Editorial: Evolution and Change
I attended a number of retirement parties last year, including one for the vice president for information and university librarian at my institution. Additionally, some of my ALCTS colleagues who were very active in our division retired during the past year. ALCTS Executive Director Charles Wilt announced his retirement in January 2014, and it was effective February 2015. Previous years have included a number of active ALCTS members retiring, such as Janet Swan Hill and Peggy Johnson. Gone are those individuals in our profession that we sought for their sage advice and guidance. And while things will not be the same, change provides a new perspective and new possibilities. I will miss Charles immensely and have enjoyed working with him. I look forward to working with Keri Cascio, the new ALCTS executive director, who has her own strengths that she will bring to leading the division.
These retirements have led me to do some self-examination. I started attending ALA conferences and meetings in 1990, when I was a new librarian. Initially, I belonged to two divisions but later canceled my membership in one of them because I could not afford my ALA membership plus dues for two divisions. Years later, I am confident that I made the right choice. ALCTS has offered me countless opportunities to participate, contribute, and lead. I could be as active as I wanted or could just benefit from the division’s programs and leadership. I eased into ALCTS participation, first chairing interest groups, and then moving on to chairing a division committee. I later served two terms as the editor of the ALCTS News Online (now ALCTS News), an experience that brought me into contact with people whom I might not have otherwise met. Editing conference reports was an enlightening experience since much of my career has been spent in cataloging and acquisitions, and I learned a great deal about other technical services work, including collection management and preservation, by editing those reports. My participation in ALCTS and my passion for scholarship and publication eventually led to my appointment as LRTS editor. It has been my honor to serve in this role.
I am now a veteran ALCTS member and have been invited to participate in ALCTS New Members Interest Group (ANMIG) meetings, ALCTS 101, ANMIG chats, and a virtual preconference on publishing (my first). Additionally, my appointment as LRTS editor requires me to serve on the ALCTS Publications Committee, where I am part of a group that is developing a mentoring pilot for authors. It is an exciting time both in ALCTS and in my career. Being a veteran member has enabled me to share my expertise, provide guidance to others, and to interact with a wide variety of individuals. I have felt free to contribute and also a sense of obligation to others and to ALCTS. In the process, I also learn things, often from our newer members. Belonging to a professional organization has given me a sense of community and a place where I can interact with individuals who share my concerns and goals. Learning is a lifelong process, and I look forward to where the future will lead us.