A Glance at the Petroleum and Energy Resources Division of SLA

Few days ago I have recieved a message from Mr. Dennie Heye, the International Relations Chair of the SLA PERD. Mr. Dennie showed his willingness to assist in promoting his division amongst peers in our region, and so he provided us with the following information which I'm sure would be of interest to energy librarians in our region.

The Petroleum and Energy Resources (PER) Division of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) focuses on all energy resources and industries, including petroleum, natural gas, electric, coal and other forms of depletable and renewable energy. The Division is concerned with all aspects of the utilization and conservation of these energy resources including exploration, production, generation, transportation, distribution, refining, products, marketing, economics, environmental effects, regulation, and research and technology.

Make Professional Contacts

1. The best reason for joining SLA DPER is to get access to a unique and unrivalled network of more than 200 peers working in the petroleum and energy industry.

2. SLA in total has 12,000 information professionals located throughout the world, representing more than 25 different disciplines and 83 countries.

3. You can reach information professionals from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo, working in industries as diversified as biotechnology, art museums, financial services, not-for-profits, advertising agencies, governments, and many more.

4. Accessing the members’ network is easy. The members’ database is available anytime by logging in to the SLA web site. You can search members by location, employer, industry or regional chapter.

Build Your Knowledge & Stay Ahead Of the Information Curve

5. You automatically receive the monthly publication DPER bulletin which features comprehensive articles on the information profession, written by your peers. You will also receive the SLA “Information Outlook” monthly magazine.

6. Throughout the year, SLA and several of the Divisions organise stimulating learning events (e.g. workshops, guest speakers, debates, virtual seminars) for their members. Hear first-hand from practitioners.

Get a Mentor

7. Several members of SLA DPER have expressed an interest in meeting members to build mentoring relationships. This is an exceptional opportunity to be teamed with a colleague and get insights into the industry, advice on your professional development, and the views of someone with extensive or different experience.

Focus On Your Career

8. SLA offers a variety of professional development and career services via its web site: virtual learning series, job postings, salary survey, lists of journals, books, articles related to career search for librarians. Check out Click University, an online learning community for the benefit of SLA members only.

9. In June 2003, SLA redrafted its Competencies for Information Professionals of the 21st Century. This critical document defines SLA’s vision of the specific skills and knowledge requirements of our field. It outlines professional competencies (e.g., “Information professionals contribute effectively to senior management strategies and decisions regarding information applications, tools and technologies, and policies for the organization”) as well as personal competencies (e.g., “Information professionals see the big picture, take calculated risks”). Practical scenarios are presented for each set of competencies. This is an invaluable tool for your professional growth and assessment, so please take advantage of it.

Save Money!

10. SLA is very affordable. The annual membership fee of €110 (£70) includes your affiliation to one region, one industry Division and access to the entire network of people and resources that SLA offers.

For additional information browse our web site: http://units.sla.org/division/dper/ ,or contact: Dennie Heye, PER International Relations, Chair: Dennie.Heye@shell.com