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Conference |
GENERAL INFORMATION A TO Z |
ADA: The Texas Library Association wishes to take any steps required to ensure that no individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated, or otherwise treated differently due to the absence of auxiliary aids and services identified in the Americans with Disabilities Act. If any such services are necessary in order for you to participate in the TLA conference, please communicate your needs in advance by contacting Catherine Lee, director of administration, at catherinel@txla.org or 512/328-1518 ext. 20 by Wednesday, March 29. Persons who need specially designed or equipped hotel rooms should indicate their requirements on the housing request form. Assistance: If you need assistance, consult a conference planner wearing a purple, yellow, and black rosette ribbon or stop by the Information Counter in Registration Area D, level 2. Authors Area: Obtain autographs from your favorite author in the TLA Exhibit Hall. Conferees may bring up to five (5) items to be signed per author per visit. The Authors Area and booth signing schedules will be listed in the Exhibits Directory and Buyers Guide included in a special edition of the Librarian’s Yellow Pages, and up-to-the-minute schedules will be posted in the Registration Area and Authors Area.
Awards: TLA Awards will be presented during the conference as follows:
TLA unit awards are presented during the respective unit meetings, listed in the Schedule of Events. Bag Check: For a nominal fee, the New Members Round Table will provide the popular bag check service, located in the foyer of the TLA Exhibit Hall, level 1. Bus Service: See “Shuttle Bus Service.” Business Center: Photocopying and fax service are available in the Business Center, located in Registration Area D, level 2. The Business Center will be open during registration hours except on Friday, when the business center will remain open until 4:00 p.m. Check the daily conference newsletter, the Ignition Point, for the fax number at the TLA Business Center. Business Meetings: Unit business meetings, which are sometimes included as part of a unit-sponsored program, are listed in the Schedule of Events. When part of a program, the meeting’s length and agenda are determined by the unit’s program planners. Computers: Macintosh and IBM-compatible computers with printers are located in the Business Center in Registration Area D, level 2, and can be used during registration hours for official TLA business. Computers with Internet connections are available for attendee use in the Internet Room, located in Exhibit Hall E, level 1. See “Internet Room” for more information.
Conference Evaluation Conference on CD: Speakers are encouraged to give permission for their sessions to be recorded. CD’s of these sessions may be ordered or purchased at the Conference on CD Sales Counter, level 3, outside the Bush Ballroom. Conference Preregistration: To preregister, go online at www.txla.org or complete the form on page 97 and send it with payment to TLA. The form must be submitted electronically or postmarked by Wednesday, March 29. After that date, all forms will be returned to sender. Attendees who have not preregistered by this deadline must register onsite at a higher rate. No meal tickets will be sold onsite.
Continuing Professional Education Credit: CPE credit is available for school and public librarians needing to meet certification requirements from the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). CPE hours meeting TLA criteria are noted in each appropriate conference program abstract as 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, etc. to denote the number of hours of training allowed for credit. CPE hours are written as SBEC 1.0 and/or TSLAC 1.0 to delineate between the two state agencies. Conference attendees will be able to print their own certificates after conference by accessing the TLA website and recording the programs they attended. This feature will be available on May 10. Attendees can pick up a recording form in Registration Area C, level 2, or one can be found in the back of this program. SBEC has approved TLA as a continuing education provider for educator certification. TLA’s provider number is 500383.
Disaster Relief Raffle
FAX MACHINE
FIRST AID
HANDOUTS Hotel & Airline Reservations: This year’s conference headquarters hotel will be the Hilton Americas Hotel. In addition, TLA has contracted with nine other hotels to accommodate conferees. Detailed information on hotels, rates, room reservations, and locations can be found on page 104. Housing: A representative from Ambassadors Services Group, Inc., TLA’s official housing management company, will be located in Registration Area D, level 2, during registration hours to answer hotel or travel questions. Please notify an Ambassadors representative ONSITE of any housing issues so they can be addressed and resolved. Remember to sign up onsite for your hotel for the TLA 2007 Conference in San Antonio. Internet Access: Conferees can check email or go online in the Internet Room located in Exhibit Hall E. ADA access is also available. Excluding the Exhibit Hall, wireless access will be provided throughout the convention center by TLA and SirsiDynix for 100 simultaneous users.
Lost and Found: Items may be turned in or claimed at the Information/Lost and Found Counter in Registration Area D, level 2. After conference, a list of unclaimed items will be published in the TLACast newsletter. Items will be held for one month after publication. Meal Functions & Menus: Tickets for all conference meal functions must be purchased in advance as part of the conference preregistration process. Tickets will not be sold onsite. Encourage friends, family, and colleagues to join you to hear a favorite author. While meal function tickets must be purchased in advance, conference registration is not required in order to attend these events. Ticket prices are based on the cost of menu selections, catering service charges, room set-up charges, speaker fees, and other expenses. The banquet hall doors will
open 30 minutes prior to the starting time of each meal function. Space
permitting, gallery seating will be available 30 minutes after the meal
function begins for attendees without meal tickets who wish to hear the
speaker. For details, see the daily schedule. Library Friends,
Trustees, and Advocates Round Table Luncheon
Texas Bluebonnet Award
Luncheon
Evening with the
Authors Florida Salad: Greens,
Avocado Slices and Grapefruit served with Lemon Dressing Texas Association of
School Librarians Breakfast Grilled Ham and
Scrambled Eggs atop a Homemade Biscuit with a Baked Closing Luncheon Chicken Breast
Saltimbocca stuffed with Parmesan Cheese and Proscuitto Message Center: Located in Registration Area D, level 2. Check for both personal messages and official announcements and updates or leave messages for other attendees. Open Meetings: Unless otherwise noted in this Conference Program, all meetings are open to all registered participants. With the exception of the Bluebonnet Luncheon, limited gallery seating (opened 30 minutes after the meal begins) is available for conferees who have not purchased meal tickets. Conference participants may attend any unit meeting regardless of their own unit membership. Photocopier: Located in the Business Center in Registration Area D, level 2. Placement Center: Located in Meeting Room 315 A-F , level 3. All registered conferees may use the Placement Center as either prospective employers or job seekers. Information on registering for this service is located on page 94 of this printed program. See resumé critiquing schedule on the TLA website. The Placement Center hours are:
Post Office: US Postal Service will operate a post office in the TLA Exhibit Hall for conferees’ use during exhibit hall hours.
Press Room/Publicity
Recordings of Programs
Registration
Restaurant Reservations: The information counter will be available in the TLA Exhibit Hall foyer.
Safety:
Report damage to or theft of your personal property or vehicle to the
Information/Lost and Found Counter in Registration Area D, level 2. For
your own protection, especially at night, please walk or ride with a
friend.
Roommate Service:
Do you need a roommate to help with housing expenses for TLA’s conference?
TLA’s roommate program allows individuals to post and read messages via
TLA’s webpage (www.txla.org/conference/conf.html), as well as to subscribe
your email address to send and receive postings via roommates@txla.org.
Exercise caution and courtesy at shuttle bus stops. Watch your step at the curb and when boarding and exiting the bus. To expedite boarding, please form an orderly line at the bus stops. Follow the instructions of the driver, the transportation supervisor, or TLA Transportation Committee members. Smoking: No smoking is permitted in any area of the convention center. Special Functions
Telephones: Pay phones are located throughout the convention center. The main TLA conference phone number is 713/853-8301, located at the Information/Lost and Found Counter. Messages left for conference attendees will be posted on the board in the Message Center. Paging is not available within the convention center. Texas Bluebonnet Award: The Texas Bluebonnet Award Luncheon, featuring the 2006 TBA winner, will be held Thursday, April 27, Noon – 1:50 pm. Conferees can register for the Texas Bluebonnet Award reading program in Booth 1703 in the Exhibit Hall. The Texas Bluebonnet Award video and other promotional materials will be available for purchase.
TLA Store
Tours
Volunteers
Winners Board
Wireless Hot Spots |
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