To Your Success

The dictionary says that an association is “an organization of persons having a common interest.”  At SLA for the past one hundred years, that common interest has been your professional success.  

SLA will begin a new century with a firm foundation on which to build new and better opportunities for librarians and information and knowledge professionals.  Technology gives us the means to exchange ideas and information on a massive scale, and I am confident that we have only seen the tip of the collaborative iceburg.  It also makes learning easier and more convenient than ever before. The Alignment research gives us solid guidance on how to position our industry in the marketplace.  

But our greatest asset is our connection to one another.  The strength of our bonds will determine the success of SLA and of our members in the coming months and years. You will see that strength each time a member answers a query from another member or steps up to the plate to assume a leadership position in a chapter or division.  Our strength will be measured in the time put into every SLA award nomination, chapter program or conference session. 

As this centennial year draws to a close, I wish each of you a successful new year—and SLA a successful second century.

Comments

[Chuck]

Sweet spin!
Leadership has FAILED yet again and in rather spectacular fashion.

[Severino]

I agree. The current management, headed by Janice Lachance, is totally out of touch with the SLA membership.

[Gloria Zamora]

These kinds of comments serve no purpose and are hurtful. The SLA Leadership and staff have been intimately involved with the alignment for over three years. We looked at the results and we spent much time in discussion of the results and a path forward. Tools have already been developed for you, the membership to communicate your value. The membership asked us to move on a new name. We did. We were bold. We took a risk. If you are afraid to take risks you can not and should not be in a leadership position. The majority of those who voted did not agree. Fine! We will still move on with the alignment and make every attempt to move the association and the profession forward.

I am extremely proud of the work the staff, under Janice Lachance's leadership did for this effort. They deserve our gratitude not trashing as is displayed in these disrespectful comments. Janice is recognized throughout the library/information/knowledge community and among her association peers as a leader in this profession. She is in demand for her guidance and advice. I cannot comprehend why some of our members do not recognize the same qualities. I sincerely hope she does not decide to leave for another organization that recognizes, appreciates and rewards her outstanding leadership skills. Because if she does SLA it will be our loss. I am proud to know Janice and I respect her enormously.

[Chuck]

Gloria,
As for the disrespect card you just played, well you earn what you get.

If she is in such demand for her advise and guidance maybe it is high time she moved on.

[John Crosby]

I won't dignify the disrespect shown by some here except to say that these comments don't reflect the commanding majority of SLA members and their opinions/perceptions of Janice Lachance or the staff. Those of you who choose to play this game need to figure out why you belong to an association in the first place. If you belong so that you can tear others down, then clearly you are reflecting some level of disrespect and harm done to you. I am sorry you've had to deal with that but, then again, you know how it feels. So knock it off. There's no place for it here. As a fellow member, I'd rather have your membership dollars refunded so that you may go elsewhere to seek emotional satisfaction.