Audio version

14 COGNOTES DECEMBER MIDWINTER 2016 PREVIEW

ALA Washington Touts Intriguing Topics for Midwinter Conference

From advance insights into the 2016 presidential election, to whether citizens should have the “right to be forgotten,” to what's up with ebooks — ALA's Washington office is dishing up some scintillating topics for conference participants puzzling over which sessions to put on their “must attend” list. Here's a roundup to pique your interest.

Washington Office Update: Libraries & Election 2016

With the Presidency, all of the House, and one third of the Senate up for grabs in 2016, ALA's Washington Office has taken advantage of Midwinter's Boston locale to invite a stellar panel of local experts from Harvard, MIT and elsewhere — including prominent former federal officials — to team with top national political reporters for a wide-ranging Washington Update discussion of what Election 2016 may mean for library policy priorities and the nation. Don't miss this timely and expert look ahead!

Saturday January 9, 8:30- 10:00 a.m.

Should There Be a Right to Be Forgotten? (breakout session)

In the European Union, a user has the right to have links to certain personal information removed from the results of web searches involving his or her name. This “right to be forgotten” in Europe has stimulated robust debates about the appropriateness of such a regime in other countries.

Come to this session to learn about the pros and cons and ask questions about possible adoption in the U.S.

Saturday January 9, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

From Glass Half Empty to Glass Half Full?: Evaluating the current ebook environment

Three years ago, major publishers refused to sell ebooks to libraries, no one knew how to download an ebook file, and public library staff were hit with an unforeseen surge of patron interest in ebooks. Now that the dust has settled and ebook market has matured, where are we now? In panel presentation format, speakers will describe how things have changed and what libraries can expect in the not so distant future.

Sunday January 10, 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.

How Do You YouTube? (breakout session)

The internet's favorite repository for cat videos has undergone an unexpected transformation in the last 10 years. Okay, it's still a repository for cat videos, but more than that, it's a place of curiosity and community. With this introductory session, we will be hosting a series of panels and workshops to explore how libraries can get started on YouTube. You'll learn about the concept of Curiosity Correspondents, gaining internal support for a YouTube project, and how to make the most of your channel (including community outreach, education, and federal advocacy).

Saturday January 9,10:30—11:30 a.m.

Encryption Inhabition? -Enabling Library Patron Privacy in the Age of Surveillance (breakout session)

Librarians’ longstanding commitment to protecting patron privacy has taken on added urgency in an era of high tech government surveillance and criminal data breaches. Technology has both afforded unprecedented access to patron information and empowered individuals and libraries to encrypt it. Join a panel of experts to discuss this new “arms race,” how it's playing out in Washington, D.C. and how local libraries could be, should be and are using encryption in the age of surveillance.

Saturday January 9,10:30—11:30 a.m. ,

Ignite Sessions Offer Insights

2016 ALA Midwinter Meeting attendees will have the chance to be inspired and entertained by the popular five-minute “Ignite” sessions, coming to ALA Midwinter Meeting for the second time. Each five-minute session is accompanied by 20 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds. Six Ignite sessions will take place from 11:30 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. See the full schedule and descriptions on the Midwinter website.

Topics include: ideas from Burning Man; learners as leaders; lessons from website A/B testing; digital preservation; fine-tuning the LibGuides user experiences; afterschool gaming; wearable tech; challenges facing new directors; privacy and security; digital humanities uncentered; and more.

“Ignite sessions offer the unique opportunity to quickly get exciting ideas for new programs and services in a fast-paced and entertaining setting. No other program offers such a wide array of new ideas in such a short time,” said Patrick Sweeney, Administrative Librarian, Sunnyvale Library.

The proposals went through a public voting process that counted for 30 percent of the selection process (staff votes accounted for another 30 percent, while the remaining 40 percent was decided by an advisory group of ALA members).