Azure Mountain hike

The Azure Mountain diversion went off without a hitch despite a weather forecast of "scattered thunder showers." It was pretty warm, made warmer by the high humidity. Joe Petrick and Jane Vivala joined "interpreter-in-training", Marianne Hebert up the short mountain hike. Normally you can see the high peaks from the summit, but on such a hazy day, we couldn't see past the nearest local peaks.



We all had a good time, despite the overly active black flies. Wildflowers were glorious. Jane and Marianne had fun with identifying a variety of native flowers. Lunch at the nearby Deer Valley restaurant included two house specialties: poutine and deep fried cheesecake!



Jane volunteered her services to help prevent this glacial erratic from rolling down the mountain!

See more photos on the SUNYLA Flikr groups.

Thank You Everyone!

The conference is finally over. I'm back at home, heading out to the garden to relax and rejuvenate. I want to send a thanks to all the conference attendees for making this conference such a success. We heard at lunch yesterday, how much work goes into the conference: the Conference Committee, Local Arrangements Committee, Presenters, Facilitators, and I thank them all too. It takes a "SUNYLA village" to raise an annual event.

But, what made this conference so great was the participatory nature of the attendees. Not only did you socialize, blog and attend presentations, you drummed, sang, danced and played a myiad of games. I truly expected the Talent Night to be a pretty good "gong" show. What we got was outstanding performances by outstanding talents. Who knew? Everyone embraced the spirit of "making a racket" and made the conference a fun place to be. THANK YOU ALL!

Wishing everyone a safe journey home and a relaxing weekend. See you next year!

Birdwatching Diversion

When I suggested you'd be amazed with the bird watching diversion, I was thinking you'd be amazed that anyone (i.e. me and 4 other SUNYLA members) would get up at 6:00am to go bird watching. Truth is, I had no idea bird watching could be so amazing!

The Clarkson University Great Blue Heron rookerie was hopping with activity. It surpassed anything I have ever seen on nature documentaries like "Sunrise Earth." Our thanks to local bird experts Joan Collins and Mary Beth Warburton who led us on a most fascinating journey. Mary Beth brought her scope so we could see zoom in on the birds in their nests. Both gave a running commentary on the birds we saw and heard as we walked through the woods and watched the marsh from the observation desk. In addition to the birds listed below we observed a muskrat munching on water lily leaves, heard many bull frogs and volunteered our services as a breakfast buffet for many mosquitoes. I wish I had brought my camera, but I'll be heading back to the marsh this weekend and will post those photos later.

Thanks to Joan Collins who just emailed me with her official account of the outing, posted to the Northern New York Birds email list earlier this morning:

6/12/08 Clarkson University Trails, Potsdam (6:30 to 7:30 a.m., weather was cool and clear, with calm winds)

Marianne Hebert, SUNY Potsdam Librarian, organized a pre-breakfast bird walk for several people attending the SUNY Librarians Association conference. Mary Beth Warburton and I led a hike to the observation tower overlooking a large swamp with a Great Blue Heron rookery. The short trail (~ 1/2 mile) leading to the swamp passes through a mature deciduous forest with one large open area near the beginning of the trail. We found 31 species during the short walk, including 6 flycatcher and 5 warbler species. Here is a complete list of the birds found:

Wood Duck - pair flying over

Hooded Merganser - female that flew in and briefly landed in the water near us

Great Blue Heron - we had wonderful views of all the nest sites filled with young. We also observed an adult carry a stick to one of the nests. It gave the stick to the other adult perched on the nest. The second adult placed the stick in the nest which had 3 young.

Green Heron - pair observed flying into the swamp together. They briefly perched in a dead snag then dropped down out of sight.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Eastern Wood-Pewee - several

Alder Flycatcher

Least Flycatcher

Eastern Phoebe - adults with 3 young perched in trees near the tower begging for food

Great Crested Flycatcher

Eastern Kingbird - in the clearing area chasing Amer. Crows

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

Amer. Crow

Tree Swallow

White-breasted Nuthatch

Hermit Thrush

Amer. Robin

European Starling - several in the swamp

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Ovenbird

Northern Waterthrush - at least 3

Common Yellowthroat

Song Sparrow

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Grackle

Baltimore Oriole - adults feeding young in a nest over the observation tower!

Amer. Goldfinch

Diverting!

Today's fantastic experience: hiking Stone Valley with some other librarians after a huge thunderstorm blew through yesterday. We had to take a different path than I had planned, due to some dramatically downed power lines, but the other side of the river, though downed as well, was more accessible, and because it has the dam access on it, had been cleared by the power company. It was gorgeous, moving very fast, and definitely an adventure as we climbed over some fallen trees, looped around others, and watched the water just cruise on past us on a gorgeous summer day. And we even talked a bit about librarianship. It was totally professional networking. TOTALLY. Thanks to Gerry, Barbara, and Joanne for going along for the adventure!

Reminder: New Member Orientation

Attention New Members! Please join us in front of Barrington Hall (the Student Union) Wednesday, June 11th at 5:30pm. Meet fellow new members and get oriented to the conference. We’ll all walk over to the BBQ together. Then, after dinner, we’ll meet back up and walk to the membership social where you’ll have the chance to win fabulous new member prizes.

Conference Web Portal

I've setup a simple web portal using Netvibes just for updates on the conference. This includes updates from the conference blog, conference bloggers, as well as a Conference Schedule using a widget from Google Calendar. Hope you find it useful!

Conference Web Portal
http://www.netvibes.com/sunyla2008

Mobile Version
http://m.netvibes.com/universe/sunyla2008/tab/108539746

Note: The Flickr widget is only set to tagged photos with "SUNYLA" at the moment. Official conference tag is still "SUNYLA08", but there are not enough photos yet to be picked up by the widget.

Stone Valley Hike

Want to check out Stone Valley? Did you sign up? Did you forget to sign up? Doesn't matter to me!

Meet me at 1:00 in the lobby of Draime Hall, by the Knitting Lounge, and I'll take you there. 3 people in my car, as many as wish it in someone else's. (So find a driver...) We'll be back by 3:30 at the latest, and it's going to be a gorgeous day!

Session Facilitators Needed!

Session Facilitators Needed!

Hey SUNYLA!

We still need people to help out and facilitate some sessions at SUNYLA 2008. Here are the times and sessions where we need your help.

Pre-Conference:
P1 SUNY Borrowing Task Force part 1 9am-noon
P2 Unravelling Web 2.0: Matching the Technology to the Need 1pm-3pm
P4 The Automated Authority Control Process, saving time saving resources 1pm-3pm
P5 SUNY Borrowing Task Force part 2 1pm-3pm
P6 "What Do We Want?: Librarian Equity, UUP, and the Executive Committee" 3pm-4pm

Conference:
V-1 Digital Preservation: Greatly Desired, Greatly Unknown… 8:15 - 9:00am room 217
G-S Whirlpool Ahead! Librarians and the Vortex of University Service 9:15 - 10:00 am
M-S Information Literacy Assessment: Session I: Program Assessment 9:15 - 10:00 am
V-4 Serials Solutions 3:30pm - 4:15pm room 217
V-5 Elsevier 4:30pm - 5:15pm room 217
U-S Negotiating rough waters: library director evaluations 8:45am-10:15am
V-6 ExLibris 8:45am-10:15am room 217

Please consider helping us out.
Thanks,

Mark McBride
mcbridmf@buffalostate.edu

Arriving on Campus - Redux

When you arrive on campus, the first thing you should do is REGISTER!

Register FIRST, even if you are late for the pre-conference, BBQ or other event.

Your registration packet will have your PARKING PERMIT. If you don't get your parking permit prominently displayed in your window, you WILL likely be issued a parking ticket, and we WON'T be able to fix it! Overnight parking is allowed in LOTs 25 and 25A.

Sorry!

What to Wear in Potsdam

The weather in Potsdam is unpredictable...just like everywhere else in NY. As of today, Monday, we are expecting it to be mostly in the mid-70's, mostly sunny, 20% chance of rain. That of course can change at any moment!

The dorm rooms (Draime) are not air conditioned (bring a fan?), and the air conditioning in Kellas Hall is unpredictable. We suggest you dress for warm weather and bring a sweater or jacket in case the air conditioning in Kellas decides to be robust.

Don't forget:
The registration bags are lime green, so make sure your ensemble doesn't clash!
The BBQ is in the park by the river, and black flies and other un-invited guests may show up!

Drumming Circle: Bring Your Drums

On Thursday, as part of the Talent Show entertainment, we will have a drumming circle workshop. If you have "real" drums, we encourage you to bring them. Bongos, tamborines, congo drums, tablas, any percussion instrument will do.

If you don't own a drum, don't worry! Be happy! We will be providing "suprise" instruments in your registration packets, so everyone can participate and help us make a racket!

Assistance with Walking

If you find walking distances to be a challenge, we will have a golf cart or two to assist you with getting from point A to point B. Library staff volunteers will be available to transport you (campus locations only).

You can flag the drivers down anytime, or ask them to pick you up at a specific time. We will have walkie-talkies, so you can either "call" for a ride at the Kellas reservation desk, or ask me (Marianne) to give them a holler.

We have never done this before, so please be patient while we work out the kinks.

While the golf cart service is intended to assist those who need assistance, able-bodied walkers are welcome to ride if space is available.

Please note that the BBQ picnic at Lehman Park is ~10 minute walk (~1 mile). Parking is very limited. There is a very tiny parking lot (10 cars?) at the park, but you can park on the grass by the entrance, near the main road (Rt. 56).

Since parking is so limited, we encourage you to walk. It is a very nice stroll from the dorms, and you can make a racket while you walk!

Live Audio-cast of Keynote Address

Can't come to SUNYLA this year, but would love to hear what Joe Janes has to say?
We are trying something new this year...

Live audio-casting (no video) of the keynote speech will be available courtesy of our campus BearCast system. This is a LIVE cast ONLY, and will not be available for downloading later. There will NOT be a link on our BearCast website, you will need to use the link below:

http://bearcast.potsdam.edu:8000/crane.mp3.m3u

The above link will be activated on Thursday, June 12, sometime between 1:45 and 2:00pm. It will not work before then! We apologize in advance for any technical difficulties.

Live events are currently streamed in mp3 format. The stream should open automatically in iTunes, Windows Media Player, or other audio software of your choice.

Recommended software for MacOS includes iTunes, VLC, or RealPlayer.

Recommended software for Windows includes Windows Media Player, iTunes, VLC, or RealPlayer. Windows Media Player users may need to hit the "Play" button after the stream buffers for a few seconds.

BearCast is service that has been configured for campus concert performances and sporting events. We are making use of an previously existing service. Unfortunately we cannot make the cast available in video format or for downloading at a later time. Hope the live audio-cast will be adequate! Many thanks to Dr. Peter McCoy for making his server available to us!

Conference Confirmations

Conference registration confirmations will be going out today via email.
We apologize for the delay in getting them out, but with two back-to-back
conferences, our Conference Office has been swamped.

If you have any questions about your registration please contact
Nancy Hess:
315 267-2168
E-mail: hessnl@potsdam.edu

Information about arriving on campus and registration is now on the conference blog:
http://sunyla2008.blogspot.com/2008/06/arriving-on-campus-registration-and.html
http://sunyla2008.blogspot.com/2008/05/late-night-arrivals.html

Arriving on Campus - Registration and Dorms

When you arrive on campus, look for the SUNYLA signs to parking and registration.
A SUNYLA conference map is printed on the second page of the program.

Arriving Tuesday PM:
Park in LOT 25
Registration will be in Draime Hall from 4:00-8:00pm. If you have previously notified the Conference office that you will be arriving later than 8:00pm, your registration packet and dorm keys will be available at the police station.

Arriving Wednesday AM
Park in LOT 2. Due to construction on campus, Potsdam Drive is closed. You can drive through LOT 1 to get to LOT 2.
Registration will be in Kellas Hall 8:00am-4:00pm.
Registration will be in Draime Hall 4:00pm-8:00pm.
If you have previously notified the Conference office that you will be arriving later than 8:00pm, your registration packet and dorm keys will be available at the police station.

Arriving Thursday AM
Registration will be in Kellas Hall beginning at 7:00am-12:00pm.

Arriving Friday AM
Registration will be in Kellas Hall beginning at 7:00am.

If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Hess:
315 267-2168
E-mail: hessnl@potsdam.edu

Call for Conference Bloggers, Twitters, and other Web 2.0

Update: The conference wiki list "SUNYLA08" as a tag, so I changed the instructions to reflect that. "SUNYLA08" is just a little bit easier to type ;)

The past conference blogging usually went through the conference blog, with individual authors signing up and posting directly to the conference blog. This time around I wanted to let everyone use their own Web 2.0 tools. The following are instructions for people who want to cover the SUNYLA 2008 Conference using their own Web 2.0 tools.

Conference Blogging
Step 1: Add your blog to our Conference Blogger Listing at the Conference Wiki.
Step 2: If you are using a category or tag to specify your conference blogging, indicate it in your listings. I should be able to get an RSS feed specifically for a category or tag.

I will be using Yahoo! Pipes to merge all the RSS feeds from each blog together to form a single Conference RSS feed. Here is an example:

Conference Feed Example
(this feed will be displayed on the front page of the conference web site.)

Conference Twitter
The nature of Twitter is more about following each other, so I will leave the interaction to you. There will be a SUNYLA2008 Twitter that you can follow, but it will post updates from the conference blog using TwitterFeed. The conference wiki has a listing of conference twitterers:

http://sunyla08.pbwiki.com/Conference+twitterers

So feel free to add your user name if you would like to share tweets?

Conference Flickr
Tag your photos with "SUNYLA08" and leave the rest to me! I will have a slide show running on the conference web site that will automatically retrieve photos with the "SUNYLA08" tag. The slide show will be posted as soon as I find a photo tagged with "SUNYLA08" tag. Feel free to join the SUNYLA Flickr Group as well.

If there are any other Web 2.0 tools you would like me to cover, or if you have any questions, send me an e-mail at fujiuck@buffalostate.edu.

Conference wiki

Rudy Leon has set up a wiki to facilitate one of her presentations at the conference, and she graciously set it up so that other presenters can make use of it as well if they'd like. The URL is: http://sunyla08.pbwiki.com

The password was posted to the SUNYLA listserv on June 3, or can be gotten from Rudy directly, leonre@potsdam.edu.

Thanks, Rudy!

Also, Rudy asks that we all please note: "This is deliberately a 1.0 PBwiki in order to allow a single password to access the whole site. Please feel free to use it to support your presentations or other conference needs. But please don't make it a 2.0 PBWiki!"

Cell Phone Service in the North Country

Yes, we have cell phone service in Potsdam, and in Canton.

South of Potsdam, service can be pretty sketchy. Between Watertown and Canton, it fades in and out. You can count on very little service in the Adirondacks, except the populated areas of Saranac Lake, Lake Placid, and Tupper Lake. You can sometimes get service on mountain tops, but not on the hiking trails or valleys.

Best bet...don't count on it while you are traveling to Potsdam. Once you are here, you should be fine.

Make sure to fill your gas tank before you enter the Adirondack Park, especially if you will be traveling after 5:00pm. Many service stations in the Park are not open in the evening.

Blackflies and Other Un-invited Guests

Black flies are a feature [not a bug?] of the North Country. While they are not a problem on campus, I expect them to make an appearance at the BBQ picnic by the river on Wednesday night.

We will be providing a variety of insect repellents, but if you have a preferred bug dope, you may want to bring it along. We will also provide citronella candles for an authentic North Country ambiance.

Other preventive measures you can try:

• Wear long sleeved, light colored shirts
• Wear a broad rimmed hat
• Spray deet on your clothing
• Wear a headnet
• Hope for a breezy day!

Thanks to Andrea Malik, Director, Town of Colton Black Fly Control Program for her advice on how to plan for black flies at your picnic!

Parking on Campus

You MUST have your parking permit prominently displayed on your dashboard or you will get a parking ticket!

Parking permits will be included in your registration packets. As soon as you check in (either in the dorms or at Kellas Hall), make sure you dash back to your car with your parking permit.

A map of campus with designated parking lots is printed in the conference program.

SUNYLA Goes GREEN!

SUNYLA GOES GREEN!

Our conference registration bags just arrived!

Not only are they lime green with a cool blue conference logo, they are made from reclaimed polypropylene plastic (i.e. the little tear away plastic extrusion nibby things from manufacturing).

Best of all, they are a handy size and shape. You can reuse the bag. Take it shopping, to the beach, pack it with baby stuff, etc. And they only cost $2.25 each!

Are you a fashion maven and wouldn't be caught dead carrying such a "what-not-to-wear" bag? Do you absolutely HATE our bags? Not to worry. They are 100% recyclable.

Here at Potsdam, we think they are quite fashionable!

New Member Orientation

Attention New Members! Please join us in front of Barrington Hall (the Student Union) Wednesday, June 11th at 5:30pm. Meet fellow new members and get oriented to the conference. We’ll all walk over to the BBQ together. Then, after dinner, we’ll meet back up and walk to the membership social where you’ll have the chance to win fabulous new member prizes.

Attention fiber artists!

(I was going to title this "Attention Knitters", but I spent last evening crocheting afghan squares and I don't want to disenfranchise the crocheters, weavers, or whatever-else-you-do-with-string-ers among us!)

If you play with string and sticks to make fabric-like objects, please join us in the Knitter's Lounge during the conference. In addition to a nice place to stop and catch up with colleagues, we will also be doing a stash swap and a raffle. We are giving away a felted slippers knitting kit (pattern, yarn, and needles, and I've knit the pattern about a dozen times so I can testify to its fantastic-ness), and if you'd like, bring your surplus yarn for a stash swap -- offer up whatever yarn you can't seem to find a great pattern for, and trade it for something new-to-you. I know I'll be bringing a bag of miscellaneous skeins and balls to offer to anyone who wants to give them a good home!

This is a reprise of last year's super-successful knitting lounge at SUNY Maritime, and I hope that it proves just as much fun. I'm sorry to say there will be no wireless in our lounge, which means that we'll lose the cheerful and charming company of one Bill Drew, who, laptop in hand, braved a room full of swishing needles and hooks and chatter about swatching and Entrelac in order to surf the web in comfort last year.

The Knitter's Lounge will be in the Draime Lounge on the first floor of the dorm, in a nice bright room with big windows and comfy chairs.

SUNY Borrowing Taskforce Pre-Conference

SUNY Borrowing Task Force Pre-conference is FREE with registration!

Description: The SUNY Borrowing Task Force is sponsoring this pre-conference
to help reinvigorate discussions on how to improve SUNY¹s libraries¹
collections through data analysis, purchase on demand, and resource sharing.
The pre-conference will include speakers from acquisitions and ILL to
discuss how their institutions have implemented purchase on demand programs.


Abstract: The SUNY Borrowing Task Force is pleased to announce a
pre-conference sponsored by the SUNY Borrowing Task Force and the SUNY
Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS). As a participant in this
one day program, you will work collaboratively with other participants to
envision the future of SUNY resource sharing and its potential as a
component of collection development.  During these difficult economic times,
it is more important than ever that SUNY institutions work together to
maximize purchasing power for the purpose of expanding information access
for all SUNY constituents.

This program will set the stage for the ongoing development of systemic
strategies to increase and broaden the SUNY collection. Workshop sessions
are designed to provide participants with an understanding of consortia
resource sharing strategies. Participants will learn about the emergence of
new models for collection development and resource sharing from two
acknowledged experts in the field. Julia Gammon, Head of Acquisitions at the
University of Akron Library, will address her experience with OhioLINK. This
consortium has developed highly successful cooperative collection
development and resource sharing models to reduce unnecessary duplication,
stretch budgets, strengthen the aggregate statewide collection, and share
library resources. Sherry Buchanan, Interlibrary Loan Coordinator at the
Portland State University Library, will share her research on just-in-time
interlibrary loan and acquisitions. Her presentation will offer insights on
achieving the best possible balance between access and ownership. The
workshop will also include a synopsis of SUNY Borrowing Task Force
activities to date and a working lunch structured by functional groups. The
workshop will end with a group discussion moderated by SUNY Borrowing Task
Force members, with focus on defining and shaping the scope of future
planning discussions with involvement from all sectors of the SUNY
community.

The Task Force is seeking participation from a wide range of SUNY libraries
from community colleges, university and technology colleges, and university
centers and doctoral degree granting institutions. Examples of participants¹
institutional roles include: library administrators; collection development
librarians; acquisitions librarians; and interlibrary loan and access
services librarians. Team applications are also encouraged to create an
experience that allows participants with varied expertise and professional
backgrounds to explore SUNY resource sharing issues together.

Breakfast and Lunch will be provided (sponsored by the SUNY Office of Library Services)

Crumb Library will be Closed

If anyone is planning on doing any research at Potsdam during their visit, be advised that the F. W. Crumb Library will be closed beginning May 17th for renovations (new windows, ceilings, and HVAC systems).

Library services will be available from the Sheard Literacy Center. If you need materials retrieved from Crumb, we are happy to do so...just fill out our Fetch Form.

More info can be found on our FAQ page. We plan to reopen some time in August.

Crane Music Library will be open as usual.

Send registration via LAND

If you would like to send your registration forms via LAND, please address your envelopes:

ATTN: Marianne Hebert
SUNYLA Registration
SUNY Potsdam ZQM
LAND: Syracuse Hub

I will make sure they get over to our Conference Coordinator, Nancy Hess.

Shake, shake, shake...

I just got to play with the conference gift from the Local Arrangements Squad (I've decided that 'Squad' makes us sound like superheroes, where 'Committee' makes us sound like managers, and who do you want planning your conference fun, a superhero or a manager?) -- and they are supremely entertaining! You want one! The only way to get one is to register! Soooooo, go forth and register for the conference!

See you in June...

Late Night Arrivals

If you are registered to stay in the dorms on Tuesday or Wednesday and you planning to arrive late ...

Although the registration desk will probably close around 8:00pm, late arrivals can pick up their registration packets and dorm keys at the University Police Department in Van Housen Extension. You can park for 15 minutes in LOT 21 while you pick up your packets and dorm keys.

Public Transportation to Potsdam

We admit we are a bit off the beaten track, but it IS possible to get here from there.

Check out our campus webpage on Transportation options.
http://www.potsdam.edu/content.php?contentID=81DCC97E53793A52E19B89C638925B0F

Also, our Travel Arrangements for International Students has useful information:
http://www.potsdam.edu/content.php?contentID=2153A527B015A2E5D76AA3FeF0428F4C

Trains and planes do not stop in Potsdam, though you they can take you as far as Syracuse and Albany.

I just got off the phone with the Potsdam Greyhound office (315 265-2270), and they ensure me that the Syracuse bus to Potsdam will be operating twice daily (7 days a week) throughout the summer. Double check the schedule before you come, but at the moment the bus leaves Syracuse downtown 7:00 am and 5:15 pm; and from the Airport 7:15 am and 5:30.

There are also buses that leave from Albany and other NY towns.

You can always walk to Potsdam (start now!). Take the Northville-Lake Placid Trail --> Rt. 3 to Tupper Lake. You can then paddle up the Raquette River until you hit Potsdam! ;-)

Conference costs

Many folk have been asking about conference costs so they can submit their travel requisitions as soon as possible. The registration form should be available within a few days. Meanwhile here is what we know so far:

Registration: SUNYLA Member $45.00
Non-Members: $65.00

Diversions/Outings: up to $10.00

Wed. BBQ at Lehman Park (6:00 - 8:00 pm) - Free (Sponsored by SUNYLA)

Thursday Dinner: up to: $20.00

Friday Box Lunch: $8.00

Dorms: Single: $28.50 first night. $14.25 for each subsequent night.
Double: $19.00 per person first night. $9.00 for each subsequent night.

Wireless on Campus

Wireless

Logon information for wireless access will be included in your registration packets.

All of the conference sessions (so far) will be in Kellas Hall. The wide and sunny hallway in Kellas is wireless. Vendor booths and poster sessions will be in the hallway. None of the classrooms in Kellas have wireless, but the signal does bleed into many of them.

Dorms do not have wireless, but they have high speed internet connections. Bring your own ethernet cable.

Conference events will also be held in Snell Concert Hall (no wireless), Barrington Student Union (wireless) and Lehman Park (no wireless).

A wireless map of the campus is available here. Wireless is available anywhere you see our wireless logo.

Catering Menus and campus food services

Catering and Menus
Menu selections will be on your registration form. Meal tickets indicating your choices will be included in your registration packets.


Wednesday BBQ 6:00pm
Bigger Backyard Blast Location: Lehman Park on the Raquette River
Quarter cut BBQ chicken, One hamburger & one Hot dog or a veggie burger, served with rolls & condiments, potato chips, 3oz Cole slaw, baked beans, Macaroni Salad, sliced watermelon, two cookies, and 16 oz. lemonade. Vegetarian option: Garden Burger.


Thursday Buffet Lunch 12:00 noon
Cold Deli - includes coffee, tea, dessert
Platters of deli meats and cheeses, rolls, lettuce, and tomato. Served with marinated vegetable salad & chips, plus one of our "Dexter's" salads (vegetarian). Vegetarian option: Hummus and cheese.


Thursday Dinner 5:30pm
Slow-Roasted Prime Rib of Beef – includes coffee, tea, and dessert
Served with Rosemary new potatoes, glazed carrots, onion jam ~ burgundy jus, fresh green salad, rolls & butter.

Seared Salmon – includes coffee, tea, and dessert
Served with jasmine Rice, asparagus, crimini mushrooms ~ roasted red pepper coulis, fresh green salad, rolls & butter.

Jumbo Ravioli – includes coffee, tea, and dessert
Filled with ricotta cheese, sweet red pepper, spinach, broccoli, carrot, & herbs ~ sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce. Served with rolls & butter; fresh green salad.


Friday Box Lunch 11:30pm
Traditional box lunch
Choice of turkey, roast beef, ham and cheese, tuna salad, cheddar cheese, or hummus on a deli roll with lettuce and tomato. Box lunches include fresh fruit, cookies, potato chips, and a beverage.

Chef’s salad
Salad greens, peppers, tomato, carrot and cucumber; with ham, turkey, and cheese. Served with salad dressing, beverage, roll & butter, fresh fruit, and cookies.

Want to eat on your own?
Campus food services (grill and deli) will be available in the Barrington Student Union from 7:00am to 6:00pm.
A list of local restaurants will be posted here later, and will be included in your registration packet.

Keynote Speaker Joe Janes

Join us in welcoming Joe Janes as our keynote speaker. While he cannot physically come to Potsdam this June, Joe will be speaking with us interactively from the University of Washington, using Internet2 video-conferencing technology. Audience participation is expected. Not yet familiar with Internet2? Learn more about it here. His talk is titled:

What To Do Now (and Why)
"Hardly a day goes by that a new opportunity or technology or idea comes whizzing past at the speed of light, and most people can be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed and a little guilty for not taking them all on. In this talk, I want to help people to think about what makes the most sense in this fast-paced World of Tomorrow we're now in."

Joseph Janes is Associate Professor at the Information School of the University of Washington. A frequent speaker in the US and abroad, he was the Founding Director of the Internet Public Library and the co-author of eight books on librarianship, technology, and their relationship, including Introduction to Reference Work in the Digital Age and writes the "Internet Librarian" column for American Libraries magazine. He is the 2006 recipient of the Isadore Gilbert Mudge award from the American Library Association for distinguished contributions to reference librarianship. He holds the M.L.S. and Ph.D. from Syracuse University, and has taught at the University of Michigan, the University of Toronto, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the State University of New York at Albany as well as at Syracuse and Washington.

Off-campus housing

Looking for something more glamorous than a dorm room?
We did not book rooms for "conference rates" so you will have to pay standard rates. Here are some local hotels:

Clarkson Inn
(most expensive option, closest
to campus and on the river!) -->
One Main St
Potsdam, NY 13676
The Clarkson Inn
(315) 265-3050

Smalling Motel-South
7518 US Highway 11
Potsdam-Canton Rd.
Potsdam, NY 13676
The Smalling Motel-South
(315) 265-0709

Best Western-University Inn
90 E Main St
Canton, NY 13617-1452
Best Western-University Inn
(888) 386-8522

Comfort Suites
6000 US Hwy 11
Canton, NY 13617
(800) 228-5150


Looking for something more rustic?
Higley Flow has really nice water front campsites, and is only 20 minutes south of Potsdam.



Higley Flow State Park
442 Cold Brook Drive
Colton, NY 13625 Phone:
(315) 262-2880
Reservations:
(800) 456-2267




More accommodations and bed and breakfasts can be found at:
http://northcountryguide.com/tourism/lodging-dining/lodginghotelsmotels/

Dorm Rooms

Dorm room prices are confirmed:

Single: $28.50 first night. $14.25 for each subsequent night.
Double: $19.00 per person first night. $9.50 for each subsequent night

OK to bring family members (spouses, kids, etc. but no pets). Only two people per room, same rates apply per person. No triples.

There are 90 singles in Draime Main.
There are 25-35 doubles in Draime Extention.

If registration exceeds the Draime capacity, overflow will be into Knowles Hall. Knowles has not been renovated recently like Draime, but is adequate. I would encourage folk to register early.

There is a kitchenette on each floor with a microwave, mini-fridge and sink. The Local Arrangements Committee plans to make hospitality baskets for each kitchenette with popcorn, snacks, tea, etc.

There is also a small lounge area on each floor...most have a TV with cable. The lounges would make good impromptu meeting spaces for small groups (i.e. 10 or so people).

There are coin operated laundry facilities in each dorm.


Each dorm room comes with:

• High speed internet connection, no charge (bring your own ethernet cable).
• There is no wireless in the dorms.
• One pillow
• Bed linens, a blanket, towel and washcloth. There is an additional fee for extra linens ($6.25)
• Cable hookup if you want to bring a TV, no charge
• Single bed, desk, closet.

Things you might want to bring:

• A fan (there is no air conditioning)
• Reading lamp (the only light is a floor lamp)
• Extra blankets, pillows, etc.
• Stuffed animals
  

Draime Knitting Lounge: Think you might need to take a break, or relax in the evening with other busy bees? The Knitting Lounge will be in the Draime Lounge on the first floor of the dorm. Sorry there is no wireless in the dorms.

RSS feeds

Blogger doesn't seem to have a sidebar widget that shows the feeds for a blog, so in the interests of easy access, here they are:

Blog posts: http://sunyla2008.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
Blog comments: http://sunyla2008.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/default

You can use either of those in your feedreader of choice (Google Reader, Bloglines, etc) to stay on top of our postings.

Come Early, Stay Late!

There are great recreational opportunities in the North Country! Take a mini-vacation before or after the conference. You can stay in the dorms real cheap and explore the area.

Things to do in Potsdam
Near by hikes
Bring your canoe or kayak (boat launch at SUNY Potsdam's Lehman Park)
Potsdam Public Museum


Things to do in the Saint Lawrence River Valley:
Akwesasne Mohawk Casino (strike it rich!)
Boldt Castle (pretend you're royalty!)
Visit the 1000 Islands


Things to do in the Adirondacks:
Paul Smith's VIC (easy hikes and a butterfly house!)
Tupper Lake Wild Center (an outdoor Adirondack museum)
Hike! There are easy trails as well as High Peaks


Lots of things to do!
St. Lawrence County North Country Guide (food, recreation, ...)
Visit Montreal or Ottawa (both less than 2 hour away)

Diverting!

I know that the conference planning committees are hard at work on our programming (submit a proposal over here), and we're also having a great time planning diversions that show off the wonderful character and beauty of Saint Lawrence County. Full descriptions will be in the program, but as a sneak peek, I'll let you all know that I'm leading an easy hike through Stone Valley a few miles down the road in Colton. It's a gorgeous spot in early June, with a gently rolling path to hike along some really cool rock formations in the Raquette River. Join us!

The snow WILL melt, we promise

It's still pretty cold and wintry here in Potsdam, but the staff and friends of the College Libraries are already hard at work on planning summer fun at SUNYLA (including warning campus friends that "a lot of librarians are going to be here in June..."). We're thrilled to be hosting the 40th annual SUNYLA conference in 2008, and we'll be sharing our plans here on this blog -- watch for regular updates from now until the conference starts. Feel free to comment, ask questions, or contact any of us at any time.

We're looking forward to seeing you at the conference!