Dear GLA Member,
It is time to register for the Georgia Library Association 2017 MidWinter Planning Meeting. This year’s meeting will he held on December 14-15 at the Downs Continuing Education Center at Clayton State University and the Clayton State University Library in Morrow, Georgia.
The MidWinter Planning Meeting is an important event for all GLA members, especially those interested in contributing to the newly named Georgia Libraries Conference 2017, October 4-6, 2017 to be held in Columbus, GA. It is an opportunity for Divisions and Interest Groups to meet and make plans for the year as well as to discuss program ideas for the Conference in the fall. It will be the first (and in many cases the only) opportunity for GLA committees to meet face to face and plan work for the coming year.
Lucy Harrison will join us to deliver this year’s keynote address. As the new Executive Director of GALILEO, Lucy is reaching out to the communities of interest for GALILEO to inform a visioning process for planning GALILEO’s next 5-25 years.
The registration fee for MidWinter Planning Meeting is $50 per person, which will include a continental breakfast and a hot lunch buffet on Wednesday. Registration forms must be received by November 21, 2016 to confirm your lunch reservation.
The first day will include the keynote, ALA Midwinter update, Division, Interest Group and Committee Meetings. The second day will include the GLA Leadership Meeting and will begin with a session titled “GLA 101 – GLA History” by Julie Higbee & Gordon Baker. Last year’s session was wonderful in recounting the rich history of our organization. I encourage everyone to attend. Subsequent sessions will be orientation, information, and business meetings for the GLA Executive Board. After lunch the GLA Website Redesign Committee will host public presentations from potential candidates for redesigning our website. As of now, the ending time is open since we do not yet know how many will present their proposals.
One of the most important parts of the MidWinter Planning Meeting is the networking that takes place among GLA members. Providing opportunities for you to meet with colleagues from all parts of the state is one of the most valuable benefits of your GLA membership. I hope that you will take advantage of that benefit and join me and the other members of the Executive Board at the Annual MidWinter Planning meeting. We value your participation and want to help you find ways to be more engaged in the work of the Association.
It is going to be an exciting year for Georgia libraries!
Elizabeth McKinney
2017 GLA President
emckinney@georgialibraries.org