Tools for Alignment Ambassadors

POSITIONING INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS FOR THE FUTURE
Finally - an easy-to-understand summary of the alignment research! Go to Add then Attachments for a copy of this presentation. You can use this at a chapter meeting to start a discussion or choose specific slides to make your point in a blog or Twitter post - whatever works best for your audience and method of communication.

HERE ARE SOME MORE IDEAS

• Host a networking / discussion session at a local restaurant or bar with chapter members and then share some of their feedback on the Alignment Activities page
• Write an article for your unit newsletter
• In either in a group setting or via blog or discussion list, share slides from one or both of the presentations below and ask people to share their thoughts about what the research is telling us.  Some good slides to use are:

Using Slides from the Positioning SLA for the Future presentation given at the 2009 Leadership Summit - http://www.sla.org/PDFs/2008LS_FHAlignmentPresentation.pdf

Slide No. 18 - Most Valuable Information Roles (Users v Providers)
What do you think about the differences in how info providers and users value things like conducting research managing a print collection?
Should we also consider changing how we assign value to what we do?
How can we better align ourselves with our organizations? How might a new name help us do that?

Slides No. 24, 25 and 28 - Continuous Learning, Expertise and Professional Development/Advancement:
What are your thoughts about where the name "Special Libraries Association" falls on the quadrant?
Have you ever run into a problem defining this? How do you get beyond that? What words do you use?

GOOD EXAMPLES OF POSITIVE RESPONSE TO A NEGATIVE COMMENTS
From SLA PR Director, Cara Schatz to Alignment Ambassadors: I wanted to share with you an exchange from a discussion list between a skeptical member and our President and #1 Ambassador, Gloria Zamora. I think this demonstrates a really effective way to engage with members who are not yet on board, or who might be characterizing this effort in a manner that is not in line with the intentions of this project.

I especially like the positivity projected in Gloria's response. Generalizations and negativity about the alignment are going to be a difficult beast to slay in this effort! The more our members hear from us the reality of the research, the true intent of this initiative, and hear it in a positive and not in a defensive manner- the closer they will come to understanding that it is the KEY to future success of the profession, the association, AND their own careers!

Original Email:

You'll have to excuse me if I still see this as the leopard changing his spots to stripes. Wasn't the goal of the association, just a few short years ago, to do marketing to our employers to prove our worth and show our value? I guess I'm just a little tired of having to wear a disguise to do the same work. In the end, this will all end up as a costume ball and people will wonder where all the helpful librarians have gone . . . <sigh>

"Hey Mary, didn't we used to have a librarian to help find that information?"

"Why yes we did Bob, but he's now an analyst in the finance department."

"So where do I go to get this information then?"

"Try Google or Bing, I hear they're GREAT!"

Response from Gloria:
Good morning. I was interested to read your response to the alignment research and wanted to know if you have had the opportunity to read through, not only this newest powerpoint presentation but also the detailed research and discussion of the findings that have been on the SLA website since January.

One goal of SLA has been to help the members explain their value to their employers. The alignment project took that even further, however; by trying to find out what our employers and C-level executives actually think and believe about the information profession and the individuals who work as information providers in their companies.

SLA had never done this kind of in-depth research of the perception of the information profession. This validated research gives our members the words and concepts that resonate well both inside and outside the profession; words that we can all use to describe the value that we add to the information services we provide. So to me, this in no way is "the leopard changing his spots to stripes." It is enhancing and improving the original spots. The alignment started with our values and strengths and demonstrates how to use those to our advantage.

We don't want you to wear any disguise. If you want to be called a librarian that is great. We want you to use the alignment research to be the very best librarian/information professional you can be. If you do this, no one you work with "will wonder where all the helpful librarians have gone." In fact the people you work with will not have to wonder why we are so helpful, because you will be able to explain succinctly the value you add to their business.

If you go back and read the alignment information I don't think you will be sighing. I believe you will be jumping for joy at the tools we are making available to you to describe and market your services in the very best light. I look forward to talking with you once you have a chance to review the alignment materials.

Response from Alignment Ambassador Richard Husler:

It is great that you have taken the time to read through and think about the SLA Alignment research. I am happy you and so many others are taking this seriously and passionately because I, too, feel strongly about who we are and the value we provide. I have been a 'librarian', an 'information professional', and described by many other words and titles, depending upon my circumstances. Has it been a challenge to have my employers fully understand my value along with that of my colleagues? Sure it has. One of the key challenges we have as librarians and information professionals is getting our management and the general public to understand our value and the importance of information services to their success.

As you noted, SLA has made various efforts to help us market and prove our value to our employers and that has met with limited success at best. What may be understood in one organization or environment does not necessarily meet success elsewhere. What we failed to do in the past is really examine our marketplace, get a more comprehensive understanding of the perceptions about us and our services, and get the facts. Not only that, we needed to have a strategy to address it all and we needed the words to explain it back to our employers. That is why I will be honest with you that I was fairly skeptical at first about the alignment project and of hiring of an outside firm to help do the work, but I knew we had to do something. In addition, Gloria Zamora mentioned in an earlier note to you that SLA had never done the necessary in-depth research about our profession prior to what was done for this project. I have to tell you that after I heard the results and examined the details, I was very pleased with the outcomes and the potential for finally getting the information and framework of tools we need to communicate our value.

The bottom line to me is that we can and should call ourselves 'librarian', 'information professional' or any other titles we feel are appropriate. That is not being abandoned by any means. Instead, you will find in the research data and outcomes that we now have the additional tools, words and phrases to convey our value to our employers in ways they actually prefer and understand. We won't be part of a 'costume ball' of people in disguises, but rather proud, recognizable and appreciated professionals. I encourage you to look at the information being made available in the Alignment wiki and continue to ask questions and for clarification. Good, healthy and informed discussion can only make for a better result.
I really think we now have a solid base of information and tools to describe what we do and market ourselves and our services in the best way possible. That is why I enthusiastically agreed to be an Alignment Ambassador during the June SLA conference. I think you know me well enough to know I don't do or say anything I don't believe in or have issues about, and this one I think is on the right track.
I would be happy to talk more with you and anyone else about this and happy you are making your thoughts and ideas known.
 

INITIAL WELCOME MESSAGE TO ALIGNMENT AMBASSADORS
Thank you to all who have already answered Gloria's call to action and joined her tribe as Alignment Ambassadors. The PR Advisory Council is excited about working together to spread the word and engage our fellow members in a dialog about this project and a possible name change for the Association. We're still recruiting Ambassadors, so please send your contact information to Jill Strand (jillstrand@gmail.com.)

As Gloria mentioned, Fleischman-Hillard has worked hard to provide vetted and tested research that clearly shows how a name change can help the Association continue to grow and succeed for another 100 years. Part of our role as Ambassadors is to point members to this research, answer their questions and listen to what they have to say. Fleischman-Hillard will soon be providing us with tools to make this easier, including an FAQ about the Alignment, a short PPT on the key findings of the research, an Alignment Portal and a webinar to get you started on how to use the tools and "talk Alignment."

Until then you can check out the links on this wiki's homepage to a presentation on Fleishman Hillard's initial findings and more. As librarians and information professionals, we get the importance of making decisions based on sound research, and as Alignment Ambassadors you will be helping your fellow members to do just that - review these findings before coming to a conclusion. In addition to talking with members via email, blogs, wikis or tweets, we'd also like to see every unit engage its members in a formal conversation about the Alignment and a name change between now and November. Chapters can host forums as part of a regular meeting and Divisions can do the same via their discussion lists. Don't forget to reach out to student groups at local (or not so local) MLIS programs and invite them to take part in the conversation as well.

We ask that you monitor and participate in the discussions happening on this wiki as well as share updates on scheduled events or activities, and any the feedback you receive from your units. If Board or PRAC members or Fellows of SLA are in your area at the time of your meetings and available to participate they will contact you. Remember that PRAC members are here to help and span various aspects of the profession and nations across the globe - whether they represent a scientific institute, European Union embassy, respected university, global information vendor, major news organization or regional law firm. We cover a lot of bases, but need your help to cover them all.

While a name change is important, please remember that the Alignment is about more than that. It is a roadmap that can not only help lead the Association forward but can have a decisive impact on the profession as a whole. Whether you are a librarian, information professional, cataloger, technical services specialist, research guru or Web 2.0 visionary, the Alignment will directly influence how the rest of the world understands the value of what you do. What could be more crucial than that?

Sincerely, PR Advisory Council

Jill Strand, Chair
Liz Blankson-Hemans
Shira Kavon
Heather O'Daniel
Cara Schatz
David Shumaker
Ann Sweeney
Libby Trudell