What is the mission of the Science-Technology Division of SLA?

The objectives of the Science-Technology Division shall be: to draw together those members of the Special Libraries Association having an interest in the role of library and information science as applied to the recording, retrieval and dissemination of knowledge and information in all areas of science and technology; and to promote and improve the communication, dissemination and use of such knowledge for the benefit of libraries and their users.

When did the Division form?

The Science-Technology Division of SLA was formed in 1923 under the name of the Technology Group. The first meeting was held during the 1924 annual conference. The Group was recognized officially in March 1925. Renamed Science-Technology Division in 1950.

What are the positions in the Executive Board and what is the function of the Board?

The Executive Board manages the Division’s property and regulates and governs its affairs.

Chair — Chief Executive Officer of Division, responsible for supervision and control of Division affairs

Chair-Elect – Succeeds Chair

Secretary — Records minutes and official business

Treasurer — Maintains all financial records and prepares Annual Financial Statement

Past-Chair — Advisory capacity

What committees and other positions does the Division have, and what do they do?

ALA/ACRL Science & Technology Section Liaison — Promotes communication and coordination of topics of mutual concern between the Division and ACRL/STS (Association of College & Research Libraries/Science and Technology Section).

Archivist — Receives, organizes, files and maintains archival copies of records of Division

Auditor — Examines and verifies books of the Treasurer

Awards Committee — Selects winners for travel stipends and Achievement Award

Bylaws Committee — Drafts Bylaws changes as recommended by Executive Board

Conference Planning Committee — Plans programs and arrangements for speakers, facilities, receptions, tours, etc.

Communications Committee — enables and suppors methods of communication among Division members, and for seeking out opportunities for members to network.

Government Relations Committee — Monitors public issues; coordinates government relations activities

International Relations Committee — Promotes discussions of international relations issues

Medical Library Association Liaison — Promotes communication and coordination of topics of mutual concern between the Division and MLA

Membership Committee — Maintains records of membership; encourages retention and recruits new members

Nominating Committee — Presents candidates for Chair-Elect and Secretary or Treasurer

Parliamentarian — Interprets Bylaws to ensure procedures conform

Professional Development Committee — Organizes workshops/seminars for continuing education

Projects and Publications Committee – Reviews and recommends sponsorship and financial support for projects

Public Relations Committee — Raises public awareness about sci-tech information

Sci-Tech News Editor — Procures and edits materials for Sci-Tech News; ensures timely publication

Sci-Tech News Advertising Manager — Solicits and coordinates advertisements for Sci-Tech News

Sci-Tech News Business Manager — Manages business activities of Sci -Tech News

Sci-Tech News Subscriptions Manager – Manages subscriptions of Sci-Tech News

SLA Cataloguing Committee Liaison — Promotes communication and coordination of topics of
mutual concern between the Division and the committee

SLA Standards Committee Liaison — Promotes communication and coordination of topics of mutual concern between the Division and the committee

Strategic Planning Committee — Updates and revises Strategic Plan to reflect needs and values of Division

Student Relations Committee — Furthers communications between professionals and library science students

Teller — Counts election ballots and certifies election results

Vendor Relations Committee — cultivates relationships with potential vendor sponsors in order to obtain funding to support Division activities, such as conference programming.

What publications does the Division produce?

1) A newsletter, Sci-Tech News, is the official publication of the Division. It debuted as Ye Alchemical Libraries Almanack : being the bulletin of the Science-Technology Group with Lucy O. Lawton as editor in September 1947. It changed its name to SCI-TECH NEWS : the official bulletin of the Science-Technology Group in 1949.
2) The Division also has a listserv, SLA-ST. The purpose of SLA-ST is to promote communication among the members of the Science-Technology Division of SLA and other interested parties within SLA and beyond. As such, it should help special librarians everywhere advance their role as information professionals in their respective institutions.

To subscribe to the SLA-DST discussion list, send an e-mail to lyris@sla.lyris.net with the SUBSCRIBE command in the body of the message. No subject line is necessary. Please do not include any signature or formatted text in the message. Your text message should read: Subscribe SLA-DST your-e-mail_address “FirstName LastName”

To post a message to the list, simply send an e-mail to: SLA-DST@lists.sla.org. Please be sure to include a short yet informative subject line. Messages will be delivered to SLA-DST subscribers at the time of posting; this list is not moderated. If you “reply” to a message from SLA-DST@lists.sla.org, that reply will be sent to all members of the group. Only subscribers can post a message to the list.

What awards are given by the Division?

There are awards for travel, international librarians, professional development, achievement, and other forms of recognition of contributions to the Division.

• The Travel award was given to Madeline C. Carey in 1972 and regularly since. The award was renamed the Kirk S. Cabeen Travel Stipend in 1994.

• The Achievement award recognizes professional work marked by distinction & dedication to sci-tech librarianship. Ellis Mount received the first Achievement Award in 1984; Jean K. Martin received it in 1987; Robert M. Ballard received it in 1990.

• The Impossible Award, given in recognition of work that made the impossible possible, was first awarded to Cathy Williamson in 1990; followed by Wilda Newman in 1991, Ellis Mount in 1992, Sandy Moltz in 1996, and Ann Koopman and Bonnie Osif in 2004.

• The International Librarian Awards, given to help third world librarians attend conference, were first presented to Christina Santos Labourdette, Elena Reyes Varela, and America Santos (latter could not attend conference) in 1995.

• The Professional Development Award, given to help unemployed librarians attend conference, was first presented to Cathy Williamson in 1995.

• Additional awards: Jim Olsen and Carmela Carbone were given Appreciation Awards in 1991. Joanna Tallman was awarded $1000 for her revision of the Handbook of Scientific and Technical Awards in the United States and Canada in 1978. Ellis Mount awarded $300 to support work on the history of the Engineering Societies Library in 1978. Ellis Mount was named Editor Emeritus of the Sci-Tech News in 2004.