Lily

Thank goodness. It's just one of the very few in my area of interest, so it's disappointing enough that there aren't more options. - Lily

What are you looking for? - Hedgehog

ack - lris

And I'm sick for the first time in almost 3 years. This could not be a better day. - Lily

Aww :( - lris

woooot! congrats! - Sir Shuping is just sir

Woot!!! Congratulations - Hedgehog

In short, promoting accessibility (the disabilities/learning differences/universal design kind) in library media and technology services. - Lily

Your vigor for life appalls me. Seriously, though, do either schedule some down time, or be prepared to bug out of a nominally-scheduled hour in order to eat, sleep, shop, sightsee, or whatever. - Steele Lawman

^^^ True. But do keep in mind that this conference is in Indianapolis. I hear the sleeping will be awesome, though. - Catherine Pellegrino

Broadripple is a decent area to hang out and veg in. Don't know how far it is from conference venue, though. - RepoRat

Oh, Broad Ripple. Actually, there are some decent museums and a great zoo in Indianapolis. - laura x

It's about 6 miles north, if Google Maps is to be trusted. Now, the Children's Museum (about 3 miles north) is AWESOME. - Catherine Pellegrino

The zoo is very good and highly recommended. Also, if you have a car and are interested in mid-century modern there are a surprising (to me at least) number of gorgeous mid-century modern homes around Indy. Also, some great (and relatively inexpensive) antique / vintage shopping. I actually rather like Indy. Oh, and if you can get to it, the Tamale Place is outstanding (http://www.thetamaleplace.com/) but it is outside downtown (right by the highway). - Sarah

I hear they have beer, wine, and spirits in Indianapolis, too. - Steele Lawman

I'm going to the Indiana Medical History Museum! Also, I hear that there's a great carousel in the Children's Museum, and I love carousels, so. - Meg V. Meg

Indiana State Museum I think still has the L.S. Ayres Tea Room inside if that's anyone's cup of tea. But there is a lot of decent food in the area! The Children's Museum is fantastic as well. The River Walk down near the museum row is supposed to be a lovely relaxing area, although I haven't been down there in ages myself. - MontglaneChess

Definitely go to the Children's Museum! It's considered one of the top children's museums in the country and well worth it. Don't bother with the Speedway unless you're really into race cars. I personally love the Eiteljorg museum and it's right downtown. - Katy S

Looks like the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library is there too! http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attract... - Meg V. Meg

Indy is quite lovely. Perhaps because it isn't overrun because no one knows about it! HA! :) BroadRipple is a bit away from the convention center. I always have a car there (under three hour drive from home) but I think there may be decent bus service on main routes. - Lisa Hinchliffe

How do people approach the vendor / exhibition hall? (Assuming there is one, like at ALA.) I just can't take the crowds at the ALA hall so stay far away, and sort of have an aversion to the strong sales pitch at some exhibits, but maybe there's a more productive way to approach the vendor displays? - Amandadon't

Have a List of Vendors(tm) and Stick to It(r). Also, Stick It to 'Em(r). :) Seriously, what vendors are appropriate? What is your job and which vendors operate in those spheres? Ignore the ones which are ephemeral (unless they have/do really cool stuff you like) - awd

Go with someone if possible to the vendor halls. If you're chatting, it's a little harder for someone to use eye contact as an excuse to pull you in. - Hedgehog

If someone at the exhibit hall is between you and an ARC or a particularly nice #totebag, they have given up their claim on humanity and are simply an object to be removed or run over. - Steele Lawman

Mmm, tote baaag. - Lily

I also sometimes wonder if vendors will tell me anything in the exhibit hall that I can't find out via email or their website. (Cf laura x's thread about vendor demos.) I'm really curmudgeonly about exhibit halls, to a fault. I've seen colleagues develop rewarding relationships with some vendors in their area through meetings at lib conferences, so I'm trying to be less cranky about it. - Amandadon't

I've never done this, but my sense is that it can be valuable to talk to vendors in the exhibit hall if you have specific questions about a product or specific feedback that you want to send to a vendor about how a product is working (or not working) for you, features you'd like to see, etc. It can also be valuable to talk to vendors if you're trying to decide between two or more... more... - Catherine Pellegrino

I make it a point to talk to our vendors. It's a nice way to build relationships so that it doesn't always seem like they're trying to sell me something or I'm trying to get swag or a reception invitation. It's nice to be on a first-name basis with the people who can pass on the interface problems we have or will give me the straight dope on new collections or features. I will admit... more... - kaijsa

To the original point of the post: I have a paper on Saturday at 8 am EST, which is horribly early. But I also agree that it would be fun to share what we're planning to attend. In some spare moment I'll use the MyScheduler deal and make it public. Hope others will, too. - kaijsa

Culture of assessment (Friday morning at 8:30) - reporting on a survey of 4+ year institutions ... we have more than 1/3 of the US institutions responding so we have quite the report to give. Re vendors - lots of them do user studies. I like to ask what their studies are showing about user preferences and behaviors. - Lisa Hinchliffe

Thanks :) I'm still not sure if this is just what grad school is like or library school or this school, or if I just happen to be stuck with a particularly hellish part of my cohort. - Lily

It's a grad school thing, I assure you. - Soup in a TARDIS

Yeah, there were examples of all those in both my grad programs. Um. I might've even played the part of the queen of obviousness a time or two. *sheepish* - Kirsten

Yup, both my MFA and my MLIS were like that. I'm fairly sure I was Ms. Unprovoked Snark in the latter. - laura x from BuddyFeed

peppy loudmouth who loves the sound of her own voice reporting for duty! - RepoRat

I was the overly-aggressive participant in library school b/c I was conditioned to be that way in another grad program. The differences between discussion/debate cultures between programs can be fascinating. I often had to dial myself back in library school classes. But yeah, it's a grad school thing. - Katy S

Wait, you're in my Advanced Reference course? Yup....definitely frustrating. Any chance you can ask prof about diff styles of participation? We keep doing one in meetings where we write ideas for 2 min then each share this ONE idea before go to next person - Hedgehog from Android

Well, here's hoping the culprits in this case turn out to be just like you lot! The problem right now is that most of our class time is led by students, as per one of our course requirements, and most of them aren't changing the format up very much. - Lily

:( *hugs* do we need to send the library posse after them? - Sir Shuping is just sir

There should be laws against a patron challenging you to find a particular book in under 3 minutes because he "thinks LC is a load of crap" and impossible to use. I found it, but only after two and a half minutes of "two minutes left...one minute...ohhhhhkaaaay forty-five seconds, don't let me down here!" - Lily

Good Grief!! - lris

:( *smacks the hell out of stupid patron and sicks bear on him* - Sir Shuping is just sir

Wow, what an asshole. - Spidra Webster

Reason number 437871263487 I am not a reference librarian: At the first countdown announcement I would have stopped, folded my arms, and waited the rest of it out. - RepoRat

"I don't care f you don't like it, it's what we use. here's your call number. bye" - ellbeecee

Actual conversation that followed: "you should change everything back to Dewey right now, it's so much better" "I'm afraid we can't do that. A lot of people do say things are easier to find here than in the main stacks." "Yeah, the main stacks are HORRIBLE." "You do know those are in Dewey, right?" "Oh, ummm, I mean I found everything there just fine." - Lily

I'd have security on speed dial. The patron was harassing you. - Katy S

Aaaand just got a terrible news email on top of that. Two more hours, only two more hours, just two... - Lily

Oh Lily, hang in there. - lris

:( *hugs* anything we can do? - Sir Shuping is just sir

I really appreciate you all as a sounding board, thanks :) - Lily

I think we're sent those jerks occasionally so we appreciate the good ones more. :) Sorry you had to deal with someone so asinine. - Running Slow

Some days are like that. Even in Australia. - laura x from BuddyFeed

Guy was in the "at least ten years older than me" range, too. - Lily

o_O - Sir Shuping is just sir

oogy. you may want to ask your colleagues if he's been bothering anyone else. just in case. - RepoRat

Been there, and it's weird. Although I met my ex-boyfriend at the reference desk. He didn't ask me out there and then, though, and he works on campus so was semi-known quantity. - kaijsa

Did I just ruin my cred as fierce reference librarian? :( - kaijsa

Kaijsa, nope :) Lily, definitely check with co-workers. The guy could be harmless, but it never hurts to make sure. - Katie

He'd actually never been to our library before since he's a new student this semester. At least he took my brush-off with no hostility. And Kaijsa, that sounds perfectly legit :) - Lily

As our very own Hedgehog has said, "The librarian is being nice to you because it is her job. It is not because she wants you to hit on her." - laura x

Also, the librarian is nice to you because s/he is nice. Be nice back, not creepy. - kaijsa