Greetings, NMRT colleagues,
It is my honor to serve as the NMRT president for 2021-22, and I am grateful to the many volunteers who serve on our board, as committee chairs, and as committee members. I look forward to working alongside you this year.
I know that I am not alone in having hopes that 2021 would be a better year than 2020, and feeling exhausted by the constant barrage of a global pandemic, racial and gender injustice, and the climate crisis. In times like these, it’s critical to have community to rely on. I hope NMRT can be a professional community that can support you during these times, and plan to work to expand and improve critical programs for new members, such as our Mentoring Program and grant-giving efforts, over the next year. We can and should re-invest our time and resources back to our members.
In our programming this year, NMRT will look to highlight the variety of library worker experiences, and how we can advocate with and for each other. We’ll be taking lessons learned from 2020 on how to hold impactful virtual events and conversations, and continue those practices over the next year. There have always been huge inequities in professional development opportunities for folks who are unable to travel, and I look forward to delivering more of our content and services to members, wherever they are located.
NMRT only exists because of our members, and I want to make sure that we are meeting your needs as you enter the profession or ALA for the first time. This year, I am inviting the board and committee chairs to think with me about how NMRT can be a welcoming and inclusive space. I invite you to share your feedback with me throughout the year via ALA Connect, email at danicook@ucsd.edu, or on Twitter @danibcook.
Though the year ahead will no doubt have unexpected challenges, I look forward to the work we will do to support new members, together. Thanks for being here.
Dani