Thursday, April 10, 2003
How We Communicate
Four years ago the authors of The Cluetrain Manifesto came out with 95 theses about how our world has changed due to the advent of the Internet and the Web. Thesis number one states that “markets are conversations.” While associations have a different dynamic than that of markets, the principle resonates with great truth. Our professional association, AALL, is about nothing if not conversations.
So, with this inaugural “From the Desk Of “we are changing one way we communicate.
“From the Desk Of” replaces our weekly AALL-Announce in order to give you the same information in a more personal format. We promise to keep these memos brief, to the point, and relevant to your work and your membership in AALL. If you do not wish to receive these memos, you can easily opt out. Of course, we’d like you to stay and even share these memos with your friends and colleagues – or better yet, encourage them to join AALL so they can receive their own!
We hope you like this change, and we trust you will let us know how to improve our communications with you. A link to my email address is also included in every issue, so send me or our Director of Publications, Maya Norris, your news, views and comments. We look forward to a long and fruitful conversation.
Election Results
Congratulations to Tory Trotta, Arizona State University Ross-Blakley Law Library, upon her election as our new Vice President/President Elect. She will join the board as Vice President for 2003-2004 and serve her term as President in 2004-2005. Joining her on the board will be Kathy Carlson of Wyoming State Law Library, and Merle J. Slyhoff of the University of Pennsylvania Law School Biddle Law Library.
Make Your Annual Meeting Hotel Reservations Now
Maximize today! Envision tomorrow! Our 96th annual meeting July 12-16, fast approaches and the headquarters hotel, the Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers, is already almost 80% filled. While this is great news, do be sure to make your reservations now so you won’t be disappointed. This is going to be a great meeting, rich in content and in networking opportunities.
To help you make the most of your attendance at the conference, for the next several weeks a member of the Annual Meeting Program Committee will offer tips on ways to maximize your conference experience. Check out this week's tip now!
We’re looking forward to welcoming you to the beautiful Pacific Northwest and all it – and the program – has to offer.
Watch Your Mailboxes
We are putting the final touches on our Career Development Needs Assessment Survey. In a few weeks you will receive an email from President Carol Avery Nicholson asking you to fill out the survey. You will have the option to do so either online or via a mailed hard copy. Either way, please take the time to fill out the survey. We want to give you the best tools possible to help you fulfill your career development and continuing education needs. The only way we will be able to do so will be with your guidance and help. Filling out the survey will be critical to helping us meet your needs.
A New AALLNET
There are changes everywhere at AALL. We just gave our website, AALLNET, a major facelift. It has a crisper look, it’s easier to navigate, and it has some fun elements, like our Quick Poll. Be sure to check it out and let us know what you think! We count on you to help us continually build and fix to your specifications. Special kudos goes out to our Director of Information Technology, Reggie Swanigan and our Web Master Arek Tarasiewicz for their tremendous work in bringing the new site to reality.
Sincerely,
Susan E. Fox, CAE
Executive Director