Midwinter, Day Three: Elvis Has Left the Building
Posted On Jan 22 2007I don’t think I can recall ever walking the vendor floor and not running into Elvis. Many people know that he has been a regular fixture at the Checkpoint booth at ALA conferences for several years. But this year, no Elvis. Random Elvis Impersonators As it turns out, this year, no Checkpoint Systems. I’m not going to add to any wild speculation on this. Midwinter can sometimes be a lower-traffic expense for a vendor who might just decide not to attend. But you can’t just surprise people who come to Exhibits expecting Elvis and not invite a little conjecture. It is …
Midwinter, Day Two: From the Hilltops
Posted On Jan 21 2007I didn’t get around too much on day two, but the day was long, nevertheless. There were, however, a couple of observations I wanted to make. Interfaces a la Google It wouldn’t be an ALA Midwinter if I didn’t take a moment to register my usual skepticism of Google. I went to their tips and tricks session, which was a nice overview for people not familiar with Google Coop, custom search, and Google’s librarian-like advanced search features. More information is available at the Google Librarian Center. But I am still struck by the lack of information forthcoming when librarians ask …
Midwinter, Day One: Uphill
Posted On Jan 20 2007I don’t remember the hills in Seattle being so steep. I’m still on East Coast time and sitting in the bar of the Renaissance Madison Hotel on a dying battery, trying to summarize today’s events. (No, I’m not sitting in a bar at breakfast time Saturday, when this entry posted to the blog!) The bulk of the day was spent at RMG’s annual “ILS vendor” panel. I know, you’re thinking, “How many of them are left?” Truth be told, the panel in its 18th year is made up primarily of nontraditional system vendors, though they are still well represented. This …