The following was submitted by Barbara Weiner. Barbara is the manager of Hazelden Library, and had the opportunity to attend the SALIS (Substance Abuse Librarians and Information Specialists) conference at the end of April.

SALIS Conference Recap:

Each year SALIS hosts a conference.  Just completed, this year’s conference, held in New York City, was built around the theme of:  “ATOD Policy and Information Technology in an Era of Change”.  The 40 attendees represented six countries, and all benefited from three days of presentations, networking, and learning.  Professionals from both the addictions and information fields provided stimulating presentations.  Here are just a few:

• Susan E. Foster, MSW, Director of Policy Research, Columbia University. “Behind Bars: Substance Abuse and America’s Prison Population”
• Michael Ahmadi, MPH, Public Health Analyst, SAMHSA. “Using Knowledge Management Technology to Help Meet Information Needs in the Field of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs”
• Robert Pandina, PhD, Director, Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers University. “Scientific Publishers: Gatekeepers of Human Knowledge”
• Rick J. Block, Head of Special Collections Metadata and Cataloging, Columbia University. “Promise for the Future, or Legacy of the Past? Cataloging in a Changing World”
• Dan Lawrence, MLIS, Director, Prevention Information Center, Colorado. “Social Media in the Office: “To-do” or “Taboo?”
• Christine Goodair, Coordinator, International Centre for Drug Policy, London. “The Perils of Progress – Quality Unassured”

Conference attendees bring back an armful of new resources, new information to put to use and/or share, new colleagues and friends to network with, and renewed energy, motivation, and knowledge for the mission of our daily work.

SALIS Organization and Membership Information:

Are you—or someone you work with—responsible for addiction and substance use/misuse information in your organization?

Do you sometimes seek assistance in responding to questions about substance abuse?

What are the resources and networks which coordinate information in the ATOD (alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs) field?

 You may want to consider membership in the SALIS organization!  SALIS (Substance Abuse Librarians and Information Specialists) is a professional, international association of individuals with special interest in the access, exchange, and dissemination of ATOD information.  It represents the major ATOD collections from around the globe.  SALIS members not only provide and receive assistance from each other, but also advocate for improvement and change in matters of common interest.