Charles Wilt, ALCTS Executive Director
ALCTS at 55
I know, it’s hard to believe that ALCTS is 55 this year. How time flies. We were just 50, but never over the hill. We are a Boomer association by age, but, hey, 55 is the new 25. Right?
Being 55 does mean that ALCTS is eligible for Social Security in just 11½ years (age 66½) going by our birth year of 1957. Feeling old? Let’s see, that would mean we could retire in 2023. I know, if you were born in 1957 and are reading this, you don’t need to be reminded.
So if you were born in 1957 and had 11½ years before you retired, what would be on your list of “to do’s before I retire”?
- Climb Mt. McKinley?
- Learn to scuba dive?
- Play Pebble Beach?
- Take a world cruise?
- See Paris in the springtime?
- Write your novel?
- Be a candidate for ALCTS President?
- Save more money for retirement?
Except for saving more money, those other ambitions aren’t really attainable for an organization like ALCTS. Well, I guess we could sponsor a trip to Alaska or a cruise or a golf outing.
In any event, if we could do a little wishful thinking, what could ALCTS do before it “retires”? I’d like to know if you have ideas. Write me at alcts@ala.org if you’d like. Use “ALCTS Retires” in the subject line. Keep your ideas clean, please.
Here are a few ideas of my own:
- Have a 60th birthday party in 2017 in Chicago prior to Annual.
- Start a line of ALCTS products for sale rivaling ALA Graphics (actually this is Julie’s idea).
- Hold Section virtual conferences.
- Increase membership to what—4,500? 5,000?
- Grow Preservation Week into ALA’s premier celebration week (watch out National Library Week).
- Okay, since I mentioned it, sponsor a cruise.
- Have more fun.
I’m sure there are many others, but I’m writing this on a Friday afternoon and I’ve run out of really good ideas. So think about what ALCTS should do before “retiring.” The results might be interesting and informative.