ALA President announces second round of Virtual Poster Sessions

Contact: JoAnne Kempf
Office of ALA Governance
(312) 280-3212
jkempf@ala.org

NEWS
For immediate release
February 17, 2009

 

Following the success of President Jim Rettig’s ALA-wide fall/winter Virtual Poster Session, a second session will take place this spring. The focus is “Inquire Within.”

Submitters are asked to communicate practical research aimed at addressing challenges that face your library. The research is likely to be problems- or needs-based. If you have identified particular issues or questions and have addressed them methodically and rigorously, please share the results of your work. Services, collections, access to information, professional and staff development, finances and facilities are just some of the possible areas that you have inquired into.

To be considered for inclusion in the poster session, please send a proposal in the form of a summary of your library’s efforts, making sure to address the following points:Â

  1. Question or problem (need not be stated as hypotheses)
  2. Environmental context of the question or problem (such as public libraries, academic libraries)
  3. Organizational context of the question or problem (internal services, outreach, community analysis, etc.)
  4. Approaches to address the question or problem (i.e., the specific ways the library and its staff have addressed the kinds of programs and activities mentioned in the Inquire Within description)
  5. Outcomes (details on the effects of the approaches, including data, testimonials or other evidence of community involvement)

The summary must be no longer than three pages, double-spaced (one or more photos or images may be included as part of the three pages). Submitters may wish to consider applying for a permissive Creative Commons license for their poster. See http://creativecommons.org/license/ for details.

The deadline for submitting proposals is May 1. Up to 25 submissions will be selected and will be available for viewing during the month of July. Please send the proposals via e-mail to Dr. John M. Budd at BuddJ@missouri.edu .

Nineteen virtual posters were submitted for consideration during the first Virtual Poster session, “Community Central,” which was announced last fall. The 12 selected posters can be viewed at http://presentations.ala.org/index.php?title=2009_Virtual_Posters.Â

Rettig’s initiatives for his presidential term are about “Creating Connections” –connections among our libraries; connections between the communities we serve and those who make funding and policy decisions; connections with prospective library workers; connections with ALA members. His initiatives address three critical issues: Advocacy, Diversity and Member Participation.

For more information about ALA President Jim Rettig’s initiatives, please visit http://jimrettig.org/content/initiatives/initiatives.htm .