Positioning The Information Profession and SLA For Success

In An Evolving World of Technology

Nancy SansaloneCOO/CFO

Special Libraries Association

Pharmaceutical And Health Technology Spring Meeting

April 6 - 8, 2008St. Petersburg, FL

“Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly.”

Sir Francis Bacon

Planning For Change

Source: InternetWorldStats.com

Principles of Alignment

“Companies that enjoy enduring success have core values and a core purpose that remain fixed while their business strategies and practices endlessly adapt to a changing world.” – Collins & Porras

Alignment

Landscape

Key Objectives

Define: Strategic Issues

Define: Strategic Issues

• Formal mechanisms are needed to ensure all extensions of SLA are thinking, communicating and behaving as one enterprise

Key Findings

Define: Knowledge Gaps

Feedback is required from the following target audiences for future growth:

• CEOs and senior executives of global IP employer organizations

• Younger audiences already in the profession

• Professionals in adjacent career tracks where information

management plays a key role (i.e. medical research, analysts,

mergers and acquisitions)

• Students and faculty in library science programs

Define: Knowledge Gaps

Closing the Gaps

Define: Primary Research

Interactive Editor

•Respondents can rate the

appeal of key words and phrases

•Provides a truly interactive

concept testing experience

•Quantifies how compelling

your language is before you

go to market

Translate Message Exploration

Translate: Message Testing

What is Instant Response?

•Combines the most important components of quantitative, qualitative and in-depth public opinion research to test message delivery, understanding, believability and impact.

•A computer-based system,the IR dial displays second-to-second measurement of participant reaction to any verbal communication.

Translate: Message Testing

Instant Response Sessions

• Data from the InstantResponse dial sessions are displayed as computergenerated, continuouslines superimposed on thescreen.

• The video will illustrate the messages that work – and those that do not.

Translate Platform and Positioning

Celebrating The Past Anticipating The Future

SLA Centennial

SLA Centennial: Key Milestone

• Opportunity to establish a shared vision of the future for information professionals and SLA

• Opportunity to establish clarity and unity around SLA’s and the profession’s core purpose, ethos and value, including defining an institutional positioning that is relevant, differentiated and deliverable

The SLA Centennial in 2009 provides unique opportunities:

• Created Centennial Commission• Special Activities during 2009

– SLA Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO in Washington DC

– Traveling Exhibit– Contest– Oral History Project– History of SLA by Guy St. Clair

Centennial Activities

• Enhancing career development opportunities through SLA’s Click University– Increased Course

Offerings– Added Management and

Leadership Library from ebrary®

– New Certification Programs

• Development of Online Innovation Laboratory– Ability to Learn and Use

the Latest Emerging Technologies

– Populated with SLA-licensed Software and Open-source applications

– Offer Library of Members’ Innovations and Creations

Career Development and Technology

SLA Global Expansion

Questions