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LITAcamp is now on Twitter! http://twitter.com/litacamp

Find us, Follow us, Feedback us! Official hashtag : #litacamp09

LITAcamp is THE library technology unconference for lib-techies by lib-techies. We understand the power of technology to expand reach, share information, and build community. Tweet #litacamp09 with conference highlights, observations, tips of the trade, best practices, and feedback.

Can't attend? Follow conference activity in real-time at http://search.twitter.com/search?q=litacamp09, grab the RSS feed, participate via Twitter @replies, and make connections with colleagues tweeting about your interests.

Photo happy? Post pictures of LITAcamp on Flickr and tag them litacamp09!

LITAcamp 2009. Wherever you are, be there: May 7-8, 2009.

The latest PR blast ....

LITACamp, the unconference, May 7-8 in Dublin, Ohio

LITACamp is a place to discuss and explore the latest in library technology topics and speculate on what might be to come.

Our theme, “The Everywhere Library: Creating, Communicating, Integrating” and our award winning keynote speakers, John Blyberg and Joan Frye Williams are perfect for the wide range of unconference possible presentations and discussions about the new and ever changing landscape we work in.

For example OCLC just announced WorldCat Local Quickstart. Marshall Breeding has said of the announcement: “I see this move stirring up the mix of options and opportunities for libraries. Anything that provides new alternatives to libraries is welcome relative to the state of affairs of recent times where libraries feel frustrated by too few options. So we’ve seen open source come in to challenge proprietary systems; we’re seeing initiatives to fundamentally rebuild library automation systems. Now OCLC adds Web-scale, WorldCat-based library automation to the mix. The library automation scene is getting to be more interesting.”

Stirring up. Mix. Options and opportunities. New alternatives. Web- scale. All the very best of reasons to go to LITACamp.

It is not too late to register for LITA Camp. Registration forms are still being accepted via fax or email AND registration will be accepted onsite.

Call for Camp Topics

We'd love to hear all your ideas for LITA Camp topics - we have some suggestions posted at http://litacamp.pbwiki.com/Topics but there's plenty of room for more. If you're planning or even thinking about going to Camp, log in to the wiki with the password listed at the top of the Topics page and start adding ideas for what you'd like to hear more about.

Topic can be things you want to talk about, learn about, or both. Looking forward to seeing what people are interested in!

Sponsor LITACamp 2009

If your organization would like to help sponsor the LITA Camp 2009, please select a sponsorship level and amount, and email Mary Taylor, mtaylor@ala.org, Executive Director, LITA.

Online Collaboration Tools for LITA Camp

I'd like to hear people's thoughts on good ways to collaborate/share content/archive the results of LITACamp. For example, we have some Twitter tags listed on the Wiki (http://litacamp.pbwiki.com/More+Info), but I'm also wondering about setting up some chat rooms, online whiteboards, etc. that would help with collaboration and tracking output of different sessions for presentation to the group as a whole.

Infocamp Seattle, for example, used a UStream channel, people put things up on slideshare, etc. It would be great to have a bunch of relevant tools set up (such as they need setting up) before hand to help sessions run smoothly.

-David

Camp Registration is Open

The Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) is pleased to offer:

LITACamp, The Everywhere Library: Creating, Communicating, Integrating
http://www.lita.org/ala/mgrps/divs/lita/litaevents/litacamp/index.cfm

LITACamp, a library technology un-conference, is scheduled for:

Thursday & Friday, May 7 & 8, 2009
OCLC Conference Center in Dublin, OH

LITACamp features a community-driven format. There is no pre-determined session topics or presenters, other than the two daily keynote sessions. Participants create and lead the sessions. Participants determine the topic and format of the sessions, sign up for time slots, and pitch session ideas to all. This format encourages collaboration, interaction, discussion, and real-time innovation.

Our keynotes will be delivered by notables known for pushing library technology to directly serve patrons, and are designed to stimulate discussions and ideas and energize the days' sessions.
Our Keynoters for this year include:

Joan Frye Williams
John Blyberg

Visit the LITACamp wiki for the most current information about the camp, including registration and housing.

http://litacamp.pbwiki.com/

Librarians, information technologists, students and trustees from the user-centered information community are all encouraged to attend this un-conference focused on timely discussions of current library issues, determined by the participants themselves.

Thinking about topics

Recently I had a short IM with David Lankes, after I had read a recent posting of his where he said:

Why can’t we replace the “Read” posters that portray libraries as places of things with “Ask” posters that show them as places of curiosity? Why do library gaming programs have to be some sort of lost leader to reading when gaming is a literacy unto itself? Who said the catalog has to be the public face of the library on the web? WHY CAN”T LIBRARIES REINVENT SEARCH?

The conversation quickly turned to David's program at the 2008 LITA Forum and we were using phrases such as "if it's not fun, why do it" and "aren't we doing what we do because we enjoy it, and hopefully our patrons enjoy it too?" I don't yet have a good name for this topic, but I think it actually goes quite deep into why we're library folk and why we knock ourselves out to provide all manner of information and services to our patrons. Maybe:

We're just here for the fun