Welcome to SLA Connections, your source for news and information from the information profession and industry.
By Janice R. Lachance, Esq.
Making SLA a Personal Experience
Think, for a moment, about a project, an event, an organization, or even a group of friends, in which you were previously involved and about which you continue to have positive memories. What was it about that involvement that made your experience positive? Was it the people? Was it the purpose by which you came to be involved? Was it your own senses or desires being fulfilled through that involvement? It really doesn’t matter why your experience was positive, just so long as your memories are pleasing or rewarding. But the very fact that such experiences are pleasing or rewarding makes them personal to you.
Personal experiences, it seems, are the most memorable kinds of events that can take place in our lives. We participate in lots of “events” every day – and we rarely pay any notice or attention to most of them. For example, walking down the street to the office is an event with lots of activity swirling around us and many people engaging in activities that are totally unrelated to our own. Typically, we don’t devote much time to such an event, unless something evocative or emotional takes place during our walk. Then, all of a sudden, a deeper cognitive link results from the experience. No matter if it was positive or negative, it becomes a part of our memory, if only for a short time.
So it is with our experiences in organizations like SLA. Most members of the Association do not actively think about SLA, unless an email from SLA Headquarters arrives in our inbox, or we get a call from a fellow member about an issue, or we actually attend a chapter meeting or the SLA Annual Conference. Even then, is our memory of SLA ephemeral, lasting only long enough to get us to the next event?
I would submit that many things have changed at SLA in the three years I’ve served you. The positive forces taking hold of the Association have combined to deepen the impact of your membership experience. With our focus on learning, networking, and advocacy, you’ve seen Click University launched, our partnerships with the information industry blooming, and our international public policy efforts expanding. There’s lots more to consider, but you can see that SLA is a vibrant community for information professionals worldwide.
The question is this: are you paying attention to the SLA experience? If you’re paying attention, are you engaged in the SLA experience? With so much going on in our community, my challenge to you is to pay attention, get involved, and make a difference in your career and your professional organization.
Janice’s List
Experience the Message: How Experiential Marketing is Changing the Brand World, by Max Lenderman (2005, Carroll & Graf). This book echoes a trend in marketing illustrated in this example: For several years, an 18-wheel, 27-stall Porta Potti, dubbed "Potty Palooza," has been traveling the US, handing out tens of thousands of rolls of Charmin toilet paper. Why? Because someone at Procter & Gamble realized that the 4,000 advertising messages that bombard Americans each and every day aren't driving home the message. Experiential marketing, it seems, can rise above the clamor and reach an audience like never before.
Burning Question
How can you use experiential marketing in your organization to drive home the value of your services? I’d like to hear from you on this! Email me at janice@sla.org.
Consider This
“Commoditized. No company wants that word applied to its goods or services. Merely mentioning commodization sends shivers down the spines of executives and entrepreneurs alike. Differentiation disappears, margins fall through the floor, and customers buy solely on the basis of price, price, price.” Joseph Pine and James Gilmore in The Experience Economy: Work is Theater and Every Business a Stage.
Factiva CEO Promoted to Dow Jones
Clare Hart is leaving Factiva to join the leadership team at its parent company and head the Enterprise Media Group, which includes Factiva. Read more from Information Today.
Leadership vs. Friendship: Managing Social Distance
Organizations have become flatter, but managers still need space in order to take the big-picture view. How do you combine friendship and leadership and remain effective? Read more from Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge.
Google to Enter Biz Info Market
According to Matthew Glotzbach, director of product management for Google’s Enterprise products, an “innovative strategy” will be announced soon to give users of the company’s enterprise search service real-time access to business information. Read more from ChannelWeb.com.
Fair Use: A Thing of the Past?
A new report from the New York University Law School takes a look at the impact of new copyright law on free expression. Read more from the USC/Annenberg Online Journalism Review.
Focus on Innovation:
Governments Take Data Mining to Next Level
Editor’s Note: Over the two-year history of SLA Connections, we have focused on innovation at Google, due in large part to their focus on delivering content to the world, but also because innovation is baked into the Google DNA. We are now expanding our focus beyond Google to innovation as a practice anywhere – government, academia, associations, industry, anywhere that ideas are celebrated and implemented.)
The New York Times Technology Section examines the use of new technologies to aid in the search for criminals and terrorists. Read more.
Exclusive Offer to SLA Members: Buying and Selling eContent Event
SLA is the Learning Partner for Buying and Selling eContent, taking place 9-11 April, in Scottsdale, Arizona (note the ad in this edition of SLA Connections). A special discounted rate of USD 995.00 is being offered to SLA members only for this event, which brings together representatives of information industry companies and purchasers of electronic content to discuss their current and future needs. If you have questions, please contact John Crosby (jcrosby@sla.org) at SLA Headquarters.
Sunshine Week: Are We Safer in the Dark?
On 13 March 2006, a panel of experts from around the U.S. will kick off Sunshine Week with a broadcast from the National Press Club in Washington DC. The discussion is being brought forth by several organizations, including SLA, and will focus on open government and secrecy—the problems, the impact on communities and what the public can do. Civic organizations, libraries, universities and other groups with the ability to receive a satellite feed are encouraged to participate as a host site. Additional information on program and site hosting.
Cool Site: Scirus
SLA Connections typically recommends a cool site for being outside the typical boundaries of sites used in our community. And while Scirus might seemingly be a known quantity to some of our readers, its usefulness is something we find very cool. Searching scientific content doesn’t have to be expensive, and Elsevier has delivered with Scirus.
Cast Your eVote by 3 March
The polls are open in this year’s SLA Board of Directors Election! Go to www.sla.org/evote2006.
Eligible voting members have until 3 March to cast their ballots to select officers and other members of the Board. Voting members are encouraged to use the SLA eVote Web site. Paper ballots were mailed to members who have not provided SLA with an email address. Paper ballots must be return postmarked by 3 March. Members may vote online or on paper but each is entitled to only one vote.
Candidate's biographies are in this month’s issue of Information Outlook. Read about the candidates and review their speeches from the 2006 SLA Leadership Summit online at www.sla.org/BODcandidates.
CEO Remarks on WSIS to be Featured on Click University
SLA Chief Executive Officer Janice Lachance addressed a recent meeting of the Association’s Washington, DC Chapter, speaking about her experiences at the Tunis phase of the World Summit on the Information Society. SLA members will soon be able to view and listen to her remarks on Click University at no charge. Look for upcoming announcements on www.clickuniversity.com.
Conference Preview, Online Planner Now Available
While the online planner has been available for several weeks now at www.sla.org/baltimore2006, the Conference Preview was sent to all SLA members with the February issue of Information Outlook. If you have not received a copy, please contact SLA on events@sla.org.
Register for SLA 2006 Now and Save Up To $100
SLA Annual Conference registration is off to a gallop. Take advantage of some great savings opportunities while you still can!
SLA 2006 promises to be one of the largest, most well-attended SLA events in years. That may be due to the strong programming and keynote speakers -- Gwen Ifill of “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” and Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal. Also, Baltimore, with its Inner Harbor, is a great conference town, with lots of attractions and diversions.
SLA 2006 is set for 11-14 June in Baltimore, Maryland. This year’s theme is “Baltimore—Where Tradition and Transformation Converge.” By registering prior to 1 May, SLA members can save US$50. Non-members can save $250 on registration costs by joining SLA now. Register online at www.sla.org/baltimore2006.
Member Service Focus—SLA News Connections
As an SLA member, you have exclusive access to news tailored specifically to your needs.
"News Connections" is available exclusively to SLA members through our Web site. Throughout the week, Carolyn Sosnowski, MLIS, in the SLA Information Center, utilizes the services provided by Factiva and Nexcerpt to continually collect and update industry news. The content in News Connections focuses on copyright issues, competitive intelligence, Web design, vendor news, and blogging.
We know some of you may prefer a summary emailed to you, but SLA’s licensing prohibits that. Members are, however, entitled to a 10% discount on Nexcerpt subscriptions.
Click on the link above and bookmark it. It’s one of the many tools and services available under the “Resources” tab on our Web site.
SLA Membership Recruitment a Top Priority
A growing membership is essential to the success of the SLA community. Our crack membership sales team is focusing on identifying new prospects AND helping you – our best membership sales representatives – to refer colleagues for membership. Here are some updates on recent and upcoming activities.
New SLA Members. In January, SLA greeted 196 new members from the following countries: Bahamas, Canada, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Singapore, United Kingdom and the United States. SLA Members are our biggest champions and promoters of membership. To all of you who continue to inform your colleagues about SLA’s valuable benefits and services, THANK YOU!
Upcoming Membership Study. SLA staff requests your participation in this year’s Membership Study. If SLA does not have your e-mail address on file by 31 March 2006, you will not receive the online survey. Update your member profile now to make sure your SLA record reflects your current contact information.
Renew Your Membership on Time: Is it time for you to renew? In order to receive uninterrupted SLA benefits and services, please submit your 2006 renewal before your membership expires! We encourage you to check your expiration date online to ensure continuous service from your professional home, SLA.
15 March 2006
Topic: Market Research for Libraries
Presenter: Samantha Chmelik, Knowledge inForm, Inc
28 March 2006
Topic: Communities of Practice - Knowledge at Work!
Presenter: Deb Wallace, The Kennedy Group
April 2006
Topic: The Impact of IP on Digitization Projects
12 April 2006
Part I - Digitization Project Management in a Nutshell
26 April 2006
Part II - Managing Intellectual Property Issues Within the Digitization Project
Presenters: Jill Hurst-Wahl, Hurst Associates Ltd.
K. Matthew Dames, Seso Group LLC
Lesley Ellen Harris' Winter/Spring 2006 Schedule of Courses
Lesley Ellen Harris is a copyright, licensing, and e-commerce lawyer/consultant who works on legal, business, and strategic issues in the publishing, content, entertainment, Internet, and information industries. Lesley's clients range from individuals to governments, associations, unions, and corporations. She also works with libraries, archives, museums and educational institutions. Now you can learn directly from Lesley Ellen through Click University. Read more…
Thomson West Introduces WestLaw RegulationsPlus
SLA Partners with World Computer Exchange
InMagic Offers Asset Management via Presto
LexisNexis Announces Availability of File and Serve for Law Firms
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