Welcome to SLA Connections, your source for news and information from the information profession and industry.
Executive Journal
June is the month when most families celebrate graduation. But, here at SLA, we will be laying out the caps and gowns, cutting the cake and raising a toast next month to the first graduates of SLA's Competitive Intelligence (CI) Certificates Program. The CI program, which is offered through SLA's Click University and began in January, is made up of three different levels of curriculum that give members an opportunity to choose courses directly related to their jobs. The feedback we have received on the program to date has been excellent. Among the comments we have heard from those taking part are;
"I underestimate how much of what I do is CI, and then too, how much of what I do needs to be tweaked to incorporate more of the concepts for more effective deliverables,"
"The course opens the possibilities to many new options to explore and evaluate,"
"I'm so pleased that SLA is offering this...It's a wonderful opportunity for training that many of us would not otherwise be able to have."
"How much I still have to learn even after 20 years of experience - Wow, it's very exciting!"
If you are interested in the program, I urge you to learn more and sign up for the 2008 program that begins in January. We will gladly hold a place for you in an upcoming graduating class.
The CI certificates program is a significant new offering from Click U. I am pleased to tell you, however, that, as of the New Year, it will not be the only certificates program we offer. Building on the success of the CI program, Click U will be offering a new Knowledge Management (KM) Certificates Program to members only starting next year. This new program is intended to help those of you who believe you will need more understanding of KM in the future or may be interested in moving into a more formal KM role in your organizations. We created this specific program in response to the changing needs of organizations that want to manage and use their proprietary and industry information better. More and more organizations understand that good knowledge management practices are essential to development of sound business strategies. As a result, many organizations are putting more emphasis and resources into it.
According to the 2007 SLA Workplace Study and Salary Survey, KM is one of the highest paying disciplines in the information profession today with a median annual salary of USD 76,000, according to U.S. respondents who identified KM as their primary area of responsibility.
As with the CI certificates program, the KM program will offer you different levels of curricula from which to choose in order to make the program as relevant as possible to you in your current positions. Not only will the program be open to members who would like to receive a full KM certificate, it will be open to those of you seeking specific courses as a way to enhance your professional knowledge and proficiency on the subject.
Both the CI and KM programs represent SLA's ongoing commitment to provide you with the best, most relevant and easily accessible training and development opportunities possible. In addition to the creation of these certificates programs, Click U this year received accreditation from the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), developed a Click U "Course of the Month" and gave you free access to more than a thousand titles in the Leadership and Management ebook library. We are continually assessing our offerings to you and, with your feedback, are always looking for ways to improve them. Our goal is simple. We want to give you the education and training you need to continue to be valuable and indispensable assets to your organizations today and well into the future.
Book Recommendation
This month I would like to recommend to you a book authored by a member of the SLA headquarters staff. Tough Questions - Good Answers: Taking Control of Any Interview (Capital Books) by SLA's Chief Communications Strategist, Tom Calcagni explains how to develop effective messages for your professional and personal life and how to use these messages to help you answer the toughest questions during executive presentations, board meetings, employee reviews and other kinds of interviews. Tom is an accomplished media coach and has taught his "What-How-Why" technique to corporate leaders, association executives, politicians, authors, athletes and, even, students headed for college interviews. I was pleased to write the forward for the book, and, as a result, got a sneak peak at it even though it is not available until the end of the month. I think you will find the techniques in
Tough Questions - Good Answers easy to learn and easy to use, and they will definitely give you greater confidence the next time you will be answering difficult questions.
Quote
"Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere." - Chinese Proverb
| OUTSIDE THE BOX |
Five Tips for Strategic Information Management
Computing magazine provides a definitive guide to information management and examines best practices.Read Article in Computing.
British Library Books Go Digital
More than 100,000 old books previously unavailable to the public will be available online thanks to the efforts of your friends at the British Library. Read full story from BBC.
"More Countries Need a DMCA"
The controversial U.S. law that generally bars people from tampering with copy-protection features drew accolades recently from the video game industry trade group's chief executive. Entertainment Software Association CEO Mike Gallagher applauded the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act as "vitally important." The problem is, "very few countries follow the path of the DMCA," Gallagher said at an anti-piracy summit hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Read more on CNET.com.
| INSIDE THE BOX |
BREAKING NEWS: 2008 SLA Board of Directors Election Results are In!
The polls closed on 11 October with 2,381 members participating in the online election. Following collection and counting of all mail-in ballots the results were finalized and the winners are..
Take Advantage of Your Member Discounts!
One of the great advantages of being an SLA member is gaining access to products and services from our partners at a discount. These negotiated discounts to events, products, and services are always expanding-- so be sure to check in from time to time to see what we have added. In the meantime, we hope you will take advantage of the benefits that we already have in place. Take a walk down SLA discount lane.
NEW! 2007 SLA Salary Survey Results Include SLA Europe
The 2007 SLA salary survey results include responses from SLA Europe members for the first time. The results for the U.S. and Canadian members show that their average salaries continue to rise. See a preview of the 2007 findings.
- The mean salary for all U.S. respondents was $69,426 (2006: $67,400) and for all Canadian respondents was Can $67,171 (2006: Can $65,522).
- The mean percent changes for respondents in the U.S. in the same job as in 2006 outpaced inflation again.
- The mean percent change was 5.1% for U.S.-based respondents compared with a CPI raise over the same period of 2.6%. Canadian respondents' mean change was 4.1% compared with a 2.0% CPI.
- The mean salary for U.K. respondents was £48,185 and for other European respondents was €57,246.
- The mean percent change was 7.9% for U.K. respondents compared with a CPI raise over the same period of 2.8%. Other European respondents' mean change was 6.8%.
The full report will be published by the end of October. The Web summary of the 2006 results can be found at 2006 SLA Salary Survey and Workplace Study.
Information Management Benchmark Study
An invitation to take part in the Outsell Information Benchmark Study is being sent out to most SLA members in October. Members who complete the survey will be sent top-line results from the survey, and will receive a complimentary $20 Amazon.com gift certificate.
An executive summary of the results will also be posted for SLA member-only access on the Recent Industry Reports section of our Web. We hope that you will find time to complete this survey as your participation will help the information management community to grow and meet future challenges.
This survey will ask library and information managers key benchmark questions in the following areas:
- Organization
- Reporting
- Budgets
- Staffing
- Users
- Services
- Vendor Portfolio Management
- Strategic Management and Metrics
Recruit-a-Member Campaign
Back by popular demand, the annual "Recruit-a-Member" campaign is back and better than ever in 2007! For those who are especially skilled at recruiting NEW members, SLA HQ will reward your efforts with awesome prizes!
From free hotel rooms at Annual Conference to a copy of the 2007 SLA Salary Survey, this is a great opportunity for you to help SLA and get some great tools to advance your career! Learn more about how you can champion SLA to one of your colleagues and be in the President's Club! Click here.
Wanted--Bloggers
We're looking for members to contribute their thoughts, expertise, and opinions to the SLA Blog. Started at the conference in Denver, our plan is to make this blog a year-round source of information about the organization and the profession. If you want to participate, write to John Adams at jadams@sla.org. Write "Blogger Invite" in the subject line.
Content Buying Section Announced
The SLA Leadership and Management Division has created a new Content Buying Section.
The section includes buyers and sellers involved in managing enterprise-wide content such as supplier relationship management, contract negotiations, budgeting and funding of licenses, training and communications, risk management, and measuring and maximizing an enterprise's return on the investment in content licenses. The section provides a forum for its members to network and share information on managing enterprise wide contracts--enabling them to advance their professional development and at the same time add greater value to their own organizations. The section also provides a forum for discussions between content-buying professionals and content suppliers. Meetings and programs focus on issues pertinent to content buying, the skills required by information professionals working within this area, and trends in the information industry.
After seeking the approval of Division Cabinet Chair Agnes Mattis and Division Cabinet Chair-Elect Robyn Frank, a petition was circulated to members of the division to determine interest. The audited petition indicated that 114 current members of the division want to join this new section. Anne Lonergan and Carol Ginsburg are the co-chairs of the section.
Members who are interested in joining the new section and are a current member of the Leadership and Management Division, may use the "Add Unit" form on the Web; no additional fee is required. Members may also use the form to join the division and the section for the extra unit fee of USD 18. Interested info pros who are not SLA members should follow the "Join SLA" link under the "Membership" tab at www.sla.org.
Play an Important Role with a Small Time Commitment:
The Seattle Conference Planning Committee is looking for an additional person to join the Contributed Papers Selection Committee.
In January 2008, the committee will review all submitted abstracts and choose those to accept for the 2008 Annual Conference. The accepted papers will be presented in Seattle at the Annual Conference, 15-18 June, where committee members will also be expected to moderate one contributed papers session. To learn more about SLA contributed papers, see the cover story in August's Information Outlook. If you would like to volunteer or learn more, write to brandy.king@childrens.harvard.edu.
SLA AWARDS CORNER
SLA Award Recipient Videos Available Online
Those who joined us at the SLA Awards Ceremony in Denver in June will remember the great videos that were used to "tell the story" of each of the 2007 award recipients. All of the videos are now available for viewing and download on the SLA Web site. Check each award's page to learn more about our SLA stars!
SLA PUBLIC POLICY UPDATE
SLA Urges FTC to Reconsider Decision on Net Neutrality
SLA called on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to reconsider its decision to abandon Internet neutrality. In a letter to FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majorason 17 August, SLA called the commission's June 2007 report, "Broadband Connectivity Competition Policy," shortsighted, and the FTC's decision a threat to an open, robust, and independent Internet. SLA urged the FTC to take another look at the Net neutrality issue. Read Press Release.
| CLICK UNIVERSITY |
Check out what's happening at Click University. This online learning system is an exclusive SLA member benefit and is the foundation for all of SLA's educational and professional development programs. Please log in when prompted.
CLICK U:
Denver Delivered!
Were you unable to attend Conference 2007? Did you miss a session you wanted to attend? Here is your chance to take advantage of some of the best sessions. Learn more.
Competitive Intelligence Certificates Program Upcoming Courses
Take advantage of an exclusive SLA member benefit and participate in the CI Certificates Program. To see what participants are saying about the program, please look through the CI Testimonials. Upcoming courses:
November 2007
CIC11. Financial Intelligence (Analysis Elective) Learn More & Register
CIC12. Scenario Planning and Futures Techniques Learn More & Register
Registration is limited to 30 participants. To ensure participation interested SLA members are encouraged to register today.
For a detailed outline of the course schedule please contact Barbara Vick, Click U's E-Learning Manager, at bvick@sla.org or +1.703.647.4940.
An Important Note: While the primary goal in developing these programs is to allow SLA members to earn one or more certificates, each of these courses has inherent value. Members who are not pursuing a Competitive Intelligence Certificate may take any course à la carte.
Course of the Month
Click U offers members the opportunity to take part in a self-paced learning experience at no charge.
From 15 October - 14 November 2007, Building Strong Customer Relationships is available to SLA members. Learn More & Participate
Upcoming courses:
Writing for Publication 15 November - 14 December 2007
Leadership and Management Library
Click U invites members to use its Leadership and Management Library ? free of charge. This ebrary database covers a wide range of topics to enable business professionals to make important business decisions.
Whether you want to learn how to become a more effective leader or examine the best practices of the world's most successful CEOs, you can do it here. Key subject areas include leadership, entrepreneurship, strategic planning, management, organizational behavior, personnel management, project management, and risk management. Learn More & Participate.
A LA CARTE Professional Improvement Libraries
The Professional Improvement Libraries (under Self-Paced Training at Click U) offer individually priced courses. Each course from the Leadership & Management, Personal Development, or Organizational & Professional Improvement Libraries is USD 12 for 30-days access. For only USD 8, you can access Office Applications courses for 30 days. This will allow you to tailor your individual professional development needs more effectively. You will still be able to enjoy 6-month and 1-year subscriptions to complete course libraries if that suits your needs better. Learn more.
Student Member Discount Now Available
SLA student members qualify for a 25% discount on the following Click University professional development programs:
- Click U Live! Live Online Seminars
- Click U Live! Recorded Online Seminars (Replays)
- Professional Improvement Libraries
- 2007 Annual Conference Sessions
To receive the 25% discount, student members should register for and purchase the appropriate program and then contact Click U at clicku@sla.org for the refund. Learn more.
University of Toronto: Professional Learning Centre
SLA members enjoy an 11% discount on all Web-based distance learning offered through the University of Toronto's Professional Learning Centre (PLC).
The PLC is dedicated to meeting the needs of information professionals and others interested in information issues or in learning new information technologies. Learn More & Register.
CLICK U LIVE!
Gary Price's Research Tool Box
Ask around...Movers and shakers in the information world agree: When it comes to the latest tools, trends, resources and tricks available on the internet, the consensus is "The Price is Right." Gary Price of Ask.com and Resource Shelf invites all SLA members to join him on a fast-paced tour of the latest additions to his toolbox and an overview of what is next on the hot list.
This program will contain 75 minutes of demonstration and 15 minutes of Q&A, all for the low price of USD 15. The course will only be offered through Click U Live! and will not be recorded. The next update will be held 6 December at 2:00 p.m. EDT, and is available to SLA members only! Register Now!
Click U Live! Courses
8 November 2007
Topic: Managing Digitization Projects - Lessons Learned - Best Practices Developed, Part I
15 November 2007
Topic: Managing Digitization Projects - Lessons Learned - Best Practices Developed, Part II
Presenter: Oya Y. Reiger, Director of Digital Library and Information Technologies (DLIT), Cornell University Library
Missed a LIVE! Seminar? You can still purchase a REPLAY! Click here for more information.
CLICK U LIVE!
Call for Instructors
Click U Live! is currently seeking individuals interested in submitting a proposal to conduct a Click U Live! event on a topic relevant to the information profession.
If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity or need more information, please contact Shelva Suggs, Learning Coordinator, at +1.703.647.4925 or ssuggs@sla.org.
Career Center
Employment Opportunities
Find the right job in the information industry. Search for jobs in SLA's Career Center!
Seeking Qualified Candidates?
Post employment opportunities to SLA's Career Center!
Podcast Center
Get the latest job seeker tips for Info Pros! Every other month we will have helpful tips in getting the job of your dreams.
Virtual Advisors
SLA's Virtual Advisors provides you with 24/7 e-mail access to career advice and guidance from experienced information professionals willing to volunteer their time to help you! Whether you're trying to figure out your next career move or are moving to another part of the world, Virtual Advisors give you insights you need to get ahead. Additional information.
| SLA GRAPEVINE: Your Source for SLA Member News, Achievements, and Opinions |
Remembering Sue O'Neill Johnson
Sue was an active member of the SLA and the D.C. Chapter. She received the SLA President's Award for her work in raising funds to bring 25 librarians from developing countries to the Global 2000 meeting in England.
She was elected president of the D.C. Chapter in 2001 and received the Member of the Year Award. Sue was also active in the American Society for Information Science and Technology. She was twice Chair of the Inter-national Information Issues SIG, which received SIG of the Year honors three years in a row, and she won the SIG Member of the Year Award in 2003. She also co-founded the ASIST international paper competition which brought travel grants, ASIST memberships, and publishing opportunities to dozens of information professionals in developing nations.
After a marvelously full and accomplished life, Sue will be deeply missed by everyone. A memorial service to celebrate her life was held 5 October at St Luke's Episcopal Church, Bethesda, Maryland. Burial will be in at the Lexington (Kentucky) Cemetery (burial date TBA). In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that friends contribute to the Todd O'Neill Memorial Scholarship at Sayre School (194 North Limestone Street, Lexington, KY, 40507).
Read more in The Washington Post.
Do you have an item to include in SLA Grapevine? Email the editor, Cara Battaglini at cara@sla.org.
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