Virtual Conference

Since 2005, ACRL has offered a Virtual Conference as a complement to the biennial National Conference. Past Virtual Conferences have provided access to discussion groups, presentation materials, and webcasts of selected ACRL programs, both in order to enhance the conference experience for those on site, and to provide an important professional development opportunity to those unable to travel to the conference site.

This year, the Virtual Conference is bigger and better than ever!  Registration for the ACRL 2009 Virtual Conference archive is still available.

Social Networking

The Virtual Conference will maintain a presence on a number of social networking sites, including Facebook.  Additional information on ACRL Seattle social networking opportunities will be posted to this page as they become available.

Podcasts

The Virtual Conference has already begun!  Beginning in fall 2008, ACRL has posted podcasts highlighting key speakers and innovations associated with the ACRL 14th National Conference. Get a taste of the National Conference at the ACRL Insider, and watch for future podcasts leading up to the start of the Seattle conference.

Blog

The Seattle conference is being blogged! ACRL conference bloggers are "global correspondents providing online dispatches to a worldwide community of academic library professionals . . . . [on] any aspect of the ACRL conference, from inside the session rooms, to the exhibits and receptions - even outside the convention center."  Keep up to date on the activities and pulse of the live conference, even if you aren't in Seattle!

Kick-Off Webcast

Tuesday, February 17, 2009 - 1:00 – 2:15 p.m. CST
(11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. PST | 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. MST | 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. EST)
The Virtual Conference kicks into high gear with a new feature for 2009 - the Kick-Off Webcast! On Tuesday, February 17, the Virtual Conference presents Jean-Claude Bradley, Associate Professor of Chemistry and E-Learning Coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences at Drexel University, giving an invited presentation that can be seen as part of the Virtual Conference. Take advantage of this opportunity to interact in real-time with this expert in e-learning and "open science."  Watch this page for more information on this exciting Virtual Conference program.

The Main Event

For the first time, the Virtual Conference will include Dynamic Screen Captures- PowerPoint presentations synced with real-time audio from every contributed paper and panel session presented in Seattle. These screen captures, more than 80 total, will be available online for all online-only and face-to-face participants a few days after the Seattle conference.  Virtual Conference participants will be able to see and hear every Seattle paper and panel program (and face-to-face conference participants will no longer have to regret the programs they missed because there was so much going on at the same time!).  This new feature gives you more for your money and provides an opportunity to revisit sessions all year long.

Live Webcasts

And, if that's not enough, the Virtual Conference will include a number of live webcasts - programs accepted exclusively for presentation at the Virtual Conference.  Another first for 2009, these Virtual Conference exclusives will bring librarians together with the virtual community from around the United States to interact in real time with Virtual Conference participants.  The live webcasts will be offered on Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14, 2009. Details about Virtual Conference webcasts are now available.

Second Life

Another first for 2009 - Join us in Second Life the Friday and Saturday afternoons of the conference! The Virtual Conference will include Second Life orientations and in-world tours of four unique libraries and institutions. These events will take place immediately after the live Webcasts.  Watch this page for details.

Video Features

The Virtual Conference will also feature video-recordings of Naomi Klein's Opening Keynote Session and Robin Chase's Invited Green Presentation.  These recordings will be available for you to watch on-demand and will be available for you all year long.

Registration

Registration is still available for the Virtual Conference. 

Online - Register online for the ACRL 2009 Virtual Conference
Fax or mail - Mail or fax the paper ACRL 2009 Virtual Conference registration form

Registration fees:
ACRL member - $165
ALA member - $205
Nonmember - $245
Full-time student - $75
Group: up to three attendees - $295
Group: 4-9 attendees - $595
Group - 10 or more attendees - $995

• Registration includes unlimited access to the Virtual Conference community and archive for one year after the event. 
• All face-to-face Seattle conference registrants also receive access to the online conference community as part of their conference registration. 
• The Virtual Conference online community will launch in March 2009.  Instructions for accessing the community will be sent out to all online-only and face-to-face conference registrants in March.
• GROUP REGISTRATIONS - Webcasts take place in an interactive, online classroom environment with one user/one login. If you select the group rate, one person must register, login, and keyboard during the event. A group registration allows an institution to project the Webcast to participants in the same location.  When registering at the group rate, the institution just needs to provide one contact name. This contact will serve as the primary contact and receive access information.  Each member of the registering group will receive individual access to the Virtual Conference archive.

Contact

Questions?  Contact acrl@ala.org.

Acknowledgements

ACRL thanks McMaster University for their generous sponsorship of the ACRL 2009 Virtual Conference.