Name Change Discussion Forums

There has been a whole lot of great discussion happening around the association in various forums. Many have asked about a central place where all of these thoughts can be shared amongst all of the members.

Well, I do not have a magical "catch-all" public forum to announce, but I do want to encourage everyone to keep talking and voicing their opinions and comments.  Please take some time to read the research in the Alignment Portal, and once you have, share your thoughts in any number of the following forums:

1) SLA Blog  

ALL members have access to this blog, so even if you don't twitter or participate in facebook, this blog can serve as a forum for you. Please post your thoughts as a comment to this post, or any of the other posts about alignment and name change. All you need to do is click the "comments" link at the end of the post, and fill out the form. You can even do so anonymously if you like. You will be notified when another member responds to your comment, and this is a great way to stay on top of all the chatter.

2) Facebook

There is now an Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals page on facebook for ALL members to join and discuss their concerns, or share their support of the proposed name.  If you have something to say, and you want to share it with your colleagues, you can post on the wall of this page OR better yet, start or participate in a discussion on the page's discussion board

2) Twitter

There many tweets and thoughts flying around out there in twitter land, using the #slaname hashtag, you can follow the discussion, and add your own voice as well. If, unlinke me, you have a flair for brevity (tweets must be less than 140 characters), go ahead and get to tweeting! Don't forget to tag your posts with #slaname

So, as a wise woman once said, "there is no time like the present."....What do YOU think about the proposed new name and the alignment project???

Comments

[twitter.com/EyreAffair]

I 100% support the idea of a name change, I'm just not sure about this particular name. I wish there was some way to vote so that it reflected this conflicted opinion.

I fear that since it is a binary vote, SLAHQ and SLA members will not really get a sense of whether people are voting against the name change vs against this name.

I know the last vote on name change was in 2003. I dont want to wait another 6 years to vote on a different name. If this name fails, when is the soonest SLAHQ could present another option to vote on?

[Ellen Kuner]

I remember many tries to change the SLA name.

We thought about Information Professionals Association or Information Managers Association. Had we changed to either of those names, we would be facing another name change today since both are now out of date. We contemplated SLA: Putting Knowledge to Work. While SLA is not spelled out, it is still there. Clearly the association needs a new name. We have been talking about changing the Association name for many, many years. Let's stop talking and just do it!

I like the proposed name. But I do not like the suggested acronym. The name couples together our diverse membership and may encourage more people to join. The acronym, AskPro, is not appealing. The Pro part is just cutesy and a little insulting. Do we need to try that hard to demonstrate that we are professional? The ASK part can be mispronounced. The spoken combination AskPro may generate a few chuckles. We should rethink the acronym. For example, what is wrong with simply ASKP?

And a little more on that acronym: I am one of the SLA Fellows. It is nice to add FSLA after my name. Adding the suggested Fellow of AskPro is awkward.

The name, The Association of Strategic Knowledge Professionals, sounds great. It should provide a strong boost to the Association and its members. Please vote to support the name change.

Ellen Kuner, FSLA

[Judith Siess]

My latest idea.......

"SLA--The Global Association of Library and Strategic Information Professionals"

We separate the short name of the association from the description of what we do. One should always use the entire name (acronym and tagline).

Let's break it down:

"SLA" - honor our history

"The" The one and only or the best (like The Ohio State University)

"Global" because we are and it would encourage more non-North American members

"Association of" gotta say something

" Library" Please don't leave us poor LIBRARIANS out!

"and Strategic Information" many of us do NOT provide knowledge, but information that our customers turn into knowledge. While it's nice to use such fancy and value-laden words, it's better to be accurate.

"Professionals" I add this with some trepidation since it might lead those without the MLS (or equivalent) to feel they aren't welcome

I suppose we could use the acronym GALSIP, but it might be thought of as non-gender neutral.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Or, we could be blatantly politically incorrect and use my previous suggestion: LIPSTICK

Librarians and Information Professionals Striving To Improving the Communication of Knowledge...................

[Tara Breton]

Hello….. apparently I choose the wrong week to be on vacation. Very strong answers and feelings!

First off, I have no objection to a careful name change. I am a librarian in a corporate setting. My colleagues refer to our “department” as the library. We’re all okay with this name. Our clients, however, prefer to hear us say “Knowledge Center” and “professional researchers” over what many of these CEOs view as the antiqued term of librarian. Is it fair to my colleagues to have to use both terms?

Do I feel a name change will help? I would think that’s up to our individual members to decide. My direct supervisor has an MBA (and is one of the founders of my firm), has done research herself for years using Dialog, and probably couldn’t care if I belong to an association called SLA or ASKPro as long as it helps me do my job. So, to me, a name change has no real-time impact.

I wonder how many fellow members have actually stepped back to see how much of an impact the change from SLA to ASKPro will actually have on the impact of their everyday jobs? Do they really walk around saying “I’m in SLA” all day long? I know I don’t because, to be honest, my colleagues don’t care. They just want me to do a good job.

With a name change, I see the opportunity from the association itself to drive home the point that we as members are the ones in control of our destinies, that it’s up to us to ensure that we are valid members or each organization, that we are a strategic an integral part, not an operational aspect which could be outsourced. This isn’t possible at every firm, I know, but steps can be taken by all.

What do I think of the new name? I like the longer name as it does describe what I do better than “special librarian.” The abbreviation, well – I’m still considering. It does sound like a software package one could purchase at an office supply store for only $99.99 (with a $15 rebate and a free mouse pad). I think I like it better as ASKIP (as in ASK and Information Professionals). I just haven’t really dwelled on it long enough, I would think, to say definitively either way.

Incidentally, the acronym is NOT part of the official name on which members will vote. From a colleague on the team:" The Board passed a motion to present Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals as the proposed name. The acronym was not included in the motion and will not appear in the vote."

[Jamal]

Can the association members learn to grow?

See my latest post is now available...http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/sla_lmd/2009/10/can-the-association-members-learn-to-grow.html

[Erin Iannacchione]

I absolutely love the proposed new name, but especially the acronym! It illustrates the eagerness we have to serve our clients, while also proudly stating we are the professionals with the know-how to provide the highest quality information.

[Krista]

Can someone explain what a Strategic Knowledge Professional is exactly? As a librarian I have no idea what this means and I highly doubt any of my patrons or people I work with who are not part of this community will either.

[Dorene Smith]

"Incidentally, the acronym is NOT part of the official name on which members will vote. The Board passed a motion to present Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals as the proposed name. The acronym was not included in the motion and will not appear in the vote."

I have to comment on this issue. I received the emails from the Alignment Ambassadors regarding the fact that we are voting for the name and not the acronym and have also had some communication with Gloria Zamora regarding the issue.

I truly think that there is a lack of candor in the way in which the HQ is addressing the debate about the name change. It was not clear from the announcement letter that the vote is for the name Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals, but not for the acronym ASKPro. The letter we received from SLA HQ regarding the name change stated: "We are excited to propose that SLA change its name to the Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals, or ASKPro." The letter goes on to state: "The abbreviated form, ASKPro, was very well received and also fulfilled the desire frequently stated in member discussions for a name with a meaningful acronym or shortened form".

I feel that it is disingenuous on the part of the association to disclaim ownership of the acronym ASKPro. If the acronym wasn't considered then why was it included in the survey conducted on the new name? It is obvious to everyone involved that the reasoning behind the proposed name is the acronym ASKPro. If it weren't for the acronym why wouldn't they have proposed Strategic Knowledge Professionals Association? It seems to me that the association is now back-pedaling on the acronym in response to the negative reaction to it.

I truly hope that the membership can separate the alignment issue from the name change. I am not opposed to a name change for our organization, but I do object to the way that this vote change is being presented.

[Nerida Hart]

I have to admit I find the name not useful. It is too much like the KMPro Association in the USA and from an external position sounds awkward. I completely understand that SLA is becoming less and less relevant but I don't think this is the preferred name to use. Also, what are you going to do with the KM Division - they become redundant under this name. We need something that combines information and knowledge but I cannot come up with something better.
HAve you thought of setting up a collaborative site where all ideas can be brainstormed. I always find the more input the better to this sort of major change. Not just presenting the membership with one solution and getting commentary.

[Erik Sandall]

This discussion is useful and should be encouraged. To your list I would add my short-term blog, which I started just for this purpose:

http://ASKProInsight.wordpress.com/

[Dorene Smith]

"ASKPro is not part of the official name on which the members will vote..."

Yet it has been trademarked:

Word Mark ASKPRO
Goods and Services IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S: Association services, namely promoting the interests of information professionals, special librarians and other information resource experts
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 77777517
Filing Date July 9, 2009
Current Filing Basis 1B
Original Filing Basis 1B
Owner (APPLICANT) Special Libraries Association, Inc. CORPORATION VIRGINIA 331 South Patrick Street Alexandria VIRGINIA 22314
Attorney of Record Marcia A. Auberger
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

[Jessica]

Also, if you want us to believe that ASKPro is no longer being supported, it would be good to see it disappear from the official SLA Name Change Info Center (http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/governance/namechange/index.cfm). Call me a classic Missourian, but I will believe the acronym has been dropped when I see it.

[Ann Coppin]

SLA Name Change: A Different Point of View
Changing the name of an organization is not just simply rubber stamping the recommendations of those promoting the name change. It is a time to think about what the organization stands for and what it means to you personally both in terms of its purpose and its benefits.
The following is my personal opinion unrelated to any SLA unit that I may be active in and unrelated to any current or past employer.
I have been an SLA member for over thirty years. I have chosen to provide a supporting role in both chapter and division memberships. I have felt that I want to keep the organization going. The motto of the original years, “Putting Knowledge to Work,” was, in today’s terms, aligned with my desire to get people and information together. I have not been interested in providing “strategic” direction to my employer. I have not been interested in advancing beyond the role of getting people and information together. I have been interested in what is best for my employer in utilizing their information resources. SLA in the past has helped me increase my skills for utilizing information and has provided networking opportunities with others with similar interests. The proposed name, “Association of Strategic Knowledge Professionals,” signals to me that the aim of the organization is to change from “putting knowledge to work.”
I have never had a problem explaining to others what I do as a special librarian. My various employers (corporate, university, public library cooperative, federally funded research center) over the years have not hired me because I belong to the Special Libraries Association or any other organization. They have only been interested in that I have the Master of Library Science degree and the qualifications required for the position. I have consistently tried to support my employer’s purpose by doing the best I can to get the needed information to those who need it. I have not been laid off because I belong to the Special Libraries Association or because I was in a unit “that underpins our organization’s competitive advantage.” I have been laid off because the overall size of the organization was being reduced. A professional organization’s opinion or portrayal of the “strategicness” of what I do is totally irrelevant.
As all librarians have been doing, I have been adjusting to the changes brought by the pervasive use of the internet. So, even though I had reservations about SLA’s Alignment research project I tried to keep an open mind. I have read the information provided. My response is: I do not like the name. I will not vote for it! And, I feel that if the name change goes through SLA may fracture into a number of separate smaller groups with each focused upon a specific interest such as competitive advantage or a subject specialty.

[Jeanette Mueller-Alexander]

I am not opposed to a name change, just this one in particular, especially the acronym! When my college student niece said ASKPro was what she expected the sales reps at Best Buy to wear on their shirts; that rather summed up the uselessness of the acronym - too generic to have any significant meaning other than "a person who answers questions about a product or service".

The only objection I have to ASKIP is that there is a SCIP.

Has anyone thought what our name would translate into in any other language? Other countries do not necessarily have the identity crisis we are having because Libraries and Information Centers are still developing. They do not have the history we do in the USA.

A name change has to sound nice in both the long & short form, not be a tongue twister, and not sound obscene or rude if mispronounced. It should also be intelligible when translated into another language.

Why isn't ALA having a similar ID crisis? or AALL? or MLA? -- could be branding. Are we insecure with SLA? Do we have an inferiority complex? A name change won't fix that! In D.C., a place of constant one-upmanship, it is easy to fall into the trap of feeling less than others when you constantly hear "who are you?"

A Librarian is your information finder, keeper, and long term memory. The Master Intelligent Internet search engine. - I'm a Librarian & proud of it!

[Jeff White]

I am not keen on any name change and I particularly abhor this obtuse and cumbersome one. Commenter Krista is spot on in saying that no one is likely to know what the term Strategic Knowledge Professional means, because of course the term has no meaning. The name change proposal process, as I understand it, involved finding words that resonated with people. Maybe these ones do, separately, but you can't just toss them together and expect to create a coherent meaning with them. If ASKPro, the presumed and much too cutesy acronym that likely generated the arrangement of the terms in the meaningless moniker is actually off the table, does that leave us with ASKP? That sounds rather like my cat choking on a fur ball. I cherish my SLA membership and would be saddened to see it disappear. But disappear it would, for I would be able neither to bring myself ever to tell anyone I was a fur ball nor to attend meetings with those who do. I count the minutes to my opportunity to vote against this travesty of a suggestion.

[Gloria Miller]

While there are arguments for and against the new name, I haven't seen any comments in favor of "ASKPro," only against. I thnik a straightforward acronym of "ASKP" would be better.