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On Nov 10, 2022, at 10:22 AM, Esther M. Jackson <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > At the encouragement of one of our attendees, I'd like to share an events > model that we have been using with success over at the regional code4lib > nyc group. > > > *code & coffee - model* > > - Our group meets over Zoom the first or second Friday of each month at > 12pm EDT for around 60 minutes (announcements shared through METRO > <https://metro.org/events>) > > - The structure is relatively free-form, with round-robin introductions > where attendees include an update on a technical project they are working > on and/or ask for advice on a project (generally while in the planning > phase of a new project) > > - There is a call facilitator, but usually the conversation flows pretty > organically > > > *observations* > > - We have a core group of perhaps 10 regulars who attend as their schedule > allows, with new attendees regularly joining, including library school > students > > - The model seems to work best with 6-10 attendees, because there is time > for everyone to do introductions and have more in-depth conversations about > a few topics that interest the group > > - Our Zoom meetups naturally expanded to include a monthly in-person > meetup, when an organizer stepped forward from our Zoom group to coordinate > > If you are thinking about organizing a code4lib-related-meetup, or even a > more general community coding meetup for your library/place of work, > consider this model! It's low-lift and not too stressful. I adopted this > model from elsewhere, and have found it friendly for people at all levels > of coding ability. > > -- > Esther Marie Jackson | [log in to unmask] > Scholarly Communication Technologies Librarian > Columbia University Libraries code_and_coffee++ While I am certainly no fan of Zoom, the Code & Coffee event described above worked very well, IMHO. It worked so well that I encourage additional people to organize such events. I know I will do so. What's also cool, is that since it is Zoom, participants do not have to be in the same physical region, but I can imagine all sorts of reasons why physical proximity would be beneficial. If the idea of Code & Coffee seems to take root, then we can add a list of these things on the Code4Lib wiki making it easier to participate in far-reaching sessions. Here is a 10-step facilitation process that might work, and I'm sharing it as open source. Season to taste: 1. decide to give Code & Coffee a try 2. choose a date and time 3. ideally, identify somebody to give a presentation which anchors the session 4. with vim & vigor make people aware of the event 5. manage your personal expectations regarding attendance 6. host the event 7. ideally, summarize the event and share widely 8. go to Step #2 at least two more times 9. evaluate, and if deemed successful, then go to Step #2 10. done Have I inspired anyone the way I have been inspired? -- Eric Lease Morgan Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship Hesburgh Libraries University of Notre Dame 574/631-8604 https://cds.library.nd.edu