Honoring SSP Members & Organizations Who Give for the Future

The Generations Fund had an eventful spring and early summer! To fully capture the energy and enthusiasm for this initiative to build a diverse and strong future for the profession, we are sharing some bite-sized updates and thank yous.

Sue Kesner Donates Birthday to the Generations Fund

Sue, a past president of the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP), spent her entire career in some form of scholarly communication—first as a librarian, then working for various information companies. Retiring from the formal workplace in 2019, she has stayed active in SSP by guiding the organization’s highly regarded blog, The Scholarly Kitchen, serving on the Generations Fund Committee, and providing sage advice to not less than five mentees! Sue chose to ask friends and family to give to the Generations Fund in honor of her recent birthday. The following individuals donated over $1,000 in Sue’s honor.

• • Margie & Gil Brodsky
  • Nancy & Michael Grodin
  • Judy & Chayim Herzig-Marx
  • Jill Jacobs
  • Aviva Jezer
  • Richard Kesner
  • Irene & Jon Leamon
  • Glenn & Alisa Levine
  • Alice Meadows
  • Debra & Mel Rabin
  • Nancy & Sheldon Satovsky
  • Harriet Turchin
  • Melanie Wells
  • Pat & Tom Zabel
  • Natalie Zundel

Ask the Fellows at the SSP 2022 Annual Meeting

The SSP Fellowship Program is one of the programs the Generations Fund will support in perpetuity, building a stronger profession for tomorrow by supporting early career professionals today. This year’s fellows were able to attend the return to an in-person annual meeting and were asked by TSK Chef, and Generations Fund donor, Alison Mudditt, what the highlights were. Read more on The Scholarly Kitchen.

SSP Virtual 5k Run, Walk, and Roll a Success

Eighty-six participants from 7 countries signed up for the first SSP Virtual 5k. What’s more, thanks to our sponsors who covered event costs, the participants generated more than $4,000 to support the Generations Fund. And, if Twitter can be trusted, they had fun doing it including an impromptu run at the SSP Annual Meeting along the Chicago riverfront.

Spring 22 Mentorship Program Complete

This summer, over 20 mentorship pairs will successfully complete SSP’s Mentorship Program which connects professionals at all career levels and provides opportunities to connect members of SSP for professional development, information exchange, networking, personal growth, and career advancement. The Generations Fund will support the mentoring program, year after year, into the future. Opportunities to participate in the Fall cohort will be announced in August.

The Scholarly Kitchen Adds DEIA Associate Editor

The final initiatives that the Generations Fund supports are SSP’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) efforts. Most recently, The Scholarly Kitchen welcomed Dianndra Roberts as their DEIA Associate Editor after an exhaustive search. Dianndra has a deep knowledge of scholarly publishing and a strong commitment to advocating for DEIA. You can learn more about her, and read her first post, at The Scholarly Kitchen.

Save the Date for more ways to have fun and support the Generations Fund:

• August 24th – 3rd Annual Virtual Games for Good: match wits with your fellow SSP members to see who gets bragging rights in our annual trivia battle royale.

• September 20th – Networking a New Directions in Washington, DC: Stay tuned for registration details to attend a happy hour with SSP New Directions attendees, local members, and NISO Plus Forum attendees in person. This evening event will be hosted by American Geophysical Union on their rooftop terrace.

The Generations Fund is an endowment to provide sustainable funding for SSP’s Fellowship, Mentoring, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs far into the future. A community is only as strong as its next generation of leaders, and endowed funds protect these vital programs from unforeseen events.

Since launching in October 2020, more than 220 individuals and organizations have given to this effort, pushing the fund to over $240,000. Join the generous organizations and individuals who have already pledged their support for the future of scholarly communications with a gift of your own!