"I don’t look in the mirror to find people who look exactly like me. I look in the mirror to find acceptance- to find home.”
During the WIIM Round Table at AIIM Conference, someone asked why they should put the energy into this group when there were others, they could join that served the same function in other organizations. The answer to that lies in the uniqueness of our community and culture.
We are not teachers, but many of us teach.
We are not writers, but many of us write.
We are not librarians, but we organize information.
We are not legislators, but we must know the regulations.
We are not lawyers, but we must know the law.
We live and work in the liminal spaces where transformation and possibility reside. It is this possibility that we, as Women in Information Management, must take advantage of. Together, we weave a tapestry of resilience and innovation. We create space where we are safe to explore ideas, to make mistakes, to learn, and to improve. Within this group, we can let vulnerability be our strength. We can celebrate diversity, knowing that success wears many faces.
There are other groups of women, but none are poised in the information management space. The skills they champion may be tangential to our needs but they do not sit fully in the same sphere. We are at a turning point in information management and together we can lead the charge.
In the closing keynote for the AIIM conference, Alan Pelz-Sharpe stated that we are in a golden age of information management, and it is our job to not let this opportunity pass us by. Let’s band together, find our commonalities, celebrate our differences, be strong, be vulnerable, be real. Let’s live in the unique world of information management and continue to grow and adapt and support each other along the way.
Let’s find acceptance.
Let’s find home.
Are you ready to be a part of this transformative journey? Join AIIM+ and become a member of the Women in Information Management community today. Together, let's find acceptance, let's find home.