NJSLA Blog

The Info Profession: Changing and Realigning (Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. in New Brunswick)

Rutgers University Special Libraries Association Student Group (RUSLA) (in association with the New Jersey and Princeton-Trenton SLA Chapters) Presents:

The Info Profession:
Changing and Realigning

A Discussion with SLA President-Elect Anne Caputo

Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 2-4 p.m.

Rutgers University

Graduate Student Lounge (part of the Rutgers Student Center, behind Au Bon Pain)

126 College Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 (http://maps.rutgers.edu/building.aspx?id=278).

Free and open to the public. If you are from outside Rutgers and need a parking pass, please contact Eric Schwarz by Friday, Oct. 2.

Note: This is separate from Anne's presentation at IEEE later that evening. That session is a dinner session and the joint annual meeting of the New Jersey and Princeton-Trenton Chapters of SLA. Registration is required for that event. See http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/njsla/2009/08/joint-meeting-registration.html.

In special libraries and information centers, as well as traditional libraries, there is a lot of discussion about the future of the profession and how info pros can market and position themselves. The SLA has conducted research into all these issues, because “special libraries” as a term no longer represents the breadth and depth of skills info pros bring to market. Anne asks students to consider these questions as they prepare to go out into the field:

• What's in a name?  What do you think you should call yourself as a professional?  What should SLA call itself?
• What do you see yourself doing 5 years from now - in an ideal world and assuming you can achieve your dreams?
• What is the most valuable thing you wish you could learn in your graduate program?  Is it happening or likely to happen?
• Do you see value in professional associations like SLA?  Are we meeting your needs - why or why not?
• How do you define your value to potential employers?  How do you measure that value?
• Do you have an elevator speech?

Anne Caputo is Executive Director of Dow Jones' Learning & Information Professional Programs, where she is responsible for the planning and development of learning initiatives for Dow Jones Content Technology Solutions group.  She is also responsible for strategic planning, marketing and the creation of alliances with and for information professionals.  Additionally, Anne is a faculty member at the I-schools at the University of Maryland and the University of Tennessee. Within SLA, Anne has served in leadership roles at the chapter and board levels. In 2004 she was named a recipient of SLA's Rose L. Vormelker Award for mentoring students and practicing professionals and was named a Fellow of SLA at the 2008 Annual Conference. She will serve as association president in 2010.

For more information, please contact Madelyne Burr (madelyne AT eden.rutgers.edu).

Want to learn more about SLA? Check out http://rusla.rutgers.edu or www.sla.org.

Refreshments sponsored by GSA (Graduate Student Association), LISSA (Library and Information Science Student Association) and RUSLA.

SLA 2010: Virtually Virtual (Reposted from 'SLA Blog')

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

To help us determine the level of interest in virtual conference programming, SLA is conducting a survey about adding a virtual component to our 2010 Annual Conference. 

Even if you are planning to attend the conference in New Orleans, we would still like to hear what you think about the 2-D and Second Life-like options!

Please take this quick survey, which will close on Friday, 9 October. 

If you have questions regarding the survey, please contact Kristin Foldvik, SLA Events Director. 

Looking forward to seeing you in New Orleans, 13-16 June!

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

To help us determine the level of interest in virtual conference programming, SLA is conducting a survey about adding a virtual component to our 2010 Annual Conference. 

Even if you are planning to attend the conference in New Orleans, we would still like to hear what you think about the 2-D and Second Life-like options!

Please take this quick survey, which will close on Friday, 9 October. 

If you have questions regarding the survey, please contact Kristin Foldvik, SLA Events Director. 

Looking forward to seeing you in New Orleans, 13-16 June!

Documenting Climate Change: Documents Assn. of NJ Fall Conference (Friday, Nov. 6 at Princeton U)

Documenting Climate Change

Documents Association of New Jersey (DANJ)

Fall Conference

 Friday, November 6, 2009, 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Lewis Library, Princeton University*

Washington Road and Ivy Lane

Princeton, NJ

 

•  Continental Breakfast and Lunch
• David Robinson, New Jersey State Climatologist and Professor of Geography, Rutgers University
• Mary Kearns-Kaplan, Librarian and manager of the Information Resource Center (IRC) at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
• Gabriele Villarini, Princeton University, Research Associate, Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Tour of the Lewis Science Library which was designed by architect Frank Gehry

 

Librarians, library students, educators, and environment information specialists are invited to join us for an opportunity to learn more about climate change issues and pertinent information resources available from governmental and non-governmental organizations.

 

* Free parking and shuttle service is available from Parking Lot 21. Maps and directions available at: http://scilib.princeton.edu/hours_maps/directions.html.

 

"-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Registration fee: $35 for current DANJ members; $45 for non-members, $25 for students

 

 

NAME                                                                                                                                                                     PHONE

 

LIBRARY/ORGANIZATION

 

EMAIL ADDRESS

 

ADDRESS

 

 

Need Receipt:                                    YES      NO       (Circle one)

Make checks payable to:      DANJ Inc.

Mail Registration to:                         Deborah Mercer (dmercer AT njstatelib.org)

                                                New Jersey State Library

                                                                P.O. Box 520, 185 W. State Street

                                                                Trenton, NJ 08625              

 

Remember to renew your membership to DANJ!!!

The membership form is available at the DANJ website, http://www.danj.org/membform.htm

Membership year is November 1 – October 31.

(Membership and Conference registration can be mailed together.)

.DANJ CONFERENCE REGISTRATION – Please return by OCTOBER 23, 2009

2010 Call for Papers: “Entering SLA’s Next Century: Let the Good Times Roll”

SLA Contributed Papers

An opportunity to share your knowledge!  How are you putting your hard work into action?  How are you using the long-planned, expertly-vetted, SME-approved technologies in your library?  How are your users responding to these new services?

If you have a success story to tell your colleagues, we would love to hear it!  SLA is now accepting proposals for papers to be presented at its 2010 Annual Conference in the "Southern and Soulful City" of New Orleans, Louisiana, with the theme "Entering SLA's Next Century: Let the Good Times Roll!"    Accepted papers will also be published on the SLA Web site. 

More information is on the SLA Blog.

An opportunity to share your knowledge!  How are you putting your hard work into action?  How are you using the long-planned, expertly-vetted, SME-approved technologies in your library?  How are your users responding to these new services?

If you have a success story to tell your colleagues, we would love to hear it!  SLA is now accepting proposals for papers to be presented at its 2010 Annual Conference in the "Southern and Soulful City" of New Orleans, Louisiana, with the theme "Entering SLA's Next Century: Let the Good Times Roll!"    Accepted papers will also be published on the SLA Web site. 

More information is on the SLA Blog.

Ask Your Candidates for SLA-President Elect: Two Call-In Opportunities (Tuesday, Sept. 22)

The information below is from Anne Caputo, 2009 SLA President-Elect.

---

SLA is trying something new this year with respect to the two candidates for President-elect of SLA.  A call-in opportunity for all SLA members will take place next Tuesday, 22 September. 

This is unprecedented as it is happening after the elections have begun, but very important particularly because these calls are scheduled at times friendly to SLA members outside North America. In the Eastern/New York time zone, the calls will be held at 10 AM and 9 PM EDT.

Both Agnes Mattis and Cindy Romaine will be on the call to make brief introductory statements and respond to member questions.  Any other candidates for SLA Board offices are welcome to join the call and may respond to questions if time permits.

 
************************************************
SLA Call-In for 2010 President-Elect Board Candidates
 
Please join us for a lively and interactive call with SLA President-Elect candidates Agnes Mattis and Cindy Romaine who will presenting their candidacy, qualifications and ideas as well as responding to your questions.  The calls will conducted twice on 22 September.  This is the first time candidates forums have been held with our global membership in mind.  Please participate and let us know your issues, questions and concerns.
 

For your local call-in conference phone number and equivalent time zones throughout the world, please see the complete list at http://wiki.sla.org/x/GoFQAg. No login is required. NOTE: The referenced page will be deleted after the calls have taken place.

 

SLA Changes Member Dues

SLA sent the following email to members on Sept. 16:

Dear SLA Member:

In order to continue to deliver the services members expect, the SLA Board of Directors has voted to increase dues by 15 percent for most members and add a new dues tier for members with an annual income of US$75,000 or greater, effective 1 January 2010.

In the four years since it last raised dues, SLA has done much more for members with far less funding, introducing an array of new member benefits to ensure that information professionals have the tools they need to remain competitive in today's marketplace. These include greatly expanded online and in-person professional development opportunities, free online libraries and webinars, discounts on conferences, publications and higher education, and much more. In addition, SLA has vastly extended member networks by adding access to new communications technologies as they emerge and is aggressively building the global membership so important in the new economy.

The cost of delivering these member services each year is now almost US$600 per member. SLA has worked hard to reduce and offset that cost by becoming more operationally efficient, obtaining sponsorships, and building partnerships. Over the past year, SLA staff have forfeited raises, paid a larger percentage of their medical benefits, and lost professional development opportunities, and we have reduced staff by 18 percent, among many other measures. We were also able to fund one of our most important efforts ever, the Alignment Research Project, with funds reserved from the sale of our previous headquarters building.  SLA dues continue to be substantially lower than those of most comparable organizations, and there is more value in SLA membership than ever before.

Dues rates will be as follows:

Category of Membership	2010 Dues
Student/Retired Members	US$40.00
Full Members
Annual Salary under US$18,000	US$40.00
Annual Salary US$18,000-US$34,999	US$114.00
Annual Salary US$35,000-US$74,999	US$185.00
Annual Salary US$75,000 or greater	US$200.00
Organizational Members	US$750.00
Honorary/Life Members	$0.00
Retired Members/45 Years	$0.00
Extra chapter/division fee	US$20.00
Caucus	US$12.00

We have created a Web page with questions and answers about the dues increase and more information about membership finances.  We will add answers to new questions as they emerge.

Sincerely,

Gloria Zamora, President, and the SLA Board of Directors

Bedminster Library Offering Weekly Job Search Forum Starting Tuesday, Sept. 15

The Clarence Dillon Public Library in Bedminster is offering ongoing weekly workshops designed to assist in job searching and career development. The sessions will be held Tuesdays from 6:45 to 8 p.m.

Career coach experts will advise on how to search and secure employment: for those displaced by the recession plus anyone interested in a new job or career. There is no fee and no limit on attendance. No need to enroll.

Upcoming sessions:

• Sept. 15: Using Library Resources for Job Searching Success. Speaker: Marie Crenshaw, Head Reference Librarian, Clarence Dillon Public Library.
• Sept. 22: Networking.
• Sept. 29: Resumes.
• Oct. 6: Getting Interviews.
• Oct. 13: Interview and Post-Interview Tactics.
• Oct. 20: Changing Careers.
• Oct. 27: Opportunities in Non-Profits.
• Nov. 3: Ask the Headhunter.

Clarence Dillon Public Library
2336 Lamington Road
Bedminster, NJ 07921-2609
(908) 234-2325

Hours and directions are online.

NJ/ASIS&T to Honor Rutgers' Belkin as 'Distinguished Lecturer' (Friday, Sept. 25 in New Brunswick)

The New Jersey Chapter of the American Society for Information Science & Technology (NJ/ASIS&T) is pleased to honor Dr. Nicholas J. Belkin with its Distinguished Lectureship Award. 

Dr. Belkin, at Rutgers University’s School of Communication and Information, is scheduled to speak on Friday, September 25 at 2 PM. His lecture, entitled “Personalizing Support for Interaction with Information," will be held at the Lecture Hall, Scholarly Communication Center, located on the fourth floor of the Alexander Library at Rutgers in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

The award ceremony and lecture will be preceded by a reception and light refreshments at 1 PM in the Scholarly Communication Center. 

The event is free and all are welcome to join us in honoring Dr. Belkin for his outstanding commitment to teaching and invaluable contributions to Information Science. 

In addition to teaching at Rutgers' School of Communication and Information, Dr. Belkin is the author of numerous articles on topics such as information retrieval, human information behavior, and human-computer interaction. He has presented at nearly 200 conferences throughout the United States, Great Britain and Europe.

Dr. Belkin is also past President of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, which bestowed him with its prestigious Award of Merit in 2003, its Award for Excellence in Research in Information Science in 1997, and its Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award in 1990.

Dr. Belkin also serves on the Editorial Board for Information Processing and Management and Information Retrieval.  He has been a member of the American Society for Information Science since 1970. 

The New Jersey Chapter of the American Society for Information Science & Technology established the Distinguished Lectureship Award in 1985 to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of information science. 

Contact: Judy Jeng, Ph.D., Program Chair / Chair-Elect New Jersey Chapter, American Society for Information Science & Technology.

SLA-NY Happy Hour: Tuesday, Sept. 29 in Manhattan

From Leigh Hallingby, SLA-New York President-Elect:

Please join us for a drink, a snack, and good networking on Tuesday, September 29th, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.  This occasion will also be our opportunity to honor our four SLA-NY Awardees from the 2009 Annual Conference in DC:    

Michelle Dollinger, Rising Star Award

Anne Mintz, SLA Professional Award

Pam Rollo, SLA Fellow

Eric Schwarz, Diversity Leadership Development Program Award 

There will be a short "program" at 6:15 to congratulate our four award recipients and to hear a few words from them.

Happy Hours are a regular event which the NY Chapter organizes to give members a chance to meet and chat.  Prospective members, students, and colleagues also are welcome.

There is no charge to attend, and the main agenda is to network with colleagues in a quiet space. You will have an opportunity to introduce yourself to the group and make any announcement (such as a new position, job search or job availability).  Please come and tell us who you are and, if you are looking for something, what it is. 

Midtown Executive Club 
Rumford Hall 
40 West 45th Street (betw. 5th/6th Aves). You will see a blue awning that says CQ (for Club Quarters).
http://www.midtownexecutiveclub.com

Drink Prices: $4 for soft drinks; $10 for wine or beer. 
PLEASE NOTE: Half-price for beer and wine until 6:30.   

 

Please RSVP to Vida Cohen at [email protected] to help us establish an attendance figure.  But feel free to drop by even if you have not RSVP'd.  

 

We hope to see you then! 

Leigh Hallingby, President Elect of the New York Chapter 2009 

Please save these dates and check the Chapter website for all of the SLA-NY activities in SLA's Centennial Year 2009:     

• Thursday, October 15, 2009 - Annual Meeting and Awards Presentation at Skadden Arps  
• Thursday, November 19, 2009 - SLA Information Forum at Baruch College 
• Thursday, December 10, 2009 - Centennial Holiday Party at McGraw-Hill

NJSLA Dine-Around and Student Mixer: Wednesday, Sept. 30 in New Brunswick (Rescheduled from an earlier date)

You're invited to NJSLA's next DIne-Around event, to be held Wednesday, Sept. 30 in New Brunswick! (The Dine-Around had originally been scheduled for a previous date, but there was a conflict with another local SLA event.)

Who: NJSLA members, Rutgers MLIS students, librarians, info pros and any other nice people who want to join. You must be 21 with ID, since the Dine-Around will be held at a bar.

What: NJSLA Dine-Around in a casual pub atmosphere.

Where: Olive Branch Bar & Restaurant, 37 Bartlett Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone 732-729-0203. www.olivebranchonline.com. Directions: http://tinyurl.com/pceho7. The restaurant is located just behind the Rutgers Student Center on College Avenue.
 
When: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009, starting around 6:30 to 7 p.m., until 9 p.m.

Why: Fun, mingling and networking. Learn about NJSLA's upcoming programs in a relaxed atmosphere with no set program or speaker. No fee to attend; just pay your own check and tip.

How: RSVP at http://tinyurl.com/n735gd by Monday, Sept. 28. Come as you are, and remember to bring ID!