To an internal conference today.

Kept me out of the office and in another building. But when I thought, half way through the morning, that I'd like to send an email at lunchtime did discover there was a nice computer suite upstairs where I could just logon and get on with it for five minutes.

Despite being advertised for 'heads' and 'course leaders' I'd signed up anyway and was very glad I did. Very similar to the kind of thing that might have happened occasionally at TheOldPlace it was an opportunity for academics to get together and present some of the things they'd been working on and discuss some of the implications for the university.

I found it useful both for the content (e.g. my boss demonstrating a referencing tool and things on training I ought to know about), but also in seeing the university in action as it were. It was also a good opportunity to see and meet academics and generally start something of the process of making sure I'm not invisible or unknown - as was the problem at a certain infamous institution where they fired all those at my level. Not that I'm particularly planning on replicating acquaintances at the directorate level.

While the venue was very similar to one of the newest lecture theatres across the park at TheOldPlace, it was probably a bit larger and curiously had two large screens at the front. (As well as four big LCD or plasma screens suspended from the ceiling halfway back). Two (and then four repeaters) seemed a bit excessive especially as they both showed the same PowerPoint for much of the day, but I suddenly saw the point when we some little remotecontrol like objects were handed out and we were asked to participate by answering certain questions and pressing the relevant button on the handset. Then, while one screen continued to show the PowerPoint, the other showed the voting as it happened and produced bar charts of the results. Very impressive - and great fun. (Yes, I know, little things please little minds). I've heard of this and played with 'tests' but never really seen it in action before.

One speaker was particularly enthusiastic and jolly and funny. Coming from the subcontinent it was difficult to follow him at times, but if you didn't want to podcast before he started you did by the end. He was certainly a breath of fresh air. He was keen to remind us that education should be entertaining which you could sense that not everyone agreed with. He definitely educated via entertainment though! Unfortunately, the head of library not only had to follow him for a short 10 minute slot, but had to follow him with a really dull session on new copyright regulations. At least he had the humor to admit that however entertaining education might be or might become, the next 10 minutes certainly weren't going to be. In actual fact his briefing was fine, but I fear that it may reinforced those library stereotypes we're so keen to avoid.

One delight of the day was it finishing late enough in the afternoon to feel there wasn't much point in going to the office to start over - especially with a mind full of new things to reflect on, think about and get inspired by - but early enough to feel just a smidgen guilty at going home and enjoying the last few minutes of some glorious sunshine. As well as mowing the lawn. I needed time to dig up some documents for a conference in January in any case, so that worked out well.