Daytrippin’ … The GLMA Way!

I’m not sure what I thought being the president of the Georgia Library Media Association would be like when I accepted the nomination. I know I did not expect to discover the real beauty of our state while driving along the roads to various association events.

First, let me establish that I am no driver; as a matter of fact, I hate driving. But I wanted to “represent” and show support for the district chairpersons when they convened with the members of their district to share ideas and information.

My first “daytrip” was to Albany for the District 7 meeting in September 2003 (okay, so I wasn’t quite the president then). The trip to Albany was a little harried. I just wanted to get there and get the drive out of the way. The meeting was held at Dougherty High School where Sherry Grove and Sharon Whaley, media specialists at Dougherty, were our gracious hosts. Not only was the meeting an information sharing session, but also there was a special guest – Joseph A. Whaley (Sharon’s husband). Mr. Whaley is the author of Directional Warning, a mystery thriller about drug smuggling. And, of course, Rebecca Reid was there to share and show support. On the way back home it was impossible to ignore the sights and sounds of the countryside. Driving in and out of small to mid-size towns I thought about our state’s song, “Georgia On My Mind” and reveled in the glory of fall.

Springtime came and a daytrip to Augusta on March 27th for the District Six meeting was my next driving challenge. Cindy Mailey and Mary Beth Spivey, the district’s co-chairs, had planned not only a great meeting but also a wonderful venue for the meeting -- the Partridge Inn. I knew that it was a luncheon meeting and, on the trip there, was riding on “empty.” But, that empty feeling made it possible for me to enjoy the ride and not feel sleepy. Again I was in awe of the beauty of Georgia’s countryside. It was, after all, springtime! As I neared Augusta I was caught up in the city’s plans for the Augusta National Golf Tournament. The lush green lawns and flowers in bloom combined to make the drive much more than “just a drive,” both there and back.

There are a lot of good reasons to want to be president of a state organization. But, when you throw in a couple of great daytrips, what reason do you have for not wanting to be the “top dog” or one of the pack and sing (or hum) “Georgia On My Mind” all the way there and back?

Millicent Drake Norman,
GLMA President, 2004

The summer went by in the blink of an eye! When I walked into the building on the first day of pre-planning it felt like I had never left. The smell of the library, “that soft, powdery, drowsy smell that comes off the pages in little puffs when you’re reading something or looking at some pictures, a kind of hypnotizing smell” wafted over me and I felt like I’d come home (Bud, Not Buddy, p. 54). I love being a library media specialist and, even though I love vacations, I love coming back to my library in those dog days of August. I like to open the dusty, creaky windows and let the summer breeze filter through the stacks of books waiting to be released from the shelf by an eager hand.

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