Library Camp NYC 2007 report back

Before I even get into discussing the sessions in which I participated, let me say that one of the best things about this conference was meeting cyber-acquaintances and seeing old friends. So here's a shout out to Andrea, Cherie, Meg, Mel, and Shannon.

The day started pleasantly (though too early) with a bike ride to Baruch, about two miles from Eric's place. Each participant received this adorable notebook that I just happen to have recently bought myself in a larger size. Thanks to the yummy hummus I had left over from dinner the previous night, I survived breakfast still a vegan. (Unfortunately if I hadn't brought my own sandwich from home, and if I'd wanted the free lunch provided, I wouldn't have been able to do so even as a vegetarian. It's my only gripe of the day, but wouldn't you think folks would learn that when feeding librarians, you should order more tea and more vegetarian food than you think? I am not yet hardcore in my veganness because it's too new, but one day I will probably regard it the way people who keep kosher or halal do. I won't expect anyone to accommodate me unless they're accommodating religious dietary restrictions. I don't see a difference.)

After the obligatory greetings, explanations, and devising the day's plan, the last of which I thought went very well, we got right to it, starting the first session about 20 minutes late, which is incredible, given the fussy nature of librarians.

I will report on each session I went to separately (blogging and microblogging, effect change, and green librarianship).

I made a few notes during the wrap-up/report backs, which unlike closing sessions at most one day conference I've been to, was really well attended.

Things I want to remember, study further, share (notes from the wrap-up, not confirmed by me):

• From Open Source Desktop, the Howard County Library in Maryland and two libraries in New Zealand use open source tools exclusively.
• So do Munich and Paris
• Eric Hellman from OCLC had a session on "grid services" that sounds to me an awful lot like an unpaid focus group. Should vendors I mean nonprofits be able to pitch I mean present at conferences like this?
• Can I get feeds or reports from our Voyager I mean Ex-Libris catalog of Barnard zines to go into Library Thing?
• Try to absorb Semantic Web later.
• I forget why, but I made a note of Iris Jastram's Carelton webpage, not that her profile isn't charming, I just don't remember who gave me the link or why

Every session I went to was successful (including the one I lead, I hope), and I ended the day with very good feelings about the experience and my fellow participants. And I also got good feelings from a beer I had with Meg and Shannon at the Shake Shack, a deluxe food stand in Madison Square Park a few blocks from Baruch.

UPDATE:
I forgot to mention that I learned from the experience of a colleague compared to my own that at Library Camp it's better to attend the niche sessions that interest you, rather than the giant topics like "Information Literacy." A group discussion from varied constituents is likely to frustrate you.