[Publib] ALA conference sites

Tue Jul 10 11:46:10 EDT 2007

Ok, as a Southern California librarian, I'll take the bait here.  Weather
wise next year should see low 80's in Anaheim, and it could well be cooler.
June is always noted for morning clouds which give us the phrase "June
gloom", which burn off in the afternoon.  There isn't any humidity compared
to back East.

Having attended a large annual conference here (25,000 people) for the last
20 years, Anaheim is more than capable of hosting that many people.  No
where, and I emphasize NO WHERE has as many hotel rooms as close to the
convention center as does Anaheim.  Most hotels will be within walking
distance or a few blocks away as all of them are concentrated on the edges
of Disneyland.  There are great restaurants, especially in Downtown Disney
(Brennan's Jazz Kitchen from New Orleans etc), and of course that amusement
park just beckons for more excitement!

No city is perfect, and since I've been an ALA member for over 30 years,
I've seen most of the Conference cities over and over again.  Chicago can be
nice (like last time) or a bear weather wise earlier.  Dallas is a disaster
too as the hotels are really spread out, and the weather at the end of June
awful.  Atlanta can be nice weather wise or alternatively hot and muggy too.
I agree that both Florida sites didn't work (especially Miami Beach--what
were they thinking?).

I thought DC was wonderful (the weather really cooperated for a change) and
there's so much to see and great restaurants too.

See you next year!

Norm Reeder
Torrance Public Library

-----Original Message-----
From: James Casey [mailto:jcasey at oaklawnlibrary.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 6:25 AM
To: suekamm at mindspring.com; charles hobbs; publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] ALA conference sites

Sue:  As I recall, the Cincinnati City Council failed to pass a Gay
Rights ordinance in 1993 and ALA Executive Board decided to pull the ALA
Mid Winter for 1995 from Cincinnati and give it to Philadelphia (of
Frank Rizzo fame).
Philly was a snowy site, but well attended and convenient for many
folks.

Sites get zapped more commonly due to weather, transportation and
lodging issues.  Miami in Summer 1994 was a disaster in terms of
attendance, heat and ground transportation issues.  Florida was tainted
by the Miami debacle. Consequently, Orlando was dumped for 1996 in favor
of New York City.  New York City proved to be plagued with labor and
construction issues as well as problems that forced it to be held around
the July 4th weekend in 1996.  Consequently we haven't been back to NYC
since 1996 and won't see it again until 2013.  Orlando 2004 was a
disaster nearly as big as Miami 1994.
And Orlando has been dumped for 2010 in favor of Washington, D.C..
San Francisco was always among the favorite sites and most well attended
Conferences until labor problems in the hotels in 2001 caused the site
to fall off the list of sites.  The Executive Board decided to stay with
New Orleans in 2006 despite the destruction of Katrina, destruction of
many businesses and lingering fears about toxics.  While it proved to be
the lowest attendance of any prior ALA Annual, I would bet that it won't
be removed from the list.  The Executive Board moves in mysterious ways.

Anaheim for ALA Annual 2008 may well be another Orlando.  Those I know
who have been to that city have been disappointed in the lack of
downtown amenities (if you don't like Mickey Mouse) and the huge
distance from LAX (Los Angeles Airport) --- a very long cab ride of some
$90 -- and the closer airport in Anaheim is very expensive to book
flights.  Of course, it will be fairly hot in the Summer as well.  

James B. Casey --- My own views
ALA Council Member

-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Sue Kamm
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 10:47 PM
To: charles hobbs; publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] ALA conference sites

It was an ALA division, ACRL (Association of College and Research
Libraries) that did that.  

There was a precedent: ALA refused to meet in states that had not
ratified
the Equal Rights Amendment, and I believe pulled a Midwinter meeting
from
Cincinnati because of censorship of an exhibition of Robert
Mapplethorpe's
work.

Your friendly neighborhood CyberGoddess and ALA Councilor at Large, 
Sue Kamm
Email: suekamm[at]mindspring.com
Inglewood/Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles Dodgers Truest of the Blue, 2000
Visit my blog:  http://suekamm.blogspot.com
Baseball Is Life...the rest is details.

> [Original Message]
> From: charles hobbs <cph1776 at yahoo.com>
> To: <publib at webjunction.org>
> Date: 7/9/2007 8:26:11 PM
> Subject: [Publib] ALA conference sites
>
> >Here is some information about how ALA conference
> sites >are chosen.
> >http://www.ala.org/ala/confservices/upcoming/upcomingconferences.htm
>
> Wasn't there some politically oriented decisions as
> well (for example, didn't ALA threaten to pull out of
> Arizona because of the lack of Martin Luther King Day
> there?)
>
>
>
>
>        
>
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