Inside ZSR
I had some concerns about attending this year’s ALA virtual Annual Conference. Not falling asleep during sessions was a big one. I’ve attended many webinars in the past, and it is not an uncommon occurrence for me to doze off midway through one. With ALA being virtual, I would essentially be attending lots of webinars.... more ›
This is the first conference blog post I’ve written in a long time. I guess we’re getting back to normal, gradually. As we all know, ALA Annual 2021 was, for the first time, an online conference, after the coronavirus pandemic cancelled the 2020 conference entirely. Was this year’s version the same as past ALA conferences?... more ›
An exceptionally rich program at this year’s (online) conference of the Music Library Association – we met jointly with the Theatre Library Association (some very good sessions co-presented by members of both organizations), and we had an EDI conference theme. EDI The opening plenary addressed anti-racist performing arts librarianship. While the performing arts have historically... more ›
ALA Annual 2019 marked my first return to Washington DC since 2007, when I attended my very first professional library conference there. I was a law librarian then. I am no longer that. Nor am I a rookie librarian anymore. In fact, at this year’s conference, I met up with my new ALCTS mentee. Either... more ›
Advocacy, metadata standards, and a tech services perspective on digital projects formed the cruces of my conference, but I gleaned a few Ex Libris updates too. Metadata, Standards, Digital Projects I participated with Erik Mitchell and Jenn Riley in a Metadata Standards presentation about using the Principles for Evaluating Metadata Standards developed by the ALCTS/LITA Metadata Standards Committee.... more ›
Between numerous required committee meetings on metadata and advocacy, I learned about Summon & Primo integration and discussed ebook record problems in several venues (exhibits, a session, a dinner, and a committee meeting). Discovery Tools from Ex Libris: Summon and Primo are gradually being integrated, which I likened to EBL and Ebrary integration. I sent... more ›
This year’s meeting of the Music Library Association was held in Cincinnati, where, during breaks and receptions, we enjoyed 1920s tunes performed by members of the Cincinnati Opera, and by MLA’s own big band, in the Netherland Plaza Hotel’s beautifully-restored 1930 Art Deco ballroom. DIVERSITY It has long been recognized that America’s conservatories and orchestras... more ›
It probably seemed like everyone was talking about linked data because that was the focus of most of the sessions I attended. One of the more interesting ones was the Library of Congress BIBFRAME Update Forum, because in addition to Sally McCallum and Beacher Wiggins of LC, they had speakers from Ex Libris, Innovative Interfaces,... more ›
My notes on: IPEDS, ebook STLs and video, our vendors, linked data, BIBFRAME, OCLC and Schema.org, ALCTS/LITA Metadata Standards Committee, advocacy At the ARL Assessment Forum, there was much complaining over the contradiction in instructions with IPEDs collection counts and circulation. Susan and I had the luck of chatting in the hallway with Bob Dugan... more ›
Eleven-day-old daughter and sleep-deprived wife in tow, I attended the 2014 Charleston Conference flying arguably in the face of reason. I had the advantage of a free place to stay: my parents-in-law live out on James Island, a 15-minute drive to the Francis Marion Hotel where the conference is held. Given this fact and the... more ›