[Publib] Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference announcement

[Rose Chenoweth]

The annual national conference of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) will be held this fall in Sacramento on September 19 - 21, 2008.  This is the first time in a very long time that the conference has moved from Columbus, Ohio.  A majority of people who attend this conference come from libraries that serve a population of 25,000 or fewer - many, of course, are much smaller than that.   We are planning for about 300 conference participants from around the country.  Conference information and registration, as well as membership information is available at www.webjunction.org/arsl.

 

ARSL's Vice President/President Elect, Patty Hector, Assistant System Director for North Bay, North State and Mountain Valley Library Systems (CA) is the conference chair.  She and her national team have put together a great array of keynote speakers and hands on workshops for this conference, including:

 

 

·         George Needham and Joan Frye Williams

 

·         Bill Harmer, Head of Adult Services, Chelsea District Library
Serving Seniors:  Giving Them What They Want From the Award-Winning Chelsea District Library, with Rebecca Miller, Library Journal, The Best Small Library Award

 

·         Jessamyn West, Library Technologist (and longtime blogger) "Tiny Libraries, Tiny Tech"

 

·         Recently added to the agenda:  Betty Ann Dellehay, discussing ICMA's "Local Government and Public Libraries Partnership Initiative"   from the perspective of a small rural library director. 

 

 

Last year, the California State Library provided scholarships using LSTA funds for 22 rural California library staff to attend this conference in Columbus, Ohio.   Their responses to the experience were so positive, that State Librarian Susan Hildreth has decided to provide the opportunity for many more to attend this year. Many of last year's scholarship recipients continue to tell us what a great "hands on" conference this is for them.  They have used knowledge, ideas and/or contacts they gained in Columbus last fall to benefit library service in their rural communities, and they are serving as a local arrangements committee for the conference this fall.

 

 

For this year's ARSL conference, California is offering a combination of full and partial scholarships.  This idea came from the field who said that if the State Library could even help with part of a scholarship, they could use some local resources to assist them in allowing additional people to attend.  For example, several county libraries who received one full and one partial scholarship, have found ways to send 3 or even 4 people by creatively leveraging the funds provided by the State Library.

 

Conference fees are very reasonable . . . Early Bird Registration for members can be as low as $148 for the full two and ½ day conference.  ARSL also did a member survey last year, and has changed its Membership options to include a sliding scale based on salary (the lowest membership is now only $9!!), and expanded to include an Institutional membership category http://www.bcr.org/ARSL/membership.html.  In addition to other benefits, Institutional Members are also listed as sponsors on the ARSL website -  many thanks already to the Washington, Alaska, and California State Libraries who have chosen that option.

 

ARSL is now a WebJunction partner, and has contracted with BCR for fiscal, membership and website services.  ARSL's main website is www.webjunction.org/arsl <blocked::http://www.webjunction.org/arsl>  -- and some "back room" web applications such as online registration for the conference, and online membership services are developed and housed at BCR, and then linked appropriately to the WebJunction site.

 

 

Questions about how California is managing their conference scholarship program may be directed to:  Jon Torkelson -- jtorkelson at library.ca.gov <blocked::mailto:jtorkelson at library.ca.gov>  or (916) 651-3037

 

Questions about ARSL itself, this year's conference, information about potentially bringing the conference to your state,or if you wish to recommend a rural or small library leader to be considered by ARSL for nomination to fill some Board seats this year (election will be held over the summer -- current ARSL board list available at http://www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=18416) please contact:  

·         Patty Hector - pattynbc at sonic.net <blocked::mailto:pattynbc at sonic.net>  or (707) 544-0142 ext. 103

·         Carla Lehn -- clehn at library.ca.gov <blocked::mailto:clehn at library.ca.gov>  or (916) 653-7743

 

 

Rose M. Chenoweth

ARSL Board Member and ARSL Conference Committee Member

and

Library Development Consultant

Consulting and Continuing Education Department

Alliance Library System

600 High Point Lane

East Peoria, IL  61611

 

 

Systems Build Community

The Alliance Library System is one of nine multitype systems cooperating to provide essential services to the citizens of Illinois.

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