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The American Library Association's (ALA) Annual Conference, June 24?30, in steamy Orlando, drew 19,575 people, including 5,739 exhibitors, the lowest total since Miami in 1994, not counting the SARS-shadowed conference in Toronto last year (see statistics, p. 15). Although this years conference was filled with exciting events, this abstract is able to cover but a few, owing to space restrictions. A more detailed account of the numerous meetings and happenings is provided in the full text article. Top issues covered were funding and recruiting, as well as technology implementation, including the increasingly popular RFID. ALA began to confront some organizational issues, including a possible dues increase. National politics was a hot topic, too. A benefit screening of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 drew a nearly full house to a 2300-seat auditorium. At the Opening General Session, former counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke, author of the best seller Against All Enemies, gave an impassioned speech, both lament and warning, about America's failure to confront its national security challenges. He criticized the USA PATRIOT Act and urged librarians "to continue to be outspoken." His remarks earned a sustained standing ovation. Other events at the annual conference included a panel discussion where a capacity crowd heard a members speak on "The Future of Libraries: Disappearing Libraries and Invisible Librarians." Clifford Lynch of the Coalition for Networked Information noted that libraries will diverge in maintaining the twin responsibilities of access and stewardship. He said that major research libraries are starting to ask how much they should invest in stewardship and how much they should "kick off" to national libraries. Lynch further observed that research libraries will devote much more effort to managing content that is created by scholarly communities but does not pass through publishers--including institutional repositories.

Discusses digital reference services, also known as virtual reference, chat reference, or online reference, based on a round table discussion at the 2002 American Library Association annual conference in Atlanta. Topics include numbers and marketing; sustainability; competition and models; evaluation methods; outsourcing; staffing and training; and future possibilities. (LRW)

Reports on the American Library Association's 2002 annual conference in Atlanta. Topics include incoming president Mitch Freedman's initiative to improve librarian salaries; author presentations; new technology, especially Amazon.com, and the library's role; ALA politics; intellectual freedom issues; salaries and recruiting; interoperability; and copyright. (LRW)

Reviews the American Library Association (ALA) midwinter conference, including lobbying aims, plans for an organizational review, gay rights activities, high-tech conference exhibits and seminars, and ALA presidential candidates. ALA Executive Director Peggy Sullivan and the 1993 conference of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) are subjects of sidebar articles. (KRN)

Reports on the American Library Association's 1992 Midwinter Meeting. Topics discussed include the Kreimer v. Morristown case and its possible ramifications for other libraries dealing with homeless and other problem patrons; the White House Conference on Library and Information Services (WHCLIS); National Research and Education Network (NREN); library school accreditation; and automation vendors. (LRW)

Reports on the 1992 National Conference of African American Librarians, sponsored by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (ALA). Highlights include participants; programs on topics such as political issues, recruitment, and the involvement of African-American librarians in ALA; exhibitors; and a list of African-American library leaders active in conference planning. (MES)

Report on the 1992 American Library Association (ALA) conference discusses featured speakers, political actions of the ALA Council, guidelines on patron behavior, the resignation of ALA Executive Director Linda Crismond, and conference exhibits. Excerpts from an address by new ALA president Marilyn Miller on empowering people through libraries are included. (MES)

Four articles provide overviews of as many library association conferences, i.e., the American Library Association (ALA), Canadian Library Association (CLA), Medical Library Association (MLA), and Special Library Association (SLA). Highlights include budget concerns; honors and awards; social, national, and international issues; and changes in the profession. (LRW)

Discusses the 1991 White House Conference on Library and Information Services (WHCLIS). Topics discussed include conference issues, including keynote speakers, procedural difficulties, and the failure to attract media attention; and substantive issues, including a recommendation to establish an office to focus on children and youth literacy, and NREN (National Research and Education Network). (LRW)

Reports on the 1991 annual meeting of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). Topics discussed include the level of legal research skills needed by law students; computer-assisted legal research; education for law librarianship; the need for international and foreign law specialists; and recruitment, especially of qualified minorities. (LRW)

Describes an ethnic collection development conference held in California that focused on how librarians can meet the needs of the growing numbers of ethnic and racial minorities. Topics discussed include library management; sources of reviews for ethnic titles; selection criteria; acquisitions procedures; cataloging practices; subject heading terminology; and stereotyping. (LRW)

Reports on the Third National Conference of African American Librarians held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, July 31-August 3, 1997. Discusses affirmative action; traditionally black colleges; the recruitment of African Americans to librarianship; equitable job opportunities; children; loss of jobs to technology; authors and other notables; and conference exhibits, noting the declining attendance of library vendors. (PEN)

Report of the 1992 American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) conference summarizes sessions on surviving the economic crisis; global information needs; training initiatives; foreign, comparative, and international law; AALL government information activities; and recommendations to the 1991 White House Conference on Library and Information Services. (MES)

Recounts history of development of Universal Availability of Publications (UAP) concept over past decade. Origin of concept in International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, three resolutions dealing with international interlibrary loans, conferences, Unesco support, and a document prepared for the 1982 UAP Congress are highlighted. Twenty-four references are cited. (EJS)

This first of three articles describing implementation of 1979 White House Conference on Library and Information Services resolutions covers leadership role of National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, needs of underserved, organizations and professions, international activities, public/private sector interaction, statistics and fees, and Library Services and Construction Act amendments. (EJS)

Eight articles in special supplement to "Library Journal" and "School Library Journal" cover a computer program called "Byte into Books"; microcomputers and the small library; creating databases with students; online searching with a microcomputer; quality automation software; Meckler Publishing Company's Software/Computer Conference; and teaching online searching in high schools. (EJS)

The American Library Association (ALA) 1987 Midwinter Conference was characterized by process, particularly the new planning process which threatens to drain ALA's money and leadership energy away from the substantive issues that need attention, such as the next Librarian of Congress's qualifications and services to minorities and the poor. (EM)

The theme of the 1987 annual conference of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) was "Information: Relationships with Other Disciplines." Educators agreed that to survive programs have to engage in interdisciplinary interaction, the crucial factor being either which discipline to join or how the school organizes itself. (EM)

Reports on the First African and African-American International Federation of Library Associations Pre-Conference Seminar, which was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in August 1984. Papers and issues highlighted cover publishing and ethnic collections, combatting racism, children's services, school libraries, public library services, academic libraries, information technology, and African librarianship awards. (EJS)

Summarizes events at the 1988 Medical Library Association (MLA) annual meeting, which addressed such issues as the growing complexities of the health care field, credentialing, and technological change. A list of MLA officers and awards is included. (MES)

Summarizes events at the 1988 Special Libraries Association (SLA) annual conference which addressed such issues as the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Library Awareness Program, SLA professional development projects, creativity, and child care at conferences and the workplace. A listing of SLA officers and awards is included. (MES)

Summarizes events at the 1988 American Library Association (ALA) annual conference, which addressed such issues as professional recruiting, national politics, leadership, copyright problems, support for the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, accreditation, and intellectual freedom. A listing of ALA officers and awards is included. (MES)

Highlights program activities of the commission, and considers projected effects of the White House Conference on it. Future concerns are noted including the role of the school and public library, the needs of research and scholarship when knowledge is multiplying rapidly, and mediation between library and information services and users. (SW)

Advocates development of libraries through statewide approach, using as an example the West Virginia library system where a conference on libraries was sponsored to increase citizen awareness and involvement. Workshops, outreach programs, open access, and library sharing are tools mentioned to make the library more useful to the individual. (SW)

Describes the movement toward establishing a national information policy, especially in the areas of privacy and international concerns. Considered are the effects of the information technology explosion on individuals, mass media, institutions, and public libraries. (SW)

Briefly reviews the history of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), outlines the contrasts between IFLA and the American Library Association, describes the social environment within which IFLA conference activities are carried out, and discusses the major activities and organizational missions of IFLA. (JL)

BookExpo America (BEA) had some extra zing this year, especially for librarians. A record 1800 library professionals preregistered for the book fair in Chicago, June 3-6, a leap beyond the 750 last year in Los Angeles. They found an industry that has shaken off post-9/11 doldrums. Bill Clinton's keynote to kick off the show and promote My Life (Knopf) reminded many why they wished he could run again. Saying he "tried to show how this one little story was part of America's big story," Clinton gave a 45-minute history of America intertwined with his own. Clinton spent much of his childhood listening to the recollections of family and friends, so when he went into politics, "I had an enormous advantage... because I liked people and I liked to listen to their stories." The article continues with a listing of other book titles featured at this event.

The author of this article shares her opinions and feelings on attending the American Library Association (ALA) Conference. She admits that she hates going to the exhibits. In this article, the author shares a list of hints to make exhibit time more productive.

Reports on the Special Library Association's 2002 annual conference in Los Angeles. Highlights include declining attendance; revised bylaws; changes that occurred during the past year; possible changes to the name of the organization; keynote speakers; and future plans. (LRW)

At a two-day symposium held in DeKalb, Illinois, university administrators and library directors debated key issues of the library's role in higher education: invisible ownership of books, dual governance, on-campus competition for information delivery, collective bargaining and unions, government support, trends in higher education, cooperation/competition issue, and journals versus computers. (EJS)

Summarizes events at the 1988 Association of American University Presses annual meeting, which addressed such issues as publishing opportunities, regional publishing, library relations, and scholarly research. (MES)

Summarizes events at the 1988 Canadian Library Association (CLA) annual conference, which addressed such issues as access to information, CLA finances, and the information marketplace. A list of CLA officers and awards is included. (MES)

Outlines the state of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) on the eve of its 48th General Conference, reviews the important functions of IFLA, summarizes the important issues in international librarianship to be addressed at the conference, describes the IFLA relationship with ALA, and briefly discusses IFLA and politics. (JL)