John Beekman                    

Past President (2009-2010), History & Preservation section

(from the collection of The New Jersey Room

Jersey City Free Public Library)

I am a local history librarian in Jersey City (see link in above caption), and can be found in the virtual world as an occasional contributor to the ExLibris, H-New Jersey and Rutgers student group SOURCE email lists (among others), and a volunteer with Radical Reference.  You can also find me on Facebook...

Here's where I think I might be (in progress...)

Tuesday Evening:

If at all possible I will shoot down to LB in time for "Unshelved" - though I still don't approve of the neocolloquial use of "pimp" I love the strip

      (turns out I have to work until 8, so I won't be around until Wednesday. Try to soldier on without me - it's what I would have wanted.)

Wednesday:

I'll try to roll in around 8:15 (after breakfast at Miller's?) for the coffee and networking - unless I get ambitious and hit the yoga (hey, it could happen).

There's so many good choices available for the first program slot of the day - I have no idea where I'll end up.  Probably tag along with whomever I'm talking to...

I know for sure I want to be up front for Sarah Vowell - major crush!!!  (Emily knows)

Interested to hear about RDA/AACR3 from Tech Services section.  Free catchy title suggestion for future presentaion: "Super FRBR Animals"....

For lunch maybe I'll hit the Windmill for some cheese fries (with Worchesteshire sauce, please), or just go for a walk on the boardwalk to clear my head, because..

At 1:30 I'll be serving as moderator for H&P section's program "Trash or Treasure" - where I hope we will encourage folks to look around in their collections for local history materials, and learn not to be afraid to make them accessible while still preserving them for future use.

Depending on how freaked out I am after that, I will try to check out the business meeting.  I love that kind of stuff.  Or maybe I'll have to walk the sand again.  Either way I'll be back to cruise the posters and snag some ice cream before...

The H&P section is presenting a two-part session on oral history, which will be very important for me to check out as we have had several interested parties discuss the need for such a project in Jersey City, and we heartily concur and hope that our local history department can be a part of making it happen.

I'll stick around for the awards reception, but then will be cutting out for the evening - this Monmouth County native needs to catch up with some non-librarian firends.

Thursday:

You still reading this?  huh...