If you would like to peruse conference presentation materials from the MAME 36 conference held last month in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan, please check them out at the MAME website. You will see quite a few PDFs and PPTs from our presenters. More will be added as they are received. Keep checking!

Check out the article from Wired.com on the new partnership between Microsoft’s Bing search engine and the very nice “computational” search engine Wolfram-Alpha.

It’s funny (even more funny to my library school friends) that I am now cataloging in our Information Center. I never thought I would be a cataloger but things happen and now I am one. It is very interesting because you really find out about your collection and get to know what is being added.  Recommending books is one thing but actually picking up that book and looking at it up close and personal is even better. It really is a “hands-on” experience.

Yes, I mostly “copy-catalog” from OCLC but I have had to create some records (or derive some records) and that’s when you have to put on your thinking cap to add content.

I am also a bit shocked that I now have the four volume set of DDC 21 on my desk. That set has been languishing on the shelf for years but now a work day doesn’t go by without cracking open a volume or two.

Believe me, I experienced some trepidation when I found out that I would be cataloging but after several months it is part of my daily work and I am learning from it and finding it rather fulfilling!  Cataloging is the first step in getting the items into the hands of our customers and that makes it even more important! Man, oh, man, I feel like I’m gushing. Make it stop!

I am back from the MAME conference in Traverse City. I presented a session called “Web Jackpot: Free is Good.” About 30 people turned out for the session and they had good comments and suggestions about the tools and sites I presented.

I also presented a roundtable called “Search Engine Roundup.” It’s good for people to know that there are some unique search engines out there. I chose a good variety to get my point across.

Great conference as usual! Traverse City was dark and rainy but very autumnal looking with the yellows, oranges and greens in the trees.

Yesterday my sweet 15 year old dog died after a visit to the vet. He had had breathing problems and fainting spells lately. The vet x-rayed Fritz and found his lungs almost completely full of fluid so he prescribed a new medicine to help. The vet gave him an injection of the medicine to start helping immediately. When he came out of the exam room Fritz was breathing noisily. I asked for the vet to see him again before I left and he said that Fritz was probably stressed out and it would go away. So, I took Fritz home but when we got home he was unable to function and and very lethargic. Then he collapsed and I rushed him back to the vet. On the way there Fritz had about three seizures and then I couldn’t feel his heart beat. When I got to the vet they took him in the back and checked and the vet told me he was gone. We buried Fritz in my father’s yard last night. I had him wrapped in his blanket. He is buried between two rose bushes. I miss him so much.

Sorry for the long blog break. My excuse until about August was the book (now available btw!). Since then I have no good excuse for not blogging. So, here is an update: still no Pre. I want one but just have to get going on it. I presented PD to some K-12 principals with another team member and that went very well. Also, next week presenting a new workshop with a team member. This one is on research and presentation in a digital world. Still presenting training on WordPress MU blogs. We have the software on our server at work and I am the trainer for teachers who want a blog. I will be going to two districts in the next couple of weeks to do some training. The MAME conference is coming up at the end of the month. I will be presenting on free and open source Web tools for a session and search engines for a round table. September went way too fast and October is speeding by quickly too.

No, I still haven’t purchased the Palm Pre although I’m pretty sure I will soon. My vacuum cleaner died last week and after much research I bought a new one tonight. I went with a Hoover. It may sound old school but it’s a hip, new model with a lifetime Hepa filter and a retractable cord. I tried it out in my hallway and the amount of dust, dirt and Fritz hair it picked up is embarrassing but gratifying. There will be some major cleaning going on this week!

Update… My book will be available September 30. I can’t believe it!… I will buy a Palm Pre next week. As long as it works in my windowless office it will be a keeper… Presenting a new workshop with a colleague Friday. Instructional technology/standards for principals. I hope we get a good crowd. We are one of three breakout sessions so we will see how it goes… Tonight I presented on databases and research for new teachers.

USA Today reports that a young woman is going to record one-minute videos on classic books. The idea is that students will get a head start on the themes, symbols, etc. in classic books they read for school. She is hoping this will get them excited about the books and help them to better understand the content. Check out the article and see what you think.

Now that my book (which won’t even be out until the end of the month) is on Amazon I was able to join Author Central. It is a web page where I can have a photo, short bio and forum discussion. I have a photo and short bio up right now. Check it out!