WAPL Conference 2008
Mark your calendar for the 2008 WAPL Conference, Point and Click, being held April 30 - May 2, at the new Holiday Inn Hotel and Convention Center in Stevens Point. The facility opened in December 2005 and offers many appealing amenities for conference goers, including ample parking, spacious meeting rooms in close proximity to one another and microwaves and refrigerators in every guest room.
I would like to thank John DeBacher from the Department of Public Instruction for inviting David Ward, the President and founder of NorthStar Economics, to be the Keynote Speaker. Dr. Ward was born and raised in Green Bay and earned a BBA, MBA and Ph.D. in Finance from UW-Madison. He established NorthStar Economics in 2000, and since that time has given presentations on Wisconsin and the New Economy to over 90 groups. Dr. Ward will be discussing the results of the Wisconsin Public Library Economic Impact Study and the general climate of Wisconsin’s economy.
Dr. Ward has also agreed to do a breakout session with a colleague from NorthStar Economics, Alan Hart. They will show how the results of the Economic Impact Study can be tailored and applied to an individual library’s local circumstances. Attendees will learn how to interpret the results and use them to support and enhance library operations.
Other breakout sessions will cover Intellectual Freedom for Children and Teens, the Experience of the Local Immigrant, WorkNet, Speed Training, and Strategic Planning, among other topics. Returning favorites include Notable Genre Books along with a book discussion featuring Gary Warren Niebuhr, both sponsored by READ, and Have You Heard About…, sponsored by MATS. Thank you to everyone who submitted great ideas for your conference’s programs!
Desiree Bongers, Conference Chair