Pounce

So, it's the last day. Actually, it's over and I'm just getting ready to go to dinner with Mark. We were going to go to the underground tour, but as luck would have it can't get a ride over there in time, so that's off the list. We're going to have something to eat, and pack, and then maybe play some billiards and--

Oh, the conference. Right, right. Okay, today -- did I ever do the one for last night? Think I did... this is the trouble with conferences. You forget what's going on after a while.

Today started with snow. Huge, puffy white flakes. That was during breakfast, when I decided that I'd skip the opening speaker or else I'd not get back in time for the presentation on UX that I wanted to see. Which was entertaining, and a little more interesting than some of the stuff yesterday. Then we ended with keynote speaker Ira Glass, who was fabulous, and basically green lighted the way I started the original YA novel I've been messing around with via the ideas conveyed in his talk.

(Quick explanation: The novel starts in the middle of the story, no introduction on who the characters really are. The few adults who have seen it give mixed reviews; the YAs who have read it quite like it because you jump right into it... and it seems, that's okay and should be done more according to Mr. Glass, so, now the 'maybe we need to rewrite the intro' bug curled up and died at about 11:50 today- Seattle time. Mwahaha... there, I mentioned it again... hey, it's like a drinking game, how many times have I mentioned Seattle...)

Don't worry; we have a 5:45 reservation (we learned) so I won't make this a long update.

This morning at breakfast, it was decided that, in the rare case that the light snow should turn into a freak snow storm, we should maybe wash our laundry in the hotel just in case we got airport stranded. We found out... it was cheaper than at home. So when I got back from the conference, we took care of that.

Also, we are nearly out of most of the food things (yay), I don't like Washington apples as much as Wisconsin ones (and yes, I'm aware the ones in the groceries in Wisconsin are often Washington or Michigan, but the ones from the farms in WI are the ones I like best), some Ohio librarians annoy me, some Ohio librarians annoy Massachusetts librarians, one of the chairpersons of the planning of the convention was wearing something that was kinda Elven-robe-like, and there are a lot of white gulls that keep flying by the window.

And also, in the random hotel room number game, I keep lucking out with good rooms. Good room placement, that is. At DragonCon, both times, great rooms (hell, the second time, we were directly across the hall from Dark Dreamer and Aleabeth). In Denver, it seems we were in a pretty good spot, too. Orlando, near the steps and the elevators - so, quick whether up or down. Even going back... Washington DC, had the last room right on the end, so only one neighbor. Eau Claire, across from the breakfast buffet room thing. Kentucky, right near the elevators.

This time was especially good. Directly across from the elevators. We walk straight from the elevator right into the room. This has been handy on the (numerous) occasions I have forgotten things in the room on the way downstairs.

Back to packing, then food, then maybe billiards since I would really like to take a few minutes to just chill and then possibly some writing (or typing up what I've played with while in buses and boring sessions).

This may be the last Seattle (everybody drink) post, so if it is, see y'all when I'm back in Milwaukee.

And if it's not, well... don't put your liquor away just yet...

I just realized, smaller updates make for happier LJ friend pages. So, here's the midday update!

Went to a round table discussion this morning about the 21st century library leader -- it was great. There were only four people, the facilitator and three of us, so we had a great conversation and there was time for all to speak their minds. Never done one of these round tables like this before... oh, wait, DragonCon 'Children of Hurin' was a round table, wasn't it? Okay, so, um, I've never gone to one I haven't facilitated before. Yeah! That works! Anyhow, the facilitator talked about the idea of the four of us collaborating on a scholarly paper on the topic. So, probably one of the more productive hours I've had here thus far.

After that, I had an hour to kill, so I wandered around the poster sessions (for those who aren't regular conference attendees -- poster sessions means a room with people who have big posters [duh] usually about three to four feet by six feet with some sort of program or project or data or something they are presenting. Think of them as an idea fest. They would either be too short to set up for an hour, or too boring to attract anyone for a long session. So, they have these instead, you walk around and mingle and see what people are thinking up.

About 9:45 I head to the hotel where the focus group for the database my boss is really interested in us getting is being held. When I finally make it up to the 27th floor, I discover that the database rep gave me the wrong time, and, the session is nearly over. I think the pouty glare gave the guy in the room the idea that I was not in my happy pants over that one. He's going to try to get us into the beta testing. (Although, if he doesn't, to be honest, there was another DB company with a similar database, and theirs is already launched, so I would wager if we can't get in on beta test, then we'll likely go to this already finished product instead)

So, I head back to the convention center and try to figure out what to do now with my open time slot. I seriously did not want to spend another hour wandering (the reps at the book/supply companies were getting antsy... I had one woman who looked like she was going to slip her logo covered rain poncho into my bag if I didn't take it -- I hate rain ponchos, I also hate taking things from reps if I'm not actually going to use them, (hence my declining to enter my name into drawings for Starbucks cards) so I kindly told her I didn't need one as I hadn't started melting yet. She kinda maybe got the reference, not sure....t



---NOTE: something weird happened, and LJ ate this chunk... it's going to disconnect, but, that's just how it is, I'm not retyping it... basically, it was a rant about how people don't have common sense about recycling, and water management, and turning off lights....and, we're back....



Apparently, some of these things were not so apparent to everyone. Also, there was 'chat with your peers' time, to discuss the sorts of conventions we have run in the past or will run in the future.

Talkin' DragonCon with librarians... research/academic librarians... while holding my Gondolin travel mug... with my notebook open (hope they didn't notice) with fanfic written in it instead of notes from the session as I realized I could skim the power points later.

But, that's okay, I'm taking the 'I'll probably never see these people again in my life' stance. Oh, but, hey, as I went walking through the vendor hall to get to the pastry tables (yum, peach pastry, muse happy)... the guy who sat behind me on the plane recognized me, flagged me down, chatted with me about a book he's using in his course. It was awesome to get the info, it was an... 'oh crap, I should really put away my Kindle, it's on chapter naughty of Unforgettable' moment.

Lunch was spent at a table discussing the topic of student advisory committees. There was someone there who reminded me a lot of someone I used to work with, and she mentioned more than once re: not liking her director. I have to wonder how many jackass directors are running libraries into the ground out there, and also, are there stereotypes within librarianship? (or, is it just really types, not stereotypes, if they really do all act the same).

Poster sessions again after that, and my feet were really starting to hurt. Decided that I was not that interested in... whatever session I was going to hit at 1:30. Something about student success. It's probably going to be as disappointing as the one yesterday and the one this morning were -- so much of this stuff, where I'm thinking 'this is awesome, the veteran librarians can help edjumacate me' it's turning out, I know more or have more experience. And that, is scary.

And means I should write up a proposal to *Fin muse shakes his head and slides keyboard away*


*grabbing keyboard back* I should... I won't... well, I'll try hard not to. Slightly frustrating, though. (interestingly enough, that was one of the things we discussed at the leaders session in the morning -- frustrations of long-time librarians being adverse to change).

Part two to follow, including a visit to EMP. (Experience Music Project). Stay tuned.

Besides, you don't have much of a choice...

So, I'll be quite memorable to the rep at the Gale booth. I'll be 'that girl whose pen EXPLODED in the middle of the demo'.

And, I'm easily spotted. I have blue ink all over my hands -- mostly my right pointer finger. Oh, and some on my lower right arm. And a dot on my brown, um, I don't know what to call it, some over garment thing, sorry, I'm tired and I've had three drinks thus far today.

Anyhow -- yes, all rum -- I have blue ink on my hands. Oh well. Mark and I ventured through the vendors hall this evening. I skipped the keynote opening speaker, because they changed it last minute. Was supposed to be Naomi Klein, but last minute they got some dude I've never heard of that I decided I didn't want to listen to for two hours. So, we just went to the opening of the vendors thing.

Spoke to people at H W Wilson, Gale, Bullfrog Videos, and Proquest. Attempted to get someone to talk to me from Ebscohost, but they all seemed pretty frickin' impressed with themselves, so screw them. I don't care what they have to sell me, 'cause I'm not buying any.

Reviews on the others...

H W Wilson - Very friendly, good humor, and they knew their product. And, they have what I need.

Gale - Also friendly, and, when my pen exploded, the rep that I was talking to (Liz) was immediately genuinely concerned, didn't just rush to the next person, got rid of evil! pen (it was one of my favorites -- a blue one I had written a number of scenes of Unforgettable with *sniffles*), got me a new pen, and gave directions to where the restroom was so I could attempt to get rid of the ink.

Ink not going anywhere.

Bullfrog Films -- (oops, not videos...) Great rep, and one of the questions I had was something of an embarrassment (we have a pair of trouble instructors who thought it was 'just okay' to make naughty extra copies of videos and allow students to take them home -- big copyright no no!), but, I had to ask about what we can do so they aren't doing illegal stuffs anymore. Found they have a bunch of vids for a collection I'm helping to develop. Yayness.

gah, arm falling asleep on the left side. wtf, yo...

oh, um, there's one more...

Oh, Jeremy at Proquest. Ah, let me back up...

Ebscohost... so, I've got databases I'm looking for, and I wanted to hit Gale, Ebsco, and Proquest besides Wilson. So, I would wander up to the booth, look at the info, and wait for rep to approach. Wilson -- immediate approach. Gale -- immediate approach. Both before I had to really look around. Proquest -- thirty seconds, and I think they were just making sure I was meaning to be at their booth. Ebsco... three minutes of wandering around, into and through their booth area (and by booth, we're talking an area of about thirty by thirty or more), and no one approached. A few people kinda glanced over, basically giving me the 'Is that little girl lost?' look.

This is the trouble with being a library director under the age of thirty. Everyone thinks you're just a student or maybe a newbie reference librarian.

So, Ebsco pretended not to notice me. That's okay. I like Gale DBs better, and I'm really warming up to Proquest (in fact, I'm seriously thinking when I do BIs in the future, I'll use Proquest examples instead of Ebsco ones... 'cause I'm spiteful like that).

But, Proquest -- Proquest was great, and they not only knew their stuff, but they knew other college that are doing exactly the development with our collection that we are, so that was probably one of the best bits of info I got all night. Kudos to them.

After that (and we stayed until the voice overhead announced the hall was closed and it was time to leave) we went to the gaming group gathering.

I.... omg. I guess, for regular librarians, it must have been awesome. For a librarian who helped to organize the Tolkien Track of DragonCon twice? It... *tries so hard to be nice* Okay, it sucked. There, I said it. I could have organized something way better, but, I don't do these sort of events for other people anymore. Suffice to say, we circled the room, I explained some things to Mark ('no, guitar hero is just people pretending to play guitar... yes, that is stupid...'), and we left discussing the possibility of playing D&D in the hotel room instead.

We came back, I made dinner, we watched Hell's Kitchen, I sang Happy Birthday to him, and as soon as I finish this, I'm off to bed and convention fun tomorrow.

Oh, had nice discussion with person at badge correction booth. Had question to ask, could not figure who to ask, saw bored person at badge correction booth, and went to ask them, stating at the onset that they looked bored and I hoped to excite their time at the booth with my question.

Schedule for tomorrow....

Information Literacy (3 sessions), Gaming in library (1 session), Children's programming in Academic Library (1 session, and they're from WI!) So it's an Info-lit sort of day tomorrow!

There's a 'go have dinner with colleagues' thing at night... torn on going or not... will think on it...

Bedtime now! Nighters!