WebJunction

In cooperation with the Center for the Study of Rural Librarianship at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, the Association for Rural & Small Libraries held its annual conference September 26-28, 2007, in Columbus, Ohio. The mission of the Association is to provide a network of people and materials to support rural and small library staff, volunteers, and trustees to integrate the library thoroughly with the life and work of the community it serves.

Conference highlights: Handouts and presentations are still coming in from this year's conference.  Current offerings include Sonora, CA's Tech-Know Rodeo handouts and promotional posters.  We were also able to host a compressed version of the Rural Cafe, a popular program at this summer's ALA Forum adapted from the WorldCafe Hosting Guides.  Another great session was Stephen Abram's "Looking at the Future - is there one for rural and small libraries?" Slides from his presentation can be found here. Please refer to   Conference Information for additional handouts and resources as they are made available by the presenters.

Pictures from this year's conference.

2006 ARSL Conference Resources

Handouts, podcasts, and video from last year's conference:  2006 Conference Highlights

ARSL and WebJunction are now partners!

One of the highlights of the conference is the new partnership announced between ARSL and WebJunction.

We will be joining forces to provide the latest and most relevant information you need to stay connected and grow professionally. All of this will be found under one roof: Webjunction.org/arsl

Webjunction has always had an interest in serving rural and small libraries. As its Rural Library Sustainability Project completes its three year workshop schedule through 42 states and the project concludes this fall, all of the resources, best practices, and discussions that have been shared will now be combined with ARSL's passion and interest in serving as the voice for rural and small libraries. ARSL has added journal articles, newsletters, and postings from its former site, and will continue to provide regular webinars, updates, and relevant advice.

Press release on ARSL/WJ Partnership.

Information to share?

Please share handouts, ideas, and suggestions in the rural discussion area.  Suggestions and feedback for ARSL can also be shared here.