SLA-SCC would like to invite all librarians, information professionals, library support staff and students in the San Gabriel area for lunch at 12:30pm! Enjoy a delicious meal and meet/network with your colleagues in the area. Bring your co-workers with you! The more the merrier.
Charlotte Wixx-Daniel, Librarian/Learning Resources Manager at PLATT COLLEGE will be hosting this area lunch meeting at
Tony Roma's
68 W. Main Street
Alhambra, CA 91801
See you there!
Belinda Beardt
SLA-SCC President-Elect 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
From the Archives ... Guy E. Marion
With SLA celebrating its centennial in 2009, the Southern California Chapter will periodically feature historical material from its rich archives.
From Special Libraries, July - August 1952:
Guy E. Marion was honored by the staff of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce on his retirement after twenty-eight years as librarian, statistician and manager of the Research Department.
Under Mr. Marion's guidance, the general public as well as the staff of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce was provided with historical, financial, technical and commercial information.
Existence of the U.S Census Bureau tract plan giving complete informational breakdowns on Los Angeles' small neighborhoods is credited to him. He is responsible also for inaugurating "green statistical sheets," a feature of the chamber of commerce service now known throughout the world.
Mr. Marion is a charter member of the Association. He served as SLA Secretary, 1910-1916, and as SLA President, 1918-1919. In 1923 the Southern California Chapter elected him its President.
From Special Libraries, July - August 1952:Guy E. Marion was honored by the staff of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce on his retirement after twenty-eight years as librarian, statistician and manager of the Research Department.
Under Mr. Marion's guidance, the general public as well as the staff of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce was provided with historical, financial, technical and commercial information.
Existence of the U.S Census Bureau tract plan giving complete informational breakdowns on Los Angeles' small neighborhoods is credited to him. He is responsible also for inaugurating "green statistical sheets," a feature of the chamber of commerce service now known throughout the world.
Mr. Marion is a charter member of the Association. He served as SLA Secretary, 1910-1916, and as SLA President, 1918-1919. In 1923 the Southern California Chapter elected him its President.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
SLA's Alignment Study: Words for Executive Presentation
One purpose of this SLA study was to help us find words that resonate with executive management.
From the report --
Specific areas of emphasis include making resources credible and easily
accessible, facilitating good decision-making, and saving time and money.
Knowledge sharing and continuous learning also tested well.
The best words for SLA:
We create a culture of knowledge sharing through global
networking to exchange information, innovative
ideas, insights and trends.
We champion the value of information professionals as
critical assets who provide value-added intelligence that
facilitates good decision-making and creates
competitive advantage for organizations.
Key Messages for the Professional to Use:
Knowledge Sharing
Information professionals are
accountable for gathering,
organizing and sharing the right
information for the best decisions.
Information professionals further
create a culture of knowledge
sharing by educating colleagues
on the best use of information
sources.
Global Networking
Through active global
networking, information
professionals promote the
exchange of information,
innovative ideas, insights and
trends.
Competitive Advantage
Information professionals ensure
organizations have the right
information, insights and trends to
make good decisions and gain
competitive advantage.
Bottom-line Benefits
Information professionals save
organizations time and money
by providing value-added
intelligence that is accurate,
reliable and relevant. We
deliver expert information to our
organizations in a timely,
accessible and convenient
manner.
From the report --
Specific areas of emphasis include making resources credible and easily
accessible, facilitating good decision-making, and saving time and money.
Knowledge sharing and continuous learning also tested well.
The best words for SLA:
We create a culture of knowledge sharing through global
networking to exchange information, innovative
ideas, insights and trends.
We champion the value of information professionals as
critical assets who provide value-added intelligence that
facilitates good decision-making and creates
competitive advantage for organizations.
Key Messages for the Professional to Use:
Knowledge Sharing
Information professionals are
accountable for gathering,
organizing and sharing the right
information for the best decisions.
Information professionals further
create a culture of knowledge
sharing by educating colleagues
on the best use of information
sources.
Global Networking
Through active global
networking, information
professionals promote the
exchange of information,
innovative ideas, insights and
trends.
Competitive Advantage
Information professionals ensure
organizations have the right
information, insights and trends to
make good decisions and gain
competitive advantage.
Bottom-line Benefits
Information professionals save
organizations time and money
by providing value-added
intelligence that is accurate,
reliable and relevant. We
deliver expert information to our
organizations in a timely,
accessible and convenient
manner.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Are you LinkedIn? Personal Branding Best Practices and Social Networking Etiquette
SLA-SCC and SLA-UCLA Student Chapter proudly presents...
Are you LinkedIn? Personal Branding Best Practices and Social Networking Etiquette
* What is LinkedIn? How does it work?
* What are personal and professional uses of LinkedIn?
* How do you effectively use it?
Speaker: Christian Gray, Business Development at Reprints Desk Inc.
Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Time: 5:30 p.m. Registration/Networking
6:00 p.m. Greek Buffet
7:00 p.m. Program
Cost: $25 SLA/SCALL/LACASIS Members; $15 Student/Retired/Unemployed; $35 Non-Members
Location: UCLA GSEIS Bldg. Room 111
Parking and Directions: To park on the UCLA campus, one must buy a daily permit from a UCLA Parking Kiosk. The nearest kiosk is at the Westwood Plaza off of Sunset Boulevard. Occasionally, permits are sold at individual parking lots on campus. Daily parking at UCLA is $9.00. The closest parking structures to the GSE&IS Building are Lots 3 and 5.
From the North (San Fernando Valley, Burbank, Central California Valley): Take the 405 freeway south through the Sepulveda Pass. Take Sunset Boulevard east until Royce Drive on the UCLA campus. Take a right on Royce Drive (Stone Canyon Drive above. Royce is the new name for Stone Canyon Drive on the UCLA campus. The GSE&IS Building is on the corner of Royce Drive and Charles E. Young Drive North.
From the South (LAX, Orange County, San Diego):
Take the 405 freeway north until the Sunset Boulevard exit. Once on Sunset Boulevard heading east, follow the instructions above.
From the East (Downtown Los Angeles, the Inland Empire):
Take the 10 freeway east until the 405 freeway. Take the 405 freeway north until the Sunset Boulevard exit. Once on Sunset Boulevard heading east, follow the instructions above.
----------------------------------REGISTRATION FORM---------------------------------------------------
Please complete registration form and mail it with your check payable to SLA-SCC no later than July 3rd to:
Belinda Beardt
P.O. Box 548
Burbank, CA. 91503
Name: _____________________________________________________
Affiliation: __________________________________________________
Email/Phone: _______________________________________________
[ ] $25 SLA/SCALL/LACASIS Members
[ ] $15 Student/Retired/Unemployed
[ ] $35 Non-Members
Are you LinkedIn? Personal Branding Best Practices and Social Networking Etiquette
* What is LinkedIn? How does it work?
* What are personal and professional uses of LinkedIn?
* How do you effectively use it?
Speaker: Christian Gray, Business Development at Reprints Desk Inc.
Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Time: 5:30 p.m. Registration/Networking
6:00 p.m. Greek Buffet
7:00 p.m. Program
Cost: $25 SLA/SCALL/LACASIS Members; $15 Student/Retired/Unemployed; $35 Non-Members
Location: UCLA GSEIS Bldg. Room 111
Parking and Directions: To park on the UCLA campus, one must buy a daily permit from a UCLA Parking Kiosk. The nearest kiosk is at the Westwood Plaza off of Sunset Boulevard. Occasionally, permits are sold at individual parking lots on campus. Daily parking at UCLA is $9.00. The closest parking structures to the GSE&IS Building are Lots 3 and 5.
From the North (San Fernando Valley, Burbank, Central California Valley): Take the 405 freeway south through the Sepulveda Pass. Take Sunset Boulevard east until Royce Drive on the UCLA campus. Take a right on Royce Drive (Stone Canyon Drive above. Royce is the new name for Stone Canyon Drive on the UCLA campus. The GSE&IS Building is on the corner of Royce Drive and Charles E. Young Drive North.
From the South (LAX, Orange County, San Diego):
Take the 405 freeway north until the Sunset Boulevard exit. Once on Sunset Boulevard heading east, follow the instructions above.
From the East (Downtown Los Angeles, the Inland Empire):
Take the 10 freeway east until the 405 freeway. Take the 405 freeway north until the Sunset Boulevard exit. Once on Sunset Boulevard heading east, follow the instructions above.
----------------------------------REGISTRATION FORM---------------------------------------------------
Please complete registration form and mail it with your check payable to SLA-SCC no later than July 3rd to:
Belinda Beardt
P.O. Box 548
Burbank, CA. 91503
Name: _____________________________________________________
Affiliation: __________________________________________________
Email/Phone: _______________________________________________
[ ] $25 SLA/SCALL/LACASIS Members
[ ] $15 Student/Retired/Unemployed
[ ] $35 Non-Members
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Janice Lachance Remarks about the SLA-SCC Professional Development Program
SLA-Southern California Chapter
Professional Development Program
19 May 2009 Remarks
Thank you, Teresa, and good evening. It has been quite a day, hasn't it? I know I have learned a lot, and I hope you have, too.
It is always a pleasure to be with a group of librarians and information professionals. You work in an amazing array of jobs. But you have so much in common. You are smart. You are savvy. And you are incredibly well informed.
You are, in fact, so well informed that I can make one important assumption: All of you understand that the economy--to use a technical term--stinks right now. Whether we are employed or not, virtually all of us are all feeling the pinch, both at home and on the job.
And, hindsight being 20/20, many of us have composed retroactive Wish Lists . . . things we would have done differently had we known a recession was coming. Here is a personal example:
* I wish I could take the money I invested in my 401K Plan . . . and put it under the mattress, where at least it wouldn't be losing value!
* And . . . I wish that the mattress I put it under was the perfectly good innerspring one I had . . . before I decided I needed the super-temper-foam-air thing with the remote control . . . so I could take the money I spent on the fancy mattress and put it under that good old mattress, too.
* Oh, and add my investment in those 600-thread-count sheets and the super-down comforter, too. I'd rather have a security blanket, thank you very much!
And then there is the professional Wish List. If they could turn back time... read more
Professional Development Program
19 May 2009 Remarks
Thank you, Teresa, and good evening. It has been quite a day, hasn't it? I know I have learned a lot, and I hope you have, too.
It is always a pleasure to be with a group of librarians and information professionals. You work in an amazing array of jobs. But you have so much in common. You are smart. You are savvy. And you are incredibly well informed.
You are, in fact, so well informed that I can make one important assumption: All of you understand that the economy--to use a technical term--stinks right now. Whether we are employed or not, virtually all of us are all feeling the pinch, both at home and on the job.
And, hindsight being 20/20, many of us have composed retroactive Wish Lists . . . things we would have done differently had we known a recession was coming. Here is a personal example:
* I wish I could take the money I invested in my 401K Plan . . . and put it under the mattress, where at least it wouldn't be losing value!
* And . . . I wish that the mattress I put it under was the perfectly good innerspring one I had . . . before I decided I needed the super-temper-foam-air thing with the remote control . . . so I could take the money I spent on the fancy mattress and put it under that good old mattress, too.
* Oh, and add my investment in those 600-thread-count sheets and the super-down comforter, too. I'd rather have a security blanket, thank you very much!
And then there is the professional Wish List. If they could turn back time... read more
Monday, June 1, 2009
Aviation for Info Geeks
The science, engineering, poetry, philosophy, skill and beauty of flying provides a great proving ground for personal mastery, and rich with information in all manner of formats, styles and symbols, as I hope to illustrate by references in this post.
Aviation has captured the imagination of some of us SLA-SCC members, and I was happy to recently sponsor Past President David Cappoli and his son Sam on a visit to The A & E Flying Club, of which I'm a proud member, to celebrate flight and learn more about the aircraft that allow us humans to go aloft!
Sam has frequently landed his Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft at Hawthorne in the game, and he got a kick out of being at the actual field.
A&E was formed in 1949, at the airfield named for engineer and designer Jack Northrup, who formed Northrop Aircraft in Hawthorne in 1939. The aviation administration (was CAA, now FAA) core rating and license for a mechanic used to be called "A&E" for airframe & engine (now known as "A&P" -- airframe & powerplant), hence the club name. And the club focus; we have always done some of our own maintenance on the planes we own, under the supervision of the mechanics - a fantastic way to learn more about how airplanes work! (See 14 CFR ¤ 43; Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations covers Aeronautics and Space.)
The Cappoli's joined the N7598S Cessna 182 crew.
A&E members all serve on the crew for one of the club planes. N7598S is the tail number for the aircraft, part of an official global registry (N=USA). On air traffic radio calls, pilots often use the last few characters of the tail number, after stating it in full at the beginning of a contact. 98S (the last characters are also used for shorthand/affection!) is a "high-performance" general (as opposed to commercial) aviation aircraft, because it has a engine over 200 horse power -- 98S's is 230 bhp.
Amongst other maintenance tasks, the Cappoli's and I checked the oil filter - a critical monthly maintenance task to be sure nothing is grinding in the engine. The evidence of possible grinding is metallic bits that get in the oil and are trapped in the filter. First you have to saw open the tough thing!
Then, cut out the accordioned filter piece. We managed, and determined 98S was safe in this regard (we did not see anything other than scraps from our sawing the aluminum case! and the magnet did not pick up anything).
Acronyms are a large part of aviation communication - fortunately, we librarians are already well versed in alphabet soup! Here is an example. It would be common to make a requst to Air Traffic Control (ATC) while on a tower-enroute-control (TEC) instrument flight something like this:
"SoCal Approach, this is Cessna N7598S (said "November 7 5 Niner Eight Sierra"), we have gone missed (did a low approach with no landing) at Long Beach, would like to request the Localizer 25 approach into Hawthorne, we have their ATIS (Automated Terminal Information System) Lima."
For further acronyms, and visual information, see this image of the approach plate for the HHR LOC (Hawthorne airport localizer) 25 approach.
Google Earth, a huge information resource including a desktop application, has changed aviation! One can "fly" a route online before actually doing it in person. While I love the symbology of both VFR (visual flight rules) sectional charts and IFR (instrument flight rules) low altitude enroute charts, it is even more helpful to get a glimpse of the actual terrain and route.
For more information, check out:
* The A&E Flying Club Webcam if you want to keep an eye on our birds!
* "Erratic Flight Path" - My admittedly sporadic aviation blog
Sara Tompson
SLA-SCC 2009 Professional Development Chair
Aviation has captured the imagination of some of us SLA-SCC members, and I was happy to recently sponsor Past President David Cappoli and his son Sam on a visit to The A & E Flying Club, of which I'm a proud member, to celebrate flight and learn more about the aircraft that allow us humans to go aloft!
Sam has frequently landed his Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft at Hawthorne in the game, and he got a kick out of being at the actual field.
A&E was formed in 1949, at the airfield named for engineer and designer Jack Northrup, who formed Northrop Aircraft in Hawthorne in 1939. The aviation administration (was CAA, now FAA) core rating and license for a mechanic used to be called "A&E" for airframe & engine (now known as "A&P" -- airframe & powerplant), hence the club name. And the club focus; we have always done some of our own maintenance on the planes we own, under the supervision of the mechanics - a fantastic way to learn more about how airplanes work! (See 14 CFR ¤ 43; Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations covers Aeronautics and Space.)The Cappoli's joined the N7598S Cessna 182 crew.
A&E members all serve on the crew for one of the club planes. N7598S is the tail number for the aircraft, part of an official global registry (N=USA). On air traffic radio calls, pilots often use the last few characters of the tail number, after stating it in full at the beginning of a contact. 98S (the last characters are also used for shorthand/affection!) is a "high-performance" general (as opposed to commercial) aviation aircraft, because it has a engine over 200 horse power -- 98S's is 230 bhp.Amongst other maintenance tasks, the Cappoli's and I checked the oil filter - a critical monthly maintenance task to be sure nothing is grinding in the engine. The evidence of possible grinding is metallic bits that get in the oil and are trapped in the filter. First you have to saw open the tough thing!
Then, cut out the accordioned filter piece. We managed, and determined 98S was safe in this regard (we did not see anything other than scraps from our sawing the aluminum case! and the magnet did not pick up anything).
Acronyms are a large part of aviation communication - fortunately, we librarians are already well versed in alphabet soup! Here is an example. It would be common to make a requst to Air Traffic Control (ATC) while on a tower-enroute-control (TEC) instrument flight something like this:"SoCal Approach, this is Cessna N7598S (said "November 7 5 Niner Eight Sierra"), we have gone missed (did a low approach with no landing) at Long Beach, would like to request the Localizer 25 approach into Hawthorne, we have their ATIS (Automated Terminal Information System) Lima."
For further acronyms, and visual information, see this image of the approach plate for the HHR LOC (Hawthorne airport localizer) 25 approach.
Google Earth, a huge information resource including a desktop application, has changed aviation! One can "fly" a route online before actually doing it in person. While I love the symbology of both VFR (visual flight rules) sectional charts and IFR (instrument flight rules) low altitude enroute charts, it is even more helpful to get a glimpse of the actual terrain and route.For more information, check out:
* The A&E Flying Club Webcam if you want to keep an eye on our birds!
* "Erratic Flight Path" - My admittedly sporadic aviation blog
Sara Tompson
SLA-SCC 2009 Professional Development Chair
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The 2009 Karen Sternheim Memorial Scholarship
We have the pleasure to announce that this year's Karen Sternheim Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to Michelle Gorospe and Allison Schulte (click to read their statement), two students who have distinguished themselves in meaningful, and quite different, ways that exemplify the very best in our profession.
The Scholarship Committee came away from this year's judging process convinced that the profession is in very good hands. Together, all of the applicants and their essays revealed a new generation of librarians who are not only forward-reaching in their thinking, but aware that they are building on a long tradition of good scholarship.
But two in particular stood out, equally so, and for very different reasons; the judges finally decided on a split decision -- something that has happened only once before in the history of the Sternheim Scholarship.
Allison and Michelle focused on issues of profound importance to 21st century librarians; although their topics were quite different, we felt that each demonstrated a deep passion for her subject, and that this holds the promise of bringing these messages to the wider profession as these two students pursue their careers.
Michelle, who works full-time as the Stacks Supervisor at UCLA Law Library while taking a full class load in the UCLA MLIS program, listed her special librarianship areas of interest as "law libraries and special collections in general, and preservation and collection development in particular." For her, the issues of assuring authenticity and integrity in digital documents is one of the greatest challenges facing special librarians today, regardless of their domain.
Allison, a full-time student in the SLIS program at SJSU, a clerk for Los Angeles Public Library, and the librarian at the Tom of Finland Foundation (Tom was a renowned artist of gay male erotica), finds her passion "in providing information to under served communities and preserving archives that are often culturally devalued and go unprotected." For her, the difficult balance between assuring freedom of access to information amid community-imposed limitations is more pressing than ever.
These issues, and many others, will require thoughtful professionals not only to raise awareness, but to guide best practice and help special libraries navigate them in the coming years. The judges were convinced that in Michelle and Allison, special libraries will have two very special advocates.
Allison and Michelle will recieve their awards this fall at the SCC-SLA chapter awards dinner, a date for which is expected to be announced soon. They also will be recognized at the chapter's annual Sternheim Scholarship fundraiser, scheduled from 4:30-8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Los Angeles County Arboretum.
Please join us in congratulating Allison and Michelle. We extend our thanks and gratitude to all the candidates, as well as to the committee members:
Rita Costello, Director, UCLA Rosenfeld Management Library
Keith Gurtzweiler, Vice President, Recruiting, Library Associates,
Vicky McCargar, Archivist, Mount St. Mary's College
Please mark the fundraiser date -- Sept. 26, 2009 -- on your calendars, and plan to attend what promises to be a fun and entertaining gathering.
SLA UCLA Student Chapter Meeting
Janice Lachance, CEO of Special Libraries Association (SLA), spoke to the SLA UCLA Student Chapter about opportunities available in special libraries, job market outlook, skills needed to become a special librarian and importance of professional associations over free pizza!
Friday, May 22, 2009
SLA-SCC Professional Development
A great big "THANK YOU" to Sara Tompson, Associate Dean for Public Services at USC Libraries, for putting together and moderating an outstanding SLA-SCC Professional Development program, Doing More With Less: Creative Ways To Provide Outstanding Service In Tough Economic Times on May 19th at the USC University Club.
Panel presenters included Sue Brewsaugh, Library Manager at The Boeing Company, Doris Helfer, Chair, Technical Services at CSU Northridge, Janice Lachance, CEO of Special Libraries Association (SLA), Brian Raphael, Assistant Director at USC Gould Law Library, and Chris Schneider, Senior Account Manager at Elsevier.
The event was generously sponsored by Elsevier, USC Libraries and Thompson.
Check out USC Libraries news blog report on the SLA-SCC Professional Development Program Featuring Janice Lachance http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/governance/bodsection/ceocorner/09speeches/051909socali.cfm
Friday, May 15, 2009
Doris Helfer Receives Award at CSUN
Former Chapter President, Doris Helfer has been awarded the "Distinguished Teaching, Counseling, or Librarianship Award" by her peers at the California State University, Northridge. Doris was presented with her award at CSUN's Honored Faculty Reception on May 18, 2009. This is the first time that a member of CSUN's Library has received this award.
Please offer your congratulations to Doris.
Please offer your congratulations to Doris.
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