LEADING UP TO IL 2013: Superstars at Internet Librarian!

I am going over the list of speakers at the upcoming Internet Librarian Conference next week in Monterey. As always I am bowled over by the caliber of presenters. Stephen Abram! Kenneth Haycock! Mary Ellen Bates! Marshall Breeding! Carolyn Foote! Joe Murphy! Greg Notess! Gary Price! Lee Rainie! Melissa Techman! Roy Tennant! My boss Holly Weimar who is presenting with me! I feel so lucky to be able to attend, and deeply honored to be presenting again this year. I know all the other speakers are dynamic leaders also. I think that the concentration of experts at this gathering is what makes it such a unique and special event. I go to other conferences to network and recruit as well as to learn. THIS is my chance to just listen and learn, and I am very grateful for it. Special thanks to Jane Dysart, Dave Hoffman, Carolyn Foote, Carol Nixon, and everyone else who makes this conference so important year after year. Kudos to Information Today for its many contributions. My association with this conference and with Internet@Schools Magazine have been invaluable to me throughout my career. I cannot adequately quantify what I have gained from my associations with both the conference and the publication over the years.

Next I went through the list and looked at job titles. These are ones that sound especially awesome and cool to me:

• Meg Backus, ILS Administrator & Chief Maker, Chattanooga Public Library...I wanna be a Chief Maker. In fact I think I AM! I maneuvered Dr. Holly Weimar into taking my place as Department Chair.
•  Tasha Bergson-Michleson, Instructional and Programming Librarian, Castilleja School. Wow I would have loved to be called PROGRAMMING LIBRARIAN at my junior high.
• Chanitra Bishop, Digital Scholarship & Emerging Technologies Librarian, Reference Services, Indiana University Bloomington...I like the sound of THIS job a lot!
• iane Cowen, Virtual Services Librarian, Santa Cruz Public Libraries...this job title has a very nice ring to it!
• Jenny Howland, Makery Facilitator, Lower School K-6, Katherine Delmar Burke School Fablabs K-12 Google Group, BAISNET, NYCIST...Sounds like a dream job!
• Richard Le, Teen Librarian, San Francisco Public Library...Teen Librarians are ALWAYS cool!
• Keith A Rocci, First Year Experience Librarian, Mabee Library, Washburn University Emporia State University...Every university would do well to have this position!
• Jeremy Snell, Web & Electronic Services Librarian, Mechanics' Institute...I had to look up this amazing institution. Now I really need to visit! http://www.milibrary.org/

FINALLY, going through the list a third time I found this gem: Josh Hanagarne, Salt Lake City Public Library, & Author, The World’s Strongest Librarian, Level 3, Salt Lake City Public Library...I just bought his book last week! OMG!!!!

If I went through the list again I think I would find OTHER people to highlight. That's how amazing this conference will be again this year as always.  Just don't get me started on session titles and how to pick!