SLA Blog

Outsell Benchmark Survey Reminder

We would like to remind you to participate in Outsell's 12th annual Information Management Benchmark Study, covering industries, not-for-profit organizations, government agencies, and educational and healthcare institutions.

Members who complete the survey will be able to view the study results on the SLA Website.  This report will provide concrete benchmarks you can use to compare your library to peer organizations--use it to justify spending, hone your resource allocation decisions, and to provide your management with key metrics about your organization's vendor portfolio.

In addition, respondents can enter a drawing for an iPad2, a Kindle reader, or one of fifteen $25 Amazon gift certificates.

All responses are confidential.  The data will be analyzed and presented in aggregated form only.  Only one person from your organization should complete the survey.

Access the survey now. 
Username: Outsell
Password:  survey

The survey will close at 11:59pm PT on Sunday, October 9.  The deadline will not be extended.

Thank you for your participation in this important project, and a special thank you to those of you who have supported this research over the years.  If you have any questions about the study, please contact Karen Wilson at kwilson@outsellinc.com.

 

Nominate for 2012 SLA Awards

It's that time of year again--nominations are now being accepted for 2012's class of Rising Stars (sponsored by J.J. Keller) and SLA Fellows. 

Nominations for all other SLA Awards will be accepted starting 1 October. For more information, and to nominate, visit the SLA Awards & Recognition page.

**Please note the nomination deadlines:

• Stars and Fellows Deadline: 15 November
• All other SLA Awards: 1 December

Direct any questions to: jwalsh@sla.org. We look forward to honoring your winning candidates on-stage at SLA's 2012 Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO; happy nominating!

Are You LinkedIn?

Not sure how to maximize the power of LinkedIn? Become better acquainted with this social networking tool by attending Click U's October webinars.

For more information about Getting the Most Out of LinkedIn: Advanced Searching and Features, Parts 1 and 2, with instructor Scott Brown, visit the Click U blog.

Updated: Your Chance to Win with SLA & NewsEdge Begins 4 Oct.

Compliments of our valued SLA 2011 supporting sponsor, Acquire Media, you'll have the chance to win one of four Amazon gift cards or an iPod Touch starting September 28th. Entry is simple, quick, and painless--and you'll be given the opportunity to enter through Facebook or using an alternative method as you wish.

The way the quiz works is simple. Provide your name and e-mail (not for marketing purposes), and you'll be entered into a drawing for an Amazon Gift Card. To win the grand prize (iPod), you'll have the opportunity to watch a short video--and learn useful info!--then correctly answer one question, making yourself eligible to win either prize.

Stay tuned for specific details; after a small delay, we're all set to launch on Tuesday, 4 October!   

 

                                

Several Pieces of the Puzzle

Recognition from management. "Face time" with senior leaders. Customers who consider you to be critical to their success.

Sound too good to be true? Not if you know how to advocate for yourself and your library team. That's the message of the theme articles in the September issue of Information Outlook.

From James Matarazzo and Toby Pearlstein's thoughts about using "key competencies" to elevate the status of the profession to Cindy Sullivan's tips for securing regular, personal interactions with senior leaders to Stephen Abram's advice on marketing your value and skills as an information professional, the September issue is packed with ideas about how you can ensure that your customers recognize and understand your worth. Add Anne Caputo's discussion of how Dow Jones decided that it could best advocate for librarians by creating a place for them to learn from each other, and you have several pieces of what Agnes Mattis calls the "much larger puzzle" of advocacy in her introduction to the topic.

The September issue also takes a look back at the SLA 2011 Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO, which attracted more than 4,000 information professionals and industry partners to Philadelphia for four days of education and networking. An overview of the conference, excerpts from five Spotlight Sessions, and a description of a new video that made its debut at the opening session combine to give those who couldn't attend a taste of what they missed.

There's more, of course--examples of how to develop your own professional narrative, a study of how a university assessed the ways in which it provides library services for the sciences and builds science collections, and a provocative letter to the editor. So why wait for your hard copy to arrive in the mail? Start reading the September issue now!