Trick or Treat
Posted On Oct 31 2007A bunch of my colleagues are dressed up today. I considered donning my khaki-colored dockers, denim shirt, and brown loafers, but was afraid that no one would recognize me as being a vendor. I needed too many props to pull off the costume, like some PowerPoint slides that look like a real website. I have mastered the ability to smile, rock back and forth on my feet while swinging my arms, and exuding that look of “Boy, do I have a solution for you!” It’s getting harder these days to determine whether what libraries are getting is a trick or …
Governance Matters
Posted On Oct 16 2007I’ve never really grasped the whole “meme” thing that seems to be so popular in library blogs. When I see a new meme emerge, I feel as though I’ve already missed the boat—like the cliche of reading about trends in Time, by then it it too late. As a lover of words and phrases, though, I am intrigued by what I would call lots of pre-meme activity—the use (and often over- and mis-use) of words that become part of the growing library lexicon. Recent examples include: seamless, disintermediation, open, and the like. Borrowing liberally from Entertainment Weekly’s “What’s hot”: Currently, there …
Preaching to the Publishers
Posted On Oct 31 2006I just got back from Nashville and the 9th annual LITA Forum–the second of four trips in just under 3 weeks. Next I’m off to NISO’s Discovery to Delivery, and then I wind up my fall travel in Charleston. You’re probably wondering how I get any work done…the secret is I don’t. Anyway, the LITA Forum is always a great chance to catch up with colleagues, see some good presentations and thoughtful keynotes, and just hang out. I was pleased to see more public librarians in attendance this year. There were just shy of 400 in in Nashville. For some …