ASSOCIATES (vol. 3, no. 3, March 1997) - associates.ucr.edu

Table of Contents


        *COLT MID-WINTER CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.*
        
                   reported by Joyce Nielsen 
                  COLT Public Relations Chair 
                 Van Wylen Library Circulation 
                    Associate Hope College
                         Holland, MI
                     MI.nielsenj@hope.edu
               http://www.hope.edu/resources/lib

The Mid-Winter Conference of the Council on Library/Media
Technicians (COLT) brought 40 people to the Washington, D.C.,
Chapter Conference held February 13-14, 1997.  A pleasant
reception Thursday evening gave all of us participants a chance
to become better acquainted and to exchange ideas about our
library work.
 
The Conference featured a workshop, Combating Stress in the
Workplace, presented by psychologists Dodi Christiano Ardalan and
Erica Moltz.  They described the physical and emotional evidence
of stress in people and discussed some of the stressors in our
lives.  We considered the need to prioritize from urgent,
important projects to insignificant, unimportant activities.
 
Then the facilitators lead the group through several exercises in
relaxation and sensory imagery, giving each participant feelings
of calm and sanctuary and a group of metaphorical gifts to take
home while teaching techniques to help each one recover these
sensations when they are needed in stressful situations.
 
A session such as this one brings out new ideas and reinforces
those we've learned earlier.  The participants seemed to find
this workshop very satisfying.  Each of us received a very
handsome and colorful certificate at the end of the session.
 
The formal part of the conference was completed with a nice
buffet luncheon and the awarding of certificates of appreciation
to various COLT members who had worked to make the conference a
success.
 
In the afternoon many of the group took advantage of the tours
arranged at the Supreme Court and at the Library of Congress.
Our guides were very knowledgeable and the tours extremely
interesting.  Visits to special sites are features that make each
conference unique, broadening each member's experience and
enabling members to know each other more personally.