TABLE OF CONTENTS

Which hotel is the Headquarters Hotel?
Where will the exhibits be?
What are the exhibit hours?
When will the Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and King Awards be announced?
Is ALA celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday?

When does registration open?
Can I register for the Midwinter Meeting by phone?
How do I know if I'm registered?
What if I sign up for an event that is already full?
When will I receive my badge in the mail?
Where can I pick up my badge onsite?
How do I pay with a purchase order?
How can I pay my balance?
What about a photo ID?
What if I need to cancel my registration?

When does housing open?
How do I get the ALA rates at hotels in the host city?
Can I get a discount on my airfare to the Midwinter Meeting or the Annual Conference?
How do I cancel my hotel reservation if I need to?

I'd like to present a program at your next conference. How do I go about doing so?
What has ALA done to make the Midwinter Meeting more accessible?
Where do the Gale Shuttle Buses go?
What is Cognotes, and how do I get it?
What is the Placement Center, and how do I use it?

AWARDS, MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Special Events Page

Which hotel is the Headquarters Hotel?
For the 2004 Midwinter Meeting, San Diego Marriott the is the headquarters hotel.

Where will the exhibits be?
For the 2004 Midwinter Meeting, the exhibits will be in the San Diego Convention Center.

What are the exhibit hours?
The exhibits will be open the following days and times:

When will the Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and King Awards be announced?
The ALA Media Award Press Conference will be held Monday morning, January 12.
The winners of the Newbery and Caldecott awards will be posted ASAP after the press conference on ALSC's website (www.ala.org/alsc), and the winners of the Printz Award will be posted on the YALSA website (www.ala.org/yalsa). PIO's press releases will also be posted on ALA's site.
The list of winners will also be printed in Cognotes, the ALA Meeting Daily Newspaper, and will be available immediately after the press conference.

Is ALA celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday?
ALA has decided to hold a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. sunrise celebration on the Monday of Midwinter Meeting every year--even if it's after the official holiday. It's sponsored by the Black Caucus and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force of the Social Responsibilities Round Table. Check the Midwinter Program Book for the exact time and location.

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REGISTRATION
Registration Information

When does registration open?
Registration for Midwinter 2004 opens October 1. Registration forms will be available in the October issue of American Libraries Magazine, and online registration will be available on the ALA website at http://www.ala.org/midwinter beginning October 1.

Can I register for the Midwinter Meeting by phone?
No, only online, faxed or mailed registrations are accepted.

How do I know if I'm registered?
All attendees will receive an email confirmation, or mail confirmation if no email address is provided. This confirmation/receipt verifies your address information, the event(s) you have signed up for, and how much you have paid. Attendees that register online are urged to print the receipt copy of their registration to keep for their records. If you have not received your confirmation within three weeks, please contact the Customer Service Center at 1-800-545-2433, press option 5.

What if I sign up for an event that is already full?
Attendees that register for an event that has reached maximum capacity will be put on a wait list. We will notify attendees (in the order the names were received) if space becomes available up to two weeks prior to the conference.

When will I receive my badge in the mail?
Typically, badges are mailed three weeks prior to the start of the conference. This year we will be mailing badges beginning on January 2nd. You must be paid in full by December 5, 2003 to receive your badge in the mail.

Where can I pick up my badge onsite?
If you do not receive your badge in the mail, and you are paid in full, go directly to the Will Call/Badge Correction counter.

How do I pay with a purchase order?
All registrations with purchase orders must be mailed in with the original purchase order. We will bill the institution for payment. No purchase orders will be accepted as payment onsite.

How can I pay my balance?
To pay your balance before the conference with a credit card, please call our Customer Service center at 800-545-2433, press option 5 and a representative will assist you. Attendees paying by check may mail in their balance to the American Library Association, Dept. #77-6565, Chicago, IL 60678-6565.

What about a photo ID?
All attendees are required to show a government or state issued photo ID in order to pick up conference materials, or register onsite. Any photo ID used to board an airline flight will be acceptable.

What if I need to cancel my registration?
The easiest way to cancel a registration is by using our online cancellation form. You can fax your cancellation request to 312-280-1538, or mail to 50 E Huron Chicago, IL 60611 Attn: Registration. To receive a refund less a $25 processing fee, we must receive your cancellation request no later than December 5, 2003. All refunds will be processed after February 1, 2003.

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HOUSING, AIRLINE and TRAVEL
Travel and Accomodations

When does housing open?
Housing for Midwinter opens October 1. Housing forms will be available in the October issue of American Libraries Magazine, and online housing registration will be available on the ALA Midwinter travel page beginning October 1. You can also call the ALA Travel Desk at 1-800-424-5249 or 847-940-2155.

How do I get the ALA rates at hotels in the host city?
To get the specially negotiated ALA rates, you must make your reservation through the ALA Travel Desk by calling, mailing in a form, or making your reservation through the website. You cannot get the ALA rates by calling the hotel directly.

Can I get a discount on my airfare to the Midwinter Meeting or the Annual Conference?
Yes! The ALA Travel Desk has negotiated a discount with United Airlines. United is offering ALA attendees a 5% discount off any restricted (non-refundable) United published fare, including first class, in effect when the ticket is purchased and subject to all applicable restrictions. A discount of 10% is available for unrestricted, fully refundable fares, for reservations made up to the day of departure. An additional 5% is available for reservations made 30 days in advance. To receive these discounts, use Meeting ID # 502CQ, and call United at 1-800-521-4041 or the ALA Travel Desk at 1-800-621-1083. These discounts are only available on reservations made by phone.

United is also offering ALA attendees an internet reservation discount. To make your reservations on the internet, go to the travel page, and you will be provided with a direct link to the United website, and an E-Certificate number to receive 10% off all applicable internet fares. This discount is only available on reservations made on the internet.

How do I cancel my hotel reservation if I need to?
If you wish to cancel your reservation before December 27, contact the ALA Travel Desk at 1-800-424-5249 or 847-940-2155. After December 27, contact the hotel directly. Your first night's deposit is refundable with at least a 72 hour cancellation notification to the hotel, prior to the day of your arrival. Check your confirmation for details on your hotel's policy.

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MISCELLANEOUS

I'd like to present a program at your next conference. How do I go about doing so?
Programs are held only at the Annual Conference. If you would like to present a program, please be aware that there is no one place to submit a conference presentation proposal. You need to investigate which ALA division or office fits closest with your presentation's subject matter. Then you would contact that division or office for details on contributing to their program at the conference.

Within ALA, various departments focus on various aspects of librarianship. A list of the ALA divisions and offices is available on the ALA website.

Feel free to contact our Conference Services office at confs@ala.org if more information is needed after reviewing this information.

What has ALA done to make the Midwinter Meeting more accessible?
To learn about the ways ALA has worked to make this meeting accessible, visit The Accessibility Page. This page includes information on hotel accessibility at participating ALA Meeting hotels.

Where do the Gale Shuttle Buses go?
The free Shuttle Buses, sponsored by Gale, go between the convention center and all ALA hotels from Friday through Monday at the Midwinter Meeting. Check the Friday edition of Cognotes, the ALA daily conference newspaper, for route and time information, or Bin #1 in the Registration area for a flyer. Accessible buses are available.

What is Cognotes, and how do I get it?
Cognotes is the ALA daily conference newspaper. At the Midwinter Meeting, it is published Friday-Monday, and is available at locations throughout the convention center. Cognotes contains information on events happening at the conference, as well as up-to-date meeting changes and other information.

What is the Placement Center, and how do I use it?
Job seekers can search online for jobs and employers can search online for job seekers before and during the Midwinter Meeting or the Annual Conference. Visit URL http://www.ala.org/hrdr for more information. The Placement Center will be located at the Hyatt Hotel.

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