SLA members reaffirm commitment to proud tradition

Information Outlook, August, 2003

The Special Libraries Association announced on June 11, 2003, that it is retaining the organization's nearly 100-year-old name. President Cynthia Hill made the announcement at the association's 94th annual conference in New York City, following a vote at the annual business meeting. The vote culminated three years of research, discussion, and brand name debates.

Hill said, "The name Special Libraries Association is a highly recognized and respected brand name in the information industry. It stands for professional excellence, ethics, and best practices in the management of knowledge-based organizations. Our members have always been on the cutting edge, applying information tools and technologies to advance the missions of our organizations. Keeping our name allows us to build on our heritage over the past century while keeping our focus on the expanding information economy of the 21st."

Membership in SLA includes, but is not limited to, chief information officers, knowledge managers, librarians, and web developers. They work in 'diverse settings such as information centers, libraries, competitive intelligence units, and intranet departments in corporate, academic, and government institutions. They are experts at turning content into actionable information, offering their organizations a competitive advantage and making a direct contribution to the bottom line.