More information professionals can now boost their skills in the fields of knowledge management, competitive intelligence or copyright management as the Special Libraries Association (SLA) has opened its certificate programmes to non-members.

The SLA “Click University” certificate courses, now accessible for non-member-professionals, aims at providing them an opportunity to learn new skills, stay competitive and bring additional expertise to their organisations during tough economic conditions.

This move is to enable students earn a certificate in knowledge management, knowledge services, or a dual certificate combining the two. As institutions and organisations look to trim the workforce amid the financial crisis, the professionals need to prove their value by enhancing their knowledge and talent, said SLA chief executive Janice Lachance.

Programmes in the competitive intelligence certificate cover topics such as planning and development, research, analysis, intelligence delivery, and managing intelligence. The copyright management curriculum includes domestic and international copyright law, digital copyright issues, use of copyright-protected materials, digital license agreements, copyright collective agreements (such as the Copyright Clearance Center and Access Copyright), managing content and copyright compliance.

And the knowledge management courses teach how to harness and manage proprietary knowledge, and how to apply and use that knowledge in conjunction with industry information to support enterprise-wide decision making, research and innovation.

The SLA clarified that continuing education credits (CEUs) from IACET are available to SLA members only. Its “members-only” programmes include all non-certificate online courses, live webinars and replays, and the SLA online libraries. In addition, members can avail summaries of business and management books through its web 2.0 training program, software and technology training and leadership training programmes.