On May 31, 2012, Past-President Anne Caputo discussed SLA’s new strategic vision and how it is being implemented. This program provided an opportunity for all members to learn more about where SLA is headed and how they might be able to use SLA’s vision in their units’ strategic plans.

Presentation  |  Recording of a past presentation on SLA’s strategic vision

Strategic Vision

SLA is a vibrant, global association of professionals who are employed in every sector of the information and knowledge economy. Our members thrive where data, information, and knowledge intersect, and our strategic partners support SLA because they believe in the association’s mission and the future of its members. The goal of SLA is to support information professionals as they contribute, in their varied and evolving roles, to the opportunities and achievements of organizations, communities, and society.

Focus for Action

Note: The following has been repurposed from the Rocky Mountain Chapter’s webinar in January.

SLA has identified five priorities to guide the association’s leaders, volunteers, and staff toward fulfillment of this vision. (See full post from Cindy Romaine, Nov 14, 2011.)

1. Annual Conference (see Nov 28 blog post from Mary Ellen Bates, Past Division Cabinet Chair), with attention to collaboration across SLA’s divisions to provide more focused, refined, and learning-relevant content.
2. Professional Development (see Nov 29 blog post by Sara Tompson, Director) through improved in-person offerings and a year-round, virtual education program in partnership with schools of library and information science.
3. Richer Volunteer Experiences (see Nov 30 post by Daniel Lee, Past Director) that provide stepping stones to learning, a promotion, or achievement at work in areas such as web development, marketing, and program management.
4. Opening New Markets (see Dec 1 post from Brent Mai, President) to expand SLA’s partnerships and visibility within the broader information industry. -
5. Growth Through Diversification (see Dec 2 post from Richard Huffine, Division Cabinet Chair), aimed toward expanding SLA’s already diverse membership by reaching competitive intelligence specialists, IT development specialists, and others outside the traditional library/information field.

The video recording for Barbara’s Hirsh’s webinar held on Feb. 23, 2012 is now available on the LMD vimeo website:

Barbara Hirsh, past co-chair for the LMD Content Buying Section, provided some useful tools and tips to negotiate license agreements, subscription agreements, market data sets and any other data related purchases you need to make for your organization. The session includes specific ‘what to do’ as well as ‘what to avoid’ plus examples of both successful and ‘not so successful’ agreements.

Barbara is Director, Information Resources & Knowledge Management, for NERA Economic Consulting, New York, NY

Please save the date for the next free webinar for Spectrum Scholars in the Technology Transforms Communities series:

Smartphones in Libraries: How to Take Charge of Delivering Mobile Services to Your Patrons

Wednesday, February 15^th at Noon Central

Instructions for logging in will be sent in February, no pre-registration required

5 years ago Apple released the iPhone, dramatically changing the mobile technology landscape for the general public, and for library patrons. As the number of smartphone owners rises every year, libraries must increasingly deliver their services to mobile patrons. Participants in this webinar will receive an overview of the mobile landscape, focusing on the usage patterns of underserved populations. This session will provide a tutorial on helping you plan to implement mobile library services. All skill levels will be addressed, from adapting a mobile ILS plugin to writing your own mobile library app from scratch.  Participants will also be given a list of model libraries providing mobile services. Presented by Stephen X. Flynn and Jamal L. Cromity.  Stephen X. Flynn is a 2009 Spectrum Scholar and Emerging Technologies Librarian at the College of Wooster Andrews Library and Jamal L. Cromity is a 1998 Spectrum Scholar and UX Specialist of Platform Management at ProQuest Dialog.

About Technology Transforms Communities

The Office for Diversity, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has initiated a new project, “Technology Transforms Communities.”  Through this project we plan to pilot enhancements to the Spectrum Scholarship Program that will better incorporate technology into Spectrum’s leadership development offerings.  We seek to develop a cohort of Spectrum alumni and new scholars with sophisticated technological skills and experience in leading technology policy and decision-making to serve as information technology trainers and advocates in traditionally underserved communities.  For the most part, we are relying on the expertise of our alumni community to develop our technology and advocacy training.  Special thanks to Stephen X. Flynn–2009 Spectrum Scholar, Gates Millennium Scholar and Emerging Technologies Librarian at the College of Wooster–for serving as the Curriculum Coordinator for the Technology Transforms Communities initiative.

Previously recorded webinars in this series:

Engaging Under-served Users With Your Digital Initiatives -  access the recording at: http://connectpro72403849.adobeconnect.com/p8wu80bcbwe/. Once you have watched the recorded session, please take a moment to complete a brief evaluation.  Access the evaluation at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TTCdigitalinitiatives