Share your news with your colleagues nationwide. If you have a good news story or article in one of your recent online newsletters that you think others outside your state or school would be interested in, let American Libraries Direct know about it by sending the URL (web address) where it can be found to aldirect@ala.org (along with a brief explanation). AL Direct Editor George Eberhart will then consider including it in an upcoming issue of the weekly newsletter. He says he can’t guarantee that your recommendations will be picked up in AL Direct, but they will be carefully looked at. The two major requirements are: 1) The item has to be openly accessible on the Web, and 2) it must be of broad interest to other librarians outside your normal audience. Give it a try!
The opening date for registration and housing for the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, July 9 – 15 will now be on Monday, January 5, 2009. This is a change from our originally published date of January 2nd. The ALA offices now will be closed on January 2nd, therefore, we delayed the opening because we want to make sure we have all our staff available to answer any questions or solve any problems you might have. January 5 will also be the date the Bundle buyers will be able to go into the system and make their housing reservations and sign up for any pre-conferences or additional events.
(cross-posted to the Member Blog)
The American Library Association’s Guide to Reference is an essential subscription database for reference librarians, researchers and other library users.
With its searchable, browsable, internally and externally linked database, its distributed compilation and editing, and its interactive features, the online Guide includes more than 16,000 trusted go-to sources and offers guidance in the form of introductory essays and annotations for entries.
ACRL 2009 will challenge you to push your boundaries and promises you the opportunity to explore new ideas, engage in new learning, and extend our collective vision of the future of academic and research libraries in the 21st century. ACRL’s exciting line-up of keynote speakers includes Naomi Klein, award-winning journalist, activist, and author of The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism; Sherman Alexie, prolific novelist, poet and screenplay writer; and Ira Glass, host and producer of the National Public Radio program, This American Life. With over 250 peer-reviewed sessions specific to the needs of academic and research librarians and staff, ACRL is your home for professional development.
Registration and housing materials are now available for the ACRL 14th National Conference. Register by the January 16, 2009 early-bird deadline and save more than 20% on your conference registration. The Early Bird Student Rate is $95.
What with the ALA elections being held entirely online voters will need to make sure their ALA email is getting through filters. More information and an idea of what types of communications you can expect to get is available here and you can find information on the election, the candidates, and keep up to date on the latest news here…
The 2010–2011 candidates for ALA President—Kenton L. Oliver and Roberta Stevens—have launched websites that describe their platforms and qualifications. Oliver is the executive director of the Stark County (Ohio) District Library, and Stevens is outreach projects and partnerships officer at the Library of Congress and project manager for the National Book Festival….
Friday the 5th of December is the last day for discounted Advanced Registration rates for Midwinter 2009 in Denver. If you are all set, do a friend or colleague a favor and let them know that they need to act fast to save. Friday is the last day to register at $65 for Students ($165 per person). It goes up to $87 ($190) on the 6th. Check out http://www.ala.org/midwinter to get started.
Also, if you registered through the Bundle and didn’t sign up for an Institute, there is still time to register for some interesting half- and full-day Institutes (esp if you are arriving early). Visit http://www.ala.org/ala/conferencesevents/upcoming/midwinter/2009/registration.cfm for descriptions and details.
The Intellectual Freedom Committee is revising the Intellectual Freedom Manual. Part of that process involves suggesting revisions to existing IF policies. Another part involves drafting new policies, when appropriate, including Interpretations to the Library Bill of Rights. Yet another, just as important, involves gathering comments.
That is, before IF policies, revised or new, are taken to the ALA Council for adoption, the IFC gathers comments on them to ensure a thorough review.
The IFC plans to present these Interpretations to the Council for adoption at its third session during the 2009 Midwinter Meeting.
Proposed revisions:
• “Challenged Materials” PDF
• “Restricted Access to Library Materials” PDF
Deletions are struck through; insertions are underlined.
New Interpretations:
• “Minors and Internet Interactivity” (PDF)
• “Services to People with Physical and Mental Disabilities” (PDF)
Please send comments on these Interpretations prior to conference to Deborah Caldwell-Stone, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (phone: 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4224; fax: 312-280-4227; e-mail: dstone@ala.org, please carbon copy nperez@ala.org).
Written comments also may be left at OIF’s table in the ALA Office Area in the Colorado Convention Center until noon on Tuesday, January 27.
The IFC’s final meeting at conference is on Tuesday, January 27, 1:30 to 4:00 p.m., Colorado Convention Center, Room 603.