Greetings,

As most of you probably know, a popular feature for several years at the Arkansas Library Association's annual conferences has been the basket auction. This is a money raising event organized around the silent auction of theme baskets. Anyone can play so I invite you, your library, or a group of friends to provide a basket for this year's auction at the upcoming conference in Little Rock.

The concept is a simple one. Think of a theme and then carry out that theme through whatever items you put in your basket. "Basket" being a nebulous term since some ideas do not need "containers" as the baby quilt sold one previous year demonstrated. A pasta dinner basket, for instance, might include pasta noodles, a jar of sauce, and a set of pasta bowls. The well-remembered "car washing" basket from our first year consisted of a bucket filled with items useful for washing your car. Rules are few and generally ignored where "basket" is concerned.

Baskets can be any size. In fact, a mixture of small, medium, and large baskets generally results in something for everyone and most price ranges. Proceeds from the auction go to the Library Education and Aid Fund (LEAF), an account separate from the Association's operating budget. LEAF monies go toward special projects that could not be supported through regular ALA funds. Past LEAF expenditures have included donations to the Louisiana and Mississippi Library Associations to assist them in the rebuilding of libraries damaged by Katrina, a donation to El Dorado's Barton Library to assist that library's recovery from a major fire, assistance to the Stuttgart Public Library which suffered extensive damage in a recent tornado, and assistance in paying the salary of a lobbyist to represent library interests during the past legislative session. A new activity for LEAF was begun in 2010 with a donation on behalf of the Arkansas Library Association toward financing the Arkansas Literary Festival since that festival is an encouragement for reading and the appreciation of books and writing. In addition to financing good works, the basket auction is always a source of entertainment at conference as well.

So put your thinking caps on, wave your Harry Potter wand, and produce a basket for this year's auction. Send me an email or telephone me at (501) 320-5727 if you would and let me know you will be bringing a basket or more. Having an idea of how many baskets to expect helps me in planning the arrangement of baskets in the exhibits area. Questions can also be sent to me through those channels.

I will be in the exhibit area Sunday morning of conference by 11:00 am to accept baskets. I can accept baskets early Monday morning if you cannot get them to me sooner. Bidding will end Monday afternoon at a time to be determined prior to conference.

Thanks for your support of the basket auction and the Association.

Bob Razer