Our next meeting will be Wednesday, June 15 at 6pm at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at the corner of E Street, NW and 12th Street, NW - just down 12th Street from the Metro Center station. The topic for June is books that are done as a series of letters. Some recommendations and web sites on the topic include:

Alpha to Omega: The Life & Times of the Greek Alphabet. Alexander Humez & Nicholas Humez
ABC et Cetera: The Life & Times of the Roman Alphabet. Ditto
The Douglas Letters: Selections from the Private Papers of Justice William O. Douglas. Urofsky, Editor.
Half Brother, Half Son: The Letters of Louis D. Brandeis to Felix Frankfurter. Urofsky

My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams.
Dangerous Liaisons. Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.
Letters from the Earth. Mark Twain
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters. Mark Dunn
The Uncommon Reader: A Novella. Alan Bennett

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistolary_novel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_contemporary_epistolary_novels

Contact Barbara Folensbee-Moore at bfolensbee-moore@morganlewis.com with questions.

Prakash, General Manager of the Library & Information Center at Tata Consultants will talk about managing a global information center from an international perspective.  Mr. Prakash is also the President of SLA’s Asia Chapter, the fastest growing chapter in the Association and is sure to have a compelling vision of the future of the profession!

Refreshments and networking from 6 pm to 6:30 pm; program begins at 6:30.

Location: Latham & Watkins, 555 11th Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC

dcslaprograms@gmail.com with questions.

Information discussion of the Association Information Services Caucus.  Group meets monthly.  Topic TBD

For more information, contact Angela Titone.

If you didn't get to attend the SLA Annual Conference (or just had a schedule conflict and couldn't be in two places at once), come hear impressions and takeaways from chapter members. Co-sponsored by DCSLA and The Catholic University of America Special Libraries Association (CUA SLA).

Networking with pizza 6:00pm - 6:30pm. Program begins at 6:30

Location: The Catholic University of America
School of Library and Information Science
Information Commons
Marist Hall Room, 132

Book: Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson 

About the Book: Johnson--writer, Web guru, and bestselling author of Everything Bad Is Good for You--delivers a sweeping look at innovation spanning nearly the whole of human history. What sparks our great ideas? Johnson breaks down the cultural, biological, and environmental fuel into seven broad "patterns," each packed with diverse, at times almost disjointed anecdotes that Johnson synthesizes into a recipe for success. A section on "slow hunches" captivates, taking readers from the FBI's work on 9/11 to Google's development of Google News. A section on error takes us through a litany of accidental innovations, including the one that eventually led to the invention of the computer. "Being right keeps you in place," Johnson reminds us. "Being wrong forces us to explore." It's eye-opening stuff--although it does require an investment from the reader. But as fans of the author's previous work know, an investment in Johnson pays off, and those who stick with the author as he meanders through an occasional intellectual digression will come away enlightened and entertained, and with something perhaps even more useful--how to recognize the conditions that could spark their own creativity and innovation.

Zorba's Cafe is just north of the Dupont Circle metro stop, use the Q Street exit - we'll be at a table on the second floor.

Meeting Hosted by: Gretchen Sauvey
Please RSVP: gsauvey@gmail.com

The October 2011 meeting will focus on A Reader on Reading by Alberto Manguel

Do you know of a great book we should discuss at an upcoming meeting? Have a question or comment? Please send your suggestions and questions to: Gretchen Sauvey, gsauvey@gmail.com

All are welcome to attend the DC/SLA monthly board meeting.

The meeting is held at 1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 11th Floor

Here's your chance to meet SLA President-Elect candidates Deb Hunt and David Capolli.  Deb and David will visit the DC chapter and you'll get a chance to hear their ideas on the profession, the association and whatever else comes up.  Don't miss this fun, informal opportunity.

Registration will begin at 6 , then starting at 6:30 we'll have an opportunity to listen to Deb and Dave.  Come prepared with your questions!

Beer, wine, soft drinks and food will be served.

Location: National Public Radio (NPR), 635 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

Nearest Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown or Mount Vernon Square

Presented by the Military Libraries Group of DC/SLA
Speaker:  Mr. R. Lee Hadden, Army Geospatial Librarian

Date: Thursday, Aug 11, 2011

Location: George Washington University, Himmelfarb Medical Library, Room B103 (lower level)

METRO:  Foggy Bottom, Blue and Orange Line

Time: Registration and Refreshments - 6 p.m.; Program 6:45 - 8:30 p.m.
Register by Aug 10, 2011.   Space is limited

Contact Sharon Lenius with questions.  leniussa@gmail.com

This event is sponsored by Proquest/Dialog.  Thank you!

Come join us at the New Professionals/Students Happy hour for August! Everyone is welcome.

Monday August 15

6pm to 8pm

BlackFin

1620 I Street

Near Farragut Metros

(Farragut North Red Line or FarragutWest Orangeand Blue Lines)

www.blackfinndc.com/

RSVP or questions to Carrie Port (carrieport@gmail.com) or Cheri Widowski (cwidowski@gmail.com) or just show up!

Library of Congress, Madison Building
Presentations: Dining Room A, 9 am - 1 pm
Exhibits: Montpelier Room, 1 pm - 3 pm
Questions: Contact Marianne Giltrud at GILTRUD@cua.edu

All are welcome to attend the DC/SLA monthly board meeting.

The meeting is held at 1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 11th Floor

This program is co-sponsored by DC/SLA and the SLA Government Information Division.

Join Kristina Bobe for a demo of Fdsys, GPO’s Federal Digital System. It provides free, online access to information from all three branches of the Federal Government. Search for and find documents and publications, access related metadata, and view or download documents in various file formats from your personal computer. Authenticated documents have a digital signature on the online PDF versions, which verifies their integrity. Fdsys is slated to take the place of GPO Access, which was first launched in 1994.

Speaker Kristina Bobe came to GPO in February 2010, just days before the Snowpocalypse. She is currently an Outreach Librarian in the Office of Education and Outreach, part of Library Services and Content Management. One of her primary responsibilities is to communicate with Federal depository libraries in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Prior to working for GPO, She was a reference librarian at Georgetown University and the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Location:  LexisNexis, 1150 18th Street NW Suite 600, Washington, DC

Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Refreshments will be served.

Sponsored by LexisNexis.

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Join Business Information Finder colleagues for an informal, roundtable discussion of useful international business resources. Share your favorites with colleagues. The facilitators, Jennifer Boettcher and Barbie Keiser, will demonstrate some fee-based and free tools they use every day.

Location: NPR, 635 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001

BIF is bouncing back. Learn more about Business Information Finders.

2 pm - 3 pm

The SLA Leadership & Management Division is launching a series of professional development webinars.

First up, former SLA President Cindy Hill will speak on keeping your career agile, preparing for what might come next, and exploring career paths.

Location:  Dow Jones, 1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 11th Floor, Washington, DC

Metro: Farragut West (Orange/Blue) or Farragut North (Red)

6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Join the SLA New Professionals and Students group at the baseball game!

We will be meeting at a bar next to the Nationals stadium and buying group tickets to the game. The game starts at 7:05 and will be against the Houston Astros.

More information will be emailed out on the listserv.

Please email Carrie Port or Cheri Widowski with any questions.

David E. Fenske, Auerbach Professor and Dean invites you to join alumni and friends for an evening with the iSchool at Drexel.

Guest Speaker Deanna Marcum, Associate Librarian for Library Services at the Library of Congress discusses “A Bibliographic Framework for the Future”

Tuesday, September 27, 2011
5:30-8 p.m.
The Army and Navy Club
Washington, D.C.

The favor of a reply by September 22, 2011 is greatly appreciated.

To R.S.V.P. visit http://www.ischool.drexel.edu/DC

DC/SLA is forming a 'members in job transition" group for DC/SLA members who are in a job or career transition and would like some additional support. The group will meet on a regular basis to network, exchange job search strategies, and just support each other.  From time to time, we will have various members of the working DC/SLA community present to provide tips and feedback on resumes, cover letters, interviews, etc. 

Questions? Contact Beth Kirton-Crane.

All are welcome to attend the DC/SLA monthly board meeting.

The meeting is held at 1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 11th Floor

Time: 6 pm - 8:30 pm

New to DC/SLA?  Not new but want to become more involved?  Here's your chance to learn more about the chapter and its many activities and events.  Our fabulous volunteers will be on hand to tell you more and help you sign up.

We'll also use the opportunity to thank our many volunteers for their service during 2011!  Join us for this fun and fantastic event.

Beer, wine, soft drinks and food will be served.  Networking encouraged - bring your business cards!

Thanks to our sponsors: ACS, EBSCO, IEEE, Infotrieve and Safari Books Online! And to our host, BNA!

Location:  BNA, 1801 South Bell Street, Arlington, VA.  METRO: Crystal City
Parking is plentiful and free after 4 PM in the Crystal City Underground. #3 on the map is closest to BNA.

LinkedIn can provide a wealth of company and industry information. In this two part series, speaker Scott Brown will focus exclusively on LinkedIn and go beyond the basic information available.

In part 1, Scott will provide an overview of the basic features of LinkedIn, and focus on advanced People search features; the use of profiles to find more company information and experts; best practices in finding, mining, and participating in Groups; and how to connect with experts in LinkedIn, including etiquette and best practices.

The DC/SLA chapter is hosting a gathering at Dow Jones DC office to watch this webinar as a group. Any SLA member is invited to attend at no charge; the cost for non-members is $10.00. The series continues on October 25. Please register separately for both sessions.

For more information about the series, visit the SLA ClickU website.

Mark your Calendars for This Upcoming Program!

Impact and Productivity Measurements in a Changing Research Environment: Potential Roles for Information Professionals
Thursday, October 20th 2011
6:00 – 8:30 pm.
The Inn at Brookeville Farms, Brookeville, MD

Registration is being managed by the Maryland Chapter:
http://maryland.sla.org/impact.html

http://www.theinnatbrookevillefarms.com/Directions.html
When Eugene Garfield envisioned the citation index in 1955, he wanted to improve information retrieval by showing relationships between articles based upon their citation and reference history. A potential side benefit of the index was to monitor the growth and structure of scientific knowledge. This benefit is now within our grasp due primarily to the work of large-scale indexes like Thomson-Reuter’s Web of Science, Elsevier’s Scopus, and the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) PubMed.

Information professionals are in an ideal position to develop a set of valuable services that define and defend the organization’s value. To do this effectively, it requires an understanding of the scientific and business need of their organization, an agreement on the organization’s preferred measures of success, a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the various measures available, and a clear understanding of how the metrics are best applied.

Join James King, Information Architect at the NIH Library (and Past President of DC/SLA) and Ann Kushmerick, Manager of Research Evaluation and Bibliometric Data at Thomson Reuters as they explore the possibilities, tools, and metrics now available for this type of service.

Featuring:
Anne Caputo, SLA President 201
Susan Hildreth, Director IMLS
Maureen Sullivan, ALA President, 2012-2013

Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center, Great Room
Catholic University

Free event
RSVP at cua-slis@cua.edu

 Everyone is welcome to our October Happy Hour held at Redline!

All food starters are 20% off

$4.00 Draft beer

$6.00 Select wines

$5.00 Well Drinks

$6.00 Sunshine on the Rocks

$6.00 Wild Tea-tini

$6.00 Redline lemonade

 
RSVP or questions to Carrie Port  or Cheri Widowski or just show up!

Join the International Relations Committee as they celebrate United Nations Day.  A panel of distinguished speakers will cover the topic of liberation technology and crisis management.

Location: United Nations Information Center, 1775 K Street, Suite 400, NW, Washington, DC

Food and drinks will be provided.

LinkedIn can provide a wealth of company and industry information. In this two part series, speaker Scott Brown will focus exclusively on LinkedIn and go beyond the basic information available.

Session 2 will begin with brief highlights of Part 1, then will go on to explore new LinkedIn features: Skills and News. Scott will cover additional features you may not know about, LinkedIn's tracking and alerts capabilities, and managing and protecting your own information through LinkedIn's settings.

The DC/SLA chapter is hosting a gathering at Dow Jones DC office to watch this webinar as a group. Any SLA member is invited to attend at no charge; the cost for non-members is $10.00. Please register for both sessions separately.

For more information about the series, visit the SLA ClickU website.

Start time: 6:30 pm
Location: Teaism, 400 8th St. NW
(Just north of the Archives metro stop, we’ll meet at a table on the lower level)

Book: A Reader on Reading by Alberto Manguel

About the book:
In this major collection of his essays, Alberto Manguel, whom George Steiner has called “the Casanova of reading,” argues that the activity of reading, in its broadest sense, defines our species. “We come into the world intent on finding narrative in everything,” writes Manguel, “landscape, the skies, the faces of others, the images and words that our species create.” Reading our own lives and those of others, reading the societies we live in and those that lie beyond our borders, reading the worlds that lie between the covers of a book are the essence of A Reader on Reading. The thirty-nine essays in this volume explore the crafts of reading and writing, the identity granted to us by literature, the far-reaching shadow of Jorge Luis Borges, to whom Manguel read as a young man, and the links between politics and books and between books and our bodies. The powers of censorship and intellectual curiosity, the art of translation, and those “numinous memory palaces we call libraries” also figure in this remarkable collection. For Manguel and his readers, words, in spite of everything, lend coherence to the world and offer us “a few safe places, as real as paper and as bracing as ink,” to grant us room and board in our passage.

Meeting Hosted by: Gretchen Sauvey

Registration begins at 5:30 pm, the program begins promptly at 6:00 pm.

Guest speaker Gail Rayburn has been the Enterprise Taxonomist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (APL) in Laurel,Maryland since 2005.  Her major project is creating an APL Enterprise Thesaurus.  To assist in Thesaurus development, Gail developed a software application, the ‘Subject Matter Expert Thesaurus Review’ application.  She has also created a ‘Records Retention Schedule Review’ application for records managers.  Prior to working for APL, Gail developed educational, legal and IT thesauri and information databases for both government and private organizations, including the Department of Justice, the ERIC Clearinghouse, the National Child Care Information Center, Cable & Wireless Communications and FTI Consulting.

Co-sponsored with the SLA Taxonomy Division.

Light refreshments will be served.

All are welcome to attend the DC/SLA monthly board meeting.

The meeting is held at 1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 11th Floor

Guest speaker: Mr. David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States

Free event
RSVP at cua-slis@cua.edu

Panel Discussion sponsored by SLIS, Catholic University
Hannan Hall Auditorium

6 pm - 8 pm
Free

RSVP at cua-slis@cua.edu

Everyone is welcome to the Students & New Professionals November Happy Hour at Fado, followed by Trivia!

Come for the happy hour at 6 pm and stay for the trivia, starting at 8 pm!

RSVP or questions to Carrie Port or Cheri Widowski.  Or just show up!

DC/SLA will host a group gathering for this ClickU from SLA.  Join us at Dow Jones' offices on Connecticut Avenue to watch and listen with chapter colleagues.  Attendance is free for SLA members.

Most people are familiar with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and how to find information in them.  

In this session, guest speaker Scott Brown will steer away from these relatively well-known social tools and look at some unique and lesser-known tools and apps, and why you might want to use them for information and research.  He will also look at a few tools that may be familiar, but which you may not have thought about for business, industry, and competitive information.   Visit SLA's ClickU site for more information on this session.

Within a couple week’s timeframe, several natural disasters hit the DC region and libraries/info centers were some of the victims. Join the Military Libraries Group of DC/SLA as we take a closer look at Disaster Planning and Information Facilities.

Ms. Tahirih Fusscas will facilitate a panel discussion with Anne Harrison - Library of Congress, William Sleeman - Supreme Court and Jay Bosanko of NARA, National Capitol Region Facilities. Learn how to expect the unexpected!

Contact Sharon Lenius with any questions.

Keep your turkey high going and join us for a dine-around at the Elephant & Castle in Federal Triangle.  We'll meet at 6:30 pm to start the fun. 

 E-mail host Janel Kinlaw to RSVP.

Want someting other than turkey leftovers?  Join DC/SLA colleagues for a dine around at Hamburger Hamlet on November 29, starting at 5:30 p.m.

RSVP to host Sharon Lenius by Noon on Tuesday, Nov 29th.

Celebrate the holidays with DC/SLA!  

There'll be lots of time for catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, while we enjoy fantastic food and drink, provided by Ridgewells. During a brief business meeting, we'll thank the 2011 Board for their service to the chapter and welcome the 2012 Board.

To share the holiday spirit with those less fortunate, we'll be collecting non-perishable food items, to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. View their list of most wanted items, for ideas. Canned goods, boxed items or plastic bottles are best; no glass please!

We are grateful for our event sponsors: TRAK Records and Library, TheDeal.com and ProQuest.  Thank you!

At 6pm, we'll meet at Chef Geoff for a hot beverage, giant beer, dinner, drink, or whatever you want.

At 7pm, we'll walk a couple of blocks and check out the National Christmas Tree and other holiday lights on The Ellipse in front of the White House.

This is a great opportunity to see the national tree, Santa Claus, each state's tree, and the other displays as well as hear some holiday music with fellow librarians. Bring your camera.
 
Locations: Chef Geoff
1301 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Metro: Farragut West (orange, blue lines) or Farragut North (red line)

National Christmas Tree
The Ellipse, aka President's Park South
in front of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Metro: Farragut West, McPherson Square, Federal Triangle (orange, blue) or Metro Center (red)

Come to one or come to both but please RSVP to Cheri Widowski or Carrie Port  so we know how many to expect. 

Presented by Business Information Finders (BIF) With Sponsorship from Business Expert Press

Sean Campbell of Cascade Insights, a competitive intelligence firm focused on the technology sector, will help you understand how to mine open source intelligence assets (OSINT) such as social media, free web tools, and targeted search engines & portals to get a crisp view of an organization's current activity in a given market. We will also cover how to get a view of a company's culture, strategies, signals from leadership, an understanding of their offerings, and how they stack up against another company's offering. Additionally, all attendees will receive a free copy of Scott Swigart and Sean's latest book: Going Beyond Google: Gathering Internet Intelligence ­ 2nd edition, which was listed as one of the must-reads of 2009 and­ 2010 by the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals.

 After the formal session, join colleagues for an informal discussion about your experiences with social media or other topics.

 Light refreshments will be served.

First 2012 meeting of the  DC/SLA Members in Transition group for members who are in a job or career transition and would like some additional support. The group meets on a regular basis to network, exchange job search strategies, and just support each other.  

 Questions? Contact Beth Kirton-Crane or Vic Monti

CLICK U PROGRAM:  Expand Your Career Potential: Increase Your Expertise, Compensation and Career Satisfaction (Part 1)

Presenters:

Deborah Hunt, principal, Information Edge
David Grossman, history room and reference librarian, Mill Valley Public Library (Calif.)

These are tough times, but librarians, archivists and other information professionals possess many marketable skills that may be easily adapted to access, organize and unlock the value within the paper or digital knowledge information assets for their organization or their clients.

This workshop offers practical advice to help information professionals assess and expand their existing skill sets and develop new areas of expertise to broaden their career potential, maximize their earnings in their current position or gain that competitive edge for landing their next job.

This is Part 1 of this two part series: Broadening Your Existing Skill Set

(Note:  The series continues on January 19th with Part 2: Leaping Off the Edge: Success Stories You Can Replicate. Please register separately for both sessions.)

In this first session, we will identify and discuss those skill sets that are in the greatest demand in the library/information world. The presenters will also examine alternative jobs and potential career paths for librarians and information professionals contemplating a career change or transitioning into a non-traditional role. Workshop attendees will develop their own customized action plan to identify, augment and acquire those new skills that will provide the ticket to expanded career growth, increased compensation and greater career satisfaction.

The DC/SLA chapter is hosting a gathering at Dow Jones DC office to watch this webinar as a group. Any SLA member is invited to attend at no charge; the cost for non-members is $10.00.

Questions:  email Gregory Bailey.

Celebrate National Self Defense Month this January with DC/SLA by being a part of the League of Lethal Librarians!

DC/SLA is offering a chance to learn some butt kicking new moves with instructor Evan Dzierzynski, owner NOVA Self Defense.

We'll be learning the Personal Defense Readiness system. The class will cover the precursors of the most dangerous street attacks, the changes the body undergoes during the chaos of a violent situation, and how to utilize their body's hard-wired protection system to effectively defend ourselves.

Networking and intros at 6:00 pm, class is from 6:30-8:30. We'll be moving around so wear comfortable shoes and loose fitting clothing. Space is limited so please sign up early! For more information about the system we'll be learning contact Evan Dzierzynski.

The Librarians and Friends Leisure Book Club meets monthly to discuss books on a variety of topics. Past choices have included travel, Abraham Lincoln, and librarians as main characters. Participants each read a book of their own choosing on the topic of discussion.  Watch the listserv for more details about upcoming topics.

The group meets at the Barnes and Noble near MetroCenter.
Contact Barbara Folensbee-Moore

Come join us at the first New Professionals/S​tudents Happy Hour of 2012!

Monday January 23
6PM TO 8PM
Laughing Man Tavern
http://www.laughingmantavern.com

1306 G Street NW
Washington, DC
20005
Metro Center (Red, Blue and Orange Line)

Would you like to volunteer to host a happy hour?  Show up on Monday or contact Carrie Port (carrieport@gmail.com) or Cheri Widowski (cwidowski@gmail.com)

HAPPY HOUR MENU MONDAY-FRIDAY
$5 Appetizers 3:00-8:00
Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla, Jerk Chicken Wings, Calamari
Spinach Dip, Hummus, Taquitos, Mozzarella Sticks

Drink Specials 3:00-8:00
$3 Selected Domestic Drafts
$4 Selected Premium Drafts
$5 Rail Drinks
$5 House Wine

Join Aileen Marshall as she hosts a DC/SLA Dine Around at Bistro Bistro!

DC/SLA Members in Transition group is for members who are in a job or career transition and would like some additional support. The group meets on a regular basis to network, exchange job search strategies, and just support each other.  In the past, topics have included how to apply for Federal jobs, age issues, online training, best place for boots and interviewing techniques.

 Questions? Contact Beth Kirton-Crane or Vic Monti

Join Jennifer Boettcher for a DC/SLA Dine Around at Red Hot and Blue!  Hosted by Business Information Finders.

Contact Jennifer Boettcher to reserve a seat.

For general questions about DC/SLA Dine Arounds or if you are interested in hosting a dine around, please contact DC/SLA Dine Arounds Coordinator, Rick Davis.

Join Lois Ireland, DC/SLA President, for a DC/SLA Dine Around at Cafe Deluxe! 

Contact Lois Ireland to reserve a seat.

For general questions about DC/SLA Dine Arounds or if you are interested in hosting a dine around, please contact DC/SLA Dine Arounds Coordinator, Rick Davis.

Come join us for the Febuary New Professionals/S​tudents Happy Hour!

Hosted by Jamie Helgren and Brianna Buljung

Wednesday February 8
5:30PM TO 8PM
Ben's Next Door
http://www.bensnextdoor.com

Would you like to volunteer to host a happy hour?  Contact Carrie Port (carrieport@gmail.com) or Cheri Widowski (cwidowski@gmail.com)

The Librarians and Friends Leisure Book Club meets monthly to discuss books on a variety of topics. Past choices have included travel, Abraham Lincoln, and librarians as main characters. Participants each read a book of their own choosing on the topic of discussion.  Watch the listserv for more details about upcoming topics.

The group meets at the Barnes and Noble near MetroCenter.
Contact Barbara Folensbee-Moore