2009 Annual Conference

Scaling the Heights
April 23–25, 2009
DoubleTree - Lloyd Center Hotel
Portland, Oregon

Portland News and Notes
September 2008

An occasional report on ASI conference planning
for our Portland meeting, April 23–25, 2009

Getting There, Getting Around

For most of us, getting to a strange city and navigating its highways and byways is part of the fun, but also part of the hassle, of attending an ASI conference. In Portland the experience looks to be more pleasurable than usual. First of all, getting there: Portland is well served by many airlines, and one can fly direct or with only one stop from most major cities. In some cities the airport is quite a distance from downtown, but our conference hotel, the Doubletree, is an easy ride from both the airport and the city center. MAX, Portland's light rail system, charges (at time of press) $2.05 for an "all-zone" ticket, and goes right from the airport; you can practically disembark in the lobby of the Doubletree.

For those who'd rather take ground transport, Portland is accessible via Amtrak. There's also a van shuttle service from Seattle to Portland which is great value and very convenient (thanks to Carolyn Weaver for recommending it). Check out their website at http://www.shuttleexpress.com/seattlePortland.html.

Scott Smiley and other ASI members who know Portland tell me that, throughout the downtown area and extending to Lloyd Center (where our meeting will be), public transportation, including the MAX light rail and streetcar, are free. The "Fareless Square" area on MAX starts at Lloyd Center and extends to the Library stop, which is the connection to the streetcar that will take you to Powell's Books (the last stop on that edge of Fareless Square) or Portland State and the South Waterfront, all for free. Just hop on! (Or walk a few blocks from MAX to Powell's if you don't want to wait for the streetcar.) Here is the website: http://www.trimet.org/fares/fareless.htm

As always, please exercise caution and be aware of your surroundings when using public transport systems.

Call for Proposals

If you've got a great idea for a conference session, the deadline to submit a formal call for proposals (CFP) form is October 20. So far lots of you have contacted me with really great ideas; don't forget to make sure to register them on paper! It may seem a long way away right now, but the time will pass quickly, so remember to put it on your to-do list. I you want to run an idea by me prior to submitting a CFP, feel free to email me at kmertes@hotmail.com.

Poster Sessions

Have you got the creative touch? Think about submitting a poster to the conference. Posters are a great way to demonstrate a technique, a solution to a problem, an interesting project, or any other indexing topic that lends itself to visual representation and is not quite involved enough to require a full-scale presentation. You should submit a CFP form for posters just like any other program session. We'll also schedule poster sessions, periods in which their producers can gather with conference attendees and answer their questions.

Food, Glorious Food!

In the responses to conference surveys for Denver, the topic attracting some of the most attention and commentary was—BREAKFAST! Many of you, and I do mean MANY, waxed vociferous about the prevalence of starch and sweets at ASI continental breakfasts, and lauded the value of a proper first meal of the day. So in Portland, we're going to do our best to provide a really decent breakfast. Since food at conferences is a major cost item, this will probably impact what other food we offer. I am thinking of keeping lunches simple, perhaps just sandwiches, and even possibly eliminating the one dinner we usually have in favor of good reception hors d'oeuvres. (Awards and honors, this year, will be divided between our various receptions, breakfasts, lunches, and the annual meeting, again in response to conference survey results; many people said the dinner went on too long.) Members often prefer to eat out, and Portland has lots of restaurants in all price ranges. Let me know what you think!

Opening Reception at Powell's

Portland is home to Powell's, one of the largest independent bookstores in the U.S., and a real Mecca for bibliophiles. I'm pleased to be able to tell you that we've arranged to hold our opening reception at the gallery in Powell's main store, only a short distance from our conference hotel.

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