Who is that energetic woman with all of those good ideas? How can she sound so upbeat and realistic at the same time? If you've ever thought these thoughts while attending a meeting or program at AALL, you may have been seeing Carol Avery Nicholson in action. Whether in her role as a member of the AALL Professional Development Committee sent to a business meeting to drum up interest, as a program presenter imparting a bit of practical knowledge, or as a fellow department head sharing the laments of staffing cutbacks, Carol has been a force in OBS and TS for years. Now she is ready to carry the skills that have made her a great Technical Services librarian to the presidency of AALL. As she prepares to take over as President during the upcoming annual meeting, Carol has agreed to take time to answer some questions for TSLL.

Joe Thomas, Editor

1. The AALL Presidency most often goes to library directors. Within the past several years two Technical Services librarians (first Margie Axtmann and now you) have been elected. Does this constitute a trend?

I certainly hope so! I think that it certainly reflects the fact that dedication to serving the Association can open doors to new opportunities both for Technical Services librarians and for AALL.

2. Is a Technical Services background a good one for developing the leadership skills needed for running an organization as large and complex as AALL?

I recently completed the process of appointing members to AALL committees and found the organizational and hiring skills that I honed over the years to be very helpful in undertaking this major responsibility. It helps to be detail-oriented when keeping track of so many appointments for such a wide variety of committees and task forces. Also, just as Technical Services work requires skills in a variety of specializations, it is necessary to be informed and involved in a variety of activities at the national level. Technical Services librarians who work directly [...continued]