Saturday at ALA

I believe I met all 20,000 attendees today at the McCormick Centre, of which three had visited Nova Scotia!

Some conversations my table mates have engaged in:

* How can I convince my staff to roam (rove), instead of hiding behind the information desk?

* How much computer time do you allow and how much do you charge for paper?

* Do you have central materials selection? (All at table had and were pleased with central selection and one mentioned their circulation per item had increased).

* Do you have floating collections? Our Urban Literature is being returned to Branches where we didn't think a readership excisted.

All pretty practical stuff and universal!

The first session I attended today was I'm a ...excuse me ... I heard a hollow popping outside my hotel window ... fireworks! They were absolutely beautiful, they were so close and 3-D (I'm on the 9th floor). I just checked my guidebook and sure enough at the nearby Navy Pier there are fireworks every Saturday night! (Makes up for all the re- or de- scheduled fireworks for Nova Scotia holidays due to clouds)! That was the end of a perfect Chicago day.

Back to work ... My first session was I'm a Leader, I'm a Follower: Middle Management Theory and Practice. There were three who spoke for about an hour of the two hour session, with the remaining time Q & A. There was not too much that I hadn't heard in previous leadership courses: that middle managers must have a communication flow up to senior managers, down to their unit staff and also across the organization.

My second session of the day was What Does Gaming Have To Do With Books Anyway? Justifications For Games In Libraries. I arrived approximately ten minutes early to this session and there was standing room only. The room was filled with much younger Librarians and I could feel the enthusiasm for gaming as soon as I walked into the room:

Firstly, connect/link gaming to your mission statement.

Justification: Games:

1. provide a safe environment for risk taking.
2. are a venue to explore different worlds.
3. are a venue to explore different interests.
4. teach perseverance in the face of intellectual challenge i.e.: "there has got to be another path to get to the end".
5. help in the understanding of multiple viewpoints i.e: you have to consider how your opponent thinks.
6. teach problem solving and decision making.
7. engage customers on their terms.
8. develop critical thinking.
9. teach sharing.
10. are a venue where one learns through play.
11. instill motivation and inspiration.
12. teach 21st century skills.

A further note: gaming is shifting the way that people expect library services.