Last night, I got an e-mail asking if I’d like to join the LITA Top Technology Trends panel as one of their experts. And it didn’t take me more than 2 seconds to decide that I was going to say yes. Wow! What an honor to be included with such a distinguished group of professionals! The idea of being a prognosticator does cause me a little anxiety (I actually had a nightmare about this last night, complete with me forgetting to prepare anything and Roy telling me I was going to be great) but I am so immersed in this stuff every day of my life, so I think I’ll be able to puzzle out a few trends. No one beats up that groundhog when he’s wrong, and that guy’s always wrong.

I’m glad they are starting to get a more diverse group on the panel. It’s important to include people who work directly with patrons on a day-to-day basis. While Andrew Pace and I have a lot in common, we come from different areas of the library and will have different perspectives. That’s a good thing. It’s also good to have some more social software-y people on the panel since it’s definitely the topic du jour at most conferences.

I know Dorothea has her own good reasons for turning it down, but for me, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. I remember watching that same panel two years ago (before I’d even started my first professional job) and just being in awe of these incredibly smart and well-respected folks at the front of the room. Like I said to Roy, this part of my life all seems like a dream. And not the sort where I forget to prepare for a presentation or get chased by the bad guys. More like the kind where the whole world is made out of cotton candy and marshmallow fluff. And I love marshmallow fluff.