Head Tale - Yet Another Librarian's Blog

I'm actually going to post an entry on the day I'm writing about if you can believe it! Up early and over to hotel but the shuttle bus was full so I had to wait for the 9:20am one, missing half of the session I wanted to attend - "Public Library Statistics Across Canada" which was MUCH more interesting than the title would lead you to believe. Skipped out of the second session (I think I went to something but it was boring so left) and ended up talking to various people who were also doing the "networking" thing. Met one guy who convocated a couple years ago and who recognized me from my blog! I sometimes forget that I'm not just doing this little project for myself. Yikes! Went to the First Timers Interest Group (not the real name) meeting at noon and a couple of my suggestions - a mixer for students and recent grads only as an alternate to the pub crawl and also the idea of bringing forward a resolution that students should be allowed to attend the conference for free were well-received. Unfortunately, found out later that we were too late to get the resolution on the agenda. Perhaps we can make it happen for next year? Or maybe they don't even need a formal resolution and can just work towards it as an executive? Who knows - I have no idea how the politics of an organization this large work. I'm used to organizations of betwen 50-500 members with about 10 active members in each! What else? Time's running out at the Internet cafe and I'm too tired and poor to pay another couple bucks so I'll wrap up quickly. Went to the UWO Alumni Reception at the Honest Lawyer pub and it was good. Mostly hung out with Sabina and David but also a few others. Taking trays of food at a time was a risky proposition but no one stopped us which was good. Went for a wander with Shea and that was enjoyable and made me realise that I've missed a lot being in conference all week while she did the touristy stuff. Ended up bumping into Denise, Ella and Guida so had supper with them. One minute left...bye! (Off-topic - how embarrasing that my last song listened to on the sidebar for the last few days was left as Paris Hilton's "Stars Are Blind"???)

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Misadventures at CLA - Day Two (Saturday)

by Jason on Fri 16 Jun 2006 11:37 AM EDT

My dream of doing an entry every day for a month is shot but anyhow, here's an update for yesterday...

Up early yesterday for the first-timer's breakfast and did I make my joke about trying to eat $18 worth of bacon and eggs in the last entry? If not, consider it made (I was unsuccessful by the way.) Came over to the Civic Centre at 9am on the shuttle (the conference had to change locations three weeks ago due to a strike at the Convention Centre downtown as many delegates - including myself - would have refused to cross a picket line. As someone who used to organize relatively small conferences, I can't imagine moving an event with 1000+ delegates, dozens of exhibitors and all the related issues three weeks out. The staff and their volunteers have done an amazing job making this happen.) My first session was Michael Geist on copyright and it was an amazing presentation which I hope ends up on his or the CLA's web site. I also took in a presentation on the history of libraries in Canada which was good and finished the day with another amazing one - a group who are working to improve library access for disenfranchised people. I'll blog more on this session which alternately had me in tears, furious, and fired up when I'm not at a time-limited terminal

(Off-topic but the lady at the terminal next to me was laughing while checking her e-mail so I asked what was up. She said she'd gotten an e-mail from a co-worker that a 9 year old boy had asked a reference question at their library - "how many doors are there in the library?" so the person wrote to the entire staff saying they'd counted 26 in the basement and did anyone want to continue the task? This was the University of Guelph by the way (smart kid!))

Went on the Pub Crawl last night but only hit two pubs. One highlight was bumping into Toni Samek who is a prof and activist librarian at the U of A whose work I've read for some of my assignments. Great person to hang out with and provide perspective on some of the previous conferences, current CLA issues and so on.

I think that's it. Man, I wish the federal government would decide to make wireless Internet access a free national service for every major centre in Canada (and as techology and costs allow, blanketing the whole country.) I mean if you believe that highways are part of our national infrastructure, why not include the "Information Highway" in that?

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