Conference Evaluation

Please remember to complete the online conference evaluation–your feedback helps us make an even better conference!

Conference Wiki

Please remember to visit the conference wiki for presenter/session materials, links, photos and other activities!

Session change: One Book, One Conference

One Book, One Conference: Sherman Alexie’s War Dances, and been moved from Session Six (10:15 – 11:15 Saturday) to Session 3 (3:00 – 4:00 Friday).  The session will still take place upstairs in Maxi’s Lounge.

Marianne Hunter and Andrea Hynes, hosts of the ‘One Book, One Conference’ session have selected War Dances, the latest work by this year’s Banquet Speaker, Sherman Alexie. This short story and poetry collection was selected as the 2010 PEN/Faulkner winner, and book reviewer Mary-Ann Gwinn, in the Seattle Times, wrote that “Sherman Alexie mixes up comedy and tragedy, shoots it through with tenderness, then delivers with a provacateur’s don’t-give-a-damn flourish. He’s unique, and his new book, War Dances, is another case in point.” Please join us for an interesting, informal discussion of War Dances.

Conference Keynote: Digital Reshift

The world is changing, and school libraries certainly aren’t immune. Though change can be difficult, it can also bring new possibilities.

In the case of school libraries, this change means navigating through a digital reshift – an adoption of new tools and techniques that reinvigorate our traditional library practices. WLMA|WALE 2010 Keynote Speaker Christopher Harris, an author and Library Journal Mover & Shaker, has focused on the potential of technology in a flat world to bring powerful changes to the libraries he serves. From an online library portal that provides student-centered access to a library experience 24/7 to a game library that pushes the boundaries of learning resources, Join Christopher at 9:00 AM Friday as he shares a wealth of tools and practices that define the Digital Reshift by focusing on ways libraries can work to change, market, connect, and play.

Conference Connectivity

The conference kickoff is only a couple days away, and everything is coming together nicely as we prepare to gather at the SeaTac DoubleTree for what is going to be a great conference.  However, before we get there, I want to make sure that everyone is updated regarding expectations for wireless/wired connectivity at the hotel and throughout the conference.

Under ideal circumstances, we’d all have ubiquitous, robust and free wireless service available to us at all times and at all locations during the conference.  Well, the infrastructure and price points aren’t quite there yet, but we’re working closely with the hotel and Aruba Networks to provide the best service possible.  Here’s what you can expect:

• Hotel guests can purchase access through hotel network services.  It is my understanding that this will provide in-room access only (not in the conference area)–please contact the hotel for more information.
• The hotel does provide free wireless access in the lobby area of the hotel.
• The WLMA|WALE AV/Tech team is partnering with Aruba Networks and the hotel to provide the best wireless network possible in the conference area.  However, available bandwidth is a significant concern.  The good news: the hotel has assured us that their provider, AT&T, will be upgrading the hotel’s bandwidth this Tuesday (tomorrow!), so the outlook should be better by Wednesday.  It’s the last minute, but we’ll take it!
• All conference presenters and pre-conference session attendees can count on Internet access where and when necessary.
• Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee wireless access for attendees during the regular sessions.  We’re going to try, but we really won’t know what we have to work with until Wednesday night.

Your best bet: we’re also doing our best to make this conference as iPhone/Droid/Blackberry/Smartphone-friendly as possible!  Use your personal mobile devices to stay connected and share ideas via the conference blog, wiki, Facebook and/or Twitter (#wlmawale10).  Click here for more information on how you can utilize these great communication tools to “transform” your conference experience.

Thank you, and have a great conference!

Steve Coker
WLMA President-Elect and Conference Coordinator

Conference Wiki and Twitter

Transform Your Conference Experience With Twitter and the WLMA|WALE Wiki!

To support your ability to connect with other conference goers, we’ve created a wiki for you to share ideas and download handouts for the sessions you attend.  Visit the wiki to find links to helpful resources and stay connected with your peers at the conference!

Find the wiki at http://wlma2010.wikispaces.com!

For those of you who Tweet, the official hashtag for the conference will be #wlmawale10.  Begin your microblogging today!

Click here to learn more about Twitter and using hashtags.

Tour the Seattle Public Library

The Seattle Public Library will be adding extra docent-led tours of the downtown Central Library during the conference. Tours will be Wednesday, Oct.13 at 2pm, Friday Oct.15 at 12pm, and Saturday, Oct.16 at 12pm. Sign-up must be on the same day and in person at the Level 3 Information Desk just inside the Fifth Avenue entrance to the library which is located at 1000 Fourth Avenue in downtown Seattle (an easy two-block walk from the University Street Light Rail station). The tours last approximately one hour. The schedule for public tours can also be accessed by checking the library’s calendar of events and classes.

If you’re travelling from the hotel, Sound Transit Link Light Rail will be the easiest way to get there.  Click here for schedule information, maps, station information and fares.

Last Day to Save!

Today is the last day for “early bird” conference registration–prices for workshops and regular registration go up tomorrow.  Please see the registration page for details.

Also–a note from the registrar: if you have recently attempted to register for full conference, but were unable to do so, please try again.  The problem has been solved!

Two weeks to go–see you all soon!

Session update: Carl Deuker

The 2010 WLMA|WALE Conference committee is happy to announce that Seattle-area author Carl Deuker will be presenting  at 9:00 AM on Saturday the 16th (Session 5).  Carl currently teaches in the Northshore School District outside of Seattle. He is the author of On the Devil’s Court, Heart of a Champion, Night Hoops, Painting the Black, High Heat, Runner, and Gym Candy. On the Devil’s Court was YA book of the year in South Carolina; Heart was named book of the year in Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee; Night Hoops won in Nebraska; and High Heat also won the Golden Sower award in Nebraska.

His latest novel, Payback Time, is now available in bookstores and, of course, will be available at the conference!

Session information updates

Concurrent session information has been updated–you can view the current iteration on the “Sessions” page or by clicking here. Please note that it is still officially a draft as we will continue to shuffle room assignments, so please continue to check back for updates.  Presenters, if you find any errors or omissions, please do not hesitate to contact Steve Coker and Barb Engvall.  Thank you!