In Face of SARS, ALA Pushes Through
by Nora Rawlinson, PW NewsLine -- Publishers Weekly, 6/23/2003
The exhibition hall for the first joint ALA/CLA in over forty years opened on Saturday with many fearing that the ongoing SARS scare in Toronto would put a damper on the show. However, attendees discovered a calm, normal city, with no signs of a crisis. As Toronto mayor, Mel Lastman told the crowd at ALA's Opening Session, "The only masks you see in Toronto are on CNN." ALA Executive Director Keith Fiels commented on the upbeat sense of "joie de vivre" and camaraderie at the show.Official figures from ALA through Saturday (the latest available at press time) had a total attendance of 16,558 (10,667 of them librarians), down just 2,576 from last year’s show in Atlanta. Fiels noted that some institutions forbade staff to attend, fearing legal repercussions if anyone contracted the disease. Funding, of course, has also had an effect, with some libraries curtailing travel budgets for staff.
On the floor, cancellations by major large library vendors and downsizing has meant there are open areas in the two show halls. But some vendors reported good traffic. Others said traffic was down, but the quality was high, as many of those who chose to attend are in decision-making positions.
Concerns that the Newbery/Caldecott celebration would be substantially affected did not materialize either, with approximately 900 coming to the banquet. Those that did not come to Toronto passed along their coveted tickets to colleagues. The most notable absence was Eric Carle, recipient of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, who did not come on advice of his doctor. He sent a video acceptance of the award.
In a move to ensure that cancellees return for the 2004 show in Orlando, ALA is offering credits for the '04 show in Orlando. This applies only to those that cancelled after the deadline for full returns.
Keith Fiels estimates that the association will experience a $1.75 million shortfall this fiscal year from the show, despite various concessions that Toronto gave them. As a result, the association now has instituted a hiring freeze and is delaying implementation of new expenditures.
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