California State Library CONNECTION Story

California welcomes American Library Association!
ALA 2008 great fun at “Happiest Place on Earth”

For California State Library (CSL) staff, as for thousands of other library professionals from around the country, learning, networking and information sharing was particularly fun at this year's American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference. Anaheim, the location of the national 2008 event, is home to Disneyland and the upbeat energy of the “Happiest Place on Earth” permeated the conference.

Though whimsy was in the air, CSL staff enjoyed absorbing the high-level of expertise and best-practices exchanging they discovered at the General Sessions and exhibits. In addition to participating in 5 panels, the CSL's ALA attendees or “scouts” reported on a total of over 50 individual programs via a CSL wiki.

One highlight of the conference for most CSL staff was the specially arranged behind-the-scenes tour of the Disney parks. Bruce Kimbrell of the Disney Institute lead the tour and provided a mini-seminar in customer service, with insights into Disney's secrets of exceeding customers' expectations.

CSL Staff Programs at ALA 2008
DATE	PROGRAM	STAFF
Saturday, June 28	Digital Storytelling: Where Outreach, Local History, Programming and Technology Collide	Kathy Low
Saturday, June 28	P(l)anning for Gold: Preservation Models in California and the West	Susan Hildreth Gary Kurutz
Saturday, June 28	Diversity Fair: California Indian Historical Resources Project	Susan Hanks
Sunday, June 29	Let Me Ask You This: Constructing & Using Effective Surveys	Cindy Mediavilla
Sunday, June 29	Adult Learners: Helping Libraries Make MAGIC [LOCATION: Disneyland Hotel, Magic Kingdom]	Susan Hildreth Jacquie Brinkley