New Academic Librarian On The Road

This post is coming to you live from the McCarran Airport in warm and dry Las Vegas Nevada. I imagine many of you know why I am here, but for those of you that don’t, the annual ALA meeting is here, concluding mid-week.

But ALA was not my primary motivation to come to Vegas. I came for the annual RBMS preconference. I presented my first paper at this conference, and it was my first time to RBMS as well. Before I continue, want to tell you that if you are interested in or involved with rare books or manuscripts in your job, this is the place to be. Great people, great research being shared and plenty of coffee! If you’re already an ACRL member, the pricing hurdle is not onerous at all, so think about joining!

Anyhow, I have a suspicion that many librarians are at least somewhat introspective and find new social situations a bit challenging – I certainly do! That said, this was the most at-ease I’ve ever felt at a conference, and I was a first-time attendee. For me as a new academic librarian three things were especially useful in meeting people and making the most of the conference.

First, remember that everyone at the conference is in the same social boat, so to speak. Conferences are filled with people who don’t know others at the conference, and hope to meet some great people. Of course, some folks have contacts and colleagues already made at the conference as they might be long time members of the organization and longtime attendees. That said, everyone at the conference is happy to meet new people, and the typical social rules regarding new situations are relaxed. Go introduce yourself and find a mutual connection.

Second, twitter! Twitter as a professional and social network has been invaluable to me! It’s so much easier to talk to new people when you already have a connection online. I was a bit humbled to have several people approach me at the conference and say “I know you from twitter!” Indeed, we even had a tweet up at RBMS with about thirty (of 400 or so) attendees. It was so great to see these folks meeting another and solidifying connections made online. Janine Veazue said it best, and appropriately, in a tweet:

Third, jump in. Simply because you are a first-time attendee doesn’t mean your voice and work is not valuable. There is so much work done at conferences that listening to what is going on and attending open conference meetings that are of interest is a great way to start giving back, even during your first conference! Alternatively, think about presenting at the conference. I was honored to present with Sarah Burke Cahalan about research we are doing on a botanical artist who lived in the Ozarks.

My bonus tip to conclude is reach out to the folks you met at the conference. Drop them an email and follow up with things that were of interest or just say hello. Solidifying those connections is key to a rich professional network – and it will make your next conference even better. As this has been a photo-heavy post, let me close with a photo at the RBMS reception of two great colleagues who I knew from twitter, but met in-person at the conference, Sarah Burke Cahalan and Anna-Sophia Zingarelli-Sweet:

Author: Jason W. Dean

My name is Jason W. Dean and I am currently head of the special formats cataloging unit at the University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville. I earned my MSLIS from Syracuse University. My undergraduate degree is from Hardin-Simmons University. I am also a member of the American Library Association, as well as the Art Libraries Society of North America. My interests outside of work are varied. I am very passionate about photography, not only the taking of images and the technical aspects but the philosophical and social implications of photography as well. I love to read, and I think I might qualify as a bit of a bibliomaniac. I subscribe to The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, and Lapham's Quarterly. (To be fair, I also sneak reading Jen's Dwell Magazines  and Paris Review in there.) I used to teach history to high school students and I am still passionate about both history and education - both in and out of the classroom. Finally, we share our home with a Saint Bernard named Winston. View all posts by Jason W. Dean