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ALA 2018 Annual Conference Scheduling

  • 1.  ALA 2018 Annual Conference Scheduling

    Posted Dec 13, 2017 04:14 PM

    Dear ACRL Division-level Committee Leaders,


    I hope your holiday season is off to a great start!


    Although the 2018 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans is not until June 21–26, we are already planning for it and I’ll need to have all AC meeting requests by January 5, 2018. Please read the following message carefully, and confirm with me if your group is meeting.


    Based on member feedback, ALA Conference Services has made some changes to have a more sustainable and navigable Annual Conference. To accommodate meeting requests and reduce the campus size, most meetings will be assigned one-hour or one-and-a-half-hour time slots. You will be able to request your preferred time slot, but please be aware that requests are based on availability and time requests may not be honored.


    We sincerely thank you in advance for your patience and understanding, as we work with ALA to respond to member feedback to reduce the conference footprint while trying to accommodate as many meetings as possible. ALA Conference Services will confirm meeting times in spring 2018, and I will send the preliminary schedule once it is released.


    ACRL staff will enter your meeting requests for the 2018 Annual Conference into ALA’s meeting database, so please send your meeting requests to me via email by Friday, January 5 per the following guidelines:


    Step One:



    • Determine if your group would like to request a meeting space at Annual Conference 2018.

    • Review the new meeting time slots. You may want to consider requesting a meeting on Friday or Monday, or during a non-peak time slot. Peak time slots are Saturday and Sunday from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Please be aware that you may be assigned a different time/day than requested, so that we can better accommodate all meeting requests. Also, meeting virtually is another option you may want to consider.


    Time Slots for Friday to Tuesday
    8:30–10:00 a.m.
    9:00–10:00 a.m.
    10:30–11:30 a.m.
    1:00–2:00 p.m.
    2:30–3:30 p.m.
    4:00–5:00 p.m.
    4:00–5:30 p.m.
    No conflict times: Friday, June 22, 4:00–7:00 p.m. and Tuesday, June 26, 10:00–11:30 a.m.



    • Review your meeting schedule from the 2017 Annual Conference (PDF).

    • Select your preferred meeting time slot from the above times.


     Step Two:



    • If your committee would like to submit a meeting request, please email me by January 5.


      • If you’d like to meet at the same time as you did at AC2017 I will select the time slot that is closest to your AC17 time slot, but please note the date and time will not be confirmed until the spring when the preliminary schedule is released. I will also duplicate your A/V request unless you specify otherwise.

      • If you want to request a new time: Email your specifics to me no later than end of January 5:

      • ACRL Committee Name:

      • Meeting Date:

      • Preferred time slot from above list:

      • Expected Attendance:

      • Room Set (Theater, Conference <20; Hollow Square 20-40; or Banquet Rounds of 10) Note: these room sets are tentative, and staff will do their best to match your request with the most similar option:

      • Specific A/V Requests (i.e., Computer, Projector, Screen, (Microphone—must have more than 40 attendees):


    • If your committee will meet virtually for AC18, please let me know, so I can update my records.


     Questions about virtual participation at Annual Conference and virtual meetings?



    • There is limited support from ALA for blended meetings (on-site and virtual) through the Skype kit that can be requested. If you choose to offer a blended meeting, it will be the responsibility of the meeting attendees/chair to provide support to the virtual participants. 



    • Please note a Skype kit allows up to 25 participants via an audio call. The number of visual participants allowed depends upon the platform and the device. However, you are welcome to use your personal network/virtual meeting platform if it is easier for you. For example, some committees have successfully used Google Hangouts to enable multiple people to participate in a blended meeting. Of course, we do not know in advance if the room you are assigned will have good connectivity. Please note that it is not mandatory to attend conference. If your committee should choose to meet virtually, please see the Virtual Meeting Guidelines and Virtual Meeting Request Calendar.


    Please let me know if you have any questions. We thank you in advance for your flexibility and cooperation, as we work with ALA Conference Services to create a more manageable conference campus.


    Thank you,


    Elois Sharpe
    Program Coordinator