President's Message: Reflections on Membership

As I write my first President's Message for ITAL, I am wrapping up my year as vice president and the ALA Annual Conference is fast approaching. The past year has been a busy one--handling necessary division business, including meeting with my fellow ALA vice presidents, making committee appointments, planning an orientation for new board members, strategic planning, and attending various conferences and meetings to prepare me for my role as LITA president. I am lucky to follow such wonderful leaders as Karen Starr and Michelle Frisque, who have both helped ready me for the year ahead. My life outside of LITA has been equally busy. I started a new position as the director of Weill Cornell Medical College Library earlier this year and have a busy home life with two small children. As usual, I have been juggling quite a bit and often dropping a few balls. My mantra is that it is impossible to keep all the balls in the air all of the time, but when they do drop be careful not to let them roll so far away from you so that you lose sight of them. Eventually I pick them up and start juggling again. I know that I am not alone in this juggling exercise. LITA members have real jobs and friends, family, and other social responsibilities that keep us busy. So why do we give so much to our profession, including LITA? If you are like me, it is because we get so much in return. The importance of activity and leadership in national, professional associations cannot be overrated. My experience in LITA and other professional library associations has given me an opportunity to hone leadership skills working with various committees and boards over the years. The achievements that I have made in my career have a direct correlation to my work with LITA. As libraries flatten organizational structures, LITA is one place where anyone can take on leadership roles, gaining valuable experience. Many members have agreed to take on leadership roles in the coming year by volunteering for committees and taskforces and accepting various appointments and I want to thank everyone who came forward. In the coming year I will be working with several officers and committees to develop orientations, mentoring initiatives, and leadership training for our members. I do appreciate that not everyone wants to take on a leadership role in LITA. The networking opportunities, both formal and informal, also have been extremely valuable in my career. The people I have met in LITA have become colleagues I am comfortable turning to for advice on technology and other decisions in my career. I know that I can post a question to LITA-L or ALA Connect and get a quick, diverse response to an inquiry. I know that I can call on my LITA colleagues to serve as references and reviewers as I move through my career. I also know that I can depend upon LITA to help keep me current and well informed about technology and how it is integrated into our libraries and lives. This also gives me an edge in my career. So much of the LITA experience is currently gained from attending meetings in person and making connections--those of you who have attended the LITA Happy Hour can probably attest to this. For several years LITA has not had a requirement to attend meetings in person and allows for virtual participation in committees and interest groups. …