I leave tomorrow for Boston and ALA Midwinter 2010. Got a pretty busy schedule, but I’m trying to make time for things like LITA Happy Hour and a few other social outings, but mostly I’ll be in meetings.
Fun, fun meetings.
Say hi if you see me!
Since this seems to be the week of announcements, I’ll announce my new experiment with American Libraries:
From the introduction post:
This space will be a place where you will be able to find the very edge of new technologies, as well as tips and tricks about how you can do interesting things with existing technologies. I’m going to try and introduce technologies that libraries and librarians should be paying attention to, and at the same time give you tips and tricks to make better use of the technologies that you may already be playing with.
I”m very, very excited about being a part of a new part of American Libraries…this is the first official American Libraries blog that’s not written by staff members, and I’m thrilled that they are allowing me to be a part of it. Please check it out, and let me know over the next few months what you think!
Well, the cat is out of the bag at this point: I’m going to be a Trendster for LITA’s Top Tech Trends at ALA Midwinter 2010! And doubly cool, I’m with an amazing group of librarians, all of whom I admire. I’m honored to be included with them.
From litablog:
It’s that time again, folks; the semi-annual Top Technology Trends conversation is upon us. This year’s midwinter has us enjoying the history and chill of Boston, but like the last midwinter Top Tech discussion in Denver, you can participate from the warmth of your living room or from wherever you may be, a week from this Sunday.
WHERE: Boston Convention Center (BCEC-162A/B), here at litablog.org, from ustream.tv, or via Twitter (#alamwttt) links to follow soon!
WHEN: Sunday, January 17, 2010, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. E.S.T.The start of the second decade of the century starts with five Trendsters who are new to the Top Tech Table:
Amanda Etches-Johnson, User Experience Librarian at McMaster University
Jason Griffey, Head of Library Information Technology at University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
Joe Murphy, Science Librarian, Yale University
Lauren Pressley, Instructional Design Librarian, Wake Forest University
David Walker, Web Services Librarian, California State University SystemJoin us for a fun and casual discussion, moderated by Gregg Silvis, LITA Top Tech Trends Committee chair.
I didn’t want New Year’s Day to slip by without some looking back on the year that was 2009, and here I am with about 20 minutes left in the day. So what did 2009 bring me? Some awesome things: a daughter that is the best thing ever, professional successes beyond my wildest dreams, and a spouse that keeps me centered on both things in turn. It also brought some sadness: the death of my grandfather, and other extended family troubles.
But overall, I think 2009 treated me pretty well, and 2010 is shaping up to be even more exciting already. So many amazing things coming this year: new book coming in March/April, a new still-secret-but-almost-ready-to-launch project, some fun travel, and hopefully positive news on both mine and Betsy’s tenure decisions.
Thanks for everything, 2009, but 2010 is gonna kick your ass.
I blogged over at ALA TechSource earlier this week about the explosion of Google services that happened in 2009, and picked out the top 3 or 4 that I think libraries should be watching. If you’re interested, I’d love to know what you think about Google’s growth, and how Libraries are keeping up.
I just wanted to call some attention to one of my all-time favorite posts here on Pattern Recognition, which honors a holiday tradition from one of my favorite areas of the world, the Catalan region of Spain. I posted this last Holiday season, but in reading it, it just never gets old.
Catalan families go into the woods and find a Christmas Log (Tió de Nadal) to bring into their home. It’s painted or otherwise decorated with a face, and wrapped in a blanket. Over the weeks before Christmas, the Caga Tió is fed sweets and other treats, in order to get him ready for the command performance on Christmas. After weeks of being fed, the Caga Tió is ready. He is then beaten with sticks by the children of the family until he poops out treats for the children, usually in the form of the Catalan treat called turron. Yes…the log poops out the children’s treats, which they then consume. Caga Tió literally translates into “Pooping Logâ€.
Go read the rest of the post. Really. There’s even a video…it’s worth it, I promise.
Sometime in the last few days, evidently my newest book hit the data streams, because it now shows up on Amazon, in LibraryThing, and on the publisher’s website! It won’t be out until March or so, but it’s still exciting to see.
Last night while playing, Eliza stopped, looked at her new tricycle (which she calls a bicycle) and said:
“Mommy, my bicycle is sad.”
It took Betsy a few minutes to figure out what she meant, but she was focused on the wheel above. She then went over to the bike, patted it, and said “It’s ok bicycle, I’m right here.”
Presented without comment.
On this blog, I don’t often wax poetic about my family. On Twitter and over on Brand New World, sure, but I usually keep this area for stuff about some aspect of my life outside of my wonderful wife and amazing daughter…professional, if you will. But today, Eliza turns two, and I thought I should pause for just a moment and just make sure that everyone knows:
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She is fucking awesome. |
I hope that someday she’ll be able to look at the things that I’ve written and the photos I’ve taken and that she can feel even some of the love that I have for her. She’s my monkey, that daughter of mine, and she gets more amazing every day.
Daddy loves you, Eliza Rhea.