Jenny Umbarger

NCSLMA President

2022-2023

President’s Corner December 2022

When I was asked to consider running for president-elect a few years ago, I was honored–and scared. But I was still very eager to take advantage of growth opportunities at that time and I knew I had a strong support system in the other presidents, so I accepted and was ready to be the absolute best NCSLMA President that I could be. Then the pandemic hit, and my father’s dementia started progressing. I made some poor choices early on in my conference planning and then had to struggle with the decision to switch the 2021 conference to virtual just a month before the event. I came close to calling it quits, but I knew that wouldn’t be fair, as I had made a commitment. This was all before I even officially became president.

As I start my final month as NCSLMA President, I am realizing that this “growth opportunity” did not allow me to grow the way I originally expected. I don’t feel like I have been the absolute best NCSLMA president I could be, and I am sorry for that. I have given what I could, when I could–and I will continue to do so. But I have come to terms with the fact that being a people-pleasing perfectionist is not sustainable for me. My new mantra is “eh, good enough” and I am learning to be ok with this.

Despite my lack of phenomenal leadership, NCSLMA is a strong organization as a result of the work of many. The volunteers that serve on the Board of Directors, as coordinators or chairs, and on the various committees keep NCSLMA going and provide support for us in our profession - I can’t thank you all enough! But we recognize there is always room for improvement, so we are asking you to take time to complete our future planning survey linked here: https://forms.gle/DzWtNJTRk1kKtdit5. This will help guide our work as we prepare for a new year. Thank you in advance for your input and feedback.

We are also always looking for more volunteers to help get the work done. Be on the lookout for a page on our website with volunteer opportunities, but the immediate known needs are within our Advocacy and Governance section:

• Advocacy Committee - contact Stephanie Powell at advocacy@ncslma.org

• Legislative Committee - contact Lucy Wilcox at legislative@ncslma.org

• Intellectual Freedom "First Responders" - contact April Dawkins at aprildawkins@ncslma.org (you will receive training from Dr. Dawkins!)

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as NCSLMA President, and I look forward to supporting our incoming President, Jennifer Abel. I strive to be a better Past-President than I have been as President, but I hope that what I have done has been good enough.

Image source unknown, but credit to Kim Gugino for sharing this with me.

The pandemic has a new virus that is sweeping across our nation. This virus is destroying the minds of millions of people and bringing division upon us. This virus is called fake news and miscommunication. The pandemic left many of us home without anything to do and millions of people flocked to social media for their news and entertainment. In the technology age, students have access to information at the tips of the fingers. With rapid access to information, there is also rapid access to misinformation. Students must be taught on all levels to access information properly. We, as media specialists, are vital in teaching the proper way to access information. We must educate teachers in what to look for when grading research papers and looking for cited information. Teachers must also be taught about reliable sources which can change from year to year. We must educate students so that they know the difference between a reliable source and fake news. Fake news is everywhere, thanks to social media and various so-called news outlets. Students have access to news through these mediums which are not a reliable source but may seem true to them at the time. Being taught about reliable sources and the biases in news, students will learn the difference between the two as well as gain skills to access reliable information. In order to accomplish this, we must review reliable sources yearly with our students so that they can understand the changes in sources. 

We are the gatekeepers to information and the destroyers of miscommunication.

We must use the skills that we were taught to encourage the proper way to access information and to discern fake news from Real News. Our future is dependent on us because if we don't get a hold of this miscommunication now then we will be left with a future of young leaders believing in fake news and running our nation based on it. 

Is that what you want?

Advancement
Director: Faith Huff

Advocacy
Director: Susan Sawin

Awards, Grants, Scholarships
Director: Sarah Justice

AASL Delegates

Laura Aldridge & Jenny Umbarger

Book Programs
Director: Stacy Hersey

G-Suites
Director: Cindy Sturdivant

Membership
Director: Shelly Cloninger

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Michelle Burton & Ness Shortley

Regional Directors:
Lead: Robin Rhodes

Social Media
Director: Alicia Luke

Website
Director: Kristy Sartain

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