President’s Message, January 2026
Hello good info-folk.
I am writing to you for the first time in my term as ASIS&T president. As a member of the board of directors and as president-elect, I have worked with several presidents, and admired their collaborative leadership styles, incisive intelligence and good humor. I hope I can fill those big shoes! (Metaphorically of course).
My term as president was off to a great start with our annual meeting in Crystal City and all it offered. I connected with old friends, made new professional connections, learned A LOT and even danced a little. I know that many of you reading this did the same. I look forward to more of all that next year in Bangkok. Because best-laid plans DO go awry, there were complications with the hotel we had selected as a venue for the 2026 annual meeting. ASIS&T staff have worked diligently to secure a new venue and lock down the dates. The Annual Meeting will be held November 6-10 in Bangkok, Thailand. Hotel deals forthcoming soon!.
More good things lie ahead! Another highlight of the Annual Meeting was the chance to welcome our new members joining us from the Special Libraries Association. We’ll have even richer possibilities to get to know those new members and their work at the Information Science Summit & Special Libraries Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, 6 - 9 June 2026. This meeting will be the second Information Science Summit and the first Summit combining the ISS with the Special Libraries Conference which carries on the tradition of the very successful SLA Annual Conference. The meeting will explore new frontiers of information science and librarianship through the lens of both practicing information scientists and academic researchers.
We’ll also soon be announcing the dates and registration availability for the 2026 IDEA (Innovation, Disruption, Enquiry, Access) institute on AI, an opportunity for online continuing education on artificial intelligence. The institute acknowledges that “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a disruptive but transformative technology that can bring value to libraries by enabling increased library use, optimizing collection analysis, and enhancing the user experience” and that “Library and information professionals must keep abreast of advances in AI technologies in order to provide innovative and value-added services, access, and collection development”. This will be the 5th iteration of the institute. If, like me, you’re finding that keeping abreast part a bit tricky, the IDEA Institute is here to help. Our goal is to hold the institute in April. More details coming soon!
In other news, Steve Sawyer, who has been at the helm of JASIST for several years now, has decided that it’s time to get some well-deserved rest, and he’ll be stepping down as Editor-in-Chief in June of this year. I was a member of the search committee that secured Steve, and I have congratulated myself since on finding such a dedicated and thoughtful scholar for the job. The next EIC will have also big shoes to fill, but Steve’s leadership has increased the quality and the reputation of our flagship publication, and it’s in great shape for his successor. Which could be you? Very soon, you’ll see a call for expressions of interest in the position. The ASIS&T board of directors is eager to appoint a new EIC and ensure the continuing vitality and relevance of JASIST.
Last night, I welcomed an incoming cohort of MS LIS students. I expressed my excitement about having them join our ranks and encouraged them to embrace the scholarly and professional possibilities that lie ahead. I also acknowledged that it is a challenging time for the information professions; that is why their presence and their work is more important than ever. That is true for those who are just beginning and for those of us who have worked for decades to ensure that information is accurate, accessible and used for the common good. I applaud that work and all of us who do it. Please keep at it.
Warmly,
Maria