Prepping for ALA

It’s almost time for Annual 2007. Until a couple of years ago, I didn’t participate. Now, continuing appointment makes it a necessity. I hesitate to deem it a waste of time, as I consider it a necessary part of the profession - for better or for worse. I would like to believe I’m doing my part to instigate change within a very large bureaucracy. In some ways, it reminds me of my experience many years ago with Boys State.

During that experience, teenage boys are required to quickly assemble and form a mock state government in the course of a week. There’s certainly more time to build relationships and reputations within a professional organization, but the bulk of what happens takes place during a couple of hectic days in a strange new place. So much depends on the impressions made as you press the flesh at annual and midwinter conferences. In the end, you vote for somebody that you know vaguely by name, based on a few minutes of face time or the opinion of a trusted colleague.

Currently, I’m preparing to moderate a presentation that I hope will provide me with some greater exposure. I’m not striving for library world domination, but increasing name recognition within the profession will help make tenure a slam dunk. As I said, it’s a necessary evil, but I do enjoy D.C..

Some of my similarly-titled colleagues in the profession have concerns about the lack of opportunities in Access Services. I agree, but feel like pushing for change from within. There are few alternatives for our kind, and we can either stay away or try to fix it. As for me, I’m a fixer - a trait embodied by most Access Services types.

I’ll have more to say about ALA in the coming days, especially my forthcoming sociological experiment.