Comments on: Midwinter Round-up, the not so good bits http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/ A bibliophile's musings on books, libraries, the world, life, and anything else that comes to mind Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:00:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: ellie http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-18205 ellie Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:27:09 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-18205 Thanks for sharing both the good and the bad! It's nice to see the frustrations as well as the hope for how it can change. Thanks for sharing both the good and the bad! It’s nice to see the frustrations as well as the hope for how it can change.

]]> By: K.G. Schneider http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-18045 K.G. Schneider Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:59:24 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-18045 I have to say I truly laughed out loud over this: "I know LITA used to be the leader back when they had the Internet room for people to use and you were all young. I know because you tell us about it all the time." yes we do. It was 15 years ago, and I'm old and grey and missing parts I had back then, and we can't live on our press clippings. Keep in mind some of us are working hard to change LITA. Work with us. Keep it up. I have to say I truly laughed out loud over this: “I know LITA used to be the leader back when they had the Internet room for people to use and you were all young. I know because you tell us about it all the time.”

yes we do. It was 15 years ago, and I’m old and grey and missing parts I had back then, and we can’t live on our press clippings.

Keep in mind some of us are working hard to change LITA. Work with us. Keep it up.

]]> By: ranti http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-18035 ranti Sat, 19 Jan 2008 21:18:21 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-18035 Well, I don't have picture of the Blogger table, but I used it once. I couldn't find the dang table until Valerie (from LITA) pointed it out to me. It's located waaayyy in the back of the room. There were two tables (L-shaped), few chairs, and power strips. So, I don't know where you heard the information about no power strips and only one table; perhaps that was the situation before they 'upgraded' it. *chuckles* Yes, no wifi, which was very annoying and I ended up using one of the unused meeting rooms instead and doing the work there. The Skype participation during the Top Tech Trends was nifty, indeed. As for the room size, the way the room tables and chairs were arranged made me think that the event was registered as a committee meeting rather than a managed discussion. I could be wrong. Agreed with the rest of your writings. Well, I don’t have picture of the Blogger table, but I used it once. I couldn’t find the dang table until Valerie (from LITA) pointed it out to me. It’s located waaayyy in the back of the room. There were two tables (L-shaped), few chairs, and power strips. So, I don’t know where you heard the information about no power strips and only one table; perhaps that was the situation before they ‘upgraded’ it. *chuckles* Yes, no wifi, which was very annoying and I ended up using one of the unused meeting rooms instead and doing the work there.

The Skype participation during the Top Tech Trends was nifty, indeed. As for the room size, the way the room tables and chairs were arranged made me think that the event was registered as a committee meeting rather than a managed discussion. I could be wrong.

Agreed with the rest of your writings.

]]> By: Alane http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-17983 Alane Sat, 19 Jan 2008 02:55:44 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-17983 Dear Jane...I am willing to foster a movement to get people my age OUT OF THE WAY!! My frustration is different from yours (because I really have little riding on it) but is as sharp. What a misuse of human resources. Alane, riding into the sunset of her library career, but really PO'd at all the fraidy cats. Dear Jane…I am willing to foster a movement to get people my age OUT OF THE WAY!! My frustration is different from yours (because I really have little riding on it) but is as sharp. What a misuse of human resources.

Alane, riding into the sunset of her library career, but really PO’d at all the fraidy cats.

]]> By: Dorothea Salo http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-17909 Dorothea Salo Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:55:23 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-17909 Wow. I know librarians can be really passive-aggressive about technology, but... wow. The Blogger's Table and overcrowding bits are just... wow. Wow. I know librarians can be really passive-aggressive about technology, but… wow. The Blogger’s Table and overcrowding bits are just… wow.

]]> By: Chris http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-17852 Chris Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:13:25 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-17852 I don't think that "under 40" would have improved the generational numbers much, either. I'm somewhat sympathetic on the "we don't always have to be first" score...but that doesn't mean we should never be first, either. OCLC bought EzProxy while I was out of the RSS loop, a thing which will probably have more impact on libraries than anything decided in committee at the conference. Rapid change is no longer optional. p.s. The blog room at a previous conference was my first hint that there are yet fellow librarians who even now fight to survive somewhere beyond the heavens... I don’t think that “under 40″ would have improved the generational numbers much, either. I’m somewhat sympathetic on the “we don’t always have to be first” score…but that doesn’t mean we should never be first, either. OCLC bought EzProxy while I was out of the RSS loop, a thing which will probably have more impact on libraries than anything decided in committee at the conference. Rapid change is no longer optional.

p.s. The blog room at a previous conference was my first hint that there are yet fellow librarians who even now fight to survive somewhere beyond the heavens…

]]> By: Aaron the Librarian http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-17845 Aaron the Librarian Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:48:26 +0000 http://wanderingeyre.com/2008/01/16/midwinter-round-up-the-not-so-good-bits/#comment-17845 Hiya Jane, Coupla preliminary clarifications/comments. 1. I hear ya! 2. You're right, we need to jump back out in the lead; we've been acting like the rabbit near the tail-end of the race, until recently. Re: Blogging Room/Space: Whoa did this get fubar'd at MW08 -- ALA offices were in Exhibits Hall C (and no free wifi was provided in the Exhibits Hall). My impression is more that Conf Svcs setup and description of available services were not clear enough to ID the potential conflicts. I suggest LITA always sponsor a blogging *room*; specifically in a very high traffic area in the main Conf/MW building. Re: TTT room setup: I heard (at aLITA Board mtg?) the room setup (the conference table with TTTsters facing each other around the table) is what is requested at MWs - though it was supposed to be in a larger room with more chairs available for other participants. Panel discussion is the Annual format, iirc. Re: TTT tech snafus: I saw the TTT paperwork; LITA Requested properly with all technology (incl. wifi) requested, so did hotel setup folks or conference services drop the ball? Hotel said they had no record of this meeting. LITA folks (and MW schedule) said the room was requested. Hotel tech guy? MIA for a loong time. Also, several PCC 3rd floor meeting rooms had minimal wifi (BIGWIG, LITA Board, LITA Web, ALA WAC, and the ALA Training room, plus others, all got singed - if not burned - by this). I'd say this was a Conf Svcs vs. PCC tech folks discussion that didn't really get cleared up all Meeting. Re: Town Meeting: Very sorry to hear that's how it went (being over-committed is soo fun) after I had to go. Otoh, I assume the discussion ended with understanding that we need to get out in front again? BIGWIG is a good instigator; RUSA, PLA, YALSA are doing other cool tech stuff - let's play with them as well as creating our own games. Hiya Jane,

Coupla preliminary clarifications/comments.
1. I hear ya!
2. You’re right, we need to jump back out in the lead; we’ve been acting like the rabbit near the tail-end of the race, until recently.

Re: Blogging Room/Space:
Whoa did this get fubar’d at MW08 — ALA offices were in Exhibits Hall C (and no free wifi was provided in the Exhibits Hall).
My impression is more that Conf Svcs setup and description of available services were not clear enough to ID the potential conflicts.

I suggest LITA always sponsor a blogging *room*; specifically in a very high traffic area in the main Conf/MW building.

Re: TTT room setup:
I heard (at aLITA Board mtg?) the room setup (the conference table with TTTsters facing each other around the table) is what is requested at MWs - though it was supposed to be in a larger room with more chairs available for other participants. Panel discussion is the Annual format, iirc.

Re: TTT tech snafus:
I saw the TTT paperwork; LITA Requested properly with all technology (incl. wifi) requested, so did hotel setup folks or conference services drop the ball? Hotel said they had no record of this meeting. LITA folks (and MW schedule) said the room was requested. Hotel tech guy? MIA for a loong time.

Also, several PCC 3rd floor meeting rooms had minimal wifi (BIGWIG, LITA Board, LITA Web, ALA WAC, and the ALA Training room, plus others, all got singed - if not burned - by this). I’d say this was a Conf Svcs vs. PCC tech folks discussion that didn’t really get cleared up all Meeting.

Re: Town Meeting:
Very sorry to hear that’s how it went (being over-committed is soo fun) after I had to go. Otoh, I assume the discussion ended with understanding that we need to get out in front again?

BIGWIG is a good instigator; RUSA, PLA, YALSA are doing other cool tech stuff - let’s play with them as well as creating our own games.

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