President’s Message: Winter 2023
November/December
Fall Greetings WAML members!
Recently in a meeting, I was reminded that what I do at work matters. I was so caught up with all the little tasks and many projects I am managing that I felt like I just wanted to finish this report and be done with it. My colleague – an archivist – said this report is important, it is about the majority of what I do. That report is about what a lot of us do a lot of, reference and consultations. Sometimes we get so busy with all the little things that we just want to check things off the todo list without really leveraging the work we do (and data we collect) to bring visibility to our activities. Priorities in the library landscape seem to always be changing. It was good to be reminded that plain old reference and consultations work is important. It often feels like that work gets lost in the priority shuffle.
I am thankful that my colleague stopped me from wasting the data we had collected and written about (I love archivists) and the exchange got me thinking about the importance of the work we do. Not as a vocation or in awe of it, but just acknowledging the importance of having information sleuths, seekers, and curators who can teach others how to wade through the information at hand and help people make sense of it. With visual media like maps, images, and spatial data splashed across the news and other outlets, our work putting those materials in context continues to be relevant. This is what has been on my mind since that interchange and I wanted to pass on the message – in case you also forget sometimes – what you do is important.
For WAML, as many of you know, we had a GREAT conference in Vancouver. Next year we will be in New Mexico for the first time ever! I hope to see you all in Albuquerque, details coming soon. One older project we discussed at the conference is to revisit distributing a set of stolen maps given to WAML in 2010. We will be discussing this topic, how to maintain and grow our membership, and finding folks to fill in open liaison positions during the next few Executive Board meetings. Stop by if you are interested these topics.
Now I give thanks. My first THANKS go to Chrissy Klenke and Sarah Zhang. Sarah will be taking on the role of IB Editor moving forward. Chrissy has been our IB Editor for 5 years, churned out IBs like nobody’s business and chaperoned the IB onto the new website. They are co-producing this issue together. I also want to say THANK YOU to our new Scholarship Committee Chair – Jo-Ann Wong and our new Archivist – Zoe Dilles. Thank you all for your willingness and commitment to WAML.
The picture I have provided is me in Vancouver during the conference, hugging a tree outside the Rose Garden on UBC Campus. Photo credits go to Kat Strickland <3.
Wishing you all a restful holiday season and til next time, my door is open for ideas, requests and any issues you want to discuss.
Jessica Benner
WAML President 2023-2024
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
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