explore your preferences and prejudices. Does skin color or body size affect your impression of someone? Do you secretly associate certain careers with men and others with women? If you can't get enough via the demonstration side, register to be part of the research project and take more tests.
One More Member Forum
SLA President Pam Rollo has scheduled an additional forum on the current Bylaws vote regarding membership dues. This third and final forum is set for:
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Thursday, September 29, at 1:00 p.m. EDT |
In preparation, visit the Bylaws Information Center and review a slide presentation by President Rollo and Treasurer Gloria Zamora.
The first two forums, on August 31 and September 8, were not well attended. Only a handful of members participated in each.
This is an important member vote on an important question related to our Bylaws and membership dues. The outcome will have direct bearing on whether SLA can avoid a deficit budget situation in the near future. If you have questions or a view you would like to express, call in and participate.
Watch for Special Announcement
Be on the lookout for a special edition of “SLA Connections” in mid-October. The issue will be devoted to communicating results of the current member vote, along with news of what happens next.
Disaster Zone
The U.S. Gulf Coast has been devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita which struck merely weeks apart. SLA leaders including President Pam Rollo, Executive Director Janice R. Lachance, and Louisiana-Southern Mississippi Chapter President Lisl Zach have been reaching out to members in the disaster zone. Word so far is that all SLA members and their families are safe, although some have been directly affected, through their homes or jobs, and they’re receiving assistance.
The Information Professionals’ Alliance on Natural Disasters and Accidents (IPANDA), responding immediately, has devoted its Weblog to news and information. The blog seeks to match members who needed help with members offering help and support.
The Disaster Planning and Recovery Information Portal has been updated, in light of the most recent human and economic catastrophes. The portal was created by IPANDA, which spun off the Disaster Task Force created after the tsunami in Southeast Asia and chaired by Dav Robertson.
Your October issue of Information Outlook will feature special stories and photos from the disaster zones.
SLA Members’ Salaries Beat Inflation Again
Salary Survey results are to be published by the end of October, along with results from the new workplace study. The initial summary can be found on the Web at 2005 SLA Salary Survey.
U.S. respondents reported their salaries rose 4.6% while the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.5% during the same period (April 2004 – 2005) in the United States. Canadian respondents’ salaries rose 3.6% while inflation increased 2.5% in Canada. Mean salaries were US$65,482 and CN$63,083.
A global compensation study has been postponed in the past due to lack of funding. Broadening the salary survey beyond the U.S. and Canada is a primary goal if members approve the current proposed Bylaws amendment, which would increase dues funding to the Association.
2006 Conference Web Site Up
Are you developing your ’06 budget? Make sure you plan to participate in the SLA 2006 Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, June 11 – 14. For more info, visit the new conference Web site.
Task Force Appointments
President Pam Rollo has completed appointments to six new task forces.
Here is a listing of the task forces and their chairs:
• Alliances & Partners – Anne Caputo & Willem Noorlander
• Chapter Modeling – Gayle Gossen
• Executive Growth – Pamela Clark
• New Visions – Amy Disch
• Recognition – Bill Fisher
• Research Now – Robyn Frank
Two previous task forces are continuing:
• Professional Value – Ethel Salonen
• Natural Disasters – Dav Robertson
For more information, visit the Task Forces page on the Web site.
Public Policy Partners on VLS
In the first partnership of its kind, SLA teamed with the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and AFFECT (Americans for Fair Electronic Commerce Transactions) to present “Shrink-Wrap Click-Wrap Licenses: Why Should Information Professionals Care?” The Virtual Learning Seminar (VLS) was focused on issues surrounding librarians and shrink-wrap and click-wrap licensing. AALL and AFFECT members received the SLA member rate to register.
SLA Member Wins Major Corporate Award
Jan Chindlund, an SLA member since 1987 and past president of the Illinois Chapter, has been honored with the McDonald’s Women’s Leadership Award. Chindlund, who lives in Oak Brook, Illinois, is Head Librarian for Global Business Research for McDonald’s. In presenting the award, Chief Marketing Office Larry Light reportedly choked up and called Chindlund “my brain.” Light credited Chindlund as the brains behind McDonald’s massive “I’m Lovin’ It” advertising campaign.
Lachance Appointed to IFLA Panel
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is conducting a review of its business processes, particularly related to advocacy. Secretary General Peter Johan Lor has appointed SLA Executive Director Janice R. Lachance to sit on the panel that will review and comment on the report before it’s presented to the IFLA Governing Board.
Upcoming SLA Meetings
Board of Directors, October 20-21, SLA International HQ, Alexandria, Virginia
Leadership Summit, January 18–21, Houston, Texas
Connect to Industry News
Do you tap into News Connections? Carolyn Sosnowski of the SLA Information Center utilizes Factiva and Nexcerpt to continually collect the latest industry news. Using newspapers, the Web, and journals, News Connections is updated throughout the week. Content focuses on copyright issues, competitive intelligence, Web design, vendor news, and blogging.
This service, exclusively for SLA members, is available through our Web site. News Connections is the first choice under the Resources tab. Prefer to have news “pushed” to you through email? SLA’s licensing prohibits that, but Nexcerpt offers SLA members a 10% discount on subscription.
What Is Going On?
SLA is your organization. Share your news. Email Communications Director Karen Santos Freeman at communications@sla.org.
Click University
Coming soon: a new and improved look and more course libraries. Have you visited SLA’s Click University? Email feedback or questions to learning@sla.org.
Gifts to the Professional Development Campaign
CORRECTION: The August issue of this newsletter incorrectly identified the amount of the Military Librarians Division contribution to the Professional Development Campaign as $1,500. The actual amount was $3,500. We regret the error.
For more info on the Campaign for Professional Development, click here.
SLA Virtual Learning Series
October 2005
Topic: Library Benchmarking and the Information Product Development Lifecycle
Part I: October 12, 2005
The Principles of Conducting a Library Benchmarking Project
Part II: October 26, 2005
Integrating Benchmark Findings Into the Information Product Development Lifecycle
Speaker: Roger Strouse, Vice President and Lead Analyst, Outsell, Inc.
Karen Wilson, Director, Data Solutions with Outsell, Inc.
For more Professional Development news, look for SLA’s monthly Learning Connections e-newsletter.
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