Bloggers for 2011 Wanted: Apply Now

Sign up to be an MLA blog correspondent! This year the official MLA ’11 meeting blogwill have covering the meeting from different points of view in order to avoid excesive duplication and to also to cover as many topics as possible.  

For information on these changes and the types of bloggers that are needed go to the annual meeting blog.  Applications will be accepted Monday, January 31st – Monday February 28th, 2011. Bloggers will be announced in early March.

Wireless cards are available for select positions (indicated on the website).

As a blogger who has participated several times on annual meeting blog, I can say that I have always found it a great experience.  Here are some of the postive things I have found about blogging a meeting:

  • Notes – I usually always take notes at the meeting but writing a blog post helps me take those notes and turn them into something more permanent for me to remember. 
  • Feedback/Discussion – I always enjoy discussing librarian topics with others and the meeting blog is one of the best places to do it.  Some helpful people comment on things that I missed making the post more in depth while others give their opinions on certain topics adding to the discussion.  All of that feeds the librarian circle of communication.
  • AHIP – It is a nice way to get some AHIP points in addition to the points you get for going to the conference.
  • Writing – There are different writing styles for writing an article, book chapter, review, letter, or blog post.  The only way to become a better writer is to practice and keep writing.   When I first started blogging years ago, the mere thought of writing an article scared me to death but I developed more confidence and later published my very first paper “The Use of Blogs in Medical Libraries” in JHL. 
  • Free wifi – I gotta say I am a sucker for free wifi.  I wish I could say that I can disconnect from technology, but really I can’t.  So if somebody offers me free wifi to write, I will jump at the chance.

Despite all of those positive things, I will be really busy during the 2011 meeting and I am not sure I will have the time to write good blog posts.  I would love to write something about the 2012 program and the things the NPC are doing, the 2011 meeting as a section programming chair moving to section chair, and finally my experiences as a new MLA Board member at the annual meeting.  I will have to see how my schedule shakes out.

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