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PAM 1995-96 Annual Report
Diane Fortner
P-A-M membership continues to slightly increase in numbers. Reporting figures used to calculate yearly allotments from SLA, the Division listed 190 members as of 31 December 1995, compared with 183 members at the end of 1994. As of March 1996, the Membership Chair described a steady-state membership for the Division, with an equal number of new members versus resigning members.
The P-A-M treasury remains solvent. The highest annual expenses were conference costs, with the division suite as the highest single expense. Vendor support for P-A-M remains strong.
The "structure" of utilizing P-A-M members as roundtable moderators at annual conferences, with the same appointments extended as bulletin contributors the following year gives a rich continuum to the Division.
Major Accomplishments:
P-A-M's major accomplishments were appropriately in the
realm of communications, defined broadly to encompass
networking, public relations, outreach, collaboration.
1) Most excitingly, the P-A-M Bulletin editors introduced three online Web versions of the quarterly bulletin. Also, the print bulletin was re-designed to a space-saving and appealing 3-columns with a new font.
2) The P-A-M Website was skillfully revised and updated. Intended as a useful URL for division members in their daily work, the site has been expanded to promote collaboration with the many societies and vendors with which P-A-M has developed mutually beneficial relations.
3) The Division expanded its collaboration with its respective societies this year with the appointment of a P-A-M member as liaison to the American Physical Society.
4) P-A-M's International Relations Committee contacted 32 astronomy colleagues from 14 countries who are not SLA members regarding SLA and the Division. Four responses may result in new members. Other responses (16) seemed to indicate that high fees were the main reason for not joining SLA.
5) The Division's listserv, PAMNet, continued to offer a highly efficient means for pertinent information exchange and included international participants.
The Future:
The P-A-M Executive Board has made plans to create a new
Division post of Web manager.
Increasing conference costs may become an issue. E.g., as our traditionally informal roundtable forums become more costly to the Division, with more "volunteer" speakers seeking more expensive equipment support, P-A-M may be obligated to consider balancing the need for this information packaged efficiently for computer presentations against alternatives to our expensive hospitality suite.
Not yet officially named, P-A-M Bulletin-online is expected to become a regular offering.
And I expect that P-A-M members will continue to influence the future of scientific information, both electronic and print. Like a coiled spring, P-A-M's collective "potential energy" may be described as high.
Diane M. Fortner
Chair, P-A-M Division