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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (March 7, 2011)

SLA and J. J. Keller Recognize 5 Early-Career Professionals as 2011 Rising Stars

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Alexandria, Va. – SLA (Special Libraries Association), along with sponsor J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.®, recognized five 2011 Rising Stars of the information profession and the association’s volunteer community. An information analyst at an applied physics laboratory and a senior research librarian at a top international law firm were among the early-career professionals to receive the honor.

Sara Batts, Clara Cabrera, Lisa Chow, Ashley Conaway, and Christina Pryor will be honored at the Awards Ceremony that will help kick off the SLA Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO, 12-15 June in Philadelphia, PA. The Rising Stars will also take part in the 2nd SLA Rising Stars–SLA Fellows Roundtable, to be held in conjunction with the SLA Annual Conference. The honorees will partner with five recently named SLA Fellows, who are being recognized for their accomplishments at mid-career, to discuss information industry trends and field questions from their colleagues. The Roundtable will be co-hosted and moderated by Webb Shaw of J. J. Keller.

The Rising Star Award, now in its third year, is presented annually to SLA members who demonstrate exceptional promise of leadership and contribution to SLA and the information profession. Only SLA members who are in their first five years of membership and have recently started their career are eligible to receive the honor.

“Although they are still early in their careers, the SLA Rising Stars have shown a high level of commitment to their profession that promises to pay future dividends to our association and information professionals around the globe,” said SLA President Cindy Romaine. “I'm eager to see what these individuals take on next within the SLA community, because they have already demonstrated they can provide a hearty infusion of enthusiasm and knowledge into our ranks. Their savvy ability to network and stay future-ready is exemplary, and it shows me that our organization is in good hands for years to come.”

“J. J. Keller is proud to sponsor SLA’s Rising Star Award for the second consecutive year,” said Shaw, director of editorial resources at J. J. Keller “The leadership positions held by this year’s award recipients with local, national and international SLA organizations – as well as their many other contributions – speaks volumes about both this group’s energy and talent and the vibrancy of the information industry.”

More on the 2011 Rising Stars

Sara Batts

Sara is a senior research librarian in the London office of Reed Smith LLP, an international relationship law firm. An SLA member since 2009, Sara serves as the president of the SLA Europe chapter and is International Relations Chair of SLA’s Legal Division.

Clara Cabrera

A research services assistant at the New York, NY, office of law firm WilmerHale, Clara oversees circulation, monitors court dockets, maintains the library collection, and performs research and analysis with digital resources. She joined SLA in 2007.

Lisa Chow

As the librarian for the Society, Sciences and Technology Division of the Brooklyn Public Library, Lisa has organized events like National DNA Day @BPL, an all-day event focused on DNA and genetics literacy. She joined SLA in 2008, and stepped into her first volunteer role as webmaster for SLA@Pratt.

Ashley Conaway

Ashley is the information analyst at the Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University. She has filled this position since 2007, and trains staff on various products, technologies, and collaboration tools. She joined SLA as a student member while completing her MLIS degree in 2006.

Christina Pryor

At St. Louis County Library in Missouri, Christina is the reference librarian, managing medical and business collection development and conducting staff training on numerous resources. Christina has been an SLA member since 2007, when she joined as a student.

About SLA

The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is a nonprofit global organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners. SLA serves more than 10,000 members in 75 countries in the information profession, including corporate, academic and government information specialists. SLA promotes and strengthens its members through learning, advocacy and networking initiatives. For more information, visit www.sla.org.

About J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.®

J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. was established in 1953 and has become a leading provider of risk and regulatory management and information solutions. The company employs over 1,100 associates and serves more than 350,000 customers, including more than 90% of the Fortune 1000. J. J. Keller's subject-matter experts research and write content, answer questions, and speak on human resources, workplace safety, hazardous materials and transportation subjects covering nearly 1,500 topics. Its 6,000+ products and services include electronic and printed media and provide a rich base of knowledge for information, legal and research professionals, as well as executives and managers responsible for human resources, risk management, safety and compliance. For more information, visit www.jjkeller.com/infopros.