Association of College and Research Libraries'

Contact: Larra Clark


312-280-5043

For Immediate Release


April 15, 2003

Association of College and Research Libraries’ National Conference breaks attendance records

(Charlotte, N.C.)
More than 3,490 attendees made Charlotte a temporary home at the end of National Library Week during the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) 11
th National Conference, April 10-13.
The 2001 ACRL conference in Denver drew about 3,000.

Also among the records set were for the most first-time conference attendees (900+) and the most conference scholarship awardees (eight students and 64 librarians).
More than 200 exhibits featured state-of-the-art information products.

“We had a jam-packed and exciting line-up this year, and it was gratifying to see so many standing-room-only sessions – from developing information commons to detecting plagiarism,” said ACRL President Helen Spalding.
“It’s particularly gratifying to have so many scholarship winners with us this year.
What better place to connect with potential mentors, learn more about areas of interest and make connections with colleagues?”

While the conference concludes today, the issues at stake remain lively:

  • ACRL launched the first-ever national marketing campaign highlighting the contributions of college and research libraries and librarians.
    The full-day strategic marketing pre-conference sold out.
  • From digital libraries to virtual reference, college and research librarians are making technology work for students.
  • Several conference sessions highlighted a growing focus on first-year students and teaching the information literacy skills they will need to navigate their education and careers.
  • With almost 58 percent of all professional librarians reaching the age of 65 between 2005 and 2019 (according to Census data), recruitment, retention and library salaries remain at the forefront of consideration for campuses nationwide.
  • Copyright and intellectual property, USA Patriot Act and other issues in the news.

Audio CD/cassettes and a copy of the Conference Proceedings are available for sale.
Foraudio, call 888-222-1614 or visit
www.ConferenceMedia.net.
For Proceedings, visit ACRL’s online bookstore.

The next ACRL National Conference will be held in Minneapolis, April 7-10, 2005.
To learn more about ACRL initiatives and projects, please visit
www.ala.org/acrl. To arrange interviews with librarian spokespeople, please call Larra Clark at 312-280-5043.

With 12,000 members, ACRL is the largest division of the American Library Association.