Going to meetings
Since I have returned from Midwinter, I decided to reflect upon the whimsical and non-essential parts of attending conferences and meetings. Trivial examples: get to meetings early if you want breakfast or there may be nothing left. 
And, be sure to meet with vendors in focus groups and dinners to discuss products and the needs of your patrons. Don’t forget to sample dessert whenever you have the chance. 
I usually try to assess how successful conferences and meetings are by what I can share with my colleagues when I return; however, now through email, wikis, and blogs I am able to share simultaneously. The sense of urgency and exhiliration that occurs when you are meeting with a large group of colleagues with similar interests can be shared faster. As I continue to work with gcast and using my cell phone for podcasting, I hope to continue to speed up this immediancy. I wonder will sharing more of the conference for those who can’t attend make them more determined to sacrifice and attend next time, or will they be content with a second-life/virtual attendance instead?
