Friday, July 23, 2010

Save these important dates for our Professional Development program and Sternheim Fundraiser!

We have two very important programs coming up, so please pencil us into your calendar.

Our Professional Development program on "Career Agility" is scheduled for Friday, September 24th, from noon to 6pm, at USC.

Our Sternheim Fundraiser is scheduled for Sunday, October 17th at 5pm at the Peacock Cafe in the LA Arboretum.

Stay tuned to the blog for more details as we finalize our plans.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Westwood happy hour with the UCLA student group officers, August 5th, 5:30pm

We're full of love for Westwood these days, so let's do happy hour with our UCLA chapter officers. August 5th, 5:30pm, at the Westwood Brewing Co.

Westwood Brewing Co.
1097 Glendon Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Happy hours are a fantastic way to network with your colleagues. Everyone is welcome, you don't need to be a member, and you can bring your friends and coworkers. In case you need some more convincing, click here for photos from our last happy hour, with the UNT/CSUN group.

Thank you to Grace Rosales for sending along these pictures. A great time was had by all at Home Restaurant.

See you all soon! In person, I hope. But online is almost as good.

Facebook group
Linkedin group

-Robin

Conference report #4

In this conference report, Jackie Gortman goes more in-depth about Mary Ellen Bates’ “Brand You and Web 2.0” presentation. Thanks Jackie, for summarizing this very timely and important topic.


SLA-SCC gave me the opportunity to attend the 2010 SLA conference virtually and this is my coverage of Mary Ellen Bates’ “Brand You and Web 2.0” presentation. Branding yourself involves how you want to be known and how you present yourself to the world. Bates quoted fellow SLA 2010 presenter Kim Dority: “Intelligent personal branding showcases your authentic self so others can understand your value.”

Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are the three main tools used for personal branding in today’s Web 2.0 world. The audience and content are different for each – LinkedIn is the most professional, while Facebook and Twitter are more informal. Using all three increases your online presence and helps build your network, which helps you to build your brand. Bates recommends spending 30 minutes each week building your online profile and presence using these tools and keeping in mind that a high quality presence will take some time to build. She emphasizes the professional importance of having a LinkedIn account, as well as an informative and value-added Twitter account. She also recommends having a blog and suggests spacing entries out over even amounts of time.

Bates says that you get what you put into social networking. Filling in your profile and providing a photo are important first steps in building others’ trust, especially when using LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, you should also include a resume, establish connections, and join professional groups such as SLA. You can help others by sharing resources, creating content, and answering questions. Keeping in mind that many people have short attention spans, try to be concise in your writing, especially in Twitter where you are allotted only 140 characters per tweet.

When using Twitter, live tweeting a conference and blogging the highlights of a conference are two ways to add value for your followers. You can gain followers by writing your own content, by retweeting something interesting, giving your insight on a topic, and including context with any links you provide. Although some people are hesistant to join Twitter because they view it as a fad that will soon pass, Bates believe that it is a sustainable business, mostly due to the large volume of information it holds collectively.
-Jackie Gortman


We're not done yet! Watch for more conference reports in upcoming editions of our newsletter. And while we're talking about web 2.0, come on over and join our groups on Linkedin and Facebook.
-Robin

Conference report #3

Our third conference report is from virtual attendee Elizabeth Yeh. Enjoy!


My Virtual SLA Experience
Elizabeth Yeh

As a San Jose State University MLIS student I attend conferences with slightly different goals than our professional colleagues. Although it would have been a dream to go to New Orleans for this conference, it is difficult to justify attending conferences on the other coast when you are an unemployed student taking summer school courses. So attending the Virtual Component was the perfect solution—especially when the Southern California chapter offered to sponsor ten of us! (Thank you again!)

From the opening session with James Carville and Mary Matalin to the closing session with Nicholas Carr, I felt the anticipation of being at conference. The music we heard broadcast over the speakers or headphones of our computers throughout the conference set the mood and brought the wonderful New Orleans spirit to Orange County where I sat with my laptop, coffee and fluffy slippers.

Let me share a few of my highlights with you. First, it was a thrill to hear Mary Matalin and the wicked humor of her husband, James Carville. As local residents they brought the reality of the difficult situation they are facing, but they also brought their appreciation of libraries. Mr. Carville recalled the profound effect of To Kill a Mockingbird on his life, saying that he would be a different person without the book mobile that came every two weeks.

Another highlight for me was hearing Mary Ellen Bates speak about Web 2.0 and personal branding issues. Her words changed the way I feel about social networking: I immediately revisited my privacy settings, cleaned up my online presence, and started tweeting. Check out Ms. Bates’ extras page at www.batesinfo.com/extras.

Finally, I very much enjoyed hearing Nicholas Carr’s poignant and thought-provoking discussion of our immersion in technology and its distractions. There is definitely a “dark-side” to all of this and as information professionals we need to think about the ramifications. I look forward to reading The Shallows (on my Kindle). And no, the irony of watching Mr. Carr speak about these issues while virtual attendees tweeted and chatted online was not lost on us.

I recommend virtual conference to everyone who cannot attend in person and I am sure I will be attending more in the future. Contrary to what some may think, virtual networking definitely took place and I look forward to meeting several southern California members at face-to-face events in the near future. Thanks again to SLA-SCC and everyone who made the Virtual Component happen.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Westwood networking lunch, July 29th.

Let's hit the westside for lunch! Alison Becker, from UCLA Development Research, will be hosting us for a networking lunch at the Hammer Museum in Westwood, on July 29th at 12:30pm.

There's a courtyard inside the building, with lots of seating and a very nice café: http://hammer.ucla.edu/about/hammer_cafe.html, including menu. You can bring lunch or order from the café. It's pay when you order, so no need to worry about separate checks!

Parking is available under the Museum. Rates are $3 for the first three hours with Museum stamp. You can also get there via Metro, Big Blue Bus, or the Culver City Bus. More info and maps here: http://hammer.ucla.edu/visit/index.html.

The Museum offers free admission on Thursdays, so after lunching with colleagues, you can also check out the exhibits.

Sound like fun to you? It does to me. I hope to see you all in Westwood soon. Let me know if you plan to attend: rdodge@fidm.edu

-Robin

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Conference report #2

And now a report from a virtual conference attendee, Michele Fricke.


My impressions of SLA 2010 Annual Conference Virtual Component

Being at a conference and interacting with one’s peers can not be replicated; however I am now convinced “being there” virtually is an effective alternative. I thank you for the opportunity to participate in the SLA Annual Conference as a virtual attendee.

It was an engaging adventure to interact with other virtual participants by chat, along with the tweets, real time presentations and audience participation happening all at once. This gave the experience much more relevance and meaning than just downloading an audio or video recording after the event.

Having superb tech assistance was appreciated since this was my first journey into a virtual world. Virtual participants walked around the rooms, clapped for the presenters, and had a final dance at the end of the Closing General Session. As an online University of Washington MLIS student, I’ve worked with other students and instructors through virtual meeting rooms and similar communication tools. Wonderful collaborations can be accomplished with these tools and the virtual conference environment proved to be just as effective.

There were a few minor technological glitches that were quickly solved by the tech facilitators. Spending so much concentrated time “at the conference” while being engaged in my regular life posed a few interruptions, but overall it was a very positive experience.

Patrick Lamb outlined how the knowledge management profession is changing. He discussed the various knowledge archetypes and associated competencies as a way to prevent lagging behind the sliding scale of real time. The perspectives of the Competitive Intelligence experts were interesting. Nicholas Carr gave some great insight with what the internet is doing to our brains. He advocates for awareness and balance rather than radically departing from the technologies that engulf society today.

I hope the virtual conference experience was as positive for the other 101 attendees as it was for me so that future conferences will offer the virtual component with more presentations and meetings with diverse topic choices. I look forward to meeting many SLA members as I become more involved in this chapter.

-Michele McKinnon Fricke


Thank you Michele! It sounds like the virtual conference was a very worthwhile experience.

Stay tuned, we have more reports on the way.

-Robin

Monday, July 12, 2010

Call for Nominations - 2011 Southern California Chapter Offices

Your SLA Southern California Chapter is now accepting nominations for the following Executive Board offices to serve in 2011:
  • President-Elect
  • Treasurer
  • Communications Director
  • Director-at-Large
Take this opportunity for career advancement by developing your leadership skills; connecting with new and old friends; and, helping guide SLA into its next century. Office overviews are below along with links to the more comprehensive office descriptions available on the Chapter Practices. You may nominate others or yourself.

Nominations for the 2011 slate of officers will be accepted July 12 – August 2, 2010.

To nominate an individual, send a message to this year’s Nominations & Elections Committee Chair, David Cappoli – dcappoli@ucla.edu

Nominees will be expected to provide a review of past service to SLA and other professional organizations, as well as a statement on why they are running for a Chapter office.

Please note: The final slate of candidates is determined by the Nominations & Elections Committee in consultation with the Executive Board. Nominations do not guarantee a place on the slate of candidates.

SLA Southern California Chapter’s Organizational Structure


Office descriptions



President-Elect (currently held by Robin Dodge): The President-Elect oversees Chapter programming during his/her term, and coordinates activities with the Chapter's Professional Development Program Chair and the Sternheim Scholarship Fundraiser Chair so as not to have conflicting programs for proposed event dates. The President-Elect also works with the Vendor Relations Chair who may be able to identify vendors to provide financial support for programs.

The President-Elect is expected to participate in SLA’s Leadership Development Institute held each January and the annual conference held every June. The Chapter provides supplemental funding to help defray travel costs for the President-Elect to both the winter meeting and the conference.

Complete office description


Treasurer (currently held by Bill Lee):
The Treasurer serves as a member of the Executive Board, and maintains all financial records of the Chapter in accordance with Association Practices and submits required reports to the Association office accurately and on time. S/he reports on the fiscal condition of the Chapter to the Executive Board at each Board meeting, with formal written reports to be submitted to the Board at least twice during the year, and prepares the budget with the President for Board approval at the first Board meeting of each new fiscal year.

Complete office description


Communications Director (currently held by Jackie Prentice): The Communications Director oversees the work of the Web Site Administrator, the Discussion List Administrator, who is responsible for the Chapter's discussion list, the Calendar Editor, the Blog - Newsletter Editor, and the Jobs Board Editor.

Complete office description


Director-at-Large (currently held by Holly Lutkenhouse):
The Director-at-Large is an elected office which regularly reports on Chapter membership; greet new members via a welcoming e-mail message; and, assists with Chapter surveys.

Complete office description

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Join us on Facebook!

The SLA-SCC has it's very own group on Facebook. Come on over and join us.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=101467813241595

While you're at it, join our Linkedin group if you haven't already: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=2677019

See you online!

-Robin

Thursday, July 8, 2010

New Orleans Conference report #1.

Kicking off our series of conference reports is Bill Lee, Southern California Chapter Treasurer, and part-time gator wrangler.


Bill, wrestling gators.




It was the best of times and the worst of times. At least that’s what Janice LaChance, the CEO of SLA, told us at the closing session for the 2010 annual conference. We had a great time meeting with colleagues, networking, and viewing the vendor booths. The West Coast chapters put on a fantastic well-received reception at the Louisiana Supreme Court. The New Orleans Convention Center was so huge that most of the meetings were held in the one hall. This was the first time there were virtual conference attendees, 101, in all. The food, as one would have expected, was beyond description. This is a town based on, and proud of, the tourist experience. We were told stories of epic heroism and the capacity to rebound from tragedy. One of our own, Richard Hulser, won an SLA Member Achievement Award. Sara Tompson was busy with her campaign for the Board of Directors. The conference opening day speakers, James Carville, and Mary Matalin, were literally ripped out of the headlines. It was interesting seeing them on CNN two days later repeating some of their conference opening night comments on the big oil spill. It was if we were insiders. The closing speaker, Nicholas Carr, warned us of the dangers of multi-tasking, especially on the internet.

However, in the chapter meeting, held very late Tuesday afternoon, and repeated at the closing session, it was a different story. First revealed at the January Leadership Meeting, the association is losing money. They say all associations are in the same situation, attendance at annual conferences are down. Money is tight, and many of the Continuing Education courses were canceled. There were a lot of “ticketed events” which were not included in the already steep conference fees. The 2009 centennial convention provided half the annual revenue and was one-third of the annual expense. SLA Headquarters has had to lay off five employees in 2010, eight in 2009, for a total reduction in staff of thirty percent. Revenues are $1.2 million less than anticipated. They have now tapped into long term resources, and had to take out a line of credit. The association treasurer, Dan Trefethen, explained this is typical in the business world, but the first time in the association's history. Headquarters promises that there will be no reduction in services that the typical member will notice. They have reduced the budget to match 2009 revenue. There is a discussion of further tiered memberships. There is discussion about having joint meetings with “closely-related" professionals. They continue to promote the results of the alignment study. There are 900 members that pay $40.00 per year for their membership. Headquarters is looking at a new alignment and new revenue sources.
In short, we all had a great time at the annual conference and they remind us that the association is dependent upon the annual conference, but they admit annual conferences may be a thing of the past, and heartily encourage you to attend the next one, in Philadelphia, for your sake and the association’s sake.

-Bill Lee
July 2010

On a related note, I've added a few photos to the slideshow, and changed the format a bit. Take another look! http://s854.photobucket.com/albums/ab106/robindodge/SLA2010%20New%20Orleans/?albumview=slideshow

Stay tuned for more conference reports from our virtual attendees.

-Robin

Monday, July 5, 2010

Important announcement about the GIA Tour.

We have reached capacity for the GIA Tour. The library is small so we have to keep the group fairly small as well. If you have received an email from me, your RSVP is confirmed, except for a couple folks who RSVP'd at the last happy hour. Please email me at rdodge@fidm.edu so I have your email address.

I'll be creating a waiting list for this tour, in case any of our confirmed RSVPs decide they can't make it, or in case there's just a couple more interested, and then maybe we can just squeeze you in. Email me if you want to be put on the waiting list.

-Robin