Past Programs

Past programs by year

• 2010 Program Listings
• 2008-2009 Program Listings

2011 Past Programming

Paula Cohen's recap - Hidden Career Opportunities for Librarians and Information Professionals sponsored by Thomson Reuters and SLA Academic Division

This engaging and informative event continued the popular theme of bringing together information professionals from a wide range of practices to exchange insights on forging careers and tackling career obstacles in the library/information arena. It is no surprise that the November 10th gathering attracted a strong response.

The event was generously sponsored by Thomson Reuters (http://thomsonreuters.com/), and held at the firm's Boston office at 22 Thomson Place. The attendees were given a warm welcome and introduction to the company by Susana Camargo-Pohl, J.D., M.L.S., Manager, Librarian Relations.

As librarians and information professionals, we have highly desirable skills in the workplace across a variety of institutions and organizations. Yet traditional job titles are disappearing and new job titles with different responsibilities and titles are replacing them. Organizations and institutions are looking for candidates that have the skills we offer but are not using "traditional" library and information professional terminology.

This event was comprised of a panel of librarians in non-traditional careers to discuss the topic of identifying hidden career opportunities.

Speaker: Paula Maloney, Sourcer, Executive Search, Global Talent Acquisition, EMC Corporation

Panelists:

• Maureen Festa, Senior Development Research Analyst, Office of Development and Alumni Relations, Boston University
• Matt Johnson, Senior Program Manager for Taxonomy and Information Standards, eServices division, EMC Corporation
• Eve Miller, Director of Collection Development, EBSCO Publishing
• Laurie Rotman, Information Resources & Management, Draper Laboratory

Speaker - Paula Maloney
Paula was chosen as speaker because her career path is quite unique. She began her career in Reference at Draper Laboratory and moved to a recruiter position at Infocurrent, identifying library and information professional talent. A key attraction of the recruiter role was the opportunity to conduct research. In her current position as Sourcer with EMC Paula works to identify director level (and above) candidates. She is using her skills learned in LIS in her current position to identify the right candidates and present them to the team so they can make informed decisions. Her work centers on information research, packaging, analysis and interpretation with the aim of winning the sale, the client and the candidate.

A new opportunity for Paula involves leveraging her skills to help with the implementation of a new CRM system to search a candidates' pipeline.
A key takeaway she addressed was the question that she has faced in interviews, "you have a library degree, so why do you want to work here"?

Panelists
Maureen Festa is Senior Development Research Analyst, at Boston University Office of Development and Alumni Relations.
The core of her responsibilities involves research on a range of topics related to prospective donors to the university.
Maureen's key message was to constantly network. Serendipitous encounters can lead to referrals. It is important to educate the public to our skills, venture outside our comfort zones; don't be afraid to apply to jobs outside of our skills set.

Matt Johnson is a Senior Program Manager for Taxonomy and Information Standards, eServices division, EMC Corporation
He described his career as a non-tech person working in a technology role. He offered a unique perspective on how those with an MLS background can successfully work in IT without knowing a word of code. Matt is a strong proponent for applying for positions at firms of interest, and not getting hung up on the long list of requirements.

• Be honest about limitations; appreciate what you know and have to offer
• It's valuable to understand the knowledge and culture gaps in an organization to thrive
• Job descriptions don't always best reflect the realities of the position - apply for positions of interest even if they appear to not be a great fit.; your skills may fit another opportunity or what you offer may interest the hiring manager so much that they decide to bring you in for an interview.
  You won't know until you try.

Eve Miller, Director of Collection Development, EBSCO Publishing
Earlier in her career Eve worked with the California Library System as a project manager although her background was LIS. Her ability to communicate across groups helped her succeed in this role. She then moved into a role with NetLibrary developing Netlibrary Collections. She is now leading a team in transitioning H.W. Wilson into EBSCOhost. Eve suggested that each attendee do a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats; www.quickmba.com/strategy/swot) to evaluate your skill set and apply the S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Agreed Upon, Realistic and Time-based; http://topachievement.com/smart.html) principles to our resumes and cover letters. She also stressed the importance of Emotional Intelligence (soft skills) - successful candidates bring 95% soft skills and 5% hard skills to the position.

Observations: Trust your gut; know what you hate and be sure not to do it; remember schooling teaches you how to think. Enjoy the ride.

Laurie Rotman, Information Resources & Management, Draper Laboratory.
Laurie currently wears two hats at Draper Laboratory. For the past 15 years she has managed the Information Resources and Management group which consists of library, intranet, and collaborative services. She also recently became head of the newly created Project Management office within the Information Services department.

Observations: Continue to build skills, be flexible, and take risks. Laurie encouraged the attendees to pursue a Project Management Certification (http://www.pmi.org/), take part in free webinars & online trainings, strengthen communication skills, and volunteer for activities and leadership roles to increase visibility.

OBSERVATIONS
Networking is important. Engage with people and you will learn of job opportunities in a wide range of fields. Do not be intimidated by the job description, if you like the job apply, and focus on highlighting skills that are applicable to the job.
A good strategy to gain an inroad in firms where you'd like to work is to network with others within those firms. It's quite possible that if the position applied for isn't a fit, the applicant may be redirected to another opening; recruiters are often aware of positions opening up.

Volunteer with organizations that allow you to develop skills and where you can showcase your talents to those who are hiring.

It is okay to take positions that are short term because it offers the opportunity to grow skills, develop contacts, and build the resume.

Responses to Questions

• A participant has had difficulty landing a full time position, and has worked at a number of short term projects. She is concerned about how that will be interpreted by employers/recruiters. Response: working on projects is a good approach to gather experience, and working on something is preferable to not working.

• How to get a foot in the door if it's perceived we're over-qualified for the position?

• How to get past the "experience limitation": Address it.

A special thanks to Khalilah Gambrell for organizing this engaging and timely event.

Toby Pearlstein and Jim Matarazzo Talk : The Corporate Library in Turbulent Times, co-sponsored by Business & Finance Division

Join us as Jim Matarazzo, Dean & Professor Emeritus at Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science and Dr. Toby Pearlstein, Former Director, Global Information Services (Retired) at Bain & Company bring their 2011 SLA Annual Presentation to Boston.

2011 SLA Annual Conference Program Description:
"Cutbacks and reductions in corporate library budgets have increased, fueled by the erratic economy and unprecedented bankruptcies, mergers, and acquisitions. Based on research for their articles in Searcher magazine, the speakers will present specific survival skills for corporate libraries/librarians, including alternate sourcing, scenario planning and aligning with the parent organization (especially how to understand alignment and foster and demonstrate it). The balanced scorecard will be reviewed as a strategic data-gathering tool to support survival. This presentation is for all information professionals who want to learn how to adapt and avoid being marginalized."

SLA Annual Conference Recap from Information Today

Date: Wednesday, October 26th
Time: networking with appetizers from 5:30pm to 6pm and presentation from 6pm to 7:30pm
Location: Social Law Library, 1 Pemberton Sq # 4100, Boston, MA 02108-1792 (driving directions)
Public Transportation: State (near City Hall side) or Government Center

Cost

• Student/retiree/in-between job rate: $5
• SLA/NEASIS&T Member: $10
• Non-member: $20

Registration: Please RSVP by Friday, October 21st

Dine Around: after presentation, attendees may join us for dinner at a local restaurant. More details to be provided.

Contact: Khalilah Gambrell, gambrell9899 AT SIGN gmail.com 

Data Management Plan: The Next Generation

Curious about data curation? Have questions regarding data management plans? Join us at Mount Holyoke College Room Dwight 101 for a presentation and discussion about these questions. Sarah Goldstein and Sarah Oelker of Mount Holyoke College will present their 2011 SLA contributed paper, Planning for Data Curation in the Small Liberal Arts College Environment and lead a group discussion on different approaches to data plan management. The program is sponsored by SLA Boston, SLA @ Simmons, and Simmons College of Graduate Library and Information Science Student Association (West).

Date: Wednesday, October 19th
Location: Mount Holyoke, Dwight 101
Campus Map: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/campusmap/
Directions to Mount Holyoke: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/about/directions.html

Agenda

6:00pm-6:25pm:    Registration and Networking (appetizers and beverages to be served)

6:25pm -7:30pm:   Presentation and Group Discussion

RSVP Deadline: For an approximate attendee account, the registration deadline is October 13th.

Cost: Free

Contact: Khalilah Gambrell, gambrell9899 AT SIGN gmail.com 

Life Sciences Brown Bag Lunch

Join DPHT Pharmaceutical Librarians and SLA Boston Chapter for a Life Sciences Brown Bag Lunch at the Whitehead Institute at MIT. The lunch will provide an opportunity for folks to discuss relevant Life Sciences topics. We're interested in networking with people from business, finance, legal, medical, scientific, engineering and other areas – we deal with all of these disciplines and know that greater collaboration and judicious sharing are all keys to thriving – and surviving – in today's challenging times.

Date: Thursday, October 13th
Time: noon to 1:30pm
Location: MIT Whitehead Institute
Cost: Free (Lunch will not be provided. Attendees must bring their own lunch. Drinks and cookies will be provided courtesy of Quosa).
Registration: Please register by Monday, October 10th

How to get there: Driving: http://www.wi.mit.edu/about/directions.html, may incur parking fees or Public Transportation Red Line Stop: Kendall Square
Contact: Mary Chitty 781 972-5416 mchitty AT SIGN healthtech.com

Lunch Time Webinar: Using Social Collaboration Tools in Your Organization with Scott Brown

Date: Wednesday, September 28th
Time: 1:00pm ET to 2:30pm ET
Cost: Free to all SLA members; Non-members cost is $25
Details & Registration: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/800802096
Contact: Khalilah Gambrell, gambrell9899 AT SIGN gmail.com

How do social tools, like wikis and online forums, contribute to collaboration? Are they really robust enough to share and manage knowledge in the organization? How are social features being incorporated into KM and content management software and tools? What will the future look like for social tools and social dynamics in information work? This webinar provides an overview of how social tools and dynamics are influencing information work, as well as specific examples and practices in using these tools effectively for collaboration and knowledge sharing. We'll look at these issues both in how they affect information teams, and the organization as a whole.

About Scott Brown
Scott Brown is owner of Social Information Group (http://www.socialinformationgroup.com), an independent information practice that focuses on the effective use of social networking tools for sharing and finding information. He has worked with libraries, Fortune 500 companies, startups, government organizations and individuals to help them understand and effectively use these tools for their clients and to drive increased visibility and connection. He is also a professional coach, specifically working with information professionals. His forthcoming book, "Social Sleuthing: Finding competitive and business information using social media tools" will be published by Woodhead Publishing in early 2012. He has over 20 years of experience in library and information organizations, in public, academic and corporate settings. Scott is a regular speaker nationally on many areas of information work. You can reach him at scott AT SIGN socialinformationgroup.com, connect with him on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottrbrown, or follow him on Twitter at @socialinfo.

Fall Kickoff Reception

Join us for the Annual Fall Kickoff. This celebration is an opportunity to  catch up with peers and latest happenings with SLA. Folks can compete at  billiards and other games. Prizes will be given.

 Date: Wednesday, September 21st
 Time: 6pm to 9pm
 Location: Scholars, 25 School Street, Boston, MA, 617.248.0025
 Nearby Subway stops: State St., Downtown Crossing. Park St.

Recap: http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/slaboston/2011/09/2011-fall-kickoff-recap.html

Volunteer Activities with More Than Words

Join fellow SLA Boston members in volunteering with More Than Words. Stay Tuned for more details.

The Diversity Committee has selected, More Than Words (MTW), an organization based in Waltham, Massachusetts, with an office opening in downtown Boston by the end of the year. More Than Words "is a nonprofit social enterprise that empowers youth who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business." At the Waltham site, youth operate a book store and café that aids in building leadership, communication, and organizational skills.

How can SLA Boston members help this organization?
Each month, More Than Words holds several hour-long workshops for 10-14 participants. On Tuesday, August 23rd and Thursday, 25th from 5pm to 6:15pm, the organization would like 1-3 SLA Boston Members to share their knowledge by providing a basic research skills overview. Most participants are attending high school, obtaining a GED, preparing for college, or looking for a job. By presenting an overview, you will help these participants greatly and empower them with knowledge that can be used in all aspects of their lives. Lastly, it is a great way to inform other organizations as to who we are and the amazing skills we have.

Date: August 23rd or August 25th
Time: 5-6:15pm
Location: More Than Words 376 Moody St. Waltham, MA 781-788-0035 info@mtwyouth.org
Contact: kgambrell AT SIGN ebscohost.com

Idea Exchange Event: Finding Solutions to Current Issues in Our Profession And Meet SLA President Elect Candidates

Want a forum to converse with peers about challenges and/or issues you are facing?

Want to learn from peers best practices, ideas, and solutions to overcome them?

Along with SLA President Elect Candidates, David Cappoli and Deb Hunt, join us for a collaborative discussion on these questions with the objective that attendees come away with ideas that they can apply to their professional development or in their workplaces.

It's a can't-miss program that we hope is the basis for continued dialogue via in-person and virtual events! Food will be provided!

Date: Thursday, August 11th

Time: 6pm to 8:15pm

Location:
Olin College
Campus Center
Needham, MA (directions)

Agenda
6:00-6:30: Meet the President Elect Candidates and Network
6:30-6:50 Form Groups to discuss challenge/issue
6:50-7:10: Groups discuss challenge/issue
7:10-7:35: Groups discuss and document ideas/solutions
7:35-7:55: Each group present challenge and ideas
7:55-8:10: Questions/Answers

Recap: http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/slaboston/2011/08/idea-exchange-recap.html

SLA RI and SLA Boston Outing Pawtucket Red Sox vs. Buffalo Bisons

Date: Sunday, August 7, 2011
Time: 1:05 PM
Location: McCoy Stadium, 1 Columbus Avenue, Pawtucket, RI 02860
Website: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t533

Maine Dine Around with SLA Boston, LLNE, and NEASIS&T @ Portland Lobster Company

Summer is here! Come and chat with other information professionals in this open forum! This is a great chance to get together with others in your professional and discuss common issues in your field - plus enjoy some Maine seafood!!! Please RSVP so we have an approximate account of attendees.

The Portland Lobster Company is located in downtown Portland, Maine on Commercial Street and was a great menu with reasonable prices. They have nice outdoor seating close to the water.

Date: Thursday, July 28th
Time: 6pm to 8pm
Registration: Please register by July 22nd, so that we can provide the restaurant an accurate count of attendees.
Registration form: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/mainesummerdinearound2011

Venue:
Portland Lobster Company
180 Commercial St
Portland, Maine
http://www.portlandlobstercompany.com/

Parking: Folks should park either on Commercial Street (if you can find a spot) or in the Fisherman's Wharf Parking (See list of more parking options here - http://www.portlandmaine.com/index.php?sec=8&ssec=106)

Connecticut Dine Around @ Angelo's on Main

"Summertime... and the living is easy." Come and join SLA Boston President Nancy Burt and President - Elect Khalilah Gambrell and other members for drinks and dinner to discuss the chapter and programming in Connecticut on Thursday, June 30 at 6:00 PM at Angelo's on Main. SLA Boston programming will be coming to Connecticut in the Fall this year, and we'd like your input as to what that programming will be. Mark your calendars and join us for an evening of fine dining and good talk.

Attendees pay for their own meals and drinks. Please RSVP by June 27th for an approximate count on participants.

Venue:
Angelo's on Main,
289 South Main Street,
West Hartford, CT 06107
(www.angelosonmain.com)

2011 SLA Annual Conference Activities

Meetup
For folks attending SLA Annual in Philadelphia, SLA Boston will hold its meetup @ Smokin Betty's on Sunday, June 12th from 4pm to 5:30pm. Please RSVP by Thursday, June 9th. We will have drinks and appetizers prior to the keynote.

Connecting with other members @ SLA Annual
Would you like to connect with other members attending the conference? A contact list will be provided to all attendees that complete the form by June 9th. We encourage folks to use this list to meet up with other members at the conference

Bowling Towards 2011 SLA Annual Conference

Join SLA Boston and SLA Simmons in celebrating the 2011 SLA Annual Conference by enjoying a night of fun, food and candlepin bowling.

Download Flyer: http://bit.ly/fJ3J0Z

When: Thursday, May 12th from 6pm to 8pm

Where: Flatbread Somerville @ Sacco's Bowl Haven
45 Day Street, Somerville, MA 02144 (map)

Dine Around Western Mass. Spring Lunch @ Paul and Elizabeth's

Spring is here and before long flowers will be blooming and temperatures warming. Please join other information professionals from Western Massachusetts, Central Connecticut, and beyond for a delicious lunch at Paul and Elizabeth's in Northampton, MA on Saturday, April 30th at 12:30PM.

Paul and Elizabeth's (http://www.paulandelizabeths.com/) is centrally located in Thorne's Marketplace on Main Street and features all-natural seafood, salads, sandwiches, and more. Chapter President Nancy Burt and other current board members will discuss the upcoming chapter name change to SLA New England, and this will be an opportunity to ask them your questions on your mind about the chapter, SLA, the annual conference, etc. We look forward to seeing you there!

Date: Saturday, April 30th Time: 12:30pm - 2:30pm
Place: Paul and Elizabeth's (directions - http://www.paulandelizabeths.com/directions.htm)
Cost: Your own food and drink

"Dine Arounds" are smaller, more casual meals where you can connect with other SLA colleagues and other fellow colleagues while having a good time! Questions?

SLA "Day on the Job" (DOTJ) Program

Dear SLA Boston Members,

Once again, the SLA Boston Chapter Board is pleased to announce the annual "Day on the Job" (DOTJ) program for LIS students. This popular program enables students to meet with practicing LIS professionals and to learn more about their jobs, work environments, and career history and objectives. The program has proven to be highly beneficial to students as they explore different types of work situations and in some cases it has had a direct impact on a student's career choices. We invite you to be a host to one or several of these students.

Despite its name, the DOTJ does not involve a particular day or format. The date and time can be whatever the student and host finds to be mutually convenient, although usually the best time for students is during the school semester. The format is also flexible, ranging from a day-long job "shadowing", to a series of interviews, to a library tour, to a conversation over a cup of coffee. Whatever time you are able to share with a student will be appreciated.

As with our program last spring, we hope to invite the students from URI and Southern Connecticut to participate, so if you are based in these two areas, please consider being a host. Additionally, membership in SLA is not required for host participation so feel free to send this announcement to your colleagues off-list.

To sign up as a host, please complete the online form at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FQRGVFW

We would appreciate receiving your response by Friday, April 15th. Once we have determined which student(s) are the best match for your situation, we will email the contact information to you by late April.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Meanwhile, thank you very much for your consideration.

Devon McArdle
Student Relations Committee
devonannmcardle@gmail.com

An Introduction to Taxonomies for the Accidental Taxonomist: A Talk by Heather Hedden

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 from 5pm to 7pm, at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research Auditorium, Heather Hedden, chair of the Mentoring Committee of the Taxonomy Division and author of the book, The Accidental Taxonomist will present:

An Introduction to Taxonomies for the Accidental Taxonomist. This presentation, along with a hands-on exercise will provide folks new to taxonomy with knowledge and tools regarding:

• taxonomies, controlled vocabularies and thesauri
• different types and applications of taxonomies
• basic structure of how to create a taxonomy
• best practices for creating terms and relationships
• taxonomy management tools

The program is sponsored by SLA Boston Chapter, SLA Taxonomy Division, and Curata by HiveFire, Inc.

Event Details

Date/Time: Wednesday, March 30, 2011 from 5pm to 7pm
5:00 - 5:30: Networking and Light Refreshments (sponsored by Curata by HiveFire, Inc.)
5:30 - 6:45: Heather Hedden's Talk and Hands-on Exercise
6:45 - 7:00: Networking and Book Signing. A limited number of copies of her book, The Accidental Taxonomist will be available for sale and autographed by the author. Acceptable methods of payment are cash or check at time of event. Please make checks payable to Heather Hedden. Payment for book is not/should not be included in program registration fee.

SLA Boston and SLA Taxonomy Division want to thank Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Curata by HiveFire, Inc. for its generous support of this program.

After the event Dine Around

Let's continue the discussion and meet fellow SLA members: Following the presentation and hands-on exercise, join us for Dine Around at The Friendly Toast http://www.thefriendlytoast.net/ yet to be determined.