Post-conference Pics and Powerpoint Presentations

We’ve added a few pics of the conference to the website for you to peruse, but we don’t have a lot of good ones!  So if anyone would like to share some pics we can add to our gallery, please send them to apla2014moncton@gmail.com.

We’ve also started adding some Powerpoint presentations to the website as well.  They’re not all available yet, but we will keep adding them as our presenters continue to send them to us.

Thanks again for joining us at this year’s APLA conference, and we hope to see you next year in Newfoundland.

Daily prize draws during conference

At each morning and afternoon break during the conference, listen for your name being called! There will be daily prize draws for gift certificates, artwork, CDs, mugs, gift baskets, and more.  Entry into the daily prize draws is automatic with your registration. You must be present to claim your prize, so be sure to join us for the draws at the beginning of each break!

    

This year we have a fantastic Exhibits Grand Prize: a Samsung 10.1″ 16GB Galaxy Tab 2 tablet with Wi-Fi & 4G LTE (valued at $499). How do you win this attractive piece of technology? Receive a ballot at each table you visit in the exhibits hall to enter your name into the Exhibits Grand Prize draw. Visit all 31 exhibitors to increase your chances of winning! The draw for this prize will take place during the Thursday afternoon break. If the winner is not onsite at the time of the draw, the tablet will be sent by mail.

And don’t forget to bid on items at the CODE silent auction beside the registration table. Funds raised go towards the APLA Grow a Library campaign and items won go towards your suitcase. Win-win!

Spotlight on Student Research

Wondering what intriguing topics MLIS students are researching these days?  Find out in our web exclusive Spotlight on Student Research, a new presentation format being launched at this year’s APLA conference! Brief presentations of recent research projects are online now for you to browse. A live Twitter chat will take place during the conference to explore each topic. Follow @APLAcontact and join the conversation! Stop by the registration desk during Friday’s break to chat with the students about their research.

Dine-Around info

Never participated in a Dine-Around?  Here’s the lowdown: those who are so inclined will have the opportunity to sign up for a group supper on Wednesday evening at one of downtown Moncton’s fine dining establishments. A great opportunity to discover local flavours and network with new and old colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere!  Check out the fantastic restaurant choices on the conference website: https://apla2014.wordpress.com/social/

Sign-up sheets for each restaurant will be made available at the registration desk, and since the sign-up window is pretty small (Wednesday morning, essentially), we’ve decided to let people sign up for their chosen restaurant in advance through our online schedule: http://aplaconference2014.sched.org/.  All you need to do is create your Sched account, and add the restaurant of your choice to your personalised conference schedule to register – easy as pie!

Plan out your conference with Sched

Have you had a peek at the APLA conference programme yet? You’ll love Sched, especially if you have a smartphone or tablet and download the app! You can create your own profile, pick the sessions you plan to attend, and Sched will send you your personalised schedule on a daily basis during the conference. By using Sched and picking your sessions in advance, you’re also helping the planning committee choose the most appropriate rooms for each presentation depending on group size. So surf around, create a Sched profile, and discover Sched’s great features here: http://aplaconference2014.sched.org/.

There’s still time to register for the conference, we hope you’ll join us in Moncton in June!

2014 APLA Merit Award Winner

The Atlantic Provinces Library Association is pleased to announce that this year’s recipient of the APLA Merit Award is Jennifer Evans, the Provincial Librarian for Nova Scotia.

The APLA Merit Award honours an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to library services in the Atlantic Provinces. Jennifer is known for her excellent leadership and communication skills and her leadership on significant projects at the local, provincial, territorial, and national levels. One supporter writes of “Jennifer’s outstanding leadership qualities in facilitation, collaboration, consultation and diplomacy.”

Jennifer is a founding member of Libraries Nova Scotia, a network of public, university and college libraries working together to provide seamless, barrier-free access to information sources for all Nova Scotians. Libraries Nova Scotia initiatives include BARA (Borrow Anywhere, Return Anywhere), the Nova Scotia Historical Newspapers Online digitization project, and One Book Nova Scotia. She has also worked to provide equitable library access to people with print disabilities, and to improve library services for Acadian and francophone Nova Scotians. She was the 2013 recipient of the Bonjour! Award for Excellence in French-Language Services.

Please join us in celebrating Jennifer Evans’ service and accomplishments at the Merit Award banquet on Thursday, June 5^th, during the APLA conference in Moncton. 

How to book a room at the conference hotel

Have you booked your room at the Delta Beauséjour yet? The hotel has set aside some rooms specifically for our conference attendees, but these rooms will be unblocked and made available to the general public after April 28th. So reserve your room today, it’s as easy as pie using APLA’s personalised Delta page: https://www.deltahotels.com/Groups/Delta-Beausejour-Groups/Atlantic-Provinces-Library-Association2. You can also reserve by phone (1-888-890-3222), and be sure to mention the APLA conference when you do!

Call for Volunteers

The APLA 2014 Conference is fast approaching, and even if you’re not presenting you can still Step into the Spotlight by volunteering!  Your assistance can make all the difference in making sure everyone has a terrific conferencing experience.

Here are some of the volunteering opportunities :

• Session moderator : Why not take on the role of moderator for sessions you plan to attend so you won’t miss out on any of the action?  We’ll provide you with the background information and instructions you need to make sure the sessions run smoothly and on schedule. Interested parties can contact Amanda Horsman (amanda.horsman@umoncton.ca) to add their name to the list. Be sure to indicate if you’re willing to moderate more than one session, and how many.
• Registration desk : Want to be one of those friendly faces that welcomes delegates to the conference? Consider spending a block of time at the registration desk. We already have a few volunteers for this task, but we are still seeking a few more. Interested parties can contact Nadine Morin (nadine.morin@umoncton.ca) to add their name to the list.
• Other options : Want to help in any way convenient? Perhaps you might like to connect with our exhibitors by helping them set up and tear down their booths, and giving solo exhibitors a little break here and there.  Or maybe you’re an ace with a camera and you’d like to snap lots of pictures to share with everyone. If you’d like to put your name in for whatever needs doing, please e-mail us at apla2014moncton@gmail.com.  

We’d like to thank those who have already signed up for volunteer duties while filling out the conference registration form, and we’ll be in touch with everyone as soon as we have filled all the volunteering needs.  You can volunteer either by e-mailing us directly or by indicating your interest on the registration form when you register.

A friendly reminder that early-bird registration ends in just a few days!  Be sure to register by April 15th to take advantage of the discounted pricing: https://apla2014.wordpress.com/attend-event/.

One-day Registration Update

Due to popular demand, we’ve added Friday as a possibility for one-day registration (instead of only offering Wednesday and Thursday as one-day registration options). The registration form has been modified, and those who wish to register for Friday only can now do so. Send questions or comments to: apla2014moncton@gmail.com.

For those attending the full conference, don’t forget to register before April 15 to take advantage of early-bird prices!

Registration is now open

Visit the Registration page to access the online registration form. Register before April 15th to take advantage of early-bird pricing. For a look at the preliminary conference schedule, visit the Programme page. This schedule is subject to change as final details are confirmed, but we thought you’d like a sneak peek now of the exciting lineup of speakers and topics. Start strategizing now for which sessions to attend because they all sound great! Details about our two pre-conference workshops are also listed under the Programme tab. And finally, check out the Travel & Accommodation page to book a room at our fantastic conference venue, the Delta Beauséjour Hotel (a few alternative accommodations are also listed).