2011 WLA Conference: Libraries - A Renewable Resource

WLA Conference Chair Bernie Bellin and his planning committee for the 2011 Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference have been busy working on details for this much anticipated event. WLA members will converge on southeast Wisconsin for this conference slated for November 1 – 4, 2011, at the beautiful Hilton Milwaukee City Center Hotel and Frontier Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee.

This year we celebrate WLA’s 120th Anniversary, and the conference theme is “Libraries – A Renewable Resource.”

We are very excited about this year’s conference’s keynote speaker Stephen Abram, MLS.  Abram is Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Markets for Cengage Learning, and a leading international librarian and lighthouse thinker in the North American library community, with extensive experience in library technology and trend forecasting. He has more than 25 years in libraries as a practicing librarian and in the information industry.

He was Past-President of SLA and of the Ontario and Canadian Library Associations. He also served as Vice President of Innovation for SirsiDynix and Chief Strategist for the SirsiDynix Institute. His columns appear in Information Outlook and Multimedia and Internet @ Schools, OneSource, Feliciter, Access, as well as writing for Library Journal. He is the author of ALA Editions' bestselling Out Front with Stephen Abram.

Stephen was also listed by Library Journal as one of the top 50 people influencing the future of libraries. He has received numerous honors and speaks regularly internationally and is a speaker in demand. We are fortunate to offer his insight at this year’s opening session!

Engaging writer/illustrator Tad Hills has also been announced as the YSS Luncheon speaker.  Tad is the winner of the 2011 Irma Simonton Black & James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature for his bestselling picture book, How Rocket Learned to Read.  In addition, Tad is the author and illustrator of the highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling picture books Duck & Goose and Duck, Duck, Goose. Hills’ appearance promises to be fun.

Calling all Book Cart Drill Teams…
An opportunity awaits for all those “closet drill carters” out there who’ve secretly been wanting to strut their stuff in the WLA Book Cart Drill Team competition, but until now have held back, waiting for the competition to take place on the big stage…Milwaukee!  Well, now is your opportunity.  This is the “official” call for entries – use the attached form to register your team.  The deadline for registering is June 1st.  Get ready to blow people away with your technical and artistic performance.

The WLA Foundation Fundraiser Will Be Serving Some Fun at Spin
Get ready to become a part of the trendy, hip scene while in Milwaukee, as the WLA Foundation hosts this year’s fundraiser at Spin Milwaukee, a 16,500-square foot table-tennis social club located in the Historic Third Ward. A dozen top-quality table-tennis courts on cushioned Olympic-competition flooring, plus a 13th stadium-like center court.  Spin Milwaukee also houses a pro shop, restaurant, bar, lounge and two private event rooms. BTW, Spin Milwaukee is licensed from an investor group owned by actress Susan Sarandon that owns and started Spin New York…so if you fancy yourself as “hip” (and you know you do!) you just have to be there.

Your Conference Planning Committee members for this year’s conference include:  Conference Chair, Bernie Bellin; Pam Belden (Waterford Public Library); David Weinberg-Kinsey (Cardinal Stritch University Library); Peter Loeffel (St. Francis Public Library); Adam Brisk (Indianhead Technical College); Jim Schwieters (SirsiDynix); Mary Milinkovich (Milwaukee Public Library); Mary Murphy (Wauwatosa Public Library); Linda Bendix (Frank L. Weyenberg Library); Jennifer Williams (Frank L. Weyenberg Library); Michael Kenney (Appleton Public Library); Linda Pierschalla (Whitefish Bay Public Library); Jim Novy (Lakeshores Library System); Joe Rice (Brown Deer Public Library); Kathy Blume (Milwaukee Area Technical College); WLA President Rhonda K. Puntney (Lakeshores Library System) and Brigitte Rupp Vacha (WLA Conference Liaison).
--Michael Kenney, Publicity Chair