In the spring of 1999, three librarians—Scott Alan Smith (Blackwell’s), Richard Brumley (Oregon State University), and Nancy Slight-Gibney (University of Oregon)—met in Corvallis, Oregon for lunch. As they lamented the demise of the Feather River Institute (an intentionally small, acquisitions-focused conference that had run during the 1990s at the University of the Pacific), they talked about how they missed the sense of being at a retreat within a community of practice. Talk soon turned to whether they could resurrect such an atmosphere at another event, and before lunch was finished, the seeds for the Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge had been sown.
Creating community is as essential now as it was during the very first Acquisitions Institute, held in 2000. Timberline Lodge continues to be an integral part of the event, providing numerous spaces for interaction and conversation, reflection, rejuvenation, and inspiration. The single-track format ensures intentionality in programming as well as a shared experience for all attendees.
Remembering Co-Founder Scott Alan Smith
Scott Alan Smith passed away on March 12, 2018. Scott was a long-time representative for a number of vendors, including Blackwell North America and Blackwell’s. He served for several years as director for the Langlois (Oregon) Public Library and later as a volunteer at public libraries near his Columbia Gorge home in Mosier, Oregon. Scott was a founding member of the planning committees for the Feather River Institute and the Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge, and his work contributed significantly to advances in library acquisitions and the development of our community of practice. He was a masterful storyteller and a convivial and attentive host at the Institutes. Scott’s contributions were recognized in a ceremony at the 2018 Acquisitions Institute, and a number of his colleagues shared their memories of Scott.