Dear colleagues,
Just to continue the Regional meetings debate into the afternoon of a
new week. As the Regional Training/Events person for London, I’d like
to reiterate that yes, it IS difficult to get people to attend meetings, or
(apart from the usual suspects, to whom I’m eternally grateful) to attract
the same face twice. And this is in London, where as Rich says, we’re
hardly short of good transport links and interesting venues. I’d like to
think its not ENTIRELY due to content of either the business meeting
element or the talk/panel discussion afterwards. Over the last year at
London Region meetings we’ve been able to enjoy talks on electronic
records, MLAC and the run-up to the establishment of Resource,
electronic networking initiatives at the PRO, including A2A, and the
theme of the summer meeting was ‘Registered, Accredited or Certified?
Options for archive professionals’. We hoped this meeting would attract
a gaggle of newly qualified and younger archivists, especially as we had
a guest speaker from the American Academy of Certified Archivists.
Alas, there were one or two, but not droves. But we do try and keep the
programme as current as possible, given that they are by necessity
arranged several months in advance.
Business meetings have a role as a conduit of information – as Helen
says “Regional meetings are of course also the means through which the
voice of the membership should/could be passed up to the higher
echelons of the SoA through our Regional reps” - but I’d be the first to
admit, they can be a trifle dull. Business meetings are procedural, and all
too often we have few questions or real debate. Apathy? Perhaps. Lack
of preparedness? Yes. And that’s probably our fault. Maybe its our
minutes and circulars and notices of meetings that don’t come with
enough signposting of what the issues are and what the debate could
and should be. And I will admit that in my pre-Regional Officer days I did
used to turn up to meetings having only skimmed the supporting papers,
and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one. But I must say that the more you go
to regional meetings, the more you can put faces to names and actually
talk to fellow professionals, the more likely you are to feel involved and
so less likely to fear looking a fool by asking that seemingly daft
question. And if you don’t know what’s going on in the business
meeting, then for heaven sakes PLEASE ask.
Rich wants controversial, and I’m sure as a Region we can accommodate
that. Maybe we just need a change of format. Maybe we just need to
organise a couple of good old fashioned debates on the lines of the
Oxford Union. And the Irish Region has already suggested an away-
day, which I’m all in support of. So if you’ve got ideas about the form of
regional meetings there’s no point keeping them to yourself, is there?
Just to reiterate Elizabeth’s point, that getting involved with the Society
at whatever level is not necessarily a bad thing. OK, so we’re never
going to please everyone, and obviously for some actually socialising
with other archivists is their worst nightmare. But it’s only through the
contribution of individuals that can lead to the development of the
Society at a regional level, so why not start with coming to a regional
meeting?
And one last point before I run off for lunch. Big thanks go out to all
those who offer to speak at regional events, and to all those who offer to
host them. They give generously of their time and effort, and of the
resources of their organisations where possible. It always amazes me just
how little arm twisting I have to do to get someone to stand up and
address their colleagues in the Region. So ta very much!
Lesley Price
London Region Training & Events Officer
================================================
Ms Lesley Price,
Assistant Archivist,
School of Oriental and African Studies,
Thornhaugh Street,
Russell Square,
London WC1H OXG
Tel +44(0)20-7898-4182
Fax +44(0)20-7898-4189
Email [log in to unmask]
http://www.soas.ac.uk/archives
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|