Chair’s Corner: Stephen Cohen (August 2011)
Before I launch into my last article as Chair, I want to draw your attention to our new website. That you are currently viewing. This site succeeds our previous one which was pioneered by Mark Martin and Laurie Baty. (And if I have my facts correct, was the first SAA website.) We’ve taken our classic website and updated its functionality so that it more closely resembles the news sites, social networks, and web 2.0 features, thereby making our website a more integral part of your routine. This came into being largely due to Tim Hawkins and Lisa Snider with support from a number of colleagues.
I am returning to my last writing with a twist. In my last writing I appealed each of you to consider seriously a way to contribute, especially concerning the addition of content to our website and to Views.
Yes, we all know that due primarily to our bad economy funds for travel and professional opportunities are reduced, more difficult to obtain, or flatly eliminated. We’re having a long steady rain on our parade. Not fun. Participation in professional societies and other extra-occupational activities has ebbed. And to finish off the 1-2 punch, many of us have seen our workload increase, which has robbed us of precious time to do those other things we like to do in our jobs.
Here’s the twist that will get us out of the doldrums: by applying the transitive property of career fulfillment (for the visual folks, its looks like this: “If A = B, and B = C, then C = A”) you can boost your professional standing, gain some friends, and possibly even see your salary rise. Huh? You’re still stuck on what the transitive property has to do with anything, right? Well, let me explain. Basically by contributing in small ways to the Section, you will grow (professionally, of course) and…just read on.
A= Carve out time from your workload to provide expertise to share and distribute knowledge across the archival community and affiliated professionals. (Make sure to cite contributions in your annual performance review.)
B=Become a recognized expert in your field through your writings and involvement with VMS and beyond…thus becoming a major asset to your organization. Participation in the Section through contributions will give your career and professional standing a bump and will raise the reputation of your organization.
C= Be rewarded by your employer for being an outstanding professional and raising the reputation of your organization. Through your annual evaluation, your boss has proof of your expertise to the community at large and that you do more than just what is defined in your job description. You have become a more valuable employee. Rewards take the form of salary increases and bonuses, greater opportunities to speak at conferences, and more time allocated to professional endeavors, ie. contributing to the Section.
See, we’re back to A.
By sharing your knowledge and expertise, you make your colleagues better at what they do and also build up your knowledge base. You are recognized as an asset, a fountain of knowledge.
We’re a creative and innovative lot; I think we can overcome this. I want to stress that involvement does not have to be showing up at the annual meeting or the mid-winter meeting. Most of what we do now can be accomplished via the Internet. Submitting articles, essays, reviews, etc to Views, making a few phone calls, collaborating with colleagues on a workshop or a research paper, the list goes on.
On the flip-side, if we get no participation, we’re no longer a Section. We have more than 750 members. While all members may not be visual material archivists or actively engaged with visual materials, each of you can contribute one way or another. While this is not an NPR fund drive and I cannot offer gifts for donating your time, I can say that your contributions will help make you a better professional and through sharing your wisdom and expertise, you make our community stronger and better. It also looks good on your resume to provide concret examples of professional contributions.
I’m sure you have an interest in sharing your knowledge with like-minded colleagues…so tell me how much time you can afford and what you’re interested in developing/contributing/writing/etc. Time commitments can be as little as a few minutes to a few hours or more. It is entirely up to you.
Come on, try out the the transitive property of job fulfillment. I guarantee that once you start, you’ll think to yourself, “I wish I had done this earlier.”
Share your expertise with the VM community. Sign up on the volunteer! page.
