Report for the ALA conference

I'm attending the annual ALA conference in Anaheim, where we're enjoying welcome relief from Washington's hot, muggy air.  ALA is so big that every attendee is going to have a highly individual view.  I only arrived yesterday (Friday) afternoon, but already I have several meetings under my belt.

My focus this time is largely on international activities, given my current role as a member of the Governing Board of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and as chair of it's Professional Committee.  So yesterday I sat in on the meeting of ALA's International Relations Committee, where there were numerous reports on how the association is reaching out to colleagues around the world.

I joined Sjoerd Koopman, IFLA's Coordinator of Professional Activities, in reporting on what IFLA was doing in many areas of the developing world to advocate for libraries and freedom of information.

IFLA has just published a world report on the status of intellectual freedom in over 100 countries.  IFLA is also helping to rebuild the library on the small island of Yap; it's library was completely destroyed in the
tsunami that caused a disaster in Southeast Asia several years ago.  Yap was overlooked in the rush to help the more publicized problems in the larger countries.  You can get more information at IFLANET, the association's website.

Right now (Saturday) I'm sitting in on a program about how to renovate library spaces to meet new needs in the future.  More on this and the exhibits later.

- Nancy