ASDAL 2006 - Day 1, pt.4

I don't know how this always happens, but I get 3 entries in for the morning sessions, and then just one to cover the entire afternoon. Oh well, that's just how it goes, I guess.

I managed to scarf some lunch and then headed back to the meeting room because I needed to be ready for my presentation. Tony was before me, and I am sure that he had a good presentation, but I honestly didn't catch much of it. Too preoccupied with mine, I guess. He did have a good point about collection development that I do remember, though. He said you should go to faculty members, ask them what books they have on their office shelves that they are always turning to, and make sure you have those books in the library collection. Brilliant. I hadn't thought about that, but that's absolutely what you want in your collection. Great way to build it.

Then it's finally my turn to present. I'm not exactly sure what made me want to present this year, but I guess I just had a feeling that it was finally my turn, or something. I had been to several presentations on podcasting and blogging in the last year, so I was interested in sharing a little bit of what I'd learned. I think these are good technologies to embrace, and that's where a goodly portion of our patrons are wanting to get their information these days. They want it delivered to them, they don't want to have to go get it themselves, necessarily. Whatever we can do to make it easier for our base to get the information they need, the better, I think.

But of course, as Dan noted in the Q&A section, unless we're able to publicize these resources, what good are they? If you make a podcast and no one listens, are you still doing a good job? Probably not. Frank's presentation Friday should give us some ideas on how to publicize these new resources to our communities. Should be interesting. He's done some great things for us here at Southern, and I think ASDAL will be interested to hear about it.

Then it was the first Business Session. And the most important thing that happened is that I wasn't elected to the Nominating or Resolutions Committees. Yes, it would be a great honor to serve ASDAL in any way I could, but I've been on those committees before, and I have no great urge to serve again. But I'm sure the people that were elected will do fine work.

Tomorrow is the trip, and it looks like it'll be a good one. There's a fair amount of stuff here in Chattanooga that I haven't done, but isn't that always the way? You live near interesting things, but never visit them unless you're taking out-of-town guests to see them. Oh well, we have guests, so we're going to go see some good stuff!