SLA Social Science Division Blog

Conference Preview

Laura Leavitt, our conference programmer wants to let you know what's in store for the 2011 SLA Annual Conference.

DSOC has an exciting line-up of programs and events scheduled for the annual conference.  A brief overview of the Division’s offerings follow.  More details will be posted as the conference approaches. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 12

1:00pm – 3:00pm  Board Meeting

The Board will meet to review 2010 activities, set the 2011 budget and plan for the 2012 conference. All Division members are welcome to attend.

 

MONDAY, JUNE 13

8:00am – 9:30am Annual Business Meeting and Breakfast

Start your day off right with breakfast and networking! Meet DSOC members and officers, celebrate division achievements over the past year and plan activities for the coming year. Current and prospective members are welcome.  **TICKETED EVENT**

10:00am-11:30 am Know Your Workplace Rights!

Labor Section Program

Get the facts on the broad landscape of employee rights in the workplace with this basic primer.  This informational session will prove helpful to managers and employees alike. 

2:00pm-3:30pm What in the World Are They Thinking? Tracking Public Opinion in the United States and Around the World

Public Policy Section Program

A panel of three speakers will discuss major public opinion tools in the United States and abroad.

2:00pm-3:30pm A Walking Tour of Philadelphia’s Art in Public Spaces

Join a small group of 25 walkers on a tour of Philadelphia’s central business district to see how the city’s art in public spaces program has improved the urban landscape.  **TICKETED EVENT**

4:00pm- 5:30pm Leveraging Diversity and Inclusion for Success

DSOC is co-sponsoring this DLDP program with the Leadership and Management Division and the Business and Finance Division.

Have you ever wanted to be an effective change agent for creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace, but struggle with how to be a part of that change in your organization?  Rick Schroder will lead an engaging session exploring some of the skills needed to influence change beginning at the grassroots level of organizations. 

6:00pm-7:30pm SLA International Reception

International Relations Section Event

Always a fun time! This reception brings together all conference attendees to celebrate the international activities of our profession.  Held off site, this event is highlighted by the presentation of the European Information Professional of the Year award and the DSOC Gale/Cengage Murray Wortzel Awards.

 

TUESDAY, JUNE 14

10:00am-11:30am Getting it Right: Locating and Using the Best Information on Doing Business in Emerging International Markets

International Relations Section Program

Locate information about doing business in other countries and learn how to leverage that information into culturally-correct client contacts.  Designated as a “Need to Know” session.

8:00pm-9:00pm Joint Poster Session and Open House

Network with colleagues while checking out posters from members of the Academic, Education, Social Science and Museum, Arts and Humanities Divisions.

 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15

10:00am-11:30am  Suddenly Solo: Surviving the Challenges of Going Virtual

Non-Profit Sector Section Program

Your information center has been converted to an all-virtual operation.  Now what?  This session will feature survival tactics for those information professionals who have faced this challenge and lived to tell the tale.

10:00am-11:30am Tour of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Map Collection

Geography and Map Section Program

This tour will be conducted by Rich Boardman, Head of the Map Collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia and is limited to 20 people.  **TICKETED EVENT**

Get ready for SLA 2011!

Your Social Science Division leaders who attended last week's SLA Leadership Summit heard a lot about the SLA 2011 annual conference.

We have two keynote speakers lined up (Thomas Friedman, author of Hot, Flat and Crowded, and James Kane, who gave a very well-received keynote on building and maintaining loyal relationships at last year's Leadership Summit).

Philadelphia is a great conference city, with lots to do in walking distance of the convention center, and I know the host chapter will make us all feel welcome. (SLA Philadelphia is my chapter!)

Social Science Division planners Lyle Minter and Laura Leavitt have a great set of programs lined up for this year.

The conference isn't until June, but you can start preparing now.

1. Registration opens Jan. 26. Don't wait to register - not only will you save money by registering at the early bird rate, but higher early registration numbers will encourage more vendors to exhibit, which means a better conference for everyone.
2. Tell people you are planning to attend. I got this piece of advice from the Embedded Librarian, who says that if you tell your colleagues you are planning to attend a conference, they'll be more interested in what you learned once you return. (And be sure to tell them what you learned when you return, as part of what I call the after conference on my own blog.)
3. Check out the great list of DSOC programs. Sign up for ticketed programs you want to attend when you register - some of last year's sold out very quickly!

Congratulations to incoming Chair-Elect!

I'm happy to report that Brandy King, our incoming Chair-Elect, gave birth to her second son, Ryan Jeffrey Palumbo, on January 7. Congratulations Brandy and family!

New DSOC members, June-October 2010

Please join me in welcoming these new members to the Social Science Division! One of our new members, Sophia Guevara, has already volunteered to be our co-liaison for the Philadelphia 2011 VIP Forum, along with Melanie Sciochetti. Volunteering is a great way to get to know the division better - if you are interested in getting involved, contact me.

Beth Sloane, Winchester, KY

Mark Winek, Washington, DC

Linda Maynard, Hitchin, UK

Sally Wellman, Prairieville, LA

Sophia Guevara, Ann Arbor, MI

Mary Miles, Northfield, OH

MaryBeth Kren, Princeton, NJ

Claire Guimbert, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Martin Burrows, Washington, DC

Eve Morin Desrosiers, Montreal, Canada

Brad Leifer, Potomac, MD

Sok King Tng, Flintridge Center, Pasadena, CA

Miranda Webster, Northport, AL

Meet the Chair Elect: Brandy King

Last year, Iris Anderson sent me an email asking when would be a good time to call, as she had a question to ask me about serving on the DSOC board.  Thinking she was going to ask me to be Program Planning Chair, I had to prepare myself for how to turn down the offer. (I have always had the greatest respect for those who do the Program Planning; it seems like such a difficult job with so much to coordinate!) When she called and asked if I would be interested in being Chair-Elect of DSOC, I was so relieved about not having to turn down the Program Planner job that I immediately said yes!

In 2011, I am excited to work with and learn from Tara Murray as she leads the division. Though I wont be able to attend the Leadership Summit in January (when baby #2 is due!), I have already registered for the Annual Conference in Philadelphia and am looking forward to the amazing variety of programs our chairs have planned. See you there!