So I had good intentions to post my notes from the sessions I attended at the SLA Annual Conference in Seattle as well as notes from all the committee/board meetings where I participated. I've been back in Kentucky for over a week and the notes still linger on a table in my office, piled with other conference mementos that I can't bring myself to put away just yet. I did post some photos to Facebook and have caught up on some committee work behind the scenes, but I've had time for little else SLA conference-related.
I was fortunate to speak in three different conference sessions at SLA:
Applying the Information Commons Concept
I was the only speaker at this session and was absolutely thrilled to see such a large, lively, and engaged crowd. The session was 75 minutes, and I managed to stop talking after about 60 minutes (thanks to my moderator, the lovely Catherine Lavallée-Welch, for keeping me on track) . We had a terrific discussion in the question and answer portion, and I met a number of Info Commons colleagues post-session.
If you've just started reading this blog after attending the session, welcome! You might be interested in reading some past posts--I've collected all of my Information Commons posts to date. Over the next couple of months, I do plan to write up some of the new projects I mentioned. I also plan to post my session slides, though I'm thinking about adding some context since my slides are almost entirely images.
Perspectives of New Info Pros: Conversation in the Round
I was delighted to be asked to speak with Daniel Lee and Christina de Castell, two major movers and shakers in SLA. The session was literally a conversation among the three of us, moderated by Ulla de Stricker. I was impressed with the questions from the audience which really shaped our discussion. It was fun to participate in a session like this--you're not really sure where the conversation will go so you've really got to think on your feet. I know the format was interesting and challenging to me as a speaker, and I hope the attendees felt the same way. If you want to know more about the session, take a look at the wiki where we started our discussion before the conference.
Technical Support Roundtable
This is the third year in a row I led this session, and unfortunately it was the year I was least prepared. Since I moved away from a purely IT position to a more hybrid role (the information commons), I found myself with fewer questions on my conversation starter list for this session. It is a fun session--think of it as an in-person discussion list or a bar conversation without the beer--okay, maybe that doesn't sound like very much fun...Well, Ruth did a much better job of summing it up than I could, and I am delighted she will be taking over for the fourth iteration of this session at the SLA Centennial Conference in D.C.
