The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is the nonprofit, global organization for information professionals who provide knowledge management to stakeholders in “specialized” settings. From June 14-18, SLA celebrated its 110th anniversary in the heart of Cleveland at the SLA 2019 Annual Conference. More than 1,000 information professionals had access to 208 education and social events, 104 exhibitors, and 19 sponsors.
The SLA 2019 Annual Conference staff created magic in Cleveland when they brought the SLA Board of Directors’ vision to life for SLA 2019. Each staff member brought a smile, delivered high energy, and took on a solution-oriented mindset onsite. It was a great conference – that would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication from the SLA 2019 Annual Conference staff.
The event was kicked off when SLA President, Hal Kirkwood greeted the audience with a dance. Throughout the conference, Kirkwood quoted Dr. Martin Luther King, but it was King’s concept of mutuality and uplifting others that Kirkwood used as his key takeaway each day for the audience.
“That core idea – that I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and vice versa – should guide us as we seek to create a new SLA. We are tied together in a single garment of destiny. We have come together through SLA to share experiences tackling key challenges. But we can only achieve our common goal if we help each other be what we ought to be,” said Kirkwood.
He followed this by addressing the current and future concerns of SLA and presented the 2019 John Cotton Dana Award to Guy St. Clair.
Day two Kirkwood bestowed the honor of the title, “Fellow of the Special Libraries Association” to Geraldine Clement-Stoneham, Nick Collison, Ulla de Stricker, Heather Kotula, and Kendra Levine. Kirkwood then presented the 2019 James M. Matarazzo Rising Star Award in memory of the late Jim Matarazzo to, Natasha Chowdory, Angela Pagliaro, Kristin Petersheim, and Mea Warren.
Award ceremonies were followed with an open panel discussion titled, “Fireside Chat: The information Professional of the Future.” Panelists included: Kendra Albright, professor and director of the School of Information at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio; Jon Gant, dean of the School of Library and Information Sciences at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina; and Sandra Hirsh, professor and director of the School of Information at San Jose State University in California.
The final day of the show concluded with Kirkwood thanking the bands, presenters, volunteers, and SLA staff for putting on a great show. He closed by saying, “Well, our three days together are over, but the real work is still ahead of us. Remember the words of Martin Luther King about mutuality and helping others become what they ought to be so you can become what you ought to be. We are all in this together, and we must lift each other up together. Safe travels and see you next year in Charlotte, N.C.”
To learn more about the conferences key themes, visit: https://www.sla.org/mutuality-diversity-and-sharing-are-key-conference-themes/
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