ProQuest to Sponsor Two Librarians’ Travel to ALA Conference in Chicago
ProQuest will sponsor trips for Lee Hope, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library (TN) Coordinator of Services for Children & Young Adults, and Erika Gangnath, Brookhurst Jr High School (CA) Library Technologist, to attend the 2009 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. The librarians won trips in a web-based, random drawing held by ProQuest on May 11. The drawing is part of ProQuest's larger program to support libraries during the economic crisis. Original plans were for a single winner, but ProQuest added a second when more than 2,600 librarians entered the drawing.
“We conceived the drawing because travel budgets have been especially hard hit in these tough economic times,” said Lynda James-Gilboe, senior vice president of marketing and customer care for ProQuest. “As the entries came flooding in, we wanted to do more and created the opportunity for another librarian to go. We’re very excited to have Lee and Erika as our special guests at this year’s conference and know that they’ll come back with tangible tips and tools to share with their institutions.”
“Going to ALA this year means so much to me,” said Gangnath. “Last year was the first time that I was able to attend ALA because it was in my home town. I paid for the conference myself and went to as many workshops as possible. I was so sad that I wasn't going to be able to attend this year. Going to ALA this summer will provide me with the opportunity to gain tools to motivate my students.”
“The ALA Conference is a wonderful opportunity to network with other librarians and learn the newest information available on library services,” said Hope. “I am continuously looking for new and innovative ideas to help our staff better serve the youth in our area. ALA always provides new and fresh ideas. Thank you so much, ProQuest, for this opportunity!”
ProQuest is a longstanding supporter of libraries and librarianship, and has more than 100 librarians on staff. In fact, the first winner was drawn by the company’s newest librarian and the second was drawn by its most tenured. Ms. Hope and Ms. Gangnath receive conference registration, roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, and a $500 gift card to cover meals, transportation, and expenses. They will also be a “VIP guests” at ProQuest’s high-profile events such as the ALA Scholarship Bash and the ProQuest Customer Reception at the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as the company’s learning luncheon "Marketing the Library".
About ProQuest
ProQuest creates specialized information resources and technologies that propel successful research, discovery, and lifelong learning. A global leader in serving libraries of all types, ProQuest offers the expertise of such respected brands as Chadwyck-Healey™, UMI®, SIRS®, and eLibrary®. With Serials Solutions®, Ulrich's™, RefWorks®, COS™, Dialog® and now Bowker® part of the ProQuest brand family, the company supports the breadth of the information community with innovative discovery solutions that power the business of books and the best in research experience.
More than a content provider or aggregator, ProQuest is an information partner, creating indispensable research solutions that connect people and information. Through innovative, user-centered discovery technology, ProQuest offers billions of pages of global content that includes historical newspapers, dissertations, and uniquely relevant resources for researchers of any age and sophistication—including content not likely to be digitized by others. Inspired by its customers and their end users, ProQuest is working toward a future that blends information accessibility with community to further enhance learning and encourage lifelong enrichment.
For more information, visit www.proquest.com or the ProQuest parent company website, www.cig.com.