PNLA Quarterly, Vol. 62 No.1 Fall 1997
President`s Message: Achievements and Challenges
Wow! What a conference--but more of that later. Our conference marked the end of an important year for our Association, a year that was by no means easy for your Board as they struggled to face the challenges of moving the Association forward in a time of shrinking resources and falling membership. The achievements of the past year are due to the exceptional leadership and hard work of your now Past President Karen Hatcher. I apologise for not recognising Karen`s work at the annual business meeting in Seattle, but perhaps it was appropriate. There weren`t enough of you there to hear and appreciate it. By using this column I can inform the whole membership of Karen`s contribution. She kept the association on track during the year, ran board meetings in an informal way that allowed for maximum participation by everyone and encouraged creative thinking, was a good communicator in promoting PNLA throughout our region and, when PNLA was called into question by the Oregon Library Association, she stood firm in supporting our Association. Thank you, Karen, for a good year. It was a pleasure to work with you.Now to that conference. Many, many thanks to Cindy Cunningham and her team of workers for doing such a fine job in organising such an excellent conference. The tradition of excellent PNLA conferences was not only maintained but surpassed. Responses from delegates and from vendors have been extremely positive. Thanks are also due to the staff of the Bell Harbor Conference Center for doing such a good job in their excellent facility. The downside was that very few of you in PNLA-land attended the conference, thereby missing out on a great experience and presenting PNLA with a somewhat Pyrrhic victory, a great conference that lost money. Our financial resouces are very limited so we have an extra problem on which your Board is already working on--how to pay the bills, maintain member services and move the Association forward.
The lack of conference attendance is indicative of the challenges facing the Association. The coming year will be a crucial one . Your board will be devoting its energies to addressing the future of PNLA. We must refocus our mission and develop roles which meet the regional and international character of our Association. We must develop services which complement the roles of the State and Provincial Associations not compete with them. Membership has been falling for a number of years, Interest Group activity is at an all time low, conference attendance is falling--all indicators of a lack of interest in the Association by its members.
During the coming months we will be seeking input from individuals and groups both from within and outside the association as we plan for the future. It really comes down to you, however, as individual PNLA members. You are the Association. Without you and your participation, PNLA will cease to exist. If you feel as I do that PNLA is important and useful to you and makes a contribution to the development of libraries and librarianship, then become involved. It is not enough to be a member. You should be an active member, recruiting other members and working to ensure that your PNLA is providing you with the services and resources that you want and need.
In 1997, the Oregon Library Association will be presenting a resolution to its membership proposing the withdrawal of that association from PNLA. Such a withdrawal would be a serious blow to PNLA and place its future in jeopardy. We need a strong voice for PNLA in Oregon. You can do your part by talking to people in the Oregon library community about PNLA. Use your advocacy techniques to advocate for PNLA.
I look forward to working with you all in developing the future for PNLA and would be pleased to hear your ideas, comments, concerns or questions.
Gordon L.Ray may be reached at Gordon_Ray@bc.sympatico.ca or at 604-852-6731.