Voting for the SLA Name Change is larger than a vote for the name Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals.  It is a vote to:

            ---break down the barriers we inadvertently construct between ourselves and the people we serve when we fail to speak a language of common goals

            ---affirm that Knowledge and Strategy were the terms that resonated best with the C-suite level executives who were interviewed for the Alignment Project

            ---promote the value of the product that we provide rather than defend ourselves against that notion that anyone with an Internet connection can do our jobs

            ---eliminate having to explain the meaning of the term "Special Libraries Association" to our superiors when requesting funding for professional activities

            The time has come to speak the language of those who make the critical decisions which impact our daily work lives and our organizations' bottom lines.  This is especially relevant in the areas of Business and Finance, where our stakeholders may be unfamiliar with the library profession.  We need to unite with a strong, steady voice that really resonates with what executives want to hear:

            ---that we deliver strategic knowledge from credible, citable sources when and where they want it, saving time and money by finding high-quality information that retains the client, solves the problem, wins the case, etc.

            This issue is so much larger than a vote for the one particular name that is being proposed.  Instead, it is a vote that is one small step in beginning to articulate our value in terms that our key stakeholders understand.  Rather than defend ourselves against the notion that “everything is free on the Internet,” the name change is just the tip of the iceberg in using the Alignment Project research to explain how critical we are to the organizations in which we work.  We KNOW the value that we bring, but we need to articulate it using a common language that really resonates with the C-suite level executives in our organizations.  After the name change, we can commence the imperative work that we have ahead of us---telling the stories of our research projects and gathering the testimonials of our senior management.

            Respectfully,

            Amy Affelt

            B&F Alignment Ambassador

            B&F Membership Chair

            And a Professional Librarian for over 15 years now!