Category: General information

LITA is looking for dynamic speakers with knowledge about the top trends in technology and how they intersect with information security and privacy. Library technology is quickly evolving with trends such as VR, cloud computing and AI. As library technology continues to impact our profession and those that we serve, security and privacy are quickly becoming top concerns. We hope this panel will provide insight and information about these technology trends for you to discuss within your own organization. If you or someone you know would be a great fit for this exciting panel, please submit your nomination today.   Submit your nominations – the deadline is April 17, 2020. The session is planned for Sunday, June 28, 2020, 2:30 – 3:30 pm, at the 2020 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. A moderator and several panelists will each discuss trends impacting libraries, ideas for use cases, and practical approaches for…

2020 Forum Call for Proposals Submission Deadline: March 30, 2020 November 19-21, 2020 Baltimore, Maryland Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel Do you have an idea or project that you would like to share? Does your library have a creative or inventive solution to a common problem? Submit a proposal for the 2020 LITA/ALCTS/LLAMA Forum! Submission deadline is March 30th. Our library community is rich in ideas and shared experiences. The 2020 Forum Theme embodies our purpose to share knowledge and gain new insights by exploring ideas through an interactive, hands-on experience. We hope that this Forum can be an inspiration to share, finish, and be a catalyst to implement ideas… together. We invite those who choose to lead through their ideas to submit proposals for sessions or preconference workshops, as well as nominate keynote speakers. This is an opportunity to share your ideas or unfinished work, inciting collaboration and advancing the library profession…

The March 1 early-bird registration deadline for the Exchange is approaching. Register today and save! There’s still time to register for the Exchange at a discount, with early-bird registration rates at $199 for ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA members; $255 for ALA individual members; $289 for non-members; $79 for student/retired members; $475 for groups; and $795 for institutions. Early-bird registration ends March 1. Taking place May 4, 6, and 8, the Exchange will engage a wide range of presenters and participants, facilitating enriching conversations and learning opportunities in a three-day, fully online, virtual forum. Programming includes keynote presentations from Emily Drabinski and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, and sessions focusing on leadership and change management, continuity and sustainability, and collaborations and cooperative endeavors. In addition to these sessions, the Exchange will offer lightning rounds and virtual poster sessions. For up-to-date details on sessions, be sure to check the Exchange website as new information…

The deadline to submit LITA education proposals has been extended to March 15th. We’re seeking instructors passionate about library technology topics to share their expertise and teach a webinar, webinar series, or online course for LITA this year. Instructors receive a $500 honorarium for an online course or $150 for a webinar, split among instructors. Check out our list of current and past course offerings to see what topics have been covered recently. Be part of another slate of compelling and useful online education programs this year! Submit your LITA education proposal today! For questions or comments related to teaching for LITA, contact us at lita@ala.org or (312) 280-4268.

The Boards of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), Library Information Technology Association (LITA) and the Library Leadership & Management Association (LLAMA) have all voted unanimously to send to members their recommendation that the divisions form a new division, Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures.  ALCTS, LITA and LLAMA will vote on the recommendation during the upcoming American Library Association (ALA) election. If approved by all three memberships, and the ALA Council, the three long-time divisions will end operations on August 31, 2020, and merge into Core on September 1. Members of the three Boards emphasized that Core will continue to support the groups in which members currently find their professional homes while also creating new opportunities to work across traditional division lines. It is also envisioned that Core would strengthen member engagement efforts and provide new career-support services. If one or more of the division memberships do not…

With stimulating programming, including discussion forums and virtual poster sessions, the Exchange will engage a wide range of presenters and participants, facilitating enriching conversations and learning opportunities in a three-day, fully online, virtual forum. Programming includes keynote presentations from Emily Drabinski and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, and sessions focusing on leadership and change management, continuity and sustainability, and collaborations and cooperative endeavors. The Exchange will take place May 4, 6, and 8. In addition to these sessions, the Exchange will offer lightning rounds and virtual poster sessions. For up-to-date details on sessions, be sure to check the Exchange website as new information is being added regularly. Early-bird registration rates are $199 for ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA members, $255 for ALA individual members, $289 for non-members, $79 for student members, $475 for groups, and $795 for institutions. Early-bird registration ends March 1. Want to register your group or institution? Groups watching the…

We’re looking for new contributors for the LITA Blog! Do you have just a single idea for a post or a series of posts? No problem! We’re always looking for guest contributors with new ideas. Do you have thoughts and ideas about technology in libraries that you’d like to share with LITA members? Apply to be a regular contributor! If you’re a member of LITA, consider either becoming a regular contributor for the next year or submitting a post or two as a guest. Apply today!

There’s a seat waiting for you… Register for this LITA webinar today! How to Talk About Library UX – Redux Presenter: Michael Schofield Librarian / Director of Engineering, WhereBy.Us Wednesday, March 11, 2020 12:00 – 1:00 pm Central Time The last time we did this webinar was in 2016 – and a lot’s changed. The goal then was to help establish some practical benchmarks for how to think about the user experience and UX design in libraries, which suffered from a lack of useful vocabulary and concepts: while we might be able to evangelize the importance of UX, LibUXers struggled with translating their championship into the kinds of bureaucratic goals that unlocked real budget for our initiatives. It’s one thing to say, “the patron experience is critical!” It’s another thing to say, “the experience is critical – so pay for OptimalWorkshop, or hire a UX Librarian, or give me a…