Tomorrow, the vote for whether to change the name of Special Library Association to Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals ends. And I have yet to decide whether to vote yes or no. In attempts to find out and hope that I could find someone whose words would make me jump up and down shouting "That's it! That's what I mean! Exactly!" I am perhaps even further from a decision. Many times I did indeed find myself nodding in agreement but it was only sections of both pro and con blogposts which I've posted below to hopefully consolidate my thoughts.
Why do I even care? Someone mentioned that it's not going to change what they do and what the organization means to them, and I agree with that. But that's not really the point of a name change - it's about image, both the self and the projected. I may be a quite new member (renewing for my second year in January) but I went to the conference this summer and I plan on only increasing my involvement and passion in the organization.
I never really liked the name SLA - I don't like being egotistic and saying "well those are the regular librarians - I'm studying to be a *special* librarian" - but I understood what it meant. It made sense when I knew the history of the association, how it grew out of a combination of many smaller library organizations that didn't quite fit in with the general ALA.
But, come on - ASKPro? First, I thought it was the name of a program or some online reference librarian thing. Then I thought about how it actually sounds to me, a hearing impaired person who frequently, well, mishears things.
I'm all for trying to change and more accurately reflect the organization's membership, but I agree with naysayers so much on this choice. I don't mind that it doesn't say "library" but it will mean it's less likely to be grouped together with the other library organizations. Even if my job title neglects to have the word "librarian" in it, I'm still going to consider myself a librarian, just like many other SLA members.
The big question to me: if I was looking at professional organizations to join, would I have joined "ASKPro?" I probably would have been even more confused what the name meant than with SLA. Honestly, I don't think I would have thought it was a relevant organization. But others have probably been dissuaded from joining SLA because they thought "oh I'm not a special librarian" when in fact they may very well be just that but aren't aware of it because the term is so vague.
So why am I spending the time reading other thoughts and mulling over the issue in the middle of one of the craziest weeks which include the last bit of grad school work, getting my car fixed, first snow, dealing with family drama, and lots of planning (holidays and moving - don't get me started on job searching and applying)? Because the vote deadline is less than 24 hours away. I think I'll sleep on it, but I'm leaning towards "no." Meanwhile, time to get cracking on my very last SLIS project due Thursday.
Quotes:
"As was pointed out in the email announcing the proposed name, John Cotton Dana (founder of SLA, as if you didn’t know!) said in the first place that “The name Special Libraries was chosen with some hesitation, or rather in default of a better…”. The name doesn’t really mean much to me, and certainly means far less to non-librarians."
http://woodsiegirl.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/am-i-a-strategic-knowledge-professional/
"What I keep coming back to though is this: simply, it is time for a change. ... Maybe “Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals” will require as much explanation to non-members and non-information professionals as SLA did, but at least they won’t have to work their way past a set of inaccurate assumptions to begin with. ASKP is a blank slate."
"If the new name stops people from thinking “well I can’t join that association, it’s only for special librarians” – isn’t that a good thing?"
http://woodsiegirl.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/sla-vote-yea-or-nay/
"As others have suggested, if the SLA has to explain to its own *members* what the term means, there is a problem.
I think the SLA executive have to go back to the drawing board on this one."
http://www.coolweblog.com/bilodeau/archives/005164.html
"I have queried several non-librarian friends, including attorneys at my firm. So far, I have not had one positive response. Replies have included:
* “What does that even mean?”
* “Sounds pompous as hell.”
* “What are you, the CIA?”
The most positive response I have received was simply that it was too vague and the individual had no idea what it meant or who the association would include.
I grant that everyone I have queried thus far has preferred the proposed name to “Special Libraries Association”. But what does that really mean? They find the proposed name pretentious, unspecific, and challenging to say, but it’s better than what we have so we should go for it? No. It means what so many of us have been saying for years. “Special Libraries Association” is confusing and unclear and should be changed. That is all."
"I do not support the proposed name, but I think “Special Libraries Association” is no longer sufficient. I worry that we will miss this opportunity because so many of those that strongly back a name change can not support the proposed name. "
http://midwesterngirl.com/2009/10/23/my-lengthy-thoughts-on-the-sla-proposed-name-change/
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