Viewpoint from the Chair - March 2014

Oliver Delaney, Chair, Amigos Board of Directors

With the approach of our April 3 topical online conference, "I've Got What in My Library? Caring for Non-Traditional Items," and our annual online Amigos Member Conference in May, whose theme is "Striking a Balance: Positive Practices in Libraries," I am struck – no pun intended – by the growing international interest in Amigos' online continuing education opportunities.

In visiting with Amigos staff, I learned that not only does interest in our training extend across the US; it also reaches around the world. It is not unusual for an Amigos online conference or course to attract participants from our neighbors to the north in Canada. What amazes me is the interest from far-flung locations around the world. Participant lists from recent online courses and conferences have included librarians from the UK, Czech Republic, and Latvia. And I understand our online training has attracted interest from librarians in the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East. It speaks well of our training program that librarians in such locales as Prague, Riga, and Abu Dhabi – who may be as many as nine hours ahead of us here in the Central Time Zone – find an Amigos online conference attractive enough to outweigh what might sometimes be an inconvenient time for them.

Of course this reflects how technology continues to shrink and unite our world, making us all more accessible to each other. For Amigos, technology has truly allowed our reach to exceed our grasp, enabling us to expand our offerings around the globe and extending our reputation for excellence in continuing education programs worldwide. This should make everyone at Amigos and all Amigos members proud.

I hope you have or are planning to participate with your colleagues in Amigos online training in some form, whether it’s through our extensive course catalog, Know & Go updates, topical online conferences, or the upcoming 2014 annual Amigos Member Conference. You’ll be in good company.