The Treasure from the Mountain

I'm not sure why this event is called Treasure Mountain. People often mistake it for Treasure Island, Space Mountain, or the new roller coaster at Cedar Point. In many ways, it's all of those things and more. Although, when I actually came blinking out into the natural sunlight after two days in an ill-lit ballroom, the event did have a majestic match with its surroundings.

"Do not leave you baggage unattended or it will be confiscated or destroyed." This nearly-continuous PSA on the airport loudspeaker made me wonder about the themes coming out of TM. As media specialists, we have left much of our good baggage, that of being resource providers, connectors, and safe-haven providers to the side in favor of coercing collaboration at all costs, instruction, qualitaty, and personal. We have handed over 50% of the accounting for our success to people who, frankly, have other state-mandated fish to fry. And don't think the kids haven't noticed. Kristin F. pointed me to this post in Doug Johnson's Blue Mammal (I can never remember if it is a skunk or a squirrel) blog by a high school student in my former state of Texas. In her op-ed piece entitled Give Me A Reason, Andrea Drusch discussed openly the gulf between the rhetoric and the realities of school libraries from a consumer perspectives. She calls for some pretty low key, much needed changes. The comments? Well, slash-and-burners like myself cheered for her and lauded the wake-up call; sadly, most of the other comments were from media specialists claiming that they're in touch with young people because they sometimes let listen to their iPods in the library.

It's time to change and we don't have time to wait for permission or research validation.

I think Joyce Valenza did such an excellent job of summing up the final hours of activity on her blog that I won't bother to repeat it. I will just give you all homework and demand that you read it.

The Treasure of the Mountain? The combined brains and energy of professionals that remind us once a year: Do not leave your baggage unattended because it will be confiscated or destroyed.