Me in Computers in Libraries
Thu 29 Nov 2007, 11:50 pm
I’m happy to say that I’ll be presenting at the Computers in Libraries 2008 conference in April. I’ll be talking about the Library Society of the World, and the global librarian hive mind. Or something like that. It will be my first presentation at a national conference, and I’m excited.
I’ll be sharing the stage with Josh Neff and Rikhei Harris. I have never met either of them in real life. Is it true that Josh is seven foot five inches tall? And is it RICK-hey or ree-KAI or what? And will they feel threatned by my William Shatner-like onstage manner?
It’s interesting. I had been really anxious to know whether this proposal would get accepted. Now that it has, I already have the feeling “we can’t present on that! This will never work!” That feeling is a little unnerving, but familiar. I had a theatrical design professor in college who told us that, in any project interesting enough to be worth doing you’ll come to a point where you think “I just can’t do this.” All you con do at that point is hang on and have faith that you can do it, and you will inevitably push through to something better than you thought you could do.
It also looks like Computers in Libraries will be a great opportunity for me to finally meet all these people in person that I have met online over the past few years. It’s a little wild to think about that actually; it has the potential to be overwhelming. All those people to whom I have said “I’ll buy you a drink” all looking to collect at once! Not to mention the pressure of having to kick Libraryman’s ass at Guitar Hero! (He looks pretty studly in that photo. I think I may be in trouble on that one.)

Watch them fightin’ words, son. You’ll most likely be eatin’ em.
Comment by Michael Porter — November 30, 2007 @ 2:54 am
I’ll second your professor. I’ve been presenting and performing for decades and it doesn’t matter the topic, or the venue, or the setting, or whatever, there is always a point where I am sick to my stomach thinking how in the world did I ever get myself into this — it’s going to be an absolute disaster. Now I expect that point to come, and I’d be worried if it didn’t. I see it now as a way to dig even deeper into the energy and focus that I need to make it work.
Comment by T Scott — November 30, 2007 @ 7:33 am
Yippee! Not only is it cool that you’ll be presenting on such a great topic, but I’m excited that I’ll finally get to meet you! It’s funny how you spend so much time chatting and even working with someone on stuff online that you’re almost surprised when you realize you haven’t met them in person.
Comment by Meredith — November 30, 2007 @ 7:43 am
And will they feel threatned by my William Shatner-like onstage manner?
You mean like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN3MGN899yE
Comment by joshua m. neff — November 30, 2007 @ 8:31 am
Josh, that is exactly what I was thinking of!!! I will definitely be at y’all’s presentation if that’s what I can look forward to! :)
Comment by Meredith — November 30, 2007 @ 10:04 am
Good luck with it! It’s great that you will be sharing your… wisdom? knowledge? insights? with so may at CIL. I bet you’ll have a fabulous time too. Better build up some calluses on those fingers in advance.
Comment by Gwen — November 30, 2007 @ 2:52 pm
Michael, I’m afraid you could be right. But maybe my two backup-singing doppelgangers can distract you while I shred on Guitar Hero.
Meredith, I feel the same way. Looking forward to seeing you in person, too.
Gwen, I don’t know exactly what I’ll be sharing yet, but it should be fun.
Comment by Steve — November 30, 2007 @ 8:59 pm
You’ve done it! You have found the perfect LSW slogan!
LSW: The Global Librarian Hive Mind
You are a genius, truly.
Comment by Martha — December 1, 2007 @ 12:49 pm
Thanks Martha. That was the original title of our program proposal.
And “perfect?” It doesn’t say anything at all about mama, or trucks, or trains, or prison, or gettin’ drunk.
Comment by Steve Lawson — December 1, 2007 @ 9:33 pm
[...] of laptop labs in libraries. This is exciting because fellow Library Society of the Worlders, Steve Lawson, Joshua Neff, and Rikhei Harris are going too. And there’ll be more I’m sure, [...]
Pingback by A Month-Long Change of Theme. :) « The Other Librarian — December 2, 2007 @ 9:01 pm