Taking Stock

Reflecting on the posts today, it seems to me that many are reaching that "I'm-biting-off-more-than-I-can-chew-and-still-have-four-sessions-to-attend!" point that comes at most good professional development gatherings. The flush of excitement and can-do attitude prompted by the first flurry of sessions gives way to the realization that Rome, or your library, wasn't built in a day. I see the validity, and sincerity, in the variety of views posted. Yes, we as media specialists should be at the "front of the wagon." Yes, many of the people at the MAME shop talks used them as a forum to vent about their horrible situations. Yes, it's often hard to take everything in and hope you can return home and make some sense of it all... or even better, actually DO something with whatever you have learned. Yes, even though I have an LMS job, I do often worry where all the other bright folks in my classes will end up when they've completed their coursework. But I also try to keep in mind that I am one person, with 24 hours in a day (of which not enough of those hours lately have involved sleep or working on my research proposal due for class this week...but I digress.) It's time to let all of the ingredients of the past couple days begin to simmer and bubble. Let the best of what we've taken from these experiences rise to the top and perhaps give us a focus for two or three things we choose to go back and implement or act upon immediately. Then, stay committed to those practices as you go back and add or refine another idea you can implement from the conference. Then another. Then another. Just don't go back to business as usual. Gary Hartzell told us, "Don't mistake the edge of the rut you're in for the horizon." Joyce Valenza told us "There's no time to wait for the research." To me, they are saying we need to stay positive, stay focused and stay committed to trying to DO something within our grasp every day -- maybe even something that seems out of our grasp. I believe much of what I will take away from this conference will enable me to do that.

Which brings me to a Zen saying that I saw earlier this week:

"Leap -- and the net will appear."

Use these conferences as your springboard. Prepare to take your leap...