Internet Librarian Conference: Discount Available

The 2011 Internet Librarian Conference will be held October 17-19 in Monterey, California.  Uusally the cost for the 3 day event is usually $499 but you can get a group discounted admission of $299 (a savings of $200) if you register through Marty Magee, NNLM MidContinental Region.  You must register no later than September 1, 2011.  For more information on how to register for the conference at a discount and contact information go to the MidContinental Region News blog post, Internet Librarian 2011 – Conference discount available at $299.

Even at a discounted registration price, you may want your institution to help fund some of the conference.  Check out the, “Why I Must Go To Monterey” document on the Internet Librarian 2011 site. As they say, “Sometimes all it takes to get permission is using the right words.”  They have created a draft memo for you to use to try and sell your administration on paying for you to attend. (I am sure also explaining how you are able to secure a $200 registration discount can’t hurt either.)  The draft memo is a bit long for memo to your boss, it is definitely a draft.  You will need to edit it so that it takes on the proper tone of your administration yet still convey the importance of attending the meeting.  Personally, I would also edit it so that it is no more than 1 page.  In my experience, memos longer than 1 page don’t get read.  But I applaud the Internet Librarian conference for providing a sample memo, and I would rather that sample be longer with as much information so that potential attendees can edit it as necessary.  Better to have more information and cut down than not enough information.

Finally, since I am talking about discounted registration and justifying your presence at the Internet Librarian Conference, I am going to make a shameless plug promoting MLA 2012 Fund Your Meeting Contest.  Two $400 awards will be given out to help pay for registration or travel expenses to the 2012 meeting in Seattle.  All you have to do to win is submit the most original, funny, interesting, or beth method you used to get funding from your institution to attend a meeting.  Go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2T8K9LJ to enter before November 1, 2011.  To read other people’s submissions to get ideas as to how you can try and convince your administration to pay or help pay for you to go to MLA, go to http://mla2012contest.wikispaces.com/.