Karen Wilhoit, Wright State University

2008 Annual Conference:

The 34th Annual ALAO Conference “Connecting the Campus: Linking Users, Institutions, and Information” was held at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington, Ohio on October 24th.  Over 300 registered attendees enjoyed a day of presentations, panel discussions, and poster sessions highlighting the work of academic libraries in Ohio and other states.   Keynote speaker David Carr’s address reminded us that “We are the Connections.”  Following the keynote address, twenty-seven breakout sessions covered a wide range of topics including library instruction, the use of web 2.0 technologies in libraries, working with first year students, and new library services and initiatives.  In addition to breakout sessions, twenty plus poster sessions offered further examples of ALAO members’ creative efforts to connect with their campuses.

The 2008 Conference Planning Committee has completed its work as we met with the 2009 committee on November 14 to discuss the just completed conference and make the switch to planning for next year.  Your evaluations of the conference, which were very positive overall, are greatly appreciated and will be very helpful to next year’s committee, especially since the Conference will again be held at the Roberts Centre.  I would be remiss if I did not thank the members of my Conference Planning Committee for their efforts; the conference could not have been the success it was without their help.  They are:

•    Don Appleby – University of Akron
•    Maureen Barry – Wright State University
•    Joyce Burnett – Brown Mackie College – Findlay
•    John D. Crissinger – OSU-Newark/COTC
•    Deberah England – Wright State University
•    Matthew Farthing – Owens Community College
•    Kevin Furniss – Denison University
•    Sheryl Gannon – Heidelberg College
•    Cliff Glaviano – Bowling Green State University
•    Brian C. Gray – Case Western University
•    Stephena Harmony – University of Cincinnati
•    Angel M. Jackson – Columbus State Community College
•    Louis E. Mays – Southern State Community College
•    Krista McDonald – Miami University Hamilton
•    Melanie McGurr – Ohio State University
•    Alisa Mizikar – Wittenberg University
•    Eric Resnis – Miami University
•    Diana S. Riemenscheider
•    Oliva P. Riley – DeVry University
•    Kathryn Venditti – Ashland University
•    Rob Withers – Miami University

Thanks are also due to the student volunteers from Kent State, the University of Kentucky, and Southern State Community College who helped to make the day run smoothly.  I would also like to thank my institution, Wright State University Libraries, for providing the laptops that were used in the breakout rooms.

Finally, I must recognize the vendors whose support made the conference possible.  We had a record twenty-six vendors attending this year’s conference, several of them new to ALAO.  Please let them know that you appreciate their support of our association.  The vendors attending were:

Diamond Sponsor:

•    OhioNET  – sponsor of President’s Program

Platinum Sponsor:

•    Vision Pro, Inc. –  projection equipment provider

Silver Sponsors:

•    Gale/Cengage Learning – conference gift cosponsor
•    Emery-Pratt Company – lanyards sponsor
•    ProQuest – vendor social sponsor
•    YBP Library Services – afternoon break sponsor
•    Wimba – no conflict time sponsor

Bronze Level Sponsors:

•    ALA Editions (not attending)
•    Chronicle of Higher Education (not attending)
•    EBSCO Information Services
•    Learning Express LLC
•    Swets Information Services

Attending Vendors:

•    Bayscan Technologies
•    Blackwell
•    Carrick Enterprises
•    CIM Technology Solutions
•    Credo Reference
•    H.W. Wilson
•    IEEE
•    Kuder, Inc.
•    Lilly’s Media Logistics
•    Millennium Business Systems
•    Ohio Appalachian Council for Higher Education
•    Ohio Library Support Staff Institute
•    Portico
•    Regional Library Systems of Ohio
•    Southern Ohio Center of Excellence
•    State Library of Ohio