The first time that I attended an ALA conference was in Dallas TX while I was working in academe. I took the conference very seriously. Because 100% of my expenses were funded by my library. The day that all of the conference attendees were supposed to give verbal summaries of our trip, the Head of Reference (20+ year veteran, and tenured full professor) was chatting during her coffee break about her visits to Nieman Marcus, Sakowitz, and other high end stores. Yet, she criticized me (before it was my turn to speak) because she did bump into me anywhere during ALA's conference.
I attended at least 3 ALA presentations each day, while she dragged her shopping bags through every mall!
And NONE of the other librarians dressed her down, for wasting the library's travel budget!
It is certainly true some people abuse the privilege of conference travel. But remember that we are asked to "work" over a weekend when usually we would be with our families, etc. And we are expected to perform outside the 8-5 time frame. It's all about balance really.
7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
hilarious! you should expand your shop inventory with more humorous items....I'd buy them!
4:26 AM
Anonymous said...
I agree with Anonymous 4:26 a.m. You need more things in your shop. I would buy them too!
7:30 AM
Anonymous said...
When writing your conference report, each of your sessions’ summaries should (at least) be (slightly) longer than the one given for each in the conference’s program.
9:07 AM
Anonymous said...
I had to question what was gained when two colleagues attended the same presentations at the same expensive conference, but apparently the bosses did not.
9:13 AM
Upon returning from a professional library conference, your post-conference report should include more than a list of restaurants you visited and a random collection of vendor brochures. Also leave out the part about waking up in an alley nine days after the conference officially ended.
"Conferences, Returning from"
6 Comments -
The first time that I attended an ALA conference was in Dallas TX while I was working in academe. I took the conference very seriously. Because 100% of my expenses were funded by my library. The day that all of the conference attendees were supposed to give verbal summaries of our trip, the Head of Reference (20+ year veteran, and tenured full professor) was chatting during her coffee break about her visits to Nieman Marcus, Sakowitz, and other high end stores. Yet, she criticized me (before it was my turn to speak) because she did bump into me anywhere during ALA's conference.
I attended at least 3 ALA presentations each day, while she dragged her shopping bags through every mall!
And NONE of the other librarians dressed her down, for wasting the library's travel budget!
6:10 PM
It is certainly true some people abuse the privilege of conference travel. But remember that we are asked to "work" over a weekend when usually we would be with our families, etc. And we are expected to perform outside the 8-5 time frame. It's all about balance really.
7:14 PM
hilarious!
you should expand your shop inventory with more humorous items....I'd buy them!
4:26 AM
I agree with Anonymous 4:26 a.m. You need more things in your shop. I would buy them too!
7:30 AM
When writing your conference report, each of your sessions’ summaries should (at least) be (slightly) longer than the one given for each in the conference’s program.
9:07 AM
I had to question what was gained when two colleagues attended the same presentations at the same expensive conference, but apparently the bosses did not.
9:13 AM