Thoughts about talking to vendors at ALA... - LSW

Thoughts about talking to vendors at ALA Midwinter: I think it's great that Andy is making his list of naughty publishers and vendors (http://friendfeed.com/lsw...) but I wonder what the tactics will be once LSW has boots on the ground in Dallas.

January 7, 2012 - Comment - Like - Share

Deborah Fitchett and lris liked this

The folks working the booths are usually interns and low-level employees and/or salespeople, right? Not the people that deserve our ire, anyway. So I think they need to get chocolates and drink vouchers from LSW, not ulcers. - bevedog

So, is there a way to give them chocolate and a little flyer or something--a petition of a thousand visits? And then to stand outside their booth and educate LIBRARIANS about the people they are doing business with? Would ALA stand for that kind of thing on the exhibits floor? - bevedog

I'd be all for standing at a booth (or even outside the exhibit area) and talking to librarians, if only I were going to be there. I'd at the very least make quartersheet flyers to hand out with links to some relevant reading. - laura x

Have a plan for when the low-level folks go complain to conference staff. - RepoRat

This would put ALA in a very interesting position; I would hope they would find a way to respond well. - barbara fister

Yes, outside the exhibit hall would be the least intrusive way, I assume. Perhaps with little sheets with the petition-by-accumulation? Turn it into a game, like "can you leave all these protest coupons at all these vendors?" - bevedog

Also, I meant to note earlier that I will not be at Midwinter, so my contributions here are purely theoretical. - bevedog

Barbara, are you thinking what I'm thinking? Pepper spray and tasers? - bevedog

Uh..... Love the protest coupons idea, though. Good way to know the enemy without putting he low level employees in too difficult a position. Oh hi! Your bosses suck! Have a nice day! - barbara fister from iPhone

Yeah, just something they'd have a big stack of at the end of the day. - bevedog

I love the flyer idea. Love it. Anyone wanna mock one up? If so, I will print them. - Jason Griffey from iPhone

Thinking aloud: the flyer could be regular letter-size in some obnoxious color. On one half of the 8.5 x 11 sheet is the information librarians need to know about the issues. On the other half are six protest coupons to leave with vendor/publisher reps. On the back is the map/list of targets. - bevedog