Comments on: My love hate relationship with ALA http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2007/01/24/my-love-hate-relationship-with-ala/ Resources for librarians who are interested in the application of web design and technologies in libraries Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:00:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Keith Michael Fiels http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2007/01/24/my-love-hate-relationship-with-ala/#comment-19775 Keith Michael Fiels Fri, 02 Feb 2007 14:33:30 +0000 http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2007/01/24/my-love-hate-relationship-with-ala/#comment-19775 Karen: Your perceptions are not unlike mine those many years ago I first wandered into an ALA Midwinter Meeting. A couple of thoughts: While the program planning cycle is long, there are creative ways around the time lag, such as designing a "hot issue" or "what's new" umbrella that would allow for the specifics to evolve. A lot of programs end up quite a bit different from those approved last year, and you do have until program copy is due for fine tuning. You're absolutely right about using face to face - and discussion list - time well. One of the biggest problems has always been the fact that it's pretty tough to accomplish much if you only get together twice a year. Now, discussion and projects can now move forward in between meetings, which is great. The challenge is for the chair - and committee members - to get the balance right, so that you get the most value out of face to face meetings. That balance is going to vary quite a bit based on the specific projects and committee members involved. I'd love to see someone develop "a committee's guide to getting the most out of face to face - and electronic - communication" (not that there's a perfect answer). Karen:

Your perceptions are not unlike mine those many years ago I first wandered into an ALA Midwinter Meeting. A couple of thoughts:

While the program planning cycle is long, there are creative ways around the time lag, such as designing a “hot issue” or “what’s new” umbrella that would allow for the specifics to evolve. A lot of programs end up quite a bit different from those approved last year, and you do have until program copy is due for fine tuning.

You’re absolutely right about using face to face - and discussion list - time well. One of the biggest problems has always been the fact that it’s pretty tough to accomplish much if you only get together twice a year. Now, discussion and projects can now move forward in between meetings, which is great.

The challenge is for the chair - and committee members - to get the balance right, so that you get the most value out of face to face meetings. That balance is going to vary quite a bit based on the specific projects and committee members involved. I’d love to see someone develop “a committee’s guide to getting the most out of face to face - and electronic - communication” (not that there’s a perfect answer).

]]> By: Mary Ghikas http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2007/01/24/my-love-hate-relationship-with-ala/#comment-19690 Mary Ghikas Mon, 29 Jan 2007 19:59:27 +0000 http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2007/01/24/my-love-hate-relationship-with-ala/#comment-19690 Thanks for the feedback. There are people working hard to "make it better" -- particularly in areas like networking, transparency, simpler process -- and this kind of direct feedback is truly useful. I'd be very interested in any recommendations or suggestions you have. I suspect the issue of booking conference sites 10+ years out is not changeable anytime soon -- just a fact of the size -- and unusual shape -- of the ALA conference. I'd be happy to provide as much information as I can -- though that's possibly more than you want. Keep pushing -- and posting. mg Thanks for the feedback. There are people working hard to “make it better” — particularly in areas like networking, transparency, simpler process — and this kind of direct feedback is truly useful. I’d be very interested in any recommendations or suggestions you have.

I suspect the issue of booking conference sites 10+ years out is not changeable anytime soon — just a fact of the size — and unusual shape — of the ALA conference. I’d be happy to provide as much information as I can — though that’s possibly more than you want.

Keep pushing — and posting. mg

]]> By: Aaron the Librarian http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2007/01/24/my-love-hate-relationship-with-ala/#comment-19662 Aaron the Librarian Sat, 27 Jan 2007 20:37:18 +0000 http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2007/01/24/my-love-hate-relationship-with-ala/#comment-19662 Karen, 1. you're participating more (yay!) and you're a whirlwind of ideas; I doubt I was the "notable exception" but I was happy to meet you (briefly) at LITA 2. yep, ALA is pretty rigid - especially when talking about program planning; the locations are set 10+ years in advance, technology concerns for those venues are set around then too, the conference services area of ALA is the most opaque of all of them - I'm still trying to get a good idea of how this works (I've been trying for ~4 years through many high-falootin' contacts and with ninja-like infiltration and observation techniques - I'm still trying) 3. yeah, the intra-association training leave a lot to be desired; I found out about several things (incomming chair orientation, interns orientation, etc) via WOM; this is getting a little better (or I'm just in the know enough now to know where to look) :) 4. this used to be the case, but I think great strides are now being made to do more with 'virtual' participation -- 'virtual' in quotes because the contibutions are real, not virtual. I'd say more but my battery is sayinnnnnhhhhhhhhhhhhh a* Karen,
1. you’re participating more (yay!) and you’re a whirlwind of ideas; I doubt I was the “notable exception” but I was happy to meet you (briefly) at LITA
2. yep, ALA is pretty rigid - especially when talking about program planning; the locations are set 10+ years in advance, technology concerns for those venues are set around then too, the conference services area of ALA is the most opaque of all of them - I’m still trying to get a good idea of how this works (I’ve been trying for ~4 years through many high-falootin’ contacts and with ninja-like infiltration and observation techniques - I’m still trying)
3. yeah, the intra-association training leave a lot to be desired; I found out about several things (incomming chair orientation, interns orientation, etc) via WOM; this is getting a little better (or I’m just in the know enough now to know where to look) :)
4. this used to be the case, but I think great strides are now being made to do more with ‘virtual’ participation — ‘virtual’ in quotes because the contibutions are real, not virtual.

I’d say more but my battery is sayinnnnnhhhhhhhhhhhhh a*

]]> By: Dorothea http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2007/01/24/my-love-hate-relationship-with-ala/#comment-19642 Dorothea Sat, 27 Jan 2007 04:06:44 +0000 http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2007/01/24/my-love-hate-relationship-with-ala/#comment-19642 When faced with this kind of situation, my question to myself is, "What is the best use of my energy?" I can't answer that question for you, but I do think it's a valuable question. When faced with this kind of situation, my question to myself is, “What is the best use of my energy?”

I can’t answer that question for you, but I do think it’s a valuable question.

]]> By: Jenny Levine http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2007/01/24/my-love-hate-relationship-with-ala/#comment-19606 Jenny Levine Fri, 26 Jan 2007 00:28:36 +0000 http://www.librarywebchic.net/wordpress/2007/01/24/my-love-hate-relationship-with-ala/#comment-19606 Karen, what did you have in mind for your proposed new group to do? I'd like to hear more about that. Thanks! Karen, what did you have in mind for your proposed new group to do? I’d like to hear more about that. Thanks!

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