Oh boy, this is going to be quite a week!

On Saturday, I’m leaving for Monterey, California and Internet Librarian. IL is one of my favorite conferences, mainly because I get to spend a few days with some really smart and amazing people I respect. Plus, we have A LOT of fun!

I’m also giving a few talks (ok, maybe more than a few):

Workshop 11 — Academic Library 2.0 – Sunday, October 28, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. FULL DAY (with Amanda Etches-Johnson, Chad Boeninger, Michelle Boule, and Jason Griffey — I’ll only be there for the 2nd half of the workshop)

What do the terms Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 mean for academic libraries and librarians? Join our panel of 2.0 practitioners and experts for a day of exploration and discovery as we navigate the 2.0 landscape, exploring what 2.0 tools and technologies can do for academic library users. Through a combination of presentations, discussion, and hands-on activities, our dynamic speakers introduce you to technologies such as blogs, wikis, RSS, mashups, social bookmarking and online social networks. This interactive session provides practical examples of academic libraries that are using these tools and technologies, arms you with the expertise and techniques to introduce these technologies in your own library, and share strategies for getting buy-in from staff, administration, and patrons. A worthwhile day for those interested in implementing changes to keep up within the Web 2.0 world.

Workshop 13 — Wikis: Basics, Tools, & Strategies – Sunday, October 28, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Wikis allow for unprecedented collaboration and knowledge-sharing and have the potential to fill many needs within the library and information professions. This half-day workshop by an expert wiki creator discusses the basics of wikis — what they are, how they can be used, and how to successfully implement one at your library. It covers wiki concepts and uses many real-world applications to illustrate the power and ease-of-use of wikis. Learn about the many ways wikis can be used in libraries and the information industry. Gather lots of ideas and links to free resources for creating your own wikis as well as tips for making them successful in your environment.

Session D106 — User-Generated Content – Monday, October 29, 4:15 – 5:00 p.m. (with Josh Petrusa)

In addition to traditional published data (books, databases, etc), new content streams from blogs, wikis, network-based forums (MySpace, Facebook), multimedia sites (Flickr, YouTube), etc. are everywhere. How do we integrate the new social media tools, learn from these content streams, and deliver platforms that incorporate user-generated content? Farkas and Petrusa will examine how libraries are already incorporating user-generated content and explore future opportunities for capitalizing on this growing trend.

Session A202 — Promoting Play Through Online Discovery: Lego Building – Tuesday, October 29, 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. (with Helene Blowers)

So, what happens when you provide staff with the building blocks to create their own learning experiences? A whole lot of learning and creative play. Come find out about the outcomes and benefits your library can experience when you invest time in developing staff programs that encourage your staff to play. Farkas and Blowers share their experiences in developing two similar but different, online library learning programs for staff, 5 Weeks to a Social Library and Learning 2.0, that provided the staff with Lego pieces to build new library services.

I’ll also be signing my book at the Information Today booth on Monday at 5:00 pm.

On Thursday, I’m driving up to UC Berkeley as on Friday I will be giving the keynote on Academic Library 2.0 at the Librarians Association of the University of California conference. What’s really exciting about this conference is that Michael Buckland is giving a presentation! Jim Neal from Columbia, who wrote an interesting article for LJ on “feral professionals” is giving the closing address and I’m definitely looking forward to meeting him.

If you’re going to be at either conference, please do introduce yourself to me. I have met some of my favorite people in this profession at conferences, so I’m always excited to make new friends.