DEPARTMENTS / DÉPARTEMENTS

A word from the President

When I decided to accept the nomination for CHLA /
ABSC president, little did I know that one of the new skills I
would learn was the art of giving comments to the media.
Just as I was preparing to leave the country for 10 days, I re-
turned a call from a CBC radio reporter in Ottawa who
wanted CHLA / ABSC's comments on Health Canada's Sci-
ence Libraries Network funding cuts. We spoke, and I left.
The news story played 3 days later. Upon receiving two
more requests for comments, I got nervous! I took the ad-
vice of a colleague and contacted the public affairs depart-
ment of my organization for some words of wisdom on
handling interviews. Their comments were invaluable.

While I was away, the other Board members, led by in-
coming Vice-President Linda Slater, took on the task of creat-

ing the “CHLA / ABSC Response to Budget Cuts to Health
Canada’s Science Library Network”. This response was posted
on the CHLA / ABSC Web site and distributed to various
people in Health Canada, in an attempt to persuade them to
rethink the budget cuts. The outcome of our efforts remains
to be seen.

Lessons learned from this experience? You cannot predict
what you will be asked to do. Take the new challenge in
stride, call on the expertise of others, and realize that your
work on the Board is part of a team effort.

These are my “Pearls of Wisdom”. See you at the 2006
Conference, 12–16 May, in Vancouver.

Tamsin Adams-Webber

CHLA / ABSC President, 2005–2006