Hello, fellow ALA student chapter leaders! Please read and pass this on to your classmates.
Considering attending
ALA Midwinter but can't shell out for a hotel? Stay with a fellow LIS student instead!
We from sALA (the student chapter of ALA) at the University of Washington cordially invite you and your classmates to crash with us and our classmates in Seattle this January 25-29 during ALA Midwinter.
We know how hard it is as students to afford conference registration, travel,
and lodging, so we figured we'd try to help eliminate that last cost, and get to meet some of our colleagues from around the country (and beyond!) at the same time. It may just be a spare bed, couch, or futon, but if you're yearning to attend Midwinter
to meet the movers and shakers of the library world, participate in discussions about the future of the field, and explore scenic (if sometimes rainy) Seattle, all without breaking the bank, then stay with us!
Here's how it works: We've asked MLIS students from the University of Washington iSchool to volunteer to host other library science students coming to Seattle for ALA Midwinter. They've filled out the
Hosts page on the Google doc with information about their space and their contact info (more will sign up as we keep reminding them over the coming weeks). You are welcome to reach out to any of them to
ask if you can stay with them. You should also put your information on the
Guests page of the Google doc so that students can reach out to you if they feel like it's a good match. Again, it's all DIY: we rely on you and the host to make the necessary arrangements; sALA will NOT be pairing you up. A
s
the warnings say on the Google Doc, this is all based on the honor system, and we/sALA/the
iSchool/UW are not responsible if anything goes wrong. However, if everything goes right (and it should!), you'll make a new LIS friend in Washington, get to go to
an awesome conference in a beautiful city, and get to see Seattle beyond the downtown hustle and bustle. We do ask that you bring a thank-you of some kind: a souvenir from home, something hand-crafted, or even just a thoughtful note. But most of all we hope
that you might be willing to return the favor if ALA or another conference comes to your town in the future! (Here's lookin' at you, Dominican [ALA Annual 2013 and Midwinter 2015 in Chicago], Drexel [Midwinter 2014 in Philadelphia], UNT Nevada [ALA Annual
2014 in Las Vegas], and San Jose State [ALA Annual 2015 in SF].)
Note:
participation is limited to students who are enrolled in a master's program in library/information science at the time of the conference and are officially registered
for the conference by the time they arrive. Hosts may ask to see proof of either or both of these to make sure their guest isn't some rando who just wants a free place to
stay in Seattle.
Please spread the word among the students in your LIS program only, and feel free to contact me with any questions!
All the best,
Gina
Gina Kessler Lee
Co-President, sALA-UW
MLIS Candidate 2013
Information School, University of Washington