Over the past year I’ve transitioned from thinking and working about “training” to focusing more on the end result–performance and answering the question of how do we improve the services and the quality of service we provide to our customers. Sometimes training is the answer but more often it’s not. Training is only a small part of a solution in performance consulting.

I’ve also recently become the managing editor of ALA Learning, the official blog of the Learning Round Table of the American Library Association. When Peter Bromberg first asked me to take over the helm, I wondered how I would keep up with contributing to two training blogs. But I’ve found that being a part of a group blog, especially this group, is very rewarding. Seriously how can one go wrong when working with this crew? The quality and depth of content is far more than any one person could provide without making it a full time job.

So with ALA Learning under way and with performance consulting in mind, I’ve decided to take a leap of faith and move my content to LoriReed.com where I will continue to write about topics relevant to libraries about training but with a much broader focus. I’m also planning to write more about a topic very close to my heart–work/life balance and the trials and tribulations of being a working mom with a successful career. Don’t worry, I’m not about to become a mommy blogger! No tales of dirty diapers or moonsand to give you nightmares. I’m planning to focus more on the answer to the question that I get asked more than any other–how do you do it all?

There is a rumor that you can’t have it all. I disagree! You can have it all but you have to be very focused on what is you want and why. You also have to accept the fact that sometimes you can’t have it all at once. Life really is a marathon and not a sprint. I remind myself of that every day.

I hope you will follow me over to LoriReed.com. This is a great week for the transition since it is also Round 4 of the Library Day in the Life project created by Bobbi Newman. Therefore I take back the promise of no moonsand stories. You might see a few of those this week.

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Thanks to everyone who has followed Library Trainer for the past two years. It’s having readers like you, who provide comments and interaction from the faceblogotwittofriendfeedosphere, that make blogging a fun and satisfying endeavor.

Stay tuned for details about the future of LibraryTrainer.com. I have exciting news to share soon!

I’ll be at ALA Midwinter next week at all of the LearnRT events and meetings. If you see me please stop me and say hello. Regardless of whether you are a member or not attend the Learning Town Hall Meet and Greet on Friday, January 15 from 3:30-5:00 at the INTER-Rose Kennedy II.

Safe travels and may 2010 bring the best for you!

Years went by and I did not think much about the MDA Telethon again until I became a firefighter. On Labor Day weekend fire departments across the nation support the MDA with their “Fill the Boot” campaign.

Now many years later I watch the telethon every year with a mix of emotions. This is my 10-year anniversary of being diagnosed with the neuromuscular disease Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT). Luckily the effects I experience from CMT are very mild—the worst being some pain with walking or prolonged activity as well as overall fatigue. I am blessed that this disease will not shorten my life, but this is not the case for many of the more than a million Americans who suffer from neuromuscular diseases—diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) which can cause death within 3-5 years.

While my health insurance covers all of my treatment for CMT, it does not cover the research that is needed to find treatments and cures for these diseases. Since many of these diseases have had their genetic cause identified there is a good chance that they can be cured or at a minimum have reduced pain and suffering through stem cell therapy or other forms of treatment.

As you celebrate Labor Day weekend with your families and friends please consider a small donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Association during the telethon, online, online auction, or if you see firefighters collecting for Jerry’s Kids, fill their boots! Every penny raised counts and goes to benefit the lives of more than a million Americans afflicted with neuromuscular diseases.

Some facts:

• MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education.
• The majority of contributions to MDA come from individual donors.
• MDA is the largest nongovernmental sponsor of muscle and nerve disease research.
• Funded almost entirely by individual private contributions, MDA seeks no fees from those it serves.
• MDA dedicates 78.3 cents of every dollar it spends directly to research, services and education.
• MDA sends more than 4,000 youngsters with muscular dystrophy to accessible MDA summer camps each year, at a cost to MDA of $800 per camper. There’s no charge to families.
• Tens of thousands of people visit MDA’s 220 clinics and 35 MDA/ALS centers every year.
• MDA awards research grants to more than 300 teams of scientists and physicians worldwide.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post and have a safe and relaxing holiday!

Last month I was elected to be on the board for the Charlotte Chapter of ASTD. I’ve been a member of ASTD on and off for about nine years and am excited about serving on the board for such a great chapter.

Tomorrow I am headed to Arlington, Virginia for the ASTD Chapter Leaders Conference. The lineup of speakers is impressive, and I’m really looking forward to hearing Bob Pike–the guru of all things training/learning.

Opening General Session: Afterburner
Working together to sculpt a masterpiece—tips from fighter pilots on achieving optimal team performance

Keynote: Andrea Nierenberg
The Art of Networking and Relationship Building

Closing Keynote: Bob Pike
Sculpting a “Successful Attitude”: How You Think Does Make a Difference

There are lots of concurrent sessions as well.

I’m also looking forward to seeing my friend Paul Signorelli and meeting some new faces in learning.