Inside ZSR
“What’s your vision for the library of 2027?” “The technology will finally work right.” (Audience participation moment at NCLA keynote address.) So with the state library association holding its biennial conference more or less in our back yard, I figured I should check it out (and, ahem, join NCLA). It seemed that half of ZSR... more ›
Let’s see, how many Chicago conferences is this now? There was the one with the blizzard, and the other one with the even bigger blizzard; the Midwinter when it was just rainy and foggy; the Annual when it was just rainy and foggy; the summer it was ridiculously hot; the time I had a 101... more ›
ALA Midwinter has become a vendor exhibition with some committee meetings filling in around the edges. If you’ve ever chuckled at a poster or coffee mug that says, “I survived another meeting that should have been an e-mail”? That. Maybe we want an annual vendor exhibition, but I have trouble seeing the continuing need for... more ›
I know what you’re thinking: “Hey, Thomas is at ALA, not CNI. The poor guy is so confused” (or words to that effect). Which I usually am, but on opening up my note taking app to jot down a few things about Midwinter, I found my notes on CNI meetings from back in December. Consider... more ›
I attended the LITA Forum November 17-20, held in Fort Worth, Texas. As past president, I also served on the planning committee for this meeting (and I now have abiding respect for anyone who has to find, select, and haggle with conference venues). Coming just a week and a half after the election, there were... more ›
ALA Annual marked the end of my year as president of LITA, which was a rewarding experience, even if it did lead to a number of Thomas @ ALA posts that were almost entirely about process and policy. And this is another of them (lucky you!). TANSTAAFL: There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free... more ›
Happy International Data Privacy Day! January 28 is an international holiday* focused on raising awareness about the importance of online data privacy. This year, the Electronic Freedom Frontier is emphasizing the need to protect student privacy, most notably in a Google Apps for Education environment (which includes us). Google has been especially criticized for how... more ›
I’ve done so much travel recently, I must be just about as developed as Charles Atlas, but only professionally developed, which looks a little different on the outside. I’ll summarize, as each of these meetings had one or two “price of admission” moments. I’ve also had oddly charmed weather karma, as noted below. LITA Forum,... more ›
You remember that scene in L.A. Story where the Wacky Weekend Weather Guy is replaced by George Plimpton intoning, “Sunny. 72. Our next weather forecast will be in four days”? That’s me at ALA through next summer. Not exciting, and not much variation. [Day 0: At Charlotte Douglas International Airport at 6:30am, deprived of sleep,... more ›
For the record, ALA Midwinter can slog on through one of Chicago’s top five all-time snow storms. But there should be an honor roll of people who made it to LITA Happy Hour on Sunday night. With the confluence of Linus and Left Shark, it was a strange evening. This is the beginning of a... more ›