Minnesota Chapter

New Web Home for SLA-MN

 

 

The Minnesota SLA chapter has a new website and blog!

 

Please visit us at http://minnesota.sla.org.

 

 

Ben Hoganson wins $250 grant

Ben Hoganson is the recipient of the SLA-MN Spring 2013 Professional Development Grant.

Ben, an independent information professional who owns Autumn Elm Information, will use the $250 award to attend the June 9-11 Annual Conference in San Diego, where he hopes to learn more about text mining, taxonomies, big data and CI.

Ben joined the Minnesota Chapter in 2012 and has been busy this year identifying and sharing job openings with us as part of his work with the Communications & Technology Committee.

A big thank you goes to Awards Committee members Brenda Carriere, Pamela Enrici and Noelle Lowrie for their work selecting a winner.

Please consider applying for the chapter’s $250 Fall 2013 Professional Development Grant that will be announced in time for the Oct. 28-30 Internet Librarian Conference in Monterey, Calif., and the Oct. 10-11 Minnesota Library Association Annual Conference in St. Cloud!

Jill Strand wins ProQuest Dialog Member Achievement Award

Jill Strand continues to make SLA-MN proud!

Today SLA announced Jill has won the ProQuest Dialog Member Achievement Award. She’ll be recognized during the General Session & Awards Presentation that kicks off the Annual Conference June 9 in San Diego.

The honor is presented to an SLA member for raising the visibility, awareness, and appreciation of the information profession, an SLA unit, or the association at large. Learn more about SLA awards at www.sla.org/get-involved/awards.  

Jill is also currently a candidate for president-elect of SLA, which means if she wins she’ll be the organization’s president in 2015! The election will take place electronically in September. More at www.sla.org/governance/board-of-directors/board-candidate-election.

Jill, who is the 2008-09 Minnesota Chapter president, is the director of the Knowledge Management Library at Maslon Edelman Borman Brand, LLP in Minneapolis.

Congratulations, Jill! Let’s celebrate in San Diego!

May 3 Lunch: Data Tools for Visualization & Insight

 

SLA-Minnesota invites you to attend:

Data Tools for Visualization & Insight

A Bring-Your-Boss Event!

 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Join us for a “double-feature” learning lunch with presentations on data tools from both the Wilder Foundation and East View Geospatial. SLA members may bring their boss for free!

Jane Tigan from the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation will present Minnesota Compass, a social indicators project that measures progress statewide. Compass provides data and tracks trends in topic areas such as education, economy, workforce, health and immigration. Tigan will discuss the trends impacting our state, introduce the data and resources available on Minnesota Compass and explore ways this free tool can help you in your work.

Rodney Buhrsmith and Tony Monsour from East View Geospatial will focus on visualizing and using data in a geospatial framework. Tabular and unstructured data are being exploited by GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and increasingly, non-GIS professionals, thanks to the explosion of the Geospatial Industry. Buhrsmith and Monsour will demonstrate how to visualize and manipulate data on a common GIS platform, ArcGIS, as well as on their web-based EVGeoCloud platform built for non-GIS professionals.

 

WHEN

Friday, May 3, 2013

11:30 am – 1:30 pm (Presentations begin at noon)

 

WHERE

Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

Auditorium A

451 Lexington Parkway North

Saint Paul, MN 55104

    Directions: https://www.wilder.org/AboutUs/Locations/Pages/Directions.aspx

    Free parking is available in the ramp immediately outside the building

 

COST

$25 for SLA members (may bring your boss at no charge – be sure to include details in your registration)

$20 for students, unemployed & retired

$35 for guests

$40 for anyone registering after April 26 deadline

 

REGISTRATION

Register and send payment no later than Friday, April 26. 

Please Note: Late registration for ANY attendee is $40.  If you register, you are expected to pay, even if you’re unable to attend.

STEP ONE: Register

Email the following to minnesota.sla@gmail.com:

    Name:

    Employer or School:

    Boss’ name, if he or she is accompanying you:

    Phone number:

    Are you an SLA member?

    Is this your first SLA event?

    Are you a past president?

    Payment: PayPal or check?

    Do you need a receipt?

    Please include a sandwich choice for EACH attendee (Box lunches from Cossetta Eventi):

        ___ Tom Turkey   

        ___ Smoked Ham   

        ___ Grilled Vegetable  

        ___ Beef Brisket

 

STEP TWO: Make Payment

Make payment through PayPal, or mail check payment to Kerry Walsh.

Registration Options

SLA Members $25.00 USD Students, Unemployed, and Retired $20.00 USD Guests $35.00 USD Anyone Registering after April 26th $40.00 USD

 

Mail checks payable to SLA-Minnesota Chapter to:

    Kerry Walsh

    Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

    451 Lexington Parkway North

    Saint Paul, MN 55104

(Please include a copy of your registration email if possible.)

 

CONTACT WITH QUESTIONS 

Karen Mackey, Chapter President: karen.mackey@donaldson.com / 952.887.3018

Renee Weddle, Chapter President-Elect: renee_weddle@cargill.com / 952.742.0195

 

THANK YOU 

Thank you to the Wilder Foundation, our host, and to East View, our generous sponsor, and to both organizations for sharing their knowledge with us!

The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps children, families and older adults in the greater Saint Paul area through direct service programs, research, leadership development and community building. Wilder Research, part of the Wilder Foundation, gathers and interprets facts and trends in order to help families and communities thrive, get at the core of community concerns, and uncover issues that are overlooked or poorly understood. For more information, visit www.wilder.org.

East View was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Minneapolis. East View is comprised of East View Information Services (www.eastview.com), East View Geospatial (www.geospatial.com) and East View Map Link (www.maplink.com). East View manages a data center, library and warehouse where it hosts and stores dozens of foreign language databases, hundreds of thousands of maps and atlases and millions of geospatial, Russian, Chinese and Arabic metadata records.

 

 

$250 for professional development; apply by Monday, April 22

So many conferences, so little money …

SLA-MN wants to help! Please apply for the chapter’s Spring Professional Development Grant.

The winner will receive up to $250 to attend a spring/summer event of his or her choice.

To apply, select an educational opportunity and make a case in 300 words or less how your participation will benefit you, the chapter and/or the profession. Please send your application to me, awards committee chair, at dru.frykberg@state.mn.us on or before Monday, April 22. The recipient will be announced Monday, April 29.

Events to consider:             

• SLA Annual Conference June 9-11 in San Diego, including CEs at http://bit.ly/Zy2Acv
• SLA certificate programs and webinars at http://sla.org/learn
• SLA-MN’s “Data Tools for Visualization & Insight” lunch event May 3 in St. Paul at http://bit.ly/ZqVxT8%20%20
• Minitex Annual ILL Conference May 10 in St. Paul at http://bit.ly/17dUOey
• Patent Information Users Group Annual Conference April 27-May 2 in Alexandria, Virginia at http://bit.ly/16jtmtD
• Minnesota Association of Law Libraries Spring Conference May 3 in St. Paul at http://bit.ly/YQlGiJ%20
• SCIP International Conference May 6-9 in Orlando at http://bit.ly/170bap9%20

More about the award:

To encourage and enable professionals in the SLA Minnesota Chapter to participate in continuing education/professional events by awarding grants to be used for event registration, class fees, required materials and necessary travel expenses. The grant can be used for Greater Minnesota members to attend a Twin Cities event.

Grant winners must submit receipts to the chapter treasurer for reimbursement. In cases of financial hardship, a request can be made for disbursement of funds prior to the event.This would be an exception and handled by the past president on a case-by-case basis.

Award amount

$250 limit

Eligibility

1. Must be an SLA Minnesota Chapter member.
2. Grant recipients must share their experience with the chapter through a brief report at a chapter meeting or a brief article.
3. An individual is not allowed to win two consecutive grant awards, and applications will not automatically transfer from one award period to the next. Applicants are free to resubmit applications in a subsequent award period.
4. Grant recipients from one calendar year are obligated to serve on the chapter's awards committee for the following calendar year.

Judging criteria

1. Grant awards are given only to applicants meeting all eligibility criteria.
2. If there are no qualifying applications during any particular grant period, the award will not be distributed and monies will not be transferred to additional or future grant award periods.
3. Grant essays will be judged based on which essay the judges feel best describes the benefits that will result from the applicant attending the event described. 

Please submit the following to the awards committee:

1. Name
2. Contact information including phone and email address
3. Would you prefer to present at a future chapter event or write an article about your experience?
4. Are you able to serve on the awards committee next year?
5. Title and dates of the event you would like to attend
6. A brief statement, no more than 300 words, about the event and how it will benefit you as an information professional, SLA-MN, or the profession.
7. Please include the event description and estimated cost.

Beth Northcutt wins conference grant

Beth Northcutt is the winner of the 2013 SLA-MN Annual Conference Grant, which will provide her up to $1,000 to attend the June 9-11 conference in San Diego.

Beth joined SLA and the Minnesota Chapter in 2012. This year she is a member of the Communications & Technology Committee, managing the discussion list and helping to update the website. Beth completed her MLIS in December and works as a library specialist for the law firm Maslon Edelman Borman Brand, LLP.

She wrote in her application, “I fear that because of my current salary and the student loans I am paying, that I would be unable to attend the conference without being awarded this grant. The benefits of attending the SLA conference are many. This is an opportunity to show to my new employer my commitment to this career and to my personal development. My position was recently added to the library so it is important that not only I, but also the library team can quantify our value to the company. This conference will allow me to learn new ideas and solutions which I can bring back to the workplace, which will hopefully enhance the library’s value to the company.”

Please join me in congratulating Beth, and I hope many of us will join her in San Diego! Also, a BIG THANK YOU to our Awards Committee members Brenda Carriere, Pam Enrici, Noelle Lowrie and Carol Lynn O’Gara.

The committee will soon seek applications for the $250 Spring Professional Development Grant. Stay tuned!

Congratulations President's Award winner Molly Dinneen

Molly Dinneen received SLA-MN’s 2012 President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement during last week’s Night of Honors.

Molly, who serves as the chapter’s loyalty adviser, is a senior scientist at General Mills Inc. where she has worked 14 years.

Conceived in 2007, the award has only been given to three other esteemed members: Jerry Baldwin in 2007, Virginia Ferestad in 2008 and Jim Tchobanoff in 2010. The President’s Award honors a member for their significant achievement over the course of a career that includes being:

• A longstanding active member
• One who is dedicated to the chapter, SLA and furthering the profession
• Someone who demonstrates leadership, excellence and service
• A professional known for notable innovations in the workplace
• One who provides mentoring to encourage others in the profession
• And whose activities bring recognition and acclaim to the chapter

Molly joined SLA and the Minnesota Chapter in 1997. She has chaired international relations, membership, professional development and most recently she’s been our strategic planning director from 2010-2012. In addition, Molly was awarded the chapter’s 2006 Innovation in Action Award.

Molly went beyond the call of duty as our strategic planning director. It’s because of Molly the chapter was among a handful of units selected to participate in SLA’s Loyalty Project. As a result, the chapter’s leadership and board structure was evaluated, re-envisioned and realigned. Molly led these efforts, representing the chapter at the national level, designing and making presentations, conducting interviews, providing analysis, offering recommendations and working towards a consensus.

Molly’s manager Fred Hulting, knowledge services leader and statistician, attended the Feb. 21 ceremony where he also saw coworker Noelle Lowrie win the Innovation in Action Award.

Congratulations to our 2012 award winners! Learn more about the chapter’s awards at http://units.sla.org/chapter/cmn/awards/PALA.htm.

Congratulations to Noelle Lowrie, our 2012 SLA Minnesota Innovation in Action award winner!

Congratulations to Noelle Lowrie, our 2012 SLA Minnesota Innovation in Action award winner!  Noelle works as a Global Patent Research Leader at General Mills.  In her work with the vendor Innova Market Insights, she identified a major need brought about by the lack of ability to truly and effectively be able to link a patent to a commercialized product.  Innova Market Insights is a Netherland’s-based company that produces a  proprietary food database which is primarily an online new product development tracking tool, using a network of international field research to report on new food and drink launches from around the world. 

 

Through Noelle’s work with the Innova and her close relationship with the owner, Luann Williams, she recommended a major change to the product to allow it to link commercialized products to patents.  Innova took this recommendation and has since begun to add this capability to their resource.  This project was the result of clear communication and collaboration between vendor and customer and now helps to empower researchers in the food industry to make powerful connections with data to assist them in their daily work. 

Congratulations Noelle!

Get $1,000 for SLA Annual Conference; apply by March 11

Early-bird registration is open for the SLA Annual Conference and applications are being accepted for the SLA-MN conference grant through Monday, March 11.

This is your chance to get a lot of bang from your Minnesota Chapter affiliation. The grant provides a nonstudent chapter member with financial need up to $1,000 to attend the June 9-11 conference and Info-Expo in San Diego.

A winner will be announced Monday, March 25, in time to take advantage of early-bird registration that ends Friday, April 12. Conference  information and registration is at http://bit.ly/XQlFIj.     

Eligibility:

1. Applicants may not be current students, as they would be eligible for the student group scholarship.
2. Applicants should be current SLA members with a Minnesota Chapter affiliation.
3. Applicant must demonstrate that attending the conference would be a financial burden otherwise.
4. Applicant must agree to share their experience with chapter members using the chapter’s social media channels, website and/or newsletter.
5. Applicant must be able to serve on the awards committee for the entire year following receipt of the award.

Judging criteria:

1. The award will be given to the person in need of financial support who best demonstrates how they would benefit from attending the conference.
2. Preference will be given to applicants who have demonstrated a history of involvement in the chapter and in the field of special librarianship.
3. The award will not be granted if no applicant adequately expresses their interest and need.

Application process:

Applications should be emailed to Dru Frykberg (dru.frykberg@state.mn.us) on or by Monday, March 11. In 500 words or less, please describe how you would benefit from the conference and demonstrate your financial need.

Feb. 21 Night of Honors & Board Meeting

 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Join us as we honor recent award winners and retirees! Following a social hour and the presentation of awards, we’ll convene our first board meeting of 2013 with time for committees to get acquainted and share information.  All are welcome to attend this interactive evening. 

 

WHEN

Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013

5-5:30 p.m. Registration
5:30-6 p.m. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and cash bar
6-7:30 p.m. Awards & Honors followed by Board and Committee Meetings

 

WHERE

Upstairs at Stanley’s Northeast Bar Room

2500 University Ave. NE (at Lowry)

Minneapolis, MN 55418

612.788.2529

 

View Larger Map

Directions: http://www.stanleysbarroom.com/about/location/

Parking: Small parking lot onsite and ample free street parking available

 

COST

• $25 for SLA members
• $20 for students, unemployed & retired
• $35 for guests

 

REGISTRATION

Register and send payment no later than Tuesday, Feb. 12. 

STEP ONE: Register
Email the following to minnesota.sla@gmail.com:

Name:
Phone number:
Are you an SLA member?
Is this your first SLA event?
Are you a past president?
Payment: Paypal or check?
Do you need a receipt?

STEP TWO: Make Payment
Make payment through PayPal

 

Registration Options

Members $25.00 USD Students, Unemployed, and Retired $20.00 USD Guests $35.00 USD

 

Or send a check payable to SLA-Minnesota Chapter to:

Kerry Walsh

Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

451 Lexington Parkway North

Saint Paul, MN 55104

(Please include a copy of your registration email if possible.)

 

Please Note: Late registration for any attendee is $35.  If you register, you are expected to pay, even if you’re unable to attend.  Registration deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 12.

 

CONTACT WITH QUESTIONS 

Karen Mackey: karen.mackey@donaldson.com 952.887.3018

Dru Frykberg: dru.frykberg@state.mn.us 651.259.7177