Instructions for Pavilion Staffers

About the Pavilion
Signing up for your Pavilion shift
Things to do while staffing the Pavilion
Personal belongings - end of shift
Volunteer for the 2007/2008 Membership Pavilion Committee

   

About the Pavilion

The NMRT Membership Pavilion Committee seeks volunteers to staff the NMRT Pavilion at ALA/Anaheim/CA. The purpose of the Pavilion is to provide information about the NMRT experience including NMRT membership, conference activities, professional development grants, and opportunities for volunteering and networking.

Pavilion hours:

Saturday, June 28, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, June 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday, June 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, July 1, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Pavilion location:

Booth #1838 in the ALA Membership Pavilion, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA

Pavilion volunteers will find information regarding Pavilion operation in a notebook (the Notebook) kept on the main Pavilion table.

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Signing up for your Pavilion shift

  1. Consult the booth schedule and find one or two hours when you would like to staff the Pavilion. Our goal is to have two volunteers at the Pavilion at all times. Please sign up for two hours if possible. They need not be consecutive.
  2. To avoid conflicts with other meetings or programs, use the ALA Event Planner. This wonderful site will help you plan all of your official activities in a snap!
  3. If, after signing up for the Pavilion, you find that you are unable to staff your shift, please notify Catherine Wong as soon as possible. If you are already at the conference when the conflict arises, leave a note in the Notebook at the Pavilion. Diana Duncan will review the Notebook regularly.

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Things to do while staffing the Pavilion

  1. Welcome and acknowledge each person who passes and expresses interest in the Pavilion.
  2. Help us compile an estimate of Pavilion usage by documenting each visit using the hand-held tally counter.
  3. Invite Pavilion visitors to sign up for membership. We will have a laptop for this purpose.
  4. Answer questions about NMRT as completely as possible. Some good online information sources:

    NMRT web site
    Handbook (see especially Section 1: About NMRT)
    Membership: How & Why to Join
    Committee Volunteer Form
    Grants, Scholarships & Awards
    NMRT - Annual 2008 (NMRT activities and services at the annual conference)
    Mentoring Program
    Resume Review Service
    NMRT-L mailing list for NMRT members
    NMRTWriter mailing list for persons interested in publishing opportunities

  5. Talk to visitors about our conference programs and services. See the NMRT Conference Events poster and handout.
  6. Talk to visitors about NMRT Membership:

    * Annual dues are $10.

    * NMRT membership benefits include a personal subscription to the newsletter Footnotes - 3 issues per year.

    * ALA members are eligible for NMRT membership through the first ten years of ALA membership. After ten years, NMRT members can join the NMRT alumni (see below).

    * NMRT practically guarantees committee appointments. Volunteers are most always needed, because each year members leave NMRT due to the ten-year membership limit.

    * NMRT is often more flexible than some other ALA sections in allowing members to start new projects, so long as projects meet NMRT needs.

  7. Talk to long-time ALA members about NMRT Sustaining Membership:

    * Sustaining membership allows NMRT alums to receive current information about NMRT events and programs. Dues: $10 per year.

    * NMRT sustaining members are needed to volunteer for our mentoring and resume review services and our speakers' bureau.

  8. Keep track of questions you are unable to answer in the Notebook. At the end of your shift, feel free to comment on the most frequently asked questions. We need this information to pass on to next year's Membership Pavilion Committee and to improve our services!
  9. To assist you in answering questions about the conference (and these questions will come), keep an ALA Program and the current issues of Cognotes handy. These are the richest resources for conference information. For more complex questions regarding programs, schedules, or exhibits, refer inquirers to the ALA office in the exhibit area.
  10. For any question you are unable to answer, offer to get back to the inquirer with information at a later time. Record the person's name, contact information, and question in the Notebook. An NMRT representative will then contact the person as soon as possible.

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Personal belongings - end of shift

  1. Put personal belongings out of sight.
  2. Keep tables neat.
  3. If someone fails to appear for a scheduled shift and you have to leave the Pavilion, leave a note for the next person explaining what happened and providing any directions that need to be passed along. Before leaving the Pavilion unattended, place any valuable objects out of sight.
  4. Membership Pavilion Committee members will be stopping at the Pavilion throughout the day. If you have questions regarding NMRT or Pavilion activities, feel free to ask any Membership Pavilion Committee member.

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Volunteer for the 2007/2008 Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA

If you are interested in working with the Membership Pavilion Committee to plan and staff the booth at the 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA, please complete a Committee Volunteer Form online.

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Thank you for volunteering your time!

 

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