RUSSIA — November 11, 2007. Our delegation of 19 academic librarian delegates and guests arrived in Moscow on the afternoon of Saturday, November 10. I slept very little on the plane trips, so the Saturday evening briefing is a blur. Yesterday was devoted to sightseeing, including Red Square and the Tretyakov Art Gallery. We met Ann Symons, former ALA president, for lunch. She works in Moscow as a school librarian at the school for embassy employees and other Americans. A government employee, she enjoys diplomatic immunity and the most generous library budget she has ever had.

Our first professional visit is this morning at the Moscow State University of Culture and Arts. I will try to send a longer message later, with details of the meeting. Right now, there is a queue for this, the only high speed internet computer in the hotel that does not cost you $10 an hour.

Bede Mitchell, LAMA President

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