[Koha] [ByWater Partners] [Koha North America] Your suggestions for a new name of Koha NA

Tue Dec 22 11:58:38 NZDT 2015

Good to hear

-----Original Message-----
From: partners-bounces at bywatersolutions.com [mailto:partners-bounces at bywatersolutions.com] On Behalf Of Christopher Davis
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2015 2:47 PM
To: Stebbings, Wade <Wade.Stebbings at walkerart.org>
Cc: Francis Devadason <Francis.Devadason at doc.ks.gov>; partners <partners at bywatersolutions.com>; KohaNA <kohana at bywatersolutions.com>; Koha <koha at lists.katipo.co.nz>
Subject: Re: [ByWater Partners] [Koha North America] Your suggestions for a new name of Koha NA

Wade, et al,

The Koha NA officers are please to see to much discussion of this topic on the listservs. If you want to learn the context of why Koha NA is changing its name, please visit <koha-na.org/index.php/Minutes2015-12-09>. In short, Koha NA's original scope was the U.S. and we do not want our name to indicate North America when we are not able to physically meet outside of the U.S.

FYI: Our monthly meetings (you're all invited to our next meeting: Jan 13, 2016) are held online and so international boarders typically do not pose any obstacle like they do when meeting face-to-face.

Merry Christmas,

Christopher Davis
Secretary, Koha NA

On Mon, Dec 21, 2015 at 10:56 AM, Stebbings, Wade <Wade.Stebbings at walkerart.org> wrote:
> I agree, the frequency of face-to-face meetings can be reduced if it’s 
> too expensive. However, there is nothing like the serendipity offered 
> by a face-to-face meeting or conference. And maybe that luxury is 
> something done infrequently, or maybe with regional chapters.
>
> But I go back to what I said previously: what problem are we trying to 
> solve?
>
> If it’s about cost, then this new line of discussion has value.
>
> —wade
>
> On 12/21/15, 11:37 AM, "Francis Devadason" 
> <Francis.Devadason at doc.ks.gov>
> wrote:
>
>>Why do we have to travel? We can have online conferencing.
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Koha [mailto:koha-bounces at lists.katipo.co.nz] On Behalf Of 
>>Stebbings, Wade
>>Sent: Monday, December 21, 2015 10:14 AM
>>To: Owen Leonard; Koha
>>Cc: KohaNA; partners
>>Subject: Re: [Koha] [ByWater Partners] [Koha North America] Your 
>>suggestions for a new name of Koha NA
>>
>>Owen,
>>
>>Christopher said ³for many, travel outside of the U.S. Is prohibited,² 
>>which sounds more like travel constraints due to policy reasons, not 
>>due to cost. If we¹re really talking about cost-optimization, then the 
>>focus on contiguous-US is misplaced: cost has more to do with location 
>>than distance, some locations are simply much higher cost to stay. For 
>>example, my recent conference trip to Chicago (c. 400 miles), flying 
>>and driving were close to the same cost, but the cost of 
>>accommodations by far exceeded everything else. Chicago is expensive, 
>>New York is expensive, San Francisco is expensive, Winnipeg is not. It 
>>has nothing to do with political boundaries. The majority of Canadian 
>>population lives relatively close to the Canadian-US border, Edmonton 
>>being the most egregious outlier.
>>
>>Agreed, we need to step back and rethink, What problem are we trying 
>>to solve? ŒHot water¹ doesn¹t say much.
>>
>>If that answer drives the shape and expanse of the organization, or 
>>chapter, then fine. But not until that is decided do we name something.
>>It is now obvious to me the exercise of naming something is way too 
>>premature.
>>
>>‹wade
>>
>>On 12/21/15, 8:02 AM, "partners-bounces at bywatersolutions.com on behalf 
>>of Owen Leonard" <partners-bounces at bywatersolutions.com on behalf of 
>>oleonard at myacpl.org> wrote:
>>
>>>I think everyone needs to pause and reflect on what the goal of this 
>>>process is, because we seem to be continuing to dig this hole deeper 
>>>instead of climbing out.
>>>
>>>> all face-to-face meetings will be
>>>> held within the contiguous U.S. to ensure that U.S. Koha users have 
>>>> a better chance to attend them (for many, travel outside of the 
>>>> U.S. is prohibited).
>>>
>>>The goal of this process is to define the terms of a Koha user group 
>>>which meets within the contiguous United States. This narrow 
>>>definition is of the location of the meetings, not of those who are 
>>>welcome in the group.
>>>
>>>This rule about meeting locations is not made in order to be 
>>>exclusionary, but in order to create more opportunities for U.S.
>>>members to participate. The United States is big, travel is 
>>>expensive, and libraries don't like to spend money.
>>>
>>>I would encourage everyone to make suggestions which don't have 
>>>"North America" or "America" as a basis. Both terms include areas 
>>>which are outside the contiguous United States and thus explicitly excluded.
>>>Take a look at the maps:
>>>
>>>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America
>>>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas
>>>
>>>Terms like "North America" and "America" are WHY we're hot water in 
>>>the first place.
>>>
>>> -- Owen
>>>
>>>--
>>>Web Developer
>>>Athens County Public Libraries
>>>http://www.myacpl.org
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Partners mailing list
>>>Partners at lists.bywatersolutions.com
>>>http://lists.bywatersolutions.com/mailman/listinfo/partners
>>
>>_______________________________________________
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>>https://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha
>
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