Nerida Hart and I had a wonderful time in Savannah, Georgia, forming connections with other division and chapter leaders, brainstorming and sharing ideas, and developing some key initiatives and goals. (Check out our Facebook photos for summit photos.) Below are highlights from the conference.
Approval by the SLA Board
- Click U is now included in SLA membership.
- Certificate program, CE courses, and Career Center will still remain fee-based.
- Leadership management system is now integrated into SLA's site (single sign-on)
- Membership fee reduced to $35 for those making less than $18,000/year.
- SLA HQ staff did not take a cost of living/salary increase.
- New Virtual Worlds Advisory Council approved.
- Information Outlook will be published 8 times a year (instead of 12) and option to receive electronically is available (if you want to go more green).
- Centennial Commission has planned and met their goals within budget focusing on the future; developing an oral history project; greening opportunities; integrating
- Web 2.0 toolsets including wikis, Flickr groups, YouTube videos, etc.
Conversations and ideas shared throughout the summit:
- Move from hierarchical to a more knowledge sharing community (flat structure). Break down the silos of information. Move towards a flatter structure/network.
- Build bridges/create trust networks
- In tight economies, we'll be called to take on different roles.
- Clear communication strategies.
- Enable anecdotal exchange of information, collect stories.
- Flexibility.
- Escalate rate of learning and functioning in new roles.
- Tell the stories of success within an organization (as well as the mistakes).
- Build local versions of "SLA's Faces."
- Take your bosses to a meeting/event/party.
Resources
- [SLA Centennial Toolkit]
- [Centennial Commission Idea Sharing]
- Unconference wiki is in the works
Leadership
Facilitate and enable the exchange of anecdotal stories and experiences across world boundaries for SLA divisions, chapters, and caucuses.
Our KM division's focus and initiatives:
(Going more virtual using Australian's triple bottomline model.)
- Environmental: Reduce greenhouse effect by creating virtual conference opportunities.
- Financial/Economics: Financial crisis is an opportunity to push the technology to get past the cost of travel, to be more innovative. Reduce travel, save money. Support SLA membership for 3rd World information professional. Develop an award for KM professional and student.
- Social: Build networks to exchange stories, good practices, and even our mistakes; create a portal to other KM initiatives; build sensitivity to cultural differences; maximize use of technologies and KM techniques for increased networking opportunities/online collaboration; share good practices/business models on SLA KM wiki and Division Idea Bank.
Annual conferences
- 2009 Theme: Information to Inspiration: Knowledge & Vision Shaping the Future. KM-sponsored unconference Reception using Open Space techniques (openspaceworld.org) Create opportunities for trust building events through unconferencing, open space techniques that can be applied within the organization, team, workgroup. Invite KM groups in DC to our KM Reception
- 2010 Theme: Entering SLA's New Century: Let The Good Times Roll. Brainstorming ideas and co-sponsored events.