CIL 2009: Post Partying Depression

Okay, I've survived the attack of the Jammie Monsters, put them back to bed, pulled my toothbrush out of my suitcase, and left the rest of it there on the floor for tomorrow. No WAY I'm going in to work in the morning. But, I'm feeling a little sad. People often say that returning from a conference depresses them because the new ideas and energy will fizzle out when confronted by medieval IT policies, deadbeat directors, reluctant reference librarians, etc.--only picking on reference because it alliterates with "reluctant." For me, it was more sort of a doldrum about the state of the profession.

Don't get me wrong. Computers in Libraries was the first library conference I attended (2002), and it made me realize that I'd made the right career choice. I had an absolute blast, then and now. This year, I'm proud and honored to have presented along with such a great bunch of damn smart, funny, and nice people. I made new friends, met some virtual friends face-to-face, and reconnected with some of my HCC and Gtown peeps. Attended a great preconference and a number of really fun social gatherings. (Always a treat, as when I lived in DC, I missed the evening stuff!)

But, as a profession, shouldn't we be further along? Should so many sessions, at a technology conference, be so basic? I don't mean any disrespect to the presenters, because for the most part, the quality of the presentations I attended was quite good. I also realize that a lot of libraries, for the reasons mentioned above, are still struggling to catch up. A digital divide within the profession has been created: those who can download stuff onto their work computers and those who cannot. I'm one of the 6 lucky ones in my library of 80ish employees who can--that's changing, thankfully.

A lot of the folks I talked to during the Wednesday evening exodus (on the escalator, on the airport shuttle, at the gate for our flight at National) shared this frustration. For those who did share it, I recommended the LITA National Forum (always in October and a moveable feast, this year Salt Lake City). CIL was always my favorite conference--I think this was my 4th CIL?--until I went to the LITA Forum for the first time in 2006. That also probably had to do with my changing my focus from reference to systems that year with my new job at Auraria.

I think another sorely needed development that will help address this frustration is the increasing offering of "camp" style conferences. Would go to LITA camp in Ohio in May, but I think I burned through mom's kid-watching karma, and David's not back from Afghanistan til July.

So for now, I will seek solace in Dr. Darlene's prescription for seratonin delivered via chocolate.