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TLA 09 Overview |
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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. 142 by Monday, March 16, 2009. Persons who need specially designed or equipped hotel rooms should indicate their requirements on the housing request form. ASSISTANCE: If you need assistance while attending the conference, consult a conference planner wearing a blue rosette ribbon, stop by the Information Counter in the Exhibit Hall C Registration Area, or visit one of three of the Meetings Room Assistance/Information Counters located throughout the convention center. AUTHORS AREA: Obtain autographs from your favorite author(s) at the Authors Area in the TLA Exhibit Hall. Conferees may bring up to five (5) items to be signed per author per visit. The Authors Area and book signing schedules will be listed in the Exhibits Directory and Buyers Guide, and up-to-the-minute schedules will be posted in the Registration Area and in the Authors Area. Authors will now be allowed to sign in the exhibit booth, at the discretion of the Authors Area Committee. AWARDS: TLA Awards will be presented during the conference as follows:
BAG CHECK: For a nominal fee, bags may be held at the bag check service, located in the Exhibit Hall Lobby E. Hours of operation are: Wednesday, April 1: 10:15 am – 6 pm; Thursday, April 2: 9 am – 6 pm; and Friday, April 3: 9 am – 1:30 pm. BUS SERVICE: See “Shuttle Bus Service.” BUSINESS CENTER: See “TLA Workroom.” COMPUTERS: Macintosh and IBM-compatible computers, with printers, are located in the TLA Workroom in Exhibit Hall C, and can be used during registration hours for official TLA business. Computers (with Internet connections) and printers are available for attendee use in the Internet Room, located in Exhibit Hall D Lobby. See “Internet Room” for more information. CONFERENCE EVALUATION: Information regarding the online Post-Conference Survey will be sent to all conference attendees after the close of conference. CONFERENCE ON CD: Speakers are encouraged to give their permission for their sessions to be recorded. CD’s of these sessions may be ordered or purchased at the Conference on CD Sales Counter on Level 3 outside of the Bush Ballroom. 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 can print their own certificates after conference by accessing the TLA website and recording the programs they attended. SBEC has approved TLA as a continuing education provider for educator certification. TLA’s provider number is 500383. CONVENTION CENTER PARKING: map & directions General Parking: The parking garage (with space for 1,600 vehicles) is located across from the George R. Brown Convention Center, at the corner of Polk and Avenida de las Americas. Skywalks on level two connect the garage to both the Hilton Hotel and the convention center. The newly opened Discovery Green Park offers a multi-faceted garage with 650 underground spaces that are available for a $10.00 entry fee. Several outdoor surface lots surrounding the convention center as well, and usually range in price from $7.00 - $10.00 per entry, per vehicle. Disabled Access: Handicap parking spaces are available in the parking garage across from the Convention Center at Discovery Green Park (fourteen spaces total). Handicap spaces are also available in the surface parking lot at the north end of the center (five spaces) as well as at the south end (six spaces). EXHIBITS: Located in Exhibit Halls D & E of the convention center, TLA exhibits offer a variety of new and innovative products and services. The exhibits directory, the authors listing and signing schedule, the buyers guide listing exhibitors by product category, and floor plans of the exhibit hall are included in the Exhibits Directory and Buyers Guide. If necessary, an addendum listing last-minute exhibitors will be available at each of the exhibit hall entrances. Also located in the exhibit hall are the Authors Autograph Area, Post Office, and Technology Showcase. Net Fair will be located in Exhibit Hall C Registration Area. These activities follow this schedule: Wednesday, April 1: 10:15 am – 5 pm (Rush Hour: 4 pm - 5 pm); Thursday, April 2: 9 am – 4 pm; and Friday, April 3: 9 am – Noon. EXHIBIT HALL REGULATIONS: No wheels allowed in the exhibit hall. The use of luggage carts, wheeled bags, or unoccupied baby strollers is prohibited in the exhibit hall. No carts, including those provided by exhibitors, will be allowed. The Executive Board and staff of TLA thank you for your cooperation as we ensure the safety and enjoyment of all individuals in the exhibit hall. FAX MACHINE: Located in the TLA Workroom in Exhibit Hall C Registration Area. Consult the TLA Workroom for prices. Check the daily conference newsletter, The Conference Times, for the TLA Workroom fax number. FIRST AID: In case of an emergency, go to the Paramedic Station located in Exhibit Hall C Registration Area, asks any conference planner with a walkie-talkie to contact the Paramedic Station, or come to the TLA Office Counter in the Registration Area. Check the daily conference newsletter, The Conference Times, for the Paramedic Station phone number. HANDOUTS: In an effort to help the environment and eliminate the problem of never having enough handouts available, the TLA staff will no longer prepare or ship paper handouts for conference sessions. Program speakers have been encouraged to prepare electronic handouts and submit them to the TLA office for posting on the TLA website. An index of the handouts will be found on the conference website beginning March 17, 2009. Additional handouts will be added as they are received. Attendees will be able to download the program/session handouts before or during the conference if they want to have them on hand during the presentations. Printers will be available in the Internet Room if downloading to a personal computer is not an option. HOTEL RESERVATIONS: TLA has contracted with 8 hotels to accommodate conferees. Detailed information on hotels, rates, room reservations, and locations are included on the conference website.
HOUSING: A representative from
Ambassadors, TLA’s official housing management company, will be located in
Exhibit Hall C Registration Area during registration hours to answer hotel
questions.
Please notify an Ambassadors representative of any housing issues ONSITE so they
can be addressed
INTERNET ACCESS: Internet access will be available in the Internet Room located in the Exhibit Hall Lobby on level 1. ADA access is also available. The Internet Room will be open: Tuesday, March 31: 1 pm – 5 pm; Wednesday, April 1: 8 am – 5 pm; Thursday, April 2: 8 am – 5 pm; and Friday, April 3: 8 am – Noon. LOST AND FOUND: Items may be turned in or claimed at the Information/Lost and Found Counter in Exhibit Hall C Registration Area. After conference, a list of unclaimed items will be published in the TLACast newsletter. Items will be held for one month after publication. LUGGAGE CARTS: See Exhibits Section. MEAL FUNCTIONS: 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 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 be 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. MESSAGE CENTER: Located in Exhibit Hall C Registration Area. 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 that have not purchased meal tickets. Conference participants may attend any unit meeting regardless of their own unit membership. PHOTOCOPIER: Located in the TLA Workroom in Exhibit Hall C Registration Area. PLACEMENT CENTER: Located in Exhibit Hall C. All registered conferees may use the Placement Center as either prospective employers or job seekers. Work with a pro to get your resume critiqued at the Placement Center, Wednesday from 2:00 – 3:00 pm and Thursday from 1:00 2:00 pm. Interviewing Techniques seminars will be held Wednesday from 1 – 1:30 pm and Thursday from 9 – 9:30 am. The Placement Center hours are: Tuesday, March 31: 1 pm – 5 pm; Wednesday, April 1: 10:15 am – 5 pm; Thursday, April 2: 9 am – 4 pm; and Friday, April 3: 9 am – Noon. POST OFFICE: USPS will operate a post office in the Exhibit Hall for conferees’ use during exhibit hall hours. PRESS ROOM/PUBLICITY: The Publicity Room, located in Exhibit Hall C Registration Area, will be open for news and informational contributions, which will be considered for publication on a daily basis. The deadline for news items is 1:00 pm the day before publication. Check the daily conference newsletter, The Conference Times, for the phone number to reach the TLA Publicity Office. RECORDINGS OF PROGRAMS: See “Conference on CD.” REGISTRATION: The Annual Conference Registration Area is located in Exhibit Hall C. A 2009 registration badge is required to attend all Annual Conference events. Hours for Registration, TLA Office, and Membership Counter are: Tuesday, March 31: 10 am – 5 pm; Wednesday, April 1: 7 am – 5 pm; Thursday, April 2: 7 am – 4 pm; and Friday, April 3: 7 am – 11 am. RESTAURANT RESERVATIONS & HOUSTON INFORMATION COUNTER: Available in the Exhibit Hall Lobby, level 1. SAFETY: Report damage to or theft of your personal property or vehicle to the Information/Lost and Found Counter in Exhibit Hall C Registration Area. For your own protection, especially at night, please walk or ride with a friend. Walking at night between the convention center and distant hotels is not recommended. Check with your hotel about procedures for securing your valuables. Carefully read the fire-safety information furnished by your hotel. ROOMMATE SERVICE: Do you need a roommate to help with housing expenses for the conference? TLA’s roommate program will allow individuals to post and read messages via TLA’s webpage (www.txla.org/conference/conf.html), where attendees can send and receive postings. Please contact Gloria Meraz at gloriam@txla.org if you would like to be subscribed. SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE: Conference badges are required to ride shuttle buses. Bus schedules are posted in the Registration Area and at all conference hotels. TLA provides complimentary shuttle service to and from conference hotels, the convention center, and selected off-site conference events. Hours of operation for the Shuttle Bus Service are: Tuesday, March 31: 6:30 am – 11 pm; Wednesday, April 1: 6:30 am – 11 pm; Thursday, April 2: 6:30 am – 12:30 am; and Friday, April 3: 6:30 am – 5 pm. 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: The main TLA conference phone number is 713/853-8311, located at the Information/Lost and Found Counter in Exhibit Hall C Registration Area. Messages left for conference attendees will be posted on the message board. Paging is not available within the convention center. TEXAS BLUEBONNET AWARD: The Texas Bluebonnet Award Luncheon, featuring the 2009 TBA winner, will be held Thursday, April 2, 12 noon – 1:50 pm. Conferees can register for the Texas Bluebonnet Award reading program in the TLA Store located in the Exhibit Hall Lobby, Level 1. The Texas Bluebonnet Award video and other promotional materials will be available for purchase. TLA STORE: Located in the Exhibit Hall Lobby, Level 1. Conference memorabilia and other TLA merchandise will be available for purchase. Purchase orders are not accepted. The TLA Store will be open: Tuesday, March 31: 1 pm – 6 pm; Wednesday, April 1; 9:15 am – 5:30 pm; Thursday, April 2: 8 am – 4:30 pm; and Friday, April 3: 8 am – Noon. TLA WORKROOM: Photocopying and fax service are available in the TLA Workroom, located in Exhibit Hall C Registration Area. The TLA Workroom will be open during registration hours except on Friday, when the TLA Workroom will remain open until 4:00 pm. Check the daily conference newsletter, The Conference Times, for the FAX number at the TLA Workroom. TOURS: Information on commercial and self-guided tours of Houston is available at the Information Counter located in the Exhibit Hall C Registration Area. A TLA-sponsored walking tour on Wednesday morning is listed in the Schedule of Events. VOLUNTEER COUNTER: Located in Exhibit Hall C Registration Area. Conferees who have registered as volunteers, or who would like to volunteer, should check in here. VOLUNTEERS: Volunteers are needed to assist the Local Arrangements Committees in several areas during the 2009 annual conference. If you’re interested, complete and return the volunteer form linked from the conference homepage. Volunteers should be willing to serve at least two hours during the annual conference. While librarians must be registered for the conference, paraprofessionals and support staff who are not registered for the annual conference will receive a complimentary exhibits-only pass for four hours of volunteer service. WINNERS BOARD: The names of winners of vendor-sponsored raffles, drawings, door prizes, etc., will be posted on the Winners Board, which is located in the café at the back of the Exhibit Hall. MEAL FUNCTIONS: If you would like to request a vegetarian or vegan entrée, please contact Kathy Pustejovsky, conference manager, at the TLA Office in writing or by email (kathyp@txla.org) prior to Tuesday, March 10. IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
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