A Few Final Thoughts
March 19th, 2005I’m leaving today after a whirlwind week here in DC at CIL. Here are some final thoughts:
+ There was definitely an age thing going on this week. I noticed that there were more younger folk at CIL than ever before (the older librarians were always reminded us younglings of our ages) and would love to see what the age demographics were this year compared to last year. I’m hoping that this trend continuous at Internet Librarian as well as the next CIL.
+ The best networking happens at the following places:
- The bars
- The dine-arounds
- The tables by the registration area
- At the speakers tables after the presentations.
+ If you see Stephen Abram, give him a big hug and thank him for being a librarian. He is one of the smartest individuals that I have ever met and is the epitome of excellence in librarianship.
+ This hotel (The Hilton on Connecticut Ave) is one of the driest buildings in the country. I had 3 bloody noses this week and my throat closed up numerous times during my presentations. Greg Schwartz was walking around with a bottle of water the entire week and was feeling the effects too.
+ I got to meet many colleagues whom I have communicated with on many occasions via my weblog: Tara Calashain (whom I met for 5 minutes last year), Steven Bell (StevenB for those who read C&I), and Roy Tennant. I was so excited to see Tara again and spend more time talking with her. I’ve been a fan of hers for a very long time. She’s one of my favorite non-librarian librarians. Steven Bell and I have had a semi-combative relationship over the past few years, but our discussions always lead to a mutual understanding of each others thoughts on our primary subjects (keeping current). I’m glad that I have Steve Bell in my life. He grounds me. I only spoke with Roy for a few hours at the bar, but it felt like he was at the conference all week. A very funny man.
+ The best part of the sessions is the Q&A that follows each speaker, whether in front of the audience or afterward. During my preconference workshop, I engaged the audience with discussions on various topics dealing with weblogs and RSS. I wonder if there could be a way to foster more discussions during the presentations. The speaker sessions would probably have to be smaller, but I can’t help but to think that we can all learn more from each other rather than from the speakers. I’m on a collective learning kick. Maybe something at Internet Librarian?
+ “Core Bloggers” is probably not the best name to use for a selected blogging group.
+ If you are a presenter at any future ITI conferences, please make sure to thank those that made sure that your rooms were set up with the correct tech equipment. Bill Spence and his staff work hard and deserve our gratitude. Thanks guys.
+ I must have used the phrase “Get Involved” at least 65 times this week. That’s what I said to colleagues who asked me about presenting at future conferences. The best thing to do is to chat with anyone on the organizing committees. Also, if you have a good idea for a topic or (even better) have done some amazing work at your library, share it with others by showing it off at a conference. Don’t be afraid to market your abilities, your triumphs, your excitements, and your library.
For those in Texas, I’ll be at TLA this year, talking about social networking and keeping current (two separate presentations). Please come up and say hello.