ACRL 2011 National Conference registration opens

ACRL offers 80 scholarships worth more than $40,000 and keynote sessions featuring Tiffany Shlain, Raj Patel and Clinton Kelly

CHICAGO - The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) announces the opening of registration for the ACRL 2011 National Conference, “A Declaration of Interdependence,” to be held March 30 – April 2, 2011, in Philadelphia. Registration materials are now available online at http://www.acrl.org/acrl/nationalconference. Register by the early-bird deadline of Feb. 4, 2011 and save more than 20 percent on conference registration. Special group registration prices, reduced airfares, hotel discounts and scholarships are also available.

"As the birthplace of independence there is no better place than Philadelphia to declare the interdependence of academic and research libraries," said conference Chair Pamela Snelson, college librarian at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. “To be successful, libraries must cooperate with each other and interconnect with their campus communities. Steeped in history yet embracing the new, Philadelphia is a fabulous conference venue for us to consider the interdependency that exists in our academic and library community.”

Offered biennially, the ACRL National Conference is the premier event for academic libraries, drawing librarians, library support staff and library vendors from across the country and around the world.  The ACRL 2011 National Conference will feature more than 300 peer-reviewed sessions specific to the needs of academic and research librarians and staff.  ACRL's celebrated line-up of keynote speakers include:

Tiffany Shlain – Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tiffany Shlain is an award-winning filmmaker, artist, Internet pioneer and activist. Founder of The Webby Awards and cofounder of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, she was honored by Newsweek as one of the “Women Shaping the 21st Century.” Her films have been selected at more than 100 film festivals and have won 20 awards, including Audience and Grand Jury Prizes. Shlain’s films are a fusion of documentary and narrative and known for their whimsical yet provocative approach to unraveling complicated subjects. She is currently working on a feature-length film and Internet project, “Connected: A Declaration of Interdependence,” set for completion in winter 2010.

Raj Patel – Friday, April 1, 2011
Activist, academic and much-in-demand speaker Raj Patel is an authority on the world economic system and the international food crisis. Patel brings the idea of interdependence to his writings about sustainability, the food crisis and democracy. He is an award-winning author of five books, including “Voices of the Poor: Can Anyone Hear Us?,” “Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System,”and his 2010 New York Times bestseller, “The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy.” He has written more than a dozen articles, all of which are open access and freely available on his Web site, rajpatel.org, along with a link to his blog and several thought-provoking videos.

Clinton Kelly – Saturday, April 2, 2011
What happens when a renowned fashion expert with an international following comes to ACRL? Find out when Clinton Kelly, co-host of TLC’s "What Not to Wear," delivers the closing keynote at ACRL 2011. A renowned fashion expert and author who specializes in helping individuals achieve personal and professional transformations, Kelly will discuss why we are often averse to change and how to turn this fear into positive action. Kelly achieved his own transformation to television stardom from the world of fashion journalism, where he worked for such publications as Marie Claire, Mademoiselle and DNR. You’ll want to be there when Kelly delivers the closing keynote address and sends thousands of academic and research librarians home with inspiration and ideas for a better self and a better library.

ACRL 2011 Virtual Conference
ACRL is offering conference registrants more for their money by providing one year of access to the ACRL 2011 Virtual Conference.  The Virtual Conference will feature slidecasts and PowerPoint presentations synched with program audio for every contributed paper, panel session and Cyber Zed Shed presentation (more than 100 total sessions), so attendees can view sessions they missed in person after the conference.  The Virtual Conference will also include live webcasts, blogs, speaker handouts and more. Registration for the online-only Virtual Conference will be available in early 2011.

More than 80 scholarships available
ACRL is offering more than 80 scholarships exceeding $40,000 in value to support participation in the conference for librarians, students, Spectrum scholars and support staff. There are five scholarship categories, and all applications must be received by Nov. 9, 2010. Visit the scholarships section of the conference Web site for more details.

ACRL 2011 online
Learn more about ACRL 2011 and follow conference news through the conference website at http://www.acrl.org/acrl/nationalconference. Connect with fellow attendees on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/acrl2011. Follow breaking conference news and conversations on Twitter through the official conference hashtag #acrl2011. And make sure to tag your ACRL National Conference online content, including images and blog posts, with the official conference tag acrl2011.

For more information about ACRL 2011, contact Margot Conahan at mconahan@ala.org or (312) 280-2522.

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ACRL is a division of the American Library Association (ALA), representing more than 12,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals. ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products and services to meet the unique needs of academic and research librarians. Its initiatives enable the higher education community.