Library Web Chic

As some of you may have noted, Dorothea turned an offer to join the LITA’s Top Technology Trends panel. I heard through the grapevine that she had been offered and spot and got very excited because I also was recently offered a seat at the TTT table and enthusiastically accepted. I am a technology geek who has my share of gadgets and are always wanting to try out the latest thing. However, I’ll freely admit, I have my share of skepticism and disinterest in certain technologies. Not because I don’t think they are interesting or potentially valuable, I just haven’t figured out how they meet any of my particular needs.

At the same time, I’m a fairly involved member of LITA, who is co-chairing a SIG at the moment and would like to see changes in how LITA operates. I also kvetched about the lack of female representation on the TTT panel and feel obligated to say yes at the opportunity to make things a little more balanced.

Dorothea’s reasoning for turning TTT down makes sense, although a part of me would like to see someone with her focus and expertise on the panel to talk about open access issues and how the nature of the web is changing publishing models. However, I am hoping that as part of my trend spinning that I can pick her brain about these issues. There needs to be a greater awareness about these issues throughout libraries and ALA is doing somewhat of a disservice by not doing a better job of bringing them to the fore.

While I’ll miss Dorothea, I’m super-excited that Meredith will be joining me on the TTT panel. Not that working with some of the other TTT folks won’t also be great. I’ve been in awe of Roy and Andrew forever. I’ve been going to Top Tech Trends as long as I’ve been going to ALA and often thinking “hey, why didn’t they talk about…”. Now I’ll get to put things out there that I think are important, which is pretty amazing. The last six months professional have been gratifying beyond words but at the same time bittersweet. I’ve never been so busy or stressed, but also never loved what I do more. And while I hope the next year is less stressful, I wouldn’t want it to be less interesting.