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WJ turns 5!
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WJ turns 5!
5:13 PM EDT 5/4/08
It feels funny starting this in the "Getting Started" forum, but in a way WJ is just getting started! On May 12, we'll be celebrating our 5th anniversary. Here's to 5 years of library staff connecting, creating and learning online, and here's to many more years of community building with all of you!

Please use this topic to share your favorite WJ memories whether they be resources, discussions, people or events.

Aside [url /forums/click.jspa?searchID=22023&messageID=28968]from my earliest memory[/url] of WJ, I would have to say my most favorite WJ event was the [url /do/Navigation?category=13706]Rural Forum[/url] at ALA and my favorite content are the rich [url /do/Navigation?category=13462]Rural Brainstorms[/url] that came out of the Rural Library Sustainability Project.

And here's a special toast to the 170 people who are on WJ this Sunday afternoon in May...what cause for celebration!
Re: WJ turns 5!
9:56 PM EDT 5/5/08 as a reply to Jennifer Peterson.
One thing I thought would be fun ... Because WJ is turning five, how about if we make a little <i>five</i> [url http://thedailymeme.com/what-is-a-meme/]meme[/url] out of this little sharing exercise: List Your WJ Fives!

I could see this being a quick way for the community to share snapshots of their WJ experiences and have a little fun along the way. As a virtual newbie here, I'll be glad to share my fairly lightweight (hey, I've only been here 15 weeks!) list of five:

<b>Tim's 5 Favorite Things about Being Part of the WJ Team</b>
1) The people! Members and staffers are incredibly smart, motivated, and dedicated to developing the best libraries and services. And did I mention nice? I haven't run across a jerk yet!
2) I get to live and breath libraries and community every day.
3) No one here has ever asked me what an MLIS is.
4) No one thinks I'm a weirdo for riding my bike to work. In fact, more than 1/3 of the office has signed up on a [url http://www.cbcef.org/btw/cc.html]Bike to Work team[/url] for the month of May!
5) My kids think libraries are cool. In their eyes, that makes me pretty cool by association. Yes! I'm finally cool and I owe it all to the librarians!

I'm sure most of you can do better than that -- you've been here living years of WebJunction. What <i>five</i> do you want to share?
Re: WJ turns 5!
7:48 PM EDT 5/6/08 as a reply to Tim King.
The five most interesting things about my WebJunction experience:

1) Attending Spanish Language Outreach workshop in Tucson, AZ and Washington, D.C. and hearing connections being made between the community panel members and the participants in the workshop.

2) Being a member of WebJunction before I became an employee.

3) Helping the amazing Yolanda Cuesta organize a focus groups in Spanish in places as diverse as Yuma, AZ, Pasco, WA, Riverside, CA, Brooklyn, NY, Jonesboro, AK, and Suwannee, GA.

4) Visiting a prison library in Gig Harbor, WA to do research for the prison library curriculum, and not being able to enter because a prisoner had escaped.

5) Going back to the prison a couple of weeks later and getting to talk to staff and patrons of the library and see the passion all had for the library's role in the prison.

Emily
5 - wow!
4:44 PM EDT 5/9/08 as a reply to Emily Inlow-Hood.
<a href="http://www.goodwinlibrary.com/bin/wjbday.jpg" target=_new>yAy!</a>
Re: 5 - wow!
4:48 PM EDT 5/9/08 as a reply to < maddog >.
That just made my day!
Re: 5 - wow!
5:06 PM EDT 5/9/08 as a reply to Emily Inlow-Hood.
I am glad you clicked the link. I was going to put the image right into the body of my post but it was a bit too large and blew out Jive's frames a bit...
Re: 5 - wow!
5:14 PM EDT 5/9/08 as a reply to < maddog >.
Maddog, do you mind if I pull that into a BlogJunction birthday blog post?
Re: WJ turns 5!
8:02 PM EDT 5/11/08 as a reply to Jennifer Peterson.
Wow! Can't believe it has been 5 years -- seems like just yesterday that I was in Toronto at ALA Annual and talking to Chrystie about this new site called WebJunction. Chystie's enthusiasm sparked my curiosity and I joined immediately upon my return to NJ after the conference.

I love being a member of the WJ community -- both virutally and in real life at conferences. I sometimes have absences when life gets hectic, but I know I can always come here and find good conversation.

Thank you WJ for enriching my life for the last 5 years.

Janie
Re: WJ turns 5!
2:53 AM EDT 5/12/08 as a reply to Janie Hermann.
And thank _you_ Janie for coming back again and again. We really depend on the depth our long-time WJ members bring to the community!

Btw, we could probably start an entire group (support group?) for people who have stories to tell about being caught up in Chrystie's enthusiasm. That girl is contagious!
Re: WJ turns 5!
9:26 AM EDT 5/12/08 as a reply to Tim King.
Chrystie Rocks!


Tim, feel free to use the birthday greeting as you see fit...
Re: WJ turns 5!
1:45 PM EDT 5/14/08 as a reply to Tim King.
Tim - How did the WJ lunch co-op not make it in your top 5 favorite things about being part of the WJ team?

hmm sounds like a good blog/discussion post: top 5 WJ lunch co-op recipes...

Laura
Re: WJ turns 5!
1:57 PM EDT 5/14/08 as a reply to Laura Staley.
Oh, good point. I think I was mentally blocking it out because I'm overdue cook.

# 5.5 ) Many members of the WJ team participate in a lunch "co-op." Each week a pair of staffers feed the other co-op members. We use a wiki to keep track of this little community exercise (recipes, whose turn it is, food allergies, etc). It's a treat to know once a week you'll eat a lunch prepared with love.

Any WJ members out there in libraryland do something similar with fellow staffers? It's a great break from the tedium of sack lunches at your desk!
Re: WJ turns 5!
1:10 PM EDT 5/16/08 as a reply to Tim King.
1. Being a tiny part of the pre-dawn of WebJunction when the [url http://www.gatesfoundation.org/UnitedStates/USLibraryProgram/ ]US Library Program[/url] trainers were brainstorming ideas of how it could help libraries.

2. Being at the first WebJunction Reception at PLA 2004. No need to worry about whether anyone would show up—the room was buzzing!
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3033/2496707091_e05faefe0d_m.jpg">

3. Forming virtual relationships with library staff from all over North America and beyond and then completing the circle face-to-face at conferences and workshops. (I still have a LOT of people to meet f2f.)

4. The WJ Discussion Forums, with fond memories for when they were named [url http://blog.webjunctionworks.org/index.php/2006/08/31/and-to-think-that-i-found-it-on-all-aboard/ ]All Aboard[/url] with all the multiple meanings that entails.

5. Working with a team that is so energized and positive and ready to embrace change.

Happy Birthday WJ! emoticon
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