SLA Social Science Division Blog

DSOC on Flickr!

DSOC now has a group page on Flickr. Check it out to see photos from our poster session at SLA 2009.

If you took photos at DSOC events during the conference, or if you have photos from other conferences or DSOC events, you can add them to the group. You'll need a free Flickr account. Then you can log on, upload your photos, join the group, and add your photos to the group. Don't forget to tag them with dsoc.

You can see lots of photos from the conference using the tag sla2009, too.

DSOC session covered in the press!

This year DSOC collaborated with many other divisions to sponsor programs of joint interest.  One of the programs was Interdisciplinary Science and Its Impact on Information Professionals, sponsored by DSOC and the Chemistry Division. Inside Higher Ed covered the session.

The session started with Carol Tenopir giving an overview of how science has become more and more interdisciplinary over time, and then the session turned to a panel discussion that I was on (DSOC member and webmaster Brandy King from the Center on Media and Child Health). 

Among the interesting findings that Tenopir included were that researchers who identified themselves as interdisciplinary were more likely than single-discipline scholars to read journal articles on the computer screen or print them out from the Internet rather than read them in a journal itself.  These scholars also said the library was by far their biggest source of information.

Census 2010: Not your grandmother’s census.

I cannot believe I leave Sunday for Washington. It is that time of year again. The SLA Annual meeting.

I like to write an article for Information Outlook to spread the word about upcoming sessions I’ve been involved in. I want to mention my most recent article(which is a good introduction—if I do say so myself-- to changes underway at the Census Bureau).

Unfortunately the InfoOutlook editor would not allow me to promote the session I organized (and wouldn’t even use the quite catchy—if I do say so myself—subtitle “Not your grandmother’s census.”)

But I’ve gotten over all that. I know way more about the census than I would have had I not written the article.

In case you haven’t heard,beginning with the 2010 census, the long form is no more, replaced (and I use the term loosely) by the American Community Survey. If you've ever used Census data on citizenship, employment status, or occupation, you've used the long form of the Decennial Census.This is big news. Join us for a crucial discussion of the 2010 Census and the differences between it, past censuses, and the ACS. We will also review geographic aspects of the Census and focus on the implications of these changes for people who use Census products. We have a star-studded panel discussing both the 2010 census and the American Community Survey. I hope you can join us. There will be time for questions at the end.

Dan Weinberg will give an overview of the Census program. Dr. Weinberg is the assistant director for Decennial Census Programs.

Mike Radcliffe will discuss Census Geography.  He is chief of the Geographic Standards and Criteria Branch, Geography Division at the Census Bureau.

Deborah Griffin is a special assistant to the chief of the American Community Survey Office. She will be discussing the American Community Survey. She is the director of the Committee on National Statistics at the National Research Council of the National Academies.

I hope you will be able to join us Monday, from 1:30-3:30 in Room 150A of the Convention Center for what promises to be a very informative session.

Submitted by Elana Broch

Make your schedule for SLA 2009

SLA 2009 is just a few days away! Be sure to check the list of Social Science Division programs on our web site before you go so you can plan your conference schedule. There is also a PDF version with session locations that can be printed on one double-sided sheet.

Be sure to stop by our open house and poster session on Sunday evening to meet fellow division members and check out the posters. The poster session is informal so come any time between 8-10 p.m. and enjoy coffee and dessert or an evening drink.

Just added: Library of Congress tours

Just added to the Social Science Division list of programs - two free Wednesday afternoon tours of the Library of Congress, hosted by our Geography & Map Section. Both tours will focus on geography- and map-related collections and exhibits.

Library of Congress Tour: Jefferson Building
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Description: Tour of Jefferson Building, Library of Congress, and its cartographic exhibits, led by Ed Redmond of LC Geography and Map Division (meet at West Front steps)
Hosted by: the DSOC Geography & Map Section

Library of Congress Tour: Geography and Map Division
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Description: Tour of Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress, Madison Building, featuring a selection of cartographic treasures from around the globe, hosted by Ed Redmond, Geography and Map Reference Specialist (meet in the lobby outside the Geography and Map Reading Room, basement level, LM-B01)
Hosted by: the DSOC Geography & Map Section

Tips for Making the Most of an SLA Conference

From Chapter Cabinet Chair - Elect Ruth Wolfish:

 

Prior to Conference:

 

• Attend LDI. You will develop leadership skills for use both in SLA and on the job; you'll learn valuable information about

  SLA

  to use during your time as a unit leader; and you'll make connections with other leaders that will be invaluable for years to come.

 

• Go through the Online Planner and make a schedule for yourself or print out descriptions of all of the sessions you might wish to attend, then hone down to a day-by-day agenda—including alternatives, just in case.

 

• Have at least two sessions chosen for every time slot. That way, if you get to one and the room is overflowing or the topic isn't what you thought it would be, you can make the most of your time by heading to your second choice.

 

• Use the calendar

  SLA

  provides to document your activities.

 

• Try to attend a few sessions outside of your area or specialty.

 

• If your employer pays, sign up for breakfasts, luncheons, and dinners—an efficient way to network, since you have to eat anyway (collect business cards to justify to your employer).

 

• Look at the EXPO hall exhibitor list BEFORE going to the conference. That way you can mark the booth number of those you must see; then you can spend your remaining time walking the entire hall.

 

• Bring 50-60 business cards. Be ready to distribute them to people who ask or who want to trade. Notate on the back of any cards you take what the person wanted or what the context was. Add those people to your Outlook or notes file when you return. Also, business cards are used for raffles—so take 15 more.

 

• Print out handouts for all of your chosen programs before the conference.

 

• Pack sensible shoes and plan to dress in layers.

 

Arrival at Conference:

 

• Arrive at the conference as early as you can manage in order to settle and probe before your days become too hectic.

 

• If you're unfamiliar with the host city, go on the Saturday night

  SLA

  city tour—a great way to network and to get "the lay of the land."

 

During Conference:

 

• The first day on-site, reconnoiter the convention center (and hotels). Using maps, get to know the "lay of the land" (and always keep your maps handy) so you know where things are happening.

 

• At sessions, sit in the front so a speaker notices you. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions and be noticed. Network.

 

• When you attend a session, don’t sit with friends. Sit down and meet someone new on either side of you, since you never know where this will lead.

 

• Utilize lunch and dinner periods to meet with people with whom you might like to work or need to connect in the future.

 

• Focus on the conference and try to leave work behind.

 

• Read the blogs, etc.

 

• There are a lot of events for learning and networking, but to be the most effective make sure you take time to relax and rejuvenate. Schedule a little "down" time (or personal time) to just get off your feet and relax briefly. This can be a real boost at recharging your battery.

 

• Don’t consume too many high-caffeine beverages.

 

• Get to know the candidates. Even though

  SLA

  offers multiple opportunities for your unit members to learn about the candidates on their own, the opinions you form will be important. In addition, serving on the Board is a two-way street. The candidates need to hear from you about your ideas for making

  SLA

  an even more vital association for our profession.

 

During Conference – Exhibits:

 

• Don't breeze through the exhibits; spend time looking for opportunities.

 

• Thank our exhibitors. This tip applies to all of us, not only division leaders who will want to thank the information partners who are helping to sponsor their sessions. Chapter leaders will also want to take the opportunity to thank the vendors who support us, especially in these tough economic times.

 

• If you want to pick up a lot of handouts, mail or ship them back to yourself via hotel concierge or the business center in the convention hall.

 

Listen, explore, dare, speak up, participate, volunteer, mentor, recruit, smile, party, sleep!

DSOC Member Profiled

Susan Fifer Canby, Vice President for Libraries and Information Services at the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC, and a long-time member of the Geography and Map Section of DSOC, is profiled in the May 2009 issue of the SMR Knowledge Services Profile. Take a look at the online in-depth interview, "Building and Sustaining the Knowledge Culture: Susan Fifer Canby Puts Theory into Practice at the National Geographic Society".