I’ve started packing things for ALA. I’ve found the badge ribbons that I usually carry with me.  This year I’ll have Library Society of the World and Hedgehog Librarian: Open Access Tenure.  I’ll even have a few special ones with me–if you’d like one the ‘secret’ word is Swordfish.

Conference season also means it is time to dig out my personal business cards. While I still carry them around in my purse, they don’t get much use these days. I use Moo cards and all of my images are pictures of me. I’ve found it very effective to give people as it has an email address, my Google Voice, a QR code for this blog (not sure anyone has ever scanned it, but hey, I got the cards 2 years ago?) and my face. Hopefully this will trigger a positive memory when they get home or at least something beyond “the name is familiar.”

I wonder that we aren’t all more like Carleton College, who regularly does librarian trading cards (with librarian images).  Tres cool.  Of course, not quite as easily formatted and printed as red, blue, and black text on white card stock… Yaaaaaaaaaawn.

Yes, I’ll be packing my professional cards too.  But the personal ones are more memorable!