ALA Annual 2010

Spring is finally here and, as we appreciate the sunny days and warmer weather, it is time to start planning for the American Library Association Annual Conference. This year, the conference will take place in Washington, D.C. from June 24 to 29.  For details and registration information, please visit: http://www.ala.org/ala/conferencesevents/upcoming/annual/index.cfm

I’m looking forward to my second ALA Annual and hope to see you there, as well!

Upcoming Meetings: ALA and SLA

Just a reminder–

The American Library Association Midwinter Meeting is just 3 weeks away!  It will take place January 15-19, 2010 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (on Summer Street). Registration information is available at: www.ala.org

The Special Libraries Association is presenting the 2010 Leadership Summit at the St. Louis Union Station Marriott on January 27-30, 2010. For more information, visit: www.sla.org

How to Catalog Your Books Like a Librarian

My article entitled “How to Catalog Your Books Like a Librarian” has been published on HowToDoThings.com.

http://www.howtodothings.com/hobbies/how-to-catalog-your-books-like-a-librarian

(Note: A “you” was changed into a “to” at some point in the editing process, but the rest is okay.)

The Ups and Downs–Highs and Lows–of ALA Chicago 2009

My time in Chicago for the ALA Annual Conference (July 10-15, 2009) had both its high points and low points. It was a combination of exhilaration, excitement, and keen interest interspersed with occasional bouts of frustration. All in all, however, it was worth the trip.

The journey began on July 9 when I packed up my car and headed out of Kansas City. The road was clear through Missouri and Iowa and my route, thankfully, was incredibly direct. Only a minor detour near the Illinois border impeded my trip. While driving, I listened to Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich on CD, which made my travels more enjoyable. I stopped for the night in Rock Falls, 100 miles outside of Chicago.

The next morning, I leisurely re-packed my suitcase and checked out of the hotel, heading for the Windy City. That’s when things started getting a little hairy. The traffic was heavier, of course, but still doable. The University Center, which offered dorm housing to conference attendees, was very conveniently located on the corner of State and Congress, diagonally across from the Chicago Public Library. I would have been ecstatic had it not been for one very big oversight: the facility offered no parking. This important detail had not been articulated on the website, the reservation form, or in any of the conference emails. As a result, I drove ‘round and ‘round wondering where to pull in and where I was supposed to leave my car for the next five days. Fortunately, I found a public lot on the rear side of the building and parked my car–for $20+ per day.

The first day of the conference was filled with frustration. The first-timers programs were not what I had expected, the shuttles drove past the University Center without stopping, I missed Gregory Maguire, and the lady at Registration printed the exact same badge I had started out with, despite the fact that I had waited in line for 25 minutes to have it corrected. I was tired, flummoxed, and certain that I would never do ALA Annual again!

Luckily, the story doesn’t end there. The first sign of blue skies on the horizon came on Saturday evening when I attended the fabulous “Scholarship Bash” at the Art Institute of Chicago. The museum was closed to the public and filled with happy, chatting librarians and other information professionals. There were drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and live music on the gorgeous terrace. Better yet, there were complimentary drawing lessons in the art galleries–and, yes, I did take a class and have the crude sketches to prove it! The Art Institute was one of the most magnificent museums that I’ve ever had the pleasure to visit and I would have stayed there the entire night if I’d been offered the opportunity.

The two knock-out programs for me both involved poetry. They were: “Programs with Poets and Poetry” on Sunday morning and the “6th Annual Poetry Blast” on Monday evening. Jane Hirshfield impressed me with her depth and passion at the former, while Jon Scieszka had me nearly doubled over in laughter with his hilarious tales from Trucktown during the latter. These two sessions were inspiring, delightful, and totally worthwhile.

The Exhibit Hall was a bit overwhelming at first due to its massive size, huge crowds, and row after row of vendors vying for a moment of my time. I didn’t know quite where to begin, so I took a deep breath and entered. I am so glad that I did! I met some very interesting people (and a robot named “Oscar”), made a few beneficial connections, got a complimentary chair massage at the Drexel booth, and walked away with more promotional items than I could have imagined.

After the exhibits closed on the final day, I visited the Sears Tower (now called “Willis Tower”) with my friend/conference roommate. The line was shockingly long for a Tuesday afternoon–over an hour wait–but once I looked out the first set of windows on the 110th floor, I didn’t care about the crowds or the waiting. It was spectacular! On one side, I could see Lake Michigan and, on the opposite side, I could see the city extending into the horizon. The view was breath-taking, especially while standing on the glass-bottomed observation deck.

After that incredible high, Wednesday morning came quickly and I had to pack my bags and return to Kansas City. It was a beautiful day for driving and I arrived home early that evening. I was a little weary, but ready to share my stories and, more importantly, my conference goodies!

So, would I do ALA Annual again? Yes, absolutely! I fell into the pitfalls that I am sure are common to first-timers, but I learned some valuable lessons that I will bring with me to future conferences. My last remarks: I’ll see you next year in Washington, D.C.!

ALCTS E-Forum Announcement

Please join us for an ALCTS e-forum discussion. It’s free and open to everyone.

DATES: June 3-4, 2009
TOPIC: “National Standards vs. Local Policies in Cataloging”
MODERATORS: Danielle Conklin and Lora Farrell, KCKPL

Although there are well-established and respected national guidelines in
the field of cataloging, many decisions are still made on the local level. In some cases, the policies of individual institutions may conflict with national standards, including the rules set forth in the AACR2, DDC, LCSH, etc. As a result, certain questions arise among cataloging professionals:

*Which takes precedence in most libraries: national standards or local (institution-level, branch-level) decisions?

*Do these discrepancies exist because of “gray areas” in the rules, or are they due to the preferences of library staff/administration?

*Are libraries’ cataloging policies clearly articulated, or is much left to the judgment of individual catalogers?

To join the discussion, register for the ALCTS-eforum list at
http://lists.ala.org/sympa/info/alcts-eforum and click on the “Subscribe” button in the panel on the left.

We look forward to hearing your comments, opinions, and professional experiences related to this topic!

ALCTS E-Forum

FYI–

I will be moderating the ALCTS (Association of Library Collections & Technical Services) e-forum on June 3 and 4. The topic will be “National Standards vs. Local Practice in Cataloging.”

Please feel free to participate in the discussion. You do not need to be a member of ALA or ALCTS, but you will need to register for the e-forums at: http://lists.ala.org/wws/info/alcts-eforum.

It should be an interesting and enlightening exchange!