I have been trying to come up with a word that captures the spirit of last week's SLA Leadership Summit in Savannah. The best one so far is "stimulating." There was excitement about our SLA Centennial, which we celebrated in so many ways. There was also tremendous enthusiasm about kicking off SLA's second century by learning from the Alignment Project research. Just think: now SLA and the information profession can create data-driven messages--just like the organizations you support.
New SLA President Gloria Zamora and I gave a joint presentation at the opening session rather than the traditional separate remarks. We began with an overview of the ways economic conditions are affecting SLA and what we are doing to make sure that members get more, not less, from their professional association when they need us the most.
We then had a surprise vist from the avatar of SLA founder John Cotton Dana (who bore an amazing resemblance to longtime SLA member Richard Geiger). He told us a little about the birth of SLA and was interested to see where we are heading. I could almost hear the audience's synapses clicking as we presented the latest findings from the Alignment Project, which is already providing us with more effective ways to communicate about the information profession and your professional association.
If you were not with us in Savannah, you won't want to miss SLA 2009. Washington, D.C., is always an exciting place, but this year we have a new Administration, a host of new and newly-renovated museums and other attractions that makes the Nation's Capital a must-visit city.
