by Marianne E. Giltrud, Librarian and Adjunct Faculty, The Catholic University of America

I recently posted to the Future Ready, Linked In group the following:
We’ve just gotten back from SLA Annual Conference and the ideas, creativity and connections are still fresh in my mind and the energy was palpable…Where do we go from here? What is our next step to solidify our knowledge and participation in the future? What trends, impacts and disruptions do we need to be keenly aware of so that we can ride the wave of the future??? What does it mean to be an International Organization? What cultural norms and ethnic considerations do we need to be aware of so that we can bridge the gap in a flattened, connected and success based world?

I have been asked to expand on my comments and I am awed and amazed at the opportunity to do so. To that end, I would like to tease out each question above with the hopes that this will provoke ideas, discussion and questions that serve to shape our future now.

Where do we go from here?
I ask this because it seems incumbent upon us to advance our knowledge, skills, and abilities derived from the conference experience. To me, a blog post is a venue to articulate, envision and brainstorm about the future while learning from our past.

In library school, Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat was required reading at a time when many business schools read and discussed it like the Bible. Friedman’s opening session focused us on the question of, “How do we compete in a world that is Flat, Crowded and Disrupted?” He asked us to reach down within ourselves to meet the challenge of the future today by thinking critically about thechallenges and opportunities we face in a global economy. Moreover, in today’s world we confront an unprecedented paradigm shift in the realm of labor and economics. For example, during the Great Depression (1929-1939), jobs creation did not face the significant technological disruptions that we find today. In the economic downturn of 2008-2009, the jobs that were eliminated, are today only being replaced by one technical position whereas before there may have been seven jobs performing that function. That’s a 14% permanent reduction in jobs! We can no longer sit idly by and wait it out. We need to become entrepreneurs in our profession. Inherent in this process, is the need to leverage our creativity, engagement and participation from a global perspective.

What is our next step to solidify our knowledge and decide our participation in the future?

I believe continued discussion in this and other frameworks provides an insightful medium to brainstorm, share knowledge and reflect on the myriad skill sets, that library and information professionals bring to the table each and every day. We are conveners of knowledge who collaborate, facilitate and advance wisdom inside and outside the walls of our organizations. Larry Prusak challenged us to articulate the why’s and how’s, in order to enhance judgment and decision making in a world overwhelmed with knowledge alone. We need to be the lens of “Cognitive Diversity.” This is done through our innate ability to read between the lines, synthesize and evaluate our biases hence render decisions framed in the context of understanding the differences in disparate and opposite ideas. As a profession we are highly skilled to consider the issues and provide arguments grounded in reason, intellect and yes, even virtue.

What trends, impacts and disruptions do we need to be keenly aware so that we can ride the wave of the future???
Thomas Friedman speaks about “Cultural Diversity” and how having individuals from very different cultural backgrounds can bring insight into issues, events and considerations in the world today. What this means is that we may not always be aware of our biases and how they filter how we see the world and our relationship to it. Unfortunately, this limits our viewpoints and tends to shape our thinking in avery narrow way. Moreover, technology has disrupted the world and will continue to do so. Looking to the events in the Egypt, where Facebook was integral to the overthrow of the government shows exactly how intelligent, passionate and informed individuals can shift the outcome of a nation in real time. What does that mean to us? These uprisings are reflective of a global world economy that seeks to level the ground and prove that they can make a difference. If we can anticipate the future and be ready to adapt, then we can move forward and ride the wave into the future.

More disrupters…..
Bruce Rosenstein challenged us to “Live in More Than One World” by following Peter Druckerian Management philosophy and create a bucket list in key areas of our life to expand upon our skills, reflect and prepare for the future today. I spoke with Bruce at the conference and he said that in his new position at the Leader to Leader Institute, he works locally, engages internationally and is networked to accomplish his priorities across the nation. He has experienced first-hand the economic and technological disruptions today. That experience has provided him with a unique insight not only into his process but recommendations for us to reflect upon as possible ways to manifest the agility necessary in our world today.

What cultural norms and ethnic considerations do we need to be aware of so that we can bridge the gap in a flattened, connected and success based world?
In my undergrad studies, I took organizational psychology from a professor who was writing a book andstudying the perception of Aborigines, the indigenous people of Australia. The purpose of the study was to determine if the subject could identify and replicate the pattern of placing round blocks on the rods inserted on a piece of wood. The tester and the subject faced each other with a wooden plank that had wooden dowels placed upright about an inch apart. The tester placed blocks on the rods, and the subjects not only replicated the pattern but anticipated the next move…What they found out was that, instead of trying to remember the order of placement which we might do, i.e. center first, then right side,left side, etc. that the subjects were reading micro-expressions and nuances in body language to determine where to place the next block. That takes body language and reading a person to a whole new level. My point is that if we are competing with people who have that level of skill as it relates to human relations, negotiations and other interactions do we have that level of insight, awareness, and emotional intelligence to succeed?

To be successful and remain relevant, it is incumbent upon us not only as an organization but also as individuals who are part of the greater whole, to articulate meaningful strategies derived from a “CrowdSourced,” “In the Trenches,” and “Ground Truth” aggregated knowledge framework to improve judgment and decision making on important issues impacting us every day. In order to do this we need to rethink the “aboutness” of our profession and move forward on the path of future ready.

Marianne E. Giltrud, is a Librarian and Adjunct Faculty, at The Catholic University of America where she combines her extensive experience in knowledge services, technology, business, and program planning in support of the University Libraries.  Marianne is a member of the D.C. Chapter of the Special Libraries Association Program Planning Committee and Steering Committee Head, the CUA School of Library and Information Science, “A Century of Knowledge, Service and Discovery” Centennial Celebration.  A graduate of Catholic University School of Library and Information Science, she has written social science reviews for Library Journal, spoken and made poster presentation at research symposia on a variety of topics including mobile technology, information literacy and digital media and emerging technologies.

by Roberto Sarmiento, Illinois Chapter, Transportation Division

For a while now I have been bumping into “revolutions.” Not only the political kind (Buddha knows that we are having plenty of those lately), but in remote areas of my personal thinking and reading.

Like all good stories, it all started for me before the holidays last year…I do not know if it was the cold, the darkness or the arbitrary finality of another year, but I sensed that deep within me the time was coming to fix me some Molotov cocktails, crank up The Police (my proven revolutionary soundtrack – let’s leave this one for another time) and start looking for banners.

And lo and behold, “revolutions” started popping up no matter what I read: music, management, innovation, education, information… People kept calling me to arms to start, to pick-up, to continue, to fight against/for something…and I said YES…I am ready…I want a change, I need a change…and only I can get myself ready for it. So I started my revolution!

No bloodshed, no tear gas, no burning tires…but a deep strong commitment to do better, to be better, to be nimble, to be prepared, to recognize and anticipate change…to be present. I am living my revolution.

So, now it is my turn to raise my (right) arm and insistently whisper into your ear: Future Ready is a revolution, or more precisely: it is part of my and shouldbe part of your revolution!

You may be thinking: am I ready for this? If deep down you have this funny (and not ha-ha funny) feeling that what you got right now will not be good enough in the future, then I urge you to take matters into your own hands and start your own revolution to be become a better you, a more prepared you…a ready you.

Now, GO…do what you need to do! Write in your own little red or black or pink book – but do it with passion, be bold, go on the streets and with your chin jutting out and wrists on your hips tell the world “to bring it on,” you are ready.
Now, look to your left…that’s me next to you…look to your right and behind you…that’s the rest of us who believe in being future ready. Welcome to the revolution…

…don’t forget a good playlist!

Roberto “Brother-in-Arms” Sarmiento

Roberto is currently the head librarian at the Northwestern University Transportation Library. He is the former director and reference librarian of the Panama Canal Commission Technical Resources Center (a former US government agency). In addition he has been a consultant on transportation information to the US government and international organizations, an exploration geologist, a mentor to librarians and a former member of the SLA Board of Directors.  He has personally experienced a couple of honest-to-God revolutions and a shooting invasion. Roberto has received several awards, including the SLA Transportation Division 2010 Innovation Award and the 2008 Professional Achievement Award. He holds an MLIS from Dominican University and a BA in Geology from St. Louis University.

by Doug Fine

Ever wonder what would happen if you popped into the Quickie Mart for a quart of juice and some batteries and found the shelves were empty…permanently? I do. Here’s an essay I wrote on this issue, which I’ve thought about for several years and which partly explains the Digital Age Carbon-Neutral life I’m attempting here on the Funky Butte Ranch. It ran in theWashington Post’s Sunday Outlook section, and has since been picked up by the Denver Post and other publications. It’s scaring a few people, judging by some of the feedback I got from the Beltway. Heck, the essay’s scaring me. That’s the point. That’s why I wrote it. It seems that my first three or four decades on this planet have, against all odds, turned me into a –gulp– survivalist.

Not that I’m rooting for a collapse. Comfort is good. But it seems mainstream to at least wonder about it, given the goings-on of the last two thousand years. Or the last two. Meanwhile, cross your fingers that building a Green economy is going to help the world thrive into the foreseeable future and beyond.

http://www.youtube.com/leafrockfeather#p/a/f/0/evjICqDFXgI

Doug Fine is best known as the author of the petroleum-free bestseller Farewell, My Subaru.  From his Funky Butte Ranch in New Mexico, where he posts Dispatches From the Funky Butte Ranch, he often speculates on whether he is equipped to survive if Digital Age Box Store Consumerism ever went away.

30 Years ago I graduated from Library School – and the future was in front of me…
By Stephen Abram, Toronto Chapter, Business & Finance, Information Technology, Leadership & Management Divisions

Part 2
In part one I listed nine things I wished that my 1980 self (the freshly minted MLS) knew when I graduated in order to be future ready. Here’s another ten philosophies that I believe would help most people be more future ready (and I hope happy) :

1. Prefer Action over Study.
   If you or your team is studying something to death – remember that death was not the original goal! Although information professionals have a great core competency in research and study, we must know when to fish or cut bait. Recognize that studying something too long is staying in your comfort zone instead of making progress. In our somewhat risk-averse culture, this can be particularly difficult. What needs to be learned and understood is that delay is as big a risk as poorly considered action. Pilots and good process reduce your risk (and provide learning opportunities too). You can iterate your way to the future. This philosophy is closely related to the one where an enterprise values its conservative culture and gradually declines due to its lack of adaptation to modern expectations or changing external conditions.
2. Get Out of Your Box!
   It is unlikely that you are the alpha user profile. Understand that. I know that as an older, experienced librarian I am pretty limited in my ability to really connect and empathize with the challenges faced by newbie library, web or database searchers. I am not saying that I can’t overcome this, but I have to be explicitly aware that my training, biases and experiences have forever changed me and my perceptions of the information world. Also, my experiences are an old part of a different world and may not be fully relevant to today’s valid experiences of new librarians and end users. It also means that when I am designing services for seniors, kids, teens, challenged communities, the differently-abled, or even other professions like lawyers or engineers, I have to keep in mind that I need to be aware and prioritize their needs and competencies over my own. I need to build on their strengths and not repair them based on my perceptions of their weaknesses! I find that it pays to remind myself that I am not trying to create products and services for mini-librarians and that this is a poor goal in the first place. I need to understand the user’s context and needs and not project my own biases on them. For instance, it is likely that the end-user doesn’t actually want ‘information’ but, more likely, wants to be informed, entertained, taught and/or transformed in some manner. Libraries are great environments for that.
3. You can’t step in the same river twice
   This is ancient Confucian wisdom. It means, in our context, that our knowledge of new information or technology developments means that we probably cannot easily see all of the potential pitfalls or even its great potential. I remember when AltaVista was first introduced and many colleagues said that this couldn’t be the future of searching. After all, it had no fields, no true Boolean, and it didn’t allow the use of set searching! How could this be the future of online searching? Then along came relevancy ranking driven by the search engine’s algorithm – again pooh-poohed by my colleagues (and me for a while). Now along comes Blekko and I hear the same refrain. This time I am not so sure. After all, Google Scholar is still an infant. Can you point to someone’s beautiful baby and criticize her as being a lousy accountant? Keep yourself open to the movement of the river – it’s always changing and the river is strong. In the battle of the river and the rock, the river wins. Just look deep into the Grand Canyon and see the power (and beauty) of steady progress. Today we must invent a future for libraries that exists in a world of users who are literally changed in their perception of information use and the role of technology. Spend time understanding the beauty and strengths of your own box and then take a break outside of it occasionally.
4. Have a Vision and Dream BIG!
   “How will you shape the future?” When you try to be future focused and ready you are making a choice – to shape the future not just be ready for it. Have the confidence to build the future with your ideas and energy. I have seen the power of vision in every workplace I have been employed in. When it is absent or lost the workplace is missing something and verges on a horrible environment. When a shared vision is present we have achieved great things. When the vision doesn’t have enough stretch in it, things seem mediocre. Think back to great work environments you’ve worked in or great leaders you’ve worked for and you’ll usually find there were some great and compelling visions at work there. And for those who don’t dream big and have a vision, they’re doomed to an endless series of the present. I hope they love the way things are.
5. Ask the Three Magic Questions:
   a)What keeps you awake at night?
   b)If you could solve only one problem at work, what would it be?
   c)If you could change one thing and one thing only, what would it be?I have discovered that these questions are truly magic. They start conversations with users rather than delivering simple answers. They’re open-ended instead of closed-ended, yes or no answer questions. They avoid assumption. Just set the context and ask away. I have used these questions with primary school kids, titans of industry like Bill Gates, librarians, IT managers and cabinet ministers. These questions work every time to delve deeply into our users’ needs and personal goals. When we are armed with that knowledge then our libraries are unstoppable.
6. Feedback is a Gift
   One of my closest and dearest friends taught me this when In was having trouble dealing with a round of public and negative feedback. She told me that, like that wedding gift from Aunt Sally, you can keep it, display it, return it, or hide it in the closet. It’s your personal choice. Don’t overvalue one piece of out-of-context feedback or let it loom out of perspective and balance. I have learned over my life that objections to my ideas are best handled two ways: listening more, or framing the objection as an opportunity for more information and education. Feedback is best digested in the aggregate rather than in small doses. Squeaky wheels are fine and need to be oiled. But if it’s the engine that needs attention, then that poorly oiled wheel is just a distraction. Feedback shouldn’t be cause for stomach-wrenching stress. You are in control of how it can be dealt with (good or constructive or bad) and need to hear and accept this gift from your stakeholders. Do you have feedback mechanisms in your life?
7. Sacrifice is the Magic Sauce of Setting Priorities
   Every person and organization has thousands of ideas that are worthy of consideration. No one can do them all. That’s the tough part. When you have 100 good ideas to choose from the critical skill isn’t choosing the best 5 but sacrificing 95. Learn the skill of temporary sacrifice. You can store your good ideas in an idea parking lot and bring them forward into the strategic planning process as projects are completed. If you don’t focus and choose to limit your energy to achieving success on those that will deliver the most value to your enterprise and users, then you are choosing mediocrity. Sacrificing ideas isn’t forever or a loss. Time was invented so everything doesn’t happen all at once. Give your ideas time to grow and gain acceptance.
8. Build for the Future and Embrace Ambiguity
   Too often projects that are planned for 18-36 months naively assume that things will stay the same technologically. Remember the lessons of the past where the things mutated quickly – DOS became Windows, diskettes became CD-ROMs, Netscape begat MSIE which begat Firefox, online dial-up became web broadband, etc. You can’t be certain of the future but you can’t wait for total stability either. That’s the ambiguity. Dealing with ambiguity is a key competency in change management and introducing innovation. Stability is a chimera. Only fossils are truly stable.
9. No Mistake is Ever Final
   One of my better bosses had this phrase framed in needlepoint on the wall of her office. We were part of a skunkworks that was tasked with re-technologizing a major corporation as well as introducing transformational cultural change into a huge publishing sector. No small task. Not only did we make many mistakes, but we learned from them. If we weren’t making mistakes we weren’t trying hard enough. Albeit, we tried to limit the exposure of our experiments, but like learning to ride a bike, if you’re not falling down, you’re just not learning well enough. Her sign “No mistake is ever final” encourages us to try just that little bit harder to achieve greatness because we knew we had her support. If you want to change things for the better, you have to be a change agent and that means you have to be more comfortable with making mistakes and dealing with them effectively – and learning all the time.
10. Have some Fun!
    We are often too serious. Our work is serious and our impact on our communities and the world is enormous! However, working creatively, trying new things and being innovative is fun. Take the time to recognize that and live your life to the fullest. Celebrate your successes and your team’s work. Champion your library’s achievements! Reward your colleagues when they succeed. Don’t ever get so heads-down that you can’t see the big picture. It’s a wonderful world.

Congratulations to Cindy Romaine, SLA, and the SLA board and network for actively seeking the future for over 100 years. I am more future ready for having been involved with SLA and learning from such a great group of colleagues.

Stephen Abram, MLS is a Past President of SLA and is Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Markets, for Gale Cengage Learning. He is an SLA Fellow and the past president of the Ontario Library Association and the Canadian Library Association. In June 2003 he was awarded SLA’s John Cotton Dana Award and the AIIP Roger Summit Award in 2009. In 2011 he is Canada’s CLA Outstanding Librarian of the Year. He is the author of Out Front with Stephen Abram and Stephen’s Lighthouse blog. Stephen would love to hear from you at stephen.abram@gmail.com.

by Amy Degner

A few years ago I left Hoover’s to stay at home with my daughter. When I returned late last year to do some contract work, I was immediately struck by how “future ready” Hoover’s had become. It wasn’t that Hoover’s had suddenly started rolling out forward-thinking innovations; the company had achieved this virtually at its inception, featuring both free advertiser-supported and for-pay premium access to Hoover’s company information during the mid-90’s. But, when I reentered the workplace this time, the electricity in the air was different. Hoover’s had a renewed sense of commitment to its customers and an intense focus on sparking new ideas to make their jobs easier.

We’re all budding visionaries at heart. The key is finding the right time and place to brainstorm. Sometimes it starts in the shower. Other times it’s a rough sketch drawn on the back of a napkin. At Hoover’s we simply refer to it as the “Innovation Lab.”

Late in 2010, Hoover’s launched its first in-house innovation lab, designed to stimulate creative thinking within the context of industry trends, customer needs, and competitor offerings. The mission of the Innovation Lab is to think outside the box, generate project ideas, and use the latest technology to push Hoover’s into its next generation. The lab has a dedicated space and staff who works with internal and external folks representing customer interests. Often our customer-facing folks (sales or customer service) will bring a specific customer issue, either seeking a solution or with a suggestion in hand. The Innovation Lab staff then works with the appropriate product manager to determine how the inventive idea fits into the overall product strategy.

Hoover’s Innovation Lab also sponsors monthly innovation contests, encouraging employees from all departments to submit ideas; the winner then works with the IT staff to bring the concept to fruition.  The lab also hosts an active online ideas community and an internal Innovation Lunch Series.

So far, Hoover’s has completed three monthly innovation contests focusing on wide-ranging areas of our business, from helping our customers to making our internal processes more efficient.

For Hoover’s being “future ready” doesn’t necessarily mean providing the latest and greatest widget. It’s more about keeping our finger on the pulse of our customers—knowing not only what their needs and wants are today, but also anticipating what will be important to them tomorrow…and then focusing Hoover’s talent in that direction. The Innovation Lab is just one way that our teams bring our customers’ future visions to life.

To my fellow librarians, what could you do to foster an “Innovation Lab” in your group, division, or company? How are you keeping a pulse on your customer’s needs today and anticipating their needs for tomorrow?

Amy is a stay-at-home Mom and Librarian in Austin, Texas. During her 10-year professional career, Amy has held a variety of roles including: Research Associate, Librarian, Market Researcher, Competitive Intelligence Analyst, Project Manager, Product Marketing Manager and Consultant. Amy enjoys a challenge and variety in her work (see previous sentence) and dreams of becoming a Children’s Librarian in the future.

by Toni Wilson, Cincinnati Chapter, Competitive Intelligence Division

What is, and what is not, competitive intelligence? Practiced correctly, CI accommodates the ability for organizations to be ready for the future, by anticipating changes in the marketplace and avoiding surprises that might blindside our end users and clients, often as they are focused on making decisions and plans based on what the marketplace looks like today.

When we think about our respective marketplaces, we can’t be focused only on how “the game” is played at present. In the future, new competitors will enter the game. They seek to disrupt the way our organizations play the game, so they will move out of turn or invent new moves. Or, the rules of the game itself may change, affecting all of the players. Because of all of this likely change, CI is not really about the competitors themselves, but about keeping our organizations competitive into the future.

Information professionals are uniquely qualified to provide insights regarding the future of our competitive environments because we are chiefly responsible for gathering the facts that indicate change. Fact-gathering is the first step and foundation of every successful CI process, so our role in the process is invaluable. While gathering facts, we see all of the puzzle pieces before anyone else–-sometimes we’re the only ones who see all of the pieces – and can easily put them together to create a picture of the potential future.

A relatable way to explain what CI is, and its value, is by referring to a quote from The Great One, Wayne Gretsky. He often said: “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” We can achieve greatness by helping our end users and clients know where the puck might be going-–what the future competitive environment might look like–-so our organizations can play there, remain competitive, and win the game.
Toni Wilson is the principal consultant at MarketSmart Research Services. She is an experienced competitive intelligence practitioner, having performed hundreds of projects over the past 20+ years, in a variety of industries and throughout the world. Prior to establishing MarketSmart Research in 2000, Toni was a corporate intelligence professional at LexisNexis for more than a dozen years. She is an expert in sources, tools and techniques for intelligence collection, and frequently speaks to groups and coaches individuals regarding the CI process. Toni is a volunteer leader, prolific author, enthusiastic mentor and professional award winner. She is the current chair of SLA’s Competitive Intelligence Division.

by Vicki Valleroy, Pacific Northwest Chapter, Competitive Intelligence Division

Recently Best Practices for Corporate Libraries was published, in which 57% of the authors were SLA members!  As one of the authors of the chapter titled “Application of Technology & Change Management in Staff Development”, I would like to share some excerpts that touch on some essential future skills.  Enjoy!

“Future skills include not only specialized skills but pivotal skills, such as project management and leadership.  The requirements for Library Specialist and Librarian positions were reviewed to determine what education or specialized skills were to be extended to include more in-depth technical knowledge, content management and information management skills, in addition to expanded skills/knowledge about copyright, intellectual property, metrics, and process based management skills.  Specialized skills are defined as tactical areas that are not unique across the company.  Acquiring these skills are the responsibilities of the staff as they develop and share their career goals and aspirations with their managers.

As important as the skills themselves is the staff’s willingness to change.  We researched change management principles and practices and chose those elements that we felt we could influence and/or control.  We created programs or activities to address these issues.  We attempted to augment our readiness to change by giving the staff adequate information, social support, participation in decision making, personal impact, and efficacy (an individual’s confidence in their ability to perform adequately in the new environment).

Due to the time needed to plan the approach and the implementation time needed, the staff development team took several years to address the issue of future skills and staff training.  During the first year, we established the future skills needed for our new library delivery model.  In the second year, the team addressed library specific competencies needed for new research and communication tools.  The team restructured the training and self-development goals by targeting specific competencies to support the company’s skills initiative.  A more focused approach to develop technical skills was needed to deliver services.  Building on the Special Libraries Association’s innovative “23 Things” self-directed training program, the team developed the Core Competencies goal, which specifically targets staff applying and demonstrating skills in selected areas.”

As professionals, we need to encourage and support each other  to take control of our own learning, to use available technology to optimize both interpersonal and professional competencies, and to put into use our ever changing lifelong learning skills.

Vicki began her professional career in health information management, developing future skills by supervising over 30 staff members on two campuses; coordinating the upgrade of computer software and hardware for medical records and coding; and participating in staff/management labor union negotiations.

After receiving her master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Washington, she joined Boeing Library Services.  Currently she is co-leading the merging of the ViRT (Virtual Reference Team) and Research teams, and is particularly interested in using employee involvement best practices in developing high performance teams.   Recently Vicki completed the Change Management certificate program offered through Pepperdine University.  In 2009 she was honored with The Boeing Company’s (SSG) Shared Services Group Service Ambassador Award. She is actively involved in professional associations, locally and nationally, currently serving on the SLA 2012 Conference Planning Advisory Council.   Vicki is a co-author of “The Application of Technology and Change Management in Staff Development” in the newly published book Best Practices in Corporate Libraries.

WE WANT YOU! Participate in the SLA Strategic Vision Project

SLA President Cindy Romaine has tasked members of the Board of Directors with developing a strategic roadmap for the association. The “Strategic Vision Project” has as its goal to provide direction and a strategic vision for SLA through 2014. The Board has been divided into three topic-related sub-groups:

• Skills & Membership Sub-Group: What skills do association current and future members need, and how best can we assist them in acquiring these? How can we build and retain association membership?
• Collaboration & Community Sub-Group: Are there other associations, groups, and projects with which SLA can collaborate to achieve a new goal, which we could not create individually?
• Alignment & Services Sub-Group: How can we incorporate the SLA Alignment Project research and strategies into association and member performance? What services can the association provide to facilitate this?

So, we would like to pick your collective and individual brains. What advice and/or suggestions do you have on these themes? Kindly post here—or contact any or all Board members. The Board will continue discussing this at its June meetings in Philadelphia.

Thanks!

Ann Sweeney, Ulla de Stricker, & Sara Tompson

Over the past 18 years, Ann Sweeney has served the European Union Delegation as Librarian, Webmaster, and now Senior Information & Communication Officer: Electronic Publications. Ann’s 40+ years’ career as a librarian spans positions at the Columbia University Graduate Business Library, the US Defense Intelligence Agency, the Port Authority of NY & NJ, the National Academy of Sciences, and public libraries.
Ann is active in SLA: having held multiple leadership positions over the years including Social Science Division past Chair, and current International Relations Section Chair. She received the 2006 Member Achievement Award, the DSOC 2009 Gale Group Murray Wortzel Award, and has organized the Annual Conference’s International Reception for more than a decade. Outside of SLA, she provided guidance on EU materials for the American Society of International Law’s Electronic Information System for International Law (EISIL) Editorial Review Group, and is a frequent speaker at TRB, the World Bank/IMF Joint Library, Georgetown University Law Library, and similar venues.

Ulla de Stricker is an Information and Knowledge Management Consultant helping clients address challenges and opportunities of discovering and capturing information objects and protecting and leveraging organizational memory. She is a well known speaker at professional events and frequent contributor to the professional literature. Her website www.destricker.com provides additional information and access to her KM blog.

Sara Tompson is serving as a Director on the SLA Board from 2011-2013.  She is a member of the SLA Finance Committee, and the Board liaison to all the California chapters, the Rio Grande, NM chapter, the SciTech Division, the Research & Development Committee and the Professional Development Council.  Currently finishing up a three year administrative appointment as a Library Associate Dean at the University of Southern California, Tompson will become the USC Libraries Head of Instruction and Orientation on July 1, 2011.  In her spare time she is an instrument rated private pilot, and enjoys flying her husband and friends around beautiful California.

by Lisa Zwickey, Wisconsin Chapter, Transportation, Business & Finance, Leadership & Management Divisions

Future Ready Toolkit

This post is from SLA’s new Future Ready Toolkit. The Toolkit was constructed by SLA members who have drawn upon substantial professional experience and alignment research to help you hone your skills in a way that is relevant and global. The toolkit is collaboration, alignment, adaptation, and community put into action.

Overview

Ask yourself where – and what – you want your library to be 5, 10, 20 years from now. If you’re coming up blank, it’s time to write a vision statement. And to ensure you get to that visionary spot, write yourself a mission statement while you’re at it.

Definitions

Vision statement – Defines the desired or intended future state of an organization or enterprise in terms of its fundamental and/or strategic direction. (Wikipedia)

Mission statement – Defines the fundamental purpose of an organization or enterprise, succinctly describing why it exists and what it does to achieve its vision. (Wikipedia)

Key Elements and Ideas

A vision statement is intended to portray where you want your organization to be in the future – it is your inspiration and the frame of reference for all your strategic planning. As a special library, your vision may be to be the main resource for empowering your fellow employees to make decisions to keep the company innovative and profitable.

Questions to ask yourself when composing a vision statement are:

• What do we do today? (We empower.)
• For whom do we do it? (Fellow employees and, ultimately, our customers.)
• What is the benefit? (Innovation and profitability.)

Be realistic, positive and align your statement with organizational values and culture.

The mission statement spells out how you will accomplish that vision. It briefly sets out how the information is collected and provided, what methods are best suited to your company’s needs (keeping in mind future technologies), and how the information may be used. For example, to empower employees to make decisions to keep the company innovative and profitable, the library will proactively provide information and analysis using current and reliable resources, value-added service and compatible and useful technologies. You may also want to mention that the library staff is committed to examining new and innovation methods of information delivery in order to provide superior customer service.

Questions to ask yourself when composing a mission statement are:

• What do we want going forward? (To be the main informational and analytical resource in the company.)
• When do we want to do it? (Proactively)
• How do we want to do it? (By using current and reliable resources, value-added service, compatible and useful technologies, and superior customer service.)

Be broad enough to allow for creative, and especially, in our field, technological growth. Write a statement that will distinguish your library from your company’s other departments and make sure it serves as a framework to evaluate current activities.

Resources

Libraries, Mission and Marketing: Writing Mission Statements That Work, by Linda K. Wallace. Chicago: ALA, 2003. 82p. $27, ALA members $24.30 (ISBN 0-83890-867-5) LC 2003-15471.

Scorecards for Results: A Guide for Developing a Library Balanced Scorecard, by Joseph R. Matthews. Westport CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. 112 p. $45 (ISBN-10: 1591586984, ISBN-13: 978-1591586982)

“Do You Know What Your Mission Is?” by Janet L. Balas; Computers in Libraries, Feb. 1, 2007.  Word Count: 2115

“Fine-tuning Your Mission: Your Mission Statement Can Put You Right on Top of Your Market – Or Make You Irrelevant,” by Robert A. Sevier; University Business, June 1, 2003. Word Count: 2010

“Solutions: Mission Not Impossible,” by Russell J. White; Credit Union Management, Jan. 3, 2002. Word Count: 1109

Lisa joined J.J. Keller’s Research and Technical Library in 1991 and works with all areas of the company in the areas of business and statistical research, marketing, product development and strategic planning. Lisa has a degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was a news reporter for a daily newspaper for six years before earning her master’s degree in Library and Information Science, also from UW-Madison. She has been a member of SLA since 1995.

by Sue Wolper, President and CEO, Wolper Subscription Services

One of the challenging trends I see in the information marketplace today is that of relying on vendors to define your needs and to unilaterally develop the solutions that meet their interpretation of your needs.  As a participant in the information industry, I offer these recommendations to information professionals to ensure that you, your users and your organization are Future Ready:

Listen To Your Organization and Your Users When Defining Needs

Vendors and purchasers alike say that they are listening to user needs, but are we really listening?  Not only should we listen with our ears but also observe with our eyes what behaviors users demonstrate when seeking or applying information.  Be inquisitive and ask probing questions – why and how are more important than who, what and where.  Ask users how they would prefer to seek and apply information in a perfect world unbounded by today’s realities.  Then step back from the immediate interaction and ask yourself and others what information seeking and using behaviors will align best with the goals of your organization or community.  Is it really in the best interests of your organization to make finding information so simple that the user no longer has to think?  Shouldn’t users be questioning whether this is the best information, the right information, and accurate information to solve their problem?  What are the long-term implications for fostering user behavior that is satisfied with information that is the easiest to find?  Ask yourself whether user expectations are in alignment with the goals of the organization.  Temper the solution you choose to meet user needs with your own professional knowledge, expertise and experience.  Then seek a vendor that meets those needs, and is willing to modify their product offerings to truly meet the needs of your users and your organization.

Resist the Urge to be First

New technology is exciting, intriguing and addictive!  Instantaneous obsolescence is now built-in to every innovative advance.  Buy any new electronic device today and it is out-dated by the time you get it home and unpack it.  So resist that urge to be the first one to have the latest version just because it is new.  Don’t get overwhelmed by all the choices and options in the marketplace.  Evaluate the solutions in the context of what your users and organization really need.  There are noteworthy developments that do define future products, however, the time will come when that product is relevant to your needs.  On the other hand, don’t become complacent and satisfied with “good enough”.  But relax and don’t get caught up in the frenzy of “new and improved” cycles in product development.

Collaborate with Vendors in an Open-Minded Manner

Once you know what your true needs are, seek out vendors who are willing to listen to you.  Find vendors whose product development approach incorporates customer perspectives and involvement.  Discover the vendors who are agile, resilient, and responsive as well as have the vision and skills to deliver what their customers require.  Sometimes it is the smaller vendors who have these qualities because they need to in order to survive in the competitive marketplace.  Innovation often comes from the smaller vendors who recognize an unmet customer need and develop their offerings to satisfy that requirement.

Cooperate with Like-Minded Institutions

Too often it is the Big Players that define the market, whether they are the buyers or the sellers.  Seek out and join with other institutions that have similar needs, regardless of their size or purchasing power.  Speak up about your concerns regarding product functionality, desired features and unsatisfied needs.

Engage in more dialogue with your colleagues and with vendors to find collaborative solutions, after you have listened to your users.  Help vendors to meet your needs – now and in the future.

*”Seek first to understand, then to be understood” from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Sue Wolper is President and CEO of Wolper Subscription Services, a one-stop information management resource whose High Tech, High Touch® approach delivers the perfect combination of next-generation technology and time-proven, personalized service.  Learn more at www.wolper.com.