While I continue to look for work (interview next week), I try and stay in touch with the profession. Except that’s not as easy as it sounds.
SLA has the Annual Conference (June 2008, in Seattle) and Leadership Summit (January 2008, in Louisville). I have no idea when the next regional chapter meeting will be - I’ve volunteered to help with the website, to do more in the association and to meet more people, but that’s still largely up in the air. I don’t hear from the divisions or sections I’m in much, though I try to chip in on the IT Division’s Blogging Section blog and I made sure to meet Jill Hurst-Wahl at Internet Librarian. I’ve attended two conferences this year, which is more than many people get to, but it’s a big financial hit. I’m forced to carry a balance on my credit card, something I really hoped I’d never have to do.
Most of the big-name library blogs are for academic and public libraries, so I don’t really feel a part of the conversation there. Ditto for LSW on Meebo. Hell, this blog pretty much only gets comments from vendors wanting to push their products. At least Internet Librarian has sessions for corporate librarians, and I think a lot of Library 2.0 people could learn a lot from attending KMWorld & Intranets and learning from what’s gone on before.
Mailing lists? I’m on actKM, BUSLIB-L, the one for my SLA chapter and the one for AIIP members. I’ve chipped in on BUSLIB in the past, and may do so on AIIP if a topic comes up I feel comfortable with. But answering reference requests isn’t really what I’m after.
Where’s a venue for corporate librarians and knowledge management types to just hang out, talk shop and commiserate, regardless of geographic location on an informal basis?
Posted by Steven Kaye
