My SLA Conference Experience

On the flight to Washington, D.C., I couldn’t stop thinking about everything I was looking forward to seeing and doing. I am grateful to Fpinfomart for the grant which made it possible for me to attend the conference. By any measure, I must count this experience as a success: I met professionals from all over the world, learned about new topics and enjoyed some excellent parties. My business card holder had been emptied of my own cards and was full of cards from the many people I met.

My participation at the conference began with courses on marketing and knowledge management. I had some familiarity with these, but the courses helped me go further (particularly since one course left me with a CD full of PDFs to explore!). I also volunteered to support a course on copyright issues. I expect I will continue to take SLA courses as I continue to develop my skills. These courses are well complemented by the “best practices” style of sessions where I learned about knowledge management as practiced by organizations in the District including the World Bank and Mitre corporation.

Though I am not (yet) in a position to make any purchases from vendors, I attended their presentations and learned about the wealth of resources available, particularly in the fields of science and business. I was impressed to see that some vendors were supporting libraries in developing countries and other worthwhile projects.

Organizationally and logistically, the conference organizers impressed me on several levels. By providing a post office in the conference centre and free wireless Internet access, it was easy to stay plugged in and connected. The opening session of the conference is one of the most inspirational professional events I have ever attended; each award to a member was accompanied by interviews with others in the association explaining the award winner’s merits and accomplishments. These video introductions made it easier for me, as a new member, to understand the breadth and depth of the profession.

In addition to all the formal events and educational materials, I also took the opportunity to enjoy some of the local sights. Visiting the US National Archives was a highlight for me - never have I seen so many significant historical documents – the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and more – in a single room. The SLA reception at the Library of Congress was even better as the librarians there pulled out all the stops for us. Not only did I get to see Thomas Jefferson’s books – which restarted the institution’s collections in the early nineteenth century – but I also had the privilege of browsing the main reading room. Further, Colin Powell’s opening keynote address offered some interesting insights on leadership in today’s world.

I found the conference so valuable that I am already planning to attend next year’s conference in New Orleans.

Bruce Harpham is completing his Master of Information Studies degree at the University of Toronto in the summer, with a thesis on the net neutrality debate in Canada and the United States. While studying at the University of Toronto, Bruce worked as a cataloguing fellow on an academic project and has previously worked in academic libraries, archives and government. Bruce’s blog, A Curious View of the World, can be found at bruceharpham.ca