SEP OCT information 12 V 16 | N 05 outlook THE MAGAZINE OF THE SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION METRICS FOR SPECIAL LIBRARIES Explore the IMF eLibrary See our recommended reading list at www.elibrary.imf.org/ioso www.elibrary.imf.org INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND SEP OCT information 12 V 16 | N 05 outlook THE MAGAZINE OF THE SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION INFO VIEW SLA 2012 CONTRIBUTED PAPER 3 Measuring for Success 24 Don’t Touch that BRENT MAI String! There Went the Databases INSIDE INFO DEE BALDWIN, 4 Nominations Sought MicHAEL KUcsak, for Board Positions · AND ALICE ENG SLA to Cease Printing Magazine in 2013 · COMPETENCIES FOR LIBRARIANS Annual Conference 33 Do Librarians Draws 3,500 to Chicago Need PhDs? DEANNA B. MARCUM INFO NEWS 6 Teaching, Communicating MARKET SHARE 8 METRICS FOR are Key to Proving Value · 36 Marketing through Cost, Technology Enchantment: SPECIAL LIBRARIES Spurring Rise in Group The Guy Kawasaki Research · Major U.S. Approach News Sites Losing JILL STRAND # Title here Credibility · Graduates 10 WhatAUT AreHOR We Measuring, Want Continued Access INFO TECH and Does It Matter? to Research 39 Collaboration in Special 16ST ETitleVE HILL hereER Library Environments SLA MEMBER INTERVIEW STEPHEN ABRAM AUTHOR 20 10 Questions: 13 Benchmarking: Dee Baldwin INFO BUSINESS A Powerful STUART HALES 42 Metrics and Value Management Tool DEBBIE SCHACHTERS MARTHA HASWELL 44 Industry Events Webinars 16 Beyond Metrics: Ad Index The Value of the Information Center CONSTANCE ARD INFO VIEW Measuring for Success Another of the board’s strategic agen- Two SLA task forces are taking action da items is to grow SLA by diversifying to establish benchmarks for professional our membership. But in order to know development and membership diversification. whether this objective is being achieved, we must know who our members are. BY BRENT MAI, SLA PRESIDENT What industries do we represent? What work environments do we represent, and how long have we been working in these professions? What educational Wow! SLA 2012 is now one for the persed around the globe, it is difficult to backgrounds are represented among record books, and what an outstand- know what learning and networking ini- our members? To what other organiza- ing conference it was! Special thanks tiatives are taking place throughout our tions do we belong? go to Cindy Hill and her team on the association without monitoring more If we know the answers to these Conference Advisory Council for lead- than 150 unit Websites, discussion questions, SLA leaders can make bet- ing the planning process, to the division lists, blogs, and social media sites. ter decisions about what our mem- planners who put together 250-plus To facilitate sharing of this informa- bers need to support their professional continuing education sessions and net- tion, an association-wide calendar is development. A presidential task force working events designed to support being made available that will make led by Kimberly Silk is developing a list the professional development needs of SLA members, and to the many other volunteers who helped SLA fulfill its mission to strengthen its members through learning and networking initia- Measuring one’s performance is instrumental in tives. Bravo! Bravo! demonstrating success, both personally and professionally. This issue of Information Outlook focuses on metrics, so I’ll begin by SLA has two core values that relate to measuring success: providing some metrics of success for to add qualitative and quantitative value and to deliver SLA 2012. There were almost 3,500 attendees in Chicago, and the number measurable results. of those who paid to attend the full conference was up 20 percent over SLA 2011 in Philadelphia. This is a significant indicator that SLA mem- bers continue to find value in confer- it easier for both members and non- of questions that will be used to gather ence content and, furthermore, that members to see what opportunities are the information needed to support this more members are economically able available on a given day in any part of type of decision making. The answers to attend. More than 200 companies SLA’s global organization. This proj- to these questions can be used as a showcased their latest offerings at the ect builds on the efforts of Operation benchmark with which to measure our INFO-EXPO, the premier exhibition of Vitality (led by former board member success at diversifying our member- information management products and Daniel Lee), which has brought a uni- ship. services. fied technology platform to our units SLA’s success, however, is not mea- over the last two years. One of your Establishing Standards sured solely by its annual conference. board’s strategic goals for 2012-2014 In many professions, there are man- As Gary Labranche of the Association is to foster 24/7/365 continuing educa- dates to engage in lifelong learning for Corporate Growth pointed out dur- tion opportunities. This new calendar and professional development. These ing the leadership orientation session in will showcase what your association is mandates are often linked to licen- Chicago, professional associations like doing for members and will be a visible sure of some kind, requiring participa- SLA provide more educational opportu- indicator of whether the board is fulfill- tion in designated learning activities to nities than all colleges and universities ing this strategic goal. maintain credibility as a professional. combined. But with SLA chapters dis- 2 INFORMATION OUTLOOK V16 N05 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 INFO VIEW This type of a professional development the leadership of past president Anne regime is rooted in the traditional con- Caputo, a task force is updating the SLA cept of a professional as autonomous Competencies and expects to complete and self-regulating, with specialized its final report by the end of the year. expertise and a responsibility to the Measuring one’s performance is public to maintain particular standards instrumental in demonstrating success, in this expertise. both personally and professionally. SLA SLA is not, at this time, a certifi- has two core values that relate to mea- cation-issuing professional association. suring success. One is to add qualita- We do, however, offer certificates that tive and quantitative value to informa- demonstrate proficiency in a hand- tion services and products; the other full of subject areas, notably copyright is to deliver measurable results in the and knowledge management. We also information economy and in our orga- provide, for those members who find nizations. them professionally useful, certificates This issue of Information Outlook fea- of completion for continuing education tures three articles by expert authors on courses sponsored by SLA. the subject of measuring for success. But the diversity of our member- Constance Ard discusses using metrics ship makes it difficult to establish a to communicate value; Martha Haswell uniform set of standards against which outlines how to use benchmarking to information professionals can measure improve performance; and Steve Hiller themselves. The SLA Competencies, dovetails information service metrics while they are not exactly metrics with with the goals of the overall organiza- which we can compare one member to tion. Their collective wisdom will give another, are used by many members you a broader understanding of the to define job parameters and set goals framework by which you can measure for performance evaluations. Under your professional success. Enjoy! SLA subscription plans for libraries Pubs Suite Subscribe to the entire 13-journal journals package of INFORMS journals. You get Subscribe to INFORMS full-range of 12 business & print+online or online-only access to engineering journals covering important operations all 2013 content plus all online issues research, management science, and analytics research. back through 1998. http://librarians.pubs.informs.org www.informs.org/inst-pubssuite • Save over $1,100 SERVICE SCIENCE • Remote & campus wide access INFORMS New Online Journal • FREE 30-day trials available Driven by today’s new business environment, Service Science, a fully refereed online-only journal, publishes state-of-the-art research, education, practice, and Email: [email protected] breakthroughs in the service science. Phone: +1.800.4.INFORMs http://servsci.pubs.informs.org www.informs.org/subscribe INFORMATION OUTLOOK V16 N05 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 3 INSIDE INFO BOARD NOMINATIONS · MAGAZINE · ANNUAL CONFERENCE Nominations Sought your job and career. of the magazine in 2013 and replace for Board Positions Nominations must be received by it with an enhanced online format Looking for a way to take your lead- 11 January 2013. To nominate an SLA designed to encourage reader interac- ership skills to the next level? Know member for the board, forward the fol- tion and sharing. someone who has the skills, desire and lowing information to any member of Beginning with the January/February drive to help SLA members prepare for the Nominating Committee: 2013 issue, SLA members will receive the future? If so, the SLA Nominating an e-mail notification that the issue • The nominee’s name, address and Committee invites you to nominate is available online through the asso- phone number; yourself or recommend a colleague to ciation’s Website. The online edition serve in one of the following leadership • The board position for which you are will boast a variety of features, includ- positions: recommending the nominee; ing mobile accessibility, rich media, searchable and zoomable content, and • President-elect; • The length of time the nominee has RSS feeds. Readers will be able to been an SLA member; • Chapter cabinet chair-elect; add notes and bookmarks, share con- • Offices the nominee has held in SLA tent with colleagues, and comment on • Division cabinet chair-elect; or chapters, divisions, committees, or articles. • Director (two positions). councils; The Information Outlook Advisory Council will help guide the process of The committee is seeking 10 can- • The association-level committees on selecting the appropriate mix of fea- didates—two for each of the five which the nominee has served; tures available to readers.