The Metro Atlanta Library Association (MALA) Statement at the Town Hall Meeting on the Future of Library Education in Georgia, held on July 27th, 2004

I stand before you today representing the Metro-Atlanta Library Association (MALA).  We like to think of ourselves as "user friendly," "practical," and the local librarian's dream for networking.  We see ourselves as partners in continued library education through facilitating our own instructional meetings and sponsoring the Clark Atlanta /MALA Scholarship fund.

Georgia has benefited from having a fully accredited library school located right in Atlanta's front yard.  It is no exageration to say that without the Clark Atlanta University (CAU) School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS), our profession in the area would not be as strongly represented by native Georgians; native Georgians who grew up here and have a vested interest in the profession and the community.

It is with great passion that I speak in support for CAU to declare the need for a continued library school presence in our city.  For years CAU has met the needs of the library profession and now we continue to voice our support for the School, its faculty and administration.

That said we equally support the efforts of Valdosta State University to develop its Library School and gain accreditation.  We would like to see both institutions thrive and succeed in their academic goals.  If the CAU SLIS is closed, we believe it in the best interest of the metro-Atlanta area for Valdosta State University to seek out a location closer than its curent Macon campus for library school classes.  This will help insure that our profession continues to have a strong locally based recruitment.