I had hoped to blog while I was at ALA, but I really find it a pain to do a lot of typing on a laptop keyboard. So hopefully I will be able to remember the highlights. This was the first time in many years when most of my time wasn't taken up with meetings. So I was able to attend three of the Transformation track programs that were part of Leslie Burger's presidential program. There were five or six programs in total. If you attended at least three, you got a free t-shirt. I passed on the opportunity since I have enough t-shirts to last me the rest of my life (truly!). The first program I attended was the introduction to the set. The first speaker was Joan Frye Williams who gave the rules of appropriate behavior for the audience. It was amusing to hear her list of "do nots" and "shall nots" but it was also an uncomfortable reminder of how often a trip to the library is diminished by overwhelming rules and regulations. The next speaker was George Needham from OCLC who noted that when libraries began, resources were precious and people had time. Now we are in the opposite situation. Information resources are plentiful, but people's time is precious. However many libraries act like their customers have unlimited time and patience to get what they want. Too many libraries work from the assumption that the people working in libraries are smarter than the general public; most problems can be solved with written procedures; and the general public has low standards. However when OCLC surveyed people in English speaking countries around the world, they were told that they don't want help; they want service. George's recommendation is that we stop thinking of ourselves as information workers, but instead become idea workers.