Re: ALA membership

[sbrisco <sbrisco021@CHARTER.NET>]

In my opinion, the seniority thing stinks for various reasons.  It doesn't
give those who are new to the profession the opportunity to learn from the
professionals who are involved in the conference program (networking;
collaboration; presentations; etc.) and it can create a "stagnate base" from
which others gain information---if someone chooses to attend workshops or
presentations from which they do not bring back to the library ideas or new
concepts to share with others, then they may not be providing the library,
the staff, or even themselves, with the opportunity to learn and grow.

Luckily, the only comparisons that I have with this type of situation was
when I taught at a school for the blind.   Our major provider of materials--
the American Printing House for the Blind (major publisher of braille
materials) -- had annual meetings for those who were involved in the
program--purchasing agents, i.e., librarians,  braille production groups,
ex-officios.  My superintendent was the only one who was allowed to attend
from our school (he was an ex-officio) and spent much of the conference
times with his "buddies" from across the nation tossing back some drinks
rather than attending the meetings that dealt with the issues that I worked
with personally every day -- acquisitions of materials, choices of formats
and production of materials in braille and large print, etc.  I felt that if
ANYONE else who actually wanted to learn from the conferences could have
attended, we might have avoided much turmoil when we didn't understand what
was happening with our materials.

Hopefully, you will be able to attend ALA meetings if someone else wants to
bow out for a year.

~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sandra Dews" <SandraDews@AOL.COM>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2003 5:43 PM
Subject: Re: ALA membership


> My public librry does pay for professional staff membership to the Ohio
> Library Council, but not to ALA.  I had joined ALA as a student, but had
allowed it
> to lapse about two years ago due to some unexpected personal expenses
(like
> food, heat, etc.).
>
> This year, my husband bought it as a birthday present for me (I'd have
> preferred something in a small box, gold and sparkly; but his heart is in
the right
> place, poor dear) this past May.
>
> My public library also pays for one librarian to attend ALA each year, on
a
> rotating basis, by seniority (Mr. X with 12 years goes, Ms. B with 9 years
> goes, Miss R with 7 years goes, etc.).  At this rate, I think my turn is
sometime
> in the next millenium, just before my body turns to ash within the grave
> (oops, forgot, I'm being cremated; it'll already be ash).  With my luck,
they'll
> probably bring it to Cleveland that year.
>
> ; )
>
> But, with the state funding being cut here, and all libraries who do not
have
> a local levy probably closing (2/3's of ohio public libraries have no
local
> levy), I doubt if they will be doing that much longer.
>
> Sandra Dews
> Teen Services Librarian
> EPL
> Cleveland, OHIO
>
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