By GUY LAMOLINARA
The Library of Congress settled comfortably into its new "digs" at the Annual Meeting of the American Library Association in Chicago, July 8-11.
![The Library's new exhibition booth features a retractable screen for audiovisual presentations.](images/booth.jpg)
The Library's new exhibition booth features a retractable screen for audiovisual presentations. - Oscar and Associates
This sometime workplace for staffers traveling to Chicago was the Library's new exhibitor's booth, a state-of-the-art facility for showcasing many of Library of Congress's public services.
"This new booth really gives us the opportunity to highlight to the Library community the terrific services that we provide to librarians and their patrons," said Linda White, of the National Digital Library Learning Center. Ms. White not only headed a group of interested parties from around the Library who worked together on the new design, but also coordinated all activities associated with staffing the facility. In addition, she traveled to Chicago two days before the conference opened on Saturday, July 8, to work with a crew in setting up the booth– no small task.
Associate Librarian for Library Services Winston Tabb presided over a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 8 and congratulated Ms. White for her achievement.
The new exhibit space, with its modern, open design and canopy roof, garnered praise from the other exhibitors as well. Many of them visited the booth to comment favorably and find out who had designed it; they wanted to use the same designers for their new exhibit spaces.
The new design also made it easier for Library of Congress staffers to give demonstrations and meet with conference-goers. Areas of the Library offering demonstrations were: the National Digital Library (NDL) Program; Cataloging Distribution Services (CDS); Photoduplication; the Center for the Book; Public Affairs; the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS); Interpretive Programs; Electronic Cataloging in Publication (ECIP); Cataloging; Area Studies and other Library Services programs; the Bicentennial Program Office; and Human Resources.
As always, the Sales Shop came offering Library-related merchandise, including the commemorative coins. And, as always, the shop was a magnet for booth traffic; long lines of shoppers eagerly awaiting their chance to make their purchases were not uncommon throughout the conference.
The new booth's open design features a demonstration area with a screen and seating. Throughout the day, Library of Congress staffers provided 30-minute demonstrations of various programs. For example, Public Affairs demonstrated the Library's new Web site for kids and families, America's Library (www.americaslibrary.gov); NDL staffers discussed various American Memory collections and the Learning Page; NLS talked about meeting the needs of its users nationwide; Human Resources told about its recruiting efforts; the Center for the Book provided an update on its many national reading-promotion projects; the Bicentennial Program Office gave an overview of activities past and present related to the celebration of Library of Congress's 200th birthday; Interpretive Programs showcased its online exhibitions; CDS demonstrated some of its innovative products; Area Studies showed how its collections can be a "Portal to the World"; ECIP highlighted its latest features; new subject headings and other cataloging issues were on the table during other presentations; and a proposed Collaborative Digital Reference Service, which, in conjunction with other institutions, would provide online reference assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, was highlighted.
Library of Congress employees staffing the booth did their best to help everyone who visited, and their efforts were recognized when the ALA New Members Round Table awarded an "honorable mention" to the Library for having the friendliest booth.
During the next several months, the new Library of Congress booth will undergo some minor modifications that were suggested by staffers. But this time, Ms. White won't be taking her show on the road: The next ALA meeting will be held in Washington, in February 2001, when the Library will welcome thousands of visitors to its booth at the Washington Convention Center and to its facilities on Capitol Hill.