On July 25, Jesús Alonso-Regalado and Anne Barnhart led a roundtable discussion called “Quo Vadis? And What Are We Going To Do About It? Roundtable on the Evolving Role of the Latin American Studies Librarian.” As part of the discussion, the audience was asked to break into small groups to do a SWOT analysis on the profession of Latin American Studies Librarian. We decided to use this format because, as presenter Anne Barnhart noted, as a profession we do not know how to speak with administrators. The SWOT tool is an example of the strategies, language and tools invoked by upper-level library and campus administrators. This discussion was just the first step in trying to establish where we, as Latin American specialists, are as a profession and how we want to position ourselves for a successful future.
Perhaps the most important conclusion from this exercise is the recommendation that SALALM create a strategic plan with a 3-5 year tangible workplan so we can better influence where we are going. Such a plan could also offer SALALM members talking points when communicating with campus administrators.
Please read the complete SWOT analysis.
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