Monday, June 30, 2008

President's Letter, June 2008

Seattle, the Emerald City, welcomed more than 5,000 attendees to the SLA Annual Conference, June 15-18, 2008. More than 440 of those attendees came from California and I believe that nearly all of them came to the West Coast Chapters’ Reception at the conference based on the circuitous path that led to the reception’s refreshments. My thanks go out to the Pacific Northwest Chapter for hosting this year’s reception.

The conference for me was a mix of programs, meetings, and visits to the INFO-EXPO (the exhibit halls), where nearly 300 companies and organizations were represented to display their products and discuss their newest initiatives and resources. For me, the exhibits are a good way of thanking the many vendors who provide our students at UCLA with often complimentary access to their resources. The exhibit hall also included an area where SLA chapters and divisions could proudly showcase their own activities and programs, and SLA Southern California was well-represented by an exhibit compiled by Chapter President-elect, Teresa Bailey.
Prior to the official start of the conference, I attended SLA’s Leadership Development Institute with Teresa Bailey where we heard from the association’s leaders about how to best utilize SLA resources to empower our members such as the “23 Things” project to provide an easy training program for members to become familiar with interactive web tools. I strongly suggest signing up for “23 Things” which you can learn at your own pace.

SLA President Stephen Abram launched the conference by honoring the association’s awards recipients and strongly promoting SLA’s new Innovation Laboratory, a new member benefit that allows all of us to learn about Web 2.0 technologies in a risk-free environment. Following Stephen’s talk the opening keynote presentation featured Google’s Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, Dr. Vint Cerf interviewed by broadcast journalist Charlie Rose. Rose had Dr. Cerf recount the early beginnings of the Internet since he was pretty much there at its origins, and Dr. Cerf discussed his view of access to the Internet being as ubiquitous as the power grid is for most of us. He also expressed the opinion that the growth of social networking has placed the world’s knowledge at our fingertips, because we are so interconnected with one another and with each other’s network of professional colleagues.

Some of the sessions that I attended while at conference included:

  • Leadership: Building on Your Natural Abilities and Strengths, which focused on a new approach to influencing others , from understanding those you want to influence, to creating linkages between them and you, to delivering value through your influence.
  • Gaming and Libraries, which looked at “productive play” and how individuals are very much engaged to learn tasks if the process is enjoyable and if they are able to have a sense of accomplishment at the end of their learning exercise.
  • A very enjoyable session, moderated by Southern California’s own Cameron Trowbridge, was entitled What’s Cooking? Food Traditions, Culinary History, and the Role of Special Librarians, and included a panelist who discussed Seattle’s Pike Place Market and its place in the city’s history, past and present.
  • To Teach So They Can Learn provided a fascinating overview of the key concepts about adult learning and development. Ilda Carreiro King understood how many of us in the information profession often find ourselves in the role of trainer or educator, and she compared they ways in which children and adults learn and how we may have misconceptions about adult learning characteristics.
The closing keynote was given by author and entrepreneur Seth Godin who implored the audience to use marketing and storytelling to change how information professionals are viewed by their employers and in general. He argued that we need to “(E)ither keep pushing against the wind or change what you’re doing and have the wind at your back.” It was a very inspirational talk.

If you were able to attend the annual conference I hope that you came away with some worthwhile knowledge. If you were not able to join us, keep checking the SLA web site for presentations.

Hope to see you at an upcoming chapter program!

Sincerely,

David Cappoli
dcappoli@ucla.edu

Thursday, June 26, 2008

SLA's Wall Street Journal Ads


SLA and Dow Jones & Company recently placed four ads in the Wall Street Journal promoting the value of info pros. The ad targets C-level executives and explains that info pros are essential to the success of their organizations.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Personal Statement from the 2008 Sternheim Scholarship Winner


Personal statement by Brett VanBenschoten in support of his application for the 2008 Karen Sternheim Memorial Scholarship.

Editor's note: Brett was presented with the Scholarship at SLA Southern California's Spring Membership meeting and Awards Dinner (see entry from May 2008)

I want to be a librarian because I want to make a difference. I have always chosen jobs that would allow me to do so and believe that this field will give me the best opportunity to continue that effort. Libraries ensure access to information, without which learning is impossible. They are of vital importance in this increasingly digital world in which people must sift through an overload of information and try to understand what is and is not valuable to them. A career as a librarian would allow me to teach individuals to do just that. Achieving my Master's in Library and Information Science is vital to doing so.

In the past year, while working as the Library Associate at California Hospital Medical Center, I have discovered that this work can make an even more immediate difference than I realized. When I field an urgent patient care request for a woman with necrotizing fasciitis, I'm doing more than just provide information; I am helping to save someone's life. This level of involvement has made the importance of learning all I can about my field and earning my degree much more germane. My "discovery" of special libraries truly changed the way I look at this field and in the process showed me just how exciting and vibrant it can be.

Previously my experience was limited to the academic library. I worked as the Reference Assistant at the Occidental College Library, having been promoted from a student assistant and including a summer internship with the Mellon Foundation Grant Librarian Recruitment Program. Within these positions I first gained experience with reference, collection development, providing web-based services, and developing new service tools. These experiences also showed me how to put my technical skills to use in a library, introducing me to Systems Librarianship. Computers now comprise a major aspect of the library profession, and my knowledge of information technology, graphic and database design, and social informatics can easily be applied to information access, library marketing, and information services development.

Since starting my position here I have been exposed to budgets, administration, database and systems maintenance, marketing campaigns, and the joy of working as a solo "librarian" in the hospital. While I believe I have successfully taken on the challenge of this job, I am not so blind as to realize that there is much I still have to learn. The support of the Karen Sternheim Memorial Scholarship would be invaluable in ensuring that I have all of the knowledge and skills I need to provide complete, informed, and accurate information to the medical, nursing, and other staff of the hospital.

As a librarian, I can make a difference in the lives of others, and also a difference in my own. I will always be exposed to new ideas and opportunities for learning. Libraries are bastions of knowledge and sites of educational democracy, where anyone can learn the tools of personal growth. Working as a librarian allows me to continue my own growth while helping others to bring about their own. I can think of no better career to continue what has already become my life's work.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

SLA Southern California Wins IT Programming Award



SLA Southern California has been awarded the Information Technology Division's Outstanding Technology Programming Award for "Living Linked - A Social Networking Conference" held at the Amateur Athletic Foundation on April 13, 2007. The award was presented at the SLA Annual Conference in Seattle at the IT Division's business meeting on June 16, 2008.

Thanks to all who made this program a success, especially Sue Brewsaugh, Christian Gray, Mike Reid, and Josh Walters.

Candidates for Board of Directors

The list of candidates for SLA's Board of Directors and their prepared speeches to let you know who they are and what they hope to accomplish if elected to the Board are now available. Elections will take place in Fall 2008.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

From the Archives ... April 1948

With SLA celebrating its centennial in 2009, the Southern California Chapter will periodically feature historical material from its 70+ years worth of archives.















From April 1948, to show that SLA was truly an international organization 60 years ago, we feature Anne Margrethe Lovaas of Norway, the first recipient of SLA's Fellowship Award. Miss Lovaas visited Los Angeles and was hosted in L.A. by Frances Christenson of the University of Southern California's Library of World Affairs. In addition to visiting various area special libraries, Miss Lovaas worked for a brief period at Paramount Picture's Research Department.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

SLA West Coast Chapters Reception in Seattle

The SLA West Coast Chapters Reception at the annual conference was held on Sunday, June 15, 2008 from 7:30 – 10:30PM in the Cascade View Room located on the 51st Floor of 2 Union Square. The views were breathtaking, and the food – divine! Locally grown and brewed food and drink and even the truffle oil was locally foraged!

Thanks to the Pacific Northwest Chapter for hosting this wonderful reception

The reception's many sponsors are listed on the chapter's Wiki page.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Sandra Tung - In Memoriam

The library community lost a great contributor and professional this Spring. Sandra Tung, a former Santa Monica and Altadena resident, died peacefully on April 23, 2008. Sandra retired from Boeing last year where she was the Business Information Manager for Business Development since 1998. Previously she worked at Rockwell, Savage Information Services and NASA Applications Center. She set a very high standard when it came to being active in professional organizations.

Sandra was a long time member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Society of Information Science and Technology (LACASIS). During the 1980's, she played a major role in making LACASIS a stronger, more vibrant organization. Sandra, a talented leader with a “can do attitude”, was a natural mentor. She understood the value of working with new members to insure the next generation of leaders would be strong. She was active in LACASIS for over 15 years and served as Treasurer, 1992-1995; Marketing/Database Coordinator, 1995-97; Program Committee member 1995-96; and Awards Committee Member 1997-99. In 1994 she was recognized for her service and won the Outstanding Member Award.

One of Sandra’s legacies is the continuing success of LACASIS as a professional organization. She will always be remembered as a LACASIS “super star”.

Sandra was also very active in the Southern California Online Users Group (SCOUG) Steering Committee, where she somehow found time to serve as the Chair, Program Chair, Annual Retreat Coordinator and Annual Workshop Chair. She was also a member of the Special Libraries Association (SLA).
Sandra was a multi-talented, warm woman who will be missed by many. She is survived by her children Doug, Diana and Irene, three grandchildren and a loving extended family.

Donations may be made in her name to San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity 770 N. Fair Oaks, Pasadena, CA 91103, www.sgvhabitat.org