US Midwest Chapter Meeting with ASIS&T President Crystal Fulton

The ASIS&T U.S. Midwest Chapter was delighted to welcome ASIS&T President Crystal Fulton and Executive Director Lydia Middleton to a virtual Chapter meeting on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. Crystal and Lydia shared their thoughts and vision for ASIS&T, its members, and its components, in a wide-ranging and spirited discussion.

Crystal opened with enthusiasm for an exciting ASIS&T year coming, which will culminate at the AM in Calgary (fun fact: there might even be dinosaur bones!). She shared her hope that members can be returning to deeper patterns of interaction: Chapter meetings, fresh collaboration with SIGs, and deeper professional relationships that are the heart of ASIS&T for so many of us. In addition, she spoke of her hope that ASIS&T can "spread the net a little wider" in terms of expanding research areas, including more pedagogical research, and deeper interaction between students and mentors in the Association.

Lydia gave some specific thoughts for Chapters in the coming year – opportunities for social meetings in geographic locations where members are clustered, or for topical events with SIGs. She also let everyone know that SIGs and Chapters will be able to help develop the next ASIS&T Strategic Plan.

We discussed Student Chapters, thinking both of challenges students face and advantages to both individual students and Student Chapters through professional mentorship and development. One great idea floated was a "speakers' bureau" of senior members in a Chapter who are willing to speak virtually to student groups as a member benefit. Practitioners and students alike in a Chapter can also derive great benefits from Regional Meetings.

We closed the discussion by considering the (wide!) scope of practice within the ASIS&T membership, highlighting emerging areas of research in data science as well as possibly greater emphasis on traditional Librarianship research in the Association. The very diversity of scope within ASIS&T may continue to be one of its most attractive selling points.

If your Chapter or SIG is interested in setting up a similar meeting, please contact Pamela Yonker at pyonker@asist.org to schedule.