Mary Ellen Bates

Last year, at the Baltimore conference, one of the attendees recommended me to sit in on one of  Mary Ellen Bates ‘Super Searchers” seminars. “She’s considered the research guru of the library field”, I was told. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it that time, but at the Denver conference I made sure to find a seat in her class. And boy was I pleased I went! Aside from the practical advice, what I really enjoy about Ms. Bates’ is her unbridled enthusiasm for research. She admitted that she typically set a timer whenever she started a project, as it was a good way to contain her natural inclination to just keep searching and searching. I have to confess that it’s something I’m guilty of too, so the timer tip was a good one. (I'd say hers is a class to sit and stay in.)