Chris's Corner

Welcome to my last Chris's Corner.  In Chris’s Corner, I have shared what is happening in my OELMA life with you on a regular basis.  Most of you have already figured out that I believe in communication.  I like to be “in the know” so I assume everyone else does, too.

December 4, 2005

Last weekend at the December OELMA Board Meeting, I had the pleasure of passing the gavel to our new OELMA President, Sue Rahn. I look forward to the new energy and ideas that Sue will bring to our association and I look forward to serving her and our members as Past President. Living in the same general area, Sue and I can travel to meetings together, giving us some welcome time to talk OELMA business. Time can be such an elusive element.

As I write my last Chris's Corner, I want to thank some special members and I want to look to OELMA's future.

My first thanks has to go to the wonderful OELMA Board that I worked with this year. Our elected board members have a great attendance record at our meetings which means they believe in participation. They not only show up, but they discuss items and ideas openly with all. That is so important and so appreciated. I'll miss those who are going off the board, but know we also have some great new people coming onboard.

Secondly, I want to thank all the appointed committee chairs and liaisons. Many of our committees work vigorously throughout the year. Some meet virtually and others meet in person, like By-laws and Policy. E-mail and the Internet have made it easier for many of our committees to accomplish a lot from the comfort of their desk chairs. And with that thought in mind, I'd like to ask you to consider working on or chairing a committee. You really can make it fit into your lifestyle.

It has been my experience that when I called or e-mailed someone to ask for their help, they usually said yes. So, consider this a phone call! I'm calling to ask you to get involved. We have over 800 members and it would be nice if the workload was shared by more than 75 members. What can you do? E-mail your regional director, an officer, the OELMA office (info@oelma.org) or send a note of interest back to the office with your renewal notice. Let us know that you are willing to give some time and what your interests are.

My third thanks goes to Accent on Management, the management company that OELMA uses. The Board recently completed the annual evaluation of AOM and we were quite pleased with the results. Last year, a few areas were targeted for improvement and across the board, that improvement was apparent. We use a nationally recognized evaluation form for associations. My thanks to Kate Brunswick, our Director of Services and her assistant, Melinda Vance.

What's happening with OELMA?

It will soon be time for the Nominations Committee to begin its work. (After the January Board Meeting) Please be thinking about your availability to serve as regional director, secretary or vice president. All members are eligible except those having honorary membership status. Our policy does state: "The Vice-President, who is President-Elect, will be selected from those who have had experience on the Board of Directors of the Association or who have chaired a major committee, thus demonstrating a history with, and commitment to, the organizational leadership. "

Midwinter is scheduled for March 11, 2006 at the Embassy Suites on Corporate Drive in Columbus. Have you ever thought about making it a fun family weekend outing? Embassy Suites is a great place to bring the family. While our events take place on Saturday (usually between 9 and 3) your spouse and children can be enjoying a number of fun activities in the area. From swimming, movies, sports, shopping, or hiking to theatre opportunities, the Columbus area has a lot to offer. Make a weekend of it with the family and break up those winter doldrums! More information will be coming soon.

Our second Advanced Summer Institute will again focus on Evidence-based Practice. We hope to announce details with dates and locations soon. Like Dr. Todd, OELMA would like to see every Ohio school librarian trained to gather evidence about their impact on student learning outcomes. As we go over the feedback from each training session, we become more aware of how important it is and how it can really transform Ohio school libraries. OELMA exhibited at the OSBA conference in November, highlighting our work with Evidence-based Practice. It was very gratifying to have administrators and school board members stop by our booth to look at the exhibit, listen to the little video of Dr. Todd talking about evidence-based practice, and ask for additional information.

There's always something just around the corner with OELMA!

Thank you all for allowing me to serve as your president in 2005. It was a great pleasure to get to know so many of you and to receive your frequent e-mail notes of encouragement and support.

Chris