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IGF Update from London

Greetings from Online Information in London...

We are on day two, with one more to go and the conference is fantastic as usual. In between the sessions, workshops and panels there is a whole lot of contagious enthusiasm, catching up, and networking happening- and I am so happy to be a part of this once again this year. 

Our friend Dick Kaser from Information Today caught up with me yesterday and was gracious enough to give me some time to talk about my recent trip to Rio de Janeiro where I represented both SLA and IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations) at the second annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, a multi-stakeholder group formed as a result of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).   

He has posted our conversation as a podcast for those who are interested in hearing about how librarians are becoming an important voice in the discussion about the future of the Internet.

Lessons Learned: 2.0

As the staff here at SLA headquarters is planning for our programming in 2008, much of the discussion is focused around Web 2.0 technologies.  When are they most effective? Is this something our members will use?  Which 2.0 solutions will improve our communication, creativity, and communities?

Plenty of questions that we are asking on our end and I imagine that many of you are doing the same in your organizations these days. 

If so, you might want to read this blog post I came across the other day: The State of Enterprise 2.0.  If you have the same questions we do, read this article... it might give you some answers.

The author, Dion Hinchcliffe, does an amazing job at taking the pulse and assessing these technologies and the changes many organizations have gone through as they have implemented (or not implemented) 2.0 tools over the last year. I found the post very insightful and helpful, but I am more interested in how these tools have worked for SLA members and their employers over the last year.

For those that are just starting to wade in these waters- what are your questions? For those that live and breathe 2.0, and are now ready for the 3.0 wave, what lessons have YOU learned?   

Adding Value

Things are moving along at a very fast pace here at SLA HQ. While the staff works to implement a new Association Management System (AMS), our leaders and committees are making great progress on the activities occurring in 2008 and beyond, and I have been traveling to some very interesting conferences and meetings.  Be sure to read the September issue of SLA Connections in which I talk about my recent trip to the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress in Durban, South Africa.

I continue to meet with members and industry leaders, and I continue to be amazed at some of the things that you are all doing!  As the profession changes, it seems almost daily, info pros are reinventing themselves, as well as they way they provide resources to their customers.

I saw one such example of this recently coming from the librarians at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis who have created the Liber8 Economic Newsletter- and excellent resource on the issues of the day.  This tool is timely, relevant and can be useful to all of their colleagues and customers.

Check out their inaugural issue on problems in the sub-prime mortgage market.  The issue contains links to articles with more detail as well as data sources and other resources for those who are interested in this topic.

As it turns out, I WAS interested, but I didn't KNOW that I was. I didn't wake up this morning wondering about it, but the newsletter answered some questions the consumer media never reported. My point is, I think this is an excellent example of how a librarians can use their skills and resources to create a new and valuable tool based on what they see happening in their world. 

Noticing a lot of people coming to your reference desk requesting information on genocide in Darfur? Put together a two-page briefing on it and push it out to clients who might have an interest in the topic.  I think you will find that your customers will quickly recognize the value you bring to the organization. You just need to take a few extra steps to remind them!   

I am interested in hearing from those in the trenches who are doing this and seeing results! What are you doing in your organization to showcase the value you can bring to the table? 

SIIA Content Forum

The last few months have been very busy for myself and the staff here at SLA HQ.  Annual Conference is fast approaching and I have been traveling around and talking to stakeholder groups as well as SLA chapters and divisions. It is great to connect with members and other friends of SLA in this way and I can't wait to see everyone in Denver in a few days.

On April 17, I gave the keynote speech at the closing session of the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) Content Forum conference in San Francisco. One purpose of my speech was to encourage companies providing information software and technology to collaborate with information professionals on the development of the next generation of information products and services.  Thanks to good folks over at SIIA for posting the video of me speaking at their closing general session.   

It is important that we keep this conversation going in order for both sides to be successful in the future. So thank you, again, to SIIA for the opportunity to come speak to their conference attendees.

Prosumers

I am currently attending Information Today's Buying & Selling eContent Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona and heard an interesting new term, "Prosumer," which I would like to pass along to you.  Dow Jones & Company EVP Clare Hart was the conference's keynote speaker. Clare is always a great presenter and I enjoy hearing her interesting and provocative views on our profession. The focus of her presentation was on new media business models in today’s changing content environment. One point that especially resonated with me was Clare’s description of the effect users are having on new information-delivery models. Specifically, she used the term "prosumer" to describe how many of us have become both producers and absorbers of information content.

In light of this changing content environment with its increasing reliance on prosumers, perhaps I should ask you for your thoughts. Does this word capture the essence of the new role online users play?  And, how, if at all, do these prosumers affect the jobs of information professionals? 

My view is prosumers will have a significant influence on the future design and use of products and services through user-generated content.  This includes blogs, wikis and user-reviews to name a few.  For those who are already familiar with the use of the term, I would be very interested in learning more about your interpretations of this word. 

As Clare articulated very clearly, the way online content is developed and used is changing.  And in this changing environment, buyers and sellers of content will seek new ways to package and sell information.  It won’t be easy.  How this will affect information professionals will depend ultimately on what our customers want and need.  That’s why  information pros must understand these changes in the development and delivery of content and seek to employ new content delivery systems where it makes the most sense to our clients.

FORO 2007: The Transborder Library Forum

The Transborder Library Forum (FORO) began in 1989 at a local Arizona library conference where librarians from United States and Mexico recognized the need to create a network and events where they could meet and discuss issues of common interest while exchanging information and resources across borders. 

The result, 16 years later, is a volunteer organization that cultivates a venue for the cooperative exchange of ideas, and the discussion of experiences and efforts concerning the provision of library services in the border regions between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

The theme for the 2007 conference was "Bridging the Digital Divide-Crossing All Borders." And I was asked to deliver a keynote address on my experience as a member of the US delegation to the World Summit on the Information Society 2005 (WSIS) and the UN Internet Governance Forum 2006 (IGF).

Arizona State University hosted the event and over the next few weeks, the ASU Library Channel will feature a special three-part video series that is available for download (download time is up to 120 minutes) or you can view it online as well.

The first installment is a video of my speech on the role of the internet in today's global economy as well as an update on WSIS and IGF- for those of you who are looking for a recap of the activity on that front... this would be a good primer to get you up to speed. 

Mission: Advocacy

The value of advocacy as part of SLA's mission may not always be as apparent as other benefits of membership.

Advocacy as a membership benefit is somewhat more intangible and subtle, sometimes making it more difficult to observe and value. Most advocacy work is done quietly and often behind the scenes, but it remains a vital and necessary part of our mission.

Here at headquarters advocacy is constantly top of mind for me as well as your Association staff. SLA advocates for you and the profession on many levels, each and every day.

In my upcoming Executive Journal column in SLA Connections, I discuss details of recent advocacy activity of considerable importance. The results of this activity over the last few months no doubt could eventually have a direct impact on your daily work and the profession as a whole. In the column, I outline progress concerning the International Internet Governance Forum, the proposed EPA library closures and service cutbacks, the FAIR USE Act, U.S. copyright legislation and other ongoing issues.

Advocacy for the Profession

Advocacy focused on public policy and legislative activity of significance to our members is but one form of advocacy. There also is advocacy intended to enhance the recognition and value of the profession.  We strive to serve as a watchdog, cheerleader, guide and the information desk for library and information professions. That’s one of the reasons SLA often undertakes public relations and advocacy activities with many other groups including HR executives, corporate executives, the media and through information industry relations.

Personal Advocacy

Even though SLA communicates on your behalf with individuals and organizations of considerable influence, such as members of Congress, journalists and other association leaders, advocacy cannot end there. While the SLA staff at headquarters works very hard on your behalf, we recognize the enormous contributions members make toward advocacy wherever they live.

That is why I encourage you to remain engaged in the issues that will have an impact on your profession and on you in the years to come. While SLA is keeping a close eye on tomorrow, we also are very concerned about ways we can help you increase your professional knowledge and standing today.  That is why SLA provides you with valuable resources intended to increase your value to the organizations you serve.

For example, the SLA Salary Survey provides valuable information that may be helpful in increasing your compensation. Click University offers continuing education courses to help you obtain a promotion or advance your career. And SLA works aggressively to provide you with discounts on tools to help you serve your customers better.

For those willing to roll up their sleeves, there is probably no better way to develop confidence, knowledge and expertise than serving in a leadership capacity at SLA.; I often hear chapter leaders talk about how they have become experts at networking and presenting their ideas to colleagues through the experience they gained serving in a leadership role in the Association. This is advocacy of a very personal nature, on a very personal level, but it is, nonetheless, extremely important advocacy.

I would be very interested in hearing stories about your personal or professional advocacy and ways you think SLA can help you become an even better advocate for yourself and the Association.

EPA : The Fight Continues

After months of wrangling with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over plans to slash services at its network of regional specialty libraries, the matter was front and center February 6 when the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee took up the matter with EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson at a public hearing.

In a letter to the committee chair, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, D-CA, the day before the committee hearing, I shared with her YOUR concern that the closure of EPA libraries and a dramatic reduction in services could have devastating long-term impacts on public health and safety.

"We are particularly concerned about the effects the proposed closures will have, and are having, on the public’s ability to access data and information necessary to scientists, policy makers and corporate entities to operate in the public good. We have heard from many SLA members in the scientific and medical community who have told us the closure of the EPA libraries will impact their work directly," I wrote.

I also suggested several questions to Senator Boxer for use during the hearing. These questions focused primarily on whether EPA had assessed the full economic and environmental consequences of its plan to cut $2 million from its library budget in 2006 and whether the Agency had consulted with information professionals on best practices for securing and digitizing its library collection. Further, I recommended Senator Boxer ask the Administrator who exactly uses the Agency’s library services and if EPA can develop a system to serve these various constituencies effectively?

Not only did Senator Boxer reflect our concerns in her questioning of Administrator Johnson, she acknowledged SLA several times during the hearing for its commitment and leadership on this important issue.

It pleases me the Senator recognizes the effort many of you have made to bring this matter to light and to do something about it. As you know, SLA was the first library association to raise this issue publicly, and you should be proud of the good work you’ve done to address it.

The full text of the Administrator's testimony is available online, and SLA will continue to monitor EPA’s activities as it moves forward with the restructuring of its library system, and you can be sure we won’t be shy about letting Senator Boxer and the staff of the Environment and Public Works Committee know if we identify any further problems.   

CBC's Secret Weapon: SLA Members!

If you haven’t already, take a moment to read this great interview with SLA Member Michele Melady: CBC's Secret Weapon: Our Reference Library.

Here we have yet another example of the very best this profession has to offer; Michele and the library team at CBC are a shining example of stellar customer service, a subject that I talk about often. I just can't say enough about the importance of it, and when I read things like this it further convinces me that understanding, and acting, to meet the current and future needs of your customer is the key to success.

Not only are the librarians at CBC indispensable to the staff on a day-to-day basis, handling over 6,500 research requests a year, they are going above and beyond and scanning the landscape for ways they can increase their contribution to their organization. They have kept up with the latest electronic resources to improve their service and their end product. They manage a collection of every book or article written or edited by CBC staff. They created (un-requested!) the only historical archive that exists about the CBC itself:

“If not for librarians saying “this is important, we want it,” this material could have disappeared. The CBC is one of the country's most important cultural institutions, and the history that breathes in our files is the history of Canada. What would future generations of researchers and academics have to work with if all the records were thrown out?”

Even before electronic online databases and terms like “knowledge management,” the librarians at CBC were predicting the future needs of their customers:

“We have an amazing collection of scrapbooks about the Royal Family. They were maintained by Head Librarians of yore, and date back to the Duke and Duchess of Kent's wedding in 1934. There are 69 volumes in total, featuring newspaper clippings about the Abdication Crisis, Royal Visits to Canada, the Coronation of Elizabeth II, etc. Researchers on Pop Up Royals used them extensively and thought they were wonderful!”

Congratulations to the entire team over there at CBC: Michele Melady, Louise Goldberg, Cathy Ross, Diana Redegeld, Helen Kugler, Stacie Egerton, Anne Mercer, and Tyana Grundig.

Keep up the great work!