Well, the MLA ’17 conference has officially started! I hope you're getting off to a great start. I know I did. I took advantage of some of the wonderful continuing education that was offered yesterday and today. On Friday I spent the day at the University of Washington in CE300 – Advanced Searching Techniques and Advanced Searching Design. It was a fascinating class. Carol Lefebvre and Mick Arber are wonderful instructors. They really challenged everyone to think about the design of a good search. I look forward to trying out some of the tools and techniques they taught when I get home. I’m so glad that they were willing to travel so far (from England) to share their knowledge.
Today I attended CE 704 – Practical Skills and Tips for Research. Skye Bickett and Christine Willis were inspiring. They made research seem like something that even a solo hospital librarian like me could handle. For me, that’s a big part of what attending a conference like this is about – feeling inspired and ready to try new things. I always feel like I have a new lease on my librarian life after attending continuing education courses like these. I can’t wait to see what else there is to learn here in Seattle! Are you taking advantage of the chance to learn while you are here?