We are currently living in a time with great uncertainty that requires action, flexibility, and resilience. As organizations across the country are evaluating their own workplace operations to deal with this crisis, I am encouraged and proud to see our strong network of law librarians and legal information professionals sharing resources, ideas, and contingency plans.
We have heard from many of you about the impact the COVID-19 situation is having on your organizations; many of you have travel restrictions in place and have reached out to us for advice and support. As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow, AALL has two upcoming events in Chicago, Leadership Academy and the CI Strategies & Analysis program. To that end, we are looking to postpone the 2020 Leadership Academy to August. A formal announcement with new dates will be announced as soon as we have worked out the details of this change. We are still evaluating options for the CI Strategies & Analysis program, and no decision to cancel or postpone have been made at this point. We are following the latest updates and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the City of Chicago, and the State of Illinois.
With regard to the 2020 AALL Annual Meeting, it is still too early for AALL to postpone or cancel the event. Our conference is scheduled to take place as planned with the early-bird registration deadline remaining May 15, 2020. We are in regular communication with the Louisiana Department of Health. The health and safety of our members, speakers, sponsors, and staff are important to us and guide our decision making during this difficult time. We encourage you to make decisions about attending any event based on your own health and safety needs.
AALL Headquarters is open and staff remains ready to assist members. We will continue to keep you informed of any updates, as we did in our March 6 eBriefing. Members are also encouraged to visit our COVID-19 Updates and Resources page on AALLNET. If you have additional questions or comments, please contact AALL’s Headquarters Office at 312.939.4764.
Michelle Cosby
AALL President