All Sessions

Create a powerful school library program with tools based on AASL’s learning standards and program guidelines. Explore AASL’s A Planning Guide for Empowering Learners with the School Library Program Assessment Rubric and learn how to collect and use data to drive program improvement. Then learn how AASL’s Standards for the 21st-Century Learner in Action and Lesson Plan Database can take programs to the next level by building lessons cross-walked with the Common Core Standards.

An unconference is a participant-guided experience that harnesses the unstructured conversations people usually have between conference sessions into the conference itself. Unlike most conferences where talking heads and group leaders decide what is important, unconferences are organized by the crowd. Unconferences are about sharing the knowledge and passion we have for our profession and taking what we learn into the world to make a difference. Everyone has something to share. Everyone has something to learn. We can all change the world.

This forum offers an opportunity for academic librarians to learn more about the new Standards for Libraries in Higher Education approved by the ACRL Board and released October 2011. Learn how these standards differ from previous standards and learn about the services ACRL will offer to support librarians in applying the standards for the purposes of strategic planning, program review, and institutional effectiveness.

A demonstration and discussion of ACRL Metrics for current (and prospective) subscribers. Demonstration will highlight key capabilities including peer group comparisons, built-in report templates, and export capabilities.

Empowering Voices, Transforming Communities: join these conversations and leave Midwinter with new tools to become a better advocate. Libraries rely on partners within the community to advocate on their behalf more than ever before. But how can libraries stay relevant to these stakeholders in an environment of ever-changing priorities? Join visionary professor David Lankes, author of “Atlas of New Librarianship” ( (http://www.newlibrarianship.org), in two afternoons of innovative and interactive conversations about harnessing the evolving role of libraries, and strengthening the librarian’s voice to help shape community perception.

Facilitators from the graphic recording company, Sunni Brown (http://sunnibrown.com/), will help create visual images of the plenary conversations that conclude each afternoon. The Saturday, January 21, 2012, session focuses on “Understanding Your Communities.” The Sunday, January 22, 2012, session focuses on “Transforming Librarianship.” Both run from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Sessions are open to all Midwinter Meeting attendees; please add them to your Scheduler to indicate that you plan to attend. Attendees will also receive a coupon for 5% off the price of David Lankes’ galvanizing “Atlas of New Librarianship” (ACRL/MIT Press, 2011) at the ALA Conference Store.

The conversation continues on Sunday afternoon (http://alamw12.scheduler.ala.org/node/1073).

You’ve been wondering. Now’s your chance to see the future of discovery from OCLC as it’s happening—and give your input. How will workflows be streamlined for you? What will users experience? Join us to hear how FirstSearch, WorldCat.org and WorldCat Local will evolve over the next few years. You’ll see previews of the new staff interface and hear plans for meeting the needs of multiple audiences through specific functionality.

Learn about recent developments with ACRL’s Value of Academic Libraries Initiative, a multiyear project designed to aid academic librarians in demonstrating library value. The ACRL publication The Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report, released in fall 2010, recommended that the association create a professional development program to build the profession’s capacity to document, demonstrate, and communicate library value in alignment with the mission and goals of their colleges and universities. In late fall 2011, ACRL joined with three partners – the Association for Institutional Research, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and the Council of Independent Colleges – to convene two national summits to determine the professional competencies that librarians need. In this forum, learn the advice given by those attending the summits: college and university chief academic officers, senior institutional researchers, representatives from accreditation commissions and higher education organizations, and academic librarians.

Empowering Voices, Transforming Communities: join these conversations and leave Midwinter with new tools to become a better advocate. Libraries rely on partners within the community to advocate on their behalf more than ever before. But how can libraries stay relevant to these stakeholders in an environment of ever-changing priorities? Join visionary professor David Lankes, author of “Atlas of New Librarianship” ( (http://www.newlibrarianship.org), in two afternoons of innovative and interactive conversations about harnessing the evolving role of libraries, and strengthening the librarian’s voice to help shape community perception.

Facilitators from the graphic recording company, Sunni Brown (http://sunnibrown.com/), will help create visual images of the plenary conversations that conclude each afternoon. The Saturday, January 21, 2012, session focuses on “Understanding Your Communities.” The Sunday, January 22, 2012, session focuses on “Transforming Librarianship.” Both run from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Sessions are open to all Midwinter Meeting attendees; please add them to your Scheduler to indicate that you plan to attend. Attendees will also receive a coupon for 5% off the price of David Lankes’ galvanizing “Atlas of New Librarianship” (ACRL/MIT Press, 2011) at the ALA Conference Store.

The conversation begins on Saturday afternoon (http://alamw12.scheduler.ala.org/node/1072).

The ALCTS Board meets to discuss issues of importance for the Division

Join fellow conference goers for the first ever ALA Midwinter Conference Camp. The goal of this Camp is to get people together to talk about anything library or conference related with a focus on reflecting on what inspired you at the 2012 Midwinter conference. Come prepared to share your experience and/or lead an informal discussion on a topic of your choice. Everyone is welcome!