DC/SLA Chapter Notes January 2012

In this issue

President’s Corner

President’s Corner—1

By Lois Ireland, DC/SLA President

2011 In Review—2 Awards, accolades and adventures—4 DC/SLA holiday celebration—5 Seen around DC/SLA—7 What’s new at http://dc.sla.org/? - 7 Earthquakes, Hurricanes and Floods – Who Knew? : Disaster Planning & Information Facilities—9

If you’ve been following the discussion of the SLA Loyalty Project, you’re familiar with loyalty guru James Kane’s ideas on why people stay loyal to organizations. The two concepts that resonate most with me are people are looking for a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose.

We all want to feel acknowledged, to be known to others in a deeper, more profound way. You may recall from my bio where I’ve worked and where I went to library school, but those are only very small elements of who I am. To know each other in richer detail, we have to spend time together and have the opportunity to share those details. If you participated in the networking bingo game at the annual meeting/holiday reception in December, you may have learned that I’m a Maryland native, a former 4-Her and make my own yogurt.

These are the kind of sticky details that you might bring to mind the next time we meet, and could serve as a springboard for getting to know each other better. What does that have to do with SLA? Not much, but it shows the multitude of levels available for us to connect on. The more we’re connected, the more we feel we belong.

And we all want to have a sense of purpose, to feel that we’re gaining something or benefiting someone through our efforts and experiences. If we feel we’re wasting our time attending meetings or events, whatever they are, we’re going to stop attending.

Since the chapter level is the primary way many of us connect to SLA, I’ve been thinking about how to enhance that sense of belonging and purpose at the local scene.

It’s impossible to be all things to all people, but there is surely something we can do to make more people feel more connected and more valuable to the organization. I don’t know what that looks like right now, but I invite you to think about that with me.

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In the meantime, I encourage you to get involved with events and opportunities already in the works. There are volunteer opportunities, both short and long-term, listed on our signup page, so take a look and see if any grab your attention. And keep an eye out on the listserv for upcoming programs and activities. I hope to see you often, so we can learn more about each other.

2011 In Review

by Mary Talley, DC/SLA Immediate PastPresident

Happy New Year DC/SLA! I officially bowed out as DC/SLA President when I passed the gavel to Lois Ireland, 2012 President, at the December 8 Annual Meeting; but, one last task remains before my final exit left-stage and re-entry as Immediate Past-President. This is it - a summary of the activities and achievements that characterized DC/SLA in 2011.

My mission in 2011 has been on strengthening connections within the DC/SLA community and building connections to the professional communities beyond our immediate borders. As I’ve repeated throughout the year, building community is a serious issue for DC/SLA. From the end of 2010 through the beginning of 2011, we lost about 13% percent of our membership (the good news is that DC/SLA is still the largest chapter in SLA - no small feat in a global organization). It’s small comfort that other SLA chapters are in the same boat - too many of us in the same boat and we could sink. What else to do but take action and redouble our efforts to strengthen our community and find new approaches to rebuilding it?

To implement this strategy, I asked the board to focus on initiatives that would meet three specific goals: 

Increase relevancy,



Promote credibility,



Raise visibility.

Here is what I and (especially) the DC/SLA Board and Committees have done in 2011 to do that.

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Increase Relevancy

And, that’s not all.

In response to member input - particularly newer members - President-Elect Lois Ireland and I looked hard at our programming and made some big and small changes.



The Make-A-Connection Committee (led

by Janel Kinlaw, with Aimee Babcock-Ellis and Anna Forsher) restructured a former student/professional mentoring program to make it more relevant to today’s grad students - with the result of some 60 students and as many specialized information centers participating.



A Members-In-Transition Group is underway to support members are in a job transition, thanks to Victor Monti and Beth Kirton-Crane (Elections Chair).

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An Employment Portal is the works thanks Deena Adelman (2010-11 Volunteer Coordinator) and member David McBee.







The New Member Reception and the Volunteer Reception were combined into a highly successful DC/SLA Open House (thanks also to Victor Monti, Membership Chair). New member attendance increased over past years; recruitment of new volunteers increased; and funds were saved.

Lois greatly increased networking opportunities (a member priority) at all programs and created networking-specific events (e.g., DC/ SLA Open House, Annual Meeting and Reception).

Lois partnered with SLA divisions (Taxonomy and Government) to produce targeted programs (Taxonmies and Thesuari and FedSys) for specific member segments and to draw new audiences. And, thanks to James King, we partnered with the Maryland Chapter on a program on productivity measurements.

We know that our programs are attracting a large number of non-members (25% of program attendance was from non-members) - and we’re working on converting them to members. Attendance at programs overall grew.

I’m particularly proud of one relevancyincreasing project that DC/SLA was chosen to participate in: SLA’s Loyalty Pilot Project, with James Kane, a top expert in relationshipbuilding. Our team (James King, lead, Lois Ireland, Chris Vestal, Victor Monit, and me) is learning new strategies to build stronger relationships with both our existing and potential members. Our project will be presented during the Leadership Summit in January.

Promote Credibility DC/SLA members have a versatile mix of skills and expertise that is relevant to many nontraditional roles - but those who are doing the hiring may now know it. My goal was to use the DC/SLA blog and other media to promote this expertise beyond our immediate membership. Communications Secretary, Chris Vestal, ran with the idea and developed: 

Diverse Universe - blog posts, written by members in non-traditional positions, and



DC/SLA Radio - podcasts of DC/SLA programs posted to our new website.

As a result, we’ve seen the number of hits on our website dramatically increase with each blog post; and, when we launched our website in July, hits on the podcasts were so numerous we exceeded our monthly bandwidth allocation before the month was out.

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Raise Visibility DC/SLA’s biggest accomplishment in this arena is our new website - thanks to James King, DC/ SLA’s new Director, Technology and Innovation.

The website is allowing us to do so much more to raise our visibility to chapter and SLA members and beyond, through the podcasts, Employment Portal, and new seamless event registration (thanks to Lois Ireland) than was possible before.

And More This has been a year of accomplishments - some showy, like those mentioned above. Some not like the outstanding work done by Dave Hemingway-Turner, Vendor Relations Director, to build relationships with our vendor-partners and deliver vital sponsorship funding for our programs.

Or, like the work of DC/SLA Treasurer, Hannah Sommers, who has been instrumental in keeping a balanced budget in 2011, which has allowed DC/SLA to also provide partial funding for the SLA membership survey. Or, the work of Gretchen Sauvey, DC/SLA Secretary, whose efficient notetaking has kept the board on track and humming.

Final Thoughts I started the year a little amazed at being in the position of DC/SLA President. I ended the year still amazed - by how much can be accomplished by a community of (remarkable) information professionals (board members, committee chairs, volunteers, and members). Thank you all for being my community - it’s been a true pleasure working with every one of you.

Awards, accolades and adventures Congratulations to three DC/SLA members recently elected to the SLA Government Information Division executive officers: 

Aileen Marshall - Chair-Elect, 2012



Sharon Lenius - Secretary. 2012



Kari Anderson - Treasurer, 2012-2014

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DC/SLA holiday celebration

2011's President-elect Lois Ireland thanked 2011's President Mary Talley for her leadership.

2011 President Mary Talley was presented with a plaque for her leadership.

The 2011 DC/SLA Board was recognized at the annual meeting.

DC/SLA’s holiday celebration was held December 8, 2011 at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. (Photos by Abi Morgan)

Diane Schnurrpusch presented James King and Chris Vestal the 2011 Members of the Year Award .

The 2012 DC/SLA Board was welcomed in at the annual meeting

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Members networked over a buffet of heavy hors d'oeuvres.

DC/SLA's 2012 Board was introduced at the annual meeting.

Members enjoyed an evening of networking and fun at the Holiday Reception.

Members gathered for a door prize raffle.

Carrie Port was one of many attendees that enjoyed the buffet .

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Seen around DC/SLA Have you seen (and better yet, photographed) DC/SLA activities or members in action? Please submit with a brief description to chapternotes@dc.sla.org Holiday cheer at the DC/SLA Students/New Professionals monthly happy hour December 13 at the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse. (Thanks to Cheri Widowski)

What’s new at http://dc.sla.org/?

SLA takes us to Cuba in “American Librarians Visit Havana.”

DC/SLA’s Archives needs you!

Top ten self defense tips Check out “Top 10 Self Defense Tips” by Evan Dzierzynski, Owner and Lead Coach with NOVA Self Defense in preparation for the upcoming League of Lethal Librarians Self Defense Class.

American librarians visit Havana Susan Fifer Canby, Encore Caucus Convener, Past President of DC/

DC/SLA's Archives Committee is looking for two volunteers to help with digitizing the chapter's archival material. They'd work with the Washington archivist, Derek Gray, to account for the exact condition of the SLA archives material as well categorize its content of materials acquired since the Finders Aid was updated in 1985. It's a great way of getting hands on archival experience and to get involved with a digitization project!

Again if you're interested please contact Nate Evans at natev@loc.gov or 202.707.3864 at the Library of Congress.

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Earthquakes, Hurricanes and Floods – Who Knew?

Disaster Planning & Information Facilities

By Sharon Lenius The Military Libraries Group of DC/SLA sponsored a program on the topic of Disaster Planning, something that is often put on the back burner, in the bottom drawer, somewhere out of sight, until that disaster happens….maybe not in your organization, but to a related agency or perhaps to a personal friend. This is your wakeup call!

is where training of personnel can be so important. Triage of damaged materials, structure is priority after safety of personnel. Anne recommended the purchasing a “Salvage Wheel,” developed by the Heritage Preservation Group and another publication available from HPG, Field Guide to Emergency Response. Check out the website at www.heritagepreservation.com.

Personnel Safety, Water, Decisions…all were words frequently mentioned as a panel of three provided insight into recent disasters in the DC area. Tahirih Fusscas, Panel Facilitator introduced the participants, providing insightful background into their experiences with disasters and disaster planning.

Supreme Court of the United States

Library of Congress Anne Harrison of the Library of Congress, FEDLINK Services since 2000 pointed out that there are risks for all information facilities, both external - floods, hurricanes, and internal - malfunctions of water sprinklers, fires. All should be considered in developing or updating a Disaster Plan.

The Emergency Management Cycle consisting of PREPAREDNESS (ID people, training and equipment) , RESPONSE (prevention of injury, initial response, short and long term recovery) and MITIGATION (survey, work through facility, establish priorities). This model was posited on the Library of Congress’ most common emergency – water damage, either from sprinkler failure, floods or other water related situations such as roof leaks.

In the case of water damage the response needs to be immediate to prevent further damage. This

William “Bill” Sleeman, Assistant Librarian for Technology and Special Services at the US Supreme Court, has been on the job for less than a year. The Disaster Plan was on the “To Do” list with all the other things involved in such a complex position. Of very special interest to the Supreme Court is a viable Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). The late August 2011 earthquake as experienced in the Washington, DC area was a wake-up call. The earthquake tumbled some books on the floor, but essentially the buildings were all right.

Plans were updated just in time for Hurricane Irene and the floods in DC. Facilities, especially the Rare Book Storage area was of special concern. The COOP and Disaster Plan both noted “disaster kits” with materials to help with items for building survey (flash lights) and collection remediation. But where were they stored? It became a case of “institutional knowledge” and a new person on board.

Materials at the Supreme Court Library Collection were endangered when a workman on a renovation project accidently kicked the cap from a sprinkler head. Water flooded down several floors and ranges of shelving. Employees

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moved to cover the metal shelves with tarpaulins, jumping to the top of stacks. They did not consider the safety element, however their quick thinking did protect some of the collection in that area. Public safety personnel moved in and stabilized the area. The Library Staff were very concerned about “the collection.”

Bill said that how you use your time prior to doing the initial recovery, that is knowing what is where in the collection, is an important part of any Disaster Plan. Knowing what is in off-site storage, what second copies are available elsewhere helps in making decisions when disaster strikes. An important issue in the “Sprinkler Disaster” was keeping the humidity down to prevent mold as shelving and materials dripped. Great support from the Court’s Contracting Office in those initial crucial hours and days helped with clean up and recovery. Identifying “swing space” where recovery processes could be set up was very important. The staff was working under a deadline, the First Monday in October.

Duplicates of many items were identified, brought in from storage, and those what could be saved were sent for recovery. In the end, 530 items were sent out. It is important to track was sent out and what was received back. The cost was $13 per book. The slightly warped covers and pages of some material provided a reminder of the water disaster.

Important points that Bill noted as the water disaster came under control were: Thank staff for their care and concern for the collections – but stress safety; brief senior people; review the disaster plan. Words to live by!

National Archives and Records Administration Dealing with an area the size of 10 football fields, thinking of roofs in acres are only a few things

that William “Jay” Bosanko, NARA Executive for Agency Services who works in the DC area at the Washington National Records Center (WNRC) of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) considers. Crucial records are preserved at the Suitland, MD site including those of the Courts, law enforcement documents and Congressional papers. WNRC is one of 17 facilities across the United States which holds documents that have a variety of destruction schedules and those “to keep until the end of the Republic.”

Earthquake followed by Hurricane Irene and flooding: These were two recent challenges for the WNRC. After the earthquake personnel were sent home due to concern for a structure that was built in the mid-1960’s. GSA owns the facility and a 2 a.m. decision was made that there was a possibility of structural collapse. Federal employees were notified not to report for work by a robo-call system. Contractors could not be reached and they reported for work the next day only to be greeted by Jay Bosanko and security guards.

Some of the things needed immediately were access to architectural drawings of the buildings; lots of flashlights and hard hats; and most important….structural engineers who could assess the damage that had been observed.

There was good news – the stair step cracks along cinderblock lines were not so dangerous, however the bad news was that the cracks through various cinderblocks were areas for major concern. The beams upholding the vast roofs which had seemed a major problem were in place; the pieces on the floor were only cosmetic.

Bad news followed; asbestos and lead paint, part of buildings from the early 1960’s, became a problem.

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WNRC had customers who needed access to materials held in the facility. Only emergency requests for materials could be filled for intel, law enforcement, homeland security, and emergency medical records. Limited personnel however found that there were asbestos and lead particles on top of the boxes. That had to be cleaned by HAZMAT teams, too.

When Hurricane Irene hit there was power loss and it was discovered that diesel gas for generators was difficult to acquire. Personnel could not get out of their houses due to flooding and lack of power so no one could report for work. This situation endured for two weeks while cleanup was accomplished.

In an effort for transparency and to reassure personnel about the safety of their work place, the tests for air quality and building safety were shared as workers reported to the facility, during

an “all hands” meeting, fueled by dozens of donuts. Morale was restored!

Some major lessons learned from the recent natural disasters, and agreed upon by all the panelists’ were: 1. Library of Congress’ safety net is the natural disaster information and expertise tied with training of personnel.

2. At the Supreme Court, communications presented a big problem. There was the assumption that everybody knew everybody. Reworking the process of POC’s and establishing a notification system and most importantly, keeping it updated is an ongoing protocol.

3. NARA leadership and staff did not change so much as the areas of concern. Safety first.

The major lesson for all organizations is: Planning helps!

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