Chapter 9: Annual Conference Programs
9.1 General information
9.2 Professional Development Committee
9.3 Program approval process
9.4 Preparing your program proposal
9.5 Funding
9.5.1 Section Basic Services funding
9.5.2 Committee and Interest Group funding
9.5.3 Outside funding
9.6.1 Speaker costs
9.6.2 Honoraria and expenses
9.6.3 Estimating costs
9.7 Audiovisual equipment
9.8 Publicity
9.9 Guest registration
9.10 Important dates
9.11 No-Conflict meeting times
9.12 Cosponsorships
9.13 Evaluations
9.14 Give-Away items
9.1 General information
ACRL encourages units and individuals to develop high-quality programs to present at the ALA Annual Conferences. To assist in planning quality programs, ACRL has developed procedures and timelines that must be followed. In addition, criteria that must be met for each program proposal are outlined.
All programs will take place in the convention center, making it easier for attendees to get to content sessions. The number of programs each year will vary depending on the space in the convention center. This space will naturally impose limits on the number of programs to be held, which will help address concerns about duplication and the vastness of the conference campus.
ACRL staff maintain close communication with program planners throughout the planning process. All program information should be funneled through the ACRL Program Officer. In addition, this group meets virtually before the ALA Midwinter Meeting and the ALA Annual Conference.
9.2 Professional Development Committee
The ACRL Professional Development Committee (PDC) is responsible for reviewing all conference program proposals. The PDC works to ensure that proposals support the division's strategic directions and priorities, and adhere to established procedures and budgets while providing broad coverage and limited duplication. The past chair of the PDC serves as ACRL's representative to the ALA Conference Program Coordinating Team.
9.3 Program approval process
ACRL units and individuals must submit a program proposal ten months prior to the Annual Conference at which the program is to be presented. Program proposals will be compiled and prepared for the PDC's review. All programs must be approved, whether asking for funds or not, by the PDC in order to be scheduled during the conference.
The PDC reviews the program proposals and approves qualified proposals by early October. Program planners are then informed of the PDC's action. Only programs approved by the PDC may be scheduled. NOTE: ACRL staff completes the ALA online meeting request form for all programs in October. Program chairs/Section chairs do not schedule the program.
9.4 Preparing your program proposal
In developing a proposal for an Annual Conference program, the following criteria should be addressed:
- Scope: Does the program support ACRL's Plan for Excellence?
- Purpose & Format: What is the objective of conducting this program (to transmit ideas; to provide training; to stimulate thought and discussion; to lead to action)? If a program is justified, what is the best format? (Speaker? Panel? Interactive?)
- Location: Does the geographic location suggest the selection of the topic to take advantage of local resources and facilities? (For example, the availability of cultural institutions and resources in the conference host city.)
- Cosponsorships: Determine if there is another group in ACRL or ALA that is interested in your topic. If so, consider cosponsorship to minimize duplication and conflicts with other programs and to bring the subject to the attention of a broader audience which it would benefit.
- Logistical Arrangements: What is the expected size of the audience? Are there special room arrangements required other than theater seating? Will this presentation require audiovisual equipment?
- Responsibility: State what unit or individual is responsible for the program and identify the contact person.
- Costs: Clearly identify the costs for the program and potential sources of funding (you may consult with ACRL staff).
- Length and time of program: Consider how long the program should run and if special conditions are required that would dictate where it should be held. Choose from a 1 or 1.5 hour time slot. Note all no-conflict times for ALA and ACRL programs.
9.5 Funding
The ACRL Board of Directors provides $20,000 from its budget to support Annual Conference programs (excluding cost of audiovisual equipment). The PDC determines how these funds are allocated among the program proposals. How well your program proposal meets the criteria outlined above will be one of the determining factors in whether it is funded or not.
Funding for programs can only be used for the approved designated expenses. ACRL program funding can’t be used for plaques or to take the speakers to lunches/dinner, unless the speaker per diem will be used.
Outside donations must be obtained to pay for group speaker meals. Plaques can be purchased using outside donor funds or section basic services funding. Committees and interest groups can use their yearly allocation for plaques.
9.5.1 Section Basic Services funding
Section program planners may also request supplemental funding from the section executive committee. Requests for basic services funds should be sent to the section chair in September. Section executive committees may choose to allocate part or their entire basic services budget for programs expenses. (Source: ACRL Executive Committee, October 2004)
9.5.2 Committee and Interest Group funding
Committee and interest group program planners may apply their unit’s yearly allocation to the program. Requests for these funds should be sent to the unit chair in September. Unit chairs may choose to allocate part or their entire $150 allocation for programs expenses. (Source: ACRL Executive Committee, October 2004)
Section basic services funding and committee/interest group general budgets are considered ACRL funds and cannot be used for librarian speaker expenses or to purchase plaques or speaker lunches/dinners.
9.5.3 Outside funding
Sometimes there may be a need to seek funding beyond that which is allocated through ACRL to support programs. The ACRL Colleagues Program, created by the Board in 1992, generates nondues revenue to allow ACRL to expand programs and services to members and potential donors, and to do more in the area of promoting the profession. The Board believes that it is important to coordinate all requests to potential donors and other outside funders through a centralized program. ACRL members may not make any formal requests on behalf of the division to potential donors for contributions without first clearing the request with the ACRL executive director.
In the fall, program planners are notified of the PDC’s decision regarding funding for programs. Planners should then complete the planning process by:
- Requesting section basic services funds or committee/interest group funding from unit chair; notify ACRL staff if fund transfer is approved (if applicable).
- Submitting a fundraising plan to ACRL (if applicable). Plans should include the donors you’d like to approach and the amount you will request. ACRL staff will notify you which donors you have been approved to approach.
9.6 Budget
Estimates should be made for the following items in the program budget: handouts, speakers' expenses and honoraria, and any special equipment a non-librarian speaker might require. Costs to be considered for handouts may include such things as: photocopying, mailing to conference site, etc.
9.6.1 Speaker costs
ALA does not pay expenses or honoraria to librarians living in North America or ALA members who participate in Annual Conference programs. International speakers, as well as nonmember, non-librarian speakers, are eligible for complimentary conference registrations.
9.6.2 Honoraria and expenses
Librarians: Librarian speakers are not eligible to receive honoraria and reimbursement for travel expenses. A librarian is anyone who holds an MLS or equivalent degree, or who works in the field of library and information science, including faculty in schools of library and information science. Librarian speakers can be reimbursed for copying expenses in connection with program handouts.
Non-librarians: Any non-librarian speakers may receive honoraria, reimbursement for travel and duplication of handout expenses, a one-day waiver of the registration fee for the day he/she is speaking.
Speakers honoraria for presentations at an ACRL unit's Annual Conference program are established at a maximum of $1,000 and must be agreed upon in advance by the program planners and ACRL staff before discussing it with speakers.
(Source: ACRL Board, June 2004)
9.6.3 Estimating costs
While the actual costs for various services and resources for a conference program will vary from city to city depending on the type of program and type of speakers chosen, there are some industry standards that can be used to recommend a fairly accurate program budget. In planning your program budget, use the following estimated costs:
- Transportation—roundtrip airfare $450. ALA reimburses at coach fare only. Travel by automobile is reimbursed at 56.5¢ per mile, but can not exceed the cost of coach airfare. If special fares are used, reimbursement is the actual cost incurred. Transportation to and from airports is reimbursed. All airfare, train, cab, and local transportation expenses must be accompanied by an original receipt to be considered for reimbursement. Fees for parking at the airport during the time in attendance at the conference may also be reimbursed. An original receipt is required.
- Hotels, single room in a conference hotel for a maximum two nights; no incidentals -$200 per day.
- Per diem (meals)—$50 per day (ALA rate).
- Photocopying for handouts—$0.08 per page.
Conference program planners should inform speakers who require housing that:
- ALA pays for the room and tax only. Incidentals (movies, telephone, etc.) must be paid by the speaker.
- Room service or minibar service will be deducted from the per diem.
9.7 Audiovisual equipment
The ALA Conference Services budget covers costs for basic audiovisual equipment such as: computers, overhead projectors, slide projectors, microphones, etc., for requests submitted by March 1.
Programs with audiences sizes 51-299 may request up to 3 microphones. For audience sizes over 300, up to 5 microphones may be requested. If your program requires more sophisticated equipment, contact the ACRL Program Officer who will coordinate your equipment needs with Conference Services.
9.8 Publicity
ALA and ACRL provide a number of opportunities to help you reach your targeted audience of ACRL members and academic librarians. Staff will handle the following publicity:
- ALA online preliminary program (available on the ALA conference Web site in March)
- ACRL programs webpage listing (speaker materials and handouts can be posted here)
- ALA online scheduler (available in April)
- ALA Annual Conference wiki
- ALA Cognotes, the daily conference newspaper
- Onsite program book
Program planners are encouraged to:
- In all publicity, refer to the most current program information at http://www.ala.org/acrl/conferences.
- Publicize the program to local ACRL chapters
- Publicize the program on your unit e-mail list
- Word of mouth —Tell your colleagues
- Sections: Publicize the program in section newsletters and create a program webpage
Please note:
- Speakers can only be identified in pre-program publicity if a signed speaker agreement is on file at the ACRL office.
- Press releases may not be issued by program planners on behalf of ACRL. ACRL issues an official press release on its program offerings each spring; member planners are not authorized to do so individually.
9.8.1 After the program
Do not forget that publicity does not stop with the conclusion of the formal program. Use this opportunity to communicate the success of the program to various audiences through follow-up articles to newsletters, discussion lists, etc.
As mentioned above, each year ACRL creates a Web page dedicated to the current year's programs. In addition to listing the program title, description and speaker information, ACRL encourages you to submit speaker presentations and/or materials to be posted. If your program creates a Web site of its own, please notify Megan Griffin, mgriffin@ala.org, in order for ACRL to link to your page.
C&RL News is pleased to include brief summaries of your programs in the September issue. Contact David Connolly at dconnolly@ala.org to obtain guidelines for reporters. These summaries are due in late July.
9.9 Guest registration
Guest registration privileges are provided to conference program speakers who are not librarians. Speaker agreements for all non-librarian speakers must be received by April 1 in order to guarantee complimentary registration for the day of their program.
9.10 Important dates
Annual Conference (24 months prior) —ACRL vice-president/president-elect appoints president's program chair. Units appoint program planning chairs by January.
April (14 months prior) — Interested planners attend virtual meeting to learn about the program planning process.
September 1 — ACRL program proposals due.
Early October — ACRL Professional Development Committee approves programs and budget requests. Staff notifies program planners of action.
Mid-October — Planners of approved programs attend ACRL virtual meeting.
October — ACRL staff submit meeting requests for ACRL programs based on information provided in the ACRL program proposal form. Basic AV set-up requested for all programs (computer, LCD projector, screen, podium with microphone). Program planners receive completed room request to review.
October — Program chairs identify speakers and finalize plans for their programs.
End of November — Program planning chairs planning to engage in fundraising submit plans to ACRL Program Officer.
December 15 — Program planners submit speaker information into online speaker form.
Early January — Planners attend ACRL virtual meeting.
January — ALA announces program date/time assignments.
January — Planners submit preliminary program information (75 words) if changes have been made to ACRL Program Officer.
Midwinter — Finalize plans for program.
January — ACRL sends speaker agreements
February — Signed speaker agreement letters due to ACRL.
February — Final program description submitted to ACRL Program Officer.
February 28 — Deadline for submitting AV requests to ALA Conference Services.
April — Non-librarian speaker badge requests due.
April — ALA emails audio recording agreements to speakers and moderators.
Mid-April — Deadline for requesting VIP housing for conference speakers.
May — Registration confirmations emailed to non-librarian speakers
Annual Conference — Program planners pick up evaluation bookmarks from ACRL table in ALA office in the convention center. Conduct program.
July — Honorarium checks mailed once speaker attendance is verified by program chair.
End of July — Conference program evaluation summaries due to ACRL Program Officer.
July/August — Submit requests for reimbursement of budgeted expenses to ACRL Program Officer.
August 15 — Deadline for reimbursement requests (ie. speaker travel, per diem, photocopying)
9.11 No-Conflict meeting times
When scheduling meetings of a committee or section, the chair should note the all-conference no-conflict times listed in the instructions from the ACRL office. At the Annual and Midwinter conferences, section executive committee or divisional standing committee meetings should not be scheduled during the ACRL Board of Directors meetings if the committee/section has an action item before the Board or wishes to have the ACRL Board liaison attend their meetings.
9.12 Cosponsorships
ACRL encourages its units to cosponsor programs with other ACRL or ALA units and outside organizations. ACRL recognizes two types of cosponsorships: (1) cosponsorship in name only (a written request should be sent to ACRL staff as early as possible, but at least 9 months prior to the Annual Conference at which the program is being presented); and (2) cosponsorship with shared planning and financial responsibilities (joint proposal should be submitted by September 1 deadline).
"In name only" is defined as meaning that no ACRL resources, including staff time or space in ACRL publications, would be requested. It simply means that the ACRL name will be used in conjunction with the hosting unit's promotions. (Source: ACRL Board, February 1994)
There is a limit of 2 for in name only co-sponsorships.
All cosponsorships that commit ACRL monetary resources require PDC approval. These activities must be reviewed and approved by the PDC.
Cosponsorships with shared planning and financial support must be submitted as one joint proposal before the September 1 proposal deadline.
9.13 Evaluations
Each unit/individual is required to conduct an evaluation of their program and submit a summary report to the ACRL Program Officer by July 31. Evaluation reports will be shared with the PDC.
9.14 Give-Away items
At the 2008 Annual Conference, a resolution (CD #58) was passed to ensure that all give-aways are purchased from "sweatshop free" producers. If your program purchases ANY give-away items for ALA members or potential members and use outside vendors, please contact ACRL annual conference program officer Megan Griffin with:
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Names and contact information for your external vendors
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A general description of what you plan to purchase (t-shirts, tote bags, pens, etc.)
ACRL will work with the ALA-APA office to contact prospective vendors to determine their "sweatshop" policies and practices so that ACRL may comply with the resolution.
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