Wishing I was at CIL
Apr 18th, 2007 by Karen
For the first time in many years, I’m not attending Computers in Libraries. This is in part due to the fact that my professional life has become so busy that I’m losing my mind and can’t cope with squeezing anything else in. Part of the insanity in my life is the fact that the UH Libraries site redesign is underway in a big way and while it looks like nothing is going on, behind the scenes we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off.
We are testing digital library software, working on implementing LibraryFind, wanting to redo our list of library database page so that it has a search box and then uses Solr for faceting. Additionally, I’m knee deep in writing the book plus trying to put together some future presents and conference proposals. To say my life is exciting would be an massive understatement.
At the same time, I miss the people I typically see at CIL and Internet Librarian. I miss the chance to just LEARN about stuff rather than spending my day dealing with massive piles of work and administratia. I miss the pick me up of the enthusiasm of the presenters and all the conference attendees. Yet a part of me knows if I was there I would feel guilty and very freaked out about how everything was going to get done. I want to send a shout out to all the people blogging CIL. I can’t possible name you all here but it is great to know that if I want to get a summary of a particular session that all I need to do is a little searching and voila summaries abound! There are also a bunch of other ways I can track the conference listed on the conference wiki. Whether I like it or not even though I’m here in Houston a big piece of me is at CIL this week.
I totally understand. I have never gone to CIL, and although I go to Internet Librarian each year, it really feels like the two conferences complement each other, both in terms of people-networking and content. I have read a number of non-CIL-ers lamenting their status this year. Perhaps you and I, Karen, should commit to having a drink together at the next CIL :) Maybe that will get us there!