Wisconsin Library Association Annual ConferenceConference News – Counting Down to a Great Conference
| What's one good reason to attend the 2005 Annual Conference? |
Heck, we’ll give you 10 compelling reasons to come to La Crosse this year...!
10. CEUs Conference attendance is an excellent way to earn those important certification CEUs.
Attend the whole conference and earn up to 15 of them!
9. SILENT AUCTION Start Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa shopping early. Lots of unique
items including four pieces of wood art created from an 1800’ s cut birch log recovered from the
bottom of Lake Superior. Great deals—good cause!
8. EXHIBITORS One of the best places to get the pulse of the industry. Test drive new products
and get a chance to win some fabulous prizes!
7. TOURS Half the education experience is exploring the conference city. Downtown La Crosse is
doing wonders with its downtown and the two million dollar renovation of the historic Hixon
House is not to be missed!
6. CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION Mingle with award winners and learn their professional secrets at
this new WLA event. Enjoy a wonderful view of the Mississippi River. Paparazzi welcome!
5. BOOK AWARDS A traditional favorite. Meet the authors and learn more about their craft!
4. BEER TASTING The first in what we hope will be an annual event. Proceeds benefit WLAF and
La Crosse Public Library. 15 different beers and 15 different mustards for pretzel dipping,
including Passion Fruit Wasabi and Merlot Chocolate!
3. 12 AUTHORS A plethora of authors await you in this year’s autograph garden. And wouldn’t a
signed copy by Kevin Henkes make a great gift?
2. WLA STORE Don’t miss this year’s hot item! (Hint: It’s not just your ordinary calendar!)
1. (Drum role, please…) MARTHA TEICHNER An internationally known correspondent with a
weakness for good chocolate.
Need we say more?!
October 1 is the cutoff for the early registration discount, plus the opportunity to win the $500 early bird gift basket (one free night at the Radisson Hotel, $100 in Downtown Mainstreet coupons, and more!). The date is coming up fast so click on http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/conferences/2005/documents/registration.pdf. The form is in a writable format so you can type in your information, download it and either mail or fax it to WLA. If you're still not sure about attending the conference, check out the program listings at http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/conferences/2005/program/index.htm. From Fung Shui to coffee shops, Thin Clients to Old Order Amish, CEUs to beer/mustard tasting, Martha Teichner to award-winning authors -- you're sure to find many topics of interest. All this and the beautiful Mississippi River country too! Make this conference your priority. Register now!
So many programs, so many choices (over 60), how can I make up my mind?
Well, for starters, you can go the program website:
http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/conferences/2005/program/index.htm.
There you’ll find the day-to-day descriptions plus Meeting Finder. Print out what interests you, get out your highlighter, and you’re set to go. And, oh, by-the way, if you haven’t registered yet, click on http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/conferences/2005/documents/registration.pdf. Don’t forget that early registrants -- before September 30 -- are eligible for a $500 gift basket!
Programs of particular interest:
Are Thin Clients Right for Your Computer Lab? Wednesday, October 26, 8:30 a.m., La Crosse Center. Presenter: Robert Sand, UM-Duluth.
Gaming: What It Means For Information Literacy. Wednesday, October 26, 8:30 a.m., La Crosse Center. Presenters: Kurt Squire and Constance Steinkuehler, UW-Madison.
The Life of Women in the Old Amish Order. Wednesday, October 26, 10:30 a.m., La Crosse Center. Presenter: Ruth Irene Garrett, author.
My Grandma was an Indian Princess: Documenting Native American Ancestry. Thursday, October 27, 8:45 a.m., La Crosse Center. Presenters: Janice Rice, UW-Madison, and James Hansen, Wisconsin Historical Society.
Will there be an "ab fab" door prize waiting for you?
Some of the 2005 conference programs are offering “absolutely fabulous” prizes. The hitch? You have to attend either (or all, if you want) Dewey Deci-Belles, Fashion Fung Shui, Selling Out: Libraries and Coffee Shops, or Brain Game to be eligible. What have you got to lose? Plus early-bird conference registrants could win a special $500 gift basket if you sign up before September 30. Wow!
Want to become a beer Kenner and support WLA's Foundation at the same time?
You can do that by attending the Foundation's beer-tasting gala at the 2005 fall conference. Held at La Crosse’s City Brewery, this promises to be an experience you won’t forget. You’ll leave the evening not only knowing a bit more about different beers, but with a commemorative beer glass and a great feeling of “Gemutlichkeit” as well as some hearty hors d’oeuvres. Non-alcoholic beverages will also be available.
What well-known CBS correspondent will keynote the 2005 conference?
Since joining CBS News in 1977, this award-winning correspondent has had a wide-ranging career literally covering the world. Her name? Martha Teichner. Her current beat? CBS News Sunday Morning. Watch her on the news, but experience her in person at the 2005 WLA Conference in La Crosse. She's scheduled for Wednesday, October 25 at 5:30 p.m.
Interested in a trip to the West Coast?
Then motor on over to lovely, lively La Crosse this fall, right on Wisconsin's West Coast. Experience the beauty of the Driftless Area complete with bluffs, coulees, rivers, and prairies. The 2005 annual conference is October 25-28 with headquarters at the La Crosse Radisson Hotel. Check on the WLA website for more details at www.wla.lib.wi.us. Come for the conference, stay for the beauty.