SLA Maryland Chapter Blog

Have any thoughts/questions about the SLA alignment or proposed name change?

Hello Members of the Maryland Chapter of SLA!

I've noticed that our chapter has been quiet about the upcoming vote to change the association name to the "Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals." 

I realize that other Chapter and Division listservs have covered the waterfront about the name change and the alignment project, so perhaps you've had your questions answered. If not, please feel free to use this listserv as a Q&A forum.*  

As President of the Maryland Chapter, I am interested in knowing if you have any questions about the upcoming name vote or the alignment project itself. 

I'm also curious to know if you are leaning towards voting "yes" for:

--  "Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals" 

or

-- "SLA"

And why?

Here are some information resources about the alignment and name change to browse if you haven't had a chance to consider all this before now. 

1.)  http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/alignment/portal/index.html   

This site provides recent information about the alignment research results. My personal advice is to skip the video because it takes too long to load. But definitely explore all the other sections to glean insights into how the results of the alignment research results is and will be used to verbally brand our association, our profession, and how you can use it too.

2. http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/governance/namechange/index.cfm

This site is a hub for the name change discussion and considerations. 

3. http://slablogger.typepad.com/sla_blog/

There are a number of discussion forums being used by members to express their comments about the name and the alignment project. This link gives you the links to the SLA Blog, Facebook and Twitter forums.

4. http://units.sla.org/chapter/cmd/index.htm

On Thursday, Oct 22, SLA President Gloria Zamora spoke to Chapter members about the alignment and the proposed name change. Here is the slide deck she used during that presentation.  

SLA has organized a group of volunteers to act as ambassadors to the alignment project, with the responsibility of addressing concerns and passing questions along to SLA leaders. Sean Henry and myself are ambassadors for our Chapter. With this message we invite you to use this listserv to express your points of view, questions, and comments about the proposed name change and the alignment project.  In the meantime, we will be posting information about the upcoming proposed name vote and additional updates about the alignment project. 

Best regards,

Chris

An update on recent student activities at the iSchool

iSchool Chat

What is the secret to getting a job in the federal government?

On September 9th, 22 iSchool students attended an SLA-sponsored chat session with three information professionals currently working in federal government libraries and got the inside scoop. Robin Dixon (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Library), Richard Huffine (U.S. Geological Survey) and Mary Ann Leonard (National Agricultural Library) gave students glimpses into the work they do and offered valuable advice on how to break into a job in the federal government. They also gave students hope on the job front: Yes, government agencies are still hiring, and they’re even trying to streamline the application process.

Among their tips for snagging that government job:

1. Get to know people already working in the federal government by being active in professional associations and/or by contributing to government information listservs.

2. Intern at an agency you find interesting. Take the initiative in pursuing internships by contacting someone at the place you would like to work. Be clear about what you would like to do.

3. Think more broadly than just libraries when looking for positions. Library and information management skills can often be applied in other positions, such as Web content developers, technical information specialists, analysts, writers, trainers and more.

4. Consider applying before your MLS is complete. Many federal library jobs do not require the degree, though some combination of education and experience will need to be satisfied. Read the postings carefully to be sure you will qualify.

5. Do answer the KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities) section thoroughly even when presented as optional.

All three speakers are willing to be contacted for further information. Students: see the iSchool Ning for details.

 

Meet and Greet

At last month’s student organizations Meet & Greet, iSchoolers proved that they can sure work up a hearty appetite. Just one hour into the two-hour event on September 24, nearly all of the snacks generously provided by Student Services had been decimated. But iSchool students weren’t only hungry for chips and brownies, they were also eager to hear more about the student chapters of the American Library Association (ALA), the Special Libraries Association (SLA) and the American Society for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T), as well as Student Archivists at Maryland (SAM), the student chapter of the Society of American Archivists (SAA).

Representatives from each of these student groups were on hand to provide information to potential new members about their group’s planned activities for the 2009-2010 school year. Many flyers and brochures were distributed over cups of lemonade and iced tea, but more importantly, students made new connections that may prove to help them both during school and beyond.

If you were unable to attend the event, but would like to participate in one of these groups, check for future event announcements on the iSchool listserv or contact Student Services to find out how to get in touch with representatives from a particular group.

Jamie Peacock and Kate Lanahan

From the Desk of the President

October 2009

Where has the time gone!?  Wasn't it June yesterday?  Seems like I blink and time flies by. Yikes!

It's been a few months since my last President's Desk message about the Maryland Chapter. Don't let that fool you into thinking that it's been a quiet summer. Believe me, it's been anything but quiet around here!

Incase you haven't been following the news in our chapter blog, The Cutting Edge, here's a quick rundown of what transpired over the summer.

1. A good time was had by all at the June SLA Annual conference and the MidAtlantic Reception. Our chapter had a great poster display at the Conference and at the Reception, letting everyone know that we are a dynamic chapter with lots of great people who do cool stuff!

2. Leia Dickerson won the Student Raffle to attend the SLA conference, and she did a fine job in writing about the conference session, "60 Sites in 60 Minutes".

3. Members of the Strategic Planning Committee and Board members discussed and crafted a strategic plan for our chapter. (More about this later)

4. Our PR Committee solicited and received letters of recognition and well wishes for the 100th Anniversary of SLA, including a Proclamation from the Governor of Maryland.

5. The Nominations Committee identified and secured a talented slate of nominees for President-elect, Treasurer, and 2 Director seats.

6. Our Cutting Edge blog kept everyone up to date with continuous chapter member news.

7. Photos of Chapter events and members are being shared on the Maryland Chapter Flickr portfolio.

8. In support of the SLA Alignment Initiative, Sean Henry, our chapter President Elect, and myself signed up to be Alignment Ambassadors, to convey the latest news about the alignment research project findings and plans for implementing results by SLA Headquarters. (News about this to arrive shortly!)

9. Plans for Chapter program events moved forward. Coming up Oct 22nd is our "Electrifying Evening" featuring SLA President, Gloria Zamora as our speaker.  And save December 8th for our chapter's Holiday Cheers event-- a lovely evening at The Inn at Brookeville Farms!

10. Our chapter's series of Chats at the Un of Maryland iSchool began this fall with a chat about being an information professional in the federal government. More than 15 students participated in the discussion with practicing professionals. The SLA Student Group at the iSchool is filled with zip and vigor, and we are looking forward to coordinating 2 more Chats with them this fall.

11. Over the summer the Chapter Archivist made a presentation to the Board about work on the Chapter's Archives and showed the progress made on converting the paper archives into an electronic resource.

12. The Membership Committee has been hard at work on a new brochure extolling the value and benefits of being a member of our Chapter. This is in preparation for a membership drive to begin this fall.

Whew!  We accomplished quite a bit over the summer and this fall is shaping up to be just as busy. We could use a few extra hands to help out, so if you've got a few minutes and would like to lend a hand, please give me a call or drop me a line at chris@chrisolson.com. We are currently seeking people for our Programming Committee to plan events for 2010.  Oh, and if you or someone you know works as a Knowledge Manager and would like to share the experience with iSchool students, please contact Judy Tapiero at judith@theorganizedlibrary.com

I'll be back with news about our chapter's strategic plan initiatives and about the SLA Alignment Project. (I know... you're sitting on the edge of your seat.... )

In the meantime, plan to attend our Oct 22nd program at the National Electronics Museum. SLA President, Gloria Zamora will speak about the alignment project and it will be a good time for you to ask any questions you've been pondering!  Oh, and you also get to tour the recently renovated museum and chat with colleagues over yummy food and drink. It will be an Electrifying evening. We promise.

Best regards,

Chris 

 

Please give a round of applause to colleagues who make the SLA Maryland chapter "tick!"

• Sean Henry, President-Elect , Program Committee Chair, Alignment Ambassador, and member of the Strategic Planning Committee
• Tracy Landfried, Past-President, Chair of the Nominations Committee, and member of the Strategic Planning Committee
• Sandy Levy, Treasurer and member of the Strategic Planning Committee
• Cindy Sheffield, Secretary and Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee
• Teria Curry, Director and member of the Membership Committee
• Ashley Conaway, Director, Pres-elect nominee, and caretaker of chapter social networking sites, including The Cutting Edge
• Judy Tapiero, Director, Chapter Liaison to the iSchool SLA Student Chapter, and member of the Strategic Planning Committee
• Robyn Frank, PR Committee Chair
• Aryeh Cohen, Director and member of the Strategic Planning Committee
• Susan Fingerman, Membership Committee Chair and member of the Strategic Planning Committee
• Ed Metz,  Nominee for Treasurer
• Rene Stein, Nominee for Director
• Tami Smith, Nominee for Director and member of the Membership & PR Committees
• Lorette Weldon, Chapter Archivist
• Pat Sproehnle, Sponsor Relations Committee Chair
• Greg Horvitz, Chapter Website Administrator
• Edna Paulson, Hospitality Coordinator
• Kathie Sweeney, Consultant Chair and loan coordinator of the SLA Salary Survey report
• Your name goes here..... ;-)