President's e-Letter - August 2010

President's e-Letter

Dear SSP Members,

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, unbelievably, summer is almost over. I hope you've had some time to relax and recharge, no matter where in the world you live.

In this first e-Letter, I'm writing to bring you up to date on some important activities within SSP. First, the upcoming events:

• IN 2010 Conference - Imagining the "Dream e-Tool" for Education and Training: This innovative, interactive, inspiring event follows on the success of last year's IN with the focus on a different topic: What types of content and styles of delivery of that content should we create to meet the needs of students and professionals now and in the future? Reserve a seat in this limited-attendance event to imagine the "dream e-tool." You'll find details on the SSP Web site, including a bio for the keynote speaker, Kathy Hurley (Senior Vice President for Strategic Partnerships of Pearson and Chair of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills), and an updated list of other speakers. Early registration ends September 1, or when 70 seats have been filled.

• Fall Seminars: Here's a message from Education Committee Cochairs Patty Baskin and Allyson Mower:

The Education Committee is finalizing speakers and descriptions for the fall seminars, which will be held November 9-11 at the American Geophysical Union facilities in Washington, D.C. Full-day seminars on Tuesday and Wednesday include working with the Middle East and Asian markets and looking at innovative roles for societies, institutions, presses, and libraries as partners in publishing. Topics of the two half-day seminars on Thursday are the use of mobile devices in publishing and enhancement of journal articles, to include perspectives of authors, reviewers, and librarians. Bookmark sspnet.org for the details and to register in early September. 

• Submit Ideas for the 2011 Annual Meeting: Here's a message from Annual Meeting Program Committee Cochairs Eileen Kiley Novak and David Smith:

The 33rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Scholarly Publishing (Boston June 1-3, 2011) is YOUR Annual Meeting. Work is well under way; the Annual Meeting Program Committee is already discussing ideas for the theme and conference tracks. Tell us what you would like to see covered - specific topics - or submit a proposal to speak.

Q: How do I send my ideas to the committee?

A: Simply click here and your ideas will be submitted to the Annual Meeting Program Committee for consideration. Ideas and proposals are welcome until September 17, 2010.

Here's some information about behind-the-scenes happenings from the Board of Directors and committees.

• Strategic Planning: President-Elect Terry Van Schaik and her Strategic Planning Task Force have begun the process of assessing where SSP is today and the kinds of activities and initiatives that will maintain its importance and relevance for scholarly communications professionals in the future. More to come after the September 21 strategic planning discussions in Philadelphia.

• Committee Planning: SSP would not be the dynamic, successful organization it is without the thousands of hours that dozens of members contribute to our committees. At the About Us Web page, you can view the list of committees and their members. My thanks go to those of you who have accepted the chairs' invitation to participate on a committee. If you have a bit of spare time, consider volunteering for SSP committee work. The job is rewarding, and besides the satisfaction you'll feel by giving back to the Society, it's a great opportunity to expand your network and gain leadership skills. Complete the online volunteer form and be sure to indicate the areas in which you're interested. I'll get right back to you!

• Notes from the Field: Future issues of the President's e-Letter will feature short news notes from members in various areas of the scholarly communication field. These short articles will highlight current happenings and developments in that arena. (Watch for an upcoming report from Bill Kasdorf.) If you'd like to volunteer to contribute a news note, please contact me.

Thanks for reading!

Lois Smith, SSP President 2010-2011
lois@hfes.org, 310/394-1811