ALA '09 Recap

Highlights of ALA 2009 in Chicago


Unconference Program

• Combination of quick presentations and discussions
• Topics ranged from Web 3.0 to information literacy. See schedule for list of topics.
• Participated in a discussion about planning and facilitating unconferences. There's an increased interest in doing library unconferences. Look out for our program on BPL ThinkTank, an unconference staff development event that we did at Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) at the Public Libraries Association (PLA) conference in March 2010.

Emerging Leaders Poster Session

• Over 20 posters were presented by this year's emerging leaders based on their projects.
• Projects included working with the PLA conference planning subcommittee, attracting librarians in the millennial generation to participate in ALA, etc.

Visit to Chicago Public Library

• Visited the new YouMedia space, a space specifically designed for teens with the latest digital media technology

ALA 2009 Poster Session

• My colleague and I presented a poster session "Keeping People at the Center of the Public Library: Analysis of Disruptive Technology and Suggestions for Creating a People-Centered Environment". Check out our project wiki.

Congrats to Libraries and Autism: We're Connected for winning the 2009 Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies Award. Libraries and Autism is a collaborative project among two libraries in New Jersey that produced a customer service training video for library staff to help them better serve individuals with autism.

ALA 2009 Poster Session

Check out my poster session at ALA 2009 in Chicago.

Keeping People at the Center of the Public Library: Analysis of Disruptive Technology and Suggestions for Creating a People-Centered Environment

Monday, July 13, 2009 from 1pm-2:30pm
Table #3
ALA Exhibit Hall

Should the Three NYC Library Systems Be Merged?

Last week the Mayor and City Council reached an agreement to restore library funding so that NYC libraries can continue to provide 6-day library service. In the midst of the budget crisis and petition signing, WNYC did a piece titled "One Library System Instead of Three: A Radical Cost-Cutting Solution?". I've heard the merger idea suggested before. What do you think? Should the three NYC library systems be merged?

SLA '09 Recap

Some random thoughts, experiences, and pictures of SLA 2009.


SLA Leadership Development Institute

• Pain-free public speaking: SEE - Stories, Examples, Enthusiasm
• Align in 09: Two-year alignment project that looked into more effective ways to communicate to the non-library world about information professionals. A portal will be set up to discuss project findings and share information. Methods used in this alignment project included surveys, focus groups, and dial sessions. It was found that the name "Special Libraries Association" is not meaningful based on research and a discussion was started about a name change for the association.
  
• Top 10 picks for your SLA leadership toolkit:
  

1. Board of Directors
2. SLA Membership Directory
3. Leadership Center
4. Leadership Discussion Lists
5. Chapter Idea Wiki & Division Idea Wiki
6. Leadership Connections
7. Leadership Resources & Tools
8. Innovation Laboratory
9. SLA Resources
10. Click University

SLA Opening General Session

• Keynote Speaker: Colin Powell mentioned that instead of navigating through the SLA website to get to Click University, he just searched for it using Google. Maybe it's time for some web usability testing?
  
• Congrats to Pam Rollo, SLA@Pratt Advisor, for being selected as a SLA Fellow.
• Congrats to Michelle Dollinger, SLA-NY President, for being selected as a SLA Rising Star.
  

Thinking on Your Feet: Dynamic Communication

• Expanding your comfort zone
• Speaking your audience's language
• Benefits and features of a product or service
• What's the worse possible thing that can happen?
  
• "Plans are useless but planning is essential" - Eisenhower
  

Writing a Resume that Gets Results

• Your resume is not an autobiography
• Resume = marketing tool
• Networthing
• Summary/Qualifications section
• Skills - Transferable skills and technical/career-specific skills

Interviewing Tips & Techniques

• Essential HR Handbook: 100 Best Interview Questions
• Five biggest interviewing mistakes: Acting nonchalant, talking too much, exaggerating, not listening, and being unprepared

SLA Unconference Session #3

• Interesting discussion on participatory librarianship. See discussion notes
  
• Story telling vs. story listening

Developing a Job Search Strategy

• Keep learning/keep current -- core competencies of information professionals
• Building and developing networks
• Mentors
• Business cards. Suggestions: VistaPrint and Moo
  
• Having a Google presence
  

Critical Thinking

• Decision making and strategic planning
  
• Presentation (PDF)
  

National Library of Medicine (NLM) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Tour

• NLM's Plan for 2006-2016
  
• HITECH Act and measuring meaningful use
• MedlinePlus is going to be redesigned sometime next year. Check out the search cloud
  
• Tutorial: Understanding Medical Words
• National Training Center and Clearinghouse
• Outreach Evaluation Resource Center
• NIH Library's physical space was redesigned based on staff suggestions instead of using a consulting firm

Conferences and Unconferences

It's that time of year again - lots of conferences and unconferences are happening. Just this week, I attended LibCampNYC, an unconference focused on libraries and library technology. There was another NYC unconference, Library Camp NYC, in August 2007. Unconferences are about collective knowledge and ideas and the session topics are determined by the attendees. Unconferences have usually been stand-alone events, but this year, there are unconference sessions throughout the SLA conference and ALA has an unconference day during the ALA conference. Looking forward to the conferences and unconferences in D.C. and Chicago. Also, if you're going to ALA, I will be presenting a poster session "Keeping People at the Center of the Public Library: Analysis of Disruptive Technology and Suggestions for Creating a People-Centered Environment" on Monday, July 13 at 1pm-2:30pm.