And I can absolutely sympathize with your feeling that it’s impossible to keep up with this crowd. I feel like that all the time. But I’ve also had enough conversations with other people about this that I know many of us feel that way. The funniest conversations involve each person saying “But I was trying to catch up to you” back and forth at each other.

To the extent that we can all use this for motivation rather than discouragement, I think it’s a wonderful thing. It proves that we respect each others’ work, find each other inspiring, and want to emulate each others’ best qualities. Granted, it can be discouraging at times. But that’s why I keep a little file of the times when people have said things that lifted my spirits. I’ll get that out and read through it a couple (dozen) times and remind myself that part of the glory of being in a group like this is that it’s not required that I be brilliant every day. The group is brilliant every day, and I can contribute here and there and then spend the rest of the time learning from everyone else.

Less than a year later, I presented at the very same conference. That’s a huge step beyond basically being a nobody in librarianship (still am, really) who was too intimidated to even meet the rock stars and movers and shakers (LJ and otherwise) of the profession, both established and up-and-coming. Two months after that, I was far less intimidated when I went to Blog Salon at ALA Annual. Walked around there like I belonged, actually knew people, and had a reason to be there. Also since then, I have simply gotten out there more, both to put in face time and to learn from those who know. In terms of presenting, I have had several moments where I’ve thought, “I could really do this. (If only someone out there would think I had a reason to, and take a chance on a relatively little kid…)”

A lot has happened in a short period of time. I figured out that in order to be the best, one might want to roll with the best. Good things eventually rub off. Now I once again worry about being cool enough to be as welcome, but now only because I might not be doing enough compared to this group of peers. I have trouble keeping up these days, mostly because of being in LIS school and not being a professional librarian (thus not having anything of empirical substance to share with the world based on tried-and-true practice). Seeing what this group of peers does regularly does put pressure on me to do far more than is expected of someone who’s just an LIS student who checks in new books all day — just to feel like I am on par. I’m often told that I am very far ahead of the game, though I almost always disagree. I need this interaction to keep me honest, and to inspire me to step my game up tremendously.

Like you said a long time ago, Iris, this online community of library folks really is “like being at a conference every day all day.”

I suppose another facet to this is that the presenters were not only motivated to do well by the prospect of presenting to friends, but that they were also able to feed of the general good will of a friend-filled first couple of rows and get over nerves more easily.

Or maybe I’m just making this whole thing up and I really just enjoyed watching those sessions, and it was just all in my head that they were better. I’m willing to admit that I like hearing presentations by people I like. :)

It’s also possible that your response is biased. As an LSW operative, you may feel more inclined to like or agree with or understand LSW fellow travelers. I wonder if LSW presentations get better marks than others from the general audience.

“Talent plus motivation.” I guess technically I am a member of LSW but not a participating one. Perhaps that’s one reason why. I frequently lack one or the other of those.

And that’s an excellent point, Con. Everyone had the chance to bounce ideas around with a wide group of people, which can only help when it comes to formulating coherent thoughts.

It seems to be a very reasonable explanation of what a person would desire as a presenter, but desire to be a good presenter is pretty much irrelevant to the actual accomplishment of such. Certainly someone who desires to be good may well put more into their preparation, practice more, etc. But desire guarantees none of that, nor does it guarantee that even that effort will actually pay off for any given individual.

But then I’m not a member of the club so my opinion is irrelevant. ;-)