Quantum² Highlights
A newsletter of the Dialog leadership development program for information professionals

Dear Quantum² Member...
As you read this, the 2007 SLA Annual Conference will have just drawn to a close, so I thought I would give those who were unable to attend a roundup of our events in what proved to be an action-packed week of learning, networking and socializing. As usual this year, we honored three InfoStars in North America. Read more below on what makes these professionals special.

Using Quantum² Competencies Contest

A reminder that our contest on how you are using the competencies in the Quantum² Leadership Circle at quantum.dialog.com continues until July 31, 2007, so you still have plenty of time to enter to win an Apple iPod Nano.

The 10 Quantum² competencies are —

• Environmental Analysis,
• Knowledge Culture Vision
• Perception Analysis
• Relationship Management
• Management Buy-in
• Needs Assessment
• Service Definition
• Marketing
• Performance
• Measurement

It's very simple to enter — just tell us how you've used any one of the 10 competencies in a couple of paragraphs — no more than 250 words. Be sure to tell us if you went to one of our sessions first and then put into practice what you learned. You can submit your entry via email to dialog.quantum@dialog.com.

Entries will then be voted on by other Quantum 2 members during the month of August, and the winner notified on September 1, 2007.

So, get writing! You never know — it may earn you a nomination as a future InfoStar!

SLA Conference News

This year, Thomson Scientific and Dialog event at the 2007 SLA Annual Conference in Denver literally hit the ground running with a “Walking Miles in the Mile High City” sponsored event. 2000 official conference pedometers were given away on the opening day of the conference to attendees who visited the Thomson Scientific booth. This fun method of clocking up the miles you typically walk during a conference was a keen topic of discussion on some information blogs and at coffee spots. It was also a source of competition, as at the end of the conference exhibition hours, those who had walked the most miles stood to win prizes ranging from the grand prize of an Apple iPod Nano, to several AMEX gift certificates.

The energy was not just spent on physical activity alone, it extended to mental stimulation at conference sessions and receptions as well. On Monday, June 4, a special “Synergy” panel of leading innovators and thinkers in the profession - Stephen Abram, SLA president-elect, Clifford Lynch, Coalition for Networked Information executive director and Eugenie Prime, formerly of Hewlett-Packard — moderated by Tom Hogan, CEO of Information Today, imparted their leading-edge ideas and discussed thought-provoking concepts. Following this highly stimulating discussion, the panellists were guests at a reception in the area of the Thomson Scientific and other Thomson booths, where they continued to share ideas in a more informal manner.

And what a day for receptions. Later that afternoon, again on the Thomson Scientific and Dialog booth, three InfoStars for North America were recognized as role models for other information professionals for their creativity and innovation in raising the level of their services within their organizations. The 2007 InfoStars for North America are:

• Amy Affelt, director, Database Research, Lexecon (Chicago, IL)

• Denise Chochrek, supervisor, Information Research Center, Frito Lay (Plano, TX)

• Bill Schoeffler, senior manager, Research Services Group, Navigant Consulting, Inc. (Washington, DC)

To read more about our InfoStars, read the press release.

And of course, SLA would not be SLA without the legendary Thomson Scientific and Dialog reception to crown off the Monday activities. Our clients, contacts and colleagues enjoyed a night of music, dancing and refreshment at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. In between the dinosaurs, Egyptian mummies and the views of the Denver skyline, it was a wonder that we had time to eat and mingle too!

So, if you did not make it to Denver this year, we hope that you will be able to plan for Seattle next year! It would be tough to miss out on this kind of energy again!