If you’ve ever had to think for a minute when asked to describe what the LSW actually is, then these short summaries may help:
- …a way of giving official status to an unofficial gathering of librarians who, of their own initiative, are creating a community where, when, and how they want it. – Jenica Rogers-Urbanek
- …a community of library workers who share information, discuss issues, collaborate on projects, and assist each other with professional development. The LSW has grown virally through online and face-to-face contact because it feels a need untouched by formal organizations. – Jill Hurst-Wahl
- using social networking tools to create a needed informal community. – Maurice “Bald geek in MD” Coleman
- A grassroots community of library professionals using internet tools to organize and socialize. – Joshua M. Neff
- an informal group of librarians from across a wide variety of library types who have joined together to encourage professional development, provide on the spot assistance, and develop a strong sense of community. – Abigail “Hedgehog Lib” Goben
- Serious people doing a serious thing, but not in a serious way. – Joshua M. Neff
- It is the library “un-Association.” A way of doing professional things like networking without membership fees, squeaky wheel political posturing, self-aggrandizing etc.. And I like that it does this without trying to replace regular Associations. – Ryan Deschamps
- The Library Society of the World is…fnord. – Joshua M. Neff
- an ongoing, virtual library “un-conference” for all its members – Jaime “Talking Books Librarian” Prideaux
- The LSW is about connections and relationships, both online and in real life. It’s the next step in creating an organization for information science professionals that breaks the boundaries often encountered in traditional associations. – Chadwick Seagraves
- …a place where you’ll never drink alone. – Rochelle
- LSW is my Cheers – “You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same; you wanna be where everybody knows your name.” – Laura Harris
- A happy accident born of frustration and social software, and evidence that you do better work when you work with your friends–and that those friends may be people you’ve never met. – Laura Crossett
- The best bits of the League of Justice, a library association, an unconference, goofing off at the back of the bus, barn raising, a learning community, new web tool lab with real subjects and just hanging out – all rolled into one. – Kathryn Greenhill