TNL just came back from the 33rd IATUL Conference at NTU. She was invited as a guest blogger (along with NLB’s Rambling Librarian).
And she has this to say, “Mr Choy, you have to give yourselves 1 week’s break. Don’t care. Library can auto-run. You deserve the rest!”
There’s this thing librarians like to harp about – its called the user experience.
On a Likert of 1-5 (it was Likert this, Likert that at the plenary sessions), TNL’s user experience at the conference was a definite 5 (as in 5 for “You can user-experience me all you want, man”).
It started off with 2 people – Frank and Catherine. Cat was away so no pic of her.
On the first day, TNL in her usual sotong-like state, took the 199 bus, dropped off at the third bus stop and discovered herself at NIE. It was 9am. She called for directions. Instead, these 2 people with their wings tucked away somewhere, drove over to pick her up.
When she got to the conference venue and to the command centre to get her laptop, these 2 people – Chyi Chyi (a Student Assistant) and Michael – stepped in.
They set her up, got her logged on. This they had to do patiently every day because TNL just couldn’t figure out the wireless connection. When she was wondering where the power outlets at the Auditorium were, Chyi Chyi showed her the little trap doors and made sure TNL was ok before she left. TNL thought she was on board a SIA flight.
Michael is holding the laptop designated for bloggers. After using the laptop on the first day, they plastered TNL’s name on it so that she could continue to use the same one. Thank you, guys! TNL hates to fiddle with new gadgets once she is used to one.
From then on, each NTU librarian whom she met to contributed in their own way to the 5. It wasn’t just the experience. She observed teamwork, interactions and expressions she wished she had captured in pics.
This is Su Nee. Our friend is pregnant with her second child. You should hear the Malaysian librarians cooeing when she told them she’s expecting a boy. These 2 pics show her doing what she did every day. She stood at the back of the Auditorium and when she was tired she sat on the floor (!!!). And the schedule and her phone always in her hands. Poor girl looked tired at some points. Alan is the time keeper. All conference delegates need to be his friend.
This is Phoebe. Phoebe gave TNL a lift at the end of the first day. She was on her way to the hotel to rehearse for the dinner event (Phoebe was the MC). Phoebe is with Soma. Soma handled the AV. 
So did Rama. This is not a shaky pic. It’s Rama ever ready to pounce forward to give a delegate the microphone during Q&A. Rama was every where with his student assistants getting things fixed up, adjusting this and that, working with technicians, working with cables and wires, looking for clickers, etc. Aiyo… TNL will die doing work like that.
Here are Samantha and Kong Meng. Are they on Facebook? Because TNL would certainly like to “like” them. They are just really nice people. They are warm, unassuming, very little fuss and when they smiled, they smiled with their eyes. TNL can’t quite capture it in this pic. There you go, you got to experience it.
This is Hazel. TNL likes this pic very much. It captures Hazel’s quiet elegance, her poise, her efficiency and that smile.
These two gentlemen are Ivan (RL) and Yew Boon. Yew Boon headed the social media team and he was every where. 
This is Padmaja. She patiently explained what the Engineering librarians did to teach information literacy. We blew tea break just absorbing ourselves in all that information. She is standing beside the poster showing the Engineering information literacy programmes (more about that soon). 
Last but not least, this is Mr Choy, NTU’s University Librarian and an old friend. TNL wanted a pic of him standing at the back of the Auditorium observing the proceedings. There were enough pics of him making speeches or talking to guests. TNL reckons this was more the Choy she knew. Check out his tie of books on shelves. Something he got online. Haha!
And my NUS friends will recognise Jing Wen (with Frank).
This is where TNL sat most of the time to post her comments. The laptop is on her seat. Patrick (TNL’s NUS Libraries colleague who is the in tech support subcomm) sits next to her on his VIP seat when he is not working. And when she missed her tea break, he would get her chocs. A growling tum-tum isn’t music to your neighbour’s ears in a quiet Auditorium.
Can you spot the Rambling Librarian twitting away? 
This is the conference bag that Hedren Sum, a student assistant designed. Love the design. Check out the QR code in the middle which leads to the conference site.
There is much more to blog about the conference. And TNL will do so soon.
But TNL wants this particular post to be for the NTU librarians.
Thank you, friends. TNL applauds you.
