Not even an event at the local library in Old Town is reliable. I decided to attend Near North's Writing for Television and Film event hosted by Sylvia Franklin with a tip for Lauren Wulf. She sent out awesome mass e-mails to the Old Town clan about events taking place this past weekend. The event was not listed on the Chicago Public Library calendar but on meetup.com.
There was a detailed description on what members were to expect and what the host expected of them. Because the event started at 2 p.m. I figured I'd get there early to speak with the host. So, I walk inside to the front desk and the two fairly young men have absolutely no idea what the heck I'm talking about. They suggest I talk to the head librarian.
The head librarian has a huge line of people needing her expertise. By the time I make it up there to ask her where the meet up is being held it's 2:10 p.m. She apparently has a faint idea what I'm talking about but isn't positive of where it's at or if there;s a meet up scheduled today. A frustrated a woman, Sylvia, taps me on the shoulder and tells me that it's in the community center.
We walk in and apparently a few guests that have RSVP to attend the meet up have been turned away due to the staffs' miscommunication. Sylvia was obviously frustrated and shared her frustrations with me.
I told her I was a student from DePaul and about our current project with ChicagoNow and Old Town. She agreed to talk with me but like all the people I've interviewed thus far, she preferred to not have her picture taken. And then I was left to take pictures of the library, but honestly how many of those can post before they become redundant.
And so, my experiences have yet to pick up positively.
4 Comments
Kim Dunbar said:
That does sound very frustrating and discouraging. We are having similar frustrations with our Gold Coast community. My interviewee this week did not want her photo, so I used a picture of the building. I think things will get easier now that the blog is published (hopefully). Hang in there and good luck!
Chelsea Stevens said:
I also almost covered this event- which was listed as Old Town on meetup.com- but when I went to the Near North Library's website I not only didn't see anything about the event and decided to choose something else. Finding an event with such short notice proved nearly impossible in Old Town, although I definitely think our team made the best out of our options.
I was supposed to attend an event at Joe's bar, which is barely even technically considered Old Town, and they wouldn't let me in unless I paid a $25 donation fee. I think that if we are going to cover another event we will need to be able to plan for it at least a couple of weeks in advance. Also, we all need to remember to call before attending the event to make sure not only that it is okay to come and take pictures and cover it for Old Town Now, but also, in your case, to make sure it is even still happening!
So, in short, I completely understand your frustrations and hopefully our group can work together to make sure that this doesn't happen again.
Lauren Wulf said:
Glad the e-mails helped... or at least gave temporary relief in our search for events/meetings! I know quite a few of them on that site were flops, but I think it can at least give us ideas, or if nothing else, give us an idea of what is going on in our neighborhoods. And maybe next time we'll have more time to find a quality event to cover.
Suada Kolovic said:
I'm glad that I'm not the only one struggling. Apparently, Old Town does not want to cooperate with us.
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