Chances are, Cites & Insights 7:13, December 2007, will come out tomorrow. (I’ve trimmed it down to 22 pages and printed out the proof copy. Unless I see some ghastly error when I reread it tomorrow afternoon–and it’s always easier to edit other people’s writing–I’ll do the HTML pieces, upload it and publicize it.)
It will be a somewhat peculiar issue. Not that there’s anything new about peculiar issues of C&I.
It’s not quite the end of the volume. Some time–late November or early December–I’ll do the volume index and title page for all those folks who bind the print volume. (I’d still love to hear from anyone whose library actually does this, or does it themselves. I do–Kinko’s velobinding–but, of course, I would, wouldn’t I?)
I’m already 99% certain that there will not be a special Midwinter issue next year–and it’s likely that the January 2008 issue, volume 8, number 1, will appear relatively late. Possibly even in January (although that seems unlikely). It’s also likely that it will be relatively short and possibly peculiar.
There’s a reason for all this. The stuff I’m doing in my half-time-equivalent contract position reaches a major milestone at ALA Midwinter. That’s early in 2008–just about eight weeks from now. I have a pretty good idea what needs to be done.
I’m nearly certain I can do an adequate job within the half-time boundaries, leaving lots of time and energy for bang-up work on C&I (and Walt at random and my two print columns, neither of which is due until late January 2008, and the Academic Library Blogs book…oh, and holidays).
But I don’t want to do an adequate job. I want to do a good job (or maybe even a great job, pace Tony the Tiger), and I want to leave enough time to do the iterative work needed to get this kind of thing in the shape it should be in.
So I’m going to devote a little extra time and a lot of extra attention to that project–and less time and attention to C&I and other writing. It’s worth it for now. The alternative is to go back to 65-hour weeks for a while, and I’m not prepared to do that.
If I didn’t mention anything, would most of you notice any difference? Maybe not: Peculiar issues are somewhat typical of C&I Some of you might notice the probable lateness of the January issue–but it might not even be all that late.
Still, in the interests of small-t transparency, I thought I’d mention it anyway.
Oh, and if you’d like reading material for the trip to and from Philadelphia in January: Buy one of my books! See the bottom of the page or just go to Cites & Insights Books (or get them from Amazon). For that matter, you could be the first to write a review of Public Library Blogs: 255 Examples, or even a scathing commentary on why it’s not worth $29.50 for public libraries.
