Announcing “ConferenceThing,” a free, mini-conference we’re organizing to coincide with ALA Midwinter in Boston.*

When:	Friday, January 15, 2010
Where:	South Boston, very close to ALA Midwinter
Structure:	Mixed conference/unconference
Admission:	Free

We’ve wanted to do something like this for ages. Now that ALA is in Boston, home for Abby and Sonya, and a short drive from the main office in Portland, ME, we have the chance to do it—and do it up. We’ve chosen Friday, before the exhibitions open at 5pm.**

What we’re planning:

• “Higher-level” conversations about the topics we care about—Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the future of libraries and books. Many librarians are ready to move past the basics. A lot of us now spend most of our time thinking about this stuff!
• Learning, but no instruction. If you want to set up a Facebook page, get a book. If you want to talk about what works and what really doesn’t in library social media, show up.
• Non-library people. The event will be open to everyone—LibraryThing members, librarians, etc. We’re going to bring some interesting bookstore and publishing people. We think we’re all in the same boat. And we’re drifting. Let’s talk about whom to eat first.
• Some sort of LibraryThing meetup and ALA party. We’re looking around for something different. It might just be drinks at Bukowski’s, but we’re looking for something cooler. (We’re shooting for the Isabella Stewart Gardner, whose books LibraryThing members cataloged.)

What to do

• Join the ConferenceThing LibraryThing group to talk about it, and plan things
• Follow @ConferenceThing on Twitter

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*ConferenceThing is not affiliated with ALA Midwinter in any way, although we have the same tailor.
**Friday is also when most of the special sessions are planned. We’re bumping up against a couple of events, including some by our friends in LITA. We’re sorry about that, but there weren’t any better options.

Labels: ALA midwinter, Conferencething