Swap & Shop Seeks ‘Cool PR’ Submissions for ALA 2003
LAMA’s Swap & Shop committee wants you to share your library’s publicity materials. In this annual event, all types of libraries send a large supply of their public relations materials, which are set out on tables for all attendees to view and to take home. This year’s theme is “Cool PR: Get Northern Exposure for Your Great Ideas.”
The Swap & Shop is always the biggest PR extravaganza of the ALA Annual Conference, and it’s expected to be even bigger and richer this year since Canadian libraries will be part of the conference and the Swap. The event will be on Sunday, June 22, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. (Check your program for the final room number.) Hundreds of Swap entries will be waiting for you, but there’s even more:
* The winners of LAMA’s Best of Show contest for creative PR will be on display, and the awards ceremony will take place there.
* You can get an up-close look at the winners of the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Awards.
* You’ll see good examples of how colleagues are using the “@ your library” slogan.
* PR-related vendors will have special tables and giveaways.
All types and sizes of libraries, American and Canadian, are encouraged to send any kind of PR items for the Swap—from annual reports to zipper pulls. All submissions must have been created in 2002. You’ll get great “Northern Exposure” for your hard work, and if you attend you’ll get to fill a bag with inspiring samples to take home. You may just win a door prize too!
IMPORTANT! To have your materials included in the Swap & Shop, you must send them to the Toronto Convention Centre warehouse ahead of time. Conference Services has announced that UPS should NOT be used to ship any items to Toronto. You can start shipping in May, and your box MUST arrive by June 11. Pack up 250 to 350 copies of your samples from 2002 and ship them to this exact address:
LAMA SWAP & SHOP
American Library Association
c/o GES Canada
Reimer Express Lines
5919 Shawson Dr., Doors # 69 and #70
Mississauga, ON
Canada L4W 3Y2
PLEASE address your package with a RED marker so that it’s properly sorted at the warehouse. (Tips to save on shipping costs: Don’t wait until the last minute. If you send your entry early, you can choose a slower/less expensive shipping option. The U.S. Library Rate is for domestic mail only so you can’t use that to ship your boxes to Canada. Do not use UPS.)
So get ready for Toronto, pronto! If you need more details, go to http://www.ala.org/lama/awards/index.html. Or contact the committee chair, Kären Richgruber, in the Duluth (MN) Public Library at
218/723‑3841 or krichgruber@duluth.lib.mn.us
And prepare to pack your parka with lots of cool promotional pieces!