ILA Conference 2013 - Rebecca

Illinois Library Association Conference October 14-17, 2013 (Navy Pier, Chicago) 

This year, the entire Technical Services staff (Linda Steffens, Linda Ertler, Beth Lukaszewicz and myself) had the opportunity to attend at least one day of the Illinois Library Association Conference at Navy Pier.  Despite a long commute and gloomy weather, Navy Pier was a great location for the conference, and I especially enjoyed visiting the beautiful Grand Ballroom.

Monday, October 14

RDA: It’s not ARmageDdon: a Practical Guide to Using the New Cataloging Code – Mary Konkel, College of DuPage Library, Adam Schiff, University of Washington Libraries, Bobby Bothmann, Mankato State University - Sarah Kurpiel and I attended this (free) RDA pre-conference on Columbus Day.  This jam-packed session had plenty of practical examples, and we came away with two workbooks on cataloging books and A/V materials using RDA.

Tuesday, October 15

Customer Service and Beyond - Dawn Mushill

E-Books for Illinois: Baker & Taylor Axis 360 Shared Collection - Deirdre Brennan, RAILS, Patrick Moore, Baker and Taylor, Jane Plass, Associate Executive Director, Reaching Across Illinois Library System, Veronda Pitchford, Reaching Across Illinois Library System - Veronda outlined the consortial model for the new Baker & Taylor eRead Illinois Project.

Awards Luncheon - Jeannie Dilger presented several of the awards!

E-Book Essentials: Everything You Need to Know About E-Books and Libraries Now - Deirdre Brennan, RAILS, Keith Michael Fiels, American Library Association, Larra Clark, American Library Association - The presenters discussed how the ALA is working with publishers to make more eBook titles available to public libraries.

How To Give and Receive Feedback at All Levels - Magen Rameau, Management Association, Candace Fisher, Management Association, Lauren Soderstrom

The Amazing eBook Race: A Conversation With the Contestants - Kara Kohn, Plainfield Public Library, Julia Churchill, Oak Lawn Public Library, Lynnette Hopwood, Adult Services Senior Librarian, Fountaindale Public Library, Jane Jenkins, Assistant Director, Green Hills Public Library District - Staff from nearby libraries discussed why they chose certain eBook vendors, such as OverDrive, 3M and Freading, and shared their experiences working with patrons on these new services.

Wednesday, October 16

Fire Up a Dynamic Strategic Plan! - Kate Hall, New Lenox Public Library District, Mary Soucie, Three Rivers Public Library, Kathy Berggren, Matteson Public Library - Representatives from three very different libraries discussed how they developed a strategic plan based on their library's core values and mission statement.

PDA in Libraries: The Why and How of Patron Driven Acquisitions - Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, Diane Marshbank-Murphy, Chicago Public Library - The Chicago Public Library system, made up of 79 libraries, recently implemented a service in their OPAC, in which patrons can place holds on titles that the library has not yet purchased.

ILA Membership Meeting

Public Libraries: The Future is Now! - Megan Millen, Flossmoor Public Library, Jane Schulten, Crete Public Library, Jennifer Hathcock, Technology Administrator, Flossmoor Public Library, Kate Hall, New Lenox Public Library District, Carolyn Ciesla, Homewood Public Library - This session covered multiple topics affecting public libraries, including eBooks, print reference collections and designing creative spaces.

Thursday, October 17

RDA: the Nuts and Bolts – Joy Anhalt, Tinley Park Public Library, Richard Stewart, Indian Trails Library District, Jennifer Young, Northwestern University Library - Cataloging staff summarized RDA cataloging conventions.

Resources and Technical Services Forum Meeting - We had a record-breaking 23 attendees at the meeting, and I suggested several program ideas for next year's ILA Conference in Springfield.

You Can Make I.T. On Your Own – Ahren Sievers, Elmwood Park Public Library 

Vendor Visits

In addition to attending the workshops, I also had time to visit the Exhibit Hall. I am on the eVideo Committee at the La Grange PL to select a downloadable/streaming video service, so I met with three vendors -  Midwest Tape (Hoopla), Library Ideas (Freegal Movies) and Recorded Books (IndieFlix).