by Jessica King

You may have already heard that the Special Libraries Association (SLA) Annual Conference and Information Expo will be held on June 8-10, just a train ride away in Vancouver, BC. As a member of the SLA Legal Division Executive Board and the SLA Pacific Northwest Chapter, I encourage you to think about attending. SLA membership is a mix of legal, corporate, government, medical, museum and other information professionals. The annual conference presents an opportunity to meet librarians of all kinds of specializations.

Registration and travel information can be found on the conference website. The SLA Western Canada Chapter has a great website with local Vancouver information (which might come in handy if you are planning a visit at any time). If you want to take a closer look at what sessions and meetings will be offered, head over to the conference online planner. I’ve listed some sessions that I plan to attend:

• 60 Sites in 60 Seconds – A popular session every year introducing you to websites that you can use at work or at home. The topics range from desktop sharing to language learning to foodie blogs.
• Analysis of Patent and Other Large Bibliographic Data Sets
• Bringing Parks to the People: Online Access to the Scenery and History of Our National Parks
• Legal Division Unconference – This is always an interesting session because any topic can come up.

Of course, there is always the IT Dance Party to look forward to and the Legal Division has a breakfast and business meeting every year where award winners are recognized. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have. I hope you take a minute to consider going to Vancouver this year. I think you will find it to be a rewarding professional experience.