From the President's desk

March started off peacefully enough for APLA. Regrettably, though, it did not include a beach or a frothy drink! But all in things were good. As the month progressed, your APLA executive continued its work as well as its preparations for the 2009 Conference. APLA has a terrific array of grants and awards this year and the corresponding Committees are hard at work at their deliberations.

This year, there is a new grant being launched - APLA is offering registration to our conference for a library support staff APLA member. Initiatives such as these allow APLA to extend its professional development opportunities to the membership as a whole. If you have any ideas or suggestions as to how APLA could support you in your library work, let me or your provincial Vice President know. All emails and contact information is available from the APLA website.

March also saw your APLA executive sending letters on your behalf to voice concerns about certain events affecting libraries. The first was the CRTC's hearings on net neutrality. The second was the proposed cuts at NRC and CISTI and their impact on libraries across the country. These two very different events are signs of the challenging times in which libraries and librarians are working.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind members that the APLA archives is always looking for any APLA documents that you might have filed in old filing cabinets or stuck to the side of your refrigerator. So, if you happen to find a picture of yourself dancing at an APLA Banquet, you might consider sending it along to Jennifer Richard, APLA's archivist, to ensure that the image of you doing the "Hustle" is saved for posterity! More information about the APLA archives is available from the APLA website.

That is all from my desk for now. Happy Spring everyone!
 

Susan E. Cleyle, APLA President and Associate University Librarian
QE II Library, Memorial University, St. John's, NL