Mefibrarian meet-up in Anaheim?

May 23, 2008 8:37 AM

The omniglorious ALA Annual Conference is June 26-July 1ish. Any Mefi Librarians want to meet-up? Non-librarians too! The only potential problem is that it is in Anaheim, and I know nothing of Anaheim, especially how difficult it will be to get anywhere without a car.
posted by unknowncommand to MetaFilter gatherings at 8:37 AM (74 comments total)

If we meet someplace near the convention center I bet it will be okay. I'm there for a few days, I'd like to have a meetup.
posted by jessamyn at 10:24 AM on May 23

I'll leave it up to the actual convention attendees to pick a date, but if it's over the weekend, I could be persuaded to drive down from L.A.
posted by scody at 10:44 AM on May 23

I'll be there! I have plans Saturday night, so it would be awesome if we could do it any other time that weekend . . . which I realize is a long shot, but I never get to go to meetups and would love to see the Mefi librarians and local CA folks!
posted by leesh at 10:48 AM on May 23

Also, if anyone wants to go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology or the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition, MeMail me.
posted by unknowncommand at 12:34 PM on May 23

I'm not going to ALA, but I'd be down with a par-tay during the conference. Weekends is best, but you attendees can pick the date.

unknowncommand, since you're concerned about travel: Anaheim is about 50 miles from the Museum of Jurassic Technology (but only about 40 miles from the L Ron Hubbard Exhibition). The public bus would take ~2-3 hours each way.
posted by holyrood at 1:54 PM on May 23

I keep reading this post as "The ignominious ALA convention."
That is all.
posted by loiseau at 2:20 PM on May 23

I'm not going to ALA, but I'd be down with a par-tay during the conference. Weekends is best, but you attendees can pick the date.

ayup
posted by carsonb at 3:13 PM on May 23

Is there a reason why metafilter has a disproportionate number of librarian members? Not that I'm complaining mind you.
posted by BrotherCaine at 2:27 AM on May 24

I talk it up a lot in librarian circles, but I think librarians just gravitate naturally towards it also. For those of you who are in this thread, you might like to know that Plutor made a sweet Greasemonkey script that you can run that will put a little blue book next to the usernames of librarians, just so you can tell who they are. It works by marking everyone I have markd as a "colleague" [which is all the librarians I know] so if you know other librarians who aren't listed as colleagues of mine, ping me. A good evening for me is Saturday the 28th. Anyone else?
posted by jessamyn at 6:06 AM on May 24 [1 favorite]

Do we have a disproportionate number of librarian members, or are the MeFi librarians simply better organized (of course we are; it's our job to organize!) and outspoken than those representing other professions.
posted by HotPatatta at 6:06 AM on May 24

I can do Sat/Sun? Hell, I can do Thursday, but that's because my plane ticket sucks. Yelp seems to like "The Lost Bar", and it is 0.8 miles from the convention center.

needled, thanks for the logistics. I will get there by hook or by crook, but apparently not by public transit...
posted by unknowncommand at 8:55 AM on May 24

Or Captain Bombay's, which sounds pretty divey...
posted by unknowncommand at 9:02 AM on May 24

HotPatatta, I don't know. I am not a librarian, nor do I know the secret handshake, but I first noticed what seemed to be a DNOL in this thread.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:13 AM on May 25

S'cuze the self-link, but a librarian asked me to organize a Raymond Chandler-themed bus tour and luncheon for ALA attendees, which I did. It's July 1, noon-7pm. If any Mefites coming out for the convention wanted to join us, that would be neat.
posted by Scram at 10:23 AM on May 25

It's probably easiest if we do it on Saturday--I'll just be late (I know, I know, like you all are so interested in my schedule). Should we add it to the sidebar?
posted by leesh at 5:21 PM on May 25

Oh yay, I'm glad you can make it leesh. I will add it to the sidebar at 7ish at the Lost Bar. If that sucks, we will migrate.
posted by unknowncommand at 10:12 PM on May 25

Or 8ish? Dammit, I haven't even checked the programming for that day.
posted by unknowncommand at 10:13 PM on May 25

I don't have my ALA schedule yet, but if I'm free (and if editors are welcome), I'd like to come.
posted by cider at 6:52 AM on May 27

Everyone is welcome! I mean, everyone who's in the geographical area. 8ish works for me.
posted by leesh at 9:04 AM on May 27

Oh my god. I am forever just missing meetups everywhere. However, I CAN TOTALLY MAKE IT TO THIS. I will just have finished the quarter (yay!), and will likely still be in a mental fog ... but I would love to meet some mefites in the flesh. Unless some spontaneous travel hoists itself upon me, count me in!
posted by numinous at 7:41 PM on May 27

It's possible that I could make this. My relative level of sanity will dictate my sociability. Relative being the operative word there.
posted by fuzzbean at 8:52 AM on May 28

I will be at ALA, and I'd like to make this...so I'll keep an eye out for any further details and try to make it.

(Oh, and I would tend to go with the group that says MeFi is something that draws people who are also drawn to librarianship. For example, I was into Ask well before I was accepted into library school)
posted by librarylis at 10:44 PM on May 31

I just bought my airline tickets -- surprisingly cheap for last-ish minute and from my airport-of-choice -- and I'll be in the general area from the 26th through the 30th. Can we say 8 at the Lost Bar? I am staying, lord help me, at the Disneyland Hotel, in case anyone else is staying there or near there. Also just to make a note, I'll be on a panel talking about, er, computers and stuff, Saturday at 10:30 am and then "blogging" the Intellectual Freedom somethingorother Sunday at 1:30 (Cory Doctorow and etc.) so if anyone wants to swing by and give the MeFiBrarian high five, I'd love to say howdy.
posted by jessamyn at 7:49 AM on June 1

8 at the Lost Bar it is.
posted by unknowncommand at 1:09 PM on June 1

Saturday, btw.
posted by unknowncommand at 5:21 PM on June 1

Saturday at 8 pm at the Lost Bar and I am adding it to the sidebar!
posted by jessamyn at 5:46 PM on June 1 [1 favorite]

Yippee! We were looking for a day to plan for going to California Adventure (because I am ~9); the 28th now seems to be a stellar choice. Count contraption and I in!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:59 AM on June 2

Oh excelente! I'm in.

I think I'm arriving Thursday afternoon so if anyone wants to get together for dinner on Thursday or Friday night, MeMail me.
posted by initapplette at 1:16 PM on June 2

On the one hand, Anaheim and I blew my whole "being sociable" quote on yesterday's meetup. On the other hand, JESSAMYN!!!11!!1!. Hm.
posted by Justinian at 11:20 AM on June 4

Perfect! I came into MetaTalk looking for ALA meet-ups, and this happens to be on the one day we'll be up there! I'll see if I can wrangle Ms. Exceptinsects into coming with me.
posted by booknerd at 10:14 AM on June 10

Consider this an RSVP! I will be there in my first meetup evah.
posted by mdonley at 11:51 AM on June 10

I'm not a librarian but I'll be at ALA, and this meetup!

(I won't know a soul at the conference, I think, so if anyone wants to talk tech stuff about open source software or digital publishing or crap, drop me a MeMail.)
posted by nev at 5:17 PM on June 10

I'm going to sound like a total square but I'd like to come to the meet-up but I'm pregnant and not wanting to be around a lot of smoke. Can people smoke in bars in Anaheim? And would a very round pregnant librarian be welcome? (Does just asking that question make me not welcome and square - (though literally round?))
posted by squarefrink at 7:26 AM on June 11

squarefrink, all of CA's bars/restaurants are smoke-free (indoors, at least; outdoor seating areas do permit smoking. I've never been to the bar for this meetup, so don't know if this will be an issue).
posted by holyrood at 4:53 PM on June 11

squarefrink, not only is smoking indoors in bars in California atypical, though it does happen, this particular bar is a Disney property, situated in a Disney resort area, one of the least smoker-rich, persistently wholesome LA environments, booze and all, and so I can't imagine you'll have anything to worry about. ...And being a good mom doesn't make you a square! (Unless you're being my mom. :P) But hey, we'll take a walk if there's any trouble.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 7:57 PM on June 11

Finally, a meet-up within 40 miles. I'll be there!
posted by wilde at 8:42 PM on June 15

I'm coming and I'm bringing a non-Mefite friend (my ALA roomie), so let's be sure to speak entirely in references and in-jokes.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:35 PM on June 23

Anybody up for a carpool from West Hollywood?
posted by Space Kitty at 12:51 PM on June 27

Looks like i'll be able to make it too. finally one thats not on the other side of LA.
posted by TheJoven at 3:41 PM on June 27

I'm coming up blank trying to get directions to the lost bar. can someone familiar with the area give directions for those of us not at the convention.
posted by TheJoven at 4:26 PM on June 27

TheJoven: It's inside the Disneyland Hotel. I've spent the last hour trying to figure out if there's a way to park for less than $12. Apparently if you make for the Downtown Disney self-parking area it's free for the first 3 hours. I don't know exactly how to direct you to that area, though.
posted by carsonb at 5:51 PM on June 27

You can take the bus to roughly outside the hotel [which I am chilling in right now]. DANGER, the entry to the hotel is in a sort of weird roundabout place which if you're stupid like me, you'll look at a map and think "oh that's an easy walk from the 460 bus stop" and be very very wrong. Theres nothing like the happiest place on earth when you are the angriest librarian on earth. I hope to be cheered up by tomorrow. I think there are shuttles to this place too, from someplace. There are also (free) library shuttles from a lot of the big hotels (you're supposed to have a nametag but people don't check too often) if that's an option.
posted by jessamyn at 6:16 PM on June 27

Space Kitty, check your MeMail re carpool.
posted by fuzzbean at 8:56 PM on June 27

Anaheim Resort Transit is $3 for a daypass ($8 for a 3day pass, and runs later than the ALA shuttles) and goes to a ton of the different Disneyland hotels. The Disneyland Resort is its main hub. Dunno if this helps, but I suppose if you can find parking at one of them, you could bus it in...?
posted by unknowncommand at 8:38 AM on June 28

So I *am* planning on coming out on the dreaded 460 bus. Any advice? (beyond comfy shoes?) And anyone headed back to LA this evening?
posted by Space Kitty at 10:47 AM on June 28

460 bus is fine. it really does take about 1 hr 45. Bring something to read. You can cut through Downtown Disneyland to not have to take streets to get to the bar. Alternately, get off bus and take a cab or figure out the other bus to get to the hotel. Weather is better today so it shouldn't be too terrible.
posted by jessamyn at 11:37 AM on June 28

Space Kitty, I'll be going out on the 460 myself. If you don't catch a ride back from Disneyland, I'll be happy to be your escort home on the bus.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 2:56 PM on June 28

posting from iPhone: I'm obviously behind schedule (my computer died today. super sad face), and it looks as if I won't make it there until around 9pm. Is that too late?
posted by numinous at 8:01 PM on June 28

Fuck me, I thought this was tomorrow! I'm stuck behind a vendor table at a derby event in downtown. Balls!!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 8:12 PM on June 28

horace, my friend jason (who lives in park slope and is in anaheim for the conference but isn't a mefite) saw you on the bus today and was emailing me about it. you: wearing metafilter shirt, with mefi handle nametag.

so, there's that.
posted by Hat Maui at 12:04 AM on June 29

YAY, fun meetup. I counted maybe 20 people there. People who helpfully signed my list: Horace Rumpole, hadroed, DaShiv, squarefrink, carol o, nev, lalochezia, mdonley, numinous, spiderskull, dI11IHd, klangklangston, unknowncommand, wilde, holyrood, shoseph, booknerd, exceptinsects, leesh and initapplette. Plus Andrea who is signing up right now. Thanks everyone for coming out to an overpriced Disneyland bar with lackluster cheeseburgers. It was fun to meet and remeet all of you.
posted by jessamyn at 1:09 AM on June 29

Fun times! AV, we missed both you and contraption.

jessamyn -- you forgot Parasite Unseen (oh the irony!)
posted by spiderskull at 1:19 AM on June 29

Andrea here. Many thx to Jessamyn for sending me an account. The Big w00t. :)
posted by blue andrea at 1:34 AM on June 29

Awesome awesome time! And thanks everyone for coming out and wrassling the Disney chairs :)

Jessamyn, I missed your list. But I was there'n'all!
posted by fuzzbean at 2:03 AM on June 29

I had a great night even though it kept me up past my East Coast-induced bedtime (naturally I woke up today at 6am). Thanks!
posted by nev at 6:33 AM on June 29

Wow, that was completely awesome. So great to meet you all.
posted by unknowncommand at 6:34 AM on June 29

That was such a fun meetup! And not just for the glowing blue drink. I am forcing my ALA roommate and meetup-crasher to sign up today.
posted by leesh at 6:40 AM on June 29

That was sooooo awesome! (Especially leesh's AMAZING blue ice-cube. Like a moth to a flame, people!)
posted by mdonley at 10:23 AM on June 29

It was fun -- and as I told carol o, the first time I ever ordered a drink from a bar (even though non-alcoholic) and truthfully, the first time I ever socialized at a bar (even though it being an outdoor, Disney bar). Hooray for new experiences...
posted by squarefrink at 12:19 PM on June 29

horace, my friend jason (who lives in park slope and is in anaheim for the conference but isn't a mefite) saw you on the bus today and was emailing me about it. you: wearing metafilter shirt, with mefi handle nametag.

That's very cool. I've never been a Missed Connection before! (That I know of.)

Great meetup, everybody!
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:08 PM on June 29

I took a few photos of the shoutouts and put them up. I have a few more that I'll upload soonish.
posted by jessamyn at 11:01 PM on June 29

First meetup for me and man, it was great. I took out my camera not knowing DaShiv was sitting right next to me. Chatted him up for a while and a few minutes later, he asked for the camera. My compact flash card is aflame with his awesomeness. Pics are here. All the good ones are his, only the mistakes are mine.
posted by inviolable at 12:00 AM on June 30

OH HAI I'M IN UR MEETUP STEALIN UR C4M3R4Z!!!

So I was just sitting there talking to a few people at one end of the group, quietly mentioning to someone next to me that I was feeling a bit out of sorts that night. Then my fingers get itchy and I find a camera in my hands and suddenly it's all "that's DaShiv!" and "women love DaShiv!" like the whole world has gone mad. Mad, I tell you.

Thanks numinous for bringing up that whole tradition, and for playing it though so quickly that my surprise ruined our first take. Your impetuous enthusiasm really made my evening. If I ever work through my backlog of processing I may even start bringing my own equipment to meetups again so that I can really get back to being DaShiv to do all you folks proper justice. Until then: keep a close eye on your cameras at meetups.

P.S. I failed Proper Introductions 101 -- can we all help out with captions to sort through names and faces?
posted by DaShiv at 2:21 AM on June 30 [1 favorite]

hahahahahaha. I look insane.
posted by unknowncommand at 8:44 AM on June 30

Which is not a criticism of DaShiv's skill, only one of my obvious insanity.
posted by unknowncommand at 9:14 AM on June 30

Jeez, man, now I need to update my contacts like whoa. Sorry that I ditched out so early and that I was having such trouble with names—I'd been up since 5:30 and was trying to put a brave face on the creeping stupids that come from the tired and the heat. (Then the goddamned cable guy who was supposed to show up on Sunday at 10:00am didn't make it until 1:00pm.)
posted by klangklangston at 11:02 AM on June 30

Twas nice to meet/see you all! DaShiv, you amaze me yet again. How do you take a dark, tiny corner of a bar and turn it into glamourshots? Also, I was teaching a class this morning and before it started, the TA said, "Oh, are you on Metafilter?" He's a lurker but recognized me from the photos. So, thanks, I guess? (and Chris, if you're lurking and reading this, pony up your $5!)
posted by holyrood at 12:36 PM on June 30

What a blast Saturday night was! I'm posting from my phone (my comptuer is being diagnosed and hopefully revived by a bunch of Geniuses as I write this), so I can't type out everything that I want to say, but it was fantastic to meet so many of you. I have a few (very few, unfortunately) photos that I plan to post when (IF!!!!) I get my computer back. We should try to do this again! I didn't get to meet or spend enough time with so many of you (though the Mefites I did have the pleasure of chatting with were fantastic people!).

Also, I like parentheses.
posted by numinous at 5:16 PM on June 30

I've got a few photos here.

One of the guys in the photo is the server from the Lost Bar, Jake, who initially didn't want to take a photo with the nerds from the internet. But then he gave us his email address and asked me to send him the photos. He's also the same guy who yelled at us for taking the "inside chairs" outside.

I asked him if he wanted to join our cult, he said no.

---

It was great to meet everyone. You are all awesome.

We've got to have an IE/OC meetup one day!
posted by wilde at 5:17 PM on June 30

Jake! Yay Jake!
posted by mdonley at 5:46 PM on June 30

Jake wants to know when our next "Geek Meetup" so he can attend. Ha!
posted by wilde at 8:28 PM on July 1

Hello! Ann Kim from "Library Journal" here - hadroed (or "Josh" as I like to call him) got me an account. It was great meeting everyone there - DaShiv, love the photos. Thanks for making my non-chin the star it is.
posted by MunchKim at 7:03 AM on July 3

Hiya Ann, welcome to MetaFilter!
posted by jessamyn at 7:04 AM on July 3

Apologies for the super long delay (I've had computer problems for the last two weeks, but HURRAH THEY ARE FIXED!), but I very recently uploaded some pics from the meetup here. I had a fantastic time, and it was great to meet so many of you (although I would've liked to spend more time talking with more of you - there were so many mefites, and too little time!). When can we do this again? If it's anywhere in the LA/OC/IE area, I'm totally down.
posted by numinous at 9:46 AM on July 11