Wednesday was the last day of the conference and my last session was on Mashups, something I had heard a lot about, but knew next to nothing. The speaker was Nicole C. Engard from Libline and the address for the session was mashups.web2learning.net.
First came the definition of "mashup" – a web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool. Programmableweb.com is apparently a good source for mashups and 36% of mashups involve maps. Two editors for mashups are Yahoo!Pipes and OpenKapow. Some examples of mashups are: www.secretprices.com, lunchbox.allbusiness.com, readingradar.com, and tweetcongress.org. The simplest kind of mashup is to plot locations on a map (which explains why over a third involve maps). An example is maps.repository66.org. LibraryThing apparently has an API (Application programming interface – the code used to communicate) for book jackets. Mashable is a site to find API’s.
After this session came my last visit to the Vendor Hall, for a final pass, vendor swag, and to say goodbye to our vendors. After the Vendor Hall closed, we all trooped to the ballroom, for SLA’s business meeting, to hear the state of the organization, and to have a final set of speakers in a panel. Two main issues involve the board’s attempt to change our name (which will be the topic of a separate post) and something called Alignment 2009. I listened to the President’s speech on it and when I got back to Richmond I read the conference paper and downloaded the powerpoint presentation and I still don’t understand what it is. So if there’s someone who knows what Alignment 2009 means, please let me know.
The final speakers of the conference were on a panel consisting of Judy Woodruff (journalist), Robyn Meredith (author and journalist), Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson (astrophysicist), John Patrick ("technology guru"). The conversation was wide-ranging, involving data and information, and the role technology plays in the transfer of both and what’s likely out on the horizon (more data coming at us faster and faster). Dr. Tyson stole the show and I was thrilled to discover he’ll be doing a talk in Richmond in the fall. I’m going!
After the panel discussion came the promotion for next years conference in New Orleans followed by the closing reception (beignets and chocolate cake). I can’t say I’m thrilled about Louisiana in June. Since budgets are likely to be tight or non-existent next year, I might go to Computers in Libraries in DC instead. I can only afford one of these things a year.
All in all, this was a great conference. Excellent, engaging sessions, opportunities to meet vendors and discuss their products, networking with a variety of members, and a little socializing to boot. So, what did I get out of the conference? A lot of ideas, recharged professional batteries, and new contacts. Whether the ideas I come back with get implemented or not, they start me thinking. And thinking is good.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment