Karen Wilhoit, Wright State University

As I begin my term as ALAO President, I am looking forward to the year ahead.  As you might expect, right now I am focused on the Annual Conference which is coming up on October 24 at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington, Ohio.  I am excited about the program we’ve put together; there really is something for everyone! 

Our keynote speaker, Dr. David Carr, will talk about connections, how we create them, what makes them work and what causes them to fail.  After Dr. Carr’s presentation, individual sessions will address connections in a variety of ways.  Some will focus on how we connect with people: on campus with faculty and students, in the community, and across the state.  Others will focus on how we connect our users with information, and still others will focus on how we connect with each other. 

In addition to formal presentations, poster sessions will showcase the programs and projects that have been successful at libraries across the state.  Finally, we will have vendor exhibits; we are pleased to have several vendors that are new to ALAO exhibiting at this conference.

The conference will be preceded on Thursday afternoon, October 23, by an OhioLINK sponsored workshop on the Digital Resource Commons.  Offered by John Davidson, this workshop will provide both an overview of the DRC and an opportunity to get some “hands-on” experience.  Registration for the pre-conference is free, but space is limited.  Please contact Candi Clevenger (candi@ohiolink.edu) for registration and information. 

If you are attending the OhioLINK workshop, or if you’re just arriving on Thursday for the conference, please join us at the pre-conference social.  It’s a wonderful chance to relax with friends or to meet new colleagues. 

Registration for the conference is now open.  For registration and hotel information, as well as more detailed information about the program, please visit the conference website at http://www.alaoweb.org/conferences/conf2008/index.html.

I look forward to seeing you in Wilmington.