VALA & why libraries are exciting

Hold onto your smartphones, VALA2012 is here! Librarians, library techs, and museum and gallery staff have descended on Melbourne for four days of 'eMpowering eFutures' - a conference that 'promotes the understanding and use of communication technology in libraries and the related museums, archives and galleries services' (VALA). With our client base becoming increasingly connected via mobile, social media, and emerging technologies, we need to embrace technological change in our organisations.

It's not just the after-conference drinks that are social - Twitter is being lit up with the hashtag #VALA2012 and each session has an additional hashtag. Even if you can't be here, you can follow the official account, @VALAlib, as well as #VALA2012. Delegates are already filling their twitter streams with helpful hints, valuable insights from sessions, social plans for the week, and conversation.

"VALA was established as the Victorian Association for Library Automation in 1978 in response to the emergence of automated library catalogues and other technologies that were revolutionising the industry at the time. In 2006 VALA's name was changed to VALA - Libraries, Technology and the Future. This was in recognition of dramatic changes in the information landscape which include the rise of eBooks and eJournals, the social web, cloud computing and mobile devices."
 - Wikipedia, 17 Jan 2012

Goodness, I'm excited about my future career in libraries! Why?

• The variety of books and media materials available
• Teaching people how to use library services
• Teaching people how to use technology
• Reaching patrons with relevant content & services
• Online and distance education resources
• Social media interaction with users
• Research communities
• Lifelong learning opportunities

VALA's 2012 theme is eM-powering eFutures - and, as Peter Drucker said, "The best way to predict the future is to create it." *

*shamelessly stolen from Jason Griffey's keynote #VALA2012 #k1jg