Lyon? Oui s'il vous plaît!

I am beyond excited at the moment - I get to go to the 2014 World Library Conference in August, which this year is in Lyon, France.  This will be the second conference I've gotten to attend and it's always so rewarding to meet people just as excited and enthused about libraries as I am!  Sometimes I find that being so isolated from other libraries/librarians can make it hard to get the creative juices flowing - sure you can email, chat on the phone, but there really is no comparison to being in a room filled with people that have great ideas about the next stage in library service.

At the last conference there was a chance to network with other librarians, workshop ideas at how to ensure the future of libraries.  Creative ideas on how to market libraries, how to get users into the library and more importantly, how to get them to keep coming back.  From what I've seen of the program so far, there will be an opportunity to discuss these issues, along with lots of new ideas.  I really am looking forward to it.

I will also have a chance see Lyon in all its beauty, I don't know a lot about the city, a little more than what I found out where the conference was going to be, (thank you research skillz).  I'm looking forward to seeing old Lyon and taking a stroll around the city where they used to weave silk, there are also a number of museums and galleries that I can visit.  I going to try, (third times the charm, I'm sure), and visit Monet's Garden in Giverney, I've been lucky to see the product of his inspiration, but I'd love it if I could see the real thing.

And I will also get to see my lovely, lovely family in London, I don't get to see them very often, so it will be grand to see them all again - and in person!  Group hugs will be the first order of bid'ness!  As always with my holidays, I will probably take it fairly casual, there are so many places I'd love to visit, but I don't have enough time, so I'll see what I can and hope that it's not too long before I get over that side of the world again.

Do you have a favorite place to visit?  I've got the month of August to explore, with maybe a day in Brussels, two or three in Barcelona, a week in Lyon and two weeks in the UK.  So if you think there is something awesome I should see let me know!  I'd love to chat holidays or if you have a question about the conference or libraries in general, let me know :)

Until next time, happy reading.

C.

Happy New Year!!

Wow 2012 already, it felt like 2011 has just flown by.  I hope everyone had a lovely and relaxing Christmas and New Year break.  It's my first day back at work today, (I'm not counting that I had to work Christmas and New Years eve's).  I gotta say, I'm not really feeling it yet.  Maybe it's 'cause I wasn't really in the holiday spirit this year, I was over it before I started. 

But I am glad it's January, it means that I only have 10 days until I move into my new house.  That I'm excited about.  I can't wait until I have a place all my own - even if I don't own the house.  It will still be mine, with my thing surrounding me.  To celebrate, I've bought myself some new housey things, new sheets, towels, and I'm planning my gardening planting - a little veggie patch and some colourful flowers to brighten things up.  But I'm trying to not get too far ahead of myself as I already have a storage shed full of stuff.

I'm not sure what the new year will bring, changes yes, big and small.  I'm hoping to get back into studying and not waste my time anymore,  I'd love to get my degree finished this year, but I'm thinking, it'll be next year at the earliest.  I have a big box of new DVD's to watch and an even bigger Mt. TBR that I need to start reading. I'm going to start planning the next big holiday - I'm looking at starting with a round the world ticket, so I can visit the Brits again, but lookout Americas - I plan to storm your shores at my earliest possible convenience!  Then there's my butt - I'm hoping to decrease the size of it in 2012.  Not 100% sure what my plan of attack is just yet, but I know there is going to be one.  I hesitate to call them 'resolutions', as I kinda feel I'm setting myself up to fail, I prefer 'lifestyle changes', that way it's about changing something permenently, rather than for the first couple of months.

What about you guys??  Any big plans for 2012? Small ones?  No changes at all?  Either way, I hope that 2012 brings you everything and more of what you need and want.

C.