My extended grousing about keeping ALA Council in the loop notwithstanding, I want to underscore that I agree with the decision to keep the conference in New Orleans. I’m sure it will be good for New Orleans, and it will help rebuild the economy. (You must all be aware that among the thousands of city workers laid off in New Orleans were hundreds of public librarians; NOPL is essentially closed for business at this point.)
I also believe it was wise to make the decision now, and not months down the road, after libraries had reallocated conference funds. ALA deserves kudos for what must have been an enormous amount of effort to make this decision.
I still believe ALA Council should have been given at least a heads-up that a decision was in the offing, and I question the timeline that has ALA deciding to go to New Orleans on October 11, followed a week later by a fact-finding mission to New Orleans to… what? Decide they were wrong? Sentence first, verdict after, cried the Queen? But that’s water under the bridge… or over the levee.
Posted on this day, other years:
- American Libraries Opens its Doors - 2008
- Libraries, Google, OCA make first page of the New York Times - 2007
- It's After Apple-Picking Time - 2006
- Thinking Through the Mega-Issues - 2004
- Greetings from your LITA Divisional Councilor - 2004
