American Library Association in Orlando Proves a Hot Ticket

摘要

sDespite the lowest turnout in a decade and the awful logistics of navigating between hotels and the convention center, the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Orlando, June 25-29, proved a hot ticket. After the debacle in SARS-afflicted Toronto in 2003, vendors came back with a vengeance. The lack of librarians was reflected in slow floor traffic, yet the exhibits seemed to draw a more business-minded crowd who came looking to buy—always a welcome surprise. As with ALA's Midwinter Meeting in January, RFID is still the big buzz, despite reservations about potential privacy problems; displays of the tags and scanning devices were numerous as vendors vied to develop the least intrusive and most cost-efficient wares. There also was news of some big contracts, new systems, and significant Vendor partnerships.