President’s Message: Summer 2024
July/August
By Meg Miller
Hi Everyone!
I’m grateful and excited to be here writing my first President’s Message for WAML’s Information Bulletin! This organization has helped me understand who I am and can be as a professional since joining in 2019. Coming from private industry as an analyst/ cartographer to libraries and eventually figuring out how to wear my ‘librarian’ hat comfortably has been thanks to you. Long story short- I’m grateful to have been given this opportunity to give back to WAML.
Looking back through other messages that past presidents have written, what resonated with me was the focus and appreciation being shown for our members in their service roles. Regarding the Executive, I’m looking forward to continuing working with Jessica Benner (Carnegie Mellon) in her new role of past-president. Her welcoming energy and drive helped us fill appointed positions, committees, and liaison roles. She also coordinated last year’s first post-lockdown in-person conference in Vancouver, BC, among other things. These connections allow us to serve the association better and understand their needs. Bruce Godfrey (University of Idaho) stays on as treasurer and ever patient question answer-er. Kat Strickland (University of Texas Austin) is moving from her past-president role to resurrect the Continuing Education Committee as chair – I look forward to seeing what she has planned! Lena Denis (now Library of Congress) has moved on from her role as secretary. Also, a big thank you to those in appointed positions and participating in committee work- I appreciate you all for sharing your time and insight; this strengthens our organization.
Please join me in welcoming vice-president/president-elect Cheyenne Stradinger (University of New Mexico) and our new secretary Emilie Ducourneau (California State University Northridge) to the Board! I look forward to working with and learning from them both.
Here in Manitoba, I’m getting used to changing paces. Moving from a semester where I was seconded part-time to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), giving them GIS support while doing my normal job part-time, to starting a six-month sabbatical where I will explore stakeholder perceptions of my role. I also took some time at the beginning of the month to de-computer my brain and explore my new(ish) home province a bit more.
Meg on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg (11th largest freshwater lake in the world)
WAML conference planning is where most of my energy was spent last year in my role as president-elect. Cheyenne Stradinger (local host) and I have been putting together something we hope you enjoy. We’ve tentatively set a schedule and will be opening registration shortly. We hope that hosting a digital symposium day shortly after the in-person event in Albuquerque, NM, will allow folks who are WAML-curious to see what we’re about.
As someone who is more of a numbers and patterns than words person, I think that’s all I have to say. I do my best to be transparent, helpful, and not too self-serious. Please reach out if you have any questions, comments or criticisms.
I look forward to seeing many of you in September and October!
Warm regards,
Meg Miller
GIS & Data Visualization Librarian
University of Manitoba Libraries
WAML President 2024-2025
You must be logged in to post a comment.