Blogs

Thanksgiving may be one of the least controversial of closed days that most American public libraries take. It's the civic occasion that is more likely to find public support for workers who are required to forfeit their own holiday at the demand of employers; life support service providers--fire fighters, police, hospital staff--choose to take the holiday shift at increased compensation, or to forego the extra compensation and take the holiday.

In his latest podcast, Michael Cart talks about the winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize for Literature, Chinese author Mo Yan.

Information and referral service has for decades brought to mind, for public librarians, an essential element of their responsibility to their local communities. As the 211 concept has spread through the nation, however, we have done less to put ourselves in the forefront of how our communities can remember that we are--or should be--well-positioned as leaders and enablers of other local agencies to carry out this support work.

We learned a lot, networked happily, made discoveries that tickle our imaginations. The conference has ended, insofar as the scheduled programs have run their course, the exhibits have shuttered, and we've probably done some amount of traveling to get home, or on to the next location on our personal calendars.

Throughout the ages, librarians have taken on the task of unmuddling attempts at communication about ideas. It seems as we all head off to San Jose for CLA 114, we've already got techniques for unmuddling to unmuddle.

On Sunday, during the coming weekend's 114th California Library Association conference, you get an extra hour sleep (we revert to "standard" time from daylight saving) and the opportunity to hear master speaker Dr. Jonathan Reichental, at 2 pm. Dr. Reichental brings to California librarians that enriching mix of public and private experience, from the world of business and from that of government.

Exhibits open this Friday, at 3 pm, in the San Jose Convention Center. Be sure to arrive and get your badge in time to join the excitement! CLA  exhibitors, of course, include a variety of businesses providing library-specific goods and services. But there are also nonprofits that provide essential library and library staff services year round and provide valuable presence in the exhibit hall as well.

...and aren't you glad it doesn't involve getting to the East Coast!  By now, you've packed--or at least considered what to pack. Are you taking physical business cards? Some library folks have given those up for virtual ones, but if you fumble over keyboards as much as I do, you can appreciate being able to type in the relevant info from physical cards you collect when nobody's watching the fingers fumble.