And this is the point at which I have to resist the incredibly pressing urge to flee.
I just got back from the American Library Association annual conference (loved NOLA!) a couple of weeks ago. While I was there I spoke to my boss (with whom I attended the conference), another librarian I had met previously online, the concierge in our hotel, the guy in the tours kiosk at the end of Canal St., the librarian sitting next to me on the shuttle back to the hotel on Sunday evening, and the wait staff at the various restaurants where my boss and I dined. That's it. The greatest networking opportunity for U.S. librarians ever, and I spoke to 3 librarians, 2 of whom I already knew. Good thing I wasn't looking for a job!
And then there's the issue of my not wanting to say anything that won't have a profound impact on someone somewhere (and what are the chances of that happening?).
All of this makes the concept of commenting on someone else's blog, or having someone read what I've written, seem extremely unsavory. I can't imagine that I will ever actively seek out the opportunity to engage in this kind of "conversation." (Keep in mind that I don't know what the hell I'm doing here!)
To make things even more interesting, I--like everyone whose CPD23 blogs I've read--selected the ones I would read based on their creative names. See, this is precisely why I was so late getting on board with 23 Things. I couldn't come up with a name. Every time I thought of something tricky, I'd find that it was already in use somewhere out there. I am simply not a creative person. Damn. (Marian the Librarian, what were you thinking when you encouraged me to do this???)
Anyway, I'm very impressed with some of the blogs I've read, and with what everyone has to say. As a relatively new librarian, I feel that it's more my place to observe and to absorb. Eventually, when I'm more comfortable with and have a better grip on the issues surrounding the profession, perhaps I'll have something of value to say. Or possibly not :)
Thanks for being so honest with how you feel regarding commenting. 'Lurking' is an officially recognised strategy for blog reading. The 80/20 rule doesn't apply here - it's more like the 99.99/0.01 rule (being the % read/comment breakdown.) [Citation needed but not to hand.]
ReplyDeleteGood luck! #cpd23
Thanks for your comments librarykris! I wasn't aware that what I was doing had a name. "Lurking" seems to me to have terrible connotations (how will I ever be able to explain to my mom?). How unfortunate! The great thing about social media is that information can be freely shared. I understand that this is intended to be a two-way street, and certainly if I had something of value to share I think I would have a sort of obligation to do so. However, the implication of lurking seems to be that I am abusing the system, upsetting the balance--I'm reaping the benefits but not giving anything in return. As librarians, whose very object it is to share information, presumably without expecting anything in return, I think WE have an obligation to come up with a more positively connoted term for this phenomenon! :) Any thoughts about this?
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