Ah, Spring! Everything looks bright and fresh at this time of year. It’s a time for new beginnings, new perspectives, and new opportunities. 

No matter how tough the winter, spring puts everything in perspective. 

BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS

Winter does end.  Ending are okay. They can get us to beginnings.  Beginnings are exciting and sometimes they are a bit scary. They can bring us to new opportunities. They can also bring us to new challenges. And of course, beginnings are a sort of change. Any new grad can tell you the bittersweet feeling of stepping away from the academic life to move forward to new goals and careers. It’s wonderful, it’s exhilarating, and sometimes, it’s a little daunting.

There should always be a little bit of a new start in our life and there should always be a graduation in the works – whether it’s learning how to tweet or getting a degree.  As information professionals, we have an innate desire to continue to grow. Be true to that desire. Don’t let the winter coat and boots and sudden snowstorms of life keep you from finding ways to do that. It’s imperative to your professional success. Spring is a good reminder that we can push through the challenges in our professional and personal lives to shed those coats and boots and enjoy a little spring sunshine.

In May and June, SLA and DC SLA are providing many opportunities for professional growth and expanding your network. Take advantage of them! Coming up:

Legislative History Research 101 – Brown Bag Lunch In Person Sponsored by LexisNexis – May 7, 2013  and Legislative History Research 101 – Virtual Viewing Sponsored by LexisNexis – May 7, 2013

Public Speaking Demystified…Tools, Tips and Tricks for Special Librarians – May 29, 2013

And of course, the SLA Annual Conference – June 9, 2013.

CHANGE

One major lesson spring provides us is about change because spring is all about glorious in-your-face change—change that we embrace gleefully, fully. Aha! Change doesn’t have to freak us out. Looked at from the vantage point of a beautiful spring day, change looks pretty good, totally manageable, just what we needed. Let’s keep that in mind from a personal and professional perspective. Look around you. Find the change. Give it a little hug. It may turn out to be your best friend.

RENEWAL

Spring refreshes our minds and spirits and prompts us to look at the same old things with new eyes; to see things in a new light. When you walk out your door on a beautiful spring morning, don’t the things you see every day:  the grass, the trees, the streets you walk down, all feel a little different?  They’re the same grass, trees, and streets though. Spring infuses everything with a fresh feel. We need to pay attention to what a fresh perspective can do for us as professionals, as individuals. Where can that take us? To opportunities. To discoveries. To insights. To our goals.

So, spring is a time of awakening to our opportunities or renewing our attention to them. What are your opportunities? What have you been waiting on doing? What fresh steps – big or small – can you take to drive your professional and personal development? Are there obstacles to overcome? Can you look at those obstacles with fresh eyes? Don’t forget about the value of your colleagues’ perspectives – take advantage of your DC SLA network.

SPRING CLEANING

And don’t forget to do a little spring cleaning in your life to make room for some of those opportunities. I highly recommend DC SLA member and author, Bruce Rosenstein’s article:  Creating Your Total Life List for 2013 to get your started on that. 

by Tracy Z. Maleeff, SLA OCAC member & Legal Division Past Chair

As a member of SLA’s Online Content Advisory Council, I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you more about our #SLAtalk initiative. By using Twitter as our forum, the council crafts questions to spark online conversations among members about topics relevant to our profession. Originally called #SLAchat, the revamped #SLAtalk series debuted in March of this year.

Four questions are chosen that will elicit answers in the most productive way considering the limitations Twitter has for 140 character answers. We spend 15 minutes on each question to fill up an entire hour. Moving the conversation along this way helps to keep the participants on point as well as giving equal time to each question. The entire interaction is archived and available for review at your leisure. But, it’s most fun to participate live! In order to best serve the SLA membership, two sessions are held on the same day in order to accommodate many different time zones.

The first #SLAtalk session in March dealt with job hunting and career growth. The summary of which can be found here. That conversation contains many great tips and useful feedback. The second #SLAtalk session was entitled, “What Would You Tell Your Past MLIS-Student Self?” and received an amazing level of participation. The archives, found here, are a tremendous resource for future and current library school students. Another valuable use of this session’s archives is peer guidance for someone contemplating continuing his or her post-MLIS education.

The next #SLAtalk will be on Tuesday, May 14th. Session 1 will begin at 1:30 pm EDT and the second session will begin at 11:00 pm EDT for you night owls. The topic will be about collaboration. “#SLAtalk: Collaboration – Better…Stronger…Faster. Working in groups can be fun and productive or the bane of your existence. Learn how information professionals accomplish tasks through collaboration, either within or outside their work place.” If you haven’t yet participated in an #SLAtalk session and would like some tips and pointers, refer to the OCAC guide, “How to #SLAtalk.”

Not only are these sessions informative, it’s also a fun way to interact with fellow SLA members from near and far. Get your typing fingers ready and join us on May 14^th!

BRUCE ROSENSTEIN has a second book coming out this fall, “Create Your Future the Peter Drucker Way” (McGraw-Hill); www.BruceRosenstein.com–Look for a book talk soon!

SHARON LENIUS says BLM is moving to M St, NW, and they’ll be open for tours (currently in Springfield).

MIKE TIMPANI and CHRIS VESTAL are talking about a Game Night in the Fall at Orrick @ 15th Street downtown Mike also says he’s looking forward to the joint trivia night this summer (date TBA)!

On the scene wisdom from RAMONA HOWERTON, Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”): “Information architecture rocks! Organization is our game!”

KATHY KELLY is taking the recertification exam from the Academy of Certified Archivists in August in Connecticut–what a great combination, a Certified Archivist (C.A.) and Information Professional! Currently, she’s a FOIA Specialist at the Federal Reserve Board–good luck, Kathy! Note: Their office will be temporarily moving to Farragut North during upcoming renovation … Think better lunch options, Kathy!

SCOTT BAILEY, Prez of LLSDC, says, “Why not have joint membership? More joint activities, and don’t forget the baseball game Thursday, June 20 @ 7:05pm (Nationals vs. the Colorado Rockies)! Register with Kelli at <kpeterson@doc.gov> for tickets ($21). We’ll have our own section, with our name on the board–first come, first served!!!

JENNY WOOD of Corporate Executive Board) just made 10 years as Associate Director of Research and Development! She’s also on the DC/SLA board (and helped find today’s sponsors). In her 10 years at CEB, she’s expanded from doing in-person research for ~800 to global training for 3,500! …Congratulations, Jenny!

And finally, JANE MEYERS, our guest of honor and Lubuto Library Project Director, has been helping to build libraries in Africa since 2005 to increase literacy (the organization which our event is supporting with tonight’s fundraiser, sponsored by Bloomberg BNA and EBSCO). With over 700 reading lessons with audio files, and digital archives of repatriated Zambian stories from the Library of Congress, Boston University, Northwestern University and others, Lubuto is looking for volunteers, especially those with technical skills, to help. See http://Lubuto.org  and http://LubutoCollections.org to learn more, and email Jane at mayazi@verizon.net to get involved.

Until the next event,
Jan Zastrow, DC/SLA communications Team

And here’s a pic from Alicia Pappas, SLA and LLSDC member, and Secretary of (national) SLA Legal Division: it’s of all the sponsors, presidents, and planners. From left to right: Scott Bailey (president of LLSDC), Alicia Pappas (event planner–LLSDC), Tom Van Zoeren (EBSCO sponsor), Jane Meyers (Lubuto), Marie Kaddell (president of DC/SLA), Kelli Peterson (event planner–DC/SLA), Mike Bernier (Bloomberg BNA sponsor), and Laurie Green (LLSDC Global Giving Committee Chair).

Find your voice…at our presentation skills workshop.  Join us for an engaging, fun-filled presentation by two local speakers who are mastering the art of public speaking. Ron Barrett, Vice President of Nonprofit Services National Corporate Research, Ltd. and Lewis Flax, Owner of Flax Associates will be presenting.

You will learn about:

• Tools to improve public presentations
• Tips to minimize and overcome fear
• Tricks to make your presentations more memorable

When: Wednesday, May 29, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Location: LexisNexis 1150 18th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington DC 20036

Closest Metro Station:  Farragut West (Blue, Orange Lines) /Farragut North (Red line)

Price:  Members: $15

Non-members: $20

Students/Retired/Members in Transition: $10

Questions contact: Chris Vestal at vicepresident@dc.sla.org

TO REGISTER AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKERS, PLEASE VISIT THIS LINK: http://dc.sla.org/events/?ee=235

Sign up and compete with your colleagues across the country in a virtual pub quiz!

Starting April 29^th, every Monday through Thursday, your team has an hour, chose the time that best suits your team, to answer 20 questions (worth two points each) on Survey Monkey. The quiz will open each Mon 8am Eastern Time Zone and will end on Thursday evening 8pm Eastern. Each week’s accumulated scores will be posted on Friday. Every chapter may have multiple teams, and each person may only participate on one team per week.

We are relying on your librarian honor code not to use the internet to assist your team.

Rally up your teammates for lunch, after work drinks, or via a conference call to answer all 20 questions before your time is up! After six weeks, the top winning teams will be invited to New York’s Happy Hour during the SLA San Diego Conference and you’ll win the ultimate bragging rights for your chapter!

How will your team do? Could a battle break out between two teams in the Rocky Mountain Chapter? Could Minnesota be the dark horse? Can Eastern Canada pull off the ultimate upset? You’ll have to play to find out!

Sign your team up by April 24th by emailing moymcintosh@gmail.com the information below with May Madness in the subject line:

Team name

Chapter

A contact email for the team

Brought to you by a courageous few in the DC, Oklahoma and New York Chapters

The newly renovated building, formerly known as “Building 20,” was originally part of Washington Arsenal and the Federal Penitentiary during the Civil War. The third floor of Grant Hall was the site of the Lincoln Conspirators Trial in a specially prepared Courtroom. A tour of the Grant Hall Courtroom is a unique opportunity to learn about the sad aftermath of the Lincoln Assassination, as much of the country mourned the fallen President and struggled to regain its “Nationhood.”

This tour is a very special opportunity as this building is not generally open to the public. Docents from Special Collections of the National Defense University (NDU) Library will conduct the tours. Visitors will need to walk up two flights of stairs to the renovated Grant Hall Courtroom. No special accommodations are possible in this historic building.

A maximum of 40 members and guests can be accommodated on the special tour.  We will maintain a Waiting List. More details below:

WHEN:  Thursday, May 9, 2013, 5:30-8:30 p.m.  R.S.V.P. by May 7th.  Walking Tours depart O’Club at 6:15 and 7 p.m.

WHERE:  Ft Lesley J. McNair, located in Southwest Washington DC, between the Anacostia River and the Washington Channel not far from Arena Stage, and Waterside Mall (under reconstruction). METRO: Waterfront – Green Line, Three/four block walk to the Main Gate or auto access gate.

Free Parking is available in the Officers’ Club Lot.  Picture ID required for entrance to Ft McNair.

HOW:     Register for this tour NOW!  Cost:   DC/SLA Members/DCLA/LLSDC – $20, Guests – $25,
Students/Retirees/Job Seekers – $10

For more information:   Contact Sharon Lenius leniussa@gmail.com

The Library will host a number of events, from Monday, April 22 through Friday, April 26, to share care strategies for these priceless keepsakes, so they can be passed on to future generations.

Preservation Week Events

• Monday, April 22, from noon to1:30 p.m., “Preserving Your Memories: Print and Digital Photographs” Conservators will highlight basic preservation measures one can do at home to care for photographs. Digital archivists will cover preservation considerations for digital photo files. The 2012-2013 Fellow in Photograph Conservation will present research and treatment of a World War I photograph album. Staff from the Library’s Veterans History Project will share information on how to participate in the project. Dining Room A, on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.
• Monday, April 22, from 6 p.m. to7:30 p.m., “Rosenzweig Forum on Technology and the Humanities: Preserving and Interpreting Born-Digital Collections:” Presenters will discuss how their organizations are acquiring, managing, analyzing, preserving and providing access to born-digital collections. The Rosenzweig Forum for the Digital Humanities is a collaboration of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship at Georgetown University and the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities at the University of Maryland. Mumford Room, on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C
• Tuesday, April 23, from noon to 2:00 p.m., “These Amazing Shadows: The Movies that Made America”—Film: This 2011 documentary illustrates the history and importance of the National Film Regis try, the Library’s collection of 600 films—with up to 25 added each year—identified as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant. Featuring interviews with Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and experts from the Library’s Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation, the film champions preservation of our material heritage as a celebration of the American experience. Introductions by the Library’s Mark Sweeney, director for Preservation and Liz Stanley, preservation specialist. Pickford Theater, on the third of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C
• Wednesday, April 24, from noon to 1 p.m., “Preserving Your Memories: Traditional and Digital Albums and Scrapbooks:” Conservators will highlight basic preservation measures one can do at home for long-lasting albums and scrapbooks; present the pros and cons of dismantling old scrapbooks and albums in poor condition; and discuss how to address condition problems. Preservation considerations for digitals albums and scrapbooks will be discussed. Staff from the Library’s Veterans History Project also will share information on how to participate in the project. Dining Room A, on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.
• Friday, April 26, from noon to 1 p.m., “PAC: A Packed Agenda for Conserving Libraries’ Heritage — 20 Years of Changes and Development”—Lecture:” Christiane Baryla, director of the International Federation of Library Associations Core Activity on Preservation and Conservation, will speak on international preservation efforts.Pickford Theater,, on the third of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C

Preservation Week Virtual Events

• April 21 to 27, Veterans History Project Digital Presentation
  The website presents seven collections that represent the wide variety of concerns that must be addressed when preserving the first-hand accounts of America’s veterans. Available at http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/ex-war-preservation.html
• Wednesday, April 24, 2 p.m. EDT, Webinar: “Preserving Your Personal Digital Photographs:” The Library’s National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program will present information about learning to care for digital photos. Hosted by the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services. Free, but registration required at www1.gotomeeting.com/register/876436809.

Preservation Week—an initiative supported by the Library of Congress, the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services of the ALA, the Institute of Library and Museum Services, the American Institute for Conservation, the Society of American Archivists and Heritage Preservation—encourages libraries and other collection institutions to connect to our local communities and inspire action to preserve our collective heritage.

A full list of national activities can be seen at Preservation Week’s online map and followed on Twitter via @PreservationWk.

And if you tweet, don’t forget to use the Preservation Week hashtag: #preswk.

Panel:

• Tracey Boylston, Solutions Architect LexisNexis, will speak about trends and issues with Big Data
• Tariq Khokhar, Open Data Evangelist World Bank, will talk about Open Dataand it’s challenges and impact

Twitter: #sladc

This registration is for the Brown Bag Lunch in person viewing hosted at LexisNexis’s DC Office. Seating for the in person viewing is limited, attendees are encouraged to register early. CLICK HERE to register. 

You can also register to attend via webinar HERE. 

When: Tuesday, April 23, 12:00 pm-1:30 pm est

Location: LexisNexis 1150 18th Street NW, Washington DC 20036 – This will be held in the second floor conference room in the LexisNexis building

Closest Metro Station:  Farragut West (Blue, Orange Lines) /Farragut North (Red line)

Price:  General Admission: $5

Questions contact: Chris Vestal at vicepresident@dc.sla.org

We’ll be gathering at Ceiba (http://www.ceibarestaurant.com/ceiba.html) around 5pm and we’ll be there until at least 8pm.

Registration is free, everyone pays their own tab at the end of the night

When: Wednesday, May 1, 5pm-8pm

Location: Ceiba 701 14th St, NW Washington, DC 20006

Closest Metro Station:  Metro Center (Blue, Orange and Red Lines)

Price:  Free!

Questions contact: Chris Vestal at vicepresident@dc.sla.org

More info: http://dc.sla.org/events/?ee=229

Hello All – As we move into April, I wanted to take a minute to applaud our recent Library Journal 2013 Movers & Shakers.

Congratulations to:

•         Naomi House of INALJ.com
•         Hannah Sommers, National Public Radio

It’s excited to see two of our DC SLA members on the 2013 Movers & Shakers list. It doesn’t surprise me though. Hannah and Naomi regularly inspire me with their professional activity, their energy and diligence, and their vision.  I know I am not alone in this.

One of the great things about DC SLA is that we have the opportunity to have members like Hannah and Naomi in our midst. They are remarkable professionals. Like Hannah and Naomi, each of us strives to develop a path that helps us build and grown our own personal brand of being a remarkable professional. Naomi and Hannah have shown us two impressive ways to build those pathways to remarkable. Now, how can we take what they’ve shared with us through their actions and efforts and use it to enhance and refine our own paths? How do we make our own path clearer, better, stronger?

One of the answers is this:  Take advantage of the most extraordinary professional resources available to you – each other.

We are fortunate to have a large, diverse, and active membership to support each other, learn from each other, and inspire each other. Connect with your colleagues. Participate as a DC SLA volunteer. Attend a Chapter program. Join us at a Chapter event. Plug in virtually through our new webinars or via our social media channels. Find a way to develop and grow professionally through your DC SLA membership. You don’t have to take huge actions to make a difference for yourself or others. I’m a big believe in baby steps to get to your goal.

So however you’re going to do it, this month, think about actions you are going to take as an information professional and a member of the DC SLA Chapter to be remarkable over the next year and what your path to getting there is going to look like. How are you going to learn, how are you going to teach, how are you going to expand your network? How are you going to make a difference both personally and professionally to yourself and in turn, your DC SLA colleagues (and beyond)?

There are some great opportunities to learn and connect coming up in April and early May:

• Writing Series:  How to Write to Develop a Professional Brand with speakers:  Naomi House, Reference Marketing and Acquisitions Librarian Census Bureau Library and Editor/Founder/Publisher of I Need a Library Job; Liba Tomas, Senior Recruiter for NPR, will talk about leveraging writing on LinkedIn to develop your brand; and Amy Fenning, Senior Brand Marketing Manager with LexisNexis, will discuss best practices for your brand when writing on Twitter.  Brown Bag Lunch In Person Viewing - http://dc.sla.org/events/?ee=227 and virtual viewing - http://dc.sla.org/events/?ee=228

• Joint Spring Workshop 2013 – Strategic Communication: Technology, Generations, and Cultures - http://dc.sla.org/events/?ee=220

• Legislative History Research 101 - Sponsored by LexisNexis with Department of the Interior Law Librarian, Maureen Booth. Brown Bag Lunch In Person - http://dc.sla.org/events/?ee=225 and virtual viewing - http://dc.sla.org/events/?ee=226

Enjoy the spring flowers!

Marie Kaddell, M.L.S., M.S., M.B.A.

Senior Information Professional Consultant
marie.kaddell@lexisnexis.com

President, DC/SLA

Past Chair, SLA Division of Government Information