Conference Day 2

Today was the first full day of the conference and so far, I'm really glad I came. That is, I was after I finally found a parking spot today. I don't have a map of the NMSU campus but I figured there had to be a lot for commuter students (I wasn't going to attempt to find a spot in one of the 10 or so spots universities reserve for visitors). After much driving around and much avoiding of college students who just walk or ride wherever forgetting that I'm in a car, I was able to find some big lot which was convenient to the conference location. If it was the commuter lot, NMSU students don't realize how good they've got it. Tech and UNM both have their lots at the far nether regions of the campus so it's a hike to get to class.

There wasn't anything in the first session of the morning that really grabbed my attention so I spent most of the morning in the exhibit hall talking with book vendors and visiting with librarian friends who had come down. I never have a chance to just visit with these peers when we're back in ABQ--we do our own thing in our own schools, possibly seeing each other at the monthly library inservices but we never get a chance to just visit. The two afternoon sessions I attended have given me quite a few ideas to take back to school. I just hope my coworkers are receptive to collaborating and actually using me as a resource. So far, I haven't had much luck. Maybe with these ideas, I'll be better able to armed to convince them to do this.

I was invited to dinner at La Posta in Old Mesilla tonight by two of my books reps, a married couple that I really enjoy working with. There were two other librarians at dinner as well--one from Rio Rancho and another from Espanola. The one from Espanola had worked in Felt, OK, years ago--before my days of knowing people in Felt but not many people have even heard of that place much less lived there. We had a nice visit and it's always great to be able to visit with peers and bounce ideas around.
Tomorrow starts off with a breakfast meeting and I'm interested in the keynote speaker's talk on Wikipedia after that. After lunch, I have to choose between two sessions both led by other ABQ librarians that I know, like, and respect their work. Then it's back home again to my hopefully completed kitchen and my husband and my cat.