What is SAIL?
The organization is a regional group of the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers (IAMSLIC). Members are marine science information professionals from Gulf Coast states in the southeastern United States, the Atlantic Coast of North America—including central and eastern Canada, Bermuda, Bahamas, Caribbean, eastern Mexico, and Panama.
Who can join SAIL?
Because SAIL is a regional group of the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers (IAMSLIC), membership in IAMSLIC is a prerequisite for becoming a member of SAIL. Therefore, you must be an IAMSLIC member and live in the SAIL geographic region in order to join SAIL.
How do I become a member of SAIL?
To become a member of SAIL, you must join IAMSLIC. To join IAMSLIC, complete the membership application as instructedhere. On the membership application form, circle SAIL as your regional affiliation. If you have questions, you may contact the SAIL Representative, Angela Clark-Hughes.
Are any dues for SAIL membership?
There are annual dues for IAMSLIC membership; please visit IAMSLIC’s membership page for the more information. There are no additional dues for SAIL membership. Generally, there is a nominal registration fee for the annual SAIL conference.
No, SAIL has chosen to remain a very informal group. We do elect a representative who serves a two-year term as a voting member on the IAMSLIC Executive Board. The conference host plans the annual conference programs.
The SAIL representative serves a two-year term as a voting member on the IAMSLIC Executive Board. Click here to see a list of the representative’s duties.
Yes, small grants are available from IAMSLIC to assist with special projects and with travel for professional growth and development. Visit the IAMSLIC grant page to see the grant cycle, guidelines, and application form. Grant applications are due by January 31st annually. You might also check additional funding opportunities on our Useful Links page.
The annual conference, held for two or three days during the spring, provides a variety of sessions on topics in information science and technology and in marine, oceanographic, and atmospheric science. Generally there are field trips to area libraries and to other local attractions.
The OCLC Regional Networks offer a variety of workshops each quarter covering reference, interlibrary loan, cataloging, technology, web development, book repair, and more. Visit the OCLC web site to find the regional network for your area. The workshops have member and non-member registration fees.
The conference host is responsible for all aspects of the conference–local arrangements and the conference program. The conference generally begins with an opening get-together followed by two or three days of program activities. The host sets the registration fee that generally covers the cost of an informal opening reception, 1 or 2 lunches, light snacks for breaks, name badges and photocopying of the program. The host gives a call for papers to the membership; generally some speakers are from the scientific staff of the hosting institution. If the host elects to invite an outside speaker, an IAMSLIC grant is a possible source of funding. Exhibits, posters, field trips, and free time are at the discretion of the host. Most past conferences have included one “each-pays” dinner for all attendees. Be sure to provide a camera for a group picture sometime during the conference. Also refer to Easy Sailing: Guidelines for Hosting a Small Meeting, a paper by Evelyn M. Poole-Kober and Susan M. Stover on everything that is required to plan and host a SAIL meeting.
The SAIL brochure is available in PDF format and in Word format. You may print the brochure and make a two-sided photocopy of the two pages to have a single-page brochure. You may also contact the SAIL Representative, Angela Clark-Hughes.
To subscribe to the Discussion List, click here and fill out the appropriate information. The discussion list enables participants to share information, to request interlibrary loans, reprints and reference verification. Members also can exchange ideas as well as duplicate library materials.
To post a message to the list, simply address your comments or announcements to SAIL@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU. The message will be circulated to all members of the list. The members may respond to you directly, or post their comments to the list for all to read. Please DO NOT post messages with embedded HTML commands.
Yes, you can receive assistance with those problem interlibrary loans. As an IAMSLIC member, you are eligible to use IAMSLIC’s Resource Sharing Program after your usual ILL sources have failed to fill your request. Through this service, you can search the holdings of member libraries using the IAMSLIC Z39.50 Distributed Library and place your request using the IAMSLIC Interlibrary Loan Program. As a last resort, you may post your request on the SAIL Discussion List.
To leave the Discussion List, submit the form here and select “Leave the Discussion List.”
Please contact the SAIL Representative: Angela Clark-Hughes.