If Library Week doesn't work at your firm, then you are well rid
of it. However, I find it incredibly useful. We provide on-line and
CD-Rom training programs, CLE credit, tours, etc. which are absolutely
necessary for the efficient functioning of the firm. This training could
be given at any time, it's true. There's nothing especially unique about
that week in April. But our staff looks forward to it and plans for it
for months.
What really worries me is not that AALL is refusing to sell my
firm trinkets with the logo. This was just one more example of AALL's
not finding library promotion to be "a priority". The worst example of
their skewed values was the elimination of the P.R. Coordinator
position. You obviously have found successful ways to promote yourself
and your services and you have important advice to give other
librarians. But AALL provides fewer and fewer opportunities for us to
learn from others' experience in this area. By consistently downplaying
the value of "selling" ourselves, AALL implies that it's beneath us to
market our services. This is dangerous thinking.
Although AALL bookmarks are not magic totems that protect my
job, maintaining the library's position as the center of my office by
providing both valuable service and a rip roarin' good time just might.
Yeah, cookies are kind of "cute" and maybe even "unprofessional" but
they're awfully good bait. And when the cookies are gone, the knowledge
we manage to sneak in on 'em still remains.
Jenny Wu (who has humble opinions, just not about this!)
McKenna & Cuneo - SF
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