The Challenges Ahead: Actions for Tough Economic Times

Slide 1

Transportation Librarians Roundtable

11 December 2008

Today's Session:

"The Challenges Ahead: Actions for Tough Economic Times"

Roberto Sarmiento, Director, Northwestern University Transportation Library

Slide 2

The Challenges Ahead: Actions for Tough Economic Times

Three images of (1) people working in a library, (2) chart of changing values of money, and (3) a patron working at a computer.

Slide 3

The Current Fiscal Crisis and Its Impact on Transportation Libraries

How can we -- individually and collectively -- best weather the economic storm affecting each of us and our organizations?

How should we assess and address the existing and emerging fiscal challenges?

Image of a sailor at the wheel of a ship looking toward the waters ahead.

Slide 4

Possible courses of action

Keep our colleagues in the transportation library community informed of developments and concerns; in times of trouble, we should lean on each other and provide support - moral as well as practical -- whenever possible

Image of two people on either side of a fence conversing.

Slide 5

Possible courses of action

Share strategies and "best practices" on how to promote and protect our libraries in the current financial climate.

Image of three people in a huddle strategizing.

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Possible courses of action

Mobilize and speak with one voice to write letters, e-mails, testimonials, etc., supporting and defending each other.

Image of a microphone

Slide 7

Possible courses of action

Identify and implement opportunities for collaboration in order to more meaningfully leverage available resources.

Image of two people working together at a laptop

Slide 8

Together We Can Make a Difference

Image of people holding hands around a lightbulb which symbolizes a common ideal and action.

 "At the banquet table of nature, there are no reserved seats.  You get what you can take, and you keep what you can hold.  If you can't take anything, you won't get anything, and if you can't hold anything, you won't keep anything.  And you can't take anything without organization."

A. Phillip Randolph