Enquiring minds … could probably care less

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but I’m going to tell you anyway how I’m spending my birthday.

Last night I gave a presentation (simultaneously local and distant) to our ASIST student chapter on the biblioblogosphere. It was titled, “What LIS Blogs Should Could I Be Reading?: Or how to keep your finger on the pulse of the library world, how best to keep yourself sane while doing so, and how you can contribute.”

I compiled a listing of blogs and related RSSy things that might be of interest to LIS students, especially students of an ASIST bent. If you do not find yourself on my list please don’t take it personal. I offered several caveats at the beginning of my hour talk, along with a few more throughout. For instance, notice the change in Should to Could in the title. The title was suggested to me and I kept it except for the modal change. I’m not about to tell other students what they should read, at least not without some personal context first. For instance, for the cataloging types I highly suggested Catalogablog, and for those interested in FRBR I strongly suggested The FRBR Blog. Other than that there was little proselytizing on my part.

To give folks a broader idea of what’s out there I linked to Walt Crawford’s two studies of portions of the biblioblogsphere in Cites & Insights.

Even if you do find yourself on the list, don’t get too excited. I did not have time to discuss every blog individually and some got barely mentioned. We certainly did not click through to all of them.

We spent very little time talking about aggregators and RSS for several reasons. I did include a few links for people to get started, although I think most in attendance at least know what blogs, RSS and aggregators are. I did spend a few minutes talking about becoming involved in the “conversation,” though.

I guess the main reason I’m even mentioning this is in case anyone sees my presentation page in their referrer stats, since that page isn’t “public” in any explicit way. Anyone’s free to link to it or even outright “steal” it.

After our meeting, my friends Jenn and Richard took me to Crane Alley and bought me dinner and 2 pints. That was, in effect, my “party.”

This morning I woke up to find this from my friend, jennimi. Simply. Wow. With friends like this, who even cares how many enemies they might have? Quite probably the best birthday present I have ever received.

Throughout the day I have been receiving well wishes via Facebook, MySpace, email and in person. [And now via phone and mail.]

I have Ontologies class with Allen Renear in a bit. I have an offer to go out this evening, but think I may just take myself home and relax some.

Tomorrow I will lead discussion at Metadata Roundtable (rescheduled due to the snow last week) on the proposed revisions to the DCMI Element set definitions.

I did get a couple of CDs from my Mom via Amazon last week. I got the Wailin’ Jennys latest, Firecracker, and Lambchop’s The Decline of Country & Western Civilization, Pt. 2: The Woodwind Years. They are both quite good, although the Lambchop is really for folks who are already fans, being mostly outtakes and such.

I’m starting not to feel so hot again, no sure why. Started this afternoon at some point. Part of it may be that Allen has a bad cold and it’s just psychosomatic, but it started before class. Oh well. Been this way on and off for weeks now.

I did treat myself to a nice chocolatey coffee beverage from Moonstruck Cafe and 2 chocolate chip and walnut cookies from Ed at The Cookie Jar this afternoon. Now I should go eat dinner, which will be leftover Guinness and butter basted roast pork loin that I made Sunday.

Thanks all for the kind words and well wishes!

19 thoughts on “Enquiring minds … could probably care less”

  9. Thanks, David!

    Hi Helen, I am *so* looking forward to on campus, although with a bit of reluctance. This will be the last on campus for so many of my LEEP friends, those who haven’t already graduated.

    Not working in ITD anymore I don’t meet many of them. I met a couple during Bootcamp last summer and I did broadcast 501 for Linda in the fall, but still…. Heck, I don’t even know that many of the “new” on campus students. There’s a handful that I know pretty well and then there’s all these faces I don’t even recognize.

    I know I’m an oddball as far as on campus students interacting with LEEP students, but I am going to miss getting to know many of the folks in the other half of our student body. :(

    Anyway, looking forward to seeing you soon. Talk is good.

  10. Mark, you’re a really special and good person, and you DO speak for the community. You have a very big voice, that many people respect. Including me… glad you had such a productive and fun day. I fell asleep early in front of my computer… very UNproductive. I’m calling it my “Mark’s birthday present to myself”. hee.

  11. Thanks again, jennimi. :)

    I went to bed early, too. Started flagging quite a bit on the way home, so I spent the early evening replying to well wishers on Facebook, etc. and read the latest Cites & Insight from Walt. And I’m 100% sure it is entirely coincidental, but I was even quoted in it. Any day one gets cited in C&I is as good as a birthday! Well, I guess if it’s the right sort of citing. ;) So far I don’t remember Walt citing anything I’m embarrassed to have written. I’m sure my time will come for that (deserved) “honor,” too.

  14. Well, let me be the nth person to send my well wishes. Last year was such a stressful time that I only went out for a birthday dinner because my friends demanded it. This year, I have a new beau, I’m going camping, and things are generally looking up. I know you’ve been down and I guess what I’m trying to say is that I bet you will be back on top of the world by your next birthday. Take time to enjoy the heck out of yourself because really, who is more important than you? Happy, happy.

  18. Oh NO!!! That’s what I get for not updating my 2007 calendar from 2006! Happy happy happy long-belated birthday greetings, wonderful Mark. I agree with jennimi: “I have rarely met someone who could at once critique and genuinely love the world around him – all with a deeply pensive squint and a smile. “

  19. Not a problem, my friend. The only way I could even begin to have a decent birthday was to know in my heart that you were thinking of me.