New Orleans, ALA 2006: Laissez les bons temps revenir!
LJ's picks & pans for the American Library Association 2006 annual conference
By John N. Berry III -- Library Journal, 6/1/2006
The program for the American Library Association (ALA) conference in New Orleans is loaded with something for every library specialty, service, and activity, including the second annual Conference Within a Conference for Support Staff, ALA's newest constituency.
This year's meeting features a heightened emphasis on advocacy, lots of programs on new technological solutions to library problems, a fine array of fundraising opportunities, good workshops on job-hunting, and even a few sessions that deal with the kind of cataloging and classification work we thought was gone from LIS programs and continuing education.
New Orleans is ready
While everyone expects attendance to be slightly down from previous conferences, still, relatively high attendance is predicted. There are no estimates of how much lower attendance will be, but about 60 percent of the available hotel rooms were booked by February, and preregistration was running about five percent ahead of expectations.
New Orleans is waiting for ALA. There are plenty of rooms, plenty of restaurants, plenty of exhibits, plenty of hospitals and emergency services, and plenty of cops. Reports from the city suggest that the area of the conference is relatively normal. The police station in the Vieux Carré is fully operational. The nearby Touro Infirmary, Tulane University Hospital, and LSU Charity Hospital System are up and running (see p. 50 for more on medical services).
Les bons temps!
The 1600 exhibits booths, again misnamed The Stacks, are the biggest library show on earth and offer everything from the latest tech gadgets to the hottest books for adults and kids. As important to your education and entertainment at ALA as the programs, the show will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, June 24, through Monday, June 26, and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27. A full schedule of galas and parties makes it certain les bons temps will definitely rouler at ALA in New Orleans.
The preliminary program is as confusing as ever, with every program assigned to "Tracks" and "Subtracks." These are so broad and ill-defined that they add very little in the way of useful organization of the whole array of meetings, and conference attendees will have to dig and study among the gold to build a varied and interesting schedule.
To help with the process, LJ offers our simplified, annotated, subject-organized version of the program, our picks and pans from the thousands of possible meetings. We believe these selections present the most promising opportunities for you to be educated, informed, excited, and, most important, professionally entertained. A star (
) means the topic and/or the speakers are more likely than others to be useful and/or enjoyable.
ACADEMIC RESEARCH LIBRARIES | ADVOCACY | ALA POLITICS | ARCHIVES/SPECIAL COLLECTIONS | AUTOMATING LIBRARIES | BUILDINGS | CATALOGING & METADATA | CERTIFICATION | COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT | COPYRIGHT | DIGITAL LIBRARIES | DISASTER PLANNING | DIVERSITY & LIBRARIES | EDUCATION FOR LIBRARIANS | ETHICS | FUNDRAISING | FUTURE LIBRARIES | GALAS, PARTIES, BANQUETS | HEALTH INFORMATION | INFORMATION LITERACY | INFORMATION POLICY | INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM | INTERNATIONAL LIBRARIANSHIP | INTERNET & WEB | LEADERSHIP | LEGISLATION & LOBBYING | LITERACY | NEW ORLEANS | OUTREACH SERVICES | PARTNERSHIPS | PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT | PLACEMENT | PROGRAMS | PUBLIC RELATIONS | READERS' ADVISORY | REFERENCE | SALARIES | SUPPORT STAFF | UNIONS | WOMEN'S ISSUES | Authors & Celebrities—New Orleans ALA 2006 picks and pans
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Leadership for Learning: Building a Culture of Teaching in Academic Libraries
ACRL IS. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Jennifer Meta Robinson (Indiana Univ.), Susan C. Curzon (Cal State Lib., Northridge), James L. Mullins (Purdue), Patricia B. Yocum (Shapiro Science Lib., Univ. of Michigan), and moderator Scott Walter (Univ. of Kansas) on what a "culture of teaching" is and how to foster it in an academic library. This latest fad in efforts to prove the value of academic libraries may take more effectively than information literacy instruction did.
Advocacy Institute
PIO. Fri., Jun. 23, noon-5 p.m. Cast still unannounced, but this is "geared to help foster a community of support among library professionals, Friends, trustees, and advocates at the state and local levels." Promises strategies for message development, lobbying, and coalition building. Attendees will leave with a draft of an advocacy action plan to implement in their library community. Possibly useful, this would be better aimed at how to penetrate media, citizens, and politicians, but the price is right at $25.
Touching the Community
ALTA. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. "Teach participants how to raise public awareness of services and the benefits available through ALTA and local libraries," even how to change opinions and attitudes. In two hours? We're skeptical.
Library Advocacy Now! Training: Speaking Up and Speaking Out About the Hard Issues
PIO, WO. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Critical issues librarians face and how to deal with them from such decades-long advocacy heavies as Pat Schuman (chair, Library Advocacy Now!), Kathleen Imhoff (Lexington PL, KY), and representatives from the ALA Washington Office. Like the Democrats, they'll struggle to reframe and refine key messages and present techniques for dealing with tough questions and strategies to make sure library messages get attention. Probably your best bet for advocacy.
Research Models for Promoting the Value of Libraries
LRRT. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Research mavens on one objective in the goal of "Advocacy/Value of the Profession," part of ALA's current strategic plan, will discuss research and evaluation to provide evidence of the value and impact of libraries, but we don't know who is discussing.
Libraries and Democracy's Challenge
Member Programs. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Participate in this National Issues Forum on "Democracy's Challenge-Reclaiming the Public's Role," sponsored by the ALA Membership Initiative Group: Fostering Civic Engagement. How to use America's disenchantment with government and politics to spark a library discussion. Cute trick.
Rural Advocacy @ your library: Progress Update
OLOS. Sat., Jun. 24, 4-5:30 p.m. Reports on the progress of ALA's Rural Libraries Advocacy Initiative designed for rural, native, and tribal libraries from Carol Barta, Deborah Bloom, and Satia Orange.
Advocacy Information Exchange
BCALA. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Actual library/librarian advocacy programs' successes and failures.
Meet Us at the Campfire: Telling Your Story
PLA ICC. Sun., Jun. 25, 4-5:30 p.m. Gathering and effectively articulating the library story to get support from government officials, potential funders, and the public.
Council Meetings
Council/Exec Board/Membership Info Session, Sun., Jun. 25, 9-10 a.m.; APA Info Session, Sun., Jun. 25, 10-10:30 a.m.; ALA Council I, Sun., Jun. 25, 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.; ALA-APA Council, Mon., Jun. 26, 10:15-11:15 a.m.; ALA Council II, Tues., Jun. 27, 9:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.; ALA Council III, Wed., Jun. 28, 8 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. ALA's legislature, sometimes boring to the point of torture, sometimes hot with interesting debate.
Membership Meetings
Membership I, Sat., Jun. 24, 4-5 p.m.; Membership II, Mon., Jun. 26, 11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Reempowered by reducing its quorum, ALA members can now recommend action at conference. Members should attend.
Executive Board Meetings
Exec Board I, Fri., Jun. 23, 8:30 a.m.-noon; Exec Board II, Mon., Jun. 26, 1:30-4:30 p.m.; Exec Board III, Wed., Jun. 28 2-5:30 p.m. (actual start time depends on end time of Council III). Sometimes worth waiting and watching through the long, tedious, self-congratulatory palaver. Only for ALA politics junkies.
Reimagineering Special Collections: Building Designs and Considerations for the 21st Century
ACRL RBMS. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Janette S. Blackburn (Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson, and Abbott), Jeanne M. Hammer (NC State Univ. Libs.), Pat Bozeman (Univ. of Houston), and moderator Lois Fischer Black (Research Ctr., NC State) will explore factors influencing new designs, including offsite storage, new technologies, and reduced space allocations.
RFID in Libraries: Problems & Solutions
LITA. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. A panel of eight experts from European, Asian, and U.S. academic and public libraries and RFID vendors. Promises solutions and answers for those implementing RFID. RFID "experts" are often "advocates." Remain skeptical.
Tiny Trackers: How To Implement RFID Technologies in Libraries Without Giving Up Our Principles
IFC. Sun. Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. How to implement RFID, cosponsored by OITP and LITA. Jim Lichtenberg, president of LIGHTSPEED, LLC, is evenhanded on RFID. Worth hearing.
The 3 R's: Renovation, Restoration and Remodeling
LAMA BES. Sat., Jun. 24, 8-10 a.m. How to create open, inviting spaces to enhance old buildings, keeping the integrity of historic structures in the process.
Documents of Desire: Talking with Your Architect
LAMA BES. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Carol Wedge, marketing and graphics consultant, promises a "primer on the work that needs to be done in preparing a library building program" and a list of answers for the architectural team.
FAST: A New System of Subject Access for Cataloging and Metadata
ALCTS CCS. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. OCLC has been developing FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology) subject headings, and an ALCTS CCS subcommittee evaluated it from the user perspective. Hear about it from Ed O'Neill (OCLC), Qiang Jin (Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Arlene Taylor (Univ. of Pittsburgh), Shannon Hoffman (Brigham Young).
Understanding LC Classification: A Preview of an ALCTS/PCC Workshop
ALCTS CCS. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Learn the elements of a call number and how they are created, plus practice assigning Cutter numbers and spotting errors in call numbers in this preview of one session of a forthcoming LC workshop on LC Classification, Notation, and Cuttering. Somebody still has to do this work we learned about back when "library" was still part of library school.
Questioning Authorities: Adapting Authority Control to the Changing Needs of Library Users
LITA. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-5:30 p.m. Explore expanded, new approaches to authority control with Louise Spiteri (Dalhousie Univ.), Ross Singer (Georgia Tech), Jennifer Trant (Archives & Museum Informatics), John Reese (Backstage Lib. Works), and Manon Theroux (Yale).
Computer Industry Certifications for Librarians and Library Staff: A Good Idea?
LITA. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Critiques of industry certification, its relevancy to the library profession, and an examination of what LIS programs are and could be doing to prepare people for careers in library systems. Speakers: Kevin S. Clarke, Beth McNeil, and Martin B. Wolske.
Certification Overview: What's in It for Me?
ALA-APA. Sat., Jun. 24, 4-5:30 p.m. Three certification enthusiasts (Jenifer Grady, ALA-APA), Eva Poole (Denton PL, TX), and Christine Hage (Rochester Hills PL, MI) will deliver their pitch on this newest attempt to make money for ALA units and others. It could be a new source of cheap labor for libraries and another nail in the coffin of the MLS.
Publisher Packages in the E-World: New Roles for Libraries, Publishers, and Agents
ALCTS SS. Sat., Jun. 24, 8-10 a.m. Promises "recognized leaders" in libraries, publishing, and subscription agentry on how to manage library subscriptions and the role of each of the members of this triumvirate in licensing "big deals," agreements, subject collections, and boutique collections. Probably useful, but remember two of the three of these allies do it for profit.
Vanilla Collections: Have Alternative Viewpoints Disappeared from Academic Libraries?
ACRL. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Many librarians complain that academic libraries are creating homogeneous collections that neglect alternative views. Increasing reliance on approval plans, standing orders, and preapproved choices make it worse. Two publishers, one from the right and one from the left, will discuss their experience selling to libraries. A third speaker will present evidence from the library community.
So You Want To Be a Reviewer
RUSA CODES. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. A must for librarians who want to review for publication. Hear Kathleen Sullivan (Phoenix PL) on "Elements for Basic Reviews." Barbara Bibel (Oakland PL) will tell how she became a reviewer of nonfiction. Danise Hoover (Hunter Coll. Lib., CUNY) will deliver the academic librarian's view. Brad Hooper (Booklist) and Barbara Hoffert (LJ) will offer tips on becoming a reviewer and insights into reviewing. Great cast, if we do say so ourselves!
Tools for Collection Assessment
RUSA CODES/Collection Development Education. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. A brief presentation of several tools for assessing collections, followed by breakout sessions of vendors and librarians.
From the Bronx to the Burbs: Defining, Collecting, and Preservation of Hip Hop Culture, Literature, & Resources
BCALA. Sat., Jun. 24, 4-5 p.m. This program will look at collecting and preserving the inheritance of the hip-hop generation.
Collection Assessment: Best Practices in the 21st Century
ALCTS CMDS. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-5:30 p.m. An overview of collection assessment and methods for all formats.
Targeting Collections to Your Real Users
PLA LSC. Mon., Jun. 26, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Promises "fresh perspectives" on using collection management tools to better target collections to users. Demographic profiling, budgeting, and goal-setting will be reexamined.
The Copyright Office Comes to ALA
FAFLRT. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.- noon. Attorney Mary Rasenberger of the U.S. Copyright Office will address the impact on libraries of real-life copyright issues, including fair use, copyright term extension, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and more.
Digital Rights Management and Institutional Repositories: Achieving Balance in a Complex Environment
ALCTS, NRMIG. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30- 5:30 p.m. Denise Troll Covey (Carnegie Mellon Univ. Libs.), Carol Hixson (Univ. of Oregon), Karen Coyle, (digital lib. consultant), and Edward Colleran (Copyright Clearance Center) on digital rights management (DRM) systems to solve the complexities of managing copyright.
Copyrights and Licensing Wrongs: When Two Worlds Collide
ACRL. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Licenses and contracts frequently prohibit what copyright law allows, and this program will offer strategies to win in this litigious arena.
Rethinking the Telecom Act: Implications and Opportunities for Libraries
OITP. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Hear from key policy leaders on the role of libraries in the rewriting of the Telecommunications Act in such crucial areas as privacy, Universal Service Reform, municipal wireless, control over content, and beyond.
Copyright 101: Everything You Wanted To Know About Copyright but Were Afraid To Ask
OITP. Mon., Jun. 26, 1:30-3:30 p.m. An open house session to get answers and advice on such topics as public performance, electronic reserves, the "orphan works" report, fair use, international copyright, public domain, and pending legislation.
Library Website as Branch Site (Education, Training & Support).
RUSA MARS. Jun. 24, 8-10 a.m. How librarians at public, academic, and virtual libraries can best design web sites as both reference tools and branch sites. Vital!
Free eReserves: Saving Money, Saving Time, and Expanding Services with Open Source Software
LITA. Sat., Jun. 24, 8:30-10 a.m. Kyle Fenton and Maurice York (both Emory Univ.) describe how the open source application ReservesDirect works and how this free software can expand services while saving time and money.
Use What They Own, Go Where They Are: Plugging the Library into Student Gadgets and Habitats
ACRL ULS. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Nancy Davenport (CLIR), Lynne O'Brien (Duke), and Rita Bullard (Eastern Michigan Univ.) on getting the innovative technology students play with (iPods, MP3s, PDAs, and cell phones) into library use.
Who Controls the Future of Search?
LITA. Sat., Jun. 24. 1:30-3:30 p.m. Promises to be a "provocative exploration of the future of search" focusing on Google Scholar, the Yahoo Deep Web Project, and Open WorldCat and their enormous impact on the library.
The Technology of Outreach: How Technology Supports the Connection
OLOS. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon. A panel of librarians who use technology to support outreach efforts, with success and failure reports.
Who's Out There and What Are They Doing? Supporting the Independent User
RUSA MARS. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon. How to help people who rely on Google, ISPs, and electronic library resources without guidance from librarians.
Are We There Yet? The State of Digital Media Access and Delivery Today
VRT. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. This panel discussion of digital media delivery in libraries and what makes it possible will cover technological, infrastructural, and institutional obstacles-and the development of metadata standards.
Your Library's Intranet: The Hidden Tool, Not So Sexy, but Oh So Satisfying
PLA LDC. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. How to build your library's intranet and use it to enhance and increase communication among the staff and to the public.
Ebook 3.0: The Converging of the Mobile Lifestyle Media Platform
LITA. Mon., Jun. 26, 8 a.m.-noon. The leading device, content conversion, and content delivery vendors-Christopher Celeste (PlayAway) and Steve Potash (Overdrive)-will reveal their company views on the market and their business models. An hour is saved for questions, so ask.
Exploring the Technology of Gaming
PLA LDC. Mon., Jun. 26, 1:30-3:30 p.m. On the validity and opportunities of providing adult and teen games, this program claims gaming technology is "a fundamental learning and information exchange of the future" and libraries can "get ahead of the curve." Hype alert!
Future Directions for Digital Library Initiatives: Addressing the Challenges of Collaboration and Sustainability
LITA. Mon., Jun. 26, 1:30-5:30 p.m. Representatives from DLF Aquifer, a collaborative digital library (DL) containing high-quality content and scholarly tools; the National Science Foundation's premier DL, which offers educational resources in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program, which develops alliances and technical solutions to preserve digital objects, will discuss collaboration and sustainability and how these issues impact future directions for their initiatives.
When Bad Things Happen to Nice Libraries: Consideration on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness
LAMA BES. Sat. Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Libraries have policies but often lack plans for dealing with extreme situations (fire, flood, and terrorism). Promises "professional speakers," one of whom has been through an emergency, to provide the understanding necessary to develop a program.
Latino Library Leadership for the New Millennia
REFORMA. Sat., Jun. 24, 8-10 a.m. A panel of Latina/o library directors will share experience, lessons learned, barriers overcome, and factors in their success.
Serving the Underserved- Distance Education & the LIS Degree
COD. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Mark Puente (2003 Spectrum Scholar), Ofilia Barrera (student, Texas Woman's Univ.), Patrice Johnson (student, Univ. of Illinois LEEP), Cecilia Barber (Shiprock Alternative Schs., Inc.), Cristina Hernandez (Newcomb Coll. Ctr. for Research on Women), and Bharat Mehra (Univ. of Tennessee) will talk about the distance learning explosion in LIS programs, 12 of which offer ALA-accredited degrees that can be completed entirely online: the advantages, challenges, and unique "classroom" dynamics. Much debated, should ALA accreditors take a closer look?
Using the Library To Enhance Campus Diversity
ACRL. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. On the library's role and importance for diversity issues, trends, and interaction with academic departments or faculty and impact on collection building, coalition building, and support for student group involvement.
Changing Demographics: Marketing to Communities in Transition
PLA ICC. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Three models of library marketing: demographic marketing reports to target programs and services, reaching out to new immigrants, and PLA's Smartest Card Campaign to recruit new users.
Outside the Magic Circle: Library Services & Underserved Users
COD. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. LIS, literacy and social services practitioners share best practices to serve people too poor to have a car, a credit card, or a checking account; hurricane evacuees; and all individuals who exist outside of circles of privilege.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Multicultural Idea Exchange
SRRT. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. LaJuan Pringle (PL of Charlotte & Mecklenburg Cty., NC), Phyllis D. Fisher (retired, New York City Sch. Lib. Syst.), and Sherin Henderson (Hampton Univ., VA) bring highlights of activities held to observe the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, with special attention to efforts that "Keep the Dream Alive."
Acknowledging Native Perspectives on the American Experience
IFRT. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Sponsored by the IFRT, AILA, OLOS Subcommittee on Library Services to American Indians. Features speakers Arlene Naquin (Pointe-au-Chien Tribe, Council of Elders, Terrebonne Parish, LA), Richie Plass (musician/poet/traditional dancer/activist, Menominee Stockbridge/Munsee Tribe, Oneida Indian Reservation, WI), Christine Rose (Students and Teachers Against Racism and Changing Winds Seminars, Fairfield, CT), Rennard Strickland (Osage/Cherokee heritage, Univ. of Oregon Law Sch.), and panelists Naomi Caldwell (Ramapough Lenape Nation, GSLIS, Univ. of Rhode Island), Carlene Engstrom (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe, Salish Kootenai Coll., Flathead Indian Reservation, MT), and Richenda Wilkinson (Oregon State Univ.). There is much to learn from these experts.
9th Annual Diversity Fair
OLOS. Sat., Jun. 24, 3-5 p.m. The Diversity Fair will showcase innovative programs that help adults and families improve their basic literacy skills.
Charting Courses: Diversity Research Grants
COD. Sat., Jun. 24, 4-5:30 p.m. Isabel Espinal presents the results of her study "Collaborating with REFORMA Librarians To Study Emerging Latin Readership," Wooseob Jeong looks at expanding access to the blind and visually impaired through the use of an online Braille generator, and Karen J. Underhill discusses her project "Native American Protocols for American Libraries, Archives, and Information Services," all winners of the 2005 Diversity Research Grants.
Religious Diversity @ your library: Equitable and Respectful Library Services to Users of Diverse Religious Backgrounds
COD. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon. A focus on religious diversity and the role of libraries with respect to advocacy for religious freedom, education about religious differences, and reaching out to people from various religious backgrounds. Much needed in these times.
Race, Poverty, and Aging Baby Boomers
RUSA. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Andrew Sum (Northeastern) and Monique Harden (Advocates for Environmental Human Rights) report on recent research on New Orleans and efforts to rebuild it.
Chinese American Librarians: Identity and Professional Development
CALA. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. A panel on challenges and opportunities Chinese American librarians face will address larger issues of professional development and how one can be successful and grow in one's particular career.
I Don't Know Any Indians
AILA. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Stereotypes and misperceptions about Native peoples from Native librarians and others who provide model services to American Indians.
I Don't Know Any Gay People!: GLBT Concerns Across Diverse Communities
COD. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Vignettes will explore prejudice, denial, anger, ignorance, and disservice, which can affect library collections, services, and interactions.
Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball
PIO. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. James L. Gates Jr. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc.) will review African American baseball history from research by the Hall of Fame that produced a new book from the National Geographic Society. Part of the Campaign for America's Libraries' and the Hall of Fame's Step Up to the Plate @ your library program. Batter up.
The Ethnic Press, Libraries, and Community: How We Can Strengthen the Ties
SRRT. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Representatives of the ethnic press and librarians discuss the media's role in community building and how libraries can help strengthen and reinforce that relationship.
How My Parents Learned To Eat: Dim Sum, Fry Bread, Collard Greens and Tacos in the Library
PLA. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Strategies and best practices for reaching out to increasingly diverse communities with collections, multicultural programming, and staff development from members of award-winning diversity teams from Las Vegas-Clark County Lib. Dist., NV (Debbie McGuire and Felton Thomas Jr.) and Ocean County, NJ (Valerie Bell, Deborah Blackwell, Cathi Finnen, and Elaine McConnell). Never mind the cornball title-this is good stuff!
DINE: Diversity Interest Network & Exchange
COD. Sun., Jun. 25 4-6 p.m. Information sharing and networkingfrom diversity committees and interested individuals.
Diversity in Libraries Around the World: Perspectives & Best Practices
COD. Mon., Jun. 26, 4-5:30 p.m. This discussion extends last year's conversation on views and best practices for diversity in libraries from an international perspective.
Outcomes Assessment in ALA Accreditation: Making It Work for You
OA. Sun., Jun. 25, 4-5:30 p.m. A COA program on how learning outcomes assessment figures into the ALA Standards for Accreditation. Open to all conference attendees, but an RSVP by Jun. 15 to the Office for Accreditation (accred@ala.org) would be appreciated.
Ethics and Librarianship: Perspectives on the ALA Code of Ethics
CPE. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. For the third time, "Do we need revision and expansion of the ALA Code of Ethics?" Do we need to ask? The thing is badly skewed to ethics to protect the workplace and not the workers in libraries. Go and tell 'em.
ALTA Opening Session-Show Me the Money: Marketing Your Library to Stakeholders for Maximum Impact (and Cash!)
ALTA, WO. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Stephanie Vance (Advocacy Associates, former Congressional staffer) offers "tricks of the trade" on selling your library message to the officials at the local, state, and federal levels. Examples and role-playing to energize your advocacy campaign.
Nuts and Bolts for Friends and Supporters of Libraries
FOLUSA. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. How to raise money for your library, by fundraising expert Andrew Sanderbeck, followed by the opportunity to share best practices and get advice from FOLUSA experts.
Money Mavens, 21st Century Style: Best Practices in Library Fundraising
LAMA FRFDS. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Fundraisers from public, private, and public academic libraries on the elements critical to development programs.
Shaking the Money Tree: Grant Writing for Librarians
ACRL EBSS. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Elaina Norlin (IMLS), Marcia Keyser (Drake Univ.), and Tom Phelps (Public Programs, NEH) on writing successful grant applications. Essential for fundraisers.
Fund Fare: Expanding Your Donor Base Horizontally & Vertically
LAMA FRFDS. Mon., Jun. 26, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Effective ways to communicate with diverse donors and prospects through a group presentation and round table discussions. Hear about generational, gender, ethnic, and cultural differences among donors and how they affect fundraising.
Good to Great: How To Rethink, Reconfigure and Revitalize Your Library into Greatness!
PLA. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. How the Richmond PL, VA, rethought, renovated, and restructured everything it does.
Scanning the Future @ Your Library
ASCLA. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Forecasting techniques such as scenario-building and tools including the OCLC Environmental Scan to inform visioning, planning, and budgeting. Participants will submit real challenges facing their libraries in an interactive, collaborative forum.
Many Voices, One Nation: New Orleans
COD. Fri., Jun. 23, 7-10 p.m. Talented authors celebrate the triumph of the human spirit over tragedy. An unforgettable way to kick off the conference. Tickets are free and available on a first come basis, but you must reserve one to attend.
ASCLA Awards Luncheon
ASCLA. Sat., Jun. 24, noon-1:30 p.m. Awards for Exceptional Service, Leadership Achievement, Professional Achievement, Service, ASCLA/KLAS/NOD, Francis Joseph Campbell, and Century Scholarship will be presented to outstanding librarians and libraries.
LITA Open House
LITA. Sat., Jun. 24, 4-5:30 p.m. An opportunity for current and prospective members of LITA to meet division leaders and make connections.
Night Out with LSSIRT
LSSIRT. Sat., Jun. 24, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Dinner with library support staff.
ALA/ProQuest Scholarship and Library Relief Event Featuring Mary Chapin Carpenter!
ALA/ProQuest. Sat., Jun. 24, 8-11 p.m. Convention center auditorium. Mary Chapin Carpenter has won five Grammy® Awards and sold over 12 million records. The event provides scholarships for graduate students in library and information studies, this year donating proceeds to the ALA Hurricane Katrina Library Relief Fund. Tickets: $35.
Awards Reception
LITA. Sun., Jun. 25, 3-4 p.m. LITA Awards Reception.
GLBTRT Social
GLBTRT. Sun., Jun. 25, 6-8 p.m. Network with friends and colleagues and learn more about GLBTRT.
Student Reception
NMRT. Sun., Jun. 25 6:30-7:30 p.m. Welcomes library school students and invited guests to network and learn more about ALA units from their representatives. The Student Chapter of the Year Award is presented; light refreshments will be served.
2006 Newbery/Caldecott Banquet
ALSC. Sun., Jun. 25, 6:30-11 p.m. Congratulate the children's authors and illustrators who have received this year's Newbery and Caldecott medals and honors. A gala evening; doors open at 6:45 p.m. Requires preregistration. Tickets: $85.
3M/NMRT Social
NMRT, 3M Library Systems. Sun., Jun. 25, 7:30-11:30 p.m. Recognizes recipients of the 3M Professional Development Grant and provides an opportunity for NMRT members to network-and dance.
Jazz in the Morning: OLOS 35th Anniversary Celebration Featuring the Dr. Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture
OLOS. Mon., Jun. 26, 7:30-10:30 a.m. New Orleans jazz with breakfast celebrating 35 years of OLOS, with tributes to Carla J. Hayden, the 2006 Dr. Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecturer and ALA 2004 past president, and Virginia H. Mathews, 1967 chair of the ALA Committee for Library Services for Disadvantaged People, who proposed the OLOS concept. Tickets: $43 in advance, $50 onsite.
GLBTRT Annual Stonewall Book Awards Brunch
GLBTRT. Mon., Jun. 26, 10:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. The announcement of the winners of the Stonewall Book Awards, Barbara Gittings Literature Award, and Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Award. Tickets: $50.
ALA/IIDA Library Interior Design Awards
Mon., Jun. 26 4-7 p.m. This gala inaugural presents the ALA/International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Awards for interior design excellence, with live music, beverages, and hors d'oeuvres at the Marriott Renaissance Arts Hotel, 700 Tchoupitoulas Street. The advance ticket price is $50.
Ray Patterson Copyright Award: In Support of Users' Rights
OITP. Mon., Jun. 26, 4-5:30 p.m. This year's award and reception honors Prue Adler, ARL federal relations and information policy director.
International Librarians Reception
IRRT. Mon., Jun. 26, 6-8 p.m. Network with hundreds of information professionals from around the world in a mixing of culture and ideas, regional cuisine, hors d'oeuvres, and open bar. Tickets: $30 in advance, $35 on site; free for international librarians.
ALA Award Ceremony
Tues., Jun. 27, 5:45 p.m. All ALA recognition awards will be presented immediately preceding the inaugural banquet. They used to do more for winners, but now it has a rushed, production line, high school graduation feeling. Too bad.
Inaugural Banquet
ALA. Tues., Jun. 27, 7 p.m. Honor ALA president-elect Leslie Burger, the division presidents-elect, and New Orleans. Burger's speech may outline her plans for her presidency. Tickets: $85.
To Your Health: Accessible Health and Medical Information
ALA-OLOS. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m-noon. Focuses on effective easy-to-read materials for low literacy adults, the disconnect between health information providers and seekers, the success of "plain language" initiatives, and the importance of vocabulary and layout. Reserve a free ticket, first come basis.
Model Programs from the Immersion Experience: Successes and Challenges
ACRL. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Wendy Holliday (Utah State), Joan Weber (Yakima Valley Community Coll., WA), Susan Avery (Univ. of Illinois), and all alumni of the Immersion Institute for Information Literacy will share innovative programs and lessons learned.
Making Assessment Work for You: How Information Literacy Tests Can Help Support Library Programs
AASL. Sun., Jun. 25, 8-10 a.m. Use standardized tests to measure information literacy competencies of K-16 students and let the results support programming.
Jazz Up Your Teaching with Technology
LIRT. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.- noon. Successful technologies to enhance teaching and learning, demonstrated by librarians who use them. Talk with vendors.
Doing Information Literacy Differently: The View from Interdisciplinary Studies
ACRL WSS; Cosponsored by ACRL AAMES, ACRL AFAS, ACRL IS, ACRL SEES, ACRL WESS. Mon., Jun. 26, 8 a.m.-noon. Interdisciplinary subject areas like women's studies, African American studies, Chicana/o studies, and American Indian studies present unique opportunities for adapting and using the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards. Panelists discuss.
The Emperor Has No Clothes: Be It Resolved That Information Literacy Is a Fad and Waste of Librarians' Time and Talent
ACRL. Mon., Jun. 26, 1:30-5:30 p.m. Gary P. Radford (Fairleigh Dickinson), Jeffrey Rutenbeck (Univ. of Denver), Stanley Wilder (Univ. of Rochester, NY), Julie Todaro (Austin Community Coll., TX), and Jim Neal (Columbia) in a team debate on the relevance of information literacy programs. Don't miss it.
Best Practices in Digital Reference: Copyright, Licensing, and Privacy Guidelines
OITP. Sun., Jun. 25, 8-10 a.m. Learn about best legal practices for digital reference.
Information Overload and the Quality of Your Life: Can a New Environmental Movement Restore Balance?
ALCTS. Mon., Jun. 26, 10:30 a.m.-noon. After David Levy (Univ. of Washington I School) develops the notion of information environmentalism as a response to the torrent of media and information, Rosann V. Bazirjian (UNC-Greensboro) and ALCTS president Joyce Ogburn (Univ. of Utah) will offer coping strategies, including preservation of space and time for reading, contemplation, and reflection. Levy is worth hearing, so we'll bet the others are, too.
Intellectual Freedom in Rural Libraries: How To Keep the Library for Everyone
PLA LDC. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Privacy and freedom are hard to get in typical small-town America, so a librarian there, often an outsider to begin with, has to champion intellectual freedom and resist censors. Here's how to do it.
ID You: Why Proving Who You Are Can Be Hazardous to Your Privacy
IFC. Mon., Jun. 26, 10:30 a.m.-noon. How to educate yourself and others on why privacy protection is fundamental to freedom and the implications for libraries.
IRRT Chair's Program Committee: "Intellectual Freedom: Views Through a Cross-Cultural Lens"
IRRT. Mon., Jun. 26, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Technology and globalization are changing the dialog about intellectual freedom worldwide. Hear how IF is perceived by colleagues in China, the Middle East, and Africa and how it is implemented in their libraries. A possible winner.
Nothing but the Facts: Why Preventing the Discussion of Intelligent Design in Science Classes Is Not a Free Speech Issue
IFC. Mon., Jun. 26, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, will explore this eponymous topic, including how to stand up for teaching science in science classes.
15th Annual Free Speech Buffet
SRRT. Mon., Jun. 26, 6-9 p.m. Cosponsored by the ALA/SRRT Alternatives in Publication Task Force and the Alternative Press Center. Meet New Orleans nonmainstream and independent publishers of books and magazines, many of whom won't be found in the exhibit hall, and peruse their offerings. Enjoy hors d'oeuvres and libations. Tickets: $10.
"National Libraries" (International Paper Session)
IRRT. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. This year's International Papers Program focuses on the unique mission of national libraries.
From Nepal to Nicaragua: Sustainability in International Library Projects
IRRT. Mon., Jun. 26, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Jeff Huestis (Washington Univ. Libs.) and Jane Mirandette (Hester J. Hodgdon Libraries for All Program) will share their experience with READ Nepal and San Juan del Sur Biblioteca Movil, Nicaragua, for the International Sustainable Library Development Interest Group. Group discussions on sustainability will follow.
Getting the Message Across: Telecommunications, Accessibility and the FCC
ASCLA LSSPS. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30- 3:30 p.m. FCC staff will showcase materials for consumers and discuss guidelines to help librarians make their electronic services accessible for users with disabilities.
LITA President's Program: Internet Culture: What Do We Know About User Behavior?
LITA. Sun., Jun. 25 4-5 p.m. Cathy De Rosa and John B. Horrigan discuss what their research data tells us about the evolution of the Internet, where we need to be, and the impact of the Internet on library user behavior.
The Power of Personal Persuasion: Advancing the Academic Library Agenda from the Frontlines
ACRL. Sat., Jun. 24, 8 a.m.-noon. Robert Cialdini, author of The Power of Persuasion, will define the issues around becoming "more persuasive with others in your circles of influence." Participants will apply the training to their own situation using an ACRL tool kit. Cialdini will speak from 8:30-10 a.m., followed by a facilitated workshop until noon. Maureen Sullivan, organization development consultant, will lead the way. Hype alert!
LAMA President's Program-Leadership Excellence for Transition: Lessons for Librarians in Every Generation
LAMA. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. The focus of the president's program reflects Catherine Murray-Rust's theme for her presidential year-preparing the next generation of library leaders. The best idea is for "today's leaders" to get out of the way.
Washington Office Update Session
WO. Sat., Jun. 24, 8-10 a.m. Overview of hot federal legislative and policy issues affecting libraries. Plus Stephanie Vance on how to talk to federal legislators about key library issues.
The National Assessment of Adult Literacy and YOU: How Libraries Can Serve Low-Level Readers
OLOS. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Robert Wedgeworth, executive director of ProLiteracy Worldwide (former ALA executive director) will keynote this session on how libraries can become accessible to the 43 percent of U.S. adults with inadequate literacy skills, according to the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy released by the U.S. Department of Education in 2005. He's worth hearing.
Librarians Build Communities!
Fri., Jun. 23 or Tues., Jun. 27, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Participate in these day-long efforts with the New Orleans PL and community service groups such as Habitat for Humanity® and the United Way. Registration fees will be contributed to the ALA Hurricane Katrina Library Relief Fund. Lunch, transportation, and a T-shirt are included. Tickets: $10.
Beyond Katrina: Politics, Race and Law
ACRL LPSS. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. The complexities of doing academic research and the controversies surrounding Katrina from Wayne Parent (Louisiana State) and Warren M. Billings (Univ. of New Orleans), experts in Louisiana politics, the Louisiana legal system, and racial politics.
Diversions: Hearts and Hands for New Orleans
COD. Mon., Jun. 26, 8:30 a.m-3:30 p.m. A "special installment" of the "Diversions" tour to give ALA participants a close, personal encounter with the city's diverse cultures.
Immigration, Ethnicities and Historical Research in New Orleans
ACRL WESS. Mon., Jun. 26, 10:30 a.m.- noon. Explore the historical background, chronology, impact of immigration, and multicultural roots of New Orleans with a panel that will include the curator of collections, Historic New Orleans Collection, and the assistant dean for special collections at Tulane.
The Silent Majority? Identifying Hidden Users and the Underserved
LAMA MAES. Sat., Jun. 24, 8-10 a.m. Christine Koontz (Florida State), Marshall Breeding (Vanderbilt), and Robert Johnston (Univ. of Pennsylvania) on strategies for gathering data on those who don't use libraries, identifying user characteristics from web log data, and working with community analysis techniques in academic and public libraries.
We the People Bookshelf Project
PPO. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Folks from NEH and experienced public and school library project directors discuss and answer questions about the "We the People" bookshelf grant.
Homeland Insecurities: Public Library Cards and Latino Immigrants
REFORMA. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Immigrant populations who use the public library face new challenges post-9/11. An overview of anti-immigrant sentiment and legislation and how these issues are impacting Latino immigrant library users and public library cards.
U.S. Immigration: Navigating the System @ Your Library
EMIERT. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Improve your knowledge of immigration classification and visa categories, ways to help immigrants navigate the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services web site to assist customers with InfoPass appointments, reading case status, downloading forms, etc., and accessing referral services.
Models of Engagement: Listening to & Learning from Adult New Readers & New Immigrants
PLA LSC. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Virginia Smith (Kentucky Humanities Council), Virginia McHenry-Hepner (Lexington PL, KY), and Tracie Carignan (Riverside Cty. PL, CA) will describe innovative models of engagement for libraries.
Books Between Cultures: How Stories Help New Americans Find Their Balance
ALSC. Sat., Jun. 24, 4-5:30 p.m. Author Mitali Perkins shows how a story and a librarian can help kids deal with the tensions of growing up between pop culture and a different home life.
Our New Bookmobile Has Arrived! Now What Do We Do???
OLOS. Sun., Jun. 25, 8-10 a.m. Promises guides to staffing, marketing, scheduling, developing guidelines, management and maintenance, funding, and advocacy for new vehicles and their services.
From Outreach to Equity as a Library Outreach Staff Development Tool!
OLOS. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Using the 2004 publication From Outreach to Equity: Innovative Models of Library Policy and Practice, edited by Robin Osborne (ALA, 2004), the presentation will feature KG Ouye and others on exemplary library outreach models to support traditionally underserved populations.
Literacy 360: Literacy Outreach Programs to At-Risk Populations
ASCLA LSSPS. Mon., Jun. 26, 8-11 a.m. This program is hosted by the Prisoner's Forum and cosponsored by OLOS. How four librarians serve literacy needs with innovative programs for the incarcerated, homeless, and others.
Out of the Ordinary: Library Partnerships That Build Communities
PLA. Mon., June, 26, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Partnerships of all sizes, from a panel with tips and lessons learned.
Reaching into the Community and Discovering Services, Strengths and Stories: An Afternoon at the Lindy Boggs National Center for Community Literacy
ALA. Mon., Jun. 26, 1:30-3:30 p.m. An afternoon of live library literacy conversation and gracious New Orleans hospitality with ALA's Committee on Literacy, Boggs Center staff, and folks from the Literacy Alliance of Greater New Orleans at the Boggs Center in the Monroe Library of Loyola University.
From Health Needs to Information: Targeting People of Color & Immigrants in Rural Communities
OLOS. Mon., Jun. 26, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Hear about the specialized health information needs of communities of color and immigrants in rural libraries.
Built To Last: Managing Sustainable Collaborations
LAMA SASS. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Marsha Semmel (IMLS), Lori Gross (MIT), Maria Alverez Stroud (Natl. Ctr. for Outreach), and Nancy Allen (Collaborative Digitization Project, Univ. of Denver) on the partnership established by IMLS to encourage collaboration among museums, libraries, and public broadcasters. Important!
Benefits-Past, Present, Future
ALA-APA. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. A look at what benefits are typically and currently offered in libraries and what benefits groups see in the future.
More Than a Paycheck: Creative Benefits Packages for Libraries
PLA LDC. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Learn about PTO (personal time off) programs, Health Savings and Health Reimbursement accounts, cafeteria plans, wellness programs, and self-insurance programs in small and medium-sized public libraries.
Tuning in on Rural, Native, Tribal Libraries of All Kinds: A Town Hall Meeting
ALA OLOS. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. The beginning strategies of ALA's newest standing committee to share your Native, rural, and Tribal advocacy models, management tools, service delivery resources, affordable staff development, and access to good library outreach policies.
Core Competencies in Library Technology: What IT Is and Where IT's going.
LITA. Sun. Jun. 25, 8 a.m.-noon. A four-hour program to identify technology skills needed by library staff in public and academic libraries, large and small.
Retirement Exodus-Are You and Your Library Organization Ready?
ASCLA. Sun., Jun. 25, 8 a.m.-noon. William Rothwell, author of Effective Succession Planning, will address issues surrounding the loss of many people owing to pending retirements. Let those boomers go!
From the Inside Out: How To Sell New Service Models to Reluctant Staff
PLA ICC. Mon., Jun. 26, 10:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. After a library has identified a new service model, the next step is to get the staff to accept and implement the changes-learn here how to bring them on board. On the other hand, if you're on the staff and are being pushed around in the name of "flexibility," there's always the grievance process. A panel of librarians will share their stories.
Placement Services
HRDR. Fri., Jun. 23, noon-5 p.m.; Sat., Jun. 24 & Sun., Jun. 25, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Mon., Jun. 26, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Check out the job scene and the talent.
Interviewing 101
HRDR. Fri., Jun. 23, 9:30-11 a.m. Track: Non-Track. Your résumé has landed you the opportunity to interview for your ideal job. Now what? Come to consultant Vicki Burger's workshop on interviews held in connection with the ALA Placement Center. Useful for new librarians.
Power Up Your Job Search: Effective Job Search Strategies for Today's Tight Market
HRDR. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Another Vicki Burger workshop to help participants determine how prepared they are for a job search.
Marketing Yourself: Building Your Résumé and Interviewing Skills
LSSIRT. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Get the basics on how to create, update, and maintain the information that is vital for career changes or salary review. The skills presented, by (you guessed it) Vicki Burger, will focus on techniques for conducting or participating in an effective interview.
Why Should I Hire You? Why Would I Want To Work Here? A Guide for Both Sides of the Interview
NMRT. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Best practices and tips about job interviews and hiring from a panel that includes a human resources manager, career consultant, public library director, recent library school graduate, and organizational psychologist. All that's missing is a job.
I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can: Building a Career When Personal Responsibilities Demand More of You
NMRT. Sun., Jun. 25, 4-5:30 p.m. A panel will discuss balancing work, school, and family; working full-time vs. part-time; and staying active in the profession when you're not working. Our mentor said what you do on your own time will help your career more than what you do on the job. He was right, but we later learned to use work as a vacation from home and sometimes vice versa.
Natural Mentoring and Reverse Mentoring in the Digital Age
PLA-IC. Mon., Jun. 26, 10:30 a.m.-noon. We know what "mentoring" means, and now there's "reverse mentoring," which they imply requires blogs and digital apparatus, but it has been around since Cutler and Dewey "mentored" each other.
How To Change the World in a Hurry with the Money You Have Right Now: The Anatomy of a Successful Project
ASCLA ICAN. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30- 3:30 p.m. Joan Bernstein and Kathy Schalk-Greene (Mount Laurel Lib., NJ), Norma Blake (NJ State Libn.), Dave Genesy (consultant), and Karen Hyman (South Jersey Regional Lib. Co-op.) tell about the merchandising project "Trading Spaces" to illustrate what makes some externally funded projects deliver a large and lasting payoff and others disappear.
Prime Time Family Reading Time: The Channel for Success
PPO. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon. PRIME TIME, an award-winning family literacy initiative developed by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, has been implemented in 36 states. Come see a sample session led by a dynamic storyteller and scholar and hear librarians share their experiences. It's a winner!
Media That Matters-Programming Human Rights and Social Impact Media
PPO. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30-noon. Join a discussion of programs centered around topics in human rights from experts on human rights video, including MediaRight and NVR. Learn how to create effective library programs using video as a catalyst for dialog.
From Poetry in the Branches to Branching Out: A New Life for Poetry in Public Libraries
PPO. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. The NEH-funded Poetry in the Branches program, which trains librarians on how to do poetry programming, collection development, and display, has grown to include talks on classic and contemporary poets by outstanding poet/scholars in five U.S. cities. Learn to replicate it in your library. Features former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky giving his Branching Out talk on William Carlos Williams and Robert Frost! Live speakers are Lee Briccetti (Poets House), Alice Quinn (Poetry Society of America and poetry editor, The New Yorker), Geraldine Harris (New Orleans PL), and Marsha Spyros Howard (Poets House and retired NYPLer). Don't miss out on this valuable program.
I Want To Speak to the Person in Charge! How To Effectively Handle Problems and Emergencies in the Public Library
PLA. Sat., Jun. 24, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Effective techniques, staff training, policies, and support systems to improve the response to difficult patrons and emergency situations, from Adrianne Peterson (Jefferson Cty. PL, CO).
Get Strategic: Coordinate Public Relations & Marketing To Reach Your Goals
PLA. Sat., Jun. 24, 1:30-5:30 p.m. Techniques of needs assessment, strategic planning, implementing integrated campaigns, and measuring success from Marsha Iverson and Julie Wallace (King Cty. Lib. Syst., WA) and Laura K. Lee Dellinger (Metropolitan Group). Useful stuff from known experts.
Establishing and Promoting Readers' Advisory in Small and Medium-Sized Libraries
RUSA CODES. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.- noon. A program on selling readers' advisory services to library administrators and marketing it to readers, plus core readers' advisory titles arranged by cost (i.e., if you have only $100 to spend), staffing and training issues, and how to measure success.
New Reference Research: The 12th Annual Reference Research Forum
RUSA RSS. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. An annual report on significant recent discoveries impacting the reference environment, with discussion.
Abuse Is in the Eye of the Beholder: Managing Challenging Users in Virtual Reference
RUSA MARS/RSS Virtual Reference. Mon., Jun. 26, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Practical advice on handling difficult users and managing staff from Ronald Burdick (Cleveland PL), Virginia Cole (Cornell), and Sharon Morris (Colorado State Lib.).
Better Salaries and Pay Equity Advocacy Training
ALA-APA. Sat. Jun. 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Hear from expert Mary Berman, who knows everything about the latest advocacy techniques, successful salary/pay equity campaigns, and better salaries and pay equity advocacy training.
Open Mike on Salaries in Libraries
ALA-APA. Sat., Jun. 24, 4-5 p.m. Find out about the ALA-APA, Salaries and Status of Library Workers Committee, salary initiatives, unions, etc.
Getting Even: How Library Staff Can Get Paid Fairly
ALA-APA. Sun., Jun. 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Author Evelyn Murphy (Getting Even: Why Women Don't Get Paid Like Men and What To Do About It) will suggest how library employees can mobilize to get paid fairly.
Getting What You're Worth Salary Workshop
ALA-APA. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. An interactive session to learn the principles of salary negotiation during interviews and promotions. Mock negotiations promised.
Empowerment 2006: Taking Charge in a Sea of Change
Sat., Jun. 24-Sun., Jun. 25. The ALA Conference Within a Conference for Library Support Staff. A must, with four tracks on issues in professional development, personal development, skills development, and work/life balance. Workshops on many topics, including reference services, children's services, circulation, health and safety, internal customer service, management skills, technology, advocacy, outreach, bookmobiles, program planning, and career development.
Ignored Too Long: The Benefits of Managing a Library with a Union
ALA-APA. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. A panel will examine library management fundamentals in union environments-stuff sadly lacking in the skill sets of too many library directors. Will address unexamined benefits to management from unions and union contracts.
COSWL at 30 Years: Celebrating Our Roots and Visioning Our Future
COSWL. Sun., Jun. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. COSWL, 30 years old now, represents the diversity of women's interests in ALA and ensures attention to the rights of this majority in the library field. The anniversary program celebrates our roots in the women's movement with a multigenerational panel of COSWL activists from the 1970s to the present, including Kathleen de la Peña McCook and Shinjoung Yeo. A must!
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| Author Information |
| John N. Berry III is Editor-at-Large, LJ |