I hate to write this report today (even as late as it is) because I know that as soon as I meet with NJ (Wednesday after the SUNYLA meeting) I will have MUCH more information.
Our conference theme: The Library of the Future (and the future of libraries.) We wanted it to be broad enough that people don't have to shoehorn their topics of interest around it, but we also want to provoke discussion. We have a logo (designed by Heather Shalhoub, another ESC Librarian.)
Call for presentations is ready to go out. (Thank you Stephanie Herfel!)
Keynote (Thursday at lunch): We hit a snag with our first choice. Mr. Lanier charges $10k and up per appearance! I will update this post when I hear back on whether we secured our second choice!
We are still hammering out details of housing. At the moment, FIT is holding firm on the $80-something a night figure, and that's for a shared room. They are also holding firm on the fact that they won't supply linens. I am looking into getting an outside linens service and finding a vendor who will sponsor that! I am pretty sure that if people are coming in on trains and subways, they will not be thrilled about having to carry a pillow, towel, and sleeping bag in addition to all their other stuff.
We have some fantastic ideas for fun things, like an ice cream social - sponsored by vendors. Carol Anne Germain is an idea dynamo!
Along the same lines, a few years ago there was a conference (SUNYLA? CIT?) that had a knitter's lounge. Would a crafter's lounge be something people would be interested in? IDS often has a game lounge. Would that be more to people's liking? The dorms have all the space in the world for us to do that kind of thing, if you think people will go for it.
We are interested in hearing your opinions on setting up panel discussions on topics of interest, and salting them with big idea people both from around SUNY and outside it. Feedback please!
NJ is hoping to draw many CUNY people by having a single-day registration. He also wants to use his position in SCLD to get more directors to come, which he hopes will be appealing to vendors. Also on that line, Carol Anne suggested selling program space to vendors who can't/won't do a table in person.
December-February should be a more active period, what with the call for proposals going out. We will be coming up with our tracks, plus the various "extracurricular activities." And I will have more information soon, especially once I've got all the local arrangements stuff sorted with NJ.
