SLJ on AL and a thanks to LM_Net

For those following the discussion engendered by my open letter to the editors of American Libraries, here is the latest commentary from Brian Kenny at School Library Journal. His closing is a gem - "The reality is that by keeping school librarians out of AL, it’s really not the school folks that are losing out. It’s the rest of the library world."

I am really looking forward to the "school" bloggers article that will be forthcoming from American Libraries. I was asked to contribute to it, as were:

• Carolyn Foote 
• Rob Darrow
• Joyce Valenza
• Alice Yucht 
• Sara Kelly Johns
• Frances Harris 
• Chris Harris
• Diane Chen
  

I feel like I am missing somebody, but not sure who. Anyway, I loved the variety of voices.

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BTW, it was a message sent to LM_Net by Peter Milbury that put me on to Kenny's SLJ editorial. In all our sound and fury about blogging and Web 2.0, I hope we don't forget the power of the original read/write forum - the listserv.

I cannot think of a single source that has had a more profound effect on my professional career than LM_Net. I often describe it as the a giant organic database than when queried taps into thousands of years of practical experience to provide the answer to questions.

I was a fairly early member of LM_Net, joining in maybe 1993 or 1994? (Earliest posting I could find was March 1994.) Soon after joining, I remember writing about a frustrating experience with the media specialists in our district - just out-and-out blasting the whole damn profession. While I meant to sleep on the message and moderate its tone before sending it out to LM_Net, my new e-mail program (Eudora) sent it automatically -  while the message and I were both still hot. I heard from angry LMS for weeks and weeks afterward.

I looked for this early post but was unable to find in in the LM_Net archives. Phooey.

 Anyway, a huge thanks  to Peter Milbury, Mike Eisenberg, and all the volunteers who keep LM_Net running. There will be a place among the stacks in library heaven for you.