ALA Madness
Jun 28th, 2008 by Karen
Okay let me explain for those of you who are already VERY confused and keep sending emails asking if I’ll be at ALA or not.
NO I’m not attending ALA in person. I made a promise to my husband so I’m staying home this year. However, I am participating in both the Social Software Showcase and Top Tech Trends. As a result, I’ve been as busy, if not more busy than I would be if I was going to ALA in person.
The thing I like most about not going in person to ALA is that I’m getting to help test and pilot virtual participation efforts in ALA (LITA specifically). This is pretty darn fun, because it has introduced me to some technologies I’ve never encounter before and helped me polish up some of my older skills, like screencasting. Being part of virtual participation brings back very fond memories of 5 Weeks to a Social Library, which was a project where I got to step outside the traditional roles and technologies I normally work with into a space that was new and exciting. Putting together the virtual bits of the Social Software Showcase has been like that as well and I’m truly loving every minute of it. (We’ll see how much I’m loving it if the tech goes to hell)
The things I will miss about not being at ALA in person? The OCLC Developers Networking meeting; seeing my colleagues, especially Roy and Griffey; and having those “Ah Ha!” moments in the middle of a bar conversation that causes me to scribble notes on whatever is available and stuff them in my purse.
Still I’m hoping the Showcase virtual discussions will be informative and help generate new ideas for people, myself included.
