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Vol. 59, No. 2 November 1999 Contents President's Corner Real Knowledge Management: Best Practices for Starting and Running a Knowledge Management Program DC/SLA Discussion List September Neighborhood Dinners Minutes of the September 14 DC/SLA Board Meeting Are You an Experienced Librarian? Libraries in Asia Need Books and Journals Members' News John Crosby: An Insider's View of Information Politics in Washington Annual Holiday Reception President's Corner Washington DC Chapter, Special Libraries Association By Nancy Minter, DC/SLA 1999-2000 President, nminter@ui.urban.org Virtually Yours.... SLA is working to become more of a virtual association. You can already go in and review your own membership information and update it as necessary. Staff are now fine-tuning the Who's Who Online, to improve retrieval time. They will soon be testing event registration, implementing a virtual exhibit hall, and more. You will see more about these membership benefits in Information Outlook. We will also try to keep you all posted via our Chapter discussion list, so be sure to subscribe -- and urge your colleagues to do so, too. DC/SLA still produces its Chapter Notes both in paper and on our web page, so that all members have easy access to all the news about our activities and our Chapter. Many chapters, however, have gone paperless, producing their newsletters online only. Some automatically subscribe all members to the discussion list, to be sure they are "connected." Meeting notices are mailed out via snail mail. This would be considerably easier in a chapter with 150 members and quarterly meetings. For our 1100+ members and our monthly programming information, we have opted to keep our paper newsletter, complete with event announcements, and our 10 issues per year frequency is unusual among SLA's chapters and divisions. Our Strategic Planning Committee, recently constituted, may bring us other recommendations on this score. A recent extension of the virtual association idea is to create a mechanism for communicating with candidates for SLA-wide office. Since the Minneapolis conference this summer, the current candidates have been working on a plan for enhancing SLA elections, beginning with this first one of the new century. Let me assure you that all of the usual paper aspects of the SLA election that you're used to will continue: interviews in Information Outlook, Winter Meeting speeches to the leadership, and mailed ballots. In addition, SLA Headquarters staff have created a discussion list for members to post questions to candidates, a web site archive where answers to the discussion list questions can be viewed, and a Candidates' Election Chat Room. As a group, the candidates have discussed such topics as virtual election netiquette and what
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impacts this process could have on the SLA culture (positive and negative). All of us are quite excited about this and the opportunity to learn by doing. How to Access the Discussion List: To subscribe to the SLA Candidate Discussion List for the 2000 election, please send an e-mail to lists@lists.sla.org with the message "subscribe SLACANDIDATE". You may then ask the candidates questions or seek their comments. All candidates are subscribed to the discussion list. When you subscribe, you will get specific information on how to post to the list and how to get off (unsubscribe) the list. Information on contacting individual candidates is also included. Additional SLA candidate contact information can be found at: http://www.sla.org/assoc/board/bioboard/candid00.htm Archives: The list is archived regularly and many previous postings are available from this server. All past mail messages are collected into periodic logs. To obtain a listing of the available logs for this list, you may send the following request to lists@lists.sla.org: index SLA-CANDIDATE. Chat Sessions: There will be a series of chat sessions with the candidates, where you can go "live" and "talk" with candidates. First time users of the SLA chat room need to register to receive a chat user account. To do this, you click on "create a new user" on the Welcome to SLA Chat Room page at: http://www.sla.org/chat . If you've never tried electronic chat, you will need to download the free plug-in or just use the browser version which does not require a plug-in. Instructions are available at: http://slachat.sla.org/chat/world/html/index.html. The candidate chat sessions are currently scheduled for: Thurs. October 28 at.3:00 p.m, Tues. November 23 at 2:00 p.m., and Fri. December 10 at 11:00 a.m. SLA hopes to have the Chats archived for those who can't attend "live." So what's next? Stay tuned... -- Nancy Minter Return to contents
Real Knowledge Management: Best Practices for Starting and Running a Knowledge Management Program If you attended the SLA Annual Conference in June, or have picked up a recent issue of any professional journal, you know that knowledge management is the hot topic this year. Every consultant proclaims it; every vendor has a "solution." Beyond all the hype, what really works? To find out, join your peers for a look at best practices from top practitioners. Our program will guide you from planning, through piloting, to sustained operation, and will provide an inside look at successful knowledge management programs. Our speakers are: Lynne Davis-Gabriel (Manager, Knowledge Management, McGuire Woods Battle & Boothe); Jean Tatalias (Director, Information Management, The MITRE Corporation); and Nancy Holland (Director, Global Knowledge Exchange (GKE) ResearchStrategies, KPMG). WHEN: Monday, November 15, 8:30 a.m. -- 12:00 noon WHERE: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC (near Metro's Dupont Circle station)
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PROGRAM: 8:30 -- 9:00 Registration & Continental Breakfast 9:00 -- 12:00 Program COST: $15.00 Members, $7.50 Students & Retirees, $22.50 Non-Members REGISTRATION FORM: Name:____________________________Phone:________________ Organization:__________________________________________ Email Address:_________________________________________ __ This is my first DC/SLA event __ Student __ SLA Member __ DCLA Member __ LLSDC Member __ ASIS Member RSVP by Thursday, November 11th to: Mandy Baldridge, TeleSec/CORESTAFF, 11160 Veirs Mill Road, Suite 414, Wheaton, MD 20902; Fax 301-949-8729; email: mbaldridge@telesec.com Return to contents DC/SLA Discussion List Subscribe to the Chapter Discussion List! A great way to keep up with Chapter news and events is to join the DC/SLA Chapter Discussion List! This list was created to provide SLA DC Chapter members a means of quick & easy communication. To subscribe to the list, send an e-mail to: lists@lists.sla.org with the following in the body of the message: subscribe sla-cdc Firstname Lastname You will receive an automatic confirmation message once subscribed. For additional information, click here http://www.sla.org/chapter/cdc/list.html, or contact Greta Ober, 202-623-6413, e-mail: greta@worldbank.org Return to contents
September Neighborhood Dinners Chapter members gathered at eleven area dining establish-ments on the evenings of September 21, 22 and 23 to eat, drink and network. More than 80 members participated, in groups ranging from two to 15. Reports from the field indicate a wide range of conversational topics (we are, after all, a remarkably interesting profession), from Ireland to Bruce Springsteen. Attendees represented a wide range of occupational specialties: news organizations, associations, high-tech firms, vendors of systems and services, and at least one of that rare species -- a "generic government bureaucrat." At least two were student members! We did manage to focus on a little Chapter business, with great interest expressed in Global 2000, getting a group rate for Amtrak to Philadelphia for next June's Annual Conference (Anyone want to take that on? -- Give me a call!), and getting everyone to subscribe to the Chapter email list (visit the SLA website to find out how). Yet with all the diversity, everyone shared one thing: we all had a great time!
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Return to contents
Minutes of the 9/14 DC/SLA Board Meeting The DC/SLA Board met at the Urban Institute at 6:00 p.m. on September 14, 1999. The SLA Winter meeting will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, January 20-22. Chapter President, President-Elect, and elected Chairs should attend this meeting, as well as anyone who is interested in seeking one of these offices in the future. Other Chapter officers are also invited if interested. October 31 is the deadline for scholarship applications. Nominations for SLA-wide awards are due to SLA by December 10; if you have suggestions, contact Rick Davis, Chapter Awards Committee Chair. November 15 at the Carnegie Institute is "Real Knowledge Management." Leading practitioners from our Chapter will discuss what they have done in the knowledge management sector and what their practices are in this area. March 21, 2000 is Technology Day with the Maryland Chapter. There was a discussion on the appropriate content for Chapter Notes. A lot of ads appear in the newsletter, but not many articles. Among the potential topics identified for articles in upcoming issues were: how to move a library; web site reviews; profiles on members; and job lines. Volunteer contributions are needed, and to further this goal, the Board decided to provide free admission to each event to one "reporter," with this being coordinated by the Program Chair. Mary Talley was introduced as the new Business Manager of Chapter Notes. For a complete copy of the minutes, please e-mail Laura Foy, Recording Secretary, at labuy@msn.com Return to contents
Are You an Experienced Librarian? a message from Barbara Folensbee, Co-chair, Mentoring Committee Many of us have been in the library profession for a while but don't give ourselves credit for what we have learned. The DC chapter is seeking members who are willing to give themselves credit for being "experienced" and who are interested in sharing their experience with other librarians. The Mentoring Committee, led by Barbara Folensbee and Rhea Austin, is a new effort this year, and we are trying to determine the Chapter's needs. These might include: new librarians who need to talk to librarians in their subject area; not quite so new librarians entering the management ranks who need some suggestions or some support; or librarians who need a sympathetic ear on occasion to discuss job frustrations. Given the DC Chapter's large membership, there are probably needs in all these areas. Are you willing to participate? Would you like a mentor? Would you like to be a mentor? To help get the ball rolling, let us know what you want. Please send your comments or questions to Barbara Folensbee at folensbb@pepperlaw.com. Return to contents
Libraries in Asia Need Books and Journals
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Sue O'Neill Johnson and Sylvia Piggott took advantage of their visit to Bangkok, Thailand, where they attended the IFLA meeting, by visiting several libraries in Asia. For the most part, resources are very scarce, and students and professionals are struggling to get current English-language professional and educational reading material. How You Can Help DC-SLA members can help by sending donations of books and journals. Sending the materials from Washington to these countries is not a problem, but, you will need to send or bring them to Sue at the following address: The World Bank, Room 9-155, 1818 H St NW, Washington, DC 20433 (Send questions to sjohnson3@worldbank.org.) Below are listed the libraries that will receive the materials, with descriptions of what they need: The Institute of World Economy, Hanoi, Vietnam This institute houses the main economics collection of Hanoi, and is very much in need of any books or studies on economics, finance or business dealing with basics or international markets. The World Bank Country Office in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic There is not even a bookstore in Vientiane. The Liaison Officer there is interested in promoting general education and culture in English. She would like the library to be an inviting, informal place where students and professionals can come, read and learn. She would especially like National Geographic; Smithsonian; Foreign Affairs; Harvard Business Review; any monthly or quarterly magazines in the fields of economics, business and law; and basic reference books (like English or foreign language dictionaries, and encyclopedias). The content she is looking for is articles and essays on recent thinking, issues and facts discussed in these fields. The Economics and Finance Institute of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Dr. Sam Ghanty received his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin, and returned to Cambodia in the '80s to help his country. He is trying to build up the library and open it up to anyone who wants to use it. He needs any textbooks, studies or periodicals on economics, business or finance. Return to contents
Members' News Kenlee Ray recently retired from the World Bank and spent the summer as a Volunteer Librarian in rural Zimbabwe as part of a pilot program sponsored by two NGOs, the World Library Partnership (WLP) in Bahama, North Carolina, and the Rural Libraries and Resources Development Programme (RLRDP) in Zimbabwe. After her volunteer stint, she attended the 1999 Zimbabwe International Book Fair in Harare. On November 12, along with Margaret Hite and Laura Wendell, officers of the WLP, she will be giving a program for the Development Information Workgroup of the Society for International Development, entitled "African Voices: the Importance of Indigenous Publishing". They will discuss the role of the Zimbabwe International Book Fair in promoting African publishing, examples of specific publishing projects and issues surrounding donated books from abroad. Iris Anderson, Team Leader of Document Delivery at the Joint World Bank-IMF Library, has written an article that will appear in the November issue of Information Outlook. In "To Bind or Not to Bind: Pros & Cons of Maintaining Paper Periodicals in the Library's Collection," she talks about the choices librarians are facing today as the number of electronic journals increases and as they become integral parts of the library's collection. Should the paper equivalents of electronic journal titles be discarded? What are the advantages and disadvantages of keeping journals in both formats? Availability, completeness, cost, licensing issues, archival concerns, and media
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obsolescence are addressed as primary considerations. Do you have news to share? Use this column to tell the Chapter about your career change, your new job, promotion or retirement; the award you recently received; the presentation you delivered at the conference; or the article you just published. Send us your news! E-mail the editors at cneditors@yahoo.com. Return to contents
John Crosby: An Insider's View of Information Politics in Washington by Roberta Geier, Chair, Government Relations Committee John Crosby, SLA's Public Communications Director, presented the association's key legislative agenda at the Chapter's October meeting. This year's issues include copyright and intellectual property rights -- an ongoing, crucial issue for libraries; access to government information for all; the development of a global information infrastructure; global telecommunications development and taxation of the Internet; and advocacy for the profession. From 1996 to his promotion this year, John served as Director of Government Relations. His new responsibilities include directing government relations, marketing and public relations. He actively monitors pending legislation and joins the library community in testifying for or against appropriate legislation. His past work experience which included writing position papers and lobbying, has prepared him well for his current role at the Association. After updating the audience on developments at the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) and their political ramifications, Crosby outlined several pending bills. He said that the Collection of Information Antipiracy Act, HR 354, does not go far enough in the exemption of research and education activities. He obseved that another bill related to these issues, HR 1858, sponsored by Virginia representative Tom Bliley provides better provisions. However, he believes that HR 354 will be passed because the information community is not large enough to counter its supporters. He said that the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA), sponsored by the National Council of Commissioners for Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL), will be introduced in state legislatures across the United States. Hearings have taken place in Virginia and Oklahoma. Crosby explained that this controversial bill seeks to replace the public law of copyright with the private law of contract. It recognizes the click-on/shrink-wrap licensing provisions that thwart the user's ability to know the provisions prior to opening the work. He said it would undercut fair use, preservation and the unhindered use of works in the public domain. Crosby added that the library community is taking a proactive role concerning the Digital Copyright legislation from the last congressional session. For example, ALA is undertaking a study of copyright and fair use, and will present its results to the US Copyright Office. Throughout his presentation, the audience engaged him in a lively and informative discussion of these issues. The speaker said that SLA must take on a broader role internationally. He advocated working with international library associations and librarians to open a dialogue about intellectual property and copyright issues in the global community. Although it is difficult to include librarians from developing countries in the discussion, he said it is essential. At the same time, he recognized that international interests must be balanced with the demands of the rank-and- file members and local issues. Crosby invited the DC/SLA chapter to take an active role in supporting Association issues by calling or writing our Congressional representatives. He said that with our presence in the nation's capital we can be active, and recommended that we watch the list-serv for calls to action.
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Many SLA leaders, in town for the Association's board meeting, also attended the event. Current President Susan S. DiMattia, Past President L. Susan Hayes, President-Elect Donna Scheeder, and the presidential candidates for the 2000 election, Hope Tillman and Stephen Abram, were among the guests. Return to contents
Annual Holiday Reception Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Come to the Annual Holiday Reception! The Washington, DC Chapter wants YOU to join your peers in celebrating the last holiday season of the millenium! Our setting will be the beautiful Arts Club of Washington. So gather with us for exceptional food, scintillating conversation, and a few special surprises! This event is sponsored in part by Lexis-Nexis. DATE & TIME: Tuesday, December 7, 1999 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. PLACE: Arts Club of Washington, 2017 Eye Street NW, Washington, DC (near the Farragut North and Farragut West Metro stations) PRICE: $28.00 Members $14.00 Students and Retirees $42.00 Non-Members REGISTRATION FORM: Name:____________________________Phone:________________ Organization:__________________________________________ Email Address:_________________________________________ __ This is my first DC/SLA event __ Student __ SLA Member __ DCLA Member __ LLSDC Member __ ASIS Member RSVP by Thursday, December 2nd to: Mandy Baldridge, TeleSec/CORESTAFF, 11160 Veirs Mill Road, Suite 414, Wheaton, MD 20902; Fax 301-949-8729; email: mbaldridge@telesec.com Return to contents
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