First Principles
Posted On Mar 24 2008My very first professional writing gig was with Computers in Libraries. A patient and wonderful editor named Kathy Dempsey took a chance on an opinionated upstart who had just barely worked in libraries, having recently come from the dark side (that is from a vendor, not as some might think, from California or D.C., the two domiciles that preceded North Carolina). I told her I had an idea for a new column and that I was calling it “First Principles,” the notion being that there is nothing new under the sun, and that approaching technology from the starting point of …
Reporting from Sheffield
Posted On Mar 20 2008n my previous life, I was infrequently lucky enough to have a speaking gig or work meeting that took me someplace new and exciting. Now, I’ve made my first trip to Sheffield, UK, where OCLC has an office, and it’s been fantastic. Though the scenery and terrain is different (read more interesting), the weather has been a lot like Columbus in March…cold and cloudy, cold and sunny, cold and rainy, cold and snowy, in somewhat quick succession. I’ve also had a fair number of cultural lessons. I know now that one should not suggest “tabling” a topic in a meeting because …
I’m Back
Posted On Mar 10 2008Actually, I never really left, but like the kids say about library content, if it ain’t online it doesn’t exist. Or as Peter Wojtowicz put it: So what will I blog about? Some of the same old stuff I used to, some new things, and ultimately much, much more about what I am doing here at OCLC. While I will continue to editorialize, I cannot escape the fact that my opinions will now be taken with a much larger grain of salt than they used to be. Sometimes salt makes things taste better, sometimes not. I will endeavor to be …