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General Information
Due to the size of the ALA Annual Conference, the event takes place in a convention center and several hotels. One or two hotels will be designated "Headquarter" or "Co-Headquarter" hotels, and will host many meetings, programs and special events. Several more hotels will host some events, and many additional hotels will be part of the ALA hotel block to include sleeping rooms. If you have a special physical or communication need that may impact your participation in this meeting, please contact Michelle Visel at 800-545-2433, ext. 3225 as soon as possible. Every effort will be made to meet attendees’ needs but we cannot guarantee the availability of accommodations in response to requests received after May 22, 2009. Based upon availability in each city, we maintain a limited number of wheelchairs and scooters ($25 per day) on a first come, first served basis. Please contact Michelle Visel at 800-545-2433, ext. 3225 as soon as possible to reserve a wheelchair or scooter, for use in the convention center only, or if you wish to discuss any other special needs. For more information, please visit our Accessibility page. Child Care and Camp ALA-Location: McCormick Place South, S104 Make this year’s annual meeting a family affair. Once again, ACCENT on Children’s Arrangements, Inc. has planned a great children’s activity center for ALA convention attendees’ children. ACCENT is a nationally recognized professional childcare company organized to provide quality on-site children’s activities in a nurturing, safe, educational environment. ACCENT’s counselors are fun-loving professionals with plenty of experience with children. With activities such as arts and crafts projects, active games, movies and much more, the children are sure to have a great time. The fun includes optional field trips for children ages 6 and older. CAMP ALA welcomes children ages 6 months – 17 years, and is available Friday, July 10-Tuesday, July 14. The cost for the camp is $80 per child per day. Parents pay $48 per child per day for the center and ALA funds $32 per child per day. An optional $15 lunch is available, or children can bring their lunch. If you prefer, you can register your child for a field trip day instead (children ages 6 years and older only), which includes lunch. The cost for each child with a field trip is $90 per day. Parents pay $58 per child for the field trip day and ALA funds $32 per child per day. A $10 Non-refundable registration fee per child is also required. Download a Children's Program and Registration Form. Descriptions of Field Trips Field Trip: Navy Pier, Children's Museum and IMAX Field Trip: Museum of Science and Industry Field Trip: Shedd Aquarium
Children's Policy Strollers are permitted on the exhibit floor but only if there is a child in them at all times. Unescorted children are not permitted on the exhibit floor. Children under the age of five must be restrained at all times (stroller, back pack, etc.). Any child over the age of five must have an exhibits only badge to be admitted to the exhibit floor. These badges are available at onsite registration for $25. An adult must accompany all children under the age of 16. The New Mother's Room is located in the First Aid Room, Level 1, near the Concierges, McCormick Place West. If you are thinking of attending the ALA Annual Conference, but are concerned about cost, consider applying for a travel grant. A number of different grants to assist in covering costs are offered by ALA vendors and benefactors - but most have early deadlines, so apply soon. Tips for Funding Conference Registration Find out ways to find funding to attend the ALA Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting. The ALA Conference Poster Sessions will be displayed on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at McCormick Place West Exhibits. Poster sessions provide an opportunity for individual librarians or libraries to share graphic representations of current research, programs or creative solutions to library problems. Accepted presenters are given a time block during the conference to present posters, answer questions, and give away handouts relating to the session. Poster Session topics and times are listed in the Annual Conference Program as well as in the online abstracts booklet. For more information about the ALA Poster Sessions, please visit http://www.lib.jmu.edu/org/ala/ The Premier Library Event-No other event in the world offers information professionals the opportunity to learn more about the current issues, trends, and technology in the fields of library and information science. Every year more than 20,000 information professionals from around the globe attend the ALA Annual Conference. Find out more at our international visitors page. Are you an expert? Do you have useful research, subject expertise, or innovative ideas to share? If so, we invite you to share your work with your colleagues. Submit a paper proposal for the 2009 American Library Association Annual Conference to be held in Chicago, IL, July 9-15, 2009. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 27, 2009. Check here for more information. Provided by the ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR), the Placement Services will be available during the Annual Conference. The on-site Placement Center will be open Saturday and Sunday, July 11 & 12, 2009. All services are free to job seekers. Job seekers should register and search for jobs on JobLIST at www.joblist.ala.org. Registration is not required, but is recommended. Registration will give registered employers access to your resume information. It will also allow for direct communication between job seekers and employers. Job seekers should check the final schedule for a listing of available free career guidance workshops. Employers who want a booth in the Placement Center should contact Beatrice Calvin at 800-545-2433, ext. 4280 or bcalvin@ala.org before July 1st. Employers who want to post positions should post them on JobLIST at www.joblist.ala.org. Employers who want to use the on-site interviewing facilities must have an active ad placed on JobLIST. Employers who want to review resumes of registered job seekers will be able to do so once you have an active online ad on JobLIST. Policy 54.3 states, “ALA is committed to equality of opportunity for all library employees or applicants for employment, regardless of race, color, creed, sex, age, physical or mental handicap, individual lifestyle, or national origin.” By advertising through ALA services, the organization agrees to comply with this policy. All available salary ranges shall be listed. For more information, contact Placement Service Manager Beatrice Calvin at bcalvin@ala.org or 800-545-2433, ext. 4280. Each year during Annual Conference, the Chapter Relations Office puts together a group of student volunteers from the chapters to assist ALA staff at the conference. To qualify, the student must be a current ALA member and a member of a student chapter, and cannot have previously participated in the program. Each school has its own selection process, and the chosen student's name must be submitted to ALA by the group's faculty advisor. One student will be accepted per chapter. To find out how you can participate, contact your ALA Student Chapter on campus for their selection criteria, or contact Don Wood in the Chapter Relations Office at dwood@ala.org. By Council action at its 1991 Atlanta Annual Conference, it was resolved that “smoking is prohibited at Midwinter Meetings, Annual Conferences, regional/national conferences, continuing education programs, exhibits and other gatherings sponsored by the ALA.” Meals are not included with regular Conference registration. Some preconferences and banquets include meals as part of an additional ticket price. This information is included with the description of the event. Cognotes, the Conference Daily newspaper, will be available in the Convention Center Saturday - Tuesday, and a Highlights Issue will be mailed to all ALA members after the Conference. If you believe you may be eligible to attend the ALA Annual Conference as Press, please read our Media Credential Policy.
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