ALA Presidential Candidates Forum

About 100 people are here listening to the candidates debate. First to speak is my friend (and the candidate I support) Camila Alire. Her theme is "Vision, Vitality, and Voice."

Among other proposals is for an "At Home ALA Legislative Day" to have coordinated visits to legislators while they are home.

Good salaries and better salaries are on her agenda, including our ability to advocate for ourselves. Camila is committed to diversity (and was president of REFORMA a number of years ago). Equity of Access is on her list. Literacy skills are critical.

Camila is incredibly vivacious and the vitality part of her platform rings personally true.

Linda Williams is a school librarian from Maryland and is someone I know and like. Libraries are our foundation and our future is her theme. Equity of Access is an important goal. (She mentioned speaking with one voice (which can be a sensitive topic in ALA!) She will work to break down the "silos" in ALA. (A good idea!)

She did focus on the closing of school libraries and the fact that 40% of schools do not have library professionals.

We need to engage more members in the association. She referred to an ASAE book which addresses the needs of younger members of the profession. She wants ALA to use Web 2.0 skills to engage members of the Association.

Dr. Ruth Gordon asked the first question. Which was a multipart question and included a reference to ALA's "third rail," the Operating Agreement.

Leonard Kniffel, editor of the American Libraries, talked about the various ways that AL will distribute the statements and question and answers in several ways. His question was about bi-lingual education. (And there is not much difference between the two candidates on this issue.

[I am going back to the PLA Board, having "shown the flag" at the forum.]

Humor: Unfortunately Named Athletes

Steve Cohen over on Library Stuff, linked to this great list of unfortunately named athletes.

I'm wondering if there is a list of unfortunately named librarians?

I do know that my father use to joke about the fact he should have given my brother Paul a different middle name so that his initials would have been PIG, and clearly my parents forgot when then named my youngest sister Helen (middle name Ann.....you figure it out) whose initials changed when she married. My initials are only kind of car tire (MAG), and I can live with that!

Camila Alire for ALA President

Here is why I am supporting Camila for ALA President, her most recent post called UPS and ALA. Given that the current President-Elect, Jim Rettig, has expressed similar thoughts about the need to change the profession.

Now, this is not to say anything bad about J. Linda Williams (the other candidate) with whom I have worked in ALA.

In any case, if you are an ALA member, please vote.

Away for the holiday

I am visiting my family in New England. I arrived last night at my sister's house in Western Massachusetts. This morning as I am reading email, reading blogs, and chatting with my brother-in-law he mentioned the phone. They have not just one, but two of these phones!

I had an uneventful trip from Minneapolis to Bradley, rented a car and got here successfully. Later this week I will be driving my brother-in-law to Maine so that I can visit my sister, and he can visit his parents and sister. We will then go to Northwestern CT for my family's annual get-together.

An Anniversary

It has been a year (today) since I started work in Wisconsin. It has been an interesting year with challenges related to the fund raising as well as to the "new culture" of the upper Midwest.

One year ago today it was snowing in Eau Claire. It is snowing now. We had 6 inches of snow (which ended as sleet/rain) on Saturday night. The public works department has done a great job of clean-up. I'm guessing we are in for a spell of snow. One to three inches are predicted for today, and more on Saturday. One weather forecaster confidently predicted a white Christmas since he does not expect the temperatures to get above freezing this month.

I am glad I bought snow shoes, I think I see some adventures on snow in my future!