Last Friday Fun I briefly mentioned the unofficial Drinking SIG of MLA, this Friday Heather Holmes also known as @LaMedBoheme73 on Twitter and #DrinkingSIG Convener, wrote a more in depth guest post that I thought would be fun to share.
*BTW as Heather mentions you don’t have to drink alcohol. I’m living proof, because I remember being pregnant one year sipping away at my Coke.
What is the (unofficial and not at all sanctioned by) MLA, #DrinkingSIG?
Heather N. Holmes, MLIS, AHIP
#DrinkingSIG Convener
@LaMedBoheme73
The MLA #DrinkingSIG came about a few years ago prior to the MLA annual meeting in Minneapolis. There was twitter banter about social activities to take place after the day’s events were over and the #DrinkingSIG was born. Key players in the (very) early discussions were myself, @krafty, @deanhendrix, @eagledawg and @gabinator, and from there many others joined in. Since then it has become something that many of us formally add to our schedules as something to do while at MLA.
To be clear, just because we call it the #DrinkingSIG, we do not exclude anyone. You do not have to consume alcohol of any sort. We assume that even if you don’t booze it up drink alcohol, you probably drink water, tea, Pepsi, or something. See what I did there? Just by ‘drinking’ you qualify for #DrinkingSIG membership. Our intention is to get together with old friends and hopefully make some new ones, too. It is a chance to unwind after long and sometimes stressful days, and to network with your colleagues while rehydrating* your body.
Last year (2012) was the first year we made it a little more formal when I introduced the idea of opening a CafePress shop to sell #DrinkingSIG merchandise and have the profits go to the MLA Scholarship Fund. The shop offered tshirts and umm, obviously, drinkware like pint glasses and shot glasses. This year’s shop includes some more drink related products like can cozies, a cocktail shaker, and of course a flask. There’s also a small flask on a necklace. It is only 1oz, but as @eagledawg said on my Facebook page: “Flask. Necklace. 1oz isn’t enough, you say? Remember those consecutive 7am committee and business meetings you have to go to? ‘Cream’ for your coffee = Bailey’s. ‘Nuff said. ” The logo on this year’s products says One Hooch: It’s Always Happy Hour Somewhere! MLA Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, 2013 accompanied by a picture of a few of my own personal drinking vessels (copyright issues avoided). The theme was a combination of submissions by Molly Knapp and Heather Brown. Special thanks to them.
The only problem with CafePress is that they don’t issue payment of profits to you until you reach a certain amount. To keep things reasonable (read: most librarians are poor) I haven’t added a huge markup up the products so I have yet to make a donation to MLA on behalf of the #DrinkingSIG, but hopefully we’ll make enough this year that I can do so. I’d like our first donation to be at least $50. Right now I have about $22.
This year’s meeting does not have a Tweetup scheduled so we will make one with an official (but not sanctioned by MLA!) #DrinkingSIG meetup. Probably a good time to have it would be during @TheBeardedPigs event on Sunday night. The EBSCO party is also that night, but The Pigs usually play relatively late and the EBSCO event is within walking distance so people who want to do both won’t be stuck waiting for a bus to bring them back. Another possibility could be on Tuesday after Tech Trends. The Taste of Boston party is also that night, but for those of us who couldn’t shell out the extra $ to go to it, can have a #DrinkingSIG event somewhere. Plus, I’m a panelist on this year’s Tech Trends and I’ll definitely need a drink afterward. Also, it can be considered a #DrinkingSIG event any time that 2 or more MLA members are drinking together. They can happen any time, any where!
Go to the CafePress shop, get some gear so we can make some profit, and we’ll see you at MLA in Boston!
*some drinks rehydrate better than others. All members are encouraged to drink plenty of water before, during, and after #DrinkingSIG events.
My vote is for post Tech Trends #drinkingSIG, selfishly b/c I’m not attending the closing party. Also Sunday is #metallibrariansSIG at the Clutch Show @ Boston House of Blues \m/