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Conferences: A Fun Tool for Staying Current in Reference
by Caroline Hailey Gurkweitz
I am one of those people who finds almost everything interesting. Like a child back from a neighborhood expedition, my pockets and tote bags carry the little bits of things that capture my attention. For me, attending a conference is like opening a treasure chest.
The last library conference I attended was the California Library Association's 103rd Annual Conference and Exhibition in 2001. Time and budget allowed for only one day's attendance. I had fun, and came away with solid information to help me both on the job (reference in a public library) and in my career. My experiences there showed me that conferences can be a great way to keep current on professional issues.
Planning Ahead
I received the preliminary conference program months in advance, went through it, and circled everything that struck my fancy. Consider this a "wish list," because it's unlikely that you will get around to everything. (Also, some things will get cancelled and others will be added.) As conference time got closer, I began to think about the holes in my knowledge that needed fixing, and went back to the preliminary program to find the workshops and exhibitors that might be able to help.
The Conference Begins!
I arrived at the convention center, registered, and picked up my identification badge, and the final program. Hang onto this program, because it is a very valuable addition to your treasure chest. Long after the conference ends, it will continue to benefit you.
Throughout the day I met friends, coworkers, fellow students, and new acquaintances. Both formal and informal networking opportunities presented themselves. During a break, for example, I sat at one of the big empty tables in the lunch area of the exhibit hall for a quick snack. Minutes later a woman approached, and asked if she might join me; within a few more minutes, two others had joined us. We had a very pleasant conversation on library schools, cooperative library systems, job openings, and conferences.
During the workshops, I encountered several former professors. One of the panelists in a workshop on job interviewing was Dr. Rita Scherrei. At the exhibit booth for the California Center for the Book, I met professor Sid Berger, who is now the director. This reminded me of a instructor's advice in one of my first classes in library school: "Look around you. These are your future colleagues." Your professors turn out to be future colleagues, too.
Wandering along the aisles in the exhibit hall, I stopped to chat with a vendor displaying books in Spanish. We spoke about where the books originated, which local library systems were the biggest buyers, and why it was better to translate English into Spanish for Spanish readers in the United States. My thought was that Spanish readers would prefer text that had originated in Spanish.
The owners of this company were a husband and wife; the husband from Argentina, and the wife from Mexico. This charming lady informed me that English to Spanish translations reflected the culture of Hispanics in the United States, rather than, let us say, Mexico or Argentina. She also said that Spanish readers loved to read the popular authors like Stephen King and Danielle Steel. Obvious? Not to me. Granted, this is one person's opinion, but worth considering. Another tidbit to tuck away for future reader's advisory or collection development.
Down the row, I chatted with another book vendor. I had used some of their products a great deal on the reference desk, but was unaware of others. I examined several books, took handouts that looked interesting, and then made it a point later to see if we had them in our collection. Further down I spoke with: a vendor about the future of books on audiotape; an exhibitor from the Census Bureau, the project director of 24/7 Reference, and many more. These were brief conversations, but they all answered the questions that originated with my "wish list" from the preliminary program.
My favorite workshop of the day was Gary Price's "Discovering Dark Matter: Portals to the Invisible Web." About 40 chairs had been set up for the audience, but it was quickly apparent that more were needed. A few dozen more chairs were set up to accommodate the people still coming through the doors. For two hours, Mr. Price spoke in rapid-fire fashion about the gems to be discovered on the Invisible Web. A reference librarian's dream; more resources. Questions and comments flew around the room. Mr. Price made it clear that it is collaboration among librarians and like-minded individuals that makes it possible to find hidden resources.
After the Conference
Did you remember to keep that final conference program? Here are a few reasons:
- Nearly all the exhibitors and vendors have web sites. Their URLs
are listed in the program, and well worth exploring. Take a look at
the site for 24/7 Reference, for example, at http://www.247ref.org .
The page entitled "About Us" will explain that 24/7 originated in a
large California library consortium, MCLS. Following the link to
MCLS can lead you to MCLS's "Reference Center," which includes a
link to "Webliographies" -- extensive subject-based lists of useful
reference sites. Have fun exploring! Every web site will not become
a favorite, but the richness of many sites is delightful.
- If you missed a workshop that you really wanted to attend, check
the program for the names of the presenters, persons or
organization. Run a simple search on the Internet. Most of the time,
that's all it takes to find much of the same information contained
in the workshop.
- Run an Internet search on the subject of the workshop.
- The workshops are often audiotaped live, and you may purchase the
tapes at a reasonable price. For the CLA Conference, the ordering
information was on a separate flyer inserted in the program. Guess
what running an Internet search on the audio cassette company will
get you? Information about other conferences you might have missed.
- Let's say you really enjoyed the information from a particular university press. Run a search on its name in Google. When it comes up, click on similar pages. More treasure.
Look forward to the coming changes, with all the excitement you may feel for new cars, new fashions, or new books. You have the opportunity to play tour guide to all manner of fascinating information. You are the provider of magic carpets for flying away to explore the unknown... and often get to go along for the ride. Staying current expands the number of places you get to visit.
Caroline Hailey Gurkweitz is a student of San Jose State University, School of Library & Information Science, and currently works as a Reference Librarian for Fullerton Public Library, Fullerton, California.