2020

Submit your 2020 Annual Meeting Request by Feb 7

ALA Annual Conference 2020 logo

The LITA meeting request form is now open for the 2020 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. All LITA committee and interest group chairs should use it to let us know if you plan to meet at Annual. We’re looking forward to seeing what you have planned. The deadline to submit your meeting request is Friday, February 7, 2020. We’re going to change how we’ve listed meetings in the past. If you do NOT submit this form, your group will NOT be included in the list of LITA session on our website, the online scheduler, or the print program. While we’ll still hold the Joint Chairs meeting on Saturday from 8:30-10:00am and use that same room for committee and IG meetings from 10:30-11:30am, your group will only be listed if you submit this form. You should also use it if you want to request a meeting on a different day…

2020

Call for Proposals, LITA @ ALA Annual 2020

ALA Annual Conference 2020 logo

Submit your program ideas for the 2020 ALA Annual Conference Location: Chicago, IL, June 25-30, 2020Deadline: September 10, 2019Acceptances will be sent out in mid-December 2019 We encourage the submission of innovative and creative proposals for the 2020 Annual American Library Association Conference. We’re looking for 60-minute presentations that focus on the current or future use of technology in libraries. We strongly encourage presenters from underrepresented groups to submit proposals. Proposals are accepted via a submission form that requires you to have an ALA account but does not require you to be an ALA member. This link to the submission site will start you at the ALA login page. Learn more about the form and what makes a proposal successful. We welcome proposals from anyone who feels they have something to offer regarding library technology. We look forward to hearing the great ideas you’ll share with us this year. Questions…

2019

LITA @ ALA Annual 2019 – Top Technology Trends

2019 ALA Annual Conference, Washington DC, logo

If you’re going to ALA Annual in Washington, DC, don’t miss the latest Top Tech Trends panel. LITA Top Technology TrendsSunday, June 23, 2019, 1:00 – 2:30 PMLocation: Washington Convention Center, 146A LITA’s premier program on trends and advances in technology features an ongoing roundtable discussion by a panel of LITA technology experts and thought leaders. The panelists will describe changes and advances in technology they see having an impact on the library world and suggest what libraries might do to take advantage of these trends. This year’s panelists are: James Neal, Session Moderator, Senior Program Officer, Institute of Museum and Library Services Matthew Enis, Senior Editor, Technology, Library Journal Matthew Hunter, Digital Scholarship Technologist, Office of Digital Research and Scholarship, Florida State University Libraries Terry Ann Lawler, Assistant Manager, Adult Services, Phoenix Public Library Lavoris Martin, Associate Librarian, Director of Library Technical Services, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Ricardo…

2019

Going to ALA Annual? Check out the LITA ALA Annual Precons

2019 ALA Annual Conference, Washington DC, logo

Active and Engaging If you’re attending the 2019 ALA Annual Conference, join us for one of our practical workshops and check out all the LITA programming at Annual including the thought-provoking LITA President’s Program. AvramCampFriday June 21, 2019, 9:00 am – 4:00pmFacilitators: Sara Margaret Rizzo, Systems Librarian, Monmouth University Library Aisha Conner-Gaten. Instructional Design Librarian, Loyola Marymount University Anne Slaughter, Director of Technology Services, RAILS This workshop for female-identifying individuals will start with looking at imposter syndrome and then allow participants to propose unconference topics such as salary negotiation, creating inclusive job postings, and becoming leaders in the technology field. Beginning GIt and GitHubFriday, June 21, 2019 12:00 – 4:00 pmPresenters: Kate Bronstad, Librarian Web Developer, University Library, Tufts University Heather Klish, Systems Librarian, University Library, Tufts University Ari Gofman, Social Science Data Librarian, Tisch Library, Tufts University Work smarter, collaborate faster, and share code or other files with the library community using the popular version control system Git. Featuring a mix…

2019

LITA AvramCamp 2019, an ALA Annual Preconference

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Register now for this unique and affordable LITA workshop at the upcoming ALA Annual Conference in Washington, DC. AvramCamp 2019Friday June 21, 2019, 9:00 am – 4:00 pmWalter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 150A Join other women and non-binary technology library workers in a safe and welcoming space to explore common challenges faced, learn strategies for dealing with them, and discuss specific tools to build your confidence at AvramCamp, LITA’s AdaCamp-inspired event. Our goal is to create a support network and increase participation from underrepresented groups in open technology and culture to further the library community’s goals of ensuring equitable access to information for everyone. Still Undecided? Read ALA Emerging Leader Aisha Conner-Gaten’s report on her experiences at AvramCamp 2017! Of the 2018 participants surveyed, 100% agreed that they learned new strategies and felt more confident about what they learned. “AvramCamp was well worth attending and one of the most interactive and engaging preconferences I ever attended.” – Joslyn “Thank you…

2019

LITA @ ALA Annual 2019 – Executive Perspectives

2019 ALA Annual Conference, Washington DC, logo

Executive Perspectives: A Conversation on the Future of the Library Technology Industry Monday, June 24, 2019, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PMLocation: Washington Convention Center, 146A Marshall Breeding, author of the annual Library Systems Report published in American Libraries, has assembled and will moderate this panel of senior executives representing organizations that produce software or services for libraries. Breeding will give a brief introduction and will then lead a lively discussion of technology and business trends. This year, the panel discussion will focus on issues related to the use of open source software for core resource management, repository, and discovery systems. Specific topics will be announced prior to the Annual Conference.  Marshall Breeding, Independent Consultant, Creator and Publisher Library Technology Guides. Laurie Arp, Director of Collections Services and Community Supported Software , Lyrasis Lynn Bailey, Chief Executive Officer and CFO, Index Data Neil Block, Vice President for Global Open Source Innovation,…

2019

Travel scholarships available for LITA AvramCamp 2019

Henriette Avram picture

Do you want to participate in LITA AvramCamp, a one-day unconference for women and non-binary people working in library technology, at ALA Annual in Washington, D.C.? Would travel funding help you to attend? Thanks to support from individual donors and sponsors, AvramCamp is offering several $500 travel scholarships. Scholarships will be awarded competitively based on the committee’s ranking of applications received by the deadline of May 17, 2019. Scholarship Eligibility ALA attendees are encouraged to participate in AvramCamp if they: Identify as a woman or non-binary in a way that is significant to them; Participate in library technology (in any role); Can actively participate in discussions about women’s and non-binary people’s experiences in library technology, including talking about their achievements and the challenges they face; Want to work together and share strategies to support and promote women in the field; Are young or old; students or professionals; from a diverse…

2019

Call for Panelists – Deadline Extended – 2019 ALA Annual LITA Top Tech Trends Program

2019 ALA Annual Conference, Washington DC, logo

Nominate yourself or someone you know for the next LITA Top Tech Trends panel of speakers! Submit your nominations – The submission deadline has been extended to May 6th, 2019. The session will be held on Sunday, June 23, 2019, 1:00 – 2:30 pm, at the  2019 ALA Annual Conference in Washington DC. A moderator and several panelists will each discuss trends impacting libraries, ideas for use cases, and practical approaches for evaluating them. LITA encourages participation from underrepresented groups, such as women, people of color, and LGBTQA+ individuals. We also value diverse perspectives from different types and sizes of libraries, as well as those who can bring a fresh voice. Speakers will be selected based on their proposed trends, experiences, and overall balance to the panel. View the submission guidelines.

2019

LITA @ ALA Annual 2019 – Science Fiction Authors

2019 ALA Annual Conference, Washington DC, logo

Agency, Consent, and Power in Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday, June 22, 2019 – 4:00 PM – 5:00 PMLocation: Washington Convention Center, 146B Science Fiction and Fantasy has always held a mirror up to nature and continues to explore themes that resonate in contemporary society. As our current culture grapples with issues such as sexual assault, bodily autonomy, classism, racism, and consolidation of power, both political and economic, science fiction and fantasy writers have been responding with works that illuminate our current situation. Join a panel of popular genre authors talking about how their work is informed by and informs discussion on the topics of agency, consent, and power in the real world and in the worlds of their own creation. Sarah Gailey* Malka Older John Scalzi Martha Wells Register today! If you’re attending the 2019 ALA Annual Conference, join us for one of our practical workshops and check out all the LITA programming at…

2019

You can support LITA Avramcamp 2019 today!

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Every year, LITA organizes AvramCamp at ALA Annual, a preconference centering women and non-binary individuals in technology work. This event allows attendees to not only discuss challenges in their work, but build community and self-reflect in a brave space. We are asking for support from you. Your donation supports scholarships for AvramCamp attendees including registration and travel, common barriers for students, as well as new and early career librarians, to attend ALA Annual events. We encourage donations of all sizes and hope you share this with your networks. Thank you and please let us know if you have any questions. For other questions or comments related to LITA events, contact us at (312) 280-4268 or lita@ala.org Learn more about AdaCamp and the Ada Initiative. Sponsor We thank our sponsor, OCLC, for supporting travel scholarships to help build connections for participants who would not otherwise have access to these opportunities.