Best Professional Association for "Cybrarians"

[Sallie Becker]

I have also come fairly recently (over the past two years) to assume a
primarily technology-centric role in my library - I do the system admin
duties for our OPAC and CD-ROM network, manage the library's website on
our intranet, and do the general planning and implementation of major
library technology projects.

I'm a member of SLA and ASIS, and have had some peripheral experience
with ALA through a colleague who is a member.  I have found SLA to be
the most beneficial of these three for useful and applicable programs,
workshops, continuing education courses in information technology
topics.  The SLA Education Conferences (usually in January) have been an
extraordinarily valuable resource - past topics have included internet
search engines, library webpage design, teaching the internet in 50
minutes, intranets, etc.  I have high hopes for the inaugural Internet
Librarian Conference, beginning this Sunday in California, from
Information Today (www.infotoday.com) and SLA.

So, if I could choose only one, I would go with SLA.  It will be
interesting to hear the experiences and opinions of others.

Good luck.

Sallie
-- 
______________________________________________________________________
Sallie A. Becker		National Security Agency
Digital Media Librarian		9800 Savage Rd.
sallie at abs.net			Ft. G. G. Meade, MD 20755-6319
301.688.7581                    301.688.0011 (fax)


Kieran Roe wrote:
> 
> I am a librarian who is new to my Information Technology Specialist
> role.
> I will be responsible for training internet users and providing
> assistance with information technologies (both hardware and software) to
> a network of special medical libraries.  I will also be involved with
> web page design.
> 
> With the ability to join but one of the major library associations, I
> would like to choose the "best" of these national associations for the
> purposes of networking and professional development in info technology.
> 
> I find the kind of discussions that take place on this mailing list to
> be quite relevant and educational.  So I am curious -- which of the
> professional library associations have the members of this list found
> most useful for their professional development as information
> technologists?
> 
> ALA, SLA and MLA each have information technology sections.  Are there
> important differences in their focuses (beyond the obvious distinctions
> among library types)?  The Internet Library Association
> (http://www-org.usm.edu/~ila/) looks to fill a very useful niche!
> However, I would also like to join the info technology division of one
> of the established national associations.
> 
> Where do you belong and why?
> 
> Many thanks for your assistance!
> 
> Kieran Roe | kroe at bgsm.edu
> NW Area Health Education Center Library
> Hickory, NC