Dan Pink Returns!

Dan Pink, who gave the McGovern Lecture at MLA, returned to us for a webcast this afternoon.

I was listening while cataloging, so I did not take nearly the pages of notes on this hour as the last time I had a chance to hear him, but following are a few scratches.

This live web presentation was a very quick recap of the talk in DC (my voluminous notes here for a less-quick recap), focusing especially on the idea that the work that will be important in the future is less high-tech than high-touch--that the jobs we value will increasingly be the things that can't be automated, routinized or sent overseas.

He also spoke again about six important qualities he sees for this work: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning.

He suggested a number of exercises, including some covered in DC like the 6-word autobiography, and the design notebook (carry a notebook for a week and write down an instance of good design, and an instance of bad design, that you see as you go about your day).

There was also one he called "a day in the life" exercise, which you can do with members of a team in order to get to know each other better, and which involves having each member write down what they think are their teammates "ups, downs, challenges and rewards" from work, and then each person tells what these things actually are for him or her.

I especially liked an exercise using magazines, designed to extend ones 'symphony' skills. In this exercise, you, either with other members of a team or alone, gather a number of magazines (it often helps if they're nothing you would normally read, or know anything about) and, keeping in mind a certain problem or issue you're working on, read them and try to see what solutions they suggest.

Another exercise was to first clarify and write down your priorities, and then looking over your calendar to see how you actually spend your time, and how it matches up with those priorities. He said it's often quite telling to find how little time we often spend, in our daily lives, on what we consider to be our top priorities.

Another involved the classic "if you had ten million dollars, or if you only had ten years to live, which of the things you do now would you still do, and which would you do differently?"

In the discussion period at the end, T. Scott made the point that, with all the things we're trying to do, it's also important to think about what we may need to stop doing, and Dan Pink said that he is in favor of a "to don't" list for this purpose and that it can often be productive to intentionally meet, figure out what you need to stop doing, and write it down.

I'm struck by this idea of the "to don't list," which is something I've toyed with in the past but never thought about as a serious tool. More a sort of "ugh, trying that hideous food is on my to-don't list."

But it's a very good point: we can't do everything, and maybe sometimes when we're getting bogged down trying to keep up with too many things, it could really be useful to stop, consider some things that aren't really practicable/don't really serve our mission/aren't really necessary, and say straight out "this is something we specifically intend to not do."

I kind of like it.

I also tried to come up with a 6-word autobiography, which is actually pretty tough. Maybe "oddly near normal considering adventuresome childhood." But you really have to think: what is it you want to say about yourself?

Are you summing up your history? What you do?

Who are you, and since you're inevitably more than fits into six words, what part of who you are do you want to foreground?

Someone whose name I forget (apologies!) wondered in the discussion if coming up with a daily 6-word sentence might be helpful, which Dan Pink said he had not considered, but would be interested to hear how it turns out if anyone wants to try it.

I wonder how that would work. Six words to define what you hope to accomplish each day? What qualities in yourself you want to stress for that day? Interesting thought.

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Last Call for Notes on MLA'10!

I would be remiss in my duties as an Official Conference Blogger for MLA'10 if I did not strongly urge you to fill out the short survey on the Official Conference Blog, linked here.

It's designed to measure the success of said blog and help determine what could be improved for future meetings.

If you read the MLA'10 blog, go fill it out! Do it now!

Even if you didn't read the blog, you should probably fill out the survey just to make sure there are enough comments praising my awesomeness and explaining how I should be showered with jewel-encrusted wireless cards.

The word needs to get out.

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Off the Road Again

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

I had a swell time at the Medical Library Association annual meeting in DC, and did my best to blog up a storm over on the MLA '10 Official Blog, where a whole pile (seriously, at one point they knocked us all down and put us in a pile in the corner for a group photo*) of intrepid bloggers were reporting on the programs, meetings and parties that went on pretty much nonstop.

It was great fun. I attended some excellent programs and met some lovely people and caught up with some awesome people I already knew. Great, but also tiring, so I'm pretty much OK with being back in my regular old life.


*OK, OK, this never happened, but it would have been funny. At least for the people who weren't on the bottom of the pile.

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Making Lists

Since I was just wondering what to pack for MLA, this post from helen-ann on the official blog is most timely with its helpful advice on that very subject.

I especially appreciate the reminder about air conditioning. I'm always freezing cold anywhere there's significant air conditioning, and I would be unwise to forget to bring some sweaters or shawls. I have many colorful wraps from which to choose.

It doesn't address the question of which kinds of monsters to plan for. I tried to find some information via Google, but there seem to be few online reports of monsters in DC (though there is this report of UFOs in 1952). There are some zombies, of course, the related ghouls, and Darth Vader.

The most interesting thing I've found so far is the Demon Cat, but it apparently hangs out in the Capitol, so we probably won't see it at the conference.

There are also the expected ghosts of all sorts, but one finds those everywhere and you usually don't hear about them trying to take over cities, so I'm not going to devote any special level of anxiety to them.

I'll be sure to report if I figure out what particular brand of horror we should be practicing for.

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Time's A-Wastin'!

Yikes. I kind of can't believe MLA is this coming weekend. I have to start thinking about packing! So many questions come to mind.

Whatever shall I wear?

However shall I best prepare to carry back the hundreds of pounds of pens and other fabulous loot I will surely accumulate?

What monsters am I likely to encounter?
As a sub-question to the above, what weapons will I need? Claymore? Pikestaff? Battle axe? Are we allowed to carry polearms on planes anymore? No? Than how, I ask you, am I supposed to fend off dire boars?

Will I be be able to meet my personal goal of gaining at least five pounds while spending no more than $5 per day on food?

Will I remember to pack my camera so that I can add magnificent photos to my official blog posts? I took it last time, but it malfunctioned weirdly, so I could only find a couple of blurry images at the end. I have some issues with that camera.

Anyway, there's clearly a lot to get excited about, and I'm revving right up.
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Party! I Mean, Education Experiences

[Sing-song chant]
I am going to MLA, I am going to MLA...

At least, that's the word on the street. I'm thoroughly psyched about it.

Librarians! Presentations! Exhibits! Miles and miles of snacks! Limited zombies!*

It should be my kind of party.


*Some potential for gelatinous cubes, since they're well adapted to hallways and corners, but they're slow, so if I don't get too weighed down by snacks and free pens I should be able to outrun them. Of course, that's a pretty big 'if.'

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