Tech Services Breakfast and Meeting

This morning I am learning the intracacies of blogging...
bear with me.
With some kindly steering from the blogger next to me, I'm in, and it's all good.
Right now, the speaker (Mike Stevens) is reviewing the minutes and nominating officers for next year.

One attendee is promoting why you should consider serving on the board.

The speaker and other attendees are promoting a web "campaign" for possible committee members.

The meeting and group itself seems very loosely formed, spontaneous and flexible in nature.
He is explaining that the group meets about three times a year face to face, with lots of electronic conversation.

There are many speakers from the floor pursuading people to serve, and promising that the group is friendly, not intimidating, etc.

Now, a call is going up for members. There was not an immediate response.
There are questions about how the vote should go, according to the bylaws.
As I said, it is very loosely organized.

They are now reviewing Robert's rules for protocol.

A motion was made and carried to retain the people now serving, and to add an emailed name of a candidate or candidates for the last member.

Now, the question before us is "Is Technical Services" the right name for this group?
Mike is commenting on the levels of technical service that members are involved in.
i.e. Systems, Cataloguing.

Members are commenting that there is not a separate Technology Library sector within ALA
right now.

Some members like Technical Services, others like something more specific, but there isn't a suggestion yet.

The comment is that all Library Services are becoming more technologic, but that there is confusion between Tech Services and IT (the people who fix the computers).

Also, some smaller librarians do more than one function of Tech Services.

One comment is that we work with the software, the IT people work with the hardware.

One person is commenting about MARC records, and how various systems work in order to manipulate it.

Mike is now returning to the term Technical Services, and giving an anecdotal comment on his personal situation: how the IT person and the Technical Services roles are blurred by the public not understanding the term properly.

The issue will not be solved in this forum, but discussion will be continuing.

Mike is now reviewing the "cutting edge" programs that this group has offered, going
"way back" to how a fax works, how to use the internet, etc. and what new program could they offer as a day or half day workshop for a small fee to the larger MLA group.

The discussion is what program to offer next,
My fellow blogger, Lynn, suggested E portfolios, another member suggested Dublin Core and the Digital Commonwealth. One suggested social networks: blogging, wikis, tagging, etc.

Mike is now discussing Primo, a social networking tool which he learned about at a conference recently.

The session is drawing to a close.
Time to pack up ye old laptop and find my next blogging assignment.

Motion for adjournment, Seconded.


Good day to all.