Taxonomy Meetings: Change in 2011 or a Realization?
January 26, 2012
Editor’s Note: Please see the full version of this article at Marjorie Hlava’s Taxodiary blog.
Where should a taxonomist go to learn about the latest implementations of controlled vocabulary strategies? The meetings we have attended for years are dying on the vine. The SLA Expo was sparse, the Information Today meetings are smaller, Online Information (formerly International Online) was nearly empty, and NFAIS remains the same size each year.
The Internet has made many things possible. We can convene a meeting electronically in a very short time. People have turned increasingly to webinars and web searching. We follow blogs to read opinions and discussions. If we go to a meeting, we are expecting something else. We want to find community.
Selling of the speaking slots has had a deleterious effect on the quality of the meetings. The costs have reached a point where they no longer provide a good return on investment. But more than that, the challenge remains: how do you get a sense of community?
There are several budding online communities, which seem to be flourishing. Taxonomy Community of practice is one; the Taxonomy Division of SLA is another. The rest are in user groups. Access Innovation’s Data Harmony User Group meeting will be held in Albuquerque February 7-9 2012. Come join the community!
Marjorie Hlava. January 26, 2012
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