President’s e-Letter – August 2011

Dear Colleagues,

I hope that my first President’s Letter finds you enjoying the remaining weeks of summer-one that many of us will be remembering for years as the longest, hottest one we have experienced. While many of us have been hunkering down in air conditioning, SSP’s legion of volunteers have been hard at work organizing for the 2011-12 year. I’d like to tell you about just a few things that are going on.

IN Conference 2011-Don’t Let It Drift By You

What is “IN Conference?” First held in 2009, IN Conference breaks with the common meeting model that features speakers who provide valuable information but often with minimal audience participation and interaction. By combining formal presentations, video clips from around the publishing world, and small-group projects, IN’s format promotesINspriation, INnovation, and INteractivity. Other distinguishing features of IN Conference include its:

• Focus on real-world publishing examples that are strategic and complex
• Senior-level networking opportunities
• Commitment to leading-edge ideas and practical, actionable next steps
• Limited number of attendees

Facilitated by well-known publishing consultant Mary Waltham, the program starts late afternoon on Sunday, September 18th, in Arlington, VA, with an introduction by Mary followed by a cocktail reception. The next day begins with presentations by leading-edge executives from within and outside scholarly publishing that focus on three pressing issues in scholarly publishing as identified by SSP members: globalization, innovation, and collaboration. Attendees then break into several teams to work through a detailed publishing case study, with expert facilitation, to assess a real-world set of publishing challenges and identify vehicles to employ to bring about transformative change. The conference concludes with presentations by each working team so that all attendees benefit from the wisdom of the crowd.

I look forward to seeing many of you at this unique SSP offering. To register, visit https://www.sspnet.org. But don’t delay. Seating is limited.

What’s New on https://www.sspnet.org?

Videos from 13 concurrent sessions presented at SSP’s 2011 Annual Meeting are now available online, thanks to our SSP Annual Meeting sponsor River Valley TV. What better way to revisit a session you particularly valued or to catch a session you missed? Also available are select PowerPoint presentations from this year’s Pre-Meeting Seminars.

Visit our Web site and get to know Christine Orr, the 23^rd SSP member to be interviewed by Professional Development Committee members. Find out how a Long Island native made her way to Washington, DC, via Bonn, Germany, and Madison, WI, and into scholarly publishing with a degree in German Literature and European Cultural History.

Also new on our Web site is a complete listing of SSP’s committees and their chairpersons and members. Although committees are getting underway with their 2011-12 work, not all are fully staffed. Now is the time to volunteer for a committee assignment.

For example, the Communications Committee is looking for volunteers to help fulfill its vital role of guiding the Society in its use of internal and external communication vehicles, including generating content and messages, suggesting policies and practices, and assisting in keeping the organization current regarding traditional and alternative communication strategies. Interested? Contact co-chairs Janet Fisher or Lois Smith.

Looking Ahead

Planning for the 2011 Fall Seminar Series and the 2012 Pre-Meeting Seminars and Annual Meeting is beginning. You can be a part of the planning even if you are not a member of the committees responsible for the meetings. How? Simply send your suggestions for topics, speakers, and facilitators. You may even want to volunteer yourself as a speaker!

With best regards,

Terry Van Schaik, SSP President 2011-2012