THE BULLETIN - Business & Finance Division - Special Libraries ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

B&F Bulletin and going—a true testament to the high caliber of the conference sessions. The rest of my days were filled with thought-provoking lectures and walks through the sense-tantalizing exhibit floor. At first I was a little leery to approach the exhibitors, as I didn’t want to feel like I was wasting their time. I’m not currently in a position where I have any purchasing power in my organization, so I didn’t know how eager they would be to spend time with me. As with the many conference attendees, each of the vendors I spoke with was warm and welcoming. They took the time to explain their product to me, even though, in most cases, it was unlikely that a sale would result from their efforts. Each evening, as I had intended, I headed to a variety of social gatherings. One night I attended another dinner round-table; a second evening, I “party hopped” between vendor and division events. Regardless of what I was doing, I had a good time, met interesting people, and learned a bit more about the variety of careers and experiences possessed by individuals working in the world of special libraries. So, back to my three questions: Would I enjoy myself? Would I feel welcomed, being a graduate student and a conference first-timer? Would I walk away from the experience with a better idea of where I would like to take my career? As I stated in the beginning, the answer to each of these questions is Yes! I had a great time; I met a variety of people who all seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me and help out in whatever way they could; and my career horizons have been expanded exponentially. (In fact, I have a phone interview this week that is a direct result of the contacts I made at the conference.) Thank you again, B&F, for funding this opportunity! It has been the boost to take me to the next step on my “climb to new heights.” Leslie Wolf will receive her Masters in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University in May 2008. She has a BA in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Berkeley. Leslie has over 15 years of experience as a service quality consultant, helping clients to improve performance in service metrics; processes and procedures; project management; and internal communication. My conference experience started on Friday, when I met two lively librarians on the airport shuttle to Denver. It ended on Wednesday, when I got on the airport shuttle to find a colleague from San Francisco on her way home. Wherever I looked around Denver, there were librarians—at the coffee shop; at the cocktail parties; at the hotel; at the Denver Museum. At the conference center I saw them listening, sharing, and blogging. Everywhere I looked, people were embracing old friends and making new ones. Everyone I talked to was encouraging and happy to answer the questions uppermost on my mind: how did people find their career path, and—because I needed to register the next week for classes—do I really need to take cataloging? The answers: I learned about the diversity of jobs possible with an MLIS, and I signed up for cataloging this fall. Another benefit was one you might not expect. The San Jose State University MLIS program is a longdistance learning program. Some of my classes are conducted only online, and some meet on campus once or twice a semester. I was surprised and pleased to find three people I knew from the program, and we had a great time over dinner comparing sessions, giving advice on classes, and offering career help. Choosing the “right” conference session is hard; there are always two others that look equally intriguing. Here are three that stood out for me. “Making a Business Case for the Information Center”: Lesley Robinson presented a thorough business case outline and facilitated some lively group interactions. Her discussion of the sweeping changes she made at the Financial Times was absorbing, and participants shared innovative ideas to measure the value of their information centers. It’s clear that you can never be complacent—you must always demonstrate value and actively market your services. “Finding the Concept: Using Ontologies and Semantics”: Because I just finished classes in vocabulary design and Web 2.0, I was fascinated to learn about the “next big thing”—the power of ontology to create Web-like relationships and to help people find concepts even when they don’t know exactly what words to search. “Collection Development in the Electronic Age”: We got a great set of questions to ask of the users and the vendors when purchasing digital resources. It= Spring 2007 20
B&F Bulletin also showed an interesting view of the digital divide: The University of Auckland Library is almost entirely digital. The Linda Hall Library is heavily committed to print resources with limited digital resources. Both made compelling cases for their divergent paths. Attending SLA was a great experience. I want to thank the Business & Finance Division for this wonderful opportunity. I enjoyed meeting so many people at the breakfast and the awards reception, and I’m looking forward to serving on a committee and contributing to the success of the Division. In the process, I know I’ll build relationships and learn more about the workworld of the special librarian. SLA Europe’s Student Stipend Award Winner Business & Finance Division SLA Europe collaborated with SLA Business & Finance to provide an exciting opportunity for students who have never attended an Annual Conference. Any student currently enrolled in a library studies program during the academic year of 2006–2007 was eligible to participate. SLA Europe’s board hopes to continue this award in 2008 with continued cooperation from the SLA Business & Finance Division. This year’s award winner, Verena Till, attended the June 2007 SLA Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado, and will serve on a panel to determine next year’s award winner. Verena Till has been enrolled in Library and Information Management at Stuttgart Media University, Germany since 2005. At the moment she is completing a six-month internship in the information research division at a large market research company in Munich. During her studies she has focused on marketing and economic courses and project work. She will finish her studies in summer 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Library and Information Management As I applied for the LIS Student Stipend Award of SLA Europe, Business & Finance Division, I dreamed of being selected. But then, weeks after my application had been submitted, I suddenly had an e-mail in my mailbox—“Dear blablabla nachschauen”—what a happy day and what a wonderful message! Finally, on June 1st my big adventure started: the annual SLA Conference 2007 in Denver. After a long flight I arrived in Denver in the evening. It was my first time in the United States. My first thought was: HUGE! Everything seemed to be huge: the landscape, the sky, the mountain chain in the distance, and the high rises on the Denver skyline. This impression went on the next day, when I went to the convention center. Very impressed by the size of the building and the conference area, I couldn’t wait for the conference to begin. The next few days were so full and interesting for me, as it was not only my first time in the United States, but it also was my first big conference. There were many interesting people who love their profession and who gave me an idea of what “information professional” really means. I attended informative lectures like “Making a Business Case for the Information Center,” I heard about CI worldwide, learned how to speak as if my career depended on it, and how to use Google more efficiently. Of course, I also spent a lot of time in the big and exciting exhibit hall: had small talks with the exhibitors, had my handwriting analyzed, indulged in a free massage, had snacks, etc. Impressive to me was the opening session with many special moments as awards were presented and the compelling speech by Al Gore. Of course, I also had time to see Denver—big buildings, friendly people, a charming little street festival. I did a little bit of shopping and often bought some coffee at Starbucks, which could be found on every corner. Briefly said, Denver was the place to be. But, it was of course not only the events and the professional input, or the city that made this conference unforgettable. Above all, it was the people. I met amazing people from all over the world, I had wonderful dinners and attended parties, I learned about networking, and not least, I learned about life. I feel proud of being part of this wonderful organization and I am very thankful. Thanks to all the people (especially the folks from SLA Europe and the Business & Finance Division) who made this trip possible for me and looked after me so kindly. Of course, these six days were exhausting, not least because of the exposure to the English language. I enjoyed each single day and I am sure that I will never forget about this adventure. Awilda Reyes West Chester University areyes@wcupa.edu 610/436-3206 Spring 2007 21
Page 1 and 2: CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE . . . Viewpo
Page 3 and 4: B&F Bulletin For some of us, the ve
Page 5 and 6: B&F Bulletin In a global economy wh
Page 7 and 8: B&F Bulletin Mentoring Milestones L
Page 9 and 10: B&F Bulletin What to do about the g
Page 11 and 12: B&F Bulletin On the Job One of the
Page 13 and 14: B&F Bulletin Conference Connections
Page 17 and 18: B&F Bulletin Mission The day I came
Page 19: B&F Bulletin In emerging markets, t
Page 25 and 26: B&F Bulletin • Applications are t
Page 27 and 28: B&F Bulletin SLA News NEWSNOTES SYL
Page 29 and 30: B&F Bulletin Chair Hal Kirkwood, As

THE BULLETIN - Business & Finance Division - Special Libraries ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?