ALA Mid-winter Sessions.

Those of you who have not been to an ALA mid-Winter conference may not realize that it is quite different from the Annual conference. This is where the work of the association takes place. All the various divisions of ALA, the numerous committees, and Vendor user groups/presentations are what make up the conference. There are very few if any sessions presented by librarians on what they have done. There are also fewer author appearances though authors are there.

While at the conference I attended the 19th Annual Presidents’ Seminar: The View from the Top put on by RMG consultants. Rob McGee, the consultant who helped us in the RFP for the Horizon migration puts this together. The title of this seminar was Starting Over: Re-Inventing the Integrated Library System and the Library Automation Industry. I won’t pretend that I followed everything but I did usually know the terminology used. There were representatives from 12 vendors including SirsiDynix, OCLC, Polaris, Lib Lime and more. Plus featured speakers Helen Blowers, John Blyberg, Marshall Breeding, and Wes Trager. Interesting to hear what they say and to watch the faces of the presidents of vendors in reaction to what others are saying.

I also attended committee meetings that work with the Public Information Office of ALA. They do the PR for the Association. Such as the @ your Library campaign and National Library Week. There were two committees of ASCLA, ICAN (the groups for people who work in consortia such as RPLS is). One was on Delivery and the other ILL. It is interesting to hear what others are doing, to learn that you don’t have the problems of others, and to meet people who are interested in the same topics as you are.

OK, one final post coming on Exhibits then on to another topic.