CIL2009: Final wrap-up and thanks

The was my fourth straight Computers in Libraries (CIL) conference and I truly enjoyed the event and I learned from it. As I wrote in an earlier post, CIL is both an event and a "family reunion". This is where I see many of my blogging buddies. It is where I get to hang out with people like me who believe that information, technology and libraries belong together.

In hindsight, here are the things I think everyone should know about CIL (and perhaps why you should go next year):

• The conference sessions are solidified several months in advance, unlike some association conferences where the schedule is cast in concrete 1+ years in advance. And the Cyber Tours are decided within a few weeks of the conference. This means that the sessions are going to be more relevant to what is happening in the world.
• There is always something presented that you should know, need to know, and can use.
• Everyone at CIL -- participants, speakers, and staff -- are very accessible and welcoming. Got something on your mind? Let's talk!
  
• LobbyCon -- the ad hoc unconference that happens everywhere (and all the time) -- is very informative.
  
• Information Today, Inc. (ITI) really tries very hard to make it a good conference experience for everyone and they are attentive to our needs. One of the things they do is to actually build a wireless network for the conference. And when we overwhelm the network, they quickly expand it.
• CIL doesn't replace an association conference, but it will put you in contact with people and ideas that you might not discover at an association conference.
  

My list of people I should thank is pretty extensive and might sound like an Oscar award winner's speech, so instead let me say:

• Thanks to the extended ITI/CIL staff. You all make this event possible!
• Thanks to everyone I talked with, ate with, hung out with, and listened to. You ROCK!
  

BTW here are all of my blog posts on this year's CIL.

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