In just a few days, the American Library Association (ALA) will kick off the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting conference in Seattle (the conference will run from January 25-29, 2013). To help library supporters get ready for the big event, Washington Office staffers prepared a list of sessions that conference-goers should know about before they get to the conference:
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Washington Office Update: What the Election Results Mean for Libraries: An Outlook for the New Congress
How are libraries going to be affected by the newly elected members of Congress? In what ways will the recent presidential and congressional elections impact library policies and legislation? On Saturday, January 26, 2013, Jennifer Duffy, senior editor of The Cook Political Report, will address library activists and detail the new political landscape during the ALA Washington Office Update session from 8:30–10:00a.m. in the Washington State Convention Center Room 602-603.
Duffy, who has accumulated more than 25 years of political campaign experience, is responsible for covering U.S. Senate and governor elections as the senior editor of the Cook Report. To help meeting attendees learn about library advocacy and the current political landscape, Duffy will discuss key characteristics about the new Congress, as well as share with library supporters ways to communicate in ways that will resonate with legislators and other decision makers.
Library supporters are encouraged to ask questions at the event and to discuss the latest issues. Additionally, ALA Washington Office staff will provide updates on a broad range of issues and announce the winners of the Madison, Oakley and Ray Patterson Awards.
Midwinter Meeting Copyright Session
On Saturday, January 26, 2013, from 10:30–11:30 a.m., in WSCC Room 604, the Washington office and the Committee on Legislation Copyright Subcommittee will host a panel discussion exploring the copyright landscape on Capitol Hill at the start of the 113th Congress. The outcome of the recent elections, as well as activity in the courts will be discussed. The focus of the discussion will be on the potential for legislation being introduced in response to the copyright case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Kirtsaeng vs. Wiley & Sons, Inc. At the center of the case is the first sale doctrine, which is also at the heart of what allows libraries to do what they do – lending books and other materials to the public.
Panelists include Kevin Smith, Scholarly Communications Officer, Duke University, Laura Quilter, Copyright and Information Policy Librarian, University of Massachusetts – Amherst, Vailey Oehlke, Director of Libraries, Multnomah County, OR, Lisa Macklin, Director of the Scholarly Communications Office, Emory University, and moderated by Nancy Kranich, Special Projects Librarian, Rutgers University.
E-books and Libraries: Where Do We Stand and Where Are We Going?
Over the past year, the American Library Association has taken significant steps to address the e-book lending issue affecting libraries, including the development of an e-book business models report and the implementation of an aggressive publicity campaign, among other tactics.
On Saturday, January 26, 2013, members of the ALA Digital Content Working Group (DCWG) will discuss ALA initiatives taken thus far—from reports and articles produced, to in-person discussions with publishers in visits to New York—and discuss ALA e-book policy strategies for the future. The session will be held in the Washington State Convention Center Room 602-603 from 1:00-2:30p.m.
The session will include a leading panel of experts and practitioners from the e-book publishing ecosystem that will illuminate policy priorities for ALA going forward. Panelists include: Matt Tempelis, cloud library business manager, 3M; George F. Coe, president of Library and Education, Baker & Taylor; and Jamie LaRue, director, Douglas County Libraries (Colorado).
Digital Literacy Forum: Setting the Agenda
On Saturday, January 26, 3:00-4:00p.m. in the Conference Center of the Washington State Convention Center room 304. Join members of OITP’s Digital Literacy Task Force for an interactive discussion on their forthcoming report, a dissection of their National Conversations, and the first foray into developing a roadmap for future work. The Task Force invited public comment on the draft report and is developing a set of recommendations based on the report and member feedback. How can we ensure librarians continue to be leaders in the digital literacy arena? Contribute to this evolving conversation about digital literacy the role of libraries of all types.
Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013
Public Library Association Update
The Public Library Association (PLA) Digital Learning Center is an exciting initiative supported by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Digital Learning Center will be an online resource for self-directed trainings for end-users to increase their digital literacy and for digital literacy trainers to share tools and best practices. PLA will host its PLA Update session on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, 10:30-11:30a.m. (in room WCC 604). The session will feature national survey results on digital literacy practices in public libraries and wire frames and user flows of a Digital Learning Center beta website.
Most importantly the update will offer attendees the opportunity to provide feedback and professional insight on the early development of this valuable project. A “question-and-answer” session—which will feature Jamie Hollier, PLA’s Digital Learning Center project manager—will follow the PLA update session from 12:00-1:00p.m. in the Washington Convention Center Networking Uncommons area.
To learn more about these sessions, visit www.districtdispatch.org/alamw13
Jazzy Wright is the Press Officer of the American Library Association's Washington Office. Email her at jwright@alawash.org.
