Final conference notes (JHW)

I'm back to my office and looking at my conference notes and the stack of business cards I picked up.  I've already reviewed (and put away) the literature I picked up from the Info Expo.  Likely tomorrow I'll "mark up" the business cards, send messages to those that I should follow-up with, and file them in my Rolodex.  Mark them up?  I'll put "SLA2007" on the front of each card so I'll know where I got it.  Not only is this a clue to jog my memory, but in a year or so -- when I'm weeding through my Rolodex (actually two of them) -- I'll be able to look at the date and decide if the card is worth keeping.  Often we keep cards thinking that we will be in contact with the person, but that does not always turn out to be the case.  If I've had a card for two years and can't remember why I have it, it's time to weed it from the collection!

As for my notes, there are sessions yet to write about...

Monday afternoon there was a session entitled "The Future of the Past" with Victoria McGargar and Peter Johnson.  Sponsored by the News Division, they talked about creating institutional repositories.  Some institutions are realizing that long-term preservation is tough.

• McGargar mentioned that one signification digitization project has quietly started to collect pristine paper backup. 
• She noted that at the LA Times, they tested 300,000 JPEG files and found that 10% of them were corrupt.
• Non-monetized assets are especially at risk.  (Small collections, personal papers, etc.)
• Although we may migrate files successfully, she should examples of where the resultant files had still become unreadable because things just didn't "translate" well.
• Files also can become corrupted without provocation.
• We need a clearer understanding of what "preservation" means.
• She talked through the core requirements for a trusted digital repository, which can be found here.
• I have a note that says that the Copyright Clearance Center may start an orphaned works repository.  I'm sure she must have thrown that out as an idea or some that is being discussed, but not something that is occurring now.

Tuesday morning, more than 50 people started their day early (and without coffee) at the Leadership & Management Division session entitled "Leading Meetings: Getting Things Done and Having Fun."  It was led by Shelly Edwards.  Edwards did not use PowerPoint, which allows us to focus on what we were discussing and not on a screen.  (She did have two people take notes on flip charts.)   Her presentation is suppose to go up on the LMD web site, so look for it there.  Highlights:

• People are either right or left brained.  Left brained people are interested in content, analysis and participation.  Right brained people are interested in the process, interpersonal dynamics, and organization.
• People often think and listen differently depending on where they sit in a room.
• There are three modes of analysis -- auditory, visual and kinesthetic (multi-processing).  You need to present information in meetings that will appeal to those three modes as well as to whether people are left or right brained.
• How do you engage the visual learner in a virtual meeting?  Use online software that allows for interaction, use an instant messenger as part of the meeting, send information ahead of time.
• What are the frustrations with a virtual meeting?  Distractions, length, people being too polite or not being polite enough, not knowing each other.
• How do people define a meeting from hell?
  • No agenda
  • No ground rules
  • Interruptions
  • People come with their own agendas
  • Unresolved issues
  • Conflict
  • People don't respect the time of the meeting
  • A few people dominate
  • Not organization
  • Presenters read their PowerPoint slides
  • The leader doesn't control the meeting

• Edwards suggested that everyone find out their learning styles.  (and you might want to find out the styles of those that you meet frequently with.)
• She noted that the person who called  the meeting may not be the meeting facilitator or the note taker. 
• You might ask people to take different roles during a meeting.  For example, if it is a regular meeting, ask different people to run it.
• If you decide to use Roberts Rules, explain to people what the rules are.
• Consider using planning worksheets to ensure that you don't forget anything when planning a meeting.
  • Planning is 80% of the total time that goes into a meeting.
  • Consider calling people before a meeting in order to remind them and get them engaged before the meeting begins.
  • Have a pre-meeting checklist.
• She mentioned these resources:
  • typetalk.com
  • ASTD Press -- Meetings that Work
  • Facilitating with Ease
  • FacilitationFirst.com

Note to LMD -- maybe you'll do this session again in Seattle?  Please!

I attended the Policy Update and have already written about it.  However, I want to note that SLA is actively involved in policy discussions both in the U.S. and in other countries.  You can find information on SLA's Public Policy efforts here.  And SLA does  publish a periodic electronic newsletter on policy issues.   Back issues are on the Policy web site.  To sign-up to receive future issues, e-mail SLA's Chief Policy Officer, Doug Newcomb.

Wednesday, Sophia Guevara, Ken Okaya and myself spoke in the  "Information Standards—Featuring Web 2.0" session.  This session was co-sponsored by the  Engineering Division and the Technical Standards Committee. Our presentations are going to be on one of those two web sites.  (Mine is already online here.)

I want to clarify something I said.  Most Web 2.0 tools reside on the Internet, thus moving the power of the computer to the network.  If you want to use these tools -- e.g., Blogger, Bloglines, Twitter, Ning, Facebook -- you only need to go to the proper web site and sign-up.  (And keep in mind that many of the tools are free.)  However, it can be helpful to explore these tools with someone else.  For example, Twitter is interesting, but it makes much more sense if you try it out with someone else -- even if that other person is someplace else in the world and not literally sitting beside you.  I began to really understand Twitter when I literally saw others using it and could talk to them about it.  The social networking tools are meant to be learned AND used socially (not by ourselves).

In some cases, you may need/want to download and install some program that will help you use the tool more effectively.  These programs reside on your PC.  Again, they are easy to install and use, but sometimes you may want to chat with someone else in order to understand them better.  Using Twitter as my example again, there is a program that allows you to communicate with Twitter from your web browser (in a side panel).  I couldn't get it to work and so "talked" to someone who I knew was using it.  After a few instant messages, we had me "fixed" and ready to twit!

So keep in mind that these tools reside and are used on the Internet.  Yes, you may want to download something that will help you use a specific tool better.  And remember that these tools are meant to be learned and used socially.

The last thing I want to say about the session is that Margie Hlava, who facilitated it, has evidently been attending SLA conferences for at least 30 years!  (She told me this before the session started.)  Wow!  Looking at her membership record, she joined in June 1976, when many of us weren't yet dreaming of professional librarianship.  Way to go Margie!

Finally, I attended a session sponsored by the Information Technology Division called "Podcasting the Librarian Way."  Information and sample podcasts from this session will be available on the IT Division web site.  The two presenters were Deborah MacLeod and Tammy Allgood.  Catherine Lavallée-Welch moderated the session and obtained the sample podcasts that were shared with the audience.

Allgood gave the following work-plan for creating a podcast:

1. Plan
   1. Outline your content
   2. Schedule the production
   3. Decide on format and length
2. Prepare
   1. She favors not using a script because she believes it sounds more natural
3. Record
   
   1. Save and backup
4. Edit
   1. Cut out unwanted material
   2. Add royalty-free music
   3. Convert to MP3 file
5. Publish
   1. Upload
   2. Link to blog or make available using RSS
   3. She mentioned disseminating using Podzinger

Allgood said that she learned Audacity in 30 minutes!  She also said that she tried to keep her podcasts to under 20 minutes each.

Finally, someone said that the more conferences you attend, the more the networking outweighs the conference sessions themselves. This year, that seemed particularly true.  I attended excellent sessions, but also had very worthwhile conversations with colleagues over breakfast, lunch, and hors d'oeuvre.  Although networking online is increasingly important, have "face time" is important.  (And you get to put a face with the e-mail ID!)

With that, I hope to see you Seattle, if not before.

---

Technorati tag: sla2007