SLA Blog

#SLAtalk: What would you tell your past MLIS-student self?

Our second #SLAtalk will take place on Tuesday, April 9^th, and will seek participation from new and veteran information professionals, as well as current students at graduate schools of library and information science.

When:

2 choices on Tuesday, April 9th:
Session #1 at 18:30 GMT (1:30 pm Eastern / 10:30 am Pacific)
Session #2 at 00:00 GMT (7:00 pm Eastern / 4:00 pm Pacific)

Questions to Answer:

1. What subjects or skills do you wish you were taught or exposed to in library school?
       -Session #1: 18:30 – 18:45 GMT
       -Session #2: 00:00 – 00:15 GMT
2. What was your favorite class or project in LIS school? How have you applied what you learned to your career?
       -Session #1: 18:45 – 19:00 GMT
       -Session #2: 00:15 – 00:30 GMT
3. What formal supplemental education, if any, did you pursue after library school?
       -Session #1: 19:00 – 19:15 GMT
       -Session #2: 00:30 – 00:45 GMT 
4. What recommendations would you give a library school student?
       -Session #1: 19:15 – 19:30 GMT
       -Session #2: 00:45 – 01:00 GMT  

In the Spirit of Organization:

By splitting the questions into 15-minute intervals we can keep the discussion organized and make it easier for participants to interact. We’ll help by tweeting the appropriate question from @SLAhq at the start of each interval, so take that as your queue to move on.

New to this?

Check out “How to #SLAtalk” for helpful tips, as well as the recap of the first installment to see example-tweets from several participants.

Prepare with some light reading:

“Preparing Future Professionals through Broad Competency Planning,” from the Jan/Feb ’12 issue of Information Outlook.

Not an SLA member? To access these articles, join SLA, or contact us to receive temporary access.

Following the session:

Check back into this SLA Blog post after the #SLAtalk, where we’ll post some of the best ideas that you all have tweeted. Notice your tweet being favorited from @SLAhq? Your handle and tweet will be posted here!

Job Hunting and Career Growth: an #SLAtalk!

SLA’s first Twitter chat of 2013 will focus on finding a job, and growing within that role.
Tune-in to enjoy tips from both colleagues and SLA’s vendor partners.

Two sessions will be held so information professionals across the globe can participate at a convenient time.

When:

2 choices on Tuesday, March 5^th
Session #1 at 18:30 GMT (1:30 pm Eastern / 10:30 am Pacific)
Session #2 at 00:00 GMT (7:00 pm Eastern / 4:00 pm Pacific)

Questions to answer:

1. What’s a successful job hunting method that helped you land you your current job?
2. What’s a profession-specific way you’ve prepared for an interview that worked for you?
3. What are key organizational traits you look for during an interview or online job search?
4. How did you empower yourself to move ahead at your job? or what skills did you learn which led to your career growth?

…or ask your own question/share your own idea related to this topic!

Hashtag:

Tag your answers with #SLAtalk and the number of the question you’re answering.
For those wondering, #SLAchat is now used by the fine folks at Sporting Life Arkansas. 

Start thinking with some light reading ahead of time:

“Networking for Introverts,” from the March/April ’12 issue of Information Outlook
“Future Now: Operation Agility,” from the Jan/Feb ’12 issue of Information Outlook
“Dressing Like We Mean It,” from the March ’11 issue of Information Outlook

Not an SLA member? To access these articles, join SLA, or contact us to receive temporary access.

Following the session:

Check back into this SLA Blog post after the #SLAtalk, where we’ll post some of the best ideas that you all have tweeted. Notice your tweet being favorited from @SLAhq? Your handle and tweet will be posted here!

#SLAchat: Why adopt Near Field Communication (NFC) at Work?

In the latest "New Technology" column of Information Outlook, Sophia Guevara explains Near Field Communication (NFC) and discusses its potential uses for information professionals.

If you've seen recent Samsung Galaxy 3 ads (40 seconds in), they portray NFC: move one smartphone within a few centimeters of another (or tap them if you want to really feel the exchange) to transfer data. The data could be a video, an e-mail, files, anything really (that fits within copyright law). The technology also works by pairing a 'tag' with a smartphone. This concept is more similar to accessing data via QR codes, but still easier because if your phone is compatible, it works with the tag, (almost) no questions asked.

The #SLAchat question: how might you use this technology to provide access to information? Here are 3 of Sophia's bright ideas to start:

"Idea 1: Use NFC sticker tags to make "smart" books. If you work in an organization where your colleagues yearn for easy access to book reviews while browsing the library collection, NFC can be your solution. With NFC tags, you can place a sticker tag on the book's cover and program it so that it links to a page of reviews to help your patrons decide if the book is right for them."

"Idea 2: Make "smart" posters. Create a smart poster that can pass along information to employees with a quick tap. All you need to do is affix a preprogrammed tag to an already existing poster and note that the poster is NFC-enabled. Cut down on your organization's silos by creating a poster that provides messages and updates from your organization's leaders and their departments. On their walk into work, employees can tap the tags that are of interest to them and get updates on important things going on within the organization."

"Idea 3: Use NFC in your information literacy training program. For example, if you provide information center orientations to new employees, create a tag with links to the resources you describe. Instead of giving these employees a list of resources and links on paper, give them an NFC tag that contains the resource information within the tag. This is not only an efficient means of sharing information, it also decreases the problem of having training sheets lost or thrown away."

 

 

5 Early Career Professionals Remark on SLA 2012

SLA-Europe, through its Early Career Conference Award (ECCA) program, sent five of its members to their first SLA conference in Chicago last July.

They've got some very interesting reflections about attending a conference of this scope, variety, and pace for the first time. This commentary was first featured in the Chartered Institute for Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Update, Nov. 2012, pp. 30-31. 

Access the full report to read about their unique takeaways: "Five go to Chicago." [PDF download]

 

John Fenzel's Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg

In this open letter to Mark Zuckerberg, John Fenzel, senior Army Special Forces Officer, offers some unsolicited advice on how to be a better leader (and turn Facebook's stock price around). 

A common thread in the letter is clear: focus your efforts on your users.

A few highlights:

"...you need to be leading from the front, with a clearly articulated vision of where you’re taking Facebook.  When the floodwaters are rising, you need to be seen out there waste-deep in leaky waders helping people, pushing boats, rescuing cats and dogs and directing the rescue effort."

"You’re working hard behind the scenes, you say?  Nice, but honestly, it doesn’t matter.  Your company’s stock price is only an indicator—an indicator of confidence by the general public and by investors.   Right now, confidence in Facebook is rapidly diminishing.  And if you’re the 'face' of Facebook, your own confidence index is waning too."

"It all matters.  And when there’s no customer support to address those concerns, most of us will just quit Facebook for good. Leaders in your organization will make a big deal about those concerns, and drive you toward real solutions.  Managers will wring their hands, and often move your entire organization into a kind of 'paralysis by analysis.'"

Read the full letter: http://www.shellypalmer.com/2012/08/an-open-letter-to-mark-zuckerberg/

 

Blogroll, Please: SLA 2012 Takeaways

It's been one month (can you believe it?) since we all ventured to Chicago for the 2012 Annual Conference.

What's one new idea, tool, or thought you took home?

Many of you have already shared your takeaways via blog posts. We hope you enjoy this attempt to list some of them*:
-------------------

Slides from the Legal Division's 60 Sites in 60 Minutes: The Last Dash!
     session by John DiGilio & Gayle Lynn-Nelson

 

Zena Applebaum's "Whoa is Not You"
    post for 3 Geeks and a Law Blog

Daniela Barbosa's "Only the Strongest Professions have the Strongest Associations"
 

Simon Barron's "The Chicago blog post," parts 1, 2, 3, and 4

Sara Batts' "Brief Thoughts on SLA 2012"
 

Solo Division Chair Patrick Clapp's "How Did Success Stories and Suddenly Solo Inspire You?"

Jill Hurst-Wahl's SLA 2012 Posts, including "What's Changed Since Library School?"
 

Ruth Jenkins' "SLA Chicago: A surreal and wonderful experience"
    also by Ruth: "Marketing for the Rest of Us - SLA 2012 session write-up" 
    and: "#SLAChicago: Ruth Jenkins' reflections" (posted to SLA-Europe) 
 

Rebecca Jones' "Eat like a bird, poop like an elephant"
 

Marie Kaddell's "Conference Tweets from Library Focus"

Ruth Kneale's "And then I went to Chicago" parts 1, 2, 3 & 4.

Catherine Lavallee-Welch's "2012 SLA Annual Conference - Chicago"
 

SLA Rio Grande Chapter's "Judy Neff on her #SLAchicago Experience"
    also from the Chapter: "Lori Zipperer on her #SLAchicago Experience" 
 

Valerie Ryder's "Challenges of Buying and Selling Content in 2012"
    also by Valerie: "Contract Negotiation is Not for the Faint of Heart" 
                              "Meaningful Measures: How do Buyers and Sellers Show ROI?" 
                              "Interview with Gayle Gossen, 2012 SLA B&F Impact Award Winner"
                              "Ten Ways to Enchant Your Customers: Guy Kawasaki's Keynote" 
 

Bruce Rosenstein's "My Chicago SLA Days," parts one, two, and three

Bethan Ruddock's "Chicago!"
    also by Bethan: "Chicago redux: unexpected learning" 

Sarah Wolfendon's "SLA Chicago 2012," parts one and two.

And in case you missed it, check out @Eventifier's archive of SLA 2012 images grabbed from the Twittersphere.

*These are the posts I found using #SLAchicago on Twitter. Did I miss yours?  If I did, contact me or comment below, and I'll add yours to this list.

My SLA: The Podcast Speaks with VP of Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

My SLA: The Podcast continues to receive important participation from outside of the information profession.

A Partnership for Success features Pat Skarulis, VP and CIO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Pat discusses the importance of the information center at one of the premier cancer treatment and research institutions in the world.

Full version: http://my.sla.org/?p=763

Highlights: http://my.sla.org/?p=774

In this episode, Pat Skarulis and Donna Gibson (Director of Library Services for Sloan-Kettering) address questions such as:

-How do the jobs of everyone at Sloan-Kettering depend on the information center team?

-How has a partnership for success (both between Pat and Donna, and between the information center and the rest of Sloan-Kettering) been fostered?

-How is an information center made public-facing, both physically and digitally?

My SLA is seeking your participation. If you and your employer would like to briefly share the dynamic of your teamwork and the role of information services within your organization, shoot me an e-mail.

Meet the Judges: The Agile Professional 'Snap & Win' Contest

Take a moment to learn about the judges of the Agile Professional Snap & Win Contest. Be sure to enter right here before June 11.

Julia Mair
VP of Marketing, Dow Jones Enterprise

With more than 25 years in the online information industry, Julia Mair currently leads the B2B marketing team for Dow Jones, including Factiva, Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.  Prior to joining Dow Jones, Julia led marketing activities for the academic publishing unit of LexisNexis, a member of Reed Elsevier Group plc.

How would you define professional agility? What does being professional agile mean to you?
The marketing profession and my industry (publishing) are undergoing rapid changes, driven by social and economic forces as well as technology. To me, being professional agile is trying to keep my eyes open to emerging ideas and marketing concepts – like new apps and social media markets. It is also important that my team remains professionally agile, so we must constantly question the way we think about our business, interact with our customers and conduct our day-to-day tasks.

Deb Hunt
Principal, Information Edge

Deb Hunt is currently the SLA President Elect and Principal of Information Edge which empowers clients to find the information they need to do their work. Information Edge specializes in document and digital asset management, knowledge services, professional research and analysis, and library design and automation.

Deb has written for Information Outlook, Freepint, Information World Review (IWR) and other publications and has presented at SLA, Internet Librarian and Createasphere.

How would you define professional agility? What does being professional agile mean to you?
My SLA Presidential theme is "Transform knowledge and expertise into strategic value." As information professionals we must add flexibility, insight, and recognition of opportunity to our essential core skills! We need to move outside our comfort zone into new career areas such as document management, digital and media asset management and knowledge services where there are ample career and earning opportunities. I continue to demonstrate agility as I leap off the edge into new career areas utilizing current skills while investing in continuing education to enhance and grow those skills. 

Anne Caputo
Executive Director, Dow Jones & Company

Anne Caputo is the 2010 President of SLA and works as an advisor and consultant to the Dow Jones Information Professional Market.  She is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland, College of Information Studies where she teaches a course in electronic information retrieval.

How would you define professional agility? What does being professional agile mean to you?
To me professional agility represents the ability to reinvent and refocus critical information skills to the demands of new jobs and new roles.  In the course of my career I have been a trainer, educator, marketing executive, project manager, professional association volunteer and leader and speaker at conferences and events around the world.  Each step required agility and openness to change and new opportunities. 

Mary Ellen Bates
President, Bates Information Services

Mary Ellen Bates is the SLA Division Cabinet Past-Chair and the owner of Bates Information Services, providing business research and analysis for over 20 years. She is a frequent speaker and the author of six books and innumerable articles on the information industry.

How would you define professional agility? What does being professional agile mean to you?
Being professionally agile means fully believing that I both need and want to continue to grow and challenge myself professionally. I assume that I always need to be learning new skills, whether that is creating and editing webinars, becoming proficient in a new application or just making sure I meet with other info pros at least once a month. That is why I so value all the virtual places where I can hook up with other SLA members.

870,000 Pictures are Worth...How Many Words?

The New York City Department of Records just announced on-line access to over 870,000 rarely viewed images. For the first time, photographs that were previously only accessible by visiting the archives offices in Manhattan are now available to the world.

This impressive database includes images from the largest collection of criminal justice evidence in the English speaking world, more than 800,000 color photos of every city building in New York, and over 1,300 rare depression-era photos of the Public Works Administration.

You can access, view, and order prints of the photos here. But you might want to wait a few hours, the site is experiencing temporary difficulties due to "overwhelming demand" at the moment (1:15 PM, EST, on 24 April).

For more information, read the AP story posted on Yahoo this morning. 

How do you plan to use the new resource? Which photos are must-shares? Let us know in the comments.

Knowledge Management: More than Distributing Information

It is evident today that it is not sufficient just to have the most advanced technology and distribute the information in order to have your audience digest and act on the information given to them. In this blog post by Paolo Mefalopulos, head of the Communication Program at UNICEF in India, he emphasizes that the current way that “knowledge is collected, organized, communicated and shared needs to be significantly rethought.” He provides insight and examples on how knowledge should be shared, stressing that the starting point of an effective KM system should be the audience instead of the knowledge itself. He also presents an interesting stand on KM stating that it should be conceived more as a communication and behavior change subject. He goes on to state that a knowledge management program that does more than collect and distribute information will influence the intended audiences. Check out the full blog post by clicking the link below. 

Knowledge Management is Not Mere Dissemination