In June 2019 I attended the ALA Annual Conference as a recipient of the Jan Merrill-Oldham Development Grant. In recognition of Jan Merrill-Oldham’s commitment to preservation education and mentorship, the grant provides early-career preservation practitioners an opportunity to further their professional development by attending the Annual Conference. I was honored to receive this award and thrilled to have the opportunity to find ideas and inspiration to help me serve as an effective steward of our library collections and an effective mentor to my student employees.
I walked into the Preservation Administrators Interest Group (PAIG) meeting on Saturday morning of the conference and sat down at a table near the back. I was nervous to be attending such a huge conference, and a little intimidated to meet so many leaders in the preservation field. One of the PAIG co-chairs, Beth Doyle, head of conservation services at Duke University Libraries, saw me hiding in the back and invited me to join her table in the front. The warm welcome from Beth and other PAIG members helped ease my anxiety as a first-time attendee.
The Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) interest group sessions that I attended were a highlight of the conference. These participatory sessions were a nice foil to the standard lecture or slideshow sessions and provided a great experience to have conversations with, and learn from, colleagues from all over the country.
During the PAIG meeting, updates and presentations from liaisons and members provided a broad survey of important topics and current issues in the profession. I was especially interested to learn about a grant-funded project at the Library of Congress, which will help to establish guidelines and best practices for libraries to analyze print materials and determine what books should be kept. This issue will become increasingly important, especially as institutions continue to enter into shared print agreements.
The Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) interest group sessions that I attended were another highlight of the conference. These participatory sessions were designed to get all attendees involved. They were a nice foil to the standard lecture or slideshow sessions and provided a great experience to have conversations with, and learn from, colleagues from all over the country.
The Promoting Preservation Interest Group included an activity in which participants shared ideas on sticky notes and stuck them on the wall according to category. This format gave attendees the opportunity to network and learn from the experiences of colleagues at a broad range of institutions and talk about what worked and didn’t work. The session also included a discussion about introducing more undergraduate students to the preservation field, which stayed with me well after the session was over. I brought some ideas from this session back to my department’s outreach group and look forward to implementing some new activities.
PARS committee meetings were also a great opportunity to meet leaders in the preservation profession. As an ALA newbie, I gained insight into how events and sessions are planned. The meeting also reinforced my desire to find opportunities to get involved at the national level and seek out leadership positions in the future.
I was especially excited to attend the Book and Paper Interest Group session about collection moves, as I’ve had hands-on experience in that area. The panel discussion portion included members of other groups outside PARS, which was a great way to include varying perspectives, and a good way to break down silos and illustration of how interconnected library workflows and projects can be. The session also included a small-group discussion component, giving attendees a chance to compare experiences and share tips.
PARS committee meetings were also a great opportunity to meet leaders in the preservation profession. As an ALA newbie, I gained insight into how events and sessions are planned. The meeting also reinforced my desire to find opportunities to get involved at the national level and seek out leadership positions in the future.
I am so grateful to PARS and the Book Manufacturer’s Institute Library Binding Council for sponsoring this professional development grant. ALA Annual 2019 was such an enriching experience. I left Washington, DC with new professional connections, knowledge, and ideas, and I’m looking forward to participating in future professional development.
