ALA Midwinter--what it's good for
From PLN
ALA Midwinter--what it's good for
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PLN Challenge, January 2008
edited by Walt Crawford, published January 8, 2008
Since the 2008 ALA Midwinter Meeting is in PALINET’s headquarters city, Philadelphia, it seemed right to offer this challenge:
- What’s the primary benefit you hope to gain from ALA Midwinter 2008?
As our first response notes, some leaders don’t go to Midwinter—which doesn’t stop them from thinking about the benefits.
Sara Weissman
- Morris County Library
I won't be going to Midwinter. We've a very skinny conference budget (I paid my own way to ALA for four years) and try to rotate attendance among staff. In 2008 two department heads will attend PLA, three others of us having done so in 2006. Most here attend the state association conference.
I'm always struck by the long tail (if you will) of a conference. Initially all the input is usually a bit overwhelming, but over the following few months it begins to shake out. One day you find yourself exclaiming, when some problem or question comes up, "But I heard something about that at the conference ..." (Mad scramble for your notes ensues.)
ALA Philly '82 occupies a fond spot in my heart. That's when I was struck by how retrograde a '73 MLS had become, how fast! (all those CRTs and thick cables snaking through the exhibition hall) so betook myself back to school (University ofToronto FLIS) for post-grad work in computers and programming. Hope another generation is similarly inspired this time around.
Pamela Snelson
- Franklin & Marshall College
The satisfaction that comes with being an active member of my professional association is the main benefit I expect to gain from ALA Midwinter. I am completing a 7 year stint, first as Board member and then as President, with the ACRL Board of Directors. This has been an extremely valuable and worthwhile experience, both to me personally and to my college.
My 2008 ALA membership cards states "33 years of continuous membership." While I can hardly believe the length of time, I have found that association work continues to give me new knowledge, leadership skills, extensive networking and life long friends. I encourage anyone with an interest in becoming involved with a library association or organization to take the first steps as a New Year's resolution for 2008.
Merle J. Slyhoff
- Biddle Law Library, University of Pennsylvania
I always think I’ll have so much time at ALA Midwinter. There are no programs to compete with meetings--how could I ‘’not’’ have adequate time to see the exhibit hall, attend new meetings, etc., etc. But that never seems to happen. Yes, some of it is my fault, and I probably do spread myself a bit thin with commitments, but my job entails more than one area of librarianship. And there are always conflicting meetings--should I attend the LPSS, collection development, or ILL meeting?
But sometimes I just give up and have lunch with colleagues. To me, that time spent with fellow librarians can be the most important part of Midwinter. You can get meeting minutes and find out what will be happening in the future. But meeting up with colleagues that you see once or twice a year cannot be replaced by written minutes, or even an email “hi.” It’s not just the camaraderie…it’s talking about our jobs, the new way we discovered to tackle a problem or an everyday task, finding out we’re not alone in our frustration or joy.
Yes, we always hear how important networking can be, but Midwinter seems to be the Mecca for accomplishing this aspect of our work. Perhaps it’s because Midwinter is scheduled at the beginning of a new year and we leave refreshed and eager to start new projects. Or maybe it’s just a nice respite between the holidays and the hectic rest-of-the-year before Annual.
Michele M. Reid
- McDaniel College
There are several good reasons for a library leader to attend Midwinter. Despite our communicating more and more via email and other technologies, networking often still takes place most effectively during face-to-face meetings and informal conversations. I only get a chance to see some of my colleagues from across the country at either Midwinter or Annual. Midwinter has the advantage of being more manageable and those attending tend to be the most involved professionally. So at Midwinter you’ll be more likely to make and sustain friendships with colleagues who are most seasoned and active in the field.
Second, being actively involved with ALA, ACRL and LAMA discussion groups is crucial to a manager’s professional development, and helps keep you current on the latest trends and issues. For example, this Midwinter I’m leading a discussion group session on mobile devices and distance learning, an extremely relevant topic for academic libraries as they plan for and sustain services to students and faculty.
This Midwinter I’m also looking forward to hearing the President’s program speaker, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This fall, Kareem received an honorary degree from McDaniel, and I had the pleasure of hosting a book signing in our library, during which he was not only very gracious to all attending but unexpectedly generous with his time. I then had the opportunity to recommend him to ALA President Roy, and I think you’ll all be very impressed with his love of education, scholarly interests, and support for libraries.
Cindy Czesak
- Paterson Public Library
As a newly elected Chapter Councilor, charged with the responsibility of representing New Jersey on the ALA Council, I am facing my first official duties at Midwinter with both curiosity and a little trepidation. I have not participated in ALA any committee or any other function, except as an attendee. While I have extensive experience on Boards such as PALINET (seven years), the New Jersey Library Association Board (at least eight years), etc., etc., I am more accustomed to these smaller, more agile boards. I fear being frustrated by the pace of movement that the size of this organization requires, but I also look forward to the exchange of opinions and the wide cross pollination of ideas.
Many who know me would say I have spent my professional career being very involved--some would say too involved. But I find that attending conferences, meetings, workshops and the like are critical to force me to lift my head up from the little daily requirements of the job and look forward to the direction of the profession. And whether I agree with--or even like--my colleagues or not, I value all I learn from them in all of our interactions. I also believe that active participation is necessary to affect change. So, rather than sit in my office and watch the blogs go by, I am willing to pitch in and do the heavy lifting.
Related articles
- Library conferences: Why bother? - the LLN Peer Panel considers this issue in the June 2007 edition, appearing just before the 2007 ALA Annual Conference. The ALA Midwinter Meeting and ALA Annual Conference are different animals--but not unrelated!
- Questions on my mind for ALA Midwinter - Glen Holt raises several Midwinter-related questions in a January 2007 Perspective.
Your turn: Talk about it
What do you value at ALA Midwinter? Add a note here or on the Talk page, or send me your comment for inclusion here.
