President’s Column, July 2023
Although we are about four weeks past the summer equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, where the days begin to get shorter, summer is still in full swing. We are experiencing an intense heat wave across North America and Europe. I hope you are surviving the hot weather, taking a well-deserved vacation, and spending quality time with friends and family. You have also been engaging with your ASIS&T family at various in-person and virtual events, such as the recent Information Science Trends (IST) 2023 conference organized by the ASIS&T European Chapter and European Student Chapter.
You recently voted in another excellent group of leaders to join the ASIS&T Board! Please join me in congratulating and warmly welcoming to the Board Ian Ruthven (President-Elect), Bhakti Gala (Director-at-Large), and Luanne Sinnamon (Director-at-Large)! Their term begins after the 2023 ASIS&T Annual Meeting in London, October 29-31. I want to thank the Nominations Committee (chaired by our past president, Naresh Agarwal) for recruiting a diverse and talented slate of candidates and the Governance Committee (chaired by William Edgar) for reviewing and certifying the election results in a timely fashion.
The ASIS&T Board and staff were also busy during the last two months. At its May 31 to June 2 mini-retreat in Boston, in addition to generating and discussing ideas and initiatives of importance to ASIS&T members and the Association’s future strategic direction, the Board also discussed topics such as future ASIS&T conferences and meetings, additional ASIS&T member benefits, attracting practitioners to ASIS&T and its conferences and Meetings, the FY24 Budget, and ASIS&T knowledge management practices. The Board also initiated conversations with the iSchools Organization Chair Sanda Erdelez and ALISE President Rong Tang on closer collaborations among the three associations in the iFederation.
It is not only election season but also awards season. Winners of several of the ASIS&T awards have been announced. I want to congratulate all deserving winners of the awards announced so far and thank members of the Awards and Honors Committee (chaired by Isto Huvila), chairs, and members of the numerous award juries. The nominations for the next group of ASIS&T Distinguished Members are also in and will be announced soon.
It goes without saying that one of the highlights of the ASIS&T events calendar is the Annual Meeting (conference agenda available here). London proves to be a significant attraction as we continue to see increased interest and registration to attend the Annual Meeting. More than what London has to offer in terms of the most famous sites to see, the conference program has something for everyone. It is full of panels, alternative events, papers, posters, workshops, doctoral colloquium, and other highly quality and engaging events. If you still need to register (early registration ends on August 11), please do so at https://www.asist.org/am23/23registration/.
You are warmly invited to the next ASIS&T Hour on August 9, 2023. The broad topic concerns how ASIS&T can improve membership benefits and best support your professional goals. We have two options and time slots for anyone from around the globe to attend. We look forward to engaging you all in a fruitful and meaningful conversation that will result in actionable takeaways to benefit ASIS&T and its members.
Finally, we lost another former member, William (“Bill”) Secord Cooper, who had a distinguished and award-winning career in the field and made immense contributions. We wish Bill’s family and friends condolences and strength.
Once again, I very much thank the ASIS&T staff, leaders, officers, and members of the various ASIS&T SIGs, Chapters, and other groups for their untiring service and contributions to ASIS&T and its members! As always, please let us know if you have any questions or feedback. October can’t come fast enough to meet you all in London!
Warm regards,
Abebe Rorissa