Posts Tagged ‘California’

Techsource post: Let’s go camping!

// October 4th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Conferences, U2, librarians

I am very sad not to get to attend and speak at Internet Librarian this year. I will miss seeing all my library technology friends in beautiful Monterey. Perhaps most of all, I’ll miss the first unconference event at IL, which will be deftly and awesomely hosted by Amy Buckland and Jenica Rogers. Read more at ALA Techsource:

Internet Librarian and Computers in Libraries are two of my favorite library technology conferences.  All of the programming focuses on the application of technology in libraries, they have great keynote speakers, and feature shorter “Cybertour” presentations in the exhibit hall–quick, 15-minute introductions to whet attendees’ appetites.  This year, the organizers of Internet Librarian are trying something new and different: before the conference begins, attendees and anyone else who signs up on the wiki have a chance to attend LibCamp Monterey, a half-day “unconference” on library technology.  I had the opportunity to catch up recently with organizer Amy Buckland about LibCamp and what attendees can expect.  She and co-facilitator Jenica Rogers are very excited about the event.

On a personal note, the reason I’m not able to attend is that I’ll be attending and taking photos at the wedding of one of my best friends in the world, Ellen Fauver.  Ellen and I met on a plane in 2001; I was on the way to San Antonio for SLA, and she was on her way to Florida to grade AP English exams.  We each mistook the other one of our own: her things were stuffed into a canvas tote bag, and I was carrying Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.  We’ve been fast friends ever since.  (Didn’t hurt that she was wearing a U2 shirt; also on that weekend, we’ll see U2 in LA, our fifth show together.)

All aboard for Anaheim

// June 23rd, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Conferences, Libraries

This Friday, I’ll be leaving for Anaheim, California, to attend the Annual Conference of the American Library Association. I’m scheduled to the hilt and cannot wait to get going. It’s close enough to the event that I think I can share this with you:

Looking for a meeting location or a place to eat? Try this Google map:

View Larger Map

The LA local news have found the public libraries

// November 17th, 2006 // No Comments » // Libraries

Because it’s not enough to ignore the dozens of shootings and other violent crimes that happen in the Los Angeles area in order to favor Britney and K-Fed’s impending divorce, the local L.A. CBS news channel has done an expose on crime in the Los Angeles public libraries.

I don’t have a problem with CBS 2 choosing to highlight crime in libraries. There should not be crime in public libraries, but any librarian knows that public libraries (and open, publicly-funded university libraries) are where there are a lot of people problems, including problems that escalate into crimes. I witnessed patrons being dragged out of the UK Libraries in handcuffs, was told not to study in a carrel in the summer lest the “toe-cutter” get me with his razor blade, heard of homeless people sleeping and even dying their hair in the bathrooms, and of crazed patrons assaulting library employees. The bottom line is that any public place draws this sort of thing, and if it’s not managed right, crimes happen. I think it’s sad and deplorable and very probably worth exposing the public to, but…

What I do have a problem with is the “libraries are a haven for pedophiles” approach that CBS has taken that is so typical of Los Angeles news. Why is it that LA local news is such a stewing bilge-hole of crap? Where is it written that the local news and Access Hollywood have to have the same tone? Is this just an artifact of the Hollywood culture, that news reporters are all just actor-wannabes? Are Angelenos really that stupid that they’re swallowing all this? Am *I* stupid for wanting a visual news outlet that rivals the LA Times or NPR in quality?

On the other hand, those BBC reporters sure could take a lesson from the Today in L.A. Weather Sluts.