NELINET 2006 IT Conference Proposal
I recently submitted my proposal for the 2006 NELINET Information Technology Conference.
It’s about WPopac, of course, but the excitement now is that the presentation would be the story of the first library outside PSU to implement it.
WPopac is an open source replacement for a library’s online catalog that improves the usability, findability, and remixability of the library’s collection.
This presentation will detail the implementation of WPopac in the real world, including discussion of challenges and costs, as well as the improvements to service and increased access to library materials.
I’m keeping mum about who’s implementing just now, but the three presenters in the proposal include me, the web designer and usability engineer, and the library director.
Cross your fingers for us, and stay tuned for a public release of this mystery library’s new catalog soon.
update: I should have noted that I submitted this proposal late (it was due Friday, I submitted Monday). Siobhan, who has the enormous task of organizing the conference, wrote back to thank me for the proposal, but explained that the conference committee had already selected speakers — “I cracked the whip on this because we’re running a little behind in our planning.”
Still, she did suggest:
However, we would love to have you and your colleagues come speak at a NELINET seminar, particularly now as you have information about implementation and usage of WPopac.
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that is awesome casey, my fingers are very crossed
[...] I was pretty excited when Nelinet released the topic of the 2006 IT Conference - Social Networking - Plugging New England Libraries into Web 2.0 several weeks ago. This is a topic in which I am extremely interested - and think that hearing people discuss how they have integrated social applications into their libraries will be inspirational (I hope so). I was even more excited when Casey Bisson announced that he has submitted a proposal on a new library deployment of WPopac to Nelinet for the conference. I have read all of his postings about WPopac and think it a great OPAC option, but haven’t been able to attend any conferences or workshops where he has presented. And of course, I’m hooked on the saga. Just who is the mystery library? [...]
I like the idea of “the mystery library”!!
[...] Work to make a general release of the WPopac software available for download and use by any library (or anybody who wants to present structured data with faceted searching on the web) is in progress. And, as noted here, I’m also working with other libraries to bring WPopac-based catalogs online elsewhere. [...]
Hope that went well for you and your colleagues! A conference can be a splendid vehicle for presenting projects and rallying support, of course. First because “everyone” is in attendance. But more importantly, because people go to conferences in order to look at ideas and products that will help them improve / change their systems and performance. (And to head-hunt for talent?)