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Vol.
V, Issue 3, June 28, 2007 |
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From the EditorFiscal Year- two words that can make any librarian hold their breath for a moment- or two, or three…. Budget talk is everywhere. Libraries in Michigan and across the nation are facing budget cuts that will impact our patrons for years to come. The Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME) listserv is flooded with horror stories of school library media specialists who are losing their jobs, being reduced to half time or reallocated to the classroom. Public libraries are facing reluctant taxpayers with millage requests. All libraries are looking at journal and database subscriptions to see what can be trimmed to meet current financial constrictions. Even in spite of these budget challenges, we carry on and look to each other for guidance and support. We turn to library consortiums (MLC) and the Library of Michigan to make the most of our collections by sharing via MeLCat and promoting the databases made available through Michigan electronic Library (MeL). The MLA Forum is another avenue for support. In this issue, Sophia Guevera talks about what it takes to be the leader who has the vision and passion to guide a library through tough times in On the Road to Leadership: Nurturing Your Potential in a Changing Library World. Joyce Salisbury delves into the pros and cons of student employees and shares her experience in Depending on Student Employees: A Win-Win-Win Situation. In Open Source Software Options for Any Library, Jackie Wrosch explores the option of this type of software as a viable alternative to costly commercial systems. But in addition to finances, this issue includes an article on how librarians continue to help patrons understand and appreciate respect for diversity in Aparna Zambare’s Diversity Resources Project @ Central Michigan University Libraries. Library Anxiety is alive and well as we see in Judy Block’s article, Library Anxiety and the Distance Learning Graduate Student. Health care is national concern and is the third most common usage of the Internet. Robin Sabo is reaching out to students who use health care Internet websites in Consumer Health Websites as a Platform for Teaching Evaluation of Internet Content in a Library Instruction Course. Librarians in academic, public, school and special libraries all face similar challenges. The MLA Forum is yet another venue where together we can learn and grow from our colleagues. As I close out my editorship of the MLA Forum, I am proud of the Michigan Library Association and its ongoing support of the MLA Forum. Happy reading,
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