The American Library Association returns to the nation's capital next month to host its Midwinter 2001 conference. Library of Congress programs for ALA attendees are listed below and can also be found on the Library's Web site at www.loc.gov/ala. Note that some programs require advance registration.
The Library of Congress Sales Shop will offer a variety of educational and gift items including books, cards, T-shirts, mugs, tote bags and posters during Midwinter ALA 2001. The shops are in the Thomas Jefferson (ground floor) and James Madison (first floor) buildings. ALA participants receive a 10 percent discount on all items when they display their badge. All major credit cards accepted. Sales Shop hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Madison Sales Shop will be closed on Saturday, Jan. 13. The Jefferson and Madison sales shops will be closed Sunday and Monday, Jan. 14-15. The Sales Shop will also be selling selected items at the Library's exhibition booth, No. 1628, during exhibit floor hours at the Washington Convention Center.
NOTE: All Library facilities, including reading rooms and exhibit areas, will be closed on Sunday, Jan. 14. On Monday, Jan. 15 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), the Library will be closed to the public, with the exception of the Thomas Jefferson Building, which will be open only for viewing exhibitions, a tour of the "American Treasures" and "Jefferson's Library" exhibitions, and a presentation of selected rare materials from the Rare Book and Special Collections Division. Shuttle buses will be running between the Washington Convention Center and the Library of Congress. For more information, check bus schedules at each hotel and at the convention center.
Co-Hosted Events
Building the Virtual Reference Desk in a 24/7 World
Jan. 12, 1:30-5:30 p.m.
Coolidge Auditorium, ground floor, Thomas Jefferson Building
Two library leaders, the Library of Congress and OCLC, collaborate to
host a stimulating symposium on digital reference. Join experts in the
field of digital reference service to discuss the growing trend of remote
access to library resources and the need to reexamine methods of delivering
those resources to support a 24/7 online reference service. Light refreshments
will be served during the symposium break. Admission is free. Register
at www.loc.gov/ala.
Map and Chart Library Forum: Cooperative Map Cataloging
Jan. 13, 5:30-7 p.m.
Geography and Map Division, Room B01, James Madison Building
The Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress and the National
Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) are co-hosting an ad hoc forum to discuss
the cataloging and sharing of cartographic library records. This forum
is open to all who have an interest in standardizing, cataloging and
sharing these records. This forum may be continued or expanded in the
future. Registration is requested (space limited to 50-60 participants):
Contact either Barbara Story, (202) 707-8516, fax: (202) 707-8531, email:
[email protected] or
Andrea Tully, (202) 264-6760, fax: (202) 264-6144, email: [email protected]
Presentations
Digital Collections of the Library of Congress
Jan. 11, 12, 16, 12-1 p.m.
National Digital Library Learning Center, first floor, James Madison
Building
Learn more about the National Digital Library (NDL) Program and the resources
on the Library of Congress Web site (www.loc.gov). Participants will
learn about the Library's Web site with a special emphasis on the American
Memory online historical collections. No reservations required, but limited
to 50 participants.
Dewey for Windows and Web Dewey in CORC
Jan. 12, 1-2 p.m.
National Digital Library Learning Center, first floor, James Madison
Building
The Decimal Classification Division will sponsor an online presentation
by Julianne Beall, assistant editor of the Dewey Decimal Classification.
No reservations required. Space is limited to 45 attendees.
Preservation Reformatting at the Library of Congress
Jan. 12, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
National Digital Library Learning Center, first floor, James Madison
Building
Shirley Liang, digital conversion specialist, Preservation Reformatting
Division, will give a presentation on practices and techniques applied
to the digitization of Garden and Forest, the first Library of Congress
serial ever digitized in its entirety. For more information, consult www.loc.gov/preserv/prd/gardfor/gfhome.html.
Limited to 50 participants. Reservations are required through an online
reservation form at www.loc.gov/ala.
Deadline for registration: Jan. 5.
The Prints and Photographs Online Catalog: A Demonstration
Jan. 12, 4-5 p.m.
National Digital Library Learning Center, first floor, James Madison
Building
This presentation will include a demonstration on how to access the Prints
and Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) from the Library of Congress Home
Page. Also included will be a look at PPOC's menu, searching procedures
unique to PPOC and demonstration searches.
The Library of Congress Responds to LC21: A Digital Strategy
Jan. 13, 3-5 p.m.
Mumford Room, sixth floor, James Madison Building
The Library's Digital Futures Group will share with the library community
its five-year Digital Futures Plan, including plans for implementing
various recommendations contained in LC21: A Digital Strategy for the
Library of Congress, a study commissioned by the Library of Congress
from the National Research Council and released to the public last summer.
Comments and suggestions from the library community will be actively
solicited at this forum.
Recorded Sound and Moving Image Collections
Jan. 17, 1-3 p.m.
Pickford Theater, third floor, James Madison Building
Mary Bucknum and Mike Mashon will give ALA attendees a bird's eye view
of the recorded sound and moving image collections of the Motion Picture,
Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division. This multimedia presentation
will focus on current issues and challenges in preservation. Room capacity
is limited to 66 attendees. Reservations are required through an online
reservation form at www.loc.gov/ala.
Tours
Behind the Scenes of a Conservation Laboratory
Jan. 12, 11 a.m.-noon and 3-4 p.m.
James Madison Building, Room G38
The Conservation Division is offering tours of its laboratory to interested
ALA participants. Learn more about the Library's Conservation laboratory
and the most up-to-date methods of conserving print materials. Coordinated
by Maria Nugent. Limited to 24 participants each tour. Reservations are
required through an online reservation form at www.loc.gov/ala.
Deadline for registration: Jan. 5.
National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped: A Digital Future
1-3 p.m., with a tour of the facility 3-4:15 p.m.
Taylor Street Annex (1291 Taylor Street, N.W.)
A special program and tour for ALA Midwinter participants addressing
the National Library Service's progress in moving from analog to digital
recordings of its books and magazines and development of a digital player
and how this change will affect the network of cooperating libraries
and the eligible blind and physically handicapped residents of the United
States who use this program. Participants are responsible for their own
transportation to the NLS facility and return to their hotel. Directions
to the facility will be provided when a reservation is made to attend
the program. Seating is limited. Reservations should be made directly
to Stephen Prine, Head, Network Services Section at (202) 707-9245, fax
(202) 707-0712, email at [email protected]
Deadline for registration: January 3.
Geography and Map Division Tours
2-3 p.m. and 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Geography and Map Division Reading Room, Room B01, James Madison Building
Tours are limited to 40 participants each. Coordinator for tours: Ronald
Grim. Reservations are required through an online reservation form at www.loc.gov/ala.
Deadline for registration: Jan. 5.
Candlelight Tour (featuring a reference services presentation)
5-7 p.m.
Tour meets in the Visitors' Center, ground floor, Thomas Jefferson
Building, 10 First St. S.E.
This one-hour tour exclusively for ALA participants will feature the
grand Thomas Jefferson Building with its Italian Renaissance design details
and decorative art. Highlights of the tour will include visits to rooms
not part of the regular Library tour, such as the magnificent Members'
Reading Room and the Librarian's Ceremonial Office. Following the tour,
participants will have a unique opportunity to hear a special presentation
in the spectacular Main Reading Room. Abby Yochelson, reference specialist
in the Main Reading Room; Constance Carter, head of reference in the
Science Reading Room; and Lyle Minter, head of reference in the Newspaper
and Current Periodical Reading Room, will discuss reference support for
researchers and the nation's libraries. Michelle Cadoree, science reference
specialist, will provide information about the new Collaborative Digital
Reference Service. Limited to 80 participants. Reservations are required
through an online reservation form at www.loc.gov/ala.
Architectural Tours of the Thomas Jefferson Building
Jan. 12, 13 and 16, 9 a.m.
Tours start in the Visitors' Center, ground floor, Thomas Jefferson
Building
Visit the Library of Congress and take a docent-led tour of the Thomas
Jefferson Building. Tours cover the history, art, architecture and iconography
of this magnificent building. Limited to 50 participants per tour. Reservations
are required through an online reservation form at www.loc.gov/ala.
Guided tours for the public are also available daily, Monday through
Saturday. Call (202) 707-5458 for tour hours. Free brochures for self-guided
tours are available in the Visitors' Center.
Exhibition Tours: American Treasures and Jefferson's Library
Jan. 15, 3-5 p.m.
Combined tour will meet in the American Treasures exhibition gallery,
second floor, Thomas Jefferson Building
Have you ever wondered what the Library of Congress considers its most
treasured collections? ALA participants will find the answer to that
question during this tour of the "American Treasures" exhibition. Throughout
his life, books were vital to Thomas Jefferson's education and well-being.
Jefferson's library went through several stages, but it was always critically
important to him. Although the broad scope of Jefferson's library was
cause for criticism, Jefferson extolled the virtue of its broad sweep
and established the principle of acquisition for the Library of Congress.
The Library is now in the process of reconstructing Thomas Jefferson's
Library as it was sold to Congress in 1815. Take this tour of Jefferson's
Library and discover why he said, "I cannot live without books."
Irene Chambers, chief of the Interpretive Programs Office, will conduct both tours, followed by a presentation of selected rare materials by curatorial staff of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, in the Lessing J. Rosenwald Room.
U.S. Copyright Office Tour
Jan. 16, 10-11:30 a.m. and 2-3:30 p.m.
Jan. 17 10-11:30 a.m. and 2-3:30 p.m.
James Madison Building, Room 401
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the U.S. Copyright Office. This orientation
will include an overview of the registration system, including online
registration. Each tour is limited to 12 participants. Coordinator: Peter
M. Vankevich ([email protected]), head of
the Copyright Information Section. Reservations are required through
an online reservation form at www.loc.gov/ala.
Deadline for registration: Jan. 12.
Open Houses
Rare Book Open House
Jan. 12, 3-5 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Building, Room 239
Thomas Jefferson's collection, the foundation for the Library of Congress,
is the nucleus of this extraordinarily rich collection. Over the years,
significant collections have been purchased or donated, building a resource
for researchers encompassing nearly all eras and subjects. Today, there
are more than 800,000 books, broadsides, pamphlets, theater playbills,
title pages, prints, posters, photographs and medieval and Renaissance
manuscripts in the division's collection. Take time during ALA to view
these fascinating collections. No reservations required.
Federal Research Division
Jan. 16, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
John Adams Building, Room 5282
ALA members who are U.S. government employees may be interested in visiting
the Federal Research Division. FRD is the principal fee-for-service research
and analysis arm of the Library of Congress and works exclusively with
federal agencies. The division is a large user of the Library of Congress's
foreign-language collections and offers its research services in more
than 25 languages. Research staff members are skilled both in foreign
languages and foreign area studies and produce directed research and
analytical reports for a wide variety of federal agencies.
Area Studies International Collections Open Houses
All open houses: Jan. 16, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. With collections today written in some 460 languages, the Area Studies divisions are the Library's threshold to the rest of the world. Take advantage of these Area Studies "Open-House" sessions to explore the foreign language resources and services at the Library that literally span the globe.
- African and Middle Eastern Division Reading Room
Thomas Jefferson Building, Room 220
The African and Middle Eastern Division is a major world resource center for Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. It provides the only access point for Library collections in the vernacular languages of this region and assists in identifying related sources in Roman script and other formats or specializations. - European Division Reading Room
Thomas Jefferson Building, Room 250
The Library's holdings of books and other materials from many European countries are larger than those anywhere else in the world except in the countries themselves. Holdings are especially strong in history, language, literature, economics, government and politics, geography, law and the arts. - Asian Division Reading Room
Thomas Jefferson Building, Room 150
The Asian collections have grown to become one of the most accessible and comprehensive resources for Asian-language materials in the world. The collections embrace most subject fields, covering a range from the South Asian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia to China, Korea, and Japan. Learn how the Library acquires and provides materials from this region of the world. - Hispanic Division Reading Room
Thomas Jefferson Building, Room 205
The Hispanic Division is a center for the study of the cultures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, the Caribbean and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence has been significant. The Library's Spanish and Portuguese collections are among the finest in the world. Learn from specialists how the Division provides these materials for researchers and librarians. The Hispanic Reading Room is rich with decorative Spanish motifs and graced by the famous Portinari murals.
NOTE: Staff will be on hand to answer questions about the collections. Handouts will be available. Your conference badge is sufficient for entrance to all reading rooms; however, use of the collections will require a valid reader registration card, which can be obtained in the Madison Building, first floor.
Library of Congress Recruitment and Work Experiences
Recruiting for the Future
Washington Convention Center, Placement Center
Are you looking for a challenging job with excellent prospects? Then
consider employment with the Library of Congress! Visit the Placement
Center at the Washington Convention Center during Midwinter ALA 2001
to learn about jobs opportunities. No reservations required.
Library of Congress Individual Work Experiences
Jan. 11, 12, 13, 16
The Library of Congress Individual Work Experiences program is an opportunity
to learn more about the work of the diverse staff at the Library. Participants
may choose to "shadow" a Library staff member in one of the following
areas: Library Administration, Acquisitions, Cataloging, Copyright
Office, National Digital Library Program, Information Technology Services,
Law Library, Local History and Genealogy Reading Room, Main Reading
Room (Jan. 13 only), Specialized Reference and Reader Services and
Preservation. Reservations are required through an online reservation
form at www.loc.gov/ala. Deadline
for registration: Dec. 29.
Training and Workshops
Program for Cooperative Cataloging: SACO Workshops
Dining Room A, sixth floor, James Madison Building
The Program for Cooperative Cataloging will sponsor two workshops.
Reservations are required for both events. Limited to 50 participants.
Deadline for registration: Dec. 29. Visit the PCC home page at www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc to
register.
Jan. 12, 9 a.m.-noon
Patricia Fox, senior cataloger, Romance Languages Team, Social Sciences
Cataloging Division, will teach a course on Subject Analysis and
Proposing LC Subject Headings in Economics and Social Sciences.
Jan. 12, 1-4 p.m.
Elvirita Gildea and Emanuel Magro, team leader and senior cataloger
on the Religion, Philosophy and Psychology Team, Social Sciences
Cataloging Division, will teach a course on Subject Analysis and
Proposing LC Subject Headings in Christianity and General Religion.
Library of Congress Exhibit Booth Presentations
Visit the Library of Congress exhibition booth (No. 1628) at the Washington Convention Center. Continuing presentations will be offered daily in the "theater" (see schedule below) featuring the Library's newest Web site, America's Library (www.americaslibrary.gov); new collections in American Memory; Electronic Cataloging in Publication; the Collaborative Digital Reference Service; and more.
Saturday, January 13
Conservation Division staff will be on hand in the Library's exhibit booth to discuss conservation practices (10-11 a.m.).
- 9 a.m.
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped: Meeting the Need - 9:30 a.m.
Electronic Cataloging in Publication - 10 a.m.
Preservation Digital Reformatting: Digitizing Garden and Forest - 10:30 a.m.
Resourceful Women: Researching American Women's History at the Library of Congress - 11 a.m.
America's Library: Web Site for Kids and Families and the Center for the Book Theme: Telling America's Story - 11:30 a.m.
Collaborative Digital Reference Service - noon
Online Americana: American Memory Historical Collections - 12:30 p.m.
The Learning Page: American Memory Resources for Teachers and Media Specialists - 1 p.m.
Blueprint for a Digital Library - 1:30 p.m.
Sharing Our Images with the World: Obtaining Images for the Collections - 2 p.m.
FEDLINK: New Vendor Update - 2:30 p.m.
Artists, Authors and Copyright - 3 p.m.
Classification Web: Online Access to LC Classification - 3:30 p.m.
Cataloging Distribution Service: Cataloger's Desktop and Classification Plus - 4 p.m.
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) Proposals - 4:30 p.m.
LC/Octavo: Digital Editions of Rare Books
Sunday, January 14
- 9 a.m.
Artists, Authors and Copyright - 9:30 a.m.
Genealogical Research at the Library of Congress - 10 a.m.
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped: Meeting the Need - 10:30 a.m.
America's Library: Web Site for Kids and Families and the Center for the Book Theme: Telling America's Story - 11 a.m.
Issues in Web Preservation - 11:30 a.m.
Collaborative Digital Reference Service - noon
Online Americana: American Memory Historical Collections - 12:30 p.m.
The Learning Page: American Memory Resources for Teachers and Media Specialists - 1 p.m.
Meeting of Frontiers: A Russian-American Digital Library Partnership - 1:30 p.m.
Sharing Our Images with the World: Obtaining Images for the Collections - 2 p.m.
FEDLINK: New Vendor Update - 2:30 p.m.
Classification Web: Online Access to LC Classification (Testers' Orientation) - 3 p.m.
Cataloging Distribution Service: Cataloger's Desktop and Classification Plus - 3:30 p.m.
The Prints and Photographs Online Catalog: A Demonstration
Monday, January 15
- 9 a.m.
Portal to the World: Presentation of Area Studies Collections - 9:30 a.m.
BeCites+ Demonstration - 10 a.m.
Digital Preservation Prototype for the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center - 10:30 a.m.
America's Library: Web Site for Kids and Families and the Center for the Book Theme: Telling America's Story - 11 a.m.
LC CORC Initiative - 11:30 a.m.
Collaborative Digital Reference Service - noon
Online Americana: The American Memory Historical Collections - 12:30 p.m.
Presenting World Treasures: Onsite and Online - 1 p.m.
Electronic Cataloging in Publication - 1:30 p.m.
Sharing our Images with the World: Obtaining Images for the Collections - 2 p.m.
Online Cartographic Material from the Library of Congress - 2:30 p.m.
Classification Web: Online Access to LC Classification - 3:00 p.m.
Cataloging Distribution Service: Cataloger's Desktop and Classification Plus - 3:30 p.m.
Cataloging Distribution Service: From LC to your Library-Bibliographic and Cataloging Tools
