Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference 2002
Libraries...a basic freedom"
Conference
News
(Including Latest Schedule & Speaker Changes)
November 10, 2002
A few Post Conference Resrouces have been posted on the web site at http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/wla2002/postconf.htm
October 24, 2002
It's just one week till the WLA Conference! Haven't registered? Not a problem. Onsite registration will be available each day of the conference. For complete information go to http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/wla2002
Here are some final updates for everyone attending the conference.
Autograph Garden schedule change:
Dr. Siva Vaidhyanathan, President's Luncheon speaker, will not be able to sign copies of his book at the Autograph Garden on Thursday afternoon as originally scheduled. However, he will be available for signatures after the Luncheon on Friday. If you were planning to purchase a copy of his book during the conference, you still can. Stop by the Autograph Garden or the Woodland Pattern booth in the Exhibit Hall on Wednesday or Thursday.Tell your community about the conference!
Help spread the word that Libraries truly are a Basic Freedom! Let your community know you're attending the conference by submitting an article or press release to your local newspaper(s). Not sure what to write or how to format it? Here is a model press release you can use or adapt http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/wla2002/Press_release.doc. Submit it now for publication before or during the conference, or submit it right after you return home.Special Events
We hope you're making plans not only to attend meetings and some of the many excellent programs being offered, but also to socialize with your colleagues at the special events on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Wednesday the Reunions of UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, and "University of Other" Library Schools are right after the Keynote Session. And after the WLA Barbecue, Discover Dane Dining, or whatever you're doing for dinner, be sure to join your colleagues again at the All Conference Reception, featuring delicious desserts, lilting piano music, and informational displays about some of the Dane County area libraries sponsoring this reception.After the Awards Banquet, Discover Dane Dining or other dinner options on Thursday evening, join your colleagues for some fun at the three Conference Salons. It's Halloween night, so why not come in costume?! (optional of course)
**Kick up your heels at the Marriott's Flashbacks nightclub, where the resident DJ will spin your favorite tunes all night. (Monster Mash, anyone?!)
**Join host Mitch Henck for some "brain fun" at the Trivia salon. Just sign up your team of 8 players when you register for the conference. Don't have a team, or need just a couple more players? That's okay--there will also be a "free agent list" at the conference registration desk.
**Learn a new skill at the Timeless Voices African Drumming salon. Timeless Voices members will bring several extra drums for us to use, but you are also welcome to bring your own drum, shaker, rattle, bell, clockers, wooden sticks or other percussive instrument. Seating for participants will be arranged in two large circles around the Timeless Voices drummers, who will demonstrate and teach technique. Participants can come and go, and there will be plenty of seating for those who wish to watch and listen.
After the President's Luncheon on Friday, stop by the UW-Madison School of Information Studies Open House to visit with faculty, staff and students, learn about new developments at the School, and enjoy some light refreshments before you leave for home.
See you next week!
October 2
Additional meetings added to the conference schedule:
Wisconsin Small Libraries (WISLR)
Thursday, October 31st, 12:00 - 1:00 Business Meeting
Thursday, October 31st, 1:00 - 1:45 Board MeetingTechnical Services Section (TSS)
Thursday, October 31st, 12:15 - 1:00 Business Meeting
October 1
Stevan Layne will be in the autograph garden on THURSDAY, not Wednesday , from 10:30 - 11:00
September 11
U.S. Senator Russell Feingold, who was to be the keynote speaker at this year's WLA Conference, will not be able to attend. He sends his regrets and hopes that he can address the Association at a future conference.
Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive magazine http://www.progressive.org/, will now deliver the conference keynote address, "Libraries and the New McCarthyism."
Mr. Rothschild has been at The Progressive since 1983, working his way up from associate editor to managing editor to publisher, and finally to editor in 1994. Prior to his work at The Progressive, he was an associate editor and then editor at Multinational Monitor, a magazine founded by Ralph Nader.
From November 1994-May 1999, Rothschild hosted the syndicated radio program "Second Opinion." He currently directs the Progressive Media Project http://www.progressive.org/mediaproj.htm, which distributes opinion pieces to newspapers around the country. He has appeared on "Nightline," C-SPAN, MSNBC, NPR, has been a commentator on Wisconsin Public Television since 1998, and frequently appears on Wisconsin Public Radio's "The Tom Clark Show."
The Keynote Session will take place on Wednesday afternoon, October 30. After musical entertainment by members of the nationally renowned Sun Prairie High School Jazz Band, Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster will give opening remarks.
August 1
Programs, tours, luncheons, meetings, exhibits, special events-it's all coming together for what promises to be another spectacular WLA annual conference! The Marriott Madison West hotel and conference center in Middleton is the place to be October 29 through November 1. If you haven't yet reserved your room at one of the four designated hotels, wait no longer!
The Call to Conference, available in late August, will be distributed electronically again this year. Email and postcard alerts will be issued. A limited number of print copies will be available from the WLA office. In response to feedback from last year, the conference planning committee has made improvements in both the size and printer-friendliness of the registration form, and this year the WLA office will need only one copy of the form.
Programming on Tuesday, October 29 consists of two pre-conference workshops. The UW-Milwaukee School of Information Studies will sponsor a program on using Microsoft FrontPage from 8:30 to 4:00. From 10:00 to 5:00, the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies is sponsoring "Library Finances: Planning, Getting and Spending Your Budget," presented by Peter Hamon, Director of the South Central Library System, and Al Zimmerman, of the Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction's Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning (DLTCL). Separate registration and payment are required for these workshops.
Some of the over fifty conference programs being held Wednesday morning through Friday morning were highlighted in the April-June issue of WLA Newsletter (article also available at http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/wla2002). Here are some more to illustrate the wide variety of offerings.
Singer, songwriter and performer Stuart Stotts will share ideas about activities, songs, instruments and motions for singing and using music with kids in his presentation, "Everyone Started Out Small." He will also present "Storytelling 101," a hands-on workshop using folktales to teach basic storytelling techniques. And don't miss the opportunity to hear from this year's Children's Book Award winners. Marc Kornblatt is the Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award winner for his book Understanding Buddy (Margaret K. McElderry, a Simon & Schuster imprint, 2001) and Alden Carter has been named Notable Author of the Year for the body of his work.In "Serving Men Better," writer, Internet trainer and "librarian without walls" Marylaine Block will offer advice on how to identify good books and magazines in male interest areas such as high risk sports, war novels and nonfiction, computer games, and home workshop projects; how to increase men's awareness of the library collections available to them; and how to make them feel more welcome in our libraries. Ms. Block will also present "Planning for Side Effects: Managing the Unintended Consequences of Our Technologies," to tell us about strategies librarians have developed to deal with things like the decline of the book culture, threats to the preservation and integrity of digital documents, and the continuous retraining required of us by the rapid pace of technological change.
In "Next Generation Software: Here We Go Again!" Tom Rich of the Warren Newport Public Library in Gurnee, IL will address training issues for both staff and public, what to expect, and how to transfer from system to system gracefully. Aimee Glassel, Electronic Resources Librarian in the Central Technical Services Division of the UW-Madison General Library System, and Debra Shapiro, Continuing Education Specialist at UW-Madison SLIS will discuss the many meanings of CORC in their program on OCLC's Cooperative Online Resource Catalog. Appleton Public Library Catalogers Kathryn Beck and Anthony Wieczorek will present "Getting to Know WebDewey: A Basic Introduction." Sally Drew, Mary Clark, and Ann Hamon from the Wisconsin DPI Reference and Loan Library will present "Metatagging Web Pages," with a brief overview of metatagging as well as how-to information and tips for those who want their own pages to be more accessible on the web.
In "Conversations Along the Information Literacy Continuum," a panel of school, public and academic librarians will discuss how librarians across that continuum can work together to help users develop and hone information literacy skills. James N. Morrison, President of James N. Morrison & Associates will take an entertaining look at leadership as a process, not a position, in "Is Your Leadership Sinking?" Library consultant Debra Wilcox Johnson will offer a multitude of good tips during "New Employee Orientations, Part II: Training Issues." Stevan P. Layne, with Layne Consultants International, will present "Preparing Your Library for Disaster," a nationally acclaimed program including step by step procedures to assure that your library is prepared for dealing with various emergency situations. In "Wisconsin and the New Economy," David J. Ward, President of North Star Economics and Senior Vice President Emeritus of the UW System, will highlight the state's current national ranking on several key economic indicators and discuss strategic initiatives for improving Wisconsin's economy. In her program "Diaries of Women and Girls: Programs & Preservation," Dr. Suzanne L. Bunkers, Professor of English at Minnesota State University in Mankato will speak on her experiences in gathering, editing and using diaries in her teaching and research. She has written a number of books including Diaries of Women and Girls: A Midwestern American Sampler; A Pioneer Farm Girl: The Diary of Sarah Gillespie; and Inscribing the Daily: Critical Essays on Women's Diaries.
Take part in a dialogue with a panel of mayors and county executives in "Seeing Ourselves in the Municipal Mirror: Successful Partnerships with Municipal Officials." Learn how to make a lasting gift to libraries and future professionals in "Estate Planning for Librarians." Attend a panel/poster session on using ALA's "@ Your Library" slogan to promote your library. See demonstrations of assistive technology products that may make your library resources more accessible in "Library Technology Accommodations." Learn the basics of storage and preservation of photo collections as well as planning photo digitization projects in back-to-back programs by Spencer Howard, Bennett Project Conservator at the Wisconsin Historical Society. Hear Banta Award winner Fran Zell discuss her book The Marcy Stories. And the list goes on with truly something for everyone.
This year a few unit business meetings are scheduled for early morning, but many will be held during the lunch hour on Wednesday and Thursday. Box lunches will again be available (be sure to order them on your conference registration form), and there are several nearby lunch options such as McDonald's, Panera Bread, Biaggi's and Houlihan's. A complete list of eateries in the vicinity will be in your conference packet.
No-conflict exhibit times are built into the conference schedule again this year. Be sure to visit the exhibit hall to see and hear what's new and to thank the exhibitors for their contributions to the WLA conference. The exhibit hall will also be the site of the WLA Autograph Garden. This year's authors will include YSS Author Luncheon speaker Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Banta Award winner Fran Zell, Burr/Worzalla award winner Marc Kornblatt, President's Luncheon speaker Dr. Siva Vaidhyanathan, and program speakers Marylaine Block, Dr, Suzanne L. Bunkers, Stevan P. Layne and Stuart Stotts. A listing of their works is available on the WLA conference web page www.wla.lib.wi.us/wla2002. You can also purchase treasures at the WLA Store, place your bids at the WLA Foundation Silent Auction and check your email at the Internet Café, all located immediately adjacent to the exhibit hall.
In addition to providing many opportunities for learning, the WLA conference is a great time to network and socialize with colleagues from around the state. Following U.S. Senator Russell Feingold's keynote address on Wednesday, reminisce at reunions of the UW-Madison SLIS and the UW-Milwaukee SOIS, and find out where the rest of us got our degrees at the "University of Other" gathering! Then either saddle up and ride on over to the WLA Barbecue in the Marriott hotel, or try Discover Dane Dining: sign up for one of several area restaurants when you register at the conference, and you'll be chauffeured to dinner! Be sure to save room for dessert back at the Marriott during the All-Conference Reception, hosted by local academic, public, school and special libraries.Following the WLA and WLA Foundation Business Meeting on Thursday, join your colleagues for fun and celebration at the annual WLA Awards and Honors Banquet. Then don your favorite Halloween costume (optional), quench your thirst at the cash bar, and enjoy the three Conference Salons, all in the Marriott:
- Dance your Halloween night away to the sounds of the Marriott Flashbacks Dance Club's resident disc jockey.
- Listen to and perform with Timeless Voices, led by Bill Zanski, who will give demonstrations and teach technique in the use of percussion instruments. Bring your own drum, tambourine, shaker, bell, rattle or other percussion instrument, or use one of several drums provided by Timeless Voices.
- Bring a team of eight players to vie for top honors at the WLA Trivia Salon, hosted by Mitch Henck, stand-up comedian and host of Madison's WIBA radio show "Outside the Box." Mitch will serve up questions on popular culture, history, literature, sports, music, geography, and Wisconsin library fun facts. A player pool will be available for any 'free agents' without a team.
Following the President's Luncheon on Friday, attend a Post-Conference Open House at the UW-Madison SLIS. Meet faculty, staff and students in the master's and doctoral programs, learn about new developments at the School, in the curriculum and in the Continuing Education Services Office, and enjoy some light refreshments before you leave for home.
See you soon to celebrate "Libraries...A Basic Freedom!"
May 21
The Conference Planning Committee is putting together what promises to be an exciting and educational 2002 Annual Conference, but we can't pull it off without help. We need People Power in the form of volunteers who can assist with a variety of important tasks. "What's in it for me??" you ask. Click here to find out!
May 15
Information for Vendors is now available! If you are a vendor and are interested in exhibiting at the WLA Conference please check out our Vendor information page.
April 24
Feingold is Keynote for "Libraries...A Basic Freedom"
U.S. Senator Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) will deliver the keynote address at the 2002 WLA Conference, October 29 through November 1 at the Marriott Madison West hotel and conference center in Middleton. His comments will focus on libraries as the basis of a free society.
Senator Feingold, who lives in Middleton, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992 and re-elected in 1998. He currently serves on the Senate's Judiciary, Foreign Relations, and Budget Committees and its Special Committee on Aging. Among the hallmarks of his Senate career so far are his tireless efforts toward federal campaign finance reform, and the listening sessions he holds in each of Wisconsin's 72 counties every year. Feingold represented Wisconsin's 27th Senatorial District for ten years prior to his election to the U.S. Senate.
Copyright and its role in culture and democracy is the theme of this year's President's Luncheon. Dr. Siva Vaidhyanathan, professor at the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies, will talk about how Napster, Gnutella and other distributed information systems challenge our ideas on copyright and invite the wrath of governments and media companies. A media scholar and former journalist, Dr. Vaidhyanathan is the author of Copyrights and Copywrongs: The Rise of Intellectual Property and How It Threatens Creativity (New York University Press, 2001), and his next book, Life in a Distributed Age, is about Napster and the ways we regulate our information ecosystem.
Susan Campbell Bartoletti will speak at the Youth Services Section Author Luncheon. Ms. Bartoletti was awarded the 2002 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of ALA, for her book Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850 (Houghton Mifflin, 2001). Her other nonfiction works include Growing Up in Coal Country and Kids on Strike!
This year's AWSL-sponsored Special Libraries Tour features the library at Rayovac Corporation's corporate headquarters on Madison's west side, and the Wisconsin State Law Library, which relocated in January to a brand new facility just off the Capitol Square. Staff of both libraries will give guided tours, and transportation is provided.
Thanks to the excellent proposals submitted by many WLA units, this year's conference will also offer over fifty substantive programs on a wide variety of timely and relevant topics, beginning Wednesday morning and continuing through Friday morning. Here are some of them.
September 11 has brought to the forefront issues of security and disaster preparedness, and preservation of liberty while protecting security. Back-to-back programs sponsored by WAPL and the Support Staff Section will address these issues with focus on libraries. 9-11 has also made even more clear the need for understanding world cultures. Those of the Middle East and Islam will be discussed in a program sponsored by the Social Responsibilities Roundtable.
At this writing the state budget situation is also very much at the forefront, driving home the need for political strength in the library community and effective public education and advocacy on behalf of libraries. WAPL, WLTA, the Library Development and Legislation Committee and several other units are sponsoring a program that will examine the importance of telling the library story to our key audiences and becoming an effective library advocate.
To keep us informed about the current state of library legislation at the state and federal level and to review progress and assess efforts needed on behalf of the library legislative agenda, the Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction's Division of Libraries, Technology and Community Learning will hold a legislative update session. And to learn how to stay up to date on budget, library and other legislative issues, attend the Government Information Roundtable's program on the resources used to track Wisconsin legislative activity.
The booklover in all of us will have many opportunities for enrichment during the conference. There will be programs featuring diaries, war novels and memoirs, award winning children's books and their authors, evaluation of children's nonfiction books, and of course the Banta Award program and the Notable Books Marathon.
Is your library building in need of an update? Should you renovate? How will you stay open for business while it happens?! Those questions will be addressed in a WAPL sponosored program on assessing older buildings and the numerous aspects of renovation. What about PR during a construction project? The Public Relations Committee is sponsoring a program on promoting building projects from start to finish. And if you're wondering just how to shift or move all those materials during or after construction, attend AWSL's program on moving a library collection, followed by a panel presentation where several librarians will share their "moving experiences."
Other programs will address issues in leadership, technology, staffing, user services, and more. Check back here regularly for information on these and other conference events.
Celebrate "Libraries...A Basic Freedom!"Wisconsin Book Festival to include Celebrity Storytelling
The WLA Conference celebrity read-in, announced in the January-March issue of WLA Newsletter, has been tabled. The WLA Conference Planning Committee has learned that the first annual Wisconsin Book Festival, being held in Madison October 10-12, will include a storytelling session featuring Wisconsin celebrities, politicians and athletes as well as professional children's authors and performers. For more information see the Wisconsin Book Festival web site http://www.wisconsinbookfestival.org, individual event listings on http://www.portalwisconsin.org, or contact Book Festival Director Dean Bakopoulos, 608-262-0706, ccbakopoulos@facstaff.wisc.edu.
April 2
LIBRARIES...A BASIC FREEDOM
2002 WLA Annual ConferenceMark your calendar for October 29th through November 1st, when WLA will meet at the Marriott Madison West, in Middleton, to celebrate "Libraries...A Basic Freedom." The Conference Planning Committee, Divisions, Sections and Roundtables are hard at work planning programs and events that will inspire all of us to rededicate ourselves to demonstrating, communicating and extending the role of libraries as the basis of a free society.
Watch for more conference information on this web page, in future issues of the WLA Newsletter, and in your email box. Celebrate "Libraries...A Basic Freedom!"
Last revised: November 10, 2002
© 2002 - Wisconsin Library Association