On the other hand, BIGWIG also benefits from its outre-ness as a very different LITA unit, attracting more people to BIGWIG (despite LITA) and therefore benefiting LITA and BIGWIG together. It’s fun to be in a group that someone doesn’t quite know what to do with. I saw several more people join yesterday. The revolution will not be committee-ized!

Useful? Yes. BIGWIG got way bigger than, say, HigherEdBlogCon in part by piggybacking on LITA’s built-in audience. But necessary? No. The BIGWIGgers are rock stars. They have their own built-in audience. And you can’t TELL me InfoToday isn’t thinking about how it can grab BIGWIG away from LITA. InfoToday’s conference planners aren’t stupid.

Understandably, LITA sees this as a problem. Unfortunately, they are responding to the problem not by asking “How do we help BIGWIG and keep the BIGWIGgers happy?” but by asking “How do we domesticate BIGWIG? Will the cat-o’-nine-tails do the job, or do we need to bring out the bullwhip?”

Which, of course, will destroy BIGWIG and send the BIGWIGgers scattering. As you note, several are on the edge as it is.

My money’s on LITA blowing it, honestly. BIGWIG grew out of LITA blowing it in the first place, and it’s a tribute to the BIGWIGgers’ persistence and goodwill that BIGWIG happened under LITA auspices at all.

The whole Jenga pile falls down, IMO, when folks realize that it’s just plain easier to get certain kinds of work done outside ALA altogether than fighting ALA headwinds all the time. Hm, I can spend my time and energy reforming the organization, or I can spend it speaking, teaching, writing, sharing — and yes, lobbying.

LITA brass had just better read this post of yours, Karen, and then swallow their pride and make nice. And not by handing out committeeships either!

But I *was* annoyed at American Libraries Direct labeling it as ALA’s BIGWIG. A small thing but I still cling to the conceit that even if LITA has its problems, and it does, it is still head and shoulders above ALA when it comes to innovative members.

Want to change LITA? Why run for ALA Council? Run for LITA Board and actually campaign – on a platform of change. Run for LITA President and appoint who you want to committees to make change happen from within. Only 853 votes were cast for LITA President in the last LITA election. Send email to the incoming LITA President and tell him directly what you’d like to see changed. (and that isn’t directly to you Karen since I know you know where he lives.) Send email to the LITA Directors.