ALA Exec Board - Spring Meeting

It is that time again! Time for the face-to-face meeting of the ALA Executive Board in Chicago. The ALA Executive Board meets in person quarterly. Two of those meeting coincide with larger ALA meetings. The Exec Board also meets in the spring and fall. The fall meeting usually coincides with the fall meetings of the divisional executive boards, and whole group (division boards and the ALA EB get together for a session). The spring meeting is different, but part of the time is the annual ALA Staff Recognition event, which is very cool.

Here is my schedule for the end of this week. Thursday at some awful hour, I head to the airport to fly to Chicago. Arrival is scheduled for about 11 am. I serve on the Finance and Audit Committee of the Board and we are scheduled to meet from 1 to 6 pm with a likely pre-meeting for some confidential stuff. [While we are meeting the new ALA Exec Board members will be going through day 2 of orientation.] Often F&A goes to dinner together (since we do not see enough of each other [ha, ha].

Friday begins with the ALA Staff Recognition event. This includes awards for years of service. I was lucky that one of the early years included an award to Lois Ann Gregory-Wood, the Council Secretariat, who has been a great "inside" pal of mine for many years.

The afternoon will be the Board Effectiveness session. This helps the Board to focus on specific issues, it usually has a facilitator, and is an important session for developing our group dynamic.

The ALA Office of Information Technology Policy is having a retreat out at one of the O'Hare Airports, and a number of the Executive Board members will be joining them for dinner. (Some of us have talked about taking the "L" out there, since a.) we enjoy riding it; and b.) it is cheap ($1.75 each way). We'll see.

Saturday, we start at 9 am and have a full agenda including an executive session to discuss several confidential items (appointments, etc.). There will be a group dinner, somewhere on Saturday.

Sunday for me will begin with Mass at the Cathedral for the Chicago Archdiocese. It is Palm Sunday, and I can hardly skip. The Cathedral is about a block and a half from the ALA HQ. We begin at 9 am and start by hearing from the ALA Legal Counsel in closed session. At one point will meet as the ALA-APA Board of Directors. A new name for the organization is on that agenda. We end early afternoon (3 pm is the scheduled time) so that we can begin the exodus and trip home. For me that will mean "L" to O'Hare and flight back to Bradley Airport (Hartford), followed by the hour drive home.

It is jam-packed, early mornings, late nights. I usually come home pretty exhausted. I know Monday will be tough, but I also committed to speak to a Library Science class at SCSU, so I hope the adreniline kicks in!