Perhaps the greatest reward for many of us who have participated in the activities of the International Association of Law Libraries over the past decades has been the opportunity to meet colleagues in our profession who work in so many different parts of the world. Unfortunately, there are so many of our members who have not been able to attend our meetings for one reason or another and have not had the opportunity to exchange thoughts on our often surprisingly shared common concerns in our professional work or to develop the friendships which transcend the distances which separate our daily lives.