Special Libraries Association 94th Annual Conference, New York, June 7-12, 2003
Education Division Programs and Events
The Education Division was a full participant in a very successful 94th conference. The Division's programs, meetings, and events had terrific attendance. The Sunday Board meeting was very productive, and the Board accomplished a lot of Division Business. After the Board meeting an impromptu dinner gave Education Division colleagues an opportunity to socialize and catch-up on member news. David McCullough, Monday's Conference keynote speaker, set the tone for the conference with a very successful address about the critical importance of libraries in our culture. The program "Spotlight: The Best Social Science Web Sites" co-sponsored by the Education Division and the Social Science Division was well attended, and subsequent attendee feedback was very positive. Deborah Garson, Chair of the Education Division, was a speaker and represented education policy web resources. Monday afternoon, the Education Division's program "Professional Competencies" had a tremendous turnout with some attendees sitting on the floor of a small ballroom in the Hilton Hotel. The speakers' presentations on the topic of professional competencies led to very lively audience question and comment period. The Division's annual Dutch Treat dinner had fourteen diners at a very lively Italian restaurant. The family style service was a nice fit for the Division's collegial get-together.
Tuesday morning the Annual Business Meeting and Breakfast highlighted the Division's activities and accomplishments such as the Members' Survey. Congratulations to our incoming Education Division Officers, 2003-2004. The Tuesday program on ERIC and the 21st Century had two very informative speakers from the Clearinghouse on Urban Education. The speakers addressed ERIC's past and future, and session content was very relevant given the current situation regarding ERIC and the Department of Education's draft of work proposal. In the evening, the Open House sponsored by our Division, the Social Science Division, and the Museums, Arts & Humanities Division was another great opportunity to greet colleagues and meet new members. The ice cream bars were a big hit.
Wednesday morning, the new Chairs, Sheila McGarr and Carole Sund, presided over the Board Meeting and Breakfast. We have new members assuming Division positions as well as the new Chair-Elect, Steven Sowell and Secretary/Treasurer, Shannon Loane. At the Association's Annual Business Meeting, President Bill Fisher welcomed the newly created Iowa Chapter into the Association. The Special Libraries Association members in attendance cast their vote for a name change.
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From the Association's Web site: Greetings SLA Members, I'm pleased to announce that members of the Special Libraries Association voted this morning to retain the organization's nearly 100-year-old name. The vote took place here at our 94th annual conference in New York City during the annual business meeting. It culminates three years of research, discussions and brand name debates. The name Special Libraries Association is a highly recognized and respected brand name in the information industry. It stands for professional excellence, ethics and best practices in the management of knowledge-based organizations. We have a long tradition of being on the cutting edge, applying information tools and technologies to advance the missions of our organizations. Keeping our name allows us to build on our heritage over the past century, while keeping our focus on the expanding information economy of the 21st. For more information click on the SLA Branding Vote Result Press Release.
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The program "Distance Services: Libraries Without Walls" on Wednesday afternoon was co-sponsored with the Information Technology and Business & Finance Divisions. The program was in a small ballroom at the Hilton and was a highly attended program with three speakers who presented case studies on distance services.
Thursday morning found members of the Education Division and other interested conference attendees at Milbank Memorial Library, Teachers College, Columbia University. Professor Gary Natriello, Acting Director of Milbank, graciously hosted a guided tour of Milbank Memorial Library. The planned renovations and drafted innovative library services are very impressive. We found the tour very informative and fun!
As we left New York, we can look forward to Nashville and another successful Conference!
The Education Division Board Meetings and Annual Business Meeting minutes will be forthcoming in the Fall Education Division Bulletin: http://www.sla.org/division/ded/publications.html. Power point presentations from the Division's New York programs will be available on the Division Web site - with availability dependent on speakers' permissions in the next few days.
Thank you for the opportunity to be Chair of a Great Division!
Deborah Garson
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