My ALABI

If my wife or boss asks me where I will be on May 31-June 1 of this year, I have an ALABI. No, I am not a poor speller, and I have nothing to scream about. On those two days, I will be in Richmond, Virginia at the second annual meeting of ALABI, the Association of Librarians and Archivists of Baptist Institutions.

The group was formerly known as –no, wait a minute–that was Prince. ALABI was formerly known as the Southern Baptist Librarian Association. That name did not really account for the fact that many of the members were archivists who worked with Baptist historical collections. So, those of us who are archivists are now officially recognized.

I say all this to encourage anyone who works with Baptist archives or manuscript collections to join the group, read the newsletter, and attend the annual meeting. Participation in this group is a great way for Baptist librarians and archivists to network, collaborate, and offer training. Plus, the membership dues are so low that if they went any lower, the group would have to change its name to Crazy Larry's Discount Association of Librarians and Archivists at Baptist Institutions–and CLDALABI is just way too many letters.