Next in a series of reviews of the SLA Board of Directors candidates: Chapter Cabinet Chair-Elect (one slot). The election runs Sept. 10-Oct. 1. The link to each candidate's name leads to a fuller biography.
Cynthia Barrancotto of Houston, Texas, has her own consulting firm, logically enough called Barrancotto.Consults! She previously worked as a librarian in public, corporate, law and college settings. She speaks and presents to professional groups and shares her passion for creativity-based research. Barrancotto is a Past President of the Florida & Caribbean Chapter and co-chaired SLA's South Atlantic Regional Conference held in St. Petersburg, Fla., in February 2008. Watch her video speech.
Barrancotto said she wants to focus on Creating, Collaborating and Connecting, if she is elected to chair the Chapter Cabinet. She expressed how “passionately connected” she feels to SLA. Quoting E. Paul Torrance, she said, “Don’t be afraid to fall in love and pursue it with intensity.”
Ruth Wolfish is Client Services Manager at IEEE in Piscataway, N.J., where among other roles, she provides training and support to librarians and technical staff on IEEE online products. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the information industry. She serves on the SLA Professional Development Committee and is working with the Engineering Division on the 2009 conference. In 2006, she served as New Jersey SLA Chapter President. Watch her video speech.
Wolfish discusses the future of the SLA’s regional (in particular, state) chapter structure, and asks SLA members to consider organizing regional chapters devoted to particular topics or type of organization rather than geography. She points out that her connections at SLA conferences helped her land jobs at two companies, including one where she lacked the requisite experience. “I took a risk and applied for the position, and I got it thanks to SLA,” Wolfish says. In order for the chapters and SLA to grow, we should partner with other professional organizations that info pros are joining, Wolfish says.