Sarah Washburn's blog

I'm part of a ThinkTank that is comprised of librarians and industry leaders interested in green practices in libraries. We've met just a few times, but what seems to surface during each meeting is our desire to debunk green and make it easy.

TechSoup for Libraries relies on experiences from libraries across the globe to inform our content, our webinars, and our work. Without you, librarians wouldn’t have an opportunity to learn from someone else’s experiences.

TechSoup's GreenTech program has loads of smart, easy-to-implement ideas on how libraries and nonprofits can choose green practices that reduce our impact.

Yes, I made up that word. I'm not sure that it really works, but for this post, it evokes the multi-tasking, too much to keep track of world we inhabit where technology tends to overwhelm, rather than save time or complete tasks.

I'm a big fan of the ARSL conference, so I was thrilled when I heard news of scholarships for librarians interested in attending the 2010 event in Denver this fall. There are three available scholarships, and to apply, you'll need to complete a form and write an essay explaining why you'd like to go.

Today I attended a webinar sponsored by the Southwest Ohio and Neighboring Libraries (SWON) called Tech News You Can Use.

There's still time to register!

When: 4/6/2010 11:00am - 12:00pm PST

Registration link: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=wbwxfztnxq5n

Here I sit, on a plane headed to Portland. Each time I travel to PLA or ALA, I play my own version of, “who’s a librarian?” as I scan the crowd waiting to board. Flying out of Oakland on a bus-sized plane this time, it isn’t nearly as much fun as past trips from Seattle, where gobs of librarians would happily fill the jet liner, some easy to spot with library-themed gear. 

Stephanie Gerding, my partner in crime, is on her way to PLA in Portland, and soon I will follow. We'll be spending much of our time at the TechSoup booth in spot #554, so if you find yourself wandering the exhibit hall isles, please stop by and say hi!

I just read a thoughtful article on gaming in libraries from Government Technology Magazine's February edition. It's no surprise to most that gaming has entered libraries in a big way, but still, I continue to hear murmurings of how gaming isn't a proper use of a library, or of a librarian's skills.