Thanks Janet, while I can understand this to some extent, it may make more
sense to offer more in educational programs/universities/public libraries as
well, more libraries and students are in general trying to do more as
affordable as possible. Many librarians are not able to budget any
conference/travel budgets this fiscal year, adn many in the area who had
made previous travel plans for conferences, were told to cancel it. So
alternatives should be on the radar for everyone these days.
I just participated in a webcast last week Returning the Researcher to the
Library with Joan Lippincott and a researcher from the iSchool at U
Washington, offhand I don't recall her name but it was very interesting and
very accessible, Library Journal was one of the sponsors you may have seen
it. Collaboration is good when it works
Associations need not go into debt at conferences, but find new ways to get
things done, many ALA organizations already have offered virtual memberships
for the same purpose in recent years, not only for costs, but in general one
would hope to encourage more participation from others at large. Maybe we
will have to consider SecondLife events for next year ... :-) whatever
works... best, Karen
Karen Weaver, MLS, Adjunct Faculty, Cataloging & Classification, The iSchool
at Drexel,
College of Information Science & Technology, Philadelphia PA email:
[log in to unmask] / Electronic Resources Statistician,
Duquesne University, Gumberg Library, Pittsburgh PA email: [log in to unmask]
On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 2:52 PM, Janet Hill <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Karen Weaver muses and asks:
> but I thought *many* of the preconferences this
> summer were overly expensive... do they need to be so costly to register
> for preconferences in addition to general registration, travel etc to ALA
> this year when most of us are cutting back, and travel budgets at most
> libraries esp are wiped out -?
>
> I respond:
> Yes, they do. It costs a tremendous amount to put on preconferences (and
> conferences) -- even when the speakers get no support (and ALA doesn't
> provide support to speakers who are ALA members). If electronic equipment
> of any sort is provided, it costs the world and all to rent/supply. The
> profit margin for programs, and preconferences is often slim to nonexistent
> -- and that's a shame, since associations need to make some money to
> support
> staff and programs. And they are experiencing the same fiscal problems that
> their members are.
>
> If speakers actually expected to be paid for their work and contribution,
> it
> would be even more.
>
> Library folks tend to have unrealistic expectations when it comes to things
> like dues and registration fees. We are so used to paying people less than
> they are worth, and having them volunteer their time, effort, and
> intellect,
> and to thinking that what we and our associations do is a "public good"
> that
> we often fail to realize just what a bargain we are getting.
>
> Yes, we are in tough economic times. But having our associations going
> into
> debt to put on preconferences really isn't a solution.
>
> (former ALA Executive Board Member and member of the Finance and Audit
> Committee; former ALCTS president)
>
> Janet Swan Hill, Professor
> Associate Director for Technical Services
> University of Colorado Libraries, CB184
> Boulder, CO 80309
> [log in to unmask]
> *****
> Tradition is the handing-on of Fire, and not the worship of Ashes.
> - Gustav Mahler
>
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