SLA Blog

Going the Way of the Dinosaurs

Remember the Gary Larson cartoon titled "The real reason dinosaurs became extinct"? It showed three dinosaurs huddling behind a large rock, puffing on cigarettes.

An updated version of this cartoon could be titled, "The real reason newspapers and magazines became extinct" and show a person lining a birdcage with computer disks. But the cartoon would have a limited life--future generations probably won't get the joke.

Still, there's no denying that newspapers, magazines, and other print publications are having a difficult time surviving. More and more consumers are going online to get their news and information, and advertisements (and advertising dollars) are following them. Publications that used to be revenue centers are becoming cost centers, forcing publishers to cut staff, publish less frequently, and even close their doors. Association publications, including Information Outlook, have not been immune from this trend.

And yet, notwithstanding these developments, some magazines are thriving, gaining new readers and attracting advertising. How are they doing it? By focusing on what magazines do best--providing in-depth coverage and analyses of topics that are narrowly targeted to specific audiences. Whereas the Web excels at casting a wide and shallow net, magazines are better suited to mining a narrow but deep field of information.

To be successful, then, magazines must know their readers--their needs, their concerns, their interests. Information Outlook has already taken a step in this direction by assembling an advisory council of SLA members to help provide editorial direction. The next step, to be taken later this year, is to survey the SLA membership about their information needs and wants. The survey answers will be used to evaluate existing content and determine whether a different mix of articles, columns and departments will better meet the information needs of special librarians.

In an association with a wide range of communication tools at its disposal--a Web site, blogs, wikis, discussion lists, e-newsletters, and more--a printed magazine has to be able to make a strong case that it is providing a valuable benefit. By completing the survey when it is posted on sla.org later this year, you can help ensure that Information Outlook keeps you apprised of the latest thinking on issues that affect your job and career.

Under New Management

Each issue of Information Outlook is unique, but the October/November 2009 issue (Vol. 13, No. 7) will differ from its predecessors not only because of the content it contains but also because of who's determining that content.

SLA President Gloria Zamora has appointed eight information professionals to serve on the new Information Outlook Advisory Council (IOAC). The council will work with the editor of Information Outlook to set the editorial direction of the magazine and determine theme topics. The council will also provide feedback on article proposals and recommend article topics and authors.

The members of the IOAC, who will serve staggered two-year terms, are as follows:

• Doris Helfer (chair)

• Susan DiMattia

• Dennie Heye

• Betty Jo Hibberd

• Jill Hurst-Wahl

• Renee Pope

• David Shumaker

• Tony Stankus

The council held its first meeting at the 2009 SLA Annual Conference and will soon begin work on determining article topics for the October/Novermber 2009 issue, developing an editorial calendar for 2010, and creating an online survey of SLA members to determine how they use the magazine.

Feel free to contact an IOAC member if you have any suggestions for improving the magazine or if you would like to recommend an article topic or write an article.

Eight Will be Great

What’s so great about eight?

I’m sure many of you were asking that question when you received your January/February issue of Information Outlook. A flier included with the magazine stated “Eight is Great!” and announced that SLA will publish eight issues of Information Outlook in 2009, down from 12 issues in 2008.

This change was prompted by legitimate financial concerns, but most of you probably saw it as a reduction in service and membership value. Fewer magazines mean fewer articles mean fewer opportunities to learn from peers and subject matter experts. Where’s the greatness in that?

I won’t try to spin the change to eight issues as a positive development. I will, however, make this pledge: Information Outlook will be a better magazine at the end of 2009 than it was at the end of 2008.

As I write these words, a new advisory council of SLA members is being formed to help shape the editorial direction and content of Information Outlook. Later this year, SLA members who visit the Web site will be invited to complete a brief survey about the magazine. The survey answers will help me and the members of the advisory group plan the editorial calendar for 2010.

Information Outlook, like all SLA products and services, is intended to help information professionals better understand and take advantage of trends and developments in their profession and industry. Your input can ensure that Information Outlook becomes the must-read source of information about issues affecting special libraries, their staff, and the clients they serve.

New Blog: SLA in Second Life

Have you heard that SLA owns land in Second Life?  Yes, it's true!  A team of SLA members are now  working to help other members learn more about Second Life (SL).  The team will be publishing information on Second Life, providing learning experiences, and developing our space in SL.  The team has a blog and a wiki, where information will be shared.  Our first article will be published in the June 2008 issue of Information Outlook.

If you are interested in learning more about Second Life, you have two options available to you.  First, you can join the team, since there is no better way to learn but by doing.  Second, you can partake of the output of this team -- its writings, training sessions, and space in SL.  However you do it, we hope that we can help you learn more about virtual worlds and their future.  With dozens of virtual worlds already in existence and with them being used by colleges, universities, businesses and government agencies -- as well as young children -- they are not going away. So jump in with us!  The (virtual) water is fine!

Conference Coverage in Information Outlook

There's plenty of news of SLA 2008 in the April issue of Information Outlook, and more to come in the May and June issues.

April -- which already should be on readers' desks -- includes coverage of SLA's greening activities for the conference.

May -- on its way to the printer -- features in-depth information on Seattle, the host city. Also in May: close-ups on keynoters Seth Godin and Vint Cerf and looks at some of the other conference programming.

June -- to be distributed in attendee registration kits onsite and through its normal mail delivery -- takes a virtual view of the conference and includes an interview with Godin.

And look for the July issue of Information Outlook, which will feature post-conference coverage -- plus Q&As with candidates for the SLA board of directors.