Orlando/ALA Bound? Make Sure You Do the Exhibits

I’ve always been a bit of an exhibit snob, poo-pooing the exhibit hall as a bit of unneccesary fluff that, frankly, I didn’t have time for. At Midwinter, however, I learned that it’s exhibitors who make conference (relatively) affordable for attendees. Were it not for exhibitors, registration fees would be several hundred dollars. Apparently, exhibit hall traffic at Midwinter was so low, that members of the Exhibits Round Table (ERT) threatened to pull out if ALA didn’t institute a no-conflicts time that would give members an open period during which they could visit with vendors, scoop up free pens and get their picture taken with Elvis. ALA heard and responded to the concerns. Here’s an editorial from Library Journal with more details. See you in Orlando where I’ll be putting in time at both the Public Programs Office and U of Illinois booths in the exhibit hall!

May 26, 2004 by Uncategorized 8

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8 Responses

  1. mdoneil says:
    May 27, 2004 at 7:03 am

    Simply amazing
    PW caves to Dershowitz who would have thought.
    I have read some of his work, although not this particular one. I do tend to think that he, and frankly most lawyers who write for the popular press, are big bags of wind. I can’t disagree with the self-aggrandizing comment in the original review as I find that he is. I feel the same way about Andrew Greeley.

    I guess I have to go out and read this now.
    The review at amazon now is pablum. It reads like a book report from a sixth grader. ‘ Each case is only six pages, the more recent cases are more frequent.’

    Reply
  2. mdoneil says:
    May 27, 2004 at 7:27 am

    Geez I am an idiot.
    OK my previous post has nothing to do with ALA in Orlando (Unless Dershowitz will be there).

    Too many browsers active with too many windows open. I hate sites that require MSIE when I prefer Opera.

    However, I will be at ALA next month. I’ll be at the FSU booth. If you see me there don’t tell my old professors I can’t keep my browsers straight.
    I’ll be easy to spot, I’m the crabby guy with the Bush bumper stickers 🙂

    Reply
  3. rochelle says:
    May 27, 2004 at 7:43 am

    Keynote speaker
    As of this writing, it could be Dershowitz….they still don’t have a keynote speaker lined up. I’d do it for a cushy hotel room and drinks. I can decry the lack of diversity and point out that I’ve only seen one crabby guy with Bush bumper stickers and what are we gonna do about that, huh? Maybe you could start a Round Table, md.

    Reply
  4. mdoneil says:
    May 27, 2004 at 8:14 am

    Re:Keynote speaker
    I thought it was going to be Clarke.

    There is going to be a meeting of conservative librarians. I have reserved a broom closet.

    I really don’t go for the speakers but more for the exhibits. When I worked full time as an RN I used to go to the ER nurse meetings for the vendors rather than the presentations. The vendors all had great free stuff and the presentations were almost always about things everybody already knew. They had to give away prizes to get us to go the the educational presentations, (or CEU’s).
    Of course nurses are always up for a cocktail party. I hope librarians are too.

    Reply
  5. rochelle says:
    May 27, 2004 at 8:48 am

    Re:Keynote speaker
    Yep…they snuck Clarke in there while I wasn’t looking. Cocktail party? You bet. I think that we should have an LISNews Conservative/Liberal Rumble, fueled by shots of tequila and sticking-out-of-tongues. My favorite librarian quote:

    “You honor your reservations; you go to your meetings so we can clean the rooms; you’re relatively quiet; and you drink more than the American Legion.”
    Anonymous hotel official, on why he liked the ALA annual conference
    (Quoted by Patricia Wilson Berger in Chicago Tribune article,
    29 June 1990, Tempo section, p. 1)

    Reply
  6. GregS* says:
    May 27, 2004 at 10:41 pm

    Really? Re:Keynote speaker
    Is there really going to be a meeting for conservatives or was that a joke?

    Reply
  7. mdoneil says:
    May 28, 2004 at 1:32 am

    Re:Really? Re:Keynote speaker
    I don’t think there will be enough conservative librarians to get a meeting together. However I’m willing to find someplace to have it if anyone wants to go.

    Reply
  8. GregS* says:
    May 28, 2004 at 1:41 am

    Re:Really? Re:Keynote speaker
    Unfortunetly I won’t be there. I do plan on going to the January conference here in Boston. I was just excited at the prospect of 2 or 3 (maybe 4?) conservative librarians meeting at the conference surrounded by the thousands of librarians who will be there.

    Reply

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