PNLA Quarterly, Vol. 63 No.3 Spring 1999
President's Message
At the beginning of March the incessant, persistent rains and gloom that have characterized the weather in this part of the country since November gave way to a glorious weekend of sun and warmth. Everyone who could was outside rejuvenating him or herself as they dried out and reveled in the fact that they just might be warm again! However, the weekend also saw the hard working board of your organization inside diligently continuing the fine work begun at the Fall Board meeting. While we all longed to be elsewhere, anywhere--outside (!), we had a job to finish in preparation for the annual conference in Calgary in August. And work we did. I am happy to report that the optimistic tone set at the Fall Board meeting continues as we swing into the season of annual meetings of the state and provincial organizations in our region. While I will not be able to personally attend all of the meetings, I will be at some; other board members will be representing me at others, all in an effort to make sure that everyone knows about the new energy and direction in PNLA and our many activities.To begin, I'll report a number of miscellaneous details. The books of the association were audited, thanks to the kind efforts of some loyal friends of the Treasurer Monica Weyhe, who donated their auditing services to us gratis. The books are in order with no deficiencies indicated. The auditors did suggest that the organization purchase some type of computer checkbook software to assist in checkbook reconciliation and report generation. This will be done. The board approved the budget for the production of a new edition of Library Statistics of Colleges and Universities in the Pacific Northwest; several suggestions were made about the collection of data for this undertaking which will be passed along to the editors.
A new copyright statement will be added to the PNLA Quarterly. H.W. Wilson will continue indexing the Quarterly and it will also be part of the CARL Uncover service. It is anticipated that some modest revenue will accrue to the organization from these ventures.
We are seeking a new editor for the PNLA Quarterly. As much as we would like to retain the present editor, she has indicated a desire to move on to other professional activities. Accordingly you will be seeing a job description for this important position. If you or someone you know is interested in this very important job, please let the current editor know. It was decided that the 2001 conference would be held in Corvallis, OR. We will have access to the dormitories for inexpensive housing, there is a very attractive student union and conference center on campus for our use, Oregon State University has a newly remodeled library and the town boasts many fine restaurants. In addition Corvallis is in the heart of Oregon wine country, which should make the members of our newest interest group, Corks, happy!
Our main concerns at the board meeting were the communications plan and where we stood in its implementation, the intellectual freedom fund and the adult book award. We also spent much time discussing continuing education and the role PNLA can/will play in this field. We did a thorough review of the objectives of the communications plan and found that we are sticking pretty close to the timelines set up last fall. After considerable discussion it was decided that the Fund for Intellectual Freedom would be used to support workshops, presentations, etc. rather than be used for an award or for a defense fund for intellectual freedom causes. The implementation of the adult book award is taking more work than originally envisioned, but a committee has been formed to report back to the board in Calgary on implementing this award.
Finally, Gordon Ray reported on the beginning he has made in writing a comprehensive conference planning manual. This document, that is desperately needed, will enable the first vice-president/president-elect to approach the annual conference planning with no fears or worries about "how to do it.". Its issuance will be appreciated by all.
And so on to Calgary! We hope to see many of you there for what promises to be an exciting conference in an exciting and vibrant city! YAHOO!!!
Andrew Johnson may be reached at afj@u.washington.edu or 206-543-9156.