ITI Bloggers July 17th, 2009

I ran into ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels at the ALA Awards Reception on Tuesday evening.  In this year of all years, he told me that ALA had exceeded attendance expectations and, in fact, posted record attendance.

Despite glum economic conditions and financial pressures on library budgets of all kinds, it seems nothing could stop ALA members from showing up in Chicago, even though, Keith reported, some paid their own way.

ALA has officially posted the conference results on the American Libraries blog:  “22,762 registrants, along with 6,179 exhibitors, for a total attendance of 28,941, possibly the highest ever.”

As is typical of conferences this year, the official statement noted, that exhibitors took less show floor space than usual–12% less–and also noted that high attendance numbers don’t necessarily translate into higher revenues, but that the goal of $2.1 million was exceeded.

Numbers, of course, don’t say anything about substance.  But based on the stories we’ve blogged, I’d say the program was as rich as ever.  And I still have stories I could write up.  But seven consecutive days and nights into this, I’m going to have to call our conference blog done at this point.

I must confess it was with trepidation that we took on the task of covering this event in blog format, but I for one (and I know my team mates will agree), enjoyed the experience thoroughly.  Watch for further stories coming out of the event in ITI Newsbreaks, Information Today, ONLINE Magazine, Computers in Libraries, and Marketing Library Services.

Thanks to my co-bloggers:  Barb Brynko, Kathy Dempsey and Marydee Ojala for working with me on this most challenging, but equally rewarding, task.

This is Dick Kaser, ITI, VP, Content — Signing off from ALA Chicago . . .

• ALA 2009
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