How I plan to apply some of the things I learned at ACRL to have a direct, immediate impact on the way I do my job and conduct myself professionally:

Start Blogging (and Publishing) More Seriously. I have a blog, which hasn’t been updated since roughly January, but judging by some of the traffic that it’s received this week alone, it’s clear that several of my professional peers might indeed be interested in what I have to say. This was confirmed in the Mapping Your Path to the Mountaintop, where Steven Bell and his three panelists (as well as several insightful volunteers at the mics) championed blogging as a valid mode of publication, something to be reckoned with during the tenure process. I made the choice at my institution to be non-tenured faculty, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to publish, nor does it mean that my making the effort to do so, in whatever form, won’t be appreciated.

Use Google Docs for Collaborative Class Assignments. I’m so glad I stuck around at the Shed for its last presentation of the conference, Rosalind Tedford’s talk about how she and her colleagues use Google Docs, both internally and as a teaching tool. I am particularly interested in the latter, because the Medical Informatics class that I teach to first-year medical students has, as its final project, a presentation of a New England Journal of Medecine case that the students collaborate on, in groups of 9 or 10. When that many people are submitting data into the project, you can imagine what a mess these can turn into. Google Docs can alleviate much of this stress by giving all the group members access to the same presentation, enabling my students access to the same presentation and the ability to make instant changes that everyone will be able to see. Using Google Docs will take some considerable buy-in from both me and them (I have to commit to teaching it; they have to have Gmail accounts, if they don’t already) but the impact that this software could have on the efficiency and quality of their work could be considerable.

Resuscitate Reference. One of the poster presentations that had the greatest impact on me was the “But We’re Not Dead Yet” poster from Kansas State. My home library just shut down our reference desk after the new year, but it was fascinating seeing how small changes in design, location, and service brought reference back from the dead at K-State. Perhaps an autopsy is in order back home.

Tweet Like There’s No Tomorrow. There was no escaping Twitter at this conference, although at times I kind of wanted to! (One glance at my activity will tell you that periodic bouts of “Twitter-sickness” never lasted very long). But Twitter was a huge and essential part of my conference experience. I made so many contacts and held so many interesting discussions, which began as virtual “@replies” and often extended into real-world debates. Twitter provided instant, pithy updates of concurrent sessions that I happened to be missing. While I’m not completely sold on Twitter’s utility as a library marketing tool (full disclosure: I missed Saturday afternoon’s Shed session), as a professional networking service and a grassroots-level news feed, it was utterly invaluable. And when the regional meeting of the Medical Library Association rolls around later this year, I am going to encourage as many of my colleagues as possible to join and use Twitter.

I’m sure I’ll think of more ways to apply what I’ve learned in the coming days and weeks, but for now, let me just say what an amazing experience this conference has been. See everyone in Philadelphia!

I’m so jealous of my fellow bloggers: you’re so much better at synthesizing information and posting meaningful, immediate content than I am! Meanwhile, I have to sit and meditate and agonize over every word. So in lieu of speaking about one or two sessions (others have done that much more effectively and eloquently already) I’m going to attempt to offer a summation of my Friday at ACRL.

I’ll use as a framing device something that Sherman Alexie just told me when I finally reached the front of the line for his autograph: “More adventures!” He told me this, oddly enough, because he took one look at my name badge and said, “Jack Bullion! That’s a total pirate name! I bet you have all sorts of adventures!” (Aside: even more oddly, Alexie is the second person to tell me this. The first was a member of the search committee at the library that eventually offered me my current position. Apparently, my “pirate name” stood out in the pile of applications. You can imagine what a superb work environment this is!). He then signed my copy of Ten Little Indians with this directive: “More Adventures! -Sherman”.

And now I can’t help but think that new librarians like myself would do well to heed Sherman Alexie’s advice. Many of us “next-gen” librarians have been taught, both in library school and in our apprenticeships, that an atmosphere of significant and often turbulent change awaits in our chosen profession. We need to do everything we can to meet change head-on, like the panelists in this morning’s “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” discussion, who completely revamped their report on professional trends in order to address the all-encompassing influence of last fall’s economic downturn. We need to discern which popular social-networking technologies can offer ourselves and our institutions vital benefits, as Joe Murphy showed us in his packed-to-the-gills Twitter talk. We need to find creative ways to engage our various audiences, as Peter McCracken of Serials Solutions did by enlivening his already-fascinating presentation on KBART and OpenURL by providing not only a great whirlwind tour of off-the-beaten-path Seattle sites, but also free, delicious Top Pot donuts. We need to address, not ignore, problems and gaps in service and take action to make positive, visionary changes, as countless poster presenters did.

So: more adventures, just like Sherman Alexie says. Bring ‘em on!

I’m a (relatively) new librarian, new to ACRL, and new to Seattle. I’m not new to the conference setting altogether, as I attended the Southwest regional MLA meeting in Dallas last October, about a month into my new job as Instruction Librarian at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. I was so green (and I don’t mean in an earth-conscious way) that I basically glued myself to my more experienced colleagues, those savvy conference-veterans. I won’t have that benefit this time around, as I’m 1) flying solo and 2) don’t live ten very convenient minutes from the conference site. That said, I’m looking forward to a great experience at ACRL! I hope that whatever blog content I produce reflects my enthusiasm and my perspective as a new librarian.

Pre-conference at least, here’s the main thing I’ve noticed as a newbie: I haven’t even set foot in Seattle and already I’m overwhelmed by the amount of invites, inducements, offerings and opportunities that have flooded my way so far. Other bloggers here have offered terrific suggestions on everything from making schedules to Seattle must-sees/drinks/eats. I’m personally looking forward to Sherman Alexie, one of my favorite authors. Friends of mine who’ve had the privilege to hear Alexie speak tell me he’s mesmerizing and hilarious, and that he doesn’t read his work so much as perform it. I’m particularly eager to hear his thoughts on what libraries have meant and continue to mean to him.

With introductions out of the way, I’ll sign off and wish everyone safe travels, no matter what method of conveyance you choose. Like many, I was worried about adapting to the weather, but due to a nasty cold front, it will actually be colder here in North Texas than it will be in Seattle!