Queen City SLA

Got a Disaster Plan?

The Ohio Preservation Council is offering a one-day Disaster Management tele-workshop on Thursday, September 15th in multiple locations in Ohio; Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and the Cleveland area. Our objective will be to have participants make a substantial start on written Disaster Management Plans for their institutions. The workshop will focus on the online tool d-PLan, and be will be led by Donia Conn from the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) who will be at the Columbus location, while representatives of OPC will be present in the other locations to assist.

Disaster preparedness is an essential component of preserving your institution's collections. With a written disaster plan, libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, and other collection-holding institutions can reduce the risk of disaster and minimize losses. dPlan is perfect for small and medium-sized institutions that do not have in-house preservation staff. dPlan is also valuable for large library systems or museum campuses that need to develop separate but related plans for multiple buildings, locations, or branches.

dPlan can help you create a plan for disaster prevention and response. Entering data into the simple online template creates a customized disaster plan for your institution. This plan will help you:

 *   prevent or mitigate disasters,

 *   prepare for the most likely emergencies,

 *   respond quickly to minimize damage if disaster strikes, and

 *   recover effectively from disaster while continuing to provide services to your community.

 

Each institution's password-protected plan is stored on a secure server, and an automatic e-mail is sent every six months reminding you to update your plan.

Registration is $35 for OPC members, $45 for non-members and $20 for students.  Lunch and refreshments will be included.  Registration is separate for each individual site:

Cleveland: https://www.regonline.com/disastercleveland

Toledo:  http://www.regonline.com/disastertoledo

Columbus:  http://www.regonline.com/disastermanagement

Cincinnati: http://www.regonline.com/disastercincinnati

dPlan is a free online tool that simplifies the process of writing a disaster plan for your collections. It provides a comprehensive fill-in-the-blank template into which you enter information about your institution. dPlan generates a printed disaster plan specific to your institution. dPlan was developed by NEDCC, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The development of the template was funded by the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to assist non-profit organizations that hold cultural collections.

How to Stand Out in a Competitive Job Market!

The Cincinnati Chapter of the Special Libraries Association

cordially invites you to

 How to Stand Out in a Competitive Job Market!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

4:00 - 6:00 pm

Featured Speaker:  Andrea Kay

Career Consultant, Author and Syndicated Columnist

 

Take advantage of this great opportunity to learn how to get noticed in today’s tough job market.  Following Andrea’s presentation, get one-on-one help with your resume, as well as helpful cover letter and interviewing tips, from professionals in the information industry. 

Cost:  $10 for SLA members, $15 for non-members;

Free for students and those currently seeking employment

 

Location:   The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati Conference Facility, Rookwood Tower, 3805 Edwards Road.   

 

About Andrea Kay

Andrea Kay is a nationally recognized career consultant and executive coach who has helped thousands of employees, job hunters, and career changers cut to the heart of their frustration and take control of their careers.  She is a writer of a popular syndicated workplace column that appears in USA Today and has published five books, her most recent two:  Work’s a Bitch and Then You Make it Work and Life’s a Bitch and Then You Change Careers.  Andrea is also heard weekly on WGRR Radio, and has presented workshops and keynotes to professional associations and companies across the country. She hosted the radio talk show, “Ask Andrea”, and has been a featured guest on national television and radio.  Andrea has been widely quoted in publications such as The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger, and Working Woman.  For more information, please visit her website:  http://andreakay.com

 

 About SLA

The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is a nonprofit global organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners. SLA serves about 10,000 members in 75 countries in the information profession, including corporate, academic, and government information specialists. SLA promotes and strengthens its members through learning, advocacy, and networking initiatives. For more information, visit us on the Web at www.sla.org.

 

Registration/Questions

REGISTER:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/resumeprogram

Contact Cathy Goodin [email protected]  or Hedi Scheidel [email protected]  with questions.

 

Strategic Planning in 5 Minutes: It Can Be Done!

The Five-Minute Strategic Plan: When You Don't Have the Time or Resources to Do It Perfectly

Date: June 9, 2011

Time 12:00PM - 1:00PM

Location: Keating Muething & Klekamp

RSVP: If you would like to attend this session, please email Mary Lynn Wagner ([email protected])

Cost: Free to all attendees!

 

Program Description:

Strategic planning is one process for setting goals and priorities. The result: What we do and how we do it contributes to what we want to achieve in the long-term. However, it is easy to become distracted by unwieldy and repetitive processes, jargon, and arguments over whether something is a goal, outcome, principle, or strategy. Learn a simple, proven model that translates strategic planning into four basic steps (plus one that repeats). It allows for effective design and execution when time is short, and you need to move ahead quickly-without driving yourself and other people crazy.

This webinar will discuss how to:

* Effectively sample qualitative and quantitative research about their past, current, and potential users

* Distill leadership-level concepts (mission, vision, values) in a "where are we going,  and why" statement

* Tie strategic planning goals into project management execution 

* Evaluate plans based on users' criteria

* Prevent micromanagement

　

Speaker:

Pat Wagner of Pattern Research, Inc

Pat Wagner has been a trainer and consultant for all types of special and academic libraries since 1978. A frequent speaker at national library conferences including AALL, MLA, ALA, and SLA, she has used this model to help streamline planning and rescue stalled processes-and remove much of the stress of strategic planning from weary library professionals' shoulders. She also has partnered with the University of North Texas LE@D program to produce and distribute self-paced online courses for libraries. Pat has been a trainer and consultant for all types of special and academic libraries.  She is an educator, trainer, writer and consultant, focusing on personnel, management, leadership, marketing, career and strategic planning issues.

Competitive Intelligence in the Trenches

SCIP and SLA Jointly Present:

Competitive Intelligence in the Trenches

by:  Clifford Kalb, Speaker
President of C. Kalb & Associates L.L.C and former SCIP President
 

Webinar Program Description
This session, presented by the former head of Merck's intelligence function, offers lessons learned from the pragmatic experience of building a world class, demand driven operation that grew to become top management's partner in decision making. The delicate balance of supply and demand between producers and consumers of intelligence is explored as well. Specifically, you will learn how to:

**Agree on a clear statement of the mission and  scope of work with   management
**Build and develop an intelligence team through careful client negotiations
**Identify, plan and execute on intelligence projects with discipline and rigor
**Understand the level of  development of your firm’s CI function
**Lead a cross functional team that supported the creation of a joint venture and some tough lessons learned from an actual case history of CI  in action
 

Program Agenda: 

Wednesday, June 8th
5:30PM – 6:00PM          Registration and Networking
6:00PM --7:00PM          Program
7:00PM – 7:30PM          Q&A/Networking
Light refreshments will be served.

Presenter
Clifford Kalb currently serves as President of C. Kalb & Associates L.L.C., an independent pharmaceutical industry consultancy. Prior to this, he served as Senior Vice President, Life Sciences at Wood Mackenzie, Inc. where he provided leadership to a knowledge based research and consulting practice, and thought leadership on industry issues. Mr. Kalb has over thirty five years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He served as Senior Director, Strategic Business Analysis in Worldwide Human Health Marketing at Merck & Co., Inc. Prior to that, he held positions of increasing responsibility in sales, market research, health economics, public policy management, marketing management, licensing, business intelligence and business development at Marion Labs, Pfizer and Roche. He has also served as head of marketing and business development for a small biotechnology company.

Mr. Kalb has served as Chairman of the Conference Board Council on Competitive Analysis. He is also Past President of the board of directors of the Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP), and Past President of the Pharmaceutical Business Intelligence and Research Group (PBIRG). Mr. Kalb is widely published in the field of pharmaceutical industry intelligence and analysis.

In 2004, he was made a Fellow in SCIP, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from PBIRG. In 2005, he was named one of top 100 most inspiring people in the pharmaceutical industry by Pharmavoice magazine. He is currently a member of the Editorial Advisory board at Pharmaceutical Executive Magazine. Mr. Kalb holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Psychology from Rutgers University, and an MBA in Pharmaceutical Marketing and Economics from Fairleigh Dickinson University. 

Locations:
Cincinnati:  Joint program between SCIP SW Ohio Chapter and SLA, Cincinnati
Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
One East Fourth Street
Suite 1400
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Directions: http://www.kmklaw.com/contact-directions.html

SW Ohio Location:
IBM/Sterling Commerce
4600 Lakehurst Court
Dublin, OH  43016
614.793.4082

Registration   
Please Note: This program is a SCIP Multi-Chapter eLearning WEBINAR Exclusive to Onsite Attendees
SCIP and SLA Members:            $10.00
Non-Members:                          $15.00

SLA MEMBERS:  Please use the attached form for registration.  Download SCIP-SLA Registration Form

SCIP MEMBERS: register here:  http://www.scip.org/Training/EventsDetail.cfm?itemnumber=13588

 

Contacts
SCIP SW Ohio Chapter Contact:Julie Webb, Chapter Chair, [email protected], 614.793.4082
Cincinnati Contact:Michael Egan, [email protected], (513) 345-3245
Robyn Reals, SCIP Educ. Mgr., [email protected], 703.739.0696X 107

Cancellation Policy
Cancellations must be received, in writing, by Wednesday, June 1, 2011 to be honored.

Get Your Ganster On!

Get your "Gangster On" and join the Cincinnati Chapter of SLA for the Newport Gangster Tour on Friday, May 20th. We will meet at the Syndicate's Gangster's Dueling Piano bar at 6pm. The tour will last approximately 2 hours. After the tour, anyone interested can convene at the Dueling Piano Bar for food and drinks. 

The cost for the tour is $20.00 per person.  This event is open to SLA members as well as non-members! If you would like to attend this event, please email me at [email protected].  If you have any questions, please let me know.   Mary Lynn

WHEN:  Friday, May 20th  6:00 - 9:00pm 

WHERE: Meet inside the Gangsters Dueling Piano Bar at The Newport Syndicate 18 E 5th St., Newport, KY 41071

 WHAT: Before there was Las Vegas...there was Newport, Kentucky Rising from the profits of bootlegging, this sleepy town nestled between the banks of the Ohio and Licking Rivers would quickly grow to become the premier gaming destination of the United States. Join us as we explore the streets where gangsters made their millions, gamblers lost their fortunes and their lives, and ladies of the night earned their reputations.

 This two hour award winning tour* begins with two gangster guides leading a raucous, high-energy presentation inside an old casino. Next, you'll be entertained out on the streets of "Sin City" during a two hour walking tour of historic sites. You will see the buildings that housed casinos, brothels, and speakeasies. You'll explore Newport's connections to some of the most well-known crime figures in our nation's history, and discover how this little town gave birth to the modern day gaming industry. http://www.americanlegacytours.com/?q=tours/newport-gangster-tour

 *Best of the City- Best walking tour- the Newport Gangster Tour by Cincinnati Magazine One of the top 10 things to do in Kentucky- Southern Living Magazine, March 2010  

PAYMENT: Cash and checks are accepted.  You may mail a check to the address listed below or bring payment on the night of the event. Please make checks payable to: Special Libraries Association.    Send Payment to:  Mary Lynn Wagner at One East Fourth Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

DIRECTIONS: http://www.gangsterspianobar.com/directions.htm

PARKING: Parking is available right across the street from the Syndicate.

 

Getting Ready for the CBA's Run for Kids

In order to help you prepare for the 5K Run For Kids on June 3rd, we will be posting tips each week until race day.

Week 1:  Proper Form for Walking and Running

If you are just starting your training program, or if you just need a refresher course, here are some tips for keeping the proper form while walking and running.  Keeping the proper form will help you avoid injury and strain while you are training.

Run Tall:  Experts agree that you should run tall and straight.  Don’t run slouched, and don’t lean too far forward or backward.  Focus on engaging your abdominals to keep your spine straight and your chest lifted.

Keep Your Head Up:  Whether you are walking or running, your head should stay level.  Keep your eyes looking forward and your chin parallel to the ground.  Putting your head too far forward and looking down put excess strain on your neck and shoulders.  Focus your eyes approximately 15-20 feet in front of you – if you need to look down to see where you are going, lower your eyes and not your entire head.

Relax Your Shoulders:  Make sure you don’t tense your shoulders as you train.  Whether you are walking or running, your shoulders and arms should be relaxed and your arms should be bent at a 90 degree angle.  Keeping your arms bent and swinging them naturally with each step will help you burn more calories and train at a faster pace.

Don’t Clench Your Fists:  Your hands should be relaxed as you train, like your shoulders.  Clenching your fists only wastes energy.

Think “Heel to Toe”:  When you are walking and running, allow your ankle to move through a complete range of motion.  The proper form includes: (1) landing on your heel, (2) rolling onto the ball of your foot, then (3) raising your heel and pushing off with your toes.

Don’t Lengthen Your Stride When You’re Walking:  Every person has a natural stride length that is most comfortable for them.  While it is ok to lengthen your natural stride when you are running, over-striding when you are walking can strain your muscles and joints.  It can also cause pain in the arches of your feet, knees, hips, and heels.  If you want to walk faster, focus on taking more steps per minute, not longer steps.

Visit www.active.com and http://www.sparkpeople.com for these and other tips for maintaining the proper form while walking and running.

Download Run a 5K Training Plan

Download Walk a 5K Training Plan

Cincy SLA Participates in the Run For Kids...

The Cincinnati Chapter of SLA has agreed to be a sponsor for the Cincinnati Bar Association's 15th annual Run for Kids. This is a great opportunity to promote our chapter and participate in a family oriented community event.

The Run for Kids is a 5K race/fitness walk that directly benefits the ProKids organization of Cincinnati. The race will take place at St. Mary's Church on Erie Avenue in Hyde Park on Friday, June 3rd. The race will begin at 7pm. Following the race is a fun run for kids and a party with live music by Kelly Red and the Hammerheads. ProKids is a non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of abused and neglected children in the legal system. ProKids trains volunteers to serve as Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) in the court. CASAs provide abused and neglected children with a voice in the court system.

We would like to get as many SLA Chapter members as possible to participate in this event by either running/walking in the race or volunteering at the event.

If you would like to run/walk, the cost of the race is $25.00. The online registration form can be found at http://goo.gl/IZ7MS . 

If you would like to volunteer, please email Mary Lynn Wagner ([email protected]). Volunteers' admission to the party and the race is free.

The Cincinnati Chapter is giving away FREE t-shirts to everyone in the Chapter.  Please email Connie Song ([email protected]) with your t-shirt size so she can order your FREE SLA t-shirt. Be sure to wear your SLA shirt on race day and any other SLA event! 

Mining Social Media Resources

The Cincinnati Chapter will be sponsoring Scott Brown's webinar, Social Media Tools for Business and Competitive Research for all interested members.  The seminar will be hosted at Keating Muething & Klekamp on February 15th  February 15th from 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST. 

If you would like to attend the webinar, please email me directly at [email protected].

 

 

 

 

The Cincinnati Chapter is Your Ticket to FUN!

 

For the Last SLA Bash of the Year!

DATE: December 9th from 5:00pm - 7:30pm

LOCATION: Lloyd library

The Lloyd Library was recently named the BEST OF THE CITY by Cincinnati Magazine for the Best Hidden Museum!

DESCRIPTION: Prepare for an evening filled with fun, networking, great hors d'oeuvres and CHOCOLATE! After a few words from Maggie Heran, the Director of Lloyd, and a brief Chapter update, we will be granted access to Lloyd's Fall/Winter exhibit featuring The CHOCOLATE CONNECTION!

PLUS: Don't forget to bring your business cards for a chance to win door prizes! (must be present to win).

Many thanks to our sponsor, Dialog and to Ruth Wolfish our SLA Chapter Cabinet Liaison and her company, IEEE for the prizes!

 Dialog's online-based information services help organizations across the globe to seek competitive advantages in such fields as business, science, engineering, finance and law. The Dialog portfolio of products and services, including Dialog(r) and DataStar(r), offers organizations the ability to precisely retrieve data from more than 1.4 billion unique records of key information, accessible via the Internet or through delivery to enterprise intranets.

Invite your friends, co-workers, and potential members, etc... EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!!

COST: FREE FOR EVERYONE!

RSVP: Deadline December 6, 2010

REGISTER: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ChocolateSocial

SMART BRANDING

Mark your calendar for our October BRANDING program! 

Program Description:  Program Description: Participants will obtain an understanding of the practical brand building tools that can be utilized within an organization; Participants will also obtain exposure to the best practices in branding from a variety of examples and hands-on experience.

 Discussion Topics: 

• What is Branding?
• What is the role of Branding in marketing?
• The ingredients of a Brand 
• Tips for creating a lasting brand 
• How to release a new Brand 
• Tips for managing a Brand 
• Hands-on experience in developing an internal organizational Brand using the principles outlined in the seminar. 

Speaker:  Katherine M. Lowry has 10 years of experience in leading roles representing both law firms and information vendors, Katherine is currently the Director of Information Resources for Baker Hostetler, LLP and manages the firm wide operations of both Library Services and Records Management. Previous professional experience includes working for Cable & Clark as a consultant to large law firms across the country delivering creative solutions for law firm libraries, a Client Relations Manager for Thomson West, and other positions inside of law firms such as a Director of Business Development & Marketing and a Library Services Director.

Katherine M. Lowry obtained her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Stetson University and her law degree from the University of Dayton School of Law.

DATE: October 14th, 2010

TIME:  4:00pm - 5:00pm

LOCATION: Cincinnati Health Foundation 3805 Edwards Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45208

COST: $10.00 SLA Chapter Members. $15.00 non-members. Free for Students.

Checks payable to: SLA Cincinnati Chapter

Registration: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LibraryBranding

Work Smart Not Hard!

Mark your calendars for our next Chapter program, Work Smart Not Hard!

Program Description:
Do you have trouble keeping up with email and prioritizing your work? On
September 22nd, Ray Winialski of PRISM Business Advisors will be offering a
presentation on how to use technology to work smarter.

During this presentation you will learn how to:
-View technology as an asset in your workflow.

-Evaluate what's important in you email inbox. Using PST files to maintain a
clean inbox.

-Use follow-up tools efficiently: The PEND system, the HOLD stack, using
tasks, reminders and rules.

-Simplify email communications using shortcuts, spell check, color coding,
canned emails and other tools.

DATE: September 22nd, 2010

TIME: 3:30pm - 4:45pm

LOCATION: Keating Muething & Klekamp
One East Fourth Street
Suite 1400
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Directions: http://www.kmklaw.com/contact-directions.html
Note: Parking is available at Olympic Parking behind the building.

COST: $10.00 SLA Chapter Members. $15.00 non-members. Free for Students.
Checks payable to: SLA Cincinnati Chapter
Mail to: Susan Wilkins, Director of Library Services, The Art Institute of
Ohio; 8845 Governors Hill Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

Registration: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/worksmart

Job Hunting Resources on the Net

LLRX just posted an article by Barbara Fullterton on job hunting resources. For those of you who do not review LLRX on a regular basis, I thought it would be helpful to post a link to this article. 

I will be sending out a list of programs scheduled for the fall in the next few days.

Article Link:

http://www.llrx.com/features/jobhunting2010.htm

As always, if you have suggestions or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of the SLA board. 

Mary Lynn

How Private is Your Information? E-Discovery in the Real World

Things we will ponder and "discover" during the seminar...

* What happens when I hit delete?

* On the internet, no one knows you're a dog or do they?

* Email, did I really type that?

* Hidden Data

* Encryption tools

Computer forensics utilizes analytical and investigative techniques to identify, collect, examine and preserve evidence/information which is magnetically stored or encoded on an electronic device.

There are numerous reasons to employ the techniques of computer forensics:

*In legal cases, computer forensic techniques are frequently used to analyze computer systems belonging to defendants (in criminal cases) or litigants (in civil cases).

*To recover data in the event of a hardware or software failure.

*To analyze a computer system after a break-in to determine how the attacker gained access and what the attacker did.

*To gather evidence against an employee that an organization wishes to terminate.

SPEAKER:  Jonathan Adams is the President and Co-Founder of SALIX. He has been actively involved in the Cincinnati Chapter of Association of Records Managers and Administrators (ARMA) for the past 6 years and was the Chapter President for the past two years. His experience in records management and litigation support gives him a unique perspective into the challenges that face today's records managers with respect to litigation and technology.

DATE: July 22nd, 2010 

TIME:  4:30pm - 6:00pm

LOCATION: Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati - Conf. Room A

Rookwood Tower, 3805 Edwards Rd, Suite 500, Cincinnati 45209 -- PH: 513 458-6600 http://healthfoundation.org/about/location.html

COST: $10.00 SLA Chapter Members. $15.00 non-members.  Free for Students.

Checks payable to:  SLA Cincinnati Chapter

Mail to:  Susan Wilkins, Director of Library Services, The Art Institute of Ohio; 8845 Governors Hill Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

Registration: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ediscoveryregistration

The Internet and the Loss of Thought and General SLA Convention Reflections by Rob Langenderfer

  Nicholas Carr has written extensively on the effects of technology in modern society, having authored such works as Does Technology Matter?, Is the Intermet Making Us Stuupid? and The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.  Although throughout his talk my computer suffered from buffering issues and the sound was constantly fading in and out (especially when he was naming specific scientific studies that supported his theories) and no formal slides went with his preentation (and the informal promised Power Points and other supporting materials were never sent to me), the thrust of his presentation was clear enough.  Carr says that most people believe that once the brain reaches a certain physical level of development, it cannot change and its means of operation is set for life.  Carr argues that a number of studies, some of which are found at http://www.ccn.upenn.edu/ and http://www.neuroethics.upenn.edu/, show that massive use of the Internet, with its bedrock of brief paragraphs of information, is actually affecting the brain physiologically and is making it more difficult for people to read long works that require cncentration for extended periods of time.  He notes that he himself was formerly a very avid reader but about two years ago he was finding it much more difficult to focus to read books that he used to be able to get through easily and that he was frequently distracted.  Initially he considered the phenomenon just the result of againg, but he came to realize that his increased use of computers contributed to it as the repeating patterns that he was coming across on the net  (brief bursts of information) was actually changing the way he was able to think. Carr noted that the net may be the most powerful mind-altering innovation since the alphabet and numerals.  Young adults average 7 minutes per day with printed materials, and adults are not much better.  He implored his audience not to give up old ways of reading, researchh and thinking, for the Internet leaves readers with an increased ability to spot visual patterns but it also leaves us with a shallow level of knowledge of many things without any kind of central focus or purpose to our knowledge.  However, he believes that we can still get back our ability to concentrate and to digest longer, more thoughtful works but that our habits must change.   Several of us listening to the talk virtually commented on the irony of listening to this talk on a computer!    

    Overall attending the convention virtually was a very good experience.  Although there was not a real opportunity to meet the other virtual attendees, it did allow us to get the flavor of what the national SLA convention is like.  Besides the two talks I reviewed, the talk that I attended on finding your own brand was very good, with its comparison of LinkedIn (where a person's connections are key), blogs(where a person's content is key), and Twitter (where connections, content and speed are equally important) being quite insightful.  The general panel discussion that I attended on competitive intelligence was worthwhile as it appears to be an aspect of information management that is going to become increasingly important in the years ahead.  I thank the Cincinnati chapter of SLA for giving me the opportunity to attend virtually the SLA national convention for it did give me the opportunity to see what the convention was like without even leaving my room.

Rob Langenderfer's Review of Steve Arnold's Presentation on Real-Time Searching

Overall this was a very good presentation.  Steve Arnold, the speaker, has been involved in the field of information for 35 years.  Although he did not give a jargon-free definition of real-time search (somthing that I think could have been useful), its meaning quickly became apparent as he commented on some controversial new findings on the topic that he described in more detail in his work Beyond Text and on his web site at http://armoldit.com/wordpress/.  He mentioned that real-time search is not perfect.  One person drove off of a cliff in the dark using GoogleMaps in real time while another person is suing Google after following its directions that said she had to cross a 4 lane highway and was hit by a car.  The benefits of real-time search are readily appparent though to companies who hire mathematicians to save microseconds on getting stock exchange data by having them find the best place in the buiding for their servers to be able to save time to get the data on their fiber optics.  Facebook and Twitter both have some applicability in real time searching as Google makes use of Facebook's tremendous amount of video and Twitter's context locator in its attempt to produce data in real time.   However, he does not believe that Google, Yahoo or Microsoft are truly moving whole-heartedly into real-time searching as much as their publicists try to promote them as doing so.  Arnold is much more enthusiastic about Collecta.com that takes the user to real-time news sources where the date and time are clearly listed, and uses Facebook and Twitter and other sites to find major documents.  Arnold warns that real-time information is easy to fake since no single person is monitoring all of it and notes that he goes into more detail about this in a chapter in the new book Disinformation.  He notes that real-time information isn't actually in real time. The speed of retrieval of real-tine information depends on how much companies are willing to pay to put into the resources to be able to obtain it.  Leapfish, NewsLookup.com, Red Tram (which is based in Russia and might be influenced by the Russian government), and Yauba (which is privacy-safe) are free sources of real-time information that he focused on, and then he talked about Fetch Technologies at http://www.fetch.com that companies pay to use.  He feels that real-time searching is a concept that many companies will latch onto once they find out about its benefits.  However, as more real-time searchable content becomes available, it has to be paid for by someone, which brings up the question of how unbiased the information will be.  The one disappointing aspect of Arnold's talk was that his anectodes giving examples of the benefits of real-time searching were extremely disappointing.  They did not inspire me, and probably did not inspire much of the audience as they were too closely tied to companies that no one except him knew about.  Overall though, it was a solid presentation that showed both the positives and the negatives of real-time searching and demonstrated that real-time searching is a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Nuts & Bolts of Contract Management

Here's another report from the SLA (virtual) conference, this time on a session called Nuts and Bolts of Contract Management with presenters Bill Noorlander (BST America, a content management and outsourcing firm) and Craig Wingrove (director of external content management at KPMG).  They offered practical advice on preparation and negotation of contracts.  Even after negotiating many contracts over the past 15+ years, I learned a thing or two from this program.

Let's start with preparation for contract negotation:

Know your users' needs.  Surveys can be effective but challenging; use prizes as incentives.  More importantly, study patterns of use and business needs,not just want patons say they need.  Maintain regular communication with key practice areas. Conduct an inventory of your organization's current licenses and maintain centralized contract license information.  Work closely with your procurement and legal departments before negotiating a contract to audit your firm's knowledge assets and to know at the outset what must appear in contracts.  Consider your "good enough" options and eliminate duplication if you can. 

Manage change well.  Consider changing vendors or changes in your terms when there are changes in the business environment, the vendor's product, or your budget.  Evaluate content, quality, functionality, price, and integration into your work environment and with your portal.  Don't change for the sake of change.  Balance your business needs and cost and communicate your changes well to your internal clients through portal postings, posters, email, and meetings.

Do your homework before you ever talk with your vendor.  Gather intelligence: use metrics, user satisfaction, overlap, and alternative products. Consider what your vendor might want out of the negotiation.  Set your timetable up front with the vendor, be candid and transparent.  Know from the outset that you want to insist on single sign on and use statistics.  Work with your organization's contract people to draw up a framework agreement -- no specific product information, but all the terms you want to require.

When it's time to negotiate, know your own goals.  Do any market intelligence you can (legally, ethically) to know if your deal feels comparable to others).  Know your options and product alternatives. Know how important the content is to your users.  That will determine how hard or soft you'll negotiate.  Remind the vendor how much you spend overall with that company and keep in mind that you want the best deal all around even if one particular product's contract is less desirable.  Remember the vendor needs to win, too.  Know when you've won and when you're done. 

Some specific issues to keep in mind: Build in invoicing on a monthly basis, for example, so it meshes with the benefit of the service, rather than an annual bill.  Work out the widest possible usage terms: the ability to hourse, merge, and access data, to avoid add-on charges later.  Focus on content; a vendor should never charge you extra for other access modes like wireless, mobile, etc. Protect your firm: include language about renegotiating in the case of a merger, major product changes, severe budget cuts, etc.  Make sure that training and help desk availability are built in.  Codify any rights into the agreement: off-shore use, emailing content to clients, posting news to your portal, and the like.

Usage stats:  Do not settle for less than something!  You want metrics.  Insist on them.  You need to be able to demonstrate return on investment.  Senior management is very aware of the cost of information resources.

Your relationship with the vendor should go beyond the sales rep.  Get to know product development, support, and technical staff.  Meet with your vendor more than once a year.  Consider SLA's Leadership & Management Division and the Business and Finance Division as resources. Get together with your senior management periodically to evaluate the value of the vendors' services.   When prepping for the next round of negotiations, challenge the status quo, use scorecards, consider competitors, and review usage statistics.

Questions from the audience were good and my notes go on forever, so contact me if you'd like to know more about this session.

Mary Jenkins, Law Librarian & Director, Hamilton County Law Library, 513.946.5300

Competitive Intelligence Transitions for LIS Professionals

First, I’d like to publicly thank the SLA Cincinnati Chapter for funding my virtual attendance at this year’s SLA conference.  I was able to attend many of the sessions most of which were invigorating and informative.

 

Here is a summary of the June 16th session, Competitive Intelligence Transitions for LIS Professionals, on leveraging one’s skills as an LIS professional in a CI setting and transitioning into CI work.  Speakers included Victor Camlek (VP, Market Intelligence, Thomson Reuters Health Care and Science Business), Jan Herring (Fuld-Gilad-Herring Academy of Competitive Intelligence), and Anna Shallenberger (President, Shallenberger Intelligence Services) and the session was moderated by Toni Wilson (President, MarketSmart Research Services).  They identified transferrable skills, challenges of transitioning into CI, elements of a successful transition, and ways to incorporate CI into a more traditional corporate library setting.

 

Space does not permit a thorough reporting of the session, so I’d encourage you to sign up for the CI Ning community, pay attention to the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals’ events and networking, get involved in the CI Division of SLA, and read Starting a Competitive Intelligence Function, a SCIP publication.  You’re also welcome to contact me to discuss this session.

 

CI certainly isn’t unfamiliar to librarians. The speakers noted that the following skills, typically demonstrated by LIS professionals, are important in CI:

• Ability to create effective communication
• Reference interview techniques
• Research abilities and the capacity to take a "deep dive" to go further
• Presentation capabilities
• Quantitative, analytical skills
• Ability to identify trends, to synthesize, and to write well and succinctly
• Database creation and management
• Ability to elicit information from human sources by phone, in person, and online
• Teamwork orientation
• Alerts and news tracking, the ability to create "early warning systems"
• Training proficiencies

But the speakers also commented on the challenges that LIS professionals might face when moving into CI.  Some of them are:

• Overcoming limited perceptions of "librarian" and what our work entails
• Limited familiarity with business vernacular
• Lack of CI-specific credentials
• Limited practical experience with analysis and presentation
• More travel and life/work balance issues

These challenges suggest areas of focus to ensure success.  LIS professionals who want to make the jump to CI are advised to:

• Inventory your capabilities and work to improve weaker areas
• Focus on the organization's business needs for the production of intelligence
• Update your CV to include CI terminology and bone fide CI experiences
• Gain CI credentionals like SLA certification, SLA Click U events, SCIP programs, and demonstration of CI competencies
• Find an experienced CI professional to serve as your formal or informal role model or mentor, possibly through the SLA CI Division's mentoring program
• Work on any CI project available to you, including CI work for nonprofits
• Learn your organization’s (or prospective employer’s) products and services
• Improve time management skills to allow time for synthesis and analysis
• Improve presentation skills
• Become familiar with business and financial language and tools
• Learn to recognize and navigate vested interests and agendas
• Learn the typical CI report and presentation format
• Learn about creating and monitoring news alerts
• Recognize that you will need to take a point of view and defend your conclusions
• Plan to spend time with your audience to be able to anticipate their needs, via regular meetings, strategic planning, and casual conversation; it’s about being proactive and exerting influence by proving one’s value to the organization
• Participate in CI communities like the local SCIP chapter, CI Ning group, etc.

There were excellent questions from the audience, too, about legal implications and ethical considerations related to CI, the CI professional’s place within an organization, and more.  Contact me if you’d like to hear more about the session.

 

Mary Jenkins, Law Librarian & Director, Hamilton County Law Library, 513.946.5300

 

 

 

 

Libraries, Tours, Preservation...Oh, My!

Interested in learning more about the Hebrew Union College's Klau Library collections? Excited about taking a tour of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives? Then join the Cincinati Chapter of SLA for a library and archive tour generously conducted by the HUC staff!

Following the tour, there will be a meeting in HUC's mezzanine conference room for refreshments and a discussion on collection preservation. During the discussion, you will see a show and tell of common repair techniques used by HUC's neighbors at the University of Cincinnati Libraries.

When: May 14th from 2:15pm-5:00pm. Meet at the entrance to the Jacob Rader Marcus Center.

Where: The Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati Campus, 3101 Clifton Avenue 

http://huc.edu/images/maps/cincinnati/

Cost: $10.00 SLA Chapter Members. $15.00 non-members.  Free for Students.

Checks payable to:  SLA Cincinnati Chapter

Mail to:  Susan Wilkins, Director of Library Services, The Art Institute of Ohio; 8845 Governors Hill Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

Registration:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HUCTOUR

Please note:  Registration is limited to the first 20 participants.

Event Announcement: Metadata and Search Engine Optimization

Seth Earley and Jeff Carr of Earley & Associates will explain the importance of metadata and taxonomy and how they affect the positioning of your website in search engine results.  They will offer tips for making our organizations' websites and web presence more accessible and useful to end users and more "findable" on the web.  Participants will then be better able to participate in decision-making and discussions about our libraries' website design.

 

DATE: May 6, 2010

 

TIME: 4:00 p.m. 

 

LOCATION:  Online from the comfort of your own office!  You will receive a link to the slides and call-in information for the conference call via email once you register.

 

COST:  $10.00 for SLA Cincinnati members.  $20 for non-members. Please make check payable to Special Libraries Association Cincinnati Chapter and mailed to the attention of Susan Kester Wilkins, Director of Library Services, The Art Institute of Ohio - Cincinnati, 8845 Governors Hill Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45249. No charge to GSLIS students.

 

To register:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/metadata

 

Seth Earley, President & CEO, Earley & Associates

 

Seth has been implementing content management and knowledge management projects for over 14 years and has been in the technology field for 20+ years. He is founder of the Boston Knowledge Management Forum and co-author of Practical Knowledge Management from the IBM Press. He is former adjunct professor at Northeastern University, where he taught graduate courses in Knowledge Management Infrastructure and E Business Strategy. He was 2009 Co-Chair of the Metadata Committee, NDIIPP Education and Outreach for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

 

Seth has developed search, content and knowledge strategies for global organizations and has developed underlying taxonomies for a diverse roster of Fortune 1000 companies. He is a popular speaker and workshop leader at conferences throughout North America speaking on intranet design, knowledge management, content management systems and strategy, taxonomy development and other related topics.

Jeff Carr, Information Architecture & Search Consultant, Earley & Associates

Jeff has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta with a major in Management Information Systems (MIS) and a minor in International Business. Through continuous education and practical experience, Jeff has built a strong multi-disciplinary foundation in the areas of search engine marketing, information architecture, web analytics, project management, business analysis and web development. He has been responsible for the strategy, development and implementation of numerous successful web-based initiatives both large and small. He has a strong understanding of content management, a passion for the social web and online communities and a desire to deliver measurable business benefits by leveraging web technology within the larger enterprise.

Again, to register for this event:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/metadata

 

Looking for a Way to Recycle Your Electronics?

In honor of the 40th Earth Day on April 22, 2010, SWON Libraries will be accepting certain types of electronic equipment that you would like to discard during the entire month of April. We will take care of appropriate recycling of the items, as long as they are included on the list below. The staff is committed to this effort as a service to our members and to Planet Earth.

We ask that you only bring in what is reasonable to carry (we will be shipping some of these items to recycling facilities). If you want to get rid of more than seems reasonable, please contact the office and we may be able to make special arrangements for you. Since most of you work in libraries, bringing the items in any book boxes you have laying around would be welcome.

Please only bring in items on this list:

Any cell phone

Any inkjet cartridge

Any digital camera

Any digital video camera

Any portable gaming system

Laptop/notebook computers (Pentium III or higher)

MP3 players (Apple, Zune, Sandisk, or Creative brands)

GPS devices (TomTom, Garmin, Magellan, and Mio brands)

Radar detectors (Escort, Beltronics, and Cobra brands)

The office is typically open from about 8:30 a.m. until about 5:30 p.m. We would be happy to make special arrangements to be here outside of those hours--just give us a call at (513) 751-4422.

SWON Address:  10815 Indeco Drive, Suite #200; Blue Ash, OH 45241

Mary Lynn Wagner

Cincinnati Chapter on Linkedin!

The Cincinnati Chapter now has a group on Linkedin! Please visit Linkedin (www.linkedin.com) and search for Cincinnati SLA to join our group.  I will be posting meeting notices and other announcements to this group as well as on our blog. 

DON'T FORGET... you are now able to subscribe to the Chapter Blog and receive an email anytime the blog is updated.

Please take a few minutes to visit the SLA blog http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/sla_cincinnati_chapter/ and register to receive the emails directly by clicking on link in the upper right hand corner that says: "Subscribe to Queen City SLA by Email".

Many thanks to Melida for setting up this feature for our Chapter!!!!

DEATH BY POWERPOINT!

Mark Your Calendar for the March Meeting!

 

 

Death by PowerPoint

Co-sponsored by SLA and SWON

 

Date & Time:

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

 

Location:

SWON Libraries Office

 

Description:

Are you guilty of creating and delivering BORING presentations that no one remembers? Want to change the way you view PowerPoint?

David Bowman, Chief Marketing Strategist for Penny Ohlmann Neiman, Inc., will offer tips and techniques that can help you avoid falling victim to "Death by PowerPoint". This presentation will be informative and contain many real world examples on how to improve your PowerPoint techniques.

In this presentation you will learn:
-Common mistakes that presenters make when using PowerPoint
-Simple resources for creating more powerful presentations
-Tips for developing presentations that are both meaningful and memorable

 

Speaker:

David E. Bowman, Chief Marketing Strategist for Penny Ohlmann Nieman, is an accomplished presenter and public speaker. Bowman has addressed audiences at numerous institutions and organizations on topics such as networking, social media, blogging, and marketing. Bowman holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science with a minor in Communication from Wright State University and an MBA with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Dayton.

 

Meal:

Light refreshments will be served

 

Registration:

The deadline to register is Monday, March 15th, 2010

• SLA Member
  $10 [Register]
• Contributing Member of SWON Libraries
  $10[Register]

• Non-Members
  $15 [Register]

• Students and Unemployed
  Free, but registration is required. [Register]

Questions? 

Contact Mary Lynn Wagner at [email protected].

Exciting Programming for 2010!

Check out our Chapter programming for 2010!  If you have any comments about our lineup for the year or would like to assist with planning a program, please let me know.  

February 19, 2010 - Chapter Social :  Informal discussion on SLA Alignment statistics.  Additional details to follow.

March, 2010 -  Death By PowerPoint:  Presentation will focus on how to develop effective PowerPoint presentations that people will remember. 

April, 2010 - Metadata and Search Engine Optimization:  Program will discuss the importance of metadata and how it affects the positioning of your website in search engine results. 

May, 2010 - Preservation:  Program will include discussions related to preservation techniques.  Tours of local libraries with historical collections will also be scheduled. 

June, 2010 - Chapter Social:  TBD

July, 2010 - Hard Drive Forensics:  Program will focus on how information is saved and recovered from individual computers and networks during the course of litigation, after break-ins or computer failures. 

August, 2010 - Summer Break

September, 2010 - Technology Program:  Workshop that will highlight the innovative ways that people are using technology to deliver information to end users. 

October, 2010 - Branding:  Discussion on how to brand your library.  Specifically, what to consider when creating your brand and how to use your brand to raise awareness of library services and demonstrate value. 

November, 2010 - Membership Meeting:  55 WKRC Simply Money Experts who will talk about everything money!

December, 2010 - Social:  TBD

Mary Lynn Wagner ([email protected])