SLA Annual Rocks

OK - Dianna stole my line 'only three!?!' in her post... I have a page and a half of action items/ideas (and that is after consolidating them) from a very invigorating week at the SLA 2009 Meeting in DC.  Highlights:

1) It has been years since I attended an SLA Annual Conference and my #1 overarching takeaway is I shouldn't wait so long until the next one.  I met a number of kindred spirits who face similar challenges and learned much in a very short time.  I was also really, really impressed with the quality of the events and sessions.  I mean - Colin Powell AND the most engaging awards ceremony I have ever witnessed - and that was only Sunday evening.

2) KM Division - yes!  Unique and useful techniques in CE Session 'The Heart of the Story:  Qualitative Evaluation of Library Services using Narrative Techniques' (Anecdote Circles and Story Spines) and the method used 'Unconference' sessions.  Not only very interactive and relevant during the conference as a participant but tools I am just itching to try now that I am back home.  No more 'death by Powerpoint', there ARE better ways to meaningful discussion and knowledge sharing and development.  Knowledge management is about human connections; tools only exist to facilitate those connections.  What you can capture in text is only a small part of what you know.

3) A specific from 'Knowledge Management without Borders' - Peter Hobby - 'Need to Share' vs. 'Need to Know'.  This encapsulates a key paradigm in knowledge management.  Too far in either direction and you lose value - there is no clear black and white border.  Those of us in roles as knowledge sharing facilitators must understand all the ramifications of this.  I liked Karen Huffman's analogy of the 'dog borders' and what motivates some dogs to find ways through solid fences, semi-permeable hedges and the electric invisible fences.  Food for productive thought for all of managing these KM Borders.

4)  I CAN'T just stop at THREE!  The power of social networking tools.  I have worked with the KM Division Board for several months virtually - voices on the phone (or Skype) and email.  Nerida Hart and Karen Huffman are my friends on Facebook and by the time I walked in the room at the convention center on Saturday I had seen photos and read commentary about their dogs, their children, their daily life and I felt I knew them in a way that inspired a deeper level of trust for working together, sharing what we know and building a shared vision.  And isn't that what KM is all about?