2 July marks the anniversary of SLA's founding. Our founder, John Cotton Dana, wrote that the name Special Libraries Association, “was chosen with some hesitation, and rather in default of a better.” When SLA undertook the Alignment Project more than two years ago, a name change was not in our plans. However, the research has made it abundantly clear that we must consider one.
It has been quite a journey, beginning with in-depth research, including existing data from Outsell and SLA, work with a futurist, leadership roundtable discussions, and member focus groups around the United States and Canada. With the rich information gained from these exercises, Fleishman-Hillard constructed six statements about the value of information professionals and SLA, each based on a key theme that emerged from the research.
With member input, those statements were then refined and tested in the Alignment Survey. This was an in-depth global survey of info pros and C-Level executives in business, government, health care, consumer services and more. It included key audiences—not just info pros, but also people in fields like IT, HR, marketing and strategic planning. It helped us zero in on words and concepts that work—or don’t work—across the board.
In the language exercise, participants were asked to rate specific words and concepts in six statements. These statements, drawn from the findings of the alignment study, were created to communicate the value of the information profession and SLA. The terms “special library” and “special librarian” were the lowest-ranking concepts we tested. (View complete results here.)
Below are two of the statements tested. Terms found to be the most positive appear in green print below; those found to be most negative appear in red print. As SLA enters its second century, it is clear that we are burdened with a name that not only causes confusion but also fails to capture the aspirations of our members.
Statement #1 – Continuous Learning and Expertise
* Information professionals and special librarians develop and demonstrate knowledge management expertise across a broad range of industries and disciplines.
* Information professionals and librarians create a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing
* Access networks of experts and colleagues to obtain information and best practices for their customers
* Pursue continuous learning through innovative technology and education practices
* Promote information literacy through training and education on the effective use of information sources
Statement #4 –Professional Development and Advancement
* The Special Libraries Association promotes professional development and advancement by providing members with innovative resources and continuous learning opportunities.
* Offers comprehensive curricula on best practices and the latest advances in information management, delivered through Web-based courses
* Anticipates industry trends and provides members with opportunities to discover and explore the latest emerging technologies
* Provides opportunities to develop leadership skills and achieve professional success.
Our consultants, Fleishman-Hillard, who have strongly recommended that we consider a name change, provide the following guidance:
* Previous attempts to rename the Association have centered on more functional, title-driven alternatives. The challenge with this approach is that it is virtually impossible to capture all of the diverse job functions—and adjacent career tracks—which encompass the information profession.
* Instead, we recommend shifting the focus to more value-driven alternatives that provide a concise expression of who the Association is and the distinct value it uniquely delivers.
* Names that convey the concepts of “information leadership” and “knowledge networking” and “knowledge advantage” speak to the Association’s benefits on a deeper level, are more differentiated from other organizations in the competitive landscape and ultimately more inclusive of the broad range of disciplines that comprise the information profession.
After hearing these results, and after several months of discussion, the Board has asked the SLA staff to work with our consultants to recommend a new name. Fleishman-Hillard will base their advice on the research findings and test them with the same groups of respondents used in the Alignment Study to determine which name most powerfully conveys the value of the information profession to key audiences—people in business, government, health care, consumer services; info pros, C-level executives, and people in fields like IT, HR, marketing and strategic planning. Once the strongest name is determined, our attorneys will do “due diligence” to be certain it is not in use by another organization. Finally, the name will be presented to the entire SLA membership for an electronic vote.
Professional Knowledge Education Association PKEA
Posted by: Thomas Lavigne, Esq. | 02 July 2009 at 01:18 PM
Something with a good name AND acronym. Especially if the name is a mouthful.
Posted by: Michelle Mayes | 02 July 2009 at 02:06 PM
Bravo to everyone in leadership at SLA!
A strategic step of this proportion will demand tremendous trust, courage and determination from leadership and membership alike... something most organizations nearly always suffer too much inertia to exercise decisively.
Unifying around a new identity that both, aligns with one's current customers and constituents (in your case, members and the clients they serve) while also enabling maximum flexibility and room to maneuver in meeting future constituencies, is no small task.
As a renewing member for a bit more than a year now myself, I applaud the decisive leadership and impressive homework you've already done toward the goal of redefining a value-driven identity that encompasses information professionals of all stripes, particularly those working outside the library setting.
My very best wishes,
Arik Johnson
Founder & Chairman
Aurora WDC
Posted by: Arik Johnson | 02 July 2009 at 05:30 PM
What an exciting time to be part of this association! You can add to the discussion on Twitter by using the hashtag #slaname or by posting your comments and ideas to this wiki: http://wiki.sla.org/display/align/SLA+Name+Change
Posted by: stacey.greenwell | 05 July 2009 at 06:20 PM
Probably one of the best statement i've seen so far.
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