Assorted Cool SLA Stuff

A few things have been happening at SLA where I am still president through year end. I encourage you to check out the SLA website (and join SLA) but I thought I’d highlight a few things today.
The SLA Salary Survey was just released and we’re trying to get the word out. Here’s a link to the SLA Blog post about it:
http://slablogger.typepad.com/sla_blog/2008/11/2008-sla-salary.htmlOf course there’s a free component as well as the full report for a fee.
Also, check out the SLA Information Center Connections blog (esp. the posts on value). The librarian’s librarians point to some cool stuff and it’s worth subscribing to.
http://slaconnections.typepad.com/info_center_blog/ They also manage a bunch of RSS feeds for members from NewsGator and Factiva on LIS issues that are very cool.
And 2009 is SLA’s Centennial! The SLA Centennial Commission announced the launch of the SLA Centennial Celebration Web site, the official gateway to celebrations for the 2009 SLA Centennial! One hundred years later, SLA continues to promote that spirit of knowledge sharing among information professionals and our value to the global information and knowledge based economy..
It is time to start getting excited for an amazing SLA Centennial Celebration in 2009! The DC annual conference promises to be spectacular. Not sure how to get your own celebration underway? How about getting started on your entry for the SLA Centennial Video Contest!?!
Also we have the cool fact that SLA Granted Observer Status in WIPO. Being granted observer status to meetings of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO grants SLA an important voice in intellectual property and provides an additional forum for advocacy. More here. SLA is also participating in executive discussion at hte SIIA, one of the most influential industry associations as well as being invited to the Google D.C.offices for a private briefing and Q&A on the court’s decision regarding the Google, Authors Guild, and the Association of American Publishers settlement. We’re getting to the table more often than ever.
Now add to that the additional newer benefits of SLA membership – particiption in the SLA 23 Things, access to the SLA Innovation Lab, access to 1,000 plus eBooks on managment and leadership, weekly business book summaries, access to 23,000 plus technology videos, Gary Price’s great advice and links, the CLICK U free course of the month, and more – and you get a pretty cool association that supports it’s members in both good and difficult times.
Add to that the new membership tier that offers a great membership rate for anyone earning less than $18,000US (students, semi retired members, part time librarians, international members, etc.) and you’ve got great value.
Lots of neat stuff and I could go on and on, but progress is being made.
Stephen