Illinois Special Libraries Association Chapter Loses Funding During Banned Books Week
Nicole Engard recently prevented the Special Libraries Association (SLA) Illinois Chapter from receiving sponsorship funds when she threatened to withdraw from a speaking engagement unless the Chapter removed the event’s only sponsor. Just days before the Chapter’s monthly Webinar presentation, Ms. Engard contacted the leadership of the Chapter and left them with no choice but to censor out the only sponsor.
With only a few days left before the event, the Chapter’s Board had to acquiesce and lose the sponsorship. Had they not, the Chapter would have had no opportunity to find another speaker on such short notice, and would have had to cancel the Webinar. Ms. Engard’s unethical behavior cost the Chapter hundreds of dollars, as they were unable to find another sponsor in the time left.
Ms. Engard is an employee of ByWater, a for-profit company that provides services around Koha. ByWater is in direct competition with the sponsoring company that Ms. Engard sought to silence.
This behavior represents a pattern. This behavior is eerily reminiscent of Spring 2009, when Ms. Engard teamed up with Josh Ferraro to force out competing vendors from speaking engagements and sponsorship opportunities at KohaCon 2009.
Ms. Engard was an employee of LibLime in 2009, preventing PTFS from sponsoring the KohaCon conference. In 2010, Ms. Engard is an employee of ByWater preventing Liblime/PTFS from sponsoring the Illinois Webinar.
Do Ms. Engard’s actions align with the material in her presentation – “Open Source in Libraries: Freedom and Community“?
October 8th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
Hello John,
These are fairly strong words that are not necessarily an accurate representation of what occurred. Ms. Engard never said that she would not speak to our chapter, she merely indicated that there was a conflict of interest in her mind, and since we had made the arrangements and had not been aware of the situation, and in the interest of time, we chose to eliminate the conflict. As you know, we have also offered you the opportunity to partner with our chapter in the future, so I hope that you will once again accept our apologies for the confusion and continue to stay in touch.
Kind Regards,
Dianna Wiggins
SLA Illinois Chapter President
October 8th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Using this venue to mount a personal attack on a well-regarded member of the Koha, open-source, and library community is inappropriate, especially considering the fact that the only time this blog was worth reading was when Nicole was writing it. PTFS, please drop the martyr complex. Either join the open source world and play by the rules like the rest of us or stop calling yourselves OSS supporters.
October 9th, 2010 at 10:47 am
What an odd nasty post this is. Can you get anyone to back up this version of events? From what I have heard, from people I trust, this is not what happened at all.
October 9th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
This is a very disgusting and base attack. As Jo said, it speaks volumes about the author, the company he/she works for, and any other employee of that company who would further such an attack. It shows a startling lack of character in a world where almost nothing is startling any more. I personally will have nothing more to do with PTFS or its employees until a thorough, clear recantation and apology have been offered in a public forum.
Keep up the good work Nicole. There are a lot of folks out here who appreciate your hard work.
October 10th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Ms Engard’s version of events seems quite at odds with what has been written here - http://www.web2learning.net/archives/4177
Perhaps you could illuminate me on the reasoning behind launching what seems to be a personal attack on Ms Engard
October 11th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
As a PTFS/Liblime client, I am embarrassed by this post. It has no place.
Please remove it and associated replies immediately.
October 11th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
I have publicly urged members of the Koha community to refrain from personal attacks on LibLime/PTFS and its personnel in email postings and other communications. Therefore, as a current LibLime customer I am extremely disappointed to see this nasty, and apparently factually incorrect, personal attack, launched by LibLime upon a person whom I and others in the Koha community hold in high regard.
Anyone who has any understanding of the inner workings of Liblime during 2008-09 is aware that Nicole Engard was not the party responsible for efforts to exclude PTFS from KohaCon 2009.
October 11th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
I second what Jessamyn asks - can you back up your version of events? Otherwise, I really think you owe Nicole, and probably even Bywater Solutions, an apology.
At the least.
Sheesh.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Nicole Engard refuses to publish my comments at her website, so I am forced to respond to her here:
Nicole
If you actually READ the quote from the SLA Chapter President, it in no way condemns PTFS, or their understanding of events. In fact, an apology is offered for any confusion that was created by the Chapter in its communications with PTFS. So, you might just want to actually, y’know, READ what is said by the Chapter before you use it, and rush to malign others and their motives.
You often like to portray yourself as innocent as the driven snow, and you have all too many enablers who love the fairy tale of “poor Nicole up against sinister forces” but the truth is you have bad-mouthing LibLime, PTFS, and now Joann hauser every chance you get, since you left LibLime. Frankly, you started all this nonsense. I, personally, have heard you badmouth PTFS, and other with whom you have disagreements many months before anyone knew who they were. The truth is you started this fight and you persist in it today.
Here’s hoping you grow up.
October 11th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Interesting that Liblime is complaining about what Liblime did.
October 11th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
I do not post this with my name b/c I am afraid to — I’ve watched this group of people say very mean things about those who don’t agree.
I don’t think Dianne’s versions are that different than the initial blog - Nicole said she had a conflict - SLA removed that conflict - thereby censoring a competitor of a firm for whom Nicole works. Nicole is culpable in that censorship.
Point 2: If LibLime had called SLA, and said “We have a conflict of interest with Nicole, your speaker” - and SLA removed Nicole from this event- how would everyone feel?