ALA participation -Reply

[Dan Lester]

Chuck provides a fine example of how a newbie going to ALA
can get immediately involved.  Suit up, show up, and indicate
some life in your brain and body at a committee or roundtable
meeting, and you've got a job.  Do it well, and you'll have
another one (and sometimes it doesn't even take doing it well,
as doing it badly can look good to last year's clown who didn't
do it at all.....).  

As to the cost, yes that is a problem.  But MANY young
librarians CHOOSE to make this a priority, no matter how
much it costs, whether they bunk in a college dorm a couple
of bridges and tens of miles away, etc.  It all depends on
commitment and desire.  From my experience I'd suggest
that young librarians who want to move up GO NO MATTER
WHAT.  You'd be amazed how much a couple of ALA
committee memberships or other positions can do to help
you get a job, particularly in the academic libraries.  Those
are the kinds of things that search committees are looking
for, someone who goes the extra mile, gets involved, isn't an
8-5er, has some initiative, etc, etc.  There are plenty of the
ones around who do NOT do those things, and it really hurts
in academic libraries.  

Yeah, travel money is tough.  I got some partial support from
library this year, but even as a tenured professor, here 7
years, and 30 in the profession, I still only got about half of
my expenses paid.  Yes, I probably make more than many
here.....but I didn't 20 and 30 years ago, and ALA and state
association activities, are things that helped me do well in the
profession, and also gave ME the people and contacts I
needed to know to learn the things I needed to learn.  

I've been an ALA member for thirty continuous years, and will
never drop it, even though I hate the politics and the BS.  I've
learned that I don't have to do that.  I'm not a politician, as is
indicated by my comments here and elsewhere.  I've learned
that the hard way, and now just find other ways to help out, to
make a contribution to the profession, etc.  

And, for those who just can NOT make it to ALA, at least
start out as an active participant in your state or regional
association, even if you have to PAY FOR IT YOURSELF.  It
will be a much better investment in your future than anything
else I can think of.

the old man steps off the soapbox and wishes you 

cheers

dan


Dan Lester, Network Information Coordinator
Boise State University Library, Boise, Idaho, 83725 USA
voice: 208-385-1235   fax:  208-385-1394
dlester at bsu.idbsu.edu     OR    alileste at idbsu.idbsu.edu
Cyclops' Internet Toolbox:    http://cyclops.idbsu.edu
"How can one fool make another wise?"   Kansas, 1979.