President’s Message

Our First Centennial

I have rarely had an opportunity in my life to celebrate a centennial. I do remember the bicentennial of the United States, in particular the tall ships and the fireworks broadcast on television. I was also at the University of Oklahoma during its centennial, and I remember pondering the work and lives of the individuals who began those enterprises – the patriots, scholars and in our case, the librarians who came together to create the Oklahoma Library Association on May 17, 1907 at the Carnegie Library in Oklahoma City. Who were they? Why did they think a library association was necessary? What did they want to accomplish?

We are lucky as an organization because in 1996 Sarah Davis Haney documented our history in her dissertation, The Origin and Development of the Oklahoma Library Association: 1907 – 1994. Sarah talks about our founders, nineteen charter members. According to Sarah, it seems they were interested in developing a state library commission and thought a library association would help further that cause, which it ultimately did. Since this conference is a celebration of that moment in history, I think it is appropriate that we list their names:

• Yetta O. Alden, public assistant librarian, Norman, Oklahoma Territory
• Rose M. Belt, university student, library assistant, Norman, Oklahoma Territory
• Mrs. John W. Brown, Chickasha, Indian Territory
• Mr. T. Chambers, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Territory
• Rose Christy, librarian, Weatherford, Oklahoma Territory
• Mrs. L. W. Cole, public librarian, Norman, Oklahoma Territory
• L. L. Dickerson, librarian, Edmond, Oklahoma Territory
• M. J. Ferguson, university librarian, Norman, Oklahoma Territory
• Mary B. Goff, Epworth University librarian, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Territory
• Mrs. Webb Hendrix, assistant librarian, Chickasha, Indian Territory
• Myrtle Jones, librarian, Ardmore, Indian Territory
• Bertha McBride, librarian, Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory
• Carl H. Milam, university student, library assistant, Norman, Oklahoma Territory
• Ava L. Miles, library assistant, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Territory
• Mrs. J. C. Parker, librarian, Shawnee, Oklahoma Territory
• Edith Allen Phelps, librarian, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Territory
• Jesse L. Rader, university student, library assistant, Norman, Oklahoma Territory
• Mrs. J. A. Thompson, librarian, Chickasha, Indian Territory
• Mrs. John Threadgill, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Territory

Of the original nineteen, we especially honor M. J. Ferguson, Ava Miles, Mrs. J. C. Parker, Edith Allen Phelps, and Jesse L. Rader – all of whom have been selected as “Oklahoma Library Legends.” This conference is about these librarians and the many who followed them during the twentieth century. Anyone who has read a library book in an Oklahoma library has been touched, however briefly, by these original founders who had a vision and took responsibility for making it happen. It is also about librarians yet-to-be who will be contributing to the cultural fabric of our State in this century. To that end, we have put together a conference worthy of the moment.

Unique to this conference, we have scheduled the banquet on Monday night. Our speaker will be former Governor George Nigh, who will share some entertaining historical moments of our State’s history that will fascinate. We’ve extended a special invitation to as many retired librarians as we could contact (come and thank them for their contribution) and join them in honoring our 100 Library Legends. There will be music and a slideshow of OLA history. You’ll see many old friends and have a chance to make new friends.

Stephen Abram, former president of the Canadian Library Association and innovative futurist, will kick off the opening session with his ideas about who we are and what we will be in the next twenty years. Make a special effort to be there; it will give you an enthusiastic start to this one – in – a - hundred occasion.

This will also be our first time to honor the vendors who have helped support OLA conferences over the last century. We hope you will join us in the exhibit area for the Vendor Appreciation Reception on Tuesday night before the All Conference Event. There will be music, a cash bar, a special event and door prizes. Come in your costume representing your favorite decade in the last 100 years at the All Conference Event, which is going to be jumping and jiving. We have troubadours, lip sync divas and other entertainment at that event and, of course, dinner for all. Expect to see the unexpected and participate – we’ll even have dance instructors to demonstrate dances of different decades and help the tentative step out and kick up their heels!

The programs this year include more vendor updates on their newest products and a wide variety of subjects. Of personal interest to some librarians is a program Wednesday morning on planning for retirement and charitable giving. The speaker is one of our successful retirees, Sandy Ellison, who is a member of an investment club. There will be a number of luncheons with fascinating speakers and performances. “Me and Miss Brown” is a play performed by award-winning actor, Morris McCorvey. Or, hear our own Jan Sanders, incoming President of the Public Library Association, talk about advocating for libraries in the next decade. Feeling nostalgic? Plan to attend the FOLIO luncheon with a presentation on what Oklahoma was like in 1907.

Tribal librarians will be presenting for the first time on Tuesday afternoon and will provide some important reference information on current tribal library services. Wednesday afternoon, we have a presentation that may help you retain some of your young professionals, who are in short supply these days. If you are struggling with staffing in technical services, you’ll want to attend the presentation on benchmarks for copy cataloging. Whether it is imaging or legal implications of changing technologies, you’ll want to be there.

So, arrive early and stay for the whole conference. You’ll be glad you signed up for a pre -conference or toured downtown Oklahoma City attractions as you get ready for a very special evening banquet, where you’ll see lots of old friends. The next day, there will be breakfast events and fascinating programming. You’ll be able to kick up your heels at the All Conference Event, laugh, remember with the rest of us and enjoy the fun of costumes and conviviality. But, get up early the next morning, because you’ll have a day of stimulating exchange with national speakers and subjects that you can really apply when you get back home to your library. Before you climb in your car, though, stay for the OLA 100^th birthday party and maybe take home a door prize along with a piece of birthday cake! Plan on rooming with a buddy that you don’t see except at conference time and email him/her today before you miss your chance to share good times with an old friend!

Thank you for providing me the great privilege of serving as OLA President during this once-in-our-lifetime event!

Pat Weaver-Meyers

OLA President