|
Sept.
2002 |
 |
 |
|
Have a newsworthy item? Comments? Questions? Contact Paula Byrne, editor |
|
Technical Questions or Comments? Contact Rick Paula, Technical Editor
|
Dorothy K. McQuillan
Welcome to the 2002-2003 school year. I hope everyone has had a great summer and is looking forward to a productive school year. Of course, by now you probably feel that summer was but a fleeting memory. I wonder how it is possible that the time between June 30 and September 1 is shorter than the time between Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and February vacation. It defies logic, but I know it to be so.
Some of you have come back to less than ideal circumstances: personnel cuts, budget cuts, overcrowding, and construction rubble. Nevertheless, there is always that excitement of seeing friends and colleagues (think about how noisy the auditorium was on the first day of school), opening boxes of new books, and smiling at the faces of kids getting their very first glimpse of the library. No matter how absurd, average, or wonderful your library is, it comes down to you and the kids, and that is the joy of being a librarian. Those are the people you keep up your skills for and whose lives you strive to touch. In this way, we are all very similar. MSLMA strives to advocate for our profession so that some of these problems can be overcome and we can do what we do best: Teach children.
Although summer was different for each of us, I am very proud to say that the executive board was not idle. On the contrary, emails were flying furiously, and much more was accomplished than I could have ever hoped. I must confess, however, that I can take very little credit for all that was done, since I was gone most of the summer. (I shouldn’t single out one person; I have to tell you that Ann Perham, the president-elect really knows how to get things done!) I felt I should have been here more, but I love to travel, and I had already made plans.
So while I was gone, the executive board showed its leadership. Opportunities arose, and people stepped forward and took them; problems arose, and people stepped in to solve them. Some things could not be solved and people were patient. I think this really highlights the greatest asset of MSLMA, and that is that all of the members are leaders. You are all leaders in your libraries and know when something needs doing. There comes a time when you do not wait. You step in and take the challenge. And the executive board along with a number of members did just that. What a remarkable group! One group I would especially like to single out is the Media Forum Online Team: Paula Byrne, Anne Lawless Croak, Rick Paula and April Graziano. With Media Forum Online, perhaps we can look at issues in a more timely fashion.
Communication can improve our professional lives greatly—I think our listserv is a fine example of that. All of our efforts as an organization work toward the goal of setting the stage for your success as a librarian, just as one of your goals is to set the stage for your students’ success as learners. Read on in this issue of Media Forum Online to catch up on all the news.
Have a great year and see you at conference!