Visually appealing or busy

It took most of the day but I finished the blog poster for my session at ALA. I managed and micromanaged the placement of images (all aligned just so and equal in size), inserted the desired text, and continuously reminded myself of the importance of white space within the poster. I ran a spell check, always important and potentially awkward, and created the PDF that will go to the campus print shop tomorrow. I am satisfied with the finished product and have made the timely transition from striving for brilliance to settling for not embarrassing myself.

Short of yesterday's timetable, finishing one poster before lunch, I brought home my laptop to work on the second poster this evening; it needs to be finished by 3:00 pm at the latest. Once the posters are completed, I will be able to create short PowerPoint presentations and handouts to burn to CD detailing the poster. It is simpler to travel with CD's than it is to haul paper handouts on the airplane.

Why the seemingly arbitrary deadline of 3:00 pm? I am leaving for a two-day board retreat Thursday morning and have yet to file my reports, print the necessary documents for the meeting, MapQuest directions to the retreat location, and compile the resulting printouts. I have volunteered for additional responsibilities for a year (it's official, I've lost my mind) and need to prepare for that transition as well. All of these things are important to me both personally and professionally, but some days the juggler gets a workout.

Tags: ALA conference, Poster Sessions, Academic Library Association