Disruptive Library Technology Jester

I think it is a statistical anomaly that many of the meetings I attended during ALA Midwinter were somehow related to OCLC. That statistical anomaly has certainly played out in postings here on DLTJ of my impressions of Midwinter meetings. Continuing with this thread of OCLC events, I attended the OCLC Update Breakfast Sunday morning for a membership-dues-paid croissant and orange juice, and to listen to Jay Jordon’s biannual update on the past, present and future of OCLC. What follows are highlights that I found interesting in the course of his remarks, but certainly not a comprehensive report of what was said. Video of Jay’s remarks where recorded and are to be posted at some point on the OCLC website (roughly six to eight weeks from now, if my memory of past events can be any guide).

For those interested and involved with distance and technology enhanced learning or have attended one of the past ODCE/LLT higher education conferences, you’ll want to know about the Ohio Educational Technology Conference in early February.

Add this event to your desktop calendar program.

The Ohio ETC is the combination of OLN/OhioLINK/OARnet conference and the eTech Ohio conference — coming together this year for the first time. There are many sessions directed towards higher education that shouldn’t be missed and opportunities to network with counterparts in primary and secondary education. The Ohio Educational Technology Conference has published its program guide for its annual meeting February 1 through 3, 2010 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. With over 300 concurrent sessions, 225 exhibitors, and acclaimed keynote and featured speakers (Adora Svitak and David Weinberger among them), it is sure to be a great event.

Registration is available on the eTech Ohio website. While there, also sign up for a “Hall Pass” that will enable you to create your own personal itinerary in the Ohio ETC Conference Planner. (Tip: when registering for a Hall Pass and are prompted for an Organization Category, select “Other” then select “College/University” under the Organization Type heading.)

The theme of the 2010 Ohio Educational Technology Conference, P-20 Conversations: Shaping a Path for the 21st Century Student, addresses the need to provide seamless technology integration throughout students’ careers. Reflecting this year’s theme, the sponsors of last year’s Learning, Libraries and Technology conference — Ohio Learning Network (OLN), OhioLINK and OARnet — have joined with the Ohio Resource Center (ORC) and eTech Ohio, the technology service provider for primary and secondary education, to provide a premiere professional development event for all of us – teachers, faculty, librarians, instructional designers, administrators, students, and technicians.

Despite the problems I’m having with the slidecast function of SlideShare, I’ve gotten the results “good enough” to post. You can see and listen to the presentation on the SlideShare site or do the same in the embedded version below.

The latest edition of American Libraries Direct published today has a story about an unconference that precedes the ALA Annual conference in Chicago this July:

Are you interested in attending a conference program where you have a hand in determining the topics discussed? Have you always wondered what really goes on at an unconference? As part of ALA President Jim Rettig’s “Creating Connections” initiatives, 75 conference attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a free unconference July 10 at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago….