Have you ever wondered what other associations’ (not libraries) conferences are like? I had the opportunity to attend the 2007 conference of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Commission on Colleges. SACS is the body that accredits our university and has 800 member institutions from Virginia to Arkansas. In preparation for a 2009 site visit, we have to complete a number of processes, one of which is to show that we are in compliance with SACS requirements and standards. Because SACS has recently revamped its reaffirmation of accreditation process, our delegation was hoping to learn from both the SACS staff and other universities who have completed the process.
The conference was held in the New Orleans Hilton, which was the Headquarters hotel for the 2007 AALL annual meeting. This gave me a slight advantage in that I already knew the lay of the land - where to find coffee and how to get to the Riverwalk.
One of the first differences was the look of the attendees. Most of them were university administrators. Suits were the fashion of choice. There were few examples of “business casual” dress. Another was the diversity of the group. Because of the concentration of historically black colleges and universities in the South, there was a large number of African Americans amongst the attendees.
It was easy to pick out the university presidents in this bunch. They were dressed slightly better than the rest (their suits were more expensive and fit better). Many of them had more than one cell phone or other small electronic device. They would huddle in groups of two or three, with serious expressions on their faces like they were negotiating a nuclear arms agreement!
There was an Exhibit Hall. Unlike AALL where Thomson/West and LEXIS dominate, there was no vendor who had the corner on this market. The vendors represented a wide range of services – from software to manage your physical facilities to food service providers. The trinkets were mostly pens, although one group gave away soccer stress balls and two vendors held drawings for iPods.
There was a plenary speaker each day – and you had to get to the room early to get a seat! I waited too long once and had to sit in the overflow room and watch via closed circuit TV. One speaker talked about diversity in education. One day’s speaker was a noted pediatric neurologist (he has been involved in several conjoined twin separations) who has decided to use his notoriety as a bully pulpit to stress the need for educating young people. He told the story of 25 year old twin girls who were being separated. “They had graduated from college and both had law degrees – only one wanted one!” A luncheon speaker talked about teamwork, illustrated by juggling – and audience participation.
Like AALL, staff from local colleges were used to staff a “Concierge Desk” and assist in other areas. Internet access was available 24/7 in the hallway outside one of the ballrooms.
The biggest difference for me was going to a conference where I knew no one - until I ran into someone who had previously worked on our campus. I had no committee responsibilities. I just went to the programs that were relevant to me. Knowing that I probably won’t ever attend this conference again made that okay. There was an emphasis on networking, but no one does it like law librarians!