Candidate for Chapter Cabinet Chair-Elect
James E. Manasco
Hello! I’m James Manasco and I’m a candidate for Chapter Cabinet Chair Elect. I do want to sincerely apologize to everyone here for us ruining a perfectly good lunch. I’ve sat through several “Luncheons with the Candidates” over the years and I have to admit that the experience has been remarkably similar to a root canal. It’s better to go through with it, but there is definitely a certain level of pain involved.
However, just like warrentless wiretaps, the candidates luncheon is a very necessary opportunity for the leadership to learn a little more information about each candidate to share with their respective units when that all important question is asked, “For whom should I vote?” I hope I can provide that information and, if I don’t answer your question here, please feel free to grab me afterwards.
First off, who is James Manasco? A native of Beaver Dam, Kentucky, James is the first in his family to attend college and the first to acquire a Master’s Degree. James is a devoted husband, a pretty decent librarian (and, yes, He’s not afraid of the L word) and a Gemini. James reads Sci-Fi/Fantasy, loves to go to movies and was, at the tender age of 11, Captain Von Trapp in his grade school’s production of the Sound of Music.
And, with that, I’m going to stop with the bad Bob Dole impersonation and talk a little about some of the experience I bring to the table. As an undergraduate student at the University of Kentucky, I worked in an education library. I then worked as a staff member at first the central and then the Chemistry/Physics Library for that institution. When I received my library degree, my first professional position was as a natural sciences librarian at a private liberal arts college in Colorado. I then became the Engineering Librarian at my alma mater for several years. Then wanting to live near my intended, I moved to the University of Louisville, where I have worked in medical librarianship, special collections and now collection development, all by taking advantage of promotional opportunities. My disparate experiences are perfectly suited to SLA. They have helped me to learn the importance of, and respect for, diverse thoughts, philosophies and strategies for addressing any given situation.
But why am I running for office? I have loved SLA since I joined back in ‘94 as a student in library school. Mentors, who had first encouraged me to go to library school, recruited me. They impressed upon me the importance of joining a professional organization. They pushed, cajoled, tormented and basically waged a relentless assault upon me until I cried “uncle.” I loved those meetings where information professionals from all over the state would gather together to partake of training or simply to engage in good librarianish fellowship.
When I went to my first SLA Annual, in ‘95, the seduction was complete. The quality of the programming, coupled with the exceptional networking exemplified by Liz Bryson placing a drink in my hand at my first PAM open house, was a one-two punch too powerful to ignore. SLA has given me much, I want to give back. I want all information professionals to be in SLA, so that they too can experience the same delight I have in its educational and networking offerings. And that’s why I hope the association continues to expand our outreach to information technology professionals as well as working to expand our membership in the international community.
Another reason I am interested in this office is tied to the recent proposal from the Kentucky Chapter. Our Chapter was gravely concerned by the decline of membership numbers, as well as frustrations in our own efforts at recruitment. We received feedback that our dues were simply too high for beginning professionals in our state, among other issues. The Chapter felt strongly that something must be done. We developed ideas that, we felt, might work to promote increased membership. Working with Chapter Cabinet Chair, Dav Robertson, we crafted a proposal to the Chapter Cabinet requesting the board send our suggestions to the Finance Committee to be fully investigated. Working together with the Chapter Cabinet, the Finance Committee and the Board, the Kentucky Chapter saw our proposal go through some refinement and then was finally rewarded by seeing the recent dues restructuring proposal passed by the membership. I saw the positive result that could occur when all these diverse parts of the association work together toward a common goal. I want to help continue that work.
I would also like to see an increase in the support given to the Chapters, in recognition of their key role in making those initial contacts with prospective members. This could be done with “matching fund” type grants to support specific events or through other responsible means. With better supported networking and programming at the local level, coupled with the divisions’ quality subject specific programming at the annual conference, and, maybe one day, at the Leadership Summit, SLA could create a powerful professional vortex that no sane librarian or information professional, would want to escape.
In conclusion, I want to thank you for your patience and for not throwing heavy objects. I’m asking for your vote. And, if elected, I pledge to do my best to serve you for the length of my term…or at least until I face impeachment. Thank you!
RSS
Feedback form
