On Being Networked
Posted On May 20 2008You won’t find it hard to believe that I am an extrovert (ESTJ for all you Myers-Briggs people out there). Over the last several years I have tried to build a vast array of personal and professional contact, not because I am just an obsessive-compulsive networker (which I am), but because I sincerely enjoy getting to know librarians, vendors, service providers, and various hangers-on of the library world. Knowing others well has always served me better than being well known. But how much is enough? I find myself needing a social networking strategy. What seems to have started as an …
Home Again
Posted On May 4 2008I had the great honor to return to my library school alma mater last week to give the 18th Annual Elizabeth Stone lecture at The Catholic University of America. It was an opportunity to talk about myself (which is always easy) and to talk about the future of libraries (which is always hard). I was a bit embarrassed to admit that it was my first time back to CUA, but I was suitably punished by the fact that they recorded the talk. I was quite graciously received by the CUA faculty (which now only includes one member from my time there …
Cold Goose
Posted On Apr 7 2008I’m in Minnesota this week for CNI. Though I proudly wear the “OCLC” label now, I’m actually here representing LITA as part of my vice presidential stint. OCLC is ably represented by my friends and colleagues–Marilee Proffitt, Mindy Pozenel, Constance Malpas, and Jim Michalko. After a (finally) warm weekend in Columbus, I arrived to a snowy morning in Minneapolis. Someone told me that you can tell it’s spring in Minnesota when the smaller lakes begin to thaw. It reminded me of an image that I encountered when I first got to OCLC. Outside my window is one of the large …