AACRAO

At this year’s AACRAO annual meeting, the organization honored the memory of former AACRAO president and our wonderful colleague, Tina Falkner. A grant was re-named in her honor in recognition of her endless commitment to supporting the development of higher education professionals. The Tina Falkner Engagement Grant supports continued, in-person engagement at AACRAO meetings so members of committees, caucuses, and/or work groups with a demonstrated financial need can fulfill their professional obligation. Tina was also awarded an AACRAO Honorary Membership.

In honor of Tina’s passion for books and sharing her favorites with others, a Little Free Library will be built in every city of the AACRAO Annual Meeting in her honor. This particular recognition builds off of Tina’s own idea in 2018 to have a traveling Little Free Library at the Annual Meeting. It gives members a chance to share books with the AACRAO community they may have brought with them during their travels. Tina said, “Many of us read when we travel . . . Now when you finish your book on the plane, you can just pick one up here instead of going into an expensive bookstore and find a book to read on the way home.” 

A quote from one of Tina’s favorite books, The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett, speaks perfectly to the way Tina showed up in the world and reflects the impact she continues to have, in part, through these AACRAO recognitions: “Them as can do has to do for them as can't. And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.”