Winter Meeting in New Orleans

SLA’s winter meeting is developing a penchant for uncommon weather. While Chicago’s temperature at last year’s get-together was in the balmy sixties, this year’s welcome in the Big Easy was a decidedly chilly one, with temperatures for the week even dipping below the freezing mark. Things warmed up considerably inside, however, as Association, chapter, and division leaders debated a range of issues from branding and mission to governance and membership recruitment.

Wrapped around a two-day Leadership Summit were two meetings of the Board of Directors. Approval of the new Association bylaws last summer allowed the Board to pass a proposed amendment to change the official name of the organization. More information is forthcoming to all in the next several months, leading to a vote by those members present at the Annual Conference in June. Even if you can’t be there, be assured that your opinion does matter. Keep abreast of this most important issue [see article on Branding] and use the DSOC discussion list or a direct e-mail to officers to let others know what you think.

Other items on the agenda at the Board meeting included bringing the governance year in line with the fiscal year (or vice versa: to be studied further), what action to take regarding the headquarters building (Acting Executive Director will investigate new office space for Association staff and report to the Association Office Operations Committee in mid-April), and how to elevate the Association’s international status.

On this last point—international status—the Board heard a report from the International Activities Task Force (represented by Board members Jesus Lau and Dee Magnoni and DSOC Chair Ann Sweeney). Based on that report, the Board voted to dissolve the International Relations Committee. The International Information Exchange Caucus will continue its current activities helping to coordinate international issues, although the Board felt the caucus should seek to change its status from a caucus to a division as soon as possible. As decided during the Board meeting, SLA President Bill Fisher has since appointed the Global Strategies Task Force---chaired by Ann Sweeney---to consider the necessary strategies we need to follow to become truly multi-national---rather than merely a North American---based organization with members in other countries. Other Task Force members are: Sue Henczel (Australia), Jesus Lau (Mexico), David Martin (US), Idrisi Musa (Uganda), Neil Infield (UK), and Doug Newcomb (SLA HQ).

Sandwiched between the two Board meetings was the Leadership Summit, as well as program planning meetings for the 2003 and 2004 conferences, division and chapter cabinet meetings, and meetings of the Nominating, Finance, and Professional Development committees. The Leadership Summit opened the day with a presentation by Stephen Abram explaining the finer points of the branding issue, and following that discussion everyone broke into small groups to tackle the rather slippery process of developing drafts of new mission and vision statements.

After being treated to a marvelous luncheon and the thoughtful comments of the Board candidates, attendees settled down to a long winter’s afternoon of intense roundtable discussions on a variety of concerns involving recruitment, preparation and training of chapter and division officers, program planning issues, mentoring, and budgeting.

The day ended with a delightful excursion to the French Quarter, courtesy of the Louisiana/Southern Mississippi Chapter and EBSCO. Drinks, hors d’oeuvres, folk music, and art all combined for a memorable evening at Madame John’s Legacy, a national historic landmark built in 1789. A striking example of the residential architecture common in New Orleans
at that time, its rooms have now been turned into galleries depicting the works of self-taught Louisiana artists such as Sister Gertrude Morgan.

Even though we were back inside the next morning for another long day, New Orleans cuisine was not left far behind, as breakfast with beignets and Mardi Gras king cake gave everyone an energy surge for the day ahead. The morning was spent poring over the draft documents on chapter and division governance, a direct result from last year’s bylaws change. Each one was scrutinized carefully and suggestions then submitted to staff for follow-up.

Lunch was planned around the Virtual Seminar on taxonomy, and afterwards two issues were discussed which go to the core of SLA’s purpose and should be the concern of all members: membership and its elected leadership. Like many professional organizations, SLA’s numbers have been declining in the past several years. Where does the organization look to discover ways to reverse that trend? What services can leadership provide to the benefit of current members and the enticement of new ones? We currently have members in 82 countries: what do they need from a professional association?

As always, the SLA website has plenty of information to bring you up to date. To find out more about the presentations and discussions from the Leadership Summit, visit http://www.sla.org/content/leadership/resource/Idi/LeadershipSummit2003.cfm. For governance and other Board issues, see http://www.sla.org/Documents/boarddocs/openaga.wtr03.htm.

This is an exciting time in the history of SLA when we can all be a part of shaping it for the future. We have a discussion list at SLA-DSOC@listserv.sla.org. So let us know what you think!