I love a city that's not afraid of a couple stairs

I love a city that's not afraid of a couple stairs
Originally uploaded by zenhikers.

The librarians have probably returned home and left Seattle in peace. ALA Midwinter was an interesting experience for me as a new librarian. I met a ton of vendors, a variety of other types of librarians from all over the country and I got to explore a new and wonderful city. I heard experts talk about the future of libraries (yes "digital" is a key word, no books aren't dead), the prevalence of new technologies (like how can we push content to iPods?), and the societal changes in how we consume, distribute and repurpose information (anyone for a presidental election?). Someone mentioned today that because Nancy Pearl (of Librarian Action Figure fame) is from Seattle that the city is a sort of Mecca for librarians and it isn't too far from the truth. The city has a multitude of coffeeshops filled with laptop-toting hipsters and with all that coffee even I could probably plow through Ulysses. Mixed in with the snazzy and stupifying Seattle Public Library architecture there are skyscrapers and an artfully developed waterfront. It wasn't uncommon to hear whispers about Microsoft if you sat around to eavesdrop long enough. I liked the Public Market and the Olympic Sculpture Park and the Elliott Bay Bookstore best. I didn't make it to the International Market but I did find an awesome Thai place and had doughnuts at the Top Pot. They even have a Patagonia store and will be debuting the new Nau clothing line in the next few months for those of us who love the outdoors! I'll definitely be back to Seattle, but until then June isn't too far away... I'll see all you librarians at Annual in DC!