Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Nice Finale!

Two weeks ago, I did my last Perceptions Report program, a joint event for librarians from Temple, Penn, and Drexel Universities in Philadelphia.

This was an exciting event; according to Larry Alford, the Vice Provost for Libraries and University Librarian at Temple, this was the first time the three staffs had gotten together for a continuing education program. There was a palpable excitement in the room, and that sure fed my energy level, even at my advanced stage of dotage.

The question and answer session was terrific. In fact, I was asked a question I'd never been asked in 47 other events in 2006---"How can we use the Perceptions Report in our university fundraising?" This sparked a lot of discussion, but the main thrust was that having new services mean new opportunities to offer donors, like naming opportunities for group study rooms or learning commons.

This was also the first time in all those trips I couldn't fly home. The Philadelphia airport was socked in; it was murkier than a politician's alibi. I started talking to three other guys who were headed for Columbus and we decided to rent a car and drive home. We left the airport at 9:15 p.m. and pulled into the Hertz ramp at Port Columbus at 3:30 a.m.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Last as in because you're going to do other neat things?

Rosario said...

Wait a minute -- I thought you were coming out to LA to do a program on the Perceptions report (along with Joan Frye Williams) in March???

George said...

I just meant my last program for 2006. I already have 11 speaking engagements (including the Los Angeles gig) on the calendar for February through June 2007!

But Karen, I hope I'm still going to be able to do other neat things.

Anonymous said...

My best friend is a certified librarian and when I forwarded your post to her she was more than glad. Her problem now is how to use your Perception Report to make the public library, where she is currently working, made known to students and all. You see for several years working as a librarian of a Public Library the only people she saw were the same people working in the same building where the library is located.