By Gale Burrow, gburrow@rocky.claremont.edu 

Even as we maintain our commitment to today, LIRT, too, is looking to the future and to the past. Most immediately, we are looking forward to Midwinter Conference in Philadelphia. Although I know some of you will think I am nuts, I have to admit I am looking forward to the winter weather. I am also looking forward to seeing old friends I see only twice a year, to participating in stimulating discussions like those we always have at the LIRT Discussion Forum, and to eating good food and meeting new friends at Bites with LIRT. 

On a larger scale and in keeping with ALA's "New Visions: Beyond ALA Goal 2000," LIRT is developing a strategic plan that will help us establish organizational priorities to see us into the 21st century. Using their recently completed environmental scan, recommendations from the February 1997LIRT retreat in Washington, D.C., and other strategic planning documents, theLong Range Planning Committee, chaired by Alison Armstrong, will be working during this conference to complete the draft of a strategic plan for LIRT. 

While LRP looks ahead, the newly established LIRT 25th Anniversary Task Force, chaired by Diana Shonrock, will be looking back over LIRT's accomplishments during the past quarter-century. They will begin planning ways to celebrate those accomplishments when we actually reach our 25th birthday in 2002. 

If you are able to join us in Philadelphia, I look forward to seeing you at the All-Committees meeting on Saturday morning. If winter in Philadelphia is not as appealing to you as it is to me and you decide to stay home, I hope you will write to LIRT-L or contact me, Alison, or Diana, if you have ideas you would like to contribute to our plans for the future and celebrations of the past. 

Gale Burrow is President of LIRT and Coordinator of Library Instruction in the Honnold/Mudd Library, The Claremont Colleges.