Keynote address

Keynote address
Originally uploaded by sreymer.

Keith Michael Fiels, ALA Executive Director, talked about some of the issues he considers crucial to libraries:

• Library funding and advocacy as a way to sustain/increase library funding.
• Planning at local, state and federal level.
• Libraries have to be seen key players in education.
• We want to improve library services by attracting the best and brightest to the field - provide training at all levels, resource sharing and recognizing outstanding service as well as that which needs improvement.
• Improve library salaries one librarian at a time.
• Libraries and librarians improve the world by serving all, promoting diversity, fighting to protect the constitutional rights of library users, fighting to keep information free and accessible for all, and helping to develop libraries internationally.

In answer to the question, will libraries survive? Keith was optimistic. He thinks we need to be part of an emerging virtual learing commnity. Not only will public and school libraries continue to serve the have nots, but they also provide a sense of community for all generations.

Every library should be linked by technology and by people who know how to use it.

He ended by letting the audience know that what we do is incredbily important to our communities and the world.