Deep Thinking

I’m sitting in the Legislation Assembly meeting with many members of the Committee on Legislation listening to our various committee and divisional reports. YALSA has many exciting legislative handouts available on their web site. Many of these could be utilized by other divisions such as AASL.

There are a couple resolutions for COL to consider: Orphan Works and Immigrant Rights. We’ll have to wait and see what they do.

We discussed Grassroots Advocacy. Too many respondents to the survey didn’t really understand what makes a network. Some people devalued their informal networks when we truly view them as the heart of getting information out to others.

Annual Conference exciting opportunities include the Library Day on the Hill Tuesday, June 26th when busses will be available to take librarians to Capitol Hill to meet legislators. There will be showcases in the Rayburn building to show legislators model school libraries, public libraries, etc.

The Washington Office staff and the Committee on Legislation should be commended for their increasing efforts in support of school libraries. We have come far and will continue this path together.

Passion is the big word at the ALA Midwinter meeting. I wish you could hear how often a speaker has used the term, a committee member has admitted to their passion for an issue, and even I have waxed poetic on my passions. Whoever said librarians were dull?! I did get carried away today and actually pounded the table at one point because I felt so strongly (read passionately) about an issue.

Now, those who are passionate have begun getting up and doing things. Where will you be? Are you a dullard, or are you on fire for your profession?

Tum Susman, Ropes & Gray, Washington, DC presentation

1. Libraries are increasingly called on to deliver an array of services. Intermediary for e-gov. Emergency service provider of choice preparation, response and recovery.

Government sends citizens to the Libraries to get access to their forms (FEMA, etc.) After Hurricane, many citizens went to public libraries to reconnect with family members.

2. Governments at all levels and the public look to libraries to perform these services (e-gov and emergency).
Remarkably unresponsive government on doing these.

He read great study from FL (? Chuck McClure) and became an expert overnight.

3. ON plane to Atlanta last month, ALA and OITP with Florida insitutions put together round-table discussion on e-gov and emergency services. After the hurricane, libraries remained standing because they were case hardened to hold the weight of books.

What should we do?
Government is still going to be spending money despite zero sum budgets and woe is me scenarios. He believes that Libraries are going to be in a resource constrained environment.