President's Column

President's Column

by Kirby McCurtis

I’ve shared books about leaves falling, squirrels, beavers, harvest moons, and of course pumpkins with my storytime families so I know it is officially autumn. I hope your fall is going well and you are enjoying the last long sunny days.

With November here that means it’s time to really start planning for the Midwinter Meeting in Boston. I just changed branch locations and somehow registering slipped my mind, but I finally remembered to do it this week. If you haven’t registered yet, do it now to save a few bucks--rates go up on November 11th. And you'll want to keep an eye out for NMRT's program line-up. We have something for everyone, whether you are looking for fun (Midwinter Social), something informational (Conference Orientation; the Membership, Networking, and Committee Interest Meeting), or enlightening (the LLAMA/NMRT Discussion Group) we have it on our agenda! Can’t afford to attend Midwinter? Don’t let money stop you from making it to Orlando! Watch our Awards, Grants & Scholarships page; applications for these awards start opening up this month.

Did you see the latest news from ALA President Sari Feldman? On October 29 she launched the public awareness campaign Libraries Transform designed to “highlight the transformative nature of our nation’s libraries and elevate the critical role libraries play in the digital age.” I am so excited about this campaign and the role new members can play. We can help DECONSTRUCT misperceptions about our field by adding our own take on the way libraries transform and their importance in the community. I encourage each of you to take the time to visit the website and submit your ideas. If your library is using the toolkit already, use the NMRT listserv or Facebook page to share with us what you are doing. Library school students don’t get left out; I am very interested in your suggestions and ideas around this campaign. Get in touch with me! You are learning the latest information--we could all gain some knowledge from you on ways to make it happen.

Looking forward to connecting with you, whether virtually or in person, soon!

Kirby McCurtis

NMRT President, 2015-2016