For immediate release | November 8, 2017

ALCTS Midwinter Symposium Explores Library Access and Accessibility

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CHICAGO—On Friday, Feb. 9, the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) will hold the Midwinter Symposium “” during the 2018 Midwinter Meeting in Denver. Aimed at those working in collections and technical services, this full-day symposium will examine how libraries and cultural institutions provide all populations with access to materials.

Connecting people to information is a fundamental tenet of librarianship, and in the rapidly evolving information age, librarians strive to enhance access and increase accessibility for all patrons. These concepts are particularly significant to those working in collections and technical services, where responsibility for identifying, selecting, acquiring, organizing, managing, digitizing and preserving recorded knowledge resides. This symposium will explore the current landscape as well as the future of collections and technical services work as it contributes to access and broad accessibility to stimulate knowledge creation, foster innovation and empower libraries to have a transformative role in society.

The symposium will open with the keynote presentation “Libraries Improving Access: Policies, Programs, and Promotion” from Denver City Librarian Michelle Jeske. Following the keynote, speakers Heidi M. Schroeder, Dr. Heather Moulaison Sandy, Jennifer Dandle and Jordan Fields will give presentations on building accessible collections through interinstitutional collaboration; systems, standards, and strategies used to access library data; enhancing discoverability with accessible content; and partnering to create integrated local collections. In addition, the symposium will offer facilitated roundtable discussions and the closing presentation “Crossing State Lines: Enabling Sharing of Accessible Content” from Laura C. Wood.

“Empowering Access and Ensuring Accessibility: Connecting People to Information and Collections” will take place on Friday, Feb. 9 from 8:30 am until 4 pm. ALCTS or membership is not required to attend the ALCTS Midwinter Symposium. In addition, attendees do not need additional registration for the Midwinter Meeting. Online registration is available through the .

For questions about the ALCTS Midwinter Symposium or other ALCTS Midwinter programming, please contact Megan Dougherty, ALCTS Program Officer, Continuing Education. Visit for a comprehensive listing of ALCTS events at Midwinter and follow ALCTS on social media using #alctsmw18 for the latest details on ALCTS Midwinter programming.

ALCTS is a division of the ϲʿapp. An international, member-driven association, ALCTS engages the library community on issues and policies that affect the acquisition, management, discovery, and preservation of library collections.

Contact:

Brooke Morris

Program Officer, Communications

Association for Library Collections & Technical Services

bmorris@ala.org