When I agreed to run for President of the Washington State Chapter of ACRL, I expected the position would be fun, challenging, and worthwhile, and I was correct on all counts. With the annual conference just completed, I can say that all of those elements came together for the event. First of all, the conference was fun, providing abundant opportunities for meeting new people from both Washington and Oregon, enjoying discussions and games, and sharing ideas with bright, intelligent men and women. It was challenging, as lots of details and decisions go into a good conference. It also requires a lot of support, and I want to thank Kathleen O’Connor, Secretary/Treasurer extraordinaire, for all her work with payments, receipts, etc., and the ACRL Board members for their work in program planning, registration, facilitation of the small groups, and all the help they provided. Ultimately the conference was very worthwhile, with good presentations, new ideas to think about, and new ways to approach our jobs and our profession. (Be sure to complete the online conference evaluation form which you should have received an email about in November.)

Let the games begin! (Thanks to CLAMS for co-sponsoring the conference party.)

At the Board and Membership meetings at Pack Forest, we were able to address several topics that I would like to share with the rest of the membership. The first is the decision to disband the small groups working on various aspects of the organization such as programming, collaboration, and organization. Over the next couple of years, we will try to focus on just one area of concern, rather than spreading our limited time and resources so broadly. The Board also proposed to the membership that the Chapter contribute money toward covering Board members’ travel expenses, including lunch, for spring board meetings. This should ensure that concern about such expenses does not discourage qualified people from serving on the Board. After a vote of support by the membership regarding appropriate reimbursement, the Board has begun to draft a travel reimbursement policy that should be in place by spring. 

More party action!

The Board also recognized the fact that it needs more meeting time, and it will be exploring the concept of extending its fall meeting. The Board is also considering bringing a bylaw amendment to the 2004 conference for a vote. We are considering changing the dates of office for Board members to allow for a smoother transition of duties, especially in conference years. The change would have Board members take office at the Fall Conference instead of July 1st as they do now. The Board will be looking at the ramifications of this change and further details will be provided in the spring newsletter. Also raised was the possibility of a pre-conference on a specific topic of interest on the Thursday morning of the Pack Forest conference. Stay tuned for more on that idea. We have reserved Pack Forest for 2005, and we will be working on making a wider variety of housing options available. As always, the Board is open to a new venue if one presents itself. 

At the Board’s direction, I have written to ACRL to express our support for holding the annual national ACRL conference in Seattle in 2009. The dates under consideration are March 5-8 and March 12-15, 2009. 

Thanks also to immediate Past President Kelley McHenry for volunteering to chair the nominations committee for next year. Please contact her at if you are willing to serve on the committee or are interested in running for Vice President/President Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, or Member at Large. Also thanks to Nancy Huling, outgoing Member at Large, for all her help on the Conference and to past president Lynn Chlemir for her years of service to Washington ACRL and to the Board. 

Linda Pierce, Chapter President
Gonzaga University

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