Day 1 of ALA - Anaheim

I'm here at the big show! The super bowl of library conferences.

Today for the first time I helped out with the Spectrum Institute.
It is an orientation program for the new awardees of the Spectrum
scholarship and also a booster shot of enthusiasm for the profession
and ALA in general

I assisted in the professional options fair, which is one of the areas
that I remember the most from the institute which I attended. It has
grown since the time that I was in it.

During the two hours I spoke with about a dozen new LIS students.
It was interesting to me that the new librarians I met split into two groups:
those who wanted to be Metadata professionals; or in terms of Public Librarianship, those
who wanted to be children's librarians.

But then again, I remember x number of years ago, I had thought I wanted
to be a children's librarian ....and I tell you that will probably not happen. I don't
have that good crowd control gene that is needed.

Otherwise, it was heart-warming to see so many of my spectrum alumnae - get big
hugs from them and try to catch up on a year's worth of news in 5 minutes.

It was a lovely start to the conference to see the bright new future of the profession.
We exchanged face book names and I offered to be available if they need any help in the future.
But it may be me that needs the sharp future minds to help me.

ida

Me - Dancing @ an ABBA concert on SL

Well, my avatar, dancing @ an ABBA concert last night in Denmark
on Second Life. It was a breakthrough to find that there was a concert
at a certain time and then get there and then figure out how to dance
to the music.

I am working with Sandy Vella to work out some useful application for
the CLA ACTSS division, but learning something fun first never hurts.

Anne Frank Postcard found

Today in the Netherlands, this postcard was found in an antique store.

It was authenticated as an original postcard addressed to a friend she wrote about in her

diary. This is only the 2nd card ever found that she sent...what a waste that she had

to hide 25 months to die in a camp later. I'll never forget reading about her when I was

young. Her story taught me about history in such a personal one-on-one way.

I actually went to Amsterdam when I was in college and I remember going to the house where

she hid and seeing the false bookcase that led to the hidden home. Here's the link if you want to

see it. http://www.channels.nl/amsterdam/annefran.html

Movie Babel - Universal angst

Alejandro González Iñárritu

I now want to see everything from Iñárritu that I haven't already. He makes me proud of Mexican cinema.

Sometimes I feel like mi gente don't look at the global picture, but this proves differently. Written by another Mexican from D.F. Guillermo Arriaga - it shows the human angst of the rich and poor in four countries. Even getting into the mind of this beautiful, mute Japanese girl. She deserved her Oscar nomination for expressing the angst within us all without words but showing it through her face, body and emotions.

Another title besides Universal Angst could be, the wealthy countries/people always win. Despite four incidents of tragedy, it was the two cases where the wealthy came out a bit ahead, whereas the poor lost even more. Not only was it the poorest, but the two most kind and poor characters lost everything. To me this is key in Mexican cinema.

Best bit from latest Zadie Smith read...

Best speech ever from an aging woman to
a husband with a wandering eye...

from: on Beauty by Zadie Smith

...I’m acting crazy and emotional all the time - my body is telling me the shows over, That’s real.

And I’m not going to be getting any thinner or any younger ...I want to be with somebody who can still see me in here. I’m still in here and I don’t want to be resented or despised for changing.
I’d rather be alone.

I don’t want someone who has contempt for who I’ve become. I’ve watched you become too. And I feel like I’ve done my best to honor the past, and what you were and what you are now. But you want something more than that. You want something new.
I can’t be new.

Another excellent line in a different section-- the greatest lie ever told is that Love sets you free.

I have been M.I.A.

I was at a meeting where someone was talking about the 2.0 world. They criticized bloggers who kind of let their blogs go...I think it is actually a good thing, that means that bloggers are out enjoying the sunshine or doing something in life 1.0. Like the woman in this photo.

However, I do want to keep my blog going. There will be more things of substance I promise, but for now I really enjoyed this story of a family in texas that made their house out of beer cans.

Source of photo unknown.

ida