President’s Column, July 2024

Summer has arrived!  As the Isley Brothers sang, “Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom. July is dressed up and playing a tune.” We have entered a more relaxed period in the calendar, although there is still much happening in your Association.

We are excited to announce a new, annual lecture event: the ASIS&T President’s Lecture, which will feature a thought-provoking talk about a current issue of significance to our field. R. David Lankes, Virginia and Charles Bowden Professor of Librarianship at the University of Texas at Austin will speak at our inaugural event. More information about this talk is available here.

Be sure to add this to your ASIS&T diary now!  Remember that this event is free, but you must register.

Before you sail off into the summer, we hope you will also take a moment to confirm a summer ASIS&T checklist:

 

 

• Save the Date and Register for our 87th Annual Meeting of ASIS&T, to be held from Oct 25-29, 2024 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  Registration and hotel reservations are open.
• Get involved in a SIG or Chapter for the coming year. Explore our wide range of SIG and Chapter opportunities now in anticipation of meeting with these groups during their summer events as well as at our Annual Meeting.
• Check our ASIS&T Calendar at https://members.asist.org/events for a wide array of events planned for July and August. There is something here for everyone. As a member, you can attend them all!   
• Peruse ASIS&T’s Digital Library and catch up on our various Association publications.  Find your perfect summer reading!

I would also encourage you to challenge yourself this summer to try something new.  Step out of your comfort zone and do something you have never done before. Explore alternative research methods.  Investigate AI chatbots and their pros and cons in LIS education. Expand your networking to include colleagues who bring fresh ideas to your subject area.

I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of our award winners, whose contributions have been celebrated on our ASIS&T website.  I look forward to congratulating you in person at our Annual Meeting.

As ever, I am thankful for our HQ team, led by Lydia Middleton. While we are all off enjoying summer sunshine, they continue to work behind the scenes over the summer months to support all of us in ASIS&T. 

Wishing you a relaxing and fulfilling summer,

Crystal  

“Summer breeze makes me feel fine, Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind. Oh, summer breeze.”