Pacific Northwest Library Association

PNLA Quarterly, Vol. 62 No.4 Summer 1998

President's Message

Conference time is here again, those few days in the year when you forsake all others and devote yourself to your profession through stimulating discussion, back to back workshops, activating those "little grey cells," opening up a few minds and making new friends and colleagues. Conferences are about people, meeting, discussing, discovering, challenging, debating, socializing etc., if you find this difficult follow the advice of President Lyndon Johnson "Practice liking people until you learn to do so genuinely." The most important thing is to be there, to be in the exact spot where the conference is actually happening! So fill in a form, part with your money, book some luxury accommodation, get a good map, rest up well beforehand and join us at Sun Valley, August 12-14.

I enjoyed an article called " The Art of Conferencing" by Simon Ford in the May 1998 issue of The Library Association Record, I think it is worth quoting here:

    "My advice is to dress conservatively but very expensively. The usual advice in these situations is to dress like your boss or the person whose job you would like; it`s called `method dressing`. (But please don`t take this advice literally if the person is of the opposite sex; this is called `cross dressing`).

    "Relaxing too much can be disastrous. Never get drunk. Not only will your performance be hampered the next day by a hangover you will end up doing something extremely silly that you will regret for the rest of your professional life. Not getting drunk, however, can be very difficult..........90% of the soft information available is to be found in the bar late at night".

    "...............the second biggest disaster that can befall you at a conference is thinking that you have fallen in love. Not only does it ruin your concentration but it also impedes your desire to mix and mingle. Also remember that conferences are not real life, and funny things happen to your emotions when you are miles from home, in unfamiliar surroundings and constantly introducing yourself to complete strangers".

I was pleased to see that Intellectual freedom takes up the first day of our conference with some very notable people presenting and leading the discussion. In Canada many recent IF issues have centred on the renting of library meeting rooms to groups whom some consider to be extremists such as holocaust denial groups. Libraries have lost some traditional supporters because of this. This issue may culminate at the Victoria conference of the Canadian Library Association where such groups have rented library meeting rooms during the conference and B`Nai Brith has raised the possibility of picket lines at the conference. It is important, however, that we affirm our belief in Intellectual Freedom for all without subjective judgement.

As a trainer for "Library Advocacy Now" the Canadian library advocacy programme I am sure that the sessions with Susan Silk will be an important part of the conference. Advocacy is not a quick fix to the problems that libraries have but an ongoing and consistent program of communication and relationship building to develop the effective public support of libraries that is so vital to our success. Unfortunately the stereotypes of librarians and the work that we do still exist and part of our advocacy must be to change that. We must take every opportunity to ensure that the perception and the reality are one. A recent article in the Vancouver Province newspaper by Peter Clough on the opening of a "Hooters" restaurant on a very fashionable street in Vancouver again raised the negative image, notable, however, was the response from the B.C. Library Association which used a satirical approach to demolish the comment while at the same time making good points about what librarians are really about;

    KEEPING ABREAST

    In Peter Clough`s May 17 column discussing the imminent arrival of Hooters Restaurant to Robson , he argued for Robson Street`s existing high degree of sex appeal by citing the lack of "homely librarian-types waiting on tables at the Cactus Club."

    Does Clough honestly think that if any of us librarian-types were in fact good looking we`d be wasting our time performing petty tasks like managing information and networking knowledge? Hell, no! We too would be raking in the big bucks swinging our breasts around Vancouver eating establishments.

    Unfortunately, the same gene that predisposes librarians to a life of guiding people through an increasing complex world of information is the one that renders us all butt ugly. And really, what other option is available to those of us who are bright, personable, well educated, but, alas, hooter challenged? Is it any wonder that the Vancouver Public Library moved its central branch from the high sex-appeal location at the corner of Robson and Burrard?

    Judging from his comments me thinks that we won`t be garnering much support from Clough for our newly- formed social action committee, U-LOSE (Ugly Librarians Opposed to Sexist Eateries.

    Frieda Wiebe, President, B.C. Library Association.

This has been an exciting and challenging year working for PNLA. Your Board has worked through a process to redevelop the association to face the challenges of the future, a PNLA for the new millenium. The results of that process will be up for discussion at the conference in Sun Valley. The Action Plan will be in your conference kit and together with ByLaw changes will form the focal point of discussions at the annual business meeting on Friday August 14th 2.00 p.m. - 3.30 p.m. This could be the most important PNLA annual meeting that you attend and I strongly urge you to be there and put forward your viewpoint. The future of PNLA will be decided at the meeting. Throughout this process the Board has encouraged input from you all and I`m sorry to say that the response to that invitation has been minimal, in some cases "nil" would be an appropriate description.

PNLA is your association and if you want it to continue as a healthy and important association for the library community then your participation in this renewal process is vital to its success. I look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting and at the Sun Valley Conference.

Gordon L. Ray
President

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