2009 Conference Planning Minutes for 2008 Midwinter Conference, Philadelphia

From Wess

2009 Conference Planning Committee

2008 Midwinter Conference
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Saturday, 12 January, 1:30–3:30 pm
Sofitel, Lille Room

Minutes

Present: Gordon Anderson, Laura Dale Bischof, Steve Corrsin, Dick Hacken, Deborah L. Raftus, Emily Stambaugh, Anna Bjartmársdottir Sveinbjørnsson

I. Gordon welcomed everyone to the first meeting and thanked them for agreeing to participate on the Committee.

II. He next reported on the main topics covered in the ACRL program chairs meeting from earlier that morning.

Chaired by Megan Griffin, ACRL Program Coordinator, along with members of ACRL's Professional Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC), 12 ACRL sections were briefed on the process to be followed for the coming 18 months. Megan discussed guidelines for each program's purpose and outcomes; the timeline for 2009 Programs; budget considerations; and filling out the Conference Program Proposal Forms. She also briefed us on ACRL Tip sheets #s

10a, Fiscal Policy and Funding Guidelines for ACRL Annual Conference Programs

11, Planning an ACRL Annual Conference Program

12, Planning an ACRL Annual Conference Program Calendar

13, Publicizing ACRL Programs

Due by 1 May 2008, each section's program proposal must address portions of ACRL's Strategic Areas document and Action Plan. Two forms are required, one for ALA and one for ACRL. The ACRL Conference Board will review proposals at their Sunday meeting during ALA Annual, and decisions will be conveyed to Section program chairs by e-mail the next day (Monday).

III. Most of our meeting was taken up with a discussion of topics and speakers:

A. Preliminary, non-exclusive ideas for topics for the 2009 Program:

1. Non-Scholastic Collections (Mysteries, Children's Lit, Film, Translations, Cuisine)

2. Competitors [for lack of a better word] to Area Studies: cultural studies, comparative literature, multiculturalism, globalisation, internationalism, ethnic studies, interdisciplinary studies, "advanced study", less commonly taught languages [any other terms?]

3. Newspapers redux: subscriptions vs. on-line products. How do we provide the intimate coverage that a traditional newspaper offers with the speed of alternative electronic means of delivery? (e.g., full-text; web versions; full-image display a la historical NYT)

4. Genealogy; local history; biography; folklore

5. Public health, environmental studies, social welfare; agriculture & human living

6. Religious materials; occult; sects;

7. Popular music; light music; hard music

8. Government publications; European components to multi-national organizations (not just UN, but a good start)

9. Looking Eastward -- collecting publications from the new member states. For example, scholarly materials in western European languages published at these countries' universities and with major publishing houses.

B. Speakers:

1. North American Librarian (perhaps the head of acquisitions at the New York Public Library)

2. Scholar of

• European cultural studies, comparative literature, or another emerging field within Western European languages/area studies

• less commonly taught European language

• film studies, children's lit, or similar area

• from new EU member country

3. European representative

• librarian, academic, official from an EU country, perhaps one of the newer states

• publisher / vendor representative (like 2006 program)

• one of our vendors?

IV. The meeting concluded with Gordon outlining the three ALA meetings: 2008 AC, Anaheim, CA: June 26-July 2; 2009 MW, Denver, CO: Jan 23-28; and finally 2009 AC, Chicago, IL: July 9-15.

Nota bene: The working title is "Situating Area Studies Librarianship in the Academy and in a Globalised World: New Directions, New Collections".

Respectfully submitted, GA