Change and Leadership

Leadership is one of my favorite subjects, if only because I've been surrounded by some of the greatest leaders of our age during my career. Change, though, isn't always perceived as a matter for leadership. In the case of SLA, I believe they are inextricably linked. Change is all around us in the

Here at SLA Headquarters, we completed our first Board of Directors' meetings in our new global headquarters recently, and the change was a pleasant one. Two days prior, we hosted over 350 members, industry partners, and friends at our Open House. Once the Board got together in the wake of the event, we also finalized the 2005 budget for the association's operations during that time. There are many changes in that budget, including some things that have caused concern among some SLA members. Rather than debating the merits of any one funding change or another, we all must recognize that, in order to achieve meaningful change, sometimes SLA's leadership must make difficult decisions and move forward. That's leadership, and sometimes it doesn't leave us in a position of popularity. It does, however, show that we are serious about growing the association to meet the ever-changing needs of the profession.

And then there's a change regarding Information Outlook that reflects the evolution of leadership within the SLA community. Laura N. Gasaway, who begins her 38th year as a member of SLA, writes her final edition of "Copyright Corner" in this issue of Information Outlook. "Lolly" is Director of the Law Library and Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina. One of my first meetings after taking on this post was with Lolly. She was helpful, gracious, and gave me great advice that I still use today. Her expertise on intellectual property law has driven SLA policy and practice for decades. SLA members have benefited from the sharing of her knowledge for 74 columns - over 6 years of writing to serve the global community of information professionals. Lolly never assumed things would stay the same in the profession or in her field of expertise. She knew we were operating in a changing environment, she looked past the horizon to anticipate change, and she never fought it. Instead, she embraced it, learned from it, and spread the word about it to the rest of SLA's membership. Lolly, SLA thanks you for your dedication and your service to the information profession. You are an example for innumerable information professionals.

Change and leadership will be the watchwords for 2005 as well. We begin next month, as the SLA Leadership Summit takes place January 26-29 in Tampa, Florida USA. This event is not going to be like previous Summits. A task force of SLA leaders has reorganized the event to focus on core leadership skill development to help you in your career and in SLA. This is a critical change that we're hoping will, over time, attract more information professionals who desire a transformation from information professional to knowledge leader. The event will include a keynote address by Gary Heil, founder of the Institute for Innovative Leadership. Small-group interaction based on career experience will allow you to engage others on common challenges. And SLA will offer a special session facilitated by Leadership Outfitters. Titled "The Leadership Adventure," the program will encompass a variety of topics that will give participants practical tools in the areas of leadership, vision, working together, running effective meetings, and increasing creativity.

I hope to see you in Tampa next month, as I believe you and I will benefit from the experience. You can read more about the event at www.sla.org/051eadershipsummit.

Several great articles await you in this, the final issue of Information Outlook for 2004. First, SLA President Ethel Salonen leads a host of information professionals in reporting on the annual conference of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), which took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

J.P.S. Ahuja and M.R. Rawtani share how the Internet is serving to aid development in rural India.

Finally, Howard McQneen, who will kick off our 2005 Virtual Learning Seminar series with two events in January, offers a primer on integrated content management practices that every info pro should read.

Have you had enough change yet? Get ready for more, as we complete one successful year and prepare for the next. Best wishes to you for a joyous end to 2004 and a prosperous 2005!