Trying to put down on paper my experience at the SLA conference is
seemingly impossible. In short, it was, in the words of Valley Girl,
awesome. I was very fortunate to travel to Washington D.C. to
experience the Centennial Celebration Conference of SLA, the Special
Libraries Association. The Special Libraries Association is in the
process of changing its name, brand, and vision of where its members
want to be seen as professionals—SLA’s Alignment Project.
With this, came an endless amount of activities, sessions, open houses,
meetings, and general “networking.” I had absolutely no
idea what this was going to mean to my sleeping schedule, but I quickly
learned that excitement and fun override sleep.
SLA is comprised of divisions, caucuses, and committees. The divisions,
such as Legal, Information Technology, create different programs.
Attendees are able to attend any of them, allowing a first timer such
as myself, to sample all of what SLA has to offer. I attended sessions
hosted by the Competitive Intelligence division, Legal division, and a
few in between. The session I took the most from was “How to Read
a 10-K” by Mary Ellen Bates. I knew a 10-k is a financial filing,
but I had no idea how much dirt you can dig up with one! I now look at
them for fun (not really, ok, maybe). Not only did I learn so much
applicable information, I walked away with even more appreciation for
SLA. It offers so much, the combined experience and knowledge from its
members is unbelievable.
The open houses, as they were called, were pretty much networking
sessions with food and drinks. Every night, there were several to
choose from. Many of us from UW would start out together and make new
friends along the way. Luckily, Timothy Morgan informed us that the
Information Technology Division open house was “the dance
party” of SLA. It was a blast. We made friends with several other
students from South Carolina and Denver and had a great night together.
By the end of the conference, I felt like I knew someone at every
session, a big difference compared to my first day.
Throughout it all, the Alignment Project message could be seen and
heard throughout the convention center. Many members agree that a name
change is necessary to remain current, especially as our roles as
information professionals evolve. I, as a new member, find it
fascinating to be a part of something that actually works to change as
the times change, rather than after the fact. From Twitter to videos
playing throughout the convention center, SLA leadership worked to push
the message and encourage conversation.
Looking back, I had the most memorable times meeting new people and
getting to know other iSchool students better. Going to such a large
event for the first time can definitely be intimidating with so many
unfamiliar faces and so much to learn. But, it was extremely easy to
feel comfortable and at ease around everyone. The conference was a
great opportunity that left me confident I have found my niche in the
information profession and that I will be surrounded by great friends
and colleagues throughout my career. Thank you very much for providing
me with this fantastic and memorable experience!
Read Andrew's report...