SLA Blog

SLA Update on Earthquake in New Zealand

We'd like to provide an update on what's been happening in Christchurch, New Zealand since the earthquake struck on 22 February.

While the Business District of Christchurch was one of the hardest hit areas, several suburbs were badly affected as well, with damage to homes and, in many cases, complete collapse of housing structures. There has been considerable loss of life, with over 200 currently missing, many of whom are feared dead.

The recovery operations continue, and until they are finished, many people will not return to work. Other countries have joined together to send rescue workers and engineers to assist in the effort, relieving those that have been working nonstop since the earthquake struck. Many have acted heroically, making miraculous escapes and working around the clock to assist the recovery.

Libraries and SLA members have been affected by the disaster, and the SLA Emergency Preparedness and Recovery Advisory Council is in communication with the Australia and New Zealand Chapter to provide support.

If you'd like to donate to support the recovery effort in New Zealand, click here to donate to the New Zealand Red Cross.

Further information can be found on the New Zealand Herald's website. Our thoughts and condolences go out to all that were affected by the earthquake.

The Need to Know Forum: Make the Connection

What do you know about the Need to Know Forum? If the answer is “not much,” then don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Planned as part of the SLA 2011 Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO, the Need to Know Forum (N2K) is a first-time event. It’s a unique outreach to non-SLA members and offers the opportunity to learn about the value of access to authoritative information.

Through a series of eight sessions and a networking lunch we’ll discuss how best-in-class information solutions help organizations be more competitive, avoid lawsuits, improve internal collaboration and increase innovation.

This event isn't just for managers and executives – it’s for anyone who might benefit from working with an information professional, whatever their role or industry. The idea is to draw in as many people as possible that aren’t aware of the versatile skill-sets that SLA members possess, and tell them what they Need to Know.

Everyone can easily help with outreach. Here are some quick ideas that you can use to help increase non-member participation: 

• Think of 5 connections you have outside of SLA, and invite them
• Join the Need to Know Forum wiki for invitation materials, slide decks, bulletin-info, and other resources. Stay tuned for a customizable press release.
• Get social - Tweet and share links to this blog post and the N2K info page amongst your social networks.
• Comment on our Facebook fan-page Discussion about the N2K Forum, and invite your friends to do the same.
• Point your connections to the informational slides on SlideShare to learn more
• Forward connections you have at any industry publications to SLA’s PR contact, John Walsh, for press outreach.

*Plans are already in the works for a repeat of this event at SLA 2012, so let’s join together, build our community, and make this event a great success. We’ll see you in Philadelphia this June to get Future Ready!

Holding Our Future in their Hands

Will smartphones--or, more precisely, the applications (apps) designed for them--make librarians extinct? That outcome may seem far-fetched, but information professionals may need to re-think what they do if they want to thrive in a mobile world.

That's the message from Tom Boone, a reference librarian, professor, and blogger, writing in the January/February issue of Information Outlook. His article, "Ensuring the Visibility of Librarians," minces no words about the threat posed by mobile applications:

Within the typical smartphone ecosystem, a rise in the number of mobile apps will result in a decrease in the visibility of librarians. Once a vendor develops a mobile app, library patrons will download the app onto their phones. Having done this, they will now only need to select an icon on their phone's desktop to access the database. This will effectively eliminate any library branding from the user experience.

The solution to this problem, he concludes, is for information professionals to redefine the roles they play in the research process. Some of the roles may not sound very appealing--for example, working for vendors to organize information within mobile apps--but they increasingly will be necessary if librarians are to remain relevant in a mobile world.

Check out Tom's article in the January/Feburary issue, now available online. And be sure to read the companion theme articles, which discuss how to evaluate the success of mobile technologies and how libraries can provide training and support to clients using mobile devices.

 

SLA's 23 Things Revisited: Fresh Learning Opportunities

When SLA's 23 Things premiered at the SLA 2008 Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO in Seattle, it became one of the most popular benefits of membership in SLA. In 2010, it was time to re-establish the opportunity for collaborative learning, and I, who chaired the original effort, worked with graduate MLIS student Kim McGrath to rejuvenate the package.

Now, 23 Things is making a new debut.

Some outdated links and resources have been removed, existing lessons have been updated, and completely new material has been added to the package.

A few highlights: Week 6 was remodeled to introduce "Social Media and Networking."  Now included are Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and how each one can be used to help you find a job, advertise your business, or gain competitive intelligence. Read articles and watch videos that point you to valuable resources you can put to use right away! If you’re a seasoned veteran, we’ve got next steps covered too.

With the Future Ready 365 blog in full swing, try out a few of the weeks, learn something new, and become Future Ready yourself. Spend as little as an hour a week, and reinvigorate yourself with fresh ideas and a mastery of tools like RSS, Tagging and Folksonomies, and more. If you're new to 23 Things, all you need to do is create a username in SLA's wiki dashboard to get started.

So what are you waiting for? Jump in and try out all 23 Things, sample a baker’s dozen, or just start with Week 6. No need to go in order, but it helps you experience the full effect. There is something here for everyone to increase employability and career skills, so don’t delay!

Sincerely,
Deb Hunt
Chair, 23 Things

When SLA's 23 Things premiered at SLA 2008 Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO in Seattle, it became one of the most popular benefits of membership with SLA. In fall 2010, it was time to reestablish the opportunity for collaborative learning, and Deb Hunt, chair of the original effort, worked with graduate MLIS student Kim McGrath to rejuvenate the package.

Now, 23 Things is making a new debut.

Some outdated links and resources have been removed, existing lessons were updated, and completely new materials were added to the package.

A few highlights: Week 6 was remodeled to introduce "Social Media and Networking."  Now included are Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and how each one can be used to find a job, advertise your business, or gain competitive intelligence. Read articles and watch videos that point you to valuable resources you can put to use right away! If you’re a seasoned veteran, we’ve got next-steps covered too.

With the collaborative Future Ready 365 blog effort in full-swing, try out a few of the weeks, learn something new and become Future Ready yourself. Spend as little as an hour a week, and reinvigorate yourself with fresh ideas and a mastery of new tools.

So, what are you waiting for? Jump in and try out all 23 Things, a baker’s dozen, or start with Week 6. No need to go in order, but it helps to achieve the full effect. There is something here for everyone to increase employability and career skills, so don’t delay!